Outdoor Rock Climbing in UAE

Ras Al-Khaimah – Stardust Crag

When you think of the Middle East, you probably don’t think of outdoor rock climbing considering the vast majority of the Middle East is desert. Recently I found out that the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, and Oman all have some pretty decent rock climbing. This article will focus on one specific spot in the UAE. The Emirate of Ras Al-Khaimah (RAK) has a beautiful mountain range and below are all the details on a really good outdoor rock climbing spot located there. 

Stardust Crag

RAK is a smaller city of 400k, just about an hour drive north of Dubai. The city itself has all the amenities like malls, grocery stores, brand name hotels, and many resorts lining the beach front property. Just 20-30 minutes north of the city, you’ll find the Hajar Mountain range and Wadi Rahbah just off the highway. Here a group of local climbers created a haven of routes called Stardust Crag. Starting in 2015, with the first section, the area now has three distinct sections to climb. Offering routes from 4b – 8a, single to multi pitch (2-9 pitches), there is definitely something for every level of climber. See detailed pdf with all the route options at the end of this article. 

This is a place for experienced climbers who have all the gear. The area is set up for sport climbing which means only the bolts and anchors are in place. Therefore you need to bring your own quickdraws, rope, belay device, harness, and shoes. Also you need to be able to clean your own routes. I wouldn’t recommend the area for beginners unless you are with a group who can help guide and explain all the details. 

The facilities are very basic out here. There is one small pavilion and just two toilets that, although there is running water, it is bring your own toilet paper. Since there is no trash collection out here, you are responsible for taking your own trash out. The best part about the climbing community is that we tend to value nature. If you are going to participate in climbing here, please be respectful of the area. We also want to make sure we are invited back and allowed to continue to use this beautiful spot.  

How To Get To Ras Al-Khaimah

There are actually four airports you can fly into to reach Ras Al-Khaimah. The most popular is the Dubai International Airport. But check prices because the Sharjah International Airport is only 20km north of Dubai and can be cheaper to fly into. Also check Abu Dhabi International Airport as they can have cheaper flights but you will need to drive from Abu Dhabi which is about a 2 hour drive. Finally there is a very small airport at Ras Al-Khaimah but it was so expensive, it wasn’t worth it for us. So check which one is best for you. 

Pro tip: To be safe, at the airport you might want to check your gear as some airports don’t allow ropes or quickdraws to be carried on. We got stopped and were able to bring the quick draws on the plane but we had to check the rope. So it might be good to plan ahead and just check everything. 

No matter which airport you fly into, you’ll need to rent a car. Ras Al-Khaimah is about an hour drive north of Dubai and we recommend renting a SUV or 4×4. When you drive out to Stardust Crag, off the highway and past the dam, the rocks start to get too big for cars to get through. We saw many cars parked when the rocks started getting big. It would be a very long walk from there so it’s definitely recommended to have a vehicle that can clear the rocks. We were fine in a normal SUV. We also just followed directions on GoogleMaps to Stardust Climbing Crag and were able to navigate back to it. 

Accommodations and Amenities 

Depending on the type of trip you are looking for, there are two options: hotel or camping. Hotel options are plentiful in town in RAK. You can choose the right type of hotel for you. We saw a range from super budget options to luxury resorts with the beachfront property. We went in the middle and stayed at Hilton Garden Inn which is a nice hotel. 

Camping is available onsite at Stardust Crag. There is no registration needed as the location is not run by a park service. Therefore, it’s as basic as it comes with very few amenities. You’ll need to bring all your own camping gear but one advantage is you wake up at the crag, ready to climb! While there is a bathroom out here with running water, that’s about it. We saw a few people camping nearby but make sure to bring all your own supplies. Literally everything. 

Speaking of supplies, we brought out enough food for a few meals. Definitely make sure to stock up on drinking water as it gets really hot. Pro tip: Get your supplies in RAK as we didn’t see any convenience stores or grocery stores on the way out to the mountain. Also safety is a top priority when doing outdoor activities like rock climbing. It’s a good idea to have a safety kit with your group. There is a hospital in RAK but it’s about 30 minutes away. 

When to Go Based on Weather 

The most ideal time for outdoor rock climbing in UAE at Stardust is December through March. Before or after this it can be too hot to be outside. We went in March and the sun was too hot to stand in but luckily a lot of the routes were in shade by the mid-morning so we climbed all day. One climber told us that he brought a group of friends out in the middle of April last year and it was just too hot because there was no shade on the routes by then. So the time of year really makes a big difference. We definitely don’t recommend coming to this specific spot in April through early November. With all this heat talk, do remember that it can get cold in the desert in the winter so bring appropriate clothing. Especially if you plan to camp here, it can be super chilly at night in Dec-Feb. 

Conclusion

All in all, we really had a great time climbing at Stardust Crag. Roll up with enough food and water and you can spend the day just relaxing in nature, climbing routes that suit you. One of the best things was the amount of friendly people we met out here. Just some really solid, nice people who were excited to share their love of climbing with others. Let us know if you go and how you find it! 

The attached PDF for all the details on Stardust Climbing Crag, directions, routes, emergency contacts.