4 minute read
Off the beaten path
Let Sand Sherpa’s off-road experts lead you into your next adventure in the UAE desert
There are very few places in the world where the wilderness is so accessible and unrestricted, but it can be daunting for the uninitiated. With a mission to make the deserts, mountains and beaches of the UAE, Oman and Saudi Arabia accessible to those who yearn for discovery, Sand Sherpa was born in 2019 out of a passion for adventure.
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Helmed by a team of expert instructors, Sand Sherpa takes the stress out of off-road exploration by guiding outdoor enthusiasts seeking to reconnect with nature into the incredible lands that surround the UAE in their own 4x4 vehicles. Each experience is designed to equip participants with the knowledge to navigate the off-road terrain with utmost comfort and safety. Attendees embarking on an expedition
Sand Sherpa makes the region’s deserts accessible to those who yearn for discovery
with Sand Sherpa will be able to enjoy rarely tracked routes with the support of seasoned off-road experts. The team has scouted various routes across the region and can provide all levels of off-road challenges along with limitless amounts of awe-inspiring scenery.
/ Sherpa Discovery I
A self-drive experience in your own vehicle, this fourhour event with Sand Sherpa is designed as a first introduction to off-road driving. It is aimed at those who want to venture into the desert sands in a safe manner. The expedition is a great chance to learn more about the environment and acquire new skills and appreciation for the lands that surround the UAE.
The objective of the Sherpa Discovery training course is to provide each participant with sufficient knowledge of their own vehicle and the terrain they will be operating in, to be able to comfortably venture off-road. Participants will learn more about essential off-roading equipment, necessary driving techniques, negotiating ascents and descents safely and confidently, overcoming off-road obstacles as well as the basics of recovering a vehicle that is bogged in the sand.
Sherpa Discovery I is an introduction to offroad driving, aimed at those who want to venture safely into the desert sands
This experience completes the introduction to offroad driving and equips participants with the skills and knowledge to pass through rocky terrain, make mountain ascents and descents, cross wadi beds and choose the best camping and resting spots in the UAE’s rocky terrain.
The session will also cover the importance of gearing and differential locks, upslope and downslope techniques, self-recovery and assisted recovery techniques while giving participants the opportunity to practise over different types of terrain and conquer obstacles.
Explore rarely tracked routes in the desert with the support of seasoned off-road experts
/ Sherpa Ready
Sherpa Ready is for participants that have completed a Sherpa Discovery experience and made independent trips into the sands following that. Participants that have a minimum of intermediate skills driving in the desert can also attend.
The focus of this experience is on navigating routes through the dunes independently using GPS or visual reference points. Participants will learn how to tackle difficult dunes (depending on their type) and prevailing winds as well as how to recover a stricken vehicle.
The signature Sand Sherpa “Special Reserve” is the only overnight camping experience in the UAE that allows you to enter the Dubai Desert and Conservation Reserve (DDCR) in your own car, under the expert guidance of Sand Sherpa’s off-road team. Lead guides will brief you on reserve driving etiquette before venturing into the 225-square-kilometre protected area, where you are encouraged to spot and identify desert life.
Each vehicle is assigned its own camping trailer equipped with a Sand Sherpa Rooftop Tent, utensils and camping accessories for all members of each individual party. Stay with your trailer or mingle with other campers around the main campfire as the evening progresses. In the morning, the camp leader will take participants on an optional hawk walk through an ancient ghaf tree forest, following which, everyone has a turn walking with, and flying, trained birds of prey.
Sand Sherpa has mapped out some of the most scenic and unfrequented areas in the UAE desert, all within a 40-minute drive from Al Sajja in Sharjah. This experience sees a Sand Sherpa guide leading you to a private camping location in your own vehicle. A Sand Sherpa Camping Trailer will be provided for the experience per vehicle. Multiple trailers and tents can be deployed for larger groups.
For more information sandsherpa.com
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In addition to guided off-road support, Sand Sherpa also offers rentals of various specialist off-road and camping equipment
YOUR HOME AWAY FROM HOME Roof Top Tents (RTTs) are the ultimate in luxury camping and Sand Sherpa’s tents come equipped with interior and exterior tent lighting, heavy-duty ladders and a fantastic heat-treated hard shell. Designed to rigorous specifications, these tents are built to withstand intense heat and dust.
