Kalba – Munay – Generator Hill loop

Route overview

Suited to riders comfortable with a 102.5 km day where 934 m of climbing is packed into the first half and the rest is flat.

A 102.5 km loop from Kalba in the Hajar Mountains, crossing into Oman and back, with 934 m of climbing concentrated in the first half.

From Kalba the loop heads inland, threading a string of small settlements as the ground rises: Al Qilē'ī at 11.4 km, Minazif, Fayyad and then Harrah and Shia at around 18 km. The single sustained climb starts at 17.6 km from the route's low point of 335 m, running 2.3 km at 6.1% with a maximum of 9.6% to reach 474 m. The high point of 482 m follows at 20 km, beneath unnamed summits of 812 m and 826 m just off the road. Beyond the top the route drops through Al Uqdah at 31.3 km towards the built-up stretch at Al Ghail, Al Saaf and Al Maqt'a, where two cafés sit at 40.6 and 40.8 km. This is effectively the halfway mark: all of the day's climbing is behind you. The second half runs low and largely flat through Al ‘Ayn al Ghumūr, Wahala, Um al Ghaf, Al Naslah, Rāfāq, Fashrah and Huwaylat, passing Jabal Naselah (178 m) at 60.2 km. As Simsimānīyah at 85.2 km and Munay at 95.7 km lead the final kilometres back to Kalba.

Highlights

• 2.3 km climb at 6.1%, topping out at 474 m
• High point of 482 m at 20 km, beneath an 826 m summit
• Cafés at 40.6 and 40.8 km, roughly the halfway mark
• Jabal Al Miqsha and Jabal Naselah close to the road

Practical information

Surface

Paved

Route shape

Loop

Riding time

3–4 hours riding

Season

Recordings fall in February to April and September to December, with temperatures from 23°C to 32°C.

Know before you go

• Route crosses from the UAE into Oman and back — carry documents
• No café listed after 40.8 km, a stretch of about 60 km
• Climb pitches to 9.6% near the top
• Recorded temperatures up to 32°C

Routes are for inspiration. Roads, surfaces and conditions change — check locally and ride within your limits.