Mt. Sinai, the Mount Horeb of the Old Testament, is holy ground to the three monotheistic faiths and along with the St. Catherine’s monastery, has become a major stop on Egypt’s tourist track. Every day hundreds of pilgrims are shuttled in to make the traditional sunrise climb. This time is more convenient for large tour operators, who can use the rest of the day to drive their customers to their next destination. At Sheikh Sina, we think that sunset is just as stunning, and that crowds are more of a distraction than an ‘experience’. We thus offer a two day hike up and around Mt. Sinai, away from the main path leading to the hotels, and up the backside’s “valley of the forty martyrs” - Wadi el Arbaein.

Distance Vertical Ascent Day 1 9.35 km 765 m Day 2 3.3 km 40 m TOTALS 12.65 km 805 m

Itinerary

Day 1.

We leave the town of St. Catherine’s mid-morning and take the hour and a half walk to Ramadan’s garden. On this undulating path, we pass a Bedouin wishing rock, the Rock of Moses with its small chapel, and the monastery of the forty martyrs with its beautiful olive groves. Arrived at the garden we will be served a typical meal of flat bread, salad and dips. We will relax in the garden, listen to Ramadan pay his home made instrument and rest our legs before beginning the 2 hr ascent towards the summit of Mt. Sinai. The top offers stunning views. From the church or the mosque, or the boulder of your choice, sit down and watch as the colors change every few minutes with the sinking sun. As night falls, we will walk down to Farsh Elias, a basin right below the summit, where a Bedouin tent is already set up for guests to spend the night.

Day 2.

The next morning we wake up in the shadow of a 4th century church. We will have a nice breakfast before heading down the steps of repentance, with Our lady of the storehouse, and beautiful views of the St. Catherine’s Monastery. That morning, schedule allowing, we will visit the monastery, its chapel and its museum full of priceless Greek orthodox icons and ancient manuscripts. On the walk back to the village we can stop by Aaron’s tomb, towering above a Bedouin cemetery. Over lunch back at Sheikh Sina headquarter you will have time to recount how the trip marked you and explore more of our hiking options off the beaten track. If you would like to arrange for a village tour, a visit to the local handicraft center or a night in one of our ecolodges this can all be done from there.

Sheikh Sina reserve the right to modify all our treks without notice in accordance with changing conditions in the area.