The Backpacker

Jabal Hafeet is a pretentious little mountain. Perhaps it would not have been so, had it not been tampered by man’s over zealous industry. Perhaps, it would have been a happy mountain left to itself under the blue skies and miles of desert around. But a mountain that has been carved to resemble an imagination of man’s dream gone wild is not a mountain that inspires the sense of mountain-ness.

Up to a point it holds promises. From afar, it looks even welcoming, its jagged rocks jutting proudly into the air, it has a forlorn look that speaks of ancientness and battles won against the harsh desert weather. But on close quarters, you realize that, somewhere in the battle for survival it has lost. Lost because, it fails to recognize itself any more. It gives an impression of putting up an unsuccessful attempt against man’s invasion. It has resigned itself to that fact the there are master architects who will, carve every rock on its bare body into a striking, yet, artificial masterpiece.

The only thing, currently going for the mountain is its accessibility, and yet that is exactly what destroys the very purpose of a mountain retreat. It is too accessible. I have not been able to figure out the logic behind making a mountain into a place accessible for everyone. The roads are perhaps the best and one must appreciate the effort that went into making it as motor able as possible under the circumstances. But a mountain is better felt if it resembles a mountain. The top of the 1000 mt mountain is suddenly cut off and flattened with paving blocks and looks more like a helipad than a viewing area. There are hotels and portable toilets and every conceivable luxury. Nobody complains. For the “happy family”, it is not too much of a strain to be atop a mountain. There is no question of carrying food or looking for a place to sit. In the dark, you do not have to grope your way around. It is brilliantly lit.

Jabal Hafeet is, to put it shortly, a luxury mountain station.

If you are looking for a sense of adventure, this is a place that will merit no enthusiasm. Every piece of rock has been done over with a fine chisel. At some points you see a rough pile of rocks but which, in reality are cleverly placed over the other to give it a “rocky” look. However, the attempt to rearrange the mountain fails miserable.

You do not climb over rocks to peer over the edge. The horizon offers fabulous views of the deserts on all sides, but to do so, you have to look through grills. Everything is made safe that takes away the very purpose of being a mountain retreat.

There is no rush of adrenaline, if there is any rush at all; it is the winds that can really blow on the top.

One thing you notice is a lack of character. Jabal Haffet has no character and the painstakingly carved rock chameleon or a turtle does little to the general “tampered” atmosphere. It is at once a representation of too much “luxury” one is not expecting from a mountain. There is nothing left to imagination here. It is not a place you would describe to another person as “original”. The best you can perhaps manage is, “nice roads, nice view points, yes, there are hotels on top, plenty of benches to sit down. No the car does not strain uphill, and you’d never need to turn on the lights in the dark.”  That does not say much for a mountain, does it?  What good is a mountain that does not inspire a spine-tingling fear? A little hardship?  

Perhaps, some years ago, before the advent of technology, this place was indeed beautiful. Only some indication of its former beauty exists. And that, you don’t see from the top. To appreciate the mountain you must drive past the mountain and look up at its imposing glory against the desert skyline. Stare wistfully at its rocky outcroppings, and in your own mind conjure up images of wild goats and other animals on its slopes. That would indeed be a way of describing a mountain.

Jabal Hafeet has found its ways into some records, surely. But not for its eye catching beauty. Had it been known worldwide for its “challenging climb,” it would have left you feeling good, sure as anything if you made it to the top, wiping away sweat yet grinning your way up hill, over the rocks. There would have been some satisfaction of have attempting something and succeeding. But to drive up a mountain over a two-lane road lit up fiercely, is no sense of achievement at all. Today’s Jabal Hafeet robs you of the essential sense of accomplishment.

It kills your spirit in a way only a modified-mountain can. Jabal Hafeet made me feel lazy. I hope I never carry that sense of “dispiritedness” when I set about trying to conquer other mountains. I do hope I will not look out for glazed roads and food stations enroute to the Mt Everest.