Jordan Trail

“Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.” - John Muir

Trail Stats

Distance: ~650 km (~400 miles)
Elevation gain: ~22K m (~72K ft)
Highest point: 1501 m (4925 ft)
Lowest point: -180 m (-590 ft)
Starting point: Um Quais, Jordan
Finishing point: Aqaba, Jordan
Scrambling level: 2/5
Bushwalking Level: 1/5 (trees are hard to get by)

Description

This long-distance trail was established in 2015. It runs for about 650 km from the north to the south of the country. It passes through well-known highlights like Petra, Wadi Rum, and the Red Sea.

It is said that Jesus, Moses, and Mohamed have all three walk part of the trail. Even if some does the trail as a pilgrim, you don't have to be religious to enjoy the rich history this trail has to offer.

You will see the canyons, old Roman roads, deserts, ruins, the Dead Sea and so much more. You would think hiking in the Middle East the trail would be pretty flat. Not at all, there is always beautiful scenery waiting for you at every turn.

Highlights

Petra: One of those places you have to see in your life.
Wadi Rum: It doesn't matter if you are a fan of Lawrence of Arabia, it is a place to see, and even more incredible to hike through it.
Little Petra: The little brother of the one above.
Views: You always seem to have beautiful top-like scenery.
Hospitality: If I wouldn't have turned down the countless tea offer I had. I would still be on the trail.
Falafels: A great way to treat yourself after some hard days of work.

Challenges

Shepard dogssss! No kidding some days you can see over 50 dogs, barking at you to defend their sheep herd. Some of them can be quite intimidating! Enough that you will want to pick up rocks (just in case). I personally prefer dealing with bears than a horde of dogs.
Water: There are a few good distances (above 60 km) without water supply.
Food: Limited choice of food when resupplying
Not as wild as you would expect: Every day you will meet or see people (and their dogs!) The longest stretch I had without meeting a soul was 24h.
Flash Floods: Especially in the winter and tight canyon.

When to go

I have personally chosen the winter for this hike (December). The summer has unbearable heat that would result in a lot more water carrying. Spring and Fall are recommended to avoid the rainy season (flash floods) and "colder" temperatures of the winter.

Resupplies

There are plenty of towns in the way for resupplying. The longest stretch without food (and almost no water) is from Petra to Wadi Rum which is 98 km (61 miles). After that, the longest stretches are below 70 km (43 miles).

GPS

Jordan Trail Association website has all the extra information needed for some good planning and they update their GPS file. Keep in mind that in some narrow canyon your GPS will have a hard time to pinpoint, in a precise way, your location.

My Stats

For reference only, as they say: "Hike your own hike."

Average distance: ~41 km/day (~25 miles)
Average climb: ~1400 m/day (~4600 ft)
Average hours: ~10h/day
Days on the trail: 16 days
Days off the trail: 2 days (waiting for a storm to pass, in a flash flood risk section)
Numbers of falafels I ate when resupplying: 5-6 (they are so good!)
Number of blisters: 2 (both on the same toe)
Total Water: 54 Litres