1 January 2024 / leggypeggy

Checking out Saudi Arabia’s biggest and deepest volcanic crater

Arabia, Arabian Peninsula, bush camping, camping, clouds, craters, Madventure, sunset, volcanic craters, volcanos

Wahba Crater in sun

Wahba Crater in shade

We’ve visited some unexpected sites on the Arabian Peninsula, so a volcanic crater was no surprise. Well, maybe a bit of a surprise.

Wahba Crater (also known as Wahbah Crater and Maqlaʿ Ṭamiyyah) is one of many volcanic cones on the Harrat Kishb basalt plateau in the Hejazi region of Saudi Arabia. It’s also the largest and deepest.

How wide and how deep is it?

One website says it is 380 metres deep and 3000 metres across. Another says it is 250 metres deep and 2000 metres across. Who to believe?

We didn’t climb down to measure the depth, but some of the group walked all the way around the rim—it took them two and a half hours. It rained heavily shortly before we arrived, and the hikers said some of the rim path was muddy and slippery.

Steep walls of Wahba crater. Abseilers and rock climbers would love it

You wouldn’t want to slip over the edge

In fact the sides of the crater are rocky, steep and slippery, which is why it is forbidden to climb down into it. We saw two fellows venture down the only slightly easy path. Within minutes of reaching the bottom, the police appeared and ordered them out. We wondered if there were cameras keeping an eye on things.

Great scenery

The bottom isn’t that inviting anyway. Apparently it is covered with white sodium phosphate crystals. Not good for swimming.

Scientists originally thought the crater was formed by a meteorite, but have since decided it was caused by volcanic activity in the form of a massive underground steam explosion. Of course, there is a legend that the crater was the work of a jealous lover.

They were getting ready to barbecue some camel, and invited us to join them

There were quite a few tourists who visited while we were there, and a few who stayed to camp. We camped too. The ground was rock hard, and it was almost impossible to pound in the tent pegs. Nevertheless, we were treated to some wonderful skies and fabulous views. The sun and clouds came and went.

P.S. We head into the desert tomorrow and expect to be offline for at least four days.
Happy New Year everyone. May the coming year be kind to you.