Musandam Bouldering Guide

By Nick Draper

Key to Abbreviations

RHS/LHS- Right Hand Side/Left hand side HB- High Ball *- indicates a quality/classic route Ss- Sit start PL- Poor Landing Green Topo- Easier Route Yellow Topo- Moderate Route Red Topo- Hard Route

Wadi Hilti Boulder Area

Pyramid Slab This huge boulder presents some nice long routes on fairly good quality rock. The further left the routes are, the higher. The start of the routes can be found on 3 tiers; 1st Floor, 2nd Floor and 3rd Floor. The descent is off the back RHS.

1) Palm Rocket V1 (HB): A nice long wandering line up the Pyramid from the 1st Floor up. Start with a high RH side pull and LH high on an open crimp, bridge between the boulder and the rock behind to gain access to the caramel box and push up to a thin line trending right underneath the arête, all the way to the fluttery heights at the top of the Pyramid. (FA 02/2013 N. Draper)

2) Pyramid Pocket V1 (HB): A direct route up the slab from the 2nd Floor. Make delicate moves up to the two single finger pockets,

stretch left and carefully work up the slab to the top.(FA 02/2013 N. Draper)

3) X-ray direct V0 (HB): 3m L of Skipping Rope. The direct route from the edge of the 3rd step. Make confident moves up the slab on good edges to the sandy pocket, keeping a cool head as you continue over the top. (FA 02/2013 N. Draper)

4) Skipping Rope V0 (HB): RHS 3rd Step. Follow the broken face inside the arête and swoop left onto positive holds before a direct finish straight over the top. (FA 02/2013 N. Draper)

5) Bonds Bridge V1 (No hands V2*) : An enjoyable traverse across the base of the Pyramid from the edge of the 2nd Floor to RHS 3rd Floor. Stealth your way across the tiers using a mix of side pulls, crimps and pockets- or none at all if you’re holding a gun. (FA 02/2013 007 Biggs)

The Wedge The Wedge offers some shorter but more powerful routes on a steeper face than the Pyramid slab. The rock does not always inspire confidence but is mostly good quality. The descent is off the RHS.

Climber: Aaron Biggs on Under Armour

6) Latches and Keys V1* (Ss & PL): An obvious line up the LHS of The Wedge. From the Ss match hands on the sharp

block jutting out and move up to the pocket above, ‘find the key for the door’ to finish on a good top out.(FA 02/2013 N. Draper)

7) Under Armour V0 (Ss): The swooping line from the RHS of The Wedge. From the Ss on the pebble, monkey over leftwards on the undercut to the centre of the face before firing over the top. (FA 02/2013 A. Biggs)

Silky B The Silky B Boulder offers the one of the cleanest faces in the Wadi and is right by the road. The landing is good but sloped and the boulder is high but very good quality rock. The descent is a careful slide down the LHS into the gully.

8) Giant Sleep V2 *: A classic committing flutter up this stunning boulder. From the RH pocket mantle up the scoop and aimlessly slap up. Do it all again to rock out high. (FA 02/2013 N. Draper)

9) Joue le Jeu V3(HB): A blind wandering line across the face of Silky B. From the LH pocket and RH crimps move up on the seemingly blank face. Make careful moves on thin pulls to summit. (FA 02/2013 N. Draper)

Sharks Tooth Area Just opposite the Silky B Boulder, the lines in the Sharks Tooth Area are clean and obvious. Both are on quality rock and are above a good landing providing a perfect place to practice jamming for longer routes. The down climb is fun but care needs to be taken as the landing once started is uneven.

10) Hairy Tooth Fairy V1 (Ss): A strenuous journey up the smooth crack. Make powerful bumps up until able to reorganise flailing legs and continue on to easier ground. (FA 02/2013 N. Draper)

11) Tooth Fairy V1*: A very enjoyable, clean route. Attach yourself to the crack using jams and pulls, gradually moving feet up onto the ledge where unfortunately it all ends too quickly. (FA 02/2013 N. Draper)

Wadi Khab Al Shamsi

This route is located at the 2nd Narrows Sport climbing area approximately 30 mins off road from Dibba Dam.

Figure 1 Nick Draper climbing Marine Core Training

11b) Marine Core Training V5* (Ss): A steep and athletic journey to the centre of the cave. Move upwards into the roof through a variety of pockets, pulls and hooks. Enter the final stages with gusto and finish in the obvious but hard to reach pocket central to the roof. (F.A S. Hyndman 03/2013)

Wadi Nant Bidi Bouldering Area

Location: Behind Dibba Dam, Dibba, Mussandam, Oman

Take a left at Dibba Dam, follow the road all the way to the village at the back, take the second left fork and follow onto a dirt track. Continue until parking is available after an obvious dip in the road. The river bed leading into Wadi Bidi has a population of boulders similar to number of cars found in Mexico City. This guide has a sample of the wealth of routes that can be found in the area.

Orientation There is parking 20m left up the road near where this

overview picture was taken or in front of Road Block boulder. The location of these boulders is amongst a quiet and unfrequented village. Sensitivity to locals and their customs is a must for access to continue. If approached, a smile and warm greetings go a long way.

Figure 2 Overview Picture

Climber: Jez Dodd and his brightest t-shirt making strenuous moves up Stranger in the Night (V3) on Lost and Found boulder.

Lost and Found Boulder This striking boulder offers a good cluster of challenging routes on photogenic rock. The decent is from the RHS of Lazy Boy onto the adjacent boulder.

Climber: Olly Pope on Lazy Boy

13) Lazy Boy V1 (RHS): With a low foot in the pocket, brace between the adjacent boulder and reach with a RH for anything to help gain the pocket above, straighten up and top out to the left (FA 02/2013 N Draper).

14) Stranger in the Night V3 * (Ss): Match pocket then cross through and reach for the sky to gain the slanting post box, awkwardly rearrange to make the strenuous top out (FA 02/2013 N Draper).

15) Launch Pad V0 : straight up the LH arête and muscle over the bare top out (FA 02/2013 N Draper).

Climbers: LHS Nick Draper on Central Station & RHS Olly Pope on Lazy Boy.

15) Launch Pad V0: straight up the LH arête and muscle over the bare top out (FA 02/2013 N Draper).

16) Loud Tap V0 (Central): From standing crimps, fumble then high footed top out (FA 02/2013 N Draper).

17) 1Up V0: standing up and flopping over using the slopers/crimpers (FA 02/2013 N Draper).

17) 1Up V0: standing up and flopping over using the slopers/crimpers (FA 02/2013 N Draper).

18) Central Station V1*: An absorbing and delicate direct route. Stand tall on both smooth and thin edges with sharp crimps in search of the nearest tube station. (FA 02/2013 N Draper)

Polly Pocket- Back wall….

The Split, Rainbow Wall This superior boulder imparts a drive to top out like no other upon the climbers that spend time here. It is found a few hundred meters to the right of Lost and Found boulder. Descent is off the back left.

19) 127 hrs V2 (HB): A burly journey up the RH corner. Battle up the intimidating RHS of the Split and carefully rock over the corner without getting trapped for 5 days. (F.A O. Pope 02/2013)

20) Old Casks’ Task V3 *(HB): For those enjoy problem solving. Move up to the thin rib trying to keep the barn door closed. Bump around up to the arête and refrain from using the opposing boulder to get the pinch, gain the slab, and finally move delicately up to the top. (F.A N.Draper 02/2013)

21) Farthing Penny: So much potential from early promising holds…blanks out. Start on high matched crimp and move diagonally trying to escape. (No F.A for this route yet.)

22) Money Bags V1: A fun pocketed arch/traverse on good holds.(F.A N.Draper 02/2013)

Nants Edge Boulder

What this boulder lacks in quantity is redeemed by quality.

23) Legerdemain V5 *(Ss): A burly technical problem on well spaced holds. Using perfect ledges to gain open crimps, awkward stretching before topping out over the flake. 24) Neba V1. A direct route up to the rhs of the flake.. (Fa N.Draper 04/2013)

Sleeping Sheep Boulder This boulder harbours one of the finest routes in the area. Careful decent off back left.

25) Smells Like Nothing V3 *(Ss). A compact route. From matched hands on the sloping ledge move left to pockets and then back right to the ramp and up to finish. (F.A N.Draper 03/2013)

26) Belly of the Beast V4**. A superb technical puzzle. Use pinches and your core to reach the pocket after which you may rest your hat. (F.A. N.Draper 03/2013)

27) Rough Rump V1. Tricky arête. Stand up shifting body weight about to move up directly to finish. (F.A. N.Draper 03/2013)

23 24

Road Block This convenient boulder has a few routes with and abundance of brittle pockets and sharp edges. Use own judgement of what can be weighted and what cannot. Descent off the back.

28) Cheshire Cheese V0 (HB): From a crouched start on a matched jug, move up to the scoop and select brittle pockets to gain the solid rock at the top. (F.A N. Draper 04/2013)

29) Pandle V0 (Pl): Straight up through pockets. (F.A N. Draper) 30) Razorette VO(Ss): Sharp. Move up arête by pinches and side

pulls. (F.A N. Draper 04/2013) 31) Demi Droigt V1: Traverse from crack to the R and continue

round the arête to the end of the North facing wall on the boulder being careful not to go too high. (F.A N. Draper 04/2014).

New Climbing Routes in Wadi Bidi

Further on from the main climbing area on the left by 100m is The Lobby offering two new routes.

1) Helicoidal Way Out 6a+. A flowing journey beneath the wave. Start by rocking over the large lip from the white boulder by the RHS of the tree. Make confident moves up to the first bolt. From here press up into the first scoop, and gain the ledge. Then spiral gymnastically onwards and upwards, using both the pocketed roof and main face to gain an exit that comes just in time. (FA. N.Draper 02/2013)

2) Lobster Variation 6c. Strenuous. Start from the LHS of the tree with a mantle onto the ledge. Gain the pocket and make dynamic technical moves over to join the 4th bolt on HWO and continue to finish.