A Bivouac in Oman with Al Maalam Tours, how does it work?
Bivouac or Camping?
First a brief clarification about the difference between wild camping and bivouac :
When we do wild camping, we have vehicules ; so more equipment, and the place must be accessible by car (sometimes 4WD only, which is often the case for us…).
Bivouac happens in a trek or a multi-day hike : we do not have vehicules (possibly pack animal), so less equipment and the place does not have car access ; so it’s more basic and wilder.
Unfortunately, marketing communication of economic agents in the field of trekking and outdoor sports misused this word (and many others), so that we talk a lot of “Bivouac” but it is not practiced much anymore…
How it works?
It’s probably one of our specialities : sleeping in wild nature, with minimum equipment, but even so having the feeling that we do not lack of anything!
We sleep on foam or thermarest mats (which you should bring yourself, but if you need we can provide…), under the stars.
Bivouac happens usualy during a trek, it means a multi-day hike, in order to walk on wild itineraries, still not developed.
We also offer bivouacs on family tours and hiking tours as part of an easy 2-days hike, to introduce children and adults to the delights of bivouacs.
Arriving on the bivouac spot
When we reach the spot in the afternoon, the first thing we do is gathering wood.
Ideally, we sleep near a source of water. In this case, you can also go wash before it gets cold… Otherwise, we bring water with a donkey or a porter and the water is exclusively for drinking and cooking.
We start making a small fire to prepare tea. Then it’s tea time and relax time : what better than hanging around in wiild nature late afternoon?
The evening in a bivouac
The team then prepares the dinner, very simple but always cooked with fresh products : cans and lyophilized food is not for us… and you’ll see that we can cook very tasty food with very little, and that a good hot meal near the fire brings the best comfort!
When night comes, we make a bigger fire in order to seat around and have dinner and evening chat there.
Then it’s time to sleep, under the stars, in a good warm sleeping bag (it’s the important point : one should not feel cold at night… bringing a warm sleeping bag is necessary, at least “Comfort -5°C”)…
Morning in the bivouac spot
In the morning, we rekindle the fire to cook a simple but tasty breakfast.
After breakfast, we take time to enjoy the place, pack, and we start hiking, without leaving nothing but ashes behind us…
… and at the end, did we lack of something???
Conclusion
Bivouac, it’s happy sobriety…
Treks with bivouac
6 days
Level 4
Trekking – from Wadi Sahtan to Wadi Bani Awf
Available in JanFebMarsNovDec
1 x Camping
1 x Bivouac
2 x Homestay
1 x Accomodation
14 days
Level 4
Great Trekking – Crossing Western Hajar
Available in JanFebMarsNovDec
2 x Camping
4 x Bivouac
2 x Homestay
5 x Accomodation
Hiking tour with bivouac
6 days
Level 3
Hiking to the Roots of the Western Hajar
Available in JanFebMarsNovDec
1 x Camping
2 x Bivouac
2 x Accomodation
Family tour with bivouac
10 days
Level 2
Family Adventure in Oman
Available in FebMarsNovDec
4 x Camping
1 x Bivouac
4 x Accomodation
Some pictures
