The Jordan Desert Trek
29 October - 5 November 2011



Girls Get Tough returns for the second all women hike for Wellbeing of Women, this time tekking the Jordan Desert.
it will be a truly spectacular hike through the Arabian desert in Jordan starting at the Dead Sea - the lowest point on earth - and finishing in the ancient rock city of Petra.

We will sleep under the stars each night as we trek with our Bedouin guides through areas of amazing solitude and great beauty. Our
route takes us from the bottom of the valleys to the top of mountains over terrain that is exciting and challenging. The shared experienceof this very special women-only hike will guarantee it is full of friendship and fun as well as being a wonderful way to raise funds tobenefit the health of women worldwide. To take part you need to be fit and prepared to put in plenty of walking and training; pay a registration fee of £250 and pledge to raise at least £2,800 for Wellbeing of Women.

The Itinerary is as follows:

Day 1 Saturday 29 October
London – Amman – Dead Sea
Fly from London to Amman transfer to our overnight hotel on the Dead Sea.

Day 2 Sunday 30 October
Dead Sea – Wadi Chudeira – Feinan
5km / 2–3 hours approx
After a late breakfast there is free time to adjust to the climate and enjoy the unique experience of floating in the Dead Sea. After a welcome briefing we transfer to Wadi Khudeira to start today’s trek which takes us across a stream to a waterfall before making our
way down towards the Dead Sea through Bedouin settlements to reach buses followed by a journey in pick-up trucks taking us to our
first desert campsite.

Day 3 Monday 31 October
Feinan – Abu Sakakin – Helat Sufer
25 – 30km / 7-8 hours approx.
We start our hike from the ruins, cutting through small wadis and over small ridges with the Edom Mountains on one side of us. The
terrain is mainly flat, but it will be stony underfoot and there will be very little shade so it’s a challenging day. We stop for lunch at Wadi Abu Sakakin and, time permitting, walk to the water source and to a small waterfall before heading to the campsite at Helat Sufer where we camp next to the dunes.

Day 4 Tuesday 1 November
Helat Sufer – Wadi Arava
20km / 5-6 hours approx.
After breakfast we head south along the jeep track to Asajula. Today our terrain is mostly flat with some minor undulations. We follow
the hiking trail to our lunch stop and then continue to a Bedouin village and its water source. Then it’s over the jeep track and through
an area with a few acacia trees until we reach a wide wadi area with lots of small terraces at Qaser Um Ratama, our camp for the night.

Day 5 Wednesday 2 November
Wadi Arava – Little Petra
20-24km / 8 hours approx.
We continue hiking along the jeep track with beautiful scenery and the terrain becoming more undulating. We enjoy views over
the Petra Mountains, including Jabal Haroun. After 5km we leave the jeep track and follow the trek of Nakev Sleisel hiking for about two hours to the summit at 1023m. From here we trek down and up again until we reach Mount Quaran, part of the Red Mountains Ridge with beautiful views over the Araba valley where we have lunch before trekking through the Wadi to Baidah (Little Petra), one of the caravan stations from Nabatean times. We tour the old caves and temples before continuing to our overnight campsite at Ras Suleman, just outside Little Petra. Vertigo sufferers will find today challenging at times. There are steep ledges and sheer drops.

Day 6 Thursday 3 November
Little Petra – Petra
13km / 8 hours approx.
Our last day is magnificent as we trek on relatively flat terrain towards the famous Red Rose City of Petra built more than 2000 years
ago and the strategic centre for the old silk and spice routes. The valley is enclosed by sandstone cliffs veined with shades of red, purple and pink, out of which the city’s monuments and temples were hewn. On arrival we climb to the Monastery with its incredible views over the entire Petra basin and Wadi Araba and then re-trace our steps back to the site for a guided visit. We overnight in Petra.

Day 7 Friday 4 November
Free day in Petra
Free day to explore Petra on your own or optional tour to Wadi Rum. Tonight we enjoy a special meal to celebrate the end of the challenge. Overnight in Petra.

Day 8 Saturday 5 November
Petra – Amman – London
Transfer to Amman for flight back to UK

For further information and/or an application form please contact Action for Charity (who run the Trek for us) on:
tel: 0845 408 2698
email: events@actionforcharity.co.uk
or find out more at their  website 
   
We would like to say Thank You to Moffatts who have supported us with this event.

Girls Get Tough - 2010
Hike the Himalayas -30 October to 9 November 2010

We were very disappointed when our Girls Get Tough trekkers were unable to set off on 17th April due to the Volcanic Ash Cloud over Europe.  Attempt two set off on 30 October and returned on 9 November 2010, after a fantastic trip. Women of all ages took part in this amazing adventure discovering the magnificent Indian Himalayas on a trek in the north-eastern province of Himachal Pradesh. The hike took them across rivers and along breathtaking mountain trails, camping in spectacular locations along the way.

Wellbeing of Women