Gebel Gharib. Gebel Gharib (1750 meters) is the highest of the northern Red Sea hills and rises a sheer 1500 meters from the gravel plains of the western Gulf of Suez. I made the first ascent of the south buttress solo on May 7. I found a lichen-covered cairn on the summit, probably erected by Bedouin ibex hunters. Two Nubian ibex were seen as I headed for the summit. There were exposed third- and fourth-class ledge systems, separated by easy fifth-class steps. The approach was made with a four-wheel vehicle up Wadi Kharm El Eyoun to a Bedouin camp about two hours’ scramble from the base of the route. Its granite reminds one of that found on the Sinai Peninsula. Unfortunately, the rock is so shattered that potential routes on the sweeping aretes and faces surrounding the summit would be somewhat tenuous. Slabs and domes on the lower nearby summits offer good prospects for solid fifth-class routes up to 500 meters in length.

Dana Coffield