I Do It Cause I Can

What to find in this blog:

In this blog post about Wadi Damm located in Oman, I feature the following content:

• Route options you can explore along with their descriptions (Upper Wadi Damm and Lower Wadi Damm)
• Images of the routes
• 2 short clips and 1 long video
• Red zones (what to be take care of while you are on your adventure)
• Coordinates of starting points and routes
• Final thought (please do not omit this part)

If you have any question, leave them in the “comment” section, and I will get back to you.

Oman – The Pearl Wadi Damm:

Wadi Damm is known to be one of the most beautiful Wadis of Oman. This well visited Wadi is an icon situated between the oasis and date plantations in Al Ayn area about, 1 hour drive from Ibri.

If you are looking for a day adventure and escape the heat, Wadi Damm is a great option.

There Are 3 Ways To Explore This Canyon:

Route 1: The Lower Part – Around 1.5km

The most famous route. Drive beyond the plantation all the way to the Wadi Damm dam. And simply follow the water all the way in, until you reach the most famous pool of them all (below picture for your reference)

You can either go up the stream of water or avoid being in the water if you take the high grounds on the right side of the route (there is a donkey trail you can follow)

The route takes up to 45 minutes of hiking one way. And then exit from the same path you came in from.

Route 2: The Upper Part – Around 1.5km

Drive up the hill (take right turn up the hill just after the small town and before the Dam) on a dirt road for about 10 minutes or less. The parking is a flat sand-lot that overlooks the canyon.

Head towards the canyon, but stay on the right side and high ground. This donkey trail takes you to the first pool of Wadi Damm. The hike should be around 15-20 minutes on the path.

This is where the fun begins, follow the stream down the Wadi and, don’t be afraid to slide down the natural slides, and jumps over the waterfalls into the naturally carved cave.

One slide down and 2 waterfall jumps later, the meander opens up to the big canyon full of large boulders. Exit the canyon to your left side by the trees. The exit is a vertical ascent for less than a hundred meter until you connect back to the same donkey trail, and onto the parking.

Route 3: Full Canyon – Around 5.5km (1 Way)

The full canyon option is combining adding route 1 to route 2, or vice-versa: as a salmon-run trip.

Of course, best is to position a car at the start of route 1 to allow driving back up to route 2 starting point to retrieve the car.

Allow 2-3 hours to do the entire canyon on an average speed of some who is relatively experienced in the outdoor and canyons.

VIDEO

The fun slide 🙂

The arch from above

RED TAPE:

Floods:

Oman is known for its dangerous floods. Few minutes of rain can form powerful and dangerous floods in no time. So if there is rain, avoid being in the Wadi. And if you think you can out-power a flood, think again, as many people have lost their lives.

Low water level:

The upper part requires you to jump into 2 pools. each jump is about 5m. The first pool might be low on water level. Which makes it dangerous to jump into. So be rational, don’t be a hero, nature always win.

Dehydration:

One of the most important thing is to have enough water on you. I keep seeing and hearing about hydration accidents.

Snakes:

Whilst most snakes are Wadi Racer Snakes (Garden snakes), which are harmless and non poisonous snakes. There have been sightings of Viper (could be deadly). For more information about vipers in the region, check out how I survived a viper attack on this blog.

Wasps:

There is a lot of wasps around. Avoid them, cause they are aggressive and sting.

Coordinates:

Final Thought:

Don’t leave anything behind. And if you find some plastic around, kindly collect them. This is our playground, so let’s preserve it in forms we can always return back to and have enjoy.