OutdoorUAE - November 2011

The Altitude Adventure Issue

Price: 10 Dhs

THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE BORDER OF OMAN ‘like’ us on Facebook!

Pathways to Activity

CLIMBING

Ian shows us how to start climbing

The Big Caves of

Oman

Powered parachutes CRAIG GETS A BIRD’S EYE VIEW IN RAK

Dragon Boat

FESTIVAL 2011 THE RACE IS ON!

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

Issue 11/2011 November

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THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE BORDER OF OMAN

JOINTLY ORGANISED BY

Editorial When it becomes a pleasure to take a stroll…

In Print:

Managing Editor Daniel Birkhofer Editors Kim Perks Laura Snook Marilena Cilta Graphic & Design James Russell Sales & Marketing (advertisement enquiries) Tara Atkinson Tel: 04-4472701 Mobile: 055 9398915 tara@outdooruae.com Published by: Outdoor UAE FZE P.O. Box 215062 Dubai, U.A.E. Tel. 04-4502419 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. © 2011 Outdoor UAE FZE Issue 10/2011- October

When you start to notice that the temperature outside is the same as it is inside, you begin to perk up, as it becomes apparent that a lot of things you usually do inside, can now be done outside in relative comfort. This is reflected throughout our outdoor community as well. Of course, there is plenty to do during the summer months but we are now deep into the season of full-on action and there is ABSOLUTELY NO EXCUSE, unless you’ve sustained an unfortunate injury or granny’s come to stay (but maybe she’s ULTIMATE EXTREME ADVENTURE SPORTS AND CAMPING GRANNY, then that’s a good thing).

It’s been just over a year since returning to Dubai, and I’ve learned and experienced quite a lot, now that I am older and wiser (somewhat). But there is one area of outdoor adventure I don’t really know much about – Off-Road. We’ve been working on bringing together a very specialised book, written by our regular 4x4 expert and adventure sportsman, Mike Nott.

Now, when it comes to guidebooks, you will be familiar with some of the big names out there, with the huge ranges of books and guides – that are very handy. But what if you’ve gone beyond the skill set of these hard covered journals? This is where ‘Advanced Off-Road Adventure Routes, UAE & Oman’ comes into play. Mike strives to bring the community more challenge and dedication, and with his new guidebook, we can definitely see that it will be a hit. Together with detailed routes explained, it also comes with a ‘Routes CD’, where detailed routes can be looked up on Google Earth® and even imported to your GPS system directly. So what else do you need? Be sure to get your copy, which will be sold in December! Better yet, he has advice on whether routes are suitable for ATVs or bikes!

Anyway, make sure you find yourself outside this winter, because you’re bound to bump into one of us; whether it is one of the team, our experts or even ULTIMATE EXTREME ADVENTURE SPORTS AND CAMPING GRANNY! I’ll stop writing now, James.

between the lines 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.

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

James Russell

Graphics and Photography james@outdooruae.com

Laura Snook

Copywriter and Editor

Business Development and Editor laura@outdooruae.com

Marilena Cilta

Tara Atkinson

Management and Administration marry@outdooruae.com

Sales and Marketing tara@outdooruae.com

our experts and contributors Tori Leckie

Ian Ganderton

Kit Belen

Pete Aldwinckle

Mike Nott

John Basson

Writer, runner, blogger, adventurer and adidas athlete

Our Fishing Pro

Kayaker, climber, mountainbiker and snowboarder.

Enthusiastic jack of all trades, master of none.

Climber and all-round adventure seeker

© 2011 Outdoor UAE FZE

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

The 4x4 expert

Moto/ATV and all round adventure seeker

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

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contents

Contents

Craig shows us a view from above

Best Shots

05

Events Calendar Events Reviews and Reports

Shangri La Dragon Boat Festival 2011 DMX + Rider profiles Be a Conservationist Fussy? Me? Desert Garden Centre

Travel & Adventure

Breaking New Ground (Beirut) Black Key Challenge (Geocaching) Pall Pass - A Classic Alpine Adventure Mont Blanc Powered Parachutes

Spots & Locations

48

06

Laura’s Location The Big Caves of Oman Hanging out in Tawiyan

12

Tips n Tricks

56

Directory

60

54 28

Our Experts

30

People

46

Matt Pfeifer Matt Farr

4

Minimum recovery equipment (4x4)

50

20

Products Adventure Chick get high! (Tori) Pathways to Activity: Climbing (Ian) I am an addict (Pete) The fishing Kit (Kit) Endurance Racing UAE (Cecile) To Dibba! (John) Slow Lane to Nowhere cont. (Patrice)

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12

Best Shots best shots

Edmond Hussain

Alex Macfarlane (pictured) DMX Round 2 - Jebel Ali

Meg Brinsley

One of the highest points in the Capital of Botswana, Africa Cybershot Camera

Eagles

Watch out for camels! (or OutdoorUAE) Dubai Sony Alpha 55

5

Events Calendar [Mot

DMX Round 3

o-x]

Me et us!

Jebel Ali, 4th of November

events calendar

Round 3 of Dubai Motorcross held at Jebel Ali Track in Dubai Fancy doing something a little bit different this weekend?

Get yourself down to the DMX (Dubai Motocross Club) in Jebel Ali bright and early from 8am on Friday the 4th of November 2011 to check out some thrilling and exciting motocross 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 classes, ages and sizes race the newly revamped track, not to mention the awesome atmosphere and great food. Outdoor UAE will also be up at the event, so come get your free copy of the latest issue!

If you are interested in finding out more about this event, or how to get involved with racing/ riding get in touch with: Laura Wojciechowski on +971 50 4526489.

The next race is set to take place in Um Al Quain Race Track on the 14th of November.

[car s]

Dubai International Motorshow

10th to 14th of November, Dubai World Trade Center, Dubai

The Dubai International Motor Show is the largest and most established motoring event in the Middle East. From concept creations to global launches, Dubai International Motor Show has it all from 10-14 November 2011 at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. This year’s show will include first time participation by some of the world’s most exciting and powerful motoring marques, including De Macross, Lotus, McLaren, MG and Spyker. The growing list of top exhibitors confirmed this year includes Audi, Aston Martin, Bentley, BMW, Bugatti, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ferrari, among others.

Tickets on sale NOW at AED50 at www.timeouttickets.com

Stand Z-378

Me et us!

[Swim

Wild Wadi’s Swim

]

11th of November, Burj Al Arab, Dubai

Organized by Wild Wadi Waterpark in aid of Médecins Sans Frontières, the swim will cover the 1km distance encircling the iconic Burj Al Arab. Be part of this exciting event and celebrate MSF’s 40 Years of Independent Humanitarian Action!

[Run]

Abu Dhabi Striders Half Marathon & 10k 18th of November, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi

The Abu Dhabi Striders Half Marathon and 10K run hits the streets of Yas Island on Friday November 18th. To enter the race please register at www.premiermarathons.com The 10K will see the winners from the Zayed 10K event out to maintain their unbeaten records in Abu Dhabi with Abu Kekede Diriba and Abu Dhabi Strider Lok Bahadur Rokaya favoured to fight out the 10k race and last years Half marathon winner Neil Tait looking to be in form.

[Padd

Dubai Shamaal World Surf Ski Series

23rd of November, Dubai International Marine Sports Club

le]

Shamaal meaning desert wind was born out of love for downwind ocean paddling and is key in the growing international surfski racing events. Already in its sixth year in Dubai, the race is open to men women and children who register prior to the event and for those not racing there is a great social atmosphere with events in the lively paddler village at the DIMC watersports centre.

6

Me et us!

[Row

]

Whatever Floats Your Boat

25th of November, Dubai Festival City, Dubai

events calendar EVENTS CALENDAR

Held for the 4th time in Dubai, Whatever Floats Your Boat is a recycled boat race competition. Teams from local companies and schools are now busy constructing rafts made from recycled materials to race along the Dubai Creek, during a fun-filled afternoon at Festival Marina.

‘Whatever Floats Your Boat’ means just that, so be prepared for some whacky designs and resourceful recycling as the teams race to give back to the environment, all in good humour. Along with generating awareness for the initiative, a donation of AED 7,000 will be provided by each competing company, with every Dirham raised going directly to the Emirates Wildlife Society in association with World Wide Fund for Nature (EWS-WWF).

For more information please contact: +97147011059

Me et us!

[Row

]

Global Champions Tour

24th – 26th November , Al Forsan International Sports Resort, Abu Dhabi The event features the UAE future Olympic hopeful HH Sheikh Shakhboot Bin Nahyan Al Nahyan competing against the top 40 Olympic riders in the world, as well as the Al Thanis from Qatar, Al Sauds from KSA, and many of Europe’s royal families, including Charlotte Casiraghi of Monaco.

For more information please visit: www.globalchampionstour.com

[Cycl

e]

Cycle The Seven Emirates 2011

28th November till 2nd Of December, cycling – 5 days – passing through all 7 of the United Arab Emirates and covering just under 400km Starting in Al Ain, the route will take us on open roads, mountain trails, coastal roads and desert tracks. Staying in a mixture of small local motel and desert camp, this challenge will give us a taste of the Emirates, before our triumphant return to Dubai on the UAE National Day! For more information please contact: www.gulf4good.org

[Fun!

OutdoorUAE Dhow Trip

]

2nd – 3rd December, Musandam

Join us for the OutdoorUAE Dhow Trip!

An unforgettable weekend escape exploring the ‘Fjords of Musandam’!

Unleash your outdoor spirit amongst the secluded bay of Khor Hablyn as you spend the days kayaking, snorkelling, fishing, swimming or hiking amongst the mountains!

End the day with a bonfire and BBQ on the beach, followed by camping on board under the stars! Immerse yourself in the pleasures of the outdoors!

Me et us!

For more information please contact us at: +97144502419 or contact@outdooruae.com

7

Shangri-La Dragon Boat Festival 2011 Observing

event reviews & reports

by James Russell

mythical creatures shaped like boats filled with synchronised and determined paddlers can get extremely exciting. That’s why this year’s Abu Dhabi Dragon Boat festival was an unassailable event. The festival was packed out with eager beach goers and dragon boat racing fans, soaking up the Abu Dhabi sun, just across the water from the exquisite Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. It truly felt like a beach festival with the music from an entertaining DJ, food, drink and plenty of atmosphere.

The OutdoorUAE team were there together with Naish and Global Climbing, who supplied some awesome stand-up paddle boards and kayaks respectively, for everyone to try out for free. The demand was definitely there, as beach goers were eager to get a taste (especially the young ‘uns) of some of the equipment on offer.

The excitement and passion of the paddling teams was definitely there to savour, so there was not a dull moment. There were 60 teams competing in boats of 22 paddlers - over a 1km stretch at the Shangri La Souk Qaryat Al Beri Creek. The event was organised by Siren Events.

Here are the results of the exhilarating races: 1

Abu Dar Mar Corporate

Winner Corporate Cup Final

2

The Club

2nd Place Corporate Cup Final

3

Creek Cutters

3rd Place Corporate Cup Final

4

Fairmont Vikings

4th Place Corporate Cup Final

5

Singapore Dragons

5th Place Corporate Cup Final

6

Al Khubairat ACES

Winner Corporate Plate Final

7

Daman Dragons

2nd Place Corporate Plate Final

8

Cognition Combined

3rd Place Corporate Plate Final

9

Al Bandar

4th Place Corporate Plate Final

10 Steel Dragons 11 12 13 14 15

5th Place Corporate Plate Final Fastest non qualifier Corporate Cup Emirates Response Services Semi Final 2nd Fastest non qualifier Corporate Cup Injazat Data Systems Semi Final 3rd Fastest non qualifier Corporate Cup AssetCo Semi Final 4th Fastest non qualifier Corporate Cup Raha Raptors Semi Final Shangri-la Abu Dhabi Corporate Winner Corporate Bowl Final

16 Masdar

2nd Place Corporate Bowl Final

17 The Centenarians

3rd Place Corporate Bowl Final

18 AUB Alumni

4th Place Corporate Bowl Final

19 Dragoneers

5th Place Corporate Bowl Final

20 Garda World

6th Place Corporate Bowl Final

21 MGEC Falcons

Winner Corporate Shield Final

22 Move One

2nd Place Corporate Shield Final

23 TwoFour 54 Tyrants

3rd Place Corporate Shield Final

24 Hercules Trophy

4th Place Corporate Shield Final

25 The First Emal

5th Place Corporate Shield Final

26 ADTA-TDIC

6th Place Corporate Shield Final

27 Bax Dragons Bax Street Boys

Qualified Corporate Shield Final

28 Homefinder Al Ain

Qualified Corporate Shield Semi Final

29 Al Nokbha

Qualified Corporate Shield Semi Final

DNS HSBC AD Rowing Club

DNS

DNS Pirhanas

DNS

8

Š 2011 Columbia Sportswear Company. All rights reserved.

OutdoorUAE Official Media Partner

event reviews & reports

Rider Profiles and Event Review

MohammAd Balooshi:

250/ 450 cc

Name: Mohammad Balooshi Nationality: Emirati, I was born here in Dubai.

What is your passion? Riding Bikes, Racing and Endurance What bikes do you ride? 250/450 in MX1 and MX2. I prefer my 450cc as it suits my riding style

How is the season going so far? I came 4th on the 250 and 5th on the 450, but I had some technical problems and a couple of bad starts. I am looking forward to the next race and I’m quite positive that I’ll get a good start this time.

What is your biggest achievement? 1x ME title, 2x Arab Titles, 5x Dubai MX titles and 2x Um Al Quain titles.

What is your main focus this year?

This season not so much the DMX but the Dakar Rally, so I’m using the MX races for fitness. The Dakar Rally is one of the most gruelling races on the planet, preparation is important, it’s a more mature race and is taking place in Argentina this year. You don’t go into the Dakar to win on the 1st day, it’s an 18/19 day race. I have one aim to begin with- to finish the race. ‘The Road to Dakar’ project will be a 4-year plan where I see myself doing better every year in order to get to the top.

What inspired you to do it?

I ask myself the same question. It’s always been in the back of my mind and I don’t want to wait until it gets too late.

Photo: Wayne Gray

Name: Ethan Lane Nationality: English How old are you? 6 years old What is your favourite thing to do?

What would you recommend to our readers?

MX is a great stress releaser, everyone should try it, suits all ages, adrenaline, fitness with a good atmosphere, and check out www.mx-academy.ae if you want to find out more.

Ethan Lane:

50cc

Riding my KTM 50cc Motocross bike.

Where is your favourite place to ride?

The super secret green community track, and the KTM farm in Al Awir.

How long have you been riding / racing for?

This is my first race season, I started on a quad when I was 3 and then went to a motocross bike when I was 4 1/2.

What is your biggest achievement so far?

I came first out of 4 riders last week I felt really happy.

How do you prepare for the coming races?

I have to eat lots of fruit, vegetables, and pasta to keep my energy up because I want to come first. Sam Smith and Sam Sunderland are also helping to make me faster around the bends by giving me tips like keeping on the throttle, and how to come off the starting block, because last race I did a wheelie when I was starting!

10

Photo: Wayne Gray

www.dubaimotocross.com

More than Just a Club...

On Friday the 14th of October, Outdoor UAE were invited up to report on the latest happenings at the DMX race track up at Jebel Ali for round 2 of the race season....

Standing trackside as the first races kicked off, bikes tenaciously fought past one another as they sped up to fly over a one of the biggest jumps on the track, all of the riders were passionate and eager to win, and even from the start of the race we not only knew, but also felt exactly why this season was especially not one to miss…

With an exceptional turn out of 86 riders in all classes including quads, not to mention the mass of spectators, supporters and families that were there, you felt a real sense of community and social atmosphere both on and off the track.

With the first registration day seeing over 100 registered riders, the DMX also now boasts one of the best tracks in the region having had a facelift over the summer, not to mention the generously welcomed sponsorship and support to help kick-start the new season. With all amenities set up, places to get your bike checked and fixed, stalls to buy accessories, you also have a great place to grab some food as the organic food café restaurant dish out some tasty food to the competitors and spectators during the event days.

Over 20 years ago Dubai saw the early start of the Motocross scene with the Dubai Dirt Donks, and having been fore fronted by the Dubai Motocross Club from then the sport has gone from strength to strength. With their aim to be more than just a motocross club, they not only nurture talent and support the community but are also becoming the place to be on a weekend to get your slice of this thrilling and exciting rider and spectator sport.

With 9 races this season and 3 club days, you still have a great opportunity to come down, see what it’s all about and get involved.

s! t l u s Re e c a 2 R d n u Ro X m D

65cc Class

85cc Class

125cc Class

Masters Class

1st: Jessie Lea Davidson 2nd: Godfrey Buisson 3rd: Alexander Darling

1st: Nicholas Kefford 2nd: Dean Jullien 3rd: Mathew Mann

1st: Mitchel Malpass 2nd: Reagan Laue 3rd: Eric Landgren

1st: Nic Bac 2nd: Corrado Meneghello 3rd: Brent Gregson

MX1 Class

MX2 Class

Quad Class

1st: Ross Runnalls 2nd: Sean Gaugain 3rd: Eric Delleuse

1st: Alex MacFarlane 2nd: Mohammed Al Shamsi 3rd: Nick Black

1st: Chris Moeckli 2nd: Sean Gaugain 3rd: Mark Ackerman

event reviews & reports

Desert Garden Centre The

Desert Garden Centre is part of the Desert Group and opened its doors to Abu Dhabi on Thursday 27 October 2011.

The Desert Garden Centre is located inside Khalifa Park and you would enter through the Park’s gates that are next to Rotana Hotel and the twofour54 building, where there is ample parking.

The Desert Garden Centre has been molded on the iconic and successful Dubai Garden Centre to cater for the ever-growing Abu Dhabi population with some adjustments to suit the local marketplace.

Danny Powell, General Manager of both the Dubai and Desert Garden Centres says, “ Our deliveries to Abu Dhabi were growing at such a fast rate, it was a natural move to ‘branch’ out into Abu Dhabi”.

As soon as you enter Khalifa Park the displays of outdoor furniture, pots, plants, fountains, umbrellas are visible and surround the entrance to the air-conditioned showroom.

The elongated showroom houses Indoor plants, garden tools, planters, ceramic pots, artificial plants, fertilizers, seeds, vases, irrigation equipment, tool boxes, BBq’s, ceramic kitchenware, coffee machines, reproduction antiques, sun hats.

Also inside and spilling out into a glass conservatory will be a café managed by the Raw Coffee Company.

The Desert Garden Centre is a joint initiative between Abu Dhabi municipality and the Desert Group. Both parties feel it will be a great asset to the people of Abu Dhabi and hope they will take advantage of a retail setting in a Park environment.

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Be a Conservationist for a Week event reviews & reports

NEW DESERT CONSERVATION EXPEDITION FOR INTREPID VOLUNTEERS IN THE EMIRATES

This project will assist

scientists of the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve (DDCR) gather scientific data on Arabian Oryx, Gordon’s Wildcat and Macqueen’s bustard to gain a better understanding of their ecology so that informed management decisions can be made. All three species are on the IUCN Red list and the expedition’s work will help to ensure the survival of the species in the wild.

The United Arab Emirates and Dubai in particular, is well known for its rapid development over the past 40 years as well as for the mega-construction projects such as the Palm Islands and the Burj Khalifa (the world’s tallest building). Less well known is the diversity and beauty of the natural environment, from the dugongs and corals in the Arabian Sea, the flamingos in the khors (inlets) of the coastline, the rugged Hajar mountain range, to the serene splendour of the sandy dune inland desert. Also little known is that the largest piece of land given to any single project in Dubai was for the establishment of the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve; at 225 km², 4.7% of Dubai’s total land area.

Arabian Oryx is one of four Oryx species, all of which are adapted to arid and semi-arid environments, locally known by its Arabic name of Al Maha, the Arabian Oryx was first described in 1777. Endemic to the Arabian Peninsula, the Arabian Oryx’s historical range was across Oman, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Kuwait and Iraq, but the advent of firearms saw their rapid decline due to hunting all across Arabia. Since 1986 Arabian Oryx is classified as “Endangered” on the IUCN Red List, but was already "very rare and believed to be rapidly decreasing in numbers" in 1965. The Arabian Oryx is the largest of the antelopes in the region and it is very well adapted to the extremely arid environment. Re-introduced into the DDCR in 1999, the population has steadily grown from the original 100 individuals to over 400 today. For the next phase of the Oryx project, local scientists need a greater understanding of how Oryx fit into the DDCR’s natural environment, which habitats and plants they prefer what

the social structure of the herd is and how it is affected by their environment.

The Gordon’s wildcat is the same size as a domestic cat. The background colour of its coat ranges from reddish to sandy yellow to tawny brown to grey, and is typically marked with faint tabby stripes and spots. Their preferred habitat is the vegetated dunes, gravel plains and mountains, in which they hunt a mainly carnivorous diet at night. It is thinly distributed throughout the Nubian, Saharan and Arabian deserts, where it is generally restricted to mountains and dry watercourses.

The biggest threat to the survival of the Gordon’s wildcat as a species is the interbreeding with feral or domestic cats, which could lead to its extinction as a distinct species.

The Macqueen's Bustard is a large bird in the Bustard family. It is 60 cm long with a 140cm wingspan. It is brown above and white below, with a black stripe down the sides of its neck. In flight, the long wings show large areas of black and brown on the flight feathers.

Sexes are similar, but the female is smaller and greyer above. It breeds in deserts and other very arid sandy areas in south-western Asia. Like other Bustards, the Macqueen's Bustard has a flamboyant mating display raising the white feathers of the head and throat and withdrawing the head. It is classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List due to a steady decline in its population. The principal threat is from over hunting by Middle East falconers, largely but not exclusively on the species’ wintering grounds. Habitat loss and degradation compound this problem.

Due to the serious decline of this species in the wild the UAE has, through the National Avian Research Centre (NARC), implemented large scale captive breeding to facilitate a release program in both the UAE and in the species’ breeding grounds.

Field Training

All field training will be given during the expedition and you do not need any special skills - everyone can take part and there are no age limits whatsoever.

You will be taught how to identify all the species you will be surveying, how to identify tracks as well as how to take field notes and record animal behaviour.

You must be able to communicate effectively in English.

Expedition work

The expedition leader and the local scientists will pre-

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pare you for your fieldwork tasks and explain the research methods and goals. Talks are organized to make you familiar with safety, the equipment, the research (and your part in it) and the area in which it will happen. You will be working from a field base, which is a Bedu style tent camp. After a training phase you will venture out in small groups to conduct your surveys, set camera and live traps and help with GPS collaring. The tasks of the expedition team as a whole will consist of separate small group activities, which will be rotated amongst the whole team so that everyone can take part in all activities.

People interested in seeing conservation in action and becoming a conservationist for a week in January can sign up and find out more about the expedition via www.biosphere-expeditions.org/emirates.

The cost for the eight-night jaunt in the desert is Dhs 5660/$ 1,550. This contribution to not-for-profit Biosphere Expeditions finance the project and its research.

Biosphere Expeditions.

Fussy? Me? No, never... by tara Atkinson

Best SHots

Nestled neatly just next to the

fountains by the Marina walk, Angsana Spa & Health Club is one of those places that is in the perfect location yet hidden from view.

With any health club and spa here in Dubai you are bound to find great facilities and we are spoilt for choice; with high rise apartments supplied with gyms and pools, hotels with stunning views and health clubs, beaches not far from saunas and steam rooms, the list goes on.

So what makes Angasana Spa and Health Club different?

From the very beginning of the treatment I must admit, it was difficult. Not because I was doing a review, I am just a very fussy customer. My main reasons also include a couple of very bad massages and spa treatments.

Of course when the time came, my reluctance had slightly faded after a blown out tire on Shaikh Zayed road during the earlier afternoon, and had warmed to the thought that a Spa session wouldn’t be such a bad idea after all…

You can tell from the minute you step in the doors of Angsana, they want you to stay. The welcomes are genuine and the staff who not only think on their feet are also empathetic and warm.

They offer you tea, and from the moment you sit down, consult you on what treatments you want and they are up for doing anything you need to make the experience comfortable and enjoyable. The Spa treatment I had was a special 180 Minute Regeneration package exclusively made for Dream Days experiences and is worth checking out, as it is not mentioned on the menu.

It includes:

• • • • •

30 mins of Body Scrub 60 mins of Body Massage 30 mins of Back Energy and foot massages 30 mins of Mini facial 30 mins of refreshment and relaxation time

I chose the apple and milk body scrub to begin with; this was especially for sensitive skin and loaded with fresh apples and green bean pulp, which added to the texture of the grain and gave it that ‘scrubby feeling’. Sophi from Indonesia was my masseuse and was very engaging; she even let me taste the scrub as I couldn’t believe it was made from fresh fruits and vegetables.

With a scrub the main aim of it is to remove all the excess and dead skill cells which lie on the top and cause all those pimples and dry skin. She mentioned to me that the other scrubs are much rougher and stickier made from things like honey, so being covered in milk, fruit and vegetables feeling only slightly sticky, I think I got off lucky!

Next was the body massage. I have always felt as if I couldn’t tell the masseuse if they were doing it too hard or too soft, with Sophi - she was great and listened to me. I wanted the pressure in-between a muscle and a stroking massage and she did just that. Upon looking at the menu I also noticed deep tissue massages, and I have heard that they are very good here, so for all those outdoorsy and adventure people this may be the place to come.

Following the massages I had a mini facial, where she focused on my pressure points on my face with special cleansing and toning treatment, and I have to admit my skin has been rather great the last week and even went into to work with no makeup which was a first!

The overall experience was brilliant, they have excellent facilities without the pretention and are very accommodating, with the skilled staff to back it up. For some one as fussy as me, it was heaven.

A must do for any outdoorsy person or workaholic looking to take a time out during the Eid break!

Tara x

15

The Black Key Challenge: Nothing is Impossible

by Zaid Adham

travel & adventure

Geocaching has present-

ed us with great challenges over the past few months since writing our last article (Hide & Seek Sports, June issue). From the Hajjar mountains to the coast of Fujairah, the team at DMTV's Treasure Hunters took on some of the most challenging terrain in the UAE to find geocaches and discover the great outdoors.

If addiction has a recurring habit, it's that it always wants more…More fun, more adventure, more challenges, more experience. This October, we gave it just that.

In 2007, Ged Langosz, a resident geocacher, began the Desert Challenge: a series of difficult-to-extreme geocaches designed to test the skills of geocachers and make the experience all the more challenging. Langosz hid six geocaches in several regions of the UAE, and embedded a key into each one.

The five keys were fobs that contained codes that combined to form the coordinates and hints to the final, sixth cache.

On the 5th October, divers from Al Boom Diving, together with geocacher Zaid Adham located the Black Key Challenge, just off the Dubai coast 10m underwater.

Unfound since

2007, this was an exciting find given the difficulty of the cache and the dive skill required. The idea for looking for the Black Key was brought to the dive team by one of the dive centers’ independent PADI Assistant Instructors, Geoff Braden.

“It seemed like an obvious combination of hobbies,” said Geoff, “to combine the fun of geocaching with those needed in diving – and to introduce the two groups of enthusiasts”.

There had always been a recurring issue with attempting to find the cache: the cache description on the website talks extensively about the cement barge wreck, but the coordinates lead to another area of the sea, leading most people who want to dive for this cache to mistakenly dive at the wreck itself. It was up to the experience of a geocacher to come into play and combine with the expertise of the divers.

Initially, Zaid himself wanted to do the dive, but this particular adventure proved to be one that doesn't just test one's resilience to underwater sports, but that requires more than just the average scuba diving skills. This was a cache that required the scuba divers to have search-and-rescue skills. Luckily, the dive team was more than qualified.

With experienced divers Samantha Joffe and Youssef Hassoun, as well as PADI Course Director Mohamed Helmy, Zaid and his camera crew embarked on the trip on the morning of October 5th. The use of GPS helped the boat team arrive at the coordinates of the cache. It was a surprise to some of the divers, considering the wreck was at least 500 meters away. The dive would now prove to be much easier, despite the limited visibility.

Zaid gave the divers a clarification on what they were now looking for.

The cache was a tupperware box sealed and kept together by cable ties. The contents of the cache were all put in smaller containers that were made negatively buoyant with sand and water. Most importantly, the cache itself was hidden under a concrete slab. This slab, when flipped over, revealed the code that is required for solving this part of the Desert Challenge. The cache description had particularly advised to watch out for the slab's weight and its sharpness. This was to be the significant challenge.

Mohamed laid out the search-andrescue plan. The team was to dive off the given coordinates and swim in a circle pattern around the boat, leaving a rescue line behind them until they found the concrete slab.

They would then utilize a lift-bag to lift the slab from its place and

16

retrieve the code. Once this was done, the team would then go back to find the cache itself.

Visibility, however, proved to be the most important factor of the journey. With little over 1 meter of visibility in the silty water, the team had to make sure that every possible resource was used to ensure their successful attempt at finding the cache.

Mohamed had given the search about fifteen minutes, postulating that it shouldn't take longer than that to determine whether the cache could be found or not. Up on the boat, Zaid and ship captain Bong were beginning to be aware of the fact that the currents were making the boat drift away from the 6 meter radius of accuracy. The boat, though anchored, was now 30 meters away from what the GPS indicated was Ground Zero.

However it took no longer than fifteen minutes indeed for a liftbag to appear on the surface of the water, indicating that the concrete slab was found! Zaid and Bong instantly lifted this up to the boat where its code was taken down. With initial celebrations out of the way, it was now time to retrieve the cache. This process didn't take a long time, unlike initial predictions, and very soon the screams of ecstasy filled the air as the team resurfaced with the cache!

“Visibility was again not good at all,” said Mohamed, “and we had to make use of all of our skills of search and recovery using lines, reels, and a lift bag underwater. The cache was certainly not easy to recover, and earned its 5/5 difficulty rating.”

And how! For a cache that had remained unfound since its placement in 2007 Al Boom had made it look like a walk in the park! As professional geocacher skills met with professional divers, celebrations on the boat were well-deserved!

The dive team has been kind enough to leave a gift voucher for a free dive in Ras Musandam in the cache for the next person who finds it. The cache and the concrete slab were returned to their owner by Zaid, and will be returned to their underwater home very soon….so watch this space!

What a day! What an adventure! What a cache!

details You can catch the episode chronicling the search for this cache or you can participate in future outings for episodes by joining Treasure Hunters on Facebook (www.facebook.com/TreasureHunters). To get into geocaching as a sport, visit www.geocaching.com, and of course, to become a certified PADI scuba-diver, or to improve your dive skills, contact Al Boom Diving on abdiving@emirates.net.ae

travel & adventure

Breaking new ground

by Geoffrey Patch

in Beirut

Those that know me under-

stand (and often despair!) at my ongoing need to explore new places and take on exciting new challenges.

So it was no great surprise to my family and friends when I mentioned that I intended to pop across to Beirut for the weekend to dive on a couple of wrecks just off the coastline known as the ‘Paris of the Middle East’.

The trip had been arranged by Mike Dalton from the ‘Kuwait Mantas’ (BSAC 1045) to dive the “Souffleur”, a Vichy France ‘Requin’ class submarine sunk on 25th June 1941, and the ‘Alice B’, a cargo ship with a rather colourful past!

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The trip was of great interest to me as a) I had not dived on a submarine before and b) the wrecks were in Lebanese waters, lying at ~38m some 5km off the coast and would provide me with an opportunity to visit Beirut. Hence, I could satisfy two objectives in one trip!

So it was in early October that my dive buddy Brendan from Sharjah Wanderers Dive Club (BSAC 406), his long-suffering ‘dive widow’ wife Rowena and I headed off to Beirut on a warm Sharjah Thursday evening. The plan for the next day was to conduct the first two dives on the “Souffleur”, followed by a late afternoon dive on the “Alice B”. With the wrecks being at the limit of recreational diving depths we opted to dive with 30% nitrox (oxygen enriched air) and 80% nitrox (i.e. 80% oxygen) pony bottles. The 30% nitrox would help us to extend our bottom time by reducing the amount of nitrogen that our blood stream would be absorbing under pressure and the 80% oxygen mix, which we would swap onto at ~6m during the controlled ascent, would accelerate decompression by ‘flushing’ our system to expel nitrogen more quickly and hence avoid decompression related problems.

http://lemairesoft.sytes.net:1944/pa

ges/page.aspx?univid=111241

Captain Marwan from NISD (National Institute for Scuba Diving in Lebanon) steered the dive boat with eight other like-minded divers out of the Solidere Marina and into the slightly choppy waters of the Mediterranean.

Thirty minutes later and about 5km offshore, we homed in on the GPS coordinates and then switched our attention to the echo sounder to locate the wreck. The size of the wreck and Captain Marwan’s experience made it relatively easy to find and a buoy was dispatched to mark the entry point.

Conditions were good with broken cloud cover on an otherwise pleasantly warm day, although the north-westerly wind was stirring the sea’s white horses to make an occasional appearance. After Suzy (the NISD dive master) had secured a line on the wreck the first wave of divers consisting of Brendan, Brian Darvell from BSAC 1045 and I geared up, did our pre-dive checks and entered the warm waters. The “Souffleur” is a designated war grave due to the loss of 52 lives when the vessel went down. A further life was lost (drowned) from a group of six that were on deck at the time of being torpedoed and swam for shore. So it was with this in mind and a sincere sense of respect for those who lost their lives that we descended the shot line. Although the waters were clear and

The hull is in remarkable condition considering its 70 year incarceration below the waves with little in the way of marine growth. The engine room can be seen through a tear in the hull just behind the conning tower and the outer hull is exposed in places revealing the buoyancy tanks. After exploring the hull

When in the water, the neutral buoyancy and zero current helped to relax body and soul during each dive. However, back on the boat between dives, the bite-sized pizza and delicious Lebanese pastries kindly provided

by Suzy for lunch combined with the rolling Mediterranean sea compelled some of the participants to make certain offerings to appease sea gods!

The wrecks really absorbed most attention during the dives, although a large marble

“Souffleur” Requin class technical information: Type Displacement Length Complement Armament Max speed Engines Power

Submarine 974 / 1441 BRT 78 metres 4 officers + 50 men 1 3.9" gun. 1 13 mm AA. 10 21.7" torpedo tubes.

15 / 9 knots (surfaced/submerged) Diesel / electric, 2 shafts 2900 BHP / 1800 SHP (surfaced/submerged)

up to and beyond the conning tower the cross-section of the submarine was revealed where it had broken in two as a result of the torpedo strike from HMS Parthian IV. Turning our attention from the opening we could just see the faint shadowy outline of the forward section approximately 15m in the distance.

A short swim brought us over the forward section, which lies squarely on its port side.

What looks like large accumulator cylinders, probably for buoyancy control, lie adjacent to the wreck on the sandy sea bed, and the skeleton of the starboard hydroplane is still intact. Close monitoring of depth, time and air consumption told us that it was time to make our way back to the shot line for a controlled ascent, knowing that we would soon be back to explore the wreck further on our second dive of the day.

ray was seen cruising around the submarine along with a metre long pipe fish and many reef fish frequented the inner areas of the ‘Alice B’.

Beirut itself is a lively city, framed by hills that lead down to a marina strewn coastline.

Although tired after the day’s exertions the dive group headed into downtown Beirut to enjoy a typical Lebanese buffet at ‘Al Balad’ in the wonderfully restored Nejmeh Square area. With time to spare before our return flight on Saturday evening we took the opportunity to explore some of the other wonders of Beirut. Francis, our taxi driver and unofficial guide drove us into the hills to visit Jeita Grotto (www.new7wonders.com), a finalist in the ‘new 7 natural wonders of the world’ competition and a worthy contender alongside Bu Tinah Island. Jeita Grotto is a magnificent system of caves, stalactites / stalagmites and hidden pools that would not be out of place in a ‘Lord of the Rings’ movie set and is well worth a visit if in Beirut.

So, a hectic, non-stop weekend but one with great diving, mouth-watering food and wonderful experiences - a city that I certainly hope to revisit.

Geoffrey Patch.

Dive photos courtesy of Brian Darvell

trip details

Flights - Sharjah to Beirut return, Air Arabia Accommodation - Hotel Mozart, Hamra (just 100m from NISD base) Dive operator - National Institute of Scuba Diving in Lebanon (NISD) NISD contact - Walid Noshie, telephone: 961 1 739203, www.nisd-online.com BSAC 406, Sharjah Wanderers Dive Club, www.bsac406.com BSAC 1045, ‘Kuwait Mantas’, www.kuwaitmantas.com

After an equally successful second dive, we headed back to Solidere Marina to change tanks and burn up the required surface interval between dives. Refreshed and rested, we set out for the ‘Alice B’, a freighter also lying just a few kilometers offshore in ~37m of water. Apparently, the ship was used for gun-running during the civil war and was

19

Best SHots travel & adventure

we sensed that visibility was good, nothing could be seen until reaching the 25m mark when suddenly the aft section of the 78m long submarine lying some 10m below burst into view. The aft section lies on its starboard side at about a 40 degree angle with the conning tower clearly visible and intact.

deliberately sunk (allegedly!) for insurance purposes in 1980. The ship sits proudly upright on the sea bed and is in exceptionally good condition. Several access points allow penetration for the experienced diver to explore the internal areas of the ship, with corridors and hatchways connecting the cargo area, engine room, accommodation and bridge. It should be noted at this point that wrecks are potentially hazardous areas and should only be entered by properly trained and equipped divers, although the ‘Alice B’ would be an ideal wreck for training purposes under the guidance of a qualified instructor.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdalla Al Thani Conquers Mont Blanc Best SHots travel & adventure

Mohammed Al Thani returns victorious and puts Reach Out To Asia (ROTA) on the map Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdalla Al Thani, Vice Chairman and CEO of Sharjah Shooting Club and founder of Musafir.com, recently returned triumphant from his expedition to climb Mount Blanc, the highest peak in the European Union, as brand ambassador for ROTA. Mont Blanc is characterized with thick, perennial ice and a snow dome of varying thickness, making it one of the most technical summits that Sheikh Mohammed Al Thani has ever climbed. A one-week training course was required prior to tackling the peak in a grueling three-day ascent. The team of three also had to wear their crampons on their shoes the entire time while being roped together to keep from falling into the dangerously thin ice.

“Preparation for this expedition, just like every experience in my life, has added to my list of aptitudes and made me even more ready for the next challenge. I am very proud of my accomplishment, but would still like to reiterate to my many supporters and fans that it’s not about the peak, it will always be about the climb. Reaching summit is only the cherry on top of an awe-inspiring journey,” said Sheikh Mohammed Al Thani.

As a brand ambassador for Reach Out To Asia (ROTA), Sheikh Mohammed Al Thani epitomizes our organization core beliefs.

ROTA works to ensure that people affected by crisis across Asia and around the world have continuous access to relevant and

high-quality primary and secondary education, and the mechanism to realize this goal is through youth empowerment. ROTAs pathway to achieving this vision and mission is through enhancing skills development, using sports as a tool for education, integrating environment education, and revitalizing the use of Arabic.

“Sheikh Mohammed Al Thani met his personal goals through his natural ambitions and by giving himself the right tools to fulfill those aims,” said Mr. Essa Al Mannai, ROTA Director. “At ROTA, we strongly believe and recognize that youth are the vehicles of change for their communities. We instill hope for a better future to the youth by enabling them with the proper education and training to allow them to drive change in their communities and for themselves. At the end, it is the hope that empowers change, and Sheikh Mohammed Al Thani perfectly reflects that.

Words cannot express our appreciation for his support to our organization and its goals, and we hope that his actions inspire others to advocate for our cause.”

His personal efforts come from a bucket list of over 100 tasks ranging from business to personal goals. All this lies in Sheikh Mohammed Al Thani’s desire to be a positive role model for our youth, in pushing past restrictions to truly tap into the utmost of their potential.

“Taking on a challenge is the biggest part of the adventure. The feeling I get when I am working hard to climb that mountain is beyond words. The beauty, the serenity, and being at one with nature is simply indescribable. I’m not saying you have to go climb a mountain; your passion may very well not be the same as mine, but find out what it is that moves you and go for it.”

In addition to Mount Blanc, Sheikh Mohammed Al Thani has already crossed off Mount Everest Base Camp (in 2009) and Mount Kilimanjaro (in 2010) off his list.

“When people ask me when and where will you be going next, my answer is ‘I’ll see you when I get there’ because I don’t want the focus to be on whether or not I make it, but rather the fact that I’m doing it.”

Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club

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Step outdoors in style!

Timberland shows us how practicality does not have to compromise on style!

For all

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From gorgeous knee high flats to lace up Siberian’s, Timberland shows us that a love for the outdoors, doesn’t mean you have to trudge around in your ‘Dora Explorers!’

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Log onto the OutdoorUAE Facebook publisher’s page and look out for the ‘Outdoor Confessions...’ photo album.

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Aotearoa (NZ) off the beaten track

travel & adventure

Ball Pass

a classic alpine adventure

by Volter Nock

Fields”, a flat plateau on the Hooker Glacier side of Ball Pass and only around two hours from the car park. This short first day meant we had enough time to shuffle the car to the Tasman Glacier road-end, where we would pick it up again three days later.

Heavily loaded down with food, tents, avalanche gear, ice axes and crampons we made our way along the track to the Hooker Glacier viewpoint providing entertainment for the day-trippers on their way to see the glacier. Half an hour down the track we turned off the main track, leaving the crowds behind. A faint ground trail lead us through subalpine scrub and flower fields along the true left of the Hooker Lake, formed by the recession of the Hooker Glacier.

3. Starting day two with steep snow on the ascent of the Zig-Zag.

Mount Cook National

Park, offers some of New Zealand's most spectacular alpine scenery.

With all but one of its 29 peaks over 3000m, it is the South Islands climbing mecca. Most peaks are accessible only to experienced mountaineers.

However, a variety of alpine hiking, or tramping as we call it in New Zealand, is also possible close to Mount Cook.

One of the classic tramps of the South Island, Ball Pass, crosses the Mount Cook Range from the Hooker to the Tasman Valley. The route follows the Hooker Glacier Lake and moraine to Ball Pass and descends Ball

24

Ridge, opposite the awe-inspiring Caroline Face of Mount Cook, to the Tasman Glacier.

The tramp can be done year around with summer being the main season. In winter heavy snow and avalanche danger make the crossing suitable for experienced parties only. We choose a long weekend in October for our attempt. This early in the summer season there is usually enough snow left to turn the trip into a stunning alpine adventure. The forecast was for three days of settled weather so we decided to spend two nights camping on the crossing.

A four hour drive from Christchurch saw our party of four arrive in Mt Cook village in time for an early afternoon start. Our plan was to spend the first night camping on the “Playing

Slowly winding its way up the moraine walls, the trail provides stunning views up the valley to Mt Cook (also called Aoraki in the native Maori language, Photo 0), at 3,754m the highest mountain in New Zealand and Oceania. About half way up the valley, a snow-filled gully lead us up to the Playing Fields, a large flat balcony sheltered from potential avalanches coming down Mt Mabel and Mt Rosa (Photo 1). Before we had time to enjoy the gorgeous views though, we had to prepare our camp by digging out two tent spots. After this we settled down on a convenient rocky ledge to cook a well-earned dinner amongst some of the country’s most stunning scenery (Photo 2).

Early on the next morning we woke up to another day of blue sky and beautiful winter atmosphere. We packed up camp and started to make our way up what is called the “ZigZag”, in summer a trail through a series of rocky bluffs, which in our case had been transformed into steep snow ramps (Photo 3). As the ground steepened out came the crampons and ice axe and we gradually

travel & adventure 0. Aoraki/Mt Cook (3764m) dominates the head of the Hooker Valley.

The Playing Fields are located at the top of the snow gully leading up to the right underneath Mt Rosa (2161m) and Mt Mable (2091m).

1. Climbing up to the Playing Fields on day one. The Hooker glacier lake, Mt Cook village and the Mueller Range are in the background.

climbed to the long sidle to the bottom of the pass. Once around the last bluffs we got the first glimpse of our crossing point and luckily not a single avalanche had come down across our path (Photo 4).

Nonetheless, we kept our party well-spaced and made sure only to stop at safe spots sheltered from the slopes above by large bluffs. The last bit of the climb lead us up a permanent snowfield, which remains well into summer, and we arrived at the top of Ball Pass at 2121m just in time for lunch (Photo 5). Perched high above the valley floors we soaked in the extensive views of both the Hooker and Tasman Valleys and their massive glaciers. In the west low clouds were starting to slowly flow over the Main Divide from the wet West Coast valleys and we decided it was time to start our descent down towards the Tasman. The plan called for us to camp a second night close to the private Caroline Hut, which in summer is used by guided parties crossing the pass.

However, distracted by the enormous Caroline Face of Mt Cook looming to our left and the sweeping vistas into the Upper Tasman we dropped of the main spur twice looking for easier terrain just to find hip deep snow.

This meant slow progress and we were quite exhausted from plodding steps by the time we reached the ridge again. As it turned out the ridge actually made for the best travel with the least amount of soft snow.

2. Tent camp on the Playing fields below Mt Mable. Aoraki/Mt Cook dominates the scenery at the head of the Hooker Valley.

So, in fading light we arrived at the locked and empty hut of which really only the roof was sticking out. The toilets were nowhere to be seen and probably hidden under a meter or more of snow. Since at this stage we were all very tired and it was getting decidedly colder, we made the decision to sleep on the floor of the emergency shelter attached to the hut. This meant we wouldn’t have to set up

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travel & adventure

4. Sidling the slopes below Mt Rosa. Ball Pass is the low point in the distance.

5. Eastern side of Ball Pass with Mt Nazomi and the Caroline Face of Mt Cook.

camp and would have enough sunlight left to cook dinner outside on the roof. We were treated to another spectacular sunset and the starts of the Milky Way were out in force during the night.

The next morning we packed up for what was to be the last time on this trip and headed down the remainder of the Ball ridge to the valley floor. Along the way we couldn’t help but appreciate how small the grandiose mountain scenery can make one feel (Photo 6). Quickly the hut had turned into a small distant speck perched onto the steep ridge and the views were dominated by the intimidating expanse of Mt Cook’s ice-covered Caroline Face. To the North the summits of Mt Tasman, Haast, De La Beche and Douglas Peak point towards the ice fields and glacier névés of Fox and FranzJosef Glaciers and endless more adventures (Photo 7).

Slowly though, the ridge was starting to run out of snow and just about when we were ready to take of our crampons we met the first other people on our trip. A party of two were climbing up towards us with skis strapped to their packs, doing the traverse in the opposite direction to us and hoping to ski down the other side. After two days in snow it was rather weird to reach the grassy fields on the glacial moraine at the bottom of the

7. De La Beche (3055m) and the Minarets (3048m) in the centre of the Tasman Glacier as seen from the lower Ball Ridge.

ridge. We inspected the site of the old Ball Hut (which had to be removed and replaced, due to glacial recession) at the end of what used to be a fully-fledged dirt road in the early days of tourism in the Mt Cook area (Photo 8).

All that was left was the hut toilet, which had to our surprise been fitted with an old hut radio for emergencies. The road itself used to lead down the true right of the Tasman Glacier back to the highway, but has long fallen victim to the collapsing moraine wall and continuous washouts. It now is constituted of a foot track and sections of old road and provides a pleasant excursion up from the carpark. Tired but happy we started to make our way down this track just in time as deteriorating weather was pushing over the mountain ranges behind us.

Silently wishing the other party good luck, we strolled down along the shore of the Tasman glacier lake happy with the achieved and secretly glad that we had shuttled the car at the beginning of the trip. On the drive back to Christchurch we rewarded ourselves with the obligatory stop at beautiful Lake Tekapo including another New Zealand classic; a serving of Fish and Chips followed by a large ice cream. All in all a perfect long weekend in the country of the long white cloud.

fast facts Breath-taking views of Mount Cook and New Zealand's highest mountains. Rich alpine flora and unique bird life. Moderate snow and glacier travel in winter. In summer one needs to have previous backpacking, tramping or bushwalking experience. All equipment is provided on guided treks.

Duration: 2-3 days Grade: alpine route, excellent fitness required, avalanche danger in winter Accommodation: camping (private hut on guided trek) Guided Trek: Alpine Recreation Cost: approximately NZ$1100.More information: www.doc.govt.nz

8. Looking up the debris-covered Tasman Glacier from the old Ball shelter site.

glossary Tramping: NZ term for hiking DOC: Department of Conservation (Government Department responsible for National Parks) 6. Leaving Caroline Hut (left of centre) on day three. Ball ridge and Ball Pass are in the background.

True-right: to one’s right side when looking down-stream Crampons: metal device attached to boots to provide traction in snow and ice Moraine: accumulation of rock debris deposited by a glacier Aoraki: Maori name for Mt Cook

26

Tom Randall on Electric Blue E4 5C, Rhoscolyn, North Wales, UK / Wild Country - Ian Parnell

Available at: Adventure HQ in Times Square Center, Go Sport in Dubai Mall, Picnico at Beach Road, 800 Sport at Sheikh Zayed Road Distributor

info@globalclimbing.com

travel & adventure

powered parachutes.

Low Cost Aviation for Everyone

by Craig Reynolds

A warm breeze

swirled the dust of the runway as Captain Kevin Donaldson and I walked across the concrete slab and past the microlight aeroplanes shimmering in the sun.

From the shady depths of the hangar an assistant wheeled a large three-wheeled cage with a propeller at the rear. The trike, looking like something from the Mad Max movies, was constructed of lightweight aircraft aluminium and stainless steel.

Behind the tandem seats a two cylinder, two stroke engine was mounted which powered the triple bladed propeller. The Captain started the engine and let it run for a few minutes to warm up, then killed it again. Lying on the rear seat was a large black bundle which he picked up, carried to the rear of the trike and opened to reveal a mass of brightly coloured rip-stop fabric and kevlar lines. The engine was the power and this was the parachute. Clipping the ends of the lines to the cage he spread the fabric out in an arc behind the trike and folded the leading edges over to make sure it didn’t catch the propeller wash prematurely.

“

When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return. - Leonardo Da Vinci

“Ok, in you go!” he said, and I clambered into the rear seat and clipped into the four point harness which held me firmly in place. Two headsets hung over the top bar, one for each of us. The Captain took up position in the front seat and started the engine, the headsets muting the engine noise and allowing us to chat over the in-built microphones.

“Are you ready?” came over the headphones and I gave the affirmative. He pushed the hand-held throttle lever and the trike lurched forward gaining speed and then, the lines pulling suddenly taught, the parachute inflated and rose up behind us. Gunning the engine we trundled down the runway as the parachute rose higher and then, crabbing slightly in the wind, we broke free from gravity’s hold and were airborne.

28

”

I have always loved flying and the best flying is done in a small open craft where you can feel the wind in your hair and see the far-off earth below your feet. Not to be confused with powered paragliding, where the motor can be on the pilot’s back, a powered parachute has pilot (and passengers) sitting in a vehicle with an engine and wheels. The wing of a Powered Parachute is similar to the square wings used by skydivers while a paraglider has a higher performance airfoil allowing foot launched flight. Called PPCs for short, they come in single and tandem styles so that a pilot can fly solo or take a passenger. They are one of the least expensive forms of powered aviation and are used by private pilots, farmers, search & rescue and law-enforcement agencies around the world. The low centre of gravity in relation to the ‘wing’ and resistance to stalling means that PPCs are also a very safe form of flying. Currently only Jazirah Aviation Club in Ras Al Khaimah provides both flights and training for PPCs and according to Captain Donaldson it can take as little as 15 hours to become a PPC

pilot. My half-hour flight was a birthday present, courtesy of my wife (bless her.)

Far below us the sun sparkled on the waters of the Gulf and the long white beaches stretched out from Ras Al Khamaih down to Umm Al Quwain. The sea was dotted with blue jellyfish, visible even from this height, and every now and then I’d get a bird’s eye-view of a big turtle coming up for air. I must’ve seen ten in as many minutes.

The water was clear enough that you could see the turtles descend onto the sea-grass beds. We flew over the ghost town of Jazirat Al Hamra, abandoned buildings built in traditional Arabic style where Jinns are still rumoured to wander, and I felt like an explorer flying over an ancient lost city for the first time. As we reached the northern limits of our flight the Captain pointed out a huge sunken and rusting barge: “ In this area, when it’s cooler, we sometimes see big Manta Rays, ” he said to my surprise “and you can often see sharks cruising along the reef back there.”

We turned back towards the flying club and cruised over lush green lawns standing out against the desert, water skiers carved lazy curves in the marinas and kids splashed

off the beaches, waving at us as we passed overhead. Crossing back over the coastal highway we slowly descended and he cut back the engine. “See, she doesn’t fall. We control climb and descent with the throttle speeding up makes you climb and slowing down lets you descend. Turning is done through foot pedals that are linked to lines fixed to the trailing edges of the canopy.”

We cruised low over the desert scrub, our shadow jittering back and forth as dunes raced below us. He pointed out some burrows in the dunes and said that in the cool of the evening desert foxes would come out, popping back to into their earths if they saw you flying over. We approached the landing strip from the desert as the wind was onshore, all flying craft land and take-off into the wind. We drifted ever lower until, with a gentle bump, we touched down and rolled to a stop. Slowly the wing deflated and collapsed gently behind us. For a few moments I just sat and reflected on how much fun it had been, it was a great way to spend an afternoon and I’ll be back again for another flight, maybe I’ll even do my PPC license.

Craig.

fast facts What: Powered Parachute flights and training Where: Jazirah Aviation Club www.jac-uae.net Who: Captain Kevin Donaldson desertppc@hotmail.com When: All year, but early mornings/late afternoons are best.

about the author Craig Reynolds was born and raised under the African sun and has been wondering around in the outdoors for as long as he can remember. Over the years he has climbed, hiked, 4x4’d, dived, surfed, kayaked and a lot of other things too, always with a camera at hand. He lives in Dubai and is married to a diver, has a son who is a diver, most of his friends are divers and is raising another diver-tobe. He is a lost cause. He’s often sunburnt and generally in need of a shave and you can see his photos and read his infrequently updated blog at sunburntandinneedofashave.com

29

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30

Wild Country Rock Lite Helmet

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31

our experts

s y a w h t Pa to

Activity

by Ian Ganderton

In this series of articles

I’m looking at possible pathways to activity. Often folks like the idea of kayaking, mountain biking or climbing here in the region but don’t know where to start or what’s available. I want to try and help a bit by pointing out a couple of places to start on a path whether you’re a complete beginner or someone who’s played the game before but is new to the region.

In this issue I’ll take a look at rock climbing, the scene here in the region and how to give it a go or get involved.

At a glance.

32

•

The rock climbing in the UAE is pretty damn good and there is a vibrant and active scene

•

Get a copy of the UAE Rock Climbing guide book produced

by Red Armada Publishing from any good outdoor sports shop in the region.

•

Log on to www.uaeclimbing.com and the UAE Rock Climbing facebook group to find the climbing communities.

•

If you’re not already a climber book a day with one of the various providers here to see if climbing is for you and to learn the basics

•

Explore the numerous developed crags with their trad and sport routes as well as great bouldering and world class deep water soloing venues.

•

Join the new routing scene and explore the vast untapped potential of yet to be discovered gems.

Climb a new route and name it.

So, rock climbing…

The Hajar Mountains rise from the desert sands well south of Muscat and run in a 700km limestone arc north to where they plunge into the sea in spectacular fashion at the Musandam.

The rock quality is incredibly varied. Much of it is choss of the worst kind but some of it is bullet hard and it’s these places the regions exploring climbers have sought out.

Modern rock climbing is a highly developed sport/activity with a sophisticated ethos and cultures surrounding it. It takes many different forms around the world but here it’s all about traditionally protected (trad) routes and bolt protected (sport) routes with some deep water soloing and bouldering thrown in for good measure. These are all forms of climbing where you move up the rock using your fingers and feet to grip the features of the rock without using any artificial aid to assist upwards progress.

Why?

Why is a difficult question to answer.

It has been said that if you have to ask why you’ll probably not understand the answer anyway.

Climbers find routes that are too easy do not satisfy. Climbers seek the nirvana experienced when they succeed on a climb that is at the upper edge of their physical and possibly their mental limits. Climbs are normally shared with a climbing partner too and it’s this heady mix of risk, adventure, physical and mental challenge in the frame work of a trusted partnership that is the reason that someone becomes a climber.

Climbing is also a form of physical meditation. When I’m climbing I find I live ‘in the moment’ focused purely on what it is I’m doing and nothing else. A friend wrote a whole article on how climbing ‘gave her brain a wash’, getting rid of the dirt that the modern world clutters our minds with.

ns Boulders Intikhab on Pink and Streaky, Damia

Where?

The excellent UAE Rock Climbing Guide Book is the starting point for finding out where the climbing areas are. It can be found in any good outdoor sports stores here and around the world.

Some crags are very accessible, the Narrows in Wadi Khab Shamis (Dibba, Oman), for instance, has a track running through the middle of it, no walk in here at all. Others are not so accessible and require a much bigger commitment. The new routing activity in Wadi Ghalillah (RAK), for instance, has been on an alpine scale and is an environment where you need to have served your apprentice, done your time, to be able to find your ways around and get on and off routes safely.

When?

As with most outdoor activities ‘the season’ is the 8 months between October and May. There is plenty of activity goes on through the summer though by the hardened few and they seek out crags with all day shade and a stiff breeze to make it manageable. There is also deep water soloing as a summer option too.

The first time

Climbing is not one of those activities where you can just pop into a shop, buy the gear and then go out and try it for yourself. I don’t think its over dramatizing to say please don’t do this because you might die! Climbing can be safe but you need introducing to it in the right way.

Your best option is to persuade an active climber you know to take you. If you can’t do this either because your climbing friends are too mean or you don’t know any climbers then the next option is to book with someone who offers climbing courses.

There are lots of issues surrounding course providers regarding qualifications, insurances and experience. Make sure you check with anyone you consider booking with, ask to see copies of qualifications, get an overview of their experience (arguably more important

than qualifications) and get them to explain their ethos to see if it fits with what you are after. You can also ask the climbing community www.uaeclimbing.com for advice and recommendations, climbers are rarely short of an opinion or 5.

No routes were climbed in the making of this photo

3 recommendations from me are: Dom the Vertical Tourist www.theverticaltourist.co.uk Arabia Outdoors – www.arabiaoutdoors.com Absolute Adventure - www.adventure.ae

Best SHots our experts

What do I need?

To start with the person you’re going climbing with should be able to lend you all the technical gear like a harness and belay device. The mountain of ropes, nylon and metal climbers pull out of their heavy rucksacks can seem a bit overwhelming at first.

Don’t worry about this for now it will all become apparent as you serve your climbing apprenticeship. If it’s your first time climbing you don’t need specialist climbing shoes either, trainers will do just fine on the easy climbs you’ll start on.

As you make the various steps to being a climber you’ll need to invest in various bits of kit. Harness is normally first along with a belay krab and device, a pair of rock shoes and a chalk bag come next. A climbers rucsac will probably be next if you haven’t already got one then slowly you’ll start to collect a rack (that confusing pile of metal and nylon climbers pull out of their rucksack when they are about to scare the wits out of you) and a rope.

There are a few places to buy climbing gear in the area. Adventure HQ in Times Square has probably the largest range with a full selection of harnesses, shoes, helmets, karabiners, ropes and protection including cams etc while many of the multi sports stores stock harnesses and rock shoes ideal for those getting started and the basics like chalk and quickdraws for climbers to top up their racks.

Climbing hands have stories to tell

Gordon working his project at Blindspot in Wadi Khab Shamis

Knowledge = Safety As with any adventurous activity it’s safer to start slowly and take one step at a time. Take time to learn the basics.

The step from your first time climbing to becoming a climber is HUGE and not to be underestimated. In reality there is only one way to do it and that’s to attach yourself to an active climber (or group of climbers) and get them to take you under their wing.

There is an apprenticeship to go through;

you need to learn how to belay, how to read a guide book, how to manage ropes and tie key knots, there is gear to learn how to use to protect yourself and a mountain sense to develop, understanding the mountains is key to keeping safe. Along this path there will hopefully be lots of adventures, stories of daring do, knocks, bumps and scrapes.

Somewhere along it you’ll look down at your slightly battered hands with their short chipped nails, chalk ground into your

cuticles, scared knuckles and thick finger tips and you’ll realise you’re a climber with some stories to tell.

Ian.

Ian is an active climber, kayaker and mountain biker and is a qualified outdoor instructor.

33

our experts

e r u t n e v i h d C ck A gets high!

peaceful way to enjoy the sensation of ‘flying’ in the sky. There’s absolutely nothing required by you… no steering, no braking, and music to my ears, no opportunity to collide with anyone else!

The team behind the

scene at Outdoor UAE HQ suggest I sky dive this month. No way josé, my reply… Adventure Chick I may be but still a bit of a wimp when it comes to activities too hair-raising!

By far a more civilised and genteel alternative I decided, would be a nice parasail. Not only have I loved parasailing for as long as I can remember but it’s the perfect activity in Dubai when you have visitors in town as you get a fantastic view of the clear blue waters from the piercing blue sky that adorns our every day. And as luck would have it, I have in town this week, a sister, a brother, two in-laws, four nieces and one nephew… phew… exhausting just keeping tabs.

Parasailing, for anyone not au fait, is a purely-for-fun recreational activity where you are towed behind a boat, around 200m high with a large parachute, or parasail, behind you. It’s an exciting and unique way to get a bird’s eye view of the coastline, especially here in Dubai where the sheer size and scope of Dubai Marina and the Palm Jumeirah can be appreciated. You’re not moving quickly either so it’s a pretty

34

Overall, now that the weather is truly gorgeous and we find ourselves spending a great deal of time creating cool itineraries to entertain a constant flow of visitors, parasailing should always be on the agenda. It’s a ten out of ten on the fun, experiential factor and a one out of ten on the scary factor and whilst it can be done on any ‘beach holiday’, few places will offer such exhilarating views and vistas as here in Dubai. Few cities after all have the perfect combination of white sand beaches, stunning coastline and the dramatic skyline that we have here… never mind, the addition of a bird’s eye view of the world’s greatest man-made island.

Need to know:

Re age, weight & height: Parasailing can be enjoyed solo or in tandem. The weight allowance is adjusted according to the wind, but generally the combined weight of two individuals for a tandem sail is around 160kg. There’s no minimum height and kids as young as seven can enjoy a tandem ride. My four year old twin nieces still came out on the boat to watch the ‘big people fly.’

Re getting wet: You don’t! Your parasail begins and ends on a platform on the back of the boat so unless you specifically request to return with a dip, there’s not a splash in sight.

details Contact: Suzy on 050 426 2415 Go: Nautica 1992, under the Barasti shade on the beach at Habtoor Grand Hotel, Dubai Marina Visit: www.nautica1992.ae Email: nautica1992@gmail.com Cost: AED 250 per person Love Tori x writer, runner, blogger & adidas athlete PS. My email address is tori@fitchicksandfastwomen.com for thoughts, ideas, and suggestions … or just to say hello!

Endurance Racing UAE

by Cecile Guillemot You will find all the necessary information on the UAE Emirates Equestrian Federation website www.eef.ae

What I recommend as gear to invest in

Riding pants are specially designed not to have an inside leg seam (as this can cause rubbing and will have you on the side lines in no time flat).

“Skins” - a lot of riders are jumping onto this band wagon (myself included) they are great for reducing muscle damage, improve circulation, removal of lactic acid as well as many other wonderful perks!

The

start of the season kicked off on Monday the 24th of October with the first 40km qualifier. May I say I was staggered with the number of horses that entered; it reached the 340+ mark!

It is great to see that the enthusiasm for endurance riding continues to grow in the UAE, as this specialised sport was established by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The Ruler continues to participate and support regularly throughout the season, both at home and abroad – his dedication and passion has made the UAE be regarded as a top endurance contender on the international stage in recent years.

What is endurance racing/riding?

Endurance racing is the equestrian equivalent of a marathon; most endurance races are well over 120 kilometres in distance and take several hours to complete. Competitions are heavily monitored by officials, Police and extensive medical personnel on tap (vets, paramedics, ambulance crews and even a dedicated helicopter is on standby).

It’s a test between rider and horse. A skilled endurance rider needs to know their horse, preferably train with it so that they can quickly establish a strong bond with the horse and can read their condition quickly and accurately. You need to be on the ball as dehydration and fatigue can lead to injury and it is up to the rider to know how to gauge the ideal balance. Warning signs could be as subtle as irregular stride changes, head position and amount of sweating. All endurance competitions have stringent veterinary checks at regular points in the race and if the horse shows signs of deterioration the rider is asked to retire from the race.

The race is normally broken up into several loops depending on the overall distance of the race. At the end of each loop, you will always come back into the village and have to present to the vet at the end of the loop to determine if you are fit to compete for the following loop.

Gloves – save your hands, the best investment you will ever make (you can’t ride properly if you can’t hold the reigns)

What horse can compete in endurance?

Arabian horses have proved exceptionally well suited to these rides, because of their legendary stamina and intelligence. There are although, many other breeds that can successfully complete an endurance ride; such as Anglo Arab (usually crossed with a thoroughbred), Thoroughbreds, Standedbreds, Morgans, Mustangs/Brumbys. Generally any light horse breed can compete in endurance, as lean muscle mass is the most desirable, a general rule of thumb is; the heavier or taller the horse, the more it will struggle to regulate body temperature.

Larger horses generally have more muscle mass to cool down, resulting in a slower heart rate and respiratory recovery that can lead to further complications.

How to enter the endurance industry 1.

You need to be part of a stable, as the federation requires that you have to be registered under a trainer or belong to a “registered” racing stable.

2.

You don’t have to go the expense of buying your own horse and gear, you can find several stables in the UAE that offer special endurance packages that will help you to become qualified.

3.

Once you have found a stable and have started regularly riding and getting used to riding over long distances you will enter your first qualifier, and have to successfully complete (without your horse being vetted out) 2x 40km and 2x 80km before you can enter into any of the other races, as a general rule of thumb.

Trainers – most endurance riders wear trainers as the rubber sole helps to absorb the continuous impact (your feet can go numb) Chaps – always a great idea as this will reduce friction and add another layer of protection between your leg and the stirrup leather GPS watch – if you’re interested in knowing your speed, incline and horses heart rate to perfect your ride Helmet – I don’t think I have to emphasise the importance of this item!

Pockets or packs – to keep things such as lip balm, phone, energy supplements, panadol , bandaids etc…

Cecile.

details Try this endurance stable to get a feel if endurance is the sport for you: Al Jiyad Stables is the home of over 50 endurance, school & leisure horses. They offer desert hacks & training for riders of all levels.

Phone: 050 5995866

35

Best SHots our experts

Cotton shirt (I go for long sleeve as it protects you from the elements) or a Polo shirt

our experts

i am an

addict

by Pete Aldwinckle

Shivering with fear,

legs shaking and gym shoe clad feet slowly slipping off the ledge I was standing on, I again tried to pull on the small hold but exhaustion had taken over my whole body. The only discernible movement was a twitch as the last strength drained from me. My fingers slowly opened and I left my fate to the rope tied round my waist and the teenage boy at the other end of it straining to prevent me plummeting to the ground using a body belay. This was my introduction to climbing; mid 1970s in a small quarry in UK, I hated it – the climbing and the quarry. Little did I know as I sat amongst the detritus that within months I would be addicted and embarking on a love affair that would in many ways shape the rest of my life.

The addiction tipping point was a glorious summer weekend in the Derbyshire Peak District in UK. An overnight camp organised by my school and my first exposure to the hard surge of totally pure, uncut rock climbing adrenaline. The high of topping out on a route took me to a living nirvana. Self inflicted food poisoning, a cold sleepless night and the inevitable stove fire did nothing to diminish the experience. This was not a short term hit; I shared the experience with boys that would become long term friends as we embarked on a quest to feed our hunger for more.

This journey has had low points and times when my parents would have despaired if they had known my circumstances. There have been many long cold nights waiting for the first hint of dawn and the possibility of a warming sun. Seeking overnight refuge in a telephone box during a winter storm in Scotland only to find the door blocked by snow in the morning was definitely not a high point, especially as the phone was out of order and there were three of us. Being caught doing a weekly runner from school to cycle 70km to climbing crags brought extended detention but did not deter me.

There have been times I pushed too hard and overstepped the fine line between having some sort of control over where I was going and being in a terrifying place where death was almost an inevitable outcome. Through good luck, being with strong companions, shear bloody mindedness combined with fickle fate determined that that would not be the last adventure for me. Whether it is the compressed time experienced leading a harder than expected climbing route with derisory protection or the extending of time during a multi day abseil epic descending an alpine rock route in the eye of a storm; the value added to life is immeasurable.

“

I have found that sunrises and sunsets when

climbing are more beautiful than normal.

The public outing that had occurred when my repeated deceit was exposed to my boss when I was the senior engineer working on military rope access intervention equipment was another low. I was booking out to play golf and then going rock climbing.

It could have been worse though if he had known that as a teenager, when I bought my first climbing harness and rock boots, I had pranced around my bedroom admiring them in the mirror. Then there was the pink lycra phase in the 1980s. Serious issues with no cure!

So why suffer so much for something that few people understand. The wasted hours hitching and overnight drives to obscure climbing venues, rough sleeping and extreme budget living in order to potentially expose myself to abject fear, brutally hard physical exertion, suffering and possible death. In short, it makes life worth living.

The experiences and adventure I have ac-

36

cumulated over the years through climbing are numerous and most significantly I have been able to share them with some fantastic people. Rogues, a few; disparate characters most definitely, but all genuine, fundamentally honest humans with real heart, determination and fortitude combined with energy and motivation. Together we have shared the exhilaration of reaching the top of short and long rock climbs and high mountains.

The difficulty of the route has not really mattered; while increased difficulty requires more focus, commitment and concentration but the living joy is the same. Seeing a fellow climber achieve success on a route

”

that has tested them, absorbed their energy and at times frustrated them, is uplifting and a privilege.

I have found that sunrises and sunsets when climbing are more beautiful than normal.

When the night sky is clear it has an enhanced mystery and vibrancy when viewed from a climbing campsite. For me, the climbing life has provided experiences that have bordered on spiritual, an escape from the challenges that everyday modern life routinely throws at you and the opportunity to share magnificent highs and some lows with great people. The after buzz and natural high lives within me long after I return to normal life; the experiences are pure poetry for the heart.

And a final thought to the question, why do people climb, was recently answered by a financial journalist experiencing their first rock climbing. Just as he was about to start his first climb he asked me, “why do people climb?”

My reply was along the lines of I will tell you when you come back down and can you explain the recent bank failures. He reached the top of the route, punched the air vigorously and whooped with joy. On his return to terra firma, he acknowledged that he understood why people climbed; and to bank failures, his response was, “who cares about the banks, where is the next climb�.

Many thanks to the people that have shared the adventure so far and feeding the need; I am looking forward to many more in the future.

Pete.

Slow Lane to Nowhere

our experts

Cont.

by Patrice Wergifosse

I did it!

I crossed hundreds of mountain passes through the Zagros mountains, the Alps, the Tyrol, the Dolomites and many other mountain ranges I don’t even know the name in Turkish and Kurdistan. I drove thousands of kilometers on tracks, I followed rivers, wadis, canyons and seas for a few thousand kilometers, I also crossed hundreds of kilometers of flat plain, and yes, I also took a few hundreds of kilometers of highways. I reached my hometown in Belgium 2 months and 1 day after leaving Dubai. Not bad considering I wanted to go up in one month.

12,600 kilometers of (nearly) pure fun, and except for some liaison stages through industrial valleys, I loved every single one of them. With a special mention for Iran, Iraq and Turkey, where there are so many tracks to go and get lost in the middle of nowhere.

The European part of the trip was uneventful except for my exhaust pipe that broke loose in Lichtenstein. In a country where you can eat everywhere on the floor, it is not really welcome and you can imagine the scene: Me, stopped on the car park of a small quiet private bank with my greasy coverall and gloves lying under my car, with posh Swiss bankers looking at me during their cigarette break. One thing I never ran out during this trip was luck. And again, there was a service center 100m away. They got it fixed, but I was already less happy when they gave me an invoice of 100EUR (500AED).

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The welding was not even gold-plated...

Welcome to Europe. In Iran I could have changed the whole exhaust for that price!

So now here I am, sitting inside with shoes on, depressed by the Belgian weather for the last 3 weeks. The white V on my feet, the mark of my flip-flop I was so proud of has faded away. Every time I look outside, it just rain and rain again. What a contrast after 2 months of freedom and sun... In my plans, I would have been already back on the road after a good service of the car. Unfortunately the car needs more than a good service. I told you about the engine problems over the last 3000 kilometers. The cause was not the ignition, but apparently the wearing of the camshaft, a well-known problem on these engines. So I had to find a place 1) With the knowledge of these engines 2) Not too expensive 3) With some availability.

This is now being done and they started to take the engine out today. When done, I will take the car to another place where I can do the more basic maintenance with friends for cheaper.

As it was time to replace a few other things, I have also chosen to upgrade the exhaust, the air filter and with the modified camshaft, it should give me 40-50 extra HP much needed in the dunes. I cannot wait to be in the deserts of Iran to give it a try! So I am stuck here for few more weeks, waiting for the car to be up and running again. There is one

more bottleneck: the visa for Iran. I thought it would be as easy as in Dubai to get it.

Unfortunately it isn’t, and if I had known that before, I would have applied earlier. I went to the consulate in Brussels on a Friday morning to apply, thinking that like in any consulate in the world, you apply for visas in the morning. They told me that visa applications were only on Mondays and Thursdays

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from 3.30 to 4.30. So here I am the next Monday at the right time filling all the papers and all. It is my turn at the booth, I gave all my papers, and everything was in order until the guy asks me for my reference number...

no heater either for when temperature drops below zero. I have a soft top, but it doesn’t totally close the cabin for snow and rain.

So I will be very close to nature, leaving the comfort at home.

That is when I learned that you have first to apply through an Iranian Tourist Agent for a reference number with the Min- istry of Foreign Affairs. A process that take between 2 and 4 weeks... So let’s wait and see, (but definitely try to enjoy Iran at least once when you are in Dubai).

I will have to be extra careful in the mountains, as I have no heater in the tent either.

I am looking for snow chains. When back in UAE, I will probably be the only proud owner of chains in the country. And I am pretty sure they won’t let me try them at Ski Dubai.

So I just want to start on the way back as soon as possible. Realistically, it will not happen before mid-November. How much time will I spend on the road? I don’t know.

If things come to worst, I will “speed” to the deserts of Iran and leave the snow behind me. But let’s wait and see. The best thing in this trip is not to have any plan or schedule.

The most recurring question I got since here is; ”Did you happen to be in any dangerous situations?” with everybody expecting unbelievable stories. I could only bring disappointing answers. The trip was certainly not boring or uneventful, but I never faced life-threatening situations. Of course there were few challenges, but you take them one by one as they arrive, you don’t panic and you overcome them. Of course I got breakdowns with the Land Rover, but she never got stuck in the middle of nowhere, engine dead. There were some difficult tracks, but if there is a track, somebody went there before you. Of course it is never funny to have a guy (let alone a guy in civilian clothes) cocking his gun behind your car, or waking up with 2 muzzles of Kalashnikov looking at you in the eyes, but I could always talk myself out of these situations. And of course I got an insolent luck all the way. An example?

Here it is.

A lot of uncertainties, the only sure thing is that I have to be back in Dubai before the 2nd of February to keep my residency.

The route will be Italy-Greece (ferry)-Turkey and Iran. In Turkey, I will do part of the south coast, then go more inland. Van is on my route; there are few confluence points around here to visit. In a mountainous region in the snow, I don’t have much hope to reach them though. The earthquake doesn’t really impact my plans; let’s just see if this picturesque church on an Island on the lake is still standing... In Iran, I will follow the Caspian Sea then go south and cross the deserts in the center of the country to enjoy a UAE-like weather, maybe cooler at night. The car had no AC when it was 50 degrees, and there is

In Naxcivan, I was coming down from nice mountains where I was unlucky and didn’t see any bears. I heard some noises at night but I must admit I didn’t get up to check. On the way, I saw a nice big lake and decided to stop for a swim. The shore was 500m from the road and pretty muddy and I made a note to be careful when going out. Of course after swimming lazily in the sun for 2 hours and enjoying a few beers, I totally forgot to be careful to drive out. And here I am, the chassis stuck solid in the mud 3 meters away from the water. Stuck in sand, I know, but in the mud, it is the first time. The front of the car is towards the lake and there is nothing to hook the winch. Before taking my shovel and digging for the next 3 days, I walked

back to the road to look for help. It is Sunday; I didn’t see many 4x4s in the country, but let’s try anyway. The 2 first cars to pass by were old Ladas from the 80s, but the third vehicle was a 16T crane. You see what I mean when I speak about insolent luck. We didn’t have more than 10 words in common, but I still managed to explain my situation.

Because of his weight, he could not come closer than 40 meters from my car. So we assembled, sweating under the sun (it was still Ramadan) for one-hour, all his pieces and bits of heavy cables to get a length of 30m.

His crane couldn’t pull me straight so he extended the boom upwards. The recovery was pretty hectic as the back of the car was suspended in the air, being pulled upward rather than straight. But after 10 minutes, I was on safe ground again. A nice story to tell now, but without the help of this guy, I could have been stuck there for a long time...

It is now time to find a conclusion for the article. I experienced a lot of good times, but some frustrations as well. So far the biggest frustration was related to a special tap for my water tank that was air freighted from South Africa for 1000AED. The tap was special because you could lock it with a padlock, except, that I never bought a padlock, and anyway the tank started leaking from day 2...

But for 2 weeks now, I experienced a bigger frustration: I had already made several plans to go and see Metallica live in concert, but for many reasons, it never worked out. So when I learned that they were coming to Dubai when I was away, I was not really happy to be stuck in Belgium. I hope however, you have enjoyed the event!

For more pictures and stories, I invite you to visit my blog: slowlanetonowhere.blogspot. com I keep you posted, Patrice.

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our experts

Meet my

play

group

Soolyman Sportfishing Team on Gamefishing

Almost every fishing day starts out the same – you wake up, gather all your gear and provisions for the day, you head out, get to the spot, then start fishing. While we're in the water, fishing from shore, from a boat or from a kayak, we try to have as much fun as we can.

Fishing is a sport riddled with preferences; we all have ours. From fishing rods and reels to lines and hooks, to flies and even the handles of the reels, it's all about preferences. The company we keep is within this scope of preference and being out with “the boys” is always an event, fish or no fish.

Part of the guys I regularly fish with are a team of brothers; Bobby, Darryn, and Calvin.

They run a sportfishing charter business called Soolyman Sportfishing.

While on a trip with them a while back, I asked Bobby, “why Soolyman?” It turned out that the Swahili name for sailfish is Sooly and they named their boat “Sooly”. People going on trips always asked “Hey, which boat are we taking?” the answer was “oh, the Sooly, man!”

True to the name of their business, they have tagged and released more than 140 sailfish (and counting) in Fujairah alone.

What would they be doing on their free time...fishing of course!

off Big Dorado like this are common

40

The good kind of ‘Bul

Their free time is pretty sporadic, but if they come across a weekend, they call me and invite me out to fish with them, (these guys know I can only fish weekends). I’ve fished with these guys for years and each time is a blast!

I will never forget the time when we had two veteran anglers on board that had a really bad case of marlin gaze. They were supposed to take the rod that gets hit. Instead, they were shell shocked and just looked at the bending rod with a shrieking 80 class reel mounted on it. Looking back, I remember Bobby clearing the lines and screaming for anyone to take the rod, I was taking my camera out of the bag...the only mistake I made was not taking a picture of the guys with the marlin gaze. (To date, I have not heard of anyone having the same success rate on billfish as these guys have in Fujairah).

snap Bringing this one up was not a

True to the name of their business, they have tagged and released more than 140 sailfish (and counting) in Fujairah alone.

What would they be doing on their free time...fishing of course!

Their free time is pretty sporadic, but if they come across a weekend, they call me and invite me out to fish with them. These guys know I could only fish weekends. I've fished with these guys for years and each time is a blast!

I will never forget the time when we had two veteran anglers on board that had a really bad case of marlin gaze. They were supposed to take the rod that gets hit. Instead, they were shell shocked and just looked at the bending rod with a shrieking 80 class reel mounted on it. Looking back, I remember Bobby clearing the lines and screaming for anyone to take the rod, I was taking my camera out of the bag...the only mistake I made was not taking a picture of the guys with the marlin gaze. To date, I don't have not heard of anyone having the same success rate on billfish as these guys have in Fujairah.

Fujairah

Calvin with a nice AJ

Darryn under heavy load

I have gone on trips with them as the designated photographer of the group and ended up catching the most fish, I was too busy pumping the rod to pick up the camera.

And while everyone is jigging for tuna at the bow, a quiet figure slips a live bait from the back...Calvin. Before you know it, he would be reeling something in....most of the time, something big. The guy jigs like a machine and on our first visit to spot X, he nailed a nice sized amberjack.

ll’

When I want to test some- thing out or try something new, I give them a call. If my recollection serves me right, I have never presented an idea they haven’t humored.

Even while all the rest of the guys on board are armed with spinning reels and are ready to cast their poppers and waxwings (Yes Anas, that’s you), they would always position the boat where it’s best for me to cast my fly-rod. This happens instinctively and not

In the recently concluded Zighy bay Tournament, the team has placed second and taking to note that the area is not one of their regular fishing areas. This tells you of the experience and knowledge these guys have, the passion for what they do and what they do, they do very well.

one of my hair brain ideas, I'm sure the answer would not be a no.

Their dad (Philip Du Plesis) often says “We do what we do, ocean, river, lake, stream or pond, total commitment.” Boys, I could not agree more....So boys, where and when next?

What makes or breaks a fishing trip is not the fish that you have on your line, it's who you share it with.

Till next tide change, Kit.

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There was a time when I called Darryn and told him I wanted some tuna, he told me to go to Fujairah one afternoon, in fact, he insisted I came in the afternoon with them.

We arrived and saw he was alone, he took us to one of the boats and not even 10 minutes in, we saw tuna 30 feet below the boat. The only fish we took home was one I intended to keep for the table. He perfectly gaffed it on the nape so I would get perfect tuna fillets.

even discussed. They understand me and my fishing style, almost everything is in sync; attributing to how much time we’ve spent on the water, but I would say that it’s the keen attention to their angler’s fishing style and what they (their angler) wants to do. I have fished with a lot of skippers and most of the time, they want you to do what they want to do, not what you want.

I am indeed lucky to have these guys in my playgroup.

The last time we went out, which was only a couple of weeks ago, we caught some amberjack, caught too many dorado to count and raised a sailfish, that was just a morning's worth of fishing. Anas got acquainted with Rolf, fell in love with the waxwing and caught the biggest catch of the day...seasickness, with only 4 guys on the brand new Yellowfin2, the trip was all laughs!

Sailfish on a popper

I am already looking forward to our next trip.

We are waiting for something and when it comes, I know my phone would ring with a familiar voice on the other line. Schedules permitting; I would again ask them to humor Soolyman Sport Fishing

Any dAy on the wAter is A good dAy . . . we mAke it better

© Stephen Whitesell

ocean sports fze

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

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41

Adventure hQ (times square mall)

our experts

to

Dibba!

I have stated several times in

the past that I prefer going on “my own” adventures, rather than paying someone to take me on theirs.

It was with this mindset that I was hesitant to join some friends on one of EBT’s (Emirates Bike Tours) adventures. The fact that this trip was 180km from Al Awir (Dubai) all the way to Dibba made me think: “No planning, maps, arranging backup, Google photos, hours of GPS programming and finding riding partners for that weekend” Combine this with our end destination being the Radisson Blu in Dibba...

This was the 1st time for EBT to attempt this route with clients and thus not sure how long it would take a group to do the route. We all met at Al Awir by 5h30 and started to off load and get ready for the ride. We were 15 riders in total and just before departure Stuart (EBT) briefed us on some detail regarding the route and conditions we could expect. Stuart was to lead all the way with the group following in a “stretched” line.

One thing that is obviously very difficult for a tour operator is to cater for the whole spectrum of riders out there. In this group we had both ends of the experience level.

Such as, the super-fast jumping and hitting every hump and dune to spend as much time airborne as possible, and then also some who were very new. (Only 5 days in the UAE). Here Stuart did a great job keeping everybody safe and happy.

He altered the route slightly to accommodate us all and spent a lot of time riding between the front and back of the group.

The weather was perfect for the long trip as it was pleasant and not too hot. The desert was also clean from tracks due to the wind and the rain earlier the week. This made it easier for the riders at the back to follow the tracks and not get “too” lost.

Refueling stops were about 50km apart to accommodate all the bikes. It was a hit and run at the first and last refueling stop and slightly longer stops at the other two. James from EBT drove the support vehicle and demonstrated his skill and speed repairing a flat wheel at one of the stops (nice to have the pro’s do it rather than attempting it with limited tools like we usually do...).

Entering the mountains near Masafi was new for most of us. It was beautiful, not too technical, yet a nice change from the usual “all sand” routes. There were many puddles of water and the trees were bright green as the rain had removed the dust from their leaves.

We made several stops to take photos and to just appreciate the beauty of the mountains.

42

By the time we excited the mountains I started getting some muscle cramps from the lack of body salts and electrolytes. I had plenty of water but no electrolyte or re-hydration substances during the ride. Let me assure you that I will not forget this on the next ride!!

We reached the beach at Dibba just after 14h00 for a group photo before the final short run to the Radisson. The welcome from the staff was excellent and seeing the 15 dirty off-road bikes park in the VIP parking area was in contrast with the usual Bentley or Mercedes. (We were just as dirty as our bikes, after 7 hours of riding!!!!)

Will I do it again??

I have already paid for the next one in November!!! (info@emiratesbiketours.com) Ride Safe and Go for Gold.

John Basson.

TRAVEL & ADVENTURE

On the move to explore

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. We at Rahhalah, have a solid commitment to revive the spirit of our old Rahhalahs and a promise to pursue their adventures and endeavours in a sustainable manner.

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

Some of our adventures

• 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 • Thrilling Nepal; hike, cycle, raft and explore • East African Dreams; comfortable and challenging Safari adventures that are not for the fainthearted in both Tanzania & 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

people

Meet

Name: Matt Pfeifer Nationality: South African

Matt

What’s your passion?

Surfing is my true passion, however in this country (UAE) surfing obviously has its limitations (regarding the size and consistency of waves) so climbing is great activity to fill the flat spells!!

How did you come across this activity?

My uncle was a provincial surfer in South Africa and whilst visiting him one holiday he exposed me to the sport and I have loved it since. With regards to climbing; I stumbled upon the sport about 2 years ago whilst doing a top-rope course in Thailand.

When I arrived back to Dubai, I continued by climbing at one of the few artificial walls here and then, in February of 2010 I started getting involved in the outdoor climbing scene.

Where & how do you usually practice it in the UAE?

Surfing - at JBR beach. Climbing - Tawiyan, Dibba (coast and inland), Hatta, Al Ain. The reason I have been able to climb most weekends over the past 2 years is due to Gordon Rech and Toby Foord Kelcey (author of: ‘UAE Rock Climbing’) both of whom have been tremendously helpful in providing me with lifts to the crags and ultimately sharing their tenacity and knowledge of the sport with me. Thank you.

Do you have any specific tips and tricks when you’re climbing?

Not really, I try to keep focused on my breathing to try and maintain a rhythm.

Also, climbing revealed a devoted manner in the way climbers live their lives and train for hours and hours on end; if climbers are not at work they are training!! I have tried to adopt this attitude by training a great deal more but have not yet mastered it!

Where is your favourite place to climb?

In the UAE: it would be between Tawiyan and Sharkfin, but now that sharkfin is very difficult to access due to contemporary and rather stringent border issues, it would be Tawiyan. Also, Wadi Kab Al Shamis has

44

a lot of potential and is a very a scenic and aesthetic area to climb and spend the weekend. I haven’t climbed in too many places outside the UAE. Antalya, Turkey was my first trip in which I just climbed that was awesome!

What do you recommend our readers?

Getting involved in climbing here in the UAE is easy. However, there are certain individuals who claim to be ‘accredited climbing guides’ but are not and ultimately pose a potential risk to you. For further climbing information, I recommend purchasing a copy of the official UAE guidebook: ‘UAE Rock Climbing’, and for outdoor expertise and guiding, I believe Simon Cahill (owner of ‘Arabian Outdoors’) can set you in the right route!!

To find out more get in touch with Outdoor UAE : contact@outdooruae.com

Meet Another

What has been your best experience involving your activity?

It has to be climbing the north face of the Gran Paradiso in the Italian Alps this summer.

The climb involves a 400m, 50 degree ice face following by a traverse across a ridge line, finished off by climbing over a cornice to the summit. The reason why this sticks in my mind is that not only did it test all of my climbing and fitness skills, but a storm hit as we were heading to the summit, which required us to trust our instincts and get up to the summit and then down the other side as quickly and safely as possible. This experience made me realise what is possible when you follow your dreams and trust yourself to succeed.

Name: Matt Farr Nationality: British Occupation

Owner of Mountain Quests, a bespoke Adventure Travel company based in Dubai, U.A.E.

What is your passion and how did you get into it?

My passion is ice climbing and mountaineering. Ironically I started doing this whilst living in Dubai, one of the least cold climates in the World. It all started with a trek to Everest Base Camp in 2008, which I did as a form of escape from my life as an interest rates trader at a U.A.E. bank. That experience ended up changing my life. The trek opened my eyes to the beauty of the real World and the lure of the mountains.

After finishing that trip I came back to the U.A.E., yearning to leave the trekking trails and get on the snow and ice of the mountains themselves. Since then I have started climbing in Nepal, The Alps and the Scottish Highlands.

How long have you been in the UAE and why did you come here?

I arrived in Dubai in January 2007, after travelling to the region on a regular basis for work for one year. I was offered a job

What is your next planned adventure?

There are several in the pipeline, but the one I am most excited about is climbing the south-west ridge of Ama Dablam (6856m) in the Nepal Himalaya in October 2012. The reason for this is that when I went to Everest Base Camp in 2008 (my 1st ever adventure), Ama Dablam stood out along the route for 2 days and at the time I thought it would be something I could never imagine trying.

Three years later we are planning to make our own attempt on the mountain.

What would you recommend our readers if they wanted to get into what you do?

Start by learning rock climbing. This sport gives you a lot of the skills required for mountaineering and ice climbing in terms of safety, rope work and the right mental attitude. And the best thing is that the Hajer mountains in Ras Al Khaimah offer an incredible training ground to learn these skills.

There are several companies offering training and I have used one myself, who I would happily recommend. On top of that go to Nepal to see the mountains yourself. Flights from the U.A.E. are cheap and Kathmandu is only 4 hours from Dubai. But above all, learn from qualified guides. Rock climbing and mountaineering are serious pursuits that require the right training in order to stay safe.

45

people

in a bank to trade credit and fixed income. I didn't just come for the job though. I love the way of life here and the fact that the U.A.E. is positioned so well for so many international destinations.

Best SHots

Matt

spots & locations

n io t a c o L 's a r u La Explore Musandam’s elusive underwater world with Sheesa Beach’s, “Moray Whisperer”...

LAURA KATE SNOOK is a

personal trainer who creates contemporary workout videos blending a unique fusion of resistance, balance, fitball & dynamic yoga.

Download or stream from www.laurakateaustralia.com

There is something abso-

lutely magical about camping on the deck of a dhow, feeling the gentle rock of the ocean slowly drift you to sleep as you watch in awe at the brilliant diamonds in the sky. What makes it even better is the treat of being awakened by the sun rising over the mountains....casting a gorgeous amber glow as dolphins frolic merrily amongst the bay... is this some kind of fairytale?... No.... quite simply this is the paradise of Musandam. A place where ancient mountains rise from the sea and the brilliant blue contrast of the water hides the secrets of the underwater world beneath.

Ahhhhh, the elusive underwater world...the place where not too many of us, including me, go to explore. I find it funny that I am always on the quest to see some new and exciting “land”... completely forgetting the whole other world which is literally on our doorstep.

It was only when I met Sheesa Beach’s Operations Manager Neil, that I was reminded that this world not only exists, but after only 2 hours drive – its beckoning grace enters you into a world of delightful discovery.

Sheesa Beach specialise in live-aboard dive trips. 2 nights and 2 days packed full of diving, Neil and the crew take you on a wild journey both above and below the surface of the ocean.

What I immediately noticed about this trip was the relaxed and casual atmosphere.

To be honest I am not a fan of tours, often finding them to be cheesy and rehearsed.

However, the moment I stepped onto the dhow Thursday night, I had a feeling that Sheesa would be different. Their whole purpose is to create a trip which feels like you are just heading away with your mates, only you have the added bonus of having all the ‘upkeep’ completely taken care of.

Everything from cooking, tank filling and ‘location hopping’ is completely taken off

your hands... leaving you time to focus on diving and the majestic scenery which surrounds you!

The plan for the weekend was to do 5-7 dives. Whilst I didn’t want to create any expectations, I have to admit the desire to see a Whale Shark, was beginning to build.

People from all over the world come to see whale sharks up the west coast of my homeland, Australia, and if I could see one literally at my backdoor... then this would certainly cause a few people back home to turn the colour green!

With this in mind, I am pleased to report that after 10 minutes into our first dive... we were graced with the presence of a mother Whale Shark and her calf! For 24 minutes this beautiful beast swam curiously around us, so inquisitive, so majestic... so incredibly HUGE! I think she was just as interested as us... as she made no attempt to swim away, rather she preferred to take the approach of tightly circling us!.... perhaps that is why my air didn’t last too long for this particular dive...

No sooner had we been circled by the Whale Shark, we were then plunging deeper to the oceans floor, where I saw Neil truly work his magic. Dubbed on the trip as the “Moray Whisperer”, I watched in amazement as Neil began to wallow about the ocean floor, stopping off to beckon some peculiar looking “friends” hiding deep from within their caves. As I looked closer at what he was enticing, I was rather shocked to see an unsightly looking eel!

46

did you know?

Every whale shark has their own unique pattern of spots, which scientists use as a way to identify each one.

Initially a little erkish, I watched in amazement as Neil worked his magic with these devilish looking critters!

Gently extending his arm to stroke them under their chins, the fire in their eyes rapidly extinguished to soft gooey honey as they felt the gentle touch of their gills being tickled. There we were 20m under the ocean, and Neil was bonding with these wild Morays like they were his long lost friends!

A trip like this is where you forget about the norms of daily life. The moment you set sail you leave the stress of the city behind you, only to be replaced by the relaxing charm and mysteries of the underwater world. Here you have an ancient playground where Miss Mother Nature awaits your every curiosity and promises you something new and diverse each time. Whether you have the luck of being graced with the presence of a Whale Shark or the intrigue of watching Musandam’s ‘Moray Whisperer’.......there is always plenty to discover.

Majestic wall dives, coral gardens and a rich marine biodiversity, the beauty of exploring the underwater world enables you to uncover, what feels like, unchartered territory.

No presence of human life, just nature in her rawest form. If you haven’t yet been on a dive trip to Musandam, a weekend with Sheesa’s “Moray Whisperer” is a must!

don’t have a dive ticket?

We had a guy on our trip who completed his theory online during the week, then used the trip to complete his practical. Open water diver in no time! www.sheesabeach.com

Laura xx

must try!

Sheesa Beach monthly Live-Aboard Dive Trips - 2 nights & 2 days makes all the difference – Neil... Musandam’s “Moray Whisperer”

Waking up on Friday morning to the sunrise and frolicking dolphins... need I say more?!

Contact Neil: +968 2 683 6551/ +971 50 333 6046/ +971 50 740 9463 www.sheesabeach.com

spots & locations

The big

caves of

Oman I had been in Dubai for

a few months when I started to venture over the border into Oman for visa runs. I had no idea the Hajar Mountains even existed let alone the opportunities for world-class rock climbing and caving. The geologists among us will know the Hajar Mountains are an open picture book depicting over 800 million years of geological development.

Examples of rock formations normally buried deep in the ground or heavily vegetated are clearly on display in the Hajar range. So what is all this rock made from? Well the Hajar are rich in many minerals; for example remains of ancient tin mines can be found in RAK. However, the rock is primarily limestone. And limestone usually equals big caves! So where are they?

The internet and the social media boom has made information very easy to access, as far as my research went five years ago there was very little to go on. The key was in an article published by NSS News in April of 1998.

The article explains in detail how Don Davison while working as a hydrologist for the Oman government discovered a series

48

of large caves. Subsequently an exploratory expedition was launched and the caves structure and formation was documented.

The caves where named as Majilis Al Jinn, 7th Hole, Arch Cave, Three window Cave & Al Kahf Tahry. The article is incredibly interesting but I’ll leave you to uncover a copy to do your own research.

Since the early explorations there have been a number of expeditions back into the caves.

Developments and considerable digging and tunnelling in the 1990’s proved the theory that some of the caves are linked. Since that time further expeditions have completed through routes and further documented the caves.

Most expedition teams have strived to preserve the natural environment and fragile eco systems and to respect the local culture.

It is sad to say a few teams did not act in such a way and as a direct result access to at least one of the caves is now very restricted, with only one or two permits per year being issued. The Oman government and tourist board has been considering various options concerning access. My understanding is the options have ranged from total closure to the formation of “tourist” show caves. Access is a very sensitive issue; please bear this in mind if you join an expedition to the area.

by Simon Cahill

My aim was to complete one of the through routes that have only been done a few times; a challenging route requiring expertise and specialist equipment. The paper research done it was time for a reccy.

Leaving Dubai on 26th December I headed south, and kept heading south and kept driving for hour after hour. My first aim was to take a look at all the cave openings; most are located close together high on a mountain plateau. Al Kahf Tahry is the exception; being a huge re-entrant bursting out into a wadi

several kilometres away from the other openings. Al Kahf Tahry was my second goal for this expedition.

An early morning inspection of the openings made me appreciate the vast size of these caves. You definitely don’t want to drive around up there at night; you could lose a bus down those holes never mind a small 4x4. A careful look over the edge and the irresistible urge to drop a stone proved for sure that the rumoured 200m abseils are a reality if one wants to get into these huge caverns.

spots & locations

The first challenge is the mountain road up to the plateau. Turning off the hard top and engaging four-wheel drive all was going well, and then the track became steep and the yellow dot I’d been watching in the distance became a huge bull dozer repairing the road.

The road was completely washed out, in broken English and sign language we soon established it would be one week before I could pass. An earlier study of Google Earth had indicated a possible alternative route, I’d logged the route as an alternate route off the plateau; but did I want to try and find my way up it with over 50km of serious off road driving? And the Yusuf appeared with six words of English, those being Kahf (Arabic for cave), me, go, uncle, Dubai & good. Four hours later I was not only on the plateau but also at home in Yusuf’s uncle’s farm with a bed for the night. I was not going to be allowed to camp. Yusuf showed me the bathroom where to hide the key when I left and with that he headed off for his long walk back down the hill, which he assured me cross country, was only two hours.

its self was too reccy the first part of the cave.

This section of cave would form the final part of a later expedition when completing a through trip from 7th hole. The reccy also gave an opportunity to leave food, a stove and water to enable another overnight stay on the later expedition. The downside was carrying all 15kgs of the food and water, plus food & water for the current overnight reccy.

“

After some scouting around a wadi heading the right direction was located and chosen as the best route in to Al Kahf Tahry. A pleasant walk turned to a scramble, the steps down

way to traverse around, the only way is up.

Finally the GPS bleeps, “you have reached your waypoint”. The longitude and latitude may well be right but I’m standing on the roof of the cave which is some 400m thick.

Ninety minutes later after continuing up and over the top I reach the cave entrance.

Again the scale is staggering. The entrance is guarded by a maze of boulders as big as tower blocks; it’s another hour before I collapse inside and drop my heavy load.

After a little recovery and a rationed drink of water, I scout about for fire wood, cook some

And what a place, the size and depth of these caves is incredible.

The openings marked by GPS and safe routes between them established it was time to head for Al Kahf Tahry; the re-entrant (cave opening) in the wadi for an overnight reccy of the area. I had a GPS reference and height elevation for the Al Kahf Tahry entrance but no idea of the best route to it.

The reason for going besides the adventure in

became small climbs, the GPS said I was at the same elevation as the cave but still a 1000m away. The wadi was dropping to fast.

The cave was going to end up above me; then to make matters worse the direction of the wadi changed. Time for a change of plan.

A big slog back up hill via a smaller side wadi seemed the way to go, up it went and I went and all the food and water went as well. Watching the little arrow on the GPS getting closer and closer to the vast cave opening was a sheer joy, but wait I’m getting really close yet the ground all looks wrong. Now I’m too high and no

”

food and finally get into a sleeping bag for the night. Whether to take a sleeping bag or not was a real dilemma, but a good call in the end. It was a cold night in the cave and a good sleep was much needed.

An early start gave me a few hours to explore the first section of Al Kahf Tahry, maybe 600m or 700m. Not many people travel this far into the cave, it gets dark very quickly and going is difficult. These caves are so big you could get lost in the first couple of hundred meters. Placing way markers I progressed past a stainless steel rope ladder left by a previous expedition and onto a large canyon room. From here onwards ropes are

photo: Phil Durrel

49

spots & locations

required. A small diversion to a side canyon and a glimmer of light suggested there is another opening but my time had run out. I still had the long hike back to the plateau. As it turned out I chose an alternative hiking route back to 7th hole, with 15kg less kit and some good trails I had an enjoyable and relatively short hike back.

A huge amount of knowledge was gained on the first reccy, I now understood the logistics of getting an expedition onto the plateau,

“

ble. We took a look around and found the visitors book. A record of who has been into the cave kept in a plastic box high up in a dry spot (yes it does get a lot of water in the cave when it rains). The next phase of our exploration was the Shoulder Drop, the next long descent after the initial big abseil in. Time passed quickly, after scouting Shoulder Drop it was time to leave. A tough three pitch rock climb assisted by our fixed descent ropes took us

To go into these caves is no small undertaking. It requires an experienced and well trained team, a lot of specialist equipment and time when everyone can commit.

”

had established the location of all the main openings and found a good route to and from Al Kahf Tahry. Additionally I had explored what would be the last section of cave on a through expedition. However these sections are the easy ones, getting into the caves and navigating them from the other openings is a far more serious undertaking.

back to the surface just after dark. If it wasn’t for all the midges on our bbq’d steaks and ice cold refreshments, it would have been the perfect end to another successful reccy.

The second reccy in April was to explore the 7th Hole opening. Another long drive this time with two vehicles a fellow climber and a small support crew I was back on the plateau. A remote corner of the world it may be, but not so remote; someone else had the same idea and was set up using the top anchors used for descending when we arrived. We did consider using an alternative drop point that we were pretty sure gave us a direct drop line. It’s very important not to have your ropes rubbing on sharp edges.

Bouncing around on a rope pulled tight over sharp rock will end in disaster. However our main concern was the team below us, what if we kicked a rock off, dropped a bit of kit, with a fall of 120m it would be like being hit by a bullet.

To go into these caves is no small undertaking. It requires an experienced and well trained team, a lot of specialist equipment and time when everyone can commit. One day these things will all come together and hopefully before my tins of beef stew, packets of rice and other goodies stashed at Al Kahf Tahry pass their “best by date”

Not giving up so easily I had heard rumours about another way in. An hour or so of scouting about the adjacent wadi gave us the key to the door. We were in. And what a place, the size and depth of these caves is incredi-

And now for the main event. Well to date it hasn’t happened.

As a business I run Arabia Outdoors, we can offer you many exciting and challenging experiences, however these caves are not suited to commercial expeditions and we don’t offer them as an expedition. Any suitably experienced people interested in training together as equal members with shared costs can contact me for details of a group who meet regularly to train for future expeditions.

Simon.

photo: Phil Durrel

50

photo: Phil Durrel

As

spots & locations

recently as 2006, almost all “UAE rock climbing” was actually in Oman.

Border restrictions on the way to the two most popular areas, Wonderwall, east of Al Ain, and Wadi Bih, east of Ras Al Khaimah, were non-existent. Frustratingly policy has tightened since then. Wadi Bih has been worst affected. The many hundreds of climbs there are now inaccessible. Journey times to several other areas are now much longer and forgetting to carry passports can wreck a day out.

Hanging out in

Tawiyan

by Toby Foord-Kelcey

An obvious response was to start looking for cliffs wholly within the UAE. The country actually has less rocky terrain than you might think, of which a large proportion is quarried. And some other potential spots have very difficult access. New road building has helped. For example, the new road to the Jebel Al Jais resort project near RAK has opened up Wadi Shahah to climbers. Unfortunately the blocky cliffs there aren’t ideal for the sport climbing style some of us prefer.

In 2007 I received a tip from Alan Stark in the UK, who acquired an encyclopedic knowledge of the region in the 1990s, to search where Fujairah meets Musandam. In his time, this was serious off-road territory, but the black-top from Khatt to Dibba has changed that. Scott Barber and I looked in May that year, finding a promising-looking wadi just beyond the dusty village of Tawiyan but failed to explore further. A year later, Scott had time free after a solo shop at the infamous “Barracuda”. Rather than return to his wife in Dubai he crossed the sands to Tawiyan and drove then hiked a couple of kilometers up the lonely wadi. That evening he called excitedly to say that he’d found something special: a 70m overhanging cliff facing north and hidden from anywhere.

Scott showed me the location shortly afterwards, right at the onset of summer (and his US vacation). I began a series of visits, sometimes alone, sometimes with Nick McElwee, portering static ropes and bolting gear a kilometer in 40° heat. Reaching the shade under the cliff was always a relief and a pleasure. The canyon floor was white gravel, interspersed with giant boulders, like a super-sized Japanese garden. As to the climbing, there were so many opportunities that it was hard to know where to start.

Progress was slow as everything was harder than we first guessed and the size of the cliff complicated logistics.

One of the first projects was the arête running the full height of the cliff in its centre.

During October 2008 I left a 100m rope on the line for a few weeks whilst busy. When I returned I was startled to see most of the rope heaped on a ledge halfway up the cliff and roughly cut where the excess had been piled at the base. It also had been truncated at the top. There was no choice but to lead the route without any additional bolts; quite exciting. Whilst finishing the climb I realized I was being watched from a kilometer away by two goat-herders on the donkey track that passed above the cliff. I wondered if they now owned the missing 30m of rope and – if so – what usage they planned.

52

spots & locations

We never suffered any other incidents like that and continued plugging away at route development through the autumn . Nick was an especially loyal partner. At New Years Eve in 2008 he had free tickets to see a wellknown Columbian singer perform in Abu Dhabi, but instead opted for a weekend at Tawiyan. The route he completed was briefly christened “Don’t Wanna Hear Ya, Shakira” (later changed to the subtler “Laundry Service”).

Over the cooler months, Scott, Nick and I often camped at the mouth of the wadi; a very tranquil spot. But in early 2009 we began to notice signs of change. Marker poles sprouted along the line of the donkey track whilst a labour camp appeared near the village. Initially worried that it signaled yet another quarry excavation, we were relieved to discover that “only” a road was intended.

Sadly this would prove disruptive enough, as carving out the hillside released thousands of tons of debris into the wadi. Though the climbing areas weren’t directly affected,

by March huge unstable scree slopes had formed. Having spent a cumulative month

of my life at Tawiyan by then, I felt outraged.

Didn’t they know they were ruining “my” wadi?

In April 2009 I visited with my older son for a walk. It had rained hard a few days before. As we entered the deeper part of the canyon it became obvious something very strange had occurred. The zen garden had vanished under jagged brown stones, piled two to three metres above where the wadi base had previously been. Even some climbs were now shorter. We realized that the rains had swept down much of the scree then redistributed it under the cliff. It was a heartbreaking discovery; like the death of an old friend. I climbed there twice more during the summer, as I had some unfinished routes to complete, but then couldn’t bear to return for more than a year.

However during the early part of 2011 I found myself making regular visits to Tawiyan again. A keen team was working hard on repeating the routes and clearly enjoying themselves. Seeing the place fresh through

their eyes I realized less had been lost then I had first perceived. And, though I hated to admit to myself, it didn’t hurt that the road has also halved the access walk. The bottom line of course is that no climber “owns” the cliffs and in a fast-changing place like the Gulf most things are intransient.

Are there other great cliffs to be found within in the UAE borders? I think so. If anyone fancies risking their vehicle’s undercarriage and wearing holes in their shoes, let me know, as I have a few more ideas where to look. At worst you’ll just end up getting some exercise and maybe a small adventure.

Toby.

about the author Toby Foord-Kelcey is the author of “UAE Rock Climbing”, the first printed guidebook to UAE and Musandam climbing. More details can be found at www.redarmadapublishing.com

53

tips & tricks

Minimum

recovery equipment

Now

some pointers . . .

Time for that big shovel!

that we are just beyond the start of the off-road season, it seemed like the right time to emphasise and encourage the carrying of, what many people view as, the minimum recovery equipment when you venture into the dunes. If you’ve been reading the serialisation of my guidebook, you’ll know that this has been covered briefly, but what I wanted to do here is to go into it in a bit more detail and explain the rationale behind the equipment recommended. But, just so you’re forewarned, this article is not about vehicle recovery techniques.

The basis of the equipment included in this article is that stipulated by ME4x4 and some extras from my own experience. This article is not aimed at those who are off-road regulars but more at those who are just starting out or others who may think they need a little guidance.

The ME4x4 list consists of the following:

Recovery/Snatch Strap (rated), 2 Shackles (rated), Tyre Pressure Gauge, Shovel, Work Gloves and a Jacking Board. I would also add to this list a Fire Extinguisher.

Ok, let’s look at each in turn.

Recovery/Snatch Strap (rated)

The first thing to be stated is that a tow strap is NOT a recovery/snatch strap. Recovery straps purposely have a degree of stretch built into them. This allows for the progressive passage of the kinetic energy that the pulling vehicle creates, through the strap, to the vehicle being pulled. If there was only a very small degree of stretch in the strap, as in a tow strap, then vehicle recovery points and/or the shackles attaching the strap to the vehicle would be put under excessive strain and may, consequently, break. This can be deadly to recoverer, recoveree and any onlookers, as the shackles or vehicle recovery points may be thrown with excessive force through windscreens and into any bodies within range. The suggested minimum rating on a recovery/snatch strap is 8,000kg. These are available in the reputable shops in the region.

54

Shackles (rated)

When you buy your shackles ensure that they have a rating of at least 3.25 tonnnes and that this is clearly visible on the shackle body. Shackles without these ratings on them should be avoided. Ensure that the shackles fit through the hook/loop or hole of your recovery points, both front and rear.

It is usually the case that we buy metal shackles of the ‘U’ shape with a screw across the bottom of the ‘U’. These are generally reliable and safe but can be deadly if they, or the recovery point break, and are flung off the end of a recovery strap. What more and more off-roaders use now are what are known as ‘soft shackles’. These originate from sailing and are made of an extremely strong, man made rope known as ‘dyneema’. Though I do carry metal shackles as spares, I carry two 5 tonne soft-shackles for all my recoveries. They are safer, stronger and certainly less lethal at the end of a snapped recovery strap.

the pressure per square centimetre that the tyre exerts on the sand. We really shouldn’t guess what the pressure is after pressing in the valve stem and letting out some air. We really ought to know exactly what the tyre’s pressure is. Without a gauge there is a danger that you either let out too much air, and run the risk of a tyre coming off the rim, or you don’t let out enough and risk getting stuck.

There are a myriad of pressure gauges on the market, both mechanical and electronic. My

Tyre Pressure Gauge

When we venture into the dunes we need to deflate our tyres in order to increase the foot-print of the tyre and thus decrease

Deflating in Liwa

Fire Extinguisher

Hopefully the need for an explanation as to why you should carry a fire extinguisher would be pointless to any reader and a statement of the blindingly obvious. Cars catch fire. They are more susceptible to catching fire when they are being worked hard off-road, where there is a danger of hoses and pipes being dislodged, leaking engines being at unusual angles and dripping inflammable fluids onto hot exhausts etc…

So, please, pretty please with knobs on, carry a fire extinguisher, know how to get it out of your vehicle, know how to use it and, most importantly, check it is in working condition.

Further Equipment

personal preference is for one that allows me to deflate the tyre while at the same time being able to know what the pressure is. This allows me to control, accurately, the process of deflation (others may wish to purchase specific tyre deflators that are able to be set at a certain pressure for this purpose). I do also carry an electronic tyre pressure gauge that allows me check my tyre pressures at any stage and which is particularly useful when re-inflating back to road pressures (my experience of air-compressor gauges is that they can be wildly inaccurate, both the portable and fixed type).

Shovel

Yes, a shovel, not a spade. When we’re stuck in the sand the last thing we want to face is prolonging the process of digging ourselves out due to the fact that we’re using a small spade that shifts a cup full of sand each time. Let me say it now; those small folding spades are practically useless and are just the thing to make you wish you’d brought a shovel when it’s 40+ degrees and you’re stuck. Get a lightweight shovel with a large head. Try it out in the shop for lightness and ease of use. Make sure you can store it in an easily accessible place in your vehicle; you will be needing it.

As I said at the beginning, this article is all about the ‘minimum’ amount of recovery equipment you should carry. If you do carry it, there are not many situations from which you could not extract yourselves if stuck and having only this equipment with you.

There are plenty of other items that you may wish to consider, such as windscreen hammers, seat-belt cutters, waffles boards, sand shoes, portable compressors, winches, etc…

But, for most of us, who only occasionally venture into the dunes, the extra expense of this additional equipment is not necessarily worth it.

A final plea

Not so Lucky but he’s got his gloves on.

Work Gloves

Cars get hot, the sand gets hot, engines compartments get very hot, recovery gear gets hot. Gloves protect you from all the above. Get a good, hard wearing pair that fit you well and allow good dexterity. You need to be able to reach into hot engine bays and in and near glowing exhausts without turning yourself into a burns casualty. If you’re using a winch, particularly those with a metal cable, then gloves are a must, to protect your from stray strands of metal wire and revolving winch drums and snatch blocks.

Jacking Board

If you’ve ever had the misfortune to have a shredded or irreparably punctured tyre, or have a tyre come off the rim, in the dunes

Don’t let the first time you use this equipment be when you’re stuck. Try it out at home, make sure it fits your vehicle, that you can store it in the vehicle and that you are familiar with how it all fits together and how it works. Make sure you know where your jack is stored, how to get it out, how it works and that it does work, as well as ensuring that your wheel removal spanner is in the vehicle and that it fits the wheels nuts. This will all ensure that your travels off-road are a dream rather than a nightmare.

The main photo shows the author’s minimum recovery equipment together with the standard car jack and wheel removal tool. Note, the large shovel, the soft shackles and how clean the back of his car is!

Mike.

Photo Credits: Joanna Thornton, Gordon Smith and the author’s own.

55

tips & tricks

and didn’t have a jacking board, you’ll know full well of the need to carry one. The jacking board is there to support the part of the vehicle that you are jacking up and to stop the jack from sinking, ever deeper, into the sand. Thus, the jacking board needs to be strong enough to support the weight of the corner of the car being raised. The recommended type of jacking board is one made of strong ply wood, about 3cm thick and about 45cm square. You’ll need to position it under the axle being raised, as level as possible and on top of an area of flattened sand. Put your jack on it and then carry on as you normally would when jacking the car. It’s also advisable to chock one of the wheels on the axle not being raised in order to stop the vehicle moving as you jack it up.

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Equipment Al Boom Marine, Abu Dhabi & Dubai+97142894858 , www.alboom-

Jumeirah Beach Hotel P.O. Box 11416, Dubai, UAE Email: divecentre@jumeirah.com Tel: +971 4 406 8828 Web: www.thepaviliondivecentre.com

marine.com Blue Waters Marine, +97142232189, Dubai, www.bluewatersmarine.com Gulf Marine Sports, Abu Dhabi, +97126710017, www.gulfmarinesports.com Premiers for Equipment, Abu Dhabi, Sh. Zayed 1st. Road, +97126665226, www.premiers-uae.com Scuba Dubai, Dubai, +97143414940, www.scubadubai.com Diving Centers 7 Seas Diving Center, Khorfakkan, +97192387400, www.7seasdivers.com Al Boom Diving (equipment), Dubai, Al Wasl Rd, + 97143422993, www.alboomdiving.com Al Mahara Dive Center, Downtown Abu Dhabi, +971501118125, www.divemahara.com Arabian Diver, Hilton Marine, Ras Al Khaimah, +97172226628, +971502428128 www.arabiandiver.com Arabian Divers, Al Bateen Marina Resort, +971506146931 Atlantis Dive Centre (equipment), Dubai, The Palm Jumeirah,+97144263000, www.atlantisdivecentre.com Deep Blue Sea Diving, Dubai, International City, +97144308246, www.diveindubai.com Divers Down, Fujairah, Rotana Al Aqah Hotel Resort & Spa, +971092370299, www.diversdown-uae.com Emirates Divers Centre, Abu Dhabi, near Meena Fish Market,

get started in

kart RACING! • Get on track from age 7!

• Kids & adults tuition.

• Kart racing license.

karting@dubaiautodrome.com Clip out & redeem for a FREE Kartdrome prize! +97143999005, www.watersportsdubai.com The Pavilion Dive Centre (equipment), Dubai, +97144068828 Clubs Atlantis Underwater Photography Club, Dubai, +97144263000 Desert Sports Diving Club, Dubai, www.desertsportsdivingclub.net

Road, next to ACE Hardware, +97143415530, www.leisuremarine-me.com Leading Edge-S, +97172447732, www.leadingedge-s.com Nautica1992, Dubai, +971504262415, www.nautica1992.ae Ocean Active, Dubai, Garden Centre, +971502898713, www.oceanactive.com Operators Al Boom Diving, Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort, Fujeirah, +97143422993 Absolute Adventure, Dubai, +97143459900, www.adventure.ae Al Hamra Marina, Al Hamra, +97172434540 Al Mahara Dive Center, Abu Dhabi, Mussafah, +971501118125, +97150720283 www.divemahara.com Al Shaheen Adventure, Abu Dhabi, +97126429995, www.alshaheenme.com Arabian Divers, Al Bateen Marina Resort, +971506146931, Www. fishabudhabi.com Arabia Outdoors, Dubai, +971559556209, www.arabiaoutdoors.com Barracuda Diving Centre, Fujairah International Marine Club, +9719222558 Belevari Marine, Abu Dhabi,+97126594144 Fun Beach Water Sports, Dubai, +97153244550, www.funbeachsports.com Happy Days Sea Cruising LLC, Dubai, +971558961276, +971503960202, www.happydaysdubai.com Noukhada Adventure Company, Villa 332/7, Al Meena Street, Abu Dhabi, +97126503600, www.noukhada.ae Ocean Active, Dubai, Garden Centre, +971502898713, www.oceanactive.com Sheesa Beach, Dibba, Musandam, +971503336046, www.sheesabeach.com Soolyman Sports Fishing, Dubai, Umm Suqeim, +971508866227, www.soolymansportsfishing.com Xclusive Yachts, Dubai, Dubai Marina, +97144327233, www.xclusiveyachts.com

General Sports Equipment Distributors

Adventure HQ, Dubai Times Square Center, Sheikh Zayed Rd, Toll free: 800-ADVENTURE, www.adventurehq.ae Flip Flop Arabia, flipme@flipflopara-

Fishing & Kayaking

Equipment Al Boom Marine, Abu Dhabi & Dubai+97142894858 , www.alboommarine.com Al Yousuf Motors, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Rd, +97143390621, www.aym.ae/yamaha/ Blue Waters Marine, +97142232189, Dubai, www.bluewatersmarine.com Al Masaood Marine, +97143468000, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, www.masaoodmarine.com Barracuda Fishing Shop, Dubai Sheikh Zayed Road, Abu Dhabi bound, after Safa Park Exit, +97143466558, www.barracudadubai.com Global Climbing, Ras Al Khaimah, +97172353910, www.globalclimbing.com Leisure Marine Beach Hut, Dubai, The Walk JBR, +97144243191 Leisure Marine, Sheikh Zayed

Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club Opposite Arabian Ranches P.O.Box 7477, Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 4 361 8111 Fax: +971 4 361 7111 Email: info@poloclubdubai.com www.poloclubdubai.com

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bia.com, www.flipfloparabia.com Global Climbing, +97172353910, www.globalclimbing.com Goal Zero, +971509128353, www. goalzero.ae Ocean Sports FZE, +971559352735, www.kitesurfsup.com Sakeen General Trading, +97147094224, www.sakeen.ae

Horse Riding

Equipment Emirta, Dubai, Sheik Zayed Rd, +9714 3437475, www.emirtahorse.com Tamreen Sports, Abu Dhabi, +97126222525, www.tamreensports.com Equestrian Centres Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Abu Dhabi, +97124455500, www.adec-web.com Al Forsan Resort, Abu Dhabi, +97125568555, www.alforsan.com Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club, Dubai, Arabian Ranches, +97143618111, www.poloclubdubai.com Desert Equestrian Club, Dubai, near Mirdif +971503099770, +971501978888 Desert Ranch (Al Sahra Desert Resort), Dubai, +971 4 8327171, www.desert-ranch.com Emirates Equestrian Centre, Dubai, +971505587656, www.emiratesequestriancentre.com Ghantood Polo & Racing Club, Abu Dhabi, +97125629050,

57

Best SHots directory

PADI Career Development Centre

+97126432444, www.edc-ad.ae Extra Divers Ziggy Bay, Oman, Musandam, +96826735555, www.extradivers.info Freediving UAE,Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Fujeirah, www.freedivinguae.com Freestyle Divers, Dubai, Al Wasl & Dibba, Royal Beach Hotel, +97143944275, www.freestyledivers.com Khasab Divers, Oman, www.khasabdiver.com Muscat Diving & Adventure Centre, Oman, +97150 3289642, www.holiday-in-oman.com Neptune Diving, +97150 4347902, www.neptunedivingcentre.com Nomad Ocean Adventures, www.discovernomad.com, +971508853238, Dibba, Oman Scuba Oman, Oman, +96899558488, www.scubaoman.com Sharjah Wanderers Dive Club, Sharjah, +97150 784 0830, www.bsac406.com Sheesa Beach, Dibba, Musandam, +971503336046, www.sheesabeach.com Sky &Sea Adventures, Dubai, Hilton, Jumeirah Beach Road,

Xventures, Dubai, +971555404500, www.x-ventures.ae

Moto-cross & ATV’s

directory

Dealer Al Yousuf Motors, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Rd, +97143390621, www.aym. ae/yamaha/ KTM, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, exit 42, +9714323151, www.ktm.com PolarisUAE (atv’s), Ras Al Khor, Nad al Hamar Road, Al Ghandi Complex, +97142896100, www.polarisuae.com Liberty Kawasaki, Dubai, Interchange4, Sheikh Zayed Road, 04-3419341, www.libertykawasaki.com Wild X, Dubai, Um Al Ramoul Industrial Area, +97142852200, www. wildx.ae Equipment Desert Road Tourism, Al Khor Plaza – 503, Dubai, +97142959428, www.arabiatours.com 2XWheeler, Motorcity Dubai, +97144548388, www.2xwheeler.com SebSports, Dubai, Al Quoz Industrial Area 3, +97143393399, www.sebsports.com Wild X, Dubai, Um Al Ramoul Industrial Area, +97142852200, www. wildx.ae

Motorcycling

kawasaki@liberty.ae

www.grpc.ae Sharjah Polo & Equestrian Club, Sharjah, Al Dhaid Road, +97165311155, www.forsanuae.org.ae The Desert Ranch, Dubai, +97144274055 www.desert-ranch. com

Jet Ski

Dealer Al Masaood Marine, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, +97143468000, www.masaoodmarine.com Al Yousuf Motors, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Rd, +97143390621, www.aym. ae/yamaha/ Rentals Al Mahara Dive Center, Abu Dhabi, Mussafah, +97150720283 , www.divemahara.com Fun Beach Water Sports, Dubai, +971 5 3244 550, www.funbeachsports.com The Cove Rotana Resort, Ras Al Khaimah, +9717206000, www.rotana.com

Distributors & Dealers Al Yousuf Motors, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Rd, www.aym.ae/yamaha/ Duseja Motorcycles, Dubai, Al Quoz, +97143476712, www.apriliauae.com Liberty Kawasaki, Dubai, Interchange4, Sheikh Zayed Road, +97142822144, www.libertykawasaki.com PolarisUAE, Al Ghandi Complex, Nad al Hamar Road, Ras Al Khor, +97142896100, www.polarisuae.com Tristar Motorcycles, +97143330659, www.tristaruae.com Workshop & Services 2xWheeler, +97144548388, www.2xwheeler.com Dune Bike, Dubai, Al Khail Road Alweer, +97143272088, www.dunebuggyuae.com Duseja Motorcycles, Dubai, Al Quoz, +97143476712, www.apriliauae.com Gecko Motors, Dubai, Al Quoz, +97143413550, www.gecko-motors.com

Motorsports

Al Forsan Resort, Abu Dhabi, +97125568555, www.alforsan.com Dubai Autodrome, Dubai, www.dubaiautodrome.com Emirates Motorplex, Umm Al Quwain, +97167681717 Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, www.yasmarinacircuit.com

Off-Road

Aloft Abu Dhabi

ADNEC Exhibition Centre Abu Dhabi, P.O. Box 94943 Tel: +971 (0)2 654 5000

www.aloftabudhabi.com

58

Manufacturer Blingmytruck.com, +971505548255, www.blingmytruck.com LRC Off Road Engineering, Dubai, +971553198526, www.lrcoffroad.com Repair and services Off Road Zone, Dubai, Al Quoz, +97143392449, www.offroad-zone.com Equipment AEV, Dubai & Abu Dhabi, +97143307152, www.aev.ae Icon Auto, Dubai, +97143382744, www.icon-auto.com Wild X Adventure Shop, Dubai, Um AL Ramoul, +971509029800, www.wildx.ae Yellow Hat, Dubai, Times Square Centre & Festival City, +97143418592, www.yellowhat.ae Tour Operator

Desert Road Tourism, Al Khor Plaza – 503, Dubai, +971-42959428, www.arabiatours.com Arabian Adventures, Dubai & Abu Dhabi, +97143034888, www.arabian-adventures.com Oasis Palm Dubai, Dubai, +97142628889, www.opdubai.com Clubs Abu Dhabi Off- Road Club, www.ad4x4.com Filipino Off- Road Club, www.forac.ae ME 4X4, www.me4x4.com

Running

Clubs ABRasAC, Dubai, www.abrasac.org Abu Dhabi Tri Club, Abu Dhabi, www.abudhabitriclub.org Mirdiff Milers, Dubai, www.mirdifmilers.com

ADRENALINE. PASSION. GLORY

Stand up Paddling, Kite & Surfing, Wakeboarding

Web: www.skydivedubai.ae Location: marina behind the Habtoor Grand Hotel

Equipment Al Boom Marine, Abu Dhabi & Dubai+97142894858 , www.alboommarine.com Leisure Marine Beach Hut, Dubai, The Walk JBR, +97144243191 Leisure Marine, Sheikh Zayed Road, next to ACE Hardware, +97143415530, www.leisuremarine-me.com Pearl Water Crafts, Dubai Marina Yacht Club, +971553749398, www.pearl-watercrafts.com Surf Dubai, Dubai, Umm Suqeim, +971505043020, www.surfingdubai.com Surf Shop Dubai, Dubai, Al Raha Bldg, Al Barsha 1, +97143990989, www.surfshopdubai.com

Email: info@skydivedubai.ae Tel: 800skydive or contact: 0971503488802

Sky &Sea Adventures, Dubai, Hilton, Jumeirah Beach Road, +97143999005, www.watersportsdubai.com Surf Adventures UAE, Dubai, Al Barsha1, +97143990989, www.surfadventuresuae.com Surf School Dubai, Umm Suqeim & Al Barsha, Dubai, +97143990989, www.surfschooluae.com Clubs Abu Dhabi Stand Up Paddle www.uaesup.com

Water Parks

Aquaventure Atlantis, Dubai, Palm Jumeirah, +97144260000, www.atlantisthepalm.ae Dreamland Aqua Park, Umm Al Quwaim, Emirates Road, +97167681888, www.dreamlanduae.com Wild Wadi, Dubai, +97143484444, www.wildwadi.com

Other leisure activities On the move to explore

Outbound Adventure Travel.

Find out more about Rahhalah and the fascinating journeys we offer on www.rahhalah.com

Tel: +9714 4472166

Email: info@rahhalah.com UAE Kite Surfing, +971505626383, www.ad-kitesurfing.net Distributor Ocean Sports FZE, +971559352735, www.kitesurfsup.com Operator Al Forsan Resort, Abu Dhabi, +97125568555, www.alforsan.com Dubai Kite Surf School, Dubai, Umm Suqeim Beach, +971 504965107, www.dubaikitesurfschool.com Kite Fly, Dubai, +971502547440, www.kitesurf.ae Kite4fun, Abu Dhabi, +971508133134, www.kite4fun.net Nautica1992, Dubai, +971504262415, www.nautica1992.ae Shamalkitesurfing, Umm Suqueim Beach – Dubai, +971507689226, www.shamalkitesurfing.com

Abu Dhabi Golf Club, Abu Dhabi, + 97125588990, www.adgolfclub.com Dolphin Bay Atlantis Dubai, +97144260000, www.atlantisthepalm.ae Dubai Dolphinarium Dubai, Creek Park Gate No. 1, +97143369773, www.dubaidolphinarium.ae Ifly Dubai, Dubai, Mirdiff City Centre, +97142316292, www.iflyme.com Sadiyaat Beach Club, Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island, +97125578000, www.sbgolfclub.ae Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club, Sharjah, +97143999005, www.golfandshootingshj.com SkiDubai, Dubai, Mall of The Emirates, +97144094000, www.skidxb.com Spacewalk Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, +97124463653, www.spacewalk.ae

Health, Safety & Training

Safety Lessons Marine Concept Yacht Charter & Sea School, Rania Business Centre, Dubai, +971559603030, www.marine-charter-concept.com Safety & Leisure Training Middle East, Dusseldorf Business Point, Al Barsha 1, Dubai, +97144502418, www.sltme.com Sport & Health Centres The Physio Center, Suite 405, Building 49, Dubai Healthcare City, Dubai, +97144370570, www.physiocentre.ae To advertise please e-mail: contact@outdooruae.com or call: 04 44 72 701