Photo-Metal-Process. Survey Dept. Cairo 1910. (60-190)
Gebel Um Reit is a conspicuous granite mountain rising to 857 metres above sea, seventeen kilometres south-east of Gebel Awamtib, on the east side of the watershed. It can be approached either from the west by ascending the tributaries of Wadi Timsah and crossing the watershed (which is here flat and sandy) into Wadi el Dreb, or from the east by ascending the Wadi Um Reit. The best place from which to ascend the mountain is in one of the heads of Wadi Um Reit, which drains the west side of the mass. By following this up, a camp can be placed about a kilometre north-west of the beacon and 520 metres above sea-level. The climb of 337 metres from the camp is fairly easy, and only occupies about an hour. From the beacon (latitude 23° 15′ 4″, longitude 34° 34′ 17″), a good view is obtainable of the granite peaks to the south, which forms a complex mass with Aqab el Negum as the highest point; to the eastward the outlook is mostly over high broken sandstone plateaux.
Extending south-west from Um Reit is a complex of granite mountains, which has not been surveyed in detail. The principal peaks have, however, been fixed by triangulation, and their positions will be found tabulated in the list of points given in [Chapter III.] The chief peaks are Gebels Etresia (1,037 metres), Um Markha, Shigigat (1,023 metres), Hamrat el Feg, Aqab el Negum (1,148 metres), Etus (997 metres), and Natetiai (1,164 metres). An important pass is said to cross the watershed at Aqab el Negum, though quite practicable for camels, it is a very high pass, whence the name of the mountain, which signifies “Pass of the Stars.” To the north of Gebel Shigigat there is a sandy plain from which two conspicuous isolated hills rise to heights of 901 and 703 metres respectively above sea-level; these hills appear, however, not to bear any distinctive names.
Further south along the watershed, in latitude 22° 50′, are two conspicuous peaks of nearly equal height and not far apart, which from the east look like two hop-kilns. These are called Gebel Sheyenit. The southern one is the higher, rising to 887 metres above sea-level, while the northern one attains 853 metres.
Gebel Mishbih is a huge bristling mass of granite peaks a little east of the main watershed, rising from the plain west of Wadi Feqoh in latitude 22° 44′. Being much higher than any other mountain in the neighbourhood, it is a very remarkable feature for long distances. Though it has not been surveyed in detail, its chief peaks have been triangulated and the general shape of its eastern parts is tolerably known by observations from Niqrub and Korabkansi. The highest of its many peaks, near the south-west end of the mass, reaches 1,353 metres, while the north-east peak, marked by a beacon in latitude 22° 44′ 18″, longitude 34° 41′ 20″, is 1,316 metres above the sea. The mountain is believed to be almost entirely drained by feeders of the Wadi Feqoh.
Gebel Shweib is a smaller hill-mass a little to the south-east of Gebel Mishbih. Its highest peak, which is at the north-east end, is 914 metres above sea-level.
Gebel Shabih is a very remarkable granite mountain rising abruptly from the sandy plain traversed by Wadi Feqoh in latitude 22° 45′, about twelve kilometres east of Gebel Mishbih. From the north, it looks like a very perfect cone, but as one passes it going south it is seen to be slightly elongated meridionally, and to have two distinct peaks, of which the northern and higher one rises to 1,117 metres, or about 650 metres above the plain. Its sides are very steep, and an ascent would probably be a matter of some difficulty. The Wadi Feqoh passes close west of the mountain.
Gebel Um el Kalala is a small range of granite peaks close to the east side of Wadi Feqoh in latitude 22° 50′. The peaks at its north and south ends, nearly two kilometres apart, rise to 672 and 655 metres above sea respectively. In the low hilly country further north there are three conspicuous little peaks of dark aspect rising above the general level. Gebel Mismih, the highest of these, rises to 599 metres above the sea; it is a nearly perfect cone twelve kilometres north of Um el Kalala, and about six kilometres east of Wadi Feqoh. Gebel Waqif, nine kilometres west-north-west of Um el Kalala, is less sharp, and reaches 556 metres above the sea; while the third hill, which is unnamed, lies nearly between the last two, on the west side of Wadi Feqoh, and attains only 504 metres.
To the west of the Um Harba and Awamtib ranges there is open country, formed by a great sandy plain, over which the Wadis Ghadrib and Timsah pursue their northward courses to join Garara, and the monotony of which is broken at intervals by extensive masses of moderately high sandstone hills. The principal of these hill masses are Gebels Nuggur, Mulgata, Ziraga, and the Abu Hashim Hills. Gebel Nuggur, marked by a cairn, lies seventeen kilometres west of Um Harba, and a little east of the Wadi Timsah; it forms a detached north-westerly extension of Gebel Dagalai. Gebel Mulgata (545 metres) and Gebel Ziraga (553 metres), both marked by triangulation cairns, are the chief members of a long line of sandstone hills separating the Wadis Timsah and Ghadrib. The Abu Hashim Hills extend for great distances south and west of Bir Abu Hashim; the triangulation beacon on the hill west of the well in latitude 23° 41′ 44″, longitude 34° 3′ 33″, is 386 metres above sea, and sixty-six metres above the wadi floor, but other hills of the group further south attain higher levels.