The red mountain hike
Red mountain hike, or Gabal Ahmar, is located in the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, in Saint Catherine City. It’s in the northwest from Mount Saint Catherine and the west from Mount Sinai, or Mount Moses. 3 hours from Sharm El-Sheikh, 1.5 hours from Dahab, and 6 hours from Cairo.
Gabal Ahmar is one of the high mountains in the Sinai; it’s got a really amazing panorama for the city. The distance from Saint Catherine City to the top of Gabal Ahmar is almost 7 km, with rocky trails in the beginning and scrambling boulders trail to the top, then scrambling boulders trail on the way down, and it’s 6 km.
The best time to hike the mountain is in the early morning. The height of the Red Mountain is 2318 metres above sea level, and the height of St. Catherine City is 1570 metres above sea level.
Moderate
3 Stops
11.6 KM
Trail Highlights
Mount Ahmar Summit
Mount Ahmar trail
Itinerary details
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Pick-up point in Saint Catherine City
We will help you to get a driver will pick you up and transport you in comfortable cars with highly experienced drivers on the roads of Sinai, next to St. Catherine City where is the pick up point.
Meeting and starting point next to Fox camp
You will meet and get to know your local Bedouin guide in who will lead your private hike to the top of the red Mountain or Mount Ahmar one of the high mountains in Egypt.
Hike 4-5 hours to the summit of Mount Ahmar
You will start ascending the mountain after completing the trip registration with the Bedouin guide. The trail is divided into a path of 4 km from Saint Catherine City to the Forty Martyrs Monastery, then a 3 km scrabling mountain trail up to the top of the Mount Ahmar.
Enjoy the stunning views and meal
You will enjoy watching the picturesque, breathtaking view from Mount Ahmar. You will see Mount Saint Catherine, the highest mountain in Egypt, and an amazing panorama of Saint Catherine City, and we will enjoy a nice meal next to the top or at some point on the trail. After that, you will begin to descend another trail, around 6 km, to reach St. Catherine’s city again. We could choose between a boulder and a jumping trail or a rocky trail on the way down.
Back to the hotel
You will find your driver waiting for you to go back to the hotel again, and we will organise our time for the convoy.
Convoy every 2 hours to leave Saint Catherine City, and we must be with a convoy.
Map of red mountain hike
Elevation Profile
Distance
11.62 km
Ascent
963(-1055) m
Max Elevation
2315 m
Min Elevation
1537 m
The Price Inclouds
Expert Bedouin Guide
A professional bedouin guide knows the wilderness like the back of his hand to help you have a special trip
Transfer to Saint Catherine City & back
We will help you to find the best transportation to Saint Catherine city
Saint Catherine city entrance tickets
Saint Catherine reserve entrance tickets
Bottled water on the hike
Mineral water
Bedouin meal
Bedouin traditional meal cooked with love up the firewood
The Price Doesn’t Includes
Tipping for Escorts
Tipping according to your personal preference around 12.5% from the trip price
Personal Expenses
You can spend some of these expenses on buying local gifts, such as handicrafts and local products
Any extras not mentioned in the program
Example snacks gifts
What To Expect
HIKING
You don’t need to be an expert hiker to join the red mountain hike, but you do need to be fit enough to hike for at least 8-9 hours. You need to have some mountains experience, you will walk through a nice mountain path, rocky trails, and boulders, and you will sometimes see breathtaking scenery and dramatic high mountains. We will rise to 1000 metres and descend again in one day.
WEATHER
Saint Catherine’s unique weather is due to its 1570-metre-high mountains and valleys. The best time to enjoy this trip is in spring and autumn, when the daytime temperatures are lower and more pleasant for trekking (usually ranging from 15 to 27 °C). But we run a lot of other hikes during the winter and summer with prepared visitors. Winter nights and mornings can be really cold. Rains at this time of the year are very likely to happen. So it’s a key point to be prepared for cold weather and have waterproof layers because rain is expected, but a good jacket is good for your safety. Accurate data is crucial for understanding the weather conditions as the trip date approaches. We will be able to gather information about the weather conditions that we are going to face. We’ve got to be well prepared for all conditions—the hot weather and the cold weather—with the right clothes and good equipment.