OutdoorUAE - May 2011 by OutdoorUAE

Everest Base Camp Trek Geoff takes on a challenging route

Al Ain to Kalba

We ride with John on his motor-cycle trip

Our Party Cruise We conclude our epic boat party!

Dragon Boating

Tori joins the dragons of the water Price: DHS 10 Discover more and visit us online: www.outdooruae.com

Issue 5/2011 May

2011

Photo: S.Whitesell

Explore the possibilities

Torch

Park

Bolt

5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14

6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14

3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.5, 12, 14, 16

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Cover Photo Credit: In Print: Managing Editor Daniel Birkhofer daniel@outdooruae.com Editors Kim Perks Marilena Cilta Graphic & Design James Russell For advertisement enquiries contact: Tel: 04-4472701 marketing@outdooruae.com Published by: Outdoor UAE FZE P.O. Box 215062 Dubai, U.A.E. Tel. 04-4472701 contact@outdooruae.com www.outdooruae.com Distributor: Abu Dhabi Media Company P.O. Box 40401, ABU DHABI Printed at: Galadari Printing & Publishing LLC P.O. Box 11243 Dubai, U.A.E. © 2011 Outdoor UAE FZE Issue 5/2011- May

The whole idea of getting on a boat has never really rocked my world before… Sea sick tablets? Check. Sunscreen? Check. Absorbing the sea soaked breeze off starboard side? Bring it on... Having a family who had grown up around sailing and boats, a Grand father who lived on one for most of his life, and having worked in the marine industry for a year, you wouldn’t think I’d be hesitant! However, as my old Duke of Edinburgh teacher used to say in any ominous situation, “if in doubt...whip it out!” That was probably in reference to the time where he had to use his backup sky diving parachute in a time of ‘emergency’. Keeping that forgivable motto in mind, the next best thing to do was hold my breath and jump on board, and that’s what I did! Getting on a huge catamaran was the first of many adventures I have had at Outdoor UAE since I’d joined, and I’ve come to learn that walking the plank and taking a leap of faith isn’t so bad after all. I guess that’s we’re all about at Outdoor UAE: the community, the content, the readers, the adventures, trying something new, talking about it & reading about it, doing it, inventing it, filming it, photographing it, figuring out how to do it and letting others know how. I would say to the readers of Outdoor UAE, it can be anything you want it to be, your passion or your adventure. You’ve just got to be open and up for it, push yourself to the max and just remember to live a little, get involved, and don’t forget to soak up some sun along the way... But more importantly – If in Doubt Whip it Out (Your copy of Outdoor UAE that is!). Sea Cat.

The information contained is for general use only. While we have made every attempt to ensure that the information contained in this magazine has been obtained from reliable sources, however the publisher is not responsible for any errors. All information in this magazine is provided “as is”, with no guarantee of completeness, accuracy, timeliness or of the results obtained from the use of this information. In no event will the publisher, its related affiliates or anyone else be responsible for any decision made or action taken in reliance on the information in this magazine. All contents are under copyrights and may not be reproduced in any kind without written permission. © 2011 Outdoor UAE FZE

Reg. at Creative City Fujairah P.O. Box 4422, Fujairah, U.A.E.

Your Best Shots - 5 Some great shots of the month

Event Schedule – 6 Location - 8 Rub Al Khali

OutdoorUAE Party Cruise - 10

Highlights of our first sea cruise party

Everest Base Camp Trek -12 Geoff documents his trek through nepal

Al Ain to Kalba - 16 John takes us on another motorbike adventure

Event Reviews - 18 Red-Bull X-Fighters, Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge

Results – 24 We’ll Take the High Road - 26 Carol introduces her cycle team and offers a place or two on her Nepalese expedition

News – 28 Travel Tip: Abel Tasman Coast Track - 30 Mattias guides us to beach beauty

Products – 32 The Fishing Kit - 36 Lured.

Adventure Chicks - 38 Tori competes in the mighty Dragon Boat races

Outdoor People - 40 We introduce Vera and Drew – exceptional wakeboarders. Together with Beach Hut

ME4X4 - 42 Mike Nott brings you his serialization of the ultimate off-road guide. Part 3

Picnico - 45 Treasures still to be uncovered with the veteran of Outdoor shops

Tips + Tricks - 48 Water proofing phones, worn tires and climbing advice

Outdoor Photography - 52 The battle of the formats

Final Thought - 54 Directory - 55 Background Image: Beach Estuary. See Abel Tasman Coast Track - p.28

Some of the best photographs taken by ourselves and the readers over the past month

Geoff Patch NEPAL Eagles DUBAI

Canon EOS 1000D 28mm 1/125Sec. F11 ISO 400 EFS 18-55 3.5-5.6 with fisheye attachment

Ross McGregor PJ Cutting

Canon 40D 1/1000Sec. F8 ISO 200

What to se 's there e and do?

[motor]

Middle East 2011 Motor Tuning Show 12-14 May; 12 AM to 11 PM, 3 PM to 11 PM Expo Centre Sharjah The MIDDLE EAST MOTOR TUNING SHOW (MEMTS) is the Middle East’s premier exhibition showcasing the latest models of luxury and sport cars, modern design and trends in car customization. www.memts.com

[sail]

Dubai Traditional Dhow Sailing Race 22ft 13th May Dubai International Marine Sports Club The Majid bin Mohammed Watersports Championship festival consisted of 10 events over five weeks. The Championship included four fundamentals: traditions, modern, sail and speed and linked the sports over six weekends culminating with the 22ft Dhow Sailing Race on May 13th. www.dimc.ae

[jet-ski]

UAE Jet Ski Championship (3rdHeat) 13th May Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club The ADIMSC and DIMC will be hosting the UAE International Jet Ski Championship in Abu Dhabi on Friday the 13th of May. Over 50 pilots will be competing in the first round in Abu Dhabi at 2.30pm. The following round will be held in Dubai. Check out the Abu Dhabi International Marine Website for more information. www.adimsc.ae

[drag]

Open Drag Racing Series at Yas Marina 13-14, 20-21 May Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi The Yas Drag Racing Centre is the home of drag in the Middle East! Open Drag Racing Nights provide access to the Middle East’s only approved National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) drag strip in a practice-testing format, which allows participants to unleash the power of their tuned cars and bikes in a safe and controlled environment. It’s the perfect place to have a good time and sharpen your drag skills. www.yasmarinacircuit.com

[run]

AbrasAC - INTERCLUB TRACK MEET 2011 13th May Dubai ABRaS AC is a Dubai based athletics club primarily focused on endurance running. They are a group of enthusiastic runners who enjoy training hard and racing on the road & other surfaces. The next big inter club track meet is taking place on the 13th of May. Check out their website for more information if you are looking to join or get involved with a running club. www.abrasac.com

[catmran]

Catamaran, Optimist and Laser League (3rdHeat) 22ft 20th May Dubai International Marine Sports Club Whether your a spectator or a competitor this is always an exciting event with boats of all sizes. Come down, support your local sailors and have a fun day out in the sun. www.dimc.ae

Dubai Off Shore Sailing Club - Pursuit Races and Accumulator Night 10-13-17-18-20-21-24-26 May and 7 June Dubai Offshore Sailing Club (DOSC) Dubai Offshore Sailing Club (DOSC) opened its doors in 1974 with no more than a cool box, a barasti shade on the beach and a few small sailing boats. It has grown and developed to host some of the best sailing opportunities in the Gulf. Throughout its existence, this non-profit making club has been run with the noble intention of promoting sailing to all nationalities in Dubai and its environs. The lively social calendar hosts regular feature nights, sporting events, weekly accumulator and much more. www.dosc.ae

[dhow]

Al Ghaffal Distance Race - 60ft Traditional Dhow 21st May Dubai International Marine Sports Club The racing dhow - with its unfurled sails carries with it the mystic of the Arabic heritage dating back to the time when Dubai was known for its pearl merchants. During this period Sir Bu Na’air Island represented a strategic point on their way home after the long months at sea. All the boats would gather at the island to allow their crews to rest and prepare their pearls ready for trading in the markets of Dubai. The gathering would include celebrations, games, competition and song before the ‘Al Gaffal’ journey home to their families. The Emirates pearl trade gradually died out and the boats were left largely unused and uncared for. Seafaring language, which filled the air on board the boats also started to disappear. There were an estimated 400 words in Arabic describing parts of the boats, chants and terms for the sea and weather that have gradually disappeared from the local vocabulary. The late Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum was troubled by this and decided to revive the boats and their traditions by hosting a traditional dhow race from Sur Bu Na’air. www.dimc.ae

*All images sourced from event websites or supplied with permission *You can find more events and detailed information online at www.outdoorUAE.com *Please send information about events to: events@outdooruae.com

[boat]

[dive]

Freedive Open Water Training 25-26 May Abu Dhabi, Cornich Street, the Oceanic Khorfakkan Beach For thousands of years people have freedived for pearls or simply for food. Freediving has particular importance for Abu Dhabi where pearls brought wealth to the region before oil. So how do freedivers manage to hold their breath for so long and dive so deep? Like diving mammals, humans have a dive reflex (the Mammalian Dive Reflex) which helps to conserve oxygen. Our bodies achieve this by restricting the flow of blood to the extremities (arms and legs) and slowing our heart rate down. Amazingly freedivers have reported a 50% drop in their heart rates during a dive. www.freedivinguae.com

[cycle]

Dubai Roadsters - training rides for all cyclists Every Friday, Sunday Thuesday Friday ride starts on Jumeirah Beach Road at 5:30 AM or Safa Park at 5:45 AM, Sunday / Thursday starting at about 6:00 PM at Nadd Al Sheba. For more information please visit www.dubairoadsters.com

[cruise]

OUTDOORUAE - Party Cruise Numero Dos! 3rd of June Come join us for the 2nd Outdoor UAE Party Cruise around the sparkling coasts of Dubai! Sponsored by Naish, Beach Hut and Adventure HQ, Outdoor UAE’s bimonthly party cruise will take place on the 3rd of June on one of the biggest Luxury Catamarans in the UAE. Loaded with fun, sea, sun and prizes we are inviting everyone! All our readers, adventurers near and far, outdoor enthusiasts old and new to come enjoy a trip around the coast line, soaking up some sun and enjoying some quality food and drinks. Come on board to meet some new people and try out some free water sports (Kayaking, Stand Up Paddle Boarding and much more) not only will there be plenty to keep you entertained, but we are giving away prizes to those who get involved! So whats stopping you? Get involved and get your ticket now! The next cruise is happening on the 3rd of June leaving from Jumeirah. More details to be announced shortly. For booking enquiries email: contact@outdooruae.com Call us on : 04-4502419 050-4524534 Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for regular updates about the Cruise: www.facebook.com (Pages: Outdoor UAE Publisher and Group: Out Door UAE) www.twitter.com/outdooruae

Liwa - The majestic dunes of the Rub Al Khali After driving several hours in the car the motivation for long off-road driving had vanished as impatience to get on the dunes crept in. Coming off the main road we chose the easy way and went about 5km into the desert on a track, here we traveled some hundred meters up the dunes- it was a great location that we stumbled on. Our spot was GPS N23°01.837 E053°45.627 We then set the tent up and prepared the BBQ, the whole trip ended up becoming a great night with friends in the desert. When the sun falls you can see everything very clearly out in the Empty Quarter and with a big new moon- it seemed close enough to touch. The night was still cold (beginning of April) so be prepared for temperatures to drop at night. The next day after an early and long breakfast we packed the cars and left at around 10am back to the paved road to the Moreed Dune. Satellite image NASA

Is there a reason

to drive 400km one way and the next day 400km back for camping and a BBQ in the desert? We find sand and dunes all across the UAE, so your probably thinking why are we traveling so far out? The western region of Abu Dhabi and the Emirates cover most of the UAE, cities and settlements here are sparse. If you ever want to experience the vastness and loneliness of the Desert you need to come journey out here… Some may think it’s senseless, but the main reason you drive these long and never-ending straight stretches of road through the desert is to reach the majestic dunes of the Rub Al Khali (Empty Quarter the biggest sand desert in the world). The dunes reach heights up to 300m and the Moreed Dune, which has been labeled the highest Dune in the desert is famous for motorsports enthusiasts who try to reach the top with the vehicles of all kinds. The Dune is also the dead-end of the road into the desert. There are some more unpaved roads to oil-fields but these are usually restricted areas and you are not permitted to use them. The Liwa Oasis is the green gate before the high dunes ascend (see satellite image from NASA above). If you leave Dubai, it is approximately a 400KM drive to Liwa. You should definatley take some friends with you or make sure you’ve had a full nights sleep, because the long drive coupled with the endless roads dissapearing in the distance make it hard to focus. We made a small round trip: Abu Dhabi E11 > Madinat Zayed > Liwa Mezaira’a > Hamim > Car Museum > Abu Dhabi E11. When you reach Liwa, the first thing you should do is find some fire wood because you may not be able to find any in the Rub Al Khali. Also depending on your driving skills and hunger for adventure you can make your own easy routes leaving the main road onto unpaved tracks. You only have to travel into the desert for a few hundred meters to loose the last traces of civilization. (If you want more challenging routes you can find these out in detail from our adventure seekers at the ME 4x4 club who we regularly feature in the magazine).

On the way back to Dubai we went an alternative route and stopped at the Car Museum outside of Abu Dhabi. Unfortunately we hadn’t been so lucky as the Car Museum was closed, however we did have a chance to see the oversized cars and trailers outside the museum and an old abandoned plane. We thought if these crazy cars were just a taster for what was inside the museum it would be worth coming back to. (We did however, have fun climbing on the huge jeep and enjoyed the little break before the long trip back to civilization check out the picture below). Asking the initial question again... The answer is Yes- It is worth driving almost 800km to see and experience the Rub Al Khali and get a real impression and experience of dunes and desert as we know it from movies and pictures. (However I would probably not do it every weekend and will go back for a longer time to do some more off-road driving and stumble across a little or large adventure!)

The Outdoor UAE team rocked up at the creek last week and took over one of the largest Catamaran’s not only in the marina but in the UAE for their bimonthly cruise around the coasts of Dubai. The catamaran so aptly named ‘On Verre’ which roughly translated mean’s ‘ Wait and we’ll see’ holds true to its name.

The very top deck- also known as the fly deck is normally used for fine dining with a covered awning. This 24m yatch’s sun bleached wooden decks come with comfy lounges perfect place not only to soak up the sun, but provides the perfect setting for all day and night parties that we can’t seem to get enough of here in sunny Dubai! With the impressive bottom deck below has two bedrooms, but incredibly comfortably sleeps 8, the catamaran also has it’s own kitchen, dining area, an outdoor and indoor bar, what more could you ask for, o wait- yes the trampoline! (It’s not actually a trampoline- but acts more as a hammock for the lazier sunbathers!) Over 30 enthusiastic UAE Outdoor lovers turned up last Saturday to the Outdoor UAE Party Cruise, and each to their amazement received a free Spork, (for those who don’t know- it’s a Knife, Spoon and Fork all in one) with special guest appearances from Bruce Lee, and that guy from the hangover (pictured right)…the morning was already off to an interesting start. The Catamaran adventured out of the creek and up the Dubai coastline, passing abras left and right, with pumping tunes by DJ Edwolf (Resident DJ at the Monarch Hotel) in the background, there were plenty of snacks and drinks throughout the morning to keep the hunger at bay (with an option to drink alcohol before lunch if you wanted to), and not forgetting UAE Outdoor

ever tried the hammo ck before?

magazines to keep the sunbathers busy. The Catamaran was loaded up with ‘Naish’ paddleboards provided by The Surf Shop Dubai and Sea Kayaks supplied by The Beach Hut. The Surf Shop Dubai also provided their very own surf shop boys (Andy and Andy) who were both very eager to get in the water to show us how it was done. As the Catamaran cruised past the Burj Khalifa we turned the motor off- the bravura sails came out and we glided the rest of the way into our prime spot at coconut island, (a small sandbank of the coast of Jumeirah 2) for some fun and games. Not only did we have Andy and Andy helping out on board we were also met by a couple of paddle boarding experts (they paddled from the shore to the sand bank it took them about 20 minutes they didn’t fall in once!). From them we received essential guidance on how to paddle standing up properly and were filled in with the benefits of the aerobic activity- core muscle strength, good body work out, great way to get tanned, the list goes on and on…(definitely worth investing in!) Looking back to the boat from the sank bank you could see the gladiator games in action in the blow up rings, and in the background at least 8-10 people up on the boards at a time. It was only until we were told that lunch was being served did everyone hurry back to the boat for an Arabic style barbeque; chicken, hummus, kebabs, salads, and desert. Later on the afternoon ‘light my fire’ meal kits, more sporks, and fire steel prizes were given away to those who were bendy enough to do the limbo and also stupid enough to battle in the gladiator rings earlier on!...And as the sun set we danced a little, chilled a little and as the tunes got a bit livelier and the beer started flowing we danced a little more before heading back. It’s a great way to start or wind down your weekend. Overall a 10/10 day of fun activity, beer and great food!

free sp ork!

Keep an eye out for the next trip in the Catamaran – we may be headed around the world!

us’ o i v b O n i Capta ps Cruise Ti

If you get sea sick- get travel sickness tablets, take two – this should last you the day. Remember when on a cruise wear sunscreen and bring a hat - there is shade but the lower down you go on the boat the more you feel it rock! The next Outdoor UAE Party Cruise is set to take place on 3rd of June. Outdoor UAE Party Cruise is arranged bi-monthly and if it on high demand for groups of people we will be able to run it more frequently. The more the merrier! Get in touch now to book your next party! Check out the pictures and follow us on Facebook. For more details for the next Party Cruise log onto: www.outdooruae.com, or www.facebook.com/outdooruae.

Everest Base Camp Trek in aid of cancer research by Geoff Patch

It’s probably fair to say that there was a teaspoon of apprehension mixed in with a bucketful of excitement, topped off with a generous helping of anticipation as we boarded the 14 seater Tara Air ‘Twin Otter’ aircraft at Kathmandu airport. The 25 minute flight would take us to the ‘Tenzing-Hillary’ airport at Lukla, arguably acknowledged as “the most dangerous airport in the world”. A successful flight (i.e. anything I could walk away from!) would take me, my 19 year old nephew Sean and 7 fellow trekkers from the UK to the start of a 18 day trek in the Himalaya, taking in an ascent of Gokyo Ri, a traverse of the Ngozumba Glacier, a crossing of the unpredictable Cho La Pass, and a dawn ascent of Kala Patthar, culminating in a long foot slog up the Khumbu Glacier to the prize, Everest Base Camp. It seemed only moments after the single flight attendant kindly offered the individually seated passengers a mint and some cotton wool for ear protection against the drone of the two turbo prop engines that we were in the air, dodging mountains at 8000 feet and looking down on superbly terraced fields built over hundreds of years by the local farmers. As the engine noise changed and the nose of the aircraft plunged towards earth we had the same view that the pilots had (no cockpit door!) of the narrow single runway at Lukla. Before I could say “this should be interesting”, we were on the ground and rapidly decelerating as the aircraft approached ‘the terminal’ up the 12 degree slope of the runway. Disembarking from the aircraft we walked across the tarmac, past a soldier with an ancient looking rifle, and were out of Lukla airport! Our main bags (15kg maximum, as per trip guidelines) had been collected by porters and taken to a small hotel just one hundred metres or so from the airport, where we were introduced to our support team (two assistant guides and four porters) by our Lead Guide, Lalit. After a quick cup of lemon & ginger tea, the first of numerous on this trip, we started the trek in earnest! The weather reports that I had been carefully monitoring the previous week appeared to have been somewhat misleading as the temperature was quite mild and I opted for shorts and a T-shirt. After a short walk through the assorted shops and teahouses that comprise Lukla we passed through the Pasang Lhamu Memorial Gate that welcomes trekkers and represents the start of the trail to Phakding, our first overnight stop. The trail was no more than a metre or so wide and initially descended past the school established by Sir Edmund Hillary to support local children, with the Dudh Koshi (‘the Milk River’) way down to our left. We passed forests of rhododendrons, apple orchards and crossed a suspension bridge (the first of many) linking two sides of a gorge. After an hour or so of walking, the rain started. Nothing too heavy, but enough to remind my nephew to pack his

indeed provide a number of options and we met a local Sherpa who had summitted Everest 6 times and was trying for a 7th successful ascent by supporting a Spanish expedition. The following day involved a relatively short acclimatization walk up to the Himalaya conservation area, which includes a centre providing a lot of information about the region; the flora, fauna, people and climbing history. It also provided our first fleeting glimpses of Everest way off to the north, much to everyone’s delight. I did enquire of our guide why there appeared to be a military post here, noting some barbed wire barriers and firing platforms behind sandbag parapets. Apparently, this is a fairly sensitive border area and the military presence goes back to the Maoist insurgents of some years ago. Suddenly, a helicopter approached form the valley below and sped barely 200 feet above us on it’s way towards Everest. Our guide advised that this was a Rescue Helicopter, likely going to extract a trekker or climber in difficulty higher up. The appearance of Rescue Helicopters was to become a regular occurrence as we ascended higher. waterproofs in his day pack in future! Fortunately, it was not long before we arrived at the ‘Snowland Lodge’, our accommodation for the night and first exposure to ‘Teahouse Trekking’. A ‘Teahouse’ is essentially a very basic guest house. Rooms are spartan with just two single beds and nothing else. Food is available but menu options are limited. Hot water (let alone showers) if available, is a luxury to be paid for in cash, since energy is at a premium in these remote regions and as for toilet facilities, don’t get me started!

After ‘Namche’, we steadily worked our way up through Dhole and Macherma to Gokyo, which has a series of lakes separated from the Ngozumba Glacier by a continuous ridge. The lakes were completely frozen except for the points where water fed in and out. The final lake feeding into the Dudh Koshi along with the meltwaters of the Ngozumba Glacier. Some of the team were beginning to suffer the effects of altitude and ‘teahouse trekking’ – fatigue, headaches, stomach and chest problems but were determined to tackle the next day’s challenge head-on.

Sean and I decided to take a walk up to Pemacholing Monastery (2843m, built over 350 years ago), which enabled us to satisfy the ‘walk high, sleep low’ mantra of high altitude trekkers. The theory being that the body acclimatizes more efficiently by sleeping lower than the maximum altitude reached during the day. Back at the Teahouse, dinner consisted of mixed fried rice and copious cups of lemon and ginger tea – Lalit, our lead guide had advised that this tea was a remedy for almost all ailments. Once the sun had faded behind the mountains surrounding us the temperature dropped rapidly and I was glad to get into my RAB Andes 1000 down sleeping bag. Having frozen every night on Kilimanjaro I was not taking any chances on this trip and had opted for a ‘bomb-proof’ sleeping bag – money well invested!

An early start (5am) saw the team setting out to ‘conquer’ Gokyo Ri. With it’s south facing slopes Gokyo Ri was effectively devoid of snow cover but presented a steady, arduous uphill trudge. We were now well above 5000m where the proportion of oxygen in each intake of air was less than 50% that at sea level. As such, it is important not to over-exert and for the muscles to use up what little oxygen is being conveyed by the red blood cells. ‘Slowly, slowly’ is now the mantra, placing one footstep steadily and surely after the other, controlling the breathing and keeping the heart rate down. After about 2 hours we finally reached the summit and were treated to possibly the best imaginable views over the Ngozumba Glacier with Lhotse, Nuptse and countless other peaks arraying themselves around the Everest massif. The view was literally and physically breath-taking.

After breakfast of omelette on toast plus the now obligatory lemon and ginger tea we set off for Namche Bazar, the Sherpa capital of Nepal. This was set to be quite a long day, the trail weaving it’s way up the Dudh Koshi over a series of suspension bridges, the last of which was some 60m above the crashing white water from the glaciers at higher altitudes. After crossing this bridge, we faced a steep climb up the trail, seemingly never-ending until we finally turned a corner and were faced with the amazing sight of Namche Bazar, tucked into a massive natural ampi-theatre at 3400m, with a ceremonial gate and stupa to welcome us.

Having achieved our first objective we set out the next day for the relatively short but potentially dangerous traverse of the Ngozumba

It is easy to get the feeling that little has changed in Namche Bazar for a considerable time. Washing is still done by hand in the stream that flows enthusiastically down the hill side, powering a series of water driven prayer wheels on it’s way. Every imaginable kind of product from kerosene to San Miguel beer is brought in by porter or yak from the valleys below. The narrow and often steep streets are made of hand cut rock and lined with shops selling all kinds of Nepalese ‘artifacts’ and souvenirs. Additionally, there is no shortage of shops providing every conceivable piece of trekking gear. should any last minute purchases be required. One concession to the 21st century is the advent of ‘cyber’ café’s offering internet and telephone services … at a price! The imaginatively named ‘Namche Hotel’ was our accommodation for the next two nights, the following day being ‘a rest day’ … more of that later! Our guide advised that after ‘Namche’, accommodation and food options will become more basic, i.e. to take full advantage of the menu and shower facilities! The menu did

Glacier, a massive moving river of ice topped with rubble. As we descended the ridge from Gokyo to the glacier there was a significant rockfall crashed down a mere 100m ahead of us. Our guide reminded us of the need to keep 10m spacing between us … should there be such instances (the previous year a trekker and two porters had been crushed here in such an incident). As we crossed the glacier, weaving our way between openings that revealed the millennia old ice below we could hear the glacier groaning, creaking and witnessed great chunks of ice breaking off as it slowly continued it’s journey down the valley. It took just over an hour to cross the glacier, to climb the opposite ridge and then another hour or so to make our way to Dragnag, where we were greeted by yet another major rockfall down the slopes of a nameless peak some way behind the next teahouse. Another 5am start was required for what would be one of the toughest days, the crossing of Cho La Pass. After a hurried breakfast we set off in the dawn half-light up the ice strewn slopes. It was bitterly cold and the down gloves purchased in ‘Namche’ were proving a good buy. Eventually, the first shards of sunlight broached the eastern ridge and helped provide some degree of warmth as we started the steep ascent towards the Cho La Pass col at ~5350m. The thin air, steep slope and loose rock made for slow going but by 9.30am we had reached the col and the start of a pristine white glacier heading off down the opposite side of the range. This was the half way point – we still had another 4 hours walking ahead of us to the next teahouse at Thokla, the final hour being through a blizzard that swept in dramatically (fortunately, Sean had learnt his earlier lesson and packed his waterproofs this time!). The next day saw us ascending towards Lobuche, which involved a trail running parallel to the ‘snout’ of the Khumbu glacier. At the top of the initial climb we found ourselves amongst an area of numerous cairns and memorials, each one representing a climber who had died tackling the mountains in the area. A very serene and moving place, worthy of reflection. A 6.00am start the next day saw us heading for Gorak Shep in the cold early morning half-light. After what was effectively a second breakfast at the teahouse in Gorak Shep we set out for Everest Base Camp, one team member short (Tracy, who was feeling fatigued after the previous days exertions and walk to Gorak Shep). The contrast between the rich blue sky and snow clad mountains towering around us was stunning. The trail runs parallel with the Khumbu Glacier for several kilometers but we could now see the yellow specks of the expedition base camp tents way off in the distance. With the expedition tents about 800m away we descended the ridge that we had been following and crossed a rocky path that led us to our goal, the Everest Base Camp Cairn, dramatically draped in a multitude of colourful prayer flags. A wave of emotion swept over the team as we shook hands and congratulated each other on our achievement. A flurry of photographs followed to record our achievement. Although, possible, trekkers are not encouraged to approach the expedition tents for fear of introducing germs that could spread rapidly through an expedition team living in such close confines. In the distance, we could see the fabled Khumbu ice fall, the first obstacle for would be summiteers to tackle. A distant rumble drew

our attention to an avalanche in progress not that far from the expedition base camp itself, raising our awareness of the inherent dangers of just being present in such a place. Reluctantly, we headed back to Gorak Shep for something to eat and an early night for our final major challenge the next day, Kala Patthar! This was to be ‘a big day’ in terms of distance to be covered. Kala Patthar was the ‘icing on the cake’ for this trip. Only Neil, Craig, Sean, Kerry and myself had arisen at 4.30am for the 5am start up the steep barren slopes with the intention of seeing the sun rise over Everest to the east. No time for breakfast, we set off in the bitter cold, moving slowly so as not to over exert in thin air. Kerry began to struggle somewhat in the thin air and decided to turn back, which just left the 4 of us to continue towards the summit. Barely 50m from the summit of Kala Patthar, the first shafts of sunlight streaked out ahead of us and indicated the way up to the rocky conclusion of our final big climb. Again, we were blessed with glorious weather and breath-taking views over the Khumbu Glacier, Everest and Lhotse. Even in the early morning sun the temperature was down to -25 degrees C, so we soon started our descent to Gorak Shep. After a quick breakfast we set off after the rest of the team who had already departed for Dingboche. Fuelled by increasing oxygen levels in the air (and a steady supply of Mars bars!) the next few days provided an enjoyable descent via the seemingly feudal village of Dingboche with Ama Dablam towering over it, through Thyangboche and it’s splendid monastery, back to Namche Bazar, Phakding and ultimately Lukla, where it all began just over two weeks earlier. That final evening in Lukla we shared a meal with our guides and porters who deserve a special mention – wonderful people, hard-working, helpful and always smiling. Being a bit of a gadget freak I took my Garmin GPS 60CSX with me to record tracks, distance, altitude etc. plus my Polar FT4 to monitor heart rate, calories burnt. Summary statistics are as follows: - 157km walked (rough average of 10km / day) - 11603m cumulative ascent (rough average of 725m /day) - 43944kcal burnt (whilst walking, rough average of 2750 / day) - Average resting heart rate 58bpm, average whilst walking 104bpm - 5kg weight loss - -25 deg C, coldest temperature (Kala Patthar, 5666m, 6.30am) - Cups of lemon & ginger tea ….. too many to count! Everyone on the team had undertaken the trek for various reasons, some very personal and private. For me, what set out as a trip to mark my 50th birthday became an opportunity to help fight a devastating disease. To date, over 4000 GBP has been raised through the generosity of family, friends, colleagues and people I had not had the privilege of meeting in person (see www.justgiving.com/geoff-patch). In addition, I have gained first-hand appreciation of the wonders of Nepal, it’s people and natural beauty and now have a new group of friends with whom I have been fortunate enough to share an unbelievable experience. I won’t say ‘a once in a lifetime experience’ as I certainly hope to return one day!

Geoff.

John takes us on another biking adventure Patrice was planning a trip from Al Ain to Kalba on the East Coast. The intention was for us to do the ride with our quad bikes. The terrain however proved to be too rocky and difficult to attempt for the 1st time with a Quad. This was when Oliver and I decided to continue the planning but to do the ride with our bikes, rather than quads. If the route proved suitable for quads then a future quad attempt would be made. Google Earth must surely be the most advanced, and helpful tool ever to assist the eager adventure seeker in his quest to explore. I have stopped using ‘commercial adventure/ explorer books’ in my quest for new routes and places to visit. I go to Google, find a remote area, and see how I can get there. This creates more of an adventure as you are never sure what you might encounter along the route. There is however, certain information regarding a trip that is lacking when using Google. You know those bold printed warnings in the “explorer books” that warn you against do’s and don’ts…But more about that later. With summer rapidly approaching our time was limited. We had to go before May as midday temperature in the mountains would be difficult to content with for both rider and machine. The date was set on Friday the 1st of April (Spot the 1st mistake). I did the route planning

and decided to travel from Al Ain to Al Madam. From there we could enter Oman, and travel parallel to the Hatta road towards the north in a wadi and cross back into UAE after 25km. You are not required to stamp in or out of the UAE at the check point and thus the crossing should not be a problem. From there stick to wadis, tracks and secondary roads till we exited the mountains at Kalba. (We would take our passports just in case we were stopped.) I was looking on Google to see if the UAE/ Oman fence had been completed where we intended to cross the wadi. I know that the fence is under construction but was not sure how far they had come. It was clear on the Google photo’s that they still had a long way to go before reaching “my” wadi. The date on the Google page indicated 2011 and the extreme terrain would not allow construction to reach the wadi by April. WARNING, the date on the Google page IS NOT when the photo was taken! (2nd mistake). The trip went as follows: 06h30 Oliver arrives and we get kitted up and geared for the trip. The departure was from my villa as I live right next to the desert. The 1st leg was due north, parallel to the Al Ain water pipeline for about 18km before turning east towards Al Haiyir. As we cleared the 1st dunes we saw a hot air balloon descending for landing and decided to go and see how they operate. A VERY impressive and smooth landing allowed for a great photo opportunity, before we continued towards the East. The visibility was excellent with hardly any haze in the air. The temperature was refreshingly cool and we started to loosen up on the bikes. The area we were now riding hardly sees any traffic and the

dunes were beautiful, smooth easy to ride. This of course, only till both Oliver and I unexpectedly encountered some very soft sand. For those of you that think sports cars with ABS braking systems can come to a rapid stop think again. When hitting soft sand with a bike it buries the front wheel and you S-T-O-P dead on the spot! We were both lucky to have stayed on. Both bikes are fitted with long range tanks and we only needed to refuel at Shiweb (Shwaib). This was also about the half way mark regarding distance. We arrived sooner than anticipated and called the wives to inform them about our revised arrival time in Kalba. (3rd mistake).

From Shiweb (Shwaib) a flat and fast run to the Hatta road entry was done and again good time was made. This area was very flat and meandering past the trees was different to the usual sand and dunes we have become so accustom to. The entry at the checkpoint was smooth with friendly officials supporting our venture. It was shortly after entering Oman that we started encountering stones and rocks as we reached the beginning of the wadi. The mountains closed in on us from left and right as they guided us to towards the narrow passage I plotted on Google. The speed started to come down as the path narrowed and the size of the rocks increased.

Then I saw a fence that wasn’t due to be finished, on the right continuing over the mountains in the distance! This was not supposed to be completed so far and I started to worry about the crossing point only about 5km ahead.

The fence was there in all its glory. Surely that *%^$@ Google photo was older than 4 months??? Studying the maps we decided to go back and exit at the Hatta checkpoint. Then refuel and follow the fence back to where our planned route crossed in the wadi. Easy, simple and effective. (4th mistake) Lets us not go into full detail as to what happened next. Let me just give you a warning of what not to do: “Do not drive along the road next to the UAE/ Oman border. Even though there are no warning signs, and its common practice in Al Haiyir where all the farmers and visitors use this “road” to get to the Acacia Forest when camping. Here, near Hatta, DON’T do it. The military does not like it!! After our Google maps were confiscated, all our cameras scanned, a stern warning and a 1hr delay we were allowed to continue to Kalba. Without my maps I could not guide us through the mountains and we had to use the public road to get to Kalba. This was a damper on our adventure but our encounter with the military supplied us with sufficient adrenaline that we actually enjoyed the drive on the tar road. As we exited the mountains near Kalba we went off-road again to our planned rendez-

vous point with our families on the beach. This was the 1st time Oliver, from France, had ever been on the beach with a bike. He has been riding and racing since he was 15, but never had the opportunity to ride on a beach. Needless to say he was playing like a kid…… The night was spent at a local motel with our families just relaxing and reliving the days experiences. It was the unexpected and unknown that had made this trip special and we will surely plan to reattempt the trip in winter, but adjust the route to stay clear of the fence line…… Lessons learnt: 1) Stay in bed on 1st of April. 2) Google photos are not taken on the date on the screen. 3) Don’t revise your planned ETA to early on a trip. 4) Don’t drive on the fence line … Remember: You only live Once, Go For Gold!!! John Basson

Red Bull Dany Torres

of Spain triumphed on Friday, 15th of April evening in the opening round of the 2011 Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour in Dubai. A crowd of 15,000 fans witnessed the exciting Freestyle motocross showdown on the beach in front of the luxurious metropolis on the Arabian Golf. A sand palace in front of the skyline of Jumeirah Beach, sold-out stands and a surprise victory were the ingredients for a superlative seasonopener. The 23-year-old Torres of Spain pulled out all the stops in the final jump and beat co-favorite Andre Villa (NOR) to claim the victory. It was Torres’ fifth victory in the history of the Red Bull X-Fighters since its creation in 2001. Defending champion Nate Adams (USA) was unexpectedly knocked out in the semi-finals and had to settle for third place. “The pressure was enormous and the level of the competition was really high. I’ll be back ready to fight in Brazil.” New Zealand’s Levi Sherwood, famous around the world for his tremendous flexibility, wasn’t able to finish any higher on his KTM250SX than fifth place, back behind Blake Williams. The athletes on their motor bikes put on a spectacular show, with leaps of up to 15 meters high and a distance of 30 meters that defied the laws of gravity, as Dubai’s crown prince Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum watched. The second stop of the World Series takes place in Brasilia (May 28), Rome (June 24), Madrid (July 15), Warsaw (August 6) and Sydney (September 17). Red Bull + www.redbull.com

The Comeback Kid Rider: Dany Torres D.O.B. :Mar 10, 1987 Bike: KTM SX 250 FMX since: 2002 Web: www.danytorres.com

In 2002 the Red Bull X-Fighters jumped through Madrid’s Las Ventas bullfighting arena for the very first time, with Spain’s Edgar Torronteras winning in front of a huge home crowd. His fans called him E.T. Now they call his successor D.T. Dany Torres may only be 24, but he is already an old hand when it comes to busting out the most insane tricks on an FMX bike. In his Red Bull X-Fighters debut in Madrid in 2004, D.T. took an impressive seventh place. In 2005, he moved up two spots to fifth place, and in 2006 - in Mexico City as well as in Madrid – he took fourth. In 2007, his time had come: the Spanish wunderkind won Red Bull X-Fighters in Mexico City with a dominating performance. “Dany’s trick list is up to here,” said FMX superstar Travis Pastrana. “I didn’t think he would be able to link the course how he did! I’m really impressed!” After a couple of years plagued by injury, Torres proved his perfect sense of timing as he returned to fitness and form for his home even in Madrid in 2009. In front of a delirious crowd, Dany gave the world’s best FMX riders a lesson in style and trick execution as he went HUGE to win his first event for two years and send the Madrid fans wild. The 2010 season started with a crash that Torres had to deal with almost the whole season, as the injured hand simply did not get better for a while. Dany did not appear for the show in Egypt and was just back on the bike only a few days before the event in Russia. The 4th place on home soil in Las Ventas and the 3rd in London proofed that he is getting back to shape. All together Torres was only able to show his full potential during the 2010 final in Rome, when he was crowed for victory. The comeback kid came back by winning the Red Bull X-Fighters in Dubai.

Peterhansel’s magnificent seven rewrites Desert Challenge history, while Marc Coma triumphs in bike category to secure fifth win. France’s Stéphane Peterhansel wrapped up a recordbreaking seventh win, with Marc Coma, the reigning world champion, rubberstamping his two-wheeled superiority by clinching a third consecutive bikes category title, as the 2011 Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge came to a close on 7th of April at the Yas Marina Circuit. Among the quads, Nicholas Black completed an unlikely victory in his first ever Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, while the trucks category was won by Eduard Nikolaev in his KAMAZ-Master truck. After engaging in a titanic tussle for the lead with Russia’s Leonid Novitskiy, the current world champion and the Frenchman’s BMW X3 driving Team X-Raid colleague, Peterhansel piloted his Mini All4 Racing car home in an overall time of 20 hours 33 minutes 58 seconds. Close behind the X-Raid pair was experienced Frenchman Jean-Louis Schlesser in his Schlesser Original buggy. Having previously won the event twice in the bikes category, Peterhansel revealed his joy at finishing the 1,570-kilometre event and clinching a fourth consecutive Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge 20

win (his fifth cars category title in total) .“Our first target was to win and our second target was to test the Mini on the dunes,” said Peterhansel. “We achieved them both, so it’s not bad at all. This is my first victory with Team X-Raid, so it was very nice.” There was also good news for the UAE, as Emirati driver Yahya Bil Helei and co-driver Khalid Al Kendi took fourth place in the final Abu Dhabi stage in their Isuzu pick-up truck – a result which elevated the pair to fourth overall. Bil Helei, a Desert Challenge veteran, finished the rally in 26h 7m 13s. “I’m extremely happy to have finshed in fourth position,” he said. “Considering that all of the drivers ahead of me were extremely famous rally drivers, it’s an even bigger honour. The rally this year was very difficult, so my experience with UAE desert rallying was a big help.” In the bikes, Coma led for the majority of the off-road rally. The Spanish KTM Factory Team rider and reigning Dakar Rally champion steered his powerful KTM 450 across the finish line to complete a resounding fifth Abu Dhabi victory in an overall time of 18 hours 28 minutes. “It feels really special to take my fifth win here,” said Coma, who outlined the unique event’s vast desert setting. “It’s never easy, especially this year, when there have been some very good riders. I’m really happy for this victory because Abu Dhabi is a fantastic place. I like this rally and I like the people who are involved. We know the desert is really special. The conditions are always hard, with big dunes and soft sand, but it really is fantastic.”

Coma finished five minutes ahead of Yamaha Factory Team’s Portuguese rider, Helder Rodrigues, on a Yamaha WK450F, while the Spaniard’s Polish teammate, Jakub Przygonski, finished third on another KTM 450. The KAMAZ-Master trucks provided huge excitement and entertainment this year, as they returned to the rally for the first time in three years. With three trucks entering the race, and only two completing it, it was Eduard Nikolaev who prevailed in his 12-tonne truck overall, 5h 46m 18s ahead of teammate Andrey Karginov. The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge is one of the world’s top cross-country rallies and continually attracts some of the most famous rally drivers and riders from across the globe. The event is organised by the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE (ATCUAE) under the title sponsorship of ADTA, and is held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Ruler’s Representative in the Western Region.

Victory Celebrate Double-Win In Abu Dhabi Arif Al Zafeen and Nadir bin Hendi produced an emphatic performance to make it two wins out of two, storming to victory in race 2 of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Second and third places on the podium went to Spirit of Qatar 96 and 95, with Sheikh Hassan and Steve Curtis taking their second race-podium of the weekend, leading home Ali Al Neama and Matteo Nicolini. It was a clinical demonstration by the World Champions, but they were made to work hard and had to come from behind to take their 23rd race win. The long start-run on the outside of Lulu Island strung the boats out as they battled the

rough conditions and it was Spirit of Qatar 96 who grabbed the advantage and edged ahead of Victory to lead at the first turn, with Fendi Racing in third. The lead trio held position for four laps when Victory went on their long lap. A lap later Spirit of Qatar took theirs and Victory moved ahead, overturning a 17- second deficit to lead the race. The Emirati duo then eased away, going on to win by over 43 seconds and will leave Abu Dhabi with a ten-point lead in the championship standings. "Qatar really pushed at the start to get ahead and I knew we were going to have to work hard," said Bin Hendi. "It was very rough on the outside, maybe 2-3metres, so we took it easy. We saw 96 next to us who were flying and decided to take it easy and do the hard work and attack on the inside." This afternoon’s double podium finish

completed a highly successful weekend for the Spirit of Qatar Team. "We showed what we can do in the rough, but our boats are just not suited to the calmer water. But they [Victory] did a perfect race and you can’t do much about that." said Steve Curtis. Spirit of Qatar 95 produced one of the best performances of the afternoon, moving up from fifth place at the start to give Ali Al Neama a first race-podium on his Grand Prix debut. "We had a great fight with Abu Dhabi at the start and the decision to take our long laps early really paid off and we were able to get ahead of Fendi Racing," said Matteo Nicolini. A steering problem during the race put paid to any hopes of a second podium finish for Fendi Racing’s Luca Fendi and Giovanni Capitella, who slipped to fifth after running in third place for four laps, before being overhauled by both Spirit of Qatar 95 and Team Abu Dhabi. Guido Cappellini and Giampaolo Montavoci managed a second sixth place finish of the weekend in Poliform, ahead of Parsonage Racing and Welmax, with Relekta completing the race to pick up points after yesterday’s crash, ahead of Nicola Giorgi and Tomaso Polli in MITI. www.class-1.com

Kenya’s Maasai tribe has become an icon for the richness and diversity of our country’s culture, a people whose traditions, beliefs and routines have changed little since the dawn of our history.

The way we live now, even as so much is changing around us, the way our society is structured, the pride that binds us and keeps us strong, all of these look the same today as they would have done to our ancestors long ago. We are the warriors of our tribe, young men tasked with protection of our people and the safeguarding of our morals and traditions. We want to invite you to come and live and learn all of this with us, as guests of a unique new travel experience from Kenya's own Bush Adventures. We have been born and raised deeply entrenched in Maasai ways, and we want to show this to you, so that you can learn about our culture in an exciting, fun and entertaining new way. There will be plenty of opportunities to try new things, doing exactly what we do and living as close as possible to how we live, while not needing to sacrifice essential comforts. At Maasai Warrior Training, we will bring small groups of outgoing travellers deep into the untouched bush of northern Kenya, to a 16,500 hectare conservancy rich in wildlife and ringed by sacred mountains. You will stay with us and learn our ways – first you will watch us as we show you and teach you how, and then you will try it out for yourselves. You will spend your days as we do – in the open under endless African skies. You will learn how we track animals, how we protect our livestock with hand-fashioned weapons, how we dig water from river-bank wells and grind medicine from bark and plants. After the sun sets, we will sit together around the campfire to share stories about our culture, learn about yours and discover that although our lives may seem far removed, there is much to find in common. You will stay in luxury safari tents, wash in clean, hot water and eat

food catered to Western tastes. But the sounds of the African night around you are the same as those always around us. Come, you are welcome, join us for a holiday you will remember for the rest of your life. Visit www.bush-adventures.com for more information.

Dubai International Dragon Boat Festival

Red Bull X-Fighters Dubai 2011

Premier Mixed 500m Final Team Position Time Dubai Diggers 1 1:46.85 Dragonflies 2 1:53.02 Barracuda Babes 3 1:58.34 Dubai Flying Dragons 4 2:02.01 Shangri-la Qaryat Al Beri 5 2:12.74 IES School Challenge 200m Cup Final Team Position Time NYU Abu Dhabi 1 54.27 Herriott Watt 2 55.29 Jumeirah College 3 56.15 Mourjan Monster Dragons 4 59.76 Middlesex University 5 1.06.10 AL Falahiyya 6 1.09.65 Premier Mixed 200m Final Team Position Time More Dubai Diggers 1 50.13 Shangri-la Qaryat Al Beri 2 51.04 Abu Dhabi MAR 3 51.68 Dubai Falcons 4 53.45 Dubai Dawn Patrol 5 56.37 Premier Women 200m Final Team Position Time More Dubai Diggers 1 59.87 Move One Dubai Sea Dragons 2 1.02.13 Dubai Dawn Patrol/Dragonflies 3 1.03.45 Abu Dhabi Ladies 4 1.06.17 Empty DNS Move One Corporate Bowl 200m Final Team Position Time Shangri-la Qaryat Al Beri 1 56.45 WSP Middle East and India2 58.32 Fitness First 3 1.00.32 Al Tayer Insignia 4 1.08.43 Move One Premier Women 500m Final Team Position Time More Dubai Diggers 1 2.03.14 Move One Dubai Sea Dragons 2 2.08.34 Dubai Dragonflies/Dawn Patrol 3 2.08.34 Abu Dhabi Ladies DNS Move One Corporate Plate 200m Final Team Position Time DFSA Dragon Slayers 1 54.36 Daman Dragons 2 54.87 Intercontinental Dubai Festival City 3 55.94 Tenaris Steel Dragons 4 56.83 Dubai Festival City 5 1.11.90 Move One Corporate Cup 200m Final Team Position Time Abu Dhabi Mar 1 49.98 Worley Parsons Green Tigers 2 53.46 Fairmont Vikings 3 54.78 Olive Group 4 55.87 Piranhas 5 57.65 Premier Open 500m Final Team Position Time Dubai Diggers 1 1.48.25 Abu Dhabi Mar 2 1.49.57 Dragonflies 3 1.50.40 Shangri-la Qaryat Al Beri 4 1.54.46 Dubai Dawn Patrol 5 2.00.17

1. Dany Torres ESP

2. Andre Villa NOR 3. Nate Adams USA 4. Blake Williams AUS 5. Levi Sherwood NZL 6. Eigo Sato JAP 7. Robbie Maddison AUS 8. Adam Jones USA 9. Taka Higashino JAP 10. Rob Adelberg AUS 11. Lance Coury USA 12. Jackson Strong AUS

Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge (Bike)

Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge (Car/Truck)

1. PETERHANSEL Stephane, COTTRET Jean-paul of Monster Energy 2. NOVITSKIY Leonid, SCHULZ Andreas of - XRaid GmbH 3. SCHLESSER Jean Louis ZHILTSOV Konstantin of OSE SARL / SCHLESSER 4. ALHELI Yahya, ALKENDI Khalid of Yahya Alheli 5. ROSSO Laurent ROSSO Christian of FITECH 6. JUKNEVICIUS Antanas, BUCIUNAS Vytautas of Mebar Rally 7. ROSSO Joseph, LENEVEU Guy-georges of FITECH 8. AL MUHANNA Ibrahim, AL SANAD Osama of Ibrahim Al 9. NIKOLAEV Eduard , MIZYUKAEV / Viatcheslav of KAMAZ 10. KARGINOV Andrey, MOKEEV / Andrey of KAMAZ 11. ARDAVICHUS Artur, BEREZOVSKIY Denis of Mebar Rally 12. MELKI Fady, NOVARLIC Dane of Fady Melki 13. KUZNETSOV Ilya, ELAGIN Roman of FERROMIN 14. NESTERCHUK Vadym, MESHCHERYAKO Konstantin of SiXT Ukraine 15. POWELL Mark, EVANS Quin of Mark Powell

MSF Vertical Marathon 2011

1.COMA-CAMPS Marc SPA - KTM

1. Gustavo Ayres Netto Brazilian 00:08:49

2. RODRIGUES Helder POR - YAMAHA

2. Norbert Lechner Austrian 00:09:07

3. PRZYGONSKI Jakub POL - KTM

3. Andrew Jennings South African 00:09:31

4.VERHOEVEN Frans NED - HUSQVARNA

4. William Higgo 00:09:34

5. ULLEVALSETER Pal Anders NO - KTM

5. Muzaffer Ibrahim 00:10:06

6. FARIA Ruben POR - KTM

6. Phillip Clarke British 00:10:07

7. FRETIGNE David FRA - HUSQVARNA

7. Sophie Jacques Gilbert Mauritanian 00:10:12

8.CZACHOR Jacek POL KTM

8. Mark Sayer British 00:10:36

9.DABROWSKI Marek POL -KTM

9. Chris Williams Canadian 00:10:45

10. CECI Paolo ITA â&#x20AC;&#x201C; BETA

10. Tim Venhuis 00:11:00

11.TRENKER Tim GER - KTM

11. Lars Wiedemann German 00:11:26

12.GYENES Emanuel RO - KTM

12. Thijs Hooftman 00:11:50

13. YOU Steve FRA - HONDA

13. Jo Phillimore British 00:11:57

14.COLLIE Stephen NZ- HONDA

14. Emily Meredith American 00:12:07

15. NAUMOV Aleksey RUS - HONDA

15. Matt Warnock British 00:12:09

Photo: JDPhotofairy

Explore the Possibilities

Ocean sports FZE +971 (0) 55 935 2735 enquiries@kitesurfsup.com kitesurfsup.com

Glide Series

Nalu Series

With the Naish Glide, you’ll never look at flatwater the same way again. For everything from recreational paddling and fitness training to competitive racing, the Glide range sets a new standard in SUP.

Longboard style SUP’s that are easy to ride and offer outstanding performance in a wide range of conditions.

Flatwater Touring and Racing

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Paddles

All-around longboard versatility

The Nalu series is the ideal choice for first time paddlers, flatwater cruisers, small wave surfers and high-performance wave riders.

8” 9.5”

9.5”

8”

Carbon Carbon Carbon Kevlar wood

17’0”

14’0” & 14’0” AsT

14’0” Javelin & 12’6” 14’0” Javelin Catalina AsT

12’0” AsT

11’6” & 11’6” AST

11’4” & 11’4” AST

10’6”

9’6”

9’0”

Adj.

alloy

7”

alana CArbon GlASS

7” 8” 9.5”

Carbon Glass

We'll take

the high road

Adrian

Colin

Catherine

Jane

What have these people

got in common? Two shipping managers, a marketing company CEO, a graphic designer, a housewife and a brace of investment bankers. Well, a few things actually. We’re all in our forties and fifties and we all live in the UAE, for a start. I would say all of us can ride a bike, but actually one of us can’t. What we certainly have in common, however, is a desire to help a small Nepalese charity build a new orphanage for their children. And to that end we’re getting together this summer for a charity expedition that we hope will raise some funds for the construction. We’re a mixed bunch in abilities, from Richard and Catherine who are experienced Alpine cyclists to wobbly me, and Mita who will be with our back-up team, unless I can find her a pair of training wheels for adults. (Anyone?). But where to cycle, was the question. I needed a challenge. I put it all down to boredom. Mita and I have a unique way of getting ourselves into trouble. We don’t rob banks or mug old ladies. But every now and then, when we’re bored, we start plotting. “How do you fancy… “ and we’re off. First it was Kilimanjaro for Mita’s 50th birthday. Then it was an Everest Base Camp trek. How to top that? Then a little bird

Richard

Mita

? You?

whispered: “Lhasa … Kathmandu... Bicycle… 22 days.” Oh yeah! It seemed such an impossible thing, just the thought of it made me dizzy with fear and dread and excitement. As something I couldn’t possibly achieve, it was, of course, like a red rag to a bull. I am still shocked that anyone else would want to join me on this crazy ride, but we are now 7 in number. Which brings me to the final thing we all have in common: we’re obviously lunatics. There are 5 mountain passes over 5000 metres high, for goodness sake, plus the world’s second longest downhill cycle ride (two and a half days – yes!!). It’s just training isn’t it? I keep telling myself that. The benefits will outweigh the pain. As Richard says,” I love cycling, I love travelling and to put them together and cycle somewhere I’ve wanted to see since I was a child, is unbelievable. And we get to help a good cause at the same time.” And he’s right. Even if I booked a holiday in Tibet, I’m not going to see all the wild, remote and beautiful places we’ll be visiting, and at a bicycle pace too. There is much to see. We fly up from Kathmandu, and have 4 days in Lhasa, sightseeing by bike for acclimatisation purposes. Or that’s what they say. I reckon it’s so they can check how decrepid we all are and whether they should put the air ambulance on standby. Then we’ll be crossing the great Tibetan plain, poking our noses into monasteries, villages and ancient temples along the way, skirting great lakes, trying out yak riding, and staying in nomad camps and tea houses, as we climb steadily to Everest Base Camp. I’m told that the Chinese are so busy road-building this year, that by the time we get there most of the track will be tarmaced.

by Carol Hyland

But, you know, I’m glad. Three things worry me: high altitude, steep hills and bad road surface – getting them all in one hit seems a bit fierce. When I reach the first of those 5000-metre mountain passes, at least I’m going to be glad I’ve got a decent surface under my tyres. I’m sure I shall be last to reach camp every day. I don’t mind. I’m built for comfort rather than speed, but our leader, Siling, I know personally, and he and his team from The Responsible Travellers will do a fantastic job for us. And we have full technical support and 4WD back up all the way, of course. Hhmm… now I think about it, anyone got a tow rope?

Want to give it a go?

We could do with a few more lunatics. Read onâ&#x20AC;Ś

Route M ap

S: THE TRIP DETAIL ys Duration: 22 da

ly, 2011 Departs: 29th Ju

fully catered Accommodation: tea house &B B d camping an ent exhs. 12,400 at curr Cost: ÂŁ2095 (D t SHJ-KTM igh fl us Air Arabia change rates) pl ected to rticipants are exp Sponsorship: pa or coral on s.3,000 in pers raise minimum Dh hip porate sponsors of their Trek own or hire one Bike: take your bikes m kkingfornepal.co Website: www.tre responsibletravhe w.t ww y: an mp The travel co ellers.com (although ionhimalaya.org Charity: www.miss onstruc-c re r de un ently their site is curr is) tion as I write th ekkingoject: http://tr The orphanage pr pal/thene rfo gkin ek fornepal.com/tr ml charities/index.ht

Season ends on a high at Dubai Autodrome

Dubai Autodrome hosted the final round of the 2010/2011 season on Friday and Saturday (15/16 April) featuring Total UAE Touring Car Championship and UAE Sportbike races. Also on the same bill were Middle East Porsche GT3 Cup races, Suzuki Swift Cup races and testing sessions FG1000 series. Total UAE Touring Cars: Double for Aldarmaki as Channake and Khan take a win a piece. With the heavy hitters in the tin and top series away there were some fresh faces on the podium. Recently crowned Total UAE Touring Car Class 1 champion Khalid Bin Hadher was absent as were a bunch of the regulars which gave Hamad Aldarmaki an opportunity to flex his muscles and he grabbed the opportunity powering to a double class win in his SEAT. Behind him Gareth Bettinson took the runner-up slot twice in his BMW 120D, with Mohammed Al Arishy third in race one but retired from the second race due to technical issues which also robbed him of a possible second place in the first race. In the second race, the last of the season, Khan rose to the occasion and signed off his successful year with a strong victory, aided by Channake’s retirement on lap 5. Behind Khan was Grimm who this time got the better of Annivas, the pair ending second and third respectively. UAE Sportbikes: Wins for Binladin, Smart, Tannir and Dobida British superbike ace Scott Smart was back in town on a Kawasaki to challenge the dominance of newly crowned UAE Sportbike 1000 Class Champion Abdulaziz Binladin on his BMW S1000RR. In race one the two were at each other until Smart suffered brake fade and went wide in the bowl giving Binladin the gap he needed to claim yet another victory in the big banger category. Smart recovered to finish second with Damien van Blerk taking third on his Ducati. In race two, Binladin was forced to ride a spare Honda as his BMW had gearbox problems. Smart seized the opportunity to post victory ahead of Binladin and Hennie Sauerman in

third, making it two Kawasakis on the podium in the final race of the season. Mahmoud Tannir scored a popular 600 Class win on his Yas Marina Circuit backed Triumph Daytona, fending off newly crowned champion Jason Burnside on the Mapei Honda who took second place. Joe Oxley was third on a Kawasaki. It was Tannir’s first win in the UAE series and he was a happy man standing on the very top of the podium for the first time. Suzuki Swift Cup: Hat trick for Annivas Occasional racer Kostantinos Annivas (wearing his father Costas Papantonis race suit!) took three out of three wins in the hotly contested Suzuki Swift Cup races. Close racing is part and parcel of this arrive and driver series, but Annivas was unbeatable on the day. Behind Annivas the battles were fierce with Klaus Kresnik, a mere 1.090 seconds behind the winner, taking second in race one and Panos Karakoulakis coming home in third. In race two Maurice Faber and Kresnik slugged it out with Faber taking second and Kresnik third after fending off Robert Galotti and Balazs Galotti. In the final race Karakoulakis bounced back to take second from Kresnik who again had his mirrors full of Balazs Galotti as they crossed the line nose to tail. www.dubaiautodrome.com

MSF Vertical Marathon 2011

236 runners ascended Jumeirah Emirates Towers in the annual Vertical Marathon fundraising event. The marathon saw participants raising a total of AED 177,000 for Médecins Sans Frontières, bringing the total amount raised for MSF through this popular event to date to AED 1.083 million. The popular charity event was organised by Jumeirah Emirates Towers with the support of the Red Crescent Society. Brazilian national Gustavo Ayres Netto ascended the 350 metre Office Tower of Jumeirah Emirates Towers with a winning time of 8.49 minutes. The winning lady was Jo Phillimore with a time of 11.57 minutes and the leading team, Dubai American Academy made it in 10.59 minutes Médecins Sans Frontières is an international independent humanitarian medical organization that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural

disasters and exclusion from health care without discrimination in more than 60 countries. www.msf-me.com www.jumeirah.com

Ghantoot defend title in thriller final

Friday 1st April 2011, Abu Dhabi: Ghantoot Polo Team reversed their fortunes against previously unbeaten opponents, ADCB when they retained the HH President of the UAE Polo Cup last night. The tense clash, punctuated by the high number of penalties awarded against both sides, finished 4-3. ADCB had beaten Ghantoot 7-6 when the sides met in their qualifying match. Ghantoot were able to turn the tables yesterday, but not before ADCB staged a spirited comeback from 4-1 down in the fourth and fifth chukkers. Ghantoot opened the scoring when Gonzalo Azumendi, who accounted for three of his side’s four goals, notched his first around half way through the first of five chukkers. ADCB’s Hugo Barabucci almost claimed one back for his side but his shot went wide. Barabucci’s teammate, Nasser al Dhari, went on a great, angled run in front of goal but also shot just wide of the left-hand post. The second chukker was a stop, start affair, featuring a large number of penalties awarded against a frustrated ADCB team. Nasser al Shamsi doubled Ghantoot’s score with a goal in open play and Azumendi scored a penalty awarded against Barabucci to draw three goals clear. Barabucci, not to be outdone, emerged victorious from a melee in front of goal to score ADCB’s first of the game. On the third restart, Nasser al Shamsi, Ghantoot’s polo captain demonstrated a masterclass in close ball control, dribbling the ball from the boards to the centre of the pitch in an excellent attacking play. His efforts were thwarted illegally by ADCB and Azumendi buried the resulting penalty for 4-1. Though they came close, Ghantoot did not score again, while ADCB found a new lease of life in the fourth chukker. The match finally took on the end-to-end action that the 3,200 spectators had been hoping for with Barabucci and Matias Colombres combining in some of ADCB’s

trade-mark aggressive play. It was Colombres who claimed ADCB’s final two goals, the first in open play and the second in a penalty in the fifth chukker. But Ghantoot had done enough to retain their crown. “That was one of the most satisfying victories I have ever had the good fortune to be a part of,” said al Shamsi. “Before the game we knew we had to keep our defenses as tight as possible and play forward-going and aggressive polo and we kept to our script. “We were disappointed to lose to ADCB in the qualifying match and we always knew that they would be a tough team, capable of staging a comeback. I’m just delighted that we have emerged the victors in a very tough, physical game.” Barabucci was unhorsed in the second chukker, but fortunately the seven-goaler was unhurt. Carrie McNeill www.grpcpolo.com

Yas Pro Drag Racing Series Finals

Newly qualified Super Comp driver dazzles with perfect reaction time. The Yas Drag Racing Centre’s firstever Pro Drag Racing series ended at Yas Marina Circuit on 29th with seven champions being crowned. Between the championship win and prize money already paid out for each of the four rounds, the winners and runners-up shared a total payout of AED 1.4 million. Three of the series champions sealed the championship success with race wins on Friday. Ali Al Kaabi won his Pro Mod class with an elapsed time of just 3.858 seconds and a terminal speed of 306.86 km/h, taking the series with a total of 170 points. Runner-up in the race was Rashid Temeem with a time of 3.997 seconds. Fadi Tammour clinched both the 4.80 Index (172 points) and Super Street 8 (106 points) championships, winning the 4.80 Index race in a Yas Super Comp in style from Qassin Rakan. He recorded a perfect 0.000 reaction time in the semi-final race and just 0.014 in the final – a truly rare occurrence in drag racing anywhere in the world. “My fast reaction time actually made it quite tough in both races,” Tammour said. “It was hard not to get under the 4.80-second time, so I had to slow the car down just a fraction both

times to be sure of the win. I knew the championship was mine anyway but I wanted to take it with four clean wins.” Rakan recorded a time of 4.928 seconds at 243.04 km/h and a reaction time of 0.193 seconds. Tammour’s winning time was 4.959 at 194.15 km/h, reflecting his need to slow down to accommodate his lightning-fast reaction time. The 33-year-old jeweller from Syria was trained at the Yas Drag Racing School this winter, obtained his National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) licence, entered the Pro Series four days later and won every one of his four races. He took the 4.80 Index championship with 172 points and the Super Street 8 with 108. The Super Street race on Friday was won by Abdullah Al Shatti with a run of 4.833 seconds and a terminal speed of 252.33 km/h. Runner-up on the night was Mohamed Awadh with a time of 5.744 seconds. The Pro Bike championship was won by Pro Bike Mohammed Bourashed with 120 points. He also won the final race with an elapsed time of 4.187 seconds and a terminal speed of 271.23 km/h. Runner-up was Meshal Al Saber with a time of 4.196 seconds and a terminal speed of 266.25 km/h. The Super Street Bike championship went to Mishari Al Turki on 140 points. Al Turki also won the final race with a time of 9.708 seconds. The Outlaw 10.5 champion’s title went to Hussain Mohammed on 114 points. Winner on the night was Saood Al Zibin with a time of 4.335 seconds and a speed of 280.69 km/h. Jamal Al Jaber took runner-up spot with 4.762 seconds at 241.4 km/h. Fahad Al Raessi won the Pro 6 chamionship title with 205 points, but the win on the night went to H Al Tenaiji with a time of 5.26 seconds and a speed of 211.75. Runner-up was I Albaloushi in 6.254 seconds and a speed of 216.18 km/h. Rashed Al Qubaisi, Head of the Yas Drag Racing Centre, thanked the competitors and spectators for their support throughout the Pro Series. “This was our first professional drag racing series and I am very pleased with the outcome,” he said. “The whole series was hotly contested and the final round delivered great entertainment for the crowd. We look forward to running a bigger and better race series next winter.”

Bu Tinah fauna’s wonders

The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) has confirmed that seven baby Osprey chicks have so far hatched this year on Bu Tinah Island and that two Hawksbill turtles have arrived to nest. The seven Osprey chicks, believed to have been born at the start of the year, were discovered in three sheltered nests scattered across the island. Five of the chicks were born in the artificial nesting platforms installed by EAD to encourage breeding, while another two were born on a natural nest built by adult Ospreys across Bu Tinah. The Osprey is one of seven significant species of wildlife living on Bu Tinah. The island provides a safe haven for the birds; a factor which is contributing directly to the success of its thriving population. Relatively undisturbed by human presence or development, Bu Tinah offers an abundance of the Osprey’s natural food source in its surrounding waters such as the short-nosed Tripod, Needle and Butterfly Fishes, as well as a peaceful and secure environment in which to nest. The Osprey is a bird of national importance and high significance to the ecosystem, sometimes referred to locally as Dammi. The species is ‘diurnal’: an animal that is active during the day and that sleeps at night. Ospreys rely on fish as the main constituent of their diet and so they are classified as birds of prey. These birds can reach up to approximately 60 centimetres in length, while their wingspan can be up to two metres across. In the region they are found around the Arabian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman (mainly in Musandam) and the Red Sea. Two Hawksbill turtles- a critically endangered species- have also arrived on the island to nest, marking the beginning of the turtle nesting season. Bu Tinah Island is currently one of 28 finalists (from an original list of 447 locations) in the New 7 Wonders of Nature international contest, the winners of which will be declared in November this year. In 2010, EAD launched an international campaign to encourage people to vote for Bu Tinah Island. Bu Tinah Island, located around 130 km west of Abu Dhabi, is a core area of the Marawah Marine Biosphere Reserve: the first marine biosphere reserve in the region. The island is unique; in spite of the harsh temperatures and salinity, its habitats and species, which also include coral, sea grass, dugongs and sea turtles, continue to thrive, making the island an important location for climate change studies. The survival of Bu Tinah’s Coral reefs, despite the harsh environment, has given researchers insight into coral reef survival elsewhere in the world in the face of global warming. The Natural mangroves on the

island can reach an average height of five meters and support various sorts of wildlife including birds, fish and crustaceans. Bu Tinah’s waters are home to the densest population of dugongs in the world. These threatened species are often spotted swimming among the Island’s extensive sea grass meadows. They have been able to live without disturbance in a clean natural sanctuary, thanks to EAD’s management of the marine biosphere reserve. Dolphins such as the Indo-pacific humpback, bottlenose as well as the common dolphin swim around the Island. Bu Tinah Island is a major breeding site for the Osprey bird, and is a roost site for about 20,00025,000 Socotra cormorants. www.ead.ae

Sustainable Fish

Tamil Nadu Fish Curry, Shaari Eshkeli with Lemon and Olive Oil, and Hot-Smoked Green Tea Souli Wraps are included in the new Choose Wisely cookbook which features 20 sustainable fish recipes from the UAE. The cookbook was unveiled at Gordon Ramsey’s award winning restaurant Verre in the Hilton Dubai Creek last month. Emirates Wildlife Society in association with WWF (EWS-WWF) launched the latest addition to its Choose Wisely sustainable fisheries campaign. The cookbook, featuring recipes submitted to the Sustainable Fish Dish Challenge, helps people taste the benefits of eating sustainable green-labeled “Go For It” fish and offers consumers alternatives to eating red-labeled “Think Again” fish such as the Hammour, King Fish, and Shaari. “The book is a real community effort – reflecting the special nature of the UAE residents and fish. Recipes reflect the cuisines of India, United Arab Emirates, Europe and South America. Zighy Bay Resort, Meridien al Aqqa, Verre Restaurant at Hilton Dubai Creek and Flavours Restaurant at Sheraton Abu Dhabi Hotel and Resort offered raffle prizes to encourage recipe submissions and recognize volunteers that participated in the campaign”, commented Nessrine Alzahlawi, Project Manager, Marine Conservation at EWS-WWF.

at the top of the overfished species list. The main goal of EWS-WWF’s “Choose Wisely” campaign is to address the environmental impact of overfishing in the UAE by increasing customer awareness about the heavy exploitation of UAE fish resources, encourage action from concerned stakeholders, and offer delicious tasting ‘Go For It’ alternatives. With colorful names like the PinkEared Emperor, Orange-Spotted Trevally, Yellow Bar Angel Fish, and the Sordid Sweetlips, sustainable green-labeled “Go For It” fish taste delicious. The 48-page bi-lingual cookbook explores their flavors with 20 fully-illustrated multi-ethnic recipes submitted by amateur chefs from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah, and Fujairah. The recipes were sourced as part of the ‘Sustainable Fish Dish Challenge’ sponsored by EWS-WWF and the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi. Consumers submitted their favorite sustainable fish recipes to the www.choosewisely.ae website. The recipes were rated by fellow fish eaters. A selection of recipes from the participants in the Sustainable Fish Dish Challenge was chosen for this book. The cookbook recently won the “UAE Best Fish and Seafood Book” from the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2010 for its efforts. The cookbook and a database of recipes for sustainable fish is available for download free of charge on the campaign website www. choosewisely.ae and also from Choose Wisely partners’ hotels and restaurants.

Go on Jade! Friday, 23rd April 2011, before leaving on the OutdoorUAE party cruise, a Naish Mana 10’5 Stand Up Paddleboard and Naish adjustustable alloy paddle found its raffle competition winner Jade Bremner (29 years from UK). Jade was the lucky winner of the March raffle that OutdoorUAE organized sponsored by Ocean Sport FZE. A big thank you to everyone who participated and expressed their enthusiasm towards winning a SUP, one of the fastest growing outdoor activity in the UAE. For those who are keen to try stand up paddle boarding during summer, come join us at our SUP free trial events (supported by Ocean Sport FZE).

Hamour, a highly favoured fish in the UAE, is overfished 7 times beyond sustainable levels with declines of 90% since 1978, putting it

By kayak and foot along New Zealand’s pristine beaches

by Mattias Nock

As soon as the keel of our sea kayak floats into the crystal clear water and we leave the golden beach of Marahau behind, a nameless feeling of freedom overwhelms us. Ahead of us lie three days of adventure on the 51 km long Abel Tasman Coastal Track in New Zealand…

A few days earlier we were busy preparing our trip. Comparing offers of the different kayak-rentals, studying maps of the national park, and checking weather and tide times. The central place for bookings and information on the Abel Tasman National Park is the Department of Conservation (DOC) visitor centre in Nelson; from here you can create a well-organised trip. Since the Abel Tasman Coast Track can be covered in different stages by foot or kayak and hosts many various types of travel and accommodation, we were faced with a lot of individual offers on how to organise the trek. Eventually we decided to go camping with a combination of two days by kayak and one day of hiking without any guidance and the constraints of travelling in a group (a so called “freedom-package”).

“Another fine day with countless beaches...” 30

DAY 1 By Kayak from Marahau – Te Pukatea: Two days later in Marahau, (the starting point of the Abel Tasman Coast Track) we were slightly overwhelmed with doubt on our decision against a guide during the comprehensive safety briefing. There were several sections on the course where rough sea conditions had to be expected. The secluded Te Pukatea Bay, was not only one of the first sections we had to face but to get there you had to travel through rough sea conditions. With great respect in our minds, we set off for out first stage. Facing perfect conditions, hardly any wind and lots of sunshine we floated in the rhythm of the paddle-strokes along small offshore islands and pristine beaches. We were spoilt for choice; behind every corner an even more beautiful beach seemed to be waiting for us. Enticed by the small islands we then decided to stop at a secluded cove for lunchtime and pulled our kayaks through the golden sands. The 20° C warm water provided the right type of refreshment for us as we left the cove for the day’s destination. In front of us lay one of the routes’ danger zones, the infamous “Mad Mile”. As soon as we had gone around the next bluff we learnt that it did live up to its name. On this section the coastline of the Abel Tasman is exposed to the open sea with strong north easterly winds. For one hour we fought the rough sea and got well shaken wave-by-wave. All the more we felt relieved as we paddled inside the

Note Tips to landscape, the Abel Tasman National Park hosts an impressive abundance of marine life: New Zealand fur seals, small blue penguins and big stingrays are quite common. With some luck even whales e.g. Orcas can be seen. Day 2 was another fine day with countless beaches, which reminded us of the South Sea (not only because of their exotic Maori names). Late in the afternoon we reached the never-ending Onetahuti beach, the place of the day’s bivouacs. Because the sea in the north gets even rougher and more dangerous the Onetahuti beach forms the most northern point for commercial kayaking. From that point, it was time to say goodbye to our kayak, which was picked up a little later by water-taxi. DAY 3 By foot from Onetahuti – Totaranui: After a slightly unquiet night (during which a possum had tried several times to eat our food), we dismantled the camp and packed up the equipment into our backpacks. The last stage of our trip is by foot. The track winds through subtropical fern and sheltered coves along the scenic coastline. At several points on the track we needed to keep to a schedule to be able to cross widespread tidelands safely, otherwise we would risk huge detours, long waiting times or even worse when crossing tidelands- strong tidal currents because of draining sea water. On the coast of the Abel Tasman National Park, the tide gauge (with a maximum of 9 meters) is one of the biggest in the world. This has to be kept in mind, not only when crossing tidelands but also when securing the kayak on a beach for the. Five hours and several refreshing tidal crossings later we have arrived to the destination of our trip, the spectacular Totaranui Beach. Having enjoyed another night in the remoteness of New Zealand’s wild we were brought back to the starting point of our trip by water-taxi the following day.

sheltered Te Pukatea Bay where we pitched our tent for the night. Immediately we knew why we were here: all around us exotic vegetation, birdlife and a perfect secluded beach. DAY 2 By Kayak from Te Pukatea – Onetahuti: Early next morning we packed our stuff and set sail. In contrast to the previous day the sea had completely calmed down – a benefit of getting up early. Only a few paddle strokes later, we are rewarded again: Next to us a cheeky little blue penguin dived away with its breakfast. Besides the breathtaking

After three unforgettable days we both knew why the Abel Tasman Coast Track owns its worldwide reputation and that this was certainly not the last time we would be enjoying its pristine beauty! About the authors: Chantal and Matthias Nock from Germany have travelled through Malaysia, New Zealand and Australia for six months during a sabatical.Their passion for wildlife and the outdoors has led them through dense rainforests, on mighty glaciers and remote beaches. This article is the first episode of a series on their best outdoor experiences.

The Abel Tasman Coast Track can be covered from south to north or vice versa. As the wind blows mostly in southern direction, it ist he obvious thing for kayaking beginners to choose the easier northsouth passage. Best thing to enjoy the silence of the park is camping. When covering part of the track by kayak, campsites that are only reachable by boat can be booked in advance – for a perfect Robinson-feeling. Heavy equipment, e.g. tents, should be stored in the front compartment of the kayak. Like that the kayak gains a better overall stability in the water particularly when crossing wave crests.

The Facts:

Name: Abel Tasman Coast Track/ Abel Tasman national park, New Zealand Duration: 3-5 days, 51 km (Accessible at several points. Shorter sections can be chosen as day trips) Difficulty: easy to medium Best time to travel: New Zealand summer (early or late summer is less crowded) Start and destination: From Marahau to Totaranui GPS: Marahau (-41.007, 173.008) ; Te Pukatea (-40.953, 173.064); Onetahuti (-40.889, 173.046); Totaranui (-40.817, 173.006) Accomodation: Types of accomodation at the starting point as well as inside the national park reach from camping, DOC huts, backpackers to comfy lodges. Prices: Depending on provider, package and type of accomodation. Package as described/per person: Camping permit: 12 NZ$ pp/night (35 AED) Freedom-Package incl. watertaxi: 190 NZ$ pp (557 AED) TOTAL: 226 NZ$ (663 AED)

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[camp]

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Black Diamond Pavement Bag Price: Pavement Medium – 375 AED, Pavement Large – 395 AED Available at: Soon to open Adventure HQ store in Dubai’s Time Square Center (check online for opening date www.adventurehq.ae). A high quality Black Diamond product range with simple but very functional design with great features and clean lines. Ideal for the commute by metro, bus or cycle; meetings and life. Tough Cordura materials for long product life. • 1000d PU coated nylon • Double plastic buckle closure with hook-and-loop • Padded laptop compartment, zippered front pocket, adjustable strap • Larger capacity can accommodate more essentials • Medium fits up to a 38 cm (15 in) laptop • Large fits up to a 43 cm (17 in) laptop Materials : 1000d Cordura Available in: Green olive and Dark grey

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New boats that rock! The Luxury Yachting Brand

Azimut has recently released a new model of the Flybridge Collection (Range 48). 16 Meters in length, the motor Yacht is devoted to sun and the openair life, thanks to the exceptional features of the Flybridge and the stern bathing platform.

[yacht]

Azimut 48. Immersed in sunlight

Large dimensions and surprisingly well equipped, the flybridge of the Azimut 48 offers a dinette that can accommodate six persons sitting. Luxury and functionality is key here it holds a centre table, in the base there is space for a refrigerator, a storage compartment and a drawer for galley equipment, whilst in the support surface is an integrated barbecue hotplate. The ample seating stretches towards the stern and becomes a spacious sunbathing area that flanks the pilot’s console. In addition to this, the driving position on the flybridge is positioned to the portside. Descending to the main deck lies a large and wide cockpit and a comfortable divan seats four persons. At the stern, the up and down bathing platform with a load capacity of 410 kgs permits housing the tender. At the bow is another terrace overlooking the sea. The three areas for open-air socialising on the main deck (cockpit, the small beach and the bow:sunbathing area) offer space for privacy and enjoyment and are perfectly connected together. Adding to these three areas is the interior saloon, fitted with a “C”-shaped sofa and folding table. Descend the access stairway to the lower deck to encounter one of the most beautiful zones on the nautical panorama of this dimension. The galley is a large environment illuminated directly by the windscreen and here again the Azimut 48 confirms its special relationship with the sun. Impressive and incomparable in its category for luminosity and surfaces, the galley includes a large pantry, a work surface, steel sink, three-ring hob, hood, microwave, 190-litre refrigerator, dishwasher compartment and under the flooring is further space for storage. Finally, beneath decks are three comfortable cabins, all with twin

beds and two bathrooms with separate showers of 90 cms diameter. The VIP cabin, to starboard has two twin beds that simply slide together to make a double. The guest cabin to port is identical to the VIP cabin and has twin beds whilst natural ventilation by a porthole that can be opened. The ship owner’s cabin is in the bow. Comfort and a refined and contemporary style make the cabin a relaxing place to rest in. Overall the Azimut luxury brand lives up to its name having released a piece of art in both the boating and lifestyle world.

Specs: AZIMUT 48 – MAIN TECHNICAL DATA Length over all: 14,90 m (48’10”) Hull length: 14,30 m (46’10”) Beam max: 4,5 m (14’9”) Engine and Trasmission: 2 x 600 mHP (442 kw) CUMMINS QSC 8.3 Displacement at full load: 19,5 ton Maximum speed: 32 Knots* Cruising Speed: 27 knots* Fuel: 2.000 lt (528 us gls) Water: 590 lt (156 us gls) Cabins: 3+1(crew) Berths: 6/8 +1(crew) Heads: 2+1(crew) Exterior styling and Concept: Stefano Righini Interior style: Carlo Galeazzi Builder: Azimut

[boat]

SeaRay 205 Sport

The 205 Sport is the next generation of cutting-

edge sport boats. It has all the elements you need for truly epic thrills, just add water, or air for grippers and rippers. The 205 sport’s performance numbers speak for themselves, it’s handling is agile and dexterous, whilst responding quickly to throttle as mentioned in recent reviews. The 205 Sport itself has a solid hull and proves to be a rattle free ride, with back-to-back passenger seats making a comfortable cockpit. The boat is also great for sunbathing as the seats come down creating a sunning lounge. The stereo is positioned in the passenger glove box, whilst the helms station has simple yet functional design with plenty of adaptability for driver size. The 205 Sport makes both a casual cruising and sport boat due to its nimble yet practical size. The Sea ray quality stands up for the 205 Sport but at a cost more affordable

Price: 167,500 Dhs Specs: Length: 21’ Beam: 8’ Dry Weight: 3,265 lb. Seating/Weight Capacity: 8/1,120 lb. Fuel Capacity: 37 gal. Max HP: 260 MSRP: (w/ MerCruiser 4.3L MPI 220 hp Alpha): $34,909 NMMA certified: Yes - Mercruiser 4.3 MPI Alpha 220hp stern drive - Painted trailer with double axle - One tone gel coat (white / Blue trim / blue canvas) - Sport graphics, cockpit cover with tonneau cover - Bimini top with boot - Premier Stereo Upgrade (Includes: upgraded head unit- stereo remote at dash-amp/ sub-woofer combo) - 2nd Stereo Remote Control – Transom - Snap in carpet – cockpit, - Depth finder, ski tow, drop-in, magnetic, compass - STBD bucket with flip-up/motor box - Battery on/off switch

the fishing Kit by Kit Belen

My name is Kit and I am a ‘lure-a-holic’... Back in the Philippines, when it was summer, almost everyone you know would be heading for the beach. I grew up in Cebu and there, almost everywhere is 30 minutes away from the water. Imagine the surprise I got 5 years ago when I moved to Dubai, it wasn’t the heat can you believe, I was expecting that! (We are in the desert after all…) What surprised me were the hundreds of lures in front of me at the shops in Deira! ‘WOW’ I thought! I’m in heaven!

mean fish”… I couldn’t however have been farther from the truth.

You see… when I can’t fish I have to do something fishing related. The heat was getting unbearable and I was almost out of lures, so instead of ordering online a friend of mine told me to check out a few shops in Deira. In that single summer afternoon I stumbled across all the shops that were sell fishing Items and since then, they have become some of my favourite lure shops, what a great find!

The summers here have temperatures that are not too kind to fishermen, not even in the evenings. Only a few brave the summer heat; I’m sure they catch fish, but most of us enjoy what little comfort our air conditioners give us. That doesn’t mean to say that you have to stop fishing though.

My love affair with lures started a long time ago, mostly because I saw them in the fishing magazines I read and always found that they were attached to some pretty decent fish. Almost automatically when I see lures my head starts to spin and my very healthy imagination kicks in. I thought to myself “Wow, if I have one of those things, I’m sure to catch some pretty

Like any sort of tool, lures work their best in the hands of those that are skilful in manipulating them; it is after all, just a tool…

Summer is usually the time when I would do repairs and maintenance on my gear, change the rusty or bent hooks on my lures, put some new line on the reels and store them away from sunlight. It is also one of my favourite times to stock up on some lures. So, in the summer months, I will be writing about tackle maintenance, hoarding your small army of trusty lures and other things that would get you prepared for the next winter fishing season.

Lures come in many shapes, sizes and colours – so much that it would drive you insane, but as with most things, the more the merrier. Nowadays it is not uncommon to find lures of different sizes in 100 million different Even Micro Poppers such as these have a place and time and deserve a colour combinations. place when fish dont want a meal but won’t pass up a snack

Top water lures such as Zara Spooks are one of my favorites to use and it seldome dissapoints

Lures are categorized in two types– hard bodied, and you guessed it soft-bodied lures. In this Article, we will touch up on some of my favourite hard-bodied lures. Hard bodied lures are categorized into a few types as well but the most common ones we find readily available are classified into what we call “plugs”. Back in the day, the first ones were whittled out of wood into the shape of a fish; these pieces were called “plugs”, the name stuck. Rapala do some of the most common plugs you find in all respectable tackle shops and fishing supply. Storm, Yo Zuri, Sebile, Duel, and Maria are popular brands. I find plugs awesome; some are constructed to float, (some float but because of the lip in front of it) some dive and wiggle, some are heavy and sink slowly, and some are designed to sink and be fished at the bottom or deeper in the water column. There are even plugs designed to reach 50 plus feet on their own! Plugs are puppets and you are the puppet master Some plugs like the Zara Spook and Yo Zuri Hydro Pencil don’t have an action of their own so you have to manipulate or “work” as how we fondly call the process. Some plugs called “poppers” have cupped faces that make a huge popping and splashing sound when you jerk your rod tip, it’s supposed to simulate the sound of feeding fish (this

If I need to cast a good distance to reach surface feeding fish, I reach for the long casting Yozuri Hydro Pencil

Quality workmanship and components WILL help you in landing that big one

hour until he gave up. A Rapala CD18 folks, is 7 inches (18cms). The fish that were biting were kingfish and barracuda of about 2-3kilos. Whist they are still hungry critters, something that big would still be a mouthful. Elephants love peanuts and some of the biggest marlin ever caught ate a small lure. On the same rock the guy stood on earlier, I hooked a good fish on the first cast with a 4-inch plug. He looked surprised.

There are plugs designed for casting No lure is too big - This 12 inch (30.5cm) popper is Medium sized poppers such as this Atomic Popper is just a snack for a hungry 60kg Musandam GT and there are those, the ticket for searching out hungry predators which are good for casting but better for trolling. Rapala, especially the older models, are light, so they are not my top choice for casting. There are recent models, like the XRap, that are designed for casting. Yo Zuri and Duel Lures are mostly The Yozuri Tobimaru is one of my go to lures when I need some confidence Another confidence lure - the Yozuri Crystal Minnow made for casting and are my preferred brand fish like. It’s easy to give up and say encourages other feed to fish when they of plugs especially for the fish aren’t biting, often times it’s hear it). When worked properly, lures subsurface fishing. just that you haven’t figured out what like the Spook and Hydro Pencil have a retrieve the fish want. The plug I choose wide side to side wobble, this retrieve Finally I have only one piece of advice depends on what fish I’m after. I’m not is probably the hardest to work but it is left to give for lure selection: too hung up on colour as most people one of the most effective ways to catch Pick the colour you like, and the shape fish. are, what’s important to me is the lure’s you like, more than likely, that would built in action. This means that when I be the lure that would always be chosen A top water strike is the most retrieve the lure with a straight retrieve, first and worked longer. The more it hits I like seeing a very active side-to-side spectacular sight you will ever see. I’ve the water, the more chances it has of wiggle, the wider the wiggle the better. had fish strike so close to where I was catching fish. Lures with very tight wiggles are better standing that the splash got me wet...(I felt like I was going to die from a heart for trolling (like Rapala plugs), for me at Like shoes and bags (guys, you can attack!). least. make this an excuse) we need a lot of There are videos online that show you how to work lures so I’m not going to discuss that here, but what you should know however is that speed takes a very crucial role. Some fish like the lures worked fast, while others prefer it worked slowly. There is almost no wrong way to work a plug, at times a fish even takes a static lure, it’s rare but it can happen. When you work lures, it’s important to vary the retrieve and find what the

Lures like the Yo Zuri Crystal Minnow have a cult following all over the world. Anything that has a set of dentures that your dog would love would eat it, and in turn I have about 15 or more of them and for good reason, you lose a lot!

lures to cover a lot of situations. I have more than 50 of them (I honestly didn’t count) only a few don’t have tooth marks. So many lures...so little time. Till next tide change,

It’s not just the size, it’s the manner of attack! A few years ago, I saw a gentleman in Jumeira 1 casting a CD18. I sat on the rocks and watched him toil for about 1

Kit.

Adventure chicks

fitchicksandfastwomen.wordpress.com

with Tori

}

Adventure Chick + Dubai Diggers = a match made in Heaven...

On the 8th and 9th of April, Dragon Boat teams from throughout the UAE gathered together at Festival City for a weekend of paddling with passion in races of varying distance, men, woman and mixed. Dragon Boating is now one of the world’s fastest growing team sports… and it’s no wonder. It’s a thrilling water sport full of adrenaline, strategy and technique. In the UAE alone there are around twelve teams, the major competitions, university, school, corporate and community teams also come along to play. I started paddling here in Dubai three years ago but the sport was no stranger to me having been a long-term expat kid from Hong Kong. Fast-forward training with a couple of teams and major competitions in Malaysia, Hong Kong and Macau, I’m now part of the Dubai Diggers, and specifically a Diggers Diva. Why Adventure Chick loves Dragon Boating … No ‘I’ in Team Dragon boating is the most dramatic representation of a team sport that I have ever encountered. The boat doesn’t move faster due to any one person alone but due to all team members working in unison; it’s the perfect illustration of the 1+1 > 2 principle in action. Endless Energy The energy in the boat at the start of a race is AWESOME. 22 minds focused to the max, 22 hearts pounding, 22 bodies Tori coiled, 22 lungs bursting – 22 competitors ready to explode towards one combined goal. You train hard as a team to achieve outstanding results. Simple as. Paddle with Passion You either love dragon boating or you don’t. But if you join a team, you do it 100% and paddle with passion every time you get in the boat. There’s no room for passengers in this sport. Besides, whatever sport you do needs to be injected with passion – what’s the point otherwise?

A question of Balance Dragon boating, like life, is all about balance; weight distribution, the power output, the timing and the stroke rate. Care for the Community Dragon boating provides a great sense of community as it brings together individuals and teams that may never have met otherwise … a common interest in water-sports, the outdoors, team spirit, racing and competition forge tight bonds. Mass Contribution Everyone gains a sense of contribution when dragon boating. Teams win, not individuals. The entire boat crosses that finish line or it does not. The team wins or the team loses.

the water itself. Learning to work with the water and the environment pays dividends. Now that the weather is hotting up, it makes perfect sense to stay cool in the pool so why not give dragon boating a try yourself? www.dubaidragonboat.com has all the info you need to know. Just pick a team and drop them a line. Finally, if you’re wondering the outcome of last months event, I’m pleased to say that us Diggers retained all three, male, female and mixed, National Titles. Sweet, and rewarding. Very rewarding! A BIG Thank You to our sponsors, MORE Café and Crocs for their support. Paddles Up!

Lifelong Learning Technique is everything and nothing at all. We can never be perfect paddlers, but we can have perfect moments. We are always learning, tweaking, changing, playing and adapting. No matter how long you’ve been paddling or how many races you’ve competed in, you will never stop learning.

Adaptation … always Water is the equaliser; it is never the same twice so a team must always adapt to the changing conditions. Again, much like life then. All is flux!

©Manoj Gurnani

People Power Not only does each team member get a very rewarding sense of collective power but you begin to understand the power and fury of

Love Tori x

©Aaron Hughes

Abu Dhabi International Triathlon

©Manoj Gurnani

©Aaron Hughes

PS. Please visit my blog at http:// fitchicksan dfastwomen.w ordpress. com for m ore rambles on all health, fitne things ss wellness-re and lated. PPS. My em ail address is Victoria. leckie@gm ail.com for though ts, id suggestions eas, … or just to say hello! ©Aaron Hughes

Hut h c a e with B Rob wears Rip Curl Rev o Icon Tee AED125

Drew wears O’Neill Respected Tee AED145

Vera wea rs Boardies Rip Curl Starlet AED195 & Rip Cu Bikini AE rl D285

Rip Curl Nan Pas wears 245 D AE ss Dre

Name: Drew Gibson re url Treasu rs Rip C be o J & Pas wea 5 8 ini AED2 Cove Bik ED450 A Indy Vest

Activity: Wakeboarding Nationality: Canadian

How long have you been in the U.A.E. and why did you come here? I have been in the UAE for 5 years, we moved here because of my dad’s job.

What’s your passion? Being on the water, the adrenaline rush of landing new tricks and watching other people discover the sport of wakeboarding and progress in their riding. What’s your favourite spot/route? Ideally my favourite spot is my lake in Canada where there is no salt water! But in Dubai my favourite spot is the Dubai Creek or Marina. What do you recommend our readers? Get on the water and try wakeboarding! 050 911 6364 if you want to learn.

Name: Vera Bacon Activity: Wakeboarding and snowboarding Nationality: Russian How have you been in the U.A.E. and why did you come here? I have been living in the UAE for 4 years now due to my husband’s work. I work at the British Veterinary Centre in Abu Dhabi. The best thing about being here is that I get to pursue my passion in working with animals and have fun on the water after work. What’s your passion? Travelling and sports. I had an opportunity to travel the world from North America to Africa. Snowboarding in Canada and surfing in Nigeria. What’s your favourite spot/route? For snowboarding it would have to be Whistler, Canada with stunning views, great weather and nice people. For wakeboarding - Al Forsan Cable Park in Abu Dhabi with great atmosphere and coaching; and Saadiyat channel for boat riding in glassy water with some dolphins and turtles. What do you recommend our readers? Get out there and enjoy the outdoors. UAE has a lot to offer.

Vera rides CWB Kink wakeboard AED1295

Vera

Rob wears Rip Curl Rev o AED125 & Maui Jim su Icon Tee nnies AED92 5

wn O’Neill To Vera wears AED175 & Maui Jim e Te ed Relax ED770 sunnies A Maui Cat

All clothing and equipment available in Dubai from Leisure Marine Beach Hut, Phone 04 4243191 for details. 41

Part 3

MIKE NOTT BRINGS YOU HIS SERIALISATION OF THE ULTIMATE OFF-ROAD GUIDE Part 3: OFF ROAD DRIVING cont. DUNE DRIVING Unlike in mountains and wadis, where we generally follow a track, no matter how indistinct and unused it may be, driving in the dunes is altogether more demanding on your driving and route finding skills. You should be aware of the following tips and techniques:

Tyres Normal road tyres and sand tyres can be used in the dunes, however, be aware that they will be more prone to punctures than the more robust types such as AT or MT tyres. All types of tyres should be deflated and your previous experience of dune driving will have resulted in knowing what is best for your vehicle and the prevailing sand conditions. As a general rule of thumb, 14 - 15 psi (1 Bar) is generally sufficient for most conditions and vehicles. In encountering differing sand conditions it may be worth deflating or inflating as required. Bad Angle

Slip Faces Descending slip faces is a regular occurrence in the dunes and you need to be proficient at this basic skill. If you are not sure of the quality and bottom of a slip face get out of your vehicle Good Spacing and go and have a look before you descend. Descents should be done in 4x4, low range and 1st or 2nd gear (depending on your gear ratios) and preferably with centre and rear differentials locked, if fitted. Once you have decided to commit to the descent ensure you approach the edge square-on and with sufficient momentum to carry you just over the edge and onto the slip face. Too fast an approach can result in a fatal loss of vehicle control, too slow and you may end up getting stuck on the edge. Steer straight down the slip face fall-line. In order to maintain control over your vehicle during the descent, descend using engine braking and do NOT use the foot brake. If your vehicle starts to slide or drift sideways do not try to correct the slide

with your brakes, gently ease on a small amount of power which will help straighten your vehicle by driving out of the slide, then ease off the power to resume engine braking again. You may need to do this combination of a small amount of power and then engine braking several times descending a large slip face. Once you are safely near the bottom, consider changing to a higher gear and as you bottom out, accelerate away.

Bowls These treacherous features can trap the unwary and in the first instance should be avoided. If you inadvertently end up in a bowl there are two main techniques for extracting yourself. The first is the backwards and forwards method. Make sure you identify the easiest part of the bowlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rim to reach in a forward direction and try and manoeuvre your vehicle so that it points straight at it. By alternately going backwards and forwards in one line up the sides of the bowl it is hoped that eventually you will be able to gain sufficient momentum to reach high enough up the bowl to pop out at your chosen point. The second, more difficult technique is to attempt to climb up the sides of the bowl by driving around the bowl in a circular direction and gradually gaining height until you reach a point at which you can escape the bowl. In a left hand drive vehicle you should drive clockwise. This

V Cleft

will allow you a more unencumbered view and allow you to see the top of the bowl. This technique is not for the faint hearted and requires nerve and skill. If faced with trying to get out of a large bowl you may need to lower your tyre pressures.

V Clefts If you end up in a v-cleft, depending on its size, it is likely that you will be stuck. If you do have room and traction to manoeuvre, your most viable option is to drive out along the downhill line of the v-cleft. If you are stuck then you are inevitably going to have to dig the sand bank away from the front or rear (whichever will allow you to extract yourself the easiest) of your vehicle until there is either a chance to self-manoeuvre out or there is sufficient space to be given

an assisted recovery out onto the line of the v– cleft.

Soft Sand ‘Reading’ the sand can be difficult and you may hit patches of soft sand that have the tractive and supportive Soft Sand qualities of talcum powder. To stop in them will inevitably result in a ‘stuck’ and the need for recovery. These patches of soft sand can be felt as you drive; there is a sudden decrease in momentum and you have to accelerate quickly to pass over them. Crest Crossing Crest crossing is another essential skill for dune driving. It needs to be practiced. Crest crossing is preferably done from the windward side of a dune. The sand is firmer and the slope is less severe than the leeward side. There are two methods of crest crossing. Firstly the direct approach, where you drive up to the crest, square-on, with sufficient momentum to just carry your vehicle over the crest and be able to descend the other side under control. The second method is to approach the crest at an angle in order to get one wheel over at a time. Once the front half of your vehicle is over the crest you should aim to steer down the fall line on the other side in order to avoid the possibility of a roll over. This method requires more skill and judgement to accomplish (there is also a danger that you may end up cross-axled on top of the crest and stuck. It then makes recovery a more difficult task than it would have been if you had attempted the crest Crest Crossing crossing using the direct approach). The leeward side is usually a soft slip face but, depending on the extent of the soft slip face, crest crossing can be done in that direction. It’s a matter of experience and judgement.

Stopping Always try and stop on a slope in the direction of travel; this usually means a forward slope. This will allow gravity to help you move off again and requires less tractive effort from your tyres. Stopping on flat sand can be done but it depends on the hardness of the sand under your tyres. If the sand is too soft you are likely to dig yourself in and become stuck when you try and move off again. You should also aim to stop on sand without heavy braking, in order to avoid braking through the crust of the firm sand. Aim to roll to a halt with a final light press on the brake pedal to bring you to a complete stop. Heavy braking in soft sand will result in your digging yourself in and becoming stuck. Guiding Guiding is an essential skill. It involves the driver following the instructions of a person standing in front of the vehicle, whether

Guiding

the vehicle is moving forwards or backwards. The skill lies not with the driver but with the guide; the driver must simply follow the guide’s instructions. The guide is responsible for ensuring the safe passage of the vehicle through whatever terrain you are travelling. Guides are generally only needed in the most technical of driving situations such as highly complex boulder and rock areas or in technical dunes. A guide must explain to the driver what signals/commands he will use and exactly what they mean. There must be no confusion or misunderstanding. The guide must know the handling characteristics of the type of vehicle he is guiding and must know what is likely to happen when he commits a vehicle to a potentially dangerous or damaging manoeuvre. This can only be gained by experience and practice.

Fuel Consumption Off-road driving can consume significantly more fuel than on road. You should be aware of your vehicle’s consumption for differing types of terrain and whether in high or low range. In successfully negotiating the routes in the guidebook it is imperative that you know how much fuel you are likely to need and ensure you have sufficient with you to complete the distances between petrol stations. You should aim to err on the side of caution and carry more fuel than your estimates suggest.

Low or High Range There are differing views on the use of low and high range. Using the low ratio gearing in your transfer gearbox will increase the amount of power and torque available to you at lower speeds. For technically demanding driving, speed is rarely a requirement. By using low range you will have far superior engine braking and will have the ability to drive slower and with far more control on technically demanding routes. Even when driving in sand, the use of low range can considerably reduce the strain on your drive-train. You may be able to drive the same route in high range but with the use of low range you can select the ideal gear for the speed you are travelling at and use your optimum power and torque range instead of labouring your engine in the incorrect gear in high range. It is highly likely that you will need to switch between high and low range regularly, depending on the severity of the terrain you are driving through. You need to be comfortable with how to select

high and low range and under what circumstances your vehicle will work best for the conditions you are driving in. Each vehicle is different and there is no hard and fast rule on what to use and when; it is up to you to determine what is best to use for any given situation. This judgement can only be confidently made with experience of your vehicleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s capabilities, your driving style and the type of terrain over which you drive.

Day or Night Unless there is a particular reason, such as a medical emergency, it is suggested that you do not drive off-road at night in the open dunes, even if you have previously driven through the same dunes in the daylight. Driving in the open dunes at night is particularly difficult in the easiest of terrains; distances are foreshortened and you are unable to see the true lie of the land due to the dead-ground between each line of dune. Even with additional driving lights, the extra distances you can see still prevent you clearly being able to see the lie of the dunes. However, the difficulties are less acute if you follow well used tracks. In the mountains and wadis, the problems of driving at night are not so severe (primarily because you are following some form of track) but extra care and attention must be taken.

Photo Credits: Colin Campbell, Albert Mahesh and Gordon Smith

A treasure chest in Jumeirah Picnico General Trading is a place to find all kinds of outdoor products, big and small. The UAE is a place of superlatives, higher buildings, bigger malls and mega stores. But there are also a lot of small stores; we know all the small groceries competing with the mega stores, sometimes with 24/7 opening hours and free home delivery services. So it’s not entirely true that everything has to be super-sized in UAE… Picnico General trading is most probably the oldest outdoor shop in the UAE. Founded in 1994 by Mohammad Ismail Al Khoory, Picnico was the pioneer in providing outdoor products in the UAE. Located at Jumeirah beach road close to the Jumeirah beach park and directly behind the EPPCO petrol station, it is easy to find and very accessible as you can park directly in front of the door of the shop. (GPS Coordinates: N25°10,985 E055°13,618). Picnico spreads itself across 3.800sq.ft, incomparable against the area mega stores cover or the huge stock lists they provide. Places like Picnico, however once discovered can become a treasure chest. You can spend hours in the store just searching the shelves without feeling like you’ve walked 5km. Not only this but you be able to find many products you wouldn’t expect. In total Picnico has over 4000 different items especially for camping and outdoor and specific items for, fishing, climbing, kayaking, cycling, wake boarding, Kite Surfing, SUP and other sporting activities. It is worth a visit or if you can’t find a desired item, just give them a call and they can tell you right away if it’s available. Many of the products found in Picnico are not supplied anywhere else, and if you get lost in the variety of products to choose from, Khaliq (The store manager for 19 years) and his sales team (Ashraf, Asif) will be able to help, so don’t be shy to ask them. It goes to show that it’s especially the small things that make the difference – small handy items like spare parts for tents, BBQs and other practical equipment is a must for any Outdoor Adventurer. Go for your own treasure hunt in Jumeirah and visit Picnico. Picnico General Trading Phone: 04 394 1653 Email: showroom@picnico.ae Located on Jumeirah Beah Rd Dubai

forty in paradise Nick nudged me in the ribs with a huge smile on his face, he gestured to FC who had his nose pressed right up against the window, head moving from side to side with eyes peering down at the ocean below. Like all great fishing guides he was searching the waters below for any signs of big fish. The Dash 8 engines changed its tune as the pilot closed the throttle commencing or descend in to Hanimadhoo Island, Northern Maldives our destination for the next eight days. The water below was a dark grey with light grey patches that slowly changed color as we descended lower. Suddenly it looked as if lights below the water were switched on. Sunlight entered the water and reflected all sorts of blue and green colors upward. The

thousands’ of little islands and atoll’s became more and more defined and visible the further down we went. FC turned from the window and looked almost bewildered. He turned back and pointed out the window then looked back at Nick and I. A broad smile spread across his face “Hey Bru?” was the best he could come up with and turned back to look at paradise unfolding below him. Nick and I smiled knowingly…… You never forget your first view of God’s Back Garden. The agony and months of waiting and planning was finally over, “Touch Down!” The excitement was boiling over and I looked at my companions for the next 8 days (or should I

call them Party Guests? It was my 40th Birthday party cruise after all) everyone was peering out the aircraft windows studying the little Island in Paradise we had just landed on.

Our two Maldivian captains, our Sri Lankan chef and two deckhands welcomed us aboard. I watched our Motley Crew board and could not help but wonder if the poor crew had any idea what was waiting for them.

Hanimadoo Island has the most Northern Runway in the Maldives and is around 50 minutes flying time from Male, the capital Our party boarded; in no particular order of of the Maldives. It is a great little island surmischief; Wayne “Gandalf” rounded by crystal de Jager, Gregg “Sparkie” clear water, palm “Join me in celebrating my Birdd, Gavin “Aquaboy” trees, coral reefs and white sand beaches. 40th Birthday in the Maldives” Heyes, Cam “CAMBO” Rambo’s Brother Munro, I think Mr. RobinAlex “Frenchie” Moulart, FC “Windpomp” son Crusoe and his Man Friday would have aka “MTu” Lubbe, Nick “Boss” Bowles and been very happy here, especially if they were myself. armed with a few Surface stick baits and had an appetite for catching We quickly dealt with the formalities of game fish. (More on that washing down the welcome cocktails and later!) selecting our cabins and bunks and dropping of the spare clothes for the week. After all of Nick Bowles from Ocean five minutes everyone was back on deck with Active and I started planrod bags, reel bags and lure bags opening ning this trip a few months up like presents on Christmas morning. All of ago …well more like a us busied ourselves getting ready for the first year ago actually, and fishing session of the trip and already Jetlag the “invite list” went out was a thing of the past! a few months ago. “Join me celebrating my 40th We had around five hours of sunlight left and Birthday in the Maldives” it decided on our first attack plan. FISH! OK but read. To add a bit of spice where? We arrived in paradise where we had we included a few photos the choice of hundreds of spots to fish but of our previous trip. We only eight days. Where do you start? initially thought we would only try to fill a six-man We hastily called an “onboard” meeting and trip; however the photos decided to fish for two hours around the did the trick, and suddenly Hanimadoo Island and then set sail west to we had a lot more yes’ find a spot close to some islands we plotted and very few no’s with a on Google to anchor for the night. few “have to talk to the Mrs.” on the side. Nick had to step up the game and made the Nick shared our plans with the captain and necessary arrangements with Hammeed from we were off! Tropical Excursion. The results, AN AWESOME TRIP! After all his hard work arranging this trip, the stress of opening a new fishing shop, starting After the formalities of security and customs a new career, and raising his first son, it was we set off. The final eight members / guests fitting that Nick caught the first fish barely gathered up their belongings; bags, lure 500m from Hanimadoo. boxes, rod tubes and camera bags and set off for the dock. This immediately got the rest of the group working up a sweat fixing reels to rods and Our home for the next eight days would be stringing the line through the guides, tying aboard a 76ft Maldivian Dhoni, moored up knots, dropping pliers cursing, missing about 400m from the runway (Mr. Hemingguides, “where is my this...” more cursing way would have approved! Maybe not the and so on and so on! When Nick hooked local moonshines in the Dark Bottles but the the second fish two casts later he suddenly rest definitely). had competition up front as “Frenchie” and

few snappers for supper. What a start! We set off for the western islands and had our first of many wonderful meals. It was “Tiger Time” and we all raised a glass on a great trip ahead!

“Aquaboy” joined in the action. “Sparkie”, “CAMBO”, “Windpomp” and I quickly followed suite and “Gandalf” quietly snuck up on the roof at the stern and set himself up there for the rest of the week! Stick baits, poppers, drop shots, buck tail jigs and spoons all went flying in different directions! Soon “Frenchie” landed the first small GT (Caranx Ignobilish) of the trip and this upped the tempo even more. When we finally sat down after our first twohour session, we had landed a few small GT’s a few very sizeable Bluefin Trevallies and a

stared peeling of the Stella, he had a great support group! This was the first real big fish of the trip and cameras and video cameras were turning and flashing.

The captain immediately to port away from the reef, and took us into deeper water. Gav When we arrived at our Night Stop spot we managed to turn the fish after a few minutes had about an hour of daylight and now had the fish in even left. Nick had a word with the “It was high fives all deeper water. Everyone was Captain and he set us up for crowding around him and around and a beautia drift along a very fishable Nick and FC were at hand to ful 40-50 pound GT drop off! give advice. When a guy as was lifted on board.“ fit as Gav starts panting you Once again Nick was on to know it is not a small fish and a fish first! However, this time he had a lot the Stella was doing its fare share of windmore competition and FC soon opened his ing. After another 15min we saw colour and account on that drift as well. We all got into recognized the unmistakable shape of a nice the action and the music tunes by Mr. Bob “BUS” GT. Marley on the I-pod radio really set up a great island vibe. The Deckhands with the help of Nick and FC quickly sorted out grabbing the leader and The crystal clear water was truly amazing used the lip gaff to land the Fish! and with very little wind there was absolutely no chop on the surface. We could clearly see It was high fives all around and a beautiful down to the bottom even 14 to 18 meters 40-50 pound GT was lifted on board. The below. Occasionally huge manta rays would crew was very quick to have a bucket of pass under the Dhoni and it was like being at water ready to pour over the fish and keep an Aquarium. Dolphins and a few flying fish oxygen flowing through the gills. We removed also came and greeted these strange men the lure and barbless hooks and after a few from Arabia. photos the fish went back over board to fight another day! The sun started dipping lower and lower and we were rounding the tip of the reef heading More high fives followed as well as shouts of to our anchoring spot for the first night. Gavin “Tiger Time!!!!” This great fish ended our first was fishing on the bow with his modified 11ft day on a high! Rod and Stella 8000, sending long casts out into the shallows, trying to get the last fish What a day and this was only the first five of the day. He was doing the “one-last-cast” hours of an eight-day trip in paradise. What a routine! place to celebrate your 40th Birthday! Some of us had already decided that it was time for a sundowner, so when Gavin’s rod suddenly curved into a C-shape and line

Pretorius. AJ “Uncle-Uncle”

An ‘Adventure Phone’ solution for the UAE

by Ian Ganderton

This is my solution to the problems of mobile phones for those of us who play outdoor games. Keep your smart phone safe by using a cheap phone, a waterproof case that works and 2 sim cards on one number.

solving a problem where folks health and well being are riding on it. Well I’ve found a very acceptable solution that works fantastically well for me. Its comprised of the following components: 1.

Smartphone – in my case its a Blackberry Curve at the moment

The cheapest Nokia phone I could find

A small Seal Line waterproof E-case for the cheap Nokia

This is what my iphone reminded me of when it was floating in a bag of water

The outdoors is fierce on phones, especially the new breed of smart phones. There are so many aspects of the enviroment out to get them (water, sand, salt and sweat) and their insanely complex electronics. I feel the need carry a mobile phone with me as they are ridiculously powerful communication tools in the event of an incident and sorting out logistics is much easier with one. But there is no point in carrying one that will not survive so that I can actually use it when I need to. The cost of a smart phone does not lend itself to them being considered disposable. I still mourn the loss of my iPhone. It was inside a waterproof document case inside a dry bag on the back of a sit on top I was paddling while running an introductory kayak session. As part of the session we were playing some balance games which guaranteed a capsize sooner or later. Water got into the outer dry bag and with the document case sitting in a puddle of water inside it eventually let water in as well. The result was I found my iPhone floating like a goldfish in a bag of salt water. While I did manage to dry it out and get the screen and battery repaired it was never the same again. Gradually the salt corrosion did its work and the phone slowly ground to a halt and died. So the problem is I need a smart phone for work and I need a phone for carrying with me when on the hill or on the sea. I dont like having 2 separate numbers as maybe someone will need to contact me. I find it very difficult when folks have 2 numbers, I mean which one do I use? What’s the right number to have saved? These seemingly small issues can become huge when in the middle of

The Tawa’am dual sim card service from Etisalat

On a day to day basis I use the smartphone as most people do. When I’m out and about in enviroments that are likely to put a mobile phone at risk I use the cheap Nokia in the waterproof bag and the bag is good enough that I can use the phone through the bag. This means I have a very cost effective waterproof mobile phone. This has proven to work really well. I’ve swum in the sea and across the feeder lake at Al Ain with the phone in the waterproof case in my buoyancy aid pocket. I’ve also carried in my cycle jersey back pocket on hot days and its kept out all the sweat. Now, while this waterproof case is proving to be the best I’ve ever used, sooner or later its going to let in water. Thats why I use the cheapest phone I can find, its not really a big deal if it gets trashed. The cheaper phones also have much simpler electronics which means they actually stand more chance of working in the event of being dipped in water.

The cases have also proved incredibly useful for other electronics too. I use one for my ipod after my classic got wet when it was in the top pocket of my rucsac in a shower while walking to catch a bus. I also use one for my GPS when using it on the deck of a sea kayak. I can operate the device easily through the case as well as read the information. Although the device is pretty waterproof the case prevents the damaging salt water creeping in even when its rough. A small karabiner keeps it all securely attached to the deck lines. The beauty of the Tawa’am SIM cards is I get 2 cards that use the same number. I can activate either of the phones to receive calls and texts by simply dialing an activation code (*149*1#) and I have that saved in the contacts to make this really easy. This means no swapping of numbers or sim card faffing and I always have a back up phone if I lose one. The Seal Line Waterproof E-Cases will be available from Adventure HQ once they open and hopefully at all other quality outdoor stores in the region shortly. The Tawa’am Sim cards are available from any Etisalat office and can be set up on either pre or post paid numbers. I love cost effective and simple solutions to outdoor adventure problems. I hope the information helps.

Ian.

http://ianganderton.wordpress.com/

A smart phone and cheap ‘expendible’ waterproof phone both on the same number

Tire abrasion and the causes The following article is supposed to be a short guideline on how to check your tires and determine the source of burned out tire tread.

Usually your garage should check the tires whilst the car is in it’s regular servicing; unfortunately in some cases, this check can be overlooked. It has happened to both of my cars in the last two months, and is now the driving force behind writing this article. Here on the roads in Dubai I’ve never seen so many blown up tires in my life. The extreme heat combined with burned out tires is a dangerous and even life threatening occurrence, so you should therefore check your tires from time to time to be sure that you and your passengers are safe. If you feel vibration in your steering or the car is pulling to one direction (not going straight) you should check your tires immediately.

Case 1: A tire is burned out in the middle of the tire tread Possible reasons for this include too much pressure in your tires. This makes the middle of tire tread bend towards the outside and therefore becomes more used then the sides of the tire.

Case 4: Similar marks on the complete tire cap A tire showing similar marks of a burned out profile is a good indicator that the wheel suspension is faulty or not adjusted properly. The wrong road contact of the tires results in this effect. CHECK SUSPENSION

Case 5: Irregular marks on the complete tire cap Irregular marks on a burned profile is an indicator of faulty wheel balancing. If the tire is not rotation smooth you will feel it most probably in your steering. CHECK SUSPENSION + WHEEL BALANCE

CHECK TIRE PRESSURE

Case 6: One flat burned out spot Case 2: A tire is burned out on both sides of the tire tread The opposite of the previous case can results in this effect: If there is not enough pressure in the tires the sidewalls of the tire are put under pressure. This means that the middle of the tire is left with not much pressure on the road. Another reason could be taking many corners at high speed, but then this effect has to be equal on the opposite tire. Normally right and left curves are equal resulting in equal uses on each tire – if you would go in a circle only in one direction this effect would be only on one side of a tire. CHECK TIRE PRESSURE

Case 3: A tire is burned out on one side of the tire tread If the tire tread is only burned out on one side, it is a good indication that the wheel camber is at a bad angle, especially if it appears only on one tire. This effect can appear either on the inner or outer side of the tire cap. If the effect appears on two tires it is also possible that the wheel alignment is wrong for the front or back tires. CHECK TIRE ALIGNMENT

A single burned out spot on the tire cap usually appears after emergency breaking without ABS. This can happen when one or more of the wheels are braking and the tires are locked making them skid on the road. DRIVE CAREFULLY AND BE AWARE

The complexity of a car suspension and habits of a diver don’t make it easy to determine easily the source and use of single or all tires. This article should just give some indication of what could have caused a burned out tire but does not give a complete picture of possible reasons. If you locate any kind of unusual use of your tires you should consult an expert. A good garage with trained and experienced stuff and the right equipment will find the reason and fix it, so that you have a save drive. Even with regular abrasion, you should change the tires if the profile is too low. 5mm is a minimum profile you should have on your tires – measure the part of the tire cap where the profile is at its lowest. (Use a One Dirham coin as reference: - if the Arabic coffee pot is not covered by the profile at all, change the tires.)

1 Climbing tip: Rappelling Rappelling is the controlled descent down a rock face using a rope; climbers

use this technique when a cliff or slope is too steep and/or dangerous to descend without protection.

There are a lot of different ways to rappel down a cliff. Here’s how to use standard rock-climbing gear and technique to rappel using a single 50- or 60-meter rope

3 4

5 6 7 Rappelling can be dangerous, and presents risks, especially to unsupervised or inexperienced abseilers. According to German mountaineer Pit Schubert, about 25% of climbing deaths occur during rappelling, most commonly due to failing anchors. Another frequent cause of accidents is rappelling beyond the end of the rope. Backingup the rope set-up with a friction knot, prussik knot, such that the slipping of the rope is stopped even if the climber lets go of the control rope provides a measure of safety with regard to the control of the rate of descent. That´s why is highly recommended to use a backup during a rappelling.

www.singingrock.com 50

8 9

Set the rappel anchor. The rappel anchors should be tested before you trust them with your life. You should be securely attached to these anchors with a sling or safety chain while you proceed through the following steps.

Prepare the rope for a double rope rappel. Feed one end of the rope through the anchor and together with other end, feed the whole length of the rope till you get to the half length of the rope. For more safety it is recommended to tie on each end of the rope overhand knot or figure eight knot. Make sure that both ends of the rope are on the ground.

Attach the rappel device to the rope. Be careful not to drop your device as you are attaching it to the rope. Check the manufacturer’s instructions for how to use your particular rappel device.

Attach your rappel device to your harness. Clip into the rappel device with a locking carabiner. Do not unclip from the anchors until you are sure you are correctly attached to the rappel device, and the rappel device is correctly attached to the rope. After you’ve tested both the rope and the device, you can unclip your safety chain from the anchors and proceed with the rappel.

Get in position. These instructions assume you are right-handed or are comfortable using your right hand in this. Place your left hand around the rope about 20 cm bellow the rappel device. Your left hand will be between your rappel device and the anchors holding the rope. Consider wearing gloves to protect your hands.

Grab the rope that hangs down out of the rappel device with your right hand and slide your hand on the rope back to your right hip and wrap the rope slightly around your right hip. Your right hand in this configuration is called your brake hand.

Rappel downward. Let some of the rope in your right hand slide up through the rappel device. As you do this you will slide down the rope.

Move past obstructions and overhangs. Make sure not to knock loose any rocks or other debris. When you are safely on the ground, release the rope from your rappel device and call “Off rappel” for others who may be waiting.

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Knowing the difference between your file formats

JPEG

is a Standard which was formulated by: Joint Photographic Experts Group, hence the name JPEG. JPEG images are compressed files, which are not equipped to undergo multiple edits and result in significant quality loss if they do.

RAW

is an image format captured straight from the sensor featuring raw, unprocessed data, allowing for large amounts of control and high quality images. RAW- actually means raw (no acronym here) For Canon you will see the raw files as it as .CRW when you import. For Nikon you will see it as .NEF

TIFF

Stands for tagged image file format. TIFF files are larger than JPEG and they retain full quality of the image, they can be compressed or uncompressed. If you do choose to compress them it will be measured in lossless, which means although the file gets smaller no data is lost.

So your just about ready to take that picture of that perfect sunset, scrolling through your DSLR settings doing a couple of test shots, making sure your shutter speed and ISO are set, aperture at a steady size, and you come across S,M,L JPEG and RAW (for more advanced DSLR users you even get the option for S/M/L RAW as well) and your wonderingis this something I need to worry about? The answer is yes! Knowing the difference between JPEG and RAW, what these file formats are for and how you use them is important if your ready to take your photography to the next level.

The difference between raw, tiff and jpeg file formats: JPEG WHEN TO USE IT?

It’s also widely used as a final format in the printing and publishing industry, some cameras still have TIFF but this has been mainly replaced by RAW formats. You can convert your RAWs into TIFFs on the computer if you want to use this format. RAW WHEN TO USE IT? Capable of holding 16-Bit colour detail Use RAW if in situations where your white balance cannot be corrected/ set to the same level. Also if you want control over exposure, RAWs provide 50 % more exposure detail. It’s beneficial in high contrast situations and perfect for outdoors. Always use RAW if you are going to up sample the image you are using, i/e cropping or blowing it up

Capable of holding 8-Bit colour detail. Use JPEGs when on continuous shooting mode, they get stored on memory cards faster. If you don’t want to post process the images as the images are compressed and you will loose quality and detail if you start editing them. Nowadays as memory cards get cheaper you probably find most photographers use JPEG S/M/L as well as RAW/M/L given the situation they are shooting in. It is a common misconception that RAW are not as sharp as JPEG, however when JPEGs are sharpened using the inbuilt system by the camera and compressed. The exact same thing can be done manually in post for RAW and you have more control over it. TIFF WHEN TO USE IT? Capable of holding 8 or 16- Bit colour detail Shoot in this mode if you don’t want to do any post on the image afterwards. TIFF is sometimes used as the uncompressed version of the 8bit JPEG and in most DSLRs is compatible with image editing and viewing files.

Use RAW if you are shooting at a higher ISO for better noise reduction To edit RAW you MUST have a programme or at least a plug in to edit RAW: Photoshop, Lightroom, Adobe Camera RAW (these can be found on the internet). The best batch processing for RAW at the moment is Lightroom 3. If you can’t decide what to use grab a large memory card and set it to RAW plus JPEG and check out the difference. There has been a long standing debate on using RAW or JPEG in Photography, however it is just really depends on the situation you are shooting, what you are shooting for and what you want to do with the images afterwards. I would say anything high end with possibility to be retouched afterwards should always to be shot in RAW, as you spend more time on post, correcting colour, for printing, publishing, advertising, fashion work. For those family outings, internet images, or just casual shooting use high-res JPEG for time saving on shooting, memory space and post. Just be careful, don’t get yourself relying on RAW to correct every small detail, be a photographer that shoots in RAW but acts like it’s JPEG OR TIFF!

Visual Comparison

The Most Ludicrous Industry - Exploitation of the Dumb and Stupid In turbulent economic times investment advisors seem to

recommend investments into what they refer to as the basics â&#x20AC;&#x201C; those industries that there will always be demand for irrespective of the state of the local or global economy. Food and beverages, oil and gas, arms and tobacco industries are frequent investment recommendation targets. Irrespective of the moral arguments associated with them, arms industries are going to be making money for as long as nations have a desire to be able to defend themselves. Tobacco will be making money while there are smokers and on a global scale the numbers are increasing with the total population. Big oil offends many but their product is in demand and will be until viable energy alternatives are available or the human race learns to dramatically reduce its energy requirements. These industries (oil and gas, tobacco and arms) are reprehensible to many but for a variety of reasons they are in demand for the foreseeable future and there are limited numbers of suppliers for the products they produce. We reluctantly tolerate their presence because we have to. Food supply and security is a topical issue that is going to be of increasing importance as the global population increases; likewise water and especially access to clean safe drinking water. And this subject came up for discussion with a group of local commerce students in the middle of a kayak trip to an uninhabited island off the UAE coast. The location was potentially one of the most stunning beaches in the UAE. Access was only by boat and the beach was not soiled by cigarette butts and the usual detritus that accumulates on local beaches before the municipality workers clean up. The prompt for the discussion was the mass of plastic water bottles above the high water mark. They were in various stages of crumbling decay into the sand. These bottles had not been left on the beach, they had been washed up from the sea. So how had the bottles got into the sea? Not from ships, but blown from the mainland roadsides, bins, landfill and the general discard of rubbish that appears fashionable here. The result was a stunning beach being quietly contaminated with a petroleum product that would never disappear. Irrespective of the size of the pieces of plastic, they would always be there. That is unless they blew back into the sea and the small plastic noodles would be mistaken as fish eggs and

be consumed into the food chain to eventually emerge on a dinner plate absorb into the fatty tissue of a fish steak. The commerce students discussed the bottled water industry. An industry that in the UAE was predominately taking desalinated water that met the requirements of the local health inspectors and World Health Organisation as safe for human consumption; possibly doing a bit of extra filtering and then putting it in a plastic bottle and selling it at a phenomenal mark up to the end user (Between 130 and 200 times the cost of potable tap water). Their commercial analysis was that here was an essential product that was already available from taps supplied through a government funded distribution system at absolutely minimum cost to the user; that was now being sold at an extortionate price in a container that would poison the product (and subsequently the end user) with carcinogenic BPA during storage in unrefrigerated warehouses, the back of the distribution truck or in a car. The by-product of the industry was a container that was irreversibly contaminating the land and sea. The discussion then expanded from the hard commercial to more philosophical issues and in particular what did this say about the consumer of bottled water? There is no shortage of water filters on the market remove that tap water taste experienced in some municipalities. There are plenty of BPA free reusable water bottles available and they come in a variety of sizes, colours and designs that meet the most unusual of consumerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s requirements. The conclusion was that to be a user of bottled water you had to be pretty dumb, stupid and lacked an environmental compass while the bottled water industry was pretty smart to be able to sell what is a free and widely available product through systematically exploiting the aforementioned stupid consumer. And the bottled water industry made the arms, oil and gas and tobacco industries appear as relative saints when it came to wider corporate social responsibility. A fact of life in the UAE is the abundance of plastic trash on the beaches, in the deserts and seas. The majority of us object to it but we are the reason that it is there. If we stopped consuming products that are packaged in the plastic containers and wrapping that offends us so much then the contamination of the environment would be reduced. And when we become the reluctant custodian of a piece of plastic, make sure that after multiple reuse that it is disposed of via a re-cycling centre and not the general domestic garbage. There are many sensible alternatives to buying expensive tap water in plastic water bottles; try them and reduce the contamination of the environment.

Pete.

by Pete Aldwinckle

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Cleapatra’s Fitness Club Indoor climbing wall, gym, tennis Wafi, Dubai E-Sports Dubai Sports training academy ( climbing, tennis, football) www.e-sportsdubai.com

Neptune Diving Diving activities Tel: +97150 4347902 www.neptunedivingcentre.com

The Club Climbing wall for beginners Mina Sadiyat, Abu Dhabi Tel: +9712673 1111 www.the-club.com

Tel: +971555404500 www.x-ventures.ae The Westin / Mina Seyahi Kayaking, wind surfing, Wakeboarding Dubai Tel:+97143994141 www.westin.com/minaseyahi The Cove Rotana Resort Kayaking, jet-skiing, wakeboarding Ras Al Khaimah Tel: +9717206000 www.rotana.com

Emirates Divers diving centre Near Meena Fish Market, Abu Dhabi Tel: +971 2 6432444 www.edc-ad.ae

Sandy Beach Resort Kayaking Watersports Fujairah Tel:+97192445555 www.sandybm.com

Tel: +971 4 394 4275 www.freestyledivers.com

Tel: 050 8866227 www.soolymansportfishing.com

Come and visit the Atlantis Dive Centre… Soolyman Sports Fishing FreeStyle Divers whether underwater trips Diving it is your first breath Fishing Umm Suqeim, Dubai Dubai & Dibba or the start of your diving career!

Cycling Cycle Sports Cycles, equipment & service Al Barsha 1, Dubai Tel: +97143415415 www.cyclesportsuae.com

General Sports Equipment & Mega Stores Go Sport IBN Battuta Mall Tel: 04 368 5344 Mall of the Emirates - Join our photography club, FREE to join with manyTel: trips04 planned for 2011. 341 3251 - Become an Atlantis Dive Centre Club Member with Exclusive Mirdif CityBenefits Center Ocean Active - Complimentary access to the water park for all pleasure divers or students Tel: 04 284 3034 Fishing equipment and charter at the Atlantis Dive Centre Dubai Garden Center Come and visit our stand for more information. Sun and Sand Tel: +97150 2898713 Most Shopping Malls426 3030 www.oceanactive.com AtlantisDiveCentre.com | Direct: (+9714) 426 3000 | Fax: (+9714) Fishing/Kayaking Retailer Barracuda Fishing Shop Fishing and Kayaking Equipment Dubai Marina, Dubai Tel: +097141234567 www.baracuda.de

Probike Bikes, equipment & service Al Barsha 1 Tel: +97143255705 www.probike.ae

Here’s what’s new!

Wolfi’s Bike Shop Bikes, equipments & service Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai Tel: +971 4 3394453 www.wbs.ae

Atlantis Dive Centre | PO Box 78942 | Dubai | U.A.E

Ride Bike Shop Bikes, equipment & service Dubai Festival City, The Dubai Mall, Oasis Centre, Mirdiff City Centre Tel: +97143750231 www.ridebikeshop.com Rage Bike Shop Bikes, equipment & service The Dubai Mall Tel:+97144343806 www.rage-shop.com Diving Retailer Gulf Marine Sports Diving and Snorkeling equipment Abu Dhabi Tel: +9712671 0017 www.gulfmarinesports.com Premiers for Equipment Diving equipments Sh. Zayed 1st. Road, Abu Dhabi Tel: +97126665226 www.premiers-uae.com Dive Centres & Operators Atlantis Dive Centre Dive center & equipment, boat cruises, fishing trips The Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Tel: +9714426 3000 www.atlantisdivecentre.com Deep Blue Sea Diving Diving centre International City, Dubai Tel: +97144308246 www.diveindubai.com Khasab Divers Diving, fishing, kayak, beach camping Oman

Muscat Diving & Adventure Centre Diving, Tour Operator Oman Tel: +971 50 3289642 www.holiday-in-oman.com 7 Seas Diving Center Khorfakkan, Tel: 97192387400 www.7seasdivers.com Al Boom Diving Diving center & diving equipments Al Wasl Rd, Dubai Tel + 97143422993 www.alboomdiving.com Free Diving UAE ‘Free Diving’ courses Abu Dhabi www.freedivinguae.com Nomad Ocean Adventure Diving courses and activities Oman www.discovernomad.com Al Mahara Dive Center and Sea Cruiser Diving and Cruise Abu Dhabi Tel: 050 720 28 53 www.divemahara.com Divers Down Diving center Rotana Al Aqah Hotel Resort & Spa, Fujairah T: +971092370299 www.diversdown-uae.com

Masaood Marine Distributer of Fishing equipment, scuba gear, wakeboards, kayaks, etc. Tel: +97143468000 www.masaoodmarine.com Leading Edge - S Kayaking, fishing, camping equipment Tel: +97172447732 www.leadingedge-s.com Fishing/Kayaking & Cruise Operators Desert Islands Resorts & Spa Kayaking, Archery, Snorkeling, Bird watching, Mountain biking, Nature and wildlife drives Sir Bani Yas Island, Abu Dhabi Tel: +97128015400 www.desertislands.anantara.com

Happy Days Sea Cruising LLC Fishing and Boat cruise Dubai Tel: +97155896 1276 www.happydaysdubai.com Khasab Divers Diving, fishing, kayak, beach camping Oman www.khasabdiver.com Xclusive Yachts Fishing& boat charter Dubai Marina, Dubai Tel: +97144327233 www.xclusiveyachts.com Xventures Fishing, jet-ski, camping

Decathlon Mirdiff City Centre, Dubai Tel: +97142839392 General Sports Equipment Distributors Global Climbing General Outdoor Equipment Tel +97172353910 www.globalclimbing.com Flip Flop Arabia CARIRIS, JULBO and PANTROPIC distributer flipme@flipfloparabia.com www.flipfloparabia.com Ocean Sports Fze UAE

Advertise HERE for only 750AED/month for details call 04 44 72 701

Naish International. Kitesurf, Windsurf and Stand Up Paddleboard Tel: +971 55 935 2735 www.kitesurfsup.com Sakeen General Trading outdoor and tactical supplies Tel: +97147094224 www.sakeen.ae Horse Riding Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club Horse Riding Abu Dhabi Tel: +97124455500 www.adec-web.com Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club Horse riding & lessons, polo Arabian Ranches, Dubai Tel: +971 43618111 www.poloclubdubai.com Emirates Equestrian Centre Horse riding equestrian club Tel: +971505587656

www.emiratesequestriancentre.com

Emirta Horse Requirements, Riding equipment Sheik Zayed Rd, Dubai Tel: +9714 3437475 www.emirtahorse.com Sharjah Polo& Equestrian Club horse riding & lessons, polo Al Dhaid Road, Sharjah Tel: +97165311155 www.forsanuae.org.ae

Advertise HERE for only 400AED/ month for details call 04 44 72 701

Motorcycle Retailer KTM motocross & quad dealer and Equipment Sheikh Zayed Road, exit 42 Tel:+9714323151 www.ktm.com Gecko Motors Motor Cross bikes and service Al Quoz, Dubai 043413550 www.geckomotors.com Dune Bike Dealer bikes & buggies equipment Al Khail Road Alweer, Dubai Tel: +97143272088 www.dunebuggyuae.com

Dubai Autodrome Dubai www.dubaiautodrome.com Emirates Motorplex Umm Al Quwain Tel: +971 6 7681717 Off-Road Retailer Off Road Zone 4x4 vehicle repair and services Al Quoz, Dubai Tel : +9714 339 2449 www.offroad-zone.com Icon Auto Garage Off-road equipment, car equipment Al Quoz, Dubai Tel: +971 4 338 2744 www.icon-auto.com

Aprilia Motorcycles Trader Al Quoz I, Dubai Tel: +971 4-3476712 www.apriliauae.com

Yellow Hat Car & off-road equipment, Sheikh Zayed Road & Nad Al Hamar, Dubai Tel: +97143418592 www.yellowhat.ae

Tristar Motorcycles Trader Dubai Tel: +971 4 333 0659 www.tristaruae.com Al Yousuf Motors LLC Motorbikes, Motocross, Jet Ski, Boats Dealer and equipment Sheikh Zayed Rd, Dubai www.aym.ae/yamaha/ Liberty - Kawasaki Motorcycles dealer Interchange4, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai Tel: +97142822144 www.libertykawasaki.com Motorcycle Services & Operators 2XWHEELER Motorcross Lessons Tel: +971506003058 www.2xwheeler.com

Motorsports Yas Marina Circuit Abu Dhabi www.yasmarinacircuit.com

AEV - Advanced Expedition Vehicles Off-road equipment, car Equipment Sheikh Zayed Road,Dubai Tel: +97143307152 www.aev.ae Wild X Adventure Shop Buggys, quads, off-road and outdoor equipment, Um Al Ramoul, Dubai, Tel: +97142852200 www.wildx.ae Al Tayer Motors Off Road car dealer www.altayermotors.com PolarisUAE ATV’s dealer

Showroom No. 8, Al Ghandi Complex Nad al Hamar Road, Ras al Khor Tel: +971 4 2896100 www.polarisuae.com Off-Road Services & Operators Desert Rangers Desert driving & SAFARIS Dubai Tel:+97143572233 www.desertrangers.com Off Road Adventures LLC Desert Tours Dubai Tel: +971506289667 www.arabiantours.com Outdoor Clubs Abu Dhabi Stand Up Paddle SUP club Abu Dhabi www.uaesup.com Abu Dhabi Tri Club Club for Swimmers, Cyclists, Runners, Triathletes Abu Dhabi www.abudhabitriclub.org Abu Dhabi Off Road Club Abu Dhabi www.ad4x4.com Filipino Off Road Club forauae@gmail.com www.forac.ae Me 4x4 Middles East Off Road Club Dubai www.me4x4.com Mirdiff Milers Running Club Dubai www.mirdifmilers.com ABRaS AC Running Club Dubai www.abrasac.org Dubai Roadsters Cycling Club Dubai www.dubairoadsters.com

NEED MORE

EXPOSURE? Advertise with us or get into our directory for free. Just send an e-mail to

contact@outdooruae.com or call: 04 44 72 701 57

Advertise HERE for only 1500AED/month for details call 04 44 72 701

Other Activities SkyDive Dubai Tel:+971501533222 www.skydivedubai.com Ifly Dubai Indoor SkiDiving Mirdiff City Centre, Dubai Tel: +97142316292 www.iflyme.com Ski Dubai Skiing Mall of the Emirates Dubai Tel: 04 4094000 www.skidxb.com

Emirates Sailing School Abu Dhabi www.ess.ae Dubai Marina Yacht Club Dubai Tel: +97143627900

www.dubaimarinayachtclub.com

Abu Dhabi Sailing Club Abu Dhabi Tel: +9712673 1111 www.the-club.com

Space Walk Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi Country Club Tel:+97124463653 www.spacewalk.ae

Surfing/Kite Surfing/Stand-up Paddle operators and lessons Kite Fly Kitesrufing lessons Dubai Tel: +971 50 25 47 440 www.kitesurf.ae

Dubai Dolphinarium Dolphin Swimming, Dolphin Show Creek Park, Dubai Tel : +9713369773 www.dubaidolphinarium.ae

Kite4fun Kite surfing Abu Dhabi Tel:+971508133134 www.kite4fun.net

Dolphin Bay Atlantis Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Tel:+97144260000 www.atlantisthepalm.ae

Surf Dubai Surfing Umm Suqeim, Dubai Tel: + 971505043020 www.surfingdubai.com

Sailing Dubai Offshore Sailing Club

www.dosc.ae

Surf Shop Dubai Surfing & equipment Al Barsha 1, Dubai Tel: +97143990989 www.surfshopdubai.com Surf School UAE Surf lessons Umm Suqeim, Al Barsha, Dubai Tel:+97143990989 www.surfschooluae.com Surfing/Kite Surfing/Stand-up Paddle Retailer UAE Kite Surfing Kite Surfing UAE Mobile: +971505626383 www.ad-kitesurfing.net Act Marine Water sports equipments, boat dealer The Walk JBR, Dubai Tel: +97144243191 Nautica 1992 Water sports operator Habtoor Grand Hotel, Dubai Tel: +971 50 42 62 41 5 www.nautica1992.ae Pearl Water Crafts Wakeboarding, Jet Ski, Kite & Surfing dealer Dubai Marina Yacht Club, Dubai UAE Tel: +971 55 3749398 www.pearlwatercrafts.com Water Parks Aquaventure Atlantis Palm Jumeirah, Dubai Tel:+97144260000 www.atlantisthepalm.a Dream Land Aquapark Emirates Road, Umm al Quwain Tel:+97167681888 www.dreamlanduae.com Ice Land water park Al Jazeera, RAK Tel: +97172447547 www.icelandwaterpark.com Wild Wadi Dubai Tel: +97143484444 www.wildwadi.com

Advertise HERE for only 750AED/month for details call 04 44 72 701

Health & Safety Safety & Leisure Training Various First Aid courses Tel: +971 4 450 2418 www.sltme.com

Advertise HERE for only 400AED/ month for details call 04 44 72 701

JOIN US Gladiator

on our

Gladiator

PARTY CRUISE Sponsored by Naish, Beach Hut and Adventure HQ, Outdoor UAE's bimonthly party cruise will take place on the 3rd of June on one of the biggest Luxury Catamarans in the UAE.

5 hours of fun! with music by DJ Edwolf Meet other outdoor enthusiasts and fellow adventure seekers Try out water sports! Kayaking, Stand-Up Paddle boarding and more Gladiator-Competitions and Prize Giveaways Arabic Style onboard BBQ Sponsored by :

Only 295 Dhs per person

This is an exclusive OutdoorUAE offer and tickets are limited.

Organized by :

For more details visit: www.outdooruae.com or call us 04 4472701

Tickets are available at: Leisure Marine Beach Hut, Jumeirah Beach Walk, Picnico, Jumeirah Beach Road

or buy your ticket online with Pay Pal on www.outdooruae.com 59