OutdoorUAE - September 2013

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THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE THE UAE UAE AND AND THE THE MIDDLE MIDDLEEAST EAST

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Gear guide!

OUTDOOR PRODUCTS TO CHECK OUT

DOOMSDAY RIDE MTB’ING COSTA RICA TO BELIZE

IN THE

footsteps of the minoans

TREKKING IN CRETE SUP spot

PADDLING THE AMSTERDAM CANALS REPORT FROM THE

DASK ANATOLIAN MOUNTAIN MARATHON TEST DRIVE

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Issue 33, September 2013

Dubai: G-FACTORY Al-Ghurair Centre 04-2525217 • Lamcy Plaza 04-3352979 • THE WATCH HOUSE • Dubai Festival City • Dubai Mall • Mall of Emirates • HOUR CHOICE Arabian Centre • Burjuman • Deira City Centre • Dubai Festival City • Dubai Mall • Ibn Batuta Mall • Mercato Mall • Mirdif CC • RAGE SHOPS Dubai Mall • Mall of Emirates • WATCHES CORNER Deira City Centre • Dubai Mall • MASHAEL GALLERY Deira City Centre • WRIST WEAR TRADING LLC• Dubai Mall • TIME LINE TRADING Dubai Mall • BETTER TIMES Burdubai • REJEEE JEWELLERY • Al Khaleej Centre Abu Dhabi: WATCH HOUSE Abu Dhabi Mall • Al Wadha Mall • Hamdan Centre • Marina Mall • HOUR CHOICE Khalidiya Mall • Marina Mall • ARABIAN TRADING Delma Mall• RAGE SHOP Al Wadha Mall • BETTER TIMES Marina Mall • Al Wahda Mall • Sharjah: HOUR CHOICE Mega Mall • Sahara Centre • Sharjah City Centre • TIME SQUARE Mega Mall • BETTER TIMES Sharjah City Centre • Sahara Centre • Al Ain: WATCH HOUSE • Bawadi Mall • BETTER TIMES • Jimmi Mall Ras Al Khaima: WATCH HOUSE Rak Mall • HOUR CHOICE • Al Hamra Mall

THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST

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THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST

Back to business

Managing Editor Daniel Birkhofer Editors Glaiza Seguia, Tara Atkinson Designer Oybek Daniyarov Administration Jane Mesina Sales & Marketing (advertisement enquiries) Linda Turcerova Tel: 04-447 2030 Mobile: 055 9398915 linda@outdooruae.com Published by Outdoor UAE FZE In cooperation with D32 Event P.O. Box 215062 Dubai, U.A.E. Tel. 04-447 2030 contact@outdooruae.com www.outdooruae.com

After a sweltering summer lull, everyone is anticipating the cooler weather and the big events that come with the season. Although the heat is not an excuse to not be active, it’s definitely more fun to venture outside without melting on the spot. Now, it’s time to gear up again to race, ride or rough it! To help you with that, we’ve put together an outdoor product list this issue for you gear heads out there to choose from.

It’s a busy “back to work” atmosphere at the office with new team members on board and an already packed calendar of events. We do enjoy our constant dialogue with readers and partners via social media and email, but there’s still nothing like passionately chatting up face to face, so this month, OutdoorUAE is back at the annual ADIHEX to meet and mingle with everyone. Be sure to pop by our stand 7B62 in the Sport Fishing and Marine Sports area; we have a cool photo booth and giveaways waiting for you! We’ll also be at the Gulf Bike Week in October, the Dubai International Motor Show in November, and plans for our third Beach Event early next year are well underway, so watch out for that!

Distributor Tawzea, Abu Dhabi Media Company P.O. Box 40401, Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. Printed at Dubai Printing Press P.O. Box: 6820, Dubai, UAE Tel: 04-3370344 © 2013 Outdoor UAE FZE Issue 33 September 2013 Price: 10 DHS

Glaiza

THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE THE UAE UAE AND AND THE THE MIDDLE MIDDLEEAST EAST

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Gear guide!

OUTDOOR PRODUCTS

BETWEEN THE LINES

TO CHECK OUT

DOOMSDAY RIDE MTB’ING COSTA RICA TO BELIZE

IN THE

footsteps of the minoans

TREKKING IN CRETE SUP spot

PADDLING THE AMSTERDAM CANALS

Daniel Birkhofer Founder and Editor in Chief daniel@outdooruae.com

Linda Turcerova Sales and Marketing linda@outdooruae.com

Oybek Daniyarov Graphics & Programming oybek@outdooruae.com

Glaiza Seguia Editor glaiza@outdooruae.com

Tara Atkinson Travel Editor tara@outdooruae.com

REPORT FROM THE

DASK ANATOLIAN MOUNTAIN MARATHON TEST DRIVE

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Jane Mesina Administration jane@outdooruae.com

Issue 33, September 2013

1. COVER & 1-4 PAGES.indd 1

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8/31/2013 5:43:20 PM

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.

EXPERTS & CONTRIBUTORS

Kit Belen Our fishing pro

Pete Aldwinckle Climber and all-round adventure seeker

Gordon T Smith Desert Diver and wannabe Marine Biologist

Mike Nott The 4x4 expert

John Basson Moto/ATV and all round adventure seeker

Tori Leckie Writer, runner, blogger and adventurer.

Sandy Joy Rubin Pilates and yoga expert and general thrill seeking move-aholic

Darryl MacDonald Photographer, journalist, climbing and hiking junkie currently living in Oman.

Ian Ganderton Kayaker, climber, mountainbiker and snowboarder. Enthusiastic jack of all trades, master of none.

All contents are under copyrights and may not be reproduced in any kind without written permission. © 2013 Outdoor UAE FZE Reg. at Creative City Fujairah P.O. Box 4422, Fujairah, U.A.E.

WHEN YOU’RE DONE READING, PLEASE RECYCLE!

WANT TO CONTRIBUTE? CONTACT US! contact@outdooruae.com

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CONTENTS 46 DARRYL’S OMAN ESCAPE

30 COOL OUTDOOR GEAR

EVERY ISSUE

45 INTERVIEW WITH SURFER ADRIANO DE SOUZA

14 ADRIAN HAYES’ K2 EXPEDITION

05 BEST SHOTS 06 EVENTS CALENDAR 30 PRODUCTS 44 PEOPLE 58 DIRECTORY

EVENT REVIEWS 10 AMSTERDAM SUP 12 KEYS 100 MILE ULTRAMARATHON

TRAVEL + ADVENTURE 16 DOOMSDAY RIDE MTB 20 CRETE TREK 25 CLIMBING OJOS DEL SALADO

OUR EXPERTS 36 LAKELAND 100 - TORI 38 KIDS DIVING - JOHN 40 FISHING REELS - KIT

TIPS + TRICKS 52 PARTNER STRETCHES - SANDY 54 TRIATHLON TRAINING 56 CYCLE HUB TIPS

50 STAYING SAFE OFF-ROAD 4

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BEST SHOTS WINNER!

Here are the best shots sent in by you for the

monthly “Want Fame?” photography competition! Thank you for all your entries, they were all great and it was hard selecting the best photos this month. Congratulations to the top 3 winners (who will each receive Buff headwear and five free copies of the magazine) Shaheem Shafat, John Henzell and Trevor Allen. Well done!

To submit your entries, simply email us at competitions@ outdooruae.com with the subject “Best Shots.”

WINNER!

Shaheem Shafat

Rarely pictured high altitude lakes in the North Indian Himalayas in Kashmir.

WINNER!

John Henzell

Finding unsuspected holes in the riverbed at Wadi Dayqah, Oman.

Trevor Allen

Fisherman Terence Allen fighting a big mangrove jack.

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EVENTS CALENDAR Stay up-to-date with the latest events

Featured Event Abu Dhabi International Hunting and Equestrian Exhibition (ADIHEX) September 4 to 7, 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Centre

The Arabian Gulf’s most renowned hunting and equestrian event celebrates the rich Middle Eastern heritage and offers visitors an opportunity to discover the latest innovations in outdoor activities, marine sports, safari and arts. Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in the Western Region and Chairman of the Emirates Falconers’ Club, the annual event will showcase camel auctions, saluki, horse and falcon show, art and coffee-making competitions and other activities. OutdoorUAE will also be there, check out our stand 7B62 in the Sport Fishing and Marine Sports area for our photo booth, raffle prizes or to just meet the team. For more information, visit www.adihex.com.

Spinneys Build Up Ride 1 of 4

September 6, 6:00 a.m., Nad Al Sheba Cycle Park, Dubai The annual Spinneys Dubai 92 Cycle Challenge returns on December 13th so it’s time to warm up the bike saddles. Cycle Challenge designed a series of timed build up rides starting from September 6th until December to get you in shape and improve your bike skills in preparation for the main event. For more information, visit www.cyclechallenge.ae

Dubai Fitness Championship Finals September 12 to 13, Dubai Ice Rink, Dubai Mall

Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Majid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, the second edition of the event is aimed to promote fitness, health and well-being among Emiratis through competition workouts including A jumps, shuttle runs and burpee box step-overs. After the qualifying rounds, the finals will be hosted at the special track in the Dubai Ice Rink. The 36 qualifiers this year and last year’s champs will battle it out for the grand prize. For more information, visit dxbfitness.com.

Iftar Challenge 2013

September 18, 8:00 p.m., Dubai Autodrome Organised by the Dubai Road Runners, the annual 5km race is open to male and female juniors (age 14 to 17) and adults (age 18 and above), and will tackle two laps of the Dubai Autodrome’s floodlit racing track in clockwise direction. To register, visit www.premiermarathons.com.

Yoga and Well-being Retreat

September 19 to 21, Talise Spa at Madinat Jumeirah Under the guidance of qualified instructors and practitioners, guests will be guided through meditations, nutrition classes and yoga sessions in an inspiring beach setting. The weekend is designed to develop a better understanding of yourself, motivate you into changing and adopting a healthier diet and lifestyle, give you the space to clear your mind and meet like-minded people. The package includes meals prepared by the Resort Wellness Chef Gabriela Kurz, use of Talise Spa facilities and 60-minute massage. For more information and bookings, please call 043666818 or email MJtalise@jumeirah.com.

Aloft Runs for Children ADNEC 2013 September 20, 8:00 a.m., Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Centre

Now in its fourth year, the annual indoor charity run at ADNEC in support of the Road to Awareness campaign is the first competition of the season for the Abu Dhabi running community. It is open to individual and team relay categories. The team run will start from 8:00 a.m. and the 6km to 20km individual runs at 9:00 a.m. Aside from the competition prizes there is also a grand raffle with a chance to win trips, weekend breaks and stays in one of the many Starwood hotels around the world and many more. For more information, visit www.aloftabudhabi.com.

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NEWS + COMMENT

Back on track Optimism and resilience are the best weapons in the face of adversity. This has been true for UAE-based cyclist Doug Fleming, 55, who after suffering a debilitating illness two years ago, is now literally back on his feet and on the saddle to face life’s challenges head on.

November 2nd 2011 was supposed to be an ordinary day for the Scotsman who happily saddled up for his regular ride at the Dubai Autodrome. When he went home, he felt a tingling sensation on his feet which he mistakenly dismissed as a simple discomfort due to his cycling shoes. But when he woke up on November 5th to go to the bathroom, Doug realised he couldn’t walk and needed to crawl in order to get out of bed. With the help of his wife, Marie, they made it to the American Hospital, but what he initially thought would just be a few hours visit turned out to be a six-month stay.

He was diagnosed with Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP), a neurological disorder characterised by progressive weakness and impaired sensory function in the legs and arms, and was in and out of intensive care unit.

It was a long and painful road to recovery; he lost 14k in weight, his muscles shrunk and he had to be turned every hour to avoid bedsores. Various tests and physiotherapy sessions were needed to gain back his motor skills. “I embraced physio with a vengeance. I used to joke that they came each day to torture me, but to be honest, I relished the pain. It was better than lying helpless in bed. Weeks of painful stretching resulted to getting my feet off the bed and ‘stand’ with the aid of a mechanical frame,” he recalled.

Doug was grateful to have a strong support system composed of family and friends who helped him get through this very difficult time. “My wife had 25 years of ICU nursing experience and had actually taken care of people with this condition. My daughter Lisa was due to start working in France, but

Words By: Glaiza Seguia Photos By: Andy Fordham

flew to Dubai to see me, and when my son Ross visited he was always happy to push my wheelchair, never feeling ashamed or embarrassed by the state of his father,” he said. Doug’s colleagues from Cisco Systems and cycling buddies often dropped by to update him about the cycling circuit which he missed so much. “I discovered just how many superb friends I had made in Dubai.

Every week I had visitors from Cycle Safe keeping me up to speed on who was riding well, who had crashed, brought me books, magazines and DVDs on cycling and kept me up to speed about the amazing development of the Dubai Cycling Course at Al Qudra. One of my key motivations while in hospital was to get back on the bike.”

All his hard work paid off when Doug was finally discharged from the hospital by the end of April last year and his therapy progressed to physio visits at home, sessions at the UpAndRunning Integrated Sports Medical Center and classes at Optimal Fitness.

By October, he was already riding, but he had a few tumbles although nothing serious.

The recovery period allowed him to reflect about his priorities in life and so he created a fitness and nutrition blog (thefitnesshacker. com/wp/) aimed to inspire people to make a healthy change. “I had to learn to walk again at the age of 55. If I can do that after nine months of being paralysed that might just help someone realise their situation is actually a lot better than where I was; that with a little effort they can achieve better health.

I’m happy to mentor people and advise them on how to go about getting fit.”

According to Doug, if there is something he learnt from this experience it’s that you should never take your health for granted.

Although he is an active person prior the

incident – he is an avid off-piste skier, golfer and enjoys hikes in the Scottish highlands – Doug realised he had an unstructured training. “Treat health just like a business meeting. Put it in your calendar and commit to making it happen. Exercise need not be in blocks of one hour at the gym. Micro exercise is a key contributor to fitness. Sitting is seriously detrimental to health so get up and move every 15-20 minutes. Need to make an important phone call? Stand up, walk around for 60 seconds then dial.” He also added that progressive exercising and sleep are essential.

With a newfound goal and determination, Doug is slowly regaining his rhythm and shares his fitness progress through his blog.

He plans to take on big challenges this year like the Spinneys Dubai 92 Cycle Challenge in December and will try to beat the time he set two years ago. He’s also preparing for his first 10km run and first Coast to Coast 220km by early next year. His simple words of advice for those who are experiencing a similar struggle – just never give up: “For those with CIDP, relish the physio. It might hurt, it might be scary, but it is absolutely essential to the recovery and only you can make it happen. For others who are ill or just unhealthy, 90% of the solution is mental.

Be positive. You can do it. Build support network that will help you achieve your objectives, join a club, make fitness a routine part of your life.”

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NEWS + COMMENT

Nissan Patrol conquers ultimate challenge and achieves Guinness World Record The Nissan Patrol Challenge reached its grand finale last month with a new Guinness World Record set by the unstoppable Hero of All Terrain. In the presence of His Excellency Dr Ghanem Alhajiri, Chairman of Sharjah International Airport, Nissan Patrol became the holder of the “Heaviest object pulled by any production vehicle” Guinness World Record and notched up another historic milestone for il-

lustrious heritage. The event, held at Sharjah International Airport, saw an unmodified production Nissan Patrol haul a 170.9 ton cargo plane, inclusive of weight of the plane, fuel and the cargo for over 50 metres, smashing the previous record by 15 tons.

The record attempt was supported by Sharjah International Airport and held under the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammed Al Thani, Chairman of Civil Aviation of Sharjah.

In order to express its thanks for its invaluable support, Nissan shared this accolade

with Sharjah International Airport.

Commenting on this iconic moment, Samir Cherfan, Managing Director, Nissan Middle-East said: “Today, Nissan celebrates another landmark day in the Middle East with its second Guinness World Record in eight months. When we began this project we encouraged the people of the Middle East to dream up the next and ultimate challenge for the Hero of All Terrain, Nissan Patrol. The overwhelming response has been the inspiration for today’s historic events and we thank all who participated and His Excellency and the Sharjah International Airport for their priceless cooperation.

The Nissan Patrol Challenge was launched in 2012 and invited the region’s people to share their great ideas of how they have dreamt of using this iconic vehicle online.

Encouraging fans to design an innovative test for the Patrol and give themselves a chance of winning an once-in-a-lifetime trip to Japan and other great prizes.

The fourth Spinneys Dubai 92 Cycle Challenge is set to ride again!

The date for the 2013 Spinneys

Dubai 92 Cycle Challenge will be on December 13th with over 2,000 amateur cyclists expected at the annual challenge around the iconic streets of Dubai.

Dubai Sports Council (DSC), the challenge promotes fitness for all in Dubai and now

Part of “Dubai Pulse,” the Spinneys Dubai 92 Cycle Challenge is the largest amateur cycling challenge in the Middle East, doubling in size each year.

Started in 2010 with the support of the

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attracts cyclists of all abilities from all over the world keen to test themselves over 92km around the famous local landmarks.

“The success and growth of the challenge in Dubai is due to the support of Spinneys, Dubai 92 and the sports council all promoting health and fitness amongst the community of Dubai,” stated Stewart Howison, race director.

Dr Ahmad Sa’ad Al Sharif, DSC General Secretary commented: “This challenge reflects the increase in popularity of cycling in the city and the support of the authorities that has seen over 100km of dedicated cycling tracks being built around the city. The challenge receives the full support of the Dubai Police and the RTA.”

Preparations for the challenge start in September with the running of build up rides to test the cyclists over increasing distances leading up to the challenge. Dates for these have already been approved with the first build up ride taking place early this month.

For more information, visit www.cyclechallenge.ae or email info@cyclechallenge.ae.

EVENT REPORT

Amsterdam

SUP

Words By: Jen Scully and Nick Yates of Live Love SUP Photos By: Natasha Yates, Vintage Apple Photography

When you think of Stand Up Paddling (SUP) you usually think of sandy beaches paddling off the coast of California or catching waves in Hawaii, but nowadays, it’s pretty easy to find places to SUP in almost every major city that has some sort of body of water. And exploring a city by SUP can give you a pretty unique perspective. Plus, it’s a great way to avoid the crowds and keep active.

people were loving it. It was quite a sight and we found out that the paddlers were asked to join in a massive paddle as part of the opening of the Amsterdam Boat Show. When Nick and I saw this picture we agreed that we had to do

why Amsterdam has so many of them.

something similar and wanted to make it happen over the summer.

Fast forward six months and on August 16th we helped to organise Friday Night SUP and for a great cause – to raise money for charity:water through our company Live Love SUP. It started as an idea and with the help of our Live Love SUP brand ambassador, Morene Dekker in Amsterdam, who runs M&M Stand Up Paddling, it all came together perfectly.

Morene “SUP Amsterdam” Dekker has an amazing ability to promote and encourage people to get out there and paddle. Her, like many other stand up paddlers, passion for SUP is infectious. It’s definitely part of the reason

houseboat. Ours was nothing fancy, in fact the boat’s name was “Tramp” and our apartment was the tiniest of the three on board. It was the old skipper’s quarters on this long cargo boat and the most affordable. It was perfect, we couldn’t ask for anything more as we could literally jump onto our boards from the boat and be on the water paddling in a matter of seconds. Plus we were only about a 20-minute paddle from where we would be meeting for the upcoming Friday Night SUP. Wednesday morning was a gorgeous day in Amsterdam and according to the forecast it was probably going to be our only sunny day while we were there. After our al fresco breakfast on the houseboat, we set off to explore

We arrived in Amsterdam on a Tuesday and got settled into our new digs. Forget traditional hotel rooms, when in Amsterdam, find a

Amsterdam is an amazing city, full stop.

There is so much to see and do that a few days just doesn’t suffice. Our recent visit in August had a special purpose though, we’d save the museums and “must sees” till our next trip, this time we were there to SUP. Oh and stay on a houseboat too, this was a must.

Last March, we saw a photo of at least 50 stand up paddlers cruising the canals of Amsterdam and while it looked freezing,

Photo By: Live Love SUP

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the city on the canals by SUP. While we knew we would be doing this in just a few days time, we couldn’t wait to get out there sooner.

We thought it might be a problem as we set out to see the city and forgot the map, but thankfully it proved to be pretty simple as most canals go in a loop. And while you do have to watch out for the boat traffic, mainly from the tourist boats, it’s easy to find your way back when you follow one of these. We had a relaxing three-hour paddle cruising the canals and the vantage point from the water was great.

Not only are you able to look up and see the architecture of the homes, but you also get a

pretty good close up of life on the houseboats as you paddle by their windows. There are also always a lot of onlookers and I’m sure we’d be rich if we got a euro for each photo that was snapped while we were paddling.

After our initial paddle, we couldn’t wait until Friday. Imagining adding 30-50 other paddlers (our initial estimates), we knew it would be epic. The next day or so, we squeezed in some sightseeing, I volunteered my time for a race clinic and of course finished up with some more promoting on FB, Twitter, etc. Rain or shine was key as the weather was looking a bit glum for our Friday evening event. We were told though, in Amsterdam, forget about the weather, it always changes and we were convinced people don’t care if it rains, they’ll still paddle.

Friday evening, we paddled from our houseboat to Hannekes Boom (a great little bar on the water) to meet fellow paddlers for our Friday Night SUP charity paddle with Live Love SUP and M&M SUP. We teamed up with Morene along with other SUP companies and distributors for the evening to fundraise for clean drinking water through charity:water.

The winds were picking up, dark clouds were headed straight for us and the rain started in.

Thankfully, it didn’t last too long. By 6:30 p.m., there were already 50 paddlers with boards and paddles on the water ready to go and more were still arriving! Hans from SUP Amsterdam planned out the logistics and course for the evening and at 7:15 we set off for our Friday Night SUP. All 75 of us!

It was an amazing night on the water. Paddlers came from all over Holland, many had

Photo By: Live Love SUP

only been on a SUP a time or two. A fair few looked as if they had just arrived from the office still paddling in their work attire. We zigzagged our way through the canals waving at tourists on the boats, chatting to locals on their houseboats and stopping for one giant picture half-way through. This garnered quite a crowd and many cheers as we all posed for a group photo from one of the bridges. We got asked lots of questions from those walking along the street and could spot photo after photo being taken from the windows of the apartments along the canal. We’re pretty sure a lot of these people were thinking “we wish we were out there, that looks like so much fun.” It was.

It was relaxing, very social and a great way to see the city.

Photo By: Live Love SUP

Live Love SUP raised 693 USD for charity:water for the night helping to continue our goal of giving back while uniting paddlers around the world. This would not have been possible without the help of Morene Dekker from M&M SUP/Boga, Hans form SUP Amsterdam, Fanatic, Fone, SUP Spirit and all of our new paddling friends in Amsterdam.

For more pictures of our Friday Night SUP in Amsterdam check out Live Love SUP on Facebook. You can also give to our charity:water project at www.livelovesup.com When is Amsterdam, contact Morene at www.mm-sup.com for your SUP adventure.

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TRAVEL + ADVENTURE

Keys 100 Miler Beauty and the beast journey Words By: Gigi Young

Being a bit more experienced as an ultrarunner, I thought it would be a good idea to take up another challenge. With there being few “road race” 100-milers, and the trail type not really my strength, I was very fortunate to have found the Keys 100 Mile race in South Florida, starting from Key Largo as a point to point race to Key West. Simply put, this is a race of extreme beauty that offers a brutal experience.

The beauty…

I arrived in Houston five days before the race to acclimatise and get over the jet lag. I had a lovely stay with old friends from Dubai, Jane and Malcolm, who kindly offered me to stay with them. I departed for Keys Largo via Miami on Thursday where John and I had the first taste of the

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“Keys atmosphere” with some very cool restaurants and lovely food. On Friday, I experienced a very well-organised race pack pick up and thorough orientation for the runners and crew. I was made to feel relaxed and comfortable after receiving such as warm and friendly welcome from the Race Director Bob Becker. He made a specific announcement during the prerace briefing mentioning that I had come all the way from Dubai, and as a result, I received so many questions, greetings and wishes of good luck from the others runners and volunteers. A total of more than 900 runners were to participate that combined the 100mi sole race with a 50mi race and a team 100mi race made up of six runners per team.

The race kicked off at 6:10 Saturday morning and within 30 minutes, sunrise and a beautiful skyline unfolded. The route would take me to Key West on a combination of cycle tracks and road running crossing 40 bridges with stunning ocean views on both sides. The route provided unforgettable views of beautiful islands, tropical style houses, palm trees, beaches and the clear blue sky with the turquoise sea. I tried to take in as much as the beautiful scenery as possible – it was breathtaking despite having to run a 100 mi!

The race from start to finish was well supported by numerous and well placed aid stations providing a terrific range of hydration drinks, nutrition and ice (lots of ice!).

In addition, it was a welcome opportunity to be able to take advantage of the numerous unmanned cooler boxes filled with ice along the route. Post race, we return to the finish area where Bob and his team had set up a marquee tent on the beach with a live band, BBQ, drinks and a very stylish set up where the runners and their crews could relax, chat and catch up on sharing their experiences. The celebration was very stylish with unique locally designed conch shell awards.

With a cut off of 32 hours many runners were still crossing the finishing line, but despite the long run they had finished the 100mi race and, as fellow

runners, we all stood to welcome those who had suffered through one hell of an ordeal.

Following the lunch time BBQ, the party moved to another local restaurant and bar in Key West. It’s amazing how close you become over such a short time when your shared experience is so extreme. We had a good time relaxing and laughing off the previous day’s ordeal over lots of drinks and more great local seafood.

The beast…

I learned very quickly that this race was not going to be against the distance, but against the climate! I stood waiting at the start line apprehensive but well prepared physically – my coach Howard had provided me with a perfect training programme that focused on quality training.

The temperature as we waited for the start gun was already 28°C and 80 per cent humidity. After the first 10mi (there is not one single shade on the route) the sun started to get stronger, the temperature rose (32°C) and as the humidity kicked in we quickly realised this was going to be one hell of a long day! With not a yard of shade and the clear Florida sun blazing down, it was as if I had not left Dubai!

At about the halfway mark there is a 7mi long bridge. No support cars or stations are allowed on the bridge. I had been running for over nine hours already under the sun and John decided to tackle this long bridge with me. As the bridge rose, we were provided with breathtaking views of the ocean.

We carried four large bottles of drinks and ice with us that ran out quickly. John was mumbling about when are we going to get off this “God forsaken bridge.”

The soles of my feet were burning from the hot concrete; legs and chest were on fire and I was forced to run and power walk

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to avoid overheating. It was a welcome sight to see John’s friend Mauricio with our support car with water and the chance to dig my head in the icebox! The heat reached its peak around 4:00 p.m. and the sun continued to burn any exposed skin.

It didn’t set until 8:00 p.m. at which time I realised I was exhausted. My legs were shot from the heat, my feet were swollen and burnt, I could feel blisters taking shape over my feet and the unmistakable feeling of toe nails being detached from my toes (four by the end of the race). After over 12 hours in the sun, I was beginning to run 1km then power walk for 200m; counting every single step! My crew was carefully parked every 2-3km to see me come through and make sure I was well hydrated and eating properly. John started to read me all the cheering messages from friends and family in Dubai, it encouraged me on. On reaching the final 75mi check point, finally I dared to think of the finish line!

When you’ve run the entire day under a burning sun, experienced hellish heat and tiredness, running into the black of night on your own gives rise to huge challenges of loneliness and the stronger you need to be. To be honest, I never dreamt I would have run this race faster than Washie last year. However, with the brilliant support of John and Mauricio, my race crew and a little determination and will power I crossed the finish line in 20hr 16:44. 10th position overall and 1st place Master Female. Very chuffed!

in me more, he has my deepest gratitude.

To Mauricio, who decided just two weeks before the race to join us as support crew.

To my family, their unlimited understanding and encouragement enabled me to fulfill my dream. To my invaluable dear friends, Andrea, Julie, Samantha, Noel, Monique, Kerry, Matt, Rosemary, Rachael, Marek, Jerry and Kaye; their support in running with me in the dark or whenever I needed, to looking after my girls and dogs. To Howard, my coach, for another successful professional coaching plan to get me through this hell of a tough day! Lastly, thank you ever so much for all the cheering messages and nice words posted by the runners in Dubai. For now, please don’t ask me what is next. I am resting my feet and my running shoes as it’s far too hot to run outside… or is it?

The final beast of the journey

We didn’t expect I would have completed the race so soon (2:15 a.m.) and John hadn’t booked a hotel for Saturday night! We had to wait until 11:00 a.m. Sunday to check in!

We drove around Key West for an hour looking for hotel rooms, but everything was full.

We returned to the finish line car park and in my rather sweaty gear and an airline blanket compliments of Emirates. I slept in the back of the car until 8:00. After all the things he had done and prepared for this race in the last six months, I dare not say anything!

I know I could never say enough thanks to the following people, as without them there would never have been another “dream come true” day! To John, my dear husband I am the unbelievably lucky beneficiary of his love and kindness. No one has believed

TRAVEL + ADVENTURE

T ill next time,

K2

Words + Photos Provided By: Adrian Hayes

It was a tragic season in the Karakorum Mountains of Pakistan. The shootings in Nanga Parbat killing ten foreign climbers and a Pakistani cook on 22nd June was followed by the deaths of ten climbers over the following two months on Broad, Gasherbrum 1 and Gasherbrum 2.

It was also an unsuccessful season for climbers like me and my team attempting to summit K2, with no teams conquering the challenge, and of course, the tragic death of New Zealand father and son Marty and Denali Schmidt who were killed at Camp 3 by an avalanche.

The Nanga Parbat shootings took place on the night I arrived in Islamabad. By morning, the news had spread around the whole hotel, which was full of climbers and trekkers heading to the Karakorum. Needless to say it was a huge shock for all, with most of the victims known by one or more of those in the hotel. The tragedy brought home the paradox that while death from altitude, exhaustion, avalanches or falls is an accepted part of the risks of mountaineering, death from being executed by a group of murderers is not.

However, while 75% of trekkers cancelled

RIP Denali Schmidt

Schmidt memorial

their trekking tours, 100% of the climbers continued. As tragic as the Nanga Parbat incident was, climbers face risks constantly and evaluate the matter far less emotionally than most people. The risks of a second similar incident were far less than what all of us faced on the mountains.

After we had established camps and acclimatised over a period of five weeks, our summit attempt began on 24th July, and was expected to take five days.

My vigorous training for over a year meant I was at the height of my physical fitness and before we made the final summit push, I was confident of success subject to suitable weather.

However, the weather was not on our side and treacherous snow conditions meant a safe summit attempt was not possible.

It was not an easy decision to make; having to abandon the expedition, but it was made unanimously. We aborted the summit push on the 25th July, after our Sherpas failed to reach Camp 3 at 7,300m, struggling to climb through waist deep snow lying on blue-iced slopes and regularly being swept down by slides during the long day’s climb.

So worried were they by the conditions, caused largely by two days of unexpectedly heavier snowfall than forecasted, that opinion was already being formed that summiting K2 was again impossible this year.

While conditions were too dangerous on 25th July, they may have improved considerably a week or so later, which some of us were attempting to persuade the doubters. The avalanche that ultimately killed the Schmidts and buried their tents, oxygen and other equipment, however, ruled any thoughts of a second attempt out.

Aborting the summit push was only questioned by Marty and Denali. As one does in Base Camps, I got to know them both pretty well in the weeks before they died.

Along with their teammate Chris Warner, my teammate Al Hancock and I were the last to speak to the Schmidts on the morning of 26th July in their tent at Camp 2, prior to our descent to Base Camp. Marty was dismissive of our retreat and adamant that he and son Denali would continue up the mountain.

Their plan was to head to Camp 3 and see the conditions for themselves before then making a decision whether to go ahead and attempt the summit.

That same night, having taken nine hours instead of an expected five or six to reach Camp 3, a tired Marty Schmidt briefly radioed his teammate Warner, who was back at Base Camp with the rest of us. Marty claimed it had been a hard day, very windy and they were extremely cold. He said they would check conditions in the morning and

Camp 1 and the Baltoro Glacier beneath

make a decision on their plans then – a somewhat indecisive message from the usually clear cut Schmidt.

When no further calls were received in the next two days, the unmentionable was going through everyone’s mind. On 28th July, two of our Sherpas spent the day bravely climbing up to Camp 3 in an attempt to clarify the Schmidt’s whereabouts. Their discovery, in the fading light of the evening, confirmed our worst fears – Camp 3 had been wiped out by a huge avalanche. Tents and equipment was buried under the snow and scattered over a large area. Asleep in their tents on that first night, the Schmidt’s would have had no chance of survival.

What was so striking was the weather was superb and the mountain soaring up above Base Camp in brilliant sunshine. I wasn’t the only one who gazed up at the area of Camp 3 thinking how a tragedy could have happened to two such experienced climbers and great people. It was not lost on anyone that, had all the teams been at Camp 3 that night as planned, it would have been the greatest loss of life on a single mountain in Himalayan history.

Having returned from K2, I am spending the first month back in the UK, recuperating and relaxing, seeing friends and family and getting strong again after losing much weight AH climbing to Camp 2

Avalanche at K2 Base Camp

and coming back sick. After that, it will be training hard again for various events in the season, but K2 is the big goal for the next year. Make no mistake, K2 is steep, technical and dangerous, but I am not one to give up. I will definitely be back in 2014 to attempt it again. I am far wiser post event than before I set off on this expedition. I’ll be climbing an 8,000m peak in Nepal first to “warm up” and then, within two weeks back to Pakistan again in mid-June to attempt K2 again. The rest of the training will be as before, with a few tweaks.

The encouragement from my friends, family and even from many who do not know me personally continues to spur me on. I always say this but when you’re away from civilisation, with few creature comforts, often cold, hungry and tired, simple messages of support have an affect ten times that of those in normal latitudes. They were and are greatly appreciated and a huge thanks to all those who sent such messages.

I will return to K2 in 2014, and hopefully second time round, luck will be on my side.

For more updates on Adrian’s adventures, visit www.facebook.com/adrianmhayes and www.twitter.com/adrianhayes.

OUTDOORUAE

15

TRAVEL + ADVENTURE

Follow the footsteps of the Mayans to the end of the World Words + Photos By: Astrid Stark

He is slumped against me in the crammed and swelteringly hot minibus. We’re on a Honduran road and speeding towards the Guatemalan border as if we’re fleeing from the police. He is tall for a Honduran, wears a weathered cowboy hat, and what looks like the real deal Stetson boots. The enormous moustache doesn’t muffle his snoring. With every bump he snuggles tighter and his hairy left hand starts creeping towards my leg. Am I imagining it? But now his hand is resting lightly on my thigh. I scrutinize his seemingly comatose face. And then he starts touching my thigh with his fingers. I am Jacky Chan, my elbow whacks him, hard, in the ribs.

He jumps out of his seat - jip he is quite tall - glares at me and spits Spanish. I don’t understand what he is saying but I can guess. Everyone in the bus looks embarrassed. He had it coming. Besides, I was in a foul mood. I have been traveling across the Honduran back roads for the last 12 hours using chicken buses, taxis, minibuses, tuktuks and doing a lot of walking.

See, I had the misfortune of being attacked by a pack of large and very angry Honduran hounds a few days earlier. Truth: they were three teeny, tiny Chihuahualooking critters. There I was cycling on a sunny day with Henry Gold: maverick, inventor, raconteur and survivor of an elephant stomping. Henry thought it would be a nice idea to create a bicycle tour from Costa Rica, through Nicaragua, then Honduras, Guatemala and finally into Belize. The tour will start 17th November and end 12th December Lisa aka Little Spoon and Boston hitchbiking

2012, yep, the end of the word. And so it was done. He called it the Doomsday Ride.

So there we were, Henry and me, babbling away, taking in the glorious natural beauty of Honduras, waving at the friendly locals, and pretending not to be utterly exhausted. The critters started chasing us as we hit an uphill.

We were used to being chased by dogs, and besides they were tiny so we ignored them. They were relentless and building up speed and one went straight for my leg.

Too late I grabbed for my waterbottle to spray the cretin and there it was. His tooth just broke the skin on my calf. Game over for me for a bit. I had taken just about every imaginable vaccination, pill and precaution for South America: except the one for rabies.

I love dogs. They will never bite me. What a laugh. Anyhow, the feisty Welsh tour doctor wagged her finger in front of my nose and sent me back to go and get some shots whilst the rest of the cyclists on the Doomsday Ride kept on moving forward toward the glorious Guatemala.

What gave my elbow that extra momentum into the cowboy dude’s ribs was the fact that rest of my clan were about to enter the village of Copán to visit the ruins, one of the finest preserved Mayan sites in Honduras, and one of the main reasons for me wanting to get on this trip: the Mayan temples. I never got to see the Copán ruins, as I stood in endless clinic queues, with lots of Mayan mums and their babies, towering above

Doomsday riders in a convoy to Antigua led by Dan Johnson

the short ladies like some freckled faced redheaded barbarian.

Oddly enough, I was having the time of my life. We were a curious bunch of cyclists from across the globe: eight South Africans, a big bunch of Canadians, and a small representation from America, The Netherlands, Germany and France. We were ready to tackle the 28 days of cycling along the footsteps of the Mayans and through ancient temples. Our tour leader was a roughshod but charming Crocodile Dundee type from Brazil with a strong aversion to bathing.

The young and feisty Welsh doctor tended to our bodies. There were two support vehicles, one hilariously driven by a robust Costa Rican called Bernardo, who spoke not a word of English, seemed allergic to road maps, and the GPS, and had a most peculiar sense of humour. We spoke Spanglish and used charades and somehow we managed to understand each other. Then, toss in When cycling Central America it is not the dangerous roads, but the dinosaurs you have to look out for

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The fabulous Costa Rican driver Bernardo and our Brazilian tour leader harvesting coconuts

the tour founder, Henry Gold, a quixotic maverick who emigrated from Communist Czechoslovakia to Canada, had an epiphany when the elephant stood on his head, and created a whole bunch of epic bicycle tours all over the world, aptly named, 7Epics. They are seven incredibly long and some rather tough bicycle tours across the globe and a first of its kind.

Cycling was akin to torture on some days. We took the back roads which were excellent for beautiful, quiet nature rides up and down lush tropical hills. However, it also meant that often we bumped along rutted roads, roads filled with tiny stones and sometimes no roads. Sometimes after rattling across washboard roads it felt as if your brain was leaking out of your ears and your spine shifted a little to the left. We often fell, cursed, some of us cried a little, and it was only good fortune that we never broke any bones. We met friendly locals on the way and practiced our Spanish on them. We ate mangoes and slurped on freshly harvested coconut milk. It seems like the further we cycled away from the big cities, the friendlier people were. We cycled past thundering waterfalls and down endless beautiful downhills. The sight of the lunch truck crammed with sandwiches, fruits, juice, Nutella – and every cyclist’s Achilles’ Heel – peanut butter, would bring tears to our eyes as we ate it by the spoonful and out of the tubs. We were careless about what we put in our mouths.

We knew the next hill would devour the newly acquired calories.

The Doomsday Ride was cleverly designed so you can ride most of the day on Suzie Q from South Africa loving the river crossing in Costa Rica

your own, or with the group, your choice. So when you have the grumps with the rest you can pedal it out on your own. The only rule is that you have to be at the final destination by sunset otherwise the support vehicle will collect you. So that is a lot of freedom in a strange land, which is utterly liberating and exhilarating. But some often rode together.

Our weird and wonderful little group quickly bonded. Some chose partners of the same speed to ride with and others tackled it alone. Such freedom. I sat out for many days taking photos and taking notes. But the rest of the Doomsday family members were tough as nails, taking each day in their stride. And then on our rest days? Well you’d think that we would collapse in an exhausted heap. Nope. We’d go horseback riding, kayaking next to a volcano, swimming, learned to dance the Punta, ziplined in a rainforest, took yoga classes and milked cows.

But cycling was just one part of the adventure. I did get to experience the other two Mayan ruins, Tikal and Lamanai, on the trip.

Imagine cycling through an ancient Mayan temple that is tucked away in a lush tropical rainforest. All you hear is your breathing and the babbling of Howler monkeys in the trees up above. The smell of damp soil and vegetation hangs heavy in the air and the crisscross of sun and shadow throw psychedelic patterns into the jungle where, you’re almost certain, you saw the silhouette of a Jaguar on the prowl.

Tikal in Guatamala is a World Heritage Site. Our group left Flores, the closest village to Tikal, at 3:00 a.m. to avoid crowds and watch the sunrise over the temples. We arrived in the dark and sat quiet like statues on the temple steps. When the sun finally made an appearance, so did the fog. And it stayed for a long time. The fog eventually lifted to reveal the ancient Mayan structures.

The magical sounds of the jungle waking up made it worth the wait and journey.

Our last temple visit to Lamanai was filled with feelings of accomplishment and misery.

It was our last cycling day on the Doomsday Ride into the heart of Lamanai ruins in Belize. It took place on 21st December 2012, the day the world was said to end, and certainly the end of the Mayan calendar.

We were expecting swarms of hippies and doomsday theory supporters but there was hardly a soul in sight. We had the entire ruins to ourselves. It was magical, mystical and oh so peaceful. Lamanai may not be as wellpreserved, loaded with history, or as large as Tikal or Copán, but it is my favourite out of the three purely for its mystical ambience.

We set up a table next to the Jaguar Temple and enjoyed a last early dinner. We poured a bottle on one of the ruins: a local told us this will appease the gods and it might grant us a reprieve from this end-of-the-world business. And then we waited for the grand finale. It hasn’t come, yet.

Cycling Central America is the perfect way to travel. On your bike you choose to fly fast or go slow, and you stop as much as you like to take in the smells and spectacular scenery, or take photos. You get to meet as many locals as you want. You can even “hitchbike” if the mood takes you. And you get to eat as much as you like without turning into The Blob. My memories of the Doomsday Ride

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are of cycling through a lush rainforest, her relentless but beautiful hills, drinking next to Lake Arenal, sharing great stories with the other cyclists, shopping – and the best Guatemalan hospitality in Antiqua - getting lost, cringing at my bad Spanglish, the excitement that entering each new country brings, the crappy border posts, strolling through ancient temples, but mostly and unexpectedly finding myself part of an impromptu Doomsday family.

After our temple lunch we returned to Belize City, for the last time together as a group. Shortly after that we all started going our own way, some together for a little while longer. And then back to our different countries – alone. And the first pangs of separation anxiety started setting in. It was inevitable. You cannot easily spend five weeks with a group of people, traveling in the same direction, suffering hardship and extreme joy, and not become part of a very unique clan. Cycling Central America? Hell yes! So if you decide to leap out of your comfort zone and get on a bike, don’t forget those rabies shots, even if dogs love you.

The Doomsday Ride – La Ruta Maya – has been designed by Tour d’Afrque Ltd, (TDA Ltd.) a bicycle tour company that has been described by Newsweek as the World’s Leading bicycle tour operator. www.tourdafrique.com The next Doomsday Ride starts on 17th November and finishes on 21st December 2013. (TDA Ltd has been designing bicycle tours and races for 11 years and it has tours on six continents, covering more than 50 countries.)

TDA LTD created 7Epics to compliment its existing tours. 7Epics is a series of spectacular, fully supported, long-distance cycling expeditions/races passing through over 50 countries and six continents that, when combined, cover over 72,000kms or almost twice around the globe. 7epics.com/

Astrid Stark lives in heaven: Cape Town, South Africa. She is a freelance travel writer and her work has been published in numerous local and international publications. For fun she writes restaurant and theatre reviews, works on zombie stories and walks her dog, Ziggy Stardust, up and down Table Mountain. She dreams of building an earthship. www.astridstark1.wordpress.com Photo By: Theresa Brown Astrid Stark

TRAVEL + ADVENTURE

Kitesurfing

in Kenya Words By: Kris Goodbody Photos By: Kris Goodbody and Alex Brandstätter

When many of us think of Kenya a handful of well worn images tend to come to mind.

Maybe the slightly intimidating image of bustling Nairobi, or possibly Kilimanjaro rising up from the plains of the Serengeti (though that particular monolith unfortunately belongs to Tanzania) - and of course Kenya is home of the safari and no image would be complete without that of a tan 4x4 filled with tourists scrambling through rutted tracks.

There is, though, a whole different side of Kenya that is often overlooked in our usual summation of the country. Hundreds of years Rajab up and riding

ago while the great interior of the country was roamed by warring tribes and the white man had yet to leave his indelible mark, Kenya’s coastline was a hub of civilisation. The Swahili language and culture that is so synonymous with Kenya and Tanzania was a creation of the Arab settlers in port cities like Mombasa and Malindi. Coastal Kenya is a place steeped in millennia of Arabic history - a fascinating departure from the frontier-esque feel of the country’s wild interior.

What made this settlement by the Arabs, and later by the Europeans, a possibility is the opportunity that it allowed for trade - and this was all thanks to the trade winds. In this part of the world the wind starts blowing from the north-east in October and blows a more or less constant 20 knots until it peters out in April, then it switches 180° and starts blowing from the south west from May back to October.

This was good news for 18th century traders making their way back and forth to India, and it’s even better news for wandering kitesurfers today.

Kitesurfing is the fastest growing watersport in the world and this is all thanks to the dynamic nature of the kite. Once you’re hooked into a kite you can combine it with almost any apparatus and, with a bit of luck, you’ll have invented a new sport. There’s been a whole lot of permutations of this combination but three have stood the test of time – landkiting (using a board with big tyred wheels), snowkiting in which a snowboard or skis are used and, of course, kitesurfing.

Kitesurfing itself is dynamic due to the different boards that can be used and the different styles of riding that they each lend themselves to. A kiteboard can be a flat plank with two simple footstraps, it can be a normal surfboard or even a skimboard or a wakeboard. Each board shapes how the kiter uses the terrain – be it waves, flatwater or manmade obstacles – meaning that there’ll never be a dull moment out in the high seas.

Kris tantrum

Alex Tail grab Alex salute

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Boy in tree

Impala

The trade winds of the Indian Ocean are some of the most consistent in the world – and for kitesurfers they are a tonic for those reliant on the blustery, inconsistent winds of Europe and North America. One of the most popular areas to go kiting in Kenya is Diani Beach in the deep south near Tanzania, 45 minutes from Mombasa. Diani has all of Kenya’s typical wildness – baboons running free in the streets, Masai tribesmen guarding the roads and mango stalls at every turn – though there is also a host of western comforts available to the discerning traveller.

A fantastic mix of this local wildness, creature comforts and world class kitesurfing is to be found at Kenyaways Kite Village right in the centre of Diani. This is a little home grown hotel-cum-kite school that won’t break the bank while still offering everything that’s needed – it also backs directly onto an archetypal paradise beach wide open to the trade winds.

On this particular stretch of Diani Beach the

flat water is a thing of beauty to behold. When the tide drops, a huge reef turns everything on its inside into a glassy lagoon while also working as a great breakwater for the Indian Ocean swell – meaning a flat water freestyle session and a wave odyssey for the price of one. It’s quite a rarity to find both of these conditions side by side and it’s enough to leave a kiter trembling with the excitement of it all.

There are many places in the world that offer powerful winds, regular winds, flat water or waves - but there are very few places that offer all this together. Those that do manage to get this winning combination tend to lie in a disputed stretch of west African desert or are so crowded with kites that is almost not worth going out. Kenya, though, has been blessed with incredible conditions, and although there are no crowds in the water the bars are packed.

When the breeze doesn’t play ball, which is very rare thanks to the punctual trade winds, Diani Beach never fails to deliver an adventure.

There are stand up paddleboarding trips to be had on the glassy waves of the outer reef, or if you’re more of an underwater enthusiast the snorkeling and scuba diving is world-class.

Oftentimes, though, the human condition can only handle so much beachside paradise – luckily Tsavo National Park is only a hop, skip and a jump away from Diani and the safari rivals that of anywhere else in Kenya.

The sea is blue, the reef colourful, the locals friendly and the palms drooping – it’s the archetypal postcard paradise where the weary holidaymaker can ease into a swaying hammock. The difference lies in the fact that you can save your relaxing for the evening and spend your days adventuring with the wind and the water. On the topic of adventure you also happen to be standing on the cusp of Mother Africa, this coastline is the gateway to the wild interior of this fascinating continent – and once you’ve got a taste of it you’ll spend your life coming back.

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TRAVEL + ADVENTURE

Trekking Crete Words + Photos By: Vanda Turcerova

The doors of the local airplane

open and you feel it right away: the air is summer-dry, warming up your skin at a pleasant 28°C; green hue all around you delighting your eyes as if they have forgotten the richness of it, and you struggle and squint to adjust; the smell of earth, olive trees and the bright sun. Above all, you realise you have touched down on a historic place and about to explore what the first recognised civilisation in Europe, the Minoans, has chosen as their home seven millennia ago. During your stay you will walk in their footsteps, rest on the same boulders they no doubt had rested on, drink from the same waterfall and live off the land as they did.

Crete is the largest of the Mediterranean islands, floating majestically right at its center; southern seaside is 305km away from Libya, northern shores a bit closer to its mainland, Greece. Since its creation, the Minoan civilisation has settled here and it is not difficult to see why: wide open plains with rich soil to grow grains, fruits and vegetables; calm seas teeming with octopus, squid, crab and shellfish; constant wind, mostly gentle and only occasionally rough enough to keep you indoors; yet for the Minoans (some would refer

to them as the Atlanteans) it was not meant to last. Santorini volcano blew up one morning in the second millennium BC that sent waves of 70m high rushing to the northern shores so hard destroying everything in its way and wiping out most of life on the island.

This devastating event, however, enriched the soil with volcanic ashes and layers of eruption matter that thousands of years later gave Greece its famous export, olive oil. This is evident all around the island; the largest plantation of olives in Europe is in the centre of the island; thousands of trees bearing millions of olives keep the economy fueled.

You can touch the trees right from the road, and not just olives, but figs, berries, limes and other citrus fruits. Mountain sides have wild goats staring at you, eagles high in the sky circling their prey, the ever-present crickets and cicadas humming their tunes. They have plenty of hideaways for Crete is rural apart from the capital, Heraklion, and a few larger cities scattered along the coast. Most of the country consists of farms and growing fields, with makeshift roads barely wide enough for one car. But what a beauty to watch the island wake up to its simple way of life; locals descend from mountains and hill villages to their summer coastal establishments to cater

to tourists with food and beverages, beach services, lodging, car and scooter rentals.

When summer ends, they retreat back to their homes to care for livestock and tend to their fields. Such is the life here — uncomplicated, simple and enjoyable.

We have chosen to explore the eastern and south eastern part of the island this summer.

Travelling with a six-year-old, we were itching to reach further than the resort beach with its umbrellas, sun beds and combo rental for six euros a day. Equipped with a guide book, trekking boots, walking poles and backpacks filled with water, snacks and mosquito repellent, we have started off on our first trek.

Richtis Waterfall: The Waterfall Symphony 1 hour round trip, fairly easy

Some 15km west from the northeastern port town of Sitia, the only fresh water waterfall of Crete awaited our presence. As we left the village of Exo Mouliana and took a dirt road seemingly leading nowhere and snaking through the endless olive tree fields, the departure from the modern world was immediately evident; roads are unkempt, signs often missing or barely visible through overgrown greenery, and not another car on sight. In fact, this was a regular occurrence on all the treks we have conquered. For such a beautiful and trek-rich country, it would seem visitors still prefer to sit on a beach with prepaid package stay.

We crossed a coastal mountain serpentinestyle that led us to Tigania beach opening with cars parked in ancient-looking lot, unmistakably noting the end of car drive and the beginning of foot work. We rechecked our supplies and backpacks and started off into the hills; this was one of the richer treks visually and nature-wise – offering shade with forest trees already losing their coloured leaves that provided comfortable carpet for our feet, pink and crimson flowers and sweet-smelling berry bushes lining up the sides of our path, vines literally dropping ripe grapes into our hands as we walked under their canopies. The walk was comfortable and easy for the first 15 minutes, almost flat without inclination on the terrain; the path took us from open spaces

THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST into thick tree growth and out into the open again. Because our destination was a waterfall, we also stopped at still water ponds, scared tadpoles and tried catching frogs that were too fast for us.

Back into the forest again, the second half of our journey was a careful stepping exercise with steady inclination; we trekked across rocks and soil with stones providing natural stairs among the bushes and bamboo growing around, occasionally helping junior to cross the larger stones and higher ground.

We could hear water flowing around and knew we were near our destination.

Finally, after the fairly steep 100+ meters we conquered steadily with the help of our walking poles, the waterfall welcomed us. It was a 30m drop of pristine and refreshingly cool water gushing into a small pool. We jumped in and splashed around, exploring the rocky sides and stony floor lined with moss. We didn’t stay long because we had another trek in mind for the afternoon and as a couple of tourists turned up, we were packed and ready to descend back.

We picked up grapes to eat on the journey back; we waved the tadpoles goodbye at the ponds as we headed down to the beach where we started from.

Gorge of the Dead 4 hour one way trip, medium difficulty Zakros Gorge is located off the village of Zakros, ending the coastal village Kato Zakros. A part of the E4 European trekking line, its frightening name comes from of the

tombs found in its caves dating back to the Minoans. This is our most difficult and longest trek. Although we don’t know it at the time, we had taken the Entrance A into the gorge; there is another shorter trek available as we discovered later on our journey back when we got lost from our original path.

We started off on stony path through an olive orchard, steep enough and snaking through the trees, with occasional markings of the route visible on rocks at crossroads.

After 10 minutes, we entered wild and beautiful landscape; rocky path scattered with large stones and frequent small bushes. This trek is much greener than the previous ones, with plenty of trees providing good cover as we walked past a small spring, crossing it a few times while we followed the trekking part. We found ourselves walking in and out of tree lines and along a water supply pump.

The path took us along rocky narrow passage where we clung to the wall because missing a step would be dangerous and no doubt painful. We were careful to follow the poorlymade markings spray painted on tree trucks and stones; there are many crossings without signs and lateral paths that could lead to dead ends.

Entering the river bed, it took us up and down its sides and occasionally its centre, through tree growths and in between large rocks that provided a decent workout for our leg muscles. The little one needed help crossing as some proved too high for his short legs. During our rest, we admired the cave openings and curious goats with bells

SEPTEMBER 2013 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

around their necks, indicating they belong to a farm. The cliffs looked razor sharp and as we were nearing the coast and the end of our journey, they changed from dry white to slightly reddish color, getting sharper and steeper. It would not be wrong to assume that they’ve lost their front facades years ago, perhaps due to Santorini explosion which could have violently stripped their majestic faces to the ground and we could be now looking at the cliff’s insides.

After nearly two hours of walking, the river bed widens and we had a comfortable walk on the small pebbles covering its base. The gorge trek ended on the road that took us down to the marvelous coastal village of Kato Zakros. We walked through a vine canopy belonging to one Niko Platanakis. The sign told us that if we eat at his restaurant on the beach, we can pick up grapes, tomatoes and other vegetables and fruits for free. And so we did! We rested our tired limbs and sampled a delicious array of food overlooking the perfect stone beach. After, we walked a bit more to an almost private bay where we rewarded ourselves by swimming and throwing stones into the sea. We found a shorter route, completed our journey and walked towards our car that was the last one on the lot.

Equipment Trekking boots, backpacks, comfortable, sports clothing, long trousers preferable, sunscreen, mosquito repellents, first aid kit, brimmed hats very important, reusable drinking bottles and walking poles are very good investment.

TRAVEL + ADVENTURE

The

Anatolian Mountain

Marathon

Words By: Lou Willings Photos By: Suderin Murat and other members of DASK

The best thing about doing an ultra mountain marathon is that it doesn’t matter if you come first or last, if you finish, the achievement is huge. That and the fact that your fellow competitors are always extremely supportive and encouraging is why I prefer these types of events to the standard road marathons.

So, in search of a summer challenge, Rob and I had signed up for the DASK Anatolian Mountain Marathon in Turkey on the 5th and 6th of July this year. DASK is a group dedicated to nature, wildlife and conservation that is staffed by volunteers. The volunteers organise two events each year, the mountain marathon and an international photography “shoot-out,” both based in the beautiful Anatolian countryside (information on both events can be found on their website: www. dask.org.tr).

The event is run over four distances: 30km, 50km, 70km and 90km. The distances are only an indication of the final distance you may cover as the event can really be described as mountain orienteering, requiring you to navigate with map and compass from checkpoint to checkpoint. It isn’t always possible to take the most direct route; all too often there are obstacles in the way, such as a rivers, mountains or cliffs, so the final distance depends on your skills at navigation – or how many times you get lost! We had Packing up at the overnight camp on Day 2.

entered the “ultra” 90km distance and knew that both finishing and beating the time limit would be a challenge.

The usual stress of arriving in a different country and then finding your way to the start of a race was taken away as we were met at Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen airport (which is east of the city, on the Asian side) by one of the race organisers, Necdet, an instantly likeable fellow who was a fount of knowledge about the local area. A comfortable minibus had been provided to take us and our two fellow runners from Dubai to the race location, approximately 3.5 hours away in the province of Bolu, roughly halfway between Istanbul and Ankara.

We received a very warm welcome on arrival at the campsite, set deep in the heart of beautiful forested mountains and close to a small traditional mountain village. With no mobile phone signal, the strong scent of pine and lavender, and a campfire already underway, we rapidly relaxed. Seventyeight teams of two had entered the event, but as the only international runners in this year’s event, the four of us were treated as honoured guests. We were shown around the campsite and introduced to more of the organising team and given an invitation to “help ourselves” from their kitchen. Suderin, a very energetic lady and great photographer, stated “today you are our guests, after the race you will be our guests, during the race we do not know you, you are on your own!”

We set up our base camp, prepared our kit for the next day and then settled in to an evening socialising with organisers and racers alike. Later in the evening the race numbers were handed out in an almost ceremonial way, with previous winners and favourites being given rapturous applause.

Still we did not know the route of the race as the maps are not given out until your allocated start time, ours was 5:30 a.m. Conditions were good the next morning, still dark, fresh and a little chilly. We were at the start

Waiting for the start on Day 1, competitors planning their routes in the background.

10 minutes ahead of time to observe the teams which had started poring over their maps and plotting their routes. Then it was our turn. Map in hand we found a flat surface and one by one marked the eight checkpoints on the map and then surveyed the route to the first checkpoint. We were a little slow to get the preparation done, wanting to

Which way, Rob?

ensure that we were missing nothing vital in the Turkish comments on the map, but after a little translation assistance we were off.

We had discussed our strategy; Rob would be chief navigator, we would jointly discuss the route possibilities (i.e. to go point to point or to negotiate around obstacles that looked too challenging) and I was to be chief nagger “are we 100% sure?” “check direction” “stop and review!” According to Rob, I was also in charge of providing the sun cream but I don’t recall that particular conversation and consequently we didn’t have any with us. Ooops! Racing together as husband and wife can have its issues, in a previous race we were both so concerned about each other that we talked ourselves into pulling out. We had both agreed afterwards that if we had been on our own we would have continued, which is why we now agree to race with a “teammate” mentality.

THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST Whereas the previous night had been quite cold (maybe 6 or 7 degrees), already by 10 o’clock the sun was fierce and temperatures in some parts of the course were well into the 30s, although the air was clear and delightfully fresh. Most runners were like ourselves in long tops and leggings, good protection against both the sun and the undergrowth. Day one took us 13.5 hours, the cut off was 16 so we were happy. We were especially pleased with our navigation which was pretty much spot on apart from one only very minor diversion. The terrain had been hard but varied, from 4x4 tracks to pure cross-country, cutting through dense forests, lush valleys and abandoned villages, with long, steep uphills and occasional downs. Our plan had been to run the flats and downhills and to jog or “tab” the uphills where possible and where not, a fast-paced hike. The area was dotted with mountain peaks and with total ascent of around 3,000m on the first day it became harder to maintain our uphill pace as the day wore on.

The front runners, who are not men but machines, run pretty much everything. In a self-supported race such as this there is mandatory kit that is required to be carried by everyone such as tent, sleeping-bag, first aid kit, food, etc. So the leaders are carrying similar sized packs and we can’t even use that as an excuse - they are just unbelievably awesome! The leaders on the first day were five hours ahead of us.

I felt good after day one, a little foot sore, but nothing else. Rob was a little worse for wear but after a good meal and a night’s sleep he bounced right back. Our start time on day two was a little earlier, our map work a little slicker and we were away within 20 minutes, initially retracing our last steps into camp from the day before. We arrived at the first checkpoint to an excited Suderin exclaiming “you are in third place.” Reality check – you are set off on day two in reverse order of arrival the day before so we were fully aware that the faster teams would be catching and passing us in no time. Sure enough before checkpoint 2 they were sailing past us at a good pace with breath left to chat – inspiring!

We made one major mistake with our navigation which lost us about 45 minutes and had us traversing deep forest on very steep terrain with no line of sight and loose rock and bracken underfoot. It was slow going but once committed we had no choice but to push on, eventually hitting a track which led us to a crossroads. Taking a moment, based on the network of tracks presented to us, we were able to determine where we were. Our choice of direction was

Waiting for the kettle to boil at basecamp.

confirmed when teams started coming at us from the opposite direction having already made the checkpoint. This was the most frustrating section for me as we were making the uphill to the checkpoint being passed by what seemed like dozens of teams heading downhill to the next one.

Putting that behind us we turned around at the checkpoint and pressed on as hard as we could, taking the “as the crow flies” approach to the next leg. There was a very steep but short cross country climb. We made good steady progress through the checkpoints, 5-6 was a long haul, but there was light at the end of the tunnel. 7-8 was a shorter distance, we were able to find a direct route steeply downhill through a forest but faced a dilemma when we finally emerged onto a track - in that we weren’t 100% sure which track it was! We had a 50/50 chance, but we were so close we didn’t want to screw up now. Taking a moment, we surveyed the landscape and key features; rivers, peaks, tracks and contours and made an informed choice. 50m down the track we could hear voices and caught a glimpse of a red flag through the trees and knew we had gone the right way – relief.

We had been getting concerned about time, the cut off was 12 hours. I had joked that maybe we would be lucky and checkpoint 8 would be 2km downhill on a good track. Turned out I must be psychic – it was a little longer than 2km, but all downhill on a very good track with easy navigation so we were able to steam along to the finish line with time and even some energy to spare. It was such a fantastic feeling to run into the camp to the applause of our fellow competitors and spectators with the ever-enthusiastic organisers blowing whistles to announce the arrival of another team.

After a quick cold shower, we lined up for the best BBQ chicken I have ever tasted with local bread and a traditional yogurt drink “ayran.” Later that evening, after everyone was in and fed, the winners’ medals were presented for each category, before competitors and organisers relaxed into a long night of tall stories, songs and general merri-

SEPTEMBER 2013 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

ment around the campfire. Unfortunately for us, the Ultramarathon did not have a mixed team category otherwise we would have received a medal for our efforts as the only mixed team in that class! Next year they are introducing it so I guess we will have to go back for more – and with the overwhelming hospitality and unforgettable scenery, it will be hard to stay away.

Mountain Marathons: Quick tips for beginners “Mountain Marathons” typically refer to medium to long distance races across mountainous terrain, normally requiring map and compass navigation through a number of checkpoints. Normally around 50% of a route will be off any form of path. Some events do allow the use of zzzzGPS – but don’t be fooled! – map and compass work is still essential as it is rare that a direct pointto-point route can be taken.

Are you ready?

Mountain marathons are not marathon running. Road running and even trail running do not necessarily prepare you for traversing “pathless” terrain. Hiking your

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own routes off the beaten track is great way to get experience and understand the challenges. Quoted distances should not be underestimated. Awkward terrain may mean you are going one tenth the speed you can normally comfortably run, and the actual distance covered may be double the straight line distance.

Practice working with your partner.

Navigate some routes to understand how to best work together. Find a dynamic that allows each to work to their strengths, but also good communication of all decisions.

If one person makes all the decisions there is a high chance of a mistake and a higher chance of an argument!

Getting to know your limits is more important than improving them (at least at first). Learn your speed over various types of terrain (e.g. take a GPS hiking with you and review your route and progress afterwards).

Your speed may be as low as 1-2km/hr on very steep awkward terrain (up or downhill).

Practice basic map and compass navigation. In this race the deviation of magnetic to true north was around 5°. Correct the wrong way for this and you would be 10° out – over a 6km leg this would leave you a kilometre away from the checkpoint! Practice running/ hiking on a bearing – this is a core skill for featureless terrain and poor visibility.

er tent with us which we left at basecamp for a more comfortable night’s sleep the night before and after the race. A silk sleeping bag liner is an efficient way of adding some extra warmth if your sleeping bag is marginal for the conditions. Dried food is the most efficient way of carrying a non-perishable decent meal although not yet readily available in Dubai (hint hint UAE outdoor retailers).

Take time to plan a route. Often neither the most direct route nor the route following all paths is best, but a combination of the two. Bear in mind the navigational complexity, the type of terrain, the ascent/descent and your abilities and limitations. Also double-check your checkpoint locations – there is nothing more frustrating than successfully navigating to the wrong place!

Don’t forget about water. Whilst some events have water supplies at checkpoints, some (such as this one) are completely self-sufficient and you will need to fill from mountain streams. When you plot your route make a note of legs with no obvious access to streams and make sure you top up in good time. At one stage in this race we ran out of water through a scorching leg in the high mountains, with all the water sources being down in the valley.

If you are new to the area, then be cautious on the first legs. You will quickly learn about how the map relates to the real terrain, what contour density is passable (and what is dangerous!) and at what speed, how dense the forests are, what the different types of path markings represent.

Continually review your navigation. The key to not being lost is not getting lost! Continuous review of map and compass should let you catch mistakes quickly. Once you lose confidence in your current position it can be very hard to recover and if back bearings are impossible (e.g. in forests or gullies, at night or in the fog) retracing your steps may be the only answer.

Maps are never right. Do not fall into the trap of blindly following paths. If a path takes a wrong turn, stop to figure out what is wrong. There will always be trails which are unmarked and there may be new roads, tracks or firebreaks since the map was created and forests may have changed shape.

Marked paths may have washed away or become overgrown and unrecognisable.

Maps are never wrong. Key terrain features notably rivers, escarpments, gullies, ridges, and other contours do not change. If they do not match the map you have made a mistake!

Get a good quality large compass. Bear in mind that if GPS is allowed a conventional GPS “compass” bearing is generated from a measured path between two points i.e. it only works correctly when you are moving (and if slowly then only if in a straight line). Many GPS devices do also have a “proper” (electronic) compass, but if so ensure you know which one your device is referencing and beware as it will probably need calibrating.

Race tips Prepare race kit well in advance. Work out beforehand who is going to take what and how you will pack. For two-day events or longer, the current generation of extreme lightweight tents are invaluable. However they are single skin and are not necessarily suited to foul weather (getting a proper night’s sleep can be more useful than saving 500g). For this event we took a second larg-

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Tired but happy! With our hosts, Necdet and Suderin at the awards ceremony.

TRAVEL + ADVENTURE

‘Eyes of the Salty One’

Nevados Ojos Del Salado

Words + Photos By: Sean James However the “Seven Second” highest are considerably harder, considerably cheaper an avid reader of adventure authors and in wanting to support these and, to date, only one person has claimed free spirits I have amassed an extensive collection of literature. But I’ve always to have completed all seven: Hans Kammerwondered why the focus of their writings is often on the many misfortunes, hard- lander in 2012. Even the author Jon Krakauer wrote in “Into Thin Air” that it would be a ships, pain and constant struggles. Surely they knew what was coming? Many bigger challenge to climb the second highest of these adventures are also solo undertaking so I’m guessing they also find it peak of each continent. difficult to find partners.

Ojos Del Salado is the second highest on the continent of South America and also the second highest of the Seven Second SumI’m lucky enough to have a job that allows mits, only K2 being higher. me plenty of time for reflection. I often look There has always been controversy about through my library of nearly 100,000 pictures. the height of Ojos. A geographical survey in I admit there have been some unfortunate ac1955 claimed Ojos to be over 7,000m and cidents, but mostly I managed without having therefore higher than Aconcagua. In 2006, too many breakdowns. the magazine Andes still claimed Ojos was However, the mountain I was about to higher than Aconcagua but this was based on attempt certainly had the potential to propel old, inaccurate data. In the 1990s, the Chilean me into the ranks of these unfortunate advenPresident claimed Ojos, which is on the borturers. The mountain was nearly 7,000m high der of Chile and Argentina, was the highest in and I was attempting to solo it. Not just supSouth America possibly to take away some of port myself, but more than likely there would the prestige of Aconcagua which is wholly in be no one within 80km of me. I was hoping Argentina. desperately for tales of woe and tragedy that Ojos del Salado is the world’s highest active could be turned into a thick novel and film. volcano and is on the border of Chile and ArFortunately or unfortunately for the reader, it gentina. As recently as 1993, a minor gas and went smoothly and so this may be three very ash emission was reported. The landscape boring pages of: “I got up, had a dull breakis lunar-like containing numerous craters, fast, walked a long way, had a dull dinner and pyroclastic cones and lava flows. The air has a went to bed. Did the same the next day and sulphorous odor and the rocks and stones are again for the next eight days. Sometimes it The summit was cold and windy a blackish yellow color. was cold and sometimes windy and someof many to climb the Seven Summits, the Ojos del Salado means “Eyes of the Salty times hot but it was a mountain so I thought it highest seven mountains on each continent.

One” and unusually for a mountain, there might be. At the end, I had walked a very long Approximately 400 people have achieved this are two summits. They are within 100m of way up and stood on the top.” feat with the average cost for all seven being each other but separated by a technical This is the fourth in a series of articles about 150,000 USD. rocky scramble which could require ropes. an attempt to climb all seven of the second To date, it has been impossible to tell which highest mountains on each continent. one is the highest. The origin of the Today, challenges such as running an Drop off in the middle of nowhere. See you in eight days name is from the salt deposits that ultramarathon, swimming, biking, running an form the lakes or “eyes.” Ojos del Ironman triathlon or driving across Africa are Salado is currently 6,893m high and considered a rite of passage for any aspiring located 600km north of Aconcagua in adventurer. Many have made a living from the Atacama Desert, an area known personal ambitions that can also inspire and as The Puna. The area is immensely motivate others. Similarly it is the dream windswept and dry, although there are several high altitude crater lakes, the highest being close to 6,400m claims to be the highest lake in the world.

The first ascent was in 1937 by the Polish climbers, Jan Alfred Szczepanski and Justyn Wojsznis. Ojos del Salado is normally climbed from Copiapo on the

I’m

At least I knew the elevation

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A choice of campsites, never crowded

Top campsite at about 6,000m next to a crumbling army of penitentes, used for water

Chilean side. The Chilean side is dry, dusty, more popular and much shorter. The Argentine side is much more scenic, has potential running water but is a long walk. If you prefer breathtaking high plains and icy lakes then the trek in from the Argentinean side is fabulous. I was to take the Argentinean side.

Ojos is remote. Don’t count on seeing any other climbers as both routes are isolated and distant from any form of settlement. Unlike Aconcagua, you must be entirely self sufficient; in this area there are no National Park fees, rangers, medical huts, recycling systems, helicopter support, Wi-Fi, restaurants or 20 USD showers. For the eight days of my trek, I saw no one.

The Seven Second Summits is full of superlatives and a few years ago a land vehicle drove to the highest recorded height, at close to 6,700m. From the Chilean side it is very possible, assuming you are sufficiently acclimatised, to start your climb within a few 1,000m of the summit and also to take advantage of the huts.

As I was approaching from Argentina, I started my adventure from the outpost settlement town of Fiambala in Argentina and would be walking all the way. I had just been leading an expedition for the UK company Adventure Peaks in Nepal and flew here with only a short break. I was planning to climb Ojos del Salado quickly and solo, hoping to take advantage of my acquired fitness and acclimatisation. For me, after being at altitude, the effects of acclimatisation and a higher red blood cell counts lasts for about two weeks.

After this, I would be travelling direct to Mendoza to lead a couple of trips to Aconcagua for them.

I had flown into Buenos Aires, transferred to Mendoza then caught the luxury overnight

bus to Fiambala. Fiambala is the typical onehorse South American town with a square and tumbleweed blowing through. I had been emailing a contact, Jonson Reynoso, who has become synonymous with climbing in the region and is really the only choice of operator.

I had tried to prepare as much as possible but the only information I had been able to find was a guidebook and the following description which I hoped would allow everything to fall into place. I had not been able to find anyone who had tried to climb it before or even been in the area.

“Jonson can be found in the police office on one corner of the main square in Fiambala.

The sign on the building says Seguridad Turistica. He and his two children, Ruth and Cristian, work for the tourist police and this is also the place where you register before going to the mountains.”

I knew this was going to be a very different experience from the 500 USD fee and multiple registration and sign-ins required for Aconcagua.

Jonson and his family operate most of the logistics in the area and are heavily involved in any adventure sport. In the prior months they had been involved in the Dakar Rally that passed through the region. Jonson is exactly the person you want to meet when you turn up in the middle of nowhere. He speaks hardly any English but knows what you need. I got deposited by the bus and went to ask for Jonson. He was highly suspicious of someone wanting to walk solo for eight days with a pack of 30kg. Especially someone who had brought no GPS or satellite phone. I spent a couple of days in Fiambala getting ready and learning that the area contained no marked trails. Jonson treated me to five-star treatment and for my safety and his peace of mind he insisted I take his GPS, his SPOT and a hand drawn map with lots of SpanAn army of penitentes, unique to South America ish names on. Hopefully there would be big signposts when I arrived at them on the ground.

SPOT is a fantastic transmitting system that is very simple to use. It is the size of a large phone, has very few buttons, but can be life saving.

When switched on and a button depressed, it sends your location (latitude/longitude) back to a website that is constantly monitored. Anyone can see where you last checked in from. It also has an emergency button that will alert whoever is watching that you may need assistance.

You cannot send a message so don’t mix the buttons up. It also cannot receive any response so we had

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Technology always helps in finding your way

Camp 3 - stunning but windswept. It was necessary to put rocks inside each corner of the tent

Always be prepared - details from Jonson of the 80km solo hike

arranged that I would check in and send back my location every night. Jonson would silently monitor my progress. I would give a double press at the summit and also when I needed picking up.

The start of the climb is Quemadito at the entrance to the Cazadero Grande River Canyon and is 80km from Fiambala. Jonson dropped me off in his pickup. From Quemadito, it is possible to take mules to carry equipment, food and water. Very few have climbed the peak unsupported and solo and I am sure Jonson thought I would be calling him in a few days.

For the whole of the first day, to a campsite at Agua Calientes, you follow a river and there is plenty of water. There is also plenty of soft sand underfoot and being alone, many opportunities to wonder if you have wandered up the correct valley.

During day 2 and 3, the first penitente snow fields start to appear on the massive plain and I started to appreciate the immensity of the landscape. The water stops are less and it is easy to become disorientated. I was fortunate with clear weather and I had Jonson’s map.

However, there are several very high moun-

Amazing high altitude landscape

tains, all over 6,000m and I was unsure which one was Ojos. This is when it’s great to have a partner to bounce ideas off. Later, I found that I was looking at Nacimiento and Incahuasi for these first few days. It was not until I stood on the summit of Ojos was I sure that I had climbed the correct mountain. The map showed various tick-off features but having no signs on the ground I was only guessing. It is very easy, especially when you are alone to make the landscape fit the descriptions and a two-dimensional map is very different if you can only see sand and rock.

Penitentes are a unique snow and ice formation that only occur in South America. They stand tall in large groups, like an army of white terracotta soldiers and can be anything from 50cm to over 3m high. To navigate through them is very time consuming and demoralising. The unique winds and wide temperature ranges of South America combine to create this visually spectacular phenomenon.

The next clue on my map was a pass called Portezuelo Negro at 5,500m. In this area it would be possible to find water again and indeed there were a number of lakes and snow soldiers to melt.

The Puna is infamous for fast weather changes and fierce climate. Windproof clothing is an absolute must and so is really good protection for hands, feet and face. For the whole eight days the wind did not let up. Putting my single skinned tent up every evening, I had to lie in it with my feet poking out and wrestle the poles into position before placing large rocks into each corner to prevent it blowing away.

A particular point on the map I was not looking forward to was El Arenal or “The Sands.” However, everything went smoothly and I either walked around it or the sand was the hard type of sand. During the evenings the added weight of my usual luxury, books, paid off as I had plenty of time by myself.

Summit day was long and hard. It was clear but windy. The slope was not extremely steep but I was exhausted. After years of expediLeaving a message and signing the book and taking a picture of it allowed someone to return my lost camera 1 year later

After eight days of ice and sand, the water and plants were like an oasis and a means of navigating

tions I had grown accustomed to hating dehydrated food and had not been eating the sufficient number of calories. I was slightly delirious and coughing thick green phlegm and blood. Probably the first signs of high altitude troubles. It is lucky I’m fairly quick when moving as I had to sit and rest, breathless, many times during the final four hours to the summit.

On the summit, I could not determine which peak was the highest so I scrambled across and took pictures on both, in addition to sending my SPOT signal back to Jonson.

The solitude was immense and I would have loved to stay there longer but I was aware of my position and condition; close to 7,000m, alone, health declining and still 80km to the nearest road.

Getting back to my high camp I slept and ate the last of my “sugar goodies.” But I was still at over 6,000m. The next day the thought of Argentinean steak and wine was too much.

I was going to hike the whole 80km regardless of how long it took. During that day, I sent various SPOT signals back and Jonson said he thought I was running, so fast was my descent between points. It still took over 14 hours and I could feel myself becoming dreamier and more trance like. Without the welfare of clients to think about I was prepared to push and actually liking this adventure near the limits.

At some point on the trek out, I must have forgotten to pick up my camera and therefore all photographic evidence was lost. I was distraught. I rested one day in Fiambala and had an eating marathon then got a lift back to the start planning to run the first day and find it. I had no luck and tried to put the disappointment of losing some stunning pictures

and memories behind me. One year later, out of the blue, back in the UK I received an email from a German traveler asking if I was the Sean James who had climbed Ojos. He had found my dead camera, looked at the SD card which had a photo of my name written in the summit log book. He Googled me and found my email address. A few days later my camera and the lost memories appeared in the post.

I will be forever grateful to him as it felt as if a large part of me was missing.

I climbed the Argentinean side where there are no huts. Camping is free everywhere and wild. I summitted Ojos Del Salado on 9th of December 2009 during the regular climbing season, December to late March. This is the warmest time of year but also the windiest and driest. The trip reaffirmed in my mind that Argentina, its people, food, landscape and culture are one of my favourite places to visit.

That was number four of the Seven Second Summits. There are three left. My momentum has stalled due to clients dropping out and inevitably finance. The three left are considerably harder, more expensive and logistically difficult. Mt Tyree in Antartica is a fantastic remote adventure and I will probably try and organise a double header and climb Mt Vinson, the highest on Antartica at the same time. Expense is the main concern here but with a group it would be viable.

The second highest in Australasia is debatable and is in Indonesia but is easy to climb if slightly logistically challenging. That could also be combined with the highest, Carstenz Pyramid. The final Seven Second Summits, K2, is in Pakistan. Let’s wait and see what the UAE’s own adventure dynamo Adrian Hayes thinks of it when he returns. To date only five Brits have summited K2.

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THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST

The all new 2014

SEPTEMBER 2013 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

Yamaha Motocross YZ450F

In 1973 Yamaha won its first World Motocross championship with its YZ250 two-stroke motocross bike. Today, this legacy continues as Yamaha strives to bring you the best and the latest in the motocross industry. Over the years, motocross technology has evolved tremendously, from simple street bikes with knobby tyres to complex lightweight machines.

How do you choose the best performing motocross bike?

And how do you know which motocross bike is the best for you?

Let’s begin with you in a motocross showroom, where to begin? When choosing the right motocross bike you have to make sure you choose something that’s proportional to your height and weight. In terms of height, as long as you can touch the ground with one foot, the height of the bike should be fine. Lay the bike on the floor and try to pick it up. If you are able to do so, then the bike

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THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST

is proportional to you in terms of weight as well. Make sure you can start and stop the bike safely and that you are completely comfortable on the bike.

The second issue to sort out is whether you should go for a two-stroke or a fourstroke motocross bike. This is completely objective and varies from rider to rider.

Two-stroke and four-stroke engines differ in the way they operate. A two-stroke engine requires that the oil be mixed with the gas at a specific ration; however a four-stroke engine doesn’t require prior mixing. On the other hand, a four-stroke engine requires that the oil be changed more often than a two-stroke engine, depending on your usage. Four-stroke technology has come a long way since its invention; they are lighter, snappier as well as smoother. However, when compared to two-stroke engines, twostroke engines will have more power.

Finally, consider your ability. Are you a beginner, intermediate or an advanced rider? What is your purpose of using the motocross? These factors will determine which model of motocross you would go for. Visit any of Al Yousuf Motors showrooms across the UAE for a free consultation from our expert sales team and choose the bike that’s perfect for you.

What’s the latest in the motocross bikes industry?

It’s the all new 2014 Yamaha motocross YZ450F.

Races are won and lost in the corners and the YZ450F corners are better than ever before, letting you turn in sooner, get on the throttle quicker and stay on it longer.

The YZ450F features a revolutionary fuel injection, liquid cooled four-stroke rearwardslanting single cylinder engine. As well as an advanced bilateral beam aluminium frame with perfect mass-centralisation and handling. The enhanced suspension offers improved cushioning, smoothing the bumps while keeping you in contact with the road surface. The new seat material offers more comfort. The YZ450F is the biggest advantage an off-road racer can have.

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SPECIFICATIONS:

Type

449.7cc liquid-cooled DOHC 4-stroke; 4 titanium valves

Bore x Stroke

97.0 x 60.8mm

Compression Ratio

12.5:1

Fuel Delivery

Yamaha Fuel Injection (YFI), Keihin® 44mm

Ignition TCI Transmission

Constant-mesh 5-speed; multiplate wet clutch

Final Drive

Chain Drive

Are there any other models?

Of course, if you would visit any of Al Yousuf Motors showrooms across the UAE our expert sales team will be more than happy to guide you through the wide range of Yamaha motocross bikes. There are many types of motocross bikes starting from the all new YZ450F, the powerful WR450F, the lightweight speed racer YZ125 to the sophisticated four-stroke power for kids, the TT-R50E.

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THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST

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PRODUCTS A round-up of quality products available right here in the UAE Suunto Ambit2 S 1,950 AED

Available at Adventure HQ, GO Sport, Sun and Sand Sports, Stadium, Dubai Duty Free, Jumbo Electronics, Intersport, Watch Corner and other stores around UAE. The GPS watch for athletes. The new Ambit2 S is a light and sleek GPS watch for multisport athletes that packs all the features needed for cycling, running, swimming and multisport training. The GPS provides accurate pace, route navigation and tracking, while the heart rate monitor lets you train within your ideal zone.

• Cycling: The new Suunto Ambit2 S will support power meters (ANT+) and offers various power measurement values and numerous options for in-depth analysis.

• Swimming: The Ambit2 S also offers comprehensive swimming functionality, including pace and distance, automatic intervals, stroke rate and swimming time related to different pool lengths. It will also learn to recognise your swimming style, which makes performance analysis easier.

• Running: Runners benefit from highly accurate pace and distance thanks to FusedSpeed™, the Ambit’s accelerometer integrated GPS, as well as interval timer and autolaps for training.

• Multisport Training: Users can switch between sports, making the Suunto Ambit2 S ideal for recording your multisport training or race.

Suunto Ambit2

2,850 AED (Sapphire); 2,500 AED (Black and Silver) Available at Adventure HQ, GO Sport, Sun and Sand Sports, Stadium, Dubai Duty Free, Jumbo Electronics, Intersport, Watch Corner and other stores around UAE. The GPS for explorers and athletes. Suunto also launches the Ambit2, which builds on the success of the award-winning Suunto Ambit. It includes Suunto’s hallmark outdoor functions such as route navigation, barometric information, altimeter with FusedAltiTM, 3D compass and other outdoor specific features. In addition, the Ambit2 has all the training features of the Ambit2 S. Packed in a glass fibre reinforced casing with a battery life of up to 50 hours in GPS mode, the Ambit2 is the ultimate watch for serious adventurers, explorers and multisport athletes.The Sapphire edition of the Ambit2, features a brushed steel bezel and sapphire crystal glass, adding some serious style to the Ambit2’s extreme functionality.

6 LED Advanced Headlight (HDL33A2) 65 AED

Available at Carrefour, Lulu Hypermarkets, Adventure HQ and most supermarkets or electronics stores • Runs up to 75 hours (red LED) and 50 hours (two white LEDs) • 2 focused white LEDs for spot projection • 2 wider positioned white LEDs for flood beam.

• 4 white LEDs for maximum light output • 2 red LEDs for night vision • HDL33A1 is also available which is a 3 LED headlight priced at 55 AED

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THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST

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PRODUCTS Waeco portable Compressor Fridge Freezer for car and home use - CFX-35 3,399 AED

Available at Ace Hardware stores, Jumbo House (Bur Dubai), Adventure HQ (Times Square Center), Bunky Diving & Fishing Equipment (Al Satwa), Plug n Point (Sharjah) This new WAECO CFX fridge/freezer range model provides extreme cooling performance and energy efficiency. The CFX-35 takes the internal temperature to an unbelievable -22° and comes with a capacity of 34.5L, combined with substantial insulation thickness all round. It is equipped with rugged features: strong latches and sturdy hinges, reversible and detachable lid, drop down handles and innovative technology such as the new genuine WAECO compressor and ergonomic control panel. What’s amazing is that this super special cooler comes with a USB charging outlet for charging mobile phones, tablets etc. when plugged in. These new coolers are a must have for every camper and outdoor enthusiast, make sure you buy one for this camping season from any of the mentioned stores.

• Strong drop down handles. Factory fitted, spring loaded handles with glass filled nylon ends. Fit flush against cabinet when not in use.

Ideal for use as tie down points.

• 10mm wide lid seal gasket with air pocket for added insulation.

• Ergonomic control panel. User friendly angle, blue LED display for clarity even in sunlight. Control panel at opposite end from power entry for practical arrangement in 4WD vehicles.

• Power entry with cord organiser. Practical arrangement at opposite end from control panel. Ideal for use in 4WDs with slide. Features 240 volt AC mains and 12/24 volt DC vehicle connections and leads.

• Practical storage and easy cleaning. Basket with removable divider included. Flush mounted evaporator plate and drain plug makes for easy cleaning.

Peak Performance R&D Backpack 28L 629 AED

Available at Peak Performance Store inside GO Sport Mall of the Emirates A serious backpack for serious travelling. This fully-featured bag will get you through any adventure with its durable and waterproof fabric, insulated hydration channel and heavy-duty zippers. It also comes with a whistle – just in case you get stuck on a mountain somewhere.

• Robust zippers •Zippered top pocket • Interior goggles pocket • Adjustable ski loop in heavy-duty TPU-coated webbing for diagonal mounting of skis • Alternative A-frame mounting of skis • Two separate durable ski straps for mounting • Integrated snowboard attachment • Elastic waist belt with two pockets • Chest strap with whistle • Made in 1000D Polyester, waterproof tarpaulin • Spacious main compartment with large zipper opening • Easy access separate compartment for organising safety equipment

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THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST

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PRODUCTS Corran SUP boards

3,495 AED (Tahiti Board) 2,995 AED (Waikiki) Available at GO Sport The Dubai Mall, GO Sport - Bawabat Al Sharq Mall (near Mafraq Hospital), GO Sport - City Centre Doha Tahiti Board There are not a lot of boards out there that you can simply call “good old fashioned fun.” Let’s forget for a moment that this is the lightest plastic board on the market, making it easy for women and kids to carry. Let’s ignore the fact that its small size makes it easy to transport and store. And we certainly should consider the fact that is one of the fastest and straightest paddling 9’ boards on the market.

What we want to talk about is just how much fun this little board is to paddle.

Whether you’re playing on this board at the lake cabin, messing about in waves at the beach, or just enjoying an afternoon paddle, this board is just plain fun!

• Made from High Density polyethylene in the USA • End handles for easy carry • Vertical paddle holder • Centre handle for lifting • Full size traction pad for comfort and grip • Removable industry standard fin • Pressure release plug • Dimensions: Tahiti 9’ x 31” x 8.6” – 203ltr • Colours: Diablo Red and Angel White Waikiki Board Everyone from fitness enthusiasts to fishermen will enjoy the Waikiki. The effortless glide you feel as the board skims across the surface is as exciting as it is effective. If you want to do more than just paddle about in circles, then this is the board you’ve been waiting for. The almost unbreakable construction means that you can lug all the fishing, hunting or diving gear you need without ever worrying about damaging it. The weight carrying capacity of this board also makes it ideal for larger paddlers, or parents wanting to take kids on board with them without overloading the hull. Great tracking, encouraging stability, and unmatched resilience to abuse make the Waikiki a winning design.

• Made from high density polyethylene in the USA • End handles for easy carry • Dry storage hatch • Centre handle for lifting • Full size traction pad for comfort and grip • Removable industry standard fin • Pressure release plug.

• Dimensions: Waikiki 11’ x 33” x 9.3” – 301ltr • Colours: Diablo Red and Angel White

Gillies Saltwater Lure Pack Light 70 AED

Available at Adventure HQ Times Square Center From a selection of Metal Saltwater lures, the Gillies team has selected the most popular types to target most species you may encounter when fishing in the estuaries, the beaches and the rocks, as well as in open blue water target species such as tuna and larger pelagics.

All these lures are fitted with quality split rings and treble hooks. A handy tip when jigging the Pilchards and Batfish in deep water, is to switch the hook to the front end allowing the natural bias to take over and track straight. Target species: salmon, tailor, kingfish and other saltwater species.

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PRODUCTS

%FF

25

O

On all Clover Gear Dusters Road Trip Longboard 800 AED

Available at Rage in The Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates and Al Wahda Mall Dusters longboards have some really cool features including bamboo veneers, slant inverted trucks, wood burn detailing and downhill specific shapes.

• 8.5’’ x 39.5’’ • 25’’ wheelbase • Colour green

Italian Brand

Surly Moonlander 11,000 AED

Available at (UAE) Adventure HQ in Times Square Center in Dubai, Wolfi’s Bike Shop at the Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai, Go Sport stores in The Dubai Mall and in Bawabat Al Sharq Mall in Abu Dhabi; (Qatar) Go Sport in Villaggio Mall, Doha City Centre in Doha; and (Oman) Oman Bike in Muscat Moonlander, like its name implies, is meant to go beyond where normal bikes, even normal fat bikes, can go. It is designed from the ground up to ride where there are no roads, no trails, no people. Moonlander accomodates staggeringly wide 4.8˝ tyres on 100mm rims. Such a large footprint allows you to ride them at very low pressure, and enables even greater traction and float over all kinds of terrain… sand dunes, beach, mangroves, rocks, gravel (and even snow).

PowerTap G3 Hub

%FF

25

Starting from 6,495 AED Available at Ride Bike Shop Sheikh Zayed Road and Mirdif City Centre; Wolfi’s Bike Shop Sheikh Zayed Road Ultra lightweight and the world’s most accurate power metre.

Pro-level power management taken to a new level. Since the introduction of the world’s first-ever wireless power meter in 2006, PowerTap has been continually striving to improve it.

The PowerTap G3C and G3 hubs raise the bar to another level altogether: lighter, stiffer, ANT+ compatible and better than ever.

O

On all Clover Gear

Italian Brand *Please bring this coupon to avail discount

THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST

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PRODUCTS Vango Moon Chair 265 AED

Available at Adventure HQ in Times Square Center, Go Sport Store The Dubai Mall and City Centre Doha Qatar Sit back and relax in this extremely comfortable padded round chair. Opens and folds quickly for easy transport and storage.

• Weight:4.6kg • Maximum loading capacity: 120kg • Colour: Black and True Navy • 600D polyester body • Strong steel frame • Padded for comfort • Foldable to compact size • Supplied in carry bag • Dimensions: 80 x 60 x 82cm

Action Shot HD Camera 599 AED

Available at GO Sport Ibn Battuta Mall, GO Sport Mall of the Emirates, GO Sport Mirdif City Centre Now you can capture all the action in thrilling HD, with the Action Shot HD Camera!

Compact yet powerful, the Action Shot captures video and photos of life’s greatest adventures. The Click & Grip™ mounting system allows you to mount onto helmets, bike handlebars, skateboards and more!

Includes: • Helmet mount • Adhesive mounts • Click & Grip™ protective/mounting case • 2GB MicroSD memory card • Mini USB to USB connector and charger • Rechargeable Lithium Polymer battery

Camera specs for video: • HD Resolution (1280×720) at 30 frames per second • Standard Def (640×480) at 60 frames per second • QVGA Resolution (320×240) at 120 frames per seconds Camera specs for photos: • 5MP Resolution

Alpinestars SP-1 Leather Glove 580 AED

Available at Al Yousuf Motors Showrooms • Strong and supple leather main chassis and palm • Palm and outer edge of hand reinforced with Clarino panel • Molded carbon fibre knuckle and finger sliders provide impact and abrasion protection • Thumb, fingers, top of hand and wrist are padded for impact protection • Long, adjustable cuff design with flexible lateral wrist protection • Perforated cuff, leather top panel and ventilated finger sidewalls keep the hands cool • Anatomical pre-curved fingers.

• Accordion flex leather paneling on first three fingers, outer thumb circumference and top of wrist.

• Triple adjusting wrist closure with stretch Lycra expansion panel for easy glove entry.

THE SMARTEST WAY

TO BETTER FITNESS

Polar FT60 850 AED

Available at GO Sport, Adventure HQ, Intersport, SportsDirect, City Sports, MegaSport, Saucony and Jumbo Designed for committed exercisers Polar FT60 listens to your heart and gives you motivation in your path to achieve your goals. With unique Smart Coaching features, it’s the smartest way to better fitness.

FT60

• A personal training program on your wrist keeps you motivated all week and every week • The most accurate calorie count on the market lets you know exactly how many calories you’ve burned • World’s easiest fitness test helps you keep up to date with your fitness improvement.

Nathan Fire & Ice Bottle (20oz /600ml) 60 AED

Available at GO Sport and Adventure HQ

STAR Training Program 360° reflective Fire & Ice bottle Seeing and sipping is believing!

Double-walled, keeps fluids cooler longer.

A for personal training program on your wrist keeps you motivated all week and every week.

• Double-walled construction keeps fluids cooler 20% longer than other insulated bottlesSmart Calories • Integrated reflective fabric offers 360° reflectivity for visibility in low-light conThe most accurate calorie count on the market lets ditions know exactly how many calories you’vehigh burned.

• Reinforced, you leak-free, soft-sip, push-pull cap offers fluid flow • Easy-squeeze, comfort-grip allows for fast access and secure on-bike storage Fitness • Dishwasher-safe (top Test rack only) World’s easiest test helps you keep up to • BPA-free with odorless andfitness tasteless technology date with your fitness improvement.

Designed for committed exercisers Polar FT60 listens to your heart and gives you motivation in your path to achieve your goals. With unique Smart Coaching features, it’s the smartest way to better fitness.

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OUR EXPERTS

e r u t n e v i Ch ck Ad ict in the

Tori

runner, writer, blogger & adventurer PS. My email address is tori@fitchicksandfastwomen. com for thoughts, ideas, and suggestions… or just to say hello!

tr lovely Lake Dis

The arrival of July in the Dubai calendar can only mean one thing – time to escape the heat and humidity and go hang out in cooler climes! So, off I went back “home” to bonnie Scotland… with of course, the lure of a race in the lovely Lake District thrown in for good measure.

Beauty in the ‘burgh My adventures started off in Edinburgh, where in between playing daughter, big sister, little sister, auntie and friend, I managed a few wonderful runs. One of my

Photo By: Sport on Sunday

Race start

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greatest joys in life is discovering, or in this case, re-discovering a city on foot. Rising at the crack of dawn to discover crooks and explore crannies, watch daybreak and communities come to life then return feeling utterly euphoric thanks to the priceless rewards that those endorphins bring… how can that not signal the start of a wonderful day? Edinburgh is, without a shadow, one of the world’s most beautiful cities. Cosmopolitan yet compact, it’s bursting with amazing architecture, gorgeous gardens and history and heritage on every street corner. My love affair with the city started at my school, Fettes, arguably Edinburgh’s most impressive building and the inspiration for Harry Potter’s Hogwarts. In those days however, my “runs” were more about strategic escapes out of the school gates, often followed by a quick change and a slick of lip gloss, ready to talk my way into some nightclub! Then, as a working girl in the slick financial world, at the

Photo By: Amanda Seims very start of my career, I fast realised that getting in your exercise in a gym, somewhere artificially cooled and devoid of natural light, post an officebound day in a similar environment, was a soul-destroying option.

So why not make this beautiful city my “gym” instead? My visits back are sporadic these days… a snatched week here and there, but finding time to run remains always a big priority.

Escape to the Lakes

Mid-trip I headed to the lovely Lake District in England to run a race. The Lakeland 100/Lakeland 50 takes you on an ultra tour of England’s Lake District, a truly stunning little corner of the world. Think rolling hills, quaint villages, lush fields, fabulous fells and country pub… quintessential British countryside!

I drove down from Scotland with my support team (aka my mum!) the day before the race. The following morning, that moment you wake Photo By: Graeme Sinclair

Motivational quotes on route!

THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST

Motivational quotes on route!

Photo By: Graeme Sinclair tions took ownership of them. Think homemade cakes and bakes, fresh smoothies, inviting sofas and chimineas to keep warm.

I heard one of the checkpoints for the 100 mile competitors had set up a disco in the middle of a field along with flashing lights, cool tunes and costumes! The route was un-marked and whilst I was just a little concerned in the days prior being totally unable to read a map or use a compass (do any girls read maps?!), I only went the wrong way once. Given I tend to immerse myself in Toriworld and get lost even on marked routes, this had to be deemed a great success.

I finished 11hrs and 32mins later, legs tired but all smiles. My mum was there, elated and after a feed and a rest, we headed back to our hotel. Of course, I couldn’t sleep.

What with the feeling of reward that comes from digging deep, I was far too exhilarated for shut-eye. That unquenchable sense of personal achievement stops all tiredness in its tracks.

Matters of the mind

Ready to rock!

up on race day and look out the window is always combined with a little prayer for wonderful weather. And indeed, the air was crisp, the skies were clear and rays of sun were just starting to make their presence known. Bliss!

What followed was just a pretty great day on the trails. I had no major trials at all so I think my greatest takeaways were less about me and more about the event itself… specifically, what a perfect show the organisers put on. The race started at the grand and imposing Dalemain Estate. “How civilised,” I thought, compared to the often comical equivalents in the likes of Nepal that invariably involve Maoist road blocks, landslides, collisions and sharing a seat with livestock.

Each checkpoint was handled a little differently in that various running clubs/organisa-

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Another takeaway from the event was my mindset before, after and the support received in between. You see, before any race, I tend to get the wobblies. In the days or weeks prior to any event, I suddenly have a breakdown in confidence… wonder whether I can finish, ask myself why I didn’t train with a little more discipline and structure, berate myself for succumbing to that extra glass of vino or enjoying one too many lie-ins.

In the case of this race, I was only three weeks out of the Dodo Trail in Mauritius and had done little since. But a little mind work came to the rescue thanks to a UK-based runner, performance coach and speaker called Andy. In exchange for contributing to his book earlier this year, he gave me some of his coaching time.

This was all new to me. I’ve never had a coach and from a physical training standpoint, don’t think I’d respond that well to one.

My life to date has generally entailed doing precisely the opposite of what I’m told to do.

Our session, however, entailed a long phone call to whip my mind into tip-top shape. Despite having done my own Sports

Before the sweat and toil

Psychology diploma and often supporting others with their mindset, it seems I sometimes forget to deliver the same advice to myself. I honestly got off the phone feeling ready to conquer the race, own the day and take every challenge in my stride. (Literally!)

I now write this back in Dubai, but by the time this issue goes to print, Adventure Chick will be in Indonesia and Thailand… quality time with my little sis, a yoga retreat and, of course, a little race, around some big volcanoes!

I’ve no doubt that once again my prerace wobblies will return, but perhaps such feelings are no real bad thing as they’re a reminder that we should never get complacent. Each and every race has its own challenges and crossing the finish line is never a given. And this is exactly why many of us are lured in. In our digitally-driven, overcontrolled, precision-planned lives, we find in a race, the perfect antidote… a chance to escape the predictable and leap into the unknown, push boundaries and learn so much about ourselves along the way.

Love Tori x OUTDOORUAE

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Junior OUR EXPERTS

Divers

Whilst still in South Africa, I was writing for a local quad bike magazine. In that magazine, there was a “Frikkie’s Column,” and Frikkie used to write about many “things.” Mostly about his own life experiences, but in such a way that I regularly had to stop reading as I was laughing out loud! One month Frikkie, wrote about the reason many parents buy computer games. (I think Frikkie blamed everything, from child obesity, diabetes, eye problems and misbehaviour, on computer games.)

It was clear that Frikkie was hinting to all the lazy parents out there that they buy these games only to “benefit” from the negative effects of them. Once bought, the parents have more free time as their children slowly become vegetables as their dependence on computer games increase.

That article made a lasting impression and even though both our sons have the full monty regarding electronic gadgets, there is a healthy balance. (As we call it: “Digital and Analogue days”) Apart from always being an outdoors person, Frikkie’s column is still a

constant reminder that we (parents) should spend more time outdoors with our children.

We should focus on outdoor activities and motivate them to do more “analogue” things.

Thus, no need to expand any further on the reason why John-John “had to” do his Junior Divers course at the earliest possible age.

The Junior Open Water Diver is the certification you can obtain at the age of ten to twelve years. It limits you to a diving depth of 12m and always with adult supervision.

As mentioned in my article in the July issue,

John-John was already booked for his Junior Divers course and anxiously awaiting our summer getaway to start this new “scuba adventure.” I am not sure how to diplomatically express myself regarding the course that was “presented.” Let’s just say that they gave a new meaning to the term “self-study.”

My recommendation, to any person wanting to use the dive centre at Snoopy Rock, would be to ensure and not assume, that the school’s only instructor will at least be present every day. Fortunately, I was with him and we changed the chalet’s living room into our own classroom for two to three hours daily between the pool and open water session.

Most of these sessions John-John did with the “dive masters.”

From the initial pool sessions, JJ was very comfortable with all the scuba gear and completed all the skill tests on his first attempt. This led to two pool sessions and an open water dive on day one, followed by two 50-minute open water dives the following day. It was during the first dive on day two that JJ had some initial problems to compensate in one ear, but after a couple of attempts, he managed to clear the “blocking” and could enjoy the dive. Day three, Jeffery had returned from Dubai and we were scheduled for the two boat dives to complete the open water skills test and then enjoy one dive after the “test.”

Again, JJ had problems with his right ear and suffered severe pain from about one metre under the surface. This Jeffery handled very well; after several attempts we surfaced and he assisted JJ with trying to clear his sinuses/Eustachian tube. He also took the

time to complete all the surface skills tests as not to waste time. Once these skills were completed, they again attempted to go down and this time all was okay. The visibility was not the greatest, as we had strong winds the previous day, and I would reckon about five, maximum six metres.

The experience of diving down to several metres and being able to spend as much time as you like “exploring” the depths of the ocean was incredible, and JJ truly enjoyed every second.

Seeing a lionfish and stonefish in the “flesh” (or shall we say “in scales”) was the highlight of his dives as he has seen and heard a lot about these fishes on National Geographic and similar other programs.

Now JJ will have to wait for brother Jihan to reach ten so we can book him for his Junior Diver and at the same time book JJ for the Open Water II certification. Then hopefully, our “babysitting” days will be over and the whole family will be able to dive together!

Scuba diving has always been popular, but

never before has it been so accessible and affordable to the average person. It is offered all over the world and can really add to your travel experience when visiting other countries. It is safe and can be enjoyed by the whole family. Here in the UAE, it gives you an excellent opportunity to enjoy summer.

All the hotels and resorts have great accommodation offers during summer to attract visitors, and at least the temperature on the east coast (Fujairah) is a couple of degrees cooler than Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

So, if you are looking for some new adventure and are not yet scuba qualified, give it a go!

Dive safe and go for gold.

Regards

John

OUR EXPERTS Even as a single speed, the jigging master powerspell is a force to be tangled with

Overheads and Eggbeaters:

Which one is for you?

Our fishing pro who shares his experiences and expertise with OutdoorUAE through his regular column. thefishingkit@gmail.com

The last ten years have been very pivotal in the evolution of reels. The engineers of our grandfather’s reels could not imagine it; their sons, the engineers of our father’s reels dreamt it, now their sons have achieved it. Comparing a reel that was made 15 years ago with something made in the last five years will show you exactly what I’m talking about.

Although the basic structure is retained, there are a lot of changes in the construction of the reels. Reels that were previously thought as “fast” are now “normal” speed reels. Specialty reels such as two speed reels are now

Traditionally caught with heavy trolling gear tuna

pretty normal, what’s even more and other pelagics are now falling prey to the new startling is the fact that even with generation spinning reels all the technological advancements, good reels, are more than ever, affordable.

The hulking reels of yesteryears have also shred the gargantuan shell, advancements in metallurgical processes as well as the advancements in manufacturing made it possible for baitcaster sized reels in blue water arenas – and are consistBaitcasting reel - a type of ently slaying giants! conventiona or overhead reel Without going too geeky designed for light tackle fishing and technical on this, let’s try to preference and form their fishing style. see what kind of reels are used for what type of fishing, what they can Spinning Reels: be used for aside from the uses that The pros and cons they were designed for and also taking The most noticeable difference beinto consideration that we are not all tween spinning and conventional sysblessed with deep pockets. tems is how they are mounted on the Over the years, I have collected a rod; spinning reels are mounted below number of reels that work for me, so the rod blank, while conventional reels I will break down exactly what I use are mounted on top of the rod blank. them for. Take note though, that my Spinning reels were invented for two reasons for picking the reels I show reasons – firstly, baitcasting reels (a kind here are totally because of preference. of conventional reel) required a degree There might be better reels for the use, of skill to be able to cast. It took a while some of them are pretty old, but are for people to learn how to use baitcastgood reels for what I use them for. Use ing reels and quite a lot gave up just this as a guide and a starting point to because it was too complicated or took figure out your preferences, with that a long time to learn. in mind, you would have less fumbles Secondly, they were not efficient and you put your hard earned money tools for casting lighter lures and baits on or pretty close to your ideal. Take especially when casting towards the into mind that each of these systems wind. Lighter lures and baits make it have their own set of advantages and hard to get the rotation on the spool disadvantages and it’s up to the angler to make the cast, the challenge gets to decide on where his or her prefereven more complicated when wind is ence would lean to. As people use involved. more systems and find where they are Spinning reels made it easier for most comfortable with, they find their

THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST

SEPTEMBER 2013 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM Big Giant Trevally such as this are caught by fishermen all over the world using spinning gear

people to get into fishing because the system requires very little time to learn how to cast and reach a decent distance. This is largely thanks to the fixed spool design of the system (that’s why in some countries, a spinning reel is also called a fixed spool reel). In recent years, manufacturers are making top end spinning reels with light but strong alloy bodies, spool design has also advanced with shallower and wider spools and tapered lips allowing very long casts. The recent rage of popping both in the offshore and inshore arenas have placed spinning reels into new light with very impressive catches of big giant trevally inshore and tuna offshore, fish in previous years requiring hulking trolling reels to catch; proving that spinning reels are just as tough as their conventional counterparts.

For the more technical user, the spinning reel gives you something that no conventional reel can give you – the perfect drop back. This means, with the line rigged on a release clip

and with the bail arm open, the line can freely flow off the spool without any sort of resistance, trolling or drift fishing live bait on kites or flat lines for sailfish and other fish that “mouth” baits before they flip the fish around and swallow them head first. A spinning reel fished like this would not give the fish any warning signals because of the resistance of the line turning a spool giving it more confidence to flip the fish and into its gullet.

Here’s the bad news While it sounds like the perfect system, it does have a few drawbacks. The line bends at a 90-degree angle from the spool to the rod, this is via the bait roller that evenly distributes line to the spool. While it may sound trivial because of the design, this is a weak point and either it would break on a big fish if the drag weren’t set right, the bail roller will get worn up from the line going back and forth on it. This is something that needs to be Casting light lures such as this jig in shallow water is a perfect job for spinning gear

replaced after a while and something that a lot of anglers overlook (I already see a few guys going for their reels and checking them…). In time, the roller will nick your line and damage it, even if it was braid, especially if you fish in saltwater like we do here in the UAE. Another disadvantage is the reel stem. That’s the stem just before the reel foot, this happens in extreme cases, but that part snaps off, even in the best of reels. Although manufacturers have addressed this by reinforcing it even further, it does not negate the fact that that is the thinnest part of the reel. Although the casting may be easy and a decent distance can be achieved, in skilled hands that gets amplified even more – people that know how to cast will always outcast those that have just learned – but it won’t be that much. This is because as the line goes off the spool and diminishes, it also has to fight its way up the spool and off the lip, which creates friction and slowing the velocity of your cast. These things however are not the reasons that put me off spinning gear – the fact that no matter how good or expensive spinning gear is, it is the system that will give you a lot of headache because of line twist.

Conventional Systems: The Pros and Cons While spinning reels are mounted on the bottom of the rod, conventional reels are mounted on top. Your thumb stops the spool when you engage the clutch for the cast.

Advancements in manufacturing have made conventional reels smaller and stronger.

You cannot see really tiny conventional reels catching giant fish both inshore and offshore.

This is also the only type of reel that you can get more than one retrieve ratio, being able to switch one to the other with just a press of a button. Tiny conventional reels such as the Avet SX Raptor are very small – about the same size as a baitcasting reel. This is one

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THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST of Avet’s top-of-the-line reels and it has the strength of a 40kg class trolling reel (for the technical types, the max drag of the SX Raptor is 13kg. Standard drag setting for any type of reel is .3 [max] or .25 [min] of line breaking strain; 0.3 of 40kg is 13.3kg and 0.25 of 40 is 10kg) although it doesn’t have the capacity to go after marlin and other giant fish because of the capacity, the over-engineering of this reel means that you can take it offshore and have a chance to land something big, or have a chance at a big shark when you are inshore.

And guess what – it’s two speed.

The Avet SX is just an example of an extremely tiny conventional reel with all the bells and whistles a manufacturer can put in a tiny package, however it does come with a price – at almost 400 USD in the USA. For that price however, you have the conveniences rivaling the most expensive spinning reels and their ease of use.

Conventional gear as mentioned above are a bit more challenging to cast. That is offset by the more advanced cast control systems modern reels have. Baitcasting reels (a type of small conventional reel) have centrifugal cast control systems, both in mechanical and electronic form. Other cast control systems employ the use of magnets and a handful of reels utilise the use of both cast control systems for a truly backlash proof system.

Since the line feeds off the spool and through the rod rings in a straight line, there is very little friction involved. The revolving spool also eliminates friction from the line coming off the spool, which makes conventional tackle the farthest casting system one could ever hope for. Anglers have been recorded with casts around 286m with a 150g lead weight – all the world records for distance are from conventional reels. In an ordinary fishing scenario, in the hands of a capable beach fisherman, a cast made with conventional gear would reach water that is not as fished as the ones that are closer in.

Advancements in the cast control systems in recent years have made casting conventional gear easy. Reels such as the Avet SX Raptor have magnetic cast control systems that enable it to cast lighter lures without the worry of having a backlash. You just dial in the ideal magnetic resistance on the left side plate and off you go. You also don’t have the line twist problem that spinning reels are known for. Even if you reel against a running fish, the spool just slips – if you do the same with a spinning reel, you would be changing your spool of line after the trip.

The verdict: Which one is better?

To make it simple, the spinning gear is easy to use, great at casting light lures, to fish with in windy conditions and, more importantly, an almost worry free system to use for all types of anglers. When you don’t know anything about fishing and you walk into a tackleshop with a mind of taking a combo, you are guaranteed to walk out of that shop with spinning gear.

There are people who say that baitcasters are more accurate. I believe accuracy is a matter of practice; in my experience, you can be very accurate at both (spinning and conventional) systems if you put in the time to practice.

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When distance is called for a conventional reel does the job

There are things that are easier to accomplish with spinning reels and although also doable with conventionals, are just easily done with the eggbeater – such as skipping lures.

The cost for a decent conventional reel is more expensive than a decent spinning reel. Going to the top end however, prices are almost identical.

The cast control systems of conventional reels also have come a long way and if you are already proficient at casting them, the new generation anti-backlash control gives you that extra security, especially when you’re fishing at night, in windy conditions, or both. So with a little patience you would be able to cast well… most of the time. When shore fishing, I use only conventional reels and use a light spinning outfit to cast light lures from shore while waiting for a bite.

Honestly, both systems should not be compared as they are meant to fill the gap that the other has. I use my spinning reels to cast tiny jigs and other light lures. For someone who

has mostly conventional gear, I still have no reason to get rid of my spinning gear because there are just some things they do best.

If you stick to it, you’ll find a preference towards which gear to use for what purpose, which is exactly what it is supposed to be. Offshore, conventional tackle is still king and they will continue to be for a long time to come.

As gear development advances you will notice a size reduction in all of them as it has in the last few years. Even spinning gear is going even lighter with the introduction of reels that can fish 1kg line and under, the same with baitcasters such as the Shimano Calcutta 50.

Choosing which one is a matter of preference and what you want to use them for, there is no better system, only a better system for what you will be using them for.

Till next tide change,

Kit

Available at

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PEOPLE

Maria Conceicao Occupation: Social entrepreneur Nationality: Portuguese Age: 36

The founder of the UAE-based Maria Cristina Foundation (MCF) has taken on larger than life challenges like climbing Mt Everest and now, she aims to run seven marathons on different continents to help the less fortunate children of Bangladesh.

What inspired you to create the MCF? I originally came to Dubai to work as a flight attendant in 2003. In April 2005, on a trip to Bangladesh, I witnessed the extreme poverty in the slums – a stark contrast to life in Dubai.

I couldn’t forget what I saw and a month later I returned to Bangladesh determined to help the people from the impoverished communities I visited. In July 2005, I started a charity project to help the many families in Bangladesh. The MCF aims to solve root problems and to free slum dwellers from the chains of poverty. It’s about empowering people in the long term by giving them the tools to sustain themselves.

Were you able to reach your goal for the Everest Challenge?

Over the last couple years it has been very difficult to get financial support from within the UAE. I needed a global platform to raise funds around the world that would get me the visibility and exposure MCF required to keep running the project. On the 21st of May, 9:13 a.m., Nepal time, I stood on top of the world! The top of Mt Everest was under my feet to help others find their feet and discover a new world through education, employment and an escape from poverty. Becoming the third Portuguese citizen and the first Portuguese woman to summit it certainly has given us the exposure we needed.

There was a GCC school that was willing to donate scholarships worth 3million AED. However, two weeks before I left to climb Everest, they unfortunately backed out. I was gutted, since June 2012 all I could think Maria with her pre-schoolers

about was of the school going to Bangladesh and picking up the children to complete their secondary school in GCC. That gave me the motivation to go from being an ordinary girl to become an athlete. However, life does not stop and no matter how many people back out on me, I have a mission that I have to complete. Everest brought us 50,000 AED cash sponsorship, a book deal, a documentary. I secured one-year salary with Nama in Abu Dhabi to keep running my charity activities full time and keep on doing these challenges globally. Some days you just have to take the tiny accomplishments and be happy about it.

Tell us more about the upcoming 777 Challenge.

The goal is to run seven marathons on seven continents in seven consecutive days. We will be spending almost of this time in the air getting from one marathon destination to the other. We will travel each with one carry-on bag containing our gear and fly economy on regular commercial airline flights. As marathon and flying fatigue accumulates, the time pressures will magnify and one late flight could spoil the entire 777. We will also suffer from major sleep deprivation. The impact of extreme temperature fluctuations from marathon to marathon, and the stress of disembarking the flight, get to the marathon location, run and queue for the next flight will be nerve wrecking. I am so blessed having a group of volunteers that are pilots that are putting together all the logistics so I can focus running MCF and training for 777.

How are you preparing for the 777 Challenge?

I am training relentless under the supervision of top-notch international coach Ismael Blanco. He provides me with an in-depth knowledge and structural plan for success. I do intense fitness training with Ismael where my entire body is systematically subjected to conditioning in order to build up strength and endurance. My biggest challenge will be mental burnout. I’ve just returned from my “Life is like Everest, a rollercoaster full of ups and downs. We attain goals; we suffer setbacks. Being out of our element, with everything at risk is where you grow the most.”

Everest expedition and now I am back training for another challenge, doing a back-toback training for another extreme challenge with five months apart.

What keeps you motivated?

When you have 600 children and their families’ life is at stake, giving up is just not an option. These challenges are huge burden on my shoulders but I use that to fuel me to not let my sponsors down and the kids. If the pain becomes really unbearable, I think of my Dhaka kids and how their future can be jeopardised by me having the luxury of feeling weak. It has been the kids and their families that have helped me crossing the finish lines of my marathons and making to the summit of every mountain.

What have you learned from outdoor sports?

It is good for the body, mind and soul. It keeps you active, reduces stress, improves selfesteem, confidence and creativity. It gives you spiritual growth, a sense of exhilaration, adventure and challenge from life. There is always that risk, but well I like to believe I am careful.

How can people help the MCF?

Sponsor children’s education in Dhaka to an internationally acclaimed and International Baccalaureate accredited school in Dhaka itself. Sponsor a slum dweller for one year, which will allow them to learn English from the British Council in Dhaka. MCF is looking for a company to donate us a car for our day to day operations. We simply want a vehicle that can transport us from A to B and save us thousands of dirhams on transportation.

Please also feel free to advertise boldly on the car itself. If you wish to know any further information about our charity, please visit our website www.mariacristinafoundation.org

PEOPLE

Adriano de Souza Occupation: Professional surfer Nationality: Brazilian Age: 26

He made history last April when he became the first Brazilian to win at the Rip Curl Pro in Bells Beach, Australia after 52 years. We caught up with Adriano, who is currently at number seven in the men’s world ranking, during his UAE visit to talk about this milestone and the surf life.

goal for this year. If you think a lot about the pressure, it’s not going to be easy or good for you, so just forget about the pressure and keep in mind your goal.

Next stop will be Billabong Pro Tahiti, how are you preparing for that?

Training hard as always. In the last few years I have been working hard on my fitness and nutrition, I have a lot to improve on that part. Tahiti is the most dangerous place in the world to surf because of the shallow reef and powerful waves; that’s why it’s a good show. Competition will be tough, but I’ll do my best.

Welcome to the UAE! Are you enjoying the wave pool?

It’s a very unique opportunity to surf here, the wave pool is especially good for practice. This is like a dream. The wave is not really dangerous, no reef and it’s super mellow, unlike in the ocean where you have to pay close attention and read the signs.

We came for a special global project which you guys will see pretty soon. It’s definitely something no one has seen yet. In between, we also went to the market place and saw some camels. I will take this opportunity to explore the country, go to the museums and check out the culture.

We’re curious about your nickname Mineirinho...

I’m the youngest in the family so I’m like the little boy. Even though I’ve grown up the people didn’t forget the nickname [laughs].

Have you had any close calls while surfing?

How did you get into surfing?

The first time I saw my brother came out of the beach, he looked really happy. I was eight, so I couldn’t understand why he comes to the beach and why is he so happy, so I started to think maybe I should go to the beach too. I asked to come with him and we went during the weekends. He started to see my skills in surfing and from there he started supporting and pushing me to do my best.

Congrats on the Rip Curl Pro 2013!

How does it feel to make such a monumental win?

I’m just so happy. The event is the oldest event in the world for surfing and to become the first Brazilian to win in that contest in the last 52 years and to represent my country is just amazing. I still can’t believe it.

Do you feel a lot of pressure after that?

Right now, there so many amazing surfers out there even from Brazil. We’re all fighting for a spot at the top, so I have to keep improving and working hard. That’s my main

I had a couple of injuries in my lower back, knees and ankle, but it’s all part of the game.

Fear is everywhere, but sometimes you take your fear and swap it for challenge. Never let it control yourself. You just always try to improve yourself, see your limits and go beyond it.

What do you think is the best thing about what you do?

The best thing about surfing is the good vibes. It’s a competition, but you enjoy it.

You compete against your idols and your heroes. Then you get to see the world, know different cultures and you learn a lot from your successes and mistakes. Every single day I just realise that I’m living my dream and I want to do this forever.

What’s your advice for those who want to get into the sport?

Have support from the beginning. Brazil doesn’t have good waves, so I had to travel in search for these waves. I want to see your courage to stand up on a board. If you want to surf, you have to ask yourself “what do you want from this?” I think that’s the most important question. I can tell you a lot of things about surfing, but you must find it out for yourself first and just go for it.

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LOCATIONS

OMAN escapes Words + Photos By: Darryl MacDonald

As summer sets in across the Arabian landscape, temperatures rise and humidity becomes unbearable making most destinations in Gulf area intolerable for outdoor activities. In the interior of Oman, temperatures can reach near 50째C in the shade creating dangerous conditions for remote travel or any type of activities on foot. In the southern end of the country however, an unusual occurrence takes place.

Every year during the southwest monsoon, cool winds sweeping up from the Indian Ocean help create a unique microclimate over the region of Dhofar. During the months of July through September, a heavy mist sets in over the southern tip of the country prompting an amazing transformation to materialise across the landscape. Beginning high in the mountains, the seemingly arid and lifeless countryside turns from desert into a lush tropical landscape, creeping slowly down the valleys until it ultimately reaches the ocean.

Oman has many amazing destinations dotting the countryside but Salalah during this season, known as the Khareef, is certainly in the top.

I heard about it from friends, read about it books and have even seen it in various BBC documentaries including the Planet Earth series. Finally, a few weeks ago, my wife and I headed down to see what all the hype was about.

Having only the weekend to explore this new area, we opted to fly from Muscat and booked into a hotel just outside of Salalah.

Being on such a tight time schedule and finding it difficult to locate much information about exploring the area, we sought out the services of our highly recommended guide, Ali, owner of Safari Tours and tour guide extraordinaire. Ali, born and bred in Salalah, was a fountain of information as he enthusiastically ushered us from site to site. Our first stop was to visit the tomb of Nabi Ayoub high up in the mountains. At the time of our visit,

there was little greenery at sea level but as we approached our first destination, it was like being instantly transported to a tropical rainforest in Asia. It is truly a site that must be seen to be believed. The tomb was interesting and the gardens in the area were immaculately kept. Next, we headed east to Mughsayl Beach, home to the famous blowholes that reportedly reach over ten metres during the roughest part of the season. It was mesmerising to watch the constant bombardment of the ocean waves on the bluffs below. It was also pretty amusing to watch the unsuspecting tourists standing over the holes looking down to see what was below. I would imagine that many cameras and phones have met their end in this place.

From here we continued on the road towards Yemen and the Frankincense trail where our guide stopped to show us some of the famous trees and tell us a little about the history and extraction process for a commodity that was once valued as the same price as gold. On our way home, Ali insisted on taking us to his farm which had been in his family for three generations. It was hard to believe we were in Oman when surrounded by such a massive amount of greenery. He had coconuts, bananas, papaya, mango, corn, oranges, lemons, figs, dates and I’m sure several other crops that we missed on our brief tour through the orchard. It was an action-packed day, confirming our suspicion that we didn’t have nearly enough time to explore even a fragment of what the area had to offer.

The following day, we organised a rental car and headed out to explore some of the many freshwater springs which begin to flow during this time of year. Most of the springs have parking areas nearby and during the height of the monsoon can have numerous waterfalls cascading through the greenery. We also noted many of the areas had hiking trails that could easily be followed beyond the public areas, some of which offer spectacular views and an easy escape from the crowds. We also visited Wadi Darbat, which was more of a river than a wadi and had some of the largest trees in the country. Driving to the wadi, we passed through massive green farmlands with cattle,

donkeys and various types of crops, reminding me more of Europe than the usual rocky plains of Oman.

During the Khareef, which usually takes place between mid-June and mid-September, the average temperature is 25-28°C. Salalah is an extremely popular destination for the surrounding Arab countries and can see more than 400,000 visitors pass through during the Khareef season, causing prices to skyrocket and availability of rooms and rental vehicles to be nearly nonexistent. This is why I would suggest the best times to visit would be either during Ramadan or the end of September/

beginning of October to avoid the crowds. If you plan on doing any hiking, the ground is very wet and extremely slippery! I recommend bringing shoes with built in cleats or hiking boots with removable cleats. The Khareef if definitely a “must do” in Oman. If you decide to undertake this weekend adventure, don’t forget to bring your bug spray, rain jacket and plenty of water. So as we like to say in Canada, get out there, have fun and “keep your stick on the ice.”

Darryl

Items to bring Mosquito repellent Rain jacket Drinking water Mobile phone First aid kit Trainers or hiking boots

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LOCATIONS

endless “roads roads 2 2” Endless roads and the little samurai Words + Photos By: Daniel Birkhofer

Last month, I was cruising in style with 400HP in a car almost worth half a million dirham through the mountains in Hatta.

This month we come back to the ground and test the fun factor of driving from the lower side of the financial spectrum.

Going from super sports cars to sports cars, the question is raised, “Can you have fun drive outs with a car for a purchase price below 100,000 AED from the showroom?”

Seeing the price tag on the Toyota 86 might say that this car must be in a way different world. In one way, it is.

If price doesn’t matter and you can go in full to build a sports car, it should not be too hard to produce some impressive results and a lot of fun on the road. But approaching the task from the other side, trying to

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keep the fun factor and road performance on a high level and putting the price tag as low as possible is a challenge. Toyota took on this challenge with the new Toyota 86 and the market has not seen a better value sports coupe.

Looking at the car, it looks sporty, elegant and sexy. Maybe not as bold as its big brothers, but definitely like a junior and challenger. Getting in the car and into the seats directly provides the feel of a sports car. You sit low, small steering wheel and

to my joy manual transmission. The interior is simple but practical and everything you need is there as well as additional features (see list below).

As with every sports car, you feel the tickle and excitement of starting the engine and getting on the road. The four-cylinder boxer engine does not produce the sound we would wish for on a sports car, but the exhaust still makes the four-cylinder sound good. Especially the TRD version we were testing with the sports exhaust system, with quad tailpipes sounded great. The engine has 200HP which doesn’t sound too much, but the car weighs only around 1300kg which is very light. The slick six-speed manual gear change gives enough opportunity to work with it. To push the car to its potential, you will also need to change gears regularly and keep the engine above 3500RPM to have the torque you need to enjoy driving it. The rear drive combined with the light weight gives the Toyota 86 an aggressive drive especially when driving in higher RPM you feel the car pushing from the back and trying to break out (if traction control disengaged). The TRD version has mainly optical improvements like the mentioned exhaust and more aggressive looking bumpers, the engine remains the same without

THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST

any power enhancement. The TRD version is AED 29,227 more expensive then the base model.

The route:

This month we will not go far outside Dubai to find some remote roads. Like a cowboy rides into the sunset, we do the same with more comfort in an air-conditioned environment and certainly with more speed. To find empty roads close and outside the major cities is not as hard as you think based on the heavily congested main roads during rush hour. Curves are unfortunately rare, but you find little compensation with some roundabouts.

No matter from which direction you come, either on the E311 or E611, take the exit at Arabian Ranches following the signs to Bab Al Shams hotel. Any cyclist will already know where this exits leads to – the infamous Al Qudra cycle track. So if you want to check out the bike-only dedicated road, you can follow the described route. After passing (or exiting) the E611 you will reach after 13.8km a roundabout and the gate with a cyclist on top. This is the start for the cycle track parallel to the road and on Toyota 86 Basic MT Retail Price Engine Output Torque Top Speed 0-100km/h Transmission Weight TRD full kit

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weekends it’s very busy with many parked cars. There is no other way than to go straight. After another 3.5km you reach another roundabout where you go straight again until you reach after 3.5km a roundabout with some farms and a just opened cycle store and other new facilities. To the right, is the royal stable with a private access road. To the left, you’re headed for Bab Al Shams.

Take right but not the private road; stay on the public

: AED 95,000 : 2.0Liter 4-cylinder boxer : 200HP/7000RPM : 20.9kg-m/6400-6600 RPM : 226km/h : 7.6seconds : 6 Manual Transmission : 1239kg : additional AED 29.227

road. You will pass along the stable on your left for 3km until you reach a roundabout where you take right. Follow this road until you reach the E66 which will take you back to the E611, E311 or Dubai City. Before reaching the E66, you pass through Al Lisaili and Tawi Marmum with many camel farms. This area offers some little detours or on-foot exploration of camel farms; especially in the morning or evening hours you have a good chance of seeing camels being trained for races.

I always loved the Lotus Elise as a concept and a fun toy, but it still comes at a hefty price tag. The Toyota 86, in my opinion, is the same car but lesser than half the price.

Comparing the 911 Porsche from last month’s test drive to the Toyota 86 would definitely not be a fair and valid comparison. I would put them in two different leagues: the heavyweight boxer and the little samurai warrior. The 86, in Japanese samurai tradition, is light but a fast fighter, compensating strength with technique. They are different in many regards, but provide both fun while driving.

Power Windows, wireless door lock, central locking, day and night inside rear view mirror, front seat manual reclining - slide, dual airbags + side + curtain + driver knee, manual air condition, analogue speedometer, multi-information display, audio - FM/CD/USB/iPod and Bluetooth with 6 SPK, audio jack with AUX and USB, 3 spoke leather steering wheel, EPS (Electric Power Steering) tilt and telescopic, front and rear bumper - body colour, coloured outside door handle, halogen headlamps with manual leveling, door mirrors- powered and coloured and fold, front and rear fog and driving lamps, ABS and VSC, aluminum brake pedals, A/T, 16 ‘’ alloy wheel

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TIPS & TRICKS

Staying Safe Off-road Words + Photos By: Marina Bruce

Over the summer, the local press reported a number of off-road drivers becoming stranded in the desert and requiring rescue by the UAE Police.

Whilst the off-road “season” in the UAE is November to March, when the weather is at its coolest and the sand in its best condition, many dedicated off-roaders drive all year round and return safely to tell tales of exciting adventures a world away from malls and beaches. Part of the reason for their safe return is that they are aware that they are entering a very inhospitable environment, and prepare and plan accordingly.

Some of these risk management measures I’m detailing here are common sense, but in the excitement of packing up the picnic equipment and heading to the sand, it can easily be overlooked. This list is not exhaustive, but if followed it will help make your recreational off-road trip a little bit safer.

Don’t go off-roading on your own A golden rule for inexperienced off-road drivers and even those with intermediate driving skills is to go with the right people.

Ideally you will have a minimum of three

cars, with at least one driver having a good number of off-road trips under their belt and be experienced in recovering stuck vehicles.

A great way to gain experience is to join an off-road group; there are a number of great clubs in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain and the contact details for some of these can be found in the appendix of this magazine.

Prepare your car thoroughly

It’s vitally important to make sure that your car is in tip-top condition, particularly the cooling system. Servicing should be up-todate with no outstanding problems and you also need to ensure that you have recovery points front and rear.

Check that your tyres are in good condition with no nicks or cuts in the sidewall and no leaky valves or slow punctures – this goes for your spare too. You’ll need a jack with a wooden or metal board to place it upon, as sand does not offer a stable surface to support it and the weight of your car. One vehicle should have a compressor, even if you plan to reinflate at a gas station after the trip. If one of the convoy has a pop out or loses air in a tyre then you will be glad of it!

Take some adjustable spanners, screwdrivers, duct tape and cable ties with you as well as a pair of work gloves, just in case you need to make some minor running repairs.

Not all 4x4s are equal – I’ll go into far trickier terrain in my Nissan Patrol than for Some stucks are not as bad as they look

instance, a Ford Explorer or a Kia Sorrento – and it’s important to choose a route suited to the cars to avoid straining their engine/ gearbox/drivetrain.

Ensure someone in the convoy has recovery equipment

Not all cars in the convoy need a full array of safety equipment but at least one should have a good quality, rated, recovery kit.

A tow strap is fine for pulling cars on the blacktop, but in the desert, a rated snatch strap will minimise stress on the vehicles and increase the chances of a successful recovery. If someone in your convoy has a winch this is very useful to have, but please make sure they know how to use it properly and safely – there are many good tutorial clips on Youtube.com.

Other items you should include in a safety/recovery kit are rated shackles, fire extinguisher, first aid kit, a shovel and a tyre gauge.

Take time to prepare at the deflation point

Tyres should be deflated to at most 15psi, most experienced drivers run on 12psi or less but this depends on the tyres, the weight of the car and the type of terrain you are exploring. Don’t leave it to guesswork – get a good quality tyre gauge to ensure you are running on optimal pressures. You will be able to drive further in 2WD with your tyres deflated than in 4WD with road pressures.

If possible, take some walkie-talkies (using authorised frequencies) so the convoy can communicate. It also helps the following cars negotiate obstacles safely if everyone has an off-roading flag and pole – this can be as simple as a fishing rod, flag attached, tied onto the spare wheel with bungee cords although many off-road suppliers sell reasonably priced flags and whipcord style poles.

Take at least one GPS

Ensure at least one car has a GPS which is capable of telling your current position – even if you aren’t going far off the road – and that the owner knows how to use it properly.

With this information you may be able to call a friend or the authorities to assist you if needs be – it’s extremely hard to describe where you are in the desert without it.

Tricky “technical” terrain

Sometimes it’s very difficult to pull a car out of the desert in the dark, so it’s often best to lock it and leave it overnight but not before you mark its location on your GPS so you can find it in the morning!

Pack adequate provisions

When you head out to the desert, make sure you have enough food and water for the length of your trip, plus at least six hours spare. You never know what you might encounter out there, delays due to unexpected situations are common and the welfare of the drivers and passengers is paramount. Although we can survive for a few days without food, it’s a good idea to take some snacks with you such as crisps, nuts and don’t forget the original desert survival food – dates.

Take lots of water with you preferably in small bottles. It is easy to break large bottles for instance, if you go over a bump way too

If stuck, first clear your wheels of sand build-up

hard you might shatter these and lose your water supply.

overdue they can raise the alarm and can advise your rescuers where to start looking.

Leave your route with a friend

And if the worst happens

Leave details of your trip with a friend, including entry point, likely intermediate and exit points, as well as the time you expect to be out of the desert. This way if you are

If you do get seriously stuck, breakdown or have an accident, and there aren’t enough cars/spare seats in the rest of the convoy to get you out safely, stay with your car.

Whatever you do, don’t try to walk out of the desert unless you know there’s a village or camel farm in a very short distance; in the summer that could be as little as a few hundred metres. We are lucky in the UAE that there is very good rural mobile reception but as you often have to walk up the nearest high dune to get a signal, take a small rucksack full of water and snacks to sustain you.

If it’s very hot and your car’s engine isn’t running (and therefore you have no AC), then dig yourself a hole under the car so you can lie there in the shade until help arrives.

And a final word

Liwa “crescent” area

Please don’t let the risks deter you from venturing off the blacktop as the desert is a wonderful place to drive; those who are aware of the dangers and know how to minimise the risks can explore this amazing terrain year-round quite safely.

Marina Bruce is The Desert Diva – read her blog at www.thedesertdiva.com Oasis Offroad is a free to join offroad club based in Al Ain offering family trips and overland adventures in the beautiful sand dunes of Al Ain and beyond.

Their website is www.oasis-offroad. com and their Facebook page is www.facebook.com/OasisOffroad

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TIPS & TRICKS

PARTNER stretches

This month we look at partner and individual stretches for the shoulders and hips, to get you back into the wing of things after the summer. Always remember to be patient with your body, breathe into any discomfort and communicate when working with a partner.

Double Forward Fold:

Stand back to back with your partner and then fold forward. Take a wrist to wrist grip and simultaneously lean away form one another. If you are very flexible you may need to step a little further away from each other. This is a great hamstring opener.

London Bridge: Mini Backpack:

Still back to back, the partner who is “lifting” the other bends their knees so their buttocks sit below their partner’s, onto their partner’s thighs. Then gently lean forward (not beyond 90°) and the partner is stretched along with them. Great for opening both the shoulders and the hips simultaneously.

Lay down hip to hip on the floor. Feed one arm under your partner’s legs so you can hold hands. Simultaneously lift the hips off the mat so the toes are directly over your face, and then come back down to the opposite side. The action is like the London Bridge opening and closing to allow a boat to pass. Great core workout!

Low Lunge:

Start on all fours then step one foot between your hands. Press the hips gently forward to feel a release in the front of your hip.

Option is to keep the hands on the floor or to extend the arms up and take a gentle backbend.

Shoulder Opener: High Lunge:

As above and then press into the back foot to lift the back knee up.

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From the side twist thread your arm through the opposite arm and leg as though you were threading a needle. Allow the shoulder to rest on the floor if possible to open up the space between your shoulder blades.

Sandy Joy

Sheesa Beach Dhow Cruises Sheesa Beach Dhow Cruises offer not just a weekend away from the routine of life, but a whole adventure both above and below the waters of the majestic Musandam Peninsular.

Located approximately an hour and a half hour drive away from Dubai is the understated Dibba, Oman and more importantly the Dibba Oman port were you will find Sheesa Beach and the beginning of the Musandam Peninsular.

“Our fleet comprises of 8 Dhows and 3 diving speed boats. We have 5 double deck Dhows, 1 single deck and 2 triple deck air-conditioned Dhows. We offer a unique experience onboard blending tradition and luxury.“ We offer any of the above vessels for private hire and offer a sharing trip at least once a month.

The sharing dhow cruise is a jam-packed two days and two nights of diving, relaxing and fun-filled adventures.

We specialize in dhow cruises and diving, offering most recreational diving courses and

some of the best Discover Scuba Diving locations which requires no previous experience.

We accommodate to all your wants and needs.

Our staff are friendly and hard working, you truly will have a carefee experience with us.

If it’s a day break you are looking for, we also offer sharing day cruises on a daily basis which depart at 11:45 a.m. You will spend the day swimming and relaxing. Half way

through the trip, a decadent lunch will be served to refuel the cells.

So come on down and say hi, we cater to everything from diving and dive courses to simply relaxing on a day or overnight a cruise.

Give us a call on: 00971 (0)50 3336046 or 00968 26836551 Email: info@sheesabeach.com, www.sheesabeach.com

TIPS & TRICKS

Training for your first triathlon Words By: Victoria Arscott

Triathlon (a swim-bike-run) is one of the fastest growing sports – and there are good reasons why. Races are challenging (but not impossible), the training is varied and enjoyable, and the atmosphere at events is one of inclusiveness and participation (rather than closed groups of elite athletes). If you can swim a little, cycle a little and run a little, then like many other people, you can take part in your first triathlon. Some of the local races (like the series of triathlons and aquathlons that are being put on at the Jebel Ali Golf Resort over the winter) even have “novice” categories, so that newcomers to the sport can win prizes even if they aren’t the fastest athletes on the day.

But how do you go about training for your first triathlon?

Before participating in the Abu Dhabi International Triathlon earlier this year, my short lived training regime lacked structure and consistency and resulted in a less than perfect race.

Marshals in kayaks along the swim course had to usher me in the right direction as I ventured off course. The transition from the swim to the

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bike saw me lose the timing chip off my ankle and the Garmin watch off my wrist as I wrestled to get the wetsuit off. Part way through the 100km bike course, my legs began to shake and I thought back to all the times I substituted a long ride with my triathlon club, TriDubai, for a lazy lie-in. Normally, I would say that running was my forte, but on this occasion, dragging what felt like blocks of concrete around the 10km circuit was not exactly a walk in the park. Perhaps those Wednesday night “brick sessions” (where you practice the transition from bike to run) at the Autodrome were important after all! But I’ve learnt that it doesn’t have to be that hard. (Unfortunately I found out the hard way – but you don’t need to!)

Whether you are looking to compete in a super-sprint distance triathlon or sprint distance triathlon (either of which I’d recommend as a good distance for your first triathlon), the aim is to be prepared yet remain injury free.

Your training plan will be key to achieving this goal.

As a novice to triathlons and living in Dubai, you may think that the period one can train for a triathlon is very limited due to the climate.

That’s not the case, and I, like many other enthusiastic beginners are finding out that training continues all year round.

Every training plan will differ as it needs to take into consideration the race profile (in terms of distance, climate, location, elevation, etc) and the athlete’s profile (athletic background, age, ability, health considerations, personal commitments, etc). Training plans are progressive and are devised to build strength, endurance, speed and efficiency. The plan will show a progressive upward trend both in terms of hours and/or intensity, before you taper off before your race day.

Periodically, you should incorporate a rest week to enable your body to recover and adapt. A “rest week” is not a green light

to dismiss training altogether, rather it is a week of lighter training to allow your body to recover and be ready to adapt to your next block of harder training.

Consistency in your training is very important so be realistic about the time you can set aside for training. A couple of tips before you get going with your training plan: Get a proper bike fit – numb feet, back ache, pain across the shoulders, knee injuries: I’ve experienced them all, until I got a professional bike fit.

Get a swim analysis – if your technique is wrong, it could result in injury and your performance will be limited, no matter how much time you spend in the pool.

Get a foam roller – a valuable piece of equipment that can iron out some serious muscle tension.

Swim

Attending group sea swims, where you can simulate race conditions is extremely valuable.

This will accustom you to mass starts, drafting (swimming immediately behind someone, which makes it easier for the person behind), sighting and exiting from the water. Aside from the group sea swims, Dubai has numerous swimming venues open to the public, providing a controlled environment for practicing

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which you can use in order to prepare yourself for a particularly hilly course.

Run

As with the bike training sessions, long “slow” distance runs will give you aerobic efficiency and endurance, whereas the interval sets will be used to improve your overall speed. Incorporating inclines into your run sessions builds additional strength and stamina.

Another important feature to incorporate into your training sessions are combined bike-run sets known as “brick sets.” This trains your body to adapt quickly to the change in discipline and allows you to perfect your transition routine.

In order to limit the incidence of injury and improve your strength and flexibility it’s wise to incorporate some weight training and core muscle exercises and stretches as part of your training plan.

Taper your technique and performing time trials.

Distance training and sprint work is important to improve your stamina and speed, so combine some interval sets with longer distances and aim to exceed your race distance in your training.

Bike

Depending on the profile of your bike course (whether it is predominately flat, undulating or laced with steep mountainous climbs), it’s important to start off with getting some base miles with low intensity under your belt to build your strength and endurance. Later on, these may become your recovery rides as your strength and fitness improves. These base miles are best done in a group with others.

Often other people can be your biggest motivators, and can help push you harder than you might otherwise have trained – and it’s nice and social as well!

Interval training, where you alternate between fast and slow speeds for set periods of time, also help improve your overall speed and endurance and should be incorporated into your plan on a weekly basis.

Hill training is essential if your course elevation resembles the heart beats on an EKG. There are some challenging climbs up Jebel Hafeet and through the Hajjar mountains,

A couple of weeks leading up to the race, you need to allow your body to recover from the peak training period. Progressively begin to reduce the intensity and duration of your training. Three days prior to the race is reserved for active rest or even total rest!

Preparation for race day

Familiarise yourself with the course. Make sure you clearly know the route you will take in and out of each transition zone. Locate landmarks you will use for sighting during the swim and mounting/dismounting the bike, as it is often hard to see the buoys during a mass swim start or temporary signs at the side of the bike course. At the start of the swim, position yourself to give you the best advantage. That does not necessarily mean at the front, as you may not be the fastest in the field, it could mean positioning yourself behind someone who is fast enough to draft off his/her feet. Finally, ensure you take on enough fluids and nutrition to fuel your body throughout the race (although for your first triathlon, which should ideally be a super sprint or sprint distance race, this shouldn’t be much of a concern).

Train hard, race smart, but most of all enjoy it. But be warned: triathlon is addictive!

For free training sessions with TriDubai visit www.tridubai.org and for local triathlon events go to www.race-me-events.com

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TIPS & TRICKS

Back to school Pencils, books, new clothes and a bike!

We at The Cycle Hub believe that the bicycle is the best way to provide any child, anywhere, with freedom, independence, health and joy. Together with our partners and riders we’re helping to build a world in which every child has use of a bicycle, skills to operate it confidently and places to ride it safely.

While bike riding is an excellent form of exercise for kids, it can be dangerous. Here are some bicycle safety tips to be aware of during this busy time of year:

mets by kids ages four to 15 would prevent around 45,000 head injuries annually. Insist that your child wear a helmet when riding!

1. Inspect your child’s bike

Teach your child to choose the best route to a destination. For instance, avoid busy roads when there are quieter routes to the same place. If possible, ride on bike paths.

Always observe stop signs (even if no other vehicle is visible), yield signs and other traffic markers. Use extra caution when passing driveways and entrances to businesses and housing developments and when riding in parking lots. Encourage him to walk his bike across busy intersections and use pedestrian crossings.

Back to school is a good time to give your child’s bike a safety inspection. You’ll want to look over the brakes, wheel alignment, seat, handlebars, pedals, tyres, axle nuts and bearings and chain (if you feel inadequately knowledgeable to do this effectively, The Cycle Hub offers the back to school special for kids bikes). If needed, replace, tighten or adjust bike components so that your child has a safe bike to ride.

2. Make sure it’s the right size Bikes that are too big can be dangerous.

When your child is sitting on the seat and grasping the handlebars, he or she should be able to place the balls of the feet on the ground. A bike that is too small can also affect the mechanics of their cycling motion and balance hindering confidence and safety.

3. Insist on a helmet

They may not be the most comfortable or fashionable item, but helmets are essential to safe bike riding. Head injury is the leading cause of death in cycling accidents, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (USA) estimates that proper use of hel-

4. Ride smart

right side of the road. Ride with someone else if possible, and always ride single file.

Never attempt to ride on the handlebars of someone else’s bike or invite a friend to try riding on your bike while you’re driving it.

7. Reflect on it – get bright

Encourage your child not to ride his bike when it’s not daylight out. If he does need to ride in the early morning or evening hours, make sure his bike is equipped with reflectors and lights. Wearing neon, bright or reflective clothing is a good idea as well, as is a headlight for the bike.

5. Signal your intentions

With education and proper training, you can help your child develop their road safety and improve their health. Actually the same rules pretty much apply to everyone out there.

Left turn: left hand and arm held straight out, pointing left

For more information on bicycle safety and equipment, visit The Cycle Hub at Dubai Motor City, contact 044256555, sam@thecyclehub.com

Teach your child to use proper hand signals to alert others of his intentions:

Right turn: right hand and right arm held straight out, pointing right Stop: left hand and arm held straight down

6. Road safety

Talk to your child about basic road safety when riding a bike. For instance, teach him to ride with (not against) traffic and on the

TO THE PEOPLE DRIVING CARS: Remember that it’s a busy time and many people are making new journeys for the first time. Give yourself and others a bit more time and please be extra careful on the roads especially if you are near a residential or a school district. Please stay off the phone and be cautious.

THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST

TIPS & TRICKS

Manufacturers of expensive lipsticks scientifically produced in laboratories would find it very hard to match the amazing red colour of Aeschynanthus, more commonly known as the lipstick plant.

, n a D the Desert Gardener

loves

Aeschynanthus

(Member of the Gesneriaceae family)

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This indoor plant has flowers that are a lovely bright red, tubular in shape which emerge from maroon coloured sheaths resembling lipsticks coming out of a case.

The leaves are dark green, shiny and hard altogether making a very attractive looking plant.

Aeschynanthus is a trailing or cascading plant, so it needs to be in a hanging pot or basket or in a planter that is up high so that as it grows it has room to hang down and truly show off its exquisite flowers.

In your house, it will need bright strong light but not direct sunlight, like a lot of indoor plants it does need water but not too much, it hates having soggy roots.

There is conflicting information about where Aeschynanthus originates from but West Indies, Southeast Asia and rainforests means that it thrives on warmth and humidity so it will love the UAE climate.

Aeschynanthus is an evergreen and the flowers should come and go and bloom again throughout the year if you have the sunlight and watering amounts correct, so

wherever you have good, bright light in your home Aeschynanthus is the plant to hang.

There are approximately 150 different types of Aeschynanthus and you can find other coloured flowers like yellow or orange in other varieties of Aeschynanthus but the species with the red flowers is the most common and when available I always stock it the Dubai Garden Centre.

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Supercharged

ocean waveS 800 LIBERTY kawasaki@liberty.ae

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DIRECTORY General Sports Equipment Megastores

Adventure HQ, Dubai Times Square Center, Sheikh Zayed Rd, toll free: 800-ADVENTURE, www.adventurehq.ae Decathlon, Dubai, Mirdif City Centre, +97142839392 Go Sport, The Dubai Mall: +97143253595; Ibn Battuta Mall: +9714368 5344; Mall of the Emirates: +9714341 3251; Mirdif City Centre: +97142843034 InterSport, Dubai, Times Square Centre and Dubai Festival City, +97142066587, www.intersport.ae Sun and Sand Sports, most shopping centres, +97143504444, www.sunandsandsports.com

Adventure tours and desert safaris

MMI Travel, Mezzanine Floor, Dnata Travel Centre, Shk Zayed Road, Dubai, +97144045888, www.mmitravel.ae Alpha Tours, +97142949888, www.alphatoursdubai.com Bike and Hike Oman, PO Box 833, Ruwi, Postal Code 112, Oman, +96824400873, www.bikeandhikeoman.com Cyclone Tours & Travels, Abu Dhabi, Khalifa Street, +97126276275, www. cyclonetours.com Dadabhai Travel, Sama Bldg. next to Al Mulla Plaza, Dubai-Sharjah Road, Dubai, +97142209393,www.dadabhaitravel.ae Desert Rangers, Dubai, +97143572200, www.desertrangers.com Desert Road Tourism, Al Khor Plaza – 503, Dubai, +97142959429, www.arabiantours.com Dream Days, +97144329392, www.dreamdays.ae Dream Explorer LLC, Dubai, +971433198801, www.dreamexplorerdubai.com Dubai Relax Travel, Dubai, +97144221776, www.dubairelaxtours.com Element Fitness, Dubai, +971502771317, www.element-fitness.net Explorer Tours, Umm Ramool, Dubai, +97142861991, www.explorertours.ae, Gulf for Good, Dubai, +97143680222, www.gulf4good.org Gulf Ventures, Dnata Travel Centre +97144045880, www.gulfventures.com Net Group, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, +97126794656, www.netgroupauh.com Oasis Palm Dubai, Dubai, +97142628889, www.opdubai.com Rahhalah, Dubai, +97144472166, www.rahhalah.com Relax Tours Travels, Dubai,

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+97144221776, www.dubairelaxtours.com Wild Guanabana, Dubai, +971567954954, www.wildguanabana.com Clubs Abu Dhabi Fishing, Camping, Kayaking, & Adventure Club, +971504920860, mohammed.almahrouky@gmail.com

Air

Ballooning Adventures Emirates, Dubai, +97142854949, www.ballooning.ae Jazirah Aviation Club, Ras Al Khaimah, +9716139859, 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 Alyousuf Industrial, LLC, +97143474111, www.aym.ae yamboats@alyousuf.com Gulf Craft, Ajman, +97167406060, www.gulfcraftinc.com Al Jeer Marina, RAK border Musandam, +97172682333/+971504873185, www. aljeerport.ae Distributors and Dealers Art Marine, Dubai, +97143388955, www.artmarine.net Azure Marine, Dubai, +97143404343, www.azuremarine.net Leisure Marine Beach Street, Dubai, The Walk JBR, +97144243191 Luxury Sea Boats, Dubai, +971505589319, www.luxuryseaboats.com Macky Marine LLC, Dubai, +971505518317, www.mackymarine.com Nautilus Yachts, Sharjah, +97165576818, www.nautilusyachts.com UAE Boats 4 Sale, Dubai Marina, +97144471501, www.uaeboats4sale.com Western Marine, Marina Yacht Club, Dubai, +97143039744 The Boat House, Dubai, Al Quoz, +97143405152, www.theboathouse.ae Equipment Ali Khalifah Moh Al Fuqaei, Deira, Dubai, +97142263220 C Al Masaood Marine, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, +97143468000, www.masaoodmarine.com M Blue Waters Marine, Shop 11, The Curve Bldg., Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, +97143808616/+971553899995, info@ Y bluewatersmarine.com, CM www.bluewatersmarine.com Extreme Marine, Dubai, +97143992995, MY www.extrememarine-me.com Japan Marine General Trading, Al Garhoud Road, Liberty Building, Dubai, +97155 9299111, CY +97142828255, uday@japanmarine.jp, www.japanmarine.co CMY Rineh Emirates Trading LLC, Dubai, Al Quoz, +97143391512, www.rinehemiratesme.com K Repairs and Maintenance Extreme Marine, Dubai, Dubai Marina, +97143992995, www.extrememarine-me.com Rineh Emirates, Sheikha Sana Warehouse 1, Al Quoz, +97143391512, info@rinehemiratesme.com, www.rinehemirates.com SNS Marine, JAFZA Techno Park, Jebel Ali, Dubai, +971501405058, info@snsmarine.ae, www.snsmarine.ae The Boat House, Dubai, Al Quoz, +97143405152, www.theboathouse.ae Cruise Operators 4 Yacht Arabia, Shop No. 5, Dubai Marina Yacht Club, 800 92248, www.4yachtarabia.ae Al Bateen Marina, Abu Dhabi, +97126665491, www.marinaalbateenresort.com Al Marsa Travel & Tourism, Dibba, Musandam, +96826836550, +97165441232 Leisure Marine Beach Street, Dubai,

TheWalk JBR, +97144243191 Bateaux Dubai, Dubai Creek opposite the British Embassy, +97143994994 Bristol Middle East, Dubai Marina, +97144309941, www.bristol-middleeast.com Captain Tony’s, Yas Marina, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, +97126507175, www.captaintonys.ae Delma Industrial Supply and Marine Services, Al Bateen Jetty, Abu Dhabi, +97126668153, www.delmamarine.net Eden Yachting, Dubai Marina, +971504586171, www.edenyachting.com Emirates Yachting, Dubai, +97142826683 El Mundo, Dubai, +971505517406, www.elmundodubai.com Four Star Travel and Tourism, Dubai, +9714 2737779, www.fourstartravels.net Fujairah Rotana Resort & Spa, Al Aqah Beach, Fujairah, +97192449888, www.rotana.com Ghantoot Marina & Resort, Abu Dhabi, +971529933153, www.ghantootmarina.com Happy Days Sea Cruising LLC, Dubai, +971558961276, +971503960202, www.happydaysdubai.com JPS Yachts and Charter, Room 225, Emarat Atrium building, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, +97143437734, www.jpsyachts.com Khasab Divers, Oman, +97156 7255889, khasab.diver2@gmail.com Khour Shem Tourism, Oman, +96826731919, www.khourshemtours.com LY Catamaran, Dubai, +971505869746, +971566506683, www.lycatamaran.com Marine Concept, Dubai, +971559603030, www.marine-charter-concept.com Nautica1992, Dubai, +971504262415, www.nautica1992.ae Noukhada Adventure Company, Villa 332/7, Al Meena Street, Abu Dhabi, +97126503600, www.noukhada.ae Cycle RAK Marine LLC, RasHub_proof Al Khaimah new.pdf City Hilton Marina, +971504912696, +97172066410

Marina, +8008044, www.theyellowboats.com Marinas Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club, Abu Dhabi, Breakwater, +97126815566, www.adimsc.com Abu Dhabi Marina, Abu Dhabi, Tourist Club Area, +97126440300 Al Jeer Marina, RAK Border, Musandam +971 7 2682333 or +971 50 4873185 www.aljeerport.ae Al Mouj Marina, Muscat, Oman, +968 9423 9777, www.mourjanmarinas.com Dubai Creek Marina, Deira, Dubai, 1 2:43 PM +971 45/2/13 380 1234, www.dubaigolf.com Dubai International Marine Sports Club, Dubai Marina, +97143995777, www.dimc.ae

OUR MEGA STORE IS NOW OPEN!!!

Great opening specials in store!

Dubai Motor City Next to Dubai Autodrome

Sea Hunters Passenger Yachts & Boats Rental, Dubai Marina, +97142951011 Sheesa Beach, Dibba, Musandam, +971503336046, www.sheesabeach.com Smoke Dragon Of London Yacht, Abu Dhabi International Marine & Sports Club, +971507011958/+971504546617 Summertime Marine Sports, Dubai, +97142573084 The Club, Abu Dhabi, +97126731111, www.the-club.com The Yellow Boats LLC, Dubai Marina Walk – opposite Spinneys, Intercontinental Hotel

+971 50 552 8872 sam@thecyclehub.com www.thecyclehub.com

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, +97144498400, www.igy-festivalmarina.com Festival Marina, Dubai, Festival City, +97142085100, www.mourjanmarinas.com

Moonlander, like its name implies, is meant to go beyond where normal bikes, even normal fat bikes, can go. It is designed from the ground up to ride where there are no roads, no trails, no people.

Moonlander accomodates staggeringly wide 4.8Ë? tires on 100mm rims. Such a large footprint allows you to ride them at very low pressure, and enables even greater traction and float over all kinds of terrain‌ sand dunes, beach, mangroves, rocks, gravel (and even snow).

Available at: UAE: Adventure HQ in Times Square Center in Dubai, Wolfi's Bike Shop at the Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai, Go Sport stores in The Dubai Mall and in Bawabat Al Sharq Mall in Abu Dhabi Qatar: Go Sport in Villaggio Mall, Doha City Centre in Doha Oman: Oman Bike in Muscat

Distributor

http://surlybikes.com

THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST

Four Seasons Marina, Doha, Qatar, +97444948899, www.mourjanmarinas.com Fujairah International Marine Club, Fujairah, +97192221166, www.fimc.ae Intercontinental Abu Dhabi Marina, Al Bateen, Intercontinental Hotel, Abu Dhabi, +97126666888, www.intercontinental.com Jebel Ali Golf Resort and Spa Marina, Jebel Ali, Dubai, +9714814 5555/5029, www.jebelali-international.com Lusail Marina, Lusail City, Qatar, +9745584 3282, www.mourjan-lusailmarina.com Marina Bandar Al Rowdha, Muscat, Oman, +96824737286 (ext 215), www.marinaoman.net Pavilion Marina, Dubai, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, +97144068800 The Pearl–Qatar Marinas, Doha, Qatar, +9744965801, www.ronauticame.com Umm Al Quwaim Marine Sports Club, Umm Al Quwaim, +97167666644, www.uaqmarineclub.com Dragon Boat Groups Dubai Dawn Patrol Dragon Boating, Dubai+971508795645 (Michael), www.dubaidawnpatrol.org Dubai Diggers, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, pier next to 360, Dubai, +971501547175 (Nick Hando), www.dubai-diggers.com UAE Dragon Boat Association, +971507634008 (Jason), www.dubaidragonboat.com

Camping & Hiking

Equipment Blingmytruck.com, +971505548255, www.blingmytruck.com Jack Wolfskin Mirdif City Centre Dubai, +97142840228; Al Wahda Mall Abu Dhabi +97124437802 Picnico General Trading, near Sharaf DG Metro Station, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, +97143951113 Tresspass, The Dubai Mall, 2nd floor above ice rink, +97143398801 Tour Operators Arabia Outdoors, Dubai, +971559556209, www.arabiaoutdoors.com Absolute Adventure, Dubai, +97143459900, www.adventure.ae Libra, +971559228362, www.libra-uae.com Mountain High Middle East, Dubai, +97143480214, www.mountainhighme.com Sheesa Beach, Musandam, Dibba, +97150336046, www.sheesabeach.com Desert Road Tourism, Al Khor Plaza – 503, Dubai, +97142959428, www.arabiatours.com

Caving

Muscat Diving & Adventure Centre, Oman, +96824543002, www.holiday-in-oman.com Mountain High Middle East, Dubai, +97143480214, www.mountainhighme.com Oman World Tourism, Oman, +96899431333, www.omanworldtourism.com

Climbing

Equipment Global Climbing Trading LLC, Dubai Investment Park 1, Dubai, +97148829361, www.globalclimbing.com Adventure HQ, Dubai Times Square Center, Sheikh Zayed Rd, toll free: 800-ADVENTURE, www.adventurehq.ae Barracuda Fishing and Outdoor, Dubai, Street 13A 1, Al Safa 1, +97143466558, www.barracudadubai.com Jack Wolfskin Mirdif City Centre Dubai, +97142840228; Al Wahda Mall Abu Dhabi +97124437802 Services Absolute Adventure, Dubai, +97143459900, www.adventure.ae Adventure HQ, Dubai Times Square Center, Sheikh Zayed Rd, toll free: 800-ADVENTURE, www.adventurehq.ae Al Shaheen Adventure, Abu Dhabi, +97126429995, www.alshaheenme.com Arabia Outdoors, Dubai, +971559556209, www.arabiaoutdoors.com Dorell Sports Management, Dubai World Trade Centre, +97143065061, www.climbingdubai.com E-Sports UAE, Dubai, +97142824540,

60

OUTDOORUAE

www.esportsuae.com The Club, Abu Dhabi, +97126731111, www.the-club.com Information UAE Climbing, +971506456491, www.uaeclimbing.com

Mountain Biking & Cycling

Equipment/Dealers Cycle Sports, Shop No. 1, Al Waleed Bldg., Al Barsha 1, Dubai, +97143415415, www.cyclesportsuae.com Fun Ride Sports, 301, 3rd floor, Mushrif Mall, Abu Dhabi, Rm. 4, Mezzanine floor, C-13 Bldg., Khalifa City A, Abu Dhabi, info@funridesports.com, www.funridesports.com Micah’s Bike Shop, Warehouse no.4 6th st.

Al Quoz 3, Dubai, +97143805228 Probike, Dubai, Al Barsha 1, +97143255705, www.probike.ae Rage Shop, Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai Festival City, +97143369007, www.rage-shop.com Ride Bike Shop, Dubai Mall, Festival City, Oasis Centre, Mirdif City Centre, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, +97143750231, www.ridebikeshop.com Revolution Cycles, Shop G05, Apex Atrium, Motor City, Dubai, +97143697441, www.rcdxb.com Sportz Unlimited, Sheikh Zayed Road & Jebel Ali, Dubai, + 97143388644 Tamreen Sports LLC, Khalifa Street, Abu Dhabi, +97126222525, www.tamreensports.com The Cycle Hub, Motor City, Dubai, +971505528872, www.thecyclehub.com Trikke uPT, Dubai, +971 4 508 1202, +971 55 609 6757, www.trikkeme.net, info@trikkeme.net Trek Bicycle Store, Seih Al Salam, Al Qudra Road, Dubai, +97148327377, www.trekbikes.ae Fun Ride Sports, Rm no. 4, Mezzanine flr, C-13 bldg. Khalifa A City, Abu Dhabi, +97125566113, www.funridesports.com Peak Performance, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai Mall, Dubai, +97143413056/+97143308023 Wolfi’s Bike Shop, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, +97143394453, www.wbs.ae Operator Absolute Adventure, Dubai, +97143459900, +971506259165, www.adventure.ae, info@adventure.ae Clubs Abu Dhabi Tri Club, www.abudhabitriclub.com Cycle Safe Dubai, Dubai Autodrome www.cyclechallenge.ae Dubai Roadsters, www.dubairoadsters.com

Diving

Equipment Al Boom Marine, Abu Dhabi and Dubai, +97142894858, www.alboommarine.com Al Masaood Marine, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, +97143468000, www.masaoodmarine.com Al Yousuf Motors, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, +97143390621, www.aym.ae/yamaha Blue Waters Marine, +97142232189, Dubai, www.bluewatersmarine.com Gulf Marine Sports, Abu Dhabi, +97126710017, www.gulfmarinesports.com Premiers for Equipment, Abu Dhabi, Sh. Zayed 1st. Road, +97126665226, www.premiers-uae.com Al Hamur Marine and Sports Equipment, Jumeirah Beach Road, Dubai, +9714 3444468 Scuba 2000, Al Bidiya Beach, Fujairah, +97192388477, www.scuba-2000.com Scuba Dubai, Al Barsha, Al Khail Road, Dubai, +97143414940, info@scubadubai.com Diving Centres 7 Seas Diving Center, Khorfakkan, +97192387400, www.7seasdivers.com Al Boom Diving (equipment), Dubai, Al Wasl Rd, + 97143422993, www.alboomdiving.com

SEPTEMBER 2013 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

Al Jeer Marina, RAK Border, Musandam, +97172682333, www.aljeerport.ae Al Mahara Dive Center, near Muroor St across from main bus terminal, +97126437377, info@divemahara.com, www.divemahara.com Al Marsa Musandam, Dibba Harbour, Musandam, Oman, +968 26 836550, www.almarsamusandam.com Arabian Diver, Hilton Marine, Ras Al Khaimah, +97172226628, +971502428128 www.arabiandiver.com Arabian Divers and Sportfishing Charters, Al Bateen Marina Resort, Abu Dhabi, +971506146931, www.fishabudhabi.com Coastal Technical Divers, glenn@coastaltechnicaldivers.com, www.coastaltechnicaldivers.com Deep Blue Sea Diving, Dubai, International City, +97144308246, www.diveindubai.com Desert Islands, Sir Bani YAs Island, Abu Dhabi, UAE, +97128015400, www.divemahara.com Divers Down, Fujairah, Rotana Al Aqah Hotel Resort & Spa, +97192370299, www.diversdown-uae.com Emirates Divers Centre, Abu Dhabi, near Meena Fish Market, +97126432444, www.edc-ad.ae Euro-Divers Oman, Muscat, Oman, +96895035815, www.euro-divers.com Extra Divers Ziggy Bay, Oman, Musandam, +96826735555, www.extradivers.info Freediving UAE, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Fujairah, contactus@freedivinguae.com, www.freedivinguae.com Freestyle Divers, Dubai, Al Wasl & Dibba, Royal Beach Hotel, +97143944275, www.freestyledivers.com Fujairah Rotana Resort & Spa - Al Aqah Beach, Al Aqah Beach, Fujairah, +97192449888, www.rotana.com Global Scuba Dive Center, Civil Aviation Club, Oman, +96899317518, www.global-scuba.com Khasab Divers, Oman, www.khasabdiver.com Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort, Dibba Road, Fujairah, +97192449000, www.lemeridien-alaqah.com Moonlight Dive Center, Madinat Qaboos, Oman, +968 99317700, www.moonlightdive.com Muscat Diving & Adventure Centre, Oman, +97150 3289642, www.holiday-in-oman.com Neptune Diving, +97150 4347902, www.neptunedivingcentre.com Nomad Ocean Adventures, www.discovernomad.com, +971508853238, Dibba, Oman Oman Dive Center, Muscat, Oman,

+96824284240, www.omadivecenter.com Pavilion Dive Centre (equipment), Dubai, +97144068828 Scuba 2000, Al Bidiya Beach, Fujairah, +97192388477, www.scuba-2000.com Scuba Oman, Oman, +96899558488, www.scubaoman.com Scuba UAE.com, +971502053922, www.scubauae.com Sharjah Wanderers Dive Club, Sharjah, +97150 784 0830, www.bsac406.com Sheesa Beach, Dibba, Musandam, +971503336046, www.sheesabeach.com Sky &Sea Adventures, Dubai, Hilton, Jumeirah Beach Road, +97143999005, www.watersportsdubai.com The Pavilion Dive Centre (equipment), Dubai, +97144068828 The Dive Shop, 34G, European Center, Green Community, Dubai, UAE, +97148135474, www.thediveshopdubai.com Clubs Atlantis Underwater Photography Club, Dubai, +97144263000 Desert Sports Diving Club, Dubai, www.desertsportsdivingclub.net Emirates Diving Association, Diving Village, Al Shindagha, Dubai, +97143939390, www.emiratesdiving.com Filipino SCUBA Divers Club (FSDC), Dubai, UAE, +971 56 6952421, www.thefilipinoscubadivers.com Freediving UAE, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Fujairah, contactus@freedivinguae.com, www.freedivinguae.com Sharjah Wanderers Dive Club, Sharjah, +971507840830, www.bsac406.com

Fishing & Kayaking

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Equipment Al Boom Marine, Abu Dhabi & Dubai, +97142894858, www.alboommarine.com Al Yousuf Motors, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Rd, +97143390621, www.aym.ae/yamaha Al Hamur Marine and Sports Equipment, Jumeirah Beach Road, Dubai, +9714 3444468 Arabian Divers and Sportfishing Charters, Al Bateen Marina Resort, Abu Dhabi, +971506146931, www.fishabudhabi.com Blue Waters Marine, Shop 11, The Curve Bldg., Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, +97143808616/+971553899995, info@ bluewatersmarine.com, www.bluewatersmarine.com Al Masaood Marine, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, +97143468000, www.masaoodmarine.com Barracuda Fishing and Outdoor, Dubai, Street 13A 1, Al Safa 1, +97143466558, www.barracudadubai.com Global Climbing Trading LLC, Dubai Investment Park 1, Dubai, +97148829361, www.globalclimbing.com Leisure Marine Beach Hut, Dubai,

THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST

General Sports Equipment Distributors

Dubai - Tel: 04-3809647 Sharjah - Tel: 06-5388666 Ajman - Tel: 06-7410004 Fujairah - Tel: 09-2221188 R.A.K. - Tel: 07-2351592 Al Ain - Tel: 03-7211444 Abu Dhabi (Musaffah) - Tel: 02-5588890 www.aym.ae

The Walk JBR, +97144243191, www.leisuremarine-me.com Ocean Active, Dubai, Garden Centre, +971502898713, www.oceanactive.com Operators Al Boom Diving, Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort, Fujairah, +97143422993 Absolute Adventure, Dubai, +97143459900, www.adventure.ae Al Hamra Marina and Yacht Club, Al Hamra, Ras Al Khaimah, +97172434540, www.alhamramarina.com Al Mahara Dive Center, Downtown Abu Dhabi, +971501118125, www.divemahara.com Al Shaheen Adventure, Abu Dhabi, +97126429995, www.alshaheenme.com Al Wasl Charter & Fishing (Al Wasl Passenger Yachts and Boats Rental LLC), Airport Road, Al Owais Building, Dubai, +97142394761, www.cruiseindubai.com Arabian Divers and Sportfishing Charters, Al Bateen Marina Resort, +971506146931, www.fishabudhabi.com Arabia Outdoors, Dubai, +971559556209, www.arabiaoutdoors.com Barracuda Diving Centre, Fujairah International Marine Club, +9719222558 Belevari Marine, Abu Dhabi,+97126594144 Captain Tony’s, Yas Marina, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, +97126507175, www.captaintonys.ae Fun Beach Water Sports, Dubai, +97153244550, www.funbeachsports.com Happy Days Sea Cruising LLC, Dubai, +971558961276, +971503960202, www.happydaysdubai.com Hiltonia Beach Club, Hilton Abu Dhabi Hotel, Abu Dhabi, +97126811900 Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort, Dibba Road, Fujairah, +97192449000, www.lemeridien-alaqah.com Nautica 1992, Dubai, +971504262415, www.nautica1992.ae Noukhada Adventure Company, Villa 332/7, Al Meena Street, Abu Dhabi, +97126503600, www.noukhada.ae Ocean Active, Dubai, Garden Centre, +971502898713, www.oceanactive.com Sheesa Beach, Dibba, Musandam, +971503336046, www.sheesabeach.com Summertime Marine Sports, Dubai, +97142573084, www.summertimemarine.com Soolyman Sports Fishing, Dubai, Umm Suqeim, +971508866227, www.soolymansportsfishing.com Xclusive Yachts, Dubai, Dubai Marina, +97144327233, www.xclusiveyachts.com Clubs Abu Dhabi Camping, Fishing & Kayaking Club, mohamed.almahrouky@gmail.com Dubai Surfski & Kayak Club, Kitesurfers’ Beach, Umm Suqeim 1, Dubai, +971554986280, www.dskc.hu

800 Sport, Al Quoz, Dubai +971 4 346 7751 www.800sport.ae Adventure HQ, Dubai Times Square Center, Sheikh Zayed Rd, Toll free: 800-ADVENTURE, www.adventurehq.ae Al Yousuf Motors, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, +97143390621, www.aym.ae/yamaha Flip Flop Arabia, flipme@flipfloparabia.com, www.flipfloparabia.com Global Climbing Trading LLC, Dubai Investment Park 1, Dubai +97148829361, www.globalclimbing.com Goal Zero, +971509128353, www.goalzero.ae Jack Wolfskin Mirdif City Centre Dubai, +97142840228; Al Wahda Mall Abu Dhabi +97144437802 Ocean Sports FZE, +971559352735, www.kitesurfsup.com Sakeen General Trading, +97147094224, www.sakeen.ae Sport in Life Distribution, Nad Al Hammar Rd., Ras Al Khor, Dubai, UAE, +97142896001, +97142896002, info@sportinlife.ae, www.sportinlife.ae Tresspass, The Dubai Mall 2nd floor above ice rink, +971 4 339 8801

Horse Riding

Equipment Al Asifa Horse Equestrian & Requisites Trading, Al Khawaneej 1, Dubai, +971554733110, www.asifa.ae Black Horse LLC, Abu Dhabi, +97126422237, www.blackhorseuae.com Bonjour Equestrian Supplies, Nad Al Hammar Rd., Ras Al Kho, Dubai, UAE, +97142896001, +97142896002, info@bonjourequestrian.com, www.bonjourequestrian.com Cavalos Equine Care and Supplies, 16th Street, Al Khalidiyah, Abu Dhabi, +9172 2222433, www.cavalosuae.com Emirta Horse Requirement Centre, Sheik Zayed Rd, Dubai, +9714 3437475, www.emirtahorse.com Horse & Carriage Equestrian Equipment LLC, Dubai, +97142895069, www.horseandcarriageuae.com Mirzan Equestrian Equipment, Dubai, +971 4 4472808, www.metdubaihorse.com Equestrian Clubs/Centres Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Al Mushrif, Abu Dhabi, +97124455500, www.adec-web.com Al Ahli Riding School, Al Amman Street, Dubai-Sharjah Rd., +97142988408, www.alahliclub.info Al Forsan International Sports Resort, Abu Dhabi, +97125568555, www.alforsan.com Al Jiyad Stables, Behind Dubai International Endurance City, Dubai, +971505995866, info@aljiyad.com, www.aljiyad.com Al Sahra Desert Resort Equestrian Centre, Dubai, +97144274055, equestrian.centre@alsahra.com Dubai Polo Academy, Dubai, +971508879847, www.dubaipoloacademy.com Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club, Dubai, Arabian Ranches, +97143618111, www.poloclubdubai.com Desert Equestrian Club, Mirdif, Dubai, +971503099770, +971501978888 Desert Palm Riding School, Near Al Awir Road (going to Hatta-Oman), Dubai, +97143238010, www.desertpalm.peraquum.com Emirates Equestrian Centre, Dubai, +971505587656, www.emiratesequestriancentre.com Ghantoot Polo & Racing Club, Exit 399, Abu Dhabi/ Dubai Highway, Abu Dhabi, +97125629050, www.grpc.ae Golden Stables Equestrian Club, Al Khawaneej, Dubai, (Nouri) +971555528182, www.goldenstables.ae HoofbeatZ, located just inside the Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club, Dubai, +971501810401, www.hoofbeatz.com Mushrif Equestrian and Polo Club, Mushrif Park, Al Khawaneej Road, Dubai, +97142571256, www.mushrifec.com Qudraland Community, info@qudraland.com,

SEPTEMBER 2013 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

www.qudraland.com Rahal Ranch, Al Wathba Racing Area, Abu Dhabi, +971566127914, www.rahalranch.com Riding for the Disabled, Dubai, lessons@rdad.ae, www.rdad.ae, Sharjah Equestrian & Racing Club, Sharjah, Al Dhaid Road, +97165311188, www.serc.ae Racecourses Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Al Mushrif, Abu Dhabi, +97124455500, www.adec-web.com Ghantoot Racing & Polo Club, Exit 399, Abu Dhabi/ Dubai Highway, Abu Dhabi, +97125629050, www.grpc.ae Jebel Ali Racecourse, off the main Abu Dhabi - Dubai Highway (Sheikh Zayed road) beside the Emirates Golf Club, Dubai, +97143474914 Meydan Grandstand and Racecourse, Al Meydan Road, Nad Al Sheba, Dubai, +97143270000, www.meydan.ae Sharjah Racecourse, Al Dhaid Road, Sharjah, +97165311155, www.serc.ae Equine Hospitals/Clinics Dubai Equine Hospital, behind World Trade Center, Zabeel 2, Dubai, +97143178888, www.dubaiequine.ae Gulf Vetcare, Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi, +971508617590, www.gulfvetcare.com Sharjah Equine Hospital, Bridge no. 6, Al Dhaid Road, next to Sharjah Equestrian & Racing Center, Sharjah, +97165311881, www.seh.ae Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, next to Dubai Equestrian Hospital, Zabeel 2, Dubai, +97143375165, www.cvrl.ae

Jet Ski

Dealers Al Masaood Marine, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, +97143468000, www.masaoodmarine.com Japan Marine General Trading, Al Garhoud Road, Liberty Building, Dubai, +97155 9299111, +97142828255, uday@japanmarine.jp, www.japanmarine.co Liberty Kawasaki, Dubai, Interchange 4, Sheikh Zayed Road, +97143419341, www.libertykawasaki.com Al Yousuf Motors, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Rd, +97143390621, www.aym.ae/yamaha Rentals Fun Beach Water Sports, Dubai, +971 5 3244 550, www.funbeachsports.com The Cove Rotana Resort, Ras Al Khaimah, +9717206000, www.rotana.com Xventures, Dubai, +971555404500, www.x-ventures.ae

Motocross & ATV’s

Dealers Al Badayer Rental (Rental), Dubai-Hatta Road, +971507842020, www.albadayerrental.com Al Shaali Moto, Ras Al Khor, +97143200009, sales@alshaalimoto.com. www.alshaalimoto.com Al Yousuf Motors, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Rd,

kawasaki@liberty.ae

+97143390621, www.aym.ae/yamaha KTM, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, exit 42, +9714323151, www.ktm.com Golden Desert Motorcycles Rental (Rental), Dubai-Hatta Road, Dubai, +971551532550, www.goldendesert-dubai.com Polaris UAE (atv’s), Ras Al Khor, Nad al Hamar Road, Al Ghandi Complex, Dubai, +97142896100, M4, Sector 13, 10th Street, Mussafah Industrial, Abu Dhabi, +97125555144, www.polarisuae.com Liberty Kawasaki, Dubai, Interchange 4, Sheikh Zayed Road, 04-3419341, www.libertykawasaki.com Sandstorm Motorcycles (Rental), Al Quoz, Dubai, +97143470270, www.sandstorm-motorcycles.com Sebsports, Al Quoz Industrial Area 1 Dubai, +97143393399, www.sebsports.com Wild X Adventure Shop, Dubai, +97148321050, www. wildx.ae Equipment Desert Road Tourism, Al Khor Plaza – 503, Dubai, +97142959429, www.arabiantours.com 2XWheeler, Motorcity Dubai, +97144548388, www.2xwheeler.com Sandstorm Motorcycles (Rental), Al Quoz, Dubai, +97143470270, www.sandstorm-motorcycles.com Sebsports, Dubai, Al Quoz Industrial Area 3, +97143393399, www.sebsports.com Wild X, Dubai, Um Al Ramoul Industrial Area, +97142852200, www. wildx.ae

Motorcycling

Distributors and Dealers Al Yousuf Motors, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Rd, www.aym.ae/yamaha Ducati, Mussafah 4, Street 10, Abu Dhabi, +97125535771, info2@ducati.ae, www.ducati.ae Duseja Motorcycles, Dubai, Al Quoz, +97143476712, www.dusejamoto.com Harley-Davidson, Mussafah 4, Street 10, Abu Dhabi, +97125540667, hd.auh@harley-davidson.ae, www.harley-davidson-abu-dhabi.com Liberty Kawasaki, Dubai, Interchange4, Sheikh Zayed Road, +97142822144, www.libertykawasaki.com Polaris UAE, Al Ghandi Complex, Nad al Hamar Road, Ras Al Khor, +97142896100, www.polarisuae.com Tristar Motorcycles, +97143330659, www.tristaruae.com Workshops and Services 2xWheeler Adventures, Dubai, +97144548388 www.alainraceway.com Al Forsan International Sports Resort, Abu Dhabi, +97125568555, www.alforsan.com Dubai Autodrome, Dubai, +97143678700 www.dubaiautodrome.com Emirates Motorplex, Umm Al Quwain, +97167681717

OUTDOORUAE

61

THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST Center, Dubai, +97142898060, www.yellowhat.ae Tour Operators Desert Road Tourism, Al Khor Plaza – 503, Dubai, +97142959429, www.arabiantours.com Arabian Adventures, Dubai & Abu Dhabi, +97143034888, www.arabian-adventures.com Oasis Palm Dubai, Dubai, +97142628889, www.opdubai.com Clubs Abu Dhabi Off- Road Club, www.ad4x4.com ALMOST 4x4 Off-Road Club, +971507665522, www.almost4x4.com ME 4X4, www.me4x4.com JEEP Wrangler JK Fun Club, suffian.omar@ yahoo.com, www.jk-funclub.com Dubai Offroaders, www.dubaioffroaders.com

Running

Dubai - Tel: 04-3809647 Sharjah - Tel: 06-5388666 Ajman - Tel: 06-7410004 Fujairah - Tel: 09-2221188 R.A.K. - Tel: 07-2351592 Al Ain - Tel: 03-7211444 Abu Dhabi (Musaffah) - Tel: 02-5588890 www.aym.ae

Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, www.yasmarinacircuit.com

Off-Road

Dealers 4x4 Motors LLC, Shk. Zayed Rd, Dubai, +97143384866, www.4x4motors.com Bling My Truck, +971503634839/+971505548255, info@blingmytruck.com, www.blingmytruck. com Liberty Automobiles, Dubai, 8005423789, www.libertyautos.com Repairs and Services Off Road Zone, Dubai, Al Quoz, +97143392449, www.offroad-zone.com Icon Auto Garage, Dubai, +97143382744, www.icon-auto.com Saluki Motorsport, Dubai, +97143476939 www.salukimotorsport.com Equipment Advanced Expedition Vehicles, Dubai & Abu Dhabi, +97143307152, www. aev.ae Al Yousuf Motors, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, +97143390621, www.aym.ae/yamaha Bling My Truck, +971503634839/+971505548255, info@blingmytruck.com, www.blingmytruck.com Icon Auto Garage, Dubai, +97143382744, www.icon-auto.com Wild X Adventure Shop, Dubai-Hatta Road, Dubai, +97148321050, www.wildx.ae Yellow Hat, Nad Al Hamar, and Times Square

Clubs ABRasAC, Dubai, www.abrasac.org Abu Dhabi Tri Club, Abu Dhabi, www.abudhabitriclub.org Al Ain Road Runners, Abu Dhabi, +971504188978, alainroadrunners@yahoo.co.uk Mirdif Milers, Dubai, www.mirdifmilers.info Abu Dhabi Striders, admin@abudhabistriders.com, www.abudhabistriders.com Dubai Creek Striders www.dubaicreekstriders.org

Stand up Paddling, Kite & Surfing, Wakeboarding

Equipment Al Boom Marine, Abu Dhabi & Dubai, +97142894858, www.alboommarine.com Al Masaood Marine, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, +97143468000, www.masaoodmarine.com Picnico 04 3941653 Jumeirah Beach Road Opposite Sunset Mall, Dubai Pearl Water Crafts, Dubai Marina Yacht Club, +971553749398, www.pearl-watercrafts.com Surf Dubai, Dubai, Umm Suqeim, +971505043020, www.surfingdubai.com Surf Shop Arabia, Building 1, Al Manara Road (East), Interchange 3, Dubai, +97143791998, www.surfshoparabia.com UAE Kite Surfing, +971505626383, www.ad-kitesurfing.net Distributors Ocean Sports FZE, +971559352735, www.kitesurfsup.com Kitepeople Kite & Surf Store, International City, Dubai, +971504559098, www.kitepeople.ae Operators

SEPTEMBER 2013 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

Al Forsan International Sports Resort, Abu Dhabi, +97125568555, www.alforsan.com Dubai Kite Surf School, Dubai, Umm Suqeim Beach, +971 504965107, www.dubaikitesurfschool.com Duco Maritime, Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah and Abu Dhabi, +971508703427, www.ducomaritime.com Dukite, Kitesurf Beach, Umm Suqeim, Dubai,+971507586992, www.dukite.com Kite Fly, Dubai, +971502547440, www.kitesurf.ae Kitepro Abu Dhabi, Yas Island and Al Dabbayyah, Abu Dhabi, +971505441494, wwww.kitepro.ae Kite4fun.net, Abu Dhabi, +971508133134, www.kite4fun.net Nautica1992, Dubai, +971504262415, www.nautica1992.ae Shamal Kite Surfing, Umm Suqueim Dubai, +971507689226, astrid@shamalkitesurfing. com, www.shmalkitesurfing.com Sky & Sea Adventures, Dubai, Hilton, Jumeirah Beach Road, +97143999005, www.watersportsdubai.com Surf School UAE, Umm Suqeim Beach and Building 1, Al Manara Road (East), Interchange 3, Dubai,+971556010997, www.surfschooluae.com Watercooled, Jebel Ali Golf Resort and Spa, Dubai, +97148876771, www.watercooleddubai.com Clubs Abu Dhabi Stand Up Paddle, www.abudhabisup.com, abudhabisup@gmail.com UAE SUP www.uaesup.com

Water Parks

Aquaventure Atlantis, Dubai, Palm Jumeirah, +97144260000, www.atlantisthepalm.ae Dreamland Aqua Park, Umm Al Quwain, Emirates Road, +97167681888, www.dreamlanduae.com Wadi Adventure, Jebel Hafeet, Al Ain, +97137818422, www.wadiadventure.ae Wild Wadi Water Park, Dubai, +97143484444, www.wildwadi.com

Other leisure activities

Abu Dhabi Golf Club, Abu Dhabi, + 97125588990, www.adgolfclub.com Al Tamimi Stables, Sharjah, +9716743 1122, +97144370505, www.tamimistables.com Blokart Sailing, Nad Al Sheba, Dubai, +971556101841, www.blokartme.com Children’s City, Creek Park Gate No.1, Dubai, +97143340808, www.childrencity.ae Dolphin Bay Atlantis Dubai, +97144260000, www.atlantisthepalm.ae Dubai Dolphinarium Dubai, Creek Park Gate No. 1, +97143369773,

www.dubaidolphinarium.ae iFly Dubai, Dubai, Mirdif 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

Health, Safety & Training

Safety Lessons Marine Concept Yacht Charter & Sea School, Rania Business Centre, Dubai, +971559603030, www.marine-charter-concept.com Safety & Leisure Training Middle East, Dusseldorf Business Point, Al Barsha 1, Dubai, +97144502418, www.sltme.com Sport and Health Centres Bespoke Wellness, Dubai, +971553724670, info@bespoke-wellness.com, www.bespoke-wellness.com The Physio Center, Suite 405, Building 49, Dubai Healthcare City, Dubai, +97144370570, www.physiocentre.ae Original Fitness Co., C6 Tower Al Bateen Bainunah St, Abu Dhabi, +9712406 9404, info@originalfitnessco.com, www.originalfitnessco.com Orthosports, 5B Street, Jumeira Beach road, Dubai, +971 4 355060, www.orthosp.com

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