It is approaching high summer in western Oman – one of the driest times of the year on the Arabian Peninsula. But all I can hear on this May morning is the sound of thunder as a deluge of water rains down on me. It is not a freak squall that is causing the cacophony and soaking me to the bone. Rather, the noise is a consequence of being suspended a quarter of a way down a waterfall with only a rope preventing freefall onto a foreboding array of giant boulders 15-meters below.

Through the din, I can just about make out instructions from above. “Try to relax. Put your trust in the line,” says the voice, which belongs to Hamid, my guide. Prior to my descent, I pottered around the top of the drop that marks the start of the canyoning route through Wadi Tiwi – one of the surprisingly lush river courses that wind their way from the rugged Hajar Mountains and down to the Gulf of Oman.

To find out if Duncan makes it to the bottom of the waterfall, check it out here: https://www.ghmhotels.com/ghmjourneys/rolling-on-the-river-in-oman/