The escarpment is the geological feature that defines Kawar's geography. Running roughly north to south along the eastern edge of the oasis corridor, it rises as a wall of red and black sandstone that cuts the sky into a hard, clean line. The colours are best in the late afternoon, when the low light turns the rock face deep ochre and the shadows in the cliff folds go almost purple. From below, looking east, you get a clear sense of how the oases are positioned: tucked into the shelter of the cliff, protected from the worst of the eastern desert winds, and watered by whatever moisture the geology allows.
There are no marked paths up or along the escarpment, and the terrain is rough and exposed. If you want to climb for a view down over Bilma and the salt flats, go in the morning before it gets hot, bring water, and tell someone where you're going. The rock is loose in places and the footing unreliable. The view from the top is worth it if conditions are right — you can see the full layout of the oasis below and the dunes of the Ténéré trailing off to the west — but this is not a place to be reckless about altitude or sun exposure.