Pleasure Gardens & Hanging Gardens Wadi Daykah Climbing Guide Ray Corbett, December 2008

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1 Pleasure Gardens & Hanging Gardens Wadi Daykah Climbing Guide Ray Corbett, December 2008 Bruce Boyd Photo Bruce Boyd Photos 1

2 WARNING ABOUT ROCK CLIMBING Climbing is a sport which can result in serious injury or death. Read the advice below before you climb using this guide. In Oman you climb entirely at your own risk. There is no mountain rescue or specialist assistance available in the event of an accident in the mountains. Medical attention could take a very long time to arrive, if at all, at the scene of an accident. Climbers take full responsibility for their safety and the safety of their partners. The author cannot assure the accuracy of the information in this guide, including the route descriptions and the difficulty ratings. These are subjective and depend on the physical characteristics such as height, experience, technical ability, confidence and physical fitness of the climber who supplied the ratings. The physical condition of the rock or the fixed equipment may be modified by weather extremes, rockfall or vandalism. Therefore be warned that you must exercise your own judgement with regards to the route location, description, difficulty and your ability to safely protect yourself from the risks of rock climbing. Examples of these risks are: falling due to technical difficulty or holds breaking off, falling rock, climbing equipment dropped by other climbers, equipment failure and failure of protection including fixed protection such as bolts. You should not depend on any information gleaned from this guide for your personal safety. Your safety depends on your own experience, equipment and climbing skill. If you have any doubt as to your ability to safely climb any route described in this guide, do not attempt it. Introduction Wadi Daykah is situated about one hour from Muscat off the Quriyat road. It takes around 80 minutes (90km) to get there from Qurm. The Middle Canyon area is the main climbing section in the wadi and is 3 km upstream from the village of Hail Al Ghaf. See Wadi Daykah Climbing Guide for detailed directions. Pleasure Gardens and Hanging Gardens are opposite each other and both crags are just a ten minute walk up the side wadi that enters the main canyon on the north side, to the left of I Feel Good. As you look up the adjoining wadi the crag you see 200m away, jutting out from the left is Pleasure Gardens crag. Directly opposite on the right side of the wadi is Hanging Gardens crag. There are 12 bolted routes, equipped by Ray Corbett, Ben Bollich, Laurie Ottenbreit, Santiago Padros and Jacob Oberhauser. 2

3 Gear and Ethics The rock is generally good however belayers should wear a helmet and take a protected stance. All routes are bolted except Nous Nous which can be done on toprope from the Hoolie Woolie belay. The routes are equipped with 10mm expansion bolts and the belays have lower offs. All the routes can be climbed with a 60m rope. Eight or nine quickdraws are enough for all the pitches except Humdilillah which has 11 bolts. Be aware that climbing in many areas in Oman within 7-10 days of rain can cause many reliable holds to break off. Many routes depend on holds which are cemented on the rock with mud. After rain the mud needs at least a week to bake and harden again. The Climbs Pleasure Gardens, Wadi Dyhkah Humdalilah 6b Inshallah 6b Hoolie Woolie 6a Nous Nous 6b Back Zain Scratch 5a 6a+ 72 V 6c Mafe Mushkhala 4c 3

4 Pleasure Gardens (8) climbs are (from left to right): Humdillilah (6b, 28m, 11 bolts) Nice finger crack climbing with a strenuous move to pass the roof. There is a lower off below the roof if you prefer not to try it. Inshahllah (6b, 25m, 9 bolts) Face and crack climbing with another tricky finish up either side of the chockstone. Hooly Woolly (6a+, 25m, 8 bolts) Very nice climb with an off-width crack in the corner to finish. Noos Noos (TR, 6b, 25m) The face going up the middle of Hooly Wooly, not bolted to date, so can be toproped from the same belay. Backscratch (6a+, 28m, 8 bolts) Up the face behind the tree and then a challenging crack giving a sustained climb all the way to the belay. Mind your rope and your back on the way down, tree is spiky. 72 V (6c, 28 m, 8 bolts) An interesting face climb, with a strenuous finish. Zain (5a, 20m, 9 bolts) Up the easy corner, this face is looser than the other climbs, do not belay at the bottom, move back on to the big flat rock. Mafe Mushkhalah (4c, 20m, 8 bolts) An easy climb, but the face is looser the further right you go, so keep to the line. Belayer should not stand at the bottom. 4

5 Hanging Gardens Crackerjack Black Finger Bum Scratch Chunky Monkey Bouncing Baloney On the right side (facing up the wadi) is Hanging Gardens with 5 bolted climbs, described from left to right; 5

6 Black Finger (6a+, 20m) Bum Scratch (5b, 12m) Named by Jacob who nipped his finger which bolting this one. Not as easy as it looks. Mind the bush as you pass. No pulling on the greenery. Chunky Monkey (6b+, 12m) Named after Steve, with a tricky move past the bush. Finish at the belay or climb on up to the belay on the upper wall. Bouncing Baloney (6a+, 12m) Named after Tony, delicate face climbing. Finish at the belay or climb (tricky finish) on up to the belay on the upper wall. Crackerjack (, 15m) The corner crack gives easy access to the upper face and continues up to the belays at the top. The main part of the upper face has not yet been climbed. Belays are in place at the top. The entrance to Pleasure Gardens Wadi 6

7 Jamie relaxing in Pleasure Gardens and climbers on Hooly Wooly and Backscratch. Ben on Hooly Wooly (Bruce Boyd photo) Bruce Boyd Photos Ray in bolting attire 7

8 Steve, Ben, Jamie and Tony at Hanging Gardens Panoramic views at Pleasure Gardens (Bruce Boyd Photos) 8