The granite spires of the Hajhir massif are located in the hinterland of Socotra and are most easily accessed via the valley approaches north of the coastal town of Hadibo.

The highest point of the range is the peak of Mashanig which lies at approximately 1,500 m (4,900 ft) above sea level.

[citation needed] The name "Hajhir" (Soqotri: هَجْهِر), sometimes transliterated as "Hagghier" or "Hagher" in English,[2] likely derives from the Arabic "ḥijr" (حِجْر, meaning "stone").

A 2014 study of Soqotri oral storytelling traditions revealed that a number of popular myths recount ascents throughout the range by local goatherds.

According to the anthropologist Christopher Elliott, many accounts demonstrate a strong oral chain of transmission that links mythical characters with actual pre-modern ascents.