The geography and geology of south-eastern Egypt

by John Ball

MAP OF THE DISTRICT OF ELBA & HALAIB.

Ball. Geography & Geology of South-Eastern Egypt.

PLATE XIX.

Photo-Metal-Process. Survey Dept. Cairo 1910. (60-190)

Gebel Elba,[111] the most northerly mountain of the main group, is cut off from the mountains to the south by the Wadis O Sir Hadal and Serimtai; there is a pass between the heads of these wadis, so that a complete circuit of the mountain can be made, although from almost any aspect Elba appears to be joined on to the other mountains of the group. In plan, Gebel Elba is nearly a square of about fifteen kilometres sides, with its diagonal in the meridian. It is a bristling mass of light-coloured granite peaks, flanked on the south and west by rugged hills of darker rocks. The highest point, the “high peak” of the Admiralty Chart, is in latitude 22° 10′ 3″, longitude 36° 21′ 52″, and 1,435 metres above sea; another peak, slightly lower, but more conspicuous and nearer the centre of the mass, was chosen for the site of the triangulation station. The beacon on this latter peak is 1,428 metres above sea, and has the position latitude 22° 11′ 27″, longitude 36° 20′ 52″. The peak which bears the triangulation station forms a centre from which drainage lines radiate in all directions. The principal of these drainage lines, which are all well wooded, are the Wadi Yahameib, which with its feeders Wadis Akau and Kansisrob drains the north faces of the mountain, and unites with Wadi Aideib, which drains the north-east flanks; Wadi Serimtai, which by its feeder the Wadi O Sir Eirab drains the south part of the mass and then curves round north-eastwards to the sea; and the Wadi Yoider, which drains the western parts of the mountain by its three main heads called respectively Wadi Akwamtra, Wadi Qeirat, and Wadi O Sir Hadal, and then courses northward to reach the sea.

The approach to Gebel Elba by the coast-plain from the north-west is said to be difficult, on account of having to cross an extensive tract of sand dunes, called I Hubal, which lies to the north and north-east of Gebel Sul Hamid. The survey expedition reached the mountain by marching eastward from Bir Meheriqa in the Wadi Di-ib. On this road the sand was not found a serious hindrance, though progress was rather slow through O Harbub, a sand-choked wadi which was entered on turning eastwards just after leaving Bir Meheriqa. Skirting the south side of Gebel Sul Hamid over a sandy plain, we continued eastward with a slight northerly bend till the jagged mass of Qash Amir came into view; then striking due east again we entered some low hills and dropped by an easy pass into Wadi Siamtit, a little feeder of Wadi Yoider; crossing the main channel of Yoider, we continued our course eastward across very sandy minor wadis, and turning a little southward we reached Bir Akwamtra, where we found a fairly large Bisharin camp, in a stony wadi full of trees.

I had hoped to ascend the mountain by way of Wadi Akwamtra, which heads right under the peak selected for the triangulation station. But on arriving at the well we were still more than six kilometres from the head of the wadi, and further progress for camels was very difficult owing to the closeness of the trees, and the bouldery nature of the wadi floor. Guides sent out to reconnoitre having reported that the ascent could be made with less difficulty from the Wadi Yahameib, we followed a very winding track leading over the Asut Duk pass into Yahameib, and then made our way southward over the sloping bouldery plain, thick with trees and scrub, until the camels could get no farther. The camp was pitched in a slight clearing at the foot of the mountain, three and a quarter kilometres north-west of the beacon, at an altitude of 343 metres above sea, or 1,085 metres below the beacon.

The climb to the summit was a long and tiring one, but very interesting. Starting at 6.30 a.m. on April 25, 1908, we first followed up the Wadi Yahameib to its head in a sort of neck between two peaks; this neck, which we reached at 10 a.m., is 1,093 metres above sea. About half way up to the neck, among some large granite blocks, there is a small spring of very pure water; it forms a pool holding about a gallon and a half, which fills as fast as it is emptied. Passing over the neck, we dropped down to a level of 984 metres in crossing the head of Wadi Akwamtra, and then, climbing up the opposite side, we reached the beacon (1,428 metres) at noon. Except the last 150 metres to the summit, which was bare steep granite, the whole climb was through a thick growth of trees, very green and fresh, with a tangled undergrowth of flowering shrubs and some mosses and lichens. The trees grow very near to the summit and give plenty of shady resting-places. Acacia (sellim) trees cease about 350 metres above sea, and new forms take their place. The most remarkable is a large tree called Hohait by my Arabs; this tree, which I have not seen elsewhere in Egypt, grows in fair abundance to ten metres or more high, with thick woody looking trunk and branches, the foliage being great bunches of aloe-like leaves on the ends of the branches; according to my Arabs, it bears an edible fruit, of which they showed me the stone—a nearly spherical red one, about as big as a pea, very hard.[112]

The top of the mountain is narrow and very rough, but narrow sleeping places can be found on ledges. The view from the summit in clear weather is very fine and extensive; the subjoined figure is from a careful sketch which I made of the outlook southwards from the beacon. But, as already remarked, the mountain is frequently shrouded in cloud, and of the ten days I remained on the summit in April and May 1908 only three were clear.