In the summer of 2022, an incredible opportunity arose when adventurer and filmmaker Reza Pakravan approached me to assist in producing a documentary series about Oman. The series, Hidden Frontiers Arabia, was slated to be broadcast on the Discovery Channel.
I was thrilled by this unexpected opportunity. The series' director, Sam, first visited Oman to inspect and assess the sites I had proposed for inclusion in the documentary. Our first destination was a massive 260-meter free-fall drop called Al Sayr, which I had discovered years ago but never had the chance to abseil.
My initial exploration of the area was with my close friend, Khamis Al Subhi, who hails from the small village of Maabit, nestled in the mountains between Tanuf and Qiyut, along with my son, Kevin. Wadi Maabit, a tributary of Wadi Al Hijri, is a main branch of Wadi Tanuf. I had previously visited this spot, reaching both the top and the base of the drop.
Early one Friday morning, we set out with Sam, accompanied by my longtime friend and project partner, Justin Hall, to inspect the site. After a two-and-a-half-hour drive to the farm of Khamis' brother, where we parked our vehicle, we began a 45-minute hike to reach the top of the abseil. Sam was captivated by the area's scenery and decided to feature it in the documentary.
Over the following two days, we travelled to the Empty Quarter, where Sam intended to shoot another segment of the program. Sam returned to Oman in January 2023 with a full crew, including Reza, to begin filming. Our adventure commenced the following day when we camped at Khamis' brother's farm. We planned to hike to the top of the drop and set up the abseiling ropes, enabling us to begin our descent early the next morning.
Equipped with 800 meters of rope and all the necessary gear, we spent seven hours setting up the anchors for the abseil. The team included Justin, Waldo (our safety and rope expert), Sam, Reza, and myself, while the rest of the crew were tasked with retrieving the ropes and driving down to Tanuf to meet us at Wadi Al Hijri.
After completing the setup, we hiked back to our camp and retired early, anticipating the long day ahead. As always, I found it difficult to sleep before embarking on a significant adventure.
We were all up by 7 a.m., ready to go after a hearty breakfast. Our backpacks were heavy, loaded with climbing gear, water, and provisions for the day. Jass, the drone operator, was prepared to capture the moment, and Reza was the first to abseil. He was visibly tense as he began his descent, but once he passed the edge of the cliff and disappeared from view, we monitored his progress on Jass's screen and communicated with him via radio.
Reza's descent went smoothly, and he reached the ground after about 30 minutes. When it was my turn, I felt relaxed, as I had experienced such significant drops. I had previously abseiled the 385-meter free drop at Jabal Shams, also known as Sheikh Al Majaneen, in 2010 with my "adopted son," Mihai Catrinar, and again in 2018 with Justin, Steve Backshall, and Aldo Kane for the BBC series Expedition.
My descent was smooth, and I savoured the feeling of hanging in mid-air, hundreds of meters above the ground. I paused a few times to take photos, and I reached the ground safely after about 15 minutes. Justin followed, with Waldo being the last to abseil.
After a short break, we completed another 40-meter drop to reach the wadi bed. By the time we started our hike through the canyon, it was already 5:30 p.m., and we had to navigate in the dark with our headlamps on. Progress was slow as we made our way between massive boulders, stopping occasionally to rehydrate and refuel.
It took us around six hours to reach the camp that the rest of the team had set up. They had been concerned, expecting us to arrive about two hours earlier.
This expedition was an extraordinary experience, one that will remain etched in my mind and heart forever.
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