Henna Taylor

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This January, in the heart of the Middle East, a crew of rock climbers set out to establish an 1,800-foot, 14-pitch, 5.13+ route up Jordan’s Jebel Rum. On the outskirts of Wadi Rum, a region in the southern part of the country, the team composed of Mohammad Hussein, Madaleine Sorkin, Elad Omar, and Eli Nissan linked up with the local Bedouin people who have been working hard to establish a market for adventure tourism. After three weeks of cleaning and searching for the best routes, the climbing team left without the opportunity or time for a free ascent. Just two weeks later, another team from the Czech Republic free-climbed the route in a continuous two-day effort with the blessing of the establishing crew. Colorado-based filmmaker Henna Taylor, who is making a movie about the route’s creation, shares her best shots from the initial trip. Photo: Boulder, Colorado–based pro climber Madaleine Sorkin attempts the fourth and most difficult pitch (5.13d) on the project we named the Sultan ul-Mujahidin, which translates to “Sultan of the Freedom Warriors.”
Destinations

14 Pitches in the Heart of the Middle East

This January, in the heart of the Middle East, a crew of rock climbers set out to establish an 1,800-foot, 14-pitch, 5.13+ route up Jordan’s Jebel Rum.