Mountains in the United Arab Emirates hold many secrets, such as hidden passages that allow you to travel in time and experience not only the hardship of life in the past but also untouched and soothing nature. Hebs stairs is one of them – carved into nearly horizontal stone walls – so much resembling majestic scenes from Lord of the Rings or other fantasy movies.
STAIRS CARVED INTO THE MOUNTAIN
“Hebs” is a name of mountain tribe. The stairs were built in recent times in a place of old path to make it easier to reach the complex of old villages deep in the Hajar Mountains. If you happen to visit Hebs village (25.792586, 56.148292) during the winter months you will have a hard time believing these are indeed mountains of United Arab Emirates: green barley and wheat carpeting farming fields and tree gardens blooming beautifully. The villages are obviously man-made and have been home to Hebs tribe for ages. Mountain people learnt how to live relying on the rainfall in this harsh environment.
FINDING YOUR WAY THROUGH HEBS STAIRS
Hebs stairs trail starts in this point: 25.806622, 56.112798 – it is easily reachable by sedan car. If you pay attention driving on the main road, you will be able to notice a house (it seems white in color from far) situated high on the top on the mountain – this will be your final destination after finishing the stairs. It always amazes me how people manage to build such advanced houses so high in the mountains having no other way of transportation of materials other than using donkeys to carry the load.
Hebs stairs trail is short in distance – around 2 km going up, however elevation gain is very rapid as the trail in most parts is practically climbing almost horizontal wall. The path is very clear and easy to follow. Starting the first part of stairs you will notice trail divides into two paths. Both path will meet at the further point. Left path is more steep and shorter, right path however is longer but less steep. I’d recommend choosing right path while going down to put less pressure on your knees.
The first part of the stairs ends here: 25.805752, 56.116344 and the path will be more or less flat for a short stretch. It’s an amazing place to rest, feeling dstisfaction of completion the first part of Hebs stairs as the views here are breathtaking. You will find yourself at the plateau surrounded by the majestic mountains. You can choose to take the left path and stay here for overnight camping as these old flat farming fields make an amazing camping location: 25.806546, 56.116405. If you proceed further to the left, you will reach first water well and an old heritage house surrounded by green fields.
UNRAVELING THE ORGINS OF TIMES OF THE PAST
Coming back onto the Hebs stairs trail, after a short easy incline you will find yourself in front of the stone wall with a complex of stairs carved into the mountains. It looks impressive and – scary. Allow yourself to take as many breaks as possible. Once you reach the top, the trail might seem a little bit unclear but if you climb next to the complex of heritage house, you will easily find your orientation there. You will find yourself strolling among stone ruins of the old houses and imagining how life used to be there before. There is a water well at the top also – be careful when getting close to it as it is not properly covered.
At the top you will easily notice a further trail carved into mountain for another few miles leading to complex of Hebs villages – that is another topic for an article. But for now, stay safe and enjoy this hiking trail of Hebs stairs!
If you would like to follow my steps you can watch the video from my hiking trip to Hebs Stairs below:
REMEMBER:
- Do not leave any garbage behind, including food. Even organic waste can take months to biodegrade and meanwhile it will attract animals. It may not only make them stop eating their natural food and rely on what humans leave behind but also it may make them sick.
- Have always a bag ready to collect trash left behind by other inconsiderate people – at the end you are saving the nature.
- Hike or camp over gravel and rocks. In some areas the vegetation can take years to grow back.
- Leave natural and historical items where you find them.
- Minimize cooking over campfire, use the stove instead – it is less impact on the wilderness.
UAE OFF-ROADER GUIDE
If you are looking for more off-road trails to discover around United Arab Emirates, I can recommend this ultimate guide that is packed with many routes, giving very detailed information and answering all questions you could have about off-roading in the UAE.
You can get it from Amazon: https://amzn.to/2UrKZdo
I hope you found this article about Hebs stairs hiking trail helpful and it gave you an idea where to head to next weekend. If you would like to visit other amazing places nearby, I recommend you to check: This Is Why You Should Go to Jebel Yanas Right Now!, Forgotten Story Buried in Wadi Haqeel or The Secrets of Wadi Naqab. Enjoy!
