Wadi Feid, Petra

Having left Wadi Malaga campsite, I headed due south travelling along the side of several small hills Jabal al-Hamra, Jabal Mahzan and Jabal Barwas. To the west I was greeted with the vast expanse of the Araba Valley and to the east I had the rising mountains.

The trail gradually ascended across Wadi Barwas, with desert dunes to my right and black magmatic mountains on my left. I continued alongside the mountain until I reached a shallow wadi where I turned left to climb the trail on switchbacks through jagged rocky mountains. The path was an old Bedouin route that led me over Ras Naqb Shdeid, a mountain saddle with aerial views in all directions. 

Continuing downhill via a steep descent, I emerged in a small gully near the spring-fed Wadi Feid. Following a short right turn I was delighted to come across a pool where I was able to top up my water bottle, as this was the last reliable water source, and take the opportunity to cool off and wash up.

After some rest, I rejoined the trail in Wadi Feid and continued through thick vegetation, welcoming the shade. Passing an old Nabatean water channel, I had to wade through some water and past a spring until I turned another bend and found myself in dry desert again. Trekking for a further mile, I reached my campsite signalling the halfway point and the end of another stage.