We first visited Wadi Rum in 1984, having been sponsored by Jordan’s Tourism Ministry following our request to explore the area for climbing and trekking potential. We have returned every year since.
Jordan's Director of Tourism said "Tony and Di put Jordan's desert tourism on the map".The area is now acknowledged as "one of the world's best desert climbing areas" and also has excellent treks and canyon scrambles best done with local Bedouin guides - anything from half a day to a week or more – you can trek all the way to / from Petra if you want!
Some Bedouin now work as climbing guides and three received some UK training with assistance from us, the Tourism Ministry and HM Queen Noor. See Rum Bedouin Guides.
There are now over 400 climbs on Rum sandstone from single pitch to 500m, at all grades. Very few routes use bolt protection, bold traditional climbing being the norm in Rum using slings, nuts and cams. There are a few mixed aid routes on Rum's East Face, behind the campsite. The Bedouin hunting routes are "amongst the world's best adventure climbs" often involving grade 4 and grade 5 moves originally climbed solo by the Bedouin. Whatever the grade of climb in Rum, one of the main difficulties can be route finding, which may be extremely complex. New Route info is kept at the Rest House. Most of the Bedouin guides will be found in the Bedouin cafes across the road unless they are out with clients.
Rum has been declared a Special Regulations Area (National Park) with the involvement of the RSCN, Bedouin Cooperative, Tourism Ministry and Aqaba Authority (AZESA). A new Visitor Centre was completed (summer 2004) at the entrance to the valley and changes are inevitable. There are concerns amongst visiting climbers and trekkers and also amongst the local people that restrictions may be imposed on access, camping, choice of guides etc. There have already been some problems reported to us. If we hear anything new, we'll post it on this site.
Guidebooks: Treks and Climbs in Wadi Rum will be republished by Cicerone Press in 2007. Our other guide to Walks & Scrambles in Wadi Rum is published in Jordan and available there. Some Bedouin routes also appear in our guide to Jordan - Walks, Treks, Caves, Climbs & Canyons. All are available in Jordan from Salem Redwan opposite the Post Office in Aqaba. Also, see Publications

For more on Wadi Rum, see:
More Rum info
Rum photos
Rum Zoning
RSCN leaflet
Jordan Times
and, sadly, three obituaries:
Sheikh Atieq
Mohammed Musa
Hammad Hamdan
Defallah Atieq
For info on Jordan see: Jordan
For photos of Jordan see: Jordan Gallery
For more info on Jordan and Wadi Rum see: Jordan Jubilee and Ruth's Jordan

Above Di & Tony with H.M. Queen Noor who sponsored our guidebook to Jordan - Walks, Treks, Caves, Climbs & Canyons in the hope that it would aid the economy of the smaller and more remote villages. She also kindly assisted with the sponsorship of three Bedouin from Wadi Rum who visited England for training as Mountain Guides.

Below, the original climbing team in Wadi Rum, 1984:
Left to right: Mick Shaw, Sabbah & Defallah Atieq, Di Taylor, Tony Howard & Alan Baker.