How to drive around in circles in search of
nothing in particular
Ever tried driving to the desert town of Ibra? You’ll have to make your way towards Nizwa, turn off at Bidbid and head towards Sur. This might be nice, but once off the Nizwa highway you’re on a single lane stretch all the way through the desert, and it doesn’t get any wider till its end at Al Ashkharah. What is worse for those in a hurry is the stretch through the mountains before Wadi Tayyin. This is where overtaking is a huge risk, with 90º bends, overflowing wadis and stretches of dark through the night. You could have been blurring through the speed limit but will more likely be stuck behind the neighbourhood Bedu with one pickup and a few goats on the move.
But new roads that run between highways are now expanding the possibilities. Think lateral, and fast. We haven’t clocked this, but you stand the chance of beating the competition by ignoring the Bidbid turnoff that leaves behind the glorious superhighway and sticks you onto the decidedly rural-paced track. Instead, drive on towards Nizwa, far beyond the Sur interchange, and turn left towards Wadi Mahram, 85km from the Al Sahwa clocktower roundabout.
Wadi what? No one will blame you for not knowing Mahram. It doesn’t boast any claim to fame, and the road that runs through it is largely deserted, which is really the selling point of this alternative argument. When you drive out of it, and through the road that goes through Wadi Andam (or Endam), you will be just before the wilayat of Ibra – and just after the mountainous section. Voila – your troubles are over.
How much time does it actually take? We’re not sure, but do go ahead and try and let us know which route you prefer. At the least it’s a good excuse to pack in a bit of exploration to an otherwise well-trodden path. And once you’ve gotten over the thrill of the shortcut, you might even give the sub-wadis a try.
One was especially nice (refer to its GPS position at the end of the article). A couple of kilometres in and you’re in the middle of nowhere. You have a faint hint of a track but expect to dig into 4WD and crawl through the most rocky and narrow parts. If you’re here in the late afternoon you’ll see the light bouncing off warm rock, with the fresh green shrubbery in stark contrast. The trail continued
a couple of kilometres before crossing over to the other side and
disappearing around a bend.
Such open-ended suggestions are best left for the next time, and we will update this space when we return. For the first drive, enjoy the bulbous rocks shaped like half-melted lozenges, the giant clumps of grass that look straight out of an African safari, the ruins of fortifications in roadside towns and the occasional camel straying by the road, too far away from the desert. Such landscape could
easily have been harsh, but there is too much green between the rock and a freshness that comes when mountain wind meets that of the desert.
Wadi Andam is even less memorable, but once out you will be free to dive through everything Ibra has at its doorstep, from the beginnings of the Sharqiya Sands to the much-documented joys of Wadi Tayyin.
Kilometre readings
Zero your odometer at the Al Sahwa clock tower roundabout 85km Turn left towards Wadi Mahram
If coming from the Muscat-Ibra road, zero your odometer at the clock tower and turn towards Sur after 34km.
87km Turn right to Endam 105km Turn right to Wadi Mahram 117.6km Turn to Wadi Mahram 123km Little village oasis called Khela 125km Turnoff to Wadi Skut (disregard this on your first trip) 128km A’Seeh 130km Mahram 147km Wadi Dima on your right 149km Sign pointing towards Muscat
GPS waypoints in UTM
Turn right to Wadi Andam
if coming from the
Muscat-Sur road
40 Q 0622776
Elevation: 698m
Turn right to Mahram
40 Q 0608227, 2540841
Elevation: 594m
Mahram
40 Q 0603098, 2546622
Elevation: 699m
Sub-wadi to explore
40 Q 0596740, 2545727
Elevation: 757m
Good spot for a picnic before
the Nizwa highway
40 Q 0586842, 2551626
Elevation: 667m
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