Today I drove directly north from Salalah in to a mountain range known as Jabal Qara.
I have spent several days in Jabal Samhan to the east and many weeks in Jabal Qamar to the west but I have never explored these central mountains.
I was quite surprised to see valley after valley (wadi after wadi) filled with dry forest, especially considering the close proximity of these areas to the city of Salalah. Grazing pressure on the flatter valley shoulders was clear to see though.
These forested valleys are valuable to provide a corridor for the movement of the leopard and other large mammals across the Dhofar mountains.
It’s a fantastic view from Jabal Qara down to Salalah and the coastal plain.