Our first stop is right in front of the dozens of totems occupying a section of the Jabal Shams overlooking a deep crease in the earth below. From where we were, we can see villages in a distance, the stunning greenery a clear indication that life has been thriving in that remote area.
The totems are barely a metre high and are made of different sized stones and rocks with the owners trying their best to balance the rocks together.
“It has become a tradition for some of the hikers to put one up. It’s like an indication that one has been here and has conquered this part of the Jabal Shams,” Ahmed al Jaabri, Oman Outdoor Adventure, who organised the tour, leader shared.
While it’s customary to build one’s totem after completing the hike, our group of five felt that reaching that point is on its own already an accomplishment.
We were trying our best to make ours as high as possible when two Europeans came quite intrigued by what we were doing. We explained the tradition and one of them left her own mark.
The Balcony Walk as how the whole stretch of hiking trail has been popularly called is about 45-minute trek with many of the pathways carved on the side of the mountain. Some of the pathways go back to many years back, some speculating even a thousand years or for as long as the Jabal Shams has been inhabited by humans.
At more than 2000 metres above sea level, the mountains alone were a sight to behold. We passed a certain point that with the sun hitting the mountain at the right angle, a portion of the mountain glowed forming what to me was a naturally formed temple reminiscent of Petra of Jordan. It occupied my attention much of the trip.
Most of the hikers who ventured into the Balcony Walk have heard of the abandoned village of Sab Bani Khamis. There was something appealing about stone houses built on the side of the mountain and to find several of them including traces of human activities make one feel like he’s transported to a not so distant past where life flourished and people were happy living simple lives.
In Sab Bani Khamis, the simple feat of engineering by the families who use to live in the area makes one appreciate of their genius as they were able to use the mountains as shield from the weather and the sun and also created terraced gardens so they can farm and grow crops.
To this day, the terraced gardens are still filled with pomegranates and other crops which the locals harvest at the right season.
“There used to be about 15 families here but over the years, water became a challenge so they have to move away to where it was convenient. It’s still possible to trace the families as they just moved to nearby towns and cities but none of them have plans of coming back,” Ahmed shared.
As it was raining the past previous days during our visit, some of the pathways had become slippery. Water also continued to trickle at the side of the mountains and moss and some weeds sprouted providing the needed greenery for the goats to feed on.
About 15 minutes away from the abandoned village is a small lake that has become quite a social media sensation. Even to this day, the lake is a source of water for the terraced gardens.
A shallow cave at one end of the lake has also become a hangout for the hundreds of trekkers who visit that part of Jabal Shams. From the cave, the view was both beautiful and calming as it’s a through and through view of the sky in a distance and the nature that surrounds it.
“If we continue further, we would need to climb the side of the mountain and have to venture into the Via Ferrata territory,” Ahmed shared.
The via Ferrata is the portion of the hike where one would have to rely on ropes to get from one point to the other and with vertical ascent, is quite challenging without the proper gears.
We reserve venturing to it for another day with the plan of camping at the lakeside on some future adventure.
November to February are definitely the best times to visit Jabal Shams. And although the about 2-hour back and forth trek can be tiring, the views along the way, the learning, and the adventure will be totally worth it.
Just a little bit of advise. When venturing to Jabal Shams, dress accordingly as the winds can get chilly. If your plan is to get to the abandoned village and to the lake and wonder if you can do it, just think that we met some old couples (around 70) enjoying the walk and one of them was hiking with a cane. If you are not in a hurry and want to enjoy it, you can take your time.
The Balcony Walk is one of those adventures that you don’t have to do fast. There is plenty to see and with the right kind of imagination, maybe you too will see the naturally formed temple of Petra etched on the side of the mountain.
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