About three kilometres west of Hadal Aweib Meisah, a high ridge, over 1,000 metres in height, courses north and south for over fourteen kilometres. The north end of this ridge bifurcates to form Gebel Qidmib; the Wadi Qidmib, draining northwards to Wadi Ibib, has its head between the two branches of the ridge, where there is a well called Bir Qidmib.
O Shakafa is a very remarkable hill seven kilometres north-east of Hadal Aweib Meisah. O Shakafa derives its name, which signifies “the barrier,” from the fact that it appears to block the way to the traveller ascending the Wadi Meisah. Its crest, formed by a ridge of hard jaspery quartzite, rises precipitously from among a mass of softer rocks, some of which show remarkably brilliant colours due to iron staining. The cairn on the summit is in latitude 22° 19′ 44″, longitude 35° 34′ 42″, and 751 metres above sea-level. There is barely standing room on the top of the ridge, which needs careful climbing owing to its precipitous nature. O Shakafa is a good landmark for Bir Meisah, which lies in the wadi about three kilometres north-east of the summit; and for the easy pass of Sarob Kwan, which lies four kilometres to the south-east.
To the north of O Shakafa there extends a great tract of high hills, divided into two portions by the northward-coursing Wadi Orgem. The western portion of this hill-tract culminates in Gebel Orgem, the two peaks of which rise respectively to 779 and 775 metres above the sea, while its northern end forms the high sand-swathed hill called Baqari Daba. The eastern portion of the tract, containing the important wells Bir Um Bishtit and Bir Meisah, as well as the galts of Meis-heit-ar, is rather more complex, and is cut into two parts by the Wadi Um Bishtit. Its northern part ends in a conspicuous gneiss hill called Adar Aweib Um Bishtit, while the hills immediately north of O Shakafa are called Gebel Meis-heit-ar.
Gebel Adar Qaqa is a very conspicuous granite mountain about twenty-three kilometres west of Hadal Aweib Meisah. Its highest peak is in latitude 22° 13′ 47″, longitude 35° 19′ 0″, and rises rather precipitously to 1,606 metres above sea-level. Adar Qaqa is drained principally by the Wadi Hasium, which courses northward past the western side of the mountain.
Gebel Soaorib is a rather long mountain range which adjoins the south part of Adar Qaqa and sweeps round to the south-east, forming the main watershed. Its highest point is 1,469 metres above sea-level. Its north-western face is drained by Wadi Mantil Hasium, which forms one of the heads of Wadi Hasium. The north-eastern flanks are drained by the Wadi Haiyo and other feeders of Wadi Soaorib, while the south-west faces drain into the Wadi Kirir and the Miti-Kwan, tributaries of Wadi Alaqi.
Gebel Leqaq (1,192 metres) and Gebel Um Seleim (1,098 metres) are two mountains, both with long northward spurs, lying north-east of Adar Qaqa, between that mountain and the Wadi Soaorib. They are drained by various feeders of the Wadis Hasium and Soaorib, the principal being the Rod Anut Berer, which runs northward from between two mountains to join Wadi Hasium, and the Wadi Hankuk, which rises to the south of Gebel Leqaq and courses round the south-east flanks to join Wadi Soaorib.
To the north of Gebels Leqaq and Um Seleim there stretches a sandy plain, over which the Wadis Hasium, Ibib, and Soaorib pursue their northward course. Low hills rise here and there from this plain, the most conspicuous being Gebel Hamra Tit, a double-peaked granite hill, rising to 642 metres above the sea; Kulet Meigrum and Kulet Tinasal are two somewhat smaller hills situated respectively six kilometres north-north-east and six kilometres east-north-east from Gebel Hamra Tit.
Gebel Is, the next great mountain to the south, forms the main watershed just north of the Sudan frontier, the triangulation cairn on its summit having the position latitude 22° 2′ 36″, longitude 35° 28′ 4″, altitude 1,736 metres above sea. As seen from the north, Gebel Is is a somewhat flat-topped mountain of dark aspect; but judging by analogy the apparent flat top is probably only a narrow ridge seen broadside on. From the main mass a long spur of flanking mountains runs westward, and a high ridge, more or less detached, rises to 1,474 metres six kilometres south-east of the main summit. The northern and western faces of Gebel Is are drained by feeders of Wadi Alaqi, while its eastern and southern parts are drained by various heads of Wadi Is.
Between Hadal Aweib Meisah and Gebel Is there stretches a mass of mountains with many peaks over 1,200 metres high; these appear to bear no special names. My guides stated that there are two passes over the main watershed in this region. The first, called Adar Ameit, is a high pass practicable for camels; it lies about four kilometres to the north of the beacon on Gebel Is, and connects the two Wadis Adar Ameit el Sharqi and Adar Ameit el Gharbi which lie on opposite sides of the watershed. The second pass, said to be a difficult one, crosses the watershed some five kilometres further north, forming a connexion between the heads of Miti Kwan and Wadi Soaorib.
Gebel Miatit (1,257 metres) and Gebel Suruk (1,377 metres), are mountain masses a little east of, and semi-detached from, the main Is group. Gebel Miatit sends out a long spur north-eastward, ending in a rather conspicuous hill at the foot of which there is said to be a water source called Megwel Aqwem.