OutdoorUAE - February 2016

Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon

The Combat Zone of WAR 11 Run a Marathon now!

Marathon tips and tricks Tried and Tested

Polar A360

Plenty of

PRODUCTS TO CHECK OUT

Price 10.00 AED 10.00 QAR 1.00 OMR

CAVE DIVING IN THE MIDDLE EAST

OLLIE UP AT XDUBAI’S KITE BEACH SKATEPARK!

Vol. 6, No. 2 February 2016

www.OutdoorUAE.com

MIDDLE EAST’S OUTDOOR, ADVENTURE, TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

FEBRUARY 2016 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

OutdoorUAE Team

A Healthy Mind in a Healthy Body For our entire life we develop our knowledge and abilities. That’s what I’m doing at OutdoorUAE and the more I know, the more I have the feeling that there are so many things I don’t know.

The outdoors have many possibilities that I have to break my activities into small objectives to understand everything better and to enjoy everything. The Wadi Bih Run is on my list for the 5th-6th of February and I’m planning to meet many of the people we write about in our every issue there and to “steal” some of their determination in life. I’ll also use this weekend for my favourite activity: trekking and hiking on the mountain trails and wild rocky ways.

When I was in school all my teachers used to tell us all the time “Mens sana in corpore sano”, a famous Latin phrase that means “a healthy mind in a healthy body.” Later on, I learned that our brains are built to work properly when you have physical activity daily and that the brain develops when, for example, you walk a minimum of 7-8km per day. Since walking is a challenge in Dubai, I need to take advantage of all the outdoor weekends and do as much as I can to compensate working in an office and driving for meetings, so a lot of static activities. After camping on the beach, waking up at 4:00 a.m. for the Wadi Bih and hiking in the afternoons, I would definitely Nela Macovei be ready for a new challenging week with a fresh and relaxed brain.

Sales and Marketing nela@outdooruae.com Read more about running and trekking in this issue.

Editor For editorial content and press releases Tel: 04-447 2030 Mobile: 055 5760322 editor@outdooruae.com Sales & Marketing (advertisement enquiries) Tel: 04-447 2030 Mobile: 055 8647125 nela@outdooruae.com Mobile: 055 9398915 margo@outdooruae.com Published by Outdoor UAE FZE In cooperation with A2Z EVENTS P.O. Box 215062 Dubai, U.A.E. Cover photo by: Urban-Ultra

Tel. 04-447 2030 contact@outdooruae.com www.outdooruae.com Distributor Dar Al Hikma LLC P.O. Box 2007, Dubai, UAE Tel. 04-266 5394 Printed at GN Printing P.O. Box 6519, Dubai, UAE © 2016 Outdoor UAE FZE Vol. 6, No. 2, February 2016

Daniel Birkhofer Founder daniel@outdooruae.com

Rachael Bruford Travel Editor rachael@outdooruae.com

Eulogy van Dyk Editor Qatar eulogy@outdooruae.com

Keith Pereña Junior Editor & Social Media keith@outdooruae.com

Margo Ciruelos Sales and Marketing margo@outdooruae.com

Jung Francisco Designer and Photographer jung@outdooruae.com

Katherine Cañedo Patangui Administration kathy@outdooruae.com

Ian Sebeldia Circulation ian@outdooruae.com

EXPERTS & CONTRIBUTORS

Kit Belen Our fishing pro

Nico de Corato Diver and heli rescue swimmer with Bergamo Scuba Angels

www.OutdoorUAE.com Facebook.com/OutdoorUAE

Ivana Chiles Health coach and outdoor enthusiast

Twitter.com/OutdoorUAE Instagram.com/OutdoorUAE Dan Wright Freelance wilderness guide in the UAE

The information contained is for general use only.

We have made every attempt to ensure that the information contained in this magazine has been obtained from reliable sources. The publisher is not responsible for any errors. All information in this magazine is provided without a full guarantee of completeness, accuracy and chronology. In no event will the publisher and/or any of our affiliates be held responsible for decisions made or action taken in reliance on the information in this magazine.

All contents are copyrighted and may not be reproduced in any form without prior written permission.

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Jake Lyle Diving and Watersport Expert

Helle Bachofen Von Echt Elite Women Cyclist

WHEN YOU’RE DONE READING, PLEASE RECYCLE!

Marina Bruce The Desert Diva and off-road expert

MIDDLE EAST’S OUTDOOR, ADVENTURE, TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

FEBRUARY 2016 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

CONTENTS

18 EXPERIENCE THE UAE AND SIR BANI YAS ISLAND ON HORSEBACK

4

10 STANDARD CHARTERED DUBAI MARATHON

28 ACROSS ARABIAN SEAS

EVERY ISSUE

TRAVEL + ADVENTURE

06 EVENTS CALENDAR 08 BEST SHOTS 09 OFF-ROADER’S CORNER: ARIES’ HAPPY CAMPER 36 PRODUCTS 63 DIRECTORY

24 T.L.R.D – ADVENTUROLOGY: THE SCIENCE OF ADVENTURE 26 HUMBLED BY MY TREK TO MACHU PICCHU 28 ACROSS ARABIAN SEAS 30 NOMAD’S ROAD

EVENT & ACTIVITY REPORTS

LIFESTYLE

10 STANDARD CHARTERED DUBAI MARATHON 12 WAR 11 14 MARINE TALKS @ THE DUBAI INTERNATIONAL BOATSHOW 16 THE CYCLE HUB CYCLING TEAM 18 EXPERIENCE THE UAE AND SIR BANI YAS ISLAND ON HORSEBACK 20 RUNNING WITH THE ORYX 22 A SECOND CHANCE FOR MAYA

34 HEALTH POWERHOUSE: SALT 36 OUTDOOR FLICKS: INTO THE WILD 37 HABITUALLY HEALTHY: HUEVOS RANCHEROS REDUX 38 NATURAL HISTORY: WADI AL HELOW HIKING

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MIDDLE EAST’S OUTDOOR, ADVENTURE, TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

FEBRUARY 2016 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

36 OUTDOOR FLICKS: INTO THE WILD

50 WOMEN ON WHEELS: BATTLE ON THE DUNES - HELLE

61 BIKE MAINTENANCE BY REVOLUTION CYCLES

TRIED + TESTED

PEOPLE

41 POLAR A360

56 GILLES FAVENEC - SAILOR 57 OLGA ZOLOTOVA – CYCLIST AND ULTRA-ATHLETE

OUR EXPERTS

TIPS + TRICKS

44 AN ANGLER WALKS INTO A SHOP... - KIT 46 CHALLENGING LIWA! - MARINA 48 CAVE DIVING IN THE MIDDLE EAST - JAKE 50 WOMEN ON WHEELS: BATTLE ON THE DUNES - HELLE 52 MY FIRST VIA FERRATA! - NICO

58 TURNING EXERCISE INTO ADVENTURE 59 RUNNING TIPS BY FITNESS FIRST 60 CAN ANYONE RUN A MARATHON? 61 BIKE MAINTENANCE BY REVOLUTION CYCLES

LOCATIONS 54 XDUBAI SKATEPARK 55 YAMAHA CAFE

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MIDDLE EAST’S OUTDOOR, ADVENTURE, TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

EVENTS CALENDAR

FEBRUARY 2016 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

STAY UP-TO-DATE WITH THE LATEST EVENTS

FEBRUARY 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

11

F E B

DUBAI WORLD CUP CARNIVAL 2016

Spread across 11 race days, the World Cup Carnival is a series of races leading to the prestigious Dubai World Cup When: February 11 Where: Meydan Racecoruse Contact: www.dubairacingclub.com

12

F E B

RAK HALF MARATHON 2016

The fastest half marathon in the world is here!

Are you coming?

When: February 12, 7:00 a.m.

Where: Al Muntasir rd. Ras Al Khaimah Contact: www.rakmarathon.org

FEB

12 FEB

13 6

ESSA SUNSET OPEN 2016

Surf and SUP action in Dubai is back for another round.

19

AL ADAID DESERT CHALLENGE

The inaugural cycling event which claims to be the toughest cycling event in the Gulf – One day, Six dunes.

When: February 19 Where: Sealine to Khor Al Adaid, Qatar Contact: www.aladaid.qa, +974 3315 8593

FEB

19

When: February 12 Where: Umm Suqeim Open Beach Contact: www.surfingdubai.com

JUNIOR AQUATHLON SERIES 2016 Take over the city in this metropolitan run!

When: February 13, 8:00 a.m.

Where: Rashid School for Boys Contact: www.premieronline.com

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F E B

YAS ISLAND CYCLE RACE

The first of four Abu Dhabi Sports Council-hosted community cycling events.

When: February 19, 8:00 a.m.

Where: Yas Gateway Park and Yas Mall Contact: www.premieronline.com

FEB

19

GIANT DUATHLON SERIES RACE 4

Race four of six of the 2015/16 season of the Giant Duathlon Series When: February 19 Where: Hamdan Sports Complex Contact: www.race-me-events.com

MIDDLE EAST’S OUTDOOR, ADVENTURE, TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

19

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F E B

SHARBATLY FRUIT BIG STINKER

Ready for a bit of climb? Take on various distances or even the new 45k ultra distance!

When: February 19, 7:00 a.m.

Where: Khatt Springs Contact: www.urbanultra.com

19

F E B

26

F E B

XYOGA FESTIVAL DUBAI

XDUBAI SPARTAN RACE 2016

When: February 19-20 Where: Burj Park, Downtown Dubai Contact: www.xyogadubai.com

When: February 26 Where: Jebel Ali Racecourse Contact: www.xdubai.com

Get relaxing and achieve inner peace in the first ever yoga festival in Dubai. Free for everyone!

FEB

20

M1 RUN 2016

A fun vertical run for individuals and relay teams at the beautiful Media One hotel.

The world’s best obstacle course is back to separate the Spartans from the regulars. Period.

FEB

26

When: February 20, 10:00 a.m.

Where: Media One Hotel Contact: www.mediaonehotel.com

FEB

20

UAE BIATHLETE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS 2016

With short running and swimming distances, anyone can finish this race!

When: February 20, 7:00 a.m.

Where: Le Meridien Mina Seyahi Contact: www.supersportsdubai.com

SHARJAH LADIES RUN 2016

Go neon in to the night in the third edition of the Sharjah Ladies Run. When: February 26, 6:00 p.m.

Where: Sharjah University City Contact: www.slc.ae

FEB

26

TRIYAS BY DAMAN ACTIVELIFE

The region’s only day and night triathlon is back at Yas Marina for a sixth year.

When: February 26, 2:00 p.m.

Where: Yas Marina Circuit Contact: www.premieronline.com

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MIDDLE EAST’S OUTDOOR, ADVENTURE, TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

FEBRUARY 2016 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

BEST SHOTS Here are the best shots sent in by you for our monthly photography competition! Thank you for all your entries, they were all great and it was hard selecting the best photos this month. Congratulations to the top three winners, who will each receive Buff headwear, five free copies of the magazine and the Advance Off-road Guidebook: Katie Aun, Massimo Ziino and John Henzell. Well done!

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

Katie Aun

Greater spotted Eagle

Massimo Ziino

Standing in the dunes

8

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John Henzell

Picture I took near RAK

THE

OFF-ROADERS corner

Aries’ Happy Camper Name: Aries Sherwin Marquez Nationality: Filipino Occupation: Sales Admin Executive at Lafarge Emirates Cement LLC Ride: 2009 Toyota Fortuner 2.7

There are several types of off-roaders around in the UAE, those that have an obvious off-roading car such as a Jeep and then there’s the people that drive unassuming SUVs and slap some off-road tyres and kit in them and voila, a subtle off-road car.

What’s interesting about the latter is that some of them (if not every car in the region) has something unique in them. One such example is Aries’ ’09 Fortuner which believe it or not has an entire kitchen in the boot.

And mind you, this happy camper has no need for any trailer. It’s happy on its own.

Tell us a little background story about the car...

The car was originally bought as a workhorse for my business to haul goods and for my outdoor activities. Off-roading was introduced to me by a good friend from a local off-road group — FORCE-A 4x4. At first, I was very hesitant about off-roading. Maybe the car cannot make it; but with the guidance and supervision of the group. I was able to pull it off without any trouble at all. From there off-roading was history and my car, simple as it may became a dune basher in its own right.

Could you tell us all about the modifications that were made?

Performance and cosmetic-wise?

There’s not much going on under the hood,

but it’s still a project I’m continuously working on. Recently, I just changed the wheels to 265/18/60 rims and tyres for off-road wheel and replaced the grills with a black mesh grille to get an aggressive, yet sporty look.

Lastly, I’ve also installed a 20” LED Light Bar on the front bumper to make it easier to circumnavigate the desert especially when camping in the evening.

Do you have something that you would consider to be a “special feature” of your car?

Personally, I would consider it to be that wonderful device at the back of the car. I call it my “chuckbox” which I specifically made by hand to fit at the back of the car. It starts of as a simple looking box in the boot of my car and once me and my group have set up camp, it unfurls into a full-blown kitchen in the middle of the desert, complete with lighting, a proper gas stove and even some cupboards! This chuckbox serves as a kitchen for all my outdoor activities where I serve up some delectable dishes from Mang Ariesyo’s.

I bring the dishes from my restaurant to the desert for everyone to enjoy.

What were your other options before you bought this car?

Initially I wanted a 2009 Nissan Pathfinder but wasn’t able to get one. Then the Fortuner came up and that was that!

weekend, weekly checks on the engine and of course I take it off-road as often as possible all around the country, but mostly around RAK, Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

How often do you use your car?

Daily, as what I mentioned above; I use it to run quick errands for my business, I use it go out with my family and I of course use it as my happy camper in the beautiful outdoors of the region.

Any future modifications that you are planning?

Future modifications? I have a lot of plans, first up would be adding a 50” LED Light Bar on the roof, a Roof Rack with Awning, a 2.5” Lift Kit, Ironman Suspensions, upgrade to even bigger tyres, Custom Off-Road Bumpers and more future modifications which hasn’t come to mind yet. I want to make it a more formidable off-road vehicle.

What 4x4 do you dream of owning?

How I wish to own a Jeep Wrangler Bandit 7.0 HEMI which is a more perfect camper!

Want your 4X4 to be the next feature?

It’s all simple! Just send us an email at editor@outdooruae.com with the subject “Off-Roaders Corner” and you and your car might just be the next one on this page!

How do you spend time with the car?

I usually spend a lot of time with my car. It’s my daily driver, so I take care of it like a living member of our family — car wash every

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9

EVENT REPORT

Standard Chartered Words By: Rachael Bruford Photos By: Matthew Reed and Official SCDM

There’s nothing quite like the nerves that slowly begin to grow in the days before a marathon. Race packs are collected at the first possible opportunity, kit bags are put together days beforehand and tried and tested running clothes are lovingly hung up, ready to step into in the early hours of marathon day. And so it was this year, as I prepared for my third marathon with an ever increasing feeling of excitement and tension that I could only hope would serve me well during the race.

It had been over a year since my last marathon back home in the United Kingdom, and three years since my first experience, in Dubai. A lot had changed since then. For a start, I’d begun training with a club, the Desert Road Runners, and had seen a vast improvement in my times over shorter distances thanks to the leadership and encouragement of Graham Rafferty and other club members.

This time around, I was hoping to finally break the four-hour barrier, and although I was feeling relatively confident, I was also aware that you never really know how you’re going to perform in a marathon until the moment that you cross the finish line, some 42.195 kilometres later.

The Training

It’s often said that the real challenge of a marathon is in the training. Without a doubt, signing up for such an event requires commitment that transcends other plans, such as social occasions and weekend sleep-ins.

Although we are blessed with perfect winter weather here in the UAE, early starts are essential as it is still too hot to endure long training runs after about 10:00 a.m. So since October, 5:00 a.m. Friday starts became a part of normal life. Of course, this meant that Thursday night socialising became almost obsolete, as did Friday nights, due to being so tired from waking up early that morning.

Added to this were evening interval sessions twice a week, cross training and recovery runs. As the Dubai running season got underway, there were also several 5km, 10km and half marathon events to take part in, which served as a great way to measure progress.

Towards the end of December, training 10

OUTDOORUAE

peaked, with long runs of up to three hours including some of this time at marathon pace. I had set myself an ambitious target, and was training with the 3:40 marathon group, which involved a marathon race pace of 5:13 minutes per kilometre. Realistically, I knew that the chances of me achieving a 3:40 marathon were slim, but I felt that this training would help to prepare me for a 3:45 or 3:50 finish.

Training generally went very well, and I learnt from previous experience about the importance of stretching, foam rolling and regular sports massages. Because of this, I was lucky enough to avoid any major injuries beyond the usual aches and pains that runners grow accustomed to. As with any race where you have a goal in mind, training brought with it incredible highs and soul destroying lows. Some days, marathon pace felt incredibly difficult, and I questioned how I could possibly run an entire race at such a speed, when even fifteen minutes felt like hard work. On the other hand, training with a group for the first time took the boredom out of long runs and helped to motivate us all. Everybody understood the ups and downs of running, and supported one another as we took it in turns to have bad days. At other races, we celebrated with

each other as the results of such a varied training programme began to pay off.

The Big Day

With the alarm set for 3:30 a.m., I tried to get an early night, and actually managed to sleep quite well once I had dropped off.

Upon waking, I quickly changed into my running gear and forced down my tried and tested pre-race meal; porridge and a banana with a cup of coffee. Taking a little coffee with me for the car journey to the start line, I left the house at around 4:45m a.m., knowing that I would rather get there in good time than leave late and begin to feel stressed.

Once parked, I made the first of many pre-race bathroom stops before checking my bag and meeting up with other members of my club. The weather was already humid, and there was the usual buzz of anticipation that there is before any event. Before too much longer, we were lining up at the start, ready to begin.

As the guns sounded and I crossed the start, I made a note to myself not to set off too fast; this is a rookie mistake and would only lead to disaster later on, I reminded

MIDDLE EAST’S OUTDOOR, ADVENTURE, TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

myself. Running with my team mate Liz, we immediately turned left out of Umm Suqeim Road, heading towards the Marina. It was still dark and pretty foggy, and at this early stage of the race support was good, with people running close to each other, having not had enough time yet to gradually space out. Over the first three kilometres, we sped up from a pace of about 5:40 per kilometre, to our target pace of 5:13. It was very early days, but we were both feeling strong and were happy to be on pace. The 5km point saw the first water station, and I made sure I drank a small amount of water, not wanting to become dehydrated later on, when it would be too late to do anything about it. I also consumed my first GU gel as per my plan to take them every 10km from 5km onwards.

The U-turn outside the One and Only gave us the chance to see who was both ahead of us and behind us, and we eventually caught up with some of our fellow 3:40 group members who had started closer to the front. I was amazed to find myself comfortably chatting with them, although I knew that as the race went on the conversation would eventually diminish! Passing the end of Umm Suqeim Road again, about 12km into the run, I accidentally sped up for a while, with my pace quickening to under five minutes a kilometre. Thankfully, my group was able to rein me in, and I realised that I had allowed myself to become over excited by the cheering crowd. I slowed down again, and we began the long trek down Jumeirah Beach Road, towards the flag pole.

This part of the run passed by quickly, and we reached the halfway point in about one hour 52 minutes. I remember thinking to myself that a half marathon had never seemed so easy. We were still on pace when, shortly after half way, my right hip began to hurt. This concerned me a great deal, as I occasionally have problems with my hip. I decided not to mention anything to my team mates, and quietly took an Ibuprofen that I had in my pocket, just in case something like this happened. I told myself that at 28km I would take the other tablet I had, to prevent the pain from returning.

Before too much longer, hip pain temporarily masked, we passed by the Desert Road Runners support station. This was without a doubt one of my favourite moments of the race, as I had enough energy to clap and cheer in return as we sped by. Having such support gave us the motivation we needed to get to the turn around point at about 26km. Reaching this point was a boost psychologically, as it now meant that all we

had to do was go back down Beach Road before finishing on Umm Suqeim. However, we were also well aware that this was the part of the race when things would start to hurt, and that it would take mental as well as physical endurance to finish in our desired time frame.

At 28km, I reached into my pocket to take my Ibuprofen as planned, only to discover that my body heat had caused it to disintegrate. Telling myself that it was ok, that my hip no longer hurt and that I didn’t actually need it, I focused on trying to maintain pace as the sun rose from behind the buildings and temperatures began to soar. Passing through the water station at 30km, I poured some of the water over my head in an attempt to keep cool. Our training group had got smaller, as two of the guys had sped up and gone on ahead. Meanwhile, Liz and I were beginning to struggle…

Around 32km, we passed the Desert Road Runners support station again.

Craving something sweet, I gulped down some Coke, which was strange for me as I never usually drink it. A friend ran with us for a couple of hundred metres, encouraging us to keep going and telling us that we didn’t have far to go. Ordinarily, 10km would be a perfectly achievable distance, but now the pain was beginning to kick in, and the toughest part of the race began.

I tried to break down the remainder of the run into smaller segments, telling myself that once I got to 35km, it was just 5km to the next water station at 40km, and then I would be as good as finished. At this point, a 3:40 marathon was not achievable, but, if I kept my pace somewhere between 5:20 and 5:30 per kilometre, a 3:45 finish was still possible. For the next two kilometres, I averaged about 5:25 per kilometre, but my pace was slowing rapidly and I was taking longer walk breaks through the water stations. Liz was somewhere behind me, and I was now running alone.

I was aware that my form had slipped entirely, and that I was not running economically.

My quads in particular were on fire, and mentally I just wanted it all to be over, not caring what time I finished in, as long as I finished. I don’t know how, but somehow I reached the 40km mark and received a huge boost from the wife of one of our club’s

FEBRUARY 2016 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

faster runners. This somehow gave me the determination I needed for the final 2.195km, which I ran at a pace of 5:50 per kilometre. A 3:45 finish was now out of the question, but a sub 3:50 looked likely if I could just see it through…

Turning back on to Umm Suqeim Road, I saw the finish up ahead. More hobbling than running now, I gathered what was left of my mental strength, and told myself that it would all be over in a matter of minutes. The thought of being able to stop and hydrate was all I could think of as I passed a sign that told me I had only 400 metres to go.

I checked my watch and tried desperately to increase my pace, not wanting to miss out on a sub 3:50 by such a small margin.

200 metres to go… this was nothing, I told myself. All I needed to do was put one foot in front of the other for another minute. 10km runners flooded the other side of the road, and I was grateful that they had been kept separate from the marathoners.

Approaching the finish, I somehow found the energy to hold my arms up in the air for the all important finishers photo, before crossing the timing mats and checking my watch. Marathon number three had been completed in 3 hours, 48 minutes and 35 seconds! I was overjoyed despite being exhausted. Not only had I finally achieved my sub four-hour goal, but I had taken 20 minutes off my personal best, and 25 minutes off my last marathon time. Suddenly, the pain and suffering was all worth it, the months of training had paid off, and I had a time that I felt was worthy of all my effort.

It’s often said that after a marathon, runners will claim that they are “... never doing one again”. For me, this was true for a couple of hours. A little while later however, once I’d had the time to reflect, I found myself considering “What if?” Whilst I was delighted with my time, I had also narrowly missed out on a Good for Age place at the London Marathon 2017. If I had run the earlier part of the race at a slower pace, 5:19 per kilometre, could I have managed to get the 3:45 I needed?

I’ll never know the answer on this particular occasion, but I do feel that I gave my all, and most importantly, enjoyed myself during training sessions and for most of the marathon itself. In fact, I’m already considering my next marathon… Copenhagen 2016 anyone?

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11

EVENT REPORT

Photos By: Supplied and Nela Macovei

Over 700 local and international participants competed at the notorious 11th edition of the iconic Wadi Adventure Race Series (W.A.R.11), which took place at the Middle East’s first man-made whitewater rafting, kayaking, surfing and wakeboarding destination, Wadi Adventure Al Ain on January 16, 2016.

Arriving at the crack of dawn, participants started registering and receiving their goodie bags, electronic timing chips from Premier Online and WAR 11 t-shirts supported by Al Ain Pharmacy from the Wadi Adventure reception desk before making their way to an energetic warm–up session conducted by Fitness360 which prepped them before heading over to the Red Bull arch starting point.

The event took place in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum who participated for the second time in the Men’s 15km category.

The event also witnessed participation of the UAE Representative at Ministry of Interior in the USA and ex-National Athlete, and Abu Dhabi Police Instructor Mr. Rashid Butti Al

Qubaisi who bagged the second position in the 10km category.

The nail biting build-up; W.A.R.11 was split into three gruelling race courses (5km, 10km and 15km) providing challengers the opportunity to test their physical limits and conquering along the way a series of over 25 indeterminate obstacles like climbing ropes, hauling heavy-duty sand bags, crawling under barbed wires and finally plunging into ice-filled water before reaching the finishing line.

The 10km extended Full Loop course especially incorporated with a bunch of new obstacles proved to be the highlight of the day, adding more zest to the popular racing event.

“Extreme obstacle racing is one of the newest fitness trends and Wadi Adventure Race 11 proved to be a thrilling spectacle as it mastered at testing the inner fortitude and determination of its participants in a fun and friendly environment”, stated Mr. Nilesh Mistry, General Manager of Wadi Adventure, H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum awarded the 18 podium winners from the Men’s and Women’s categories with medals and over 45,000 AED worth of prizes.

The racing event was followed by a complimentary buffet, raffle draw, and an entertainment zone for the kids hosted by Tamra Events.

With W.A.R.11 coming to a successful end, Wadi Adventure Race series has undoubtedly become one the top most challenging obstacle races in the UAE. W.A.R.11 Sponsors included: Al Ain Pharmacy, Al Ain Club, Al Ain Municipality, Abu Dhabi Tourism and Cultural Authority, Al Ain Water, Al Noor Hospital, Al Ain Raceway, Eastern Motors LLC, Al Masood Travels and Services, Al Ain Rotana, Hilton Al Ain Hotel, Ayla Hotel, Ain Al Faida-One to One Hotel and Resort, McCain, GO Sport Middle East, Fit4Skool, Futurelife, Tamra Events and Three60 Leisure.

Media: Dubai Life TV, The Source UAE, Outdoor UAE and Kabayan Weekly.

WINNERS MEN 5km Podium 1st place: David Grapengeter 2nd Place: Mohammed Al Hassani 3rd Place: Paul Drury

10km Podium 1st place: Rob Jones 2nd Place: Rashid Butti Al Qubaisi 3rd Place: Dustin Radney

15km Podium 1st place: Hallvard Borsheim 2nd Place: Boris 3rd Place: Jacques Gilbert Sophie

WINNERS WOMEN 5km Podium 1st place: Niamh Walsh 2nd Place: Liz Kelleher 3rd Place: Susan Hulland

10km Podium 1st place: Ashley Samples 2nd Place: Carolina Gutierrez Juri 3rd Place: Kelly Fray

15km Podium 1st place: Joanne Park 2nd Place: Michelle Jones 3rd Place: Sara Aouad

EVENT PREVIEW

So Ultra!

The Sharbatly Big Stinker and Hajar 100 by Urban-Ultra Words + Photos By: Supplied

Are you ready for a bit of a climb? Choose from a beginners and kids 5k, to a more intermediate or advanced 12k, 24k or the new and exciting 45k ultra distance. The 45km ultra distance is a UTMB Qualifying Race worth two points!

The Sharbatly Fruit Big Stinker is run up and over the beautiful Ras Al Khaimah mountain (540m) ascent and descent per 12k loop behind Khatt Spring Golden Tulip Hotel. The 45k ultra distance will be an extended loop with slightly more elevation taking you to in excess of 1,500m for the whole distance! The 5k route is perfectly suitable for kids and trail run beginners, taking you along a slight undulating course around the base of the Golden Tulip Khatt Springs Resort & Spa. Camp with us on Thursday night on top of the mountain, stay at the Golden Tulip hotel (special rates available from Golden Tulip Khatt Springs Resort and Spa for our UrbanUltra runners) or drive up in the morning and run one, two or three loops of the well marked course. No GPS required! A great family and friends weekend away!

Race start time: 07:00 a.m.

Cut-off time for 45k: 2:00 p.m.

Registration closes: 13th Feb 2016 Don’t underestimate this challenge it’s probably the toughest solo footrace in the UAE!

The Hajar 100

If you on the other hand want to have a taste of the ultra distance trial runs now available in the UAE, don’t miss the UrbanUltra Hajar 50 and 100 on the 4th of March, 2016.

Challenge yourself on this beautiful 50km or 100km trail run through the mountain passes, along jeep tracks, through boulder ravines and over spectacular sand dunes

of Ras Al Khaimah. It is a tough challenge and requires training, but generous cut-off times (24hrs overall) allow most physically fit, determined and well-prepared runners to get to the finish. Proudly announcing this race (100k) is a UTMB qualifying race (two points). Great prizes are up for grabs in the 100k race!

Start time: 06:00am Location: Ras Al Khaimah – Start: DoubleTree Hilton Hotel Marjan Island. You will be bussed to the start and back from the finish to the start hotel. (Buses will be every hour from approx. 3:00 p.m. for the 50k and 8:00 p.m. for the 100k) You will carry your food and water (fruit, water and Aqualyte available approximately every 10km). CP5 will be your opportunity to eat a hot meal where we will provide hot water for your dehydrated food and we will have hot soup on the go. (Outside assistance is not permitted outside of the checkpoints, but supporters are welcome to assist you at any checkpoint, in particular CP5).

The course will take you on a multi-terrain

adventure and take in approx 2500m of elevation over the 100km distance. Checkpoint 5 will be located at approximately 52km.

Make sure you are part of the only singlestage 50km and 100km trail run in the UAE!

Marine Talks

The 2016 Dubai International Boat Show

1-5 MARCH 2016 Dubai International Marine Club Mina Seyahi

In anticipation of the upcoming 2016 Dubai Boat Show this March 1-5, OutdoorUAE magazine is proud to announce its partnership with the 2016 Boat Show with the annual feature on Marine Talks. Same as last year, the Marine Talks invites visitors of the show to experience watersport experts of the UAE talk about their respective fields and how you too could get started on it! Select from varied conversation schedules on all five days of the show with topics covering most major watersport disciplines such as Diving, Kayaking, Fishing, Dragon boating and many more!

The Marine Talks is an open forum that is free for visitors of the Boat Show. The talks usually begin as soon as the sun sets and audiences are then immersed into an eyeopening series of lectures about the many things people can do in the waters of the UAE or even elsewhere! There are practical tips on how to get started and there’s even talks focused on specialized equipment to deal with the waters of the region.

This month, the Marine Talks is bigger than ever in its scope as we bring more resident experts from around the UAE to share with Boat shows visitors their extensive knowledge on varying disciplines.

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FEBRUARY 2016 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

Here’s some more info on some of the experts that you can get to witness only on the 2016 Dubai Boatshow at Mina Seyahi, Dubai, UAE.

KIT BELEN

Fishing A long-term contributor and fishing editor for OutdoorUAE Magazine, an active supporter of catch and release, his passion for fishing can only be matched by his passion for the conservation of the fisheries. Kit is versed in most forms of fishing, was very much into fly fishing until recently when the temptation of catching fish on ultralight tackle has smitten him again.

STEVE BENNETT

JEN SCULLY

Stand Up Paddling Jen is an Abu Dhabi resident that has shared her passion of Stand Up Paddling (SUP) with hundreds of people since 2009.

Her passion for SUP has evolved over the last 5 1/2 years and continues to grow not only locally, but globally as well. She is the founder of the Abu Dhabi Stand Up Paddlers, a community group that organizes regular paddles and events, as well as a blog called Live Love SUP documenting her SUP travels around the UAE and the world. In 2012, a company under the same name was launched which promotes stand up paddling through a fundraising focus, with an aim to provide clean waters. As of late, Jen and her husband, Nick Yates, have travelled the world — paddling in 22 countries and connecting with others who also share the same language.

Sea Kayaking For over thirty years, Steve has been a British Canoe Union coach and assessor as well as being a very enthusiastic sea paddler. Prior to coming to the UAE in 2009 Steve worked in the United Kingdom in the outdoor education industry as a kayak and canoe coach training and assessing individuals in paddling skills as well as building future coaches themselves. He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.

ALEX BOULTING

Free Diving An AIDA Instructor Trainer and freediver since 2008, Alex has trained over 100 students from Introductory to Advanced level and is also the co-founder and owner of FreedivingUAE. He has worked within AIDA since 2010 and has a healthy history of freediving that is admired by his peers.

JAKE LYLE

Diving OutdoorUAE’s resident diving expert, Jake has been exploring the depths of the world for 8 years now with dives in various countries such as Oman, Maldives, St. Martin, St. Kitts in the Caribbean, the Philippines, Bahrain, Hawaii, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and of course the UAE. He is a PADI Rescue Diver that has over 110 dives to his name.

As a regular diving contributor, Jake writes about diving techniques and the equipment required when taking on the waters of the Middle East. He is also an all around watersport person that does kayaking, surfing and stand-up paddling.

DAN WRIGHT

Family Snorkling Dan works as a Curriculum Manager for ADAPT Adventure Centre in Ras Al Khaimah where he organizes school and family trips into the wilderness of the UAE. He also writes for several prominent publications in the UAE on the subject of natural history. During the talks he is going to introduce you to the fun sport of “Snorkelling” along the UAE’s interesting and varied coastlines.

The Dubai International Boatshow is the region’s premier event focused on watersports, sailing and basically life on the sea!

This year’s show is bigger than ever with several new features and a more focused approach on other fields. Popular displays also make a return such as the Supercar Pavilion and Superyacht Life where anyone could go and explore the interiors of the majestic craft of the sea! Another interesting highlight is the Outdoor Activity area where people can engage in more displays and even try their hands on several demos! Other than that, this is also where the Marine Talks will take place by the sunset. Listen to watersport professionals discuss what you need to get started or even point you to hidden locations in the region where you can get your fix of H2O in the most outdoorsy way possible! Visit the Dubai International Boatshow this March 1-5 at the Dubai International Marine Club in Mina Seyahi. For more information, visit www.boatshowdubai.com.

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ACTIVITY REPORT

Two Wheels and Tons of Fun:

THE CYCLE HUB cycling TEAM Words By: Simon Henley Photos By: Keith Pereña

It was a cool sunset afternoon when we went to Motor City for a quick ride in front of the Cycle Hub — kind of like a way to get the new members and the older ones acquainted.

We started off as a small group of three people. We were just in it for the rides, the exhilaration and of course the fun. It’s quite amazing how fast we have grown and how strong we became as a team. We’d be joking around and sharing stories in one instance and then pedalling hard in the next.

I think that is the best part of having to share

this experience with other people.

The team is an amateur set up where the In the past 18 months the team have had riders are not paid to represent the store. many fantastic results, here are some of them.

All of the team have full-time careers and compete for the thrill of the sport and for 2014 the sense of achievement that comes from 1st UAE Cycling Federation Road training hard and pushing themselves to the Race - Mushrif Park Masters Male limit to improve. This year we have added 1st UAE Cycling Federation Road Race - RAK to the team roster. We currently have seven University Masters Male and Elite Female men and women representing the store 1st Turn and Burn MTB Time Trial Elite Male and competing in a wide variety of cycling events which include Road Racing, Time Tri2nd Turn and Burn MTB Time Trial Elite Male als, Mountain Biking, and Triathlon.

2nd Qatar Losail Night Criterium Elite Male Our riders have a wide range of previ1st Qatar Duhail Fast 5 Mountain Bike Elite Male ous experiences with some riders having competed all their lives and others very new 1st UAE Cycling Federation Road to the sport. But despite our different provRace – Jebal Jais Masters Male enances, one thing is common – our passion 1st Qatar – Dukhan Road Race – Elite Male to ride and push ourselves further because 5th Spinneys Dubai 92 Elite Female we see cycling as a sort of lifestyle.

In September 2014, the team celebrated 7th Spinneys Dubai 92 Elite Male as we had three men and one lady qualify 16th UCI Amteur World Road Race Championand compete in the UCI Amateur World ships Denmark – Female 18-34 years Road Race Championships in Denmark against the best in the world. It is one of 2015 the biggest cycling events in the world and 2nd Liwa Challenge Elite Male it was an exhilarating feeling to know that 2nd Liwa Challenge Masters Male members of our team are part of it!

4th Liwa Challenge Elite Female All of our team use either Specialized or Pinarello bikes and equipment that are 1st Hot 6 Mountain Bike Solo Elite Male provided by The Cycle Hub. 1st Hot 6 Mountain Bike Pairs Elite Male You can follow our progress throughout the year on Facebook (The Cycle Hub Race 2nd Hot 6 Mountain Bike Solo Female Team) and also on Instagram (The Cycle Hub 1st RAK Awafi Mountain Bike Elite Male Ladies Team).

1st

Qatar Inland Sea Mountain Bike Elite Male

1st

Adnoc Challenge Road Race Abu Dhabi Elite Female

1st

Ramadan Road Race Elite Female

1st

UAE Cycling Federation Road Race – Mamzar Corniche Masters Male

3rd

UAE Cycling Federation Road Race – Mamzar Corniche Elite Male

1st

Spinneys Dubai 92 Elite Female

5th

Spinneys Dubai 92 Elite Male

1st

Emirates Team Time Trial Elite Female

2nd

Emirates Team Time Trial Elite Male

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ACTIVITY REPORT

Experience the UAE and Sir Bani Yas Island on

Horseback

Words By: Jean-Paul Courville Photos By: Katie Aun

The Arabian desert of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) displays a wide landscape, open terrain, a beauty beyond the typical glance, and a vast history of mythical appeal. Sunrise and sunset across the land are the most breathtaking when riding on horseback, mounted atop an Arabian stallion - an endurance horse, a popular and intriguing passion of the local leaders in the UAE.

At Al Jiyad Stables, Endurance City

Most people long for that first day off on a weekend, to sleep beyond a ringing alarm clock but the result of experiencing a sunrise on horseback is well worth the effort.

I grew up in the southern United States and spent many years in western USA where I enjoyed horseback riding in the old west where the stories of cowboys became legend, yet as a young boy I was fixated with the movie “The Black Stallion Returns” (1983) where an Arabian stallion and his young owner travel to Morocco to compete in a long distance race through the beautiful desert where they encounter a variety of Arabian culture. This has always been a fantasy and goal; to ride in the Arabian de-

serts. My style had been western riding yet I made a dream turn into reality almost two years ago when I discovered the Al Jiyad stables in the Endurance City area of the UAE where I have enjoyed one to two rides per week alternating sunrise and sunset.

The horses are healthy, well taken care of, and familiar riders faces provide a sense of family. The illustrious desert resort and spa at Bab Al Shams puts on an evening dinner show with horses, camel, and riders (from these stables) who dress in throwback attire and weapons of the old Arabian ways, it’s a magnificent spectacle that will make anyone in attendance ask to ride a horse and grab a sword. I personally have had just an extraordinary time riding at the Dubai

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Polo & Equestrian Club located in the Arabian Ranches area. The settings bring you to the outlining desert sand dunes overlooking the Dubai Marina in the distance — magnificent.

The opportunities extend beyond the UAE desert at Sir Bani Yas Island off the coast of the UAE. Here you can find the opportunity to ride among exotic animals like giraffes, striped hyenas, Arabian oryx, and Moroccan sheep. Under Sheikh Zayed’s patronage, several million trees were planted here as he recognized the need to preserve animals that were at risk from extinction, particularly within the UAE and Arabian Peninsula, and his vision has led to the establishment of the Arabian Wildlife

Park to assist with breeding and rehabilitation, and an environment for thousands of animals to roam freely around a large area.

Sir Bani Yas Island’s name originates from the Bani Yas tribe who first inhabited Abu Dhabi. The Al Jiyad Stables are located on Sir Bani Yas Island just a short trip by ferry or airplane from the UAE. I took an advanced riding tour of the island and it was epic to ride literally alongside groups of giraffes as they walked through the trees. My horse was comfortable but I could sense the awareness as we moved closer. The giraffes moved into an open area and began to trot, I was able to maintain pace next to the animals. Suddenly to my right something was moving in the Gazelle

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trees and I spotted a cheetah moving freely after the fresh kill of a gazelle. The moment was surreal and as I processed it, we arrived into a canyon where the layer of the striped hyena lay hidden from the main trails. I felt like I was riding into an Indiana Jones movie, my adrenaline and excitement were at an all time high yet we were safe and protected during the entire ride.

I encourage anyone regardless of experience to research the many stables in the UAE like Al Jiyad and book an experience. We meet people who look back on opportunities passed wishing they could go back to achieve numerous things that were within their control, why wait?

Get outside and make a memory.

Arabian Oryx

Mr Ali - Horse owner at Al Jiyad and Sir Bani Yas Island

OUTDOORUAE

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ACTIVITY REPORT

Running with the Oryx Trail runner Sarah Whittington explains how Qatar’s Zekreet peninsula has hosted a unique race challenge Words By: Sarah Whittington Photos By: Noel Cuarton, Stephen Blows, Tim Harman and Sarah Whittington

I never thought I’d become a trail runner. Whilst living in the United Kingdom, I was most definitely a road junky, the half marathon distance was my thing and I rarely ventured off-road unless the going underfoot was perfect… I mean who wants to slip and slosh through mud all of the time?

On my arrival in Doha however, it soon became apparent that while the city roads offer okay running, there’s actually nothing better than getting away from the hum of constant traffic noise and breaking free in the desert. From November to March, with a bit of preparation, that’s exactly what any runner can do.

There’s something very special about feeling the dirt under your feet, the sun on your back, and wind in your face.

It generates big smiles. It’s a chance to unwind, soak up the peace, and wallow in some beautiful lunar-like landscapes.

Thanks to Emile and Wendy Fitzmaurice, formerly based in Qatar and veteran trail buddies, I was quickly tempted off-road and into the desert at Zekreet, the peninsula about 84km west of Doha. The area offers runnable terrain and good first time off-road Checkpoint

Scene

running. Yes, you need to keep your wits about you – the desert surface isn’t sandy but hard, compact and often ridged which has the annoying habit of grabbing the soles of inattentive runners and flipping them up. You probably won’t dent much but your pride, but it’s still better to keep that focus.

I remember falling on my first outing. I was running along and then I wasn’t! With practice, however, you learn the skills, the awareness, and the ability to fling your arms out to find your balance and avert a trip - the exact skills that will set you up for success in traversing any off-road surface.

Following these early adventures, some four years ago, I’ve since been lucky enough

to run in some stunning places and rip up some fantastic trails.

I’ve now completed the Al Andalus Ultimate Trail, a gruelling 230km five-day mountain staged-race in southern Spain for the last three consecutive years, winning in 2015. I took on the Salmon Wadi Bih 72km solo in 2014 winning the ladies section, and I’ve also spent a fair amount of time running up and down rivers and canals in the UK (strangely as it’s not much like Qatar), winning both the 100km Canalathon and Waterway 100 mile ladies categories in 2015. None of these race successes would have been possible without churning out some miles off-road in Qatar. The mainstay of my training here has to be on-road, the Shawn Deleu on course

Runners pass Sera Statues Zekreet

desert is out of bounds over the summer, but it’s great to get your head back in the trail game over the winter months.

Personally, I stick to old faithful road shoes for running in Zekreet. The wider bearing surface offers less sand-suction should you hit a soft spot, and since the landscape is neither mountainous nor boulder-strewn you don’t need the grip or toe bumpers of a trail shoe. “Old” is a key word however, the grit chews through soles and you end up with a rather slick finish which probably isn’t what you want on a brand new pair of road shoes with less than 30 miles under the treads.

Trail runners should always be ready for anything and I never head out without the obligatory water reserves, fully charged mobile, and mini first aid kit. I’ve been caught out myself, setting out a little late, when the sun was already high in the sky and running out of water. While there’s usually a friendly 4x4 cruising around the desert, it can’t be depended upon, particularly if you go early or late in the season. Dehydration can take effect quickly, and while the peninsula is easy to navigate it gets confusing when the sun is beating down and your mouth is dry.

Wanting to help people experience the trail in safe and supported surrounds led my husband — Steve Farnham; a fellow Fitzmaurice-inspired trail runner, to set up some pop-up trail challenges. Assisted by a small, committed band of volunteers and with a “leave no trace” motto – the challenges incurred no entry fee and offered no prizes, no medals, and no t-shirts.

The thinking was simply to get runners sharing the off-road experience and enjoying the desert environment. Water at the event was kindly sponsored by Rayyan water, a company renowned here in Qatar for sports-based CSR activities. We are also

indebted to IRM Offshore Services who offered some financial support in purchasing course marking apparatus (more of that later).

And so the Ultra Trail Qatar – Oryx Run Series born, with the first event in November 2015 featuring a 15km or 30km run.

Devoid of the regular race incentives, we were somewhat overwhelmed by the numbers signing up. Each race day in the series was capped at 60 runners, logistically we couldn’t cope with more, yet every entry list was full, but we squeezed 64 into the first event of the season. The December event saw runners tackle a 20km or 40km run, with a final 25km or 50km run in January, where entrants had the opportunity to tackle the widely acknowledged minimum entry-level ultra distance. We believe this was the first time a 50km “trail race” had been run in Qatar.

All Ultra Trail Qatar runs have water stations every 10-12km crewed by amazing volunteers, who got increasingly more generous as the season progressed, adding fruit, nuts and sweets to the provisions on offer.

The events were timed via webscorer so that runners had an idea of how quickly they had completed the track, generally learning if not always accepting that progressing across country means going much slower than on road. Rather than runner versus runner, the ethos was runner versus trail.

Keen to leave no mark on the delicate desert environment, we marked the first event with arrows laid in all-purpose baking flour.

Rapidly realizing however that it’s not easy to spot a flour arrow on a flat landscape, we had to come up with a better method or risk having runners dispersing in all directions.

Following a moment of inspiration, Steve came up with the idea of using helium

First Trail Runner Akmal Hani Ahmad Kamal

Runners

filled balloons, tied to gas pipes, or with strings looped under piles of rocks, or simply attached to the wing-mirrors of cars.

These massive red beacons, high in the sky, enabled runners to choose their own trail, hopefully the optimum route, and go point to point.

During the season Ultra Trail Qatar supported over 100 new-to-trail runners of 15 plus nationalities in taking to the desert.

Footprints were left, many selfies were snapped, but more importantly many more memories made and friendships galvanized.

As the summer heat beckons, we’ll be having a final desert fling in mid February with a social group run and barbecue before saying farewell to the trails until the winter.

Into the desert

Sarah Whittington

Visit Sarah Whittington’s blog on trail running mainly in Qatar at http://dustyrunner.com/

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ACTIVITY REPORT

A Second Chance for Maya

Rescuing a Sea Turtle in the UAE Words By: Daniel Birkhofer Photos By: DTRP and Gina Birkhofer

It was the long Eid weekend, and we made the plan to explore the beaches in the western region of Abu Dhabi in the quest to find a nice camping spot. Despite the long coastline of the country, it is very hard to find any camping spots on the beach especially ones where you have the beach for yourself.

After a long drive and a few attempts to get to the beach, we finally found a nice spot after Jebel Danat with long beaches and a view of the open sea. The only bad thing was the rubbish and subsequent dirt, which is found on almost all beaches in this area.

Luckily the water was clean and crystal clear, so we enjoyed the water during the day to cool down, even though the sea was extremely shallow.

After an afternoon paddle, we were walking back in the shallow water when we saw a little sea turtle looking up at us. The turtle didn’t make any attempts at escape as we moved closer. When we reached the

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turtle, we could see that she was weak and in distress, and so we picked her up for an inspection. The poor little thing was covered in barnacles and looked very thin. With the best of intentions, I carried the turtle to our camp in an attempt to help her but, I didn’t know much about sea turtles and what I should do.

One thing was very clear though and that was that she needed help.

A few years ago I found a turtle in the same condition and trying to help her, we

removed the barnacles and placed her back in the sea. We originally had the same plan for this small turtle which we affectionately named “Maya”. Within our group was Ally Landes from the Emirates Diving Association, who knew a little bit more about sea turtles than we did.

Ally identified Maya as a juvenile hawksbill sea turtle, which is listed as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The hawksbill has recently seen a huge decline in numbers due to various human activities, and they are now at severe risk of extinction in the wild. Ally advised that the barnacles should not be forcibly removed, as this can cause pain and

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carapace and internal bleeding.

With this new knowledge, I feel sorry for what I had done to that poor turtle I found a few years ago. I think it is good to help if you can, and that it is okay to try to help, even if you make a mistake but, if there are experts to help, you should call them and know who they are.

Everyone knows how to call an ambulance in an emergency and so, if you spend a lot of time on the sea or the beach, you should know about the Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Project and save their number (+971 4 301 7198). This way, if you are in the situation similar to us, you will know the right thing to do for the animal.

Maya is currently doing well under the care of the DTRP team, she is putting on weight and has been treated for several severe

Photos: Q.Dein, Rider: Shawn Richman

damage to the fragile sea turtle.

Ally then called David Robinson from the Burj Al Arab Aquarium Team and Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Project (DTRP) to get some expert advice. Based at Burj Al Arab Jumeirah and Madinat Jumeirah, the DTRP is run in collaboration with Dubai’s Wildlife Protection Office, with essential veterinary support provided by the Dubai Falcon Hospital and the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory.

The day-to-day running of the project and the animal husbandry is managed by Burj Al Arab’s dedicated aquarium team. The DTRP is the only dedicated sea turtle rehabilitation facility in the UAE and rehabilitates hundreds of sick and injured sea turtles every year.

David explained that the barnacles, although they look bad, were not the actual problem. Sea turtles are reptiles and as such are cold blooded which means they gain their body heat from their environment, in this case, the surrounding seawater. Every winter, as the regional seawater temperatures start to drop, sea turtles (especially juvenile hawksbills), struggle with the colder water and some become lethargic and sick, and can wash up on the beaches, just like “Maya”. Barnacles are natural parasites on sea turtles, and a healthy sea turtle can control it’s barnacle load by scratching them off on rocks and corals. If a turtle is found with excessive barnacle growth, this is an indication that something is very wrong with the animal itself and that this turtle has been sick for some time. Removing the barnacles from the animal causes damage to the

FEBRUARY 2016 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

ailments. Later in the year when the sea temperatures warm a little, she will be released back into the Gulf and enjoy a second chance, thanks to everyone involved.

If you find a sick or injured sea turtle on the beach, please do not attempt to remove any barnacles (again, the barnacles are a symptom that something else is wrong) and call the DTRP on 043017198 or visit them at their office at Al Muna Restaurant, Mina A’ Salam Hotel, Dubai, or email them at baaaquarium@jumeirah.com for further information about the DTRP visit www.facebook.com/turtle.rehabilitation.

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TRAVEL + ADVENTURE

T.L.R.D The Land Rover Diaries

Episode 4

Words By: Theo Measures Photos By: Neil Walton

“The very basic core of a man’s living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.”

- Christopher McCandless Some of us are genetically pre-disposed to staying within the physical and psychological confines of the metropolis in order to work out how to make a relatively static life

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in that environment as amiable as possible.

These are the people among us who are responsible for the tasks of making our roads safer, hospitals cleaner, economy stable, etcetera. In light of those people’s efforts to build a better society for all, a person who decides to swim the length of the treacherous river, race across an unforgiving desert or jump off the top of a very tall thing, is given little more than cursory fascination, if not simply deemed as being unnecessary, reckless and of little value to civilization.

As one subscribed to a life in pursuit of adventure I would like to assert that as a species, we owe more to the foolhardy, risk loving, jeopardy courting, peril chasing chancers of our society than the paper pushing, law making, health and safety set some may like us to consider. The fact is, we might owe the enduring existence of our species to the enterprising daredevils who weren’t satisfied to just sit around nibbling on insects and feathering their nest, the individuals genetically predisposed to search

for better nutrition, richer and more tillable landscapes and fitter potential mates who could make a more positive impact on the gene pool.

“As our species evolved, communities with risk takers might have done better… risk taking was important for the species and the individual.” - Thomas Crowley, Psychologist, University of Colorado, Denver.

The drive to see what lies beyond the furthest ridge or the other side of the ocean, or indeed this planet, represents a defining component of human identity and success; so if a compulsion to pursue adventure exists in us innately, perhaps its base rests within our genetic makeup. There is in fact a genetic mutation that arises regularly in the context of this discussion, a diversification of a gene labeled DRD4, or as it is affectionately known, the “Adventure Gene”.

The genetic variation, cleverly cited by the advertising giant Young & Rubicam

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Global in a campaign designed for the launch of Land Rover’s Discovery Sport, helps control Dopamine – the chemical brain messenger critical to human learning and reward systems.

Known as DRD4-7R, research has time and again connected the mutation to inquisitiveness and restlessness.

“Adventure is not outside man; it is within” - George Eliot Present in about 20% of humans, 7R seems to make people more likely to explore new or different ideas, sustenance, chemically induced experiences, relationships and places. As well as this, being more open to change, wandering (travel or relocation) and adventure is yet another symptom. Basically, possession of gene variation DRD4-7R makes you more likely to take risks.

I am sure that many of you reading this may be able to identify with the characteristics of DRD47R, none more so that the owners of old Land Rovers, who have staked their bank accounts, relationships, mechanical sympathy and wilderness survival skills on a Solihull (the hallowed former Land Rover HQ) factory worker’s enthusiasm for building the least reliable car he possibly could!

On a serious note however, if you think you may possess the “Adventure Gene”, then any suppression of the urge to escape, explore or wander can only be considered an unhealthy and unnatural thing. Having resolved some time ago to get out and explore as often as possible, I am now immediately able to identify the symptoms of not satisfying 7R’s curiosity both in myself and in other adventurous types, when we get stuck in the ruts of city life: anger, frustration, depression, anxiety and detachment can all manifest themselves in one form or another.

“You do not need to fly to the other side of the planet to undertake an expedition. You do not need to be an elite athlete, expertly trained or rich to have an adventure. Adventure is only a state of mind. Adventure is accessible to normal people, in normal places, in short segments of time and without having to spend much money.”

– Alistair Humphreys Still not convinced you have the time, money or inclination? As a how-to guide for easily accessing adventure, Alistair, an explorer, writer and film maker, came up with an initiative he calls “microadventures”, which in his words are “Simple expeditions and challenges which are close to home, affordable and easy to organize”. So there you have it, no excuses. Do your body and mind a favour and visit www.alistairhumphreys. com. Whether it be hiking, biking, running or climbing, get inspired, get out, have an adventure!

Recently I have discovered that running with my dogs, particularly through a desert, nature reserve or remote village provides an excellent opportunity for a daily dose of adventure. Not only is this a fantastic way to get out and experience more of the UAE, it is a genuinely engaging way to distract oneself from the actual business of staying physically and mentally fit and healthy.

Now that I have caught the scent of adventure in my nostrils through a different medium, DRD47R really has got me wondering what’s over the horizon; I think it’s time to buy a touring bike and head for it before the weather turns. For all its faults, breakdowns and lack of creature comforts, buying this old Land Rover has completely changed my life, not just because it can take the dogs, future bike and myself almost anywhere we want to go but because with all its spurring pedigree and incorrigible character, it is in itself, part of the adventure.

“Adventure is worthwhile in itself.”

- Amelia Earhart

Theo and Neil are two “overgrown children” who love nothing more than climbing into their “heroic old Land Rovers” and pursuing adventure in the beautiful UAE landscape.

A passion for documenting their exploits has been joined by a motivation to inspire others to explore, in turn promoting both awareness and appreciation of the United Arab Emirates’ natural treasure chest. Stay up to date with all their latest adventures by following their Instagram account @TheLandRoverDiaries’

TRAVEL + ADVENTURE

Words + Photos By: Zoya Razak

All adventures have an epic start, at least in fairy tales. For me, my urge to climb a mountain was very simple. I fear heights and suffer from vertigo and I wanted to conquer that.

The sudden demise of my Mother, who was my rock of Gibraltar, left me thinking of how we take our existence for granted. We give absolutely no time to stop and make notes, to see, to breathe — we move like well programmed robots and then suddenly we are gone, unplugged from our existence. It was then that I felt I needed to discover myself, let go of all that holds me down. For as long as I remember, my entire adult life was spent chasing one project or another, executing, achieving, never letting anyone down. My Mum wanted me to slow down, as she feared I would burn out. I needed time to grieve and to let her go.

I wilfully quit working, and started attaching my time to activities I liked doing as a

girl growing up in Dubai. Running along the beach, cycling, activities that I never would have otherwise indulged in, they brought immense calm to me, and I focused my pain and loss on them. That’s when the idea of trekking occurred to me and my friend and partner in crime Kripa from I Love Adventures, who indulged me. I booked the Everest Base Camp trek, and started training for it.

Unfortunately, Nepal went through a huge natural disaster and I had to let go of my EBC dream. That’s when I started studying Peru - The Inca Civilisation and the Machu Picchu trek. It was destiny, and things started falling into place. I got the dates I wanted, visas, tickets and all… I chose the Lares trek, which is a four-day trek through the Andes where you reach a height of 4,871m. The brochures were amazing, reality even better. The Incas were people of the mountain, a supremely intelligent race, and seeing the well preserved ruins of Machu Picchu puts you in complete awe of them. Very little is catalogued but what they left behind speaks volumes.

For a first time trekker, with a decent fitness level, I thought it would be a piece of cake.

It wasn’t.

Day One

Our first day involved walking in the Urubamba valley and soaking in the people who live in the town. It felt so nice. The valley people are warm and welcoming.

Day Two

Starting early with a long walk, I had only my track bag, no day pack and I immediately felt a disadvantage as my backpack was heavier than the rest. I felt okay while walking through the most scenic sights that I have ever seen in person. Then came the steep climb and a true test of my willpower to go on and not give up. I started lagging behind, my legs kept pushing but my lungs kept refusing. I got tremendous support from two individuals who kept walking with me and supported my slow pace. My guide Roddy and assistant Lucy called this a warm up to what is known as the Andean Flat. We walked up and down 14km through sights and mountains that are unexplainable. We performed a small ceremony asking the mountain God for safe passage until we reached the Konkani Base Camp at 3,800 metres. I began crying in my tent as nothing had prepared me for how my breathing was. A group member who is a professional athlete told me that’s it’s okay and it happens. Tomorrow will be a better day.

The next day was looming ahead of me. I still had to conquer the pass at 4,871m. The guide had briefed us at dinner about the 7-8

hour steep uphill trek. I couldn’t sleep that night. The chill of the mountains and the pain in my body kept me numb.

Day Three

We woke up at 5:40 a.m. and packed our day packs. We were asked to go extremely light. Based on the previous day, I spent a lot of time going around myself, keeping just my water and a few essential items. We started out of the camp at 7:00 a.m. and our target was to reach the pass towards the highest peak by 1:00 p.m.

We started walking, and I kept praying that my strength would hold me. It seemed to for a while; once again at the cost of being repetitive, I passed through the most scenic landscape and met full blooded Inca people who lead a hard life in the mountains. With new hope I went forward. An hour into the trek my nightmare began.

If the previous day’s climb brought me to tears, what happened on the first steep incline reduced me to a pulp. I lagged far behind. I couldn’t breathe. My lungs felt like they would burst. I was so warm I wanted to remove all my layers. And I felt myself gasping hard and people fading.

At one point around 3,900m. I just stopped breathing. Lucy and a fellow traveller Ronin asked me to take off my backpack and breathe. At that point, I felt frustrated, and couldn’t understand, tears stinging my eyes and face. “I can do this” I told myself repeatedly. I could see the look on Lucy’s face as she opened a strong smelling oil and asked me to inhale. Gradually I felt my breath and both she and Ronin kept me company until we reached where the rest of the group was waiting.

Roddy our trek guide calls me aside and very gently explains to me the trek ahead and if I have ridden a mule. I know what he means, and my eyes fill up with controlled tears as I cannot let this man see what this trek means to me and how failing it would be failing myself. Yet I cannot let pride stand in the way of my health. So I explain to him my fear of heights and vertigo. I explain to him how I feel my backpack is crushing my back. Very gently he says, take just your water and snacks and put them in his pack. My backpack was removed from my shoulders and put on the mule.

He then looks at the entire group of 16 trekkers and tells them “Zoe, (well yeah they couldn’t get Zoya.) will lead ahead.” I was shocked. I cannot. I will slow everyone down. I can’t breathe. It’s so high — all my fears bogging me down. I see smiling faces, love, and a general “Yes! Zoya you can, we shall take your pace.”

The next few hours were spent amidst the most gorgeous and daunting landscape, with the bag off my shoulders. With my lungs screaming, one leg ahead of the other,the mule carrying my bag and thankfully not me. With numerous moments where I thought I was dead, I made it, the first up the mountain. I sprinted the last few meters up a steep climb to the peak... and collapsed. Breathless and yet thankful

I made it. The vastness, the sky, the mountains and I. Later, I got to know that one trekker who was 60 years of age could not do it and had to be put on the mule. That could have been me. But through sheer willpower I conquered my fear and my breathing.

“The worst is over,” my guide Roddy said.

We now had a climb downhill to 4,200m to reach Patchayu Base Camp for the night.

My recovery was almost instant. A climb down with no breathing issues, just a lot of hard work balancing and keeping away from the edge, passed in a haze. We reached the camp with burning thighs and feet and spent another sleepless night in the wilderness knowing the worst was done.

Day Four

Saying goodbye to the mountains was probably the hardest thing to do for me. I learnt so much from these mighty giants. Forever in my heart I shall carry them. We walked downhill to the Urubamba Valley in the last four hours. From there we went back to Ollantaytambo where we boarded a train to go to the Machu Picchu proper.

It was a trek I took for granted and a lesson learnt well.

The trip was organised by I Love Adventures – an adventure travel company based in UAE who work with leading international adventure organisations to provide fun – cycling, trekking and active holidays to over 120 destinations worldwide. Connect with them at www.iloveadventuretravel.com. Or get in touch at info@iloveadventuretravel.com

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TRAVEL + ADVENTURE

Part 1: A Voyage from Thailand to Turkey, Through the Red Sea Words + Photos By: Will Pardoe

There’s something magical about sailing. Life is simple... You go by the speed of nature, and little by little, you end up far, far away.

The horizon is endless.

After finishing my seasonal river job in Iceland, I sat down to consider what route to take next. My head said to work another rafting season, but my heart had other plans; I needed to go sailing.

So I kept my eyes open for an opportunity, and then, one ordinary day, I found my golden ticket - while reading a thread on Cruisers Forum about piracy in the Gulf of Aden. The sailors were damning the stupidity of those who would consider such a voyage, between the vicious jaws of Somalia and Yemen. But amongst the noise I noticed an interesting post. It read: “I’m going that way soon. If anyone wants to live a little and crew with me, let me know”. I let loose a message, and soon enough I was shaking hands with Zac at Phuket International Airport.

Dolphins being dolphins

Phuket

We spent a few weeks stocking the boat with food, drinking at beach bars and waiting for the trade winds to set in. And then, up came the dinghy - our only connection to land. We weighed anchor (confirming it was heavy), hoisted the mainsheet, and off into the open sea we sailed.

Water World

On our journey to the Red Sea, Sri Lanka would be the next point of land out of Thailand - 2,000km away. For nine days, we sailed west; though time soon becomes irrelevant.

There is nothing in the world outside of our infinite and empty horizon; nothing to worry about, at least. And with all that space around you, being the only ones in the world, it’s easy to catch yourself standing in epic poses upon the bowsprit, looking out at the freedom.

We slip into a rhythm. Daylight is mostly spent in the cockpit; listening to music, trimming the sails, reading, napping, chatting, and

Koh Similan, Thailand

casting a casual eye around for ships that have invaded our view. Sunset is when the work starts. We stand four-hour watches through the darkness, scanning for lights and monitoring the radar. To the cargo ships, we are ants, and to fishermen, we are a curiosity that they gravitate towards like flies to a lamp. Their common sense is not to be trusted.

Fishermen are the first sign of approaching land - the modern equivalent of the floating branch. They are also your first cultural contact of a new land. Watch is taken most seriously when navigating through the minefields of crazy fishermen, for they may decide to stop dead-ahead of you in the darkness. I say, they are not to be trusted!

The Sweet Smell of Sri Lanka!

It may seem odd, but when you pass into the lee of land after a long voyage, an enticing

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The seaside fish market

Sri Lankan bureaucracy: Customs, Immigration, Navy, Coast Guard, Ship’s doctor, yacht agent, and anyone else who fancied coming aboard!

Zac and me in Phuket

smell comes to greet you; simply, a whiff of foliage, damp earth, dust, decay, and diesel fumes. My first whiff of Sri Lanka was of sweet, floral perfume. “My, they must be very clean!”It was as if the ladies were all along the shore waving their dresses. Unfortunately, it was just Frangipani flowers that beckoned us in.

We dropped the anchor and slept - a calm, uninterrupted sleep - without watch duty, or the constant rock and roll of the ship.

In the morning we awoke to the colonial paradise of Galle Bay. A white Portuguese lighthouse and church stood at the bay’s entrance, nestled between swaying palms.

Surrounding this, fortified Dutch wall defences and cannon emplacements guarded against a time gone by. Though evidently, they hadn’t done their job against the British.

It was time for a cup of tea.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

There was another yacht within the industrial fishing harbour where we moored, and so we struck up a friendship with Morris, a mildmannered South African. Additionally I found that Anne, an old family friend from Dubai, was living in Galle. She had previously sailed around the world, so the four of us arranged to meet at a hotel for drinks one evening.

The Closenburg was on top of the hill overlooking the bay. It had been a grand old manor house, and was built in such perfect colonial style it felt like walking into a movie.

The restaurant was empty, yet full of char-

acter. Beneath the vaulted ceilings and high arches sat ornate wooden tables that seemed to be missing their cross-legged, pipesmoking, handlebar-moustached explorers.

Sri Lankan waiters, so neatly dressed I should call them butlers, were waiting to greet any drops-ins with their ever-present broad smile and sincere welcome. They lead us through the arches and into a wide, open-air veranda that flowed out into the gardens. As we sat down, the heavens opened - and so did the roof. Amusingly, the head butler held out his hand to catch the torrent, which immediately overflowed. Still smiling broadly, he upheld his self-sacrifice until he was struck with a better idea. Noticing that the fan above us was not working, he returned with a long broom and began to manually revolve the blades. I thought he was jump-starting it, but really he was stepping in happily as our punkhawallah. The other waiter looked at him a little bemused. We decided it best to move to the next table, in a dry spot under a working fan.

The conversation flowed like the drinks. We discussed the Red Sea, which delighted Anne in reminiscing of her life at sea. We discussed storms, and piracy, and the real dangers in life - like flying on Air Tanzania. These rich topics inspired Anne to assemble some of the colourful characters she knew in Galle for lunch the next day.

Our friendly tuk-tuk driver, who even took us home for tea with his family.

Anne’s house was a more homely version of the Closenburg, with its high vaulted arches and cooling veranda, perfect for sipping tea under. The new guests certainly had stories of their own; Heather had sailed across the

Atlantic and been shipwrecked at the mouth of the Amazon; and Dom was an ex-SAS, ex-pirate hunting adventurer, who had been rescued from the perfect storm of Katrina and her following hurricanes while trying to kite across the Atlantic. While Dom shared his experiences of the storm, I remember Morris commenting that “there are very few atheists in a hurricane”. To this, Anne piped up, “... and on Air Tanzania, there are none!”

There was a surprising concentration of interesting people in Galle, with valuable information for our imminent passage through Pirate Alley. We even met an Australian, on the beach with his family, who had just returned from Somaliland having served as a consultant to the Somali coastguard. Sri Lanka seemed to be the hub for Red Sea security. Indeed, every night tugs would dock beside us and unload their mercenaries, laden with 50-calibre rifles and machine guns.

And so the time came to leave the welcoming arms of Sri Lanka. With a final evening of cigars and spirits in the cockpit, we weighed anchor at sunrise and set off toward the beckoning call of the Arabian Sea. We soon picked up the wind and current, making eight knots for Djibouti.

“We’re getting the hell outta Dodge!” said Zac. “Straight for Dodge.” I suggested.

“Straight for Dodge...” he concurred.

(To be continued)

Afternoon tea on the veranda

Galle Bay. These fishing boats pull up their catch and sell it right there on the beach.

Some just cast their nets from the shore!

Afternoon Tea

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Nomad’s Road: Overlanders for Life Episode 1: The First Ten Years Before Arriving in the UAE Words By: Grég Trastour Photos By: Grég, Magali, Natasha and Anastasia Trastour

UAE 2016, Sand Sculpture (Abu Dhabi)

We are a family of four who have started this adventure around the world in the 1st of April 2006 while landing in Brisbane in Australia, our daughters at that time were six and eight years old and made their first overlanders’ steps.

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Myanmar 2015, convoy in Bagan

Australia 2006, start of our adventure

During our first journey in Australia we were driving a bit more than 35,000 kilometres with a modified Nissan Patrol and a camper trailer to explore the eastern part.

We have crossed six states by following the coast from south to north and the Red Center to the south to close the loop. We have visited some legendary places like Uluru and spend most of our time in National and Marine Parks.

After this year in the land of kangaroos, we decided to hop into the kiwis’ land. It is not a huge country but we nevertheless remained two years to visit most of the place on the two main islands and the little rock at the bottom of South Island near Antarctica called Stewart Island.

In 2009 we have moved to New Caledonia, a little paradise in the South Pacific Ocean situated between Australia Iran 2015, Perspolis

Australia 2012, Cape York, Old Telegraph Track (Queensland)

and New Zealand, and we stayed for three years and have participated in environmental project on corals, turtles and birds preservation all around the country. During the latest year in New Caledonia, we have actively organised our non-stop, round-the-world in 10 years by road. And in February 2012, we have flown to Australia for a second time.

We quickly found our new vehicle - a 1993 Toyota Landcruiser 75 series and modified it ourselves to fit our needs. We have fitted two rooftop tents and a solar panel to load our batteries to feed the fridge and the power points for the girls to do schooling on their computers while we drive.

In April 2012 we started our long journey around the world and became overlanders for life. Our primary target was, driving on six continents and going through 100 countries in 10 years to visit highlighted and remote places, and meet other cultures and traditions. On the way, our plan and our route have been modified a few times for diverse reasons, breakdowns, budget, war or visas. At the start of our journey we would have ended our adventure in 2022 but because of the time we spent in different countries, we had to extend it to 2024 or probably more. We have been travelling for the last years with only 500€ per month for four people to pay all our expenses, which is just enough for fuel, food and visas.

Our major problem is the lack of sponsors especially when we have to cross a sea or an ocean to reach another country or another continent, or when our vehicle breaks down, like recently in the UAE. So in 2012 for this new start, we have Australia 2012, Pinnacles (West Australia)

Cambodia 2014, Bayon Temple (Angkor)

decided to explore the main Australian remote places we haven’t done in 2006 and we have driven another 35,000 kilometres down under and visited some amazing untouched places but the rough roads have been hard and at the end of the year our budget was not enough to send our vehicle to Asia to continue our trip. So we decided to leave the car in Australia for a year and continue our journey as backpackers in Southeast Asia. To save some money we didn’t use transport and accommodation as less as possible and we used individual tunnel tents to sleep and walk as much as possible.

In 2013 we haven’t done a lot kilometres on our theoretical route, we have just visited the main islands of Indonesia, and Malaysia including Borneo and Brunei but we have had a lot of fun and met a lot of people who helped us all along our walk. In the beginning of 2014 we got just enough money to bring our vehicle in Asia and the family was very happy and really appreciated the luxury of a moving car, despite the fact that we have had less opportunity to meet people and take pictures. We were able to visit more places and access remote places in the jungle.

In 2014, we drove through Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos.

We discovered the wonders of Southeast Asia with their wonderful landscapes, inland and on the coast and offshore.

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India 2015, flooding during night (Bikaner)

While also exploring the beautiful temples and sculptures, the huge diversity of birds and mammals and the fine and delicious cuisine which was sometimes surprising and spicy. We were able to visit some unforgettable places like Angkor Wat, one of the Wonders of the World and some unknown places still untouched.

In 2015, we visited Myanmar in convoy with a guide, the only solution to cross this country with our own vehicle was from

Indonesia 2013, Lake Toba in northern Sumatra

Laos 2014, Xuang Xi falls

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OUTDOORUAE

Thailand to India. We visited a few amazing places in this country like Bagan and met the friendliest people of Asia. The day before we crossed the border to Nepal, the 8.1 magnitude earthquake happened so we changed our route to South India and we tried to keep a distance from the monsoon.

We stayed in India for five months and visited almost every state to discover this world within a world, where everything is different and where we needed more time than other countries to adapt ourselves. We were lucky to obtain our Pakistan visas and were able to cross the country. The people were so kind and amazing we extended our visas to be able to visit the north of Pakistan all the way up to the Chinese border to discover Hunza Valley. It was the most amazing place we have ever travelled to in the past nine years. During this month a large community of bikers helped and supported us.

We spent one month in Iran where we met really warm and welcoming people. It’s the country where we used our rooftop tents the least. We have visited some beautiful religious places and historic places such as Persepolis. During this one month trip around Iran we have been supported by the tourist guides of Iran who helped us to have a better understanding of their country.

We crossed the Strait of Hormuz to arrive in the UAE — where we ended 2015 and started 2016 on the beach in Dubai where we watched the biggest and most spectacular fireworks we have ever seen. We have visited some interesting places and discovered extremely modern architecture. Not to mention the incredible vehicles as well.

We have been welcomed in every country and many people along the way, some more welcoming than the others. In the 10 years we’re travelling, we are so delighted that it pushed us to go further in our quest for the discovery of the planet and the people. Our next destination will be Oman, then Africa,

India 2015, flooding

but for the moment we are looking for the cheapest way to go to Africa as we are not able to drive through Saudi Arabia because of our right-hand drive car.

Our adventure will continue until we reach Ushuaia. Before this, we will try to achieve the tour of Africa from east to south and up north by the west coast in three years to reach Europe where we estimate staying for two years and visiting the west and the east with a small hop into northern countries during warmer periods. We then go to the Americas by crossing Central Asia, Mongolia and Russia to get to Alaska by the Bering Strait. From there we want to travel from North America to the most southern tip of South America in Tierra del Fuego.

The Trastours is a family that has been overlanding the planet for as long as they can remember! Made up of Greg and Magali as well as their daughters Natasha and Anastasia, The Trastours is a family filled to the brim with an unstoppable sense of adventure for the ultimate goal – to explore the world.

You can check out their next stop at www.nomadsroad.com or look for Nomads Road on Facebook and Twitter.

REVIEW

Alpinestars Supertech-R Boots When it comes to riding, we motorcyclists need all the protection we can get. And when choosing a product to protect your feet, there is no company with more experience than Alpinestars.

The Italian company has been building boots since 1963, and while a lot of things have changed since then, the company’s philosophy towards producing innovative, functional protective footwear is as true today as was 45 years ago.

For 2008, Alpinestars has released its successor to the top-of-the-line Supertech road race boot: The Alpinestars SupertechR Boot. Developed at the racetrack by MotoGP aces Nicky Hayden, John Hopkins, Dani Pedrosa and Jorge Lorenzo, the Supertech-R boot embodies the latest in protection, comfort and, of course, style.

Like its predecessor, the SupertechR boot makes use of a separate bootie inside of the main boot. The inner bootie is constructed out of a lightweight, extremely breathable micro-fibre material. An integrated ankle brace uses gel-padded, double-hinged inner and outer plastic

torsion bars that help protect the ankle and disperse energy loads in case of impact.

Tough plastic mouldings also help protect the riders’ heel and front edge of their toes from damage.

The outer boot is of multi-piece construction. A replaceable rubberized sole forms the base of the boot. The heel is of solid plastic construction and has integrated exhaust ventilation slits on either side. A replaceable heel plate slider reduces friction if you find yourself sliding across the pavement. The main part of the boot is built out of high-quality leather.

The boots’ inner side features a full length suede panel that gives the Supertech-R a clean look yet protects the rider from heat and/or abrasion. The toe shifter area is made of a flexible material that gives the rider the perfect amount of feel yet prevents pinching of the toes in a crash. Like other Alpinestars boots, the toe slider on the outside of the boot can be easy replaced with a plastic or more durable magnesium slider. Lastly, the top part of the boot is made from an aerodynamic, hard synthetic material that protects the riders’ shin and has air intakes on each side.

The external boot uses a zip-style side entry system which has stretch material on the bottom edge to ensure the zipper won’t get caught or stuck. Velcro on the zipper and bootie

lace ensures the boot will always stay tight.

Finally, an adjustable plastic buckle slides in a metal ratchet to keep the top part of the boot conformed to the riders’ calf.

Inevitably a rider is going to have to do some walking and these boots are flexible enough to allow a person to walk normally. In fact, for our feet, the boots are comfortable enough to walk around in all-day with absolutely zero pressure points. The foot and ankle dexterity allowed by the Supertech-R boot lends itself well on track and these boots have the best “feel” of any boot we’ve tested to date.

Fortunately, we haven’t taken a spill yet [knock on wood] but we have ridden thousands of miles both on the street and the track with the new Supertech-R boots and the boots still look new.

Al Yousuf Motors provides platform to all MotoGP enthusiasts with world’s leading brands in MotoGP for apparel and safety gears. Please visit Al Yousuf Motors across UAE to select your riding gears.

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LIFESTYLE

Health Powerhouse Salt and the Importance of Good Quality Salt in Your Diet and During Exercise

Matcha sea salt- make your own!

Words + Photos By: Ivana Chiles

Dear readers, we have covered many topics concerning right nutrition and fuelling on your adventures. One topic I have not discussed, even though extremely important, is SALT. Turns out, that when you start paying attention to your salt consumption, you may improve your health exponentially.

There are lots of conflicting information out there, and today I will distil it down for you.

First of all, let me share with you a story, which made me think of salt: We invited my parents last October for two weeks to look after the garden and our cat while we went on holidays with my husband. A part of my mum’s entertainment was, of course, cooking food while we were away. About 10 days into our holidays I received a message from my mum with the picture of a finished whole Celtic sea salt container (which generally lasts for 6-8 months in my kitchen) asking, whether this was all salt I had in the house? At first I laughed in disbelief, but then I realised, how little information about quality and quantity of salt is out there and how much salt some people consume, thinking it is perfectly fine.

What is Salt and How Much do We Need?

Salt provides two elements – sodium and chloride – both of which are essential for life.

Your body cannot make these elements on its own, so you must get them from your diet.

However, not all salts are created equal. Unfortunately our regular table salt has become toxic for our bodies.

What is Wrong with Table Salt and Why you Should Avoid It? Table salt is really sodium chloride

(97.5 percent) which is salt that has been stripped of all its nutrients. The end result is a chemical, 90% of which is used for industrial purposes (like melting ice for public pavements in winter). The leftovers are marketed for consumers and used as preservatives for industrial foods. In addition, this kind of salt is typically coated with aluminium hydroxide, a heavy metal, in order to stop it clumping.

Some other chemicals like moisture absorbents and flow agents like aluminosilicate and ferrocyanide are also added. Unfortunately, 95% of food in our common supermarkets carry processed foods which mostly contain table salt. It is an ingredient hidden in places you would least expect. That is why I recommend you stay away from processed foods as much as possible and pay attention to the labels.

However, that said, your body needs a good quality salt, be it sea salt, rock salt or Himalayan salt! Here is why!

Water and salt are the essences of life. As human body weight is some 60%-70% of salt water, staying properly hydrated (especially when exercising or undertaking any outdoor activities) is crucial. On the other hand, over hydration can be potentially dangerous and deadly too. Known as hyponatremia, drinking too much water without sodium and other minerals. This conditions has been a hot topic amongst some athletes who passed out suddenly during the races. Over hydration caused by water retention is often the result of medical conditions, such as liver disease, kidney problems, congestive heart failure and many more.

Did you know?

• Salt makes the body more conductive to electricity, allowing the cells to communicate better. Pure sea salt contains approximately 80 essential elements and minerals in their natural ratio that are essential for maintaining a healthy balance of electrolytes (sodium, potassium, chloride, bicarbonate, etc.) in the body. This balance bolsters transmission of information between the brain and nerve Avoid table salt!

Himalayan sea salt is lower in sodium and higher in potassium

cells, which influences heart rate, blood pressure and muscle tension, among other functions. Also, sea salt helps the kidneys get rid of excess acidity from body fluids while at the same time helping to regulate blood sugar levels.

• High salt solutions are used to resuscitate people and animals after injury, to increase blood volume to renew circulation, to restore cellular energy production, to increase oxygen consumption and heat production, to reduce free radical production, to improve heart muscle function, to reduce inflammation, vascular permeability and oedema (water retention) and to treat wounds!

What is the Difference Between Sea Salt, Rock Salt and Himalayan Salt?

Sea Salt

Sea salt is a natural unprocessed salt that contains about 84 percent sodium chloride (just under 37 percent of which is pure sodium). The remaining 16 percent are naturally-occurring trace minerals, including silicon, phosphorus, and vanadium.

Sea salt, also known as bay salt, is produced by the process of evaporation of salt water bodies. It is darker in colour as compared to the refined salts due to the absorption of essential minerals from the clay lining of the body of water.

Unlike refined salts, the preparation of sea salt usually includes very little processing, so it retains its moisture and mineral treasure.

These minerals are present in a form that is easily utilised and absorbed by the human body. The climate and the geographical location of the region also play a significant role in the quality and combination of minerals offered by the sea salt.

The Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic Ocean, and the North Sea are the most common hubs for the harvesting of sea salt. The Piles of sea salt in Bolivia

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Sea salt farming in Thailand

method involved in harvesting sea salt also helps to retain its natural state and therapeutic qualities. In ancient times, sea salt was valuable for healing hand injuries and wounds of fishermen.

Celtic sea salt is harvested differently, and uses conventional Celtic methods. These methods involve working and collecting the salt entirely by hand, using only wooden tools. It does not contain harmful chemicals and additives therefore this is my favourite sea salts along with Cornish sea salt!

Himalayan salt

Himalayan salts came into existence 250 million years ago, when the Himalayan Mountains were being formed.

Himalayan crystal salt is a pure, stone ground, hand-mined salt that is derived from ancient sea salt deposits, and it is believed to be the purest form of salt available. The high mineral crystals range in colour from sheer white, varying shades of pink, to deep reds, the result of high mineral and iron content, particularly iron oxide.

It is called “white gold” because it is said to contain ions of stored sunlight and apparently has therapeutic properties.

This pure crystal has been exposed to earth pressure for millions and millions of years.

This pressure has perfected the geometric crystalline structure of Himalayan salt. The more perfect the geometric shape of the crystal, the more its energy content. And with this structure, the body can easily absorb this salt.

Himalayan salt contains the 84 natural elements needed by the body. These salts do not have any impurities since they are mined with bare hands, and explosives are prohibited in mining to preserve the magnificence of the Himalayas.

The beauty with Himalayan salt is that in addition to being naturally lower in sodium, it’s much higher in potassium compared to other salt—including other natural salt like sea salt or Celtic salt. Himalayan salt contains Himalayan salt lamps have many healing benefits and everyone should have one in their homes and office

0.28 percent potassium, compared to 0.16 percent in Celtic salt, and 0.09 percent in regular table salt. While this may seem like tiny amounts, Himalayan salt still has a better salt-potassium ratio than other salt, especially table salt.

Being the cleanest salt, free from harsh chemicals, Himalayan Salt is used by holistic chefs, spas, health professionals, and individuals for its range of nutritional and therapeutic properties. Surely you have seen Himalayan crystal salt lamps around and I strongly recommend you buy at least one for your home and for your office. Some of the main benefits are, that they neutralise electromagnetic radiation (flowing from your TV, computers, phones etc., ), cleanse and deodorise air, reduce allergy and asthma, increase energy levels, improve mood and energy and reduce static energy in the air.

Externally, crystal salt can be used to relax the body, support healthy blood pressure already in the normal range, support healthy musculature, and aid in detoxification internally and externally (scrubbing).

Rock Salt

Rock salt is derived from the inside of mountains - the structure of the salt has been pressurised into a very fine colloidal form over millions of years. This kind of salt has a negative charge, whereas human cells are positively charged and as a result the minerals of the salt can be easily absorbed into human cells. Rock salt can balance the body’s potentially unhealthy resonance frequency and it can bring the fluids of the body into a correct balance.

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Himalayan salt (for more potassium) and drink throughout your exercise. This way you know exactly what is in your drink, you will be well hydrated and you avoid ingesting any harsh chemical commonly present in sports drinks.

The choice is yours! I personally keep a combination of all different salts in my kitchen cupboard and use them according to the texture of the meal, preparation and my mood.

While sea salt is rather coarse, I use it to enhance the flavour of cooked meals or in a salt mill. My tip is to season your meals right at the end and using rather less than more. You will find that your meal will taste somewhat saltier few hours later when the salt crystals disintegrate.

Himalayan sea salt is said to carry energy and has healing powers. This is the kind of salt I would use to sprinkle on my ready veggies, in sports drinks or to balance flavour of some cold deserts. I also like to make my own matcha salt by mixing one cup of Celtic sea salt with two teaspoons of pure matcha powder. This way you will add some extra antioxidants to your meals plus the bright green colour is a simple pleasure to look at.

As you chase the healthiest possible life, be smart about what you put in your body.

Remember that as with most things, moderation is the key. Avoid processed salt and use natural salt in moderation. Sea salt, rock salt and Himalayan salt are nutritional goldmines provided you mind sodium-potassium ratio.

Eat a diet of whole, ideally organically and locally grown foods. Have a green juice every day, include lima beans, spinach, avocados, bananas, prunes and papayas to increase your potassium intake.

How Do I Know I Consume Enough/Too Much Sodium?

The only way is to have your levels tested by your doctor. As a general rule, your ideal sodium level should be 139, with an optimal range of 136 to 142. If it is much lower, you probably need to eat more salt (natural and unprocessed varieties, of course); if it is higher, you’ll likely want to restrict your salt intake. Keep in mind that if you have weak adrenals, you will lose sodium and need to eat more natural salt to compensate.

Other Rather Unknown Benefits and Uses of Natural Salts:

• Pinch of sea salt diluted in a glass of water and drunk first thing in the morning could rid you of some food allergies.

• Use sea salt mouth rinse to treat gum swelling and sore throat.

• Make yourself a natural mouth rinse diluting one teaspoon of sea salt in warm water, add three drops of pure organic clove oil, leave to cool down and keep in your bathroom. Rinse your mouth daily after brushing, before going to bed.

• Use sea salt solution to disinfect wounds and cuts.

• Mix one cup of sea salt with one tablespoon of olive oil and use 1-2 a week to scrub your body (avoid face)

Make Yourself a Simple Sports Drink!

Mix juice from one organic freshly squeezed orange in your sports bottle filled up with filtered water.

Add 1/2 teaspoon of good quality sea salt or

My three favourite salts

Ivana has been living in the UAE for 16 years. She is a qualified Health Coach and member of the American Association of Drugless Practitioners.

Her passions are nutrition, organic gardening, healthy cooking and homemade organic skin care. She runs weekly workshops on the above topics.

For more information, visit her Facebook page, Health Powerhouse.

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LIFESTYLE

Outdoor Flicks

Film: Into the Wild Director: Sean Penn Producer: Sean Penn, Art Linson

and Bill Pohlad Starring: Emile Hirsch, Kristen Stewart,

Catherine Keener,

Brian H. Dierker and Hal Holbrook

All Aspects of Alone Words By: Keith Pereña Photos By: Paramount Vantage

A classic film about the outdoors, Sean Penn’s Into the Wild never fails to amuse. A bit dated, Penn’s take of Jon Krakauer’s account of Christopher McCandless’ life and untimely demise is filled with artistically crafted cinematography and literary voiceovers reflecting on how humans need their fix of nature as much as possible. The film obviously is about Christopher McCandless – the famous/reviled (depending on perspective) figure that camped in the Alaskan wilderness where he eventually died.

It starts off in medias res,where we get to see McCandless already scrounging for sustenance in the wild. This first few minutes of the film is inspiring at first because it doesn’t show the rigours and hardships that McCandless in undertaking. This is also our first time to see Emile Hirsch portraying the

titular character in a whimsical, yet appealing way. It feels as if Hirsch transformed into more than just an Icarus but also became a person of substance – with his reading, his knowledge of the outdoors and of course the historic bus where he made his stand.

Then it all backtracks — to the day when McCandless called it quits on our rat-race world. The transition is very subtle, and slow, kind of like an easing in until it hits the audience straight that this is indeed where it began. We see a young man who tries his very best to veer away from society, sort of in a lone wolf manner. This introduction to McCandless’ deviation from the norm is very powerful as it rings true to a majority of outdoorsmen and women when they’re sitting at their desks from nine to five yearning for their next big adventure. Suffice to say, the moment Christopher steps out and starts life on his pursuit for the great outdoors, everybody else who is watching follows suit.

What is notable with the film is as mentioned above, the cinematography. The film

is riddled with macro shots of flowers as well as symmetrically poignant scenes in McCandless’ journey such as eating an apple, taking a kayak, or even just standing on top of a rock whilst reading a novel. The film’s visual appeal is timeless, the narrative more so.

The film speaks of a truth about the outdoors in quite an unorthodox way. It gives it to the audience as raw and unadultered as can be as it shows the protagonist swinging in the balance between happy and trying hard. One such example of this is the kayaking scene when he enjoys the ride on the first leg and then eventually has to negotiate with border patrol because he passed the US-Mexico border unknowingly. McCandless gets to realise a lot of things throughout the film, and I believe he goes through the entire spectrum of humanity with this. He experiences music, art, consumerism and eventually, the exhilaration of being outdoors.

At the end of it all, what is amazing about the film is that it does not make it seem tragic but rather portraying it as the protagonist’s good bye to life. Yes, the ending may appear to be a bit climactic but this lesson is given to the audience as gentle as can be as McCandless wraps himself up in his sleeping bag. Some lessons have to be learned the hard way.

Up until now, people are mixed when regarding this man – what he did, and why he did it. But I think he has inspired a lot of people with his fate. After all, he was just someone aching to get away from it all and who would say that isn’t true with everyone who’s craving for their outdoor fix on the weekends?

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Habitually healthy Huevos Rancheros Redux Words + Recipe By: Chef Patrick Ikinofo

Hello all welcome back to this month’s spread with your one and only Captain Caveman Chef Patrick.

What an awesome start to the year it’s been for us working alongside the Dragon racing team for the Dubai 24hr race, the pop up Bistro down at the Dubai Ironman competition and a lot of testing and tasting for our new menu launch this month.

And of course serving all of our regular customers and new comers that come on over to us for their daily Paleo fix.

This menu is sure to be a hit with all the winter warmers we have on. We decided to keep things simple and nourishing good classic comfort food paleo style, food for the soul, cooked with heart from the boys out back.

You will see the return of the Huevos Rancheros which was a big seller before my time here so I’ve put my twist on it and named it Part II. A 12-hour braised beef brisket pulled and spiced served with 100% gluten and dairy free wrap, avocado salsa, dairy free citrus sour cream and two organic, free range eggs.

I’ve thrown in the recipe for the wraps for you to try out. The wraps are a sure winner for all you gluten free people out there, they’re a great alternative to bread or tortillas. You can also bake them to create a healthy crisp to have with dips or soup.

Remember we are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, we are always here for you… don’t forget. Until next month. Do it for the love of cooking – Chef Patrick

100% Paleo Gluten and Dairy Free Wraps • 2 pieces Egg Whites • 1 Tbsp Coconut Flour • 3 Tbsp Water, Lukewarm • 1 pinch Baking Soda

Process

1. Put your egg whites into a bowl and add the coconut flour, baking soda, sea salt and lukewarm water. Mix this well until the mixture is smooth. Leave to stand for a few minutes.

2. Heat a frying pan with a bit of coconut oil and pour the mixture in.

Once the top of the wrap is dry, turn it around and bake the other side.

3. Turn out onto a big plate and fill with your filling of choice of the suggestions I gave above.

The Cycle Bistro GPS location: Latitude: N 25° 02.792 Longitude: E 055° 14.384 Phone: 04 425 6555

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Natural History LIFESTYLE

Words + Photos By: Dan Wright

It was a beautiful day in mid-January and I had been asked by the OutdoorArabia team to guide a Nature Hike for the day.

I spent the night out in the mountains on my own to relax into the environment and was up bright and early to meet the group at the hiking start point (see map and GPS coordinates).

My group turned out to be some energetic and enthusiastic 20-somethings – ex school/college party of friends all up for a day of exploring the mountains and learning about the UAE’s varied wilderness. We were carrying packed lunch and various snacks to keep us fueled and the route I had planned was 11km’s following a gravel track along the Wadi bed and finishing with a mountain pass to get some views in before dropping back down to our bus.

Wadi Helow is a well-known heritage area with several old villages and archaeological sites including Bronze Age copper smelting sites and late Iron Age settlement sites. The wadi bed has natural springs running close to the surface which means it is very green with many different plant species which attracts insects and birds.

The first site of interest along the trek is on the right hand side. It looks like a shelf of very hard granite that has been worked as a small quarry but upon closer inspection and when you pick up some of the granite pieces on the floor, you’ll find they crumble easily in your hands. This is of course very unusual for granite which as an igneous rock is extremely hard (often used for kitchen work surfaces) and usually needs a hammer and considerable force to even break off a small piece.

What is happening here is called “Kaolinisation”. Granite is made up of three minerals: Quartz, Feldspar and Mica. During weathering for prolonged periods of time (thousands of years) the feldspar breaks down into a clay called Kaolin and the mica and quartz drops out and forms a very shiny sand. In the olden days this Kaolin clay would have been collected and mixed with water to Picture perfect pose

make a whitewash paint for the inside of clay plastered homes. In more modern times you might see it when travelling in countries like India. Sadhus (wandering Shiva priests) daub their bodies all over with the paint and wear a cloth around their waists.

After spending some time posing for selfies whilst crushing granite blocks in our bare hands like Superman, we moved on down the wadi.

Towards the end near the roads in Wadi Helow you will find lush farms that thrive on the water that is so close to the surface.

Pre-1971 these would have been even more extensive but as the villages near the road got bigger, the water levels in the wadi would have dropped to present day levels which are enough for small farms but not enough to support populations living in villages in the wadi itself. For birdwatchers or insect lovers these farms are a perfect place to spend a day sat with a pair of binoculars and a notebook watching the world fly by!

Species such as; little green bee-eaters, Indian rollers, purple sunbirds, Humes Wheatear and Indian myna are abundant and with a primary diet of small insects they thrive in these areas. The water surface water of Falaj irrigation systems and water storage tanks attracts Dragonflies and with all the flowers the 3 B’s - Bees, Beetles and Butterflies are everywhere!

Exploring caves for bees

Selfie time

After the farms there is a nice stroll of three or so kilometres with ample opportunity to watch raptors in the skies or Sinai Agama lizards sun bathing on the rocks beside the track. In the mating season, the male lizards turn a brilliant azure blue and the females to show they are in season develop red flashes on their shoulders.

On the right hand side the track climbs a short rise above the Wadi to a small plateau.

Here you will find an ancient tribal burial ground. The graves are shown by short mounds of gravel with a head stone (but no writing). In the olden days the body had to be buried within 24 hours of death and the ground was too stony to dig deep so they would dig a shallow grave and then cover the body with gravel and surround it with rocks to stop wild animals digging up the bodies to scavenge it. The graves in this area all look short like they might have been for children but that wasn’t the case. Bodies were buried, lying on their sides facing Mecca in the fetal position which took up less space.

Slightly further down the track on the left is an old village of stone built dwellings. The first building that you see is a lookout post

MIDDLE EAST’S OUTDOOR, ADVENTURE, TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

Wadi Helow Hike Route

Finding tracks in the mud

Summit selfie

which the village guards would have stood in to watch the approaches to the village. Travelling traders and pilgrims would be stopped before entering the village to make sure they weren’t marauding tribesmen intent on attacking the village. Further in would be a set of two low stone walls with benches on the inside. This would have been roofed and acted as a Majlis for traders to sit in and wait for the village Emir (prince) to come and meet them. This would also be the place where all the news of the outside world would be discussed. Next would come the houses which were nothing more than small oblong rooms with a thatched or graveled roof in which the whole family would lie on the floor to sleep with a small fireplace in one corner.

They would have been very dark inside and smoky. With no shelves or cupboards as in modern houses the inhabitants would have stored their few possessions in the cracks between rocks and you can still sometimes see tooth brushes, combs or razors in these nooks and crannies.

Once you leave this first village complex you start to notice low stone walls and houses on either side of the wadi as though there were small farms and homesteads spread out all along the valley. The lunch stop is one such of these on a bend in the wadi where the water would have pooled and Donkey Petroglyph archaeology

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lasted much longer after the floods. These were places that were strategic because they had water and could sustain big flocks of goats and even irrigate small patches of crops. As you walk down the wadi bed here you will see outcrops of very rounded black stone. Upon closer inspection you will find these are pillow lavas of igneous basalt.

These occur when magma (lava) flows into a subaqueous (underwater) environment. As the outside surface of the lava rapidly cools the hot and liquid inner layers continue to flow causing the lava to slump and build up in layers that look like pillows lying on top of one another.

After the lunch stop comes a good 3km of uphill, gentle at first but it gets quite steep towards the top of the pass. At the top is a great view of the next valley and the road where hopefully your transport is waiting to collect you at the end (see map for coordinates)! Up here you will find a beautiful outcrop of rocks where your group can gather for the ultimate selfies to upload to your various statuses to let the world know what cool adventures you are having whilst they sit at home! If you stand up on the rocks and shout at the top of your voice you will hear it echoing down the valley below you as your voice reverberates off the rocks of the mountains on either side of the valley.

The descent takes a lot less time than the climb up to the pass and in half an hour you can be safely down at the road for the journey home.

As ever with any activities we advocate to you, you need to pay attention to safety.

You can do this by:

1. Getting a weather forecast before entering the wadi (any sign of rain – postpone to a dry day) 2. Carry enough water and food for the day (at least three litres of water) 3. Carry a first aid kit and emergency items like a tarp to make a sun shade

Water allows flowers to grow which attracts insects

Igneous basalt in the wadi bed

4. Make sure someone knows where you will be and how long you will take before you get home (don’t forget to tell them you made it home ok) 5. Wear sensible clothing for the terrain. A track like this is fine for trainers but steeper rocky ground needs walking boots.

6. Carry all your rubbish out with you and if you do need the bathroom for a number two dig a small hole then cover it with a rock!

7. Stay safe and trek with friends, don’t go alone.

You can use the coordinates and map provided here or alternatively if you want to go with a guided group and learn more about the environment you can book a trip with OutdoorArabia.

Start Point: Exit from the E102 Dubai to Kalba Road at: 24°56’35.20”N/56°12’30.99”E End Point: Finish after the farms at the roadside at: 24°56’48.76”N/56°16’2.40”E Dan Wright is a freelance Wilderness Guide in the UAE and Asia. He has a degree in Environmental Science. Dan has been on several International wildlife and exploration expeditions with UK Radio stations and writes for a range of publications in Asia and the Middle East.

His wife is the former Nepal National Mountain Bike Champion, Nirjala Tamrakar. They live in Dubai with their son Percy and spend all their spare time exploring the UAE!

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MIDDLE EAST’S OUTDOOR, ADVENTURE, TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

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PRODUCTS A ROUND-UP OF QUALITY PRODUCTS AVAILABLE RIGHT HERE IN THE UAE

Scalera 1

TRUE UTILITY Mini Driver

Available at Sport in Life, Ras al Khor

Available at all GO Sport stores

The Scalera range is a race-bred high performance carbon platform. This design combines stiffness and aerodynamics into a highly attractive package. The carbon layup is stiff and lightweight and has been carefully calculated to meet the high demands of racing cyclists. The geometry is finely tuned for every size, resulting in an accurate and agile ride feel at all speeds for riders of every stature.

This little gem won’t just look great on your key chain but is very useful too. It cleverly contains four screwdriver heads – both small and large Phillips and flat screwdrivers. Simply remove the quick release clip, and slide a key or coin into the slotted end to add torque so you can undo/do up the toughest of screws.

14, 499 AED

Specifications: Frame: Award-Winning, Silverback Aero Carbon frame Wheels: Fulcrum Quattro Gears system: Shimano Ultegra Di2 11 speed Weight: 7.8kg

Features: • Anti-slip grooves on main body for better control • 4 Screw heads - standard and small Phillips and standard and small flat screwdrivers • Quick release CleverClip included

TRUE UTILITY Clip Tool

Yamaha Speedblock Leather Gloves

Available at all GO Sport stores

Available at all Al Yousuf Motors across the UAE

A small, strong stainless steel bodied multi-tool that includes powerful small pliers, knife, file, Phillips screwdriver and a bottle opener. Quick release clip for easy on/off access.

Features: • Carbon knuckles and fingers for protection • Kevlar protection alongside hand on palm • Ring and small fingers joint • Double layer palm reinforcement • Double adjusted cuff closure • Size S - XL

59 AED

Features: • 422 grade stainless steel • Pliers • File • Knife • Phillips screwdriver • Bottle opener • Quick release clip

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59 AED

OUTDOORUAE

500 AED (Before: 700 AED)

T R&I E D

TESTED ODUC THIS PR

OV T IS APPR

TDOO ED BY OU

RUAE

Fitness tracker with wrist-based heart rate Words By: Blake Stemm

It is always hard to find wearable technology that does everything that you want. As I train and compete in many different facets of fitness, including marathons, CrossFit, weights, aquathlons, cycling and more, it is extremely important for me to be able to monitor my body so that I can take it to the next level.

Having used so many different products, I was always struggling with bulky ugly watches or chest straps that slide down your midsection whilst training, therefore I was keen to try the all-new Polar A360 with its sleek, slimline design and exciting new wrist-based heart rate technology.

There are currently two colours available in the Middle East, black and white.

I measured the wrist strap as per the instructions and it fitted perfectly - like a glove.

It is very light, comfortable and I don’t even know that I have it on sometimes. I downloaded the Polar Flow app and proceeded to sync the product. The syncing process for this product

does take time, so each and every time you have to sync it, be a little patient. When you begin your exercise you can select the style of training you are doing so that it can monitor appropriately, reading your heart rate through the base of the watch and top of your wrist.

Once you have selected your training mode, the Polar A360 will record your average heart rate, max heart rate, calories and percentage of fat burnt. The most important features for me are the heart rate monitoring, calories, activity tracker and the sleep tracker. It also has some new features helping to motivate you to be more active through the activity tracker, the smart coaching features and the activity benefit tracker. At the end of each month, the app and A360 allows you to review your month’s training to help you set your goals for the next month.

On the slimline wearable technology, the touch screen is clear and bright and sensitive to the touch. With a simple flick of the wrist the

screen turns on to display the time. This is perfect for me as I always have my hands full and cannot possibly have a free hand to touch the screen and turn it on. It does however turn on whilst in bed, but until now the light has not woken me, so I don’t feel that it is an issue at all.

The technology doesn’t stop there; it syncs to your phone and notifies you when you have calendar alerts, incoming calls, messages and social media notifications. It also gives you a gentle vibrating reminder when you have been sitting still for too long.

Polar A360 Benefits:

1. Light, slim, professional 2. No chest strap 3. 24/7 activity tracking 4. Notifications – calls, messages, social media, being inactive 5. Bright readable screen 6. One-stop shop for all types of fitness 7. Perfect motivational tool for beginners to advanced 8. Waterproof

Newly launched in the region, the Polar A360 is a new, revolutionary fitness tracker from Polar and it retails at 890 AED. The A360 is available at all GO Sport and Jumbo Electronics stores across the UAE.

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MIDDLE EAST’S OUTDOOR, ADVENTURE, TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

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PRODUCTS Hawk Z-400T

TRUE UTILITY Smart Knife

Available at Instagram: @almekshah Facebook: www.facebook.com/almekshah Mobile: +971 55 9898954

Available at all GO Sport stores

1,900 AED

The HAWK marks the next generation of manufacturing technology, delivering Nite’s lightest ever watch without sacrificing any of the quality they have built their reputation on.

Its lightweight reinforced carbon construction and extra large, super bright GTLS illumination are just two of the reasons it’s already a Nite legend.

Technical Specifications: Case Finish: Black Polycarbonate Strap Type: Black Polymer Crystal: K1 Mineral GTLS: Hands, Dial and Bezel MBS: No Movement: Swiss Ronda 515 Crown Type: Push in Dial Diameter: 33mm Case Diameter: 51mm Case Depth: 13mm Weight: 64g Water Resistance: 200m Battery Life: 3-4 Years

Much more than just a pocket knife… it’s a bottle opener, screwdriver, belt cutter, glass breaker, multi-size spanner and a knife all wrapped up in a high-grade stainless steel body.

Handy belt clip and lanyard attachment included.

Features: • Fine sandblasted 420 grade stainless steel • Knife • Belt clip • Bottle opener • Screwdriver • Belt cutter • Adjustable spanner (4mm – 10mm bolts) • Key ring attachment

Scalera 2

TRUE UTILITY Fire Stash

Available at Sport in Life, Ras al Khor

Available at all GO Sport stores

The Scalera range is a race-bred high performance carbon platform. This design combines stiffness and aerodynamics into a highly attractive package. The carbon layup is stiff and lightweight and has been carefully calculated to meet the high demands of racing cyclists. The geometry is finely tuned for every size, resulting in an accurate and agile ride feel at all speeds for riders of every stature.

This unbelievably small, waterproof key ring canister houses a fully working lighter that is ready to ignite at your command.

Attach to your key ring for essential outdoor use. Refill with standard lighter fuel.

11, 499 AED

Specifications: Frame: Award-Winning, Silverback Aero Carbon Frame Wheels: Fulcrum Quattro Gears system: Shimano Ultegra 11 speed Weight: 7.8kg

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105 AED

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69 AED

Features: • Dark chrome plated zinc alloy • Petrol refillable lighter (supplied without lighter fluid) • Waterproof Neoprene O-ring • 20mm split key ring attachment

T100GTLS

T25GTLS

ICON-209ST100

ICON-209S

T100 vs T25

As a brand who sells both T100 and T25 GTLS illuminated watches, we often get asked what the difference is.

Radiation content is measured in millicuries (mCi), therefore, all watches with

a T25 mark contain no more than 25mCi of radiation content and similarly, watches with a T100 mark, contain no more than 100mCi. All current Nite watches are fitted with GTLS tubes manufactured by the Swiss company mb-microtec. mb-microtec are widely regarded as the best manufacturers

of GTLS tubes in the world and offer an extensive range of colour and size options.

The size and colour of GTLS will ultimately determine the final mCi rating of each model.

Whilst there are differences between the amount of mCi in the T25 and T100 models, the idea of “which is better� is simply a choice of preference and taste.

It would be of interest to us to gauge from our customers, your preference, and whether this is determined by the situations you are in, activities you use the watch for, or simply down to personal taste?

Some prefer the T25 GTLS illumination due to its more understated look and design, whilst others are believers that if you are to purchase a tritium watch, then you will want as much illumination as possible, and opt for the T100 models.

Our new ICON series features both T25 and T100 models within it, on this page is a comparison of the T25 and T100 versions of the ICON-209S.

Available at Instagram: @almekshah Facebook: www.facebook.com/almekshah Mobile:+971 55 9898954 OUTDOORUAE

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OUR EXPERTS

6 Hours Later, He Goes Home with One Rod Words + Photos by: Kit Belen

Rods and reels - the good ones almost always come with a huge price tag because they are quite specialized pieces of equipment. Gone are the days in the UAE where majority of the people you see lining the beaches, water breakers, below bridges and jetties use the long telescopic rods of old, most of them now hold a proper rod and reel.

While there are still some that buy from shops in Deira and Dragon Mart, a huge chunk of the fishing population have now quickly turned to reputable fishing tackle establishments to buy their fishing gear.

However, the fact still remains - they are not cheap.

Not All Rods are Created and Sold Equally

Fishing rods are created with different processes and materials. These days, high-end rods are made using graphite. Some rods have a blend of fibreglass and graphite.

Of the two, graphite is the most popular material for micro light to heavy rods.

There are still a lot of fibreglass rods around especially for trolling, as fibreglass is more forgiving than graphite, especially in the most demanding of situations (like big game fishing) Lately, there has been a resurgence of “old school” glass - rods created entirely with fibreglass. Branded as “retro” rods – these are targeted at a very small market, therefore not something the average angler would consider.

We all know what fibreglass is and no one will really ask a lot of questions about it.

However, the marketing world has blurred the vision on what graphite is. Don’t let this fool you - graphite IS a form of carbon, so when you see a rod’s label that says its carbon, they mean that it’s made of graphite. A lot of people don’t understand this and say one particular rod is better than the

Here's a nice feature you find that comes as a standard to their mid range rods - a reel seat lock.

It keeps the reel seat locked in place and totally eliminates the chances of the lock coming undone

other because this brand uses carbon and not graphite.

A rod manufactured with very high graphite content translates to a very light, stiff and sensitive rod - you cannot create a rod with 100% graphite as it would be very brittle. Getting the balance that would make the rod light, stiff, sensitive and one that would be able to stand up to the rough conditions of fishing is what rod manufacturers aspire to perfect - and all of us are expected to pay for that technology - this is the reason why the prices vary from one model to the next even from the same manufacturer.

While American and European model rods are good for their intended use, I have found that the models offered by Japanese manufacturers fit the needs of the average fisherman more than European or American made rods. The standard for offshore fishing still remains with American models, while most shore and specific boat fishing is covered by Japanese and other Asian brand rods, applications such as jigging, popping and shore game are dominated by Japanese rod makers.

The Biggest Question Is…

I am in the middle of upgrading my shore and rock fishing gear, which have been

It is hard to imagine - look at the range of weights this rod is designed to cast - most manufacturers have a limited range this rod can almost cast anything and its hard to imagine that it is basically an ultralight rod

neglected for some time because I was for a long time; fishing off kayaks or chasing around fish with a fly rod – so imagine my surprise when I found the rods I was looking for and seeing the price tag on them costing like a fly rod, I didn’t expect them to be cheap, but spinning rods that are in same ballpark as a good quality fly rod is almost too hard to swallow. So I set about to find rods that would be able to fit what I was looking for and that would not break the bank.

The question that breaks the bank is what brand would be the best value for money? We all know how nice Japanese rods are and after the popping and jigging craze, we know that their rods are well suited for the purpose and can stand the abuse of GT, amberjack and tuna – the biggest question is – How deep are your pockets?

The answer differs from person to person - rod choices are pretty much the same as your preference on the food you eat or the underwear you prefer to keep the family jewels safe and secure, and how much you’re willing to spend for quality.

For me, the search has led me to use a Japanese brand that is easy on the pocket and one that has a range of rods that deliver the actions I’m looking for and in the lengths I find ideal for my style of fishing. The answer for me is MajorCraft.

For close to three years, I have been playing around with a few of their rods, from both the shore and boat – They have different ranges and I have used three in their middle range – Solpara, Crostage and Skyroad.

What sets MajorCraft apart from most of the big name brands is the fact that they’re

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K Guides come standard starting at with the Crostage range of rods - something you would not expect at that price point

probably some of the most affordable rods that are built for specialized tasks – they have features you only expect from the top brands – but they don’t break the bank.

The Skinny on the Rods

Japanese rods will set you back a lot of money and a rod that’s worth over 1,000 AED is common. While other Japanese brands can set you back more than 1,000 AED, the average cost for a MajorCraft is about 600 AED. However, the cost alone is not enough to justify how good the brand is.

MajorCraft mid end models, such as those I use are lightweight, strong, sensitive and surprisingly comparable to the big name brands. In a head to head comparison, you might find the rod a bit heavier than their (off by a few grams at the most) counterparts, but the biggest consideration is that they will cost a few hundred AEDs less than the other brands – sometimes by as much as half or more. For the angler who wants quality at a good price point it is a very good deal. It might surprise you though, that their rods are made with the same quality components as the big name brands – you will find Fuji reel seats and K guides on most mid end models – one of their lines even have the super high tech Torzite guides, you might pay a higher price, but the fact remains – these rods will not cost more or anywhere close to a rod with the same specifications from another Japanese manufacturer.

My most expensive MajorCraft rod is the Skyroad Surf. I got it for 850 AED. This is a rod specifically made for flounder and flathead – two species I used to fish for back home and both are on my favourite fish list.

The Skyroad Surf comes in three lengths and designed for long casts off the beach.

A similar brand from another manufacturer would set you back around 1,500 AED more or less.

Worked exactly like it's supposed to. The Skyroad might not be for everyone, but for lure fishing and for fishing the beaches with jigs and soft plastics, it's a winner in my book

I have two Crostage rods one of their lower mid end ranges - one for light shore jigging which is one of the rods I use when I fish off rocks using metal jigs and a sea bass solid tip model that has worked well for me using light lures and soft plastics up to 15 grams. The solid tip is designed for sensitivity and can detect strikes that you would otherwise miss and is my go to rod for most situations. They were about 600 or so each.

Then there’s the “economy” version – Solpara, which I have three of. A very long oneused for fishing off rocks with heavier metal lures (it can cast up to 60 grams!), when distance is the main concern, I most often use this rod. An Egi rod and a light jigging rod from the same range rounds everything up for me. Solpara rods are around 500 AED. Being in the UAE we’re lucky to have easy access to these rods – People from North America have to order the rods from Japan – most of the sale from these rods are in Japan because these rods are Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) products.

I paid full price for each of these rods.

However, I still had money to buy the lures I wanted from the money I had left. So when I walked out of the shop (Barracuda in Sheikh Zayed road carries these rods here) I was still able to get myself some jigs (mind you, also some MajorCraft jigs) to use with the rod.

Not a bad deal if you ask me.

I have caught quite a fish on these rods

My collection of MajorCraft rods - I think I still have room for a few more

including cobia, tuna and dorado offshore side by side with expensive rods, on shore and on the rocks, my rods have fished and caught kingfish, trevs, grunter, flounder flathead and many more – at times, even more than the expensive Japanese brands.

I can say with confidence that it can cast jig and pull on fish just as well as the top end brands. They also come with a rod sock when you buy them, which is a huge plus for me – it is exactly what you would expect from a Japanese rod – at a better price point.

Another Rod?!

The rod as you may already know, dictates your lure presentation – it is what propels your lure to the distances you require and is also one of the tools that make the lure move to make it look like fish fodder. It is an important piece of equipment that helps you enjoy what you love, however, I believe that you should not let the bling distract you – if you can afford the expensive rods, then great, however, for the majority of us who are fishing on a budget, MajorCraft is a great brand to look at – The only reason why it is cheaper than the others is because they shifted their manufacturing from Japan to Vietnam, but the guys supervising the workforce are all Japanese and pretty much the same people overseeing the production in Japan. So it doesn’t speak Japanese – last time I caught a fish, it didn’t really talk to me and I doubt if it could read the sticker on the rod that said, “Made in Vietnam”.

Till next tide change,

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

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OUR EXPERTS

Challenging Liwa!

Words by: Marina Bruce Photos by: Marina Bruce and Murray Kinnaird

Since discovering Liwa back in 2010, I have had a longing to spend as much time there as possible and in December 2015, my dream came true and we now live in the Liwa area.

The name means different things to different people; for some it is the area of high dunes punctuated with long sabkhas that is south of the E95 “Crescent Road”, but for me, Liwa starts as soon as the large “barkhan” (crescent shaped) dunes so typical of the area start appearing, and that happens around the Tropic of Cancer.

We live in a fantastic area for outdoor sports, with good road connections, fantastic landscapes… and hardly any people at all! Unless of course you happen on one of the many organised challenge events which take place during the wintertime.

January sees the ADCO Liwa Cycling Challenge – one of the largest cycle races in the UAE, which offers racing for all ages and abilities. There is a 40km race for beginners, whereas the elite and master classes compete over 100kms of Liwa roads. I remember being rather surprised when I discovered that there was an undulating four lane highway right through the middle of the Liwa Oasis and it is this road and its many hills which provide a tough challenge for the riders.

Fatbiking takes cycling to a whole new level and the Liwa area offers the chance to cycle over some of the most sublime dunes in the world. Some readers may remember a couple of years back that two of OutdoorUAE’s experts, Ian Ganderton and Mike The Fatbikers Liwa 2013

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Teamwork on the Dark Skies Challenge 2014

Nott were part of a team which cycled from West to East across the crescent, a distance of 138kms which took them less than one and a half days. I was lucky enough to lead their support team, carrying food and water as we shadowed them over some rather technical tracks and if anyone wishes to attempt this challenging ride then I will be more than pleased to support you!

If you prefer to keep your feet on the ground then there are many beautiful areas to walk or run; park up by the side of the road and stay close to one of the many sandtracks which criss-cross the area – but don’t forget your GPS and a fully charged mobile phone.

Speaking of GPS, February sees the Liwa Challenge – an exercise in endurance, navigation and self-sufficiency. Competitors, many international, opt to walk either a 100 or 200km course across the inhospitable terrain of the Empty Quarter; surely this must be the ultimate Liwa Challenge!

The best kind of Liwa Challenge for me is one involving offroading and in April each

year the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge takes to the sand. Now in its 26th year, it is the first round in the FIM Cross Country Rallies World Championship and the second round of the FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup and provides an excellent chance for spectators to see some of the top international names in the sport.

However before that, the Desert Diva’s very own Dark Skies Challenge will take place, with assistance from Oasis Offroad, near to Arada. Teams of four amateur drivers will make their way 100kms north east, aiming to navigate from point to point in the shortest possible distance. A remote overnight camp – where the sky should be dark enough to see many thousands of stars – is followed by a potentially easy 50km drive out to Ghayathi the next morning. There is no prize for the fastest, nor the shortest distance, but we do have some sponsors who have kindly donated prizes for our photo competitions – including OutdoorUAE! Cut off date for registration is 9th February, so there still may be time to enter!

Rafael Sonik on his way to victory in the ADDC 2014

OUR EXPERTS

in the Middle East

Words by: Jake Lyle Photos by: Jon Lyle

Over thousands of years and thousands of swells, waves smashed against coastal rock faces, eroding and collapsing the walls, creating underwater spectacles – huge displays of sunken rock and eroded walls, allowing for an underwater playground for scuba divers, to emerge.

Cave diving is one of the most unique and exciting forms of Scuba diving, and requires a certain sense of adventure and bravery to embark upon, not to mention a special set of skills. Diving in an overhead environment is vastly different to any typical dive, as it brings with it a special type of fear: the fear that you won’t be able to find your way back to the surface. However this fear quickly subsides as you enter these caves, and the

feeling of wonder and admiration swiftly takes its place. When done properly, cave diving can be a wonderful experience in an environment that few people get to see, an experience that you will never forget, and will have you coming back for more. These caves provide views of geological wonders and beautiful formations that divers cannot see or enjoy elsewhere. As well, the atmosphere within these caves is considerably different to that of the atmosphere in the open ocean, as there is no current, no waves and no sound, not the crackling of coral or the grumble of a boat’s engine, it’s just the sound of the breaths you take in, and the bubbles you expel. It is truly awe-inspiring.

Cave diving equipment can be very different to the equipment taken on a normal dive, as the environment is considerably different, so is the equipment required to experience it. Along with normal scuba equipment; cave divers use a primary light, as well as a backup, a line and reel, special exposure protection gear and a number of other pieces of technical diving equipment.

Luckily, as much of the Middle East is attached to the ocean, the region boasts wonderful cave diving sites, that can satisfy the needs of all divers. A great deal of the coastline along the UAE and Oman specifically, has the ocean being met with mountains and cliff faces, predominantly in areas like Dibba, Musandam, Fujairah and Muscat (which are already diving hotspots), this means that there is ample opportunity for caves to form in these areas, providing the perfect sites for cave diving. One of the greatest sites in the area is a dive site appropriately named "The Caves", off the coast of Dibba, roughly an hour and a half from Dibba Port by boat.

This fascinating site offers a modest yet remarkable cave that is perfect for a first experience and a fun adventure. The site encompasses many of the great aspects of diving: good visibility, ample sea life and calm waters, and combines them with the exciting aspects of cave diving: darkness, intrigue and amazing landscapes. One of the greatest things about this particular site is that the caves are not too deep and are not to narrow or constricting (at most points), so it is perfect for someone who has never experienced a cave before, as well as a veteran cave diver looking for a new

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experience. The first thing that you experience when moving toward the cave is the darkness, the sizable variation in light in comparison to the open ocean you’ve just come from. Moving closer to the entrance, you instinctively and repeatedly blink, as your eyes begin to attempt to adjust to the darkness. Getting closer, you become more adjusted and you begin to focus on the interior aspects of the geological marvel and its inhabitants. Along the walls and across the sea floor, fish and other organisms go about their day in the dark, untroubled by a foreign presence. It’s not uncommon to spot larger forms of sea life in caves such as these, marine species like sharks often favour these dark spaces, particularly the Whitetip reef sharks, who frequently enjoy laying still on the sea floor in caves and under crevices. At the entrance, huge rectangular rocks tower toward the ceiling, leaning against the underwater section of the cliff face, near the entrance of the site, giving the cave a unique exterior design and distinctive layout. Moving past the giant slabs of rock, a passageway through to the main chamber is in the centre. An arch overhangs, extending from the cliff face out toward the ocean where it meets another base of rock.

Swimming through into the main chamber, the atmosphere changes, as does the lighting; now that you’re in the heart of the cave, the only sound is that of your breath and everything else is still. A few beams of sunlight shoot through here and there from holes in the ceiling, but apart from that, the cave is flooded with darkness. The little light that those holes provide illuminates just enough of the cave that you can appreciate the size and scope of the chamber. Floating in the centre and looking around, it’s baffling to find that you’re inside a cave of this size, as it is deceptively deceiving from the outside. The inside is almost like an ancient ruin of a church or cathedral, with its high ceiling and archaic décor. Floating in the centre of the cave, it feels as though you’re frozen in time, motionless, with no concern for the outside world. The colours within the chamber are a mixture of black, and blue, with streaks of white glow, adding to the tranquil ambiance of the setting. It is now that you feel the feeling of stability, equilibrium, when gravity has disappeared, time has grounded to a virtual halt and every-

thing is static. You hold your breath for a few seconds, creating a silent serenity that can only be experienced in such a dark, empty hideaway, it is then that you feel peace.

This suspension of time however must come to an end, and like all dives, there comes a time when you must resurface, so the journey back up begins. With the particular setting of this cave, you must swim down before you can swim up and out, as the exit comes after a crevice that hovers just over the seabed. Swimming down toward the gap between the floor and the ceiling, the light from the ocean outside acts as a guiding light, letting you know the direction to take. The last and final passage along the journey is a small one, only about two or two and half meters high, making it one of the more confining alleys inside the cave, but at the end of it is the way out, and with one final swim you’re back on the outside and the cave resumes its conditions of emptiness and silence.

This particular cave in Dibba is not a long, intricate and complicated cavern that requires a special qualification to enter, but instead one that can be enjoyed by all

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divers, as long as you’re accompanied by a diver who knows the ins and outs of the cave well. In many cave diving locations; there are large dark spaces that look extraordinarily inviting, yet potentially dangerous, so diving in more complicated caverns can be done properly after achieving the PADI Cavern Diver qualification. This is a specialty course that can be completed after reaching the Advanced Open Water qualification, which will teach you how to explore caverns correctly and how to use the appropriate equipment that makes these dives possible.

This particular type of diving brings with it a whole new element of danger, that’s similar to diving inside shipwrecks, in that the exit isn’t always straight up. However, as long as that danger is neutralised by the proper training and equipment, cave diving can simply be a new and exciting experience that’s unique to any other adventure activity out there. Luckily, if this new adventure sounds enticing to you, you won’t need to travel far to get your first experience, as the closest cave is only hours away, and is certainly a perfect example of the experience that activity can offer.

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OUR EXPERTS

Women

n Wheels

Words by: Helle Bachofen von Echt Photos by: Usman Oluwaseyi

The velvety golden sand dunes, undulated terrain and the generosity of the event organisers attracted 40 female competitive riders to the Empty Quarter for the Third Edition of the ADCO Liwa Cycling Challenge.

A total of 378 cyclists travelled up to 400km to the Western Region for this annual opportunity offering a scenery of spectacular, yet challenging dunes of the Liwa area by Tel Moreeb, one of the highest sand dunes in the world.

Event organiser, ADCO, had everything covered for the participating cyclists; and with their invitation to make use of a dedicated camp site including camp fires, catering, entertainment and music; a large number of riders arrived the day before and enjoyed some special time with family, friends as well as team members.

For the first time ever in competitive amateur cycling in the UAE, the demographics and rider numbers were recognised and categories created accordingly to increase competition across the field. For the 100km course, age groups were split in three: Elite, Masters and Veteran for both male and

female riders. With a generous prize pot in addition, we were all excited to experience the race on fair terms, so special thanks must go to ADCO and the UAE Cycling Federation for recognizing and implementing this initiative.

The female field was largely represented by the teams of the Urban-Ultra Cycling League and not only did we compete for the podium places and prizes in our respective age groups, but also for individual and team points in the overall league ranking.

Every female rider and team had a purpose to ride strong and smart and for some it even became a matter of completing the event.

A 100km course of never-ending dunes including just less than 1,200m of elevation, presented a challenge which isn’t for the fainthearted. Already 1km into the race, we

Elevation

reached the first dune with a max gradient of 12%; something which requires stamina, power and good positioning in the field to overcome well. As expected we saw the first split in the women’s field on this very first dune. Six riders at the front powered over the top and disappeared down the other side. Another split formed a second peloton of seven riders, which embarked on a chase.

The remaining riders formed smaller groups, pairs or solo riders. Feedback from some of these riders revealed that lack of preparation resulted in a long and tough ride behind the main two pelotons.

The leading group, made up of Aimee Wright (The Cycle Hub), Jill Mair (Abu Dhabi), Natasha Leask, Roisin Thomas and Yvonne van Hattum (Wolfi’s Contessas) and myself (BeSport), managed to hold the lead right

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through to the end. Right from the outset of the breakaway, we agreed to work together to maintain our lead. Although as we hit the last 20km and the final 12 dune climbs, it was each rider’s own responsibility to keep up with the group. We witnessed some incredible descending skills from Aimee Wright, who four times lost the group on the climbs, but using her formidable mental strength and determination powered herself back to the leading group. Five of these six riders reached the final 2km loop by Tel Moreeb and the race culminated in a sprint between Aimee Wright and myself, where Aimee with half a bike length’s lead started her sprint a little too early, allowing me to overtake before the finish. The top three spots in the total women’s field were taken by: 1) Helle Bachofen von Echt (BeSport), 2) Aimee Wright (The Cycle Hub) and 3) Roisin Thomas (Wolfi’s Contessas).

The second peloton contained Aimee Davidson (The Cycle Hub), Dee Boys (Liv), Clare Mullenger (Urban-Ultra), Anne Heiland (Velo Vixens), Bianca Bea, Lisa Hancox and Najla Al-Jeraiwi, Kuwait (BeSport) and an individual guest rider from the United States, Janet Howard. Some of these riders had attempted to hang on to the lead group, but had dropped back shortly after passing the first dune. This group worked together, with Dee, Lisa and Anne putting in some strong efforts at the front. Once again, the final 20km of undulated terrain resulted in this group separating and riders finished in sprint finishes of twos and threes.

Behind the second peloton, the remaining riders dropped into solo or in small groups, with some female riders finishing outside the 4 hours cut off time, failing to receive a finishing time.

The ADCO Liwa Cycling Challenge offers one of the toughest terrains in the UAE for the locally based riders used to doing their cycling training around the dedicated flat cycling tracks in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. This kind of profile not only separates the riders according to their physical abilities, but also their mental stamina, as the desert terrain forces each rider to dig deep and to tackle dune after dune after dune. On a profile like this, with almost all female riders consisting of locally based amateurs, we witnessed a split between the more experienced competitive participants, aspiring competition riders and those new to competitive cycling.

Aimee Davidson (The Cycle Hub) riding in the second peloton, shares: “This is an

annual opportunity to push your limits. The epic scenery should be enough to keep you going! This race always teaches me a lot; this time, although I trained hard and improved a lot, I clearly didn’t train enough. Competition in the female field is of a wide range of abilities and it’s always nice to aspire to be one of those on the podium. Some female riders might be put off by being blown out the back of a 3-4 hour race during the first five minutes! On the other hand, the scenery, options to camp and offerings are perhaps enough to encourage some of them to give it a go – it’s more of a personal challenge”.

Louise Adamson (Urban Ultra) agrees with Aimee Davidson’s final point. “The course is such a complete contrast to what we are used to regularly riding that even that first hill is a shock to the system and responsible for shattering the field after just 2km. It was fantastic to see so many female riders participating in such a challenging event. By establishing the Urban-Ultra Women's Cycle League many women have been inspired to train harder and feel more involved in the women's cycling community,” she said.

Claire Mullenger (Urban-Ultra), new to cycling and finishing with the second group, explains, “As a new cyclist I love the camaraderie of cycling with other women. It is tough and very competitive but at the same time a much more supportive and safe environment than cycling with men. I have also been given advice and support from the other female competitors. The Liwa race was tough yet thoroughly enjoyable, as I actually love hills! I learned so much from this race”.

Anne Heiland (Velo Vixens) originally a mountain biker, agrees that the profile of the Liwa Cycling Challenge is great and opens good possibilities for smaller groups to successfully form breakaways. “This is what makes road races interesting, both for participants as well as those watching”.

Some feedback from riders not able to complete the course within 4 hours revealed that they had underestimated the course and the need for preparation. Maral Oughourlian (TREK Tigresses) admits: “I had practised parts of the route in an indoor environment, but along with the fog, the heat and the nerves, it was the hardest challenge I ever had in my life and I was fighting not to give up every minute of the last 20km. We continue to raise the benchmark the stronger we get and the competition in the female field motivates me to become better”.

From a personal point of view, as a

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competitive rider, I believe that events like the ADCO Liwa Cycling Challenge are exactly what we need in the UAE to raise the level of female competitive cycling. On this type of challenging profile, every rider is confronted with both physical and mental challenges; for some it is a wake-up call to discover what it takes to be among the strongest female riders in the UAE. Hopefully experiences like these will inspire females who are interested in competing, both to learn the technical aspects of racing and also to increase their strength abilities. The more competitive female riders we can develop, the higher we can raise bar for the female cycling in the Middle East.

RESULTS Elite Women 18-34 1st

Aimee Wright (The Cycle Hub)

03:20:55

2nd Roisin Thomas (Wolfi’s Contessas)

03:20:55

3rd

03:20:57

Jill Mair

Masters Women 35-44 1st

Helle Bachofen von Echt (BeSport)

03:20:54

2nd Yvonne van Hattum (Wolfi’a Contessas)

03:20:58

3rd

03:25:16

Natasha Leask (Wolfi’s Contessas)

Veteran Women 45+ 1st

Dee Boys (Liv)

03:34:43

2nd Janet Howard

03:38:58

3rd

03:52:43

Ruth Hatton (High5)

Helle Bachofen von Echt is a Dubai-based sponsored Elite Road Cyclist competing in both local and international events. When she is not training, she is helping others achieve their health and fitness goals by running her own personal training services as well as giving indoor cycling classes.

Helle loves travelling with her bike and you can follow her adventures and racing on Instagram @thegirlwhocyclesinthedesert.

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OUR EXPERTS

My first Via Ferrata!

Italian for "iron road", a via ferrata is a protected climbing route found in the Alps and other locations around the globe Words + Photos By: Nico de Corato

Just few weeks after my 100km run for the UAE National Day, I had a chance to go back to my beloved Dolomites in Italy and enjoy some different sport activities. In particular, due to the good weather, I had the chance to complete my first via ferrata.

The essence of a modern via ferrata is a steel cable fixed to the rock every three to ten metres all along over the route, leading to a summit or other alpine destination. The cable can also be used as an aid to climbing, and additional aids, such as iron rungs, carved steps, ladders, wooden walkways and bridges are often provided. This activity is suitable for both young and old.

For experienced hikers, taking on a via ferrata is often at the top of their wish list.

A via ferrata may be horizontal, vertical or indeed anywhere in between, and can involve both ascent and descent. It can vary in length from short routes taking less than an hour, to long, demanding alpine routes covering significant distance and altitude,

My first ferrata!

which can take eight or more hours to complete. In certain areas it is possible to link via ferrate together, staying overnight in mountain refuges, and so undertake extensive multi-day climbing tours at high altitude.

Their origin goes back many years: in 1492, Antoine de Ville, a captain in the French Army, wrote that he had used a ladder to reach the top of Mont Aiguille.

But we had to wait until 1880 for the first Italian via ferrata, when the Alpine guides of Madonna di Campiglio in the western Dolomites equipped the eastern side of the Cima Brenta to facilitate climbing for their clients.

Via ferrate are strongly associated with the First World War, when several were built in the Dolomite mountain region of Italy to aid the movement of troops. Now you can find via ferrate not just in Italy, but all over the world, in a range of different regions.

In 1914 the Dolomites were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Austria’s troops withdrew to a defensive line which ran through the Dolomites; till the end of 1917, the Austrians (supported by troops from southern Germany) and the Italians fought a ferocious war in the mountains,

Military hospital

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After the ferrata

not only against each other but also against the hostile conditions. Both sides tried to gain control of the peaks to site observation posts and field guns. To help troops to move about at high altitude in very difficult conditions, permanent lines were fixed to rock faces and ladders were installed so that troops could ascend steep faces. They also tried to create and control tunnels below the peaks to attack from there. Trenches, dugouts and other relics of the First World War can be found alongside many via ferrate.

The via ferrata I had the chance to experience was the Via Ferrata Col dei Bos or Alpini Via Ferrata. It is situated on the south face of the Piramide Col dei Bos and is equipped with metal roping and innovative anti�fall cones as well as pitons. You reach it from the Bar "da Strobel", just below Passo Falzarego, near the Col Gallina chairlift facility. The initial path begins from the bar's car park, winds uphill, passes through the remains of an Italian field hospital from the Great War and then turns towards the east, along the grassy slope which leads to the beginning of the equipped route. The start of the route was the most difficult with a 20-30 metres

A new friend joined us

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Dolomites

vertical path (for me in a totally new environment) which required lots of energy. After that the path was easier; a medium-grade climbup to the summit and the cross on the Col di Bos peak. From here I was rewarded with a 360° panorama of the greatest Dolomite peaks. This route can be used in both summer and winter.

There is an extensive open-air museum on Cinque Torri, and around Lagazuoi, where very heavy fighting took place. This wartime network of via ferrate has been restored, although not until after the Second World War: steel cables have replaced ropes, and iron ladders and metal rungs anchored into the rock have taken the place of the flimsy wooden structures used by the troops.

When planning your first via ferrata, make sure the route you want to do is within your capabilities both in terms of your stamina and skill level.

Check the weather forecast and don’t go if it’s wet or if thunderstorms are forecast. If possible, get a guide to support you for your first time.

To help you get familiar with how to climb a via ferrata, it is better to start with a lower grade route. Go for the right balance between being easy and interesting.

In addition to the normal equipment used to hike in the mountains (adequate clothing, boots, backpack, first aid kit, food and drink), in order to travel a via ferrata with safety, you need to have proper additional equipment: helmet, harness, ferrata kit and ferrata gloves. Using a via ferrata kit, climbers can secure themselves to the cable, limiting any fall, and it includes a lanyard and two carabiners. The harness can be a sit harness (with chest harness if you feel the need) or a full body harness. Attached to the harness is the single most important piece of equipment: a purpose designed, energy-absorbing lanyard, consisting of a system with two arms which connect to the cable with the carabiners, and a means of connecting to the harness. "Y" tape configuration (used in modern lanyards) is currently the only type approved by UIAA (International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation), as it is simpler and safer to use and harder to use inappropriately.

These lanyards have been specially designed to withstand the high forces generated by a fall and it is essential that they are used. Do not be tempted to use quickdraws, slings, daisy chains or another combination of climbing kit which you could put together yourself. These things will not stop a via ferrata fall.

Carabiners are also specifically designed for via ferratas, allowing a larger-than‐normal opening (compared to climbing ones) and have a springlock mechanism that can be opened with one hand. They are also strong enough to withstand

high fall factors. Such carabiners are marked with a K in a circle, the K standing for Klettersteig, the German term for via ferrata (German is one of the few languages having a translated word for via ferrata).

An approved climbing helmet is strongly recommended as well, to protect you from falling rocks or from hitting your head during a fall. Other types of helmets can be dangerous as they are usually not designed to stay in place during a fall.

It is a good idea to use gloves, as the steel cables may have some loose threads, and gloves help to protect your hands from abrasion caused by continuous contact with the steel rope and rocks. On difficult climbs, or when climbing with novices or children, a length of climbing rope and belay device may provide additional security.

Other equipment will depend on the nature of the via ferrata: some via ferrate require headlamps because they travel through long tunnels; other routes may cross glaciers or snow fields and require harpoons and ice axe. And so on.

There are three routes in Oman as well: Jebel Shams, Wadi Bani Awf and Bandar Khayran.

Jebel Shams is a mountain located in northeastern Oman, north of Al Hamra town. It is the highest mountain of the country and part of Al Hajar Mountain range. It is a popular sightseeing area located 240km (149mi) from Muscat. In the summer, temperature is around 20°C (68°F) and in the winter it drops to less than 0°C (32°F).

Wadi Bani Awf is a wadi in the Ad Dakhiliyah Region of Oman. The Al‐Aufi tribe originated here in Rustaq. It is a great tourist attraction and is well known for its beautiful scenery.

Western Isle via ferrata is located about 1km of the Bandar Khayran beach, so you could also have some beach activities after that.

Keep calm and complete your first ferrata!

For further reading, check Nico’s website www.dubaiblognetwork.com, contact him on social networks or via email at admin@dubaiblognetwork.com for information about this article or just to say hello.

LOCATIONS

Kite Beach Skatepark Photos By: Keith Pereña and Supplied

Developed on a picturesque beachfront location, the facility is the largest multi-faceted skatepark in the UAE and is XDubai’s first infrastructure development project aimed at offering a central community hub for sport events and competitions.

Ismaeil Al Hashmi, Managing Director of XDubai, commented, “We developed the XDubai Skatepark with a vision to create a dedicated state-of-the-art facility for skateboarders in the emirate and from around the world who come to Dubai. With its striking aesthetics and contemporary design, we are confident that the facility will become one of the most iconic and buzzing hubs in the emirate. Besides skateboarders, BMXers,

inline skaters and scooter riders will also have a destination where they can train and develop their skills”.

Javad Khoramifar, Marketing Director of XDubai, added, “The XDubai Skatepark was born out of a need to create an exciting recreational space for Dubai’s youth. This community skatepark will give both experienced skaters and beginners a completely custom-made place where they can thrive, have fun and stay physically active”.

The 3,100m2 skatepark caters to both novice and professional skateboarders with its multiple specifically-tailored skate areas.

With unique street elements, obstacles and transition flow areas such as hubbas, pole jams, up-down rails, soft-ended walls and many more, beginners and experienced skateboarders alike will have the perfect opportunity to learn and develop their skills.

Able to host around a hundred enthusiasts all at the same time, the skatepark hopes to be the hub for skateboarding events in the region. Being the largest of its kind, the skatepark offers attractions that are the biggest in the UAE. Skaters can come in for free and try out the ramps as they please. Also with flood lights situated around the area, night skating is quite plausible.

The biggest attraction within the park is the XBowl for professional skaters, which features a challenging 3.2m deep drop with a 2.1 shallow end. Built to world-class standards, the XDubai Skatepark with its 29

different elements for skaters, rivals some of the best locations in traditional skateboarding destinations.

Conceptualised by Convic, XDubai’s Skatepark will be the perfect place for performing ollies, kick flips, aerial grabs and earn some serious airtime!

Simon Oxenham, Managing Director of Convic said, “Of the over 600 skateparks Convic has worked on around the world, the XDubai Skatepark truly stands out and is special for many reasons. The unique architectural appeal of this iconic facility combined with the beachfront location and world class features will make Dubai an instantly recognizable destination on the world’s skating map. I have no doubt that the XDubai Skatepark is one of the best and most beautiful skateparks on the planet”.

For more information on the XDubaiSkatepark, please visit www.xdubai.com/skatepark

The First Yamaha Cafe in the World — Only in Dubai When precision engineering meets Japanese fine dining Words By: Daniel Birkhofer Photos By: Supplied

If you speak to me about a biker’s cafe I directly have a picture in my head of chopper bikes outside and inside, there are guys in leather vests, in a smoky bar eating burgers. This stereotype cannot be more wrong with the newly opened Yamaha Cafe in the BOXPARK at Al Wasl Road, Dubai.

The DNA of Yamaha is much more linked to road bikes, off-road bikes and quads than only to choppers. So the perception of a biker, like in the film Easy Rider will not apply. The Yamaha cafe is a completely new concept created by Mohammed Iqbal Al Yousuf: "I wanted to bring about a place where bikers and bike lovers could hang out, bring family and friends, and meet for activities."

This links directly to the demographics of the Yamaha riders and future riders - a young and dynamic group but of course you don't need to ride a Yamaha bike or a bike at all to enjoy the atmosphere in the cafe. The cafe is created as a place to meet friends and hang out. For bike lovers and anyone who enjoys computer games, they will love that the cafe offers several built-in video game screens where you can test your gaming skills or even compete with friends on the other stations which is free of charge. If you want a real feel of the “need for speed” you can hop on one of the two bikes which are installed in the

cafe and connected with the video game monitors.

In case you want to check out some accessories, the cafe also welcomes you with a small shop in the corner of the cafe, the best thing is you can get your purchased products delivered to your home, so it is the most convenient way of shopping.

Yamaha bikes are known for their attention to detail and precision engineering, the same craftsmanship is found in Japanese cuisine especially in sushi and sashimi. What is the wrench for an engineer is the knife for a Japanese chef. Both use only the best ingredients to create masterpieces. Sushi is a great food, healthy and light, which links to the active lifestyle of motoring fans who should find their needs met at the Yamaha cafe. But the menu is not limited to only sushi. The

Yamaha Cafe exclusively offers a wide range of authentic Japanese sweets imported from Japan such as okashi, a traditional Japanese delicacy which are very different to sweets found in the region. For tea lovers, the cafe imports the best green teas and will soon offer tea tastings sessions to bring Japanese tea culture to the UAE. So for anyone interested in a new culinary experience, you can find it here even if you have no interest in motorbikes at all. There are also other dishes on the menu and all are very reasonably price for the good quality of the food.

Last but not least, the cafe is located in the hip and new BOXPARK at Al Wasl Road, certainly the perfect place for the concept of the cafe. There is free parking for cars and bikes behind the building complex and nice and open walkways connect the restaurants and shops, so it is a perfect place to visit during the colder period of the year, to stroll along the walkway before or after you enjoy the hospitality of Yamaha Cafe.

The café is open daily from 10:00 a.m.-12:00 midnight.

For more information on their offerings, give them a call at 04 385 5598 or visit www.yamahacafe.com.

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PEOPLE

Gilles Favenec Age: 41 years old Nationality: French Occupation: Professional Sailor

Just in time a few days before the start of the 2016 EFG Sailing Arabia the Tour, we sit down with Gilles Favenec, the captain of the Almouj crew about the team’s debut in this edition of this prestigious sailing event.

Ahoy! Tell us a little bit of something about yourself...

I’m a professional sailor who’s been in the game for 20 years, during which I’ve done a variety of sailing, including some singlehanded stuff (La Solitaire du Figaro) and 15 years of match race (including being in the Top Five for five years running and two America’s Cup). Three years ago I started multihull on Oman’s mod 70 with seasoned sailor Sidney Gavignet.

How long have you been living the “seafaring” life?

I started sailing when I was six years old, which means water’s been in my life for 35 years. When I’m not sailing, I’m surfing, fishing or doing surf-skiing. I have three kids and they started surfing with me – something I’m really proud of. For us it’s really important to spend time close to the sea.

What would you say is one of the best parts of your career?

You would think it’s the two America’s Cup

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OUTDOORUAE

campaigns, but honestly it is the second place we secured in the World Match racing tour.

Leading the Almouj crew for their maiden voyage, how excited is the team?

With the exception of Nicolas (Nico) Lunven – who has already done the Sailing Arabia Tour with Sidney Gavignet, it’s the first time for all of us.

My crewmate Thomas Rouxel and I have done some sailing events in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, but we haven’t gotten the chance to see these countries. We’re looking forward to meeting the people and maximize our visits to each country during the stopovers.

How do you and the rest of the team train for the upcoming Sailing Arabia – The Tour?

We are not training collectively at the moment, but we’re gearing up on our own.

Thomas just got back Spindrift racing at Trophée Jules Verne, Nicolas is training hard on Figaro and Christian is racing on IRC doing the Primo Cup in Monaco. As for me, I’m training and racing in SB20 class.

Your sailing background is impressive, how would your experience in sailing events across the globe impact your team’s performance in this race?

Christian Ponthieu, Nico, Tom, Gregory and I have competed a number of times in Tour

de France à la Voile; Christian’s taken three to four wins and the rest of us have taken one to two. We know that SATT 2016 will be similar as it is also a long-haul race – some results will be good, some results not as much – but each day we will try to do our best. Especially in these types of races, it’s important that each sailor help the team and we will make sure we have a good time together and keep spirits high. That’s for the whole team: Nico, Christian, Tom, Gregory Gendron, Haitham Al Wahaibi, Abdullaziz Al Obidani and me.

In the water, what is your strategy for keeping the team’s morale on high?

Enjoy our luck to be here and seeing these amazing coastlines. Each stopover is a new and exciting country to visit with a lot of opportunities for us to meet new people.

What is the greatest challenge you face when out in the water and how do you go around it?

One of the greatest challenges when out on the water is the ever changing conditions, with unpredictable winds and headings the crew constantly have to stay focused and ready for what might be thrown at them next. Maintaining the high spirit is fundamental to ensuring this happens and will be one of our main priorities for the tour.

PEOPLE

Olga Zolotova Age: 25 Nationality: Russian Occupation: Business Development Assistant at Mitsui & Co. Ltd. Interview By: Bandana Jain Photos By: Maahiya Jain

Being a runner back in her home country, Olga took the initiative to maintain this same healthy zest for living healthily here in the UAE. We sit down with this beautiful ultra-athlete and cyclist and ask her a few questions…

What inspired you to go into running and cycling?

How did it all start?

I have always believed in a healthy way of life and like many other people, I used to do morning runs back home in Russia. Running 10km had become a daily routine of my life.

Gradually, I realized I had to do something different. That is how I started challenging my own limits.

You try to associate your challenges with charity. Please tell us about these challenges and what inspired you to do so...

In October 2015, I fulfilled my first sport challenge for charity. It was a 400km solo cycling event, wherein I cycled through the seven emirates in 24 hours. The challenge was dedicated to support children’s education in developing countries, with a local charity organisation.

In December 2015, I happened to meet a six year-old child in a wheelchair who looked ill and was undergoing medical treatment.

He was looking at the tree and I asked him about Santa and his reply was “Santa will not come to me because I am sick. But if he comes to you will you tell him about me?” These words of the little boy literally touched me to the very core of my heart and I decided that my next challenge would be dedicated to sick kids. This challenge, which took place on December 29 and 30th, was a 200km run in 24 hours

along Jumeirah Beach in partnership with charity organization Marwa Fayed’s Toy Run and Aramex where I collected 100kg of toys, which were sent to Pakistan and distributed to the Children’s Cancer Hospital. My next challenge would be seven marathons in seven emirates in seven days, which shall be dedicated to the Syrian refugees’ kids. That’s what I am preparing for now!

What level of difficulties have you worked at?

I like the idea of fitting challenges in a particular time frame as I have done in my previous two 24 hours challenges. So for me the challenge is always to complete the number of kilometres before my time runs out. It is not easy to cycle or run 24 hours almost non-stop making sure that your current pace will allow you to complete the challenge within the allocated time. But I think all that matters here is good preparation: physical, mental and logistical.

Which places have you covered in the UAE? Which has been your most memorable of all these and why?

My first challenge for charity was solo cycling across the seven emirates, the most memorable place being Fujairah. I started my cycling on October 29 at 4:00 a.m. and by 1:00 p.m. the same day I had completed my first leg of 200km cycling from Dubai through Al Ain to Fujairah. I took a two hour break before my next 200km ride and went around the city. Fujairah turned to be a small but amazing city. I cycled around the main road with lots of greenery amidst a zero car scenario. After the 200km ride through desert and mountains, this small city became the most memorable stop point in my seven emirates cycling journey.

What makes running and cycling in UAE more interesting?

I do not understand when people say that they don’t find it interesting to run or cycle in this part of the world due to the monotonous landscape. In my seven emirates cycling trip, I went through a variety of landscapes including desert, oasis, mountains, small local villages and every place had its own beauty. I think having a goal and motivation makes everything more interesting.

When you are truly motivated you will be running and cycling regardless of the outdoor conditions.

How has running impacted your life?

Running has made me more

confident. The running challenges have brought about a self-realization that there are no limits to improvement in life. You can always do better if you have a goal and dedicate yourself to achieving it!

What would be your dream run event?

My dream run would be to run across the globe!

Do you do any special workouts as a part of your preparation for running and cycling?

The way you do your exercises and prepare entirely depends on your goal. If my goal is to run ultra-marathon I have to focus on long distances, lower pace and endurance. If my target is to complete a 10km run in the minimum possible time, I focus on pace improvement and sprinting exercises. But in general, regardless of the type of the running event, one should do a combination of long run, sprints, gym, pace improvement, etc. I would also recommend training under a professional trainer.

How would you like to inspire the would-be runners?

I am not a professional athlete, I am a working in business development and spend most part of my day in front of the computer. However, I spent around three months preparing for my 24-hour 200km run and I could successfully complete it.

For starters, my best piece of advice is never to give up. In every run, try to perform better than the previous run. Monitor your performance; get in touch with like-minded people and the sport will become more motivating and fun.

All I know is that there is nothing impossible as long as you have a goal.

My advice is to set a goal and stop looking for an idol or motivation. Try to become a motivation for others!

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TIPS & TRICKS

Turning Exercise Into Adventure Words By: Paul Oliver Photos By: Absolute Adventure

Getting cardiovascular exercise, training with weights or other gym based sports are a great way to manage your fitness. However, taking your workout outside is another terrific way to cross train. Simply trekking on trails instead of an indoor machine develops balance, uses more muscle groups and can take you on a journey in an uncontrolled environment that stimulates your brain with countless variables.

Throw in some unpredictable weather, sun, wind etc. and you’ll recognize the thrill of beating the elements.

Adventure activities refer to sports like mountain biking, trekking, rock climbing, mountaineering, or kayaking, scuba diving, base jumping, the list goes on and on.

What these endeavours have in common is a degree of risk (from low to high), and self-discovery. Adventure sports are known to teach people self-reliance and teamwork as well as encouraging them to leave their comfort zone. These result in better health, improved self esteem and increased confidence that translates into all aspects of one’s life.

There is no debating the health benefits of daily exercise. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the local health authorities all agree that we need at least 30 minutes of moderate to intense physical activity every day. The good news is that as I

mentioned above you don’t have to be confined to the gym to get in shape. Outdoor activities are just as effective, are more fun, and have some appealing advantages.

Here are some reasons to take your exercise outside: • No Long Term Membership Fees - The outdoors belongs to all of us. Depending on the activity, you may not even need access to special equipment. There are so many options for outdoor activities that you’re sure to find something you’ll love that will suit your budget.

• The Air is Cleaner – Estimates show that indoor air is more than twice as polluted as outdoor air.

• A Free Daily Dose of D - Scientists recommend outdoor exercise as a way to get your vitamin D through sunlight. This is especially important if you are overweight —people who are overweight are almost twice as likely to be deficient in vitamin D. • Exercise for Your Mind - When you exercise outdoors, your mind becomes aware of the changing terrain. Whether you use the mountains, the sand on a beach, or a winding wadi path, your mind has to focus differently than it would on a flat and level gym floor.

If that all sounds good, here are some guidelines to get you going: • Exercise Early - In the morning your energy is higher, the air is generally cleaner, the temperature is lower, and you will feel better all day long.

• Avoid Temperature Extremes - Although your body can adapt to warmer weather, you should avoid exercising outside in extreme heat, the majority of adventure activities in this region take place in the winter months.

• Don’t Get Burned - Although some sun is good for you, too much sun is not. Always use a good sunscreen, and wear sunglasses and a hat with a brim.

• Drink Enough Water - If you drink about 8 to 10 ounces of water 30 minutes before doing outdoor exercises, it should hydrate you sufficiently for about 30-minutes. You don’t need water with electrolytes in most cases.

Remember that you can lose water through sweating even in cooler weather, and you may start to get dehydrated before you feel thirsty.

• Get Some Gear – Just as you wear specific clothing for the gym, you’ll need clothing and shoes for adventure activities also.

Take advantage of the new technology that has gone into shoe treads and waterproof, breathable clothing material.

• Make Outdoor Activities Part of your General Lifestyle -Think about walking instead of driving. Plan outdoor activities with your family. Go for a hike instead of heading to the mall.

If you have any health issues, always talk to your doctor before starting an outdoor fitness program. Have a goal in mind, start slowly, and work up to a bigger achievement. Outdoor activities can be adapted to anyone’s level of fitness.

For various outdoor adventure activities in the UAE and Oman as well as further afield visit Absolute Adventure at www.adventure.ae, email info@adventure.ae or call 04 392 6463.

Running Words By: Nicky Holland Photos By: Keith PereĂąa

After a long day at work, there is nothing better than a run to help release the stress. The pounding on the pavement, the fresh air and breeze in your face along with the scenery of the outside environment, can be quite therapeutic.

However, if you are not a fan of running, this article will help you get into it.

The beauty of running is that it requires no equipment. Personally, I prefer to run outside but in this article, I will give examples within a gym environment which can be easily transferred outside.

There are different training methods which can be applied when running such as continuous training - running at a steady pace, interval training - intense training with periods of work followed by periods of rest.

Fartlek Training - speed play with different gradients and terrain and Tabata Training - a form of interval training with set work to rest ratios. There are also different exercises and techniques that can help you to run.

2) TRX - Running Alternate Knee to Elbow

Just like most sports, having a strong core will help with performance and running is no different. Here, you will need to adjust the TRX straps so they hang down straight and off the floor. To the middle of your calf is a good height. Then get into a push up position and place both feet into the straps.

From here, your knees will be off the floor, back straight and arms extended to hold you up. Imagine you are running and bring right leg then left leg up to elbows. For best results, brace and tighten your core. By doing this will keep the body straight and flat.

Complete 30 seconds, for five sets with a short rest in-between.

Notice the incline on the treadmill. This is a must!

1) Stepper - Opposite Arm to Leg Run When running, technique is important. It will help you exert less energy if your technique is good and you will be able to control your breathing easier. This exercise will train you to use your opposite arm to leg so that the body will naturally adapt to this technique.

Place a stepper on the floor; you can raise it if you want a harder workout. Start with one foot on top of the step and the other on the ground. If your foot on the step is your right, have the opposite, your left arm up infant.

Simply alternate opposite arm to leg. Aim to do this for 30-60 seconds, for 3-5 sets, increasing the speed each set.

3) Treadmill - Incline Jog

Not many people like this one because it involves a gradient. Runners prefer the flat, but one way to condition the body so running on the flat becomes easier, is to incorporate some incline training. The speed of the treadmill can be your own running pace, ideally between 8-12km/h. The gradient can also be set by you, but I would recommend 2%-8%. Focus on a relaxed running style, using opposite arm to leg and control your breathing. This is a great calorie burning exercise with the gradient and a tough workout for the lower legs. Try to run for 10-15 minutes and build up the time, gradient and speed gradually.

4) Ladder Work - SAQ

This exercise is quite advanced. SAQ stands for Speed, Agility and Quickness. Think of sports that involve lots of fast feet movements, such as soccer, rugby and American football. They use ladder work as part of their training and in all those sports, they consist of running. The lighter you are on your feet, the faster you will be able to run.

Place the SAQ ladder on the floor. There are two options a) Single foot taps 2) Double foot taps. Single foot taps works on speed, where you would run through the ladder from one end to the other as quickly as you can. Double foot taps develops power as well as speed. Try to put both feet in each square in the ladder, as fast as you can. Aim to complete this exercise five times, which makes up one set. Complete three sets so you are doing 15 shuttles through the ladder in total. For this to be effective you must go for speed.

The exercises above cover the different qualities needed to be a good runner. Technique, core strength, gradient running and speed. The only way to practice is to build up your fitness and run regularly.

So grab your running trainers and let’s go!

Nicky Holland Fitness Manager Fitness First Beach Park Plaza

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Can Anyone Run a Marathon?

Words + Photos By: Marcel Viljoen

One of the ultimate challenges for many runners is to be able to say that they completed a marathon. In fact, it’s on the bucket list of a lot of “non-runners” due to the prestige associated with the feat.

The mystical 42.2km (26 miles) distance represents a sense of incredible personal achievement to the extent that jobs, families and other responsibilities are put on hold in order to achieve it.

Here in South Africa, mostly due to our ultra-marathon culture, the marathon achievement does not always receive full credit. In preparation for Comrades for instance, it’s not unusual for some athletes to complete three or four marathons and two or three ultra marathons before lining up for the Natal classic. However, the joy and satisfaction on the face of a first time marathon finisher totally dismisses that theory and one is reminded of how very special your first marathon can be and should be!

My first marathon was at the tender age of 17 years, as I was swept along by the marathon fever of the staff of the running shop where I was doing some part-time work. As a fit and keen young track and cross-country runner I was intrigued by the challenge, but not intimidated. My training was certainly not geared towards a marathon, and this I realised with great regret as I reached the 32km mark! I hit the wall with full force and had to drag my weary body over the last 10km walking more than running. I finished just outside my initial goal of three hours, but the shock of the experience kept me from running my second marathon for a full 10 years!

So what does it take to run a marathon, and can anyone run a marathon? I believe that with a bit of physical ability and a lot of determination, most people are able to go the distance. To finish the event is not as difficult as mastering the distance though.

There are a few steps I believe that need to be conquered in order to get the most out of yourself, whether it is to finish the event, or to run your best time.

Step One: Lay the Foundation

For novices the foundation means starting with smaller distances in order to allow your body to get accustomed to the rigours of running. Doing 10-21km events for six to

twelve months will help your frame and cardiovascular system to systematically get used to the jarring on the road, to gain physical strength and to develop the energy systems required for supplying the fuel needed for events of two to three hours and longer.

For more seasoned runners, this period would entail building of the aerobic base by doing easy, but ever increasing distances for a month or two.

Step Two: The Long Run

Marathon running means going beyond the comfort zones we may find ourselves in when doing 10 and 21km events. The reason for this is that the system gets nearly depleted of glycogen after about two hours of sustained effort and it’s time for the body to start finding other sources of energy. One of the best sources to this effect is fat. However, we need to teach our bodies how to use fat, and by doing long training efforts this is achieved very successfully. The late Arthur Lydiard encouraged his athletes to do three long runs per week during their base phase in order to achieve this effectively and optimally. Some runners split a 20km into two 10km training runs on the same day. Although it might have some benefit, there is no comparison with a single long run effort though. Long runs should be introduced gradually though, e.g. starting with an hour, and slowly increasing to three to four hours over a few months. By jumping into runs that are just too far for your current level of fitness, you won’t be doing your body any favours as there is a catabolic (breaking down) effect rather than building. Patience is a critical skill for all marathon athletes!

In addition to the physical effects, one should not underestimate the psychological effects of running for three hours. Non-runners will often ask us what we think about while on the road for so long! For many of us some awesome business ideas are formulated during this time, but it does take some getting used to being on the road for hour after hour on a mental basis.

Step Three: The Fast Run

First you teach the body to run regularly, and then you teach it to run long, now in step three we step up the pace! Renowned Italian coach Renato Canova, who has coached some incredible Kenyan stars, will be the first to tell you that you need to cover all your bases if you want to be the best runner you can be. In other words, all the phases should include a bit of everything that you would like to implement in your final phase. That includes slow running, leg speed (biomechanical efficiency), long intervals, short intervals, anaerobic training, long runs, hill work, strength,

plyometrics, etc. The volume and intensity of these sessions is the critical factor though as all should be systematically increased towards your goal event. For the marathon runner it will mean that during the preparation months you would like to get your body used to the pace and the demands that you will face on race day. Running one hour at goal pace is a far cry from running 3-4 hours at goal pace! If your long runs are long, social slogs during this phase, you are seriously misleading your chances of success. Unless of course your goal is to run long and slow on race day!

Long runs should be utilised to simulate your goal event by increasing the distance of the long run first of all, and then the speed of the long run. There are a few ways of doing this, including long repetitions during the long run, tempo half marathon events, and progressive tempo runs where you are teaching the body’s energy systems to “change gears” as you get closer to the business side of the event.

Step Four: Training the Mind

Eventually when the big day approaches, as exciting as it is to know that you will be a marathon runner on the day, the nerves do start to become a factor. It is as important to train your mind as it is to train your body. Goal setting, visualisation, positive self-talk, and concentration are all mental preparation techniques that can assist us to get those butterflies to fly in formation! Thinking about the race, your strategy, positive self-talk and other associations are all ways to ensure you look forward to the day with confidence and not trepidation.

One of the most exciting parts on the big day is when you go beyond the furthest distance you have run to date. And from 35km onwards, you are very much aware that you are in marathon territory! Well-known sports professor Tim Noakes indicates that this is where you come face to face with yourself and start learning things that you may or may not want to know about yourself! That’s the time to start digging deep, to reach way down and demand the results that you have prepared for! The results are not the same for everyone but the most courageous will triumph and rise to the top without fail. So when you come onto that field or into that stadium, when you are running down the final straight, and when you look up at the clock as you cross the finish line, you will know that you are no longer what you were before the gun sounded early that morning. For after the event, the tiredness and sore legs will fade after a few days, but the face in the mirror will forever be a marathon runner!

Marcel Viljoen is an online fitness coach and a 2h39min marathon runner.

You can get in touch with him at marcel@fitnessfromafrica.co.za

Brought to you by:

Words By: Stewart Howison

Photos By: Keith Pereña

Have you ever had troubles with your bike switching gears unexpectedly or not shifting correctly? Many people have this problem, but are afraid of

attempting to fix it for fear of adding to the problem.

But you don't need to go into the shop to get your bicycle shifting properly. Just adjust the rear derailleur! A good eye and some lubricant should be all you need.

1 Shift the bike to the lowest possible gear (largest gear sprocket on the rear cassette, this is the one closest to the spokes).

5 Shift to the lowest gear to make sure that the chain does not fall off the cassette. As in the previous step, watch how the chain rides on the cog (this time you're focusing on the largest cog). If the chain seems like it is leaning towards the spokes, tighten the "L" screw clockwise. If it looks like it wants to shift down, loosen the "L" screw. Test your adjustments by shifting through all the gears again.

2A Look at the rear cogs (sprockets) and make sure they are not touching the derailleur cog/top pulley (guide pulley) when in the lowest gear. This is very obvious as it causes a very loud noise when the bike is being pedaled in this gear.

If the cogs are in contact with the cassette, then turn in the derailleur alignment screw ("b" screw or chain gap adjustment screw) clockwise to increase tension until the cogs are separated from the cassette by at least a couple millimeters (1/10").

6 Attempt to shift through all of the gears in both directions so you can diagnose whether it is shifting properly. If the bike is having trouble shifting down (shifting to larger rings; chain hugs the smaller cogs) then tighten the cable tension by screwing the tension screw out (counterclockwise) a little bit at a time until it is shifting properly. If the bike is having trouble shifting up (shifting to smaller rings; chain sticks too close to the larger cogs) then loosen the cable tension by turning the tension screw clockwise in a small amount.

Lubricate the screws and pivot points. Keep the chain lubricated with special chain lube to ensure that stiff chain links do not affect the shifting, and to make sure that the drivetrain will last.

7

2B If the cogs are too far from the cassette, loosen the alignment screw until they touch, then tighten it until they just clear a few millimeters.

3 Feel for tension in the lower cable, this should be tight when the detailer is set in the highest gear.

(Smallest gear sprocket on the rear cassette, this is the one furthest away from the spokes and closest to the derailleur).

4 Shift to the highest gear and observe from behind how the chain rides on the smallest cog. If it looks like it might come off towards the axle, tighten the "H" screw clockwise until it looks centered. Likewise, if the chain looks like it's rubbing on the next gear, loosen the "H" screw. To make sure you are adjusting the correct screw; carefully watch the derailleur as you turn the screw, as the derailleur should move with just a fraction of a turn of the correct limiting screw. Then readjust the cable tension until shifting is smooth again.

Helpful Tips • Always check to make sure the derailleur hanger (where the derailleur attached to the frame) is not bent, as it must be bent back before attempting to adjust the derailleur.

• Wipe away excess lube so that dirt does not collect on it.

• In some bicycles, the positions of the "H" and "L" screws (the limit screws) are reversed.

• Adjustments should be made in quarter-turn increments.

Warning • Failure to properly adjust the rear derailleur can cause the chain to slip off and potentially damage the frame and possibly send the derailleur into the rear wheel.

• Unless you are an experienced mechanic this may be difficult to do. The Team at Revolution Cycles Dubai will welcome you in store to show you how to adjust if you feel a little uneasy doing it yourself for the first time.

Fore more info, please call or email: +971 4 3697441 Info@rcdxb.com

MIDDLE EAST’S OUTDOOR, ADVENTURE, TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

FEBRUARY 2016 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

UAE DIRECTORY General Sports Equipment Megastores

Adventure HQ, Dubai Times Square Center, Sheikh Zayed Rd, toll free: 800-ADVENTURE, +971 43466824; The Beach on JBR, Dubai: +971 44304419; Dalma Mall, Abu Dhabi: +971 24456995, www.adventurehq.ae Decathlon, Dubai, Mirdif City Centre, +971 42839392, www.decathlon.com Go Sport, The Dubai Mall: +971 43253595; Abu Dhabi Mall: +971 26454595; Bawabat Al Sharq Mall, Abu Dhabi: +971 25868240, www.go-sport.com InterSport, Dubai Times Square Centre: +971 43418214 and Dubai Festival City: +971 42066581, www.intersport.ae Peiniger BMT Est., CBD, Khalifa Street, Yateem Optician Bldg., Abu Dhabi, UAE, +971 26262332, www.peiniger.org Sun and Sand Sports, most shopping centres, +971 43599905, http://en-ae.sssports.com

Adventure tours and desert safaris

Alpha Tours, Off #512, 5th Flr., Al Qwais Bldg., Al Ittihad Road, Deira, Dubai, +971 42949888, www.alphatoursdubai.com Dadabhai Travel, SR 1&2, GF, Gulf Towers, Oud Metha Rd. Dubai, +971 43885566, www.dadabhaitravel.ae Desert Rangers, P.O. Box 33501, Dubai UAE, +971 44569944 or 507035111 www.desertrangers.com Desert Road Tourism, Office 503, 5th Flr., Al Khor Plaza, Dubai, +971 42959429, www.arabiantours.com Dreamdays, First Floor Rm. 107 Ibn Battuta Gate (Offices) Sheikh Zayed Rd., Dubai +971 44329392 or 44329393, www.dreamdays.ae Dream Explorer LLC, JLT, Dubai, P.O. Box 214576, +971 44563390 www.dreamexplorerdubai.com Dubai Relax Travel, National Towers: Churchill Tower Suite #614, Business Bay, Dubai, +971 44221776, www.dubairelaxtours.com Element Fitness, Dubai, +971 44227352, www.element-fitness.net Explorer Tours, Umm Ramool, Dubai, +971 42861991, www.explorertours.ae Gulf for Good, Dubai, +971 43680222, www.gulf4good.org Gulf Ventures, Dnata Travel Centre, +971 44045880, www.gulfventures.com MMI Travel LLC, Mezzanine Floor, Dnata Travel Centre, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, +971 4 4045999, www.theemiratesgroup.com Net Group, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, +971 26794656, www.netgroupauh.com Oasis Palm Dubai, Dubai, +971 42628832 or 4 2686826, www.opdubai.com Rahhalah, Dubai, +971 44472166, www.rahhalah.com Wild Guanabana, Dubai, +971 44422946, www.wildguanabana.com Clubs Abu Dhabi Fishing, Camping, Kayaking, & Adventure Club, +971 5 04920860, mohammed.almahrouky@gmail.com

Air

Ballooning Adventures Emirates, Dubai, +971 42854949, www.ballooning.ae Dubai Paragliders, +971 552120155 or 552250193, www.microaviation.org Jazirah Aviation Club, Ras Al Khaimah, +971 72446416 or 555531318, www.jac-uae.net Seawings, Dubai,+971 48070708, www.seawings.ae Skydive Dubai, Dubai, +971 43778888, www.skydivedubai.ae

Boating & Sailing

Manufacturer Al Fajer Marine, Dubai, Al Quoz, +971 43235181, www.alfajermarine.com Al Jeer Marina, RAK border Musandam, +971 72682333 or 504873185, www.aljeerport.ae Al Shaali Marine, Ajman, +971 67436443, www.alshaalimarine.com Al Yousuf Industrial, LLC, +971 4 3390000, www.aym.ae, yamboats@alyousuf.com

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OUTDOORUAE

Elite Pearl Charter, Saeed Tower 1, office #3102, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, +971 43889666, www.elitepearlcharter.com Gulf Craft, Ajman, +971 67406060, www.gulfcraftinc.com Distributors and Dealers Art Marine LLC, Al Quoz Industrial Area, Sheikh Zayed Road, 3rd Interchange +971 43388955, www.artmarine.ae or www.artmarinechandlery.com Azure Marine Dubai, +971 4 3706886, www.azuremarine.net Luxury Sea Boats, Dubai, +971 4 3284629, www.luxuryseaboats.com Macky Marine LLC, Dubai, +971 505518317, www.mackymarine.com Nautilus Yachts, Sharjah, +971 553419494 or 503419494, www.nautilusyachts.com The Boat House, Al Quoz, Dubai, +971 43405152, www.theboathouse.ae UAEBoats4Sale, Dubai Marina, +971 508446952 or 525682129, www.uaeboats4sale.com Western Marine, Marina Yacht Club, Dubai, +971 43039744 Equipment Ali Khalifah Moh Al Fuqaei, Deira, Dubai, +971 42263220 Al Masaood Marine, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, +971 43468000, www.masaoodmarine.com Blue Waters Marine, Shop 11, The Curve Bldg., Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, +971 43808616 or 553899995, www.bluewatersmarine.com Extreme Marine, Dubai Marina Branch, +971 43992995, www.extrememarine-me.com Japan Marine / D1 Marine, WS # 110, Dubai Maritime City, +971 4 4426395 or 55 1666035, www.japanmarine.co Rineh Emirates Trading LLC, Al Quoz, Dubai, +971 43391512, Repairs and Maintenance Extreme Marine, Dubai, Dubai Marina, +971 43992995, www.extrememarine-me.com Rineh Emirates, Sheikha Sana Warehouse 1, Al Quoz, +971 43391512, SNS Marine, JAFZA Techno Park, Jebel Ali, Dubai, +971 501405058, www.snsmarine.ae The Boat House, Dubai, Al Quoz, +971 43405152, www.theboathouse.ae Cruise Operators Al Bateen Marina, Abu Dhabi, +971 26665491, Al Marsa Travel & Tourism, Dibba, Musandam, +968 26836550 or 65441232 Bateaux Dubai, Dubai Creek opposite the British Embassy, +971 48145553 Bristol Middle East, Dubai Marina, +971 4368 2480, www.bristol-middleeast.com Captain Tony’s, Yas Marina, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, +971 26507175, www.captaintonys.ae Delma Industrial Supply and Marine

Services, Al Bateen Jetty, Abu Dhabi, +971 26668153, www.delmamarine.net Eden Yachting, Dubai Marina, +971 504586171, www.edenyachting.com Emirates Yachting, Dubai, +971 42826683 El Mundo, Dubai, +971 505517406, www.elmundodubai.com Four Star Travels and Tourism, Dubai, +971 56 1012599, www.4startravels.com 4 Yacht Arabia, Shop No. 5, Dubai Marina Yacht Club, 800 92248, www.4yachtarabia.ae Fujairah Rotana Resort & Spa, Al Aqah Beach, Fujairah, +971 92449888, www.rotana.com Ghantoot Marina & Resort, Abu Dhabi, +971 529933153, www.ghantootmarina.com Happy Days Sea Cruising LLC, Dubai, +971 48706668, www.happydaysdubai.com JPS Yachts and Charter, Room 225, Emarat Atrium building, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, +971 43437734, www.jpsyachts.com Khasab Divers, Oman, +971 567255889, khasab.diver2@gmail.com Khasab Musandam Travel & Tours, P.O. Box 411, Khasab, Musandam, +968 93350703, info@tourkhasab.com LY Catamaran, Dubai, www.lycatamaran.com Marine Concept, Dubai, +971 559603030, www.marine-charter-concept.com Nautica1992, Dubai, +971 504262415, www.nautica1992.ae Noukhada Adventure Company - P.O. Box 73373, C/O Ali & Sons Real Estate LLC, Plot No. 29, Abu Dhabi – Al Ain Rd, Um Al Nar, Abu Dhabi, UAE - +971 25581889 www.noukhada.ae RAK Marine LLC, Ras Al Khaimah City Hilton Marina, +971 557934525 or 507682345 Sea Hunters Passenger Yachts & Boats Rental, Dubai Marina, +971 42951011 Sheesa Beach, Dibba, Musandam, +968 26836551, www.sheesabeach.com Smoke Dragon of London Yacht, Abu Dhabi International Marine & Sports Club, +971 507011958 or 504546617 Summertime Marine Sports, Dubai, +971 42573084 The Club, Abu Dhabi, +971 26731111, www.the-club.com The Yellow Boats LLC, Dubai Marina Walk – opposite Spinneys, Intercontinental Hotel Marina, 800892, www.theyellowboats.com Marinas Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club, Abu Dhabi, Breakwater, +971 26815566, www.adimsc.com Abu Dhabi Marina, Abu Dhabi, Tourist Club Area, +971 26440300 Al Jeer Marina, RAK Border, Musandam +971 72682333 or 504873185, www.aljeerport.ae Al Mouj Marina, Muscat, Oman, +968 24534554, www.almoujmarina.com Al Wasl Charter & Fishing, Airport Road, Al Qwais Bldg., Off. 207, Dubai, UAE, +971 42394760 or 42959477, www.cruiseindubai.com Dubai Creek Marina, Deira, Dubai, +971 43801234, www.dubaigolf.com Dubai International Marine Sports Club, Dubai Marina, +971 43995777, www.dimc.ae Dubai Marina Yacht Club, Dubai, +971 43627900, www.dubaimarinayachtclub.com Dubai Maritime City Harbour Marina, Dubai, +971 43455545 Dubai Offshore Sailing Club, Dubai, +971 43941669, www.dosc.ae Emirates Palace Marina, Abu Dhabi, +971 26907725 Four Seasons Marina, Doha, Qatar, +974 44948899, www.mourjanmarinas.com Fujairah International Marine Club, Fujairah, +971 92221166, www.fimc.ae Intercontinental Abu Dhabi Marina, Al Bateen, Intercontinental Hotel, Abu Dhabi, +971 26666888, www.intercontinental.com Jebel Ali Golf Resort and Spa Marina, Jebel Ali, Dubai, +971 48145555 www.jebelali-international.com Lusail Marina, Lusail City, Qatar, +974 55843282, www.mourjan-lusailmarina.com Marina Bandar Al Rowdha, Muscat, Oman, +968 24737286 (ext 215), www.marinaoman.net Pavilion Marina, Dubai, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, +971 44068800 The Pearl–Qatar Marinas, Doha, Qatar,

+974 4965801, www.ronauticame.com Umm Al Quwaim Marine Sports Club, Umm Al Quwaim, +971 67666644, www.uaqmarineclub.com Dragon Boat Groups Dubai Dawn Patrol Dragon Boating, Dubai, +971 508795645, www.facebook.com/DubaiDawnPatrol Dubai Diggers, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, pier next to 360, Dubai, +971 501547175, www.dubai-diggers.com UAE Dragon Boat Association, +971 507634008, www.dubaidragonboat.com

Camping & Hiking

Equipment Blingmytruck.com, +971 505548255, www.blingmytruck.com Gulf Camping, Dubai, UAE, +971 551222252 or 502550666, www.gulfcamping.com Jack Wolfskin, Al Wahda Mall, Abu Dhabi, +971 24437802 Picnico General Trading, near Sharaf DG Metro Station, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, +971 43951113 Tresspass, 2nd floor above ice rink, The Dubai Mall, +971 43398801 Tour Operators Arabia Outdoors, Dubai, +971 559556209, www.arabiaoutdoors.com Absolute Adventure, Dubai, +971 43926463, www.adventure.ae Desert Road Tourism, Al Khor Plaza – 503, Dubai, +971 42959428, www.arabiatours.com Libra Travel & Tourism LLC, +971 43397700, www.facebook.com/LibraTravelDubai Mountain High Middle East, Dubai, +971 506595536, www.mountainhighme.com Sheesa Beach, Musandam, Dibba, +971 50336046, www.sheesabeach.com

Caving

Mountain High Middle East, Dubai, +971 43480214, www.mountainhighme.com

Climbing

Equipment Adventure HQ, Sheikh Zayed Rd., Dubai Times Square Center, toll free: 800-ADVENTURE, www.adventurehq.ae Barracuda Fishing and Outdoor, Street 13A 1, Al Safa 1, Dubai, +971 43466558, www.barracudadubai.com Global Climbing Trading LLC, Dubai Investment Park 1, Dubai, +971 48829361, www.globalclimbing.com Jack Wolfskin Al Wahda Mall, Abu Dhabi +971 24437802, www.jack-wolfskin.com Services Absolute Adventure, Dubai, +971 43926463, www.adventure.ae

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MIDDLE EAST’S OUTDOOR, ADVENTURE, TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE Adventure HQ, Dubai Times Square Center, Sheikh Zayed Rd, toll free: 800-ADVENTURE, www.adventurehq.ae Al Shaheen Adventure, Abu Dhabi, +971 28137444, www.alshaheenme.com Arabia Outdoors, Dubai, +971 559556209, www.arabiaoutdoors.com Dorell Sports Management, Dubai World Trade Centre, +971 43065061, www.climbingdubai.com E-Sports UAE, Dubai, +971 43697817, www.esportsuae.com The Club, Abu Dhabi, +971 26731111, www.the-club.com Information UAE Climbing, +971 506456491, www.uaeclimbing.com

Mountain Biking & Cycling

Equipment/Dealers Bikers JLT, Unit H6, Cluster H, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai, UAE, +971 526221888 Cycle Sports, Shop No. 1, Al Waleed Bldg., Al Barsha 1, Dubai, +971 43415415, Fun Ride Sports, 301, 3rd floor, Mushrif Mall, Abu Dhabi, Rm. 4, Mezzanine floor, C-13 Bldg., Khalifa City A, Abu Dhabi, +971 24455838, www.funridesports.com Micah’s Bike Shop, Warehouse No.4 6th St. Al Quoz 3, Dubai, +971 43805228 Peak Performance, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai Mall, Dubai, +971 43413056 or 43308023 Probike, Dubai, Al Barsha 1, +971 43255705, www.probike.ae Rage Shop, MOE +971 43413388; Al Wahda Mall, Abu Dhabi +971 24437617, Dubai Mall +971 44341549, www.rage-shop.com Revolution Cycles, Shop G05, Apex Atrium, Motor City, Dubai, +971 43697441, www.rcdxb.com Ride Bike Shop, Festival City, +971 43395602 www.ridebikeshop.com Sportz Unlimited, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, + 971 43388644 or 43391333 Tamreen Sports LLC, Khalifa Street, Abu Dhabi, +971 26222525, www.tamreensports.com The Cycle Hub, Motor City, Dubai, +971 505528872 or 44256555, www.thecyclehub.com Trek Bicycle Store, Seih Al Salam, Al Qudra Road, Dubai, +971 48327377, www.trekbikes.ae Trikke uPT, Dubai, +971 45081202 or 556096757, www.trikkeme.net Wolfi’s Bike Shop, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, +971 43394453, www.wbs.ae Operator Absolute Adventure, Dubai, +971 43926463, www.adventure.ae, info@adventure.ae Clubs Abu Dhabi Tri Club, www.abudhabitriclub.com Cycle Safe Dubai, Dubai Autodrome www.cyclechallenge.ae Dubai Roadsters, +971 43394453, www.dubairoadsters.com

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OUTDOORUAE

FEBRUARY 2016 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

Diving

Equipment Al Boom Marine, Abu Dhabi and Dubai, +971 42894858, www.alboommarine.com Al Hamur Marine and Sports Equipment, Jumeirah Beach Road, Dubai, +971 43444468 Al Masaood Marine, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, +971 43468000, www.masaoodmarine.com Al Yousuf Motors, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, +971 4 3390000, www.aym.ae/yamaha Blue Waters Marine, +971 43808616, Dubai, www.bluewatersmarine.com Gulf Marine Sports, Abu Dhabi, +971 26710017, www.gulfmarinesports.com Premiers for Equipment, Sheikh Zayed 1st. Road, Abu Dhabi, +971 26665226, www.premiers-uae.com Scuba Dubai, Al Barsha, Al Khail Road, Dubai, +97143414940, info@scubadubai.com Scuba 2000, Al Bidiya Beach, Fujairah, +971 92388477, www.scuba-2000.com Diving Centres Al Boom Diving (equipment), Dubai, Al Wasl Rd, +971 43422993, www.alboomdiving.com Al Jeer Marina, RAK Border, Musandam, +971 72682333, www.aljeerport.ae Al Mahara Dive Center, near Muroor St. across from main bus terminal, +971 26437377, info@divemahara.com, www.divemahara.com Arabian Diver, Hilton Marine, Ras Al Khaimah, +971 72226628 or 502428128 www.arabiandiver.com Arabian Divers and Sportfishing Charters, Al Bateen Marina Resort, Abu Dhabi, +971 506146931, www.fishabudhabi.com Coastal Technical Divers, glenn@coastaltechnicaldivers.com, www.coastaltechnicaldivers.com Deep Blue Sea Diving, International City, Dubai, +971 44308246, www.diveindubai.com Desert Islands, Sir Bani Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, UAE, +971 28015454, www.divemahara.com Divers Down, Fujairah, Rotana Al Aqah Hotel Resort & Spa, +971 92370299, www.diversdown-uae.com Emirates Divers Centre, Abu Dhabi, near Meena Fish Market, +97126432444, www.edc-ad.ae Euro-Divers Oman, Muscat, Oman, +968 95035815, www.euro-divers.com Extra Divers Zighy Bay, Oman, Musandam, +968 26735555, www.extradivers.info Freediving UAE, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Fujairah, +971 506130486 contactus@freedivinguae.com, www.freedivinguae.com Freestyle Divers, Al Wasl & Dibba, Royal Beach Hotel, Dubai, +971 43944275, www.freestyledivers.com Fujairah Rotana Resort & Spa - Al Aqah Beach, Al Aqah Beach, Fujairah, +971 92449888, www.rotana.com Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort, Dibba Road, Fujairah, +971 92449000, www.lemeridien-alaqah.com Moonlight Dive Center, Madinat Qaboos, Oman, +968 99317700, www.moonlightdive.com Neptune Diving, +971 504347902, www.neptunedivingcentre.com Pavilion Dive Centre (equipment), Dubai, +971 44068828 Scuba Oman, Oman, +968 99558488, www.scubaoman.com Scuba 2000, Al Bidiya Beach, Fujairah, +971 92388477, www.scuba-2000.com Scuba UAE.com, +971 502053922, www.scubauae.com 7 Seas Diving Center, Khorfakkan, +971 92387400, www.7seasdivers.com Sharjah Wanderers Dive Club, Sharjah, +971 506683430, www.bsac406.com Sheesa Beach, Dibba, Musandam, +971 503336046, www.sheesabeach.com Sky & Sea Adventures, Dubai, Hilton, Jumeirah Beach Road, +971 43999005, www.watersportsdubai.com Clubs Atlantis Underwater Photography Club, Dubai, +971 44263000 Desert Sports Diving Club, Dubai, www.desertsportsdivingclub.net Emirates Diving Association, Diving Village, Al Shindagha, Dubai, +971 43939390, www.emiratesdiving.com Filipino SCUBA Divers Club (FSDC), Dubai, UAE, +971 566952421,

www.facebook.com/FSDCuae Freediving UAE, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Fujairah, contactus@freedivinguae.com, www.freedivinguae.com Sharjah Wanderers Dive Club, Sharjah, +971 507840830, www.bsac406.com

Fishing & Kayaking

Equipment Al Boom Marine, Abu Dhabi & Dubai, +971 42894858, www.alboommarine.com Al Hamur Marine and Sports Equipment, Jumeirah Beach Road, Dubai, +971 43444468 Al Masaood Marine, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, +971 43468000, www.masaoodmarine.com Al Yousuf Motors, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Rd, +971 43390000, www.aym.ae/yamaha Arabian Divers and Sportfishing Charters, Al Bateen Marina Resort, Abu Dhabi, +971 506146931, www.fishabudhabi.com Barracuda Fishing and Outdoor, Dubai, Street 13A 1, Al Safa 1, +971 43466558, www.barracudadubai.com Blue Waters Marine, Shop 11, The Curve Bldg., Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, +971 43808616 or 553899995, www.bluewatersmarine.com Challenging Adventure, Wadi Al Bih Ras Al Khaimah, +971 561060798 or 44538386, contactus@challengingadventure.com Global Climbing Trading LLC, Dubai Investment Park 1, Dubai, +971 48829361, www.globalclimbing.com Ocean Active, Dubai, Garden Centre, +971 502898713, www.oceanactive.com Operators Absolute Adventure, Dubai, +971 43926463, www.adventure.ae Al Boom Diving, Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort, Fujairah, +971 43422993 Al Hamra Marina and Yacht Club, Al Hamra, Ras Al Khaimah, +971 72432274, www.alhamramarina.com Al Mahara Dive Center, Downtown Abu Dhabi, +971 501118125, www.divemahara.com Al Wasl Charter & Fishing, Airport Road, Al Qwais Bldg., Off. 207, Dubai, UAE, +971 42394760 or 42959477, www.cruiseindubai.com Al Shaheen Adventure, Abu Dhabi, +971 26429995, www.alshaheenme.com Al Wasl Charter & Fishing (Al Wasl Passenger Yachts and Boats Rental LLC), Airport Road, Al Owais Building, Dubai, +971 42394761, www.cruiseindubai.com Arabian Divers and Sportfishing Charters, Al Bateen Marina Resort, +971 506146931, www.fishabudhabi.com Arabia Outdoors, Dubai, +971 559556209, www.arabiaoutdoors.com Barracuda Diving Centre, Fujairah International Marine Club, +971 503366224 Belevari Marine, Abu Dhabi, +971 26594144 Captain Tony’s, Yas Marina, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, +971 26507175, www.captaintonys.ae

Fun Beach Water Sports, Dubai, +971 507050433 or 506947764, www.seaworlddsf.com Happy Days Sea Cruising LLC, Dubai, +971 558961276 or 503960202, www.happydaysdubai.com Hiltonia Beach Club, Hilton Abu Dhabi Hotel, Abu Dhabi, +971 26811900 Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort, Dibba Road, Fujairah, +971 92449000, www.lemeridien-alaqah.com Nautica 1992, Dubai, +971 504262415, www.nautica1992.ae Noukhada Adventure Company, Villa 332/7, Al Meena Street, Abu Dhabi, +971 26503600, www.noukhada.ae Ocean Active, Dubai, Garden Centre, +971 502898713, www.oceanactive.com Sheesa Beach, Dibba, Musandam, +971 503336046, www.sheesabeach.com Soolyman Sport Fishing, Umm Suquiem, Fishing Port No. 2, Jumeirah Beach, +971 508866227, 508866228 or 503402379, www.soolymansportfishing.com Summertime Marine Sports, Dubai, +971 42573084, www.summertimemarine.com Xclusive Yachts, Dubai, Dubai Marina, +971 44327233, www.xclusiveyachts.com Clubs Abu Dhabi Camping, Fishing & Kayaking Club, mohamed.almahrouky@gmail.com Dubai Surfski & Kayak Club, Kitesurfers’ Beach, Umm Suqeim 1, Dubai, +971 554986280, www.dskc.hu

General Sports Equipment Distributors

Adventure HQ, Dubai Times Square Center, Sheikh Zayed Rd, Toll free: 800-ADVENTURE, www.adventurehq.ae Al Yousuf Motors, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, +971 43390621, www.aym.ae/yamaha 800 Sport, Al Quoz, Dubai +971 43467751, www.800sport.ae Flip Flop Arabia, flipme@flipfloparabia. com, www.flipfloparabia.com Global Climbing Trading LLC, Dubai Investment Park 1, Dubai +971 48829361, www.globalclimbing.com Highbury Trading, Dubai, www.highburytrading.ae Jack Wolfskin, Al Wahda Mall, Abu Dhabi, +971 24437802 Ocean Sports FZE, +971 559352735, www.kitesurfsup.com Portable Shade UAE, Jebel Ali, Dubai, UAE, +971 508897125, www.portable-shade.net Sport in Life Distribution, Nad Al Hammar Rd., Ras Al Khor, Dubai, UAE, +971 42896001 or 42896002, info@sportinlife.ae, www.sportinlife.ae Tresspass, The Dubai Mall 2nd floor above ice rink, +971 43398801

Horse Riding

Equipment Al Asifa Horse Equestrian & Requisites Trading, Al Khawaneej 1, Dubai, +971 554733110, www.asifa.ae

MIDDLE EAST’S OUTDOOR, ADVENTURE, TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE Black Horse LLC, Abu Dhabi, +971 26428338, www.blackhorseuae.com Bonjour Equestrian Supplies, Nad Al Hammar Rd., Ras Al Kho, Dubai, UAE, +971 42896001, +971 42896002, info@bonjourequestrian.com, www.bonjourequestrian.com Cavalos Equine Care and Supplies, 16th Street, Al Khalidiyah, Abu Dhabi, +917 22222433, www.cavalosuae.com Emirta Horse Requirement Centre, Sheik Zayed Rd., Dubai, +971 43437475, www.emirtahorse.com Equestrian Clubs/Centres Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Al Mushrif, Abu Dhabi, +971 24455500, www.adec-web.com Al Ahli Riding School, Al Amman Street, Dubai-Sharjah Rd., +971 42988408, www.alahliclub.info Al Forsan International Sports Resort, Abu Dhabi, +971 25568555, www.alforsan.com Al Jiyad Stables, Behind Dubai International Endurance City, Dubai, +971 505995866, info@aljiyad.com, www.aljiyad.com Al Sahra Desert Resort Equestrian Centre, Dubai, +971 44274055, equestrian.centre@alsahra.com Desert Equestrian Club, Mirdif, Dubai, +971 503099770 or 501978888 Desert Palm Riding School, Near Al Awir Road (going to Hatta-Oman), Dubai, +971 43238010, www.dubaipoloclub.com Dubai Polo Academy, Dubai, +971 508879847, www.dubaipoloacademy.com Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club, Dubai, Arabian Ranches, +971 43618111, www.poloclubdubai.com Emirates Equestrian Centre, Dubai, +971 505587656, www.emiratesequestriancentre.com Ghantoot Polo & Racing Club, Exit 399, Abu Dhabi/ Dubai Highway, Abu Dhabi, +971 25629050, www.grpc.ae Golden Stables Equestrian Club, Al Khawaneej, Dubai, (Nouri) +971 555528182, Hoofbeatz, located just inside the Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club, Dubai, +971 569424551, www.hoofbeatz.com Mushrif Equestrian and Polo Club, Mushrif Park, Al Khawaneej Road, Dubai, +971 42571256, www.mushrifec.com Rahal Ranch, Al Wathba Racing Area, Abu Dhabi, +971 506229004, www.rahalranch.com Riding for the Disabled, Dubai, lessons@rdad.ae, www.rdad.ae, Sharjah Equestrian & Racing Club, Sharjah, Al Dhaid Road, +971 65311188, www.serc.ae Racecourses Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Al Mushrif, Abu Dhabi, +971 24455500, www.adec-web.com Ghantoot Racing & Polo Club, Exit 399, Abu Dhabi/ Dubai Highway, Abu Dhabi, +971 25629050, www.grpc.ae Jebel Ali Racecourse, off the main Abu Dhabi - Dubai Highway (Sheikh Zayed road) beside the Emirates Golf Club, Dubai, +971 43474914 Meydan Grandstand and Racecourse, Al Meydan Road, Nad Al Sheba, Dubai, +971 43270000, www.meydan.ae Sharjah Racecourse, Al Dhaid Road, Sharjah, +971 65311155, www.serc.ae

Jet Ski Dealers

Al Masaood Marine, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, +971 43468000, www.masaoodmarine.com Al Yousuf Motors, Sheikh Zayed Rd., Dubai, +971 43390000, www.aym.ae/yamaha Japan Marine General Trading, Al Garhoud Road, Liberty Building, Dubai, +971 44426395, uday@japanmarine.jp, www.japanmarine.co Liberty Kawasaki, Interchange 4, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, +971 42822114, www.libertykawasaki.com

Motocross & ATV’s

Dealers Al Badayer Rental (Rental), Dubai-Hatta Road, +971 507842020, www.albadayerrental.com Al Shaali Moto, Ras Al Khor, +971 43200009, www.alshaalimoto.com Al Yousuf Motors, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed

FEBRUARY 2016 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

www.yasmarinacircuit.com

Off-Road

Rd, +971 43390000, www.aym.ae/yamaha Golden Desert Motorcycles Just Gas It, Hatta Rd., Al Aweer, Dubai, UAE, +971 561379323, www.JustGasIt.net KTM, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, exit 42, +971 4323151, www.ktm.com Liberty Kawasaki, Interchange 4, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, +971 42822114, www.libertykawasaki.com Motoventure, Hobbies Club, Al Awir, Hatta Road, Dubai, +971 555437392, www.motoventure.net mxDubai, Al Ain Road Dubai, +971 55 2090832, www.mxdubai.com Polaris UAE (atv’s), Ras Al Khor, Nad al Hamar Road, Al Ghandi Complex, Dubai, +971 42896100, M4, Sector 13, 10th Street, Mussafah Industrial, Abu Dhabi, +971 26441478, www.polarisuae.com Rental (Rental), Dubai-Hatta Road, Dubai, +971 551532550, www.goldendesert-dubai.com Sebsports, Al Quoz Industrial Area 1 Dubai, +971 43393399, www.sebsports.com Wild X Adventure Shop, Dubai, +971 48321050 Equipment Desert Road Tourism, Al Khor Plaza – 503, Dubai, +971 42959429, www.arabiantours.com Sandstorm Motorcycles (Rental), Al Quoz, Dubai, +971 43395608, Sebsports, Dubai, Al Quoz Industrial Area 3, +971 43393399, www.sebsports.com 2XWheeler, Motorcity Dubai, +971 44548388, www.2xwheeler.com Wild X, Dubai, Um Al Ramoul Industrial Area, +971 42852200

Motorcycling

Distributors and Dealers Al Yousuf Motors, Sheikh Zayed Rd., Dubai, +971 43390000, www.aym.ae/yamaha Ducati, Al Salam Street, Abu Dhabi, +971 24918593, www.ducati.ae Duseja Motorcycles, Dubai, Al Quoz, +971 43476712, www.dusejamoto.com Harley-Davidson, Mussafah 4, Street 10, Abu Dhabi, +971 25540667, hd.auh@harley-davidson.ae, www.harley-davidson-abu-dhabi.com Liberty Kawasaki, Interchange4, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, +971 42822144, www.libertykawasaki.com Polaris UAE, Al Ghandi Complex, Nad al Hamar Road, Ras Al Khor, +971 42896100, www.polarisuae.com Tristar Motorcycles, +971 43330659, Workshops and Services Al Forsan International Sports Resort, Abu Dhabi, +971 25568555, www.alforsan.com Dubai Autodrome, Dubai, +971 43678700 www.dubaiautodrome.com Emirates Motorplex, Umm Al Quwain, +971 67681166 2xWheeler Adventures, Dubai, +971 44548388, www.alainraceway.com Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi,

Dealers Bling My Truck, +971 503634839 or 505548255, info@blingmytruck.com, www.blingmytruck.com 4x4 Motors LLC, Shk. Zayed Rd, Dubai, +971 43384866, www.4x4motors.com Liberty Automobiles, Dubai, 800 5423789, www.libertyautos.com Repairs and Services AAA Service Centre, Al Quoz, Dubai, UAE, +971 4 2858989, www.aaadubai.com Icon Auto Garage, Dubai, +971 43382744, www.icon-auto.com Mebar Auto, Al Quoz, Industrial Area 2, Dubai, UAE, +971 43469600, www.mebarauto.com Off Road Zone, Dubai, Al Quoz, +971 43392449, www.offroad-zone.com Saluki Motorsport, Dubai, +971 43476939 www.salukimotorsport.com Equipment Advanced Expedition Vehicles, Dubai & Abu Dhabi, +971 43307152, www.aev.ae Al Yousuf Motors, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, +971 43390000, www.aym.ae/yamaha Bling My Truck, +971 503634839 or 505548255, www.blingmytruck.com Heartland UAE, Al Mafraq Industrial, Abu Dhabi, +971 569796524 or 506472447, www.heartlanduae.com Icon Auto Garage, Dubai, +971 43382744, www.icon-auto.com Mebar Auto, Al Quoz, Industrial Area 2, Dubai, UAE, +971 4 3469600, www.mebarauto.com Wild X Adventure Shop, Dubai-Hatta Road, Dubai, +971 48321050, Yellow Hat, Nad Al Hamar, and Times Square Center, Dubai, +971 42898060, www.yellowhat.ae Tour Operators Arabian Adventures, Dubai & Abu Dhabi, +971 43034888, www.arabian-adventures.com Desert Road Tourism, Al Khor Plaza – 503, Dubai, +971 42959429, www.arabiantours.com Oasis Palm Dubai, Dubai, +971 4 2628832 or 4 2686826, www.opdubai.com Clubs Abu Dhabi Off- Road Club, www.ad4x4.com ALMOST 4x4 Off-Road Club, +971 507665522, www.almost4x4.com Dubai Offroaders, www.dubaioffroaders.com JEEP Wrangler JK Fun Club, suffian.omar@yahoo.com, www.jk-funclub.com ME 4X4, www.me4x4.com

Running

Clubs ABRasAC, Dubai, www.abrasac.org Abu Dhabi Tri Club, Abu Dhabi, www.abudhabitriclub.org Abu Dhabi Striders, admin@abudhabistriders.com, www.abudhabistriders.com Al Ain Road Runners, Abu Dhabi, +971 504188978, alainroadrunners@yahoo.co.uk Mirdif Milers, Dubai, www.mirdifmilers.info Dubai Creek Striders www.dubaicreekstriders.org

Stand up Paddling, Kite & Surfing, Wakeboarding

Equipment Al Boom Marine, Abu Dhabi & Dubai, +971 42894858, www.alboommarine.com

Al Masaood Marine, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, +971 43468000, www.masaoodmarine.com Kitesurf Dubai, Kitesurf Beach, Umm Suqueim and Jumeirah 3 +971 505586190, www.kitesurfdubai.ae Picnico, Al Fairdooni Building, Sheikh Zayed Road, Near Sharaf DG Metro Station and Mall of Emirates, +971 43951113 Surf Dubai, Umm Suqeim, Dubai, +971 505043020, www.surfingdubai.com Surf Shop Arabia, Building 1, Al Manara Road (East), Interchange 3, Dubai, +971 564716180, www.surfshoparabia.com Surf School Arabia, +971 556010997, www.surfschoolarabia.com UAE Kite Surfing, +971 505626383, www.ad-kitesurfing.net Distributors Kitepeople Kite & Surf Store, International City, Dubai, +971 504559098, www.kitepeople.ae Ocean Sports FZE, +971 559352735, www.kitesurfsup.com Operators Al Forsan International Sports Resort, Abu Dhabi, +971 25568555, www.alforsan.com Dubai Kite Surf School, Umm Suqeim Beach, Dubai, +971 504965107, www.dubaikitesurfschool.com Duco Maritime, Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah and Abu Dhabi, +971 508703427, www.ducomaritime.com Dukite, Kitesurf Beach, Umm Suqeim, Dubai,+971 507586992, www.dukite.com Kite Fly, Dubai, +971 502547440, www.kitesurf.ae Kitepro Abu Dhabi, Yas Island and Al Dabbayyah, Abu Dhabi, +971 505441494, www.kitepro.ae Nautica1992, Dubai, +971 504262415, www.nautica1992.ae Shamal Kite Surfing, Umm Suqueim Dubai, +971 507689226, www.shamalkitesurfing.com Sky & Sea Adventures, Dubai, Hilton, Jumeirah Beach Road, +971 43999005, www.watersportsdubai.com Surf School UAE, Umm Suqeim Beach and Building 1, Al Manara Road (East), Interchange 3, Dubai, +971 43791998, www.surfschooluae.com Watercooled, Jebel Ali Golf Resort and Spa, Dubai, +971 48876771, www.watercooleddubai.com Water Cooled, Watercooled Sports Services LLC, Hilton Beach Club, Abu Dhabi, UAE, +971 26395997, www.watercooleduae.com Clubs Abu Dhabi Stand Up Paddle, www.abudhabisup.com UAE SUP AND SURF ASSOCIATION, www.facebook.com/UAE-Sup-and-SurfAssociation-358311720952873/

Water Parks

Aquaventure Atlantis, Dubai, Palm Jumeirah, +971 44260000, www.atlantisthepalm.com Dreamland Aqua Park, Umm Al Quwain, Emirates Road, +971 67681888, www.dreamlanduae.com Wadi Adventure, Jebel Hafeet, Al Ain, +971 37818422, www.wadiadventure.ae Wild Wadi Water Park, Dubai, +971 43484444, www.wildwadi.com

Other leisure activities

Abu Dhabi Golf Club, Abu Dhabi, + 971 25588990, www.adgolfclub.com

OUTDOORUAE

65

MIDDLE EAST’S OUTDOOR, ADVENTURE, TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

FEBRUARY 2016 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

Al Tamimi Stables, Sharjah, +971 67431122 or 44370505, www.tamimistables.com Blokart Sailing, Nad Al Sheba, Dubai, +971 556101841, www.blokartme.com Children’s City, Creek Park Gate No.1, Dubai, +971 43340808, www.childrencity.ae Dolphin Bay Atlantis, Dubai, +971 44260000, www.atlantisthepalm.com Dubai Dolphinarium Dubai, Creek Park Gate No. 1, +971 43369773, www.dubaidolphinarium.ae

iFly Dubai, Dubai, Mirdif City Centre, +971 42316292, www.iflyme.com Sadiyaat Beach Club, Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island, +971 25578000, www.sbgolfclub.ae Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club, Sharjah, +971 65487777, www.golfandshootingshj.com SkiDubai, Dubai, Mall of the Emirates, +971 44094000, www.skidxb.com Spacewalk Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, +971 26577777

Health, Safety & Training

+971 553724670, www.bespoke-wellness.com Original Fitness Co., C6 Tower Al Bateen Bainunah St, Abu Dhabi, +971 2406 9404, www.originalfitnessco.com Orthosports, 5B Street, Jumeira Beach road, Dubai, 800 ORTHO (67846), www.orthosp.com The Physio Center, Suite 405, Building 49, Dubai Healthcare City, Dubai, +971 44370570, www.physiocentre.ae

OMAN DIRECTORY

Sultanate of Oman, +968 26836550, www.almarsamusandam.com Al Sawadi Beach Resort, P.O. Box: 747, Barka - Al Sawadi, Oman, +968 26795545, www.alsawadibeach.info Diving UAE & Oman, www.dive-uae-oman.com Euro Divers CAYC Oman, Marina Bandar Al Rhowda, P.O. Box: 940, Muscat, Oman, +968 97899094, www.euro-divers.com Extra Divers Musandam, PO Box: 498, PC 811 Khasab, Musandam, Oman, +968 99877957, www.musandam-diving.com Global Scuba LLC, +968 24692346, www.global-scuba.com Khasab Divers, Oman, +968 99883345, www.khasabdiver.com

Omanta Scuba Diving Academy, Al Kharjiya Street, Al Shati Area, Muscat, Oman, +968 99777045, www.omantascuba.com Oxygen Diving and Adventures, P.O. Box: 1363 PC130 Alazaiba, Muscat, Oman, +968 92537494 or 9723 2661, www.o2diveoman.com Seaoman, P.O. Box: 2394, RUWI PC 112, Oman, +968 24181400, www.seaoman.com Sub Aqua Dive Center, Hilton Salalah Resort, P.O. Box: 699, Salalah 211, Oman, +968 23211234, www.subaqua-divecenter.com

P.O. Box: 117, Postal Code 421, Bediyah, Ghabbi, Oman, +968 99310108, www.safaridesert.com

Moon Light Dive Center, P.O. Box: 65, Madinat Qaboos, Muscat Oman, +968 99317700, www.moonlightdive.com Nomad Ocean Adventures, +968 26836069, Dibba, Oman; Fujairah, +971 92449444, www.discovernomad.com Oman Dive Center, Muscat, Oman, +968 24284240, www.omandivecenter.com Oman Dive Center Resort, PO Box: 199, Medinat Sultan Qaboos, Oman, +968 24824240, www.omandivecenter.info

Stand Up Paddeling, Kite & Surfing, Wakeboarding

Equipment, Operators Kiteboarding Oman, Sawadi Beach, P.O. Box: 133, PC 118, Muscat, Oman, +968 96323524, www.kiteboarding-oman.com Oman’s Kite Center, +968 94006007, www.kitesurfing-lessons.com

Equipment Az’Zaha Tours, +968 99013424, www.azzahatours.com Water World Marine Oman, P.O. Box: 76, Muscat, 113, Sultanate of Oman, +968 24737438, www.waterworldoman.com

Adventure tours and desert safaris

Bike and Hike Oman, P.O. Box 833, Ruwi, Postal Code 112, Oman, +968 24400873, www.bikeandhikeoman.com Dolphin Qasab Tours, PO Box: 123, P.C. 811, Khasab City, Musandam, Oman, +968 26730813, www.dolphinkhasabtours.com Go Dive Oman, Capital Area Yacht Club (CAYC), Sidab Muscat, +968 97899094, www.godiveoman.com Khour Shem Tourism, Oman, +968 91713449, www.khourshemtours.com Nomad Tours, PO Box: 583, Postal Code 100, Muscat, Oman, +968 95495240, www.nomadtours.com Oman Trekking Guides, PO Box: 917, NIZWA, Oman, +968 95741441, http://omantrekkingguides.tumblr.com

Diving

Equipment Al Marsa Musandam, PO Box: 44, Dibba,

QATAR DIRECTORY Adventure tours and desert safaris

Al Mulla Travels, P.O. Box: 4147, Doha, Qatar, +974 44413488, almullatrvls@qatar.net.qa Alpha Tours, P.O. Box: 13530, Doha, Qatar, +974 4837815, info@alphatoursqatar.com Al QAYED Travel & Tours, PO Box: 158, Doha, Qatar, +974 44072244, www.alqayedtravel.com Arabian Adventures, PO Box: 4476, Doha, Qatar, +974 44361461, www.arabianadventureqatar.net Black Pearls Tourism Services, P.O. Box: 45677, Doha, Qatar East Marine, West Bay, Doha, Qatar, +974 55200078 E2E Qatar Travel and Tours, PO Box: 23563, Doha, Qatar, +974 44516688 or 444515995, www.e2eqatar.com Falcon Travels, PO Box: 22031, Doha, Qatar, +974 44354777, www.falcontravelqatar.com Gulf Adventures, 29, P.O. Box: 18180 Qatar, +974 4315555, www.gulf-adventures.com Net Tours Qatar, P.O. Box: 23080, Doha, Qatar, +974 4310902, www.nettours.com.qa Regency Travel & Tours, +974 44344444, www.regencyholidays.com Qatar Adventure, P.O. Box: 13915, Doha, Qatar, +974 55694561, www.qataradventure.com Qatar Inbound Tours, P.O. Box: 21153, +974 77451196, www.inboundtoursqatar.com Qatar International Tours, P.O. Box: 55733 Doha, Qatar, +974 44551141, www.qittour.com Qatar Ventures, Doha, Qatar, +974 55776679, www.qatar-ventures.com

Clubs

Cycling, Running & Triathlon Doha Sailing Club, Katara Beach +974 44439840 or 55649995 Qatar Chain Reaction, www.qatarchainreaction.weebly.com

OUTDOORUAE

Camping & Hiking Tour Operators Safari Desert Camp,

Equestrian Clubs/Centres Al Shaqab, P.O. Box: 90055, Doha, Qatar, +974 44546320, www.alshaqab.com Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club, Racing and Equestrian Club, P.O. Box: 7559, Doha, Qatar, +974 44935183, www.qrec.gov.qa

+974 44435626 Doha Sub Aqua Club, Doha Sub-Aqua Club, PO Box: 5048, Doha, Qatar, +974 50483794, www.dohasubaquaclub.com Extreme Adventure, P.O. Box: 33002, Shop 3, 4 Ahmed Bin Ali Street (Bin Omran), Doha, Qatar, +974 44877884, www.extreme.qa GoSport, City Centre Mall, 3rd Floor, Qatar: +974 44631644; Villagio Mall, Qatar: +974 44517574, www.facebook.com/gosport.qatar Pearl Divers, P.O. Box: 2489, Doha, Qatar, +974 44449553, Poseidon Dive Center, Ras Abu Abboud Street, Al Emadi Suites, Showroom #2, P.O. Box: 11538, Doha, Qatar, +974 66084040, www.pdcqatar.com Poseidon Dive Center, Ras Abu Abboud Street, Al Emadi Suites, Showroom #2, P.O. Box: 11538, Doha, Qatar, +974 66084040, www.pdcqatar.com Qatar Scuba Center, 187 Al Mansoura Street, Al Mansoura Area, Doha, Qatar, +974 66662277, www.qatarscubacenter.com Q Dive, Souq Al Najada cnr of Grand Hamad and Ali bin Abdulla Str.; Al-Odeid Aisle numbers 129-132, +974 55319507, www.qdive.net World Marine Centre, PO Box: 6944, Doha, Qatar, +974 44360989, www.worldmarinecenter.webs.com Qatar Divers, Marriott Hotel Marina Near Old Airport, Ras Abu Aboud Area, Doha, Qatar, +974 44313331, www.qatardivers.com Qatar Marine, Go Sport City Center West Bay, P.O. Box: 16657, Doha, +974 553199507, www.qatarmarine.net Qatar Scuba Centre, 187 Al Mansoura Street, Al Mansoura Area, Doha, Qatar, +974 66662277 or 44422234, www.qatarscubacenter.com Qdive Marine Center, P.O. Box: 16657, Doha, Qatar, +974 44375065, www.qdive.net World Marine Centre, Old Salata Street, near the Qatar National Museum, Doha, Qatar, +974 55508177

Diving

Fishing & Kayaking

Qatar Sandstromers, +974 77775207 or 77776634, www.facebook.com/ QatarSandstormers Velostar Doha, https://www.facebook.com/ groups/587539064642288/ Doha Bay Running Club, www.dohabayrunningclub.com TriClub Doha, www.triclubdoha.com

General Sports Equipment Megastores

Galaxy Sport, City Centre Mall, 3rd Floor, Qatar: +974 44822194; Villagio Mall, Qatar: +974 44569143; Ezdan Mall, Qatar: +974 44922827, The Pearl(Parcel 9) +974 40027513, Souq Jabor +974 44430322.

Office: +974 44417935, www.galaxysportqatar.com GO Sport Qatar, City Centre Mall, 3rd Floor, +974 44631644; Villaggio Mall, +974 44157463, www.facebook.com/gosport.qatar Sun & Sand Sports Qatar, City Centre Mall, +974 44837007; Dar Al Salam Mall, +974 44510179; Mustafawi Exhibition, +974 44935183, en-ae.sssports.com

Boating & Sailing

Equipment Regatta Sailing Academy, Katara Beach +974 55503484 www.regattasailingacademy.com Distributors and Dealers Speed Marine, Speed Marine, Museum Road, P.O. Box: 9145 Doha, Qatar, +974 44410109, www.speedmarinegroup.com

Horse Riding

Equipment/Centres Al Fardan Marine Services, Najma Street (near Al Fardan Exchange), Doha, Qatar,

Add your free listing to the 66

Safety Lessons Marine Concept Yacht Charter & Sea School, Rania Business Centre, Dubai, +971 559603030, www.marine-charter-concept.com Safety & Leisure Training Middle East, Dusseldorf Business Point, Al Barsha 1, Dubai, +971 48879958, www.sltme.com Sport and Health Centres Bespoke Wellness, Dubai,

Equipment Al Kashat, Fishing and Hunting Equipment, Souq Waqif, next

Caving

Muscat Diving & Adventure Centre, Oman, +968 24543002, www.holiday-in-oman.com Oman World Tourism, Oman, +968 24565288, www.omanworldtourism.com

Fishing & Kayaking

Boating & Sailing

Manufacturer Saphire Marine, PO Box: 11, Post Code 118, Muscat, Oman, +968 99877243, www.sapphire-marine.com to the Falcon Souq, +974 70057489 Al Mamzoore Marine Equipment, P.O. Box: 6449,Old Salata, Doha, Qatar, +974 44444238, almamzoore@qatar.net.qa Extreme Adventure, Shop 3,4 Ahmed Bin Ali Steet, Doha, +974 44877884, www.extreme.qa Fish World, P.O. Box: 1975, Doha, Qatar, +974 44340754 State of Qatar (QatarSub), Souq Waqif, next to the Falcon Souq, +974 4431234, www.stateofqatar.com Operators Paddle Qatar, +974 55490895, www.paddleqatar.com

Motocross & ATV’s Dealers

Qatar Adventures, Barwa Village, Building # 9 Shop # 11, Doha, Qatar, +974 77700074

Stand Up Paddeling, Kite & Surfing, Wakeboarding

Equipment, Operators Fly-N-Ride, Ras abu Aboud, Doha, +974 33117089, Flo Kite School, Westbay, Doha, +974 33155628, www.flokiteschool.com Kitesurfing Qatar, +97430179108, www.kitesurfingqatar.com QSUP, Qanat Quartier, Costa Malaz, The Pearl-Qc, Doha, Qatar, +974 66602830, www.qsup.me

Cycling (Road & Off Road)

Bike Servicing, Equipment Carbon Wheels Bike Shop, Al Maha Center 10, Salwa Road, Doha, +974 44419048, www.facebook.com/CarbonWheelsQTR Flash Bike Shop, Mesaeed New Souq, Shop C.06, +974 6600 9116, www.flashbikeshop.com Skate Shack, Salwa Road, South Doha, +974 44692532, www.skate-shack.com Galaxy Sport, City Centre Mall, 3rd Floor, +974 44822194; Villaggio Mall, +974 4456 9143; Ezdan Mall, +974 4492 2827, www.galaxysportqatar.com Sportswell, Salwa Road, South Doha, +974 44151687

ONLINE DIRECTORY

FROM AED

38,999

INDIANMOTORCYCLEGCC.COM

DISTRIBUTORS QATAR Protech Powered Sports Co Street: Salwa Road PO Box: 91, Doha, Qatar Tel: +974 44398030 Fax: +974 44398030 Sales Email: info@protech.com.qa

OMAN FairTrade Auto Services LLC P.O. Box 2636, Ruwi, Muscat Tel: +968 96778552 Fax: +96824701787 Contact person Mr. R. K. Sunder Email: sunder@ftgroupholding.com

DUBAI Showroom No. 8, Al Ghandi Complex Nad al Hamar Road, Ras al Khor Tel: +971 4 2896100 Fax: +971 4 2894914 Email: sse@polarisuae.com

MUSSAFAH M4, Sector 13, 10th Street Tel: +971 2 5555144