Treks and Trails of Jordan: Wadi El Karak

Experiencing Wadi Al Karak

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 15:07:00 GMT

by Batoul and Talal

Hi there at Terhaal,

We've been on several hikes around Jordan, and Wadi Al Karak is definitely one of the most wonderful we've seen. It offers a wide variety of scenery, greenery, colorful rock formations, and waterfalls. And believe it or not, even on a hot summer day, this Wadi was most enjoyable; the shaded Siqs, the accompanying stream and multiple waterfalls provided us with just the right cooling we needed.

Although this Wadi can be hiked in one day, Terhaal programmed it over two days instead with an overnight camp, which we though was a great idea. This gave us more time to enjoy what this Wadi has to offer, and the overnight camp provided an even more authentic experience. Not only was the evening around the campfire fun and enjoyable, but seeping in the arms of nature, under the glittery skies, by the sound of the waterfall right next to us, and the even louder sound of the frogs that kept welcoming us throughout the night; wow, that was a most relaxing night! The singing birds all over were trying hard to wake us up as early as they did the next morning, and for those of us who insisted on sleeping anyway, Rakan's wake up call -although soft and nature like- ensured that we didn't! Well, he wanted us all to start early to enjoy the day the longest possible, and he was right. The Wadi had still so much more to offer.

The abseils which we did were amazing; over the cliffs and under the waterfalls. We are in nature safety conscious; but Terhaal's safety measures throughout the hike were up to standards. Moreover, their pleasant and enjoyable company, and their profound passion for nature made it a real joy for us.

This trip was definitely worth it, and we would do this and others with Terhaal over and over again.

Thank you Rakan, Oudai, Mohammad, Oxana, and Ra'ad for a most memorable hike.

Batoul and Talal

wadi al karak adventure

Sun, 18 May 2008 17:13:00 GMT

Click here to view the set of selected photos from our last canyoning adventure to Wadi Al Karak on May 16, 2008.

To all the guests we had: we have really enjoyed your pleasant company. We'd love to read your feedback- by commenting on this post. Your positive notes gives us the motivation to do what we're doing, while the negative ones is what help us evaluate our service and operation, improve, and keep going forward.
Looking forward to see you again.

Best regards,
Terhaal Team

Canyoning the Karak

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 19:37:00 GMT

by Arabi Abdelhaq

It is almost midnight now, and I'm reviewing a checklist of do's and don'ts I should commit myself to in the coming two days, should mother nature be pleased with my visit!

And so, I find myself going up and down the hilly roads of western Jordan, not looking back at the dozen DVDs I left on the computer shelf, I'm so done with ejecting and inserting disks that tell about stories never seem to happen and surely never seem to end.

When the bus stopped after a rally-like course down the top of the main street that was not so much far from Al-Kerak Castle, and taking a look down across the small farms that were hanging on the slopes of the mountain we were standing on, I thought to myself that there better be an adventure in the green spot I see at the bottom of the valley, well, everything was prepared for an adventure, the group of Jordanians and foreigners were as if ready to do the walk of their life time; with their back bags loaded with an abundance of food, an insisted-on 6 L of water, dates , nuts, and surely the spirit of adventure.

Yellow crab: "Find yourself another spot to walk on".

To flow with the water flow is an amazing sensation by itself, to be guided by water, and be entertained by its company, even when at some points you look around and find nobody (even if only for a few minutes), but still be sure that someone is still there, Nature! Which means also little frogs, crabs, fish, and of course red & blue dragon flies.

The real challenge was doing the abseiling part -at two different places- I had a bad experience once four years prior in a scout's camp; I hang upside down all 40m from top to bottom of the 40m tower! But this time, it was a revenge time for me to enjoy abseiling, and I surely did, Not only did I trust the equipment we used, but also trusted Rakan, Tala, and the supervisory team. Surely their instructions and abiding by them made it an enjoyable abseiling experience!

All in all, Wadi el Kerak was an amazing place to be at; small details have made all the difference, the thought of hiking feet in water, eyes gazing around at the palm trees springing from marvelously shaped rocks, fresh air breezes of a rosy scent, and a great company, made the trip what it really is, a wonderful ride offered by nature!

Wadi El Karak Expedition

Thu, 19 Apr 2007 02:47:00 GMT

by rakan mehyar

What a day... what a canyon... what an adventure!!!
This canyon was literarily mesmerizing: the three-step waterfall, the gushing water, the hanging gardens, the springs, the frogs, the dragon flies, the wild mint bushes, the huge boulders, the red-rock gorges and the travertine caves...

Abseiling that three-step waterfall was the most impressive physical activity. The first two steps were the easy part with 5 meters each, but once you reach the edge of the third step, you have no way to abseil the 20 meters without dipping completely into its gushing water for a refreshing cool 'compulsory' shower!
"I felt that Adrinaline rush going through my body, took a deep breath and rappelled down dipping into the torrent waterfall!" That is what Tala had to say about that particular part.

Before I leave you with all the nice photos to tell the complete story, I would like to salute the adventurous spirits of the Jordanian expedition team who has accompanied Tala and I through this adventure: Nadim Twal, Raad Shaqman and Zakariya Khasawneh.

We are actually planning another trip to Wadi El Karak on the 11th of May; for more information, please go to http://www.terhaal.com/ourtrips/weekend/weekend.asp

Click here to view our photo collection.