The Hiking Trails Bringing Egypt’s Mountain Tribes Together
When we talk about Egyptian heritage it’s almost always the country’s ancient or Islamic history that dominates the conversation. Rarely do we talk about our intangible heritage, and rarely do we talk about the rich and incredibly complex cultures of the tribes that call Egypt’s mountains home. Not only do the mountains serve as vital ecosystems, but they carry much more history and value than most people are aware of. The people behind the Sinai and Red Sea Mountain Trails are doing amazing work preserving and protecting these isolated and unique parts of the country.
In 2015, a collaborative effort between three Bedouin tribes in Sinai and British traveller and author, Ben Hoffler, gave rise to the Sinai Trail, a community-based project with a mission to support and preserve the region’s endangered cultural and natural heritage. It started as a 220km route that took around 12 days to hike and has since grown into an award-winning trail that spans more than 500km, with eight of Sinai’s tribes taking part, each responsible for their own territory.
The trail was the first of its kind here in Egypt, bringing in hikers and travellers from around the world looking to experience the incredible beauty, history and wild nature of the South Sinai mountains. This was also the first time in at least a century that the different tribes come together and work so closely with one another, an achievement that serves to build vital alliances and strengthen the local communities during tough times.
The original three tribes, the Tarabin, Muzeina and Jebeleya, were joined later by the Garasha, Awlad Said, Sowalha, Hamada and Alegat tribes, an ancient alliance called the Towarah. Only recently, however, and through this beautiful initiative, have they begun working together once more to create a trail like this.
The Bedouin serve not only as guides, but they are an invaluable source of wisdom and insight into a way of life that is close to disappearing completely, one that few have access to. They are the last remaining link to knowledge and practices that have formed the backbone of life up in the desert mountains, from how to navigate the peaks and wadis to identifying which plants have medicinal value. The trails are, for the most part, the only way most of us can truly immerse ourselves in a culture so vastly different than our own in this modern day and age.
Four years after the Sinai Trail was launched, Hoffler joined forces with the Maaza tribe of the Red Sea Mountains, near Hurghada, to create a new trail. Based on ancient routes that were used by traders, travellers and nomads, as well as smugglers, the 170km hike takes around 14 days to complete, with easier options for those who can’t commit to the full trail.
Hikers are always accompanied by a local Bedouin guide, in the case of the Red Sea Mountain Trail, by a member of the Khushmaan clan, a part of the larger Maaza tribe that traditionally occupies the northern part of the Red Sea Mountains; further south reside the Ababda and Bishari tribes. Each tribe rules over their own territory and a guide from a neighboring tribe cannot travel through another’s territory unless accompanied by a member of that area’s tribe.
The guides lead hikers through wild, untouched lands that are teeming with life, much more than we realize. They are generous with their knowledge, sharing not just routes, but also stories and legends. They teach travellers how to identify plants and animal tracks, how to find water, and how to live in the harsh but incredibly beautiful mountains of Egypt’s deserts. And more than anything, they become valuable companions.
Alongside the guides, camels and jeeps are used to support the hike, carrying food, water and other necessary supplies. While modernity has all but replaced camels with motorized vehicles, the trails are a way to encourage their use once more. The Bedouin guides have been using them more frequently after realizing that hikers enjoy their presence, and with their use comes the preservation of the very specific skillset needed to care for and travel with the impressive desert-dwelling animals; one more tradition that the trails are keeping alive.
The trails are owned and run entirely by the Bedouin and decisions concerning them are made by them, often overseen by the Sheikhs of each tribe. They not only provide a valuable source of income for the Bedouin, but they also empower them in more ways than one. They provide opportunities for them to share their land and their heritage with others, preserving both and highlighting their extraordinary beauty. They offer travellers an experience unlike any other in the world.
The hikes are a meaningful way to challenge yourself and to explore a completely undeveloped part of the world, all while making a positive impact, both environmentally and culturally. We’ve been saying over and over again how important it is to choose how we spend our money, and this is exactly what we mean. Tourism can be extremely detrimental, but projects like these allow tourists to do some good instead of contributing towards any further destruction of our natural and cultural heritage.
Bedouin culture and the ecosystems these tribes inhabit are severely at risk of being lost to us, and initiatives like these are an incredible way of combatting this loss. They offer a far more environmentally and socially conscious form of tourism, something that thankfully more and more people are looking for. The trails are also a great way of supporting these communities and ensuring that their way of life survives for generations to come.