15-Dec-2019 -- This is the 8th out of 21 successful revisits and 2 unsuccessful attempts on unvisited confluences in Saudi Arabia. The story starts at 28°N 48°E and continues from 30°N 40°E.
We visited this confluence on our way between Sakaka and Tabuk. From the main road, the point is 4 km away in straight line distance. To speed-up our delay caused by the confluence visit and to avoid driving in the dark, we decided that Elionora would wait in the car while I would run to the confluence point.
The run through the desert turned out very interesting: changing landscapes, with altering sand, rock, basalt and stone desert. Half way into the hike, I was a spectacular sandstone rock.
The confluence is in a less spectacular location in flat terrain. There are some green herb-like plants growing at the confluence. Previous visitors from 2004 have built a little cairn, which still exists 16 years later. Unfortunately, the previous visitors’ car tracks are still visible. I consider this as an environmental damage, and it is one of the reasons for me to avoid off-road driving.
After finishing the confluence visit, we drove all the way to the city of Tabuk, reaching it at sunset at 6 PM.
CP Visit Details:
- Distance to a road: 4 km
- Distance to a track: 4 km
- Distance of car parking: 4 km
- Time to reach the confluence from car parking: 30 minutes
- Time at the confluence: 3:33 PM
- Measured height: 771 m
- Minimal distance according to GPS: 0 m
- Position accuracy: 3 m
- Topography: flat
- Vegetation: some little green plants with big leaves
- Weather: sunny, 17° C (felt temperature)
- Given Name: The Spectacular Sandstone Confluence
The story continues at 28°N 38°E.
More pictures of the trip can be found here.