Oman - Desert Fortress

Steve’s journey in Oman begins with British climbers Hazel Findlay and John Arran. They abseil into a sinkhole where they’ll find their only source of water for the next several miles of their expedition.

On day two, Steve joins Hazel and John as they inspect their climb, which is steeper than the group had initially expected. The climb to the top will take three days where they’ll meet Khalid al Hikmani, an Omani National Park Ranger, to see if his cameras have been triggered by any wildlife.

Steve takes the opportunity to explore the cliff camp while Hazel and John continue to ascend the cliff face. He finds signs of wildlife, stumbling upon a set of ibex hoofprints and rock hyrax footprints. Both animals are built for the steep climbs along these mountain ranges.

The deserts of southern Oman are home to one of the most elusive big cats on Earth, the Arabian leopard. Steve meets Khalid al Hikmani who has been working in the mountains for 12 years and has only seen the leopard three times.