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Over Bander JissA and Wadi Kabir
Close enough for a day trip or a night trek, it will take you far from city life. By Aninda Sardar

Most people miss the cycle path that branches up into the mountain from the parking lot that comes up on the right én route Qantab. In fact, the little sunshade, which provides a view of the sea through the rocks on the other side of the road a few metres ahead, seems more enticing at first glance. Yet a hike up the cycle path throws up some extraordinary views of a city we all know well. It is too hot during the day to hike the ten odd kilometres that will eventually put you on the road that leads to Yitti. A trek by moonlight is definitely more advisable during the summer months.

At the beginning one does not feel that one is out on a hike into the mountains. The paved path for cyclists that is wide enough to admit a single car gives the feeling that it is probably a climb to a monument on top of the mountain. The path twists and winds, broadens and narrows as it takes you higher up. Along the way, there are wide spaces that could be used as a parking lot for cycles, even a car or two. Venturing off the paved path one can walk right up to the edge of the mountain to the left for a bird's eye view of the Qantab road below, a glimpse of the shining dome of the Al Bustan Palace Hotel and the deep blue sea beyond. Beware of the loose rocks and numerous dried thorns when you move away from the track. The loose rocks not only make the walk very slippery but are also quite sharp and you might cut yourself quite badly on them if you lose your balance and fall on them. Visually, the dramatic effect of what can be seen is somewhat marred by the necessary evil of electric poles and wires that make it look slightly cluttered.

Such minor deterrents apart, you can enjoy the spectacle of the sun rising or setting, depending on the time of the day, over the sea from here. The Qantab road below is bathed in an orange-golden glow, as are the surrounding rocky mountains. It is difficult to believe that we are no more than a few minutes away from the city. Moving on further the path twists away from those wonderful views and the paved path is replaced by a dirt track wide enough to admit two cars. As with many other places in the sultanate, the barren rockiness is broken by the odd shrub or bush growing out of the mountain.

The dirt track is purpose made for mountain biking. With a series of steep ups and downs cyclists can pedal their way up to the top of one slope before hurtling down the next. The track has been cleared of most big rocks or sharp stones that may be a problem for riders and hikers alike. Till then, barring the exception of a lone couple enjoying the sunrise, we had not seen any other human being. There are the telltale signs that they have been up here – the discarded packets and beverage cans. Yet apart from these indirect hints, we met no one. An hour or more, depending on how fast you put one step ahead of the other, will take you to a part of the path where you will find an abandoned and dilapidated grey stone building to your left. Get off the path and walk to the mountain's edge to your right, away from the stone building and you will be accorded a wonderful view of Wadi Kabir and the road to the Al Bustan below. Further on, walls of loose rock on either side, or stark boulders and shrubs replace the bird's eye views. The walk becomes the destination as one plods on in the ever-increasing heat of the day.

It is wiser to visit the path after the summer sun has dipped below the horizon. The path glows in the diffused light of the moon and it is cooler in the mountains than it is in the city. The sights that one has seen in the day are transformed until they are almost unrecognisable as the same place. The stark brown of the rock has now changed to a solid black, and an inky blue spattered with the sequin like dots that are stars has replaced the bright azure of the sky. The Qantab road that is a dark grey winding strip under a brightly shining sun becomes bathed in the orange glow of street lights that form a necklace against the rocks, while Wadi Kabir looks like it has been dressed for celebrations, it's zillion dazzling lights standing out in stark contrast to the enveloping darkness in which we stood.

Walking on further the path flows forward through the mountains. At places little light falls on the track, boxed in by rocky walls on both sides. Eventually it levels out for the last few hundred metres before landing you squarely on the road that leads to Yitti. Take a left turn as you hit the tarmac and you find yourself on the way to the beach, while the right sees you back in the city. The path having come to an end, we traced our steps back towards the car that lay parked in the parking lot at the beginning of the cycle path, looking forward to that shower and rest after the long and satisfying hike.