OutdoorUAE - February 2012 by OutdoorUAE

The Moto-X Issue

Complimentary Copy

THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST the highest in the

Americas

Atte reaches his 5th climb of the famous 7 summits

Let’s

CRIMP!

Toby brings us stories of Wonderwall

+ + the curse ‘like’ us on Facebook!

+ +

the faces of

AL HUQF

Jerzy introduces the many looks of Eastern Oman

of wadi Nikhab Who dares to go hiking on Friday the 13th?

Musandam invitational

ADVENTURE RACE

Mike brings together a select few to take on a new adventure

Free Copy Discover more and visit us online: www.outdooruae.com

Issue 14, February 2012

Editorial Cover photo by Wayne Gray

In Print:

Managing Editor Daniel Birkhofer Editors Kim Perks Marilena Cilta Graphics & Design James Russell Sales & Marketing (advertisement enquiries) Tara Atkinson Tel: 04-447 2030 Mobile: 055 9398915 tara@outdooruae.com Published by: Outdoor UAE FZE P.O. Box 215062 Dubai, U.A.E. Tel. 04-447 2030 contact@outdooruae.com www.outdooruae.com Distributor: Tawzea, Abu Dhabi Media Company P.O. Box 40401, Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. Printed at: Galadari Printing & Publishing LLC P.O. Box 11243 Dubai, U.A.E.

What a start to the New Year! Finally,

our new website is online, the advanced off-road guide book will be out in a few days, we moved offices, the preparations for our beach event in March is in progress and I almost lost my life on a hike! (More details on this later in the magazine). It’s been over a year ago since we decided to give our website a face lift, and to make it more ‘user-friendly’; months passed and with slow but steady progress (simply because priority was on the magazine) we have finally made it. As we all know, a good website is important so we are very happy to say that it’s finally live. There is still some work to do over the next weeks so you can expect regular updates and changes. Also Mike Nott’s book can be expected on the book shelves by then end of February, a little bit late for this season, but worth waiting for as we have some great routes and content in there; the perfect gift all year round. We are also very happy that Jeep® came on board as the main sponsor for the book. Follow us on Face book, our Website and the next issues to get all information where to buy the book and to find out more about our free 4x4 events. The 200-page book will be priced at 99AED and also comes with a complimentary CD with all the GPS coordinate routes saved on it. After the success of our past events, (which were limited only to a small group) we are now working

Daniel Birkhofer

Founder and Editor in Chief daniel@outdooruae.com

Kim Perks

The information contained is for general use only. While we have made every attempt to ensure that the information contained in this magazine has been obtained from reliable sources, however the publisher is not responsible for any errors. All information in this magazine is provided “as is”, with no guarantee of completeness, accuracy, timeliness or of the results obtained from the use of this information. In no event will the publisher, its related affiliates or anyone else be responsible for any decision made or action taken in reliance on the information in this magazine.

Marilena Cilta

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

when you’re done reading, please recycle!

Remember; get involved and go outdoors!

Daniel. between the lines

All contents are under copyrights and may not be reproduced in any kind without written permission.

on an Outdoor Showcase and beach event, which will take place on the 30th Of March 2012. You can expect a lot of free outdoor activities and a great beach party – more details will be released soon. And as if work would not be exciting enough, real adventures are awaiting us at the weekends... and mine ended almost up in a huge disaster – read page 46. Last but not least, thank you for all the feedback we received from some of our readers. It’s great to get compliments and to see that both contributors and our team can inspire people to go outdoors and get involved. We are also happy if you send us your opinions; as our reader it is very valuable, and if you would like to send us your feedback good or bad, it will be taken seriously. (Please add your contact details, in case we have further questions or want to publish your letter). Since moving office in January we have a new phone number, if you would like to get in touch at any time it’s: 04 44 72 030.

Copywriter and Editor

James Russell

Graphics and Photography james@outdooruae.com

Tara Atkinson

Sales and Marketing tara@outdooruae.com

Management and Administration marry@outdooruae.com

our experts and contributors Tori Leckie

Ian Ganderton

Kit Belen

Pete Aldwinckle

Mike Nott

John Basson

Toby Foord-Kelcey

Patrice Wergifosse

Writer, runner, blogger, adventurer and adidas athlete

Our fishing pro

The 4x4 expert

Climbing Expert

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

Climber and all-round adventure seeker

Moto/ATV and all round adventure seeker

Traveller and adventurer

our list of contributors is always growing so please get in touch if you want to be one of them!

contents

Contents

46 Best Shots

Events Calendar

Events Reviews and Reports

DMX Sandstorm Dolphinarium RAK Banyan Tree ATV Safety Equipment Adventure HQ Biosphere Running Barefoot

Products

Our Experts

Adventure Chick - Tori Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Crimp! - Toby Villa to Villa - John The Adventure Race - Mike The Fishing Kit - Kit

Spots & Locations

Final Thought... /Letters

Tips n Ticks

Alex Omar

The Curse of Wadi Nikab Fun Ride with Christian The Face of Al Huqf

How to start a fire in the wild

Travel & Adventure

Samothrace, Greece The highest in the Americas Hallaniyat Islands Slow Lane to Nowhere cont.

People

Directory

50 4

Best Shots Here are the final picks for the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;WANT FAME?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; photo competition. Each photographer will receive a free buff and 5 compies of the magazine. Well done!

Xavier Ansart

Welcome to Dubai

Ola Al-Louz The Camel

Colin M Handy The Road Ahead

To see the rest of the fantastic entries simply visit www.outdooruae.com

Events Calendar Stay up-to-date with the latest events. Be sure to make an appearence and you might even be lucky to meet the OutdoorUAE team! If you would like your particular event listed here, simply contact us: contact@outdooruae.com. Entries listed in green are media partnered events.

Big Boys Toys

Atlantis the Palm, Dubai - 9th to 11th of February

events calendar

Big Boys Toys is a spectacular lifestyle show that offers the combined impact of the most unique gadgets & high-octane products, the biggest brands, amazing live demos, exciting interactive features and international shows, all under one roof. www.bigboystoysuae.com

Wadi Bih Run

Dibba, Oman - 10th of February

Held every year since 1993 the Wadi Bih Run is the oldest regular expatriate sporting event in the UAE .The route for the relay run varies depending on the road condition & situation at the UAE - Oman border post. www.wadibih.com

Terry Fox Run

Al Mamzar Park, Dubai - 10th of February, 9:30 AM

Media Partners

The iconic image of Terry running along long and lonely roads during the 143 days of his Marathon of Hope does not convey the full picture of that historic effort. When Terry recognized that he would not be able to complete his Marathon, he instead bequeathed his mission to those very Canadians who kept him going day in and day out. Join, if it be an affinity for Terry Fox, a personal experience with cancer or a desire to make a difference in the lives of cancer patients. www.terryfox.org

DMX

Jebel Ali Track - 17rd of February

Get yourself down to the DMX (Dubai Motorcross Club) in Jebel Ali to check out some thrilling and exciting motorcross and quad biking action. With classes ranging from cadets all the way to masters, this is an event where you can watch all the different categories on the newly revamped track, not to mention the awesome atmosphere and food. www.dubaimotocross.com

Rak Half Marathon 2012 Ras Al Khaimah - 17th of February

Come along and cheer on the elite athletes and a thousand of other runners who will be wying for a palce in the record books, the prize lit or who will just be content with making the finish line of the world’s fastest half marathon. www.rakmarathon.org

Abu Dhabi International Triathlon 3rd of March, Abu Dhabi

The 2012 race will be held on Saturday, March 3 and will again be contested across three distances. The 223kms main ‘long course’ boasts a gruelling 3km swim, a 200km cycle and 20km closing run. The ‘short’ course, at half the length, has a 1.5km swim, a 100km cycle and a 10 km run, while the sprint course - which returns after a successful 2011 debut and can be run as a team relay - has a 750m swim, a 50km bike and 5km run. www.abudhabitriathlon.com

ME4x4 Newbie Drive/Recovery Workshop and Campout Dubai/Al Ain, 24th - 25th of February

events calendar

This event is open to newcomers to dune driving and will be held in an area of dunes between Dubai and Al Ain. Under the careful tutelage of the Club’s most experienced members the two days will comprise, on the first day, an introduction to dune driving, during which you will be taken through a progressive mixture of dune terrain and shown how to negotiate the different types of dune formations. After a convivial campout and communal barbeque, on the following morning you will be taken through a Recovery Workshop. You will be shown the proper use of the basic equipment and how to extract yourselves safely and effectively. The weekend is aimed at those that have no, or only a little, experience in the dunes but are anxious to do and know more. Blingmytruck will also be present during the day and will be demonstrating their wares at the campsite. To join this event, please go to www.me4x4.com and click on ‘ME4x4 Trips’ to register. You will need to register on the website and familiarise yourself with the Club’s rules, particularly with regard to the mandatory recovery and safety equipment, which you will need to carry. The meeting point, timings and other detail will be sent to all participants using me4x4.com’s Private Message system, several days prior to the event.

Save the date

BEACH DAY 30.03.2012 12pm - 1am

more information to come out on www.outdooruae.com & Facebook

Results

OutdoorUAE Official Media Partner www.dubaimotocross.com

Round 5:

event reviews and reports

65cc 1st Godfrey Buisson 2nd Alexander Darling 3rd Emily Mann 85cc 1st Jordyn Hamilton 2nd Nicholas Kefford 3rd Matthew Mann 125cc 1st Mitch Malpass 2nd Ryan Wynn 3rd Regen Laue

Pictured from left to right: Kaylen Hashemian (Age 8), Joey Mortado (Age 5), Alexander Mortado (Age 7)

the Desert Rats In January, Outdoor UAE headed

over to the junior racetrack at DMX to see what all the fuss was about as we had heard some awesome things about the youngsters. We caught up with one of the teams – organised and run by Sadina Mortado to find out more about 3 of their team membersAlex, Joey and Kaylen.

Hi Boys - what is your favourite thing about MX?

JM: Jumping! AM: Adrenaline (I’m not scared of getting hurt) KH: It’s a rare sport- not many kids do it!

How do you stop yourself feeling scared?

KH: I try keeping all my fear in and letting it go after the race. One way is to hold my breath when I get butterflies! JM: I’m only scared of the dark.

How is the season going?

AM: In the juniors the season is going well and Ethan Lane is my biggest competitor. I’m winning but I also still race against Kaylen but we are on the same team so it’s not really a race. JM: I’m 1st in the cadets – Kyle Hashemian is my main competition but he’s not here at the moment because he’s unwell. But you’ve got to look out for the girls, as they are pretty quick.

KH: The season is going well but I can’t wait to get on the big track though. You don’t have to move up over age limit, just when you’re ready- even at 9 or 10.

What are your biggest achievements to date with MX?

JM: Improving my jumping. I also went from being last to being first. My dad helped me to improve a lot. AM: Sometimes we use sign language-like he puts an index finger up it means elbows up, and also other things like leg out for balance and standing up on jumps. KH: We also have to remember- we have ears for listening 100%- if we don’t listen to our parents we don’t race.

Why did you want to do MX?

AM: When I was a baby my first words were ‘momo’ because I saw my neighbours bike and always wanted to ride it and my parents made sure I learnt in a safe environment. JM: I saw my brother doing it and really wanted to do it. KH: Joey and Alex inspired me to get on a bike!

What would you recommend to readers?

AM: If you want to ride, be safe and cautious then you can go fast and have fun. KH: They shouldn’t think that it’s easy, you have falls but as you get you develop you get used to it. JM: Practise makes perfect.

Clubmans 1st Sean Holder 2nd Hussain Mahallati 3rd Sultan Al Balooshi Masters 1st Brent Gregson 2nd Corrado Meneghello 3rd Philip Van Der Walt Pro Quads 1st Alex Macfarlane 2nd Fayyadh Ahmed 3rd Daniel Duke MX2 1st Ross Runnalls 2nd Sean Gaugain 3rd Dale Jullien MX1 1st Sam Sunderland 2nd Ben Menezies 3rd Sean Gaugain

DMX

profile Class: 125cc Name: Ryan Wynn Age: 15 Years old Nationality: American / British

Which rider do you look up to?

How did you get into MX?

How do you get to a professional level?

How long have you been in the UAE for? 5 years now.

Best MX experience?

Last season I was in the 85 category I won it overall – it’s the second time I was racing and it was a great feeling. I’m now on a 250cc, it’s a big step up because my 125cc broke on me, but I can handle it and was set to come second in the 125cc Class but came 4th as I got disqualified.

event reviews and reports

I watched it on TV when I was 4 and begged my dad to get involved. I got my first bike when I was 5 and started racing when I was 8.

Ryan Dungey- One of WC AMA pro’s. I watch how he hits the corners and technical parts of the track. I would like to get to his level.

Sandstorm are sponsoring me this season and have provided me with the gear and have been great- I guess that’s the first step. I’ll then be looking to get some professional coaching in the UK next year, following that I am also going to try and race in the Red Bull Pro nationals to increase my chances of getting an international sponsor.

What would you recommend to aspiring pro’s?

If you like a sport stick to it and practisethat’s my plan.

Where do you see yourself in 3 years?

My goal is to try and get up with the pros- I’m doing fitness and practise 2 or 3 times a week, so hopefully if I train hard I’ll make it.

What are your best skills in motocross? Technical ability- not afraid to hit the ramps, and if I don’t become a pro and race I would like to do freestyle.

Photo: Wayne Gray

kicking up a

event reviews and reports

Sandstorm For Outdoor UAE’s special MX issue we caught up with David from Sandstorm motorcycles to find out what they were up to this year and some of the interesting stuff that is going on in the MX scene. So David, tell us, what Sandstorm Motorcycles do here in Dubai?

Sandstorm motorcycles is basically a ‘One stop shop’, whether you compete in the UAE MX Championships, ride Rally, Desert, Trail, go Enduro training race karts or just like hooning around the local dunes on a quad or bike, you will at some point require kit or advice. Sandstorm Motorcycles in Dubai cover all aspects of motorsport in the UAE and can supply and fit anything from a tyre valve to a full engine rebuild.

We’ve heard that you guys have opened up a new warehouse in Al Quoz?

Yes that’s right, I can tell you that in recent months Sandstorm has gone through some big changes. There has been a change of ownership and with a new owner comes a new look, a new attitude, a fully stocked retail store selling everything from a pair of gloves to a fully prepped rally bike with an experienced and energetic team to support you. And back to the point, in line with Sandstorms new look, the company has now just opened its third warehouse just 500m from Mall of the Emirates which will complement the retail store and workshop with a new storage facility.

You also have karts in your shop we noticed earlier, what does this mean for kart drivers and racers and more importantly Sandstorm?

We cater for karting as well, and you now have the option to store not only your bike but also your kart. When it comes to going riding or racing, our collection and delivery service can drop off and pick up from any track or reasonable location around Dubai.

We set up a monthly fee -you decide the package and Sandstorm does the rest, we can even wash your kit! With a new direction comes the entry of Sandstorm into the world of karting, Brice Gobin, a champion kart racer and specialist for many years has come on board. Brice is responsible for setting up the UAE Birel and Rotax side of the business, supported in no small part by ex UK kart champion Oliver George. If it’s karting you’re interested in then look no further as Sandstorm offers the same extensive deals, track and race support as it does for bikes, with a fully equipped race truck at every major event. If it’s just a new chain you need or the latest race prepped DD2 Birel-Rotax, all you have to do is call.

So what do you recommend to our readers if they wanted to get involved with motocross?

It doesn’t matter if you’re a beginner or group looking to enjoy your first experience in the desert, or a seasoned track pro looking to chip away a few tenths, Sam Sunderland and Sam Smith are on hand to support you along the way. With one to one or group tuition and dedicated track support packages available, most options are covered here at Sandstorm.

Photo: Wayne Gray

What is on the cards for this year in MX and Desert Riding?

This year’s Desert Challenge is now taking place- and is not far away either. It’s a major event over here in the UAE, with competitors from all over the world taking part. Sandstorm is proud to be supporting its riders Sam Sunderland and Sam Smith. Also supported are international riders from Africa, Australia, Great Britain and Central Europe who are running a mixture of full bike rentals down to basic rally support. Please call to see what deals are available, there’s still time.

Last but not least- how do we get in touch to find out more?

So, if you’re looking to join one of the regular social desert rides, want to go karting, buy a bike, or if you just want to pop in for a coffee, call one of the team on +971 (0)4 347 0270

Who are the two Sams?

Sam Sunderland is Sandstorms Rally and MX pro, with experience in the Dakar Challenge, Australasia challenge and other world rallies down to winning local MX races here in the UAE, there really isn’t anything Sam doesn’t know about riding technique or training. This means you, the rider, get the most out of your experience on the bike. Sam Smith is Sandstorms time served senior mechanic, there’s not much that he doesn’t know about a bike. Sam has been working on and racing bikes since he was 9 and then served his apprenticeship at a main dealer in the UK which gave him the benefit of being trained by some of the best Superbike and Supersport people in the business.

Photo: Wayne Gray

About Dubai Dolphinarium Dubai Dolphinarium is a

Dubai Dolphinarium is the first and largest, fully air conditioned indoor dolphinarium in the whole Middle East. Inaugurated in May 2008 this 5000 sq m modern marine mammal facility located in the lush Creek Park in the heart of Dubai attracts over 30,000 visitors monthly. Equipped with latest sound system, light effects and having 1250 seat stadium with comfortable cinema style chairs situated around a 30 m x 16 m salt water pool dolphinarium and is a well-recognized amusement venue providing first class entertainment for a whole family. Besides having the one and only “Live Dolphin and Seal Show” in the region which is a 45 minutes spectacular

event reviews and reports

Dubai Government sponsored and supported project. Dubai Municipality was responsible for overseeing the concept to ensure that it will serve the best interests of the residents of Dubai and the large number of business and tourist visitors of UAE.

performance where the audience witness bottlenose dolphins and playful northern fur seals play basketball, sing, jump, paint and even dance, dolphinarium also offers a fantastic swimming experience and interaction with the friendliest aquatic mammals – dolphins. Dolphinarium is a perfect place to visit with the whole family during weekdays and also on weekends when mascots, clowns, puppet show, jugglers, and much more will be happy to entertain your kids. Dubai Dolphinarium always improves the facility by providing new shows, exhibitions, entertainments and events. It had hosted “Water Magic Show” with professional acrobats, “Chinese Circus”, “Indian Comedy Night” with Sudhesh and Bharti, “World Diabetes Day”, “Autism Awareness Day” and currently it is hosting “The Illusion Show” performed by Max Stevenson. Dubai Dolphinarium successfully carries on its mission to create an excellent atmosphere for families to gather, share their excitement, celebrate kids’ birthdays and learn about marine life.

MOST AWAITED BIKES OF THE YEAR

PRE LAUNCH BOOKING NOW OPEN BE THE FIRST TO OWN THESE DREAM MACHINES

Luxury Sojourn in

Ras Al Khaimah event reviews and reports

The Banyan Tree

Less

than an hour’s drive from the ever-bustling Dubai, Banyan Tree Al Wadi presents guests a unique dual experience: A luxury desert resort set in a nature reserve with 101 luxurious pool villas, complemented with a Beach Resort 20 minutes drive away with 32 beach-fronting pool villas. Local facility includes an 18-hole championship golf course adjacent to the Beach Resort. Adventure in the making

The resort has much to offer wildlife enthusiasts. Popular outdoors activities include horse riding, guided nature walk, archery, desert safaris and wide range of water activities on the beach side. Falconry is a traditional art with various equipment and knots to master, plus caretaking to be understood. At Banyan Tree Al Wadi, guests can take a falconry course or interact and learn more about the birds during the daily falconry display. It’s exhilarating to witness these birds of prey swoop in and take a piece of meat from your gloved hand. Seeking shelter from the sun? Be pampered at Banyan Tree Spa, with six spa

pavilions at the Beach Resort, as well as 10 treatments rooms and The Rainforest in the desert resort. The Rainforest is a favorite amongst guests: Imagine an experiential journey of stirring tropical showers, gushing water jets, and a relaxing hammam session. For Wine Connoisseurs & the Food Enthusiast the resort offers variety of choices. The signature Thai restaurant – Saffron is offering authentic Thai cuisine, overlooking the nature reserve’s watering hole where the wildlife gathers during sunset. Al Waha, meaning Oasis in Arabic, serves popular international fare and local Arabic specialties. A spectacular display of modern yet Arabseque interior design, diners can choose to dine indoors where floor-to-ceiling windows sets the stage for metres-high sand dunes, or on the outdoor terrace where an Arabic grill and spit-roast holds court. Located at the main swimming pool at the Beach Resort, Sands restaurant is featuring Mexican and International signature dishes. Destination Dining is something special. Set atop vast sand dunes, this unique experience offers a night of desert dining under the vast Arabian sky. In true Bedouinstyle, sit across a brilliant campfire while partaking in traditional dishes, marking an exquisite and memorable dinner. Discover Banyan Tree Al Wadi – “An Oasis of Indulgence” Banyan Tree Al Wadi & Banyan Tree Beach Resort, Ras Al Khaimah Al Mazraa, P.O.Box 35288, Ras Al Khaimah, U.A.E Tel: +971 7 206 7777 Fax: +971 7 243 5000 Email: alwadi@banyantree.com Website: banyantree.com

ATV Safety Equipment Don't Ride without ATV Safety Equipment event reviews and reports

Even though it may be 100 degrees outside and all that gear can be heavy and

uncomfortable, that's no excuse for not wearing it. All it takes is one trip to the ground and you'll appreciate the protection you get by wearing the right ATV safety equipment including a helmet, goggles, gloves, boots, and long pants/shirt.

Helmet AED 1700

The most basic piece of ATV safety equipment is protection for the most vulnerable part of your anatomy; your head. An injury to your head is much more likely if you fall off an ATV while not wearing a helmet.

Goggles

AED 300

If you get something in your eyes while you're riding your ATV, it's going to bring your trip to an abrupt ending. Eye protection is a must when it comes to ATV safety equipment for just about any type of motor sport, but especially something off-road and in groups where debris is almost always flying around. They work much better than sunglasses because they are strapped to the helmet and because they keep out dust and debris from the sides.

Chest Protector

AED 600

Body armor can help protect your upper torso from larger rocks that might hit you. But more importantly, they will help protect you in case you are in an accident where the ATV lands on top of you. It can help protect your chest from getting crushed or punctured. A good chest protector is often over-looked as a piece of ATV safety equipment.

Gloves

AED 210

There are good reasons you should wear gloves while you ride. Gloves are a key piece of ATV safety equipment. Gloves can protect your hands from flying gravel and rocks, a branch from a tree or bush you pass too closely by, and gloves help prevent your hands from getting too sore or callused. They also absorb a lot of vibration that transmits through the handlebars, making it more comfortable (and safe) to ride. A good pair of ATV gloves go a long way for comfort and safety.

Long sleeve shirt and pants

AED 240/AED 800

Having long pants and a long sleeve shirt on can be very uncomfortable, but it provides a great service as well by protecting your skin from scrapes cuts and abrasions. As with gloves, boots and goggles, long pants and shirts can protect you from branches and brush scraping you, as well as from gravel if you fall of and slide on the ground. ATV safety equipment doesn't always have to protect you in a crash, it can also protect you from the sun, wind and elements. Long sleeves and pants are a great example.

ATV Boots AED 800

Having the right ATV safety equipment means dressing from head to toe. Boots give your feet better grip and better support while you ride. They absorb shock and give you protection in a crash and from heat that comes off the motor right near your legs and feet. All products mentioned are available from Al Yousuf Motor Showrooms.

The Weekend Adventure event reviews and reports

with Adventure HQ

Want to get outside and do something adventurous but don’t have all the gear you need or just not sure where to begin?

More than just a retail store,

Adventure HQ is committed to inspiring people to experience the great outdoors. To demonstrate this, Adventure HQ has teamed up with Absolute Adventure to offer loyal customers and adventure seekers the chance to win a spot on The Weekend Adventure; a once a month day trip that offers a choice of either kayaking, mountain biking, trekking or rock climbing, with all transport, food and gear provided. Past Weekend Adventures

January’s Weekend Adventure was one of the more challenging excursions undertaken to date. The day consisted of a 4x4 drive up into the Wadi Bih mountains and then a bumpy 35 km mountain bike ride down the steep trails. Much needed breaks were taken to search for bats in caves, eat lunch under breathtaking rock faces, pose for pictures with makeshift

mosques and watch the goats in the trailside trees stand impressively on the edges of the tiniest branches and wonder how they didn’t fall. No injuries or wipe outs were reported, which was a miracle as the downhill ‘ride’ turned into more of a race with some heavy alpha male competition. There was only one flat tire and some major huffing and puffing (and maybe a bit of cursing) on the two massive uphills at the end of the trail. But everyone made it and the day ended with an exhausted bunch of adrenaline junkies snoozing on the bus back to Dubai. Other weekends have included trekking through historical mountain villages, kayaking the coasts of Musandam, and learning to rock climb on the cliffs of Wadi Zikt. There have even been a few adventurous run-ins with the Oman military and the Sharjah police - all adding to the adventure!

Want to go on the next Weekend Adventure?

Go into work on a Sunday feeling healthier and more revived than your brunching colleagues and inspire them with your stories. The UAE and its surrounding neighbors have so much to offer in terms of adventure and outdoor activity. Take advantage of where we live and get out there!

To win a spot for you and a friend on the next Weekend Adventure, join the Adventure HQ Facebook page and check out the competition www.facebook.com/ AdventureHQme. For more information about past adventures visit www.adventurehq.ae.

The Weekend Adventure – courtesy of Adventure HQ. 14

event reviews and reports

Biosphere Expeditions

Biosphere Expeditions and Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve (DDCR) for the first time in January, organised an expedition to Dubai Desert Conservation which covers almost 5% of the Dubai Emirate. In the heart of the reservation you can find the Al Maha desert resort, but this was not the base camp for the international team of scientists…

Biosphere Expeditions is an international non-profit wildlife volunteer organization, founded in 1999, that runs conservation expeditions aka conservation holidays for environmental volunteers all across the globe. After joining the group for one day, I can say, that even if this expedition was close to a metropolis in the region- it would be much more a proper expedition than a holiday. You should not expect sun benches or 5-Star accommodation in the base camp, (nothing like what the privileged guests were experiencing in Al Maha resort a view kilometers away). The idea of the expedition is to provide normal individuals the access to remote locations and to work with scientists on a project basis, aiming to raise awareness of endangered species in the region. The cause of preservation and conservation is the core and heart of every expedition. If you are looking for a different kind of holiday, are ready for an adventure and want to learn something new, you should join one of Biosphere’s expeditions and visit http://www. biosphere-expeditions. org. This Emirates desert expedition was aimed to support the work of the Dubai Desert Conservation in counting the population of Oryx as well as recording

their location, size of the heard and the health condition of the animals. Furthermore the group set traps to catch rare samples from the local ‘Gordon’s Wildcat’. The wildcat is very similar to domestic cats, which is a huge problem due to domestic cats entering into the territories of the wildcat and creating competition for food. They are also very closely related, so if the species pair with each other this will generate so called ‘hybrids’, half domestic cat half wildcat. The aim of the team is to capture pure wildcats to take DNA samples, measure them and mark them, to be able to preserve pure Gordon’s Wildcats for the future. Only one pure wildcat was captured during the week-long expedition and released back into the reservation. Captured domestic cats caught were released outside the reservation. The full expedition diary can be found on the Biosphere website as well as further information.

OutdoorUAE is supporting activities of Biosphere expedition and encourage people to join them on their cause. We also hope that some of you will join the next Emirates desert expedition.

A sedated Gordon’s wildcat

photo: Biosphere Expeditions

Introducing

Family Playcations

Take a break from the kids.. with the kids! mily fa n w o ry e v r u o y te Crea g from a adventure by choosin ctivities a e iv ct ra te in f o ty e ri va s that n o ti a in st e d g in ir sp in in bonding will have your family rney. We u jo g in g n a ch fe li a on tions ca y la p e re -f y rr o w n desig our hearts, with the kidsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; fun in in our ce a e p s tâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; n re a p e th d an minds. Contact us at: GetMeOnAPlane@ wildguanabana.com Facebook.com/ wildguanabana @wildguanabana www.wildguanabana.com

event reviews and reports

What is Barefoot Running?

Barefoot running, literally, means running while barefoot. However, to avoid sharp/ hard small objects on the ground some sort of protection is often used like moccasins. This is called minimalist running, but is biomechanically related to running barefoot although it does decrease the sensory feedback from the foot receptors contacting the ground.

How did barefoot running start?

Barefoot running is ancestrally man’s original mode of running, and recent interest was peaked by Tarahumara Indians of northern Mexico who frequently race ultra long distances in thin sandals but suffer fewer running injuries than North Americans.

Is it unnatural to run the way we do in modern society?

Yes, the mechanics of running change quite significantly with padded shoes. Barefoot or minimalist, the runner lands on the outer part of the front of the foot before rolling the foot in, lowering the heel and then reversing the process to push off with the forefoot before lifting the leg off the ground. Tendons and ligaments are incredibly strong, storing elastic energy and releasing it just at the right time.

Minimalist Sprint Shoe from the 1960’s.

“

“ Barefoot Running

Traditionally minimalist running is biomechanically related to running barefoot; it decreases the sensory feedback from the foot receptors making contact with the ground

More padding must be better surely?

Present day padded running shoe designs evolved from the 70s waffle trainer when a waffle iron was used to add a padded tread to the bottom of a racing flat making the shoe grippier. In the following years shoe companies gradually added more cushioning as many researchers believed (and many still do) that the runner needed more cushioning not only in the forefoot but especially in the heel. But as the heel got further from the ground additional mid sole stability (like medial post and plastic shanks) was added to counter over pronation, resulting in motion controlled shoes. For many decades physical education at schools, and even military training have been done using a thin-soled shoe with canvas upper (sneakers/Plimsoll/KEDS). Over 10 years ago a review in the journal Sports Science concluded that running barefoot is associated with substantially lower prevalence of acute injuries of the ankle and chronic injuries of the lower leg in developing countries but that well

Minimalist Sprint Shoe inspired by the 1950’s Olympic Games

Toe to heel runner on a teradmill: Impact is taken on the toe when minimalist or bare-foot running designed studies of the effects of barefoot or padded shoe running on injury were lacking.

The big debate: Why reinvent the wheel?

All of this has led to development of many groups like the Barefoot Runners Society, as interest is gradually increasing in minimalist and barefoot running. Energy studies in the laboratory show that the energy cost of running is reduced by about 4% when moving from using a traditional running shoe to barefoot, due to the lack of extra foot mass. However, barefoot/ minimalist running is a technique that has to be learned and gradually developed like any other method.

1970’s Inspired waffle trainer

Heel to toe runner on a treadmill: Impact is taken on the heel when wearing trainers

Inclined Padding vs Less Padding

Most runners adjust their foot strike pattern from heel strike to mid foot strike as the height differences even out. Additionally, each person’s leg muscles vibrate at heel strike, and each padded shoe also has a certain frequency (resonance) as it strikes the ground. When these two match, this leads to significant fatigue and possibly increased injuries. Irene Davis, a doctorate in biomechanics saw that runners with a heavier heel strike had more injuries and that this was often associated with cushioned running shoes. Daniel Lieberman (professor of human evolutionary biology at Harvard University) conducted tests in Kenya in 2009 and found that native runners who grew up running barefoot more often had a forefoot strike. More importantly the magnitude of the impact was a third of that of barefoot strikers in shoes, resulting in a gentle landing. Many shoe makers have begun to engineer minimalist models with new low-to-the-ground designs, using light materials that still provide cushioning while

1980’s Inspired waffle trainer

increasing flexibility. These new models represented about 2% of sales of all running shoes in 2010 but are expected to increase sales to 5 or 10 times that figure as barefoot/minimalist running is better understood and accepted.

“Elite runners can get away with a whole lot less shoe. But for someone who gets out of the office chair after 10 years and decides he wants to get fit, I think to go to a less structured shoe has got disaster written all over it.”

Putting in Perspective

Dr. Moosa Kazim Consultant Orthopedic Specialist Orthosports Medical Center

All of these need to be put in perspective. As Asics’ Mr. Bartold recently commented,

Modern Day Traditional Running Shoe

Early 90’s running shoe

Late 90’s trainer

Samothrace Greece the German invasion, amongst others.

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Natural environment

Greece

commons.wikimedia.org

Geography

The Island of Samothrace is located on the Northeastern Aegean Sea of Greece. Samothrace is an island of unique history and natural beauty which still remains unspoilt. Saos, the mountain range of the island, rises up to 1,611 meters above sea level. This gives the island a very diverse climate and also accommodates a very diverse ecosystem consisting of many indigenous plants and endangered animals.

The history of Samothrace

The Victory of Samothrace, (Nike of Samothrace), the most famous symbol of the island, now resides in Louvre Museum in Paris, France. In ancient years the island was mostly known for its divinity and the mysteries that took place on the Island, the so-called Kaveiria mysteries. Many stories and theories have been written for the importance of these mysteries and the significance of the island amongst kings and leaders but one can only draw conclusions after excessive reading on the issue. In the Modern Greek history, Samothrace played an important role in

History is an important reason for someone to visit Samothrace but the island has a very rich and diverse environment as well. The biggest part of the mountain range belongs to Natura 2000, a protection scheme of the E.U. for areas of natural importance. Samothrace has been relatively unspoiled compared to other Greek islands because of its remoteness and the low number of visitors every year. It is a place that you will either love or hate, depending on what the traveler is after. Its beaches are not of the typical Greek islands and all of them apart from one are with pebbles. They all have pristine clear waters as there is no industry of any kind on the island and the visitors greatly respect the place. The biggest surprise for the first time visitor is the amount of fresh water found on the island in waterfalls and in naturally formed pools on the mountain. There are many guesses about the number of these pools, without anyone being completely sure about them, but they are surely hundreds of them. The amount of water found on the island rises an interesting point about the origin of the water....where does it come from? As mentioned before the mountain rises up to 1.611 meters and is snow covered from December till April depending the year. That alone cannot justify not even half of the amount of water found on the island. Scientists have come up with couple of explanations but none of them is completely satisfactory and is still a riddle to be solved.

What can one do on the island?

If you are interested in historical places and in discovering cultures then Samothraki can offer you that. Visiting Samothrace can transport you from Ancient Greece to modern Greece and see the cultures and history associated. There is a museum you can visit which is part of the greater archaeological site on the island with some very interesting and unique exhibits. There are remnants of castles to be visited evidencing the wars Samothrace was part of. Samothrace has many sites of great religious importance and a significant number of churches and shrines as it was

part of Apostle Paulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pilgrimage. If on the other hand you are a more active traveler and you are after adventures then Samothrace is definitely the safest bet amongst many Greek islands. There a number of activities that someone can do on the island such as, rock climbing, hiking, canyoning, mountain biking, sea kayaking and scuba diving. If you are experienced in these activities you can do them on your own or otherwise there isâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC; Terra Naturaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, an outdoor activities company, and a separate scuba diving center that can provide you with the necessary equipment and instructors to experience Samothrace from a different point of view. There is no need for someone to be an experienced outdoor enthusiast to experience all the above, all you need is good mood and a readiness to discover new places.

Food and accommodation

There are many places where you can enjoy good quality food at fairly cheap prices but, with a little perseverance, you can find the best places and offers for yourselves. Samothrace is very well known for its exceptional way of cooking goat meat, there are many places to visit and enjoy a delicious meal. Seafood is as well very famous in Samothrace as everything is fished around the island and is always fresh ready to be eaten. There are many different options for accommodation. You can stay in expensive hotels offering you all the necessities and luxuries you desire, from swimming pools and saunas to expensive meals. Alternatively, you can stay in the municipal

On the move to explore

Duration of stay

A full ten days’ vacation would be sufficient for someone to have a first glimpse of the island and mark the places he/she would like to discover in more extent in the next trip to Samothrace.

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camping site, which is of unique beauty and diversity of people staying there. Of course you have the option of renting apartments equipped with kitchen or not, in almost all the settlements of the island.

When Arabs ruled one of the largest stretches of land in the old world, they travelled and explored lands that were only known to their native inhabitants. Travelling was a way of life to many. It involved courage, a yearning to learn and a strong will to educate. As decades passed, those who crossed all these borders were known as Rahhalahs, a term that translates to English as those who are always on the move to explore.

When to get there

We want to entice you to live your dream adventure. Come and join us explore the world and become a Rahhalah yourself.

How to get there

Some of our adventures

The best period is end of May to end of June and end of August to mid of September for doing outdoor activities as the weather can be very hot in July-August, saying that activities can be done but will be a bit more strenuous. Flying from Dubai you can get a direct flight to Athens and then an internal flight to Thessaloniki or Alexandroupolis. Alexandroupolis is the port that connects Samothrace with the mainland. From Thessaloniki is a 3 hour drive to Alexandroupolis. It is important that you have a car or a motorbike to visit the island as the local bus schedules are not to be trusted and are not very frequent. There is one company that rents cars in Samothrace but it might be more cost efficient to rent one from Alexandroupolis as renting a car on the island can be expensive.

• WILD Borneo; The last of the four remaining rain forests in the world. • Vietnam; The Mysteries of the Northwest, 7 days adventure trekking and reaching the peak of Fansipan

For more information

You can visit www.terranatura.gr or email info@terranatura.gr

Useful links:

www.samothraki.gr www.terranatura.gr www.saos.gr

• Thrilling Nepal; hike, cycle, raft and explore • East African Dreams; comfortable and challenging Safari adventures that are not for the fainthearted in both Tanzania and Kenya. • Climb Kilimanjaro; an achievable big challenge that takes you to the roof of Africa.

Read more about WHO we are, WHERE we go, our SUSTAINABILITY and our “PAY BACK” promise on

rahhalah.com

Tel +9714 4472166

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Climbing the highest mountain in the Americas by Atte Miettinen

After successfully summiting the

highest mountain in Antarctica I got a weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rest in Santiago, Chile before taking a short flight over the Andes to Mendoza, Argentina to start another three week expedition to climb Cerro Aconcagua, which at 6962m is the highest mountain in South America.

I was met at the airport by Luco, a guide from Grajales, the longest serving guiding company on the mountain. Luco and I were going to be climbing together and I was excited about the prospect of climbing in a two-man team compared to the more usual group of 6-10 climbers. After picking up our climbing permits from a government office we were off to Penitentes, a small town about 10km from the entrance to Aconcagua Provincial Park. At Penitentes we sorted out the gear into three piles â&#x20AC;&#x201C; one which we would carry on the trek to the first camp, Confluencia, another that would be carried to Confluencia by mules and the last pile heading straight to Plaza de Mulas, our base camp at 4350m altitude. The first day trek along the Horcones Valley was easy and we reached Confluencia, at 3390m, in just 2.5 hours. I was nursing a sore throat, most likely from a walk we took the previous day in

A view of Aconcagua

The mountain climbing team leaving base camp to go to the first of the higher camps

Penitentes, which had me worried – this was my second expedition to Aconcagua – the first one, two years ago, ended with me getting a throat and chest infection, which started just like this. After a night in Confluencia, we took an acclimatization trek to Plaza Francia, at the base of Aconcagua’s impressive South Face, which is almost three kilometres of vertical snow, ice and rock. The purpose of the acclimatization is to help our bodies adjust to the lower level of oxygen at altitude. Aconcagua is almost 7000m high, which means the summit has only 40% of the oxygen we breathe at sea-level. Poor acclimatization due to the lower level of oxygen leads quickly to extreme fatigue and at worst to life-threatening conditions. In light of this, every climber on Aconcagua has to pass two compulsary doctor’s check-up’s on the mountain. After returning to the camp from Plaza Francia, I had first of my check-up’s. The doctor checked my blood pressure, listened to my lungs and checked the oxygenation of my hemoglobin with a pulse oximeter. The pulse oximeter measures the amount of oxygen that your red blood cells carry and provides a percentage reading which shows how much oxygen is moved using 100% at sea-level as the comparison point. My reading was 94, so I passed the check without problems. The following morning we continued our trek and after about six hours, we reached our base camp, Plaza de Mulas, at 4350m. I was happy to see Pablo, the base camp manager, whom I

had met on my previous trip, still managing the camp. He leads a team of Grajales staff that stay at the camp for 100 days every season to ensure his climbers are well-fed and safe on the mountain. Reaching Plaza de Mulas meant that we had trekked about 40 kilometres from the Aconcagua Provincial Park entrance, so we took a rest day before an acclimatization climb to Cerro Bonete, a 5004m peak close by. The climb wasn’t difficult and offered us beautiful 360 degree mountain views, including a good view of the goal, Aconcagua. Due to the amount of equipment and food we need on the mountain, we need to perform a couple of load carries, which means carrying part of our gear to a higher camp and then

returning down before carrying the rest of the gear when we actually move to the higher camp. In light of this, the day after Bonete was our first load carry to Plaza Canada at 5050m, first of our three high camps. I felt strong and excited. Moving to Plaza Canada and then to our second high camp, Nido de Condores, at 5575m, went without problems. However, almost immediately after we had pitched our tent at Nido de Condores, which means ”nest of the condors”, snow started falling. Heavy snow fall is bad news on mountains, so we waited anxiously. After snow had continued to fall for several hours, we radioed for a weather report and were told that a weather front with snow and

Atte

is a climber originally from Finland and is currently taking on the Seven Summits. Refer to our December 2011 issue and learn more about him in our people section.

Confluencia camp

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“

Heavy snow fall is bad news on mountains, so we waited anxiously.

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+120km/hour winds was approaching. We had no choice but to retreat back to Plaza de Mulas the next morning. After several frustrating days at Plaza de Mulas, we finally identified a weather window in the forecasts, packed our bags and headed back up the mountain. This time we skipped the first high camp at Plaza Canada and moved straight to Nido de Condores. After one night at Nido, we continued to our last high camp at the charmingly named Cholera, located at 6000m, which doesn’t refer to the water-borne disease but is a term local people use for climbers that go ”crazy” because of the altitude. While moving to Cholera the winds were still strong. With a full backpack on, I weighed easily over 100kg, but some of the gusts were strong enough to knock me over. In addition, I could start feeling the effects of the altitude and my throat wasn’t getting any better. It was Christmas Eve, so we settled into our tent at 6000m, eating pasta and waiting for Santa Claus to pay us a visit. To my disappointment, Santa never came, but at least we got to speak to our families via a satellite phone! The next morning we woke up at 0500 and an hour later we started heading up the mountain. However, after just 90 minutes, we begun to encounter teams

Caching gear at Nido de Condores before heading down the mountain to base camp

Snow & wind at Nido de Condores

that had decided to abort their summit attempts. The message from everyone was the same, visibility was dropping and with winds picking up, the conditions were getting too risky. So after continuing for a bit further, we also decided to retreat back to our camp. I felt tired, frustrated and disappointed. Time was running out for my summit attempt – tomorrow was the last chance and if we didn’t make it, I would have to return to the mountain for the third time before my next expedition to Everest. We spent the rest of the day trying to relax, but I was worried about the weather. I tried to drink as much as I could in order to help my body acclimitize and kept snacking to load up on as much calories and energy as I could. In the evening we radioed for another weather report, which suggested that the next day would be more of the same – poor visibility and high winds, but we knew we had little

choice but to make another push for the summit. We woke up at 0400 and started our second summit attempt. To our surprise the sky was clear of clouds and the winds low, so it looked like the weather report had been wrong. Buoyed by the good weather, we made steady progress and it seemed like we reached Canaleta, a 300 vertical meter and 45 degree chute of loose rock, ice and snow leading to the summit, pretty quickly. However, Canaleta is notorious for a reason and I had to take frequent stops to catch my breath and our progress slowed down. At noon, we finally took the last steps to the summit of Aconcagua. The summit itself feels odd because its a big flat area, rather than a pointy summit, but I didn’t care. I had conquered the mountain that had defeated me a couple of years ago. We spent an hour on the summit, resting, drinking,

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Summit of Cerro Bonete

eating, taking pictures and calling our families, before Luco and I started our way back down – reminding ourselves that the summit is just half way! During the descent, we encountered a couple of teams heading up and we stopped to wish them good luck, as is customary on the mountain, before continuing our way down. We reached our camp at Cholera with a few hours of sunlight left, so we decided to pack up our camp and continue all the way down to Plaza de Mulas. Getting back to base camp felt great. The entire Grajales staff was waiting for us and we celebrated with a glass of CocaCola and pizza! We also had several teams, preparing to go up, come to congratulate us on reaching the summit and ask for tips on equipment and find out how the weather was. The next morning I slept in before packing my gear and preparing for the ride home. Due to the need to catch an international flight, Luco and I had decided not to trek back, which would take about eight hours but instead take a helicopter which took us down to the park entrance in just seven minutes! At the park entrance, Fernando Grajales, the son of the founder of Grajales picked us up and drove us back to Mendoza and 48 hours and three flights later, I was back home in the UAE.

Atte.

The Seven Summits The seven summits are magical mountains that have been climbed by a select few. They include Kilimanjaro, Denali, Elbrus, Aconcagua, Carstensz Pyramid, Vinson and Everest.

Denali (June 2012)

Mt. Elbrus Mt. Everest (March 2012)

Atte has conquered Atte has yet to conquer

Carstensz Pyramid

Att’s route (to represent the order of climbs - he started at Kilimanjaro)

Kilimanjaro

Aconcagua

Vinson Massif

Hallaniyat Islands Southern Oman

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If you speak to most fishermen,

fishing is not really about catching fish but more about the preparation and expectation, exploring remote places, learning new cultures, meeting different people and generally just getting out of the house or office and onto the water. It is the sense of adventure and good clean fun which fishermen are drawn to. Catching a fish is the cream on the top and if it happens to be a trophy it just makes the trip that much better. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great to have a few pictures to show friends and family that the money spent actually produced results or to boast a bit on Facebook!

We have been lucky enough to make fishing our business and enjoy running charters, being on the water daily, talking to people in our Fishing Shop located inside the Dubai Garden Center on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai and best of all setting up new fishing destinations or targeting new species. Over the last few years we have been guiding clients in some amazing places like the Maldives, Seychelles and Thailand. The excitement of these tropical destinations has only been bettered by the setting up our new operation in Hallaniyat Islands Southern Oman. Hallaniyat Islands are right on our doorstep and one of the best places I have ever had the privilege of fishing and visiting. Hallaniyat Islands is situated in Southern Oman and lies about 30 miles off the coastline. The water is deep, the currents strong and the fish enormous - just the type of place we like! We have been running trips to Hallaniyat Islands for the last year and have had some amazing results catching some record Giant Trevally (GT) along with plenty of other fish. But we had still not found the big Amberjack (AJ) that lurk in these waters. We have seen some local Omani fishermen with some big AJs but have not found the big shoals that we believed to be around the islands. The Hallaniyat Islands are made up of 5 islands of different sizes and the water drops down to over 2,000m close to the islands so there is a lot of water to search and explore! With a bit of an exploratory trip in mind I contacted a good friend Sami Ghandour from Saltywater Tackle in the USA and set up team for a trip to Southern Oman

By Nick Bowles

on 12th October to target big AJs along with GTs. We also had a few new fishing products to test on the trip which is always good fun. We all met up at the Dubai Airport and got into the trucks and headed for Southern Oman. The drive is long but enjoyable. It takes about 10 hours to drive from Dubai to the small town of Shuwaymiyah in Southern Oman which is our base to run out to the islands. The town of Shuwaymiyah is a small traditional fishing town and visiting there is like stepping back in time. The local people living here still have the old world beliefs and hospitality. It is a really amazing place to visit and experience. After a long drive it is always good to arrive at your destination and start preparing your tackle with the anticipation of what lies ahead! For the next few days we fished around the islands and caught some huge GTs on heavy popping equipment and searched for the big AJs. We used our depth finders, charts, and all of our experience to try and find the AJs but they proved to be elusive. Finally after speaking to some local fisherman, working out currents and depths from charts we came up with a final game plan! On one of the final mornings we woke up extra early and in the early morning darkness headed for one if the furthest islands. On arriving in our chosen area the sea was calm and the sun just coming up over the sea, it was a setting straight out of a movie! We turned on the depth finder and all we could see top to bottom was showings of big fish! The excitement levels went through the roof and there was a scramble to get our jigs into the water and on the first drop everyone hooked up and there were shouts of delight all-round the boat!! We had finally found what we had been looking for - we had found the elusive Amberjack of Southern Oman. They are amazing fish and extremely strong. We put all of our fishing tackle to the test, we hooked into some monster fish that we could not stop but then we also managed to get a few fish out, take a few pictures and then released them to swim another day. Southern Oman is truly a mystical place with a stark beauty that will be burnt into your memory for ever, the people are some of the most hospitable people I have ever met and there are some really big fish that will keep us and our clients coming back for many years to come!

Nick.

For more information on charter, fishing products or fishing you can come and visit us in the Ocean Active Fishing Shop in the Dubai Garden Center off exit 42 on Shiekh Zayed Road in Dubai or log onto our website www.oceanactive.com

Slow Lane to

Nowhere By Patrice Wergifosse

the road again! Everybody lost faith but me! I was supposed to spend 3 weeks in Belgium, and I ended up staying there for nearly 4 months. The Land Rover made it up there but obviously wouldn’t have been able to reach Italy on the way back. I won’t go over everything we did on the car; suffice to say I nearly had to sell a kidney to pay for it. As a result she’s going better than she ever did for the entire 7 years of my ownership, and probably even since she first landed in UAE for a career in the army, 23 years ago.

I was ready to start the trip at the beginning of August when the temperature inside the car was 54 degrees with no AC, and now I was to restart the trip in the middle of winter with, of course, no heating. At the time of writing to you, it is snowing and -1 degree which is in fact bearable, probably because I’m sitting comfortably in a restaurant! This is the way I wanted it anyway: me, my car and bare nature in the middle of nowhere, with as few signs of civilisation and other tourists as possible.

On my outward trip, after Turkey, I went through Bulgaria and the Balkans before reaching continental Europe. In order not to take the same route twice, I’ve opted to drive down through Switzerland and Italy. In southern Italy I’ll take a ferry to Albania or Greece, depending on what’s available. I’ll then cross the north of Greece into Turkey. As the Meteors are a must see, I’ll probably go the extra miles to see them. I’ve decided not to go through Istanbul, and though I know I’m committing a cultural crime, my car is definitely not made to stay in cities. I’d prefer to come back by plane and visit for a week - after all it’s only a 3 hour flight from Dubai. Instead, I’ll cross the Sea of Marmara by ferry, then go along the south coast passing through Izmir and Antalya, choosing between the sea and mountains according to the weather and my mood. From there my journey will take me across Capadocia before reaching Kurdistan. That is where the real stuff will start with temperatures as low as -15 to -20 degrees around the lake of Van and Mount Ararat. Even though I’m equipped to sleep in these temperatures, I will be less reluctant to accept invitations to sleep indoors, even if it means sharing with the sheep. Once in Iran, I’ll go north between the Caspian Sea and the mountains to Tehran, then I’ll push to Gonbad, in the Turkmen part before going down through the centre of Iran to Bandar Abbas where I’ll take the last ferry home. If the ferry link to Khasab is open by then, I might even give it a try, but let’s see. I’ll be happy to reach Iran, where the petrol for foreigners is the same price as in UAE. In Europe and Turkey it’s going to cost me 200 dirhams to make 1,000 kilometres! Next time I decide to leave the country with that car I’ll fit her with a diesel engine! I reluctantly had to abandon my shisha to pack some winter equipment like chains for my tires and rackets for my feet. No doubt on my return I’ll be the only proud owner of snow chains in Dubai, though I doubt they’ll allow me to climb up the ski slope. I left Belgium 5 days ago, having already run out of petrol once trying to reach Luxembourg where the petrol is as cheap

as it would get in Europe. I also survived a control by the Luxemburg police (and as the saying goes, a Luxemburger is like an angry German :-), so I’m now hoping for an uneventful trip. Until Italy, I plan to spend nearly every night at some friends place so it’s kind of a soft departure. Certainly not like the way up where the first morning I was already in the middle of nowhere in the south of Iran even though I was only 150km as the crow flies from my house. Not many pictures to show you yet. I haven’t seen the sun for 5 days so haven’t even bothered taking my camera out. Luckily enough my 10 dirham gloves work on the screen of the iPhone and I can take some pictures while driving. Next time I write to you I should be in Kurdistan. In the meanwhile, if you are interested in more pictures and stories, please visit my blog @ slowlanetonowhere. blogspot.com I’ll keep you updated !

Patrice (& Marcel of course)

travel & adventure

Unbelievably, I’m on

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e r u t n e v i Ch ck Ad rt

plays the spo Queens

of Kingtostell the tale!

...& survived

our experts

Despite polo being

Tori

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

synonymous with the upper crust of British society, the game actually originates from here in the Middle East so it only seemed fitting that I swap my usual position on a polo field … think side-lines, Pimms in hand, cucumber sandwiches and soaking rays from the comfort of a picnic blanket … to one where I actually straddle the horse and master the swing! Besides, whilst the weather is so absolutely glorious, there can be few cooler ways to spend an afternoon.

The Dubai Polo Academy is THE place to go here in the UAE. Around since 2005, the coach Steve Thompson (hot totty FYI) has a long career on the international circuit. Working alongside him is Adriana who is enormously friendly, kind and down-to-earth. Together, they have clearly mastered the art of ensuring everyone feels happy, comfortable and safe. On arrival at the Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club, I was swiftly reminded what a fab club it is. The atmosphere is so chilled and the grounds expansive. I met with Adriana and she got me suited and booted with chaps and a hard hat. With over 40 ponies, you’re matched

with one to suit your ability so don’t worry about flying off into the sunset (or the Ranches as would be the case here.) Even if you’ve ridden a lot in the past, as I have, polo has its unique riding form so we spent time first of all, just getting comfortable holding the reins, sitting correctly and generally handling the horse. Up next was learning the art of the swing, the importance of eye contact and the overall movement of your body … the swing really comes from your shoulder and your entire pelvis should move as you swing. (Think great core work and the potential six-pack to be had!) The skills and technique to pick up are plentiful but it’s fun learning and as we are all well aware, practice makes perfect … better still, perfect practice makes perfect. Between us, we had lots of laughs and in just one lesson, I was rather impressed with how far I’d come. (Steve however, may argue to the contrary!) The hardest part is to canter whilst thinking about your position and your swing and keeping your eye on the ball. Multi-tasking at it’s best! I did eventually get there … and even hit a few balls at which point my newfound (and in hindsight over-) confidence, led me to trading my slow, somewhat static horse, to a great galloping giant … All in all, I had a truly memorable afternoon. Polo also makes a fantastic spectator sport and I hung around afterwards and enjoyed watching a game in full swing. The club organise an extensive schedule of club chukkas throughout the season and it’s really a pretty civilised way to spend an afternoon, refreshments in hand, with friends or family … the kind of days you often wish could go on forever … You can have lessons privately or in groups (AED 770 and AED 550 respectively). They also offer Corporate events, be it to entertain clients, for a departmental jolly or as a team-building function … and finally, polo holidays, so spread

the word for anyone you know who’d love a few days immersing themselves in the mint with the hole. It’s pretty expensive yes but that’s part of its attraction … its exclusivity … so buy a lesson as a gift for someone special or to celebrate a birthday or a special occasion in style … or, if you have a rich hubbie or a corporate AMEX, just treat yourself. Why not? You’re so definitely worth it … Needless to say, my bottom was screaming in the morning. In fact, my walk back to the car certainly would have had any observers think I’d struck lucky last night. What with rock climbing in December and polo in January, I’d like to think that I’m starting the new year with a rockbottom J-Lo-esque booty.

need to know Who: Dubai Polo Academy What: THE place to experience the ‘Sport of Kings’ Where: Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club Call: 050 887 9847 Email: info@dubaipoloacademy. com Website: www.dubaipoloacademy.com Other: State of play: Matches are divided into chukkas, each lasting seven minutes. Ends are changed after each goal. At the half-time interval, spectators hit the field and stomp back the divots (think Julia Roberts wearing that gorgeous polka-dot dress in Pretty Woman). What to wear: jeans, t-shirt, trainers, large sunglasses and an even larger pout What not to wear: Choos or hotpants What to say: “Vamos, vamos!” (“Let’s go, let’s go!”)

Love, Tori x

Photography: Intikhab Alam

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Mike Green on Hot Rats

Let’s

crimp! Stories of Wonderwall by Toby Foord-Kelcey

Like many sports, rock climbing

has its own vocabulary. This ranges from the obvious – “wall”, “corner”, “crack” – to imaginative concatenations – “under-cling”, “heel-hook”, “dead-point”, “handjam” – to the frankly obscure: can i offer you some “beta”? At wonderwall, the most southerly outpost of UAE climbing just beyond Al Ain, the word you are most likely to hear is “crimp”.

Somehow evolved from a word that sees more regular use by electricians or

hair-stylists, a climber’s “crimp” is the finger contortion, with knuckles bent at 90 degrees or worse, necessary to hold flat edges. Especially those thinner than a centimeter or so, like the side of a Blackberry or an iPhone. Imagine borrowing the phones from everyone you know, spreading glue on their screens, sticking them randomly to a blank vertical wall then trying to climb. That gives a reasonable approximation of the harder Wonderwall routes. (For more accurate replication, roughly glue sets of five or six credit cards together to give a 5mm jagged edge, then replace half of the phones with those.) No individual movement is especially difficult, but the cumulative stress on the fingers builds up until your forearms scream. Meanwhile a constant background worry that a hold will snap off

makes it hard to move with fluidity … or sometimes even move at all. The cliff’s status as the home of the crimp stems from its geology. Most limestone cliffs here have been formed by water or ice that has (at some point in history) eroded across horizontal strata planes, leaving plenty of large ledges and cracks. In contrast at Wonderwall, the strata plane is roughly vertical. The whole 3km long cliff is a single fin of rock with big blank faces. Desert heat has subsequently caused massive exfoliation at a micro level: lots of little flakes peeling away from the face with varying degrees of attachment. These are the holds. The initial development of Wonderwall in the mid-1990s through to 2004 focused on the less steep faces where the strata plane is twisted away from vertical. The best routes from that period are at the northern end of the cliff. Wonderslab, a 150m high face tilted at about degrees, has a number of “trad” (non-bolted) climbs. These were all climbed in a pure “onsight” style with no precleaning and so are still quite loose. That factor plus the difficulty of retreat has discouraged many repeat ascents. The idea of bolting a modern-style route here has been raised

guidebook. I was amazed something so stunning was untouched. I somehow managed to get a lift out to Wonderwall on my first weekend in the country and had a fixed rope in place down its blankest expanse on my second. Within a few more weeks I had bolted the project, which I over-dramatically dubbed “Exile” in recognition of my relocation to the Gulf. However acquiring the fitness to complete it proved elusive. The line had no significant ledges or easing in angle for about 55 metres, requiring the climber to keep progressing on crimps without any rest for an absurd duration in an increasingly isolated and Leo Foord-Kelcey on Paint my Wagon exposed position. In compensation I did complete a similar but much shorter from time to time, but has foundered line, “Glucosamine”, to its left. on a desire to respect the adventurMeanwhile my friend and fellow ous ethic of the original ascention- new router Pete Aldwinckle had been ists. Just right is the similarly-angled observing my efforts and decided to Spaghetti Western slab, which has a get in on the action. He picked off number of bolted routes established the blank face by the Obelisk to give by the prolific Gordon Rech. This is a “Hot Rats”. This face is a few degood place to take beginners, as the grees less steep then Central Wall routes are solid and uncomplicated. and helpfully split by a mid-height The easiest route there, “Paint my ledge but the hardest moves are inWagon” must be one of the most sanely blank: huge step-ups on slopfrequently climbed in the region. ing bumps clawing on a millimeter or Further south the strata twists to a two of extruded texture rather than steeper angle and the faces are more actual holds. The finale of this 60m daunting. Two features are especially route is spectacular; a tricky move to impressive: the 60-70m high Central gain the very top of the cliff, which wall and slightly shorter walls around once stepped up on is revealed to the Obelisk, a semi-detached tower. be a knife edge ridge with airy views I actually took an interest in the Cen- across bleak desert to an often hazetral Wall before moving to the UAE obscured Jebel Hafeet. in January 2005, having seen some Success on “Exile” finally arrived in photos in Alan Stark’s PDF only January 2006; almost exactly a year

Theo Giani finishing Glucosamine

after I moved to the UAE. I attribute the performance mainly to obsessive training; especially mindless traversing on tiny crimp holds I had screwed onto the home-made bouldering wall in my villa. The ascent drained me so much that I unintentionally abandoned gear at the top and barely managed the drive home. These Wonderwall horrors have never become very popular, perhaps because the climbing is more of tortuous ordeal than obvious gymnastic fun. But they are classics of the region and are essential ticks for anyone who desires the full UAE experience. But first toughen your fingers and train the crimp.

Toby

Toby Foord-Kelcey is the author of “UAE Rock Climbing”, the first printed guidebook to UAE and Musandam climbing. A longer account of the first ascent of “Exile” can be found at the blog (click the “nostalgia” tag) at www. redarmadapublishing.com along with details about the guidebook and UAE climbing generally.

Toby. Gordon Rech attempting Exile

Villa to Villa When

John

our experts

Moto/ATV and all round adventure seeker

Alex’s opening statement was; “What are you doing on Friday?”, I knew that this would involve some biking. “No I don’t know yet, tell me”. I was very excited as this was something I had been thinking of for almost two years; Villa to Villa from Al Ain to Abu Dhabi!!! Obviously the logistics of getting all the quads and bikes in Al Ain, as Alex’s group is from Abu Dhabi, and the vehicles back in Abu Dhabi took a bit of juggling. (It also involved some serious sweet-talking the ladies into dropping the men of in Al Ain at 7am!!) We all met at Mark’s villa and the group consisted of five bikes and four quads. Whilst the ladies were treating us to some coffee and toast we transferred GPS waypoints and discussed the route. Alex agreed that it would be better to separate the bikes and the quads. (The quads always hold us back…..LOL) As we needed a refuelling stop, and the ladies were going to be driving the vehicles back to Abu Dhabi, Alex and Chris managed to convince their wives to assist with this small task…… Daleen and Henriette were fantastic!! By the time we got to the rendezvous point they had already “set camp”. The trailers awnings were out with coffee, tea and sandwiches awaiting our arrival. This to me was the highlight; being served coffee and sandwiches in the middle of the desert, during a refuelling stop. We felt like a VVIP’s on safari!! Again thank you Daleen and Henriette for all your efforts. We were one rider short at the refuelling stop, but as Mark often wandered off during a ride no one was concerned. We all agreed that he knew where we planned the fuel stop and we were confident of his riding skills. After about 20 minutes we started to worry. (Not really, but if I say we did then Mark will think we like him….!) Now we had no idea where to go and look for him or what to do. By the time we decided that something might have happed to Mark we saw the dust trail approaching. He had taken a tumble, and had sustained a minor injury, to both him-

self and the Raptor. Thinking we would realize that he was missing and go back for him, he waited for us. Sorry Mark, we honestly thought you were on your own private mission ….. (Lesson learned!) So, after a refreshing 45 minute pit stop, we were off on the final stage of the adventure. It is always awesome to ride those areas of the desert where no one else rides. It is clean and has no tracks, making the ride very smooth. Only the last 20 km approaching Abu Dhabi are very unpleasant due to all the construction and road building that you have to contend with. Soon once these new suburbs are finished we won’t be able to repeat this ride so plan to do at least one more trip before summer! As with so many things in life we often take matters for granted and then one day we realize the opportunities are no longer available. Don’t wait for something to happen, MAKE it happen!!! Go for Gold and ride safe!!!

John Basson.

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our experts

20.01.12

Musandam Invitational By Mike Nott

Pictured: Andy on the final push to the ridgeline

“It really is an adventure...” Background and Concept

Mike

is an avid adventurer. He is also the expert behind the ME4x4 supplements that we have shared with you over the year. We will also be bringing you his ‘opus’, if you will, in the form of a book entitled ‘Advanced Off-Road Adventure Routes for the UAE and Oman’. Keep your eyes peeled for a February/ March release in 2012.

by a group of adventure race veterans, and that I needed to check out the route over the mountains. In August last year I put out some feelers to a select group of people that I knew well and would be keen to do the race route on a trial basis. The concept of the adventure race was based on three disciplines that would be conducted in a relay loop around the Musandam. The race would start with a 35km sea kayak from Khor Najd to Limah, the next leg would be a 20km run/trek from Limah to Bana and the final leg would be a 65km mountain bike ride from Bana back to Khor Najd. I limited the field to five teams of three and was quickly to receive confirmation that people were keen to take part. I discussed the concept with, amongst others, Ian Ganderton in detail, Colin Campbell, Toby FoordKelcey, Pete Aldwinckle, Gordon Rech and John Young, and all thought it worth pursuing. My aim was to keep Rachael and John with Darryl in tow the administration to a minimum. Teams would need to supply their own sea kayaks and bikes and I would only to exist. But, in July last year, I was need to supply a dhow; to shadow the there again (see OutdoorUAE Aug 11 kayakers, transport the runners and edition) and things had changed, a little. return the kayakers to Khor Njad. This A new electricity pole line had been was easily done through Sheesa Beach constructed over the ridgeline from the in Dibba. The final part of the planning village of Bana (just north of Rowdah) was to check the trekking route from towards Limah. There appeared to Bana to Limah. So, in December last be a rough footpath that followed the year I did a solo dash from Dubai to line of the poles over the ridge and, I Bana to do this. hoped, dropped down into the wadi on There proved to be a viable track the other side to link up with the track coming in from Limah. I didn’t have the time to walk this track; it was July and hot, and I was there with a group of friends to go off-roading and diving. So, I parked it in the memory bank for later. With this little bit of evidence though, I decided that there was sufficient scope to put in place an adventure race that had been on my back-burner for some years after first seeing that map. The evidence of a track over the ridgeline from Bana towards Limah was the final part of the jigsaw. Having done some of the excellent adventure races organised by John and James Falchetto from Ras Al Khaima and done enough climbing and trekking in the area, I knew that the Musandam mountains were ripe for an adventure race. But, before the race was opened to all comers, I was conscious that the concept needed to be trialled Ever since I saw a 1:100,000 map of the Musandam that purported to show a drivable track from the coastal village of Limah over the mountains to the inland village of Rowdah, it had been an aspiration of mine to seek out this route. In 2007 I took a trip there to do this and discovered, to my dismay, that this track was a figment of the cartographer’s imagination. I also couldn’t find the ancient hiking path that I expected

following the electricity pole line up to the ridge line but as I reached the ridgeline’s saddle and looked over, I was awed by the sight of vertiginous cliffs, and then very steep ground beyond the cliffs, plummeting to the wadi bottom. This was not at all what I had hoped for as it seemed to indicate that there was no possible descent route. However, the poles descended this ground and somebody must have been on foot to put them there. After a bit of a scramble, I eventually found the path that the construction team had made and, after some rather exciting route finding errors and some excellent exposure as the path crossed some tall cliff edges, I made it to the bottom of the cliffs and into the wadi bottom (I was later to learn that a worker had died whilst building this track). I was now sure the route was viable but I carried on following the wadi bottom to the head of the track from Limah, just to be sure. This was easily done. I then headed back, re-ascended the path back to the saddle and headed down to the car and back to Dubai, much relieved. There was a final flurry of e-mails from some regarding their wish to do the whole route, all 120km (75 miles) and 2,300m (7,360ft) of ascent. Despite some misgivings but knowing the quality of the field, I acquiesced. So, John Young, Rachael Clough, Darryl Chiles, Lou Harris and Rob McGowan were going to trial the full monty. Meanwhile, Team DSKC (Dubai Surf Ski and Kayak Club) comprising Colin Campbell, Andy Nicholson and Dave Shennan, and Ian Ganderton’s team comprising himself, Jean-Marc Laventure and Adam Davidson would do the three way relay.

The Race

I’d taken the 19th off and headed to Khor Najd in good time. Alf Wild, a good friend and colleague, had joined the dhow at Dibba on the

John, Rachel and Darryl on the punishing ascent

our experts

Ian and Colin for us, the war is over

Thursday afternoon to make sure it reached Khor Najd before the start time. So, I waited and then waited some more, for the teams to arrive. Alf and the dhow arrived just before dark. I was getting a little worried that no-one had turned up by 7pm but as it neared 9.30pm the teams began to arrive in dribs an drabs. Finally, by 1am everyone was there. Colin Campbell had been getting a little anxious because, despite having oodles of surf ski ocean experience, he’d never paddled a sea kayak, and Ian Ganderton was bringing one for him and only arrived just after midnight. Thus, Colin quickly set about bastardising the kayak to fit him and took it for a quick paddle to get used it. The luminescence in the water as he paddled was remarkable. The race started in perfect conditions at 6.40am on the Friday. Five kayakers: Darry Chiles in a single, John Young and Rachael Clough in one of John’s 20 year old doubles, Colin Campbell in a single, Ian Ganderton in a single and Lou Harris and Rob McGowan in Lou’s brand new carbonfibre double. The runners, Jean-Marc and Andy, got on the dhow to be dropped off to start their leg at Limah. I then headed over to the bike start point, with Lou and Robs’ bikes and with Marie Perin driving Darryl’s car with Darryl, John and Rachaels’ bikes.

The ascent route

Having reached the bike start I hiked over the ridgeline and descended to the wadi bottom whilst putting out some yellow and black marker tape to show the way through the most difficult terrain. I then waited for the first runners to arrive. The conditions for the kayaking leg proved to be perfect. Colin Campbell took an early and clear lead, maintaining a steady 9+km/h, but having his head down and truly focussed, aimed for the wrong rock and seemed to be heading for Dibba, or Iran. Lou and Rob, in the sleek carbon double, managed to close the gap on him as they approached Limah. Meanwhile John and Rachael, in the veteran double, proved too fast for Darryl in the single and threw him a tow line. Ian powered on, unconcerned. The transition from kayaking to running proved to be entertaining. Alf had got the dhow positioned ahead of the lead kayakers to drop off Andy and JeanMarc but couldn’t convince the skipper to get close enough to the beach to avoid a swim to the shore. Consequently Andy jumped in and was towed to shore by Colin and Lou and Rob gave Alf a tow to retrieve the kayaks off the beach; all good fun.. Eventually all those going ashore were ashore and the boats were loaded onto the dhow with Colin and Ian aboard, and headed back to Khor Najd. I think we’ll need to work on this transition for the next race. The runners headed off West, by-passing Limah village, attracting some very puzzled looks from several spectators. By 12.45pm I saw the first two runners, Andy and Jean-Marc, and they were looking very strong. I pointed them on to the ascent route and waited for the remainder. Twenty minutes later I saw the rest of the bunch (including Babu, who’d come with John to

get some photos), doing the full monty, all going pretty well, with Rachael and Darryl slightly ahead. With everybody duly accounted for I followed at the rear as we headed up the ascent route. As we reached the point where the route traverses some steep cliffs, we heard a shout from above us. It was Darryl and Rachael who’d missed a marker and had drifted off route. Babu and I waited as they re-joined the route and then carried on. A few minutes later we heard another shout, though pretty faint and obviously distant. Babu and I spotted Andy and Jean-Marc scarily off route, very high up on some precipitous cliffs in a very steep and loose gulley. Looking through my binoculars didn’t improve my view of their predicament. We shouted to them and I scrambled up the gulley towards them to help them descended and regain the ascent route. Much relieved that they did so unscathed, I followed them to the ridgeline and descended to the bike start point. All the support cars were there and by the time I’d arrived, Dave, Adam, John, Rachael and Darryl had gone. Lou and Rob were replenishing with gusto and taking their time. The bike route starts fast and flat but then ascends to Jebel al Sayh. It’s a long, hard ascent of just over 1,200m. I stayed with Rob and Lou and could see Darryl, Rachael and John slightly ahead. Adam and Dave, with fresh legs and lungs, had sped off. It proved to be very hard work for all those doing the full monty. By 7pm, when darkness had fallen, the temperature had dropped to only 8 degrees, the heavens had opened with driving, cold rain, and there was still several hundred metres to

Lou and Rob on the ascent

Pink, John, Pink!

ascend, the brave, though inevitably hard, decision was made to abandon the course. A careful drive ensued back to the campsite. On arrival at the Khor Najd we discovered that Adam had made it to the summit pass

on his bike but an injury sustained on the Wadi Bih adventure race the weekend before had proved too debilitating to carry on. Dave, though, had managed a sterling effort, touching 70km/h on the descent and had completed the ride in about 4 hours. So, one team at least had finished. The beach-side campsite that evening was a great place to be. There was much talk of the format of the race and how it could be improved, what we’d thought of it’s simplicity and how to keep it so the next time around. Thus, the winners of the inaugural Musandam Invitational Adventure Race were Colin Campbell, Andy Nicholson and Dave Shennan (Team DSKC) in 12 hours 15 minutes but, in true Corinthian spirit, there was no prize for coming first. I’m not going to say anything pink or trite such as ‘all those who took part are the real winners’ but I think the actual reward was to

The organiser, looking relieved

see an area of the region that few have ever seen, or will ever get to see, and that the effort involved to do so was a price worth paying. A few thanks are due: to all those that were sporting enough to take part and suffer in good humour as well as those that supported them, and a special thanks to Alf Wild for being the brick he always is. The aim will be to run it again next year but with an expanded field of competitors and perhaps in relay form only; there may even be a prize.

Mike. Photo Credits: Alf Wild, Babu and the author’s own.

A personal view of the kayaking by Ian Ganderton. 05.30 – Alarm goes off, groan…press snooze. 05.35 The insistent electronic beeping starts again. It’s almost a mild physical pain as I try and wake up while it’s still dark. I can hear the sounds of other people stirring and starting the faff that goes with early morning race preparation. In the previous days running around I’d missed grabbing some gas for my stove so no coffee for me just muesli with milk and as much water as I could bear to drink; need to front load my hydration. What to wear? It’s chilly but I’m going to be working hard, hmmmm, “well if you’re cold you’re obviously not working hard enough!” I tell myself and decide on just a rash vest and board shorts. Even if it was dark it’s a stunning morning, couldn’t be better conditions here at Najd in the back of Khor Habalayn. Will it be as good when we hit the open water? Faff, faff, faff, need to be finished faffing and ready to go before the briefing. I try to pay attention to Mike’s briefing while at the same time running through the mental checklist. Recovery food and water on the dhow with JM- check, energy gels and bars in spraydeck pocket - check, GPS with route loaded and set to follow - check, extensive training programme in build up to this event successfully completed - ahhhh, hmmmm, could have a problem there, hmmmm. Over optimistic approach that leaves me

thinking I’ll have the base fitness to carry me through and in contention, despite the fact I haven’t paddled 35km straight off for a couple of months now - check, hell yeah! 06.30 - On the water and final faffing, adjust foot rests, chat to others, double check water etc… 06.40 - We’re off, hold on, hold on I wasn’t ready, my kayak’s pointing in the wrong direction, damn!! I’ve lost a hundred metres at the start and they’re all going like trains. Don’t rush Ian, find your pace, work hard but not too hard; got to sustain this for a long way. GPS says 8.5km/h….8.0km/h… .9km/h….8.5km/h….gawd damn this is fast; my normal average is 6km/h. The others are a bit faster though…..hmmmm…..Colin is a competitive paddle ski racer and 2 of the boats are doubles, so much faster…… Darryl is in a single though and going just as fast! Ian, don’t get dragged into over stretching yourself. 07.15 - 8.5km/h….8.0km/h….9km/h… .8.5km/h…..I turn to head SE and look down the length of Khor Habalayn. The Sun is just breaking the horizon and its right in my eye’s. Peak of the cap and shades make it bearable though 8.5km/h….8.0km/ h….9km/h….8.5km/h….still those same numbers. It’s fast for me and I’m working hard but it’s sustainable for now. I find myself looking around me, gawd damn this place is stunning. The Hajar mountains are literally falling into the sea all around me and there is just us here. 08.50 - Turning directly south. The temperature is pretty comfortable but that headwind at the point has slowed me slightly. This is

going to hurt. GPS is still recording an average of 8.3km/h,; I keep seeing the same numbers, which is great. Time for another gel, got to sustain this pace for the next 2 and a bit hours at this pace, it’s going to start to hurt from here. 10.00 - Despite the significant ache in my shoulders, the awe of this place keeps striking me 8.5km/h….8.0km/h….8.2km/ h….8.5km/h….still holding a good pace, lost a bit of time to that headwind but it’s gone now; conditions are perfect. I can see deep into the crystal clear water, those must be some sort of big fish eggs I can see down there. Someone has gone wider than me, I can feel the tide pushing me slightly out to sea, perhaps the tide is faster out there, stick to your game plan Ian, don’t question yourself, now is not the time. 8.5km/h….8.0km/h….8.2km/h… .8.5km/h. Wow, so many tuna jumping out here, big flock of cormorants on the water, lots coming up from diving, I wonder if it’s the tuna they’re after or if the tuna and cormorants are hunting the same prey. 8.5km/h….8.0km/h….8.2km/h….8.5km/h. 10.50 - Nearly there. Come on Ian, ramp up the effort, resist the burn. Past the Dhow, gawd jawb, going to be at the beach before 11.00. That’s 4hrs 15mins and a whole hour faster than expected/planned. I’ll take that. It hurts. I’m last to the beach but I’ve kept the distance viable. JM is fast and I know Adam is too, they will make good ground, hope they’re not too disappointed in their team mate.

The Raptors have landed! A review of the Avet Raptor SX 6/4 2-Speed Reel our experts

For

Kit

Our fishing pro

some time, I was looking for a reel that would enable me to do a lot of things. We know that when it comes to fishing tackle, that’s a tall order and it might be too much to ask. We buy rods and reels according to how we’re going to use them, more than likely, you would want it to be one that you would be able to use in a multitude of situations. For a while now, I’ve been searching for a reel that’d be light enough for me to lug around yet strong enough to subdue big fish. My search ended with the AVET SX Raptor. The SX is the smallest in the line of Avet reels. The Raptor versions are their top of the line of a particular model. When you get a Raptor, this means the reel has all the technology that Avet put in it. Here is what you get with a basic model SX: • Lever Drag control system with pre-set drag feature • Dry Drag for true water resistance • 100% machined, Type 2 anodized, True-One piece aluminum frame • 8 stainless steel ball bearings • All corrosion resistant materials • Stainless steel fasteners, springs, clips • Handle knob with oversized frip • Rod mount clamp Just with the standard SX, you already have a reel that can pump up to 16lbs of maximum drag pressure. While you might think that this is not That strong, think again; the SX is the size of your average bait casting reel! In the States, people have used their Avet SX reels to catch anything from tuna to sailfish and anything in between, not bad for something that small!

The Avet Raptor however, is a different animal. It is a monster in a small package. From 16lbs of drag, the Raptor has 26lbs of stopping power. It holds more line, is a two speed reel (6.3:1 on high and 3.8 on low gear) and it has the magic cast system so even those that don’t normally cast with conventional gear would be able to cast it without a backlash! The thing I love about the reel though, is that it won’t break your wallet. In the three weeks that I’ve been playing with mine, I have taken it jigging, casting and trolling. I have caught sharks, huge queenfish, respectable sized hamour (grouper), spangled emperor snappers (Sharii) and cobia. The SX Raptor didn’t even flinch. A little research on the net and I found that someone in the states has caught a 120lbs tuna with his SX Raptor! That is a 60kg fish! What I know is that it would be something for me to test out on GT if and when I get to go to the Musandam or southern Oman. I will continue to test this reel and I’m sure it still has a lot to show me. For now, I am perfectly happy with it and can’t wait for the next outing to test it out again. It has become my favorite reel.

Kit. Barracuda Dubai in Sheik Zayed road (opposite of the Pepsi plant) is the exclusive distributor of Avets in Dubai and they have in stock in various sizes and models (and colors!) Give them a call 04346-6558

People

Alex MacFarlane

people

Name: Alex MacFarlane Nationality: British Age: 18 years old What school do you go to? Dubai British School List what you’re passionate about? Quad biking of course, Outdoor sports in general. Especially those which give an adrenalin rush! I would love to do the Desert Challenge. Last year I was too young to compete. However I would need a sponsor to compete this year. How did you get into MX/ Quad Biking? I have always enjoyed quad biking, but mainly in the desert. I found out about DMX through friends so gave it a try, now it’s my passion. Who sponsors you? I am glad to say I am sponsored by Fox through Al Yousuf Motors for my apparel. It’s really good hard wearing stuff. Still looking for a sponsor for my Bike. Anyone out there! Where and how do you practice in the UAE? I use the track a lot to perfect my riding skills. It’s a very technical track and you can always learn something new. I also love the desert for riding but mainly for fun. Where do you see yourself in 5 Years? I would like to get into the quad bike international scene and benchmark my skills in that arena, but first I need to finish my education.

What riders do to you look up to and why? I first started racing in 2010 and the other quad bikers really helped me a lot. They had and still have great skills on the track. Without their help I would not be where I am today leading the championship. How long have you been in the UAE and why did you come here? My family moved here in 2005 with my Dad’s job. I knew I wanted to ride quads from the day I arrived so my parents bought myself and my brother Brad a quad bike each. My brother is 14 but you will see him race in the future. What has been your best experience involving MX/ Quad Biking. My very first race at DMX. I was only 16 years old and rode a stock Yamaha 450. I had no idea what to expect. My parents just wanted me to finish the race. I came 2nd place! Where is your favourite location? Anywhere around Fossil Rock area. What is your next planned adventure? We are looking at doing the Tuc Tuc challenge in India. A scary race in a Tuc Tuc all across India. We have already trekked to Everest. What would you recommend to our readers if they wanted to try MX/ Quad Biking? First come along to the track and meet the riders. See if it’s for you. It’s a great social scene and people are very helpful and can point you in the right direction.

Omar Samra

my way down from the summit of Mount Everest to the relative safety at our South Col camp. Summit day had gone with little incident but the 9.5 weeklong expedition had tested my every reserve and I could not wait to get completely off the mountain. Over the next three days as I staggered back to base camp and then to a helicopter in Lobuche village that would ferry our team back to frantic Kathmandu, I began to wonder what on earth I would do with my life when I got home. I mean yes I had my job (working in finance at the time) but now with Everest behind me, there was no haunting dream; something to think about every waking minute. I could feel the onset of a void growing inside me.

Interestingly this sparked a healthy amount of introspective thinking of which I realized I was still passionate about nature and challenging myself in this way and so excitedly I set myself the ambitious goal of climbing the 7 Summits, the highest mountain on every continent. This was exciting in itself but what was even more interesting was the fact that completing this quest meant I would also fulfill another childhood dream; visiting Antarctica. Over the years I read a great deal about the continent and stories of explorers

another steep slope leading up to the final summit ridge. We worked hard as a rope team, making slow but consistent progress until we gained the ridge and could now see the summit before us. The final hour seemed like it would never end. The going was slow and hard but we persevered on. It had been mostly cloudy until that point but as we took our final steps on to the summit of the bottom of the world the clouds parted almost in unison to give us a rare and spectacular view of the surrounding ranges. It was everything you want a summit to be; beautiful, emotional and memorable. I picked up my satellite phone, which luckily had not frozen (thanks to GoalZero for the lightweight solar equipment that kept me powered up during the expedition) and called my wife. Her warm voice made the harsh conditions a little more bearable and we began making our descent from the other side down the knife-edge ridge and then retracing our steps back to safety. This once in a lifetime expedition was made possible by the amazing support of Sprite who funded the expedition and Advanced Global Trading who helped me calculate the carbon emissions of the expedition and then offset it to achieve a carbon neutral climb which we all hope will help us raise awareness about the environment and the effects of global warming affecting our beautiful planet. Omar Samra (www.omarsamra.com) Omar also runs his own adventure travel company (www.wildguanabana.com)

people

On May 17th of 2007 I was making

like Amundsen, Shackelton and Scott. I watched documentaries, saw photos and spoke to people who had been there, in an effort to visualize what it actually felt to be there. I thought I had a pretty good idea yet nothing could have prepared me for the moment our Russian Illyushion 76 aircraft touched ground on the blue-ice runway, the loud engines came to a halt, the doors opened and I took my first step on the ice. The intense beauty of the pristine white surroundings and incredible quietness is simply overwhelming. This is what stepping onto an alien planet must feel like. In fact I was so taken back by the moment that a good 15 minutes had passed before I started feeling the piercing cold winds on my skin and then it was time to take cover quickly. I was in Antarctica on a mission to climb Vinson Massif, the highest mountain on the continent and the 6th of my 7 Summits quest. To get there we hopped onto a twin otter plane that dropped us within range of the far slopes of the peak where we began shouldering our packs and hauling sleds a few hundred meters in elevation to Low Camp. Typically we would spend a day at every camp getting things organized and acclimatizing to the lack of oxygen but also getting used to the 24 hours of bright sunlight days which messed with our sleeping patterns. From here we climbed a relatively steep and sustained ice face with heavy loads to gain the ridge and move further towards High Camp, offering spectacular views of Mount Shin, the 3rd highest and one of the most intimidating of all climbed peaks on the continent. Our equipment far outweighed a single carry and so we had to make an additional journey up with more loads. When everything finally made it to High Camp, we set up tents and waited for a good weather window in order to push for the summit. So far the weather had been uncharacteristically â&#x20AC;&#x153;warmâ&#x20AC;? and clear but on our last climb to High Camp we were greeted with low clouds and winds reaching 70km/h. As the winds threatened to blow away our tents and summit chances we hunkered down for 2 nights in an effort to get stronger for the summit. Finally, the day was upon us and the team began an early morning march towards the summit. It was a very long day. Initially it was too warm for our down suits but quickly it became excruciatingly cold and windy with every single part of our body covered in heavy clothing (thank you Adventure HQ for keeping me warm!). By late afternoon we had travelled a great distance and climbed no less than 700m until we were at the foot of

spots & locations

Rocky Emirate: Ras Al Khaimah II

the curse of wadi

Nikhab

by Daniel.

Parking for the hike

I’m

The next morning, we left Dubai at 9am and reached the start point of the hike by 11:30am which was later than expected. It’s an easy drive to the start of the hike but the last few kilometres require a 4x4. GPS N25°42,897 E056°06,825. We started hiking up the wadi straight away and after 20 minutes turned into the steeper and smaller Wadi. We followed the cans (small stone pyramids marking the way) along the route from GPS 2 turn right: N25°42,512 E056°07,212 just as Mike had told me. We reached a huge formation of rocks which was bypassed by some manmade steps from where we could see a huge cave to our left. Approaching the cave you can hear some creepy noises which seemed the perfect attraction for Friday the 13th. The cave is a bit out of the way but definitely worth a look and to visit the bats. Amazed by this experience we continued the hike and I continued to check my beloved gadget, the GPS. I always recommend using a GPS in the region as a safety device and it also gathers useful information of your hike. At this point we were only 250-300m away from our final location (the one I recorded from Google Earth). Being so close I was sure that we had to turn right into another smaller wadi to reach the top. The rock formation indicated to me that this must be the way, even though there were no cans like the ones we saw before. So, motivated to reach our target at the top the girls encouraged me to take

this way. I passed the rock formation which looked like a wall; there were only a few small tracks left and it got steeper. It was easy climbing even though the rock was very, very loose. I slowly started to doubt my decision, but with the attitude ‘where there’s a will, there’s a way’ we continued. The track now got terrifyingly steep and the risk of loose rock increased with every step. This was the point where we should have turned back, but as we were already half way through the wadi and the end seemed so close we climbed high and higher. Actually the climb was not a vertical wall, it was also not technical climbing but what we were walking and climbing on was not solid rock. It was more or less compressed rocks, gravel and sand which was more or less holding together… or not! I was now seriously worried about our safety. And just after saying ‘be careful!’ a rock Gina was trying to hold to get a safe stance came loose and she almost lost her footing, holding a 20kg rock in her hands. Luckily she kept her balance and I managed to grab her by the backpack which was pure luck as I was not in a stable enough position to hold us both. Gina’s face went white. Within seconds all her confidence in both herself and the terrain was lost. I’m so happy that she didn’t panic. She was shocked about how close she’d come to falling; I think I’m not exaggerating when I say into certain death. I felt just as Wrong way up bad as her for being so stupid and getting us into this situation. Ema was ahead of us and had reached the flat terrain on top which was more or less another 15m above us. Gina needed sugar to recover from her shock and at this moment a coke was ideal. She finished the coke and as if my imagination of the fall hadn’t been bad enough…the coke bottle rolled off the cliff and fell. It was not a bottomless fall as you might think, but much worse than hearing nothing. For seconds we could hear the bottle falling and falling,

The cave

hitting one rock after another and it seemed it would never stop. None of said a word. At this stage I was happy about my German obsession to be prepared for eventualities, always carrying with me a heavy load of things I consider as useful in all kinds of situations. This of course includes a first aid kit, extra water and food, a fire-steel (see page 55) and a rope. If you read the report of the Wadi Wuraya hike in 2011 you may remember that I added a rope to my packing list after this hike. Gina had lost her confidence and I considered it unsafe to let her climb up alone (and she wouldn’t). If you love someone, the last thing you want is to lose this person. Luckily for me all my concerns were for Gina and not my own safety. I told her I would climb up the rest and then pull her up with the rope. I secured her with the rope and she was confident enough to climb the last metres upwards. Ema was already looking around to check our options from her vantage point on the plateau. There were many options we could try in order to reach

spots & locations

not superstitious but some people would prefer to stay at home and not go for a hike on Friday the 13th. Mike Nott highly recommended a hike in Ras Al Khaimah, to explore Wadi Nikhab and a traditional village on the top of the mountain. He showed me the location on Google Earth and it looked exciting, so I took rough start and end coordinates for the hike. My better half Gina and our friend Ema volunteered to join me for the hike.

spots & locations

Looking for a way out

the top but there was one last cliff in front of us – yes the GPS was right we were close to our final destination, but unfortunately about 100m too low on the bottom of a cliff. We had a lunch break to regain both power and confidence. We discussed the options after I’d taken a look around and we decided to retrace the way which we had climbed up. If you’ve climbed, you will know climbing down is much more difficult than climbing up and the way up was already a nightmare. But at least we knew that it was doable. It was now 2pm when we decided to attempt the way back. We also decided to secure each other with the rope wherever possible which was easier said than done. The rope is just a backup and not as long as a normal climbing rope. The one I had with me was very basic but better than nothing, so it was only possible to use the rope for a few sections and the risk remained high. It took us more than 2 hours to get down the wadi/cliff – the GPS indicated that the straight distance we moved was only about a kilometre. You have no idea

safe and sound, I still admit that we made a mistake and we went too far. In future I will be more careful and try to be more aware of alarming signs and turn back if necessary. The next week we arrived at the start point of the hike at 10am and, recharged with energy and motivation, reached the junctions where we’d previously taken the wrong time within 45minutes. On the way back it was also much easier to really see the proper track and all the cans. This time we would not continue unless we were sure of being on the right track. Actually the best part of the hike starts later on. Further up the wadi there are more man-made steps built with rocks and concrete to bypass steep sections. Now we could see the house of the village was within reach, with some more steps and a passage on the edge of a steep cliff. This is one of the highlights of the hike, even if you are afraid of heights like me. (Yes I am, but only if it’s really high above 50 metres). The risk here was not really high it’s more a mental thing, compared to last week when we’d really been in serious danger. If you act sensibly, you’ll pass this passage easily and safely. The village and rain clouds forming But as mentioned in the title the curse of this wadi seemed to come back. I’d noticed half an hour early that the sky was getting cloudy and the barometer in my watch (another nice gadget) was indicating a weather change. (The weather forecast for the day had indicated sun). I started to get worried again and Ema how relieved we all were to reach the bottom and Gina made fun of me. I’d made a new from where we could hike back to the car. resolution the week before: ‘If there are any We spotted the plastic bottle we’d lost earlier signs of risk I will turn!’ but I couldn’t con– of course we took it back with us. If I’m vince the girls to turn around again and not very honest, I can’t remember the last time succeed over this wadi. The very last section that I was so worried about losing someone I of the hike is a bit steeper than before and love and in fear for my own safety or when I’d involves light climbing but nothing to worry been in such a serious situation. I also had to about if you have some mountain and hikthink back to Mike Nott’s article in the Januing experience like the girls from Romania ary issue of OutdoorUAE magazine about his and me from Germany. We reached the top bad experience at Stairway to Heaven. I’m at around 12:45pm (GPS End: N25°42,107 very proud of Gina and Ema who showed E056°07,295) and as soon as I set foot on top incredible strength and will to get back to of the plateau it started to rain. It was only safety. It was also a great experience for us very light rain but the clouds were coming as friends to see how strong a bond of love from the south west and piling up on the or friendship is and how much physical and mountains. For our return we had to go down mental support we gave to each other. After in a wadi which serves as a funnel for the reaching safety you would not believe our water falling across a huge area covering sevfirst thought – do we have enough time to eral square kilometres, not holding back any continue on the proper route and reach the water. The girls laughed even more when I top? It was almost 4:30pm so there was no told them we had to leave because my car time to finish the hike that day but we had was parked in the wadi. We would have been unfinished business and decided to go back very safe here in the village on top of the the next week. It was a very intense day and wadi but my car wouldn’t survive heavy raineven though we all arrived back to the car falls. I managed to convince the girls to turn

The end of the hike

back after a short lunch break of 15 minutes, although I agree it’s a shame to leave so early from this amazing place. The village is spread over the high plateau and it’s very surprising that the houses are in such great condition as it’s obvious they are still in use even though we didn’t meet anyone during both days of hiking apart from goats. It’s still a mystery to us how all the building materials reached the top knowing the efforts we’d taken to get there. It seems that this is the only access to the plateau – no roads. We also looked down to the place where we’d ended up the week before and all agreed there was no chance of us reaching the plateau or indeed anywhere from there. The rain drops were still falling and I wanted to head back. Disappointed but understanding the girls agreed to leave. It took us almost the same amount of time to reach the car – usually the way back is faster, but we collected as much rubbish as we could on the return journey (see page 53). Of course by the time we’d reached the car, there was no more rain and the girls laughed at me but they still respected the decision to turn back for safety reasons.

The total hike is about 13km up and down and you have to ascent 680m altitude to the top of 816m. The hike should be considered as a day hike and you should have experience in hiking in the region, if you want to follow our footsteps. The full GPS Route file can be downloaded for free from www.outdooruae.com/gps/ wadink.zip. This article should outline how easily you can get into trouble in this region, if you make small mistakes. We encourage people to go out and hike, climb or whatever you want to do, but go prepared and always have a plan B.

Finally at the top

Back alive

Fun Ride with Christian by Christian Handrich

name is Christian Handrich and I am originally from Munich, Germany. Since 2005 I have been working in tourism in the UAE and Oman where I turned my passion for cycling and tourism into my profession. From my experiences I can now already show many people a different face to this region on one of my cycling tours. I wanted to also share with all readers of Outdoor UAE some of the unknown hidden locations in the region, which are safe and offer a great cycling experience. For the first route I want to take you along the Al Ain highway just 40 minutes outside of Abu Dhabi. Once you have left the busy road and parked your car just after the Al Khazna exit you will find yourself in a green and silent environment where only the voices of birds flying between the many green trees and shrubs can be heard. Once you start cycling you will soon enter deeper and deeper into the huge plantation of trees which are part of the immense forestation program by which the Emirate of Abu Dhabi is greening the desert. Those millions of trees are now home to plenty of birds and other animals and the small traffic free roads between them provide the perfect spot for some wonderful road cycling whether you are looking for a sportive or leisure cycle with your family and children. There are many roads running parallel to the main route so you can pretty much find the route you like, but you should at least try to take one of the outer roads, which get you in direct contact with the original desert environment and direct access to some beautiful sand dunes. But beware as sometimes the wind blows in the sand over the

road which can of course also add some adventure to the ride. There will almost certainly be camel encounters as there are many camel farms along the route. It is also good to experience original Bedouin culture and hospitality as the men from Pakistan or Sudan will greet you for sure with a warm welcome and more than likely invite you for some tea, if not entice you to get in closer contact with the camels and take a short ride on them. Letting them in return try to ride your bike can be a great fun for everyone. As there is no organized tourism in these areas and there are virtually no visitors, the people still have their natural kindness and the environment is clean. Cycling further you will also pass by many working farms growing all kinds of vegetables and animal fodder. The full round through the plantations back to the start will mean you have already covered 40 km on the bike. But when you cycle further through Al Khazna village passing the magnifi-C cent new school another empty road continues on the other side of the highway towards Al Ain.M Just past the modern camel barriers turn right and after some 25 km of cycling through theY desert and even passing some wildlife refugeCM (where you will sometimes see gazelles behind the fence), you will come to Al Remah whereMY the tour ends in a surprisingly green setting in CY the Al Remah park again at the Abu Dhabi â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Al Ain highway. Just relax on the lawn underCMY the trees and enjoy your break after 65 km of amazing road cycling. Either you have some-K body picking you up from there with the car or you cycle the same way back till Al Khazna and then right up to the palace where you have parked your car. This will be then exactly 100 km and leave any cycling enthusiast for sure with a happy smile on the face for the rest of the 40 minute car drive back to Abu Dhabi city again.

Christian.

about the author Download Christianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s route file from www.outdooruae.com/downloads/christiansfunride.gpx. File can be used with most GPS systems and Google Earth/Maps.

Christian Handrich is currently living in Abu Dhabi where he manages the first cycling rental and tours company in the UAE. Soon they will also open the first professional bike shop in the Mushrif Mall in Abu Dhabi. For more information, pictures and GPS data please go to www. funridesports.com.

It’s

spots & locations

the end of October 2011; temperatures are much lower, and the weather during the daytime is more pleasant. I was sitting in the office finishing off some of my work when my editor asked me about the venture story for the next issue of Y Magazine. I’ve been working as a press photographer in Oman since 2007 and one of my tasks is exploring The Sultanate and featuring nice places in the still “undiscovered” Omani interior.

the faces of

Al Huqf By Jerzy Wierzbicki

A stony face

Over the last few weeks I’d been thinking about the trip to northern Al Huqf, where nature created an incredible landscape. There are lots of rocks in very bizarre shapes often still in their anthropomorphic forms which look fantastic, especially at night when illuminated by the moon or the strong artificial light of my Land Cruiser. With this trip in mind, the last thing to do in the office was to print out a google earth map of the area. A quick shop in the local supermarket and I’m ready to go. At home I re-checked my equipment: water, food, sleeping bag, GPS and most importantly my medium format camera Mamiya 7 along with a couple of slide films and a tripod. Assured that I had everything I set off into the night straight to Al Huqf which lay 400 km ahead of me. At around 4am as dawn was breaking I reached the point where I had to turn left from the highway to the desert. A last look on the GPS locater told me that 12-15 km ahead I would see the first massive rocks in the Al Huqf Escarpments. The sunrise gave me a good opportunity to take nice shots and despite my tiredness I set up my camera on the tripod and started taking photographs. The light was very soft and warm. I took around 10 frames of the 6x7 cm slides. After an hour I moved to the next location driving carefully through the terrain. In Al Huqf the terrain varies with sand dunes, rocks, stony wadis, camel grasses or sabkha with many ups and downs giving you an instant Oman off-road experience! I drove along a big limestone “wall” where there were a lot of fantastic stony mushrooms, giant snooker balls or rocks that looked like a big chicken or a tennis racket! Seriously! I found an excellent location for camping in the shade of the big mushrooms. I prepared a small bonfire and after a small cup of tea I went to sleep. (Limestone wall begins more or less in the location N21’10 E57’13). I woke up later that afternoon and surrounded by the silence and gorgeous landscape I decided to stay there for the night. After a big cup of strong coffee and some snacks I moved on foot between the rocks. I found a small crack in the limestone “wall” where it seemed like the water and wind wanted to cut the big rock at exactly that point. Behind the crack I found a small isolated chamber, filled with a small sand dune and stones. The silence there was incredible. Nowadays as we spend most of our lives in cities filled with loud sounds

Bedu women at Nizwa

Ducky Rock at the night

and aggressive lights, an experience of such total silence is very rare and value. In the evening I was quite tired and I found another place to camp for the night - time to eat something more substantial. On the big bone fire I prepare some rice with smoked tuna and a lot of strong coffee with milk. An hour rest was enough. I was around 30 km from the asphalt road and still a drive away from the black top road. During the night I drove south slowly and carefully. I had to stop a few times along the way and check the route. I passed a few ambushes in the form of soft sands or wadis filled of stones and reached the rock which looked like an enormous bird. Ducky Rock is the biggest form in the northern Al Huqf. This is one of the most fantastic locations for landscape photography in Oman. The place is perfectly isolated by the desert and far away from the main tourist tracks. Mysterious gorges are sheltered b the escarpments from the north. From the south Ducky Rock is surrounded very soft sand dunes, salty sabkha and unpredictable dimensions making driving very difficult, even for experienced offroaders! (“Ducky Rock” in Al Huqf Escarpments N21’00’31 E57’40’59). Ducky Rock looks like ancient theatrical scenery that was abandoned and forgotten many years ago. I arrived during the night, which was cold with a weak wind blowing. Being alone surrounded by such a stunning environment with the stars above me heightened my awareness and I felt shivers of excitement. It was a privilege to take photographs in such circumstances. The next day I reached the asphalt road having driven 110 km through the desert thus using 80% of my fuel. In Mahoot I pulled into the service station and re-checked my map. Muscat was more than 450 km and I planned to visit Nizwa on the way after spending that night somewhere

between Mahoot and Sinaw. I found a small sand heap which had been twisted by the wind with almost dry trees and small desert shrubs. I couldn’t sleep though as I was thinking about the next day. I arrived in Nizwa very early. The sunrise was fantastic; clear air, warm light and good visibility making great conditions for photography. Nizwa is an old Omani town situated in the heart of Oman around 170 km from Muscat. It is the largest city in the Ad Dakhiliyah Region. In the past Nizwa had been the Omani capital city. The architecture in the town is much more traditional compared to Muscat for example. There are many mud-brick houses in the central old town, a massive fort and narrow streets typical of medieval old towns. In the evening there is a specific atmosphere in Nizwa as it fills with weak artificial light and the smell of frankincense. There is a small animal market in the morning in the old bazaar. After a couple of lonely days in the desert I had to visit some place that was the absolute opposite of where I had just been, so I moved quickly to the bazaar. I only took two Nikons with me, one analogue and one digital along with two lenses, an ultra-wide angle 18 mm and a short telephoto lens 85mm as I don’t like working with too much equipment. The bazaar was very busy. A lot of Omanis wanted to sell their goats or cattle that day. The entire bazaar was filled with the bustling of sellers and buyers. I started taking pictures which nobody objected to. In fact it seemed like the people were used to being photographed. I settled within a circle where the animal owners were presenting their goat and spotted a Bedouin lady with an old Omani man. They ignored me completely, focused only on the sellers and animals. I started capturing photographs of the Omani Bedouin lady in deep blue traditional

clothes. The fuss and turmoil of the place were helpful as it meant that I could take images without any additional attention which can make working in public places difficult. I spent all morning in the bazaar. At around 11 am the sun was much stronger and the light conditions for photography were poor. I took around 200 photographs including two rolls of reversal films. A little bit exhausted after the last few days, I set off slowly towards Muscat. I have two stories for my magazine and a few slides for my long term project about the Middle East. A successful trip all round!

Jerzy

was born in 1975 in Gdansk, Poland and has been working as a press photographer in the MiddleEast since 1999. More on www.jerzywierzbicki.com

Jerzy.

A young Bedu woman

The dinosaurs of the night

event reviews and reports

Volvo Ocean Race On Saturday 14th January 2012, after more than 2 weeks in Abu Dhabi, the Volvo Ocean Race left port for leg 3 of the race to Sanya in China. As the 6 boats left the race village they were waved off by a group of around 100 Stand Up Paddleboarders (SUP) who had paddled out about 1km from the beach.

Everyone met at 8am at the Volvo Ocean Race Village near to Marina Mall in Abu Dhabi. Dreary eyed but excited for the upcoming event, everyone unloaded their boards and paddles on to the beach and headed down to the Puma tent to sign on for the event. Puma had been demo-ing their new Laird Hamilton Carbon race SUP's at the village, sponsored and arranged the farewell paddle with the help of Surf Shop Dubai. Everyone was of course excited to get in the water, so once the formalities had been done everyone headed into the water for the first paddle of the day. It was a great opportunity for everyone to introduce themselves to fellow paddlers and enjoy the Abu Dhabi skyline whilst waiting for the boats to leave. Throughout the morning we paddled, had photo's taken and generally just enjoyed soaking up the buzz in the air. It was a great chance for everyone to look at and try the products available on the market with brands such as F-One, Starboard, Red Paddle, Pau Hana and Naish available to try. At around 12pm everyone started to head out towards the buoys that had been carefully set out by the guys at Puma. As the wind was strong it was important that we were all anchored down so as not to be blown along the corniche. In a carefully orchestrated fashion, around 30 of the boards were positioned so as to spell out the word PUMA, this was no easy task given the wind and the currents out in the open water. The helicopter that was filming from above hopefully got some memorable footage to show to the Worlds media! At around 1pm the announcements were made and the teams left the village in their race boats 1 by 1 for the 3rd leg of the race, on their way to China (although they docked at Jebel Ali and were transported aboard a ship for some of the way due to the fear of pirates). As the boats passed they were cheered by everyone stood out in the ocean on their SUP's, lots of applause came from the crews too who were probably quite surprised to see all of us out their amongst

the boats waving farewell. Once the last boat had gone everyone headed back to the beach. After a quick pack up, we all headed for the Puma hospitality tent where a BBQ and drinks were laid on, as well as a live band and a prize giving ceremony. The grand prize was a Laird Hamilton Puma Carbon race SUP worth AED30,000…!! The lucky winner was 10 year old Nicole, congratulations to her and we hope that she will enjoy her new toy!! A big thank you goes out to all those that attended, to Surf Shop Dubai for supplying a trailer full of Naish boards and to UAESUP Abu Dhabi for supplying a trailer load of Pau Hana Malibu boards for those who did not have their own. Thanks to all the distributors that attended and finally out to Puma, who made this once in a lifetime event possible for all of us SUP'ers in the UAE.

For more information on Stand Up Paddleboarding please contact Leigh on leigh@kitesurfsup.com

final thought... I’m

sure all of us love the outdoors and the natural beauty of the region. Unfortunately with the boom in the region and economic development another problem of modern societies has developed – tons of rubbish. This problem is visible even in the most remote locations and you can hardly find any area without ugly traces of modern civilization, mostly in the form of plastic or metal. We are always urging people to do their part and at the very least take all of their rubbish back with them and dispose

Daniel.

Dear OutdoorUAE..

Louis Climbing

I thought I would send you a

Good luck,

Eddie Rayner.

Me & Elise

Louis Climbing

Thank you very much for your touching e-mail Eddie! We are so glad that we have inspired you to get out there and take on the outdoors. We certainly hope you and the young ‘uns continue your adventures, and be sure to write to us again if you want to share any of them with us! Over and Outdoors, The OutdoorUAE Team. Feel free to send us any thoughts or comments about us, the magazine, or anything else! Just e-mail us: contact@outdooruae.com

letters

quick e-mail to say that your article on climbing in Outdoor UAE magazine has inspired us to dust off the climbing kit and get out there. We have lived here 3 years and not climbed here at all. We read your article in the magazine and went out to Tawain, taking with us 2 other families... one family of 4 who had never climbed before and another family of 5 who have done a lot of climbing but never in the last 4-5 years in Dubai/Oman. We all had great fun and the kids all loved it as well as the adults. Since then, the 2 other families have all bought harnesses, ropes, shoes, etc. and I have bought 2 more ropes and have since been exploring around the 'narrows' area in land from Dibba in Oman - awesome climbing. I have attach a couple pics just for your interest of our 7 & 2 & year olds climbing :-) I know it will be tough just starting a magazine but what you publish is a great read and we look forward to getting it. Keep up the good work - it is really worthwhile. Without having read your magazine we wouldn't be enjoying the outdoors here as much as we now are.

“

yet on a stretch of 4km (starting after the steep sections), we filled 3 full bags with rubbish. The rubbish was mainly plastic bottles and cans, and strangely enough at least 6 pairs of shoes, 2 of which were without a matching partner. Clean-up dives and beach clean-ups are already popular; it’s great to see the awareness of this problem and action being taken. We want to push this initiative further to include the outdoors, starting with the clean-up of hiking routes. If you are interested in joining in with this initiative please follow us on Facebook, visit our website or send us an email. We will soon be announcing a date and location for our next hike which will be open to every helping hand.

final thought

OutdoorUAE clean up hiking routes

of it responsibly, ideally in recycling bins. After spending so much of our valuable free time in the great outdoors and seeking new adventure challenges a new idea was born. Why not combine outdoor activities with something good? Why not look further than just your own behaviour, but also try to correct the mistakes of others and encourage them to preserve the environment? It would be a lie if I were to take credit for this great idea. Actually it was Gina and Ema’s idea - the heroic ladies from the article on page 46. The idea was put into practice the week after its birth when the three of us collected 3 full bags of rubbish on our way back out of Wadi Nikhab. Those hikes where you have to retrace your tracks are an ideal opportunity to add an extra litter clearing challenge on the way back. Wadi Nikhab is not that popular and the littering is not quite as obvious as in other places

How to start a fire

with a fire-steel

Long

Before relying on a fire steel you should train and get familiar with the technique first. Once you’ve got it, it will be easy, fast and reliable. There are different fire steels available (see page 30) but they all work more or less the same (as well as magnesium fire

tips & tricks

before matches or lighters were invented people were used to making fire with a fire-steel. Nowadays this knowledge is not so common anymore, even though using a fire steel has a lot of advantages especially in the outdoors; it will never run out of gas, it works even when it is wet, it is super-light and lasts for decades. The disadvantage is that it will require some skills and it will take a bit longer.

starters). You will need to rub a piece of metal (if it doesn’t come with the fire steel use a knife) on the steel to generate some sparks. You will need to direct these sparks to some kind of fuel. Dry grass works best, a twine, jute nest or tinder dust as well. If you‘re patient, you can light up more or less everything. Starting gas cookers and BBQs also works well.

Editor’s note: It does work, but it took me about 10 minutes the first time, but then you feel happy like a cave man, starting your first fire. To master this technique you need practice. If you have any experience with fire steels or alternative ways of making fire let us know or send us your photos.

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CMY

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AL YOUSUF MOTORS E-Bike out door ad.ai

Camping & Hiking