From Um Qais to Aqaba: cycling 730 kilometres through Jordan

“Go cycling in Jordan,” they said. “It’s fine for beginners.”

I’m just a few hours into my biking adventure when it dawns on me that Jordanians are fond of storytelling. After a warm-up cycle of 40 kilometres, we’ve stopped – nay collapsed – at the side of a dirt road, after puffing our way up a final ascent. That’s not a typo; our warm-up was a 40km cycle, or the equivalent of 400 football fields, draped across uneven terrain with ascents of up to 1,500 metres. Not quite what I’d call a beginner’s ride.

Yet, when put into the context of the official trail, I can understand why this is deemed a mere warm up. In its entirety, the Jordan Bike Trail stretches 730km from Umm Qais in the north to the southern port of Aqaba. Cyclists ride over rolling hills, rock-strewn peaks and rural farms before speeding south towards the endless landscapes of Dana, the famed structures of Petra and the red dunes of Wadi Rum. It ends near the Red Sea and is physically challenging, criss-crossing over wadi-filled terrain and dirt track roads, reaching up to 20,000 metres in elevation.

Luckily, the scenery is as breathtaking as the ride can be punishing. Moreover, cycling in Jordan is still relatively new, making it one of the best ways to get off the beaten tourist trail – which is exactly why the Adventure Travel Trade Association sought it out for this adventure.

After the punishing uphill ride, our group has stopped to catch our breath and enjoy our reward – a stunning landscape vista of rugged valleys, forest-dotted plains and towering krantzes. Anas Sheshani, our cycling guide, announces: “It’s just another 50 kilometres. If we push, we can probably make it by nightfall.”

 

Despite the padded cycling shorts that I’ve borrowed from my friend’s husband, I’m already feeling pain in places I’ve never felt before. Thankfully, our support vehicle trundles into view and it soon becomes clear that Anas was partaking in what seems to be a favoured Jordanian pastime – telling tales.

Our next stop is a tiny campsite on the outskirts of Petra. Exhausted from the cycle, I opt for an early night and snuggle into my sleeping bag, soothing myself to sleep by gazing at the inky star-filled sky above a border of hulking rock structures.