Juniper forest
On the summits.
marviikad — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Muhammad Sobri — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Irshadpp — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Irshadpp — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Irshadpp — CC BY-SA 4.0
Al Soudah is a mountain area in the Asir Region of southwest Saudi Arabia, about 14 km northwest of Abha in a straight line. It includes Jabal Al Soudah, the kingdom's highest peak, at 3,207 metres above sea level. The area is known for its mountains covered in dense juniper forest. The climate is mild all year, rarely above 25 °C in summer and no more than 15 °C in winter, making it about ten degrees cooler than the rest of the kingdom. Some locals say they have seen snow fall more than once a year. Al Soudah's green summits run along the edge of the Sarawat mountains, covered in juniper among granite rocks and often wrapped in mist and low cloud that hide and reveal the slopes below. From the edge the mountains drop steeply to the Tihama plains far below. Al Soudah is a tourist centre where visitors come in summer to escape the heat, ride the cable car down the slopes, and walk and camp among the junipers. Bring a jacket, as evenings are cool even in summer.
On the summits.
Over the slopes.
Down the slopes.
Al Soudah, Abha, Asir Region, Saudi Arabia
Summer, to escape the heat.
A jacket for the evening.