LANDMARKLandmark
Mount Katherine
28.5500, 33.9700
At 2,629 metres, Mount Katherine (Gebel Katherina) is the highest peak in Egypt, a strenuous ascent above St Catherine that rewards fit hikers with the most commanding views in all of Sinai. On a clear day the summit chapel looks out over an ocean of jagged granite ridges, and it's said you can glimpse both the Red Sea and the Gulf of Suez.
Unlike the busier Mount Sinai, the trail here is quiet and demanding, a real mountain trek through high desert valleys and Bedouin gardens. The thin, clean air and sweeping emptiness give the climb a genuinely remote, expeditionary feel.
Many combine it with the region's other trekking on a multi-day Sinai mountain itinerary.
Know before you go
This is a tough full-day climb requiring good fitness, a Bedouin guide and permits arranged in St Catherine, plus warm layers and plenty of water for the exposed summit.