Mount Washington

So my first weekend during the course have arrived, and all what I wanted is to make the most out of it!

So the decision was to take it to the extreme and knock the top of the highest mountain around! Mount Washington!

When ever I mention I am going to New Hampshire people start to tell me about Mount Washington and how crazy it's weather can be! The highest went speed and the most snow fall ever recorded were both on top of this mountain.

The Jordan Trail (Hidan, Mujeb, Kerak, Wadi Rum, Red Sea)

Rum to Aqaba, Aqaba Mountains.

During the last couple of weeks The Jordan Trail team was out on the trail, Mapping, Photographing and keeping notes about the trail, we have done two amazing parts. The first was from Wadi Hidan all the way to Kerak City, crossing Wadi Mujeb which took us 4 days camping out, one night near Shqaiq Area and the other 2 nights down in Wadi Mujeb.

Jordan Trail (Homrat Ma'en to Waleh)

Down Wadi Waleh - Hidan

During the last days we have done scouting 3 more sections of The Jordan Trail, (Zarqa Ma’en p to Makawer, Makawer down to Hedan), and parts of the third section that goes down from Humrat Ma’en to Zarqa Ma’en, all 3 parts are amazing hikes, where you get up and down through many different topographic

The Jordan Trail (Homrat Ma'en)

Monday (13, Oct), I joined the team mapping the Jordan trail in the first hike, the team was: Tony & Di Tailor, Mark Khano, Amjad Shahrour, they have already done mapping  a good part of the trail, Most of the northern regions up to now, I will be joining the team during the coming month mapping, walking and taking the GPS and walking notes for more than 200 km mostly to the south of Jordan, yesterday we hiked around 7.5 km in Humrat Maen Aria crossing from before wadi Hemara and reaching to Wadi Zarqa Maen, a pleasant hike, contained some up and downhill, the start point was full of Acacia trees, along the way we saw different birds, crested larks, Tristram starlings, what I believe a Hoopoe lark, some hyena tracks and territorial marking, different types of butterflies, and some interesting flora, but the most intresting thing in the hike was the amazing views toward the Dead Sea area.

Wadi Al-Hesa

Wadi Hesa : the end side toward The Dead Sea.

Wadi Al-Hesa goes around 25 km from the potash mines near the desert high way, all the way down to reach to Ghor Al-Safi on the Dead Sea. Most of its Water comes from Sad Al-Tanur -Water Dam-, which took its name from the archeological site near by in Khirbet Al-Tanur. The water in most of the parts runs in a gorge that varies in the different areas going from Limestone to Sand Stone, and to sediment walls in other parts. Many water source seeps from its walls, some from hot sources while others are cold. Some of these water sources are even drinkable. (Check the canyon map below).

Why we risk it? the reasons for taking high risk actions.

An interesting article on fox news under the name “New research shows what motivates people to do high-risk activities” was the motivation for me to write this post. The study that was conduct to investigate what pushes people to do Adventure Sports which involve a high risk factor, risking losing their own life. I quoted most of the article but added my comments to it. 

Photo By": Wolfgang Streicher - Canyonwolf (Saut d'Accomat, Guadeloupe)

The list of adventure sports is growing longer and longer, and the risk factor is even going higher. It is believed that all these adventure lovers and thrill-seekers are just sensation-seekers with the tendency to pursue sensory pleasure and excitement. It's the trait of people who go after novelty, complexity, and intense sensations, who love experience for its own sake, and who may take risks in the pursuit of such experience. Sensation seekers are "easily bored without high levels of stimulation," explains Sam Gosling, a psychologist at the University of Texas at Austin. "They love bright lights and hustle and bustle and like to take risks and seek thrills." 

This new study that was published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, has found that risk takers are not all of the same ilk. Some participate in high-risk activities as a way of controlling their emotions and their lives.

Wadi Al-Waleh (Hidan) [10-5-2013]

Last Friday (May 10, 2013) I was invited to join Jo Hike team in their trip to Wadi Al-Waleh (or as some refer to it as Wadi Al-Hidan).

(The Long Siqe of the Canyon on June 2010)

The Canyon situated on Madaba Area. Runs from Dhiban area all the way down to connect  with the Mujeb Canyon and then down to the Dead sea in a deep gorge surrounded by a rigid black basalt rocks.

Personally it is one of the favorite places for me in Jordan, with many memories in every corner, I even lost count for the times I been there.