White Canyon

The White Canyon is the pale counterpart to the Colored Canyon a short distance away: a gorge cut into near-white limestone and chalk, bright to the point of glare in full sun, with smooth scoured walls and a floor that narrows and widens as it drops. It is usually walked downhill, starting on the plateau and descending through the narrows, which involves a few short chimney climbs and squeezes and takes an hour or two, ending near the palms of Ain Khudra oasis where a Bedouin camp serves lunch. The combination of the two canyons and the oasis is the standard full-day trip out of Nuweiba or Dahab, and the descent through the white narrows is generally the part people remember.

The landscape

• Near-white limestone narrows - a bright gorge with scoured walls.
• Chimney squeezes - short climbs and drops on the descent.
• The oasis at the bottom - palms of Ain Khudra at the canyon mouth.
• The plateau start - open desert before the ground opens up.

When to go

October to April. Morning start so the descent finishes before the heat. Half a day, or a full day combined with the Colored Canyon and the oasis. Do not go with rain in the forecast.

Good to know

The descent requires some scrambling and a head for narrow spaces; it is not suitable for everyone in a group. Glare off white rock is intense and sunglasses matter. Flash flood risk is real. A guide and a vehicle are required; there is no way to do this independently.

Nearby

Ain Khudra oasis is at the foot of the canyon; the Colored Canyon lies east.