Crystal Mountain

What is Crystal Mountain?

Crystal Mountain, sometimes called Gebel el-Izaz (Glass Mountain), is a small hill and ridge whose rock is shot through with veins and clusters of crystals, so the whole surface glints when the sun hits it. Most guides describe the crystals as quartz; geologists who have looked closely also note calcite. Either way, they formed when mineral-rich water seeped through cracks in the rock and slowly crystallised, and erosion has since exposed them.

It is not a mountain in any Australian sense: you can walk around it in a few minutes. What makes it memorable is the texture. Crouch down and you will see facets catching the light like broken glass, embedded in rock and scattered over the sand at its foot. A natural arch, a hole worn through one part of the ridge, frames the desert beyond and is the stop's favourite photograph.

Why you should take nothing home

The most accessible crystals near the road have already been chipped away by decades of souvenir hunters, and what remains is protected, so leave every piece where you find it. Removing rocks, crystals or fossils from protected areas is prohibited in Egypt, and customs officers can confiscate natural specimens. If you want a memento, a close-up photograph with the low sun behind the crystals is a better one.

The same applies across the region: the chalk formations, the pyrite nodules of the White Desert and the fossil shells you will see later that day are all part of the landscape. Our responsible travel guide covers other ways to keep your footprint light.

The Agabat valley

Just beyond Crystal Mountain, the Agabat valley is a dramatic basin of tall, wind-cut limestone and chalk outcrops rising from slopes of golden sand, and for many travellers it is the most photogenic place on the whole route. The name is usually translated as "the obstacles", a nod to the steep sandy descent that 4WDs take to get in; watching your driver pick a line down it is part of the fun.

• Views: walk up a sand ridge for the wide view over the towers and the floor of the valley.
• Sandboarding: some crews carry a board for a run or two down the dunes. For serious dunes, Siwa's Great Sand Sea is better; see our sandboarding guide.
• Lunch stop: the shade of the outcrops makes it a popular place for a picnic lunch on the way south.

How long to stay, and when

Allow 20–30 minutes at Crystal Mountain and another 30–45 at Agabat, which together usually fill the middle part of the afternoon between the Black Desert and sunset in the White Desert. Mid to late afternoon is ideal: the sun is low enough to make the crystals sparkle and to cast shadows across the Agabat outcrops, but you still reach camp before dark.

At midday the light is flat and the crystals barely stand out, so if your schedule puts you here at noon, linger at Agabat over lunch and keep Crystal Mountain short.

Practical tips for the stop

Wear closed shoes, bring sunglasses and keep a hand free for balance: the crystal-studded rock is sharp and uneven, and the glare off it can be surprisingly strong. Scrambling up to the arch takes a minute or two over broken rock; children should be helped, and nobody should climb on top of the arch itself, which is thin and fragile.

• Facilities: there are none at either stop, so use the facilities at your Bawiti lodge before you set off.
• Close-up photos: a phone's macro mode or a close-focusing lens shows the crystal faces best; shoot with the sun behind or beside them so they sparkle.
• Sand: the Agabat dunes are soft and steep in places. Walk on the ridgelines, where the sand is firmer, and expect sand in your shoes.
• Wind: in spring the khamsin can blow sand across the valley, cutting visibility; your driver may shorten the stop.

Getting there

Crystal Mountain sits right beside the paved Bahariya–Farafra road, roughly between the Black Desert and the northern edge of the White Desert, so any vehicle can reach it, but Agabat requires a 4WD and an experienced driver. From Bawiti it is usually reached in the early afternoon after a stop in the Black Desert; from Cairo, add the 4–5 hour drive to Bahariya.

Both stops are part of the standard desert route, which needs a permit and police registration arranged by your operator. Travel advice for the Western Desert can differ from the rest of Egypt: check Smartraveller or SafeTravel before booking.