Our new location – Wadi Al Akhu, Hariq, KSA
Hariq constituted a complete change of scene. From the temperate weather and lush landscapes of the south, we were now in the rocky desert of the central Saudi plateau. Most noticeable was the temperature which was well into the 30ºs even in the shade and we had traded the baboons for countless camels!
Wadi Al Akhu Crag
Al Akhu means The Brother and the new crag is named for the friendly locals who befriended Joao Miquel, a Riyadh-based expat who bolted the first and only route at the crag in April 2019. The route is the namesake of the crag, Al Akhu.
Big respect to all of the expats who spent countless hours checking Google Earth and driving to remote locations, all in search of climbing potential so that they can develop something for themselves. We really appreciate this spirit of adventure and hope that the 38 pitches we have left allow them to relax and enjoy, but only until the urge to explore returns!
“...we spent as much time cleaning dangerous loose blocks and preparing the bases of the wall as we did installing hardware...”
We equipped 38 routes in one week.
Al Akhu crag was much more challenging to prepare. Not only was the heat intense and physically draining, but we spent just as much time cleaning dangerous loose blocks and preparing the bases of the wall as we did installing hardware. In the end, though, it is the hard work that is the most rewarding.
For our last two days on site we had Yasmin Gahtani, the managing director of the federation, and a number of the Riyadh climbing community join us to climb the first ascents of our routes. Their enthusiastic approval of our development work made it all worth while and we absolutely love to see posts and receive messages from the local climbing community enjoying, thriving and growing on the crags that we have developed!
Unless otherwise noted, all of these photos are thanks to Will S. Lawrence/Streamline Drones who joined us on this trip to document the equipping process and the Saudi Bolting Project – Saudi Climbing and Hiking Federation’s development initiative. We had a great time working with Will and from the clips we have seen we can’t wait to see the full video. Stay tuned!
