BobEnein - Nov 9, 2019 8:43 pm Date Climbed: Jan 26, 2006
Awesome hike
With a childhood buddy, we spent the night in Fox village, we went to bed after having dinner and being invited to tea Bedouin style while gathering with bunch of folks around fire. It took about 7.5 hours going up the Camel trail and back down the Monk trail to keep it interesting. Watching sunrise on the summit is great while Muslims, Christians and Jews chant religious songs and when the sun come out all peaks around you are shining gold.
kevin trieu - Mar 18, 2016 12:29 pm Date Climbed: Jan 29, 2013
Beautiful desert
Part of a year long overland trip from Egypt to South Africa. Came from Dahab after a few days of lounging on the beach. Was told I needed a "guide" and was quoted $50. I almost choke on my own spit at the quote. Next day decided to just take a walk and kept walking until I got to the top where there was a heavily barbwire monastery. This area has the potential for a lot of great rock climbing. Think Joshua Tree.
zoomloco - Jul 7, 2011 11:42 am Date Climbed: Jan 4, 2009
Egypt high point, a nice little jaunt
Awesome hike. Didn't take a guide as despite the tourism pressure to do so there is really no need. Had earth (ash) baked bread and tea with some locals who were on picnic. In winter there is no need to go up these peaks (Mt Sinai/ Gebel Musa) in the night; it's perfect weather up high in the daytime. Katarina is way less crowded than Musa and also a cooler/ more local experience. Go for them both if you have the time.
atavist - Jul 14, 2009 5:51 am Date Climbed: Jul 7, 2009
Marlboro man in Camel country
After spending a couple days relaxing on the beach in Dahab, it was time to head inland to see the Sinai mountains. I couldn't arrange an independent trip without fully outfitting a Land Rover and hiring the comcomitant support staff so I joined the sunrise tour for Moses Mtn. Busloads of tourists are bussed in then harassed by camel touts all along the way only to arrive at the summit with 2 hours before dawn. The tour is supplemented by a stop at St. Kat's monastery. The door opens at 9am but just to make the tour even more painful, you arrive back to the base at 8am and sit in the sunshine and wait for another hour.
The extra down time was enough for me to quickly descend the back of Gebel Musa then pass thru the bucolic Bedouin village and bag Kathrina. I had to hustle on the way down, but I managed to join the tour group just in time to wait an hour for the monastery to open.
Route Climbed: Wadi Garginya Date Climbed: November 18th, 2005
I missed the normal route up to Gebel Katharina and went through Wadi Garginya (which is supposed to have a nice waterfall - only if there was enough water) east of the summit and did the final ascent from there. Some relatively easy scrambling is rewarded by excellent views to Mt. Sinai from different angles. From the top you can see on clear weather over the gulf of Suez to the west and also Saudi Arabian mountain range to the east behind the Gulf of Aqaba.
There is indeed two summits up there very near to each other. Gebel Katharina is the one with the chapel and the other one is some kind of observation post on Gebel Zugeir. Judging by the horizon from both peaks Gebel Zugeir seems higher but I believe it is due to the fact that on Gebel Katharina you're facing south and the horizon is at sea level whereas from Gebel Zugeir you see the northern highlands of Sinai peninsula. I wish I had brought GPS with me.
Route Climbed: from the north Date Climbed: February 2004
We reached the top just before sunset - the view was amazing. From the lack of any maps, I used only a satellite photo, but the path was very easy. We returned through Jabel Musa next day.
BobEnein - Nov 9, 2019 8:43 pm Date Climbed: Jan 26, 2006
Awesome hikeWith a childhood buddy, we spent the night in Fox village, we went to bed after having dinner and being invited to tea Bedouin style while gathering with bunch of folks around fire. It took about 7.5 hours going up the Camel trail and back down the Monk trail to keep it interesting. Watching sunrise on the summit is great while Muslims, Christians and Jews chant religious songs and when the sun come out all peaks around you are shining gold.
kevin trieu - Mar 18, 2016 12:29 pm Date Climbed: Jan 29, 2013
Beautiful desertPart of a year long overland trip from Egypt to South Africa. Came from Dahab after a few days of lounging on the beach. Was told I needed a "guide" and was quoted $50. I almost choke on my own spit at the quote. Next day decided to just take a walk and kept walking until I got to the top where there was a heavily barbwire monastery. This area has the potential for a lot of great rock climbing. Think Joshua Tree.
zoomloco - Jul 7, 2011 11:42 am Date Climbed: Jan 4, 2009
Egypt high point, a nice little jauntAwesome hike. Didn't take a guide as despite the tourism pressure to do so there is really no need. Had earth (ash) baked bread and tea with some locals who were on picnic. In winter there is no need to go up these peaks (Mt Sinai/ Gebel Musa) in the night; it's perfect weather up high in the daytime. Katarina is way less crowded than Musa and also a cooler/ more local experience. Go for them both if you have the time.
atavist - Jul 14, 2009 5:51 am Date Climbed: Jul 7, 2009
Marlboro man in Camel countryAfter spending a couple days relaxing on the beach in Dahab, it was time to head inland to see the Sinai mountains. I couldn't arrange an independent trip without fully outfitting a Land Rover and hiring the comcomitant support staff so I joined the sunrise tour for Moses Mtn. Busloads of tourists are bussed in then harassed by camel touts all along the way only to arrive at the summit with 2 hours before dawn. The tour is supplemented by a stop at St. Kat's monastery. The door opens at 9am but just to make the tour even more painful, you arrive back to the base at 8am and sit in the sunshine and wait for another hour.
The extra down time was enough for me to quickly descend the back of Gebel Musa then pass thru the bucolic Bedouin village and bag Kathrina. I had to hustle on the way down, but I managed to join the tour group just in time to wait an hour for the monastery to open.
Juho - Dec 17, 2005 1:38 pm
Route Climbed: Wadi Garginya Date Climbed: November 18th, 2005I missed the normal route up to Gebel Katharina and went through Wadi Garginya (which is supposed to have a nice waterfall - only if there was enough water) east of the summit and did the final ascent from there. Some relatively easy scrambling is rewarded by excellent views to Mt. Sinai from different angles. From the top you can see on clear weather over the gulf of Suez to the west and also Saudi Arabian mountain range to the east behind the Gulf of Aqaba.
There is indeed two summits up there very near to each other. Gebel Katharina is the one with the chapel and the other one is some kind of observation post on Gebel Zugeir. Judging by the horizon from both peaks Gebel Zugeir seems higher but I believe it is due to the fact that on Gebel Katharina you're facing south and the horizon is at sea level whereas from Gebel Zugeir you see the northern highlands of Sinai peninsula. I wish I had brought GPS with me.
Darek - Jan 14, 2005 6:14 pm
Route Climbed: from the north Date Climbed: February 2004We reached the top just before sunset - the view was amazing. From the lack of any maps, I used only a satellite photo, but the path was very easy. We returned through Jabel Musa next day.