Mount Serbal

Serbal rises to about 2,070 metres directly above Wadi Feiran, a long ridge with five distinct summits that gives it a serrated profile visible from a great distance, and for the first Christian centuries it, rather than the peak beside the monastery, was widely identified as the mountain of the biblical account, which is why the monastic settlement grew at Feiran below it. The climb is steep and long, several hours up a route that follows old stepped paths in places, built by monks and hermits, and passes rock-cut cells and inscriptions on the way. From the top the view runs across the whole southern Sinai massif to both gulfs on a clear day. It is far less climbed than Mount Sinai and there is no organised infrastructure.

What you actually see

• A five-summit serrated ridge - the profile that dominates Wadi Feiran.
• Old stepped paths - monastic route building on the ascent.
• Hermit cells and inscriptions - traces of the early Christian settlement.
• Both gulfs from the summit - Suez and Aqaba on a clear day.

When to go

October to April; summer is too hot for a climb of this length. Start before dawn. A full day, eight to ten hours on the mountain. Winter can bring snow and ice at the top.

Honest expectations

This is a serious mountain day with steep loose sections and route-finding that requires a local guide; it should not be attempted alone. There is no water on the route and no shelter. Far fewer people climb it than Mount Sinai, which means no help if something goes wrong.

Nearby

Wadi Feiran is directly below; St Catherine and Mount Catherine lie east.