Egypt’s Sinai can appear to be an countless expanse of rugged mountains and desert. On its southern tip, it is dwelling to Sharm El Sheikh, the seashore resort city famed for its diving sites, luxurious motels, eating places, and nightlife; and the extra laid-back Dahab, which lies an hour’s drive to the north. But the remainder of the triangular peninsula—an space bigger than Switzerland, framed by the Mediterranean to the north and hugged by the Red Sea’s two gulfs to the south—is much less explored.
Sinai has significance in Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. The story of the Exodus begins with Moses fleeing to Sinai as a fugitive, the place he encounters the Burning Bush by means of which God instructions him to return to Egypt and free the Israelites from slavery. The sixth-century Saint Catherine’s Monastery—the world’s oldest repeatedly functioning Christian monastery—sits on the foot of Mount Sinai, recognized domestically as Jebel Musa, and preserves sacred manuscripts and icons. The Muslim Jebeliya tribe, long-time protectors of the monastery, has safeguarded the sacred website for hundreds of years.
On my first hike to discover Sinai 4 years in the past, my household and I left our resort in Dahab in the midst of the night time to achieve Saint Catherine’s Monastery, beginning our three-mile ascent to the highest of Mount Sinai at one within the morning. From there, we made the steep climb to the highest of the summit—a mile and a half above sea degree, and the place Moses is alleged to have obtained the Ten Commandments—in time to observe the dawn. Although it was an undeniably stunning expertise, any sense of spirituality was undone by the droves of individuals gathered with us on the high.
This time is totally different: I’m on a climbing and tenting journey with Sinai Hikes, a Sinai-based climbing and trekking specialist led by native Bedouin guides, which guarantees a extra genuine expertise. My 12-person group is led by Ahmed Mousa, an area Jebeliya tribesman and entrepreneur, who exhibits us the way in which by way of unmarked trails the place we barely encounter one other soul.
“We have scenery and summits and dramatic valleys, and at the same time we have heritage and culture and traditions,” explains Mousa, who grew up in a close-by village and commenced guiding along with his uncle as a youngster. “It is a beautiful place, but when you know who was in this place, the story is complete.” The charismatic 28-year-old, fluent in English, launched Sinai Hikes in 2022 and has since constructed a workforce of 5 head guides and 5 camel handlers. His firm gives small-group hikes, or absolutely customized excursions, from 4 to 13 days in size, taking within the mountains and valleys round Saint Catherine’s Monastery, in addition to day journeys, jeep rides, and camel safaris.