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Vol. 7, No. 2 February 2017
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OutdoorUAE Team
Can we live 100% eco-friendly?
If you ask me this question, I would say certainly not unless you want to go back to the stone age and live in a cave and only gather food. Evolution took us much further and our ecological footprint is inevitable. Our current lifestyle of driving cars, flying around the world, enjoying AC in the heat of the desert, eat everything we are craving for – it’s an endless list of things we do that harms nature.
If we are honest with ourselves, we know we don’t do good to our environment. But should we feel bad about it? We are what we are and the humankind has come a long way. It would also be naive to think we could go back to a life in perfect harmony with nature; this train departed long ago and will never come back. But there are still a lot of things we can do better with a little bit of effort to start reducing waste. The use of plastic packaging, eating local and seasonal products, trying to be more resourceful with the use of water and electricity – all of those little things we are fully aware of, but often ignore out of comfort or laziness. Look at products you buy, check how and where they are produced then make a good choice. We like to put the blame on brands and big corporations for their wrongdoings and pollution, but at the end of the day, it’s us the end-user who is driving all of it. As long as we happily close our eyes and don’t question where our consumed goods come from and at what cost to the environment, we will further accelerate the destruction of our precious nature. I am not saying to fall for “organic” tags or other marketing tools, just to be smart in your choices. An organic vegetable flown in is, in the end, not so ecofriendly as we would like to think. Daniel Birkhofer So if we all do a few things better - even if it is only to take some extra Founder and garbage out of the desert when you leave your camping or BBQ site - it will make Editor-in-Chief daniel@outdooruae.com an impact in the longer run.
Editor For editorial content and press releases Tel: 04-447 2030 Mobile: 055 5760322 editor@outdooruae.com
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Printed at GN Printing P.O. Box 6519, Dubai, UAE
Mobile: 055 9398915 margo@outdooruae.com
© 2017 Outdoor UAE FZE Vol. 7, No. 2, February 2017
Published by Outdoor UAE FZE In cooperation with A2Z EVENTS P.O. Box 215062 Dubai, U.A.E. Tel. 04-447 2030 contact@outdooruae.com www.outdooruae.com Cover photo by: Ermie Uson
Dan Wright Staff writer and outdoor guide
Margo Ciruelos Sales and Marketing Manager margo@outdooruae.com
Ireneo ‘Jung’ Francisco Designer and Photographer jung@outdooruae.com
Ian Sebeldia Circulation
EXPERTS & CONTRIBUTORS
Jake Lyle Diving and Watersport Expert
Helle Bachofen Von Echt Elite Women Cyclist
Marina Bruce The Desert Diva and Off-road Expert
Matt Ficco Adventurer and Thrill Seeker at discoveredtrax.com
Nico de Corato Diver and Heli Rescue Swimmer with Bergamo Scuba Angels
www.OutdoorUAE.com Facebook.com/OutdoorUAE
Kit Belen Our Fishing Pro
Twitter.com/OutdoorUAE Instagram.com/OutdoorUAE Youtube.com/OutdoorUAE
Bandana Jain Outdoor and Lifestyle Contributor
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. © 2017 Outdoor UAE FZE Reg. at Creative City Fujairah P.O. Box 4422, Fujairah, U.A.E. Get to us on Facebook!
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FEBRUARY 2017 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM
CONTENTS
12 THE WAHIBA CHALLENGE 2016
20 SAILING ARABIA THE TOUR 2017
EVERY ISSUE 06 EVENTS CALENDAR 08 BEST SHOTS 42 PRODUCTS 63 DIRECTORY
EVENT & ACTIVITY REPORTS 09 DESERT CHALLENGE 10 EMIRATES DESERT CHAMPIONSHIP 12 THE WAHIBA CHALLENGE 2016
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27 THAILAND SUP TOUR
14 SUB ZERO CAMPING 16 MARATHON SEASON IN THE MIDDLE EAST 18 THE AL ADAID DESERT CHALLENGE 20 MORE THAN A RACE 23 WARRIORS TEST THEIR GRIP AT WADI ADVENTURE 24 ADVENTURA ADVENTURE NATURE PARK
TRAVEL & ADVENTURE 27 WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE 30 SUMMITING ACONCAGUA 34 THE BLIZZARD OF 2016 37 AN OMANI CAVING TALE
MIDDLE EAST’S OUTDOOR, ADVENTURE, TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE
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32 IT’S THE CLIMB - COLUMBIA
37 AN OMANI CAVING TALE
58 IN SEARCH OF TURTLES IN THE UAE
LIFESTYLE
OUR EXPERTS
40 OFF-ROADERS CORNER 41 CYCLE BISTRO
50 FISHING – KIT 52 OUTDOOR EDUCATION – HAYDON 54 NATURAL HISTORY – DAN 56 CLIMBING – ALLEN 58 DIVING – JAKE 60 CYCLING – HELLE 62 STEP IT UP – FITNESS FIRST
TRIED & TESTED 45 COOPER AT3 47 COLUMBIA
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EVENTS CALENDAR
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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
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F E B
Dubai International Boat Show
The Dubai International Boat Show is the undisputed event leader in the region’s leisure and marine industry, uniting high-end buyers and world-class suppliers from the most lucrative regions in the world. When: 28th February to 4th March Where: Dubai International Marine Club, Mina Seyahi Contact: dubai.boatshow@dwtc.com
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Emirates Desert Championship
The championship aims to take advantage of the dramatic and picturesque desert landscape of the UAE, rated as some of the best in the world.
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When: 3rd and 17th February Where: Al Faqa’a region of Dubai Contact: entry@atcuae.ae
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Electric Run
The biggest night run in the world is back with a recharged format and is all set to thrill the capital at the stunning Yas Gateway Park.
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Hatta MTB Endurance Challenge 2017
The biggest mountain bike race in the UAE, 6 hours of gruelling riding, enter Solo or as a team of two, 5 catagories available When: 10th February Where: Hatta MTB Trail Centre Contact: www.supersportsevents.me
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Whether you want to run, jog or walk the course be sure to take part and live the experience in the UAE’s only international, world-record breaking running event that caters for all levels of runners. When: 10th February Where: Ras Al Khaimah Contact: registration@rakmarathon.org
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When: 24th February Where: Yas Gateway Park, Abu Dhabi Contact: www.electricrun.ae
FEBRUARY
RAK Half Marathon
Red Bull Air Race World Championship 2017
Abu Dhabi will host the Red Bull Air Race for the tenth time in 2017, once again setting the scene as the actionpacked opener for a brand new World Championship season. When: 10 to 11th February Where: Abu Dhabi Corniche Breakwater Contact: 800 555
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The Buggy Run 2017
The Buggy Run is an untimed 2.5km and 5km fun run, for beginners all the way to seasoned runners. Participants are welcome to walk, skip, jog or sprint their way around the track... When: 11th February Where: Dubai Autodrome Contact: www.supersportsuae.com
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M A R C H
Al Adaid Desert Challenge
The Al Adaid Desert Challenge the most challenging cycling event on Qatar’s off-road cycling calendar. For the first time in Qatar, the race is also part of the International Cycling Union calendar. Marked as UCI C3 Cross Country point to point race, it will cover 40km of astonishing desert track from Sealine to one of Qatar’s most impressive natural wonders, the ‘Inland Sea’ or Khor Al Adaid. When: 3rd March Where: Doha, Qatar Contact: www.aladaid.qa FEBRUARY
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UAE Wooden Powerboat Championship
As part of its commitment to preserving the country’s rich heritage, Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club is an enthusiastic host of the UAE Wooden Powerboat Championship.
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TRIYAS by Daman’s Active Life
TriYAS is open to everyone with the emphasis on setting personal targets and achieving them whether you are a first timer or a seasoned veteran. Swim the Yas Marina, transition the Grand Prix pits, Cycle the 5.5k track and run through the Yas Marina as you achieve your goal. Arguably the fastest Triathlon on the planet, and definitely the most fun!
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22
#Ignite DXB Night Run, Race 2
A nighttime race over the iconic illuminated Meydan Royal Bridge with skyline views, start 7.30pm. When: 22nd February Where: The Track Restaurant Contact: www.supersportsuae.com
The Sorbonne Race – 3rd edition
This is a mixed team race over two full days. An expert level is required for this race and competitors are competing in different formats of races (by relay team or individually). When: 24 to 25th February Where: Beach Rotana Abu Dhabi Contact: +971 2 6569172
When: 17th February Where: Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi Contact: www.yasmarinacircuit.com
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The world’s best riders and teams will be back to battle out for victory in this 4-day stage race. The route and jerseys of Abu Dhabi Tour 2017 will be unveiled soon and the Fan Zone will again be at the Nation Towers. When: 23rd to 26th February Where: Abu Dhabi - Al Gahrbia - Al Ain, Abu Dhabi Contact: www.abudhabitour.com/home.php
When: 16th February Where: Abu Dhabi Corniche Breakwater Contact: +971 2 6815566 FEBRUARY
Abu Dhabi Tour 2017
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Spartan Race
Join Spartan Race to take part in the World’s Best Obstacle Race! Expect to run, jump over fire, get muddy and conquer fun and exciting obstacles! When: 24th February Where: Al Ghazal Golf Club, Abu Dhabi Contact: www.spartanarabia.com/Ar
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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: Bhaskaran Venugopal, Ace Espiritu and Boy Rebleza. Well done!
Bhaskaran Venugopal
Dawn at Jabal Jais, Ras Al Khaimah
Ace Espiritu
On a cliff watching the fjords of Musandam in Oman
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Boy Rebleza
Sandbar in the Philippines
EVENT REPORT
City Swim UAE makes its mark in Abu Dhabi Eager swimmers gathered recently at the second event in the City Swim UAE series, taking place at Le Méridien, Abu Dhabi. City Swim UAE, held over four emirates, is the UAE’s largest open water series with each event seeing swimmers of all ages covering a range of distances varying from 250 to 2,500m. Paul Clement from France achieved the fastest swimming time in the 2,500m race with a time of 34 minutes, 17 seconds, he
Keri-Anne Payne with participants from the 2,500 metre race
was closely followed by Nic Roselt with a time of 34:22 and in third place was Candice Saxod in 38:36. In the 1,000m race, Eric Bradley achieved the fastest time in 12 minutes, 8 seconds, followed by Rebecca Wenden in 16:13 and in third place was Hannah Dean in 17:41. The 500 metre race saw an all-female podium finish, with Isabelle Darling coming in first with a time of eight minutes, 24 seconds, she was followed by Christelle Feghali with a time of eight minutes, 49 seconds and in third place was Yara Feghaly in nine minutes, 32 seconds. The 250m race saw Kirstie Mackenzie winning in just seven minutes, seven seconds, followed by Alexander Norman in nine minutes, 18 seconds, and in third place was Robert Dean with a time of 9:46. The event was also attended by Olympian and founder of Triscape, Keri-anne Payne. Keri-anne took part in the 1,000m race and presented the awards for each category and age group to all the swimmers at the prize giving and celebratory breakfast. Spokesperson for the event said: “The City Swim UAE initiative was designed to promote open water swimming in a safe and fun environment and partnering with Le Méridien Abu Dhabi has enabled us to do just that. We would like to thank everyone that has joined us and made this event possible.” Stuart Birkwood, General Manager, Le Méridien Abu Dhabi said: “The atmosphere was fantastic, everyone got behind the initiative and it’s great to see so many swimmers in the water. Partnering with City Swim UAE has enabled us to showcase our property in a unique and innovative way and we look
forward to many more sporting initiatives like this one.” Originating from the canals in Amsterdam and Hudson River in New York, the open water swimming event will move to other stunning locations including Sharjah at the Sheraton Sharjah Beach Resort & Spa on February 4, 2017 and Ajman at the Ajman Saray on March 4. Further locations are expected to be added in 2017. To register or find our more information on any of the City Swim UAE events please visit www.city-swim.com/.
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Victor ious at EDC Round 3 Ahmed Al Maqoodi, Mark Powell, Mohammed Al Shamsi and Josh Brodalka all tasted victory in their respective buggy, car, quad and motorcycle events during the third round of the Emirates Desert Championship on January 20.
Al Maqoodi made it two buggy wins in a row, beating teammate and last season’s champion Ahmed Al Fahim into second place, with Briton Ryan Trutch in third. Trutch of the MX Dubai sponsored team leads the championship after the first three rounds, with Tom Bell of Sabertooth Motorsports and the Polaris UAE Racing Team’s Al Maqoodi in joint second place. “It was a good day for us, as the team took first, second and fourth position, as well as maximum points in the Team Championship”, said Al Maqoodi, who won the 2016 Dubai International Rally in December. “The season is going well
Stefan Cudby of the MX Dubai Team
Rd 3 MOTO Winner Josh Brodalka
Rd 3 AUTO Winners Mark Powell and Annie Seel
for us so far and we want to continue this momentum through the upcoming international events”. Elsewhere, Mark Powell, co-driven by multiple Dakar Rally veteran Annie Seel, was victories in the car category in his FIA T1 Predator Trophy Truck, beating Emirati Khalid Al Jafla in a similar FIA Spec Armada Trophy Truck. Qatari driver Sheikh Hamad Al Thani took fourth place to maintain his lead over Al Jafla in the championship. Emirati rider Mohammed Al Shamsi was a dominant winner in the quad class, with the 2013-14 champion taking his first victory in the category since the opening round of last season in October 2015. The runner up was Abdulmajeed Al Khulaifi of Saudi Arabia, with Obaid Al Kitbe in third place and extending his lead in the quad championship. Finally, young South African Josh Brodalka emerged victorious for the Powertec UAE Team following a close fought battle with the Balooshi Racing pair of Kuwaiti Mohammed Jaffar and Emirati Mohammed Al Balooshi, piping Jaffar to the win by only five seconds, one of the closest margins in Emirates Desert Championship history. Balooshi finished a further 17 seconds
Quad Race Winner Mohammed Al Shamsi (222)
(From left) Mohammed Balooshi and Mohammed Jaffar
back from Jaffar in third place and still holds top spot in the championship standings, but Brodalka is closing on him as a result of his maximum points in the last two rounds. The event was staged in the Al Faqa’a
Tom Childs (55) of Vendetta Racing UAE
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Rider #122 Sam Smith
Sh. Saeed Al Maktoum being chased by Mark Powell
region of Dubai with the terrain proving to be a big hit with all competitors. “We have received nothing but positive feedback from our competitors who all enjoyed the fast flowing valleys that make up this part of Dubai. This terrain has been specifically chosen for the car drivers as it allows them to maintain a much higher speed than events held in areas with sorter, choppier dunes”, said Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the Automobile & Touring Club of the UAE (ATCUAE) and Chairman of the Emirates Motor Sport federation (EMSF). “It is also great to see the amount of competitors continuing to come from overseas to take part, and we have successfully positioned the series as one of the premier desert racing championships in the world, a fact proven by series regular Sam Sunderland, who just won the Dakar Rally”, concluded Ben Sulayem. The championship has now entered a busy period, with round three being the first of three events to be scheduled in a period of just five Sabertooth Motorsport Polaris RZR 1000 of Tom Bell and Patrick McMurren
weeks. Round four is scheduled for February 3, with the season concluding at the fifth round two weeks later on February 17. The Emirates Desert Championship is the UAE’s national baja rally championship for cars, buggies, motorcycles and quads and is organised by the ATCUAE and the EMSF. 2016 -17 Auto Overall Championship Points Position 1
Name
Nat
Points
Sh. Hamad Al Thani
QAT
62
2nd
Khalid Al Jafla
ARE
47
3
Georgy Gomshiashvili
RUS
41
st
rd
2016 -17 Buggy Overall Championship Points Position 1
Name
Nat
Points
Ryan Trutch
GBR
58
2nd
Tom Bell
GBR
50
=
Ahmed Al Maqoodi
ARE
50
st
2016 -17 Moto Overall Championship Points Position
Name
Nat
Points
ARE
62
1
Mohammed Al Balooshi
2nd
Joshua Brodalka
RSA
50
3rd
Mark Grams
DEU
46
st
2016 -17 Quad Overall Championship Points Position
Nat
Points
1st
Obaid Al Kitbe
ARE
67
2
Fahad Al Musallam
KUW
43
3rd
Abdulmajeed Al Khulaifi
KSA
42
nd
Name
For further details about the championship please contact entry@atcuae.ae or check the website at www.emiratesdesertchampionship.ae.
ACTIVITY REPORT
Words + Photos by: Evgeny
The Wahiba Challenge is an annual off-road desert race organised by the Ras Al Hamra, Off Road Adventure Club. Usually crossing around 60-70km of open desert and sand dunes, it is designed to test your sand driving skills and your ability to work as a team with other cars. I have been passionate about off-road driving since 2000 when I first came to the Far East. I started out with diesel powered vehicles like Toyota Land Cruisers and this was entirely based on their durability and the easiness of repairing them myself in the middle of nowhere. When I moved to the Middle East, I was really happy to find so many varieties of off-road vehicles available on the market. I already had lots of experience driving in swamps and down rivers, over rocks and on coastal sand, I expected the sand dunes of the desert to be the same sort of driving - I was wrong! When you drive in the desert, it is like driving on deep powder and when 12
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you get home at the end of the day, even after deep cleaning your vehicle, you still find sand everywhere even in the most unexpected places. When I first heard about the Wahiba Challenge in 2014, I knew this was the race for me and I started my preparations. I wanted to lead my own team for the challenge so I needed to get experience of driving in the open desert so I started participating in desert crossing events. These taught me a lot about car maneuverability in the desert, for example I quickly learned that a high lift doesn’t always work well in the deep sands. I also learned that to increase the stability of the car you need
to centre weight down low on the body and install fat tyres and widen the tracks. I have a Jeep Wrangler with manual transmission and 32” wide tyres and this gives me enough torque and acceleration capacity, and also enough agility to bail out if I fail to make it up a steep dune and need to escape immediately without rolling the car. The 2014 Challenge was postponed to 2015 and sadly for me I couldn’t compete that year either as I had shift work and had no free time to train in the desert with other people. It’s much harder to train for an event like this if you can’t commit to having your weekends free to train with your team.
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The year 2016 started off badly for me. My teammates pretty much all left the country and it was hard to find new people who were trained and eager to take part. Then the Land Rover Defender that I was preparing for the race failed the safety testing. I thought I was going to miss another year but then I put out some adverts to find people to make up an international team with me and I was joined by drivers from Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Netherlands, Slovakia, Venezuela, Pakistan and Oman. We were truly an international team! The 2016 Wahiba Challenge was set at a straight line distance of 63km between two points and teams were invited to race each other over two days using the shortest route they could navigate cross country. Our team completed the race in 75km, which was an achievement we were very proud of. In our team, we had one Jeep with a winch and the rest were stock 4x4 off-road vehicles with fat tyres. The race rules have mandatory safety standards which every team has to meet and these included carrying between us (and staying together!): • 2 or 3 GPS • At least one satellite phone • Sand flags (to show people where you are) • Shovels (everyone used these a lot!) • A stretchable snatch rope • Safe shackles • Sand tracks Our team decided not to go with the lighter plastic sand tracks as I had experiences before in the desert where the plastics burn
on the underside exhausts of cars and they become slippery and loses traction, so we took four aluminium sand tracks. The event started on the Thursday evening with the famous desert banquet paid for by the gold sponsor. Nearly 400 participants and race officials sat together on goat hair blankets under the stars to eat a delicious meal and to talk about off-road driving and the race ahead! On the Friday morning the race starts at 07:30 with a quick safety briefing for the team leaders followed by individual group photos and by 08:00 all the teams had set off. Traditionally, the first day is very eventful and is the big test to see which teams have practiced their skills and more importantly their navigation! Every team is really eager to reach the halfway point before the cut off time of 17:30 because the race rules prohibit you from driving at night for safety reasons. The other reason to get there fast is because of the dance party in the desert organised every year by team “Desperados”! The last day of the race is the Saturday and each team decides if they will continue to the end point or finish there. We were feeling confident with our performance the previous day and decided to carry on. I had one team member that was on a Toyota Land Cruiser that got stuck more often as the driver was inexperienced, but we managed as a team to get him through the race. My personal challenge of the race was to find the best route and I think the team were impressed with my navigation as we followed a route that was not only quite quick but also gave every driver the chance
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to pump up their adrenalin with the technical driving. The final results of the race aren’t released till a week after the event when the judges have had a chance to go through everyone’s GPS logs and videos and pictures and timings. Whilst the judging is going on, the organisers send out small teams to the campsites on the route to look for rubbish. Any teams that have left their route or camp area dirty are not granted entry into the following year’s race. We all take looking after the desert environment very seriously and almost everyone packs all their rubbish out with them. At the end of the week the results are announced and our team “Cynosure” completed the course in 5 hours and 23 minutes which didn’t make us the overall winners. However the race has several other categories for prizes and team Cynosure were judged to have the “Optimal Off Road Track” which we were all really happy with. A lot has changed in the off-road driving industry since the first Wahiba Challenge in 1997 when then just five cars crossed three sand dunes in two days. When people realised you could increase traction by using deflated tyres it revolutionised desert travel. Now the race covers 63km and hundreds of dunes in the same time of two days! I don’t yet know when next year’s race will be but if you email the Ras Al Hamra, Off Road Adventure Club then they will keep you updated with the annual events calendar. If you do want to race, don’t forget to train hard and I hope to see you out in the desert sometime!
EVENT REPORT
Words + Photos by: Jake Lyle
As the temperature remains firmly at -4C, my fellow campers and I find that the best remedy is to clutch a warm cup of coffee or hot chocolate and sip it regularly to warm both our insides, as well as our chilled hands. Relaxing on the tables and chairs at the front of the campsite, we look back onto our lodgings for the night – a horse shaped formation of 15 tents, planted firmly in the cold snow. Scanning across base camp and it’s snowy surroundings, it instils a sense of adventure and excitement that can otherwise be hard to come by. But more importantly, it instils a sense of pride. As all of the 30 people within this campsite have agreed to take on the challenge of battling subzero temperatures for over 10 hours and spend the night sleeping in a tent, atop of an ice cold ground, with only thin walls to separate you from the snowy environment around you.
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Although the setting and conditions are similar to that of the Andes, the Alps or even Everest Base Camp – this campsite is not 17,000ft above sea level, or anything close. But rather closer to about 50ft. Situated at the base of the main slope in Ski Dubai, our base camp lines the east wall of the giant freezer and sits on a gentle gradient down toward the bottom. Although this site might not be as high as other mountain settings, the temperature is just as cold and constant. We didn’t however, head straight to camp, as the tents were situated in a Ski Park – there’s no way we were about to let those slopes go to waste. So before pitching our tents at camp, we headed straight to the chairlifts with the top slope as our destination.
Slopes in the desert
We definitely made use of our time and gave the slopes a real workout and as we cycled from slope to chair lift and back again, the number of skiers on the slope began to wane but we had no intention of stopping as we were going to be there for the long run (pun intended). As the skiers and snowboarders began to dismount their vehicles and head to the exit, we headed back up for a few more rides, and when the clock struck 12 it was time to head to camp. The camp was not small, nor was it quiet, as we made up a group of about 30 people – it was an event organised by experienced expedition leader, motivational speaker and leadership coach, Julie Lewis. Julie is the founder of a company called Mountain High Me and is responsible for bringing the 30 people from across the country together, to take part in this camp out. Not only was this night about experiencing what it’s
like to climb and summit a mountain, it also was about bringing people together, from all different ages, professions and nationalities to share an experience that everyone will hopefully never forget.
Gather around, campers
Just like on a real mountain expedition, there was a group of diverse and unique people who when placed in an expeditionlike situation, will come together and bond – whether it’s through helping one another set up a tent, or by making an extra cup of warm coffee for a newly met camp buddy – enhancing the overall camping experience. In this particular campsite, thanks to the net set up in the middle of the tents by the Ski Dubai staff, it seemed the best way to bond was over a friendly game of snowbadminton. The game is almost identical to badminton, but the only difference is you move a little bit slower, due to the thick snow and heavy gear that you’re wearing – but it was fun none the less. At first, it began as a singles, and then as other campers watched the action, more wanted to get involved and so an intense game of doubles broke out, and so on. It certainly wasn’t your average mountainside camp out. As we are tired, we moved toward the chairs and relaxed. When it comes to socialising and meeting new people, there is no other place out there quite like a campsite, that brings together a group of completely different and unique people – making for fantastic and interesting conversations. Through talking to different campers I met people from all walks of life – from graphic designers, all the way to an Olympic Badminton Champion (guess who won the games). So if you’re looking for a place to meet new interesting people and have intriguing and curious conversations, look no further than the snow.
As the night progressed, I found that I was adding more layers on top of what I was currently wearing – but not because the park was getting colder and colder, but rather it seemed that I was somewhat over confident at the beginning of the night. I first began with a few layers, a warm jumper on the outside and a set of woollen gloves, and I felt quite comfortable. As the night soon progressed however, I came to terms with the fact that we were not just spending a few hours on the artificial mountainside, but rather it was going to be our home for the night. Eventually, I added another jacket, thicker gloves, a beanie, and so on. Although initially the freezing temperature is quite a shock, once you’re properly rugged up and you’ve got your feet, head and hands warm – it’s really not that bad. If you do get cold, a fast way to warm up is with a quick game of badminton – a sure fire way to increasing your body temperature.
Pitching it
Eventually, tiredness got the better of us and we decided it was time to hit the tents and truly experience what it’s like for those brave mountain climbers who spend weeks summiting mountains, spending every night in temperatures and environments like these. I really had no idea what to expect
– whether or not I was going to be warm enough, if the snow would be a soft surface to sleep on, or whether I was even going to get any sleep at all. There was only one way to find out. Each tent was equipped with two sleeping bags and two sleeping mats – so luckily we were able to add another barrier between us and the icy floor. With two people in a sealed tent, it was strikingly much warmer inside than I expected it to be. Once I made sure every window was zipped shut and all covers were laid down – the mats were spread out and sleeping bags opened. Once again, the surprising level of warmth from within the sleeping bag was comforting (as well as two pairs of socks, track pants, a jumper and a beanie) – and so getting to sleep wasn’t too difficult. The lights from within the windows in the mall darkened, and the floodlights in the roof of the Ski Park did the same, mimicking a real winters night on a cold mountainside setting. As the environment was not a real mountain however, the sounds that we heard as we drifted off to sleep were not strong winds shaking the tent, or rain falling on the roof, but rather the faint sound of the engine of the snowcat as it flattened the snow for skiers for the following day (which got slightly louder when it came closer).
The night turned into morning and the lights began to flood the Ski Park once again. After getting dressed, with boots and all, we headed inside for the first morning bathroom break. And that first change in temperature as we walked through the doors was heavenly. Even though it was probably a normal, cool and air conditioned room, to us it felt like a sauna – and although it was good to be back in the warmth, it was also quite sad that it was all over and we had to swap the cold snow for the desert sand once again. It was certainly a very memorable experience, and incredibly informative as well – as it gives a small insight into what mountain climbers and outdoor enthusiasts alike, experience on a daily basis during their endeavours. It is especially incredible for anyone living in the UAE, as it’s no secret that the climate here isn’t exactly cold throughout the year, so anything below 10C is quite different. Skiing on the slopes or spending a few hours in the Snow Park is one thing, but actually spending a night in the -4C is another all together. If you want to experience something completely different, something completely out of your comfort zone, and something that you can’t get anywhere else in the UAE – head to Ski Dubai, test your limits and spend a night sub-zero camping.
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Marathon season in the Middle East Words + Photos by: David O’Hara
You work in Dubai. You live in Dubai. You run in and around Dubai: Kite Beach, Marina, Fossil Rock, Wadi Showka or through your neighborhood. Even though there are plenty of great events locally with Urban Ultra and North Face Challenge, you still may want to get away for a weekend fun run. Marathons and an obstacle course
My running buddy, Ramzi, and I decide to run two marathons and an obstacle course in one week in November: we run the Beirut Marathon on Sunday, Hannibal obstacle race in Jeddah on Friday, and Kuwait Marathon on Saturday. In January, I choose to run marathons in Doha and Dubai, while Ramzi runs the Muscat Marathon.
Beirut Marathon
Ramzi and I run the Beirut Marathon for two reasons. First, with hills and narrow streets, running in Beirut is the antithesis to running in Dubai. Second, Ramzi is from Beirut, and this is his first marathon. The route starts in the heart of Beirut, then follows the Corniche. From 7km to 21km, the marathoners run through the city’s hilly historical district including a 500 meter (uphill!) tunnel. The route is filled with spectators cheering (some more mystified than others) and music blaring in the streets. I keep my pace under control, so I pass people over the last 10km and finish with dignity!
Jeddah Obstacle Course
Five days after the Beirut Marathon, Ramzi and I are 120km north of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, ready for the Hannibal Race - a 6km run with fifteen obstacles. We have three goals at the Hannibal Race: finish, don’t get injured, and have fun. The obstacles come in three types: climb over something, get really muddy, and some too simple to be memorable. Ramzi and I confirm that the iPhone 7 really is waterproof. Other than rocks in the mud, Ramzi and I achieved our three goals at the Hannibal Race, and we finished with dignity, albeit quite muddy. Fortunately, they set up a water cannon to wash everyone down afterwards, for which the passengers on our flight to Kuwait that evening were unwittingly grateful.
Kuwait Marathon
Less than 24 hours after running in Jeddah, Ramzi and I line up for the Start of the Kuwait Marathon. This is a much smaller event than Beirut with 150 people in the marathon. The flat course resembles Dubai Marathon in many ways: out and back along the coast, u-turn and out and back again - except in Kuwait there are four 7km loops before the finish. This creates a sense of closeness as runners pass by each other many times with cheers, support, high fives and smiles. Running loops along the waterfront helps Ramzi. He knows that every 3km we will cross paths. If he is running well, he gets a high five, but if he is slacking, I’m likely to yap at him. With the frequent water stations and the mutual encouragement among the runners, the run is quite pleasurable. I finish in a leisurely 4:32. Ramzi, on the other hand, ran a consistent steady pace throughout the race, passing many people over the last 3km, and finishing with dignity more than twenty minutes faster than Beirut!
Doha Marathon
After Kuwait, our next regional event is Bahrain Ironman 70.3 in December, followed by Doha Marathon in January. When a marathon is announced less than a month before the start, it indicates a certain level of expectations for an event. As in Kuwait, Doha has the 10km and Half Marathon starting at the same time, providing a nice crowd for the first couple hours. The Doha course is back and forth along the Corniche
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four times, and the last two loops seemed deserted with only about 75 finishers. The upside in Doha was the opportunity to chat with fellow runners from Doha, while enjoying the views along the water. The biggest challenge was ensuring that I finished in time for my 13:30 flight back to Dubai after the marathon.
Dubai Marathon
The Dubai Marathon takes place one week after Doha Marathon, and is organised for the international elite runners competing for the richest marathon prize in the world. The major addition to this year’s event is the new bridge over Dubai Creek, which we climb at 21km and on the way back again at 33km – two sweet spots in any marathon. Dubai Marathon has crowd support which makes it a pleasurable long run, with an opportunity to see the new bridge and run past the Dubai Zoo (twice!).
Muscat Marathon
Despite best efforts, I had a scheduling conflict with the Muscat Marathon, but Ramzi ran it. Muscat Marathon was similar
to Doha Marathon – starting early in darkness when it is very chilly. About 100 marathoners ran a somewhat hilly route over a golf course and along the beach, which was tough without much crowd support.
Logistics of planning multiple marathons
Running marathons can be a pleasurable experience when your fitness is good and you don’t go for a personal best every time. The beauty of running marathons in cities around the region is that you have an opportunity to see the city from an outdoor perspective and chat with similarly-minded runners. Identify the event that matches your running and your schedule. While Beirut had big crowds and great music, Kuwait Marathon provides free massages for marathoners at the finish – how awesome is that? Doha has easy logistics – one hour flight each way and hotel is five minutes walk from the Start. Visas may be a challenge for some events, particularly in Saudi Arabia. Flights are relatively inexpensive, and with early morning start times, these marathons
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usually require only one night in a hotel. The key to planning is managing expectations for bib collection, water station support, marathon route, and details like bringing gels, bib timing chip and professional photographers or not. There are plenty of great running events in the region, and you just need to identify what interests you and go run!
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Desert Challenge Words by: Dan Wright Photos by: Supplied
Coming up in the Arabian Peninsulas’ mountain biking calendar is possibly the ultimate crossdesert challenge anyone will face this year. With a 40km track over six seriously steep sand dunes and against a field predicted to be several hundred strong of local and international riders, this is one event riders should train for if they are serious about competing. On March 3, 2017, riders will prove their strength and complete this tough race. I caught up with Dr Jamal Rashid Al Khanji, the event’s managing director, to talk about this fast growing race and about Qatar as a destination for cyclists in 2017.
Can you tell me how you first came up with the idea for this event and how long it has been running?
Two friends and I set up the original Qatari Cycling Club some years ago with the intention of encouraging and persuading
Dr Jamal Rashid Al Khanji
more Qataris to take up the sport as they were a bit diffident about joining some expat clubs. We started with just a few riders but amazingly, within two months we had more than 50 members regularly taking part in rides. The Ministry of Youth and Sports noticed what we were doing and asked us to come under their umbrella, keeping our club name and logo but supported by them. With the
advantages this brought, we soon grew to over 250 members! Around this time, we saw that a local expat group called Qatar Chain Reaction was organising an annual cross-country race event but only 40-50 people were taking part. We realised what a unique event this was in the region and we approached them and asked if we could take over the organisation of the race and we rebranded it as “Al Adaid Desert Challenge”. In 2016, we ran the first version of the new race and 130 riders took part (of which 50 were Qataris) and we had more than USD20,000 in gifts and prize money.
What are your future plans for the event and cycling in Qatar?
We are now partnered with Qatar Tourism Authority so a big focus is for us to find ways to attract more cycle tourism to Qatar and bring more people to the race. We are also working closely with the Qatari government to develop their plans for making our cities into cycling zones. All new roads that are now planned need to have cycle lanes and the government wants to encourage more people to cycle to work. In 2017, we want to increase the total number of participants from 130 to 300 riders and out of that, we want at least 100 GCC riders. To do this we have to invest in marketing and advertising. We have recently been announced by the Union Cycliste International (UCI) as the latest race on their International Circuit, which means teams or individuals who are collecting points to qualify for World Cup Races or the Olympics can benefit from taking part in our race.
What is the course like?
The race area is very famous amongst Qataris and generations of families have been picnicking there in the winter months. The route itself is just 40km of desert track and dune riding (over six sand dunes), starting from the sealine and ending at the Khor Al
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Adaid. But, it is a very tough course and despite the event taking place in the winter months, the unpredictable weather here can mean the course becomes much harder if there are high winds or it is very hot on that day. You need to train before coming if you are serious about racing! We believe that this is currently the ultimate one-day desert challenge for off road cyclists.
If people are interested to take part how do they register?
You can register online and we have several different categories. There are discounts for early registration so get online quickly. The day has a fun short course for children. We have separate categories and prizes for men and women and an elite category. Check out aladaid.qa Registration is open till the February 27, 12pm. EARLY BIRD
STANDARD
LAST MINUTE
(until 23th of Jan 2017) (until 23th of FEB 2017) (until 27th of Feb 2017)
27 USD (100 QAR)
42 USD (150 QAR) REGISTER NOW
69 USD (250 QAR)
Everyone who registers for the race will receive a great starter package, which includes: • Transport from desert to the start area • Transfers of participants and bicycles from finish to start • Rider bag transfer to finish line • A meal after the race • Electronic (chip) timing • Start number with attachment straps • Fresh water at race check points • Medical assistance in case of accidents during the race • Finisher medals • Sponsors’ gift package
What is contributing to the growth of cycling in Qatar? We can hardly believe how much cycling has grown in Qatar. From our small club with just a few people, the Qataris have really taken to this sport. Women as much as men are taking part and 15 times a year we close off a major motor sports race track for women only to have private access for cycling and running. The average turn out to these nights is 500! It’s amazing and wonderful to see so many Qataris, young and old taking up this sport. In 2016, the Al Adaid Desert Challenge attracted a wide range of professional competitors including the Finnish Olympic female team rider who came third overall in the race. Having riders of this professional level attracts a lot of normal people who want to come and ride alongside them and see them
in action. Last year, we were filmed by three TV channels, and this year we want to live stream the race on the Internet and we will have live TV coverage. This is not just a big sport with competitive riders but families like to take part together too and we want to encourage this more in the “children’s race.” Every year, some of the world’s top cycling teams come to compete for honors in the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) recognised events; The Tour of Qatar and the Tour of Al Zubarah, attracting some of the superstars of road cycling. The state of Qatar also hosted the 89th edition of the World Road Championships organised by the UCI.
Why do you think it is important to promote cycling in Qatar for good health?
I am a physician and my two friends, who first set up the Qatar cycling club with me, are also physicians. Honestly speaking I used to be quite obese and cycling has changed my life. Qatar needs this too. As a country, we have major problems with obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiac diseases. This is due to our sedentary lifestyle in a country that can be too hot to exercise in the summer, where we eat too much rich food and have too few sports programs in our schools. Cycling is an accessible sport. You don’t have to have the most expensive bike to take part. It has a low physical impact on the body unlike running but allows you to get your heart rate up and burn calories. You can cycle to work or school as part of your normal day and you can cycle with friends and families.
Qatar is a pretty hot country. What safety support and backup do you provide throughout the event?
One of our strategic partners for the race is the Qatar Red Crescent Society and they provide medical checkpoints on every dune, and along the racetracks and at the start and finish line. We also have free water stops all along the route. There is an air ambulance tasked to be on standby to cover the race. But realistically, the worst injuries come from not staying hydrated properly. Most times if you fall off your bike onto soft sand, you will get back on the bike and carry on riding.
Does everybody ride fat tyre bikes or can you complete the course and be competitive with normal tyres? We actually have two racing categories. One
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is with bikes that have fat tyres and the other is normal cross-country bikes. But last year, it was a cross country bike that won the race overall and a fat tyre bike that came second. We find that the fat tyres work brilliantly on the sand dunes, which they are made for. But the cross-country bikes are much faster on the track sections. The racecourse is pretty well balanced so anyone with enough determination and training can win whether they have fat tyres or not.
Is there anything new to attract people this year?
This year we are very proud to announce our partnership with Red Bull. They have sponsored a section of the race called “Sinking Sands”. It’s a part of the track that everyone rides through but they have a whole load of prizes that anyone can win for completing that section and that won’t necessarily be the overall race winners. We expect quite a few riders to approach the main race in a relaxed manner but others will seriously race over this short Red Bull sponsored section! So now you know what the race involves and what you can expect on the route check out their website and make sure you book your place before the 27th February to avoid disappointment. Good luck and someone bring home gold for the UAE!
ACTIVITY REPORT
MORE THAN A RACE
EFG Sailing Arabia – The Tour 2017 gives crews fierce competition and experiences of a lifetime
Words + Photos by: Matt Ficco
Spectators from around the region are getting ready to watch crews set sail from Oman to test their skills in the challenging and beautiful Gulf waters for EFG Sailing Arabia – The Tour (SATT) 2017. The two-week long race around the Arabian Gulf features inshore and offshore legs navigated by the international and local crews on identical Farr 30 keel boats - their home for 15 day event. For local sailors, the race is also about sharing the rich sailing culture that has been a staple in the Gulf region for centuries. The multi-country race allows GCC residents to sail in the same waters as their forefathers in a competitive atmosphere. For the international sailors, especially those hailing from Europe, this warm weather race is a perfect way to get acquainted with the Middle East, putting their skills to the test against the Arabian skyline.
Off the coast of Muscat
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“There is nothing quite like being out on the open Gulf waters,” said Fahad Al Hasni, the skipper of Team Renaissance who is entering his Renaissance skipper seventh SATT Fahad Al Hasni with an eye on a podium prize. “I learned to sail off the shores of Oman and grew up hearing the stories of our maritime ancestry; it is something that holds a dear place in my heart. Being able to pass on this tradition to the next generation of sailors, through our Omani colleagues in Team Renaissance and by representing Oman on the international race track, always fills me with great pride.” He continued: “It is an advantage for us to start the race from Oman, because it means we can train more and of course having local knowledge means we know the waters better than other participants. It would be great to win, but with our familiarity and experience, we are aiming to go one better than
Team Renaissance cuts through the water inshore
last year and finish on the podium in third place. Above all else, we intend to enjoy the beautiful sailing, represent Oman with pride and have some fun!” The new route for the 2017 edition will start at lifestyle destination Al Mouj in Muscat, with an in-port race, then head north on the first leg to Sohar, a relatively short sprint of 105 nautical miles. The second leg (140nm) will take them to Khasab, the capital of the Musandam Peninsula before the fleet heads to Abu Dhabi on a 153nm leg. It will be back to sea for a 160nm dash to Doha, where more points will be up for grabs in the second round of in-port races before the last and longest leg (205nm) to Dubai for a final round of in-port racing and the podium presentation. Also commenting on the new route for 2017 and experience of the crews was Marcel Herrera, six-year veteran of SATT and skipper skipper for Team Averda Marcel Herrera
Team Averda brace stormy seas in previous EFG SATT
MIDDLE EAST’S OUTDOOR, ADVENTURE, TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE Beautiful coastlines across the Gulf
Averda: “For us, this is a big part of why we take part in SATT. We get to see some amazing places and some extraordinary sights. The schedule is pretty demanding, but there is a real incentive to finish first in each leg because you then get to spend more time in the stopovers. So, if things go well for us for the seventh edition, we could end up Go Karting in Doha, skiing in Dubai or lying on a beach at any of these places. That sounds like a lot of fun to us.” Sponsored once again by Averda, the largest integrated waste management service provider in the MENA region, Herrera’s crew is focusing beyond the race for the future of water in the Gulf. For this edition of SATT, Team Averda will spend their time on the tour collecting water samples to aid the ongoing conservation efforts in the Gulf and spread awareness of the crucial need for water conservation in the modern age. “We only get to touch upon the rich heritage of the region during the tour,” Herrera continued. “These waters have seen empires
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SATT 2017 and Averda launch plan to safeguard Omani waters
rise and fall, sustained communities and Stormy seas in Ziggy Bay cultures for centuries. With World Water Day approaching on March 22, we felt it was the EFG Sailing Arabia - The Tour 2017 Race Schedule: right time to draw attention to the important role in history, and today, that the Arabian Gulf and its people has held and do our part to continue its legacy for the future.” EFG Sailing Arabia - The Tour is the only annual race of its type in the world and since it was first established in 2011. With a mix of long offshore legs and intense in-port racing, it has become the most prestigious race in the Middle East with a reach and appeal that extends with each edition, among both recreational and professional sailors. Four of the region’s premier marinas are playing host as stopover venues during the seven legs of the course, including high-octane in-port action in Abu Dhabi on February 22, Doha on February 25 and the electrifying finale in Dubai on March 1. For more information on the race, please visit: sailingarabiathetour.com
EVENT REPORT
Warriors test their grit at WADI ADVENTURE Over 850 local and international participants competed in the 12th edition of the iconic Wadi Adventure Race Series (WAR12), which took place at the Middle East’s first man-made whitewater rafting, kayaking, surfing and wakeboarding destination, Wadi Adventure-Al Ain on Saturday January 14, 2017.
Arriving at the crack of dawn, participants started registering and receiving their goodie bags, electronic timing chips from Premier Online and WAR12 t-shirt supported by Gold’s Gym and Premier Online from registration before making their way to an energetic warm–up session that prepped them before heading over to the Red Bull Arch starting point. WAR12 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, plunging into ice-filled water before reaching the finishing line. The 10km was again extended to a full loop course and especially incorporated with 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 WAR12 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 Chief Project Officer for Tamouh Investments Group and General Manager-Wadi Adventure, Mr Saif Al Bloushi. Eighteen podium winners from the men and women categories were awarded with medals and trophies. The racing event was followed by lots of fun and entertaining activities hosted by Universal Hospital, Al Ain Raceway, Gold’s Gym, Tamra Event and Spirit of Adventure – Kids Zone leading to buffet and raffle draw. With WAR12 coming to a successful end, the series has undoubtedly become one the top most challenging obstacle races in the UAE.
WINNERS MEN 5km podium 1st place
Justin Wood
2nd Place
Ben Blaylock
3rd Place
Thomas Hopson
10km podium 1st place
Hallavard Borsheim
2nd Place
Louis Holtzhausen
3rd Place
Steven Coates
15km podium 1st place
Marco Antonio Becerra Castro
2nd Place
Boris Rajniak
3rd Place
Toby Dovey
WINNERS WOMEN 5km podium
WAR12 sponsors include: Al Ain Water, Abu Dhabi Sports Council, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, Universal Hospital, Tamra Events, Mercure Grand Jebel Hafeet, Al Ain Raceway, OneToOne Hotel & resorts-Ain Al Faida, GoPro, Premier Online, Gold’s Gym, Eastern Motors, Spirit of Adventure Media: Abu Dhabi TV, Outdoor UAE, What’s On Dubai, What’s On Abu Dhabi, Emirates Men, Emirates Women, Oasis Living, TimeOut Dubai, TimeOut Abu Dhabi, The Source, Kabayan Weekly, Al Ain City Fans and Al Ain Events.
1st place
Marry Kelley
2nd Place
Carolyn O Malley
3rd Place
Susan Hulland
10km podium 1st place
Emma Evans
2nd Place
Nathalie Schmidt
3rd Place
Helen Cooper
15km podium 1st place
Sara Aouad
2nd Place
Bianca Pelser
3rd Place
Paula Duque
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ACTIVITY REPORT
AVENTURA: DUBAI’S FIRST NATURE ADVENTURE PARK With varied treetop and zip lining adventures, Aventura is the latest address for outdoor sports enthusiasts Words + Photos by: Bandana Jain
UAE has this delightful charm of bringing the best attractions from around the world. One thing that was missing all this while was the zip lining adventure, which is a must do for all outdoor lovers. So, when I heard about Aventura, I wasted no time in trying it out! Hadi Fakhoury, founder of Aventura, had visited Aventura Amazonia (franchise chain) while in Spain with his wife and children.“Their enthusiasm and excitement struck such a chord that I and Lina contemplated recreating this experience in Dubai, where I live, so that people here can enjoy and experience these incredible feelings in nature. This is how Aventura was born!” “Aventura Park aims to reconnect with nature, to provide the environment, education and sports rooted in natural surroundings,” adds Lina Dajani Malas, co-founder and director for Aventura Parks. Replete with an exhilarating network of treetop ziplines, ladders, climbing walls and high ropes, Aventura is a fun way to get that adrenaline rush in Dubai’s great ghaf forest. Set amidst an area of 35,000 square metres forest in the Mushrif Park, Aventura is fast becoming a favourite with people having penchant for great outdoors. The park boasts of as many as 85 activities- including rope walks, log balancing, 24
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ledge walk obstacles, ladders and zip lines, the longest of which is 160m and 10m high – split into five circuits, based on the age and height and difficulty level. Starting from Rangers for children, the next level is the Explorador which is an easy course followed by The Aventura, Thriller and Xtreme circuits, which are more challenging. Each course is a combination of 12 to 15 obstacles and zip lines. When we talk about adventure, safety factor holds paramount importance. Reaffirming the same, Hadi says that a 20-minute mandatory briefing and demo session is
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given regarding the usage of the harness and carabiners. The best part is that the safety equipment consists of fool-proof carabiners, which do not leave the adventurers unplugged from the hooks at any point of time. Also, the process of zipping and getting off from it is thoroughly explained. Few minutes of on-ground training helps the visitors to know what to expect on the circuits. Instructors and guides are spread throughout the park for any kind of assistance that might be required. “We take safety and security most seriously. That’s the reason why we undertake a daily safety check to
see that all the nuts and bolts are perfectly in place,” assures Hadi. With this assurance of safety, I and my twelve- year old daughter started with the Explorador circuit. With a bit of trepidation, we took on the ropes but within a matter of minutes we were working our way through the safety equipment and navigating like a pro. We found that it was completely safe and our fears soon gave way to fun and excitement. Particularly while trying my first zip line, the fear factor was rather high but once I did my first round, I concluded that it was one of the best experiences I have ever had. The park also boasts a dedicated corporate park for team-building, leadership development programmes and events. “There are numerous activities, including seven high rope installations, which aren’t too difficult but have been set up with the aim to get corporate teams to work together and developmental programmes, too.” explained Hadi. Weekends, particularly can get very busy, so it is highly recommended to make online bookings and arrive twenty minutes before
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the booking time to secure a training spot. Aventura’s food truck, El Cubano, has also been a hit with great sandwiches, salads and treats. A café is slated to come up soon this month. Its evening time and we have had a great fill of adrenaline pumping adventures. We have loads of memories to cherish, but this time we don’t have to wait to go to Europe for such adventures. All we have to do is hop on to Aventura in Mushrif Park. “We shall be back, quite much soon!” we thought, as we left. Location: Mushrif Park, Dubai Time: 9:30am - sunset (last booking: 3:30pm)
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TRAVEL & ADVENTURE
Words + Photos by: Leigh Pothecary
After a night flight into Bangkok Suvarnabhumi airport, we headed across the city to Don Meung airport for a local flight down to Surat Thani in Southern Thailand. From here, we drove across to Khao Sok village, about 120km away. Upon arrival we were met and welcomed by our guide and jungle expert Na Doi. Doi, (‘Na’ means Uncle) was brought up in this region and was rehoused with his family when he was a child as they lived in the jungle valleys that the government would soon flood, as Ratchaprapha Dam was being built. Despite the upheaval for locals at this time, Cheow Larn Lake and the surrounding Khao Sok National Park have given the locals sources of income through tourism that they never had before. Khao Sok is the oldest evergreen rainforest in the world, and covers an area of 739 squared km. It has over 2,000 types of plant and thousands of animals, birds, reptiles, insects and fish. We had previously contacted Na Doi to give him a rough idea of what we would like to do and see during our trip, our budget and how long we would be there. He did the rest, he booked our rooms, arranged boats and transport, and set us on our way. After checking into our rooms at Khao Sok River Lodge, we were taken to the river where another guide and some truck inner tubes awaited us. Our two-hour lazy river trip
was totally amazing, we slowly floated along the meandering river, through the jungle and limestone cliffs with only the noise of the water and wildlife around us. We were lucky enough to see long-tailed macaques jumping from tree to tree across the river, a mahout washing his young elephant in the river, kingfishers, eagles and a sleeping Banded Krait (snake) up in a tree. Na Doi picked us up and took us back to our hotel in Khao Sok to freshen up for dinner. The next morning we left at 08:00hrs to drive to the boat port of Cheow Larn Lake which is at Ratchaprapha Dam, some 50km back towards Surat Thani. We paid the fee to enter the National Park and loaded our kit (including three inflatable SUPs) onto the boat. We set off on our 30km trip to the floating bungalows that we were staying in for the next three nights. Na Doi chose the location of these bungalows based on the fact that we wanted to SUP, there were plenty of small islands and coves around this area so a lot of opportunity to enjoy paddling and nature. We paddled during the afternoon, exploring the shores of the lake near to where
we stayed and lapped up the regular afternoon showers whilst listening to the echoes of the insects, birds and calls of the gibbons from inside the jungle. The resort we stayed at, Phupa Waree, was all inclusive, basically three good meals per day. The food we had was exceptional (even for my wife and her mother, who are from Surat Thani), with a good variety and as much as you could eat, all served to your table. There is so much to see and do around the lake, tours, caves, waterfalls, bird watching and trekking to name but a few. The wildlife is in abundance (look carefully as you cruise around!). Aside from our twice daily SUP tours, we took a trip to the north of the lake. This area is quite eerie, there was no wind and the lake was like a mirror, as it narrows towards the mouth of the main river, your boat goes through the forest of dead trees that sprout through the surface of the lake creating perches for the many birds. In this area, you can expect to see elephant, bison, deer and wild boar. Eagles soar overhead, great hornbills fly from tree to tree, gibbon’s sit up high in the canopy and, if you are really lucky, you may catch a glimpse of a large cat (tigers and leopards are breeding here) or bear.
We were relieved to hear that poaching in the National Park is almost at zero now. A government incentive to recruit the hunters and pay them as park rangers seems to have worked. The new rangers are experts in tracking the animals, know the jungle well and have a good network that can alert them to any untoward activities in the area, which can quickly be stopped. Na Doi impressed us with his knowledge of everything in the jungle and lake and also the care he took to ensure everything was kept clean, if he saw any litter he always picked it up to take back with him. We experienced an extreme hike up some small waterfalls, Na Doi told us when we returned that having managed that trail, we would be able to complete any other in the park. My legs were not thinking of doing any more walking at that time! Na Doi is a jungle survival expert, he is
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also a member of the Khao Sok cave rescue team. He received an award from the prime minister in 2007 after a daring rescue of an English tourist who was trapped in a flooded cave, an incident in which sadly eight others lost their lives. He was constantly on the lookout for our wellbeing whilst we travelled with him. After three amazing days, we headed back across the lake and along the road to Khao Sok village. The next morning, still desperate for more action we asked if there were any secluded spots to take the SUP boards and paddle. The place we were taken to was around a 2km drive off of the road, through dense jungle (Rambo was out with his machete cutting a path!) and was like a scene from Jurassic Park. The limestone cliffs rose on the opposite side of the river with rock overhangs and waterfalls cascading down
into the river. With the sound of nature around us, we set up and paddled upstream to explore. I can wholeheartedly say that I have never experienced anywhere so mindblowingly beautiful and as natural as where we had been taken. If you ever needed to find your inner peace, this would be the best place to do it. For our final day, we decided that we wanted a real jungle experience. We left at 09:00hrs to walk along the street to the entrance of the National Park. Na Doi was greeted by everyone and introduced us to the rangers. The trail we were taking was away from the regular tourist trails (our concierge was concerned where we were going until we told him who our guide was!). It was a 6km walk to the waterfall, through bamboo and dense jungle, across rivers and streams and along high ledges way above the river below. Be prepared for leeches, although harmless, they are irritating and it is time consuming stopping to keep taking them out. You will get used to them in the end and on our return journey, due to the time, we decided we would stop only a couple of times to remove them. The hike was tough but rewarding. We arrived at a waterfall and whilst we freshened up in the water, Na Doi was busy cutting down bamboo and building a fire where he would then prepare lunch – chicken and rice cooked inside bamboo, this meal was well needed and truly amazing. The hike back was tough to say the least,
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the steep inclines, heat and humidity had sucked all of the energy from us. We were glad when we finally arrived back at the entrance of the park, totally exhausted but in awe of this deep jungle experience. This was a six-hour cardio work out that will not be forgotten in a hurry. We sure were sad that the trip had come to an end. I have been lucky enough to travel to many places across the globe and I can honestly say that for sheer beauty and excitement, this is now top of my list and I cannot wait to return to this untouched paradise.
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Lake tip: Humidity levels are very high and it is difficult to get clothes dried. Take some washing liquid for clothes so you can freshen up your wet clothes before hanging out each night. Jungle trekking: Please use a qualified guide at all times. The jungle, caves, rivers and surrounding areas are extremely dangerous and remote places. Keep your bags as light as possible and limited to essentials only To take: Sturdy shoes/walking boots,
lightweight clothes including trousers, water purifying tablets/tube, rain jacket, rucksack, mosquito spray, first aid kit (pharmacy in Khao Sok village but lake accommodation is remote). Small camera if hiking (you won’t be stopping to take your heavy SLR out), waterwear Please look up ‘Mr Toy Khao Sok’ for reviews and information or go to www.khaosok-jungleguide.com or www.facebook.com/pantoorat.khaosok/ to contact him for information on accommodation and tailored tours.
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TRAVEL & ADVENTURE
Summiting Aconcagua Hanady Alhashmi is the first Emirati woman to successfully complete Polish Traverse (360) Route including the summit of 6,962m– ‘The Roof of the Americas’. later on the day which we crossed by taking off our shoes and wearing sandals. Some of us didn’t have sandals, so we had our team members throw theirs over the river, the water was extremely cold and we had to dry our feet immediately. As soon as we reached the base camp, we were greeted warmly by the camp managers and staff. We set up our tents and had pizza for lunch, they also had wi-fi and showers. What a treat!
On January 6, 2017, my adventure up Mt Aconcagua in Argentina officially started. I had trained endlessly for three months to climb the highest mountain in South America and the second highest mountain of the seven summits. The seven summits being the highest mountain peaks of each continent. I wouldn’t have imagined three years ago when I started village trekking in Oman that I would be standing on the roof of the Americas at 6,962m high. The aim was to follow the Polish Traverse Route, which starts, from the entrance of Aconcagua Parkat 2,360m through the Vacas Valley. We initially used mules to carry our personal loads up the valley, and every night we would get our gear back including our tents. From this point, we set up our own tents, eat meals prepared by the gauchos (the local equivalent of a cowboy) and our guides. We collected the water from the stream and sterilised using Steripen, a handheld water purifier. The days were hot and as soon as the sun hid behind the mountains, it would get really cold, really fast.
Acclimatisation
Almost every morning, we would get up at 8.30am, have something to eat, dismantle the tents and continue our hike by following the valley and its rivers. The third day was a bit colder and windier, and took us about six to seven hours to reach Base Camp Plaza Argentina at (4,200m). But the start of this day was different and fun, we rode the mules for about two minutes just to cross the first river, the River Vacas, right after we left the camp, there was a second river
The following day was rest day, a necessary as part of our acclimatisation plan after a continuous three-day hike. We also had to visit the base camp doctor for a medical checkup. It was remarkably sunny, so a great opportunity to shower, wash clothes, rest and prepare for the following day hikes. Why follow such an acclimatization plan? As we climb higher into higher altitude, there is less atmospheric pressure making oxygen molecules fewer and further away from each other, making it harder for our bodies to absorb. An acclimatisation plan of climbing higher every day and going back to lower elevations helps our bodies adapt to this and get sufficient amount of oxygen by producing more red blood cells and making these oxygen molecules denser in our blood. The atmospheric pressure at the summit of Aconcagua is about 37% oxygen proportion of that in sea level.
Along the route to the summit, there are three camps that we stop by in order to acclimatise successfully and rest. Importance in acclimatising was vital, we had to go slow, drink lots of fluids and not carry so much load. The plan would include going up a camp and back down, which would help our bodies get used to the high-altitude changes and its effects on our bodies. Risks of not acclimatising properly include acute mountain sickness, high altitude cerebral edema and high altitude pulmonaryedema.
Upwards and onwards
We finally dismantled our tents for the last time in base camp, say good bye to the camp staff and take off to Camp 1, where we spent a night. Personal belongings that we didn’t need in the following camps were sent to the Base Camp on the other side of the mountain for us to pick up once we come back down. Once we reached Camp 1, our tents were already set up by the porters and luckily, we found an unfrozen stream of water where we collected water from to drink. This was the first time we see the ‘Penitentes’ which are ice structures that can reach 3m, formed from the extreme wind and sun rays and are found only in this region of the world. We also walked on covered glaciers full of soil and debris.
We later move to a higher camp (Our Camp 2) called Guanacos Camp. Again, water was also found unfrozen. It was a smaller camp area and so lots of tents from other expeditions closer to each other. Great views though, no clouds. Then off to Camp Colera (Our Camp 3) the following day, located at app. 5,900m, and spent a night. Slept early and had lots of food and water to be well hydrated and prepared all of our gear, water and snacks for the summit the following day. January 17, was our big day, this is what our expedition was all about, reaching the top of that mountain. We woke up at 3am, had our breakfast and started our hike at 4:30am. It was very challenging with noticeable different sections of the route where we had stops to rest and hydrate including ‘Piedras Blancas’ for a quick breather, ‘Refugio Independencia’ by sunrise where we put on our crampons, the ‘Travesia’ – this was the windiest and coldest section of them all, the ‘Cave’ and the ‘Canatela’. Then of course the summit where we took photos by the famous cross which is placed on the highest point of South America. We had our helmets on and carried our crampons and ice axes throughout. Crampons were specifically useful for coming down the mountain. The last 300m were the hardest, especially because what looked like
a very short distance to the summit, seemed to take ages as we had to walk very slowly due to the high altitude and even lower atmospheric pressure, the higher we seemed to go, the harder it got to breathe. It took us about 10 hours to reach the top and another four hours to get back to camp. We were thrilled that it was over, had dinner and went to sleep. We were a team of 12 and only seven of us were able to summit. Other members had complications that involved altitude sickness and were not able to continue. The following days were more laid back, we had continued the route down to the other base camp, celebrated with pizza, connected to Wi-Fi to announce the news of the summit and had a shower. The last day consisted of a six-hour walk to the exit of the Aconcagua Park through Horcones (2,950m). The entire route including summit took 14 days, with an elevation gain of approximately 4,602m, and a distance walked of 100km. I am honoured to have been the first Emirati woman to successfully complete the entire Polish Traverse route. It took a lot of determination and persistence throughout the hike, especially to have such great family, friends and employer that supported and believed in me.
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BROUGHT TO YOU BY:
It’s the climb
“My name is Raha Moharrak and I’m the first but hopefully not the last Saudi woman to climb Mt Everest…” Words by: Dan Wright Photos by: Daniel Birkhofer
beginning I thought there was a little bit of a mistake! I thought they just wanted to do something small but now it’s been over a year and I’m very honoured to be part of the Columbia family. It’s a brand that I’ve used, I trust and it caters to the climbing enthusiast to novice. It has a huge range that covers both a beginner and a pro in terms of hiking, and simply being comfortable in the outdoors, so for me to be part of it was a kind of a mini dream come true.
This month Daniel and I were honoured to be able to interview the up and coming climber from Saudi Arabia, Raha Moharrak, who is also a professional athlete, sponsored by Columbia Clothing. As a climber and mountaineer myself, listening to her answers inspired me, and I hope reading this interview will have the same effect on you.
What did it feel like on summit of Mt Everest?
Sometimes we are lucky enough to meet a real athlete who will leave behind a real legacy and I believe that Raha will be just that for women all over the Arabian peninsula and the world.
What is your personal motivation for climbing?
What first got me into climbing was very accidental. I was at that time in my life where I was looking for something new. I wanted to try something different and someone suggested Kilimanjaro, and it went from there. I never expected something so random to end up being this great achievement in my life. What keeps me going is a bunch of different things; it’s my quest to live a full happy life filled with experiences and stories and to live as an example, to leave a legacy for the next generation of young girls in the region and the world in general. I want to leave this world better than I entered into it. Hopefully, that will be my legacy.
Saudi isn’t a country normally associated with female athletes – how difficult was it for you to convince people to support you?
Everything new in Saudi Arabia is most of 32
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the time not accepted very easily, so in the beginning it was very difficult to get people to understand why I wanted to do this sport. Then after they saw the passion and the dedication I put in, I got a lot of people on board and I changed a lot of minds towards sports in general for females in Saudi Arabia and in the region. So it took a while but it was definitely worth it because more female athletes have started to come out into the climbing arena and not just climbing, but any kind of sports so I think it’s being more accepted.
How did you feel when Columbia approached you to work with you?
I’ve always been a fan of Columbia and it’s one of those things you dream of as an athlete, to be a sponsored professional. For them to approach me was… well in the
Although this is one of the most asked questions I get, I still can’t answer it. I still find it difficult to put into words what it felt to stand on that mountain. It was the sense of grandeur and the sense of minuteness in the same moment. I literally stood there and was contemplating whether I should pinch myself like in a cartoon because I really felt that it was unbelievable that I was standing up there and yes I can never really explain that. But I can tell you, I was very tired, very hungry, very stinky and absolutely proud to be able to walk and reach the highest summit in the world.
Your Instagram tagline is “living curiously” can you explain how you apply that to your life?
I believe that curiosity is one of the strongest drivers in life. To be a curious child is very easy but to be a curious adult is difficult. We tend to lose our curiosity and sense of adventure and sense of wanting to try something new as we get older. So I urge everyone to continue and to try to feed this little sense of curiosity because if you’re a curious soul you will never live a boring life. You will always have new hungers, new aspirations and new eyes to see the world differently. A simple as it sounds, it’s actually not very easy to follow the motto of living curiously.
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fortable, it needs to be functional and thankfully the new lines especially of Columbia are also fashionable. I always say that sometimes I have to sacrifice fashion for function. I’m a very fashionable person in my own right and I’m a girly girl and I want to look good and I want to feel good but when I’m climbing most of the time I feel like a little cockroach. Columbia gives you the opportunity to look feminine, and the new pants are very comfortable, very feminine and they function right. They are my favourite part of the Columbia line!
You’re an art director, do you feel like there is a synergy between your work and your climbing?
Do you think your faith has had an impact on your climbing?
If you’re a believer, faith has impact on everything, don’t you think? Faith is in everything and like everything in life, I put my faith in God so that whenever there are tough situations I have something to believe in. When there is an avalanche coming my way, I’m hoping and praying to God that I don’t get swept away by it! My faith has always kept me grounded, humble and hopeful. It’s one of those things that I am very proud of in our culture, that we are very strong in our faith.
What are your next climbing goals?
My immediate climbing goal is to take the tick and finish my “7 Summits.” I attempted Denali a few years ago and we were very unfortunate that year and I didn’t get the chance to summit. It was one of those “life or limb” moments and I decided that my life and limbs were worth a little bit more than the summit so I very happily came back down. I promised myself that if by my next birthday I still wanted to climb it, that I would. My birthday came and I decided to go back and climb Denali again. It’s been a bit of a challenge to find the right sponsors because I’m kind of a walking talking taboo so I can understand when I approach brands and people with my portfolio and tell them, I’ve been on 14 expeditions, can you please sponsor my climb and I get a blank face as a response! Yes I have it in my heart to go back and I believe that I can do it because I actually almost climbed it last time, we were just unlucky with the weather. The final piece in the puzzle is being able to find the right sponsor and go back and hopefully being able to tick it off and end my book on a good note.
What is your favourite Columbia Gear?
The hiking pants. When you are wearing something for so long it needs to be com-
My biggest project is not necessarily art but it’s creative, it’s finishing my book. I started writing it a few years ago and I’m hoping to finish it this year with my final chapter ending on Denali, Inshallah. Yes there’s definitely a synergy between being creative I think, and being multi-faceted which adds to my story. I climb mountains and I share my story and I think if I wasn’t very creative, I wouldn’t be able to find the means and the right way to depict my story. It would probably be a little bit flat. I’m a creative and adventurous person. Whenever I travel I have my camera with me and I make my little notes.
FEBRUARY 2017 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM
because I heard this story about the Saudi girl that climbed Everest.” That to me would be my legacy. What I want to say to them is if a Saudi woman could touch the sky, I won’t accept that your dreams are too far to reach. There is no way that anyone can tell me that Arab women or Saudi women are less than anyone else. I’m a very average person from an average life and upbringing, but I believed that I could and I lived my dream. If I managed then you are capable of reaching yours, I guarantee you. You just need to be brave enough to dream them. Outdoor UAE would like to wish Raha Moharrak every success with her climbing future and if you want to hear more about her or follow her adventures then you can go to her Facebook page or her Instagram account: facebook.com/moharrak.raha/ instagram.com/rahamoharrak/
You are seen all over the Middle East by women as a role model for what they can achieve if they put their minds to it, how does this make you feel and what words of encouragement can you give to those who follow in your footsteps?
It makes me feel heavy sometimes. I think it’s a huge responsibility and I don’t take it lightly. I take it to heart and I carry it with me, not like a burden because I’m honoured to be part of this, I’m honoured to be one of those people. I really do put a lot of consideration into what I do and what I say. I know that I have an opportunity to change the story for Arab women, so I really put in a lot of time. I know a lot of people don’t believe me, but I’m a camera shy person but I still put myself out there and I share my story in the hopes to make a change, that even if it’s for one little girls opinion of herself, then I can say that my job here is done. Hopefully in 10 years time some girl or boy will come up to me and say “You know, I decided to go to the moon or I won gold
Available at Columbia stores: Dubai - The Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates, Mirdif City Center and Ibn Battuta Mall Abu Dhabi - Al Wahda Mall and Dalma Mall Instagram: columbia_me Facebook: Columbia Middle East
TRAVEL & ADVENTURE
The Blizzard of 2016 Words + Photos by: Chris and Amanda Gordon
He said yes. After Mount Mulanje, Chris had all but sworn off hiking. I was shocked. And then the panic set in. We had been sitting on our behinds in the car for the past three months. We most definitely were not prepared to climb the second highest mountain in Africa. We had just 12 short days to get in shape—nothing like cramming. We were welcomed to Nairobi with freezing temps and heavy rains - cue to check the mountain weather report. My heart skipped a beat when I saw the tiny snowflake symbol with numbers on the negative side of the number line. We were definitely not equipped for this! We’d graciously been invited to stay the night on Kisima farm, conveniently located at the foot of Mount Kenya. Fortunately, we found a company to rent out proper boots, jackets, and pants on our way. Hopefully that would be enough. As we sat by the fire sipping on a cold beer, John and Tish just shook their heads. They were familiar with the weather on the mountain. Scenes of this cozy night would soon run rampant in my memory as we trekked through the blizzard of 2016. Day 1 was a very easy 9km hike up to Old Moses Camp at 3,300m. After raining all day, we were lucky to have the skies brighten up for most of our walk. Mountains are always unpredictable, maybe our luck had changed and the weather would turn right. Maybe not.
We woke up the next morning to clear skies and a cool breeze. We put on some light pants and rain jackets just in case. The clouds began rolling in within the first 30 minutes of the hike. Uh oh! A few drops of rain fell but the sun was still fighting to shine, resulting in a beautiful rainbow glowing over the valley. Our guide was certain that the rain would pass so we pressed on deciding to keep our other rain gear dry for the summit morning. Big mistake! We quickly learned that our “waterproof” jackets were not so waterproof. We were soaked. Still hoping to keep our warmer clothes dry for the following morning, we decided to push through. The light rains turned to a downpour, which then turned to sleet, and finally became a full on blizzard. We were now trekking through a winter wonderland. Except it was anything but wonderful. The previous night around the fireplace seemed like a distant memory. The idea of “Pole Pole” (slowly slowly) quickly went out the window. With less
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than an hour to go we decided to put the hammer down. We were adamant on keeping those warm clothes dry. As we gained altitude, the temps began falling rapidly. Scenes from Everest played in my head, were we going to freeze to death on the mountain? We kept on trekking and finally made it to Shipton’s Camp at 4,200m above sea level. We stripped down immediately and put every single item of clothing we had. We battled to get warm for over an hour. Finally the uncontrollable shivers came to a halt and we felt human again. The sun decided to make an appearance late that afternoon, giving us incredible views of the three peaks (Batian, Nelion, and Lenana). Truly inspiring. Our spirits had lifted and we were ready for the challenges Mount Kenya had to offer. After a terrible night of sleep, we were up at 2:30am to get ready for our summit push. The altitude had gotten to us as we both woke up with pounding headaches. Chris was also suffering from nausea. We bundled up, wrapping our feet in plastic bags to help protect from frost bite. Ten minutes into the hike and I was cured by the fresh air; however, Chris was still feeling lousy. Although a bit nippy, the conditions were looking pretty good. Light cloud coverage turned to clear skies giving us a glimpse of the steep, glacial hike ahead. Overhead, the moon was brightly shining; perhaps we would be fortunate enough to watch the sun rise from the crown of Africa. The clouds began rolling in and the wind picked up. More snow. The ascent was incredibly difficult. It was a steep scramble through deep snow. Towards the peak, we were lucky enough to catch the sunrise for five minutes before the sky was completely blanketed in thick clouds. We came around a bend approximately three hours later and there it was: the end was in sight! We could see the Lenana Peak sign just above. Our hike ended with a small ladder leading to the top. I got a bit emotional and Chris came back to life, we had made it! What an accomplishment, 4,985m in tough conditions. Chris removed all of the ice from the Point Lenana sign and we took our “on the top” photos. Due to the below freezing temps and high winds we immediately started the climb down. As we went downhill, so did the weather. I could only describe the descent as attempting to walk down a black diamond ski slope…without poles. Challenging to say the least. More than half the time was spent on our backsides. We arrived back at Shipton’s Camp around 8:30. Again, we battled to get warm. Everything was soaked. After tea and a short nap, we headed back down. Because of the terrible weather and lack
FEBRUARY 2017 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM
of dry clothing, we opted out of the scenic Chogoria descent (an additional 59km). Instead, we headed back down the same trail we had taken up. Finally, the weather played in our favour. The clouds parted ways above the highest peaks. The 18km hike back down to Old Moses camp was extremely enjoyable. We trekked through beautiful valleys covered in lobelia. We eventually reached Old Moses Camp and headed back to the warmth and comfort of Kisima Farm. Through wind, rain, sleet, and snow, crossing the equator twice, climbing to an altitude of 4,895m, we had made it. Although both of us has sworn off hiking on holidays during the toughest hours of the trek, we’d recanted our words. The natural beauty that surrounded us on this last day had us wanting more.
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TRAVEL & ADVENTURE
Going down in Arabia: Words + Photos by: Baxter Jackson
In an overlooked corner of the Arabian Peninsula, along a twisting, mountainous highway, a Land Rover in pink and emblazoned with a logo – throttles its way up the hot asphalt towards the Sumail Gap, an ancient pass into the high desert of the Sultanate of Oman. Behind the wheel is Joe Daniels, senior adventure guide for Twenty3Extreme. Tailgating like an Omani local, he guns the 4x4 past groves of date palms and herds of goats towards Al Hamra, the closest village to Al Hoota Cave for my first go at spelunking. Unlike me, he’s caved this one, more times than he can remember since he first escaped to Oman in 2009 hoping to avoid adulthood. As the sun spreads out above the jagged peaks of the Western Hajar north of Muscat,
Joe - a 28 year-old Englishman with a ginger mohawk and an anarchy tattoo behind his ear - fills me in on the allure of the underworld, the ethos of caving and the new field of science spouting up around it. It makes this type of adventure kind of geeky, unlike the superstar world of ‘rock jocks’ who climb up mountains instead of into them. Delving into the realm of science fiction (think Journey to the Center of the Earth) Joe tries to explain the appeal of caving for him: “It’s about going where no man has gone before.” He laughs self-consciously, quoting Star Trek before dropping the Land Rover in gear for the final steep climb up to the expansive plateau. “I mean if you think about it, exploring the world from the comfort of your own desktop has never been easier, you know? I mean, from the depths of the Mariana Trench to the heights of Everest, to find that elusive place still out of reach of Google Earth, we must look inward now, innit?” I nod thoughtfully, watching us on an iPad mounted on the dashboard, our movement being tracked by satellite. “And with just 10% of the world’s known caves surveyed,” Joe continues, “I like those odds.” The odds were indeed in Felix Baumgartner’s favour when he came to Oman to base jump into Majlis Al Jinn, one of the top five biggest underground chambers in the world located about halfway between Muscat and Sur, high up on the Selma Plateau. With a ceiling height of 120m, (389ft) it’s deep enough to base jump into (spoiler alert, Felix pulled it off) and at 340m long (1,115 ft) by 228m wide (738ft) there’s enough parking for a few dozen Royal Air
Force Omani C-130’s to park wing to wing, ma mooshkela (no problem). A black Ford rolls up on us at the crossroads, kicking up dust with its arrival. A paramilitary type with a beard, Oakley and a khaki baseball cap steps out first, Joe’s colleague, Nick. The passenger door opens. Nearly falling from the cab is a diminutive, dark-complexioned individual in neon orange shorts and safety yellow t-shirt, the client we’ve been waiting for. Amicable and well spoken, Sami is a recently transplanted Bahraini banker with a love for The Lord of the Rings and weekend warrior adventure. We pile into the Land Rover to drive the short distance from the rendezvous point to the hike down to the edge of the wadi. With the Arabian sun now well overhead, and tales from the underground between my ears, we’re poised at the edge of a rather modest 7m (22.9 ft) abseil into the wadi that will lead us to the entrance of the 2 million year old Al Hoota Cave. It’s been over year since I last rappelled and having watched Sami handle the abseil into the canyon with some degree of trepidation, it gets my heart pumping, my hands sweating.
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Despite my initial hesitancy, I manage to descend into the wadi under the spindly branches of a sarh tree on the bed of the dry canyon. Strewn with giant grayish-blue boulders, thorny ghaf trees and saw-scaled vipers lurking in between, we step nimbly, mindful of our extremities through the boulder field. The dried riverbed, the lumbering, giant outcrops of rock, Joe explains, all point to what speleologists call vadose - one of two ways in which cave passages are formed - entranceways to the underworld dissolved away by water in the same way the Grand Canyon was carved out over millennia. Stepping onto the powdery floor between the boulders inside Al Hoota Cave, it seems millennia must have slipped by since water last rushed through here. It’s not much cooler inside the cave but with darkness and stillness enveloping us, I start to feel how, in this underground realm, it could be as Joe mentioned - that everything else begins to fall away. The cave, a gaping mouth into the earth, immediately begins to consume you, your thoughts, as soon as you step inside, cut off from the outside world. Consuming me at this point is how the hell we’re going to get back out of this subterranean tomb if the homemade aluminium roll-up ladder Joe sets up for us to get back out is stolen, like the last one was by curious mountain villagers. It’d be a hard scramble up the narrow 10m (32 ft) abseil we just descended, even for our guide. And if they snagged the rope as well, damn near impossible. We’re now in the phreatic zone of the cave below the water table, standing on a 38
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dusty floor of what looks like a subterranean continuation of the wadi. Illuminated only by the bouncing light of our headlamps, the roof resembles an upside down cake of meringue, all swirls and whips of white stone – the second force of nature at work here that helped form Al Hoota Cave, Joe explains. The rock undulations on the roof, or scallops (as they are known to speleologists) were once tubes of alkaline water flowing under high pressure. Where the water ran faster, deeper sections cut into the limestone, eventually creating the ripple effect of a meringue pie as the troughs broke through the bottom of the tube - phreatic up top, vadose below: two forces of nature working together. Joe points out to us that although we’re together in the darkness, we are certainly not alone. The glowing eyes of 10 leggedcreatures are all around us - their eyes reflecting the light from our searching
headlamps. No spider webs to run through Indiana Jones style in this cave, however, because these ‘spiders’ are not actually arachnoids, they’re solifugae, Latin for ‘those that flee from the sun’ and hence, no webs. Fierce hunters, these troglodytes can run up to 10km per hour - handy when being pursued by bats, squeaking and fluttering on leathery wings in the pitch black ahead of us.
MIDDLE EAST’S OUTDOOR, ADVENTURE, TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE
Nearly an hour deep into the underground, a giant orange calcite formation, millions of years old, looms before us, glistening wet. With each drip, it grows and encases within it clues to the past such as annual rainfall, climate change, water acidity and even live bacteria – the earth’s DNA frozen in stone for all eternity. In much the same way that core samples of ancient ice from Antarctica reveal climatic shifts, relative temperature and microscopic life, samples of these calcite formations, could – with the recent discovery of ancient microbes - hold the key to fighting current super viruses like Ebola, linked to bats by the way. On the way to the end of the line for us, a subterranean lake. We stumble upon a example of Rhinopoma Muscatellum, a small mouse-tailed bat commonly found in Afghanistan, Iran and Oman (possibly Ethiopia as well). He’s dead on the floor of the cave which is something rare, Joe explains because unlike humans, whose tendons connect to muscle, in bats they connect directly to their upper bodies, so when they hang upside down, the weight of the bodies clench their talons closed, locking them into position with zero energy expended, even in death. In the underworld, the dead (usually) hang with the living. Without scuba gear and special permits from the Omani Ministry of the Interior, we’re literally and metaphorically dead in our tracks. The ink black lake below is but one of four to three small lakes on the north side connected to a larger one in the show cave section of the cavern). For a hardcore caving bloke like Joe, whose motto is the tighter and wetter, the better, it really gets him in a twist that no one has yet dived from one end of the cave to the other (nor will they likely be allowed to) due to an indigenous endemic species of blind cave fish. Known scientifically as Garra Barreimiae and locally as Bu Naseh, this cavefish is Al Hoota’s star troglobite, a creature that lives
entirely in the darkest parts of caves (not to be confused with a troglodyte who dwells in a cave but occasionally step out into the sunlight). Evolution has blinded this aquarian troglobite, taken its pigment, slowed down its metabolism and in turn endowed it with supersensory perception including chemo-electroreception and echolocation. Curiously enough, Joes notes, that if the location of the eggs is changed, ie, they’re taken outside the cave to hatch, these fish will redevelop their lost sight but lose their compensatory olfactory and tactile superpowers. After our own vain attempt at echolocation, ie tossing rocks into the blackness of the lake below, we push back for the surface of the earth. We are, after all, but trogloxenes (cave guests) poorly equipped for any long-term survival in such a seemingly forbidding underworld. Perhaps therein lies the appeal for daringly irreverent adventurers like Joe who have spent upwards of a week underground exploring, surveying and getting bits of the underworld named after their anatomy. If you’re ever in La Cueva del Nacimiento
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del Agua in Spain’s Picos de Europa, be sure to check out ‘Joe’s Crack’ while you’re there. Like climbers, cavers name anything of note – rock formations, chambers, passageways, etc - that they may encounter while surveying after something that happened during the exploration. Bits of rock just happened to be falling down Joe’s bottom on this particular caving trip and the guy surveying made the call that immortalised his posterior forever. To the jumping off point, we’ve now scrambled our way back - the first abseil in the cave that took us from the vadose to the lower phreatic zone. The aluminium roll-up ladder is still hanging there, Alhamdulillah (thanks be to God). Relieved, we pull our way out of the darkness, dirty and stinky, pupils dilating, sweat beading on our brows. Slipping into the warm afternoon sunlight with the red walls of the wadi rising all around us, I discover inside myself a newfound appreciation of mother earth, all her inner secrets yet to be revealed and a strange, unearthly desire to have something in the underworld named after part of me, in this one.
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THE
OFF-ROADERS corner
Name: Mahadi Alamin Nationality: Sudan Occupation: Marketing manager Vehicle: FJ Cruiser Tell us the background story of the car
Owning a 4x4 was one of my ultimate dreams. With time, the dream started to grow with me especially with seeing all sorts of four wheels in a city like Dubai. It is all about the love for desert, passion, team work and of course a company of a strong performing car. With my African heart and roots, UAE as birthplace and my multicultural exposure, the love for diversity and uniqueness within me started growing reaching to great aspects like the love for desert and off-roading. In fact, the desert is one common thing between my home in Africa and my UAE.
What modifications have been made, performance and cosmetic wise?
My FJ is modified with the all the following: • 2.5 inch lifted up • Bushwhacker fender flares • Rook rack • AFE air intake • Fully tuned engine • Sprint booster • AFE body space trotter
• Customised off-roading pamper • Air snorkel • Dual battery with TJM monitoring system • 40L build in water tank with customised pressure valve
in the branding and events marketing and management of the off-roading clubs in the UAE. One of my objectives is to provide a strong presence of the off-roading clubs in the online and offline world.
What do you consider to be a ‘special feature’ of the car?
Are you planning any future modifications?
What were your other options before you bought this car?
What 4x4 do you dream of owning?
Well, the car, as a whole, is really attractive! It’s made to be an epical automotive piece. Even the architectural combination of the car; the circular lights with the square LED lights, the tent on the right side and a 20L tank on the other side had turned it into an amazing automotive piece.
Amongst all the four wheelers, I was always captured by the white FJs in the streets. All the details of the FJ were really on point and I succeeded in making the dream come true by owning an FJ and leading one of the most successful off-roading clubs in the UAE.
Luckily and with continuous efforts, I was the third place winner last year in the Emirates Custom Show. Now, I started preparing my car for the upcoming show on March 30 with new modifications and settings to achieve my target of the first place as the best offroading car in the UAE. I’m actually living my dream! Furthermore, I’m aiming to modify it more and for my FJ to be a trademark of excellence in the off-roading world.
What activities do you take part in? For the three years, most of my weekends were around different off-roading activities with different clubs in the UAE. Additionally, as a marketing manager, my passion and love for marketing and advertising was well reflected here too! I’m too keen
Want your 4X4 to be the next feature? 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!
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Meal Planning :
Nightmare or blessing? Words + Photos by: Richard Thomas
What is the key to a healthy successful lifestyle? Is it continuously working out and staying fit? Is it eating healthy and following a strict diet? Or is it surrounding yourself with people that have positive attitudes and a similar mind-set? We, at The Cycle Bistro, believe that it is an amalgamation of all the above, and finding the right balance between all of it. In this modern day society, it is difficult to find the time to work out every day. The solution to that is to train smart. It’s also tough to find people from a similar background that share the same ideas with regards to fitness, relaxing, partying or exploring, however, we live in Dubai, the melting pot of the world, where your variety of people is endless. The one tough thing, which will either make or break this lifestyle, is to eat
healthy and to follow a balanced diet. The Cycle Bistro is a paleo restaurant, one of the most tried and tested diets in the world, and for us, it works. However, for you, it may not. But whatever diet or ideology you have towards eating, it has to be balanced and something that you can see out for the long term. That’s why meal planning is such an important factor for achieving this successful lifestyle. Meal plans help to restrict you from diverging from your main goal. There are various levels of meal planning, some may make all their meals for the week on one day and then eat as they go along, others may know what they need to eat for the next month to achieve that specific goal. For us, meal planning is a way to eat healthy, save money and stress less on time.
There are a few key points to following a successful meal plan: • Plan ahead by cooking your meals every other day, providing you with enough food for the next two days. • Spices are your best friends when it comes to making your meals enjoyable • Remember your reasons for why you plan your meals ahead Understandably, not everyone has the ability to cook their meals ahead of time that is why we have introduced our own Paleo meal plans. The option of one to three meal a day plan that enables you the freedom of not having to cook, the hassle of not having to shop and the ability to know that every day you are guaranteed great meals. Our food is organic where possible and we only use the best meats with all our beef being Australian grass fed. Give us a call, visit our website or send us an email to find out more information. Located at The Cycle Hub, Dubai Motor City Call: 04 425 3000 Website: www.thecyclehub.com info@thecyclebistro.com facebook.com/thecyclebistro
The Cycle Bistro GPS location: Latitude: N 25° 02.792 Longitude: E 055° 14.384
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PRODUCTS A ROUND-UP OF QUALITY PRODUCTS AVAILABLE RIGHT HERE IN THE UAE
Silver Ridge™ Stretch Pant for Women 239 AED
Available at Columbia stores: Dubai - The Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates, Mirdif City Center & Ibn Battuta Mall Abu Dhabi - Al Wahda Mall and Dalma Mall • Omni-SHIELD™ advanced repellency • Omni-SHADE™ UPF 50 sun protection • Comfort stretch • Articulated knees • Cargo pockets • Zip-closed security pocket • Gusset detail • Mid rise • Straight leg Fabrics: 95% nylon / 5% elastane
169 AED
Available at Columbia stores: Dubai - The Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates, Mirdif City Center & Ibn Battuta Mall Abu Dhabi - Al Wahda Mall and Dalma Mall • Omni-WICK™ • Omni-SHADE™ UPF 40 sun protection • Drawcord adjustable waist • Roll-up sleeve Fabrics: Silver Ridge™ Rip-Stop 100% polyester
Titan Ice™ Short Sleeve Shirt for Women
Dakota™ Drifter Mid Waterproof for Women
Available at Columbia stores: Dubai - The Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates, Mirdif City Center & Ibn Battuta Mall Abu Dhabi - Al Wahda Mall and Dalma Mall
Available at Columbia stores: Dubai - The Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates, Mirdif City Center & Ibn Battuta Mall Abu Dhabi - Al Wahda Mall and Dalma Mall
Features: • Omni-FREEZE ZERO™ sweat-activated super cooling • Omni-WICK™ • 4-way comfort stretch • Bonded seams
A durable and supportive hiker that provides great traction and comfort. Upper: Combination suede leather, mesh and rubber overlays Omni-TECH™ waterproof breathable seam-sealed membrane bootie construction Midsole: TECHLITE™ lightweight midsole for long lasting comfort, superior cushioning, and high energy return Outsole: Omni-GRIP™ non-marking traction rubber
159 AED
Fabrics: Omni-Freeze ZERO™ Mesh 85% polyester / 15% elastane
Packadillo
399 AED
W Coolhead™ Ballcap
199 AED
69 AED
Available at Columbia stores: Dubai - The Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates, Mirdif City Center & Ibn Battuta Mall Abu Dhabi - Al Wahda Mall and Dalma Mall
Available at Columbia stores: Dubai - The Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates, Mirdif City Center & Ibn Battuta Mall Abu Dhabi - Al Wahda Mall and Dalma Mall
Features: • External bungee storage for wet/dirty gear • Fits up to 15” laptop • Padded laptop sleeve • Compression straps • Foam padded back for comfort and support • Internal organiser • Internal tablet pocket • Sternum strap with rescue whistle • Dual water bottle pockets • Reinforced haul loop
Features: • Omni-SHADE™ UPF 50 sun protection • Omni-Freeze ZERO™ sweat-activated super cooling sweatband • Hook and loop back adjustment
Fabrics: Shell: 600D Coated 100% polyester 42
Silver Ridge™ Hoodie for Women
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Fabrics: Omni-Freeze™ 145 gsm jersey 92% polyester / 8% elastane.
Working with a knife and a carving subject can give long moments of pleasure. It gives an almost meditative feeling of being in the present. Let’s take a look at how you can get going with your creativeness in woodcarving. It’s complete silent and concentration. All focus is on carving the stick, sliver by sliver; on carefully evening out the edges of the piece of wood. Is it going to be a wooden boat? A barbecue stick? Or maybe even a spoon? No matter your intention or entry level, woodcarving is a great activity for both outdoor adventures and pleasant days at home. As always when working with a knife, one needs to have respect for the tool. We need to be aware of what we do with the knife, how we carve and how we behave. There are a few good things to have close by when you’re about to start woodcarving. Always have a first aid kit at hand, with plasters, tape and smaller first aid supplies. Then of course, make sure you’ve got a
suitable carving subject – brushwood to carve sticks from, aspen twigs or round trunks of linden, birch or alder. Avoid cutting down branches from living trees. One good tip is to ask your local timber yard or carpenter if they have any bits of wood in a good size for what you want to carve. Remember that fir and pine are relatively hard wood types, so alder or aspen are softer and easier to carve with. You can also find and order carving materials online – together with a lot of inspiration on all sorts of woodcarving projects! Another good idea is to place your wooden material in a bag or bucket filled with water for a couple of hours before you start. This softens the wood and makes it easier to work with. Then it’s time to start. The most important thing when it comes to woodcarving is a sharp knife, there’s no avoiding that fact. Instead of being a wonderful, creative experience, it can become both irritating and dangerous if the knife is blunt. A real sharp knife gets you on the right path quite simply. Morakniv woodcarving knives are famous for
their high quality, made of carefully selected laminated steel for the blade. It is easy to resharpen with a whetstone, while the spoon knives are made of high quality Swedish stainless steel, which make its sharpness last for a long time, so you never need to compromise on sharpness. When woodcarving, there is many different models to choose from: long or short blade? Do you need a straight blade or a curved one for spoon carving? It all comes down to what you wish to create. A good entry level knife is the Woodcarving 106, which allows generous cuts and good stability. It has a slightly longer blade than its sibling Woodcarving 120, that’s more suited for finer tasks. Both models have comfortable wooden handles. If you’re going for creating a bowl, spoon or cup, a hook or spoon knife is the natural choice. Just keep in mind that for some projects you might have to use more than one model, if you’re going from rough cuts to more detailed work. If you’re entirely new to handling a knife, you can also try the Woodcarving Basic with a polymer handle, or even the Companion or Scout models. The latter two are especially good for woodcarving with children. Now, you’ve got your wooden material and the right knife. Start a warm fire and get creative. Or take out your kit for a nice evening together with the family. No matter your woodcarving project, you can be sure to have many inspiring moments ahead of you.
Available at Al Sayad Hunting Equipment: Port Saeed, Dubai, UAE, 04 295 9666
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PRODUCTS Silverback Slade Sport 2,199 AED/QAR
Available at GO Sport stores in UAE and Qatar The Slade mountain bike range is a cross country platform that is designed to make the most of the 27,5 wheel size. This platform is great for shorter riders and for those who like the agility and stiffness of the in-between wheel size. The geometry has been tailored to bring out the best aspects of the 27,5, resulting in a highly manoeuvrable, accurate and smooth ride.
Silverback Strela Sport 3,799 AED/QAR
Available at GO Sport stores in UAE and Qatar The Strela road bicycle range is a great option for those who want a high performance bike without the implications of carbon fiber. Strela sports a sophisticated hydroformed alloy tube set that boosts pedaling stiffness for efficient power transfer while still offering a comfortable experience for long days in the saddle.
Silverback Splash Sport 1,899 AED/QAR
Available at GO Sport stores in UAE and Qatar The Splash 27,5 mountain bike range is designed for the lady who wants the performance benefits of larger wheels. The agile 27,5 wheel size works perfectly for the female rider to inspire confidence in off-road riding. The ladies specific geometry and lightweight alloy frames provide a superb platform for recreational cycling.
Silverback
Boys bikes
Girls bikes
Brand New Kids Street Bikes Range Available at GO Sport stores in UAE and Qatar The light alloy frame combined with rigid fork and alloy wheels help small kids to handle the bikes easily around the neighbourhood due to its overall light weight. And together with the stable geometry and high handlebars, kids can enjoy the sights around them in comfort. The frame has great safety features in solid sliding drop outs, kick stand and fully sealed cable routing, all there to ensure best durability of the bike. These bikes are a good step in terms of a lighter, faster, comfortable bike that kids can really enjoy, and hopefully keep up with their faster parents.
Sam 4.6: 1,199 AED/QAR
Sally 4.6: 1,199 AED/QAR
Sam 6.9: 1,499 AED/QAR
Sally 6.9: 1,499 AED/QAR
Sam 9+: 1,699 AED/QAR
Sally 9+: 1,699 AED/QAR
Cooper Tire Discoverer A/T3 tyres are a great choice for your 4x4 in the UAE Words + Photos by: Daniel Birkhofer
When it comes down to the choice of shoes, it is more or less a matter of personal preference, some will give very little attention to it and just cover their feet, while others are shoe fanatics and I am not just talking about women and their Louboutins. When it comes down to the point where the shoes need to suit a specific purpose like running, climbing or hiking, men will pay attention to detail and will have very specific properties and preferences in mind. With tyres, it is actually the same, but far fewer people pay attention to important details or simply don’t have the knowledge to choose the appropriate tyre for their 4x4. Some might even be surprised with the wide variety of tyres available in the market. Before you think of choosing a tyre, first think of how you want to use your car. Is it purely on the road, is it purely in sand, is it purely on rocks or is it a mix of all of them? There are tyres for all these purposes, with different structures and materials. 1. Tyre dimension and load should suit your car 2. Choose the purpose of your tyre – whether a road tyre, all terrain tyre or off-road tyre. The on-road tyre is built for maximum comfort on the road and to last long.
Pro:
• Usually cheaper than purpose built tyres • Usually a longer kilometre lifetime on the road • Quiet and comfortable drive on the road
Cons:
• Not suitable for off-road with limited traction and high risk of damaging the tyre • The off-road tyre is usually equipped with an aggressive thread to ensure grip on challenging terrain and has re-enforced structure to avoid cuts or damages on rocks.
Pro:
• Will withstand any abuse in wadis and on rocks • Gives the nicest and most aggressive look to your car
Cons:
• Through the aggressive thread, the tyres generate noise on the road • For some tyres, the reinforced sidewalls can be a disadvantage in sand if you deflate the tyre
T R&I E D
TESTED ODUC THIS PR
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Road Tire
All-Terrain Tire Cooper A/T3
In my opinion, these tyres only make sense if you have a car you use mainly for offroading. The biggest downside is that they can generate a lot of noise on the highway. A popular and very good choice for an off-road tyre is the Cooper Tire Discoverer STT Pro with Armor-tek3 carcass construction, scalloped shoulder lugs, resistant tread compound, rim flange protector, super traction tread, deep buttress lugs and tapered stone ejectors to give the tyre the best traction properties and durability in rocky off-road conditions. The all-terrain tyre is, in my opinion, the weapon of choice for most people in Middle East since we use our cars on and off the road. The all-terrain tyre combines all the best of both worlds , depending on the tyres, they lean more in one direction or the other e.g. 80% on the road and 20% of the road.
Pro:
• No or very little extra noise on the road • Long kilometre lifespan on the road • Full off-road capability • Re-enforced construction to avoid damage and enhance durability
Cons:
• Does not look as nice or aggressive as an off-road tyre on the car. In the past 10 years in the UAE, I have only driven all-terrain tyres and off-road tyres only once, which I changed very quickly because the driving noise was too much for my taste. One of the best tyres you can choose for your car is the Cooper Tire Discoverer A/T3, which has the perfect balance between superior offroad capabilities and on-road comfort. The
Off-Road Tire Cooper STT
tyres perform well if deflated in the dunes to even below 16psi without damage to the sidewall and great footprint and traction. On the other hand, it withstands the very sharp rocks in the wadis without cuts or punctures. On the road, you can drive higher speeds of 140km/h without any more noticeable noise than a road tyre. In addition, the stability in curves is equal to a good on-road tyre. Some of the technical features are aggressive 5-rib all-terrain design, silicate based tread compound, dual draft tread element walls, groove protectors and broken centre rib. To find out more about this tyre in detail visit us.coopertire.com/Tires/Light-Truck/ DISCOVERER-A-T3. There are also big quality differences between brands, tyres are the connection between your car and the road or any other surface you are driving on, so they are an essential safety feature. Damage or worn-out tyres can pose a threat for you and other drivers. In hot weather conditions, tyres overheat and can blow up, something we unfortunately see on the UAE road. I once bought low priced off-road tyres, which were very noisy and it was almost impossible to balance the wheels properly. I can only recommend to invest in good tyres like high quality ones you can get from the American Brand Cooper Tire and keep them in good condition, to minimises risks. Cooper AT/3 in comparison to a on-road tyre
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FEBRUARY 2017 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM
PRODUCTS Jobe OMNIA Board (4 sports in 1)
Jobe Aero SUP Inflatable Package
Available only at Al Yousuf Motors across UAE
2,995 AED | Was: AED 4,295
2,245 AED | Was: 2,995 AED
Specification: Not enough storage in your boat to fit all your gear or tired of dragging your skis in and out every single day? We introduce the Omnia is the all-in-one solution. Ready to be used as a kneeboard, ski, wakeskate/board and wakesurfer, this lightweight board adds a whole new dimension to multifunction. Compression molded out of PU foam and fiberglass, this family focused board can be used with great variety. Suited for all skill levels and all water-fanatics. 4 sports in 1 board: • Kneeboard • Ski/Wakeboard • Wakeskate • Wakesurf
(SUP in Style)
Available only at Al Yousuf Motors across UAE Specification: Either beginner or advanced lightweight user you can find your way into SUP with this super lightweight and highly accessible board. Making use of a non-detachable thruster fin system the 9.4 SUP is ready to go as it is and supremely maneuverability. Unzip your accessory SUP bag, inflate the board and you’re good to go and start paddling! This SUP is perfect for flat water conditions. • Length: 9’4 • Width: 30 • Thickness: 4 Board volume: 165L • Recommended Rider Weight: up to 80 kg • Board Weight: 7.2 Kg * Package includes: Inflatable Board, Paddle, Air pump, Fins, leash, repair kit & bag
RinseKit
399 AED including delivery
Naish Gerry Lopez 7’10 Funboard Surfboard
Available only at www.rinsekit-uae.com
1,750 AED
The only product of its kind, RinseKit is a pressurized, portable shower that’s like having a hose to go! With no pumping and no batteries, RinseKit delivers a pressurized spray for up to three minutes. RinseKit stores the strength of a regular household spigot or sink (with adapter) and can be quickly filled with hot or cold water. RinseKit’s patented design features the eon™ pressure system that holds up to 2 gallons of water with a spray nozzle that offers seven different settings from jet stream to soaking shower. It comes packed with features, including: compact design with a 2 gallon pressure chamber, built-in ruler to measure fish, folding handle for one-handed carrying, and easy-to-remove lid to stand on for changing. The RinseKit comes with a Hose Nozzle, 6′ Hose, Hose Bib Adapter, On/Off Valve, and Quick Connect.
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Available at Ocean Sports FZE - +971 55 935 2735 Of all the different board models Gerry shapes, the Naish Lopez Funboard is the most popular one because, simply put, it makes surfing easier. These boards suit a wide range of rider’s size and weight, surfing ability as well as types of waves to be ridden. These are super fun surfboards that make catching the waves as easy as riding them. These boards evolved from what we used to call a “mini-tanker” in the early 1980’s, just a shorter version of a long board. It kept being refined to add more horsepower to make it able to handle a wider range of waves in size and juice. Today’s shape still has a fuller nose to maximise paddling while still having rails, edges, bottom rocker and foil to make it fast, steady, positive and maneuverable in almost any wave situation. Bottom shape is a flat to vee running out the tail. Boards come with squash tails and thruster fin set-ups.
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MIDDLE EAST’S OUTDOOR, ADVENTURE, TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE
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PRODUCTS
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Woodcarving 106
Hook knife 164
Available at Al Sayad Hunting Equipment
Available at Al Sayad Hunting Equipment
Woodcarving 106 has a pointed knife blade made of laminated steel, which gives it superior toughness and edge resiliency. The full tang, which runs the full length of the handle, gives it strength and stability. Compared to its sibling Woodcarving 120, this knife has a slightly longer blade for more generous cuts. The spindle shaped handle made of oiled birch wood is slightly larger for a proper grip. The wood also gives it a natural feeling and also gives you the possibility to form the handle for optimal shape.
This hook knife has a single-edged blade so that you can push the blade with your fingers from one side. The radius is 13 mm. The spindle shaped handle is made of oiled birch wood, which gives it a natural feeling and also gives you the possibility to form the handle yourself for optimal shape.
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Available at Sony store, 2nd Level, The Dubai Mall and other retail outlets across the UAE
Available at Sony store, 2nd Level, The Dubai Mall and other retail outlets across the UAE
The 4K FDR-X3000R Action Cam contains a wealth of technologies that have never been seen in POV cameras. The FDR-X3000R is packed with Sony’s patented B.O.SS (Balance Optical Steady Shot) technology into for better image stabilisation and is available in 4K and high speed recording modes. This model also comes supplied with Sony’s latest Live-View Remote with the ability to control shooting settings including power on/off and start/stop recording, without having to touch the camera at all.
The MDR-XB80BS Bluetooth headphones has an ear hook style design with a cable adjuster. They are also water resistant and washable, making it easier for users to clean them after exercising. The headphones are claimed to have 7 hours of battery life on a single charge.
OUTDOORUAE
OUR EXPERTS
Light Jigging in Sharjah Words + Photos by: Kit Belen
There are a lot of things you wish for when you head out to sea – a great day out, monster fish, the catch of the day and a lot more. What you don’t really expect as experience dictates is a day you would never forget. What makes great fishing trips are: the weather, the company you keep, a great boat crew and the cooperation of the fish. It almost always doesn’t go your way and to top it all off, varying skill levels of each participant makes for a challenging time when a big fish strikes, this is when the experience of the captain and boat hand come into play. Things are always unpredictable in fishing and more so when you are doing something unfamiliar to the captain like light jigging. One of the traits I look for in choosing the captain I want to be a regular with is the captain’s willingness to learn. I always fish and this guy will be my partner in crime. There are captains, and there are captains, after years of fishing with the Soolyman brothers and each of them flying off to more exotic destinations, I am left with no one I really want to fish with. I’m sure that if I fish
on their boats, they will give their captains specific instructions on exactly what to do, but that time has not come yet, and with the new products I have in the bag that I need to test out with the other job, I need someone a bit closer to home. I have met Hisham of Ocean Adventures a while back and I have promised him to go and fish with him some time, that was early last year and we have not had the chance to fish together until a common friend set a trip with him. Roy, who is a regular with Ocean Adventures, booked us on a Saturday morning trip and the date was set. Marvin, staff at Barracuda Fishing Equipment, was on the trip, Roy, and Ibrahim; both regulars at the shop and myself agreed that this would be the best time for both Roy and Ibrahim to learn how to jig. At the depths we’re fishing, a light jigging outfit would be the best to take and jigs of not more than 80g would be the ticket, with 20g – 60g jigs being the norm. Four people jigging seem to be the best number on the boat, more than that and the boat will feel very crowded. The waters were not as calm as we wanted when we first got out of the harbour, the winds were blowing towards the gulf and
this created a lot of choppy water. After the first stop and a missed fish, we decided to head out to calmer waters. The calmer shallower waters gave us a chance to drop smaller jigs and drift slower. The first fish on the boat was a small barracuda that we released and I decided to really scale down and drop a 20g jig with my lightest outfit, a Majorcraft Ika Metal Solid tip rod paired with an equally lightweight Shimano Vanquish 3000 spooled with PE .06. While you don’t need a combo this light (in weight and in capacity) this very light combo enabled me to go to the bottom with a very light jig and feel each movement. In times when the fish are really finicky, this combo enables me to feel every vibration the jig produced, if it gave me anything else than the familiar throb of the jig, it’s a strike. Using this combo, I hooked and landed the first decent fish of the trip - a Red Ear Emperor, one of my personal targets for this trip. Heading to deeper water, I switched from my smallest setup to my max 80g outfit. Another Solid tip and one designed for Tai Rubber fishing, I found this rod to be perfect for shallow water slow jigging. Paired with my trusty Shimano Calcutta Conquest 200, this combo is probably one of my favourites and is one of those that I love fishing with. Right after switching, I caught a few small barracuda and queens before switching to one of my trusty lures – a Williamson Koika 40g. I had PE 1 line on so it was still pretty light and with a 40g jig, it enabled me to get a better angle on the drift, while dropping the jig, I paid particular attention the sounder and right when I saw a bunch of fish coming on, I started moving the jig. The strike came as sudden as expected and the fish started peeling drag. It felt like a sizable fish, putting a nice bend on the rod and when I finally got it to colour, I noticed something
strange about the fish, it had a huge bite mark on it’s back and looking just below the fish, I saw the taxman swimming sluggishly towards the still swimming Malabar Trevally. As I was reeling the fish in, I felt both excited and sad at the same time because in my last boat trip, I caught a Malabar Trevally in really deep water and was wishing to catch one in shallow water. However, now that the chance had finally come, I end up with one with a huge bite mark. After landing the fish, I decided to try a jig that has not been seen in this region. Late last year, I received a package from Rapala (a perk for being in their Pro Staff) of all the lures I received in the package; one that I was really excited about is the new Storm Gomoku Slow Rocker. I know they are very effective because I have seen videos of my colleagues in Asia catching some really wonderful fish on them. If the Koika was already working wonders on this trip, (which at this point, I have given to each angler on the boat to use), I wanted to see what the Slow Rocker could do. Before this trip, Marvin and I were talking about wanting to catch a nice Spangled Emperor because they fought so well. So I was really aiming for one. On my first drop, I was familiarising myself with how the jig moved and felt. Once I was quite familiar with it, I dropped it down straight to the bottom, gave it a twitch and immediately had contact – a swing and a miss, dropped it down to the bottom again and before I knew it, I came tight to a hard fighting fast running fish – at first because of the initial burst. I honestly thought it was a cobia, but then I started gaining line and when the we saw the fish rising from the depths, almost everyone on the boat went nuts – it was a pretty big Spangled Emperor! Exactly what I was looking for!
Quite honestly, after that, I was afraid to lose the jig, so I switch and used the Koika again because it was working well and I had spares. While all of this was happening at the back of the boat, the front with Marvin and Ibrahim was equally busy catching queenfish, barracuda and a nice Malabar Trevally for Marvin, which by the way was given to him whole with no bite marks, a kingfish for Hisham (the captain) and Marvin on the Koika were brought in. A dozen more barracuda and Queenfish later, I switched to an old favourite jig (one which I have been using since 2006 – Duel Aile Metal 70g). Because the Koika was working too well and it got kind of boring for me. When Marvin and I switched spots, it also happened that we were drifting from a ledge; I dropped down and also started to instruct Ibrahim and explained to him exactly what I was doing. Midway to explaining, I felt a familiar tap, a swing and a miss… I dropped the jig and hopped it on the bottom while we drifted away from the ledge. Tap, tap, tap… I swung and a fish was there – it was swimming close to the bottom and pulling hard. I got it off the bottom and when it was on the surface, everyone on the boat celebrated – it was a keeper grouper! At about that time, Marvin and Roy were hooked up at the back of the boat, a couple of kings went to colour and at that time, lost in thought, I reached for my box and tied on a new jig. I didn’t notice I was talking to myself, but Ibrahim heard me say “kingfish huh…” while I was tying on the lure. Before I finished tying the lure, Roy was screaming at the back of the boat, he hooked a shark! So while everyone else on the boat was assisting Roy, I cast my jig out
and let it flutter midway and started to crank fast on the reel, before you know it, I had a strike. The fish ran for a bit but I managed to get the better of it and lo and behold… it was a kingfish! After the fish was brought on board, and just before Roy’s shark was released, I let out another cast and a few moments later, I had another strike. This one had a bit more weight on and when I got it up on the surface a few moments later we found it was quite a big barracuda. After this fish, I concentrated to teaching Ibrahim what I was doing. He got a big strike and because the anchor was down, we couldn’t get around the anchor and he lost the fish, but that was probably the biggest fish of the trip had we landed it – I’m thinking it would have dwarfed Roy’s shark and my barracuda. I have to say, Hisham was at his game with us on this trip and I am really looking forward to our next trip with him. I later found out that he mostly trolled for kingfish and is quite good at it. The worth of the captain is always measured by the amount of effort it takes for him to step out of his comfort zone and fish the way his guests want to fish. When the dust settled and several loud bellows of “you’re my boy, Roy!” I could only remember what I last heard from Hisham: “Consider this your boat guys, you are always welcome and I am only a call away. Well boys, looks like we have found our guy. Our fishing pro who shares his experiences and expertise with OutdoorUAE through his regular column. thefishingkit@gmail.com
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OUR EXPERTS
Educat ion
An Adventurous Journey Words + Photos by: Hydon Kerr
Many treks these days are mapped out quite nicely and when we’re unsure of the path, a simple check on Google Maps can point us in the right direction. But what if you’re on a Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Expedition, and you’ve only got a compass and photocopied map to navigate with? Award participants from all over the world will at some point be offered the opportunity to plan and execute their own Adventurous Journey (AJ), as part of their award experience. Depending on participants’ age and award level, groups at Deira International School are trained to become self-sufficient for one, two or three nights while being supervised from a distance
by instructors and assessors. This includes planning the routes, sites to camp at, what food to take and anything else required to navigate the selected area. The mode of travel is dependent on what the groups are able to arrange and train for. This can mean the AJ can be on foot, on bikes, in kayaks or rafts. For the most part, our groups have trekked and proudly covered enormous distances in various locations such as Wadi Gail, Fossil Rock, crossing the Hajar Mountains, Musandam and even Mauritius! Before any of these AJs take place, there needs to be a lot of preparation and training provided to ensure safety, success and enjoyment is maximised for all. Introducing the idea of reading maps and compasses to navigate rather than having the use of a mobile device can be intimidating at first. But, with a few carefully planned sessions and plenty of hands-on practice, it’s great to see students get back to these basics. Deira International School is one of a handful of schools in the region to meet international standards for delivery as an
Independent Award Centre (IAC). Proficient staff oversee the expeditions where there is always a ‘practice’ before the ‘assessed’ journey. The practice is where groups make most of their mistakes with the navigation, kit and menus. Reading a compass upside down, heavy bags from packing too many clothes and not enough food usually only happens once. By the time the assessed AJ takes place, groups are usually running a slick operation and are far more confident in their abilities to execute their plans. Fossil Rock is a beautiful location for trekking and setting up a camp. The closely grouped contour lines on our maps indicate changes to the landscape with steep mountains rising out of the sand dunes. Students see maps “come to life” and get a true appreciation for what a 1:100,000 scale really is when they begin the trek. On the western side of Fossil Rock, there are plenty of dunes and places for groups to experience kilometres of trekking in sand before making their way around to the more forgiving rocky paths of the eastern side.
Setting off across sand dunes with everything needed for the AJ is an exciting time for participants. Armed with maps and compasses, groups are provided grid references to pinpoint exactly where they are and where to get to next. At each of the checkpoints, a new leader takes over to direct the group on their next bearing. It’s also here, where groups will refill water bottles and take the time they need to rest. Our three-day Musandam AJs also offer spectacular landscapes and fantastic places to set up camps. This can often be for between 80 to 100 participants, which also require some prior education about how to maintain personal hygiene and issues with litter. It is expected that all of the groups are able to manage their own rubbish, where everything carried in to the camp sites is able to be carried out for disposal upon completion. Groups participating on their AJ will have an aim they would like to achieve. Some decide they would like to create a photo diary of their experience, others document what
flora and fauna they encounter, while some might measure the human impact at the various locations. Sadly, in some of the most beautiful and remote locations on our treks, there is often large quantities of discarded rubbish. Each of the locations we use for the AJs have their own unique terrain to navigate. The Hajar Mountains provide steep climbs along its winding gravel paths en route to our checkpoints and camp sites. The views from the top looking out towards Dibba are fantastic on a clear day. The altitude also has an effect on the temperature, especially when staying in tents. Groups can plan all they like for the trek, but there’s usually one or two that forget a warm fleece for the evenings and this quickly sorts out who ends up playing ‘big spoon’ or ‘little spoon’ to keep warm at night! For many, these AJs will be the first time to lead a group in any capacity. At times the leader will also be responsible for keeping up the team morale. When the sand has rubbed heels raw and the Wadi seems
to stretch on forever, the leaders will rally the group for that final push to the camp or checkpoint. They will also usually be the ones responsible for checking up on how much water has been consumed to keep the team nicely hydrated and ask questions about who might be requiring some basic first aid for blisters etc. At the end of an AJ, amid all of the sand covered faces, tired legs and sunburnt noses, are groups of participants that can be extremely proud of their accomplishments. Any young person tackling an AJ as part of their Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award should hold their head up high knowing that they can be self-reliant in unfamiliar areas, and able to navigate without the use of fancy GPS gadgets. The experience will hopefully foster a better understanding of what is possible in the outdoors and how to best protect the areas we visit. Our next trek up and over the Hajar Mountains will put around 60 participants to the test over the 40km course. Let’s hope they all remember a warm fleece for that one.
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53
Natural History Interview with Vimal Thapa –
Words + Photos by: Dan Wright
Bird watching, twitching, birding and ornithology is of course the hobby and science of going out and spotting different species of birds. Some people do it because they like to photograph them in their natural habitat; others like to tick off lists of birds they have seen. Some enjoy recording the different bird songs and some simply enjoy watching them. Whatever your reason for going out to look for birds, you are not alone. I recently had the pleasure of spending time “birding” with an author in Nepal, Mr Vimal Thapa, who has published a Guide to the “Garden Birds of Nepal”. Can you tell me when you got interested in birds?
Nature has been always fascinating for me from my early age and I wanted to work close to nature. This became a reality when I started working as a nature guide in Chitwan national park. That is when I learned more about the wildlife of Nepal and among all forms of wildlife, birds really impressed me a
lot and got more inside my head, and hence now it is one of the greatest passions of my life. Nepal has 878 species of birds as per the official declaration of the “Bird Conservation Nepal”. This makes about 9% of the total bird’s species in the world that we have in Nepal.
What is your favourite bird in Nepal?
Truly there is no single bird that I would say is my favourite! I love and like all the birds that are common, rare or endangered. Having said that, I would definitely favour the birds that are most endangered such as the Great Hornbill’s found in the lowlands of Nepal, like Chitwan National Park.
Nepal has quite a few endangered bird species…
Unfortunately, yes we have many endangered species of birds in the country such as the Great Hornbill, Bengal Florican, many species of Vultures and other Raptors, Woodpeckers and many others. 54
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The main reason for them being declared endangered is that their population is rapidly declining and it is becoming rarer and rarer to see them. Habitat loss due to the rapid urbanisation and human population growth is the main cause though other reasons are; poaching, trade and climate change.
MIDDLE EAST’S OUTDOOR, ADVENTURE, TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE
What is being done in Nepal to conserve these endangered species?
“Bird Conservation Nepal” with support from other international and national organisations and with the local communities, is working to save them through many educational and awareness programs and projects such as “vulture safe zones” in the Nawalprasi, Dang, Pokhara and Lumbini areas. It is also running regular weekend bird watching programs in Kathmandu valley. Birds need to be protected as this earth belongs to them as much as to we humans, and they play a very important role in keeping the ecosystem going.
If someone wants to come to Nepal for bird watching what sort of itinerary would you recommend?
For a classic bird watching holiday, Nepal offers one day to multiday itineraries from Kathmandu to Pokhara, Chitwan, Koshi Tapu, and Bardia in the West. The Middle hills treks above Kathmandu have spectacular mountain views and are great for multiday bird watching adventure treks and tours. If you combine these with a trip to the lowlands of Chitwan or Koshi Tapu and some adventure sports then it will be a fantastic trip.
You wrote a book on bird watching and we are offering a signed copy as a prize for the readers. What was the hardest part of researching it?
This book was solely aimed to educate and promote awareness to the local people about birds they can see around their garden’s and backyards and therefore to start the conservation from home. Writing the text was not the hardest part. It took some six months or so to draft all the written parts of the book. Collecting good quality photographs was really hard as not many birders in Nepal have good cameras and we couldn’t afford to pay for professional photographs. The best part of the first book was the publicity it gave us and many birders in Nepal came forward to offer their photographs for the next edition, which we will bring out this year.
Some other problems were finding the funds to print and a good publisher in Nepal.
Can you advise us what we need to start bird watching?
First and foremost, you need to be interested. Then buy or borrow the local bird field guide, a pair of binoculars, a pen and notebook and connect with a local bird group or hire a bird guide to take you out and teach you what birds are in your area. When you have developed it as a hobby then you can travel the world to see other birds that you don’t see at home.
What would you say to the younger generation to encourage them to start bird watching?
We cannot imagine the sky without the birds. The world will feel empty without them. They are a beautiful gift of nature that entertain us humans with their intriguing behaviours, beautiful plumage, songs and calls. They are also a very important part of our ecosystem and are an indicator of the health of our environment. Many birds play an important role in different cultures of the world too. Therefore, go out and see them, protect and save them, so that we and the next generation will get a chance to enjoy them too. I have discussed in previous articles how easy it is for UAE residents to travel to places like India, Nepal, Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries with great habitats for wildlife watching. With at least two budget airlines operating out of the UAE and with the strength of the dirham against Southeast Asian currencies you can travel both easily and comfortably to destinations like Nepal for activities like bird watching tours. There are several bird watching organisations in the UAE and they regularly run trips both internally and abroad for keen birders to practice their skills in the field. You can book either a short weekend break in somewhere like Kathmandu and reach there in just four hours by air or if you have a longer break you can spend more time visiting some of the locations Vimal Thapa told me about in his interview. If you need more information then please contact OUAE magazine. COMPETITION: Send an email to OUAE with the subject “Bird Book Competition” explaining in 250 words or less; “What important roles birds play in the UAE ecosystem and why do we need to protect them?” The winning answer will be printed in next month’s issue and the winner will be sent a signed copy of “Garden Birds of Nepal”. Dan Wright is the Business Director of “Holyland Treks and Expeditions” which is based in Kathmandu and runs tours, treks, expeditions and adventures in Nepal, India, Bhutan and Tibet. You can apply direct to them for quotes on: info@htexpeditions.com, www.htexpeditions.com
Infinite Emirates:
BOULDERS, CAMELS AND NISSAN PATROLS Words + Photos by: Allen Kenneth Schaidle
In the Emirates, you’ll unearth individuals from all corners of the globe. Often drawn by hopes of fortune and fame in a country ushered onto the global stage and seemingly at the epicenter of world’s trade winds.
I find myself in Abu Dhabi because of a job, like countless other expats, but also allured by the country’s untapped bouldering potential – not to discredit the work done by climbers beforehand. A drive through the country’s rugged northern Emirates and you’ll discover undeniable prospects. Even boulder fields near Al Ain conceal mammoth boulders ripe for dusting away Arabia’s sands. Before arriving in Abu Dhabi, I spent the better half of my climbing career brushing boulders in the United Kingdom and North America. Searching for new climbs requires a particular mindset and to many is frankly a fool’s errand. I don’t fault them, often it is better just to wait until someone else has problem solved the lines, taken the falls, broken the weaker holds and built landing zones. Some days you return home bloody, bruised, filthy, sunburnt, dehydrated and famished with only one recorded ascent or none at all. But, I love it. You spend the entire day outdoors, exploring, no work calls, no emails and potentially doing something no one has ever done before. Around each corner and over the next hilltop could be your king line. That is why the dormant boulder fields lying throughout the Emirates are a blank canvas – in the middle of a massive sandbox. The Southeastern face of Jebel Hafeet is a prime example this phenomenon. With thousands of visitors ascending in their cars to the mountaintop yearly just to snap a quick selfie and hotfoot back to Dubai or Abu Dhabi, they miss each deep-scared crevasse below littered with boulders. Navigating the desert roads to the mountain’s base, you’ll encounter two Emirati staples – camels and locals dune bashing
in their white Nissan Patrols. There’s also “Cat Rock,” which has become infamous in my trips to the boulders because of its resemblance to an actual cat, but now serves as a totem you’re nearing the boulders. This mountain is also rich in history. Aligned at the mountain’s foothills is an UNISECO World Heritage Site documenting hundreds of excavated tombs dating between 3200 BCE to 2700 BCE. On my trips to Jebel Hafeet’s boulders, Alex Erdmann, an Ohio State University Ph D student currently at NYU Abu Dhabi as a visiting scholar, and various students from NYU Abu Dhabi’s Outdoor Education Club, usually accompany me. The boulders at Jebel Hafeet are sandstone, like all the rock throughout the Emirates and can range from worldclass invincible features to the vilest choss imaginable that with one splash of water could wither into decay. Don’t let this waver your desires to visit because when the rock is good, you’re climbing gems. If you fancy highballs, like Alex, you’ll catch Bishop sized boulders to get anxious on or more appropriately to panic you spotter on. Alex has impressively and graciously put up first ascents of climbs I would only rope up on, all without hesitation. While the towering boulders are the ones to first catch your glance on arrival, the true pearls are tucked away requiring you to enter the caves formed by the boulders and to carefully inspect all dimensions. Whereas one side might be a jug-haul, the opposite could be a perfect 45-degree roof.
After decades of exposure to the sands and winds of the Arabian landscape, the features on the boulders have become abrasive. However, the underbellies, protected from the winds, have become featureless faces caused by pooling water after the rare rainfall. As a result, you’ll find a variety of grips, but pray for feet holds. One such climb is called, “Liam’s Headed to Oxford,” named after Liam Meier, another Midwestern living in Abu Dhabi. The problem consists of full-wingspan compression holds to the top with each move wounding your hands combined with miserable feet placement, but could be the first double-digit problem on the mountainside. Higher up the mountain slope the better the boulders become, but charting your way through the boulders with a steady elevation gain is a wearing task. Not to mention bringing a pile of bouldering pads, but you’ll also want to pack plenty of water because sun can beam down devilish hell fire on you all day. With that said, night bouldering at Jebel Hafeet is a climber’s dream with the lights of Al Ain glimmering in the distance each time you top a climb. These are the memories I’ll hold dear all after I’ve left the infinite gems of the Emirates and the time Alex recited Al -Mutanabbi’s famous poem as we drove through the desert with the Milky Way overhead: "The steed and the night and the desert all know me." Allen Kenneth Schaidle is an Abu Dhabi based climber sponsored by Static Climbing, TUFA Climbing and So iLL.
OUR EXPERTS
In search of turtles in the UAE Words + Photos by: Jake Lyle
They’re almost always the number one requests from divers to dive guides: look out for turtles as everybody wants to see one. From Finding Nemo to National Geographic, these peaceful animals have been on our screens, on the cover of magazines and in our dreams for decades. Whether you admire their unique anatomy, impressed by their ability to live such a long life, or maybe you just find them cute – there isn’t one person out there that wouldn’t be excited by seeing a turtle out in the ocean.
Stuff of legends
The origin of this unique animal can be traced back 157 million years – a longer existence than most animals out there. Not only has this magnificent creature simply existed, but it has also been present throughout the life of man, over many centuries. In parts of Africa, folklore dictated that turtles were the wisest of animals. In ancient Egypt, it was widely believed turtles warded of evil spirits, while in Greece and Rome, the turtle was a symbol of fertility. Clearly, this animal has given us more than just fantastic photo ops, but rather it has been an integral part of many cultures, even influencing the way modern cultures have formed thereafter. A great source of intrigue surrounding these animals, and possibly what inspired many myths and legends, is their ability to live such long lives. Some sea turtles can expect a lifespan of 80 to 100 years, and 40 to 60 on the low end – which is an exceptional rate when it comes to the animal kingdom. Throughout this long life however, turtles 58
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never have the opportunity to meet their parents as mothers will come ashore and lay their eggs onto a beach, returning back to the water shortly after, eliminating any opportunity for a meeting between a mother and her children. Perhaps a nice long and peaceful life in the ocean makes up for this.
Local waters
There are quite a few species of turtles in our oceans – the main ones being the Hawksbill, the Green and the Loggerhead. Surprisingly, not all turtle species are herbivorous, with species like the carnivorous Leatherback turtle, which feeds on jellyfish and soft-bodied invertebrates. Luckily for the residents of the UAE and other countries that surround the Gulf, the Green turtle and the Hawksbill turtle frequent our waters and make numerous appearances to sea-goers all the time. Fortunately, you don’t have to travel hundreds of kilometres out to sea with an advanced radar system and try to track them down. Instead, you can stay close to shore. Many of them actually spend quite a bit of time near the beaches, off the coast of Jumeirah, here in Dubai. As an avid paddle boarder, kayaker and boat enthusiast, I have spent quite a bit of time out on our local waters and all it takes to
spot one of these animals is a keen eye. The only chances you’ll get to spot one of these graceful gliders is when they’re popping their heads out of the water for a breath of fresh air. In my experience I have found that turtles here in Dubai are more timid than in other places, and will only pop their heads out of water for a very quick breath and then proceed back down to the depths – probably to avoid the danger of Dubai’s busy waterways. This makes a little harder to spot them, but not all impossible. Using a paddleboard, or kayak, or something without an engine will increase your chances of seeing them dramatically, as they won’t be warned of your presence by a grumbling engine. Whilst paddle boarding I’ve had turtles pop their heads out of the water right in front of me, and take a big (loud) breath, that surprised me so much I almost wobbled off the side of my board – and that was only 20 or so metres out from Kite Beach – a very popular beach frequented by tourists and locals alike. Showing that turtles don’t necessarily avoid human hotspots.
Turtle spotting
Searching for turtles underwater, however, is a whole different story altogether. As soon as you put on some dive gear and head underwater, you increase your chances exponentially, as you’re now entering their domain. In the UAE and Oman especially, it’s hard to take part in a dive and not see at least one turtle – they’re that abundant. When these gentle creatures are laying on either the sea floor or within some coral – it can still b a little tricky to see them as their brown and green shells camouflage quite effectively with their surroundings – so again, it takes a keen eye. To make sure you don’t miss anything, when diving over a reef, make
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sure you’re scanning both the coral and the patches of sand in between it as they are both potential beds for turtles. Small caves and pockets of sand covered by an overhanging rock are also just as popular amongst tired turtles; so don’t forget to take a peak below them as well (just watch out for White Tip Reef Sharks). As you look and scan across the reef, if you identify a large, dark and circular object within it investigate, because the chances are, that’s a turtle. Once you do spot a sleeping turtle, make sure you approach it slowly, so as not to scare it away, because they can make quite a fast getaway if they want to – faster than any diver with a good set of fins too. Once you’ve slowly approached these relaxing animals, it can go either way, as no one animal is the same. They may either have had many encounters with divers or eventually understood that no harm will come to them by being close, or they may be new to the human experience and all their big shiny camera equipment and swim off into the distance for protection. In my experience, most of them aren’t camera shy and will be fine with you taking a few snaps, after which you should move on with your dive - no one likes someone who hangs around for too long. If you’re lucky and you’ve somehow chosen a day to dive where the turtles are active, you will be able to spot one swimming by. These are much easier to see – obviously, as their dark, brown shell will break up the endless blue and will therefore shout out to you. Although tortoises have the reputation of being one of the slowest animals on land, it’s oceanic counterpart is anything but. Sea turtles can reach bursts of speed up to 35kmph, whereas the human tops out underwater at 5kmph – so clearly there is no competition here. So if you see a turtle swimming by and
you decide to approach it quickly, resulting in it picking up speed, don’t try to chase it - you won’t win. The trick here is to try and approach a swimming turtle slowly, just as you would one sleeping. Try to avoid any large hand movements, or swinging your gear around, or releasing a large burst of bubbles to scare it away. As it swims along calmly and slowly, you do the same and try to match it’s speed before it decides to outrun you – and here you take your pictures, or just take in the experience. It’s an incredible thing, swimming alongside these creatures, especially if it’s a large one – as you feel the motion of them driving with their fins, you see the way their whole body moves as they propel through the water – seeing the power they generate whilst still looking so graceful and as if they’re putting in no effort whatsoever. As they swim, they will occasionally turn their heads and take a look at you, size you up, and assess whether or not they’re comfortable with you swimming beside them - if they are, they won’t divert their course to move away, but instead they will keep swimming, with you in tow. It’s something truly amazing. Something even more amazing, and yet not all that uncommon, is discovering a whole group of turtles swimming together. I’ve done a number of dives where I have encountered groups of three, four or even five turtles at once – friends? Acquaintances? Family? Either way, it’s breathtaking. They may swim packed closely together, or they may spread out and swim separately – in which case you can get right in the middle and surround yourself with them. When they are in a group, they are much less shy, and seem to hang around a little a longer, just lingering. They’ll swim so slow they look like they’re not moving at all – they might even approach you, for a closer look. As you struggled to decide which one to observe, they begin to move away and onto their next destination, leaving you with nothing but amazing pictures and a breathtaking experience.
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Save our seas
Whether it’s ancient culture, fantastic photography opportunities, or just great memories, these animals seem to give us so much, yet we seldom return the favour. All of the waste, plastics and discarded fishing nets that litter the ocean have one culprit and one only: humans. Eighty per cent of dead turtles discovered have some form of plastic found within them – which in most cases was the ultimate cause of their demise. The days are gone where we could both just exist. We live in a time now where in order for this animal to exist, it takes action by us. This action can be anything from avoiding plastic bags at the supermarket, putting rubbish in rubbish bins when you see it, to keeping control of fishing nets when used, because a discarded net can lead to death of a great many marine animals. Turtles are majestic, peaceful and graceful animals that are incredible to see and amazing to swim alongside – and if this is an experience you can’t say you’ve had – grab a pen and put it on your bucket list now. But whether or not you’re familiar with these creatures, either from the surface of the water or below it, if you want future generations to be able to experience them, help to protect them, and let the exciting search for turtles continue on for decades to come.
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OUR EXPERTS
Women
n Wheels
final stage of the Zwift Academy program (in collaboration with the Canyon/SRAM Women’s Pro Racing Team). Zwift is a software that translates real world effort into a digital one and training sessions are completed on an indoor trainer. Power is measured by the watts produced on the bike and the rider is propelled through a digital landscape, while tracking parametres like speed, cadence and heart rate. The Zwift Academy 2016 was formed to offer female cyclists around the globe an opportunity to develop their talents, grow their community and for one lucky rider, to win a pro contract with the Canyon/SRAM racing team for season 2017.
Words by: Helle Bachofen von Echt Photos by: Supplied
In December 2016, the dream of potentially becoming a pro cyclist turned to reality for our UAE-based elite female cyclist, Yvonne van Hattum, as she was selected as one of three finalists in the virtual Zwift Academy competition. The finals took place on Spanish island Mallorca with the top female pro team Canyon/SRAM, where at the end of one week, one of the finalists would earn a pro contract with the team for 2017. Yvonne van Hattum, 37 and originally from the Netherlands, has a background in field hockey, fitness and outdoor running. In 2008, Yvonne completed her first half-marathon, while later in 2014, Yvonne and her husband moved to Dubai and Yvonne took a shot at her first marathon in
The competition
Dubai, completing in the impressive time of 3hr38min. After giving cycling a try in the French Alps in the summer of 2015, she caught the cycling bug and hasn’t looked back. Yvonne describes cycling as being a fantastic personal challenge, a great stress-reliever and very social. She quickly learned she is a better cyclist than runner.
The Zwift Academy
The Mallorca-based training camp was the
The Zwift Academy competition was rolled out in June 2016 and the program was based around three phases: qualification (3 months), semi-finals (3 months) and then the final (10 days training camp with the Canyon/SRAM team in Mallorca). The qualification phase consisted of 27 interval based training sessions (including 2 FTP tests) as well as nine group rides, all specially uploaded into the Zwift application. A total of 1,200 women across the world signed up for the qualifiers. Our local rider, Yvonne van Hattum, was selected as one of 10 finalists in August 2016 by a panel of judges who are accomplished cycling industry professionals and had carefully analysed the data from the training sessions and group rides. The three months of semi-finals presented a higher level of intensity and in addition real life outdoor sessions got included into the structured program. Yvonne powered through the semi-finals and, after 6 months of training, was selected as a finalist. The three finalists were nominated based on a combination of physiological abilities, overall cycling skills and potential fit for the already existing team.
Meeting the team in Mallorca
Yvonne arrived to Mallorca in December 2016, where she met for the first time the other two female finalists: Leah, 37, former elite marathon runner who ran the US Olympic trials marathon 2012 and after a series of injuries switched entirely from running to cycling in 2015. And Jessie, 41, a former professional triathlete who after getting hit by a truck while biking, had found the Zwift Academy programme as a mean of recovery and rebuilding strength. Jessie is also a mum 60
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of three and a senior analyst at a university. Yvonne explains she was initially quite nervous meeting the entire Canyon/SRAM team, including 10 riders, directors, managers, mechanics and physiotherapists, but more so, super curious about the experience lying ahead the next week. She also reveals that blending in with the team actually took a couple of days and initially felt a little uncomfortable. For these pro cyclists, all in their 20s, cycling and racing is their life and they have worked extremely hard to get to where they are. During the season these women train mainly solo in their own preferred location and spend a lot of time dedicating their focus and effort on themselves. The finalists, in a different age group and with a different background and life priorities such as full time jobs and family, understandably it took a little time to warm to each other. Yvonne shares that conversations with some of the riders revealed they were equally amazed that the finalists were willing to give up their lifestyles with jobs, relationships, house and social lives in order to take an instant plunge into the unknown world of professional cycling; which is something that these girls have built and adjusted to through years of training and racing. The Canyon/SRAM team is based out of Germany and Yvonne explains it was evident with their strict and strong organisation skills and number of German staff members. The newest team members is Pauline FerrandPrevot, a French multi-discipline bicycle racer who during the 2015 season, aged just 23, became the first person in the history of cycling to simultaneously hold the world road title, world cyclo-cross title and world mountain bike title.
Team rides and road tests
The rides in Mallorca with the team were planned in blocks of three days followed by a rest day. The night before each day, the finalists received the schedule for the day including the morning exercise session, the specifics for the ride (distance, number of hours and what was planned for the ride, like echelon, sprints, climbing or tests), their allocated massage time and any meetings or presentation of sponsors and partners. The rides were about four to five hours in duration and Yvonne admits she was surprised by how easy the rides were; this was however due to the team focusing on team dynamics, after their off season break, rather than hard riding. Yvonne explains how she really appreciated the time on the roads side by side with the pro team, in matching kit
and bike; a real strong sense of pride. Not forgetting that this camp was also a competition, naturally the three finalists also had to prove their worth on the roads. The first test was a 20-minute test up a hillside in Randa. Yvonne put the hammer down and was happy to improve her previous 20-minute personal best by five watts average. In the second test, once again, the finalists were tested on a climb; however this time the finalists went head to head on a 3km section and despite a strong performance by Yvonne, she admits to be struck with disappointment when she was not able to hold the same speed and power as the other two finalists. Now feeling that she could no longer compete for the contract, Yvonne promised herself to embrace the once in a lifetime opportunity and enjoy the experience as much as possible. Yvonne describes the third and final test as a fast, exciting teamwork effort in a team time trial format with a surprising sprint finish. And the winner of the pro contract is… Leah Thorvilson. Yvonne describes her feelings in the moment of the announcement as being happy for Leah, feeling a sense of relief while also being sad that the experience had come to an end for her. Winning the pro contract would be life changing and super exciting for Yvonne, but she also realized she was just as happy returning to her life with her husband in Dubai. Yvonne points out that the entire experience has been wonderful, exciting, intense and fun all in one. She embraced the opportunity to be surrounded by passionate and talented cyclists and to learn from the best was humbling and inspiring at the same time; an unforgettable experience. The team directors admitted to have a hard time choosing the winner as each finalist had their individual and different strength and weaknesses, but ultimately they chose the rider who appeared to be the best fit into the already existing team and they truly believed in bringing in someone with a different perspective on life and cycling to add value and input to the team.
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What’s next for Yvonne van Hattum?
The experience in Mallorca has inspired Yvonne to keep working on improving her cycling strength while continuing to compete locally with her Dubai based amateur women’s team Wolfi’s Contessas. Yvonne, together with her husband, have already registered for the Tour Transalp, a seven-day stage race this summer in the European mountains, where they will race as a couple. This will require an intense block of training and from experiencing marginal improvements in her strength with her allocated coach from the Zwift Academy, Yvonne has signed the same coach to help her prepare for the challenge.
The reality of a pro cyclist
While Yvonne only took up road cycling a little more than a year ago. She admits to reaching the finals of this competition with mainly hard work and a bit of luck, she shares that she learned from the Canyon/SRAM team that it requires extreme hard work, dedication and willingness to give up a lot of ‘normal’ things to be a professional cyclist. It is an intense and sometimes lonely lifestyle. There will be another chance to earn a women’s professional contract in your own home in 2017 as the Zwift Academy returns. Registrations are expected to open in June 2017, where the Academy expects triple the amount of contestants and the programme will also introduce eRacing; with talks underway to potentially create an entire eRacing team in the nearer future. Visit academy.zwift.com for more info. Helle Bachofen von Echt is a Dubai based amateur road cyclist competing in both local and International events. She is team leader of a UAE based female amateur cycling team and she is also an Indoor Cycling Instructor at Flywheel Sports Dubai. Helle loves traveling with her bike and you can follow her adventures and racing in pictures on instagram @thegirlwhocyclesinthedesert and her blog page www.hellebve.com
Step it up Words by: Nicky Holland Photos by: Margo Ciruelos
I am one of those people who actually likes running. Yes, you did read correctly, I like running. I find it helps to distress after a long day and it also helps me maintain my fitness levels. Dubai is a very flat place, which means that running can be fun. Having hills and gradients can make it more challenging, but it’s best to start off running on the flat. One of the great things about it is that it involves no equipment. All you need is a pair of trainers and you’re ready to go. So how can you improve your fitness levels and get into running? Below are some tips you can use to condition your body for running.
Stepper
Aerobic step classes have been around for years. They actually burn a lot of calories and can improve running technique. This exercise, by working opposite arm to opposite leg, will help with rhythm and posture. Set the stepper to the lowest setting. Start with one foot on top of the step and one off. Your arm position should be opposite to your feet, then simply swap. The faster you go, the more calories you will burn and the higher your heart rate.
Single step
Side to side
SAQ Ladder work
Speed, Agility, Quickness is used in many sports and is proving more popular. It is really good for developing speed and coordination. There are a number of different routines you can perform whilst using the ladder. I will demonstrate two.
Start off by going slow and then pick up the pace to work towards maximum speed. Remember to focus on technique and speed of movement. You can take the ladder to the park, the beach or the garden and still get a good workout.
Interval treadmill running
One of the best ways to improve your running is to do interval training. I will demonstrate on a treadmill, but the concept can be the same for running outside. Periods of work followed by periods of rest. On the treadmill, I like to do speed intervals. Set the speed at a 3/4 pace or sprint pace. Then run for 20 seconds with a 10 second rest where you hop off the sides. By doing this for five minutes, means you will do a total of 10 sets. This is very good for anaerobic training and getting your body used to dealing with lactic acid. The better your body is at dealing with this, the longer you will be able to run before fatigue kicks in. Try these exercises and I’m sure you will have a better running technique and better fitness. For me, I like to run outside more than inside, that way there is a change of scenery, which takes my mind off the running and distracts me from exercise. There
are some great locations around Dubai, Jumeirah Beach running track and the Marina just to name a few. Grab your running trainers and let’s go run!
Bulgarian Bag hill climb
This will challenge you, as if you are climbing a hill with added weight. Set the treadmill to 10% gradient and choose a weighted Bulgarian Bag, to rest on your shoulders. You can set the speed at any level as long as you are at a walking pace. Many people get out of breath walking up hills and this exercise is no different. It will elevate your heart rate, which will make you fitter and stronger. Nicky Holland Fitness Manager, Fitness First Uptown Mirdif
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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; Yas Mall: +971 25650812; MOE: +971 4395 8951, www.go-sport.com 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; Online store: +971 43149001; Retail store: +971 43504400, http://en-ae.sssports.com
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Alpha Tours, P.O. Box 25718, 27th Floor, Burlington Tower, Business Bay, Dubai, +971 47019111, 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.desertroadtours.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, P.O. Box 37459, National Towers: Churchill Tower Suite #614, Business Bay, Dubai, +971 528996307, www.dubairelaxtours.com Explorer Tours, Umm Ramool, Dubai, +971 42861991, www.explorertours.ae Gulf for Good, P.O. Box 506006, 1/F, Building 4, Dubai International Humanitarian City, 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, P.O. Box 181258 Dubai, Office 404, Royal Plaza Building Al Rigga Street, +971 42628889 or 42686826, www.opdubai.com Rahhalah, Shata Tower – 27th Floor, Office No. 2711, Media City, Dubai, +971 44472166, www.rahhalah.com Clubs Abu Dhabi Fishing, Camping, Kayaking, & Adventure Club, +971 5 04920860, mohammed.almahrouky@gmail.com
Air
Balloon Adventures Emirates, Office 123 Oasis Centre, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, +971 43884044, 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, The Palm: Al Seyahi St, Dubai Marina, +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 3474111, www.aym.ae,
yamboats@alyousuf.com Elite Pearl Charter, P.O. Box 214173, Saeed Tower 1, office #3102, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, +971 43889666, www.elitepearlcharter.com Gulf Craft, P.O. Box 666, Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Street, 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, Showroom #8, The Curve Building, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, +971 4 3284629, www.luxuryseaboats.com Macky Marine LLC, Box 37594, Ground Floor, Marina Yatch Club, Office # 5, Dubai Marina, Jebel Ali, Dubai, +971 505518317, www.mackymarine.com Nautilus Yachts, Sharjah, +971 553419494 or 503419494, www.nautilusyachts.com The Boat House, P.O. Box 71628, Al Quoz, Dubai, +971 43405152, www.theboathouse.ae UAEBoats4Sale, Dubai Marina, +971 42932465, 567001801, www.uaeboats4sale.com Western Marine, P.O. Box 52938, Sheikh Zayed Road, Knotika Marine Mall, Dubai, +971 44327870 Equipment Ali Khalifah Moh Al Fuqaei, Ground Floor, Tara Hotel Building, Abdul Nasser Square Street, 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, www.rinehemiratesme.com, +971 43391512 Repairs and Maintenance Extreme Marine, Jebel Ali Branch, Jebel Ali, Industrial Area, P.O. Box 97705, Dubai, +971 48830777, www.extrememarine-me.com Rineh Emirates, Sheikha Sana Warehouse 1, Al Quoz, +971 43391512, SNS Marine, Dubai Creek & Yacht Club, Dubai, +971 501405058, www.snsmarine.ae The Boat House, P.O. Box 71628, Al Quoz, Dubai, +971 43405152, www.theboathouse.ae Cruise Operators Al Bateen Marina, Abu Dhabi, +971 26665491
Al Marsa Travel & Tourism, P.O. Box 32261, Sharjah, UAE, +971 65441232; Dibba, Musandam, Oman, +968 26836550 Bateaux Dubai, Dubai Creek opposite the British Embassy, +971 48145553 Bristol Middle East, Marina Heights Tower, Dubai Marina – Marina Walk,Dubai, +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 43282930, 50 3716377, www.edenyachting.com Emirates Yatching, P.O. Box 8380, Dubai, +971 42826683 El Mundo, Dubai, +971 505517406, www.elmundodubai.com Four Star Travels and Tourism, Dubai, +971 561012599, www.4startravels.com 4 Yatch Chartering LLC, Toll Free: 800 YACHT (92248), Office #4, Dubai Marina Yatch Club, Dubai, www.4yachtchartering.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 LY Catamaran, Bur Dubai, +971 566506683, www.lycatamaran.com Marine Concept, P.O. Box 282586, Office 611, Al Barsha Business Centre, Dubai, +971 43958022, 559603030 www.marine-charter-concept.com Nautica1992, Habtoor Grand Beach Resort & Spa, Autograph Collection, Dubai Marina, +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 72066410, 504912696, 507682345 Sea Hunters Passenger Yachts & Boats Rental, Dubai Marina, +971 42951011 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 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 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 Pavilion Marina, Dubai, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, +971 44068800 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 Tresspass, 2nd floor above ice rink, The Dubai Mall, +971 43398801 Urban Peak, PO Box 9587, Office 502E, Ibn Battuta Gate Offices, Dubai, +971 44548805, www.urbanpeak.com 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 Adventure HQ, Dubai Times Square Center, Sheikh Zayed Rd, toll free: 800-ADVENTURE, www.adventurehq.ae
OUTDOORUAE
63
MIDDLE EAST’S OUTDOOR, ADVENTURE, TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE 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 Probike, Dubai, Al Barsha 1, +971 43255705, www.probike.ae Rage Shop, Al Ghurair Centre: +971 4294 8634; 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, Sheikh Zayed Road: +971 43395602; Mirdif City Centre: +971 42840038; Al Seef Village Mall, Abu Dhabi: +971 26337172, 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; Shop #5, Reemas Building Al Quoz 1, Exit 46/47, Sheikh Zayed Road Dubai, +971 43211132 www.trekbikes.ae Trikke UPT, P.O. Box 53527, Dubai, + 971 43434499; P.O. Box 33869, Abu Dhabi, +971 26333377, 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 T&C Apply
OUTDOORUAE
FEBRUARY 2017 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM 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 25581889, www.noukhada.ae Ocean Active, +971 504592259, 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
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 43390621, 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 Dive Shop.ae, Building #123, Street 26, Area 369, Al Quoz Industrial Area 4, Dubai, +971 43414940, www.diveshop.ae 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, +971 559888687, Dubai; Fujairah, Rotana Al Aqah Hotel Resort & Spa, +971 92370299, www.diversdownuae.com Emirates Divers Centre, Abu Dhabi, near Meena Fish Market, +97126432444, www.edc-ad.ae Freediving UAE, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Fujairah, +971 506130486 contactus@freedivinguae.com, www.freedivinguae.com Freestyle Divers, Al Corniche Street, Dibba, Fujairah, +971 504514259, www.freestyledivers.me 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 Neptune Diving, +971 504347902, www.neptunedivingcentre.com Pavilion Dive Centre (equipment), Dubai, +971 44068828 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 64
General Sports Equipment Distributors
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 48706668, 503960202, www.happydaysdubai.com Hiltonia Beach Club, Hilton Abu Dhabi Hotel, Abu Dhabi, +971 26811900 Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort,
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, +971 556881793, 501084010, www.flipfloparabia.com Global Climbing Trading LLC, Dubai Investment Park 1, Dubai +971 48829361, www.globalclimbing.com Highbury Trading FZE LLC, P.O. Box 16111, RAK Free Trade Zone Authority, Ras Al Khaima, +971 526799506, www.highburytrade.com Jack Wolfskin, Al Wahda Mall, Abu Dhabi, +971 24437802 Ocean Sports FZE, +971 559352735, www.kitesurfsup.com Picnico General Trading, near Sharaf DG Metro Station, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, +971 43951113 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 Equipment & Requisites Trading P.O. Box 77282, AL Khawanij 1st , Dubai, +971 554733110, www.asifa.ae Black Horse LLC, Baniyas West, Near Empost Abu Dhabhi, +971 25866205, 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 565066741, 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 43390621, 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, Direct: +971 45019442, 45019412 or 43419341, www.libertykawasaki.com
Motocross & ATV’s
Dealers Al Badayer Rental (Rental), Dubai-Hatta Road, +971 68861161 or 507842020, www.albadayerrental.com Al Shaali Moto, Ras Al Khor, +971 43200009, www.alshaalimoto.com Al Yousuf Motors, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Rd, +971 43390621, www.aym.ae/yamaha Golden Desert Motorcycles, P.O. Box 47912, E-44 Hatta road, Al Badayer Madam, Sharjah, +971 529484616 or 505 033 800 Just Gas It, Hatta Rd., Al Aweer, Dubai, UAE, +971 559031664, www.JustGasIt.net KTM, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, exit 42, +971 43468999, www.ktm.com Liberty Kawasaki, Interchange 4, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, Direct: +971 45019442, 45019412 or 43419341, 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 Sebsports, Al Quoz Industrial Area 1 Dubai, +971 43393399, www.sebsports.com Equipment 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
Motorcycling
Distributors and Dealers Al Yousuf Motors, Sheikh Zayed Rd., Dubai, +971 43390621,
T&C APPLY
MIDDLE EAST’S OUTDOOR, ADVENTURE, TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE
AUD: 02-5588890 DXB: 050-6294256 / 055-3330371 AJM: 050-2114767 FUJ: 050-5893978 RAK: 056-4664797 /Alyousufmotors
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FEBRUARY 2017 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM
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.desertroadtours.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 www.aym.ae/yamaha Ducati, Al Salam Street, Abu Dhabi, +971 24918593, www.ducati.ae Duseja General Trading Co. LLC, Warehouse No: B3, Alquoz Ind Area #3, Umm Suqeim Road next to Max Garage Diagonally opposite Lulu Hypermarket Al Barsha, +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, Direct: +971 45019442, 45019412 or 43419341, www.libertykawasaki.com Polaris UAE, Al Ghandi Complex, Nad al Hamar Road, Ras Al Khor, +971 42896100, www.polarisuae.com Tristar Motorcycles, Al Awir Road, Nr Oman Transport, +971 43330659, www.tristaruae.com 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, 800 YAS (927) or +971 26599800, www.yasmarinacircuit.com
Off-Road
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 43390621, 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,
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 Desert Road Runners www.desertroadrunners.club
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, +971 26395997, www.watercooleduae.com Clubs Abu Dhabi Stand Up Paddle, www.abudhabisup.com UAE SUP and Surf Association, +971 26665588, www.ridersuae.com
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, P.O. Box 51234, Sas Al Nakhl, Abu Dhabi, +971 28853555, www.adgolfclub.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 44262000, 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 Saadiyat Beach Golf 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 Indoor Skydiving, Abu Dhabi, +971 26577601 adcountryclub.com/spacewalk/aboutspacewalk/
Health, Safety & Training
Safety Lessons Marine Concept Yacht Charter & Sea School, Rania Business Centre, Dubai, +971 559603030, www.marine-charter-concept.com Sport and Health Centres Bespoke Wellness, Dubai, +971 553724670, www.bespoke-wellness.com
OUTDOORUAE
65
MIDDLE EAST’S OUTDOOR, ADVENTURE, TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE
FEBRUARY 2017 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM
Original Fitness Co., C6 Tower Al Bateen Bainunah St, Abu Dhabi, +971 2406 9404;
P.O. Box 126469, Office 508 The Fairmont Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, +971 43116571 www.originalfitnessco.com
Orthosports Medical Centre, 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
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 Musandam Travel & Tours, P.O. Box 786, PC No. 811, Khasab, Musandam, Sultanate of Oman, +968 91713449, info@tourkhasab.com Al Mouj Marina, Muscat, Oman, +968 24534554, www.almoujmarina.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 508918207, www.discovernomad.com Diving Centres Euro-divers Marina Bandar Al Rowdha, P.O. Box 940, Postal Code 100 Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, +968 98194444, www.euro-divers.com Extra Divers Zighy Bay, Oman, Musandam, +968 26735555, www.extradivers.info Moonlight Dive Center, Near Grand Hyatt
Muscat, Shati Al Qurum, Oman, +968 99317700, www.moonlightdive.com Oman Dive Center, Muscat, Oman, +968 24284240, www.omandivecenter.com Oman Dive Center Resort, P.O. Box 199, Medinat Sultan Qaboos, Oman, +968 24824240, www.omandivecenter.info 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 Scuba Oman, Oman, +968 99558488, www.scubaoman.com Seaoman, P.O. Box 2394, RUWI PC 112, Oman, +968 24181400, www.seaoman.com
P.O. Box 117, Postal Code 421, Bediyah, Ghabbi, Oman, +968 99310108, www.safaridesert.com
Stand Up Paddeling, Kite & Surfing, Wakeboarding
Boating & Sailing
Clubs
Horse Riding
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, P.O. Box 123, P.C. 811, Khasab City, Musandam, Oman, +968 26730813, www.dolphinkhasabtours.com Go Dive Oman, Marina Bander Al Rowdha Dive Center, +968 9548 3813 or 98194444, 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 Cruise Operators Sheesa Beach, Dibba, Musandam, +968 26836551, www.sheesabeach.com
Diving
Equipment Al Marsa Musandam, PO Box 44, Dibba, Sultanate of Oman, +968 26836550; UAE: +971 502124100, www.almarsamusandam.com
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 4344499, 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, +974 44357333 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 Tourism LLC, P.O. Box 18180, 29 Aspire Zone Street, Aspire Zone Al Ryyan City, State of Qatar Switchboard: +974 44221888, 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, Barwa Village Bulding #12 Shop #33, Doha, Qatar, +974 55776679, www.qatar-ventures.com
Cycling, Running & Triathlon Qatar Chain Reaction, www.qatarchainreaction.weebly.com 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 Marinas Four Seasons Marina, Doha, Qatar, +974 44948899, www.mourjanmarinas.com Lusail Marina, Lusail City, Qatar, +974 55843282, www.mourjan-lusailmarina.com The Pearl–Qatar Marinas, Doha, Qatar, +974 44953894, www.ronauticame.com
Add your free listing to the 66
OUTDOORUAE
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
Camping & Hiking
Caving
Muscat Diving & Adventure Centre, Oman, +968 24543002, www.holiday-in-oman.com Oman World Tourism, Oman, +968 24565288, www.omanworldtourism.com
Fishing & Kayaking
Equipment Az’Zaha Tours, +968 99425461, www.azzahatours.com Water World Marine Oman, P.O. Box 76, Muscat, 113, Sultanate of Oman, +968 24737438, www.waterworldoman.com
Manufacturer Saphire Marine, PO Box: 11, Post Code 118, Muscat, Oman, +968 24568887, 24566566, 24561619 or 24568881, www.sapphire-marine.com Marinas Marina Bandar Al Rowdha, Muscat, Oman, +968 24737286 (ext 215), www.marinaoman.net
Tour Operators Safari Desert Camp,
Fishing & Kayaking
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 44197704, www.qrec.gov.qa
Diving
Equipment/Centres Al Fardan Marine Services, Najma Street (near Al Fardan Exchange), Doha, Qatar, +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, www.pearl-divers.org Poseidon Dive Center, P.O. Box: 11538, Ras Abu Abboud Street, Al Emadi Suites, Showroom #2, 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 Marine Centre, Souq Al Najada cnr of Grand Hamad and Ali bin Abdulla Street; +974 55319507 or 4375065, 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 55246651, 40405156, www.qatardivers.com Qatar Marine, Go Sport City Center West Bay, P.O. Box 16657, Doha, +974 55319507, www.qatarmarine.net Qatar Scuba Centre, 187 Al Mansoura Street, Al Mansoura Area, Doha, Qatar, +974 66662277 or 44422234, www.qatarscubacenter.com
Equipment Al Kashat, Fishing and Hunting Equipment, Souq Waqif, next 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
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
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