Geocaching The real Hide & Seek
Positive Karma
Another visit to Nepal, this time on Kayaks
Forty in Paradise Part 2 of AJ’s birthday fishing trip
5 Mates and the Desert
Simon gets his friends to come to Dubai for some MX action Price: DHS 10 Discover more and visit us online: www.outdooruae.com
Issue 6/2011 June
2011
Photo: S.Whitesell
Explore the possibilities
Torch
Park
Bolt
5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14
6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14
3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.5, 12, 14, 16
World’s Leading C-kite
Freeride Simplicity
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Versatile - Stable - Predictable Naishkites.com
In Print: Managing Editor Daniel Birkhofer daniel@outdooruae.com Editors Kim Perks Marilena Cilta Graphic & Design James Russell james@outdooruae.com For advertisement enquiries contact: Tel: 04-4472701 marketing@outdooruae.com Published by: Outdoor UAE FZE P.O. Box 215062 Dubai, U.A.E. Tel. 04-4472701 contact@outdooruae.com www.outdooruae.com Distributor: Abu Dhabi Media Company P.O. Box 40401, ABU DHABI Printed at: Galadari Printing & Publishing LLC P.O. Box 11243 Dubai, U.A.E. © 2011 Outdoor UAE FZE Issue 6/2011- June
The information contained is for general use only. While we have made every attempt to ensure that the information contained in this magazine has been obtained from reliable sources, however the publisher is not responsible for any errors. All information in this magazine is provided “as is”, with no guarantee of completeness, accuracy, timeliness or of the results obtained from the use of this information. In no event will the publisher, its related affiliates or anyone else be responsible for any decision made or action taken in reliance on the information in this magazine. All contents are under copyrights and may not be reproduced in any kind without written permission. © 2011 Outdoor UAE FZE
Reg. at Creative City Fujairah P.O. Box 4422, Fujairah, U.A.E.
Is that what I sound like? Utilising social media such as Radio and TV can be very rewarding if done well. That’s why my heart skipped a beat when I was given the chance to represent OutdoorUAE on Dubai Eye 103.8fm radio. I never thought I’d be at this point in my life where thousands of people would want to listen to what I had to say – well, in this case they were going to have to listen to me whether they’d like it or not. As a graphic designer, with an educational background in many things ‘design’, my job is to make things look pretty, and to ‘colour things in’, so to speak. So you can imagine I was not at all confident about this challenge. Many said, “You have a good radio voice!” I was surprised. With an accent that fluctuates without control depending on where I am in the world and who I’m speaking to, I wouldn’t say I have a consistent ‘radio’ voice. But hey, I gladly accepted and was relishing the fact that I would be on live radio, broadcasting to the nation, and helping promote our fantastic magazine. It was Thursday morning, where we had the 10am slot with Suzanne Radford. Tori (Adventure Chicks) and Pete Aldwinckle (Global Climbing + regular contributor) were there for the show as well to share their thoughts and expertise. An hour or so later, which seemed more like 15 minutes, the show was finished. I had never been so relieved and to tell you the truth, I was knackered! When nerves pound through you like thunder, it tends to take it out of you. Honestly though, once you settle in and get confortable and into the conversations (and have a decent idea of what to say) then it sort of comes naturally. I had only recently worked up the courage to actually sit down and listen to the show itself, and to truly hear what I actually sound like. It was strange, but ok. I could probably do this again! Thanks go out to Tori, Pete (who both performed perfectly!) and of course Suzanne Radford for giving us the opportunity to speak our minds and to expose OutdoorUAE. Catch us in the airwaves again soon, and feel free to SMS in with any queries, or even just to say ‘Hi!’
James. 3
Your Best Shots - 5 Some great shots of the month Event Schedule – 6 Skimmed Milk - 10 A brief intro to Skimboarding Rivers Running with Positive Karma -12 Ian takes us to Nepal but this time we’re on Kayaks Adventure Chicks - 16 Tori goes on horse-back at the stunning Desert Ranch Our Last Camping Weekend - 18 Jon takes a short camping trip and highlights child safety Travel Tip: Endou-Rompin National Park - 20 Matthias intoduces us to some tropical asian adventure Results – 22 Forty in Paradise Part 2 - 24 AJ brings us the fish for part two of his birthday trip News – 26 Event Reviews - 28 EDA Photo comp., Al Gaffal Dhow racing and the Al Forsan opening Products – 30 The Fishing Kit - 34 Fly Away Geocaching - 36 We discover the thrills of a new outdoor phenomenon Outdoor People - 38 We meet Heike and Tom - two avid MXers ME4X4 - 40 Mike Nott brings you his serialization of the ultimate off-road guide. Part 4 5 Mates and the Desert - 44 Simon invites his mates over for a fantastic MX ride in Dubai’s deserts Oudoor Photography - 48 Sensor cleaning Tips + Tricks - 49 Drink cooling and climbing Location – 51 A good Geo Cache, Dive site and and environmental kayak Final Thought - 56 Directory - 57
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What to se 's there e and do?
[cycle] [run] [skate]
Cycle, Run & Skate Safe Every Wednesday from 6:00PM until 9:00PM (free) and 10th, 28th of June and 8th of July for Novice & Advanced (400AED) Dubai Autodrome The Dubai Autodrome opens for Cycling, Jogging, and Roller Blading on Club Circuit under Flood Lights. In a safe controlled environment, the Dubai Autodrome offers all the family the opportunity to stay fit and healthy without the risks of training on public roads. All cyclists, roller bladers, skaters and others MUST wear a helmet. No helmet required for runners. www.dubaiautodrome.com
[cycle]
Dubai Roadsters - training rides for all cyclists Every Friday, Sunday Thuesday Friday ride starts on Jumeirah Beach Road at 5:30 AM or Safa Park at 5:45 AM, Sunday / Thursday starting at about 6:00 PM at Nadd Al Sheba. For more information please visit: www.dubairoadsters.com
[motor]
Yas Marina Circuit Experiences Yas Camaro on 9th/15th/16th of June Feel the high-octane adrenaline rush of the Chevrolet Camaro SS as it runs from zero to 60 mph in just 4.6 seconds and through the quarter-mile in 13.3 seconds. Try out more cars! visit www.yasmarinacircuit.com
[adventure initiative]
Gulf for Good - Information Evening Dubai Pullman Mall of the Emirates Hotel, Dubai 15th June 19:30 - 21:00 The evening will commence with a presentation where you will be able to find out all about Gulf 4 Good and the work we do supporting children’s projects around the world. Building a community hospital in Nepal, supplying 4 ambulances in Kenya, building classrooms in Tanzania & Peru, equipping schools in Peru, Jordan & Oman, providing medical equipment in China & Palestine, building a training centre for disabled in Sri Lanka, supplying computers for blind students in Oman, refurbishing orphanages in Thailand, Cambodia & Egypt, supplying mobile hospitals to serve the Delhi slums and so much more. www.gulf4good.org
[motor]
Bike/Car Track Days Dubai Autodrome on 10th, 24th of June All motorcycles must be of a road worthy manner, and will be safety checked prior to participants being allowed on track. For a standard Track Day/Evening, all riders must be in possession of a valid and current road or competition licence. Track Days/Evenings allow drivers to explore the performance of their cars in a controlled and safe environment. It is an opportunity to drive on a race track without the constraints, restrictions and invariable risks of a public road. Safety cover on the track is run to strict international standards, with marshal’s posts manned, and safety trucks, ambulance and paramedic services available throughout the event. www.dubaiautodrome.com
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[fun!]
Summer in Abu Dhabi from 15th of June to 30th July Summer in Abu Dhabi is organized by ADTA to engage UAE residents and increase inbound visitor numbers to the UAE capital during the traditionally quieter summer season.Deals will run throughout 12 mainline attractions, which include Big Bus Tours, Caracal Shooting Club, Al Ain Wildlife Park & Resort, the vast Al Forsan International Sports Resort, the thrilling Al Ain Raceway, speedy Yellow Boats, Falcon Aviation’s helicopter tours, Al Ain’s refurbished Hili Fun City, the iconic Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi Golf Club and Saadiyat Beach Golf Club.
[motor]
Suzuki Swift Cup Dubai Autodrome 24 June, 1st July Whether you’re an experienced racer or just starting out, the Suzuki Swift Cup one make Arrive & Drive series is the hottest ticket for your summer racing fix. The 2011 Summer Series will be run at night – under floodlights – on the challenging Club Circuit configuration at Dubai Autodrome. www.dubaiautodrome.com
MINI REVIEW! 18th of June 2011
Outdoor UAE rocked up at the Autodrome on the 18th of June to give out free magazines, beach hut vouchers and to all the riders, runners, and roller bladers involved in the cycle safe track evening, which takes place from 6-9pm every Wednesday!
The track night saw at least two hundred riders and runners walk through the pit garage entrance, some beginners, some intensively training, some young and some old... It was a good turn out a great atmosphere. The track nights will be running through the summer in the evenings and is a great way to stay fit. If you’d like to get involved log onto the website: www.cyclechallenge.ae/ to check out all the events, which are happening or alternatively check out their facebook group (search for cycle safe dubai). Just remember you’ve always got to wear a helmet- no helmet no ride is what they say!
Email: contact@outdooruae.com or stewart@cyclechallenge.ae for more information. Website: www.cyclechallenge.ae Where to find a bike: Check out the directory section at the back of the mag! Other events happening this month: Cycle Safe @ Yas Marina Circuit is every Tuesday and Cycle safe Dubai out Ride: 30/65/80km starting at 6am leaving from Al Qudra on Fridays The Ledgendary Coffee Run to Bab Al Shams on Saturdays Another riding group to check out: Dubai Roadsters Cycling Club
*All images are either our own, sourced from event websites or supplied with permission *You can find more events and detailed information online at www.outdoorUAE.com *Please send information about events to: events@outdooruae.com
Stewart Howison who organises the Spinneys Cycle safe track nights talks about the upside of riding around the Autodrome, ‘The benefits of riding on the track are numerous. No traffic being the main concern for us all and also the undulations in the track would provide some well sought after "hills". Track riding apart from being safe, can provide a platform for many events to take place freely be they organized by Cycle Safe Dubai Think, Time trials, Sprints, Safe Cycling in bunches... allow the imagination to run wild.’
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This month, we present some of the stunning winning photographs from the Emirates Diving Association’s Digital Online Underwater Photography Awards.
Fish
1st Place - Warren Baverstock
2nd Place - Simone Caprodossi
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3rd Place - Adam Skrzypczyk
Macro
2nd Place - Warren Baverstock
1st Place - Adam Skrzypczyk
3rd Place - John Hager
Wide Angle
3rd Place - Simone Caprodossi
2nd Place - Warren Baverstock
1st Place - Adam Skrzypczyk
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SKIMMEDMILK
an introduction to SKIMBOARDING
I know - the title may throw you off topic for such a magazine as this but don’t worry, I just couldn’t find a snazzier title for what I’m going to write about. Skim-town and the D-Boys? All we need now is a Sean Penn narration. One hot weekend in May I decided to join our Aussie friend Simon on a little skimboarding demo day at the ‘Black Palace Beach’ (the one across the road from Dubai College). Feeling quite excited (and looking for a sport to take up that isn’t football) I advanced towards the coast, wanting to try out this ‘Skim-boarding’. If you are unfamiliar with the skim-boarding concept, then here is a quick over-view. If you may remember, Sean Jahnig had written about a particular skim-boarding trip in Oman for our February issue – and in that article, there was a quick Wikipedia-snippet explaining what the sport is: “Skimboarding (or skimming) is a boardsport in which a skimboard (a smaller counterpart to a surfboard) is used to glide across the water's surface. Unlike surfing, skimboarding begins on the beach, it
starts with the dropping of the board onto the thin wash of previous waves. Skimboarders may use their momentum to 'skim' out to breaking waves, which they then catch back into shore in a manner similar to surfing. Another aspect of skimboarding is 'flatland', which involves performing tricks derived from skateboarding such as ollies and shove-its on the wash of waves without catching shore breaks. Skimboarding originated in Southern California when lifeguards wanted an easy way to get across the beaches of Laguna. From here skimboarding went as a way to travel down beaches to extreme riding into big shorebreak.” Relatively simple right? Well, we’ll have to see with some practical try-outs. Simon had introduced me to a few of the boards that were free to try out from Beach Hut. Having a skateboarding background, I hoped I would have an edge over the balance challenge of the sport. No - very different. The technique is very easy to pickup though, as you simply run as fast as you can along the beach over the paddle water and throw the skim-board down in front of you so it skims flat. Then you simply jump on and essentially, ‘skim’ over the water. Depending on how well you launch, you can travel for quite a distance while pulling tricks like ‘shoveits’ and ‘ollies’, or even juggle... whatever you can achieve. Once you get a bit better, like our friend Duard – a more experienced skimboarder, you can take the skimming further into the water. More advanced skimboards or the ‘waveriding’ boards are suited for the bigger waves that break onshore, making for some trickery more akin to surfing.
Duard giving some guidance
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So there you have it, an introduction to the relatively new board sport of skimboarding. I’ve just bought myself a board. Now you do the same. Dubai is a great place to do it! Photos: Sea Cat, Mai Jahnig (top image)
James
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a Simon 'shove-it'
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Rivers running
Karm a with positive
Nepal Kayak Trip Spring 2011 by Ian Ganderton
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What a fantastic couple of weeks. Obviously I was expecting to have a great trip - you don’t go for 2 weeks in Nepal expecting it to be rubbish now do you, but somehow it exceeded my wildest expectations. It has been over 10 years since the last time I was there. I did two post-monsoon seasons safety kayaking in 1999 and 2000. A combination of things caused this gap, including political instability and the Maoist insurgency, plus other trips and full time jobs getting in the way.
Now I’m working in the UAE and Nepal is just a 1200aed (200GBP), 5 hr budget flight away. A morning flight lands you there for lunch and an evening return flight gets you back in time for a reasonable night’s sleep. With less than 2 hours time difference there is no jet-lag to speak of either. The country is reasonably stable with a functioning democracy of sorts and the Maoists have been brought into the fold. All the excuses just evaporate. By putting my previous knowledge of Nepalese kayaking together with the help of some great
people I put together a bit of a plan (see map below). Four of us (Ian Yeti, Lee, Benn and I) boarded flights on the 1st of April to action the plan (there was also a random element we picked up in Kathmandu!). The aim was to pick off a few of the 2 and 3 day trips. We’d travel as light as possible living out of the kayaks for about 10 days at least. We’d use mostly local transport and sort accommodation when there wasn’t a river side sandy beach to sleep on. For a couple of weeks we’d become dirt bag boater river flotsam: unshowered, unshaven and found collecting in eddies with the various other detritus found there in Nepalese rivers (plastic bottles, lumps of polystrene and the odd dead goat). It proved to be a damn good plan and I’m really missing the simplicity of the existence we enjoyed for the past 2 weeks. We landed and spent enough time in Kathmandu to sort/pack boats and have a few beers with some other self supporting boaters. Early the next day we shared transport out to the Trisuli. Two days here eased us into paddling again and plenty of opportunity to mess around on a boat while we settled into the river’s pattern of life. A roof top bus ride on to Pokhara had me grinning from ear to ear. It was great to be back - the bus rides are cool as hell! We had a full day in Pokhara to sort ourselves out. On the Kali Gandaki, it was unlikely there’d be any tea houses so we had to sort basic food for self support. This lent itself nicely to a couple of evenings out and about, the highlight of which was a band called the ‘Oviraptors’ playing at the Busy Bee. These guys rocked! It was raw energy and enthusiasm combined with musical talent and the best rock outs I think I’ve ever seen. A brilliant head-banging
genius that made us rock out with our fists in the air. We eventually staggered back to the hotel...
The following day...
We’d organised early transport out to the river and there were sore heads loading the jeep. It took a while to get out to the river and a bit longer sorting the boats and kit before we set off downstream. It was my first time on the Kali Gandaki and it’s a great river. A stunning valley dotted with temples and shrines along with some great boating. It was a slightly more challenging grade (difficulty), on the Trisuli but with lots of space between the rapids, it was easier. It was three days of great paddling in a stunning location.
With the new dam, the Kali Gandaki has been a three day trip for a long time now. The flat water starts at Seti Beni. We were hoping to be able to get a jeep out from there but it seems that the road was not in good enough condition. Fortunately we were there early enough to catch the ferry to the dam (it leaves Seti Beni at 0900hrs). This saved us quite a bit of extremely dull flat water. When we told the other team that over a beer in Kathmandu Steve’s face was a picture! The realisation that there may have been a way round the grind of the boring dog water obviously hurt him to his core! At the dam we met up with the jeep that we’d organised to
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get through the accommodation in Pokhara. Once back in town we had a chance to recharge ourselves over night before heading out to the Marshyangdi. I actually had a quick dose of the Kathmandu Kwick Step that kept me up for a few hours. Lee and Ian thoroughly ‘recharged’ themselves in the Busy Bee and had near death experiences with hangovers from hell on the bus ride to Beshi Sahar. My 18 hours of sleep meant I was feeling pretty skippy but Benn was just starting his ‘dose’ so we left him to wallow in his self pity, with the trips random element, in Pokhara for a couple of days. The Marshyangdi has been on paddlers’ top river trips in the world for decades now. Unfortunately the old 4 day trip had been broken by a dammed section that had swamped the 3rd day. We decided to have the day below the dam first (Paundi to Tuture) and then head up to the top section (Bhule Bule to Beshi Sahar and then on towards the dam where there is a really easy exit). The first day below the dam was again a step up in difficulty. More water, more consistently hard rapids and shorter gaps between them. However, there was still plenty of time to keep things calm and relaxed. We were all rediscovering and getting into our paddling groove, dormant after a couple of years hanging out in the desert. We pulled over at a beach below a temple and suspension bridge to take a 5 minute break. Five turned into a lot more as we relaxed. I woke up and wondered over to chat with Ian Yeti who was talking to a couple of young guys who’d wandered down from the bridge. It turned out they both lived with their families in the small village on the other side of the river. Time slipped by as we
shared stories, jokes and learned about our different cultures. One of the guys invited us back to his family home for the evening meal. We pondered this offer, not wanting to impose on a family’s generosity. But after polite and firm persuasion we accepted. The evening that ensued was one that I’ll remember for a long time. I didn’t take any photos but the memories of the kind, generous hospitality shown to us for absolutely no reason, are the kind of memories that have left the Nepalese with such a reputation for beautiful, uncluttered, open generosity and humour that has kept drawing travellers to their land for what are now generations. The next day we hauled our boats up to the road and caught local transport all the way up to Bhule Bule. That last sentence sounded simple didn’t it?! What it’s actually not revealing is a really strenuous day that left us a bit late getting onto the river. This higher section was again a step up in grade with more gradient causing more powerful rapids with much less space between them. Due to the gradual increase in difficulty throughout the trip, everyone was ready to ‘read while running’. This created very few instances where we needed to leave the comfort of our boats to quickly scout rapids. It felt fun and efficient to be moving like this and we made it to the outskirts of Besi Sahar just before it got dark. Hiding the boats on a rocky beach, we wandered through some small field and a steep path up into town for Dhal Bhat and a night in a hostel. The last day on the river started relatively early, and efficient river running ate up the clicks to the start of the dammed section and our easy exit. We had enough time to dry out the kit before catching the series of buses we needed to take to get back to Kathmandu. This left us with plenty of time to rendezvous with Benn and to wash up and have a beer. We had originally planned on a rest day in Kathmandu but it turned out that Daz’s team (who we’d shared transport out to Trisuli with initially) were heading out to the Bhote Kosi. Being smart enough not to miss out on sharing our kayaker stories of the trip so far as well as dead easy logistics, we skipped the rest day and went boating instead. The Bhote Kosi is just 3 hours outside of Kathmandu and is really the source of the mighty Sun Kosi. At this time of year it was technical and rocky. I’d been paddling a composite prototype Loki (brilliant boat) and each crunch that came with each rock I hit was like physical pain. It’s a testament to the craftsmen who build the prototypes (same guys who built the original Dudh Kosi boats I believe) just how well it stood up to the abuse I gave it. Over the next few days we worked our way higher and higher up the river, up into
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steeper and deeper canyons. Our progress culminated in the section below Last Resort and down to Borderlands. The canyon is deep and feels committing while rapids like ‘Gerbil in the Plumbing’ needed scouting and portaging. It was fantastic kayaking with sustained and continuous rapids in an aweinspiring setting.
In the end I just paddled myself out - my arms where shot. Out of 14 full days in the country, we spent 12 on the river. We scrounged a lift with a rafting group heading back to Kathmandu and had a day and a half to rest, shop for presents and do the temple thing. Boudanath, the Tibetan stupa that is the centre for the Tibetan refugee population in Kathmandu is a fantastic place and somewhere I always enjoy visiting.
Top tip: After exploring the stupa itself, the several Tibetan monasteries and interesting little shops, book-stores and café’s, make sure you stay around for the run up to sunset. It seems like the whole Tibetan community comes out and walks together on the clockwise path around the Stupa. Its ‘people-watching’ paradise but it also has always left me with a powerful sense of community, not found in many parts of the modern world anymore. I blame Beth for what happened on the last as she was the one who bought the first round of tequila’s. The memories are vague but there was very enthusiastic dancing at the Fire Club that involved more tequila, riding rickshaws, some kind of argument over family snap and the floor at Tusc’s place where I woke up on.
If you fancy experiencing Nepals rivers as either a kayaker or as a rafter then you should consider the Sun Kosi journey at the top of your list. Its one of the worlds absolute best river journeys. Prime time to run it is in October as the monsoon waters die back to more manageable flows. Join us , www. purelandexpeditions.com, on one of our trips organised and led by Daz Clarkson, the only person to have paddled all the rivers that flow off Everest and author of the forth coming new White Water Nepal Guide. You’ll find full details on the website.
Travel Info for Adventure Travellers: Dubai to Kathmandu house can feel like a trip to where boats go to die! I’d recommend 2 options: 1. Darren Clarkson runs www.purelandexpeditions.com. As a Pyranha sponsored paddler (only person to run all the rivers off Everest and Author of the forthcoming new White Water Nepal Guidebook) he has built up access to a reasonable supply of excellent quality, high end, modern (mainly Pyranha) boats. Daz also runs trips where kayakers are treated as at lease as equal to the rafters along with kayak self support trips where, under his guidance, you could find yourself able to run rivers you wouldn’t normally look at.
I always recommend everyone to carry 10 rehydration sachets (Dioralyte) with them. Its recommended that you should have one with water with every “loose stool”. This will aid your recovery massively. Yes they taste horrible but I assure the effects of dehydration are much worse. Consider buying a course of Ciprofloxicilin (broad spectrum antibiotic useful for travellers diarrhoeal) to take with you but seek qualified expert medical advice on its use before travelling. This is always a good point to roll out the Bristol Stool Scale:
2. Charlie has been running the Ganesh Kayak Shop in Pokhara for donkeys years. He has a wide selection of boats and will be able to sort you out.
Rafting Operators Flights Budget carriers Fly Dubai and Air Arabia both offer a regular cost effective services between Dubai (Air Arabia use Sharjah Airport) and Kathmandu. Fly Dubai used to be the kayakers and mountain bikers airline of choice due to their tolerance of oversize baggage meaning you could put your kayak, paddle or bike (in a bag) on as part of your normal luggage allowance. Unfortunately in December 2010 they changed their policies to match Air Arabia’s, making even a big trekking rucksack outside the sizes allowed. In April 2011 direct flights were available from both carriers for approx 1200AED including taxes. Etihad offer a direct service between Abu Dhabi and Kathmandu with costs around the 2000AED mark. Unfortunately they also have baggage policies that don’t allow for kayaks, paddles or bikes. Emirates don’t offer a Kathmandu service. For Lee to take his kayak and our paddles he flew with Qatar Airways, this meant changing in Doha and adding a lot of time to the journey. A direct flight is around 5 hours and changing in Doha increases this to between 7 and 13 hrs depending on connections. Costs are currently between 2500AED and 3000AED.
Kayak Rental Because of the logistical problems with flying with a boat, renting a kayak becomes more important. The hire fleets rafting companies have can vary in quality to say the least. A visit to a Kathmandu rafting company boat
Nowadays there are a huge number of rafting companies in Nepal. Some are excellent, some are not. I’d recommend one of Daz’s trips (www.purelandexpeditions.com) as they are organised and led by some of the most experienced people in the business. If he can’t help you he’ll be able to point you in the right direction. A quote from the old White Water Nepal Guide Book: “saving a few bucks can cost you a whole lot more”.
Medical You’ll need to make sure your normal travel jabs are up to date but on the whole Nepal doesn’t have some of the nastier bugs that lurk in other interesting places of the world. Throughout the majority of the country malaria is not an issue. Only down on the Teria is it a problem - the bit where Nepal meets the Indian plain. You need to take care of your personal hygiene through. If you haven’t travelled in this part of the world before you should expect to get a bit ‘loose’ at some point as your stomach copes with new bugs etc. To prevent a more serious encounter with the Kathmandu Kwick Step you should only choose food and drink that has either been freshly cooked hot, boiled or peeled. This rules out ice cream and salads (unless you KNOW its been treated in iodine). Dont brush your teeth out of the tap, use iodine in untreated water or buy bottled water, sprite or coke to drink.
Security Nepal is one of the safest of countries to travel in. Most security problems are caused by carelessness. Some simple common sense will ensure you have a trouble free trip. 1. Don’t take unnecessary valuables with you. Leave your jewellery, expensive watches and anything else you really care about at home 2. Carry any valuables discretely. If you wander round dangling a raft of expensive cameras round your neck, the latest iPod and a load of cash hanging out of your pocket sooner or later someone is going to try and take something. A lot of Nepalese live on around 2 dollars a day, a decent DSLR can represent more than a year’s income which is tempting for anyone. Carry your travel documents in a security belt under your clothing and don’t go anywhere near it in a public place. Keep a few hundred rupees handy in your pocket. Keep expensive cameras and other valuable electronics in unbranded bags when not in use. If you have the chance, use hotel, hostel and activity providers safes when either on the river or in the hills.
Ian.
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Adventure Chicks
with Tori
as night begins to fall. In the far distance you could see the soft glow of lights but the whole experience seemed a million miles away from the bright lights of the city nights. And it turns out that a desert hack is just one enticing reason to check out Desert Ranch. From coffee mornings to corporate bonding, paddock lessons to pony club, school outings to summer camp, horse livery to lease, team building to treasure hunts, camel cuddling to campfire nights; it has it all whether you’re a little kid, a big kid or somewhere in between. It would even be a truly amazing place to host a party.
Adventure Chick hits Desert Ranch for the Ride of her Life! in my quest for checking out the endless opportunities for adventure in the UAE, I headed to Desert Ranch for a sunset horse ride... and I can safely say that it was one of the top experiences in my three years to date in DXB.
It’s a vast expanse of silky sand dunes peppered with dramatic ruins and lush greenery. The place is only ten minutes or so beyond the Outlet Mall (how predictable that I always manage to reference places to a shopping destination!) but as soon as you head up the driveway, you get a true feeling of the expanse of the place.
The last time I went horse riding was last Christmas in Scotland … my nieces are besotted with the Shetland ponies at Gleneagles Hotel and it seemed too lovely to miss the chance for a play in the glistening Winter snow with the frosted-peaks beyond. Needless to say a different experience to a sunset hack in Dubai on the cusp of summer!
I had a little wonder around the joint and then met with two of the team, Leah and Mark. Both were enormously welcoming… I felt like we were old friends within minutes. I then met my horse, Hi-ho Silver… an Arabian who started out as an endurance horse then took to the stage before his current life involving hours of play in the desert. Next was a brief intro (from Mark not Silver!) regarding the differences between the traditional leather reins you would see elsewhere and those used at Desert Ranch… a.k.a head stalls, which are rope head collars with a 12ft line for the reins and which operate on a system of pressure and release. De rigueur for true cowgirls and cowboys!
But back to Desert Ranch. For anyone who’s been in Dubai a while, you may remember a show called Jumana: Secret of the Desert, entertainment of epic proportions, a spectacular of lights and sights, dazzling dancers and fabulous folklore. Well Desert Ranch is at the same place… Al Sahra Desert Resort and it was established as an ecotourism project; a chance for friends, family, residents and tourists alike to experience the desert environment safely and naturally.
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We spent the next hour kicking up the sand to a magnificent sunset, chatting, laughing, exploring and soaking up the incredible colours that we’re regularly spoilt with here
If you’re wondering about the Camel Cuddling, this, much to my surprise, is quite the afternoon past time! Camels are friendly, personable and oh so cuddly so a Camel Cuddling session enables you to get up close and personal, groom, feed and hug them and then sip on some nutrient-rich and exceedingly delicious camel milk to quench your thirst. Keeping the horses and camels company is a whole menagerie including goats, donkeys, ducks and tortoises never mind the gazelle, desert leveret and endangered Arabian foxes. There’s also a date plantation, Bedouin camp and the amphitheatre itself, reminiscent of ancient Greece but with an Arabian touch.
A further string to Desert Ranch’s bow is their teaching the Parelli method of natural horsemanship where the focus is on teaching the human rather than training the horse. The Parelli approach leaves you with so much more than improved communications with the horses alone but rather enhanced relationships with everyone in your life. You learn about yourself, about consequence and responsibility, about leadership and love. Think Robert Redford in the Horse Whisperer except at Desert Ranch, Redford is replaced with a team equally as passionate and charming and Mark I have to admit, is even more handsome than Redford was in his prime and could magically cure any case of equinophobia! As I left, there was a group of twenty-something girls enjoying a lovely little post-ride picnic, chilling out in the warm breeze and soaking up the beauty of the desert. How civilised I thought; definitely a top option for an evening with the girls. Desert Ranch is what you envisage the true Arabia to be; rugged, dramatic, raw, romantic and combined, utterly peaceful. It is classic Marlborough Country in the heart of the UAE. And needless to say, as James, Outdoor UAE’s fab photographer, snapped away, I did admittedly fancy myself as quite the Marlborough girl in my cowgirl hat and aviators. Giddy Up!
Love Tori x
PS. Please feel visit my blog fitchicksandfastwomen.com for more rambles on all things health, fitness and wellness-related PPS. My email address is tori@fitchicksandfastwomen.com for thoughts, ideas, and suggestions... or just to say hello! Desert Ranch:
Visit: www.desert-ranch.com E-mail: info@desert-ranch.com Call: 04 832 7171
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Our Last Camping Weekend... A short camping trip with John, family, friends and some ATVs
It
has been a sweltering 45ºc + in Al Ain over the past few weeks and there is no doubt that summer has arrived. Outdoor activity has died down quite a bit but not for the crazy and ambitious outdoor enthusiasts still out there.
I usually leave for work at 5a.m. and occasionally find the temperatures in the morning very pleasant. With this in mind, I suggested to my wife that we have one last camping weekend nothing too intense, just a short drive towards the back of Al Ain Airport where we could camp for a night. She was hesitant at first and questioned the afternoon temperatures, so I used all of my persuasive powers with the aid of the children begging her until she finally gave in. As camping and riding (ATV) go hand-in-hand, I called upon and invited some good friends who were also keen on a one-night camp with their families and quads. We left very late on Friday afternoon and managed to arrive at the campsite by 18h30, in an attempt to escape the sun’s final effort to make life unpleasant. The dials read 46ºc and a majority of the group was regretting their decision to come out here but by about 20h00 the temperature was acceptable and the kids were enjoying the freedom of being outdoors. There is just something about camping in the desert that one cannot explain to those who don’t appreciate the true value of life. The vast open spaces and overwhelming silence (when
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the kids momentarily stop laughing and playing) quickly make you forget that it is still 36ºc and ten o’clock at night. This lasted until we got into bed and tried to sleep. It was just too hot and I think the majority of us fell asleep after 2a.m. when a light breeze helped cool us. By 5a.m. my trusty mobile alarm did its job and woke myself and all of the keen riders, in order to get ready for a ride. Everybody in the group, including the kids, had quads and by 5h45, after coffee, the rumble and roar of our quads echoed all over the dunes. John-John, now eight, is starting to jump and I took him one side for some training. His mother opted not to look and rather practice her “surfing” on the smaller dunes. Sarita took her ‘new’ 660 Raptor out for the 1st time and she was smiles all over. Her content with the new toy was evident. Jake was burning to get on his quad was unanimously voted as baby sitter for the morning and was only allowed a very short ride to view the sunrise on the dunes. (Sorry Jake but someone had to do it…) Retha who is relatively new to quad riding was attempting some more daring crossing on her quad and enjoyed the ride. Louis also took his son Willem for some more training on how to approach and cross the dunes. By 7 o’clock we were back at the campsite and quickly packed up to avoid being lashed by the sun. It was a great get away and despite the limited sleep it was great to again be Outdoor in the UAE. Go for gold and ride safe.
Safety!
While I am on the topic of training the fledglings I would like to add a bit regarding safety and our mindset regarding Quads: The sport is as safe as YOU make it. Both my sons have been riding from a very young age (John- John started at 22 months and Jihan by the time he was three). It took me about 3 years to demonstrate to my wife how safe quad biking can be if done the right way. To the Bassons’, Safety gear is not negotiable and everybody dresses in full riding gear before they are allowed to ride. Full gear is not a helmet and running shoes! Full gear is everything: helmet, neck brace, chest protector, gloves and boots. I cannot tell you how many times I have asked friends to buy more protective gear, especially for their children, only to be told that they have gear but it is at home, or the kids complain it is uncomfortable!
The gear is only ½ of the picture. Responsibility (common sense), from your side, is as important. Take them one step at a time and ride/jog next to them till you know they are competent enough to ride alone. Restrict the throttle movement initially to prevent the quad going too fast and stay clear of other people and vehicles until you are happy with their ability. The fatality rate in the UAE on quads is very high. 146 died in 2008 (the year I got to the UAE). I was shocked when I heard those figures as they are totally out of proportion with the rest of the world. Only till I saw how people ride in the UAE. No protective gear, not even helmets are worn by the majority of the riders. This combined with unsupervised reckless riding is bound to generate such high fatality figures. Be wise - be safe!
Another good excuse is, “we are planning to buy some for next season”. The gear, relative to the quad, is very cheap and you don’t have to buy the best, anything is better than nothing. You will be the one having to live with yourself if something should happen and you know that it might have been prevented if they had protective gear. Some argue that because we ride on sand we don’t even need a helmet! Sure the sand might be soft but the quad rolling over you is still very heavy.
John Basson.
“The sport is as safe as YOU make it”
Refer to local suppliers on riding gear for the youngsters. This is what I purchased: Helmet: 250 AED EVS youth neck brace: 360 AED Fox Boots: 240 AED Riding Pants and Jersey: 150 AED Gloves: 20 AED Full body armor: 250 AED In the end, my son is fully protected at only 1250 AED. It is a small price to pay for his safety.
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Endau-Rompin
National Park
Welcome to the jungle in Malaysia’s oldest rainforest
H
ungry for adventure and with backpacks filled, we wait at the corner of a busy street in Kuala Rompin for our guide to pick us up. Our destination for the following 3 days is the Endau-Rompin national park, together with a booked package consisting of a range of activities within the national park. With the guidance of Orang Asli, a native of the Malaysian rainforests, we look forward to an unforgettable experience.
The Endau-Rompin national park (named by the two major rivers in the park: Endau and Rompin) is the second largest on the Malaysian Peninsular and hosts one of the oldest rainforests in the world. Rock formations within the park date back some 248 Million years. With the environment unchanged for such a long period of time, flora and fauna are of the richest within the whole world.
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Thanks to a scientific study of a public organization in 1984 that discovered several new species of flora and fauna, the national park could be created and the rainforests were saved from the logging industry. Within the park, mammals like the huge Malaysian tiger and the endangered Sumatran rhinoceros can be found. A little later we sat next to our English speaking Guide Sidi, in his 4wd heading towards the boundaries of the national park. Initially, the road led us through the seemingly endless palm oil plantations, which had eaten into the rainforest like an infection. It took some time until the road was embraced by intact rainforest and at that moment, our silence in the 4wd had broken. As we passed the gate and signed-in to the national park, our Guide cheered us up with his stories about tigers, Asian elephants and the giant snakes that he had seen. Even before we reached the base camp, he stopped the 4wd and pointed out a pair of white-masked eyes in the thicket of
by Matthias Nock
the jungle‌a spectacled leaf monkey was examining us with its curious eyes.
Jungle trekking to tropic waterfalls Half an hour after our arrival we headed off for some jungle trekking. Under the guidance of Sidi we followed a trek that winded into the dense rainforest and led us to cascading waterfalls. All around us echoed the screaming noises of the jungle, along with some strange odors. Only a few meters behind the camp we encountered some elephant traces and dung. Despite not seeing the elephants, it’s good to know that they are living in complete freedom. Beside us in the thicket, deer and wild boar were disturbed by our presence and started running off. The deeper we journeyed into the jungle, the tougher the trek became, along with the increasing dampness of our clothes. Several small creeks and logs had to be crossed and climbed over. Every few minutes, the Guide had stopped and checked
us and himself for leeches. Those little pests are all around, waiting for some tasty tourists to suck on. Two hours on, with slightly less blood then usual, we reached a steep rock formation where the cascading waterfall drops over 10 meters into a washed out pool. This turned out to be just the right occasion to go for a swim and wash away all the sweat with a natural shower.
Kayaking through rapids and dense rainforest The next day after a tasty breakfast that had been prepared by the staff of the little nearby café, we left the camp with basic kayaks and followed the river stream upwards. We silently glided in with our kayaks through the dense rainforest in all its beauty. We had to leave some of the rapids several times, as we were forced to drag or carry our kayaks through hip-deep waters. However, all this effort would pay off, on our way back to the camp as our guide assured. In absolute isolation, we paddled along ageold trees, screaming hordes of monkeys and native fishing spots – the perfect way to experience the jungle. With the aid of the current, the return to camp got a lot quicker and easier, where the rapids were to get bigger and faster. Our guide gave us some final and precise instructions: “If you can really handle your kayak – then go for it!” A few seconds
later, we found ourselves at the bottom of the rapids with big smiles on our faces, and loving nothing more than to carry our kayaks upstream again...
Nightwalk with flashlights For the evening, we had arranged a nightwalk through the jungle. Equipped with headlamps, we met our guide at the small path leading into the jungle. As support, our guide had brought another guide, named Orang Asli, who proudly showed us his big knife. We started to feel a little bit worried at this point, as we disappeared into the black of the rainforest. Cloaked by darkness and surrounded by the everlasting sounds of sleepless insects and birds, the forest seemed even more intense. Led by our guide, we crossed washed-out creeks and giant logs. In a ray of light, a jungle rat rushed into the thicket. Repeatedly, we sensed sharp odors and strange noises – but not a single large creature revealed itself in the night. Without hesitation, our two guides happily showed us luminescent mushrooms, fireflies and all kinds of spiders big and small that were easily spotted by the reflection of our flashlights in their eyes. Some time later after having got rid of all the leeches, we sank into slumber with the accompaniment of beautiful sounds from the Malaysian rainforest.
Tips
1. Leeches are unpleasant but quite common in the jungle. The best thing to do is to wear proper clothing: closed boots, long pants which should by stuffed into your socks. Once a leech has sucked, do what the natives do and just tear it off. Another option is to mix some salt and water into a bottle and spray it onto the pest. Or you can just wait - when the leech is full it will simply drop off. 2. The Endau-Rompin national park is seperated into two parts, administration and access considered. Trips can also be organized from the state of Johor. 3. If you are a bit more into the outdoors, don’t hesitate to book a combination of trekking and camping in the rainforest – the so called ‘Nature & Adventure’ package. Unfortunately this package isn’t available close to monsoon season.
Matthias.
Facts
Name: Endau Rompin National Park, Kuala Rompin, Pahang, Malaysia Duration: 1-3 days Difficulty: easy to medium Best time to travel: all year around (however, parts of the park may be closed during monsoon from November-March) Start: Kuala Rompin GPS: N02°47.999 E103°29.099 Accomodation: Types of accomodation vary depending on the package, but options include camping, tree top chalets, dorms and bungalows. Prices: Depending on the package: • Rainforest Leisure Day Trip – 199.00 AED/person • Back to Nature 2D/1N – 331.00 AED/person • Rainforest Experience 3D/2N – 464.00 AED/person • Nature & Adventure 3D/2N – 783.00 AED/person Information and booking: Mastura Kamarulzaman Marketing Executive Email: rompinku@yahoo.com Phone: +60137071997 xpdcendaurompin.blogspot.com
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Spinneys Criterium Race
1. Abdul Qader Rahmani, Algerian 01:29:29 2. Albert Primero, Filipino 01:29:31
15. Haydn Holmes South African
11. Speedsters
16. Gwen van Beeck
12. EPC Racing
17. Giulia Filocca Italian
13. UAE Arrow Racing Team
18. Elizabeth Hancock Australia
14. CAZOO Racing
19. Deena Mahmood
15. P918
20. Chris Tatham British
16. Klain Main
Super Sport Dubai Super Run Series
17. Just for Fun 18. FB
3. Ian OHara, British 01:29:34
19. Hyper Bolics
4. David Knight, Australian 01:29:45
Al Ghaffal Distance Race (60ft)
5. Timothy Jensen, Australian 01:29:46 6. Austin Relton, British 01:29:46 7. Victoria Norvall, South African 01:29:47 8. Matt Dewes, New Zealander 01:29:47
Female Overall 8Km
9. Aubrey Roberts, British 01:29:47
1. Emma Phillips, British
10. Duncan Anderson, British 01:29:47
2. Debbie Powell, British
11. Edward Crowley, British 01:29:47
3. Valerie Eveloy, France
12. Sander Heckert, Dutch 01:29:47
Male Overall 8Km
13. Morten Broens, Danish 01:29:47
1. Rawad El Habari, Lebanese
14. Sean Pearson, British 01:29:48
2. Jason Palmer-Myers, UK
15. Per Korsvold, Norwegian 01:29:48
3. Dieter Sticht, South Africa
16 Marc Boucher Canadian 01:29:48 17 Michael Sagermann Canadian 01:29:48
Super Sports Dubai Aquathlon Overall
18 Ian Miller British 01:29:49
Super Sprint Female
19 Martin Kooistra Dutch 01:29:49
1. Elizabeth Hancock, Australia
20 Jesper Skov Moeslund Danish 01:29:49
2. Carmen Fourie, South African 3. Alanna Rayfield, United Kingdom
Super Sports Dubai Zoggs Mina Mile Overall
Super Sprint Male 1. Harris M Carvel, United States of America 2. Martin Dimitrov, Bulgaria 3. Gregg Carvel, United States of America
Kartdrome Motorcity 12 Hours Endurance
2. Khadem Rashid Kh. Al Muhairi- skipper, Khadem Rashid Kh. Al Muhairi- owner 3. Khalid Tarish Atiq Al Qubaisi- skipper, The President of U.A.E. - owner 4. Ahmed Thani Murshid Al Rumaithi- skipper, Ahmed Thani Murshid Al Rumaithiowner 5. Khalaf Buti Musabeh Al Ghashish- skipper, Sh. Majed Bin Mohd. Bin Rashid Al Maktoum- owner 6. Al Hur Rashid Khadim Al Muhairi- skipper, Sh. Zayed Bin Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan- owner 7. Majid Ahmed Khadim Al Muhairi- skipper, Ahmed Khadim Rashid Al Muhairi- owner 8. Ahmed Saeed S. Al Rumaithi- skipper, Khalifa Ali Maizer Al Rumaithi- owner 9. Sultan Saeed Hareb- skipper, Sh. Majed Bin Mohd. Bin Rashid Al Maktoumowner 10. Obeid Saeed Al Tayer- skipper, Sh. Hamdan Bin Mohd. Bin Rashid Al Maktoumowner
1. Vicky McDowell Ireland 2. Susanna Allegra-Morcy Italy
11. Mohammed Hamad Al Ghashaish Al Marri- skipper, Hamad Musabeh Al Ghashaish Al Marri- owner
3. Samuel Hancock Australia 4. Rakkah Mahmood 5. Pinja Viljaharju Finland
1. Dubai Falcon Racing Team
6. Nichola Aiono New Zealand
2. Publicis Groupe Racing
7. Konstantin Bushmelev Russian
3. Ocean Rubber Racing Team
8. Kieran Ballard South Africa
4. Batelco
9. Kevin Warren British
5. MediaBoltz
10. Karin Mayer Austrian
6. CG Racing
11. Julian Ulanowski
7. Target Racing
12. Jordi van Engelen Belgium
8. OMD Racing
13. Jeremy Hughes United Kingdom
9. UAE Masters
14. Janice Capps Australian
10. MBC Action
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1. Mohammed Rashid Bin Shaheen – skipper, Khalifa Rashid Bin Shaheen - owner
12. Maktoum Atiq Majid Al Muhairi- skipper, H.H. Sh. Sultan Bin Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan- owner 13. Rashid Mohd. Rashid Al Rumaithi- skipper, Musabeh Rashid Al Fattan- owner 14. Khadem Khalil Matar Al Mansouri- skipper, Khalil Matar Al Mansouri- owner 15. Salim Ali S. Al Adeedi- skipper, Sh. Hamdan Bin Mohd. Bin Rashid Al Maktoumowner 16. Rashid Saeed Rashed Al Tayer - skipper, Sh. Rashid Bin Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Al Nasr- owner
Y
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
forty in paradise
F
rom my cabin I was woken by a scuffle outside. It was still early and only half-light outside but already there was some action. A few of the ‘early birds’, were up on deck and getting tackle ready for the day’s fishing. I did not want to miss out so I joined the early morning scuffle. This became the routine for the next 7days. Late nights and early mornings! No one said it was going to be easy.
It was not long before all of the ‘party guests’ where on deck - rod in hand with impending fun to ensue. The iPod radio was already providing the perfect island tunes and clear skies and windless days lay ahead. Not wanting to be left out, the fish soon started playing their part. The incredible clear water in the Maldives make it a wonderful place to dive and snorkel but this sometimes plays against fishermen; as the fish very quickly see the difference between the real deal and the lures we were using. We often had fish racing up to ‘stick bait’ or a ‘popper’ to only at the last second, turn away. The excitement of fishing with surface lures is always the take! There is nothing like watching a big fish racing up to a stick bait and hammering it hard, with water splashing all over the place. The clear water made it easy to spot fish from a long way off, so it was great fun to hear shouts of encouragement and support from all over when a fish started tracking down a
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Part 2
lure. If the angler was able to “convince” Mr. Fish to eat, the whole deck erupted in shouts and high fives. After the fight photos were taken and the fish were revived and then the story was retold. This is what makes this a great pass time. The say a fish has a brain the size of a pea and its memories only last 3 seconds, yet you spend years remembering that one that got away. During the remainder of our trip there where many such moments, it was great to be in paradise and enjoy a birthday bash with some mates and on top of it all catching some really nice fish. We needed some lunch and it was not long before a few Bohar Snappers, found their way to the kitchen, for our Sri Lankan chef to work his magic. The food on this trip was truly amazing and once you’ve seen the tiny little kitchen he worked from, you actually could not believe the quality of food that came from it. With the amount of casting and fishing you do on a trip like this you need the sustenance to keep you going! We cruised from one little island to the next fishing likely spots, sometimes we were in the company of schools of dolphins and big manta rays. We often anchored down for lunch and then took the time to swim and snorkel, in my opinion this is the way to see this piece of paradise. There are many Five Star resorts in the Maldives, but that means that you stay on one island for the length of your stay. When you do a live-aboard trip you get to see a lot more of the area and you’re able to explore to your hearts content. Back to the fishing… The clear water called for a change in tactics, the poppers
was not as successful as in places like the Musandam in Oman or the Andaman Islands and the fish were wising up. The large stick-baits were also less successful so it was time for plan C. Nick in Dubai was first onto the winning formula. Sizing down his tackle and using a Smith KGS 7,2 Ft rod and a Stella SW 8000 he started casting small Orion stick baits between 40&70g and soon started pulling some really good fish. Bluefin Trevally’s, Giant Trevally’s, Bohar Snappers and groupers all ate these lures. Some of the other guys changed to smaller lures as well and lots of fish where taken. The fishing was really good and lots of fun was to be had on the lighter rods. FC casted a needle nose plug and made a few fast retrieves and got rewarded with a nice Bohar Snapper, too big for the dinner table. The change to smaller lures was just what the doctor
Whenever we had a change to fish over some of the shallower reef areas we fished light Shimano Aero-cast rods with small 3-7 inch soft plastic lures. This was a lot of fun and once I manage to land six fish (four different species) in six casts using a 5-inch Riptide “Opening Night” Jerk Shad. Throughout the next week we landed many good fish, the longer the trip went on the more the muscles ached in the mornings when you woke up. I don’t want to even guess how may thousands of cast was made during our time there, but it was worth the effort. I am sure that most of the guys had at least one memory from this trip that will stay with them for a long time. This is another reason why this is such a great way of doing a fishing trip.
ordered and more and more fish made a brief visit on deck. It was also interesting to note how certain lures delivered fish early in the mornings but was unsuccessful in the afternoon and vice versa. I was staring at my fishing bag looking at the large collection of “Big” poppers and “Big” stick baits, and wanting to kick myself for leaving the lighter and smaller stuff at home. But so you learn, what worked a year ago did not work now. Luckily I had some soft plastic baits as a backup.
There was the night we got kicked out of a Marina somewhere in the Northern Maldives for playing board games to loud; there was also the night that Cambo and Aqua-boy challenged each other to eating Habanera Chilies; (the following morning just as funny, watching them suffer) They joined forces later again for a another memorable occasion; when a nice big snapper went into the reef (one of Cambo’s rather expensive lures). Aqua-boy was asked to retrieve it as a joke. He immediately put on a mask and snorkel, jump overboard and disappeared under the surface. He came up a minute or so later with the lure and the fish. This fish was not going to be filed under ‘the one that got away’ file. One fish caught twice! There were many more memorable moments some not for the printing press but things that made this a truly fantastic fishing trip, holiday and birthday bash.
Forty in Paradise, will I do it again? For sure just next time with a lot smaller lures!
About the Maldives: The islands of the Maldives lie in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, 435 miles South of Sri Lanka. The entire country is made up of 1 192 islands. The temperatures range between 24 and 33 degrees year round, with a dry and wet season (June to August). The best times to visit will be from December to May.
Getting there: There are various options to get to the Maldives from the UAE we used Emirates Airlines and Air Sri Lankan. Emirates fly daily direct to Male or via Colombo in Sri Lanka. Air Sri Lanka fly daily but only via Colombo. There are also other Airlines that serve the Maldives from other GCC states, check with your travel agent.
Want to do a trip like this? This entire trip was planned and arrange by Nick Bowles from Ocean Active in the Dubai Garden Center (www. oceanactive.com). It really pays to let the professionals arrange these trips, as there are many things to consider. Nick and his team do wonderful work and I’ve done enough trips with them to trust them with this. Pop in to their shop or e-mail nick@ oceanactive.com
AJ.
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the season-ending Hawaii championships this October.
Abu dhabi’s Rachel Joyce snatches debut ironman title
Abu Dhabi Triathlon Team’s Rachel Joyce, one of the UK’s leading female elites, smashed her way to a maiden Ironman victory in Lanzarote with a compelling wireto-wire victory, finishing in a time of 9h28m12s – only three and a half minutes off the course record and nearly 15 minutes ahead of the chasing women’s pack.
“The race was pretty relaxed and there was no pressure on me, which allowed me to race as I wanted. I knew it was a tough field and that Natascha would be pushing hard but I just went out and raced against myself and it worked. I had a perfect day. I never had to slow down and I had no problems, you can’t ask for more,” added Joyce, who finished fifth in the 2010 Hawaii World Championship. Abu Dhabi Triathlon Team, created by ADTA to further the emirate’s performance athletics’ credentials globally, will compete in more than 30 top international events this season, including the Ironman and 70.3 series, and the World Championships. www.abudhabitriathlonteam.com
Ahmed Al Amiri Crowned King of Drift
The result, which also saw her break the course run record, is more impressive given the 32-year-old Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA)backed star spent a large part of the 2010 season out with injury and was a late entry into the Canary Islands event. “It felt great to get my first Ironman win. I was actually in Lanzarote to train and I just felt really good before the weekend so decided to enter. It was a spur of the moment choice and one I am glad I made. I still cannot believe I got the new run course record - I have my coach Matt Dixon to thank for that - I ran nearly half an hour quicker than I did here two years ago,” said Joyce, who finished runner-up in Ironman South Africa last week. With a daunting two-lap 3.8kms swim, a testing 180kms cycle and an energy-sapping 42kms run on the promenade in Puerto del Carmen facing the 1,500 athletes, it was Joyce who stamped her mark early on. A powerful opening swim saw the Briton reach the bike transition in first place, which proved to be a critical lead going into the cycle. With a terrain climbing 2,551 metres and a hot, cross-wind to contend with, Joyce’s determined bike saw her maintain a solid lead over second placed Natascha Badmann, a six-time Ironman champion, who closed the gap to four minutes. Yet, Joyce - who spent her winter training in Abu Dhabi’s cooler climes with her fellow team-mates, including captain and 2005 Ironman World Champions, Faris Al Sultan – blew the chasing pack away with a lung-bursting marathon run to claim the spoils, and automatic entry into
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Bull Car Park Drift Finale in Beirut next July.” The champion also insisted on saluting his fellow drivers Stu Leichman who came second and Mohammed Habib who clinched the third place.” The jury assessed the candidates according to four factors; the first and main factor was the art of drift with 70% of the overall grade; the remaining percentage was distributed evenly as such: 10% for engine roaring and tire smoke, 10% for crowd reaction, and 10% for car appearance. The track “was designed in such a way to push the contestants to give their best”, explained Feghali. Red Bull rally driver offered spectators a breathtaking show aboard his special drifting car. We are glad to have offered Abu Dhabi’s citizens such an exciting event; special recognition goes to the Abu Dhabi Police who supported the event in line with the awareness campaign “Formula Thrills… Speeding Kills. I also thank Chevrolet for their great partnership which made the event even more thrilling.” Alberto Chahoud Ahmed Al Amiri will soon start preparing for the Championship’s Finale bound to take place on July 22nd in the Lebanese Capital Beirut, whereby he expects a tough competition from some 13 other contestants who will represent various Middle Eastern countries.
The key to their victory was the early relentless pace set by Sheikh Hasher right from the start, followed by similarly error free stints and extremely fast stints by Lanz, Al Mutawaa and Al Mehairi. All this coupled to an error free strategy orchestrated by Wilkes who said afterwards, “That was one of our strongest showings. Everything fell into place and we made no mistakes. I have managed winning teams in the past, but this one is extremely strong and could be among the best. It is good to be on the top step of the podium again.” Probably the biggest surprise to all – except themselves perhaps – was the impressive showing of Publicis Groupe Racing comprising: Ronald Zouein, Rayan Karaky, Sunny Deo, Anjum Shaikh, Rafael Augusto, Nihal Salim, Sebastian Puhze and Samer Lahoud. The squad, made up of Publicis Groupe workers, not only won the hotly contested Corporate category, but also finished second overall – which is the highest placing for a corporate team in the history of the Endurance Challenge at Dubai Kartdrome. The team summed up their emotions on Facebook: “Only one
www.redbullmea.com
Dubai, 21st May 2011 Amidst a massive crowd who flocked in as of 5pm, Emirati Ahmed Al Amiri won the UAE Qualifier of the Red Bull Car Park Drift 2011, clinching the local title of King of Drift. The event was organized on a custom-made track at the Abu Dhabi Corniche. It witnessed a rat race between the top 5 contestants who made it to the final stage out of 25 candidates who started the competition. Drivers showcased their skills and to offer spectators outstanding performances and impress the judges.
Following his win, Al Amiri expressed his happiness and hoped “to offer an even better performance and get to the podium at the Red
thing to say… Don’t stop believing! From P12 to P1 Corporate and P2 Professional Ranking. This is what a team is all about!”
Kartdrome Motorcity 12 Hours Endurance Challenge Dubai Falcon Racing Team led by Sheikh Hasher Al Maktoum, including with ace kart drivers Mohammed Al Mutawaa, Saeed Al Mehairi, Fabienne Lanz, and managed by Mike Wilkes took top honours at the end of the grueling Motorcity 12 Hours at Dubai Kartdrome today (Saturday, 28 May). It was the second round of four rounds counting towards the 2011 Motorcity Endurance Championship. Having played second fiddle for over a year to the previously dominant Batelco team, the Dubai Falcons scored a well deserved victory, notching up 569 laps and winning by a margin of five laps.
Third place overall went to Ocean Rubber Racing who chased hard all night long and finishing on the same lap as Publicis Groupe. It was disappointment for reigning champions Batelco who have dominated endurance races at the Kartdrome for almost two years. They were compromised by a series of early penalties and issues with their kart. They struggled to recover thereafter, but nevertheless finished fourth overall. Other awards went to the P918 team who scooped the Fair Play Award for their spirit and sportsmanship, while the UAE Masters were the best placed new team. Round three of the 2011 Motorcity Endurance Championship takes place on 7/8 October with another 12 hours race at the Kartdrome. www.dubaiautodrome.com
New Go Sport store opened in Dubai Mall
Go Sport The Dubai Mall has selective sports offering to meet the requirements of the discerning Dubai Mall shopper. Sought after brands such as Adidas, Nike, Puma and Reebok it provides a range for training apparel for team sports such as football, rugby and basket ball as well as the latest training apparel for both men and women for fitness training, running and yoga/dance. For the adventure seekers there is a streamlined selection board riding gear from wakeboards, kneeboards and water skis to competition vests as well as range of tents and sleeping bags, hydration packs and Lowe Alpine outdoor apparel. For all those interesting little accessories required for outdoors, like wind resistant matches, little medicine kits, Go Sport has it all. If underwater adventure is more appealing to you a good selection of basic diving equipment is available - wetsuits, mask snorkels, dive bags and interesting accessories.
For those who would rather take to the road on two wheels instead of on two feet, a good selection of Giant and Go Sport bikes await you. From racing bikes to touring bikes, adults to children’s bikes - there is good range to choose from. Not only are there bikes there are skateboards, rollerblades and rollerskates plus the protection gear for added safety. A footwear wall 9 metres long showcases running shoes and training shoes from the abovementioned brands as well as from Asics and Brookes - no forgetting the amazing Easytone footwear from Reebok, outdoor shoes from the abovementioned brands as well as Salomon, basketball shoes from AND1 and not forgot a separate football boot area for adidas, Nike and Puma. There is also a select range of sandals from the toning guru’s fitflops, and the casual Croc, Sanuks and havaianas An informative running bar houses all the latest technology for those serious about monitoring their training levels. This area displays an amazing array of technology from Polar as well Nike+ and adidas’ mi-coach. To keep cool and fit there is swimwear and accessories from Speedo and Zogg’s and Coega, plus a selection of Arabic swimwear from My Cozzie and Veilkini. To complement the sportswear here is also a great lifestyle range for
O’Neill and RipCurl as well as from Adidas, Nike Puma and Reebok. The new store not only does the offer look amazing the area dedicated area to customer services is a welcome sight - home delivery of cumbersome items, shirt printing, bike maintenance, racquet stringing, should your Polar accessories require servicing you can leave them at Go Sport The Dubai Mall for collection. There is also information available on dive courses and excursions.
New BMW K 1600 GT and GTL Motorcycles Abu Dhabi – The new BMW K 1600 GT and GTL, the lightest and most compact 6-cylinder in-line engines in serial motorcycle production, have arrived at Abu Dhabi Motors. They have been eagerly-anticipated since their debut at the Intermot Show in Cologne end of 2010. The two touring motorcycles feature impressive and equally distinctive appearances, creating a desire to ride at first sight. The extraordinarily powerful GT and GTL boast engines that deliver an impressive 118 kW (160 bhp) at approx. 7500 rpm and a maximum torque of approx 175 Nm at approx. 5000 rpm. This power unit will not only thrill touring enthusiasts but the transversely installed 6-cylinder engine offers outstanding running smoothness, ride comfort and supremacy. “For decades, 6-cylinder in-line engines have attracted a spe-
cial fascination amongst motorcycle fans. In addition to their perfect running smoothness they also offer exceptional output and torque, giving the rider powerful forward thrust.“ Arno Husselmann The new K1600 GT and GTL models also excel through features and qualities such as a long running life, superior quality of production and optimum environmental compatibility. In addition to the three mode engine including “Rain”, “Road” and “Dynamic” options, innovative Electronic Suspension Adjustment II (ESA II) and Integrated operating concept with Multi-Controller, TFT colour screen and menu guidance; the new models introduce the world’s first adaptive xenon headlight for motorcycles allowing for significantly improved illumination of the road when cornering, resulting in greatly increased active riding safety. With the most compact in-line 6-cylinder engine in serial motorcycle production to date, the K 1600 GT and the K 1600 GTL penetrate a whole new dimension in terms of riding properties, longdistance suitability and comfort. They combine maximum agility and riding dynamics with a luxurious overall package.
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Al Gaffal 60ft Long Distance Traditional Dhow Race The 2011 Al Gaffal traditional 60ft long distance dhow race was won by Dalma Marine’s ace skipper Mohammed Rashid Bin Shaheen won, proving that he had the right tactics to master the historical race. Second across the finish line was Dhaees skippered by Khadem Rashid Al Muhairi and taking third place was Abu Al Abiyadh with Khalid Tarish Atiq Al Qubaisi and his crew. The race wasn’t without problems though as the start time of 07:30 turned out to be unrealistic. The hot bright morning greeted the organizers from Dubai International Marine Club, (DIMC) with a flat sea and only 2 knots of wind, but the past experience of Race Director Saeed Hareb, which includes
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all twenty-one previous Al Gaffal races, paid off as he took charge and ordered the fleet to tow the boats towards the central race point of Moon Island. ‘It was an incredible race, even though we had a delay of four hours we managed to keep everyone’s spirits up and their focus on the race, it was actually one of the best races we’ve had.’ Saeed Hareb Winner Mohammed Rashid Bin Shaheen and his crew on Dalma Marine have now managed to notch up four firsts and one third place in the long distance race. ‘It was a tough race for us,’ said the skipper. ‘We decided to go to the right side of the course looking for the best wind and for a while we were alone, but I was determined in my
decision and it turned out to be right. It was a good move by the organizers to tow the boats forward while waiting for the wind; it would have been exhausting to sit around in the heat. As the race progressed the wind picked up to 15 knots and we had to work really hard to control the boat, but it’s great to win.’ The race has attracted attention from around the world and this year a delegation from the Semana Nautica Clasica Del Mar Menor race, which will be held from 1st – 7th August in Spain. The season at Dubai International Marine Club has ended for the summer and will open again for events in September. DIMC
Digital Online Underwater Photography Awards 2011 Digital Online is a yearly internet entry based underwater photography competition run by Emirates Diving Association. Professional and amateur UAE underwater photographers upload 3 unpublished photographs of their choice following the competition specs and regulations for the three categories of Fish, Macro and Wide Angle. This year’s deadline for submissions was the 30th of April at midnight. EDA is celebrating its third Digital Online this year with 21 registered candidates. They are proud to introduce and acknowledge the professional and upcoming underwater photographers living in the UAE that all share a passion for this style of photography. You will have seen and will see many of their names appear in the EDA Magazine, ‘Divers For The Environment’, illustrating past and upcoming front covers and features. This year’s Digital Online Award Ceremony took place at The Jam Jar on the 26th of May to unveil this unique exhibit of beautiful images. Guests will be able to meet this year’s candidates and converse about underwater photography with other like minded folk, catch up with old friends and indulge in sumptuous canapés from The Lime Tree Café and Kitchen and quench their thirst with some cool refreshments.
This year’s Dubai based Photo Coordinator was Marcelo Mariozi and the competition Jury were, EDA’s Project Manager Reema Abbas, from Brazil Luis Fernando Cassino, Kadu Pinheiro and Daniel Botelho, and from Portugal Vasco Pinhol. All of whom are reputed professional and award winning underwater and/or other speciality photographers. The prize sponsors for first and second place overall are sponsored by Biosphere Expeditions, 3rd Place Overall is sponsored by Emirates Palace Abu Dhabi and Al Mahara Diving Center, 1st place for Fish, Macro and Wide Angle is sponsored by Discover Orient Holidays, 2nd Place for Fish, Macro and Wide Angle is sponsored by Scuba Dubai and 3rd Place for Fish, Macro and Wide Angle is sponsored by Atlantis Dive Centre.
• Wide Angle (W): Photographs taken with a wide-angle lens (or adapters that provide an equal field-of-view), with or without human presence, portraying the natural beauty of the underwater environment and/or the human interaction underwater. To see the winning photographs, flick through to the ‘Your Best Shots’ section. EDA www.emiratesdiving.com
Digital Online is open to all UAE Nationals and all people living in the UAE under a valid Residence Visa and of any diving qualification. Categories • Fish (F): Photographs of whole fish and/or fish parts as the main visual element (NOT mammals, crustaceans, molluscs etc…) taken with any lens, portraying its natural behavior and environment. • Macro (M): Photographs taken with close up-equipment view, portraying underwater flora and/or fauna. The main element NOT being fish.
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Some of the best outdoor products available in the UAE [hat]
Rogue Fullgrain Breezy Hat Price: 220-325AED Available at: Picnico General Trading, Jumeirah Beach Road, Jumeirah, 04- 394 1653. Gulf Marine Sports, Tourist Club Area, 10Th Street, Opposite Fayrouz Supermarket, Abu Dhabi, 02- 671 0017. Al Hamra Golf Club And Resort, Al Hamra Village, Ras Al Khaimah, 07- 244 7474, Dunerange, www.dunerange.com, 056 6043014 2.0mm fullgrain leather with cotton mesh crown, Broad brim and flyband
[skim]
Victoria Skimboards Retro Fish Price: Ultra: 995AED, Fish: 1995AED Available at: Leisure Marine BEACH HUT, The Walk JBR, Ph 044243191 Founder of Victoria Skimboards, Tex Haines brought the Fish shape back into the limelight in 2008, and now it’s set to hit Dubai’s shore breaks. This retro shape provides a speedy yet stable board with great float. Also available at Leisure Marine BEACH HUT are the Victoria Ultra, Foamie, Woody, and Slider boards.
[dive]
Underwater Kinetics SUNLIGHT C4eLED Torch Price: 580AED Available at: Go Sport: Ibn Battuta Mall, Mall of the Emirates, Mirdif City Centre, Sports Direct: Khalidiya Mall The C4 eLED® waterproof light is our lightest weight primary light. It is designed to fit smaller hands while still offering brightness comparable to lights twice its size. Its water-cooled heat sink actually increases brightness underwater and improves burn time. For maximum illumination and a comfortable fit, the C4 is the perfect solution.
[sun]
Mad Canopy Price: 18,000AED Available at: MAD Canopies, orders@madcanopies.com , +971556881793 Developed for use on the alpine slopes of Europe, the X-Gloo range of tents are inflatable, weatherproof and handy, and can be setup by one person in 10 minutes. The X-Gloo tents are fully printable, come in 3 sizes (4x4m, 5x5m and 6x6m) which can all be used indoors or outdoors, and can all be interlinked. Perfect for outdoor events on the beach or desert, or indoors when it’s too hot outside!
[watch]
Silva - ex-ped Pulse watch Price: 445AED Available at: Go Sport in Ibn Batutta Mall, Mall of the Emirates and Mirdif City Centre, Intersport Times Square Center and Dubai Festival City, Adventure Head Quarter in Times Square Center Is a wrist pedometer that will appeal to people who don’t want to carry an external pedometer for everyday exercise or when training. The ex-ped Pulse replaces your ordinary watch but is also effective tracks how active you are, whether you go for gentle strolls or fast runs. A simple display shows the number of steps, distance and speed, providing direct feedback while exercising. The ex-ped Pulse has a pulse monitor in addition to its other functions. Simply place a finger on a sensor to measure heart rate. www.silva.se
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[moto-x]
2011 KTM 450 SX-F Price: 36,000AED Available at: KTM When it comes to pure power, there is still nothing to replace displacement. The only problem is applying the power to the ground. The 450 SX-F’s high-quality chassis allows advanced riders to convert the brutal power of the innovative DOHC fourstroke engine into controllable traction, even on the toughest MX tracks. With an even more robust clutch, the 450 SX-F is still a real ace in the MX1 class.
[moto-x]
KTM PowerParts Tool Kit Price: For every purchase of an SX model, get a FREE SX POWERPARTS tool kit worth 2,000 AED! (promo valid only from June 1st till September 30th) Available at: KTM Tool Kit includes: Mud Removal Tool, Exhaust Plug, Fork Support, Clean Grip Set, Wire Pliers, Safety Wire, Screwdriver Set, Tire Iron Small,Tire Iron Long, Tool-Box 38 Pcs, Chain Breaker, Bolt Kit, Ktm Tiedown w/hooks, Spring Hook Orange
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[dive]
DRY PAK Waterproof MP3 Case w Earbuds Price: 230AED Available at: Go Sport: Ibn Battuta Mall, Mall of the Emirates, Mirdif City Centre, Sports Direct: Khalidiya Mall Listen to your MP3 player anywhere and stop worrying about it getting wet! Keep your MP3 player dry and clean with this watertight, floating case—and enjoy your music in watery surroundings with the waterproof earbuds! Made of optically clear TPU plastic, case stands up to heat and cold. Case is hermetically sealed to keep out water, sand and dirt. MP3 player is functional inside case—you can operate it through the clear TPU with no need to open case.
[moto-x]
Kawasaki Phase Performance Glove Price: 125AED Available at: Liberty-Kawasaki Showroom This glove features the TRP hook-and-loop wrist closure system for a secure fit and a genuine Clarino palm with light padding for durability and comfort.The dimple-mesh chassis comes with an airprene thumb for flexibility while the silicone fingertips provide added grip and increased lever control. Pre-curved patter for an improved fit.Perforated finger panels for cooling.
[hike]
Black Diamond Ion Headlamp Price: 85AED Available at: Go Sport Dubai Mall, Adventure HQ Time Square A great ultralight backup light. Small enough to stash just about anywhere, plus the reflector-housed, 1/2 watt LED casts a far-reaching beam for finding your way. Features: 1 SInglePower LED emits 12 lumens, 2 LED settings powered by a single 6-volt battery, Momentary switch powers lamp on and off and prevents accidental battery drain, Protected against splashing or sprayed water from any angle (IPX 4)
[cap]
Kawasaki Cap Price: 100AED Available at: Liberty-Kawasaki Showroom With funky Kawasaki logo. This edgy Kawasaki Cap features 100% brushed cotton. The baseball cap with Funky Kawasaki Logo is both great on and off the circuit.
[moto-x]
R&G Racing Knee Sliders Price: 200AED Available at: Liberty-Kawasaki Showroom The new and improved aero styling aids the knee sliders which have been race developed by RG Racing. They have long-lasting, even wear properties, with a high density resin. In addition to this it is ergonomically designed for comfort.
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Robert Begley talks to Outdoor UAE about trying out the new Kawasaki KX450F 2011 Model
[moto-x]
2011 Kawasaki KX450F Price: 35,000AED Available at: LibertyKawasaki Showroom Liquid cooled, 4-stroke single, DOHC 4-valve, Digital Fuel Injection, 449cm3, 5-speed, 113.4kg
The KX450F 2011 Model is spot on in becoming a bike that caters to a range of riding styles and I can't wait to see what's in store for 2012... When you buy a Kawasaki bike, especially the KX450F you have to bear in mind that customising the bike is as big a deal as getting the bike itself. We all have to set the bike up to suit the type of riding we do, from motocross, desert riding, dune tours, endurance and like an trusty old pair of running shoes you tune and wear the bike in to make it fit. When I was asked to test the 2011 model of the Kawasaki KX450F by Outdoor UAE I was given a demo bike that had been adjusted for some one else- I'm a bit taller, and riding without having it how I like it felt a little bit alien to me, but nonetheless a great experience to see what the 2011 model had to offer.
‘Reliability is a big factor in getting the bike of your choice’ Having gone from riding Honda's to then getting on a 2009 model KX450F I'm a full Kawasaki convert and since buying the bike I've had over 226 hours on it with no mechanical problems. (Well I've had to replace a clutch here and there but overall it's been a great run so far). When I started out Kawasaki's bikes
were always known to be fairly heavy with an extremely powerful engine, however getting on the 2011 model the bike feels a lot lighter even nimble. At first I felt that my 2009 model was taking me for a ride not the other way around, but with the newer model, I can definitely feel that its power has become more linear and focused, this in turn has calmed the bike down making it more manageable, especially whilst turning. I also noticed that the gear ratios felt closer together, this could be due to a combination of things- the motocross gearing and even the linear power band. These types of bikes are initially made for motocross circuits but we are using them for other activities like climbing and jumping huge dunes, desert riding, and endurance so if you’re into it as well you need a bike that you can not only ride the desert but is consistent, doesn't break down and something which also doesn't rip off your arm off like the earlier models used to do. The KX450F 2011 Model I feel hits the middle of the line and I can't wait to see what's in store for 2012, hopefully everything I mentioned and more. Watch this space!
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Summer is not only the time
I stock up on lures, it's also the time when I can tie flies for the winter.
Fly fishing is almost alien here in the UAE. It's not widely practiced but in my experience, it is one of the most productive forms of fishing. For those that love light tackle, fly fishing is the pinnacle of light line fishing. You feel every tail beat of the fish and a strike from a fish telegraphed through the rod is almost like a lightning bolt up your spine. In fly fishing, there are different types of people. There are those that tie their own flies, those that tie when the need arises and there are those that don't bother with the tying and just buy them. I tie my own. Fly tying like everything else in fishing is as simple or as complicated as you want it to be. The best flies are often the ones that are easily tied to imitate anything that fish would find edible, flies can also be tied to mimic just about anything out there, even those creatures that look nothing like us. In freshwater fly fishing, insects and small fish are imitated; in saltwater fly fishing, we imitate crustaceans like prawns, crabs and fish. Others don't look like anything but fish still gobble them up.
To us humans, it may not look like anything, but fish see things differently. Take this fly for example. I would be tempted to test this out more in freshwater than in saltwater - Leng Chua tied it and decided to take it out for a test and was rewarded with a lot of fish! The fish really didn't mind and that day was one of the highest scoring flies. “Fly fishing forces you to think outside the box. If you aren't open minded enough, fly fishing could be a very frustrating affair.� As mentioned above, flies come in many shapes, colors and sizes. Patterns and instructions can be found all over the internet, and down the line, I will share steps on how I tie a specific fly, but for now, check out the pictures in this article. Fly Fishing isn't for everyone. The gear is very specialized and the learning curve is pretty long. If you get over the hurdles, it is one of the most rewarding forms of fishing you will ever get to experience. Till the next tide,
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Kit.
Al Forsan International Sports Resort Opening
Tel: +(971) 02 556 8555 www.alforsan.com
Excite your senses. Hone your skills. Push your limits. That’s the slogan of the newly opened Al Forsan International Sports Resort. Step into a world of athletic achievement at Abu Dhabi’s ultimate sports and leisure destination. The first resort of its kind in the Middle East, Al Forsan (The Knight) offers exciting sporting activities and entertainment for all ages and skill levels. With world-class facilities catering to a wide array of sports and Olympic-standard activities, Al Forsan allows you to experience everything from shooting, equestrian, and motorsports to paintball, wakeboarding, and waterskiing – all under one roof. In case you need a break from all the action, you can choose from a variety of great international restaurants where you can refresh and re-energise. Have a thrilling day full of sports and activities, or become a real pro by taking advantage of the wide range of benefits available only to club members (Family 35,000AED, Couples 20,000AED, Individuals 14,000AED per year). Guests enjoy their pick of activities, while members receive special rates (35-50% money-back credit) and exclusive access to member areas. The entrance fee is 55AED, part of which is credit that can be used for any activity or food and beverages. The price for the activities varies depending on what it is but is usually equal or below comparable offers.
Al Forsan International Sports Resort is also the ideal arena for your special occasion or group event. Where else you will have the chance to get revenge against your colleagues in a fun game of paintball in exotic surroundings. There are three air-conditioned Paintball fields with different themes and amazing sound and lighting effects. The water cable park is the only facility of its kind in the region and will develop into a wakeboard and water-skiing hotspot with beach lifestyle flair. The equestrian part or Al Forsan is outstanding, with its 1st class stables and the special rubber-infused sand of the Olympic-sized show jumping hall. From an unforgettable day out with family or friends, to formal gatherings or corporate team-building events and even a venue for international competitions, Al Forsan provides a winning combination of unique activities and unparalleled service. Located at the heart of Khalifa City, the blossoming hub of new Abu Dhabi, Al Forsan International Sports Resort brings the wide world of sports to your doorstep. Easily accessible from the Abu Dhabi International Airport, and only minutes from world-class tourist and leisure attractions such as Al Raha Beach Resort, Yas Island F1 Circuit, Abu Dhabi Golf Club and Abu Dhabi’s Grand Mosque. Al Forsan International Sports Resort is truly a unique destination, where Abu Dhabi comes to compete, train and play.
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GEOCACHING Hide & Seek Sports
by Zaid Adham
How does a United States Presidential Mandate create an
outdoor sport with 5 million known participants worldwide? It doesn’t quite link, does it? To the regular outdoor enthusiast it would seem like a riddle designed to confuse beyond the ability to analyze. The truth is, to understand this question one has to first think less like an outdoor enthusiast and more like a tech geek. There are three simple letters to solving this riddle: G…P…S! In the 1990s GPS systems were limited in accuracy to about 50 meters to everyone except the military, a phenomenon known as Selective Availability. However, pressure was soon mounted on the US government to reverse this law and make GPS systems more accurate on civilian units as an aid to navigation. The plan was to have this implemented by 2006, but on May 1st 2000 President Bill Clinton ordered Selective Availability turned off, and civilian GPS units were now accurate up to 1metre in radius. Thus began the GPS craze, and I bet you still don’t know what the connection is! On May 3rd, American computer consultant Dave Ulmer decided to test this newly acquired accuracy by placing a container in the woods near his hometown of Beavercreek, Oregon at 45°17.460’N 122°24.800’W .
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He then posted the coordinates up on a Usenet group, challenging other users to find it using the coordinates. Within the first 48 hours it had been found twice and logged once…and so began GPS Stash Hunting, or what is now known as Geocaching. Eleven years later, geocaching now has over 5million participants searching for over 1.3million caches hidden all over the world (including Antarctica!). Its basic premise (whether you choose to call it a game or a sport) was once succinctly summed up by a player interviewed in a documentary film as “I use multi-billion dollar government satellites to look for Tupperware hidden in the woods!” Don’t roll your eyes and stop reading there, though! However dull and lifeless that may have sounded, geocaching is actually a multifaceted hobby that combines a love for sports, problem solving, orienteering and tech geekery! On a basic level the goal is to locate the hidden cache using the coordinates and hints given by the cache hider on www.geocaching. com, then logging your find both on the logbook provided in the cache and the website itself.
Caches vary in size from fingertip-sized magnetic containers to large waterproof containers or ammo boxes. The key to finding the container relies on both its difficulty or that of the terrain being traversed. These caches be anywhere from busy downtown urban areas to the wildest of wild outdoors, and are hidden very intelligently. Once you reach the given coordinates, the cache isn’t always immediately visible, and you may have to use physical or mental effort (or both) to make the find. “Yahr, matey!” I hear you now saying to yourself, “We’ve struck treasure! There’s bound to be riches of gold and jewellery afoot! Weigh the anchor!”
As much as the prospect of millions of hidden containers holding untold fortunes is tempting to our inner Long John Silver, there’s very little by way of “booty” to be found. Geocaches usually don’t contain anything more than simple day-to-day items and trinkets that can be taken out and exchanged for others. The key is to replace the item you’ve taken with something of equal or greater value so as to keep the trade cycle going when other cachers come searching for it. Rules of the game also mandate that one can’t place any perishables such as food, drink or drugs into the caches, so as to avoid them being sniffed out by wild animals. So how do we in this part of the world fare with this sport? Fairly fresh and wet behind the ears, you think? Far from it, actually! Geocaching has a small but extremely dedicated following in the Middle East. With some of the most challenging and beautiful terrain in the world right in our backyard, the UAE alone boasts geocaches hidden everywhere from the Hajjar Mountains of Ras Al Khaima in the north all the way out to Moreeb Hill in the south, and from Jebel Hafit in Al Ain to the Qatari border. The UAE isn’t alone in this distinction, as caches are also found in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt…(well, pretty much everywhere!) with hides being made by residents of these countries and found by residents and tourists, some of who actually use geocaching as a tourism tool.
Caches in the region include ones as simple as hidden 35mm film canisters found in downtown areas of large cities, to some of the most difficult in the whole world. For example, one of the most difficult caches in the world is hidden in the middle of the Rub’ Al Khali desert in Saudi Arabia, where a convoy of experienced off-road drivers is needed to reach a crater that is weeks away from civilization in every direction. Don’t worry, though, no one expects you to pack a week’s worth of supplies and say goodbye to your loved ones! Simpler caches, are abundant in their hundreds of thousands and can easily be found by pros and amateurs alike! With these elements of problem solving and orienteering now make themselves more obvious, the purpose of hiding or finding caches in the wild is often threefold. Apart from playing the game, members of the caching community purposely make hides in areas that are of environmental, geographic, or historical value. One can only imagine the Indiana Jones-meets-Christopher Columbus feeling of solving a sudoku puzzle that gives away the exact coordinates of a cache, driving off-road to the nearest spot, then hiking out to ground zero and finding a hidden waterfall in the mountains, or an abandoned fishing village from centuries ago! Geocaching then becomes a powerful educational tool that demonstrates that the journey is sometimes more important than the discovery. A cache I had recently found in the deserts of Sharjah was hidden in a small forest of Ghaf
trees 5kms off the road to Al Dhaid, where in the harshest desert climes we were suddenly found ourselves surrounded by large shady trees and palm tree plantations. Who could have imagined that, within a few minutes of driving off-road into the sand, we would be surrounded by seemingly impossible greenery? If you had never thought that a forest could grow naturally in the desert, you’ll be pleased to know you’re wrong. I know I was! It’s easily reached here N 25° 19.601 E 055° 46.409 Undoubtedly, it’s also a great activity to enjoy with loved ones or the entire family, and holds its spirit of community proudly above its head, with players around the world organizing events to meet and go on group hunts with other players. Items found in geocaches are often exchanged between players, with some of these being put there specifically as hitchhikers from one cache to the next. These are known as “trackables”, items that carry a track-
ing code and a certain mission (found on the website as given by its owner) to help it travel around the world. These too have been known to exchange hands in the strangest of ways thanks to the hobby’s community spirit. One trackable that was recently found in a cache in Boston was one half of a whole split by a husband and wife caching couple separated by the husband’s army tenure in Kuwait. The cacher who found it in Boston sought help to take it out east, and so she sent it to my girlfriend in Toronto who then mailed it to me in Dubai. Here, I placed it in a cache awaiting the right person who would happen to be on their way to Kuwait next so that it may hitch a ride with them. One more friend gained, one more mission closer to its goal! It may seem to some that geocaching is more like premeditated littering. However, one of the most important aspects of its adventurous treks through nature is environmental awareness. As most people who venture into the great outdoors will tell you, one may sometimes encounter areas of secluded beauty that become destinations for weekend-revellers and picnickers who then leave their rubbish behind, polluting the area. Wary geocachers
have picked up on this, and clean-up operations known as CITO (short for “Cache In, Trash Out”) take place to rectify the situation. In a CITO event, a group of cachers convene in one such area armed with plastic bags to clean the area up of the trash, and place a geocache there instead. As popular as it already is with most avid outdoor explorers in the region, geocaching is, ironically, yet to be discovered by the local population. Efforts are currently being made to bring the sport to a wider audience via Internet groups and travelogues. Hikers, 4x4 drivers, bikers, kayakers, divers and mountain climbers alike enjoy Geocaching. Chances are someone you know is already a keen cacher! Anyone with a keen sense of discovery can participate in the hobby. The process begins as easily as creating an account at the website and purchasing a handheld GPSr or a GPS-enabled mobile phone. You’ve already seen the beauty of the outdoor, now bring out your inner Indiana Jones and see what other treasures have been hiding!
Beginning from the next issue of Outdoor UAE, we will be bringing you our geocaching adventures from around the region in reports and photos, so we can show you some of the most wonderful and wondrous outdoor exploration trips you’ve ever seen! You can also stay tuned for Treasure Hunters, an Arabic language geocaching travel adventure program coming soon to air on satellite TV channel DMTV. We always welcome guests on the show, so here’s hoping you join us for some of our trips. Find out how very soon! (With special thanks to Grant Little for additional photos)
Zaid. 37
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Part 4
MIKE NOTT BRINGS YOU HIS SERIALISATION OF THE ULTIMATE OFF-ROAD GUIDE Part 4: GETTING STUCK & RECOVERY The knowledge of, and need for, recovery skills is essential. If you do not know how to recover your stuck vehicle, whether it be in dunes, wadis or mountains, you will be exacerbating the problems for yourself and others. It is important to know how to perform aided recoveries when your or another vehicle is stuck. It is imperative that you know how to recover yourself without the aid of others. There are many different techniques and types of equipment that will aid recoveries. What follows are some helpful hints for various scenarios when your, or a companion’s, vehicle are stuck. The process of recovery should aim to put as little strain as possible on the stuck vehicle, as well as on any other vehicle or equipment used in the recovery. There is, also, often a tendency to rush in and act before analysing and thinking about the safest, easiest and most effective way to recover a vehicle. sen wheel before letting it back down (to lift a wheel high enough in such a situation you may need to use a high-lift jack). You should then be able to drive off the obstacle. To lift a wheel or the vehicle off an obstacle, a high-lift jack can be invaluable because you can lift the chassis directly or use an adaptor that attaches to your wheel, which will give you the clearance you require. Otherwise, consider using an air jack, or your standard vehicle jack. If using your vehicle jack you may need to raise and lower your vehicle several times onto blocks of wood or something similar, until you have enough clearance.
Deep mud If you do get stuck, try rocking your vehicle forwards and backwards to either try and continue forwards, by regaining momentum or enabling you to reverse out for another attempt with more speed or lower tyres pressures.
Mountains and Wadis Due to the nature of the terrain in mountains and wadis the chances of getting stuck are fewer than in the dunes. There are, however, sufficient hazards in these areas to alert you to the possibility of being stuck and requiring some knowledge and experience of how to extricate yourself. The following are some typical stucks in this type of terrain:
Deep Gravel Wadi beds can be strewn with areas of deep gravel in which it is easy for the unwary to become stuck. You should treat patches of deep gravel as if it is soft sand. If you become stuck you should follow the guidance given in the Dunes paragraph below.
Hung up on boulders If you have misjudged a boulder or obstacle and become hung-up on it, there is danger of serious damage to the underside of your vehicle. In this instance you should aim to raise the vehicle off the obstacle. You will need to chose the best wheel or point on the chassis to raise in order to lift the vehicle off the obstacle and then place waffle boards or build up some form of ramp under the cho-
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If you do get irretrievably stuck, recovery by another vehicle is preferable, otherwise you will be faced with using waffle boards, sand ladders, tree branches or anything you can find to wedge under your tyres to help regain some traction. You may need to jack up your vehicle to get these items under the wheels; jacking up the vehicle can also help release it from the mud if you’re deeply bogged down.
Dunes Most of the stucks you will experience will be in the dunes. Experience and a good appreciation of the ways to recover a vehicle in the dunes are essential to prevent damage (or further damage) to the stuck and recovering vehicles and equipment. One of the most important things to remember is that it is much easier and safer to recover a slightly bogged-in or stuck vehicle. The key is to admit defeat early. If you continue to spin your wheels you will dig yourself in deeper, which will result in your vehicle resting on its chassis. This will turn, what would have been a minor recovery, into a major recovery. •
Are all the 4x4/traction control/differential locks engaged? If they aren’t, engage them.
•
Do the tyres need to be deflated more? If they do, let out more air. Get your shovel out and dig trenches in front of the wheels in the direction in which you are going to recover the vehicle. If stuck on a crest, dig in the direction that gravity will assist the most.
•
Should some of the passengers/contents of the vehicle be unloaded to make it lighter? If yes, unload the vehicle.
The emphasis in this series of articles is on knowing how to ‘self-recover’ and that you should attempt this before resorting to using other vehicles to extract you. What follows is an idiots guide to the thought process and actions that should be involved in a dune recovery, with self-recovery tips and techniques first, followed by assisted-recovery.
•
Could the vehicle self-recover using sand tracks/shoes or waffles?
•
Does/do the vehicle/wheels need to be raised in order to place sand tracks/shoes or waffles? If so, raise the vehicle/wheels and put them in position.
When you first become stuck, stop, look and assess the situation then decide on the best course of action with regard to the following:
If people are available to push, get them to do so. When all has been done, attempt to drive the stuck vehicle out. If it doesn’t free itself, move on to an Assisted Recovery.
Self-Recovery • In which direction is gravity going to help you the most? • In which direction is it the easiest and safest to recover to, so that you can continue driving?
Guiding
Assisted-Recovery •
Can another vehicle pull the stuck vehicle out and are the recovery points of both vehicles sufficiently robust?
•
Do you have the proper equipment; a ‘recovery’ strap and sufficiently strong, rated shackles?
•
What communication methods will you use to ensure recoverer
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the stuck vehicle until you are confident that you can safely drive down off the slope without rolling. This may be forwards or in reverse.
Tyre off the rim Deflated tyres can be forced off the rim of a wheel,
and recoveree know what to do and when, during the recovery? •
Which is the best direction to pull from, e.g. firmness of sand, other hazards, ease of manoeuvre of recovery and recovered vehicle after the recovery?
•
Do you need to extend the recovery strap?
•
Are people far enough away from the recovery strap danger area?
leaving you with a totally flat tyre that cannot be re-inflated simply. This usually occurs when you make a sharp turn with tyres at below normal sand driving pressures, perhaps below 10psi. It can happen at higher pressures but the speed and aggressiveness of the turn would need to be greater. It can also happen if you hit a solid object in a turn or even while driving in a straight line. You should be aware if your tyre and rim combination are susceptible to this. If this does happen, you are faced with two alternatives: Replace the wheel with the spare or try and re-inflate the tyre. Unless the bead of the tyre is damaged it is usually possible to re-inflate the tyre. You will need to raise the wheel off the ground and attach a good air-compressor. Switch on the compressor and push or pull the tyre towards the part of the rim where the bead has slipped off. This does require some effort. Hopefully the tyre will begin to inflate and the pressure will eventually ‘pop’ the tyre back on to the rim. Check the tyre is seated properly and then deflate/inflate the tyre to the desired pressure. You may need to spray/pour a lubricant onto the part of the rim where the bead has slipped off, as this will help it to slip back on (water is suitable for this). Once you get home, or to your destination, have the tyre taken off the rim, cleaned out and re-fitted.
Once all is in place, try the recovery (see note below: ‘Pulling a Vehicle Out’). •
If the recovering vehicle can’t pull out the stuck vehicle your next solution may be the use of a winch, if you have one!
•
Is there a need to use a winch (is there a winch available)?
•
Does the use of a winch require the use of another vehicle as an anchor?
•
What signals will be used between the winch-man and the recoveree?
•
Are people far enough away from the winch (hawser) cable danger area in case of cable break or equipment failure? Once all is place, try winching out.
Pulling a vehicle out In order to minimise the danger when pulling a stuck vehicle out using a recovery strap, the recovering vehicle should aim to do the pull moving forwards and not backwards. Though this will lessen the visual contact between recoverer and recoveree, if the strap, recovery bracket or shackle breaks there is less of a chance of injury to the recoverer. As far as the recoveree goes the direction of pull will depend on the ease of extraction (as already covered above) and they may be recovered forwards or backwards.
Post recovery check Once the vehicle has been recovered a check should be made of the vehicle, particularly its underside. A check should, also be made of any equipment or vehicles that were used in the recovery. Make sure any equipment is carefully packed away and any gravel/sand that has been trapped in the threads of any recovery straps has been shaken out as much as possible. If none of the above, alone or in combination, work, you may need to call out a desert recovery firm. See Vehicle Breakdowns in Part 6.
Side-Slope recovery Getting stuck on a slide-slope presents you with the most difficult of recoveries, particularly if you are a long way from either the top or bottom of the side-slope. The first aim of the recovery is to prevent a roll over. This necessitates securing the vehicle on the upper, higher-slope side. This can be done by wrapping a strap/rope or winch cable around the B pillar (windows will obviously need to be lowered), as high up the B-pillar as possible. The other end of the cable/ strap/rope is attached to a secure point/winch on another vehicle – the anchor vehicle. The rope/strap/cable should not be taught but needs to have some slack in it to allow for the vehicle’s subsequent movement. The slack however, must not be too much that it would actually allow the vehicle to roll. This is more easily done with a winch as it may necessitate an anchor vehicle without a winch having to move back and forth to get the tension spot on. Once the vehicle is secured, the aim is then to dig out the sand from around and beneath it in such a way that it decreases the angle of Photo Credits: Colin Campbell, Albert Mahesh and Gordon Smith
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5
mates
I have been living in Dubai since a couple of years with the idea that friends would visit once in a while. Since these friends are not into luxury hotels and artificial landscapes the question always was “how on Earth can I get them to come to Dubai?” Since all of them are into motocross I had an idea to plan a full week of desert riding in the backcountry of Dubai. The desert behind Dubai and the whole of UAE is one of the best MX playground I have ever managed to ride in. One day in summer, where it is too hot to go outside, I sat down and sent them all an email with a full planned week of motocross riding. The trap was laid and before the week ended all of them were caught and confirmed that they would come to Dubai. PERFECT, step one was done. Now the planning started. I needed four MX bikes, an off road jeep, trailer and plenty of other small things. I booked four bikes at Sandstorm Motorcycle for the week in Dubai and a trailer. This was the easy part. Now I was waiting that Peter, Christof, Jürgen and Charly to arrive.
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and the desert
tory! Cover s
Day 1: Full of excitement, I drove to the
airport to pick up all four friends. Overloaded with luggage we managed to get all the stuff, including us, into the car and first question was “Where are the bikes”. Once settled we organised a desert tour with our jeeps and Dubai friends nto the desert of Dubai. First we drove to Shwaib, close to Al Madam, and from there it went off road all the way
driving up and down the dunes, trying some ridicules stunts, as it was my private Jeep and not theirs. The only thing you can do is pray that the Jeep survives! The guys were lucky that the cars were all fuelled up to the top but at one point one of the jeeps (mine unfortunately) didn’t want to start up again. Being well prepared, we used the jump-start cables and continued the ride. After a great day we ended up in a Wadi and finished of the evening with a great barbeque discussing all the possible routes we can do with the bike on the next day.
Day 2: Next morning. Everybody was excit-
to a small Wadi close to Al Haiyir. The track is great to drive as you first drive along the boarder fence to Oman a then back into the desert towards Al Haiyir (you will find the route on www.outdooruae.com ‘Valley of trees’). As I expected the guys were constantly
ed and the first thing was to inspect the bikes and figure out who gets which one. Once settled we drove to Al Awir for our first ride into the desert. You could feel that everybody in the car was only focused to get on a bike as quick as possible. The route is well known under the UAE riders and on the weekend you will always meet many motocross riders on this track. Riders who do this only frequently should use a GPS not to get lost. The track takes you all the way to fossil rock and to the gas station is located in Al Malaiha. The starting of the engines was a great feeling and of we went towards fossil rock. The first section to fossil rock is not really pure desert as you still have quite a lot of vegetation. It took
us quite some time to reach fossil rock as we had to stop at every thing that “looks like you can jump it” and tried it out. Once you reach the area of fossil rock the bigger dunes start and the fun gets bigger. As expected sooner or later Jürgen’s CRF 450 ran out of fuel while speeding up and down the dunes of fossil rock. What a surprise! We found an empty plastic bottle and all of us had to sacrifice some of their fuel. We hit the gas station to refuel the bikes and some plastic bottles just in case somebody ran out of fuel again. You will not like to push your bike through the sand even for 1 meter. The way back to Al Awir is as great as the first section gets you to the top of fossil rock
which is an amazing climb through the dunes. At some point Charly went missing and finally he appeared behind a dune a bit shaken, he had fallen off his bike over his handle bars, luckily he wasn’t injured and the bike fixable. That happens to all of us once in a while. Whilst riding you come across many different animals as camels, dears, rabbits and all sorts of lizards and other strange creatures. It was getting late and we did not want to come in the dark. Riding in the dark is something you don’t really want to do in the desert unless you know the area very well. Finally back at the car, with no major injuries, everybody was smiling to the sky. You could see that all of us could not wait for the next day.
Day 3: This day we decided
to take the tent as well and stay overnight somewhere in the desert to avoid the drive back into town. The day was great with a lot of jumps, internal competitions, upand down the dunes however the bikes kept running out of fuel every 3 hours. This time we took some fuel which we deposited in the jeeps near by. After all of us had enough of playing in the dunes we set up a camp place close to fossil rock. Finding wood in the desert for the camp fire is
a real challenge. Some of us took the Jeep and of we went to collect some firewood. Sooner or later the barbeque was running on full power and everybody enjoyed the desert evening with all its beauty. Especially when you bite in your steak and recognise that your steak is covered in sand. That’s also part of the experience in the desert. Once at sleep you could hear the nearby local quad expeditions that tour the area pretty much the entire night time.
Day 4: When I got out of my tent the guys
were already re-fuelling the bikes and ready to go. For beakfast we sat on top of a Dune and Dario and Ed came by from Dubai to join for the day ride. After cleaning our mess and leaving the camp ground we headed of to the Al Ain Road via Big Red. Big Red there is a big chance that you may be run over by a crazy Nissan patrol driver ( which is common in these areas). In this area you should be careful what is behind the next dune. It could also be you driving in someone’s tent behind
45
a dune. Fortunately nothing of this nature happened that day. We stopped at cattle grid gas station for some water and the famous egg sandwich. People who are not used to that stuff need probably a toilet sooner or later. Ed was leading the group up and down the dune valleys until we reached the Al Ain road to refuel. After a short break we road back with some minor accidents. Christof as some point tried to show us some weird stunt and crashed into the only bush in the entire area. That was quite amusing considering that we all getting quite tired and needed something special to laugh. We finally made it all back to the cars and drove back to Dubai for a shower and a great meal.
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Day 5: Three days of riding was great, but
the muscles were too sore to do one more bike trip. So the plan was to take the cars to the Liwa, also know as the Empty Quarter area. We would consider this area as the real desert. On the way to Liwa you need to stop at his car museum that looks like a pyramid in the desert. It is pretty weird to see suddenly a huge pyramid next to the road. It has probably a 100 or more odd cars inside. You have to see them, it is worth stopping. Once arriving in Liwa our Jeep convoy headed to the Mureeb Dune to check out the guys trying to drive up some crazily steep dunes. Even just walking up the Dune is a killer. After being at the Mureeb Dune we went cruising around with the Jeeps until the tanks were pretty much empty, and found a great spot for the night. We started the barbeque “standard proceed” and had an awesome evening with a clear sky and thousands of stars. Dario (Spanish) got to us a bit later because he got his Jeep stuck so badly that it took them about an hour to dig him out of the sand. After a long night with several stunts walking over hot coals and fire (lots
of burnt blisters) we woke up and were all pretty tired.
Day 6: The morning came and I took the
chance to take my Jeep for a quick spin around the camp site before the others woke up. It was really tempting to wake them all up especially Jürgen who was sleeping on top of dune. “He was not amused” coming close to being overrun by a Jeep Wrangler. After a huge breakfast and long walk though the desert we headed back to Dubai where we all enjoyed a nice shower and some fresh clothes.
Day 7: The next morning I brought the guys to the Dubai airport and it was sad to see them go after such a great week. Anybody who has friend abroad, do such a trip. It is worth the effort and tonnes of fun.
Summary: They have decided to come back for another week of MX riding! Until next time!
Simon.
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Sensor Cleaning no time to send it to a shop, we suggest this popular method – swab and methanol which we used. A magnifier and a strong light might be very helpful. To check the result, you should take a photo of a plane white background (ensure the lens you use is free of dust or any other dirt). The fist picture before the cleaning process will be your reference and will help you to locate the dust particles. When you have finished the cleaning process, you should take another picture. If your cleaning procedure
Using an SLR in the UAE is a lot of fun and there are unlimited opportunities to capture. The advanced photographers will use different lenses for specific situations to get the best out of their selected subject. The perfect lens will always be a prime lens optimized for only a single focal length. Unfortunately this is not very handy so you might want to use some zoom lenses (e.g. 24-70mm + 70-200mm will suit most situations). Lenses were discussed in an earlier issue and we won’t bore you with repetition. The disadvantage of using different lenses is the changing process. A camera with an attached lens is a sealed mechanism therefore changing the lens will break the seal. We might be wrong, but we’re fairly confident that the UAE may be one of the dustiest areas in the world. Especially for outdoor photography in the desert, you and your
Clean sensor
Dirty sensor
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camera will be exposed to a lot of sand. Changing a lens and having the camera body open, even for a few seconds, allows dust and sand to freely enter the camera body. The mirror inside the camera; the sensor are very sensitive and fragile parts. Even the smallest particles of sand invisible to the naked eye could cause considerable damage. A high quality camera may be able to handle a few specks but you may encounter regular image blemishes if something lands on your sensor. If you change your lenses regularly in this region, be careful where and how you change your lenses. Blemishes will be more apparent with long exposure shots, or when you require shots of higher quality. If it’s just a few spots, for example, ones that appear in sky or within a consistent background colour, then you can easily remove them in post production (e.g. in Photoshop with the healing tool). The dust particles may not necessarily just end up on the sensor, but on the lens itself. If you are not too confident with your own cleaning ability and if you don’t want to risk damaging your camera, you should give it to a trust worthy service centre to clean the sensor. The average price is around 200-300AED for the sensor cleaning (Hot and Cold Rental are reliable and offer the cleaning at: 275 AED www.hotcoldrental.com). If you choose this option, you will usually be without your pride and joy (camera) for a few days. If you trust the precision of your hands, good eyes and patience, you can clean the sensor on your own. You should be very careful when doing this as the sensor is the heart of your camera and the slightest scratch on the sensor will be irreversible. You should use only designated tools and cleaning kits. If the sensor needs cleaning urgently, and there is
was successful you should now have a clean, blemish-free sensor. If there are still spots left, repeat the procedure until you have a plane white image (or give up doing it yourself and send to a shop).
DON’Ts! • Never use water or other liquids (window cleaner etc.) to clean the sensor. • Never use tools which might scratch the sensor (even paper tissues are risky, because the might have wood or other hard particles in it). • Never use a duster and blow into the camera body – you risk to pushing the dust further into the body instead of getting it out. • If you are not sure what to do – just leave it to the professionals. To get detailed information on products and methods check out: www.cleaningdigitalcameras.com
For sensor cleaning: 275 AED @ Hot Cold Studio in Al Quoz: contact outdooruae.com for more information!
The summer heat is approaching and unfortunately most outdoor activities are very limited, unless you want to fry! However, most of us don’t want to spend our free time inside the house, the car or in air-conditioned malls, but would prefer to spend time chilling on the beach.
How to cool your drinks quickly
Scenario: You receive a sudden call in the morning: “We’re meeting at the beach in 30minutes mate!” While checking the supplies you find out, that there are no cold Pipers* in the fridge. Oh no! Knowing that Piper is not yet in retail stores, you need to get them chilled very quickly. How do you get the Piper drinks cold in only a few minutes? No problem! There are plenty of options to chill your drinks quickly. For the sake of experimentation, let’s have five cans of Piper at a temperature of 27°C which you want to quickly cool down to 8°C. Put one can in the fridge, one in the freezer, one in a bucket of ice, one in a bucket of iced water and as a special cocktail one can in a bucket with water, ice and salt. After 10 minutes, The results are as follows: Time of experiment 15min, initial temperature of piper 28°C Fridge (Temp.: 13°C) Temp. of the Piper Drink after 15min: 24.0°C Freezer (Temp.: -9°C) Temp. of the Piper Drink after 15min: 4.3°C Bucket with ICE only (Temp.: 0°C) Temp. of the Piper Drink after 15min: 4.0°C Bucket with ICE + Water (Temp.: 2°C) Temp. of the Piper Drink after 15min: 4.6°C Bucket with ICE + Water + Salt (Temp.: 0,8°C) Temp. of the Piper Drink after 15min: 3.7°C For the fastest method, use the special cooling cocktail of a bucket of water with ice and salt. To optimise your results, you can turn the can from time to time to maintain a uniform temperature inside the can and the bucket. The reason this is such a successful cooling method is that liquids are better at transferring temperature than air. The colder the surroundings and the bigger the contact surface the faster the cooling effect. Ice cubes might be colder than the saltwater mixture but the contact surface is less – the ice cubes don’t cover the can completely. The trick with the salt is that a water/salt solution freezes at a temperature lower than -1°C which results in a liquid with a lower temperature than a normal ice/water mix. Therefore it has a better cooling effect. We will explore in the coming months more of this ‘handy’ tricks together with Piper. Next month we will have tips on how to maintain the coolness of your drinks!
*PIPER is the unwind drink that relaxes your mind. With 100% natural ingredients, and infused with Lemon Balm and Passionflower, PIPER is the ideal chill out experience. Look out for some free cans at the events with OutdoorUAE!
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Climbing Rope In stores, you can find several kinds of the rope. So it depends on what sort of demands and the type of climbing you intent to use it for. To avoid the wrong use of the rope, we have prepared several tips on how to choose a rope depending on the conditions of your climbing trip. Primary, ropes are divided into dynamic and static ropes. Static ropes are mainly used for working at heights, rescue, caving, canyoning and other vertical activities. The diameter of the static ropes varies from 9 to 13 mm.
•
• • • •
Dynamic ropes are mainly used for climbing and mountaineering. They are divided into 3 main types, depending on use.
•
Single Rope
•
These ropes are a one-strand system, which makes them suitable for any application, where there is a risk of rope severing from stones. They may be used with rockeries, rocks, perpendicular rock walls, artificial walls and big walls. The diameter of the single ropes are generally 9 mm and above. As diameter increases, the strength and number of falls and unfortunately even the weight of the rope tends to rise. This is why it is necessary to establish the optimum balance between rope thickness and weight.
the core - is either braided (out of yarn) or consists of a bunch of compressed cords (equal number of clockwise and counter-clockwise cords) strand - a bunch of threads (generally 1 or 2 threads) thread - a bunch of fibres (cut fibres several partially twisted multifils) filament - the smallest rope component (passes continuously along the entire rope length) thermotransfer end marking – special plastic etiquette is applied to the rope sheath using heat and pressure. This marking is durable and does not create any broad forms on the end of the ropes. ultrasonic ending – load-bearing core and the protective sheath are joined into a compact unit in the last 15 mm of the rope middle marking – some of the ropes have half of the length of the rope marked by visible dark colour, which doesn´t affect the core structure and its mechanical properties.
So before you buy a rope, decide on which purpose you are going to use it and than choose the proper type of the rope. Let´s Rock!
Twin Ropes
Two coupled ropes of the same type are used at all times, these sharing the same belaying elements. They are a first choice option for traditional climbing activities in the mountains and for unstable surfaces. This included the damage of rope severing from falling stones and sharp rock. This does not always have to involve mountaineering; unstable surfaces may as well be encountered in obscure rocky regions.
Half ropes
If the ropes are used in pairs (twin ropes) they merely provide standard safety. The half rope technology, which involves the "left" and "right" ropes passed independently through different belaying elements, may help to considerably improve security achieved. To better understand the terminology of the ropes, we have prepared a small vocabulary specialized for the ropes:
Gemini Yellow Half-Twin
Glory Single
Terminology: • •
50
braiding - a set of mutually interbreeding strands sheath - outer layer made of strands (usually 32, 36, 40, 48 strands) Static Rope 11mm
Friday Markets and a close GEO Cache In Europe it is quite common to have weekend markets which start early in the morning and close around noon, so it’s customary to shop at the weekends for fresh fruit, vegetables and other local specialties early in the morning. This kind of weekend shopping is usually more about the shopping experience than stocking up with supplies. Time is no issue and you can stroll along the stalls, trying food here and there and leave whenever you feel like, rather than as soon as you’ve bought what you need. The UAE and the Middle East is traditionally famous for its bazaars, the vibrant life and trading which takes place within these markets. With rising temperatures it is good to get up early and do your shopping (rising as ealy as the sun like they do in Europe). The markets are open air, so the joy will be lost if you arrive later than 10am. There are many merchants along the road by the east coast, both large and small, with a variety of goods on offer. On the way to the east coast on the E88 you will find one of the most famous markets in the UAE. This used to be just a Friday market, but due to its popularity, is now open all week long. After driving through the vast desert scenery and entering into the mountains you will suddenly be surprised to find the busy market just after a bend in the road (in case you missed the sign – Friday Market) GPS N25°17.846 E056° 09.345. You will find all kinds of fruit, vegetables, pickles, marinated and dried fish, plants, carpets and more useful and useless stuff. If you’re heading to the East coast it’s definitely worth a stop. Fruit and plants are usually cheaper than in the City, especially if you are a skilled negotiator! If the GEO Caching article by Zaid interests you (see page_) you can search for your first cache close to the market. It was my first cache and you will find my name in the log book. To be very honest, I was looking in the right hole between the rocks but I didn’t recognize the cache. There was a spider’s net in front of the hole and it was dark inside so I was not tempted to put my hand in not knowing what awaited me. (OK call me a chicken if you like). I missed the chance to spot the cache. The coordinates are very accurate and the cache really is in a 1m radius of the GPS point. Zaid, who is getting close to logging his 300th cache, and with an experienced eye, was brave enough to check the hole and found the cache. It was fun and I can recommend trying it out. The usual awareness of risk in the mountains should be taken into consideration if you go geo-caching. The rocks and gravel are very loose, so you can slip easily.
Check out www.geocaching.com for more on the spot info. The description is as follows: Dibba’s Friday Market GPS N25°17.846 E056° 09.345. Not too far from the Friday Market you’ll find a turn off from the road with a parking area where you can either walk to the cache, or get a bit closer in a 4x4. The cache is hidden in one of the many holes in the area. Look in them as it will appear as if there’s nothing, but then in one of 3 holes in a row you’ll find the cache. This is the 3rd cache I’ve hidden! I hid this one with GeoCrat and hope you’ll enjoy looking for it. The original contents of the cache are: FTF coin Stickers T-shirt eraser Small address book Toy car Toy penguin (Mumble from Happy feet) Bracelet Singapore bookmark Key ring Pencil, sharpener and the logbook Post it notes
51
PK231, from Islamabad via Peshawar came to the end of it’s flight life as it veered off the side of the runway at Dubai airport after the right hand main gear collapsed as it touched down. The aircraft skidded and eventually came to rest in sand 50 meters from the runway. It sustained permanent damage to its right wing structure and it’s no. 2 engine, which partly broke off the wing. According to a press release by the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), the approach and landing of the aircraft was normal, but during the landing roll, the aircraft left the right side of the runway at slow speed and came to rest on the unprepared surface 50 meters away from the runway facing 90 degree to the landing direction. All 193 passengers and 11 crew evacuated safely. The aircraft sat at Dubai airport for some time alongside a Russian aircraft that had also sustained damage during a landing. Both were partially dismantled and taken to another location next to the creek, where they sat until loaded on to barges to be transported out into the Gulf where they were deliberately
52
The original PIA A300 aircraft Dietmar Schreiber sunk as artificial reefs and dive sites. The exact whereabouts of the Russian aircraft is unknown, however the PIA A300 remains are now situated in 10 meters of water, just off the end of Jumeirah Palm, (N25 08.358 E55 06.430) and can be dived through Atlantis Dive Centre. The dive itself is very easy and suitable for novice or open water divers with little experience. Descent is made down the anchor line to the bottom. As there is usually some current here, it is advisable to hold on to this line until you reach the bottom. Visibility is generally good first thing in the morning, however it does deteriorate later
when making a second dive. Bring a snack for the surface interval. One section of the fuselage is still fairly intact and lays alongside some collapsed section and both wings. There is a lot of fish life around and I have spotted a small school of barracuda swimming around. The main attraction for photographers is definitely the macro life, with plenty of blennies and gobies as well as a unique nudibranch only found in the Gulf, Chromodoris cazae.
Gordon. Photos: Gordon Smith Contact Outdoor UAE- and we can connect you with the dive centre to find out more about this experience
53
Private Lagoon in UAQ
54
An educational morning paddle into the weekend
Kayaking is a great sport with many facets from pro level (see Ian’s article) to a relaxing weekend paddle. I would love to say that I’m a pro… but I’m not. I have been in a kayak maybe 10 times in my life but always enjoyed it. Most people will be surprised to find out that the UAE is a great kayaking location (especially for weekend paddlers). Calm warm waters and consistently sunny weather… now getting super hot, makes sit-on-top kayaks the most popular type in the UAE. The most popular spots are the mangroves which you can find in lagoons throughout the Emirates as well the fjords of the Hajar Mountains in Musandam. It didn’t take me long to accept the invitation from Noukhada to join them for a Friday morning paddle in Umm Al Quaim (UAQ). My only concern was the 8am meeting point in UAQ – based on my calculation in normal traffic I would need to leave Dubai at 6:30am on a Friday morning. I’m sure that none of us outdoor-lovers really likes to set our alarms that early on a weekend but those who really love the outdoors will fight their inner devil and get their lazy ass up. I’m fortunate that it doesn’t take me more than 5 minutes to get up. Friday mornings at this time… there is no traffic at all! I made it to the meeting point in 45minutes (not the usual 1.5hrs) and had to wait for the rest of the group to arrive. Unusually for the OutdoorUAE location section we will not provide the exact location and GPS coordinates for this site. This is because the area is private property and Noukhada had special permission from the owner to paddle there – why? You will find out later. The lagoon and meeting point sits between the Barracuda Resort (a stop on the way back was a must to get German essentials) and Al Hamra Village, only a short drive from the UAQ to Ras Al Khaima beach road. Guida and Pete arrived shortly after me with all the gear. After unloading all the kayaks the 10 guests who had booked the paddling tour arrived and Pete gave them a brief introduction about basic paddle techniques and safety rules. After the introduction and once everybody was equipped with lifejackets and paddles we set sail… or better: ‘Hit the water… with the paddles.’ It was a sunny morning with almost no wind, so perfect conditions. Even though the location is only 2 km from the road, it was quiet. You could
see loads of birds and lots of fish jumping and some even flying. Being the passionate fisherman that I am, I have to say that I’ve never seen so much fish activity above the water. The water depth is very shallow in most of the lagoon so you could also see the underwater life. In the sandy areas there is a good chance you will see rays, and if you’re lucky, turtles. In the middle of the lagoon is a small reef with corals at a depth of about 2m (depending on the tide). Guida and Pete turned out to be nature experts, explaining the marine life around us and pointing out some details the unskilled eye would miss. We paddled over to the other side of the lagoon to have a little beach walk on the island which protects the lagoon from the open sea. Pete continued to explore and enlighten the group further with his knowledge of nature. Guida went with me for a little walk on the other side of the lagoon. Pete wrote in the last month’s issue about the ugly truth about plastic bottles and pollution in the region and mentioned one specific beach – the shoreline I was heading to now with Guida. On my arrival at I instantly recognized the sparkle within the dark green flora by the lagoon as that from dumped plastic bottles and other shiny rubbish. It got worse! While crossing the mangroves to the shore line we were lucky to see two wild gazelles. This rare and amazing moment was suddenly wiped out by a shocking picture when we crossed the last small dune. The beach was covered in rubbish! I think only
“The beach was covered in rubbish!” someone stranded here would be happy to find so much stuff with which to build a raft and leave this place. We are more used to the open beaches within the city areas which are regularly cleaned and appear very clean. Here the picture was different, unfortunately winds and currents washed everything to the coast bringing much of the rubbish to the shore. It’s a sad picture and understandable that Guida and Pete spare weekend paddlers from this experience. A part of each paddling tour is the awareness of our own personal habits and their effect to the environment. Guida, Pete and friends have cleaned up the beach several times which is very admirable knowing that the next day the picture will be the same. At each and every kayaking tour they take whatever they can carry on their kayaks out of the water hoping that at least this little piece won’t end up in the maritime food chain. This brings us back to the reason for being granted permission to paddle here. One day when Guida and Pete explored possible
locations for Noukhada to offer their paddling tours on the East Coast (their tours in Abu Dhabi are very popular) they were paddling back to their launch point when they met the owner of the land. Their kayaks were more or less overloaded with garbage and barley floating which caught the attention of the owner. The owner had a chat with Pete about what he was doing and Pete explained about trying to clean up the beach. The owner
was very pleased with this initiative and so he granted access to his property for further paddling tours. We returned to our launch point after about 2 hours; the weather was still very pleasant but temperatures had started to increase. I arrived back home in Dubai at around 11am with some more impressions of the UAE, more knowledge about the fragile environment and the ugly footprints we leave behind. Even with this unsightly picture of a dirty beach I felt very happy and was looking forward to a great weekend. Getting up early, not wasting a day, doing a little weekend workout and fishing some rubbish out of the water is the perfect start to a weekend. Even if it won’t change the world, it felt good to have at least taken a little bit of rubbish out of this beautiful environment. Nobody should be afraid to join a paddle trip because of the issue mentioned about rubbish. Unfortunately the situation here is no different to any other place in the UAE. The thing is if you are getting more attuned to the problem you will recognise it immediately… some people will not even notice the rubbish with their ignorant and selfish way of life. For more details feel free to contact Noukhada: www.noukhada.ae Price: 2hrs @ 200AED per person including all gear and guide.
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Final thought... Some people say digital photography has no heart and no soul; they believe only a true and honest picture can be captured on film. A photo should be taken at once and apart from developing the film there should be no further post production processes involved. A nice and philosophic point of view but reality is different. Who wants to see the ugly truth? We prefer seeing perfectly shaped bodies, face without wrinkles and colourful landscapes representing our fantasy of paradise. You will agree - the left hand side picture (above) represents what we would like to see and what we used to see. Arriving at the very same spot we might discover the ugly truth (right hand side picture). The photo is taken in the surrounding areas of the Hatta Pools, what you see here is usually dumped by reckless visitors. The photos on the right were taken at a remote beach where access is only by boat (see location). The rubbish here is usually blown into the sea and then washed back onto the beach. This photo is the follow up
56
Spot the difference! to the article (letter to the editor) sent in by Pete last month. The solution is very simple and starts with our own habits - try not to use plastic packing or reduce it to a minimum. For the plastic you really need to use, at least recycle it. You can find recycling containers across the whole of the UAE; you only need to use them. If you like the first picture, you should do your part and act responsibly to keep the very few untouched place of this world beautiful no matter if they are capture on film, a digital storage device or your memories. Please let us know what is on your mind. Tell us about things you like or don’t like in and around the outdoors in the region. We will choose the most thought-provoking and publish them in the magazine and will try to follow up on your thoughts.
Adventure tours and desert safaris
Alpha Tours, +9714299888, www.alphatoursdubai.com Cyclone Tours & Travels, Abu Dhabi, Khalifa Street, +97126276275, www.cyclonetours.com Desert Rangers, +97143572233, Dubai, www.desertrangers.com Dream Days, +97144329392, www.dreamdays.ae Dream Explorer LLC, Dubai, +97143319880, www.dreamexplorerdubai.com, Explorer Tours, Dubai, +9714286199, www.explorertours.ae, Khour Shem Tourism, Khasab, Musandam, +971503724411, www.khourshemtours.com Net Group, Dubai & Abu Dhabi, +97126794656, www.netgroupauh.com Oasis Palm Dubai, Dubai, +97142628889, www.opdubai.com Relax Tours Travels, Dubai, +97144221776, www.dubairelaxtours.com
www.artmarine.net Azure Marine, Dubai, +97143404343, www.azuremarine.net Luxury Sea Boats, Dubai, +971505589319, www.luxuryseaboats.com Macky Marine LLC, Dubai, +971505518317, www.mackymarine.com The Boat House, Dubai, Al Quoz, +97143405152, www.theboathouse.ae Equipment Al Masaood Marine, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, +97143468000, www.masaoodmarine.com Extreme Marine, Dubai, + 97143992995, www.extrememarine-me.com
Air
Ballooning Adventures Emirates, Dubai, +97142854949, www.ballooning.ae Jazirah Aviation Club, Ras Al Khaimah, +971503707917, www.jac-uae.net Seawings, Dubai, www.seawings.com Sky Dive Dubai, Dubai, +971501533222, www.skydivedubai.ae
Boating & Sailing
Manufacturer Al Fajer Marine, Dubai, Al Quoz, +97143235181, www.alfajermarine.com Al Shaali Marine, Ajman, +97167436443, www.alshaalimarine.com Gulf Craft, Ajman, +97167406060, www.gulfcraftinc.com Distributors & Dealers Art Marine, Dubai, +97143388955,
Rineh, Dubai, Al Quoz, +97143391512, www.rinehemiratesme.com Repair and maintenance Extreme Marine, Dubai, Dubai Marina, + 97143992995, www.extrememarine-me.com Rineh, Al Quoz, +97143391512, www.rinehemiratesme.com
The Boat House, Dubai, Al Quoz, +97143405152, www.theboathouse.ae Cruise Operators Bristol Middle East, Dubai Marina,+97144309941, www.bristol-middleeast.com Happy Days Sea Cruising LLC, Dubai, +971507218928, www.happydaysdubai.com LY Catamaran, Dubai, +971505869746,
Advertise HERE for only 400AED/month for details call
Camping & Hiking
www.lycatamaran.com Marine Concept, Dubai, +971559603030, www.marine-charter-concept.com Summertime Marine, Dubai, +97142573084, www.summertimemarine.com Marinas Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club, Abu Dhabi, Breakwater, +97126815566, www.adimsc.com Abu Dhabi Marina, Abu Dhabi, Tourist Club Area, +97126440300 Dubai International Marine Sports Club, Dubai Marina, +97143995777, www.dimc.ae Dubai Marina Yacht Club, Dubai, +97143627900, www.dubaimarinayachtclub.com Dubai Maritime City Harbour Marina, Dubai, +97143455545 Dubai Offshore Sailing Club, Dubai, +97143941669, www.dosc.ae Emirates Palace Marina, Abu Dhabi, +97143388955 Festival Marina, Dubai, Festival City, +9712085100, www.igy-festivalmarina.com InterContinental Abu Dhabi, +97126666888, Abu Dhabi, Al Bateen, +9716666888/+97126661373 Pavilion Marina, Dubai, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, +97144068800 Umm Al Quwaim Marine Sports Club, Umm Al Quwaim, +9716 766 6644, www.uaqmarineclub.com
Equipment Picnico, +9713941653 Tour Operators Arabia Outdoors, Dubai, +971559556209, www.arabiaoutdoors.com Absolute Adventure, Dubai, +97143459900, www.adventure.ae Libra, +971559228362, www.libra-uae.com Sheesa Beach, Musandam, Dibba, +97150336046, www.sheesabeach.com
Caving
Muscat Diving & Adventure Centre, Oman, +971503289642, www.holiday-in-oman.com
Climbing
Equipment Global Climbing, +97172353910, www.globalclimbing.com Services Dorell Sports Management, Dubai World Trade Centre, +97143065061, www.climbingdubai.com E-Sports Dubai, Dubai, www.e-sportsdubai.com The Club, Abu Dhabi, +97126731111, www.the-club.com
Cycling
Equipment Cycle Sports, Dubai, Al Barsha1, +97143415415, www.cyclesportuae.com Probike, Dubai, Al Barsha1, +971432557505, www.probike.ae Rage Shop, Dubai Mall, +97144343806, www.rage-shop.com Ride Bike Shop, Dubai Mall, Festival City, Oasis Centre, Mirdiff City Centre, +97143750231,
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Operators Dubai Polo & Equestrian Al Mahara Dive Center, Abu Dhabi, Club, Dubai, Arabian Ranches, Mussafah, +971501118125, +97143618111, www.divemahara.com www.poloclubdubai.com Happy Days Sea Cruising, Dubai, Desert Ranch (Al Sahra Desert +971558961276, Resort), Dubai, +971 4 8327171, www.happydaysdubai.com www.desert-ranch.com Noukhada Adventure Company, Emirates Equestrian Centre, Abu Dhabi, +971507218928, Dubai, +971505587656, www.noukhada.ae www.emiratesequestriancentre.com Soolyman Sports Fishing, Dubai, Ghantood Polo & Racing Club, Umm Suqeim, +971508866227, Abu Dhabi, +97125629050, www. www.soolymansportsfishing.com grpc.ae Come andYachts, visit the Dive Centre… Xclusive Dubai,Atlantis Dubai Sharjah Polo & Equestrian Marina, it +97144327233, Sharjah, Al Dhaid Road, whether is your first breath Club, underwater www.xclusiveyachts.com +97165311155, or the start of your diving career! www.forsanuae.org.ae
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General Sports Equipment Megastores
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www.ridebikeshop.com Wolfi’s Bike Shop, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, +97143394453, www.wbs.ae Clubs Abu Dhabi Tri Club, www.abudhabitriclub.com Dubai Roadsters, www.dubairoadsters.com
Diving
Equipment Gulf Marine Sports, Abu Dhabi, +97126710017, www.gulfmarinesports.com Premiers for Equipment, Abu Dhabi, Sh. Zayed 1st. Road, +97126665226, www.premiers-uae.com Diving Centers 7 Seas Diving Center, Khorfakkan, +97192387400, www.7seasdivers.com Al Boom Diving, Dubai, Al Wasl Rd, + 97143422993, www.alboomdiving.com Al Mahara Dive Center, Abu Dhabi, Mussafah, +971507202833, www.divemahara.com Arabian Divers, Ras Al Khaimah, +97172226628, www.arabiandiver.com Atlantis Dive Centre, Dubai, The Palm Jumeirah,+97144263000, www.atlantisdivecentre.com Deep Blue Sea Diving, Dubai, International City, +97144308246, www.diveindubai.com Divers Down, Fujairah, Rotana Al Aqah Hotel Resort & Spa, +971092370299, www.diversdown-uae.com Emirates Divers Centre, Abu Dhabi, near Meena Fish Market, +97126432444, www.edc-ad.ae Extra Divers Ziggy Bay, Oman, Musandam, +96826735555, www.extradivers.info Freediving UAE,Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Fujeirah, www.freedivinguae.com Freestyle Divers, Dubai, Al Wasl & Dibba, Royal Beach Hotel, +97143944275, www.freestyledivers.com Khasab Divers, Oman, www.khasabdiver.com Muscat Diving & Adventure Centre, Oman, +97150 3289642,
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Jet Ski
Dealer Adventure HQ – opening soon, Al Masaood Marine, Dubai, Sheikh Dubai Times Square Center, Sheikh Zayed Road, +97143468000, Zayed Rd, www.adventurehq.ae www.masaoodmarine.com Decathlon, Dubai, Mirdiff City Al Yousuf Motors, Dubai, Sheikh Centre, +97142839392 Zayed Rd, www.aym.ae/yamaha/ Go Sport, IBN Battuta Mall: 04- Join our photography club, FREE to join with manyRentals trips planned for 2011. 368 5344, Mall of the Emirates: - Become an Atlantis Dive Centre Club Member withAl Exclusive Benefits Mahara Dive Center, Abu Dhabi, 04-341 3251, Mirdif City Centre: - Complimentary access to the water park for all pleasure divers +971507202833, or students Mussafah, 04-2843034 at the Atlantis Dive Centre www.divemahara.com InterSport, Dubai, Times Square Come and visit our stand for more information. The Cove Rotana Resort, Ras Al Centre & Dubai Festival City, Khaimah, AtlantisDiveCentre.com | Direct: (+9714) 426 3000 |+9717206000, Fax: (+9714) 426 3030 +97142066587, www.intersport.ae Atlantis Dive Centre | PO Box 78942 | Dubai | U.A.E www.rotana.com Sun and Sand, Most Shopping Xventures, Dubai, +971555404500, Centres www.x-ventures.ae www.holiday-in-oman.com Neptune Diving, +97150 4347902, www.neptunedivingcentre.com Nomad Ocean Adventures, www.discovernomad.com, +971508853238, Dibba, Oman Scuba Dubai, Dubai, +97143414940, www.scubadubai.com Scuba Oman, Oman, +96899558488, www.scubaoman.com Sharjah Wanderers Dive Club, Sharjah, +97150 784 0830, www.bsac406.com Sheesa Beach, Dibba, Musandam, +97150336046, www.sheesabeach.com Sky &Sea Adventures, Dubai, Hilton, Jumeirah Beach Road, +97143999005, w ww.watersportsdubai.com The Pavilion Dive Centre, Dubai, +97144068828 Clubs Atlantis Underwater Photography Club, Dubai, +97144263000
Fishing & Kayaking
Equipment Al Masaood Marine, +97143468000, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, www.masaoodmarine.com Barracuda Fishing Shop, Dubai, Dubai Marina, +97141234567 Global Climbing, Ras Al Khaimah, +97172353910, www.globalclimbing.com Leading Edge-S, +97172447732, www.leadingedge-s.com Nautica1992, Dubai, +971504262415, www.nautica1992.ae Ocean Active, Dubai, Garden Centre, +971502898713, www.oceanactive.com
General Sports Equipment Distributors
Flip Flop Arabia, flipme@flipfloparabia.com, www.flipfloparabia.com Global Climbing, +97172353910, www.globalclimbing.com Ocean Sports FZE, +971559352735, www.kitesurfsup. com Sakeen General Trading, +97147094224, www.sakeen.ae
Horse Riding
Equipment Emirta, Dubai, Sheik Zayed Rd, +9714 3437475, www.emirtahorse.com Equestrian Centres Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Abu Dhabi, +97124455500, www.adec-web.com
Moto-cross & ATV’s
Dealer KTM, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, exit 42, +9714323151, www.ktm. com PolarisUAE (atv’s), Ras Al Khor, Nad al Hamar Road, Al Ghandi Complex, +97142896100, www. polarisuae.com Liberty Kawasaki, Dubai, Interchange4, Sheikh Zayed Road, +97142822144, www.libertykawasaki.com Equipment SebSports, Dubai, Al Quoz Industrial Area 3, +97143393399, www.sebsports.com
Motorcycling
Distributors & Dealers Al Yousuf Motors, Dubai, Sheikh
Advertise HERE for only 1500AED/month for details call 04 44 72 701
2xWheeler, +971506003058, www.2xwheeler.com Dune Bike, Dubai, Al Khail Road Alweer, +97143272088, www.dunebuggyuae.com Duseja Motorcycles, Dubai, Al Quoz, +97143476712, www.apriliauae.com Gecko Motors, Dubai, Al Quoz, +97143413550, www.gecko-motors.com
Motorsports
Al Forsan Resort, Abu Dhabi, +97125568555, www.alforsan.com Dubai Autodrome, Dubai, www.dubaiautodrome.com Emirates Motorplex, Umm Al Quwain, +97167681717 Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, www.yasmarinacircuit.com
Off-Road
kawasaki@liberty.ae
Zayed Rd, www.aym.ae/yamaha/ Duseja Motorcycles, Dubai, Al Quoz, +97143476712, www.apriliauae.com Liberty Kawasaki, Dubai, Interchange4, Sheikh Zayed Road, +97142822144, www.libertykawasaki.com PolarisUAE, Al Ghandi Complex, Nad al Hamar Road, Ras Al Khor, +97142896100, www.polarisuae. com Tristar Motorcycles, +97143330659, www.tristaruae.com Workshop & Services
Manufacturer LRC Off Road Engineering, Dubai, +971553198526, www.lrcoffroad. com Repair and services Off Road Zone, Dubai, Al Quoz, +97143392449, www.offroad-zone.com Equipment AEV, Dubai & Abu Dhabi, +97143307152, www.aev.ae Icon Auto, Dubai, +97143382744, www.icon-auto.com Wild X Adventure Shop, Dubai, Um AL Ramoul, +971509029800, www.wildx.ae Yellow Hat, Dubai, Times Square Centre & Festival City, +97143418592, www.yellowhat.ae Tour Operator Desert Road Tours, Dubai, +97142959429, www.desertroadtours.com Off Road Adventures LLC, Dubai, +971506289667, www.arabiantours.com Clubs
Abu Dhabi Off- Road Club, www.ad4x4.com Filipino Off- Road Club, www.forac.ae ME 4X4, www.me4x4.com
Running
Clubs ABRasAC, Dubai, www.abrasac.org Abu Dhabi Tri Club, Abu Dhabi, www.abudhabitriclub.org Mirdiff Milers, Dubai, www.mirdifmilers.com
Stand up Paddling, Kite & Surfing, Wakeboarding
Equipment Leisure Marine Beach Hut, Dubai, The Walk JBR, +97144243191 Pearl Water Crafts, Dubai Marina Yacht Club, +971553749398, www.pearl-watercrafts.com Surf Dubai, Dubai, Umm Suqeim, +971505043020, www.surfingdubai.com Surf Shop Dubai, Dubai, Al Raha Bldg, Al Barsha 1, +97143990989, www.surfshopdubai.com UAE Kite Surfing, +971505626383, www.ad-kitesurfing.net Distributor Ocean Sports FZE, +971559352735, www.kitesurfsup.com Operator Al Forsan Resort, Abu Dhabi, +97125568555, www.alforsan.com Dubai Kite Surf School, Dubai, Umm Suqeim Beach, +971 504965107, www.dubaikitesurfschool.com Kite Fly, Dubai, +971502547440, www.kitesurf.ae Kite4fun, Abu Dhabi, +971508133134, www.kite4fun.net Nautica1992, Dubai, +971504262415, www.nautica1992.ae
Sky &Sea Adventures, Dubai, Hilton, Jumeirah Beach Road, +97143999005, www.watersportsdubai.com Surf Adventures UAE, Dubai, Al Barsha1, +97143990989, www.surfadventuresuae.com Surf School Dubai, Umm Suqeim & Al Barsha, Dubai, +97143990989, www.surfschooluae.com Clubs Abu Dhabi Stand Up Paddle www.uaesup.com
Water Parks
Aquaventure Atlantis, Dubai, Palm Jumeirah, +97144260000, www.atlantisthepalm.ae Dreamland Aqua Park, Umm Al Quwaim, Emirates Road, +97167681888, www.dreamlanduae.com Wild Wadi, Dubai, +97143484444, www.wildwadi.com
Other leisure activities
Abu Dhabi Golf Club, Abu Dhabi, + 97125588990, www.adgolfclub.com Dolphin Bay Atlantis, Dubai, +97144260000, www.atlantisthepalm.ae Dubai Dolphinarium Dubai, Creek Park Gate No. 1, +9713369773, www.dubaidolphinarium.ae Ifly Dubai, Dubai, Mirdiff City Centre, +97142316292, www.iflyme.com Sadiyaat Beach Club, Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island, +97125578000, www.sbgolfclub.ae Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club, Sharjah, +97143999005, www.golfandshootingshj.com SkiDubai, Dubai, Mall of The Emirates, +97144094000, www.skidxb.com Spacewalk Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, +97124463653, www.spacewalk.ae
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