The Definitive Guide to Snake Canyon at Wadi Bani Awf

Snake Canyon (وادي الثعابين in Arabic, meaning: Canyon of Snakes, but known locally as Seer Al Zamah صير الزامة), also known as Snake Gorge or Wadi Bimah, is a canyon within Wadi Bani Awf in wilayat Al Rustaq in the South Batinah Governorate of Oman. With its awe-inspiring tall cliffs, impressively narrow paths and blue pools (sometimes murky & dried up – more on that later) Snake Canyon has been one of the most popular destination for canyoning and adventure lovers in Oman – with good reasons too! Having heard so much about Snake Canyon it over the past few years, with many planned trips falling through, I was very glad to finally be able to visit it a couple of times already over the past few months. The thrill of exploring Snake Canyon, a combination of trekking, abseiling down large cliffs, swimming and a couple of jumps, makes it a fantastic adventure that is highly recommended for any adventure and outdoor lovers visiting Oman – with a few caveats!

In this post, I will take a stab at clarifying some of the confusion surrounding the naming and location of Snake Canyon, explain some of the considerations you should take before visiting and highlight the dangers involved in this trip – so read ahead!

Snake Canyon is the name given to the main canyon in Wadi Bani Awf, which is visible (and runs along) from the mountain path connecting Al Batinah to Al Hamra (which is really awesome and highly recommended route by the way – I wrote about it on my Wadi Bani Awf post here). Snake Canyon is the popularized name that it has been called (probably coined by English-speaking adventure enthusiasts) due to the way the canyon bends, resembling the shape of a snake, while also alluding to the presence of snakes in this canyon. The locals call the place Seer Al Zamah (صير الزامة) and I understand that some of them don’t like when visitors refer to it as ‘Snake Canyon’ – so do try and refer to the local name if you’re asking for directions or something 🙂

Now, about the snakes – not to scare you but wadis in Oman do have snakes and they can be often seen in shallow pools. I have only seen snakes a handful of times in my many many Wadi visits – and only once in Snake Canyon. I understand that they are venomous; however, these snakes are really tiny (see picture), shy and not aggressive at all – they are probably more scared of you than you are of them. So you should be completely fine as long as you keep your distance from them.

I could not actually find out what the the villagers call the part of the wadi now known as Snake Canyon, but it seems that some sometimes refer to it as Wadi Bimah due to the nearby Bimah Village (بيما) – although Snake Canyon is also accessible from a couple of other villages, including Hatt (هاط) and Al Zamah (الزامة), with each probably calling it something else. Having said that, the most popular section of the Snake Canyon (sometimes referred to as the ‘Right Fork’, this is generally what is meant when someone says ‘Snake Canyon’) is the stretch going from the part of the gorge under Balad Sayt village and ending at Al Zamah Village. The ‘Left Fork’ section of the Snake Canyon is a shorter trek starting from Bimah Village and also ending at Al Zamah.

These should not be confused with what is popularly referred to as the Little Snake Canyon, which is not connected to either Left or Right forks and is a bit of a further drive up from Al Zamah Village (I have written about it on my earlier post here).

The Snake Canyon (‘Right Fork’)

This is the route to take if you are really looking for the full gamut of experience at Snake Canyon – trekking, abseiling with ropes, swimming and jumping in pools. It starts right off the bat with a big cliff jump into a water pool (approximately 5-6 m high), and once you jump there is no turning back so you will have to proceed with the full route. I think this is a good way to gauge your ability and ‘fear-factor’ of proceeding with this trip – as this is the most fear-inducing portion of the entire route, in my opinion. Having said that, it is also possible to abseil down this stretch, which again is a great way to get a feel for abseiling if it is your first time trying!

The route through Snake Canyon has been formed from the carving of the rocks due to water erosion, resulting in the smooth polished surfaces you will see. This makes the rocks extremely slippery and difficult to grip, so you should be well aware of this especially when trying to jump into a pool from an awkward angle or traverse through some of the trickier portions. After the pool jump, there will be a bit of trekking, lots of other pools to swim through, a couple more (shorter) pool jumps and two drops (approximately 15-20 m) that you will need to use ropes to abseil down (see Snake Canyon Considerations further down though!).

The whole path should take anywhere between 4-6 hours depending on how many people there are in your group, and how many stops you take. You will go through the narrowing path of Snake Canyon surrounded by impressively tall cliffs – some part just wide enough that you are almost able to touch the sides of the canyon with your arms outstretched. Half-way through you will reach a really cool cave with limestone formations (stalactites) hanging down the side. Unfortunately, the water levels at Snake Canyon has been receding over the past couple of years to a level where many pools are much shallower than they used to so there are fewer slides and jumps to do. This also results in some of the pools being filled with murky stagnant water – not the most pleasant to swim through, but alas that is part of the adventure 🙂

The ‘Left Fork’ Snake Canyon

The left fork of Snake Canyon starts further down the canyon then the Right Fork, reducing the total distance to be traversed. The Left Fork should take anywhere from 2-4 hours (I did it with a group of ~8 people and it took us approximately 3 hours), and it actually ends up connecting to the main Snake Canyon route after about an hour. No abseiling or ropes are required here, but I would still not consider this route ‘easy’ as it requires a bit of scrambling, at least one slide and a a couple of cliff jumps, from which there is no way back – it is just shorter and doesn’t require abseiling like the Left Fork. This route also goes one-way, and ends at Al Zamah Village. I personally think this route is a lot of fun and a great start for canyoning! 

Safety Considerations in Snake Canyon – Flash Floods!

There are a few considerations you should take into account for your visit to Snake Canyon. Your safety is the most important thing!

With the rising popularity of adventure sports in Oman in general, and the ‘social media’ effect, more and more people are keen to explore the adventure spots in Oman especially Snake Canyon, which is fantastic. However, many underestimate Snake Canyon assuming it is just like any other wadi in Oman!

The dangers involved should never be underestimated – and you should really understand the risks involved before you visit, some of which include: flash floods, deceptively shallow water pools, smooth rocks, big cliff drops. Unfortunately, there has been many incidents the past years of people stranded (and some even losing their lives) in Snake Canyon – either due to being unprepared or not heeding the flash flood warnings (check video of one, and read J. Schreurs excellent write-up here). This, in combination with the need for some technical skill and knowledge in abseiling down means that I highly recommend you visit Snake Canyon with a professional guide, who should:

1. Be aware of flash floods warnings, and advise if trip is to proceed or not based on the conditions in Wadi Bani Awf
2. Know the path at Snake Canyon intimately, preferably based on recent water levels in the pools
3. Be skilled in using the required gear needed (harness with descender, ropes, etc.) and able to teach you their use
4. Know the location and conditions of all hooks and locations to tie the ropes
5. Ensure your safety and the correct use of gear
6. Provide the required gear, including: harness with descender, helmets, life-jacket (for people who are not good swimmers), sufficient length of rope and gloves
7. Have back-up plan in place in case of emergency

Having said that, this should by no means discourage you from visiting Snake Canyon – even if you have never used any of the gear. With the right group and guide, this could be one of the most exhilarating and fun trips you could do in Oman 🙂

If you are an experienced climber and have knowledge in using ropes and necessary gear, then go ahead and visit but ensure to check the weather conditions (prepare to abandon the trip or change your plans if there are any chances of rain) and have safety back-up plan (including informing your plan and expected completion time to friends, whom can call for help in case of an emergency).

Other Considerations for Visiting Snake Canyon

Keep in mind the following:

• Four Wheel Drive (4WD) car is a must. You will need to have at least two cars in your group as another car is needed at the exit point in Al Zamah Village
• Footwear: Ideally water-permeable shoes with good grip and ankle-support (some old tennis shoes might do) – you’ll need to swim in these shoes too (I personally use the Adidas ‘beach surf’ slip-ons, which seem to have been discounted – the  Terrex Climacool Slip-on looks similar though)
• What to wear: you will swim and trek in the same clothes so something quick to dry – avoid loose clothes so it wouldn’t get stuck in the ropes/harness. Snake Canyon can get very cold in winter as it does not receive much sunlight, so wear a wet-suit if you plan on visiting between November-February if you don’t want to be shivering for the full trek (trust me, I experienced that and it is not fun!).
• Snacks and drinking water (you don’t have to pack a lot as with little sun exposure you’ll unlikely to get that hot)
• Change of clothes and towel in the car
• Water proof bag for your camera and gadgets (or leave them in the car)

Tours & Guiding Service for Snake Canyon

I am not a specialist in abseiling or mountain climbing by any means (I do hope to learn and get licensed down the line); however, I happen to know guides who know Snake Canyon inside out, and whom I fully trust to conduct Snake Canyon tours safely and professionally. I often work with them to include Snake Canyon in my customized tours (sometimes I am the back-up safety in these trips), either as a day-trip from Muscat or multi-day tour including Wadi Bani Awf crossing, Balad Sayat and Al Dakhiliyah attractions.

Do get in touch if you’d like to book your next adventure with me 🙂

Camping & Places to Stay

A few spots are possible for camping including near Al Zamah village or the flat area before Al Bimah village (near entrance to the Left Fork of Snake Canyon); however; possibility of flash floods should be considered as some of these areas are susceptible. There is also accommodation available at Bimah House, which I have not tried personally (if you have stayed there, please do share your experience in the comments below!).

How to reach Snake Canyon

Snake Canyon can be reached via the Wadi Bani Awf crossing either from Al Batinah side or Al Dakhiliyah side – it is a tough and steep graded where a 4WD car is a must. Even with a 4WD, if you are not confident driving on steep mountain paths then please ensure you go with an experienced driver.

If you’re coming from Muscat, drive towards Nakhal towards Al Rustaq and trun into Wadi Bani Awf after Al Awabi village (alternatively, a longer route that may take less time is to take express way all the way to Al Rustaq and drive from there towards Nakhal). From the turn to Wadi Bani Awf it is ~20 km to Al Zamah village – which is the exit of Snake Canyon. It is approximately another 6 km of steep & tough mountain paths from there to the entrance of Snake Canyon (‘Right Fork’), just after the Balad Sayt ‘Audi’ football field (the ‘Audi Balad Sayt Football Field’ referred to as such because Audi had placed the artificial turf on the football field used by the village, they did that for a commercial which you can check out on YouTube here).

Check google map below for full details:

Tiny Snake