Oman Jebel Akhdar Road (57 km)
Nizwa to Saiq Plateau
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Why this ride
A 57 km one-way ride from near Nizwá, about 58 min of riding. On the way it passes Birkat Al Mouz and Jebel Akhdar checkpoint. The highest point is about 1,250 m. It suits an unhurried touring pace.
Roadbook
- Nizwa
start
Nizwá was the capital of Oman for centuries, and it still feels like the heart of the interior. About seventy thousand people live in this oasis city, at the foot of the Hajar Mountains, among date palms watered by falaj channels, the ancient irrigation systems that carry water from the hills by gravity, some of which have been in use for more than a thousand years. UNESCO has recognised the aflaj of Oman for their importance.
The fortress dominates the skyline. Built in the seventeenth century under the Imam Sultan bin Saif Al Ya'rubi, it has a huge round tower, with thick walls and cunning defences, and the view from the top over the palm groves, the souq and the mosque dome is superb. The souq next door sells dates, spices, pottery and silver, including the curved daggers called khanjars that are part of traditional dress, and the smell of frankincense and coffee drifts through the alleys. On Friday mornings, the livestock market draws farmers with goats and cattle, in a lively auction that has been going on for generations.
Then there is the halwa, a sweet, sticky, spiced confection made with sugar, ghee, rose water and nuts, stirred for hours in huge copper pots. It is the town's best known treat, and shops sell it in boxes, with a cup of cardamom coffee.
For riders, Nizwá is a gateway to the mountains. Jebel Akhdar, the Green Mountain, rises north of the town to over two thousand metres, with terraced villages growing pomegranates and roses, and the road up is steep and winding. A police checkpoint at the foot is known to restrict access to certain vehicles, so check the current rules before you plan. Jebel Shams, Oman's highest peak at nearly three thousand metres, lies to the west and has a gorge often called the Grand Canyon of Arabia.
Heat is the main challenge, with summer temperatures well over forty degrees, so ride in the cooler months from October to March, and start early. Dust and sand can drift across the road, and animals, especially camels and goats, wander freely.
Fuel and services are plentiful in Nizwá, with many stations, and Bahla, about twenty-four kilometres away, has more. Fill up here before heading to the mountains, as services are limited, and carry plenty of water.
Go in the late afternoon, when the fort glows gold and the heat eases.
- Birkat Al Mouz
scenic
Birkat al Mouz sits at the foot of Jebel Akhdar, between the date palms of the plain and the grey wall of the mountain, and it is one of the places in Oman where the old water system is easiest to understand. The village is known for its falaj, a channel that carries water from the mountain through tunnels and open ditches to the fields, and the system here is part of the group of aflaj recognised by UNESCO as World Heritage. Water was shared out by the hour, using sundials by day and the stars by night, and a person called the wakil kept the accounts. The system is more than a thousand years old, and it still works, feeding groves of date palms, bananas, mango trees and small plots of vegetables.
Above the new village stand the ruins of the old one, a labyrinth of mud-brick houses, towers and alleys, abandoned as people moved to modern houses, and slowly melting back into the earth. It is worth walking through, if you can do so safely, for the sense of how people lived. The date plantation gives shade and a green relief from the desert heat.
The ride to Birkat al Mouz is straightforward. The main highway from Muscat runs towards Nizwa through the gap in the mountains, and a side road leads to the village. The surface is good, the bends are gentle, and traffic is light. Heat is the main factor, since summer temperatures can pass forty-five degrees, and the best time to ride is from October to March, when the days are warm and the air is clear. Start early, carry water, and wear light, loose layers over your protective gear.
Izki, about ten kilometres away, has fuel stations, shops and cafés, and Nizwa, the old capital and market town, is a short ride farther, with everything you need. The area is famous for dates, and you can buy fresh ones in season, along with halwa, a sweet, sticky dessert flavoured with rosewater and nuts. Take a cup of qahwa, the local cardamom coffee, if it is offered, and accept it with the right hand. It is a polite way to start a conversation.
- Jebel Akhdar checkpoint
scenic
The checkpoint at the foot of the Jebel Akhdar road is where the police decide who goes up the mountain, and it is a stop you cannot ignore. The road climbs from the plain at the edge of Birkat al Mouz to a plateau around two thousand metres, and it is steep, with gradients of up to about twelve per cent and hairpins carved into the rock. Because of that, for years only four-wheel-drive vehicles have been allowed through, and the rules have been enforced strictly. Whether a motorcycle may pass depends on current policy and on the officer on duty, so ask, and be ready to turn round if the answer is no.
If you do get through, the road is memorable. It climbs in tight bends up a massive cliff of grey limestone, with the plain dropping away behind you, and at the top the landscape changes. Jebel Akhdar means green mountain, and the name makes sense: terraced fields, walnut and pomegranate trees, apricots and rose bushes cover the slopes, watered by springs and a clever system of channels. The cool air at altitude, many degrees cooler than the plain, is a relief. Every spring the damask roses bloom, and the villagers distil rosewater from them, a tradition that has gone on for generations.
The rocky canyons nearby are among the deepest in Oman, and the plateau has hiking trails, abandoned villages and viewpoints. Mist can fill the valleys in the morning, and in winter, the night temperature can fall to freezing. It is a real mountain, and it deserves respect.
Izki, about fifteen kilometres away, and Nizwa, a bit farther, have all the services you need. A short stop at the checkpoint will tell you what is allowed. If you cannot go up, there is plenty to see around Birkat al Mouz, and the fort at Nizwa and its Friday market are well worth the ride. Carry your documents, since you may be asked for them, and be polite and patient. A smile and a calm tone will take you a long way in Oman.
- Saiq Plateau
finish
The Saiq Plateau is the high, cool shelf of Jebel Akhdar, the Green Mountain, which rises to over 2,000 metres in the Hajar range of northern Oman, and it feels like another country compared with the desert below. Terraced orchards of pomegranates, apricots, walnuts and roses grow in villages perched on the mountainside, watered by ancient falaj channels, and in spring, the rose harvest fills the air with perfume. Rosewater is distilled in small stills, and the roses bloom in April. Nizwa and Izki, in the plain below, are the nearest towns, with fuel and shops.
The road up is one of the steepest paved roads in the Gulf, with gradients of up to about twenty degrees, and it is restricted to four-wheel-drive vehicles at a checkpoint at the foot, where officials check the vehicle. Motorbikes are generally not allowed, so riders need to ask about the current rules at the checkpoint, and be prepared to be turned back. The surface is smooth tarmac with hairpins, and it climbs from the dusty plain to the cool plateau in a short distance. The temperature is noticeably cooler on top, often ten degrees lower than in Nizwa.
The plateau has a long history, and it was the stronghold of the Imamate rebels in the 1950s, when British-backed forces took control after a bitter campaign. Today, the villages of Wadi Bani Habib, Al Ayn and Sayq are quiet, with old mud-brick houses, stone terraces and a few small hotels. The Diana's Point viewpoint looks over a vast canyon, and walking trails follow the old water channels along the cliffs. The Hajar mountains are old, formed from ancient sea floor, and in places, you can see folded layers of limestone.
Be prepared with fuel and water, since supplies on the plateau are limited, and the nearest pumps are in the plain below. The weather is mild in summer and cold in winter, when frost and even snow can occur. Light is best early or late, and in the evening, the sunset over the canyon is spectacular. Local food includes shuwa, slow-cooked meat, dates and Omani coffee flavoured with cardamom. Be respectful of local customs and dress modestly.