THEN – Before we got into a few verses of “…Let my people go…” on Mount Sinai (Jebel Musa) itself, the group checked in to what we referred to as the “Sinai Hilton”, a campground close to St. Catherine’s Monastery and at the base of Mount Sinai. The campground consisted of a large open area protected by the mountains from the wind and blowing sand. Sleeping quarters were large square rock walls with a white canvas, tented roof while the inside had rows of clean and nice sized cots with blankets for the cold night ahead. Everyone slept inside. The Bedouins, drivers, guides, our group – the only tourists in the Sinai Desert – and only a few local camels stayed outside.

NOW – Thousands of travelers come on a daily basis to climb Mount Sinai on a day trip from either Dahab (2 hours away) or Sharm el-Sheikh (3 hours away) on the coast. It should properly be called a night trip since the drive and hike takes place at night to view the sunrise from the top of Mount Sinai. Almost anyone can attempt and complete the climb. There are two ways up and if you poop out at the half way mark, there are plenty of Bedouins waiting with their camels that would be happy to give you a ride to the top for the right price. This was definitely not available in 1984 but even if it had been, there is no way I’d get on top of a swaying camel with big drop offs on all sides of the mountain. Give me feet any day…

a desert camp at the foot of Mt. Sinai
Staked out cots, threw backpacks on it, changed into whatever warm clothes we had with and went outside to sit around a warm campfire ready for a l-o-n-g night. It would be impossible to get a good night’s sleep with the anticipated dormitory-style snoring, keeping an eye on possessions, people shuffling in and out for potty, and then get up at 4:00 a.m. to begin the Mount Sinai climb.

inside of the “Sinai Hilton” desert camp foot of Mt. Sinai
Dinner was served in a large pit circle with a lower level for sitting on. Bedouins and guides got busy with the propane, heating up whatever they could while we took “showers” with tepid water heated by the sun earlier in the day. It was water and that’s all we cared about.

dinner preparations under way in the Sinai Desert
A skimpy dinner and the guides told us a little about the climb tomorrow. Mount Sinai is a sacred place for Muslims, Christians and Jews alike. There are hundreds of mountains in the Sinai range and why this particular mountain was singled out as the Mount Sinai upon which Moses was summoned by God to receive the 10 commandments, no one knows. We were going to climb the steep Steps of Penitence path by flashlight and arrive at the top in time for sunrise. The 3,750 Steps of Penitence were carved out of the rock by monks and is the shorter of the two routes. It takes the average person less then three hours and everyone could go at their own pace since trail-finding is easy. Just one step after another. Breakfast would be laid out on the trail about halfway down.

Warm clothes, water bottle and flashlight (a must!) at the ready, it was bedtime…ha, ha, ha….