Around Jebel As-Stah

time: 3-4hrs

distance: 9km

altitude difference: 370m

difficulty: easy

GPS track

View of the first part of the route

This gem of a walk takes you around the jagged mountain ridge of Jebel As-Stah, in the north western corner of the Zaghouan Massif. The trail is a mix of quite roads and dirt tracks. Take in stunning views of the northern plains, explore a small gorge and enjoy the sight of Jebel Zaghouan looming over the fertile valley of Sidi Medien.

From Temple des Eaux drive up the mountain road in westerly direction. After approximately 5km, at the switch back, park your car at the obvious car park (a dirt tracks continues towards the west).

The Sidi Medien Valley with Jebel Zaghouan on the left

The route follows the dirt track, that runs parallel to the ridge of Jebel As-Stah. Keep following this track for about 45 minutes until it meets the tarmac country road. Turn left and follow the country road in the direction of Sidi Medien. After roughly 20 minutes a vague track (it looks more like a river bed) starts on the left side of the road. You could follow this or stay on the road (they meet after 1km again). Before the road starts climbing, passing a hill the right side, turn left into the small gorge. Follow the dry river bed. It’s a little bit overgrown in places, but it’s still easy to walk it. When the landscape opens with Jebel Zaghouan dominating the view (at the concrete slab), the river bed meets a path. 100m further it evolves into the dirt track that climbs up again towards the upper tarmac mountain road. Turn left at the road and a half an hour descent takes you back to your car.

Half way the route, a small and lovely gorge

Scrambling: Northwest Ridge Zaghouan

Distance: 7.1km
Hiking up: 460m
Hiking down: 460m
Level: difficult, scrambling
Time: 4-5hrs
GPS Track

The route looking in northwestern direction

For those who are new to the word scrambling: It's essentially moving up and down rocky terrain, just using hands and feet (so no climbing equipment). Whilst the climbing should be safe and relatively easy without using a rope (otherwise it would become proper rock climbing), the terrain can be exposed with big drops. For safety, a helmet should be worn when there is a danger of rock fall.

The first section of the route, a bit of shrub to fight at the start

To get to the trailhead, drive up the mountain road from Temple des Eaux. As the road climbs, after 4km the road will make an almost 180 degrees turn (a dirt track continues along the ridge that you will tackle on this route). Shortly after there will be two switch backs. About 300m further you can park your car at a relatively flat spot. It's not an official parking but locals park their car here as well.

The start of the route is a bit hard. Hike in northwesterly direction. There is no path up the ridge. You will have to work your way through the shrub for the first couple of hundred meters. The actual crest of the ridge is quite clear and it's easy enough to avoid the bushes. The first bit of scrambling starts soon, with massive hand holds and good footing. Gradually the terrain becomes a bit more complicated, but there are usually more options to scramble up.

Using hands and feet and a helmet on the more vertical sections

The first sections have short scrambles up (and occasionally down too), maximum 3 metres. Halfway the upward part of the route there's a bigger wall, looking quite daunting but in reality is not very difficult. It starts at a dip in the ridge of about 8 meters. To get to the base of this wall, don't walk all the way to the end where the gap is. You will need a rope to abseil this as it is vertical. 20 metres before that, there's a way to descend. However, it is a little tricky and you will have to stay cautious.

The biggest but not most difficult obstacle on the route (find the hikers!)

The big wall (25-30 metres) is, as said, not too hard although it appears to be at first glance. You have to see it like a giant's staircase, with always a bit of flat ground underneath you. Just take the time to find your way up. Once you're up you'll find the crux (hardest part) of the scramble. A vertical bit of around 3 metres has to be tackled, with a bit of climbing needed. The hand holds are big though. Up this rock ledge it's pretty exposed so bring your vertigo pills! Just one more climbing section more, a lovely scramble, and you are up the summit plateau.

The crux of the scramble

The fantastic last section of the scrambling part of this hiking route

There is still no clear path on the summit plateau, but it's easy to find your way through grass, low shrub and a pointy limestone surface. As the plateau widens, you want to stay slightly on the left side as at some point you will meet a shepherds path. If you go to much to the left, the terrain becomes difficult again. It's worth the effort finding the proper trail. The trail leads to the upper part of a mining complex, where mainly the metal lead was excavated. The mine shafts are still open, but are not in use anymore. A track winds down, to the main complex. There is a small trail meeting up with a wide dirt track on the base of the mountain ridge. It's a bit hard to find. There is a little open space at what seems like a view point (overlooking the southern ridges and Jebel Zaghouan. From here, the trail zigzags down to the track. Turn left (going up) and climb almost 400m up to the main (tarmac) mountain road. Turn left here and find your car after half a kilometre.

This photo gives a good impression what the scramble is about

This is climbing DOWN a tricky section, performing the correct technique

Opening Zaghouan's biggest alpine route: The Green Mile

It has been a while ago (June 2014), but nevertheless quite a milestone in my personal climbing "career" as well as a milestone in the development of climbing in the limestone crags of Zaghouan. The opening of a new alpine route called "The Green Mile". Together with Michael Pfau it needed several sessions of exploring, putting in bolts at crux positions and some clearing. We have had help with developing the route from Mourad Attia, the head of the local climbing club Escalade Attitude. 5 pitches takes you from the bottom of the massif (503m) to the top (680m) of the plateau on the northwest side of the massif. The route name The Green Mile has been chosen for it's many trees and shrub along the route, the length and keeping in line with naming all the big new routes after movie titles.

Taking on the start of the route

Despite the green character of the route, we have managed to find a pretty clean line on solid limestone, with an occasional fight with some shrub (especially at the start of the second pitch). While developing the route (first from bottom up and the last two pitches from top down), we mistook a connection with between the third and fourth pitch. Two ledges, some 80 metres from one another looked so alike that we accidentally bolted a line that did not connect. That's why a via ferrata between the two fourth pitches is planned.

Minna Dederer topping out the 4th pitch on the inauguration of the route

Although crux sections (usually F5B and harder) and sections with no possibilities for trad placements are bolted it's vital that anyone trying this routes should have a full rack of traditional climbing equipment and the experience to use it. For more information about the route you can drop me an email: jan@37north.info.

Michael preparing the abseil down from the top of The Green Mile

New route: Gone with the wind

It is just incredible how a small mountain area harbours so much rock climbing potential. The area is roughly 10 by 5 kilometres, but has many, many yet unclimbed walls and buttresses. Only one canyon in this limestone range has been developed with sports routes. And even here it's only a fraction of the possibilities.

We baptised the buttress on the right Gone with the wind (it was a very windy day!)

While looking for routes on the wall Kaf al Blida (western part), me and my climbing mate Michael Pfau recognised a great line on a yet unclimbed buttress that leads to the top of the wall we were initially after. As this was my very first time climbing and leading a trad route and this was a virgin route I skipped the initial 4 metres (the first possible placement was a bit too high for comfort...). After that Micha and I zipped up a lot faster with no major difficulties. Stoked to have opened my first route! See below for the photo of the route in detail plus gradings and guide for placements.

Hiking Zaghouan: Sidi Medien Loop

Distance: 8.4km
Hiking up and down: 260m
Level: easy
Time: 3hrs
GPS data: note, the last 1.7km are not tracked

The mosque at Sidi Medien

The Sidi Medien hike is  great loop. The terrain is not difficult, views are fantastic and there are some interesting places en route. You can park your car near the mosque in Sidi Medien, which is about 25 minutes from Zaghouan. The first part of the walk is on the road that goes down towards Zaghouan. After 10 minutes there's a right turn-off into a small gorge. Follow the dry river bed (sometimes a little overgrown in places). Eventually you will hit the dirt track that winds up to the high road in the Zaghouan Massif. At the first sharp bend (180 degrees) there is a small trail going straight towards an small abandoned mine. Great place to get away from the sun if it's hot. From here a tricky, almost invisible path goes down to the right.

Weirdly shaped limestone rocks

In the next 1.5km is a bit hard to find the trail at times. The path is overgrown by scrub in places. Try to stay at the same altitude (you may have to bypass parts because of the vegetation). At some point you will have to descend through a 1.5m wide rock/gravel/mud trail to a good part of the route along a rock wall. Stick to the path that now goes into the direction of the massive Dolomite style rock walls in the distance. You will see the ruined mining settlement on your right and a shark tooth shaped rock in front of you. After having passed the tunnel it's 5 minutes to one of the ruins on a open pasture. From here it's only 20 minutes back to Sidi Medien. Beautiful hike!



Tunnel!

Hiking Zaghouan: the Shepherds Pass

The Shepherds Pass

Distance: 13km
Hiking up: 770m
Hiking down: 770m
Level: moderate
Time: 4-5hrs
GPS Track

The Shepherds Pass route, with the top of the map north

This half a day hike is a little bit of everything that the Zaghouan Mountains has to offer. The lush canyons of the interior, the open plain with massive limestone walls on the south side (and sun!) connected by the most accessible pass in the range.

The south face of the Zaghouan Mountains

Start at the Temple des Eaux, the Roman site at the western end of town. This is a good place to park your car and have a drink at the start/finish of the walk. Follow the tar road eastwards, keeping as close to the mountains as possible. Essentially keep right. I tried to find a trail through the forest, but these were all dead-end. The tar road changes into a dirt track just after the left turn of to the centre (where you should go straight ahead yourself). At the next junction, stay right. The dirt track starts ascending, still through pine forest. The hiking is easy going. After roughly another 45 minutes you'll pass some impressive big, red limestone walls. Pass the village and try to stay close to the mountain (find a small trail that stays high up). It'll take another 30 minutes to the base of the Shepherds Pass. Further down is the huge wall that towers up to the summit of Jebel Zaghouan, the highest mountains in this range. The Shepherds Pass looks quite intimidating, but a trail goes all the way up the 950m pass. Great views on both sides are waiting for you!

The route down the pass, passing the bottom of the big ridge

Go down and stay on the right side of the valley. Several goat tracks zigzag down until you enter the forest. Gradually the trail gets wider and level. Follow this all the way to the road (which is a higher level than Temple des Eaux, at an altitude of 600m!). The farm is only a few hundred metres away. Behind the farm the "farm track", described in an earlier post, winds down to the lower level of the road. Backtrack the road eastwards. 200 metres after the car park (for the Climbing Canyon and Farm Track), turn right at a wide dirt track. This enables you to hike the last couple of km's off-road. At the wide clearance you can hike straight down to the cafe at the Temple des Eaux. Enjoy your well-deserved cuppa!

Hiking Zaghouan: the "climbers" canyon

"Climbers" Canyon

Distance: 2.5km one-way
Hiking up: 400m
Hiking down: 50m
Level: easy
Time: 1-1.5hrs
GPS track

Birds eye view image of the route in southerly direction

The "climbers" canyon hike is a wonderful hike through a forest, with big red limestone walls on both sides of the canyon. Rock climbers test their climbing skills here, hence the name "Climbers Canyon".

The walk starts at the big car park, marked on the map above. The path is marked all the way to the top with big white arrows painted on the rocks. The trail stays a little bit on the right side of the canyon as you go up. After 20 minutes you traverse to the left (passing a beautiful dome-shaped wall). After the traverse the climb steepens, but still very easy to walk on. There is a blocked off area with stones, just ignore this. As you get higher the landscape unfolds with stunning views towards the north. You will traverse to the right again, scaling a rocky section (take care, loose stones). 5 minutes later is a pasture where shepherds let their goats graze. The views from here are even better, with Tunis visible on a clear day. The trail continues up (find the arrow!), it's only 15 minutes more to the road. With this many arrows getting lost is almost impossible. You could go back the same way or hit the Farm trail down, which will be described in the next post.

On my way up!                                        Photo: Mark Oppe