The Bedouin Test

In 1984, when Tony Howard's team arrived in Wadi Rum, the Bedouin had a test for them. It's a test we still use today-not to be cruel, but to teach an important lesson about respect, humility, and the true nature of these mountains.

The Setup

Tony's team had been shown various approach canyons where Bedouin hunting routes went to the mountaintops, including Jebel Rum. Then Defallah pointed out a huge cave, high in the east face.

Tony wrote: "Well, it didn't look that easy, but we were yet to learn that they had a climber's sense of humour."

The Reality

The team decided to take one rope between the four of them, "just in case." They were not surprised when the initial pitch turned out to be a VS (Very Severe) crack-not exactly "easy."

Into the Maze

As they climbed higher, they became lost in an immense canyon-actually the eastern end of the Great Siq, though they didn't know it at the time. They continued up through steep, exposed, and sometimes-overhanging cracks and chimneys.

Tony marveled at "the Bedouin's ability to climb alone with only a rifle for company in such wild and exposed surroundings. Plus, if they were lucky, they would be climbing back down with an ibex on their back."

The team was happy to have a rope and wished they had two, which would have speeded up the climb.

The Unique Architecture

Eventually they climbed through a cavernous hole-initially high and wide, tapering down to body width with a thirty-meter roof. Tony described it as "a truly unique piece of rock architecture."

With time lost in route-finding, the supposed four hours was well gone when they emerged onto... not the summit. They couldn't even see it. They were simply at the top of the east face, directly above their camp.

The Great Siq Challenge

Behind them was what they called the East Dome. They soloed up to its top, from where the true summit could be seen-but still a kilometer away. They were short on time but decided to go for it.

They were soon stopped in their tracks. The siq they had crossed on their ascent actually cut deep into the plateau-thirty meters wide and deep with vertical walls. No chance with their single rope.

The Mysterious Log Bridge

Hammad Hamdan had told them the siq narrowed and there was a log across it that ibex used. "There were even dead ibex in the bottom, below the log," he said.

They found human footprints going to the edge, but couldn't find the log or the narrows. Tony wrote: "In fact, we have never found either. Was it a Bedouin wind-up?"

(To this day, climbers debate whether the log bridge exists. Some say they've found it. Others think it's a Bedouin joke that's lasted forty years!)

The Unplanned Bivouac

By then they knew they weren't going to get back down that day. They hurried back over the East Dome, downclimbing their ascent route. It was slow progress.

An impromptu bivouac was inevitable, with:

• • No water left
• • No bivvy gear
• • No wood for a fire
• • A long, cold night ahead

The Welcome Committee

They arrived back at camp early the following morning with throats parched, much to the amusement of the Bedouin. A bunch of them were waiting: Defallah and his brothers, plus Hammad and Muhammad Musa.

The Lesson

This wasn't cruelty-it was education. The Bedouin were teaching several important lessons:

1. Respect the Mountains

What looks "easy" from below can be complex and serious. The mountains demand respect, preparation, and humility.

2. Understand the Difference

The Bedouin could do this route in four hours, solo, without ropes. But they had:

• • Intimate knowledge of every hold and feature
• • Years of experience on this specific route
• • Knowledge passed down through generations
• • A lifetime of climbing barefoot on this rock

3. Learn to Listen

The test showed Tony's team that they needed the Bedouin. Not just for directions, but for the deep, internalized knowledge that can't be written in a guidebook.

The Climber's Sense of Humor

Tony wrote that the Bedouin had "a climber's pride in their routes; they pointed us towards them, giving only enough information to get us started, and were there to meet us on our return, grinning mischievously if we had been lost in the bizarre maze of these sandstone mountains."

He added: "We liked their climber's sense of humour."

This wasn't mean-spirited. It was the way climbers everywhere test each other-with challenges that teach respect and build camaraderie. The Bedouin were saying: "You want to climb our mountains? Prove you're serious. Prove you can handle it. Then we'll be friends."

We Still Do This Today

I'll be honest: we still test climbers sometimes. Not to be cruel, but to teach the same lessons. When someone arrives acting overconfident, talking about how they've climbed everywhere and know everything, we might suggest a "simple" route.

Usually, they come back humbled and respectful. And that's when the real partnership begins.

The Aftermath

After this experience, Tony's team approached every route with more respect. They listened more carefully to the Bedouin's advice. They prepared for longer days than expected. They brought bivvy gear "just in case."

Most importantly, they learned to "think like Bedouin hunters, who have learned to think like ibex." This deep understanding is what unlocked the mountains for them.

The test worked. Tony and his team passed. And the partnership that began with that humbling experience lasted for decades and continues to this day.