On a recent visit to Jordan I travelled from the north of the country right down to the southern tip visiting many of the established sites for mountain and climbing activities en route. This was a reconnaissance trip for the UIAA's Training Standards: I'm hopeful that we might be able to deliver a seminar on climbing, trekking and perhaps canyoning. Of the many highlights, one of my favourites was this close encounter with a young honey buzzard that had been rescued from a trap and was recuperating at a camp in the Ajloun area in the north of the country.
The Ajloun area has recently been equipped by Catalonian climbers with many sports climbs, providing possibly the biggest concentration of sports routes in the Middle East, at a full range of grades up to 8a. My only concern about this, as in so many other areas, is who is going to maintain the bolts and ensure that they remain safe? Currently there are very few locals climbing for pleasure so there will be little motivation to check the bolts or to continue developing the area, which has a lot more potential for sport climbing. It's also a great area for hiking.
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