OutdoorUAE May 2013

Price: 10 DHS

THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE MIDDLE EAST EAST ‘like’ us on Facebook!

SUP in the City l Abu Dhabi SUP All-Stars Invitationa

+ + Rapid Racers 2013 UAE Jet Ski Championship

The W.A.R zone Wadi Adventure Race 3

+ +

Running with positive energy

The Energizer

2013

Night Rebel

Plenty of

products to check out

Exploring Ethiopia Sean’s trek to the roof of africa

Get to us on Facebook!

WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

Issue 29, May 2013

THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST

may 2013 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST

On the Cover: Khalid Al Qubaisi Photo By: Ali Suliman Managing Editor Daniel Birkhofer Editors Glaiza Seguia, Tara Atkinson Designer Oybek Daniyarov Administration Jane Mesina Sales & Marketing (advertisement enquiries) Tara Atkinson Tel: 04-447 2030 Mobile: 055 9398915 tara@outdooruae.com Published by Outdoor UAE FZE In cooperation with D.Events P.O. Box 215062 Dubai, U.A.E. Tel. 04-447 2030 contact@outdooruae.com www.outdooruae.com Distributor Tawzea, Abu Dhabi Media Company P.O. Box 40401, Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. Printed at Galadari Printing & Publishing LLC P.O. Box 11243 Dubai, U.A.E.

What a surprise; early on a Friday morning, in the middle of April – dark clouds and some rain drops. Like the planning of a military operation, we considered most eventualities of the second OutdoorUAE Beach Event and we were mainly concerned with the high temperatures and to provide enough shade for our guests. Rain was one thing no one was thinking of, especially for a season-ending event in April. Anyhow, for all our guests, the clouds and a few rain drops were a welcome relief.

It was a great day for us, but also one laced with nostalgic feelings since it is our seasonclosing event, reminding us that another great outdoor season is over and summer heat will kick in soon limiting most activities.

For OutdoorUAE, we made huge progress again this season and we’ll be with you throughout summer with some indoor events and additional travel articles.

Personally, I had so many plans for this season to actively dive in as many outdoor adventures as possible. What have I done? I embarked on adventures in private life and business, but not a single outdoor adventure!

This leaves the summer to prepare for next season, and this time no excuses. Two adventures are in the pipeline and details will be revealed soon.

Please share with our readers and with me your stories. Keep inspiring and motivating others with your small and big adventures. A big thank you to all the contributors who have done this over the past issues and we look forward to what the summer and next season will bring!

Daniel

© 2013 Outdoor UAE FZE Issue 29 May 2013

+ +

BETWEEN THE LINES

Daniel Birkhofer Founder and Editor in Chief daniel@outdooruae.com

Jane Mesina Administration jane@outdooruae.com

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. © 2013 Outdoor UAE FZE Reg. at Creative City Fujairah P.O. Box 4422, Fujairah, U.A.E.

WHEN YOU’RE DONE READING, PLEASE RECYCLE!

Tara Atkinson Sales and Marketing tara@outdooruae.com

Glaiza Seguia Editor glaiza@outdooruae.com

Oybek Daniyarov Graphics & Programming oybek@outdooruae.com

Zaid Adham Arabic Editor

+ +

EXPERTS & CONTRIBUTORS

Kit Belen Our fishing pro

Pete Aldwinckle Climber and all-round adventure seeker

Gordon T Smith Desert Diver and wannabe Marine Biologist

Mike Nott The 4x4 expert

John Basson Moto/ATV and all round adventure seeker

Tori Leckie Writer, runner, blogger and adventurer.

Sandy Joy Rubin Pilates and yoga expert and general thrill seeking move-aholic

Darryl MacDonald Photographer, journalist, climbing and hiking junkie currently living in Oman.

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

Jim McIntosh Mountain goat Mack and hiking route pioneer

WANT TO CONTRIBUTE? CONTACT US! contact@outdooruae.com

OUTDOORUAE

3

THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST

may 2013 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

CONTENTS

EVERY ISSUE 05 BEST SHOTS 06 EVENTS CALENDAR 42 PRODUCTS 56 PEOPLE 67 DIRECTORY

EVENT REVIEWS

20 ENERGIZER NIGHT REBEL

58 WINDSURFING LOCATIONS

48 TRIED & TESTED: NAISH ONE 12’6” INFLATABLE

22 2013 UAE JET SKI CHAMPIONSHIP

13 RED BULL X-FIGHTERS WORLD TOUR 10 ADISE 2013 18 WADI ADVENTURE RACE 3

TRAVEL + ADVENTURE 30 EXPLORING ETHIOPIA 32 JIM IN SCOTLAND 34 MIKE IN GREECE 38 HITCHHIKING IN OMAN

OUR EXPERTS 50 CRAZY CHARLIE – KIT 52 Weekend CAMPING – JOHN 54 LOVELY LYON – TORI

TIPS + TRICKS 62 ZEN GARDEN 64 ACROYOGA – SANDY

26 ABU DHABI DESERT CHALLENGE REPORT 4

OUTDOORUAE

THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST

may 2013 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

BEST SHOTS Editor’s pick of the month Remember to send in shots of you reading OutdoorUAE magazine somewhere outdoors!

Here are the best shots sent in by you for the monthly ‘Want

Fame?’ photography competition! Thank you for all your entries, they were all great and it was hard selecting the best photos this month.

Congratulations to the top 3 winners (who each receive Buff headwear and 5 free copies of the magazine) Dean Seton, Yam Enriquez and Eric Thomas. Well done!

To submit your shots, simply email us at competitions@outdooruae.com with the subject ‘Best Shots’. You can submit a maximum of 3 images per month.

WINNER!

Doe Lone

WINNER!

Dean Seton Spray

WINNER!

Yam Enriquez

Mark “Sparks” Remot and Marco Legaspi race to the finish line in the first UAE Downhill (UAEDH) long boarding competition held last April 26, 2013 at Ras Al Kaimah. For more information, search Facebook for UAEDH (UAE Downhill).

Eric Thomas Tree House

OUTDOORUAE

5

THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST

EVENTS CALENDAR Stay up-to-date with the latest events

Arabian Travel Market

May 6 to 9, Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre The annual travel and tourism event is aimed to unlock business potential in the Middle East exploring tourism destinations in the region and around the world that showcase a diverse range of accommodation options, breathtaking tourism attractions and new airline routes. Registration is free. For more information, visit www.arabiantravelmarket.com.

Dubai Kartdrome Endurance Championship driven by MINI May 17 to 18, Dubai Autodrome

Since 2004, the Kartdrome Endurance Challenge has been a mainstay of the UAE motorsport calendar. The event involves race kart drivers driving for periods of 12 and even 24 hours straight and requires stamina, concentration, speed and probably most importantly team work. In the end, there can only be one winning team. Spectators can watch for free. For more information, contact 04 367 8700.

Al Gaffal Traditional 60ft Dhow Race 2013 May 18, 7:00 a.m., Dubai International Marine Club

This is the last long distance traditional 60ft dhow racing contest for the water sports season at Dubai International Marine Club. Designed to commemorate pearl divers who were integral to the history of Dubai, the race starts at the Sur Bu Na’air Island and end at Mina Seyahi. Since 1991, the race has grown into a major sporting event featuring around 100 traditional third version traditional boats (60ft), and has seen more than 3,000 participants sailing the waters. For more information, contact 04 399 5777.

Ecco 10k Race

May 18, 8:00 a.m., Mishref Track, Kuwait City The Danish shoe brand for the first time will host a 10km race in Kuwait City whilst presenting its new Biom running line that gives runners agile and barefoot lightness. The race is categorised into male and female, and will take place at the Mishref Track surrounding a residential area. To register, go to www.ecco10krace.com/register and for more information, contact info@aymstrong. com.

Hilton Dubai Tower Race 2013 May 31, 8:00 a.m., Hilton Dubai Jumeirah

Take on the vertical challenge of 36 floors and 730 steps up the Hilton Dubai Jumeirah and it’s all for a good cause. Proceeds from the event are going to the Dubai Autism Center. For enquiries, call 04 318 2207 or contact emily.mcguire@hilton.com. To register, go to www.premiermarathons.com.

Train YAS by Activelife

Every Tuesday, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., YAS Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi

Activelife is inviting runners, cyclists or casual joggers to take part in this free weekly event to make the Formula 1 racetrack their own personal training ground. The Yas Marina Circuit offers a unique, safe and friendly track to practice on. You just need to register for your Train YAS ID. To sign up, visit www.yasmarinacircuit.com.

6

OUTDOORUAE

may 2013 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

+ +

THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST

may 2013 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

+ +

EVENTS CALENDAR Revolution Nights

Every Wednesday, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Dubai Autodrome Revolution Cycles Dubai bike shop is inviting everyone to head down to the Club Circuit at Dubai Autodrome in Motor City for the free weekly community event of cycling, jogging, rollerblading or walking. The floodlit venue provides a safe and controlled environment for the whole family. For more information, contact Revolution Cycles Dubai at 04 369 7441.

Gravity Zone

Every Friday and Saturday, Power Play Football Center opposite Dubai Bowling Center Take a leap of faith at the first bungee jump facility in the emirate. Gravity Zone offers an adren aline-filled 50m bungee jump with a picturesque view of Dubai at 339 AED for single jump and 499 for tandem jump. Operation hours are from 11:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For bookings and more information, contact 056 364 7997.

2013 Naish Kites Torch

Sizes: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14 State-of-the-art C-kite for competition freestyle, power freeriding and unhooked waveriding.

Park

Sizes: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14 The one kite that does it all – any rider, any style, any condition.

Ride

Sizes: 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 Everyday kiteboarders looking for ease, simplicity and value.

Photos: T.Kraft-Leboe, Q.Dein

Fly

Size: 15 Designed for fun in light to marginal wind conditions.

Ocean Sports FZE • +971 (0) 55 935 2735 enquiries@kitesurfsup.com • kitesurfsup.com >Naishkiteboarding

naishkites.com

THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST

may 2013 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

NEWS + Comment Shark trading restrictions a huge boost

for scuba diving in UAE and Oman A recent decision to restrict the trade of several shark species will bring huge benefits to the scuba diving industry in both the UAE and Oman, according to a leading diving school owner.

which is just across the UAE border into Oman. He has witnessed a dramatic fall in sightings of whitetips and hammerheads in Omani waters since diving as a 12-year-old and founding Nomad in 2004.

The creatures are fished to meet Chinese demand for their fins and for an oil extracted from their liver, which is used locally Christophe Chellapermal, owner of Nomad Ocean Adventures in Dibba, says new permits as a sealant on wooden dhows.

A hammerhead shark is typically required in both countries to export fins of sold locally for 3,000 - 6,000 oceanic whitetip sharks and three species of AED. hammerheads will lead to a revival in local “When I was a kid we used to often see shark numbers within just 12 months. oceanic whitetips when we were diving, The new restrictions in the Gulf follow a landmark agreement made by the Convention and even from the beaches in Dubai. But on International Trade in Endangered Species nowadays it’s almost mission impossible,” he added. “This month I saw a fin of a three (CITES).

Greater shark numbers in local waters would metre shark and another underwater at 20m – it was the first time I’d seen sharks since lead to more sightings of the predators – a huge draw for the global scuba diving commu- December.”

Of greatest concern is that many sharks nity and a driver of tourist numbers. “Seeing caught locally are babies. Sharks are slow a shark is one of the biggest thrills you could to mature and have few offspring, making have as a scuba diver,” Chellapermal said. them vulnerable to overfishing. Chellapermal “Having guaranteed shark sightings in these predicts that the CITES move and possible waters would be a huge attraction for divers creation of fishing-free areas in local waters both locally and internationally. This in turn would lead to a noticeable revival in shark would bring higher numbers of diving tourists numbers within 12 months and a return to to Oman and the UAE.” The 33-year-old runs naturally-occurring population numbers Nomad Ocean Adventures diving school,

within five years.

With the international diving community already viewing Oman and the UAE as safer alternatives to diving holidays in Egypt, the added attraction of guaranteed shark viewing could provide an added boom for the local dive industry. “Egypt has always been the biggest dive destination in the region, but the instability there is causing people to look for new opportunities,” said Chellapermal. “Divers in Europe are looking for destinations closer to them than South East Asia that can provide amazing diving. Five years ago, all my guests were from the UAE. Now I’m getting a lot of groups, sometimes up to 35 people, from Europe.”

For more information on Nomad Ocean Adventures visit www.discovernomad.com.

Body Glove turns 60 VP Billy returns to Dubai The rising popularity of surfing, diving and stand up paddling in the region has the full attention of the world-renowned American water sports brand Body Glove. The company’s owner and executive vice president Billy Meistrell, along with his two children, were recently in town to celebrate the company’s 60th anniversary.

Meistrell has teamed up with the multi-sport retail store Go Sport and visited its Mall of the Emirates branch on March 21 to strengthen their partnership and talk about Body Glove’s big plans for the region. “We want to expand our product lines and we’re also talking about bringing our team down here next year to sand ski, wakeboard or check out the water park; just do things that will highlight the Middle East. We’ll shoot videos, create partnerships and have fun,” he announced. “Last time we were at the top of the Burj Khalifa, we were taking a

8

OUTDOORUAE

picture of the Body Glove hand logo and this family comes up to us and goes ‘can we use the hand?’ So they were waving with the hand and the next family came up and asked to use the hand too. We just stood there and about nine families took a picture with the Body Glove hand. It’s really exciting.”

Meistrell added that Body Glove has already signed two new deals for a whole new active wear and performance clothing beyond the water including their snowboarding and skiing line.

Founded by identical twins Bob and Bill Meistrell in California, Body Glove has been in the business for 60 years and still privately held by the family. Looking back, 55-year-old Billy – son of the late Bill – described how much water sports and the company evolved throughout the years. “If you listened to my dad and uncle’s stories – people created their own surf boards and went into the water in wool sweaters! It used to be just

hanging out at the beach and beach bumming. Today, surfing is a respected sport and you’ve got athletes making millions.” Billy said the Body Glove’s key to longevity is quite simple: “My dad and uncle never did anything because they were trying to make a lot of money. It wasn’t the chase for the dollar, it was the chase for the lifestyle, so we built the business around doing the things that we like to do. Everyone in the family are certified surfers and divers, nobody wants to give it up. My uncle is 85 and still dives maybe once a week and drives his own boat.”

Modern sailing regatta concludes At The Al Gharbia Watersports Festival The fourth day of the fifth annual Al Gharbia Watersports Festival saw huge crowds of water sports enthusiasts descend on Al Mirfa beach to watch a range of competitions take place. The highlight of the day was the exciting final stage of the modern boat sailing regatta.

Given the significance of the occasion, the competition was fierce. The level of skill on show was incredible with the crowd applauding continuously as the competitors raced each other to secure their place in the next round. Around 100 international competitors took part in the regatta, which was divided into six categories.

The final three of the Laser 4.7 race all came from the Emirates Heritage Club with Hamood Salem Al Zaidi coming in first place, Saif Ibrahim Al Naimie in second and Suhail Al Ghailani in third. In the Laser Radial Class race, first and second place went to Saeed Al Zaidi and Saif Al Hamadi, both of the Emirates Heritage Club with Maximilian Buerger coming in third place from the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club (DOSC). In the Laser Stand competition, Adel Khlalid of the Abu Dhabi Sailing and Yacht Club (ADSYC) was the winner with second and third place going to Daniel Kilsby and John Woolcock both representing the DOSC. With the Optimist Overall Class race, the winner was Harry Bone Knell from DOSC, Oscar Lindley Smith finished second also from DOSC with Oliver Hill from ADSYC finishing in third. In the Optimist Junior Class

race, first place went to Jentl Manemaaijer of DOSC, and second and third place went to Ibrahim Saif Allah Refai and Abdullah Nooh Al Balooshi respectively, both of the Al Hamriya Club. Finally in the Open TwoManned Dinghy Class, the top three were all of ADSYC with first, second and third place going to Ron Heyselaar, Timothy Richards and Ruth Wallis respectively.

After the races, Obaid Khalfan Al Mazrouei, the Festival Manager, Abdulla Mohammed AL Obaidli, Board Member of the ADSYC, and Majed Ateeq Al Muhairi, Chief Executive Officer of the ADSYC presented trophies and medals to all competitors finishing in first, second and third place.

In addition to the beach football competition, the traditional souk remained open and continued to draw large crowds. Serving traditional food and selling a range of Emirati handicrafts, the souk had been incredibly popular with both the local community and international visitors. Many visitors from GCC countries visited Al Gharbia to take part in the range of activities and attractions the festival offered including live stage performances and children shows.

Crowd numbers had been impressive during the festival with many visitors suggesting that the 2013 showcase might just be

the best yet in its five year history. In order to cater for the entire family however, the festival put on a number of incredible acts impressing and amazing the crowds in equal measure.

“The atmosphere at this year’s festival is simply wonderful and it is clear to see how important this event is for the entire local community. People from all over the world come to Al Gharbia to see what it has to offer and this festival certainly puts Al Gharbia on the international tourism map,” said Wafa Al Hamadi, who attended the event with her family.

Victory for Julius Baer team in 2013 Beach Polo Cup The Julius Baer team won a thrilling 6-3 match over Maradiva team to secure the inaugural Julius Baer Beach Polo Cup at Mina A’Salam, Dubai.

The event was played on a pitch a third smaller than a regular polo field, which meant the spectators were closer to the action. Each team had three players instead of the usual four, giving it a unique take on the traditions of polo and proved to be a winning formula for spectators who flocked to the stunning venue.

Sam Katiela, Beach Polo Cup creator and founder said: “The final was a wonderful way to complete a memorable weekend for the return of the Beach Polo Cup to the heart of Dubai. We are so proud of how the event went and we hope everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves at what was something a little different for the events scene here.”

He added, “We could not have asked for a more entertaining final and along with the beach polo there was so

much more for people to experience.

Corporate hospitality was abuzz with activity throughout the weekend.”

A charity auction was held prior to the closing ceremony, showcasing modelled replicas of white horses which were built during the two-day

event and painted beautifully by attending children. All four horses were sold at the total price of 130,000 AED. In addition, the Julius Baer management pledged a cheque of 50,000 AED bringing the total to 180,000 AED. All proceeds were donated to the Noor Dubai Foundation.

OUTDOORUAE

9

Report

A Sporting Spectacle!

Words By: Glaiza Seguia

Sports and games are integral part of personal and even national growth. The 2013 Abu Dhabi Sports Exhibition (ADISE) understood this and highlighted the importance of engaging in a healthy and active lifestyle, developing skills set and supporting the local sports community. The second edition of ADISE was held from April 9th to 12th at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) and brought together a dynamic mix of athletes, sports leaders, government authorities, regional and international brands and organisations to promote the sports culture in a fun and interactive environment.

The event was launched the day before the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu Jitsu Championship, which ran until April 13th, and it was inaugurated by Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture, Youth and Social Development. During the opening night, he explained that ADISE reaffirms UAE’s position as a capital of sports, culture and education, an attractive destination and a successful model for growth and progress in all different fields.

“This exhibition has become one of the most important sports events in the world in addition to being an important platform to showcase the latest in the world of sports, which in turn will help in building local and international relationships,” he was quoted.

Organised by the UAE Jiu Jitsu Federation and supported by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, the four-day exhibition inside ADNEC’s halls 10 and 11 featured over 100 exhibitors including fitness and nutrition companies, equipment and gear providers, media outlets, event organisers and clubs that encompass different indoor and outdoor activities like polo, motoring, sailing, tennis, golf, chess, extreme and adventure sports and more. At the OutdoorUAE stand, we had enquiries left and right about the articles in the magazine and the outdoor activities happening around the emirates. Readers were able to pick up their free magazine copies, Are You OutdoorUAE? stickers and also bought t-shirts, wheel covers and the Off-road Adventure guide book.

The comprehensive conferences during those four days tackled timely and interesting topics within the world of sports. On the first day at the seminar for “Encouraging Women Sports in the Region,” participants including HH Sheikha Shamsa Al Maktoum discussed the involvement of Arab women

10

OUTDOORUAE

Photos By: Glaiza Seguia and ADISE in different sports and grooming the future female champions. The “Movement for Health” discussion emphasized how exercise can prevent diabetes and obesity, which are growing health concerns in the region, and how the disabled can enjoy and benefit from physical activities. OutdoorUAE’s General Manager Daniel Birkhofer was one of the speakers at the “Enjoying Leisure Sports with Safety” talk on the last day where they addressed safety precautions and risk management in the UAE. “In any outdoor activity, there comes a certain risk, but knowledge and the right preparation can minimize this risk and maximize the fun for all people involved. Education is paramount and it is very important to work united with the government and related business on safety awareness in all outdoor sports to generate a safe and easy access environment,” explained Daniel. “It’s good to think in advance of all eventualities so you would know what to do in any situation.”

Meanwhile at the outdoor area, the sizzling heat didn’t stop the eager guests from trying out the different activities like Adventure HQ’s cycle and skate pump track and mobile climbing wall that easily drew in the crowd. There was also a queue for Gravity Zone’s bungee jump experience, where the brave ones took a leap of faith from a dizzying height of 50m. I had a go myself and I would say the scary part was not the actual jump, but when Scott opened the gate and I stood there on the edge of the cage with my arms outstretched. The fall was actually fun and the bird’s eye view of the capital was just breathtaking. Visitors also didn’t pass up the chance to literally walk the line as they tried OutdoorUAE’s slackline challenge, which tested the balance and concentration of young and old. There was also the three-on-three street basketball competition throughout the whole event.

Among the highlights of the show was the professional Jiu Jitsu demonstration during the opening ceremony and gravity-defying performance of trampoline trio headlined by Christophe Hamel. The acrobatic slam dunk French team of the Crazy Dunkers stole the show with their funny antics and flying net smashes.

A L A R E H M M SU

THE HEAT IS ON THIS SUMMER, BUT YOU DON’T NEED TO HIDE INDOORS KEEP COOL WITH ALL THE LATEST WATERSPORT GEAR FROM GO SPORT!

…

HALASUMMER

EVERY BIG ADVENTURE NEEDS TO BEGIN SOMEWHERE. TO HELP YOU GET THINGS STARTED, WE’RE GIVING YOU 10% OFF ON ALL YOUR PURCHASES. SIMPLY PRESENT THE VOUCHER AT THE TILL BEFORE YOU PAY. AFTER THAT, YOU CAN HEAD STRAIGHT TO THE BLUE YONDER AND HAVE A GREAT TIME!

10

DISCOUNT %VOUCHER

* Terms and conditions apply

/GOSPORTuae

DUBAI: The Dubai Mall, Level 2, Fashion Catwalk ABU DHABI: Bawabat Al Sharq Mall, (near Mafraq Hospital) Level 1, next to the cinemas

EVENT REVIEWS

u Dhabi

rld Tour Ab Stand Up Wo

nal

atio All-Stars Invit

guia Words By: Glaiza Se an lliv Su es Jam and s By: Ian Ganderton

Photo

SUP stars descended upon the UAE to surf in the middle of the desert and to paddle in the heart of the capital. The inaugural Stand Up World Tour (SUWT) Abu Dhabi AllStars Invitational held from April 4th to 7th saw 23 of the world’s top-ranking SUP’ers battle it out for the surf competition at the world-class wave pool in Wadi Adventure Al Ain and the sprint race at the corniche breakwater. The four-day event organised by the Waterman League and hosted by the Abu Dhabi Sailing and Yacht Club in cooperation with the UAE Surf and SUP Association was an exhibition event in part of the SUWT, the official SUP world championship that tours the globe with over 18 countries in participation. Among the water athletes who made it this year are 2012 champ Brazilian Leco Salazar, American Sean Poynter, who placed second last year, Brazilian brothers Caio and Ian Vaz and more.

Waterman League CEO Tristan Boxford said setting up the event in Abu Dhabi just came about organically. “My great friend,

12

OUTDOORUAE

Kieran Taylor, an Australian who lives here, came out to some events and he said to check out the place.

I thought it would be such a creative and interesting place to hold a world championship Stand Up event as no surfing event has been held in such a controlled environment. Here, it’s the same waves all the time, which makes for a really interesting competitive environment,” he explained. “Waterman League wants to break new grounds and with what we’re doing with SUPWT is very innovative, so this was a perfect fit. The idea of an allstars invitational kind of brings something special to the region.”

The general reaction from the participants, most of which are first-timers in the Middle East, is one of pleasant surprise and then awe. Riding perfect waves on a man-made pool in the desert with a beautiful rocky mountain landscape for a backdrop is not something they regularly do. “It’s an overwhelming experience to come over in the UAE to explore this country. The people are really unsurpassed in their welcome and kindness; it’s been nothing but positive working with our partners. It’s such a different terrain and a different playing field for us to come over to. And as far as something new, this is a pretty amazing adventure for a surfer.”

Due to the identical waves, Waterman League has incorporated a new scoring format for this non-ranking leg. Instead a simple elimination round, they have three non-elimination competitions wherein every rider would be scored on different kinds of waves: left, right and closeout. They took the top scorers for each wave, and the top six from them advanced to the quarter finals. Zane Schweitzer’s SUP surfing free style earned him the much-deserved victory against Ian Vaz in the pool. The next day at breakwater, Maui-born Connor Baxter’s swift strokes and sharp turns won him the sprint race followed by Jamie Mitchell. The spectacular Schweitzer, who wowed the judges and the crowd, emerged as the overall

winner of the Abu Dhabi All-Stars.

With the growing community of local SUP’ers, Boxford said he sees a lot of potential in the region as the sport is quickly developing into the right direction. “I think it is one of the most exciting regions for the tour.

We’re really excited to see the development of top contenders in the UAE and beyond Middle East as a whole.” According to him, the UAE also has the advantage of being a great training ground. “You have all this warm water and good weather, you can be paddling 365 days a year and you can really put yourself in the position to do really well on a global stage.” Next year, the Waterman League is definitely planning for a longer stay in the UAE with combined events and even bigger stars, so watch out for that.

1. Dany Torres (ESP) L) 2. Levi Sherwood (NZ A) 3. Thomas Pages (FR S) 4. Rob Adelberg (AU A) (FR o ald Rin vid Da 5.

6. Libor Podmol (CZE) 7. Mat Rebeaud (SUI) P) 8. Maikel Melero (ES S) (AU n eha She h Jos 9.

N) 10. Daisuke Suzuki (JP

Photos By: By Xavier Ansart and Red Bull

Dany Torres of Spain won a gripping battle of the champions at the Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour stop in Dubai on April 11th, as the 2011 World Tour winner narrowly defeated defending champion Levi Sherwood of New Zealand by a score of 3-2 on a challenging dirt course in front of the world’s tallest building – the spectacular 828m Burj Khalifa. France’s Thomas Pages won the Swatch Best Move award for his crowd-pleasing “volt” jump that had him spinning in mid-air off the seat of his bike to the cheers of 13,000 spectators. It was a thrilling event at the Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard, in Downtown Dubai, under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council and in the presence of HH Sheikh Majid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority.

Torres put in a masterful performance of freestyle motocross through three rounds with his polished jumps of up to 15m high and 30m in distance. It was the first win for Torres in the world’s most prestigious FMX series since Madrid in 2011, but he was reluctant to say it made him the new title favourite this year after Pages dominated the first stop. “The level of the top riders is so close this year,” he said. “If you make just one mistake, you’re out. It’s difficult to say who’s going to win the championship,” added Torres, who had a brilliant run in the final against Sherwood. The on-form Spaniard, who also won in Dubai in 2011, was beaten

by Pages in the final at the 2013 season opener in Mexico City last month but was able to turn the tables this time on the flying Frenchman when they went head-to-head in a spine-tingling semi-final showdown.

Pages, who had dominated Qualifying, put in his a riveting performance with the “Volt”, the “Special Flip” that has him doing

1. Torres, 180 points 2. Pages, 165 points ints 3. Sherwood, 145 po s 4. Adelberg, 110 point points 5. Josh Sheehan, 65 6. Melero, 60 points 7. Rinaldo, 45 points 40 points 8. Todd Potter (USA), 9. Podmol, 35 Points s 10. Rebeaud, 30 point

ing cham at defend cking e b s e rr t kno any To Spain’s D herwood after firs omas Pages S Th pion Levi orld Tour leader ters event h W out 2013 ed Red Bull X-Fig flying ll e -fi th ll f ri o th d in a ahea e second to move ce after th la p in Dubai t rs fi an into Frenchm ps. o st x si f o

Podium

H.H. Sheikh Majid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum

a back flip off his seat while the bike is in mid-air, and the 540° turn known as the “Flair.” Pages had the crowd cheering as he nailed three of the most difficult tricks known to mankind but he crash-landed on his last jump, a flip, and was punished hard by the judges. “I just went for it,” said Pages. “I pushed it but maybe pushed it too much and crashed. I’m disappointed.” Among the enchanted spectators was Fabio Cannavaro, who was the captain of Italy’s soccer team that won the 2006 World Cup. Red Bull X-Fighters Dubai 2013 is supported by du and organised in association with Emaar, Ford, Swatch as well as Bridgestone, Dubai Sports Council, The Dubai Mall and MBC Action. The next stop is in Glen Helen (USA) on May 11.

Danny Torres

Venue at Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard in Downtown Dubai

OUTDOORUAE

13

The slight drizzle didn’t dampen the moods of the sun-loving crowd, who went out in full-force to Jumana Beach on April 19th for the 2nd OutdoorUAE Beach Event. Around 800 people from 10:00 a.m. onwards streamed through the Jebel Ali Golf Resort entrance throughout the day ready to get outdoors

and try out some new, different and fun like Adventure HQ’s cycle and skate pump track, Global Climbing’s climbing wall, not to mention getting involved with some great workshops like acroyoga and dancing. But even before guests entered the venue, Michelin offered free tyre checks in the parking area, while Banana Boat provided shade at the chill-out zone. The beach was packed with water sports fanatics who went SUPing, kayaking and had a go in the Nuclear inflatable globe. The rest got involved in the acroyoga workshops from Pheonix Rising, Zumba sessions and Capoeira lessons from Capella Club. Eager guests also gathered around for the cool tricking and pole fitness demo, and made beautiful music at the drumming workshop provided by Dubai Drums in the afternoon. For those who braved the whole day, they were also treated to a fire dancing demonstration as a finale to the evening. There was never a dull moment on the sand with the ongoing beach volleyball and football games, slacklining, and Surly Moonlander sandbiking. Make sure you read on to check out some of the pictures at the latest Beach Event...

The whole OutdoorUAE team would like to say THANK YOU for an amazing event! Thank you to each and every single one of our guests. Your spirit, good mood and friendliness made the event what it was! Please check the event photos on www.outdooruae.com to see if you can find yourself in one of them.

Feel free to download photos and share them with friends.

THANK YOU to Michelin as one of our main sponsors. With their free

tyre checkup, they managed to bring an interesting and educational activity to the parking area. With important information about tyre safety and a break from the sun, they made for a safe drive home. Inside the venue, Michelin focused on our little guests to teach them from an early age the right behavior and rules about car safety. And of course, the beloved Michelin man was also there. Michelin also provided our guests with vouchers and prizes throughout the day.

THANK YOU to Crocs for the great support in realising this event and for providing so many vouchers for our raffle winners and guests’ goody bags.

THANK YOU to Adventure HQ for thrilling the young and old with their bike pump track. Where else can

you go for an exciting ride on the beach? They also showcased a variety of outdoor products like the full range of Weber grills.

THANK YOU to Banana Boat for colouring up the beach with their bright umbrellas and providing the

much needed shade. The Banana Boat sun lotions also prevented sun burns and therefore making the day even more enjoyable.

THANK YOU to Naish and Ocean Sports for running the SUP “Beat the Clock� and taking on the challenge of letting people try and test the inflatable paddleboards.

THANK YOU to Watercooled for running the kayaking and other water

sports activities, always keeping an eye on our guests so they could enjoy their day and stay safe on the water.

THANK YOU to Global Climbing for offering all the amazing activities and lifting our guests to altitude on

the climbing wall, testing their balance on the slackline and letting them ride the Moonlander, the only sand bike in the region.

THANK YOU to Go Sport The Dubai Mall for providing kayaks and a huge inflatable ball for water sports fun. They also showcased a selection of their latest outdoor gear.

THANK YOU to Seawings for providing us with the main prize for our radio competition. The lucky winners enjoyed their sea plane flight and seeing the event and Dubai from a bird’s eye view.

THANK YOU to Rising Phoenix for bringing some balance and mediation to the event with yoga and acroyoga workshops in such a great environment. The balancing acts were even shown on the slackline.

THANK YOU to Jebel Ali Golf Resort for their support, providing the venue, taking care of the needs of the guests and serving them with a selection of food and beverages.

THANK YOU to Capella Club for their amazing workshops. People were flying through the air, spinning on the floor and moving to some great beats. The workshops featured: Tricking, Hip Hop, Zumba, and Capoeira.

THANK YOU to Radio 1 for their

great support and coverage before the event. DJ Danny C and Saif put on the right tunes and took the event atmosphere from one peak point to another.

Also from Radio 1, Flo and Sheena, made it down to Jumana Beach to get active and have some fun.

THANK YOU to Fran from DIVA for her pole dance

fitness demonstration and Dubai Drums for their amazing drumming workshop in the evening.

THANK YOU to Dubai Drums for entertaining our

guests and providing an amazing workshop for everyone to get involved with.

THANK YOU to our Tara for putting on a closing fire show after and working hard for the event.

An event of this kind is only possible with many parties putting in their best efforts which are reflected in the long list of praise for our supporters. The list continues and we apologise if we are not able to mention the rest of supporters. The smile on the faces of our guests is certainly the biggest compliment we can get and we hope to have you all on board for the next events.

If you missed this OutdoorUAE Beach Event and can’t wait for the next one, mark the end of October until the beginning of November this year, and we will be back for the third instalment. Rest assured that it will be more fun this time and put all efforts into eliminating all the little hiccups. Hopefully, we will be lucky with the weather and catch a sunny day.

THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST

may 2013 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

EVENT REVIEWS

The Wadi Adventure

Race 3

Having been unable to attend the first two Wadi Adventure Race events and hearing great things from all the LifeSpark community and friends who took part, I was determined to get in on the action this time. When they announced the event, I was raring to go. Upon closer inspection however, the trepidation began to build. I am a pretty good CrossFit athlete, however, I have two big weaknesses – running and thermoregulation – as such, the thought of taking part in a running-based event in late April was more than a little daunting!

However, after many winter seasons promising I would “learn to run” I decided that trial by fire was the only way I was going to get after it! And, in order to remove any opportunity to back out, I agreed to write about my experience! The buzz and air of excitement grew steadily with the crowds, and by the time the event briefing began and the heavens opened showering us in cool Al Ain rain, there was nothing that could dampen our spirits. The rain was an absolute blessing given the 35°C heat that we had seen all week!

After a very vague event run through – in order to keep the challenge challenging! – we all followed Sean out into the rain to the start point, under a Red Bull tent on an expansive gravel plain. Looking around to see very distant markers, indicating the edges of the first 3km run, the butterflies began to swirl. WorkPhoto By: Wadi Adventure

Words By: Candice Ford Photos By: Tara Atkinson

ing through all the running advice I had been given, I took my place on the start line, determined to pace out the run and hit the gas once I came into the water obstacle elements that I knew played more to my strengths.

We all assumed a sprinter’s start position, and we were off!

Watching some of the competitors race ahead was inspiring, but I was determined to maintain my pace, and within about two or three minutes, we all fell into a groove and worked our way through the first leg of the 10km course.

A final hurdle wall brought us back into the park-proper, where we were faced with the first obstacle – three balance beams.

Willing my jelly legs to remember years of gymnastics training, I made it across the beams in one go and was soon plunging into the back flow tunnel, that runs alongside the wave pool. I was off! Goggles on, to keep the contacts in place, I saw an opening along the wall and was able to accelerate past a fair few racers, before rounding the corner into an even darker tunnel to be faced with a mass of tangled bodies.

Everyone was waiting patiently to scramble up the 8+ foot metal ladder and on to the next obstacle. Thanking the addition of goggles and a fast crawl along the wall, I worked my way slowly to the front of the queue and up the ladder before leaping head long into the deep end of the wave pool. I knew I could make up time in the water, so I immediately broke back into a sprint across the pool, pushing through the urge to slow down and breathe.

The next obstacle made the wave pool seem easy. We headed into the rapids for what felt like a kilometre trek upstream, against the current. This portion of the challenge was pure work; leaning into the current, forcing burning quads to keep driving forward.

Some challengers rested their legs, walking backwards for a bit of a break, not that the current was giving anything away!

Finally at the top of the pool, through the pounding “mushroom fountain,” and it was up and out of the water and on to the rafts.

A shoelace adjustment gave me just enough time to hear someone shout “just keeping running

from raft to raft.” Sound advice. I could hear my husband and friends cheering on the opposite bank, and with the advice ringing in my ears I leapt to the first raft, eyeing the guys ahead and to the side of me, and leapt again and again at every opening, before plunging into the water for the final few metres, swimming to the side.

Back on dry land and jogging to the next obstacle, fatigue really began to set in and my adrenaline was waning! But, I think my slowed pace to the next obstacle – the ball toss – was a blessing, as I calmly slotted two bean bags into the waiting bucket in about 10 attempts!

Next was the monkey bars. Playing right

into my CrossFit strengths, these were only made a little challenging by the rain, and I was able to swing through and head out on the final run, which I soon found out to be 3km, rather than the 1km I had expected. My resolve failed a little and I have to own up to more than little walks, but I kept moving, over the three walls and under the mesh, and then it was on to a kilometre with a 10kg sandbag on my back.

Once I’d dumped the bag, it was into the final kilometre, and despite my best efforts,

I began to lag. In the final 600m, a great guy, who’s name I didn’t get, pulled up alongside me and insisted that I keep pace with him and his teammate as we worked our way through the car park and wound back into the park to face the final few obstacles – tyres, a spider’s web, the Al Ain rugby team and an 8ft wall.

Tyres and spider’s web posed little problem, but the rugby boys clearly mistook my well-muscled CrossFit physique for that of a rugby player, and I took a couple of hits before making it through to the wall.

As we warmed up, I had given the wall a go, and was able to jump, catch and pull myself up and over. Despite being very aware of my exhausted body, I was determined to finish under my own steam, and declined offers of support from bottom and top. After three attempts, I caught the ledge and unceremoniously heaved myself over the edge, down the other side and over the finish line, to finish 9th in a time of 1:04:43.

Looking back, I am thrilled I took part in the event. It was great to get involved with a new community – a far more endurance-based community than I usually spend my training time with. I am more than a little surprised to say that despite hating the running at the time, I am determined to get better at it! Events like this one are right up my street – throwing me in and testing my fitness.

As a competitive CrossFitter my training revolves around classic CrossFit workouts, as well as drilling more technical and high skill, movements.

Currently, I am in the middle of my competition season, preparing for the 2013 Reebok CrossFit Regionals competition at the end of May in Seoul, my training has been very specifically geared towards CrossFit competition, and left little time to work on my running. However, it was great to see that all the strength and conditioning translated well into this obstacle race.

Would I do it again? Yes, definitely, but next time – I would like to see a little bit less running, and a little bit more on the obstacle and water-based side of things.

If the current progress and massive support for the event is anything to go by, this is a challenge that is going to get bigger and better every time!

A massive thanks to the Wadi Adventure team for hosting such an awesome morning in the rain! Well done to all the competitors and thank you to all the spectators, who kept us going with your cheers and support!

Roll on the autumn and W.A.R. 4!

OUTDOORUAE

19

EVENT REVIEWS

The Energizer

Night Rebel

Trail Race Report Words By: Lee Harris

Photos By: OutdoorUAE,

Manguirish Bhatikar and Louise Adamson - PHISHFOTOZ

Well first, I start off by saying what an awesome night of trail running. But what was the Energizer Night Rebel all about?

Simple, it’s a chance for all types of runners to get out of the city, enjoy the outdoor scene by entering in a fun race and taking in some of the great trails the UAE has to offer.

Of course, the rebel bit was because of the fact that it was trail done in the night. So where was the venue for this delightful bit of fun? Wadi Helo, which is a quick hour or so drive out from Dubai on the Kalba Road, at the foot of the Hajar Mountain region, just outside a small, quiet local village of Showka.

The course

A windy 300m double track ascent over 15km up which wound its way up through Wadi Helo and back. It’s split into three races: 10km, 20km and the 30km, which was of course right to the top. The 10km and 20km having their respective turn around check points along the way. The course was marked with small reflective cones planted every 100 or so metres, but you still had to pay attention, which of course adds to the challenge as this is a trail race and at night. But even if

Runners preparing

you did lose the trail, with steep mountains on either side, you weren’t going to wander far off the beaten track and would soon end up back on course.

The terrain

Lee getting his race number and goodybag before the race

Urban-Ultra Setting up camp

A combination of compact dirt track, double jeep track and wild wadi terrain (loose rock, hard rock, sand and gravel) so a bit of a mix to make it fun especially with a 3LED Energizer headlight beam showing you the way.

The course also worked well for the race with the first 2km being hard compact wide dirt track Lee got his copy of OutdoorUAE The Energizer lanterns lighting with a couple of short when signing up the finish line steep climbs that would allow all the runners to Urban-Ultra ladies Louise and Pascal had string out before hitting everything sown up. The set up was simple the narrow wadi double track. Once at and effective with the start area marked out the wadi, it was then 10km of rough rocky well with Energizer flags and Energizer light double track which crisscrossed up Wadi poles lit up with Energizer lanterns (in the Helo with the last 3km back to compact 4x4 shape of the batteries) with registration martrack with a couple of short steep climbs to quee off to the side and ready to roll. the final check point at the top. Then it was So no sooner had I arrived, I registered back the way you came. I faired pretty well and received my number along with a very actually considering I was running on tired cool goody bag containing a 3LED Energizer legs after a couple of high mileage weeks in headlight, a separate red flasher for your my preparation for the Ultra Trail South West arm, Energizer “Positive Energy” things to 100 miler in the UK end of June. But I love do fridge magnet, Urban-Ultra buff, Wet trail as you know, and I know the Showka Ones hand wipes, some GU gels, and, of area and terrain very well, so I knew what course, not forgetting a free copy of this to expect. I arrived a few hours before the month’s OutdoorUAE mag. start so I could soak up the atmosphere and watch all the runners arrive. As always, the

The Energizer Night Rebel was a sucess

Then I sat back as night fell and watched the start area fill up with an assortment of 60+ crazy runner type people all suited and booted in their trail running gear, new Energizer headlights and red flashing lights.

There were a few Showka locals who came over to see what was happening and show their support. Even the local police chief made an appearance and was completely in awe of what was happening. We definitely brightened up his evening with such an awesome atmosphere. Once everyone was registered and ready, bang on 8:00 p.m. was the race brief from Louise, which was clear and to the point, making sure everyone was aware of the rules, the kit to be carried, map of the course, check points and what to do if things went wrong or you managed to get lost or injured. Then it was five minutes to start and the buzz started, everyone huddled

- a mass of white and red flashing lights and adrenaline. With a cool evening temp of 24° (very cool for this time of year) and a cloudy night sky blocking out the moon, what lay ahead was 15km of darkness. The countdown, the hooter and we were off with the front runners taking off quick along the 2km of dirt road – the pace was fast and furious. By the time we hit the start of the wadi and double track, five out of the first six runners including myself were all doing the 30k, which shows how fast the pace was.

I soon realised it was way too quick for my hammered legs, plus it takes me an age to warm up and get comfortable and find my feet and balance, so I eased off and tried to settle into a good pace that I knew I could handle. Although I did trip and nearly wiped out at one point, quick feet and hands prevented me ending up in a snotty painful

Did you get your energizer head light?

An unlucky runner, meeting with the trail

Turn around point on the trail

Lee at the finish line

heap, but also made me realise that I still wasn’t warmed up properly and also hadn’t found my rhythm. By about 8km in, I was on my own, which was great, just me and the darkness. I had found my feet and was now warmed up and skipping across the rocks and enjoying the rather quick pace I was still actually able to hold comfortably. The glow of the leaders’ headlights appearing and disappearing as they bounced

along some 500-odd metres ahead. Soon I saw the glowing headlight from the leader of the 20k race on his way back, which meant the 10km check point wasn’t far and now there was only four in the leading pack ahead. I soon passed the 10km check point, my head now firmly pointed at the ground about 3m in front of me following the beam of light as it skipped over the rocks, glancing up every now and then to look for and light up the little reflective cones which marked the route. Although in all honesty I had run the route regularly in the past, it was always good to check.

By the time I reached the last climb, I could see the leading pack on their way back down which was good; I wasn’t too far behind and still going well. They passed me with words of encouragement and I was soon at the final check point, gave my number then headed straight back down grabbing the chance to have a quick GU gel as I allowed my legs to freewheel back down the hill. The great thing about running out and back is you get to see who’s coming up behind and you can also shout out words of encouragement yourself. Plus, following the long stream of headlights in the distance gives you bearing and also a bit of incentive.

By the 18km mark and the start back down the double track, I caught up with one of the leading pack who unfortunately fell foul off a rock shortly after, but was okay. I carried on maintaining a good steady pace soon passing the 10km check point again. I was glad to see the 5km check point looming out of the darkness and some dancing headlights in the distance, which turned out to be few of the 20km tail enders on their way back. That gave me a nudge to pick the pace up over the final last 2km of dirt road to the finish; crossing the finishing line in 4th place for the 30km in 2hr 34min, which I was well chuffed with. I believe the winner of the 30km was actually a random French sailor and a keen runner whose ship happened to be in port. Awesome!

All in all it was a brilliant evening, great atmosphere, great organisation, great trail run and an awesome way to meet new, crazy like-minded people. Many thanks to Urban-Ultra and Energizer and I’m definitely looking forward to the next Energizer Rebel.

Although I think a tough 50km is needed ladies, to slow those speed freaks down a bit!

Lee

Report

Photos By: Ali Suliman

Belselah aces through Amateurs and Al-Moasem receives full marks Jet skis played a magnificent epilogue for the Abu Dhabi heats of the Emirates Jet Ski Championship. Thus concluded the 2013 season of the seven-category championships, where the Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club (ADIMSC) were crowned both the final rounds’ and season’s champions in a spectacle that had over 75 participants in all categories..

The beginners-sitting category was clinched in the Abu Dhabi heats by Abdul-Aziz Al-Omar (Kuwait), with Abdul-Aziz Al-Farhan (Kuwait) coming in second and Saud Abdul-Aziz coming in third. As for the standing-limited category, first place went to the UAE’s Saif Moh’d Saif Al-Moasem, with second and third place going respectively to Rashid Al-Owais (UAE) and Abdul-Aziz Al-Omar (Kuwait).

Meanwhile, Kuwaiti jet-skier Mohammed Ibrahim Bu-Rabie clinched first place in the sitting-jetski category, with Khamis Al-Hosani (Oman) and Mohammed Abdullah Al-Haidos (Qatar) coming in second and third place respectively. International participants also had

22

OUTDOORUAE

their fair share of victory, particularly in the standing-pro category, where Austrian skier Kevin Reiterer easily took first place over Frenchman Camon Ludovic and Al-Morr Mohammed bin Huraiz of the UAE, who came in second and third respectively. Meanwhile, the standing-intermediate category went to UAE’s Jaber Mohammed Saif Al-Moasem, with second place going to Frenchman Gactan Sublis and third to Kuwait’s Tareq Al-Issa. The showmanship category saw some great performances and was not short of fabulous stunts, with first place going to Mohammed Al-Rumaithi, second to Khalid Al-Qubaisi (pictured on the front cover this month), and third to Rashid Saleh Al-Mulla, all UAE nationals. Meanwhile, the sitters-pro category titles went to Khalifa Belselah (UAE) in first place, Abdullah Nader Ben Hindi (UAE) in second, and Mohammed Jasem AlBaz (Kuwait) in third place.

Honouring the season’s champions

The race organisers were quick to honour the season’s champions, doing so immediately after their category awards. First was the overall season beginners-sitting category going to Kuwaiti participant Abdul-Aziz AlOmar with 307 points, with Tamer Bu-Faisal of Qatar coming in second with 300 points, and Saud Abdul-Aziz of Saudi Arabia with 235 points. Bu-Faisal had been the category leader until the Abu Dhabi heats, where he receded to second place in the general rankings.

The season’s titles in the standing-limited category easily went to Saif Mohammed Al-Moasem of the UAE, who clinched the title with his full 360 points. In second place was Rashid Al-Owais (UAE) with 308 points, and Abdul-Aziz Al-Omar (Kuwait) with 263 points.

In the sitting-jetski category, the season’s title went to Mohamed Bu-Rabie of Kuwait with 327 points, with his countryman Khalid Bu-Rabie coming in second with 293 points.

In third place was Rashid Al-Manaii with 272 points.

Kevin Reiterer once more aced the standing-pro category with 313 points, with Frenchman Steven Dauliach coming in second with 291 points. Al-Murr Mohammed Bin Huraiz of the UAE came in third place with his 281 points.

The beginners-intermediate category saw UAE’s Jaber Mohammed Saif Al-Moasem crowned in first place with 353 points, with second place going to Frenchman Gactan Sublis with 310. Third place was awarded to another Frenchman Coste Evan with 250.

Showmanship category titles were given to Khalid Buti Al-Qubaisi (UAE), with second and third place respectively going to Emirati Mohammed Saeed Al-Rumaithi, and John Akuma of Japan.

With 327 points, Emirati Khalifa Belselah was able to clinch the season’s title easily over Qatari Waleed Mahmoud Al-Sharshani’s 297 points and Kuwait’s Mohammed Jasem Al-Baz’s 227.

THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST

may 2013 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

Honouring the winners at the closing ceremony was Salem Al-Rumaithi, Assistant General Manager of the ADIMSC. Also present were race General Supervisor Nasser Al-Thaheri and Technical Coordinator Mohammed Al-Hamli.

Salem Al-Rumaithi: “Our race is international”

From his side, Mr. Al-Rumaithi congratulated His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, president of ADIMSC, on the success of the show and its beautiful organisation. He also congratulated all the race winners, emphasizing that the day’s two most important outcomes were the rise of Emirati champions to the lead in many categories, and the race’s international nature.

Al-Rumaithi was quoted as saying, “The success of the race in its greatest image is thanks to the grand vision and talent that all contestants possess; something which was quite obvious in the success stories in all categories.”

Al-Rumaithi emphasized the fact that the final heats were an important calling point for all contestants, the evidence being the increase in their numbers in all categories, saying, “The large number of participants today made us very proud and exponentially multiplied the race’s success.”

The levels of technical quality shown during the final heats were also lauded by Al-Rumaithi, who ensured that the championship tour had successfully planted these qualities in its contestants, saying, “The championship now has a solid foundation which has attracted many of the sport’s contestants and stars from all corners of the world. We are very proud that the UAE championship contributes to the advancement of jet-skiing as a sport in general, and that it continues to bring out generation after generation of Emirati contestants participating in the world’s largest championships.”

plishments. Of special mention here are the Critical Infrastructure & Coastal Protection Authority, Abu Dhabi Sports Channel and Abu Dhabi Municipality. We would also like to thank the Abu Dhabi Yacht and Sailing Club, who gave us their full logistical support in organising the race.”

Al-Thaheri: full marks for judging

Race General Supervisor Mr. Nasser Al-Thaheri expressed his relief with the high technical calibre of the championship, emphasizing that the judging team that took part in it truly excelled in their duties. He said, “I say

to the judges ‘you were the stars, and you brought out the race in its best and most beautiful picture to the world.’ We haven’t had any complaints or grievances from the contestants, and for the first time we did not have to restart any races as we had to do in the past. The jury fulfilled their duties completely, from overseeing the race details to the starting line, which is always a cause of concern for us.”

Caption

As to the importance of the sport to the Emirates in general, Al-Rumaithi assured that jet-skiing had successfully joined the series of sports that Abu Dhabi promotes and supports in its drive for higher numbers of tourists and presence, something which the UAE had become very successful at doing for other championships for various other sports. He added: “The club has cemented the most important rules and foundations for the organisation of various marine sports, utilising the club’s unique location at the wave breaker to make it one of the most important touristic destinations in Abu Dhabi, especially considering that the championships are held in wintertime, the height of the emirate’s touristic season.”

Al-Rumaithi concluded by saying, “I would like to thank all government organisations that helped us organise the race. They all had a major impact on its success, as well as its technical and organisational accom-

OUTDOORUAE

23

THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST

24

OUTDOORUAE

may 2013 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

On the Phot o: Khalid Al Quba isi Photo By: Ali Suliman

OUTDOORUAE

25

TRAVEL + ADVENTURE

onal cross rld’s most prestigious internati oss Abu Dhabi wo the of e on e, ng alle Ch rt se entirety acr The Abu Dhabi De spectacular being staged in its with the Automobile and ort sp tor mo y -da five a is , lies ), ral TA (AD country the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority emirate under the auspices of AE) taking an event organisational role Touring Club of the UAE (ATCU derton Words + Photos By: Ian Gan

The Desert Challenge is now the season-opening round of both the FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup and the FIM Cross Country Rallies World Championship and is, over the years, expected to further strengthen Abu Dhabi’s credentials as a tourism destination of distinction and major sporting events hub.

It’s a Dakar-style event and many teams use it as preparation for the more famous event, but the logistics might be made simpler being only five days instead of two weeks and because, unlike the Dakar, the bivouac doesn’t move each day. But the driving/riding is tough as hell down in the Liwa and Moreeb areas of the Empty Quarter and, according to the riders and drivers I spoke

to, significantly tougher than the Dakar.

Covering the event for OutdoorUAE was an adventure and a challenge in itself. I spent days out in the desert with the Sweep Team and camped at the Liwa bivouac to soak up the atmosphere to try and fully understand the essence of the event.

The first couple of days were spent at Yas Circuit with the teams completing paperwork and putting the race vehicles through scrutiny, then finishing with a short spectators prologue.

For the competitors, the real racing begins with a full day in the desert heading from Abu Dhabi to the Liwa bivouac. And on Sunday, the 7th of April, months of careful and expensive race preparation brought 100 Team Dune Raider at the Prologue

competitors and a mixture of high-performance cars, buggies, quads and motorbikes to the start line of the 2013 event (and a sandstorm!). The weather was diabolical with the dust storm reducing visibility to unsafe levels. Driving off-road is tough even with good visibility, racing off-road even more so.

On top of this, the poor visibility grounded the fleet of helicopters providing medical cover.

A decision was quickly reached to move the start to the Service Passage Control (PC2) down the gatch track at the White Sands Grocery Petrol Station, shortening the day and once there, the race competitors sat out the weather waiting, waiting and waiting.

The point in time where the bikes and quads needed to start began to get uncomfortably close and while the weather out at PC2 was improving, the helicopters were still grounded by the weather at Yas. The tough and frustrating decision to cancel the bike/quad stage was taken due to insufficient medical cover, and the competitors took off to the bivouac on the road while the cars waited for their cut off point to be reached. With the weather clearing at the new start point, it was getting increasingly frustrating that the choppers couldn’t fly. It went right to the brink, when suddenly the game was on, the helicopters were in the air and the race could finally get underway.

Down at the bivouac that evening, the stories of the day’s racing started to come in.

The fastest car of the day was Lucio Alvarez/ Bernardo Graue in their Toyota Hilux, but they had rolled the car and it had sustained damage that ended their race. Three minutes and 19 seconds behind were favourites

Engine bakes pies on the engine, its traditional

members, Shaun, had also been part of the group that cycled across Liwa with me just a few weeks previously, so I was looking forward to catching up especially as the day’s route looked like it was following the same route we took. It was going to be fun to look at it again with more experienced eyes. (To read my previous article turn to page 44 of the April issue of OutdoorUAE).

The Sweep Team’s key role is to provide support Bike #1 tearing it up at the Prologue primarily to the bike race.

The team consists of three Nani Roma/ Michel Perin in their Mini (the smaller units of two or three only Minis I have ever seen that were bigger vehicles all driven by locally based drivers than a Hummer H3 also competing!). First in their own vehicles. They provide recovery of the two local teams I was following was for bikes and medical support as one of the Malcolm Anderson/ Patrick McMurren the event’s medics will also be on board in partnership in the Team Dune Raider Range addition to the team in the helicopters. The Rover. They had planned a steady first day team comprised of drivers from a variety of and had been largely incident free leaving backgrounds. Some were ex-competitors, them in good spirits and having time to some were drawn from the local 4x4 clubs, prepare for the next four days. A bit behind all had a significant depth of experience to were Ian and Sheila Barker in their New Trix draw on and driving abilities Racing Patrol. They only just made the drivthat were required to be very ers’ briefing at 7:00 p.m. and obviously had self-reliant in such a tough driva tough couple of hours as the light petered ing environment. out and a bad stick in the sand had taken an As I met the guys at the Liwa hour of digging to extract themselves from. I Guest House that morning, could see by the live vehicle tracking system there were some very tired that plenty of vehicles were still out there people around. It turned out though as the night closed in. that some of them had been in The next morning, I was out with the the desert providing support to Sweep Team. One of the Sweep Team the race till 4:00 a.m. The dunes

are tough enough in daylight, driving them at night is particularly tough and one of the stories from the night involved towing out a race vehicle from deep in the dunes, no mean feat and one that was recognised at the evening’s drivers’ briefing.

But it didn’t matter how long the previous night had been, the race was on and safety cover needed providing. Shaun was part of Sweep Team 3. His Patrol and Streaky’s massive pickup (the other sweep team member) were scheduled to pick up the race at the service stop PC2. The system they work means that this team wait for the first 15 to 20 bikes to go through the passage control and then they start to follow, dealing with any problems they encounter or are radioed into them from Race Control.

It wasn’t long after we started when out first call came in. Two bikes had come together about 30 minutes ahead of us leaving one rider injured. By the time we got there, the rider had been extracted by chopper leaving a weirdly lonely-looking bike in the middle of the desert. The experienced hands of the team soon had the bike in the back of the pick-up and we were on our way again.

The next call came just after we had

completed a particularly difficult section of dunes, (the same and only section that had us walking just a few weeks before on our Liwa expedition by fat bike). It was impressive driving from Shaun and Streaky to get through it. Shaun’s face was a picture when the call came to retrace our track to check out a quad bike that had stopped showing up on the tracking system just 1.5km to our rear. It turned out to be a false alarm.

Our next incident was a buggy with a completely and impressively shattered clutch housing. The location had zero mobile phone coverage so the team had been forced to sit it out till we arrived. It was decided to tow it out to the gatch track that cut across the race route a few kilometres further on. Streaky’s immense turbo diesel pick-up had plenty of grunt to do the job, but someone had to drive the buggy as it was pulled out and up and over the lips of the technical ground we went through; it looked like a wild ride!

Special Stage 2 saw a lot of incidents elsewhere that day keeping all the race support systems extremely busy. Team Dune Raider got harshly caught out by this as the course closed quite early at PC2 leaving them timed out despite being easily on track for a within time finish. New Trix Racing had a much better day. Mini dominated the cars with Roma first and Krzysztof Holowczyc second with defending champion Jean-Louis Schlesser 18 minutes down in sixth.

In the first day of racing on the bikes, locally based Honda rider Sam Sunderland was fastest by just over two minutes with six-time previous winner Marc Coma Camps on second.

Excellent and exciting racing played itself out for the next days. Roma fighting hard to hold onto his lead from Schlesser, a man on a charge trying to make up lost ground.

The same was happening on the bikes with leader Sunderland riding hard to hold onto his lead and keep back competitors on the charge.

In a cruel twist at the end of the penultimate day, Sunderland made a small but significant technical infringement and incurred a 10-minute penalty as a result. That led to him finishing in 3rd place and Coma taking first place with Paulo Goncalves on second.

In the cars, Roma and Perin held onto first in their Mini and the old campaigner Schlesser, with Konstantin Zhiltsov, has to settle for second with Bernhard Ten Brinke and Matthieu Baumel taking their Ford to third. The quads was won by Mohammed Abu Issa.

1. Marc Coma Camps (ESP) “I’m very

happy to win but feel sorry for Sam because it was clear he was the fastest rider over the five days and deserved his victory. But those are the rules and we have to abide by them. For me, I was just riding easy for the first three days and just trying to get used to the desert again. I rode harder today, but I knew I had to ride cleanly and not make any mistakes.”

7. Sam Sunderland (UAE) “It was a really

good week for me, but I made a big mistake yesterday. During liaison, I went to talk to the mechanic about my broken exhaust late in the race and after talking to him I forgot

28

OUTDOORUAE

to go through the final two gates and got a ten minute penalty. I’m really gutted, but those are the rules.”

147. Mohammed Abu Issa (QAT) “It feels great

to finish and to win the quads. It was close today because I was leading by 14 minutes coming into the last stage, but I made three big mistakes that cost me 12-odd minutes.

Luckily, I still won, so it’s an amazing feeling, especially because this is my first Desert Challenge.

It’s been an unbelievable five days. My air filter was clogged 4km from the finish and my engine just stopped. I had to rip it out and crawl to the finish.”

204 Nani Roma / Michel Perin (ESP / FRA) “It’s always nice to win, and the Desert

Challenge is really difficult so it’s a good feeling, but I’m also happy for the whole team. In this sport, you need a lot of people around you, so victory was for everyone involved in the team. The first three days were really tough because I had to open the stage, so I had to go fast, but not make mistakes. After that, I could relax a little and sit on my lead. A lot of credit must go to Michel in the co-driver seat for getting us around.”

203. Jean-Louis Schlesser / Konstantin Zhiltsov (FRA / RUS) “Today we

proved that with a top-class car we are the top level. Now I’m looking forward to going to Qatar and invite all cars to compete again. For me, perhaps this stage was the best. It was very open and fast and a lot of fun.”

205. Bernhard Ten Brinke / Matthieu Baumel (NLD / FRA) “We are really hap-

py for the first time in the Desert Challenge.

Today, was a really good stage. It was a nice combination of dunes and speed. I think we finished second today and now third overall, so I am happy with that. I think we will be

back next year as the Desert Challenge is great preparation for the Dakar Rally. The people are really nice, the area is spectacular and it’s been a fantastic experience.”

For the two local teams I followed, it was mixed fortunes right up until the end. Malcolm and Patrick were towed to the finish at Yas all the way from the last day’s PC1. Participating in desert rallying is brutal on man and machine and the Dune Raiders gave up while they were hoofing along a gatch track.

Ian and Sheila were behind Dune Raider in the New Trix Nissan Patrol and smelt it as it let loose. The two teams had been tussling up to that point.New Trix finished well and built on a very positive few days leaving them with a very respectable 16th overall.

EXPLORE LIFE Available at: Adventure HQ in Times Square Center and Go Sport in Dubai Mall

Distributor

Global Climbing

info@globalclimbing.com

TRAVEL + ADVENTURE

The Ancient And The Modern If you were asked about Ethiopia, you might think a number of impressions: 50 years ago it would have been the Emperor Haile Selassie; 30 years ago atrocities committed by the Derg against the population; 20 years ago images of failed crops, starvation and drought were broadcasted around the world that it raised awareness of the modern aid business with Live Aid. If you were of a scientific background, maybe the discovery of Lucy, the evidence of our first ancestors to walk upright, might come to mind.

Descending from the summit of Imet Gogo, 3926m, one of a number of stunning viewpoints with a 360 panorama overlooking gorges, canyons and waterfalls

Words + Photos By: Sean James For adventure tourists, Ethiopia is a massive playground and one that is thankfully only just developing. The fourth highest mountain in Africa is here. Ras Dashen is beautiful, standing at a touch over 4,500m and very accessible. Known as the “Roof of Africa,” Ethiopia could also claim to be the Switzerland of Africa, having 20 peaks of over 4,000m. One of the most popular areas, The Simien Mountains, is a World Heritage site and National Park and one of only a number of areas in this enchanting country. The feeling of pioneer exploration is strong here. Other notable points of interest are The Danakil Depression, the lowest point in Africa, 125m below sea level, as well as the Bole Mountains in the South and the jewel, Addis Ababa. At present, the tourism industry only accounts for about six per cent

At the summit with my local guide from Debark, Adil

30

OUTDOORUAE

of GDP and is being held back by lack of infrastructure. This lack of infrastructure is also a good thing for adventure travellers. Slowly the country is opening itself up with trekking, safaris and training camps at altitude for those in search of something different.

Arriving in Ethiopia by air, your first stop should be Addis Ababa. Vast and sprawling, Addis has an energy that is immediately noticeable. All over Ethiopia, the people are friendly, open and educated. Here in the capital they are also chic and classy.

The Bole district is packed full of pavement cafés, restaurants and nightclubs with live music and young smartly-dressed people.

The buzz is incredible. More akin to London, this young generation is progressive, opinionated and worldly wise. Coming from Dubai, it is great to see all sectors of the population hanging out, teasing, flirting, chatting and dining together. The feeling of safety is also unlike other African countries.

In Addis, walking even in the poorest areas or into the loudest reggae bars, you are made to feel welcomed immediately and drawn into the exuberance and happiness of the Ethiopian people.

Emirates fly here direct in less than four hours and for around 1,200 AED. Visa on arrival, if a slow process, is possible. Addis is an important city and is often called the

political capital of Africa as it hosts the headquarters of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and numerous other continental and international organisations.

Most westerners living here are on a mission to top up their karma and work in the business of aid. They are a mixture of yoga, vegan, stay-out-of-the-sun types who have either graduated here from other experiences in Africa or are on voluntary gap years.

The Italian influence helps the atmosphere, the street cafés and restaurants all full of modern coffee machines and pastries. The many eucalyptus trees also add to the smell and shade. The elevation of Addis is over 2,300m so you will definitely feel the altitude and the perfect cool temperatures are a welcome surprise coming from Dubai.

After Addis, I flew to Gondar, an ancient, former imperial capital and stayed in the most expensive hotel in town at 50 USD. I was here to explore the nearby Simien Mountains and Ras Dashen. In the afternoon, I met up with my muscle-bound, tattooed tour agent who also imported cars, travelling regularly to Dubai and the US. I had done the research and knew what I wanted. He estimated I would need an armed scout, guide, cook and two porters. Prices are very, very cheap if you organise all the details such as food, transport, entrance tickets and staff yourself. Having worked in the travel industry for many years, I was happy to hand over the money and let him take care of everything.

If there is one thing they need to work on it is the marketing and the image they want to project abroad. Surrounded by

Each campsite along the trek has huts used for cooking and eating

The local children are always keen to practise their English, make friends and have their photos taken

Somalia, Sudan and Eritrea it is easy to think that the country is still a combat zone. This is definitely not the case. The armed scout is probably an experience that is not really necessary and may put some people off.

Unlike his fearsome face, he was a sweet 55-year-old policeman who fussed over me with food and water and checked if I had my camera every time we stopped.

The drive from Gondar to the start of the trek is straightforward and the new blacktop road, built by the Chinese, is opening up access to even the most remote regions.

Hopefully, they are not trying to copy the Kenyan, Tanzanian or Nepali models. A stop at the market village of Dekar is mandatory to register at the Park Headquarters. The local market is every Saturday and Tuesday.

The trek I had chosen would take five days and all above 2,000m. Starting at Sendakar, where most people spend one night to acclimatize, the views from the plateau are immediately spectacular, an ancient landscape.

The education and desire for self-improvement and hard work is spectacular and would put many neighbouring, wealthier countries to shame. The countryside is tidy, well-organised and every piece of land appears productive. One of the big problems, even local people mentioned to me, is that the aid distribution is unfair. Ethiopia ranks 170 out of 177 countries on the 2004 Human Development Index with an annual per capita income of around 100 USD. 75 per cent of the population lives on less than 1 USD per day. The aid organisations are everywhere, but locals complain that even though they earn less than 1 USD a day they are not considered marginalised and so receive nothing.

Food is a big event in Ethiopia and the traditional favourite, injera, symbolises the community feeling and openness of the country. Everybody shares. Ask for less spicy if your stomach is not used to strong flavours. The best time to visit is anytime out of the main rainy season, which runs from June to the end of September, with short rains in March. However, with the upgrading of the airports along the Historic Route (Axum, Lalibela, Gondar and Bahir Dar), it is now possible to visit the north even in the rainy season. For those travellers that do not mind experiencing moderate rain (usually followed by brilliant sunshine) there are certain rewards – a green countryside full of crops and a riot of wild flowers, all this largely to yourselves. The scenery is particularly wonderful green in September and early October. I visited at the start of April and it was perfect.

Over the five days, I walked approximately 100km, every footstep a different photo to be captured. Vast vistas, people, animals and religion all continuously assault the senses.

A visit to Ethiopia on first impressions may appear out of most people’s comfort zones and will not have been on the radar until now. I had just a week’s vacation and decided to test the limits of my comfort zone.

Like many others I was pleasantly surprised.

Ethiopia, its people, its city, its towns and villages are truly wondrous. I will definitely return.

OUTDOORUAE

31

THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST

may 2013 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

TRAVEL + ADVENTURE

Whenever I go on holiday, I always make the effort to go running or climb something, but most of the time, I just look at the map for the highest point and head for it.

Last month, I flew into Scotland as a surprise for my grandparent’s 60th wedding anniversary for 48hrs. However, I still managed to find the time to climb a Munro. So, rising early on a very cold and wet Scottish morning I headed for the Perthshire Mountains.

The mountain that I decided to ascend is called Schiehallion or in Gaelic “Fairy hill.” Schiehallion is a Munro that stands 3,547ft/1,083m high in Perthshire and Kinross and is regarded as the centre of Scotland. But an even more interesting fact about this mountain is that in 1774, due to its regular shape and isolated position, it was selected by Charles Mason for an experiment to calculate the weight of the Earth.

Whilst they were conducting the experiment the contour line was born as a method of representing elevation on a map.

A Munro is a Scottish mountain with a height over 3,000ft (914.4m). Munros are named after Sir Hugh Munro, 4th Baronet (1856–1919), who produced the first list of such hills, known as Munros Tables, in 1891.

A Munro top is a summit that is not regarded as a separate mountain and which is over 3,000ft (914.4 m). As of 2012, there are 282 Munros in Scotland.

This was not the first time I had ascended Schiehallion, as I had climbed it in the summer of 2010, but this time it would be much

32

OUTDOORUAE

Words + Photos: Jim McIntosh more of a challenge due to the snow and ice. As always, I had checked the weather reports, spoke to a local who was aware of the current conditions on the mountain, checked the route on my map and ran through my planning and preparation list that I always use when going on the hills.

The route to the top is approximately 5kms and follows a wide path along the eastern ridge all the way to the top. The path is so good that it was the first Munro to be classed as a wheelchair friendly Munro ¾ of the way up, so you get an idea of how good it is. As soon as I started walking from the shelter of the wooded car park the rain hit me sideways being blownup the glen, the rivers were swollen with snowmelt water and so I was very aware from the start of a cautious approach. At about the 500m contour line and as the path hugged the southern side of the ridge, very strong winds and even stronger gusts started knocking me about.

Another 200m in elevation and I was walking in random patches of snow which had now turned into ice due to the rain and cold temperature. As I pushed higher still I would estimate the wind to be gusting at around 60mph and with this added to increasing sheets of ice on the path, it was making walking quite dangerous.

After walking for about an hour, I had reached over 900m in height, were I was blown off my feet and had slipped on the ice a couple of times. Looking around, I found a

little crag to take shelter behind and reevaluate my plan. Was it worth trying to complete the last couple of hundred meters on snow and ice, with low cloud, rain and very strong winds? The answer was no, so I made my descent cautiously back down to the car park.

On the way down, I felt a little cheated that I had not reached the top, but as I sat in my car watching the cloud roll over this very impressive mountain, I knew I had made the sensible and right choice. I also knew that because I had summited it three years before, I knew that I could do it. One in four attempts to summit a mountain result in failure due to many different circumstances.

The point of this article is to always know your limits when venturing out into any potentially dangerous situation. Preparation and good planning are essential and always ask yourself “what if?” questions, which will help if something should go wrong. I was on my own and so the decision to turn around was the right decision at the time. Make sure you read the warning signs early and don’t try and push your luck. It is better to be safe and have another go later when the conditions are better.

OUR EXPERTS

Strong winds in the Greek Isles

The Aegean and the Meltemi

Photos By: Jeni Davey, Robert Davey & Mike Nott

For the last four years, the family (Jeni, Robert and I) have been doing solo, bareboat charters around the Mediterranean: the Ionian, the Croatian coast, the Balearics. Last year, we headed to the Aegean with a view to enjoying a serene and relaxing island hopping holiday around the Greek isles. It was not to be. We started with four days of blissful, un-dramatic sailing, but this was then followed by 10 days of a sailing adventure challenge where we faced 40+ knot winds, every day. The dreaded Meltemi northern wind had hit the Aegean.

Mike

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

Available now at www. outdooruae.com and Adventure HQ, Times Square Mall, Dubai.

We’d arrived in Athens and headed to the port for the island ferry to Paros, where we were to collect the boat – a 40ft Jeanneau Odyssey called “Panic” (I kid you not; there’s a certain irony and Greek tragedy to that name). The plan was to sail south from Paros for four days and then turn north and island hop all the way back to the mainland port of Lavrio, where we’d booked to leave the boat at the end of the holiday fortnight. The trip to Paros was uneventful and, after the characteristic Greek “manjana,” the handover of the boat was done.

We decided to head as far south as Santorini, via the islands of Naxos and Ios. We were not to be disappointed.

The sailing was tremendous, 15-25 knot winds. We headed on to Santorini, which is in fact a submerged, extinct volcano. Approaching from the north, you sail into the caldera and can see the Greek villages clinging precariously to the lip of the

Jeni at the helm

34

OUTDOORUAE

Mike sitting down on the job

rim, several hundred feet above you. It’s not a small caldera, it’s actually huge and you need to dodge the large cruise ships that stop here to disgorge their passengers. After a bit of hesitancy on my part, we finally moored up to a large bobbing, floating metal buoy and managed to get a long line to the shore to secure the stern.

The plan from Santorini was to island hop in a zigzag Sitting it out in Loutrou all the way back to Lavrio. We’d try and do an island per day; about 20-30 nautical miles. We emerged from the caldera, noticed the strength of the wind and the large swell of the open sea and set off for Folegandros, about 25 nautical miles away. Robert is a skilled sailor and a guru on sail setting, much of it learnt racing yachts in Dubai. We were so glad to have him on board over the next 10 days.

The wind picked up until we were having to reef in the sails as it hit the 25 knot mark. This was manageable between the two of us and Jeni was roped in to take the helm when sails need adjusting or we tacked or jibed.

The wind picked up more and we In the caldera - Santorini hit the 35 knot mark. Sailing in these conditions was exactly what Robert including hauling Robert up the mast and I had secretly hoped for; Jeni in the Bosun’s chair to fix the mainsail wasn’t quite so enthusiastic. We made bag lines that had snapped under the Folegandros and managed to moor strain of the winds. up in the lee of the wind. It was here The next day we headed to Sifnos, that we did a few repairs to the boat, another 23 nautical miles further north

Crash!

Robert fixing the bag ties

and the following day we headed back to Paros, about the same distance again. It became evident when we’d reached Sifnos that we’d hit the Meltemi and it was picking up. The crossing from Sifnos to Paros saw us feel the full brunt of its force; at times 40+ knots of wind. The beauty of zigzag island hopping was that you could set the sails on leaving port and sail across at such an angle that there was minimum need to tack, as we headed into the wind. Thus, if we could get the angle of attack just right we could sail across on a single tack. After an exciting sail across to Paros we thought we’d try and sit it out for a day or two to see if the winds abated; they didn’t. We considered asking the charter company if we could leave the boat at Paros, rather than have to drop it back in Lavrio. In the end, we decided to put ourselves to the test and face the Meltemi back to Lavrio.

From Paros we headed to Siros and into a beautiful sheltered harbour at Finikas.

We knew, however, that the next day’s sail to Kythnos would mean us facing the full side-on brunt of the Meltemi. It was to be an exciting day. The winds hit their “normal” 35-45 knots, we were fully reefed and seemed to maintain a heel of 30°-40° for the whole day; up until the point we had to turn downwind to reach the port. The swell had grown significantly and the breaking waves would hit us squarely from the rear, pick the boat up and we’d surf the boat as the waves pushed us southwards to the harbour at Loutrou. We hoped that Loutrou would give us some respite and hoped to get into the harbour, but it was full up. We then had to try and moor against the harbour’s outer wall.

Mooring a yacht in these high winds is not for the fainthearted. Fortunately, we were spotted coming in by other boat crews and they made their way to the harbour wall ready to receive thrown mooring lines and fasten them as quickly as they could. I managed to get the boat close in using a fair bit of engine power and the mooring lines were received and we pulled ourselves in to the wall. Robert and I went ashore to adjust the stern and bow lines and put out warps.

Just as we were doing this, the forward

Surfing the swells

line snapped with a crack under the strain and the boat was thrown outwards and the danger was it would swing round and smash in to the next boat along the wall. Jeni was on the boat alone. Quickly, I released the stern line from the wall and shouted to Jeni to point the bow into wind and try and keep the boat stationary. I dived off the harbour wall into the rough sea and swam across to her, told her to put the engine in neutral as I climbed up the stern to get to the helm and try and gain control. This was achieved and we headed back into the wall again to repeat the process, this time successfully and without snapping mooring lines.

Loutrou became our home for the next two days as we hoped for a break in the Meltemi. The beach bar saw a lot of customers as more yachtsmen sought the protection of the harbour over the next 24 hours.

We experienced a small “twister” that swept through the harbour causing a significant amount of debris and snapping another of our mooring lines; this time without dangerous consequences. With our time running

out we had a couple of days to get back to Lavrio and decided to head out in to the Meltemi and make the short hop (15 nautical miles) to the island of Kea and the bay at Koundouros – a well-sheltered spot from the brunt of the Meltemi. This was incident free and we made the last hop, through the brunt of the winds from Kea to Lavrio port; the challenge finished.

We did feel rather elated to have made it successfully through 10 days of high-winds sailing and we felt we’d sailed the boat reasonably competently. Robert had been a real boon to have on board and Jeni had just got on with whatever task was thrown her way; a real family team effort. The beauty of solo bareboat chartering is you’re not beholden to anybody and you set your own schedule and decide exactly where and when you go, conditions permitting of course! Had this put us off our annual sailing holiday? Not on your Nelly, in fact, quite the opposite!

Mike Nott OUTDOORUAE

35

TRAVEL + ADVENTURE

The Healing Hearts journey begins...

then stalls, then begins again Well, like all good adventures there will be hiccups, and this one is no exception.

13th April. Just prior the departure, my front tooth cracked and fell out and I had to have an extraction and implant the morning of my leaving function. So with stitches in my gum and palate I went!

The actual send away function was fabulous, with Sheraton Jumeirah Beach doing us proud. The setting and the F&B were great.

A big thank you to them for the support and we also had loads of entertainment and a ride in with the press.

14th April, the morning of the departure. The journey began in something of a rush; late with packing and doing last minute repairs to the bike just before leaving. I kissed my wife quickly as there was no time for long goodbyes (sorry again darling!).

We were off to the port and it was 3:15 p.m., but we really should have been at the port 15 minutes ago. No sweat, Sharjah is not too far right? Unfortunately, it is a very long way in the traffic. If I was a delivery boy, it would have been relatively straight forward, however, teetering off down the road on my 335kg juggernaut, bobbing and weaving should not be on the agenda. My friend Sumit Mitra was riding shotgun on his very smart looking Harley chopper.

Like any adventures, it is not without its challenges and the first was to get to Sharjah port regardless of the heat, discomfort, the traffic and the fact that we were late. We pushed hard and made it to the Port at 3:45.

I was glad of the company of Sumit just in case something went wrong (somewhat ironic, because for the rest of the 22,000km, I would be on my own).

The ferry to Iran. The security to get the bike in and on to the ferry was very straight forward.

To my pleasant surprise, there was a small shop and I got a bench bagged for myself by dumping my not so insignificant amount of hand carrying baggage on the seat. A meal was served, simple but wholesome of rice and chicken, with a drink and an orange. Adrenalin and excitement kicked in; after months of preparation, I was on my way, so for all but two hours of the 10-hour trip I busied myself programming my new phone and the satellite phone with essential numbers.

15th April, my Iranian day. On arrival, I disembarked with the other passengers and walked into the immigration building only to find a long queue. Unfortunately, my passport, along with a bunch of others, was taken away and we were ushered to wait

36

OUTDOORUAE

Words + Photos: Richard Mitchell

Ferry to and back from Iran

have no complaints. I did however have a sick feeling in my stomach, with months of preparation and a huge amount of my money spent I was scuppered at the first border.

outside an office, that I later found out was the terminal police office for immigration.

Well my luck was not going to hold out.

Despite having all my paperwork in order, the authorities decided in their wisdom to turn me away. I spent a long day in the terminal building in Bandar Abbas before being put back on the ferry I had arrived on that morning.

My passport was handed back to me at 8:15 p.m. (12 hours since I had last had it in my hand) and I was taken through a side door to the embarkation area, never having received a stamp in my passport.

The uniformed police man came up to me and let me out with a smile. I was to be first in the throng of waiting passengers to be allowed out and onto the ferry. Thank goodness Desert Rose was there as I had left her, untouched and still lashed down with securing straps.

No reason was given and the authorities in Iran were always polite and pleasant. I

15th to 16th April, the ferry back to Sharjah. I fully relaxed when the ferry departed and I was on my way back. I went upstairs and grabbed a bench seat and sat down with sigh of relief.

After a simple meal, I had not eaten since about 7:00 a.m. and it was now gone 10:00 p.m., I wolfed down the food and lay down.

I woke up again at 5:30, I must have been totally exhausted, that’s the most sleep in one night I have had for weeks!

16th April, Sharjah Port.

Turns out I needed it. Thank goodness for Mahmoud, a 60-year-old port officer at the Sharjah port, who after I had waited two and half hours in a queue to be stamped back in and having been sent from building to building to get clearance for the bike, he took pity on me and decided to help.

Thank goodness he did, there is a system, which is great if you know it, but it is at least a 10-stage process with different counters, buildings and cashiers. With Mahmoud’s guiding hand, I sped through the process in about an hour and soon had my gate pass

and all paperwork in order. Thank you Mahmoud! You really saved me what would have taken several hours of frustration that I was not in the mood for after my Iranian experience.

So there you have it, in a few words the start of the Healing Hearts journey hits a brick wall. But we will not let this stop us. Disappointed? Yes, desperately. Down hearted? Never. The journey will continue, but how?

The reality sinks in. Back at my home everything had been packed away. The reality sank in.

This is a real blow. I had to work out my option and start planning immediately.

My options were: • Try Iran again. I was assured and checked at the Iranian Consulate that my visa and papers were in order. This was again reconfirmed.

• Ride through Saudi, ferry to Egypt and then through Egypt and a ferry to Turkey • Fly the bike to the next destination possible on the route. My Azerbaijani visa was for two days only and from the 28th April for one month. Ship the bike by sea to southern Turkey.

• Reverse the journey and ride back to UAE shipping the bike by sea to UK The following days were filled with numerous phone calls and meetings and the options slowly fell away until I was left with one practical option due to time and other constraints: to fly the bike to the next destination, possible along the route and adjust the journey accordingly. As I am speaking at Tedex in Istanbul on the 18th May and we are having some fundraisers there, this is the first location where there is a time constraint and I must not miss this location.

I spoke with several companies.

My resolve was being severely tested as more than a week had past and I was really no closer to

a solution. Then on the evening of the 24th, 10 days after I had departed for Iran I got the news I had been waiting for, Aramex confirmed that as part of their CSR program they will fly the bike to Istanbul at their cost. Thank you so much to Aramex for this kind and humanitarian act that put the Healing Hearts Journey back on track.

Aramex had already done the shipments for me free of charge and had saved the day just before departure, by bringing an essential spare part for Desert Rose from UK in record time. So I have been rescued twice by the same company.

27th April, crating the bike for airfreight.

The bike was drained of fuel and the battery disconnected, then parts removed so it would fit in the crate and the bike was loaded onto the Aramex truck to go to Cargo Village for flying out on 29th April to Istanbul.

28th April, fly out to Istanbul. Fly Dubai to Istanbul to meet the bike and start the journey when it arrives.

So the Healing hearts Journey starts again!

Editors note: Remember to look out for Richard’s next article in the June Issue of OutdoorUAE to see how the journey is progressing.

The OutdoorUAE team wishes him good luck!

TRAVEL + ADVENTURE

The Magic Carpet Hitchhiking through Oman Words + Photos: Will Pardoe

I have great memories of Oman from when I was younger, especially of the people. Smiling faces would wave to us as we drove through their village.

But that was through the car window, and I wanted to see the real Oman, to be immersed in their culture; invited into their lives - on the road, or in the majalis. In a way, I wanted to experience what the UAE would have been like had I been born thirty years earlier.

And what better way to experience a culture than to hitchhike through it?

I had spent the weekend with friends hiking around the “Grand Canyon” of Jebal Shams, and I said goodbye to them on the side of the road heading to Muscat. I watched as they drove away, leaving me in the middle of Oman, with only one way out – through the kindness of strangers. But before I could return, I would be heading much further south. I smiled; I was back in the unknown, where every day would be an adventure. Salalah beckoned.

The sun beat down and the air sizzled.

It was 34°C. A few cars passed, with a look of confusion or an upturned hand. Though soon enough a Land Cruiser pulled in, driven by an expat.

“I’m going to Muscat,” came the South African accent. “I’d love to go to Muscat!” I said with enthusiasm. To be honest, I hadn’t actually decided where I was going. I was just there for the journey. We chatted as the date palm oases and crumbling fortresses rolled by. His name was Johan, a 50-year-old who had recently ventured to Oman to keep life interesting. He had changed jobs countless times, always in search of something new and exciting. This time around, he was

The Grand Canyon, Jebal Shams

38

OUTDOORUAE

surveying the country for future solar farms and gas plants. With no idea what I would do when I got to Muscat, I was relieved when Johan offered me his spare room for the night. When you’re hitchhiking, a shower and a bed become the height of luxury!

I spent the next day with Johan as we traveled south, following the coast. The landscape was breathtaking; a Caribbean blue ocean swept out to our left, and to our right an expanse of pristine sand dunes rose above oasis after oasis. After staying in a hotel that night, Johan returned north and I was once again standing by the roadside. It was an energising feeling. I had fallen back into my comfort zone cruising with a familiar face in a swish 4x4, so it was time to cast out the net. And I caught a big one! With the standard confused look on his face, Ahmed stopped his truck beside me. He spoke no English, which I was almost glad about, so it was time to whip out the Arabic... dictionary.

Ahmed was a middle-aged Yemeni man with slightly graying hair, three-day stubble and a lazily worn headdress that he adjusted periodically. The truck had no AC, and we couldn’t go more than 80kph, so we headed slowly south into the vast emptiness with the windows open and a warm desert breeze drifting into the cab. I felt the heat from the sand on my face and I noticed the contrast between this ride and the last: from cruising comfortably in a safe, air-conditioned bubble at 120, to rumbling along at walking speed, immersed in the harsh environment and the way of life.

As I would find with every ride, Ahmed presented me with a gift. He didn’t really have anything, but looking around the cab he found a pen to give me as a show of goodwill. In return, I offered him some almonds, which he accepted with some persuasion. I entered a state of flow as the hours of dodging potholes and encroaching sand dunes melted together, until suddenly we were pulling into a roadside restaurant, with Ahmed disappearing around the back to have a shower. Feral cats sauntered around looking for scraps, while a man kneeled in prayer under the shade of a large tree. I wandered inside to order some food.

Upon asking what they had I found myself in a dirty kitchen peering into large saucepans.

I chose a dhal, and the chef nodded enthusiastically. Once Ahmed was fresh, he came in and ordered a tea, then made moves to pay for the whole bill. I tried to protest, but the waiter waved me off with a smile; it was Ahmed’s right.

A few hours later and the road to Yemen turned right. I was suddenly alone beside the road once more. I flagged the next car and they pulled over, as almost every vehicle I hailed in Oman did. I jumped in and was

Old man of the mountains

immediately presented with a hot cup of masala chai – ah, Arab hospitality! Qais, Unis and Adnan were three young soldiers heading home to Salalah. They were classic Arabians, with their seats reclined and their feet on the dashboard, aviators on – cruising in style. Salalah, near the Yemeni border, is a surprisingly tropical city, with tall coconut palms and fruit stalls brimming with bananas, coconuts and mangoes. We stopped for a refreshing drink of young coconut as the sun set, before continuing on to the beach where I would camp for the night. Pointing

Wayn are we?

The road deteriorates and the desert closes in

to some old houses, Adnan said “Here, no people.” Great! I was really impressed by their thoughtfulness. They drove off into the night and I ventured into a nearby house, setting up my tent on the flat roof overlook-

THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST

Salem, my self-designated tour guide

ing the sea. That evening the beachfront came alive with locals relaxing, smoking shisha and chatting. I knew if I wandered around I would be invited to join a group, so down I went, trying to look aloof. Of course, I hadn’t passed one table before I had some new friends.

Morning came and I was apprehensive about finding a way out of the city and onto the motorway. Cities tend to be hitchhiking black holes, but not Salalah! In true Omani fashion, the first car that came along stopped right beside me. Not only did I get a ride, but Salem decided to become my tour guide, taking me around the religious sites of the city.

Of course, there are times when hitchhiking gets a little hair-raising. This time, it was reckless driving. One of my rides returning north was driving at 160, overtaking into oncoming traffic and forcing them onto the hard shoulder, passing within inches. A 300kph collision didn’t sound appealing, so in my most polite Arabic I asked to be let out at the next town, citing a lack of lanky-man legroom (but don’t ask me how to say that in Arabic). My next ride was just as bad, which I knew before I even got in the car. The key is to trust your instincts and wait for the next one. With the incredible experiences that

may 2013 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

Treated to a coconut

come from hitchhiking, the occasional bad egg becomes insignificant.

One such memorable experience was my encounter with Hassan, a traditional Arabic dancer, as I neared the UAE border. He plucked me from the roadside and welcomed me to join him in his village for lunch. When I’m hitchhiking, I try to accept all invitations; the side track is often where I find myself in the most random and extraordinary situations. Rolling into the village, we were greeted by five elderly women in colourful red, yellow and green abayas, merrily chatting and laughing as they sat weaving and mending in the empty street. They were even more amused by my presence, and although I had no idea what they were saying, I was quite taken by them!

Hassan led me into their majalis and lit some incense. It was typically over the top, with gold and zebra-striped sofas, huge flowers and palatial curtains. We chatted as the food was cooked, and every now and then, a young face would poke through the door to look upon the mysterious visitor.

A young boy brought out a large tray of rice, grilled fish, spiced tomato sauce, salad, and a salty laban drink to pour over the rice. Hassan showed me how to eat with my hands, and it felt quite satisfying thumbing

Hotel Salalah

Hassan shows his skills

squished morsels of oily rice and fish into my mouth. It was a delicious meal. Afterwards we were served coffee, and as a parting gift, they treated me to an incense smoke bath.

Perhaps they were trying to tell me something? Hassan took me back to the road, and an Omani man going to Sharjah detoured to drop me right back at my front door.

Smelling distinctly Arabic, I reflected on what a great adventure it had been. The Omanis had demonstrated such generosity and hospitality to a stranger in their land.

Arabia is such a treasure trove of rich culture, timeless landscapes and charming people.

The magical land of Aladdin is right there, waiting at the end of your outstretched thumb.

Arabic hospitality

OUTDOORUAE

39

TRAVEL + ADVENTURE

Words + Photos By: Nic Potter

I‘ll start by introducing you to our group, as a sporting collective, we are a mixed bag.

From a variation of sporting backgrounds, we generally classify ourselves as a group of “weekend warriors.” Nasir Khamlichi is a self-confessed “gym monkey.” Always in the gym, always training. Previously competed in Jiu Jitsu, MMA, and ran in this year’s Dubai Marathon. Nic Potter is a former gym monkey, rugby player, cyclist and very parttime runner. All of these having taken a back seat to brunches and Barasti since moving to Dubai two years ago. Abdallah Mukalled isn’t really much of sportsman, but is very passionate about the fundraising aspect, so the need for our intense training routine is amplified.

On the 5th of July, the three of us will climb Kilimanjaro in order to raise money for the Hanne Howard Fund.

Kilimanjaro is a common bucket list challenge, the appeal of climbing one of the highest mountains in the world is easy to understand.

For me, it is a little more personal this year, both Nas and I signed on to climb last year for the local Gulf for Good charity, and should have conquered the peak last July. Unfortunately, during training in the UK, I broke three bones in my ankle in addition to rupturing ligaments, A well deserved rest for us, complete with scenic view of Dubai from palm ruling me out of the

“I’m going to be sick,” was immediately followed by, and for the third time, “have we finished yet?” We aren’t underestimating how hard climbing Kilimanjaro will be on us, so we are taking the training seriously.

Friday mornings currently consist of 2-3 hour sessions that Abdullah is still learning to love.

40

OUTDOORUAE

Will my backpack be this heavy?

climb, and subsequently most exercise for more than six months. Our outlook for our upcoming training is easy: to embrace the weekend warrior spirit.

All three of us work in the legal team at Thomson Reuters, and have the usual busy work lives, so extended weeknight training is tough. We have strict individual goals for weekdays, comprising of leg and back strengthening routines in the gym and distance running to build up our strength and endurance. Then come the weekends!

We have set out a training plan right up until July, with the sessions getting harder every week. Friday and Saturday mornings comprise of 1.5 to six-hour sessions, utilising the abundance of the UAE’s many resources:

Are we finished yet?

Beach training

We have been utilising several beaches. A typical Friday morning last month started with endurance training. We run on the track at the Dubai Marine Club beach, or on the sand for added resistance. This will make up the first hour of our session. We follow this with interval training.

We have a particular fondness for the “beep test” at the end of our session to measure our individual fitness.

Results started out abysmal, but it is shocking what can be achieved in only a few weeks.

The session then finishes with some core training and stretching. The current water temperature makes for a perfect dip in the sea afterwards.

Stair climbs

Another thing the UAE has in abundance is towers. If nothing else, we are a resourceful bunch and have been climbing a building in the Marina. Although we could barely make it to the 40th floor on the first week (post an 8k run) our times have improved and 82 floors is now a 25-minute affair. We are on the hunt for a more challenging tower. These climbs are serving as our mini peaks. What started out as a drawn-out dizzying process has slowly built our leg muscles in preparation of the ultimate challenge. Hopefully, there’s enough muscle in there to last seven days.

Cycling

The new cycling track at Al Qudra is fantastic.

We had used it several times pre-challenge and is now starting to feature in long Saturday morning sessions. Our favourite being is cycling to Bab Al Shams were we can break for a cup of coffee before cycling home!

Kayaking

To keep our training interesting, one of our sessions was a long day on the water. We borrowed kayaks and set off from the end of JBR, our goal being to get round The Palm.

Three hours later we touched down on Palace Beach, for a quick stop, checked in with the respective wives and back onto the water for

Hiking in Sharjah. The scenery of our first weekend adventure

the three-hour paddle back to JBR. A thoroughly enjoyable session that came with a harsh reminder to keep your sunscreen topped up! The resulting burn was not enjoyable.

Climbing hills

More fittingly, climbing hills in Sharjah is increasingly featuring in our schedule, now that we have built up some core fitness. Over the next two months, we have several climbs planned for some of UAE’s more famous mountains like Jebel Hafeet in next two weeks, and the Stairway to Heaven two weeks after.

So, that is where we are so far. Plans made, goals set, lots of sweat shed and many more miles yet to land beneath our feet. We look forward to reporting back with pictures, stories and blisters from the top of the highest mountain in Africa.

We have an aggressive fund raising target of 80,000 AED and it’s for an excellent cause. The Hanne Howard Fund (HHF) is a small charity providing full care for 130 vulnerable children in Lenana, a slum community in Nairobi, Kenya.

HHF has rescued children from dangers of life on the streets where malnutrition, TB and high risk HIV transmission are highly prevalent. Roughly 60 per cent are orphans, 20 per cent belong to HIV-infected mothers and 20 percent belong to destitute single mothers who are at great risk of becoming HIV positive. They also support refugee and abandoned children.

The money we raise will go directly to HHF and it will make a huge difference. Leading up to the event, we will be doing several fundraising activities including events and auctions – so If you fancy a piece of limited edition art work, owning one of the climbers for a day, or just joining in a pub quiz please keep an eye on the blog: www.2013kili. wordpress.com.

THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST

may 2013 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

PRODUCTS A round-up of quality products available right here in the UAE

AquaSling 300 AED (per pair) Available at Adventure HQ Times Square Center AquaSlings are a simple and economical storage solution designed to suit a wide range of craft and engineered to protect the structure and finish of the boat or board. The innovative low profile design offers a space saving solution for boat and surfboard storage and can be used indoors or outside.

• • • • • • • •

Reinforced nylon straps with foam core High-quality alloy base plate and hook Takes up less space and virtually disappears when not in use Fully adjustable system Holds any craft up to 35 Max capacity 130lbs/60kg Complete mounting hardware included Stores in a compact zippered pouch

Tried and tested pg 48

The Naish ONE 12’6 Inflatable Race Board 5,000 AED Available at Adventure HQ, Go Sport the Dubai Mall, Go Sport Bawabat Mall AD, Surf Dubai or Ocean Sports FZE An ultimate all-round board and perfect for flatwater adventures, cruising with friends, recreational and competitive racing. The Naish ONE has the right length, width, and volume to be accessible, fun, and fast for paddlers of any ability or weight.

Featuring a comprehensive multi-coloured traction pad, the pad’s graphic layout creates a dynamic reference for proper standing position and integrates a numbered reference guide. These numbers are perfect for teaching proper rider positioning to novice paddlers as well as providing a visual reference for racers training.

The drop stitch technology and 6” thick construction of the Naish ONE provide incredible rigidity previously unheard of with inflatable boards: • Specs for the Naish ONE inflatable are: 12’6” long, 30 inches wide, 6 inches thick, 265L volume and the board weighs in at 10.8kg (24 pounds) • Easy to store, handle and travel with – stores in a backpack, can be checked on a plane, no excess baggage, no roof racks needed • Fast and highly competitive for paddlers of any weight or size, with storage on deck • Nearly indestructible and ding proof, long lasting • Soft touch surface is safer in terms of cuts, scrapes, and bruises

42

OUTDOORUAE

Huarache Flat Shoe 250 AED Available at Dubai Mercato Mall, DFC Kiosk, Abu Dhabi Al Wahda Mall, Dalma Mall, Mushrif Mall, Al Ain Bawadi Mall, Al Ain Mall Fun-loving and on-trend, the bold Crocs™ Huarache Flat strikes the perfect balance between comfort and style.

Go straight from siesta to fiesta in this elegant, strappy flat. Modeled after handwoven huaraches, this version adds festive colors and lightweight comfort to your warm-weather wardrobe.

• Inspired by the original handwoven huarache • Innovative, fully molded technique creates an incredibly light and colorful style • Light, colourful translucent straps for a flexible, forgiving fit • Croslite™ material for lightweight cushioning • Non-marking outsole

OUTDOORUAE

43

THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST

may 2013 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

PRODUCTS Crocs™ Beach Line Boat Shoe 300 AED (male and female) Available at Dubai Mercato Mall, DFC Kiosk, Abu Dhabi, Al Wahda Mall, Dalma Mall, Mushrif Mall, Al Ain Bawadi Mall, Al Ain Mall Crocs are proving yet again that they are the go-to beach shoe for the whole family. The classic deck shoe takes it most fun and practical form yet for Crocs™ Beach Line. With bright colors and a lightweight, airy feel, you can walk in comfort and wear in style for any occasion. This collection brings the freedom of sailing to your feet for whatever adventures you have that day. Featuring a sipped rubber outsole for extra grip and traction, Crocs™ Beach Line features the unbeatable comfort of Croslite™ material. With functional laces for a closer fit, these shoes are so lightweight, they float – a truly liberating feel. Available in male and female and children versions.

Suunto DX 6,595 AED Available at Watches Corner, Adventure HQ, Go Sport, Studio R, Scubatec, Deep Blue Sea Diving, Gulf Marine Sports, Al Boom Marine, Scuba UAE This is the world’s first watch-sized rebreather compatible dive computer.

Suunto DX is a non-monitoring set point dive computer that works as a support computer for the rebreather. It also contains all the advanced dive functions for open-circuit divers such as trimix support including helium and oxygen, and gas switching between up to eight gases to satisfy the needs of any diver. The Suunto DX comes in a stylish look with a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal glass, titanium case and optional titanium bracelet, it’s extremely robust. More information at www.suunto.com.

Nuclear Globe 1,995 AED Available at Go Sport The Dubai Mall Have a blast in the Nuclear Globe and walk across the water! The unique cup-like construction on the outer surface grips and paddles through the water as you spin the globe. It features 6P PVC construction with patented Speed Safety Valves for fast and easy inflation, and two entry/exit portholes. Molded handles on the interior and exterior allow for easy entries and exits. Tying the “ultimate inflatable ball” to pool ladders, docks, or boats is easy with the integrated molded rope holder.

• Speed safety valves for fast inflation and deflation • Three chamber inflation • Constructed out of heavy-gauge PVC

44

OUTDOORUAE

THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST

may 2013 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

Positive Energy!

Introducing The New Headlight Range From Energizer!

Make sure you check out the new Energizer headlight, coming in both 3LED and 6LED. These headlights are now lighter and more compact than ever. With a large strap for increased comfort and support, plus a flip open battery component for quick and easy battery replacement. They also have user-friendly on and off switch. The headlights have a high-performance intense LED beam technology, which ensures that wherever they are worn, Energizer headlights continue to light the way forward!

Running on three AAA batteries that are included with the product means you can get started as soon as you buy it. They work great for the outdoors, running, camping, sports, fixing your car and even any DIY tasks around the house!

Available at all leading supermarkets for the price of 65 AED (6LED) and 55 AED (3LED), it’s a must-have in your outdoor kit.

AV458 LED Area lantern (360° degree Area Light) 70 AED Available at all leading supermarkets Energizer LED outdoor lantern. Durable, weatherproof and excellent for outdoor use.

Economical and runs up to 280 hours per set of batteries. Versatile and runs on 4xD batteries or 12V power outlet (12V car adapter included).

OUTDOORUAE

45

THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST

may 2013 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

PRODUCTS Tanacom Bull 1000 4,800 AED Available at Adventure HQ Times Square Center The ultimate kite reel quickly winds in the kite and stops by itself while you fight the fish. Plenty of power and capacity for deep drops up to 1,100ft as well.

• • • • • • • • • •

Brass and aluminum bronze gearing Programmable jigging function Four ball bearings Rod clamp Daiwa’s unique Power Lever™ for instant control of winding speed and power. Digital readout measures line let out and distance retrieved from the bottom Programmable Auto Stop™ feature stops winding when lure reaches the surface Manual winding option Convenient 12 Volts DC operation Washable design with sealed electronics Power cord and reel bag included

Yamaha 2-Person Cockpit Towable Previous price: 1,585 AED Special offer: 1,260 AED Available at Al Yousuf Motors Showrooms in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Al Ain, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah Enjoy the new Inflatable Yamaha Cockpit experience! Yamaha’s new two-person cockpit style tube is sure to be fun for all ages. The bottom is shaped like a boat hull which is the key to the unparalleled lively and stable ride. It has comfortable inflated floors, durable 30 gauge bladders that are completely encased in durable double-stitched nylon. The nylon wrap handles have neoprene knuckle guards for comfort and an EVA “Indy Cap” covers the Boston valve. It’s also equipped with a heavy duty Kwik-Connect for easy and secure hook ups. Measures 69” x 67” (deflated).

Singing Rock Duran 10.4mm Dynamic climbing rope 925 AED Available at Go Sport in The Dubai Mall, Go Sport in Bawabat Al Sharq Mall in Abu Dhabi and in Adventure HQ in Times Square Center Made by Singing Rock patented technology ROUTE 44. The rope is very compact, durable and comfortable.

• • • • • • • • • • • •

46

Impact force and number of falls are standard Main feature of this rope is its thicker sheath with perfect abrasion resistance Good handling characteristics and is suitable for use with most belaying devices Ideal for areas with rough rocks and indoor climbing Color: violet Weight: 70g/m Length: pack - 60m Diameter: 10.4mm Number of falls: 10 Dynamic elongation: 31.3% Static elongation: 6% Impact force: 8.7kN

OUTDOORUAE

THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST

PRODUCT REVIEW

Naish Super Rigid

Inflatable!

Imagine gliding along flat-water through mangroves with the Abu Dhabi skyline on the horizon, with only egrets and cormorants as company. This has become my reality after becoming the proud owner of a Naish One 12’6” Inflatable Stand Up Paddleboard.

My husband and I were first introduced to Stand Up Paddling (or SUPing) two years ago by our friend, Nicole, in Dubai. Once a week, we would hire our boards from Sunset Beach and head out for an hour or two. I was immediately hooked, loving the freedom of being in the open sea, the tranquility, but also the challenge. It is a serious full-body workout!

Shortly after, we moved to Abu Dhabi and the first thing we did was seek out locations to get our SUP fix. We found somewhere we could try out boards on a Thursday evening – a SUP yoga club that I absolutely fell in love with and a social paddle group.

As the SUP scene grew in the UAE, so did the opportunity to compete. The first race I heard about was in Al Ain. I jumped at the chance to have a go at flat-water SUP racing, borrowed a board from a friend and came away with 3rd place in my category.

From that point on, I started considering buying my own board. I did lots of research and asked for advice from others, but I just couldn’t find anything to suit my needs.

What I wanted was a board I could race, use for touring, balance on whilst doing yoga poses, take on holiday with me, store easily, transport easily and one that would be hardwearing. Too much to ask, right?

Apparently not! Earlier this year, I

All packed up and ready to go

48

OUTDOORUAE

Words By: Tracey Weerawarna Photos By: Chamath Weerawarna

stumbled across the new Naish One 12’6” Inflatable online. They were marketing it as “the perfect recreational touring board for paddlers of all ages, weights and skill levels as well as a highly competitive race design which is fun, stable and unbelievably fast.”

This got me thinking, “was this the board for me?” I loved the idea of being able to deflate it, roll it up, throw it in its bag and take it anywhere. It weighs less than 11kg! Sounded too good to be true to be honest. I got some advice from Jen Scully from Live Love SUP and she agreed that the Naish One would be a great board for me and in fact she would be getting one soon herself and I could give it a test run. Perfect! First, I tried

may 2013 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST

Light as a feather

out inflating it. For me, it wasn’t too easy to pump it up to the minimum recommended 10psi, but I could sure use the effort as a warm up. The maximum 14psi was out of my reach though and I had to ask my husband to take over. We attached the fin and set sail.

Compared to the very wide beginner boards I had been used to riding, it was slightly less stable, but it cut through the water nicely. To check its manoeuvrability, I tried some turning and was surprised to find it could make some pretty tight turns. I was getting excited; I’ll take it!

I put in an order with Ocean Sports FZE distributor of Naish in the UAE and, a couple of weeks later, a brand new Naish One 12’6” Inflatable was mine. It arrived in a surprisingly small box; I thought there must be some mistake. I opened the box to find a yellow and black canvas bag concealing the 12’6”

x 30” x 6” board, a high pressure gauge pump, a repair kit and the removable centre fin. I was ready to hit the water.

I threw the board and my new Naish paddle in the boot of the car and took off with my husband to the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi. We pulled into a gravel carpark just before the Eastern Mangroves Hotel and unpacked all our equipment. I connected up the gauge and the pump to the board and started inflating. As with my previous attempt, I managed to get it to almost 10psi before I had to hand over the reins to my husband. One day I am going to do it myself (or perhaps get an electric pump).

I carried the board by its carry handle down to a small beach beside the car park.

Being used to big hard boards, I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to lift and carry. We launched the maiden voyage from there. I, being super excited at this point, instructed my husband to climb onto the front of the board and I started the paddling.

We weren’t sure how it would hold up under the weight of the both of us, but we stayed afloat with no trouble at all. After a short paddle with the both of us aboard, we took it in turns to try out the board separately.

On the deck of the Naish One, there is a soft traction pad with numbered reference points. This meant I was able to try out different footing positions to see which worked the best in different conditions. It also has deck rigging where we put our flip-flops and water bottle. I played around for a while, paddling fast, slow, with the wind behind me, into the wind, turning clockwise, anti-clockwise. In all cases, I found the board pretty stable and manoeuvrable.

But now it was time to really test out the board’s stability. I had only ever done SUP yoga on a wide board before so I was a bit unsure about trying it on the inflatable. But

may 2013 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

sure, the worst thing that could happen is I fall in and get wet, and when it’s 30 degrees outside, that’s quite refreshing. After a little bit of stretching, I decided to go straight for the headstand. I gingerly lifted one foot, then the other and didn’t fall in! Another big tick for the Naish One! Back to the beach to see if it was as easy to put the board back in its bag as it was to take it out. We removed the centre fin, gave it a quick fresh water rinse and with the push of a button, the board began to deflate. It took a little bit of effort to squeeze all the air out, but we found it didn’t need to be rolled too tightly in order to fit it back in the bag.

We disassembled the pump and gauge, popped it in the bag along with the fin, that went in the boot and we were back on the road. Simple!

The final test for my new Naish One inflatable was racing. The recent Abu Dhabi All Stars flat-water sprint race on 6th April required participants to ride inflatable boards and that included the Naish One. I wasn’t able to try my board out in that one as I was working, so I had to wait until the Nasimi Watersports Festival on the 27th April, where I would be competing against riders on rigid boards. The wind picked up just in time for the women’s race, but despite the rolling waves, I managed to keep up with the rest of the field, finishing in 5th place. Very pleased with the result!

For anyone who’s into SUPing and is looking for an all-round versatile, take-anywhere board, I would definitely recommend the Naish One 12’16” Inflatable. For more information on prices and where to buy, contact Naish Middle East on Facebook or check out the OutdoorUAE products section. See you on the water!

Tracey OUTDOORUAE

49

OUR EXPERTS

Tear sheet

Tying a Crazy Charlie fly A look into a fly angler’s flybox is often greeted with a few revelations.

There are a few schools of thought on this. There are those that stick to a simple formula, they are those that either buy or tie flies that work anywhere, those that carry nothing but flies made from natural materials, those that carry nothing but synthetics because they last longer, and those that carry everything they can.

Since I tie my own flies, I would love to carry everything that I can – however, this is not always possible especially if I’m traveling elsewhere.

For me, those are the times when I carry “fluff” that works everywhere, in the sizes I feel confident with.

There are quite a few out there that are surprisingly easy to tie, work in fresh and saltwater and I’m willing to bet, can be found in one form or another in almost all fly angler’s box. The following fly is one you can tie from materials you might already have at home (there is a slight chance that you will mutilate a fluffy stuffed animal, as I have in this case). This fly can be tied without special materials or equipment; in fact, I learned how to tie this with sewing thread and hand holding them while tying. Since it’s almost impossible for me to hand hold and take images at the same time, I’m using my fly tying vise for this.

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

Follow the steps:

Step 1 - Wrap some colored tinsel on the shank of the hook make sure you goes slightly over the bend

Step 5 - Tie in your wing

Step 2 - Twist the tinsel tightly to form a rope

Step 6 - Tie in a few strands of flash material

Step 3 - Wrap the tinsel rope around the shank of the hook to form a body, secure with a couple of turns of thread, then cut the excess

Step 7 - Use the nail polish to seal the head of the fly

Step 4 - Secure your bead chain eyes

Step 8 - Trim the wing to just past the hook bend and you have a Crazy

The Crazy Charlie

Recipe: • Eyes: Bead chain – your bathtub’s plug

would have this or a quick trip to Ace Hardware would get you a few of these for cheap.

• Hook: any size 8-4 hook with a regular length shank

• Thread: Thin mono • Body: Tinsel (like the ones you have for the festive season)

• Wing: Any fur looking thing (just as long as the fibres are a good length)

• Glue: Clear nail polish from your mum, girlfriend or sister’s stash

I usually tie a lot of these over the summer to prepare me for the winter’s fishing. It helps with the cabin fever... trust me.

Till Next tide change,

Kit 50

OUTDOORUAE

FOR EXTRAORDINARY MISSIONS

THE WORLD’S FIRST WATCH-SIZED REBREATHER-COMPATIBLE DIVE COMPUTER

CONQUER NEW TERRITORY WITH SUUNTO DX Suunto, the world’s leading dive computer brand with a heritage that spans over 76 years, has once again succeeded in its mission to create pioneering equipment. The Suunto DX, built on the award -winning Suunto D9tx, is the ultimate tool for open circuit and rebreather divers. It’s the very first of its kind to feature CCR compatibility. The premium design and materials, combined with the new superior Suunto Fused™ RGBM, makes it the must-have for your dive missions and everyday adventures.

Are you ready to conquer new territory?

TITANIUM BRACELET

Follow Suunto Ambassador Jill Heinerth’s extraordinary mission in the Bermuda Deep caves and learn more about the new Suunto DX at www.suunto.com

suunto

OUR EXPERTS

Last camping weekend I have to start by congratulating Daleen and Leoni for beating me to it!

I have always wanted to get a swimming pool in the desert on one of my weekend events, but never got around actually doing it.

John

Moto/ATV and all round adventure seeker

52

It was to be our “last” camping weekend for the season and Alex was helping to arrange for some riders from Just Gas It and 2Wheeler Adventure Club to join in the fun.

Alex went scouting on his BMW 1200 GS the week before to find a suitable campsite. The requirement from some riders was to find a spot that was accessible by sedan vehicle and non off-road bikes. This is a tall order, as by default it meant that one would have to camp beside a tarred road.

Alex was thus not sure if the location was going to be “suitable ” for camping, but congratulations to Alex for finding a tarred road in the UAE with no traffic. I think only three cars in 24 hours passed our location! I was a bit late and arrived only after Alex, Mark and Driekus had already joined their three trailers together. They built these trailers so they all have fulllength “verandas” on both sides and over the centre of their trailers. This, when joined together, gives a very big shaded area in the middle of the

OUTDOORUAE

three trailers that comfortably accommodate about 20-25 people!

The nice thing about camping this time of the year is that only true enthusiasts of the sport will be willing to go camping with the midday temperatures already in the low forties. This filters the average rider who does not share the same passion we have for the sport. I was also looking forward to seeing if any BMW rider was going to be brave (stupid) enough to dare take his monster GS into the dunes!

These bikes are renowned for reliability and riding comfort, but at 200kg+ I would not dare taking it off a dirt track and into the sand.

Daleen, also riding an 800 GS, was undoubtedly the star of the weekend. She decided that after riding in the heat she wants to be able to cool down in a pool! So, after some discussion between Leoni and herself, they manage to convince the guys to all bring as many containers and jerry cans with water (even a 200L drum filled with water in one of the pickups!). Then shortly after arriving, Daleen fetched an inflatable pool from hubby’s cruiser and we all helped to fill the pool. I would recon there was about 600-700L of water and sufficient to get the pool about 40 per cent filled. Perfect for just basking after the ride. Well done, ladies! The wind started blowing about midmorning, but apart from a little dust, it was a welcome wind adding a slight “chill-factor” to the already 41°C spring temperature.

Some cloud also moved in by around twelve, almost immediately exciting some riders to get changed and take the off-road bikes into the dunes! We were five riders with Marouane being introduced to his first desert riding on a bike. He is a very experienced quad rider, but this bike ride could only be described as being thrown into the beep end. Soon after we departed, the cloud cover was gone and the bright sun, combined with soft white sand, made riding very difficult! One could not see any contras in the extreme bright light and Marouane was also the only rider without tinted goggles. We had to cut the ride short after only 25km when Marouane separated from his bike in mid-air as he came flying over a dune. Very lucky that he did not obtain any serious injury, but by now he was exhausted.

We were also getting low on water from regularly stopping and helping to push each other’s bikes as they got

stuck. Driekus was leading and opted for a sand track next to a fence rather than trying to get the back through the dunes.

On our return, the vehicles and one GS 1200 had not yet returned. They arrived about an hour after us and paralleling the cars was Gerhard on his 1200cc GS monster in the small dunes. He knew the GS was not designed for sand, but wanted to try his

®

and the bike’s performance in the sand. He did not follow the vehicles during their 4x4 session and rather joined inside the aircon cruiser, but the last 5km before reaching the camp, he paralleled the cars that were on the tarred road. It was a gruelling test of man and machine and after reaching the camp, Gerhard with clothes, boots and totally exhausted from handling the GS, got into

the pool! The rest of the afternoon was just relaxing with small groups going for either quad or bike rides just around the camp area. Then in true South African style (majority rule) the evening was enjoyed around the campfire reliving the days and previous memorable experiences.

Of course the next morning saw a large group depart into the dunes utilising the awesome early morning weather conditions before getting back and packing the camp for the return journey.

Another great weekend spent outdoor in the UAE. Ride Safe and Go For Gold,

John Basson

®

®

NEw LOOk

AND STYLE FOR

SummER 800 LIBERTY kawasaki@liberty.ae

®

OUR EXPERTS

e r u t n e v i h C ck Ad lovely Lyon soaks up spring in

Tori

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

I write this from lovely Lyon, the gastronomic heart of fabulous France. The reason for the trip was primarily to run in what turned out to be a wonderful race, the Beaujolais Villages Trail, a 65km trail run with a sizeable 4,000m ascent through vines, up mountains, down forests, along tracks and via gorgeous little villages in the quaint and gorgeous Beaujolais wine region. All in all, stunning scenery, beautiful weather and perfect company.

I’m here with three great friends, all bound by our shared love for the outdoors and mutual passion for running. Ronnie, I met running the Beirut Marathon in 2009, Gary I met last summer, during the very brutal Ice Trail race in Val d’Isere and Sarah, I’ve been friends with since the tender age of 13!

After a few days of not ideal race prep involving eating and drinking to excess, the morning of the event had me feeling just a little apprehensive.

Insufficient training was an element to consider too. During our glorious winter months in Dubai, somehow, it’s just too easy to run out of time. Days

Pre-race hydration

54

OUTDOORUAE

Just over the finish line

and weeks fly by with a fleet of al fresco fun and events galore. As a result, training time is squeezed and squeezed until nothing but short hour-long bursts stolen from the occasional lunch hour. But as we learn in running and lots of our sport and outdoor endeavours, sometimes we just need to switch into cruise control, to execute what we know we’re capable of and let muscle memory work its magic.

Indeed it did and I had a great race. Competition amongst trail runners isn’t a patch that of marathon or track runners but still, amongst girls in particular, it takes little for a competitive streak to emerge. I, however, am genuinely only in competition with myself. During this race, I kept on being Rolling hills told that I was just minutes behind the leading lady and timed to perfection, as it meant I I guess over a long 9.5 hour race, this was here for the one-night-per-year is little. At one particular aid station, visit of the Banff Film Festival to a volunteer practically snatched the Lyon. For anyone not in the know, slice of carb-friendly fruit cake from this is the biggest mountain festival my hand and told me to “Depein the world, a platform to celebrate chez-vous” (hurry up). But I wasn’t adrenaline-packed action sports interested in hunting her down. Why and the individuals who continually pin the success or enjoyment of a raise the bar by conquering absorace on smashing someone else? lutely extraordinary and exhilarating A local girl, she’d been in the lead challenges. After the winners have throughout and these were her trails been announced, the best films head and besides, second on the podioff on a world tour hitting nearly 300 um still rendered my efforts 100% communities in 36 countries spanning worthwhile. all four corners.

As it turned out, the race was

that started at 160kg and temperatures as cold as -40°C, they battled frostbite, injury, whiteouts, crevasses, gear failure and slow starvation. During the 89 days it took them to ski 2,275km, surviving in this highest, driest, windiest and coldest place on earth, they lost a combined 55kg of body weight. Their adventure has literally set a new global benchmark and raised a new precedent in polar exploration.

To throw a further spanner in the works, another explorer, Aleksander Gamme, a Norwegian with a 30-year background of skiing, mountain adventure and Arctic Circle experience, was out there at the same time, trying also to complete the same challenge. He was ahead throughout the expedition duration, but in an extraordinary display of camaraderie, he waited before the finish line to so they could complete their epic journey together.

And really, this is what adventure is all about. Not getting one up on others, but working together, man against nature, to achieve the extraordinary.

Before the seed had been planted, Chilling at race end Cas and Jonesy had never skied, never been in much snow and certainly had Over the course of the evening, we watched no conditioning of expeditions of this perhaps 12 short films, the winning entries in each kind. But they had a bond like brothers and an festival category. Some were hair-raising, some unquenchable thirst to raise the bar and queswere downright terrifying, some were just verging tion, “why not?” Their passion for adventure was on a little crazy, but all, were utterly inspiring. unbreakable even in the face of adversity that Utterly inspiring! You see, whether based on the most of us can’t even begin to imagine. And, I powder piste, raw rock faces or lush green trails, guess most importantly, they had an indestructible whether in kayaks, on bikes, on skis, on wheels or mental strength. on foot, every single entrant had identified their If you ever get a chance to check out this passion at the earliest age and had the courage festival, do so. If you have a spirit for adventure and commitment to practice, practice, practice. and a passion for the outdoors, you’ll love it. And They’d not been afraid of turning their backs on if you don’t, then you wouldn’t be reading this the norm and allowed their hearts to lead over brilliant issue of OutdoorUAE, full stop. Perhaps a their heads. reader will have an idea re getting Dubai on the We talked after about which was our favourite world tour. I have no doubt that the movie theatre and all were in agreement: a film about two guys, wouldn’t have a spare seat in the house.

Cas and Jonesy, who are Aussie explorers, best Till the next… mates and at first glance look more like Bill and Ted-type characters. They completed the first ever unsupported trek from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole and then back again! Pulling loads

Love Tori x

Podium Finish

People

How did you get into SUP’ing? I tried it briefly when I was in California five years ago. Then we moved in Abu Dhabi and since we are surrounded by water, I said this is what I’m going to do. I saw the potential in Abu Dhabi and Dubai was getting a little bit of wave, so every once in a while we try to go up and surf, which I want to do more, but my main focus is flat-water paddling.

How did you train for the Abu Dhabi SUPWT? When it was official this was happening, I stepped up my training. I train usually three or four times a week and I do social paddle with friends on the weekend. I live in Al Raha Beach, the water is right there so I have no excuse. I’m in the gym a couple of times, I also did a half marathon in Cyprus, I like cross- training, but Stand Up has really become my life.

How are the SUPing conditions in the UAE? I come from Michigan and we have lots of lakes and flat-water there, but we also get some wind swells, which is similar here. I wish we had more opportunities to surf here so the whole country can gain momentum in Stand Up surfing, of course we can still enjoy it even in flat-water.

After winning 2nd place at the 2012 Stand Up World Series in Chicago, the Abu Dhabi-based SUP’er took part in the 2013 SUP World Tour (SUPWT) Abu Dhabi All-Stars Invitational as a Naish Middle East team rider and positioned 3rd in the wave competition and 4th in the sprint race.

Her goal is to paddle as hard as she can and unite SUP’ers around the globe through Live Love SUP.

What do you think of SUP growing in popularity? I founded the Abu Dhabi Stand Up Paddle Club in 2009 to create a community of paddlers. We got people buying boards and we’ll go out on the weekends to just paddle around. We were just trying to grow it from grassroots, because sometimes people buy a board but who do they paddle with or where do they go? The All-Stars Invitational is a huge step to kick-off the sport even more. The cool thing about it is that UAE is made up of many expats so when they go for their vacations and see SUP everywhere, they do it here. I’ve never had a single person that I have taught or showed how to SUP that said “it’s not for me” or “I don’t like it.” They have all enjoyed it.

What’s your advice to those who want to get into the sport? Just do it! Go rent a board and I always recommend getting a lesson, especially if you have your sights on racing or surfing. It looks simple, but the worst thing we can see are people holding the paddle backwards. Most people can stand up and paddle, but there are a few tips and tricks that can help you along the way. Remember, fall in at the beginning. You

“I keep pushing SUP forward because it’s great for fitness, it’s fun, it’s social, it can be competitive and you can explore new places. I think it’s something you can do for the rest of your life.”

might be a little nervous, but if you fall at the start, you feel more comfortable as you get back on the board.

Tell us more about Live Love SUP... It’s a company based in the US and it had a blog for three years with just photographs from where my husband and I paddle. We travelled to 13 different countries to paddle in each place and we’ve met such great people, so we kind of turned Live Love SUP into a brand, but with a focus on uniting paddlers, charity and giving back. What we’re doing right now is selling wristbands and the proceeds go to Charity Water and we’re building a water project with them.

There is a growing community of SUP’ers, there are so many around Facebook, and they want to be part of something. Hopefully, this summer we go to Europe then we’ll do a charity paddle there and in the US we can do a clinic to raise money for Charity Water.

What’s the best part about this sport? Just uniting paddlers around the world is great enough. You connect with people who just love the sports, and that’s the cool thing about it, it’s not exclusive. The people teaching lessons on the water are as important as the professionals.

definitely be running.

After taking on Urban-Ultra’s Big Stinker and just recently the 3rd Wadi Adventure Race in Al ain, Lee is keeping focused in preparation for the upcoming CrossFit Regionals in South Korea.

How long have you been living here?

I came to the UAE for work. Whilst serving in the army, I was offered the opportunity to start a new career in instructional work in local schools. I moved out here, just over two years ago.

What are your passions? That’s a really difficult question as my passion is the outdoors!

I love rock climbing, running, hiking, caving and scuba diving. I started hiking in 2003, but it really kicked-off in 2005 when I joined the army and was given opportunities to go rock climbing in Cyprus and Germany, and take part in cross country runs and triathlons. If I had to choose just one though, it’d

What attracted you to the outdoors?

My dad has been a big influence on me, being a big outdoor lover himself, and he’s always been someone I’ve looked up to. Whenever I’m back in the UK or he visits, we go hiking, rock climbing or running. He encouraged me to do the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme in the UK when I was 16, and my interests just grew from there. My love of running really took off when I was in the forces, representing my unit in several events. Since moving out here I’ve taken part in the RAK Half Marathon, Dubai Marathon and Wadi Bih Run. How do you usually train for an upcoming race/marathon? I supplement my running training with a mixture of high-intensity strength and conditioning through methods such as CrossFit and Fartlek Training. I then get my specific training from longer runs ranging from 20-30km. However at the moment my running training has taken a back seat to prepare for the CrossFit Regionals. Despite this, I was really happy with my performance during the Urban Ultra’s Big Stinker.

What do you enjoy most about the outdoor sport? Firstly, it’s a great way to spend quality time with my dad, especially when I was in the military and now living over here when we don’t get to see each other that much. Secondly, I love nature – I’ve always felt more at home out in the desert or on top of a mountain than I have in the city or around buildings. For me, running is much more enjoyable if you have beautiful scenery to look at rather than an empty road or apartment blocks.

Where do you usually go for your outdoor sports? Well unfortunately, the UAE summers limit me a little bit – sometimes I have to make do with a treadmill! But during winter, the Ras Al Khaimah mountains are a great place to go hiking and climbing, along with Wadi Wurayah in Dibba, a place I’d happily keep going back to time and again.

What are your tips for those who want to get into serious running or any outdoor sports? Get outdoors and do them! There are a whole host of clubs and resources on the web to help you get started in your sport

out here in the UAE. There are also some great running coaches for those who want to take their ability to the next level. Getting into a sport requires passion, you need to really enjoy it to succeed, going through the motions because you are reasonably good isn’t enough.

Lee’s summer plans: “Compete in the CrossFit Regionals, then start bringing back some more classic endurance training ready for the winter season of races. A visit back to the UK where I will get my fix of green and hills to last me another six months.”

OUTDOORUAE

57

LOCATIONS

Words By: Giles Richardson

Windsurfing

Arabian style Why windsurf in UAE? Windsurfing is an extreme water sport that provides an on water experience with exhilaration, challenges and a sense of freedom unmatched by other water sports.

Dubai or UAE provides the ideal conditions to learn the basics and progress. The typical light to medium afternoon seabreezes we experience, along with warm waters and safe beaches provide the ideal opportunity to learn this sport, or re-master previous skills from when you used to windsurf back in the ‘80s and ‘90s. For those of you reading this article whom used to previously windsurf but put the sport on pause due to career and family commitments, you will be amazed with the advances of equipment technology that enable fast progression. Windsurfing in this country provides the perfect opportunity to introduce your kids, family members to a safe sport, which is not expensive if you compare to a typical golf membership!

The local Dubai/UAE windsurfing scene We have a large group of resident windsurfers living in the Emirates. These include many seasoned expat sailors including Emiratis and other Arabs from around the region. When cruising Jumeriah Beach road on a windy weekend afternoon, you’ll find that windsurfers will typically sail at their favourite local beach, rather than all meet

Photos By: Giles Richardson Local sailor Steve Grigg ripping it up

at, say, “Kite” beach together. So, this might give the impression that windsurfing is not alive and kicking in the Emirates, but this is simply not true. In fact as a sport, windsurfing is going through a growth phase after a decline last decade. This is through a number of factors including huge advancements with board and rig technology and design (use of carbon, Kevlar materials, etc.) making equipment very light and stable, enabling basic skills to be learnt quickly. Surprisingly, several windsurfers who migrated to kitesurfing, and after quickly mastering this have

Photo By: Sharmaine O’Keefe

Annabelle learning some on water skills - Dubai style!

moved back to windsurfing due to better on the water exhilaration, technique challenges and fitness results. More recently, freestyle windsurfing has also helped relaunch the sport, enabling impressive windsurf tricks to be learnt in light winds.

58

OUTDOORUAE

The windsurfing scene in Dubai is very much active with a bunch of guys and girls that are all willing to share their passion for the sport and provide local knowledge on the beach. For more information, please contact giles@windsurf-arabia.com

Equipment

Equipment best suited for Dubai/UAE conditions are Freeride or Formula type boards (110-160L), 7-8.5m Freeride type sail (depending upon your weight and wind conditions) and a large fin. When the desert offshore shamal winds blow through, winds can often reach 25+ knots, allowing sailors to pull out their smaller sails and boards typically used during for Oman monsoon season. High quality windsurf equipment availability, friendly local service and support are also available in Dubai.

Windsurf equipment rental • Surfing Dubai www.surfingdubai.com • Watercooled www.watercooleddubai.com • Meridian Mina Sehayi www.lemeridien-minaseyahi.com

When is it windy?

Typical seabreeze (North Westerly) picks up mid to late afternoon peaking around 4-6 p.m. There is a great online wind resource (www.windsofdubai.com) that provides real time wind speed and direction, forecasts, etc. This metrological resource can also be installed as App on iPhone/Android devices and the station is situated directly opposite Kite Beach, Umm Suqeim 1.

Windsurfing for kids

UAE is the perfect place to teach your kids! Best to use a kid’s type rig (typically 1.5m-2.5m sails). Suitable boards for learning being a 130-150L board with a centreboard. It’s important for smaller kids to use a board type with retractable centreboard, as this provides lateral resistance, otherwise they can end up sailing sideways!

Dubai windsurf locations

Note: Occasionally Dubai beaches are randomly restricted for water sport access by the Dubai Police. These restrictions can be due to forecast warnings from the coastguard or other local police restrictions and for the health and safety of beachgoers. From experience, the following list of locations allows sailing. However, this may change from time to time.

Jebel Ali Beach

(24°59’25.51”N, 55°1’41.27”E) This beach is accessed directly to the south of the Jebel Ali Hotel. Parking is free and lots of space to rig. Best prevailing wind condition is NE, where the wind funnels through the gap and accelerates. So, expect a typical +2-3 knots compared to other Dubai sailing spots. Wind also works okay on typical NW onshore wind conditions.

This location is perfect for teaching kids and practising your freestyle tricks due to the sheltered waters.

Jebel Ali Hotel also has a water sports club (Watercooled) who provide RYA qualified windsurfing instruction and kit hire.

Manic Rigging Action - “Team Windsurf Masirah”

Sheraton Hotel Beach

(25° 4’27.49”N, 55° 7’34.19”E) There are a bunch of windsurfers who launch from the public beach beside the Sheraton Hotel. The beach access is just south of the hotel with free beach parking.

Best wind direction is NW when wind is typically 15 knots or more, it produces some large beach breaks. A north wind produces cross-shore conditions with flat-water – perfect for jibing! Beware, as launching can be tricky with several large rock sections either side of the launch area. Beware of the inside jibe mark so as not to get caught on the inside and get trashed on the rocks (yes this has happened!). You can also launch from the north end of the beach in front of the Meridien Hotel.

Black Palace Beach

(25° 7’4.08”N, 55°10’2.55”E) A large open beach that is located past Jumeriah Beach road on Umm Suqeim road.

Easy beach access and plenty of room to rig, launch and sail. Best prevailing wind condition is NE (onshore) or NW. Wind coming from West tends to be gusty due to the Dubai Palm blocking wind. SE and NW conditions generally create onshore swell and provide excellent cross-shore sailing out to the Burj Al Arab hotel and The World islands.

Kite Beach/Umm Suqeim 1

(25° 8’47.16”N, 55°11’33.98”E) This beach and stretch of water gets very crowded with kite surfers when the wind starts blowing. Suggest that you launch either upwind or downwind of the main zone, to avoid possible collisions with the sheer number of kites on the water.

Sunset Beach

(25°11’12.02”N, 55°13’30.32”E) Large launch area, plenty of parking but gets crowded early on during weekends.

Good location for family windsurf session.

However, not ideal for intermediate plus sailors due to wind that gets blocked from the Jumeirah Beach Hotel and the new marina being constructed to the right.

This is one of Dubai’s most popular tourist beaches, so respect swimmers and other water users. Beach is regularly shared by surfers and SUP’ers.

Jumeirah Island Beach

(25°11’39.45”N, 55°13’51.31”E) Safe venue and reasonably sheltered due to island offshore. Beach can get crowded and watch out for the swimmers. Again, works on SW and NW winds. Ideal place to teach kids on far left hand side, which is sheltered.

Mercato Shopping Centre Beach

(25°13’1.40”N, 55°14’57.52”E) A popular spot for some of the local sailors. Wind and sailing conditions very much similar to other beaches south of this location.

Mamzar Beach

(25°19’16.47”N, 55°20’46.12”E) Good location if based in Sharjah or this end of town. Ideal for learning, and provides sheltered access. Beware of the surf-skis.

Oman Windsurfing

Windsurfing season on the Oman Indian ocean kicks off in late May till early Sept. The Indian Khareef/monsoon season provides seasonal SW winds that blow cross-shore up the coast, with typical afternoon wind speeds of 15-30 knots. This stretch of coastline provides boundless opportunities for great sailing on flat-water or waves.

Windsurfing is very popular on Masirah island (10 hours drive from Dubai) or north of Masirah island along the Indian Ocean coastline. Typical temperatures are 29°C, making this a very pleasant option to spending your summers stuck in the sweltering UAE heat.

Suitable equipment for Oman windsurfing is freestyle wave, bump and jump type board (75-100L volume) with sails sizes 4m-6.5m.

Oman windsurfing provides boundless opportunities for venues that are uncrowned, often empty and unspoilt. Water temperatures average 25°C, so shortie wetsuit or just rash vest is fine. Check out the Oman windsurfing article (Destination Oman - Windsurf Wave Safari) published in OutdoorUAE magazine in August 2011.

Local windsurf resources

For wind forecasts: www.windsofdubai.com, www.windguru.com, www.windfinder.com For local windsurfing information, equipment selection advice, etc: contact giles@ windsurf-arabia.com

OUTDOORUAE

59

LOCATIONS

Oman escape s

Words + Photos: Darryl MacDonald

According to the World Fact Book, Oman has approximately 2,092km of coastline making it the 53rd longest coastline overall out of all countries surveyed.

Looking back now, it seems almost ridiculous that most of my articles thus far about Oman have been about hiking and camping, barely touching on water sports. I have decided then, that this month’s article should be about one of my favourite sports, a sport that became a favourite after seeing it on the James Bond film “Thunderball,” over 20 years ago. I begged and pleaded with my parents for training as a birthday present until they finally succumbed. If you’ve seen the movie, then you can likely guess that what I’m talking about is scuba diving.

Now with all that coastline, there is an abundance of dive locations. Some of the common ones you may already know about such as the Daymaniyat Islands, Bandar Khayran or Musandam, but there is one place in particular that really sticks out in

60

OUTDOORUAE

my mind. Located on the coastline, an hour and a half north of Salalah, the small coastal town of Mirbat is situated in a very unique location. A mere 10km off shore, the ocean floor drops a dizzying 1,700m straight down endowing this area with a very unique aquatic ecosystem. During the summer months, the Khareef churns the ocean and upwelling from the deep brings cold water and nutrients to the surface. During the summer, the Salalah area transforms into a budding green oasis not only on land, but underwater as well. Kelp forests grow, reaching several metres in height and changing the underwater landscape dramatically. The ocean is inaccessible during these months, but when the Khareef dissipates and the seas calm near the end of September, Mirbat is one of only a handful of places on the planet where it’s possible to dive in a kelp forest.

Mirbat, the town, is quite small and has only one major hotel at which is located the only dive shop in the area, which makes

the decision making easy when booking.

My wife and I have made the journey down twice now to spend a long weekend of diving with friends. With the drive from Muscat being approximately 11 hours one way, we opted to fly. If staying at the Marriott Hotel, where the dive shop is located, you will be transported from the airport courtesy of the hotel, negating the necessity to rent a vehicle. When you enter the Extra Divers shop, one of the first things you notice is their “wall of fame,” a collection of photos taken while on the dive boat in the area.

Among them are pictures of massive schools of dolphins, breaching Humpback whales, Bryde’s whales and Sperm whales. Thorston, the shop manager, told us about once dropping off a group of snorkelers in front of a pod of Sperm whales to swim with them.

Apparently, they swam towards the whales carefully then nearly ran back to the boat on the surface once they saw them underwater.

I would be nervous too considering these

carnivores have been documented eating megamouth sharks. The dive shop has been in operation for over two years and has been exploring the area to pinpoint new dive sites. During our first trip, we did a few exploratory dives. Some were excellent including a recently discovered wreck that had only seen one group of divers before us, while some dives were not so excellent. But that is the risk you take when you agree to an exploratory dive.

On our most recent trip, the site locations had been much more refined, including a site that had some of the largest nurse sharks I have ever seen, and another site with a Chinese wreck that was claimed to be over 100 years old and previously carried Chinese porcelain. The marine life in the area seems to be quite healthy, with massive schools of fish and, well, massive fish! There are a number of species there that I have yet to come across in the Muscat area including some larger catfish, the previously mentioned nurse sharks and a few others that I have yet to discover the names of. It’s also the only area in Oman where I have ever heard of divers seeing dolphins underwater!

Don’t get your hopes up though, according to the staff this has only happened twice in two years.

Thus far, my diving experiences in the area have been fantastic. There is of course never any guarantee of weather, and the visibility underwater can go from nothing to 30m and back to nothing in the blink of an eye, with no obvious reasons why. So if you’re a certified diver and decide to undertake this weekend adventure, make sure you check the weather beforehand. It’s also a good idea to call ahead to find out about visibility.

If you’re not a certified diver, lessons are also available. The kelp forests only last until the middle to end of November, but the diving in the area is generally good until the start of the Khareef, at the end of April. So as we like to say in Canada, get out there, have fun and “keep your stick on the ice.”

Darryl MacDonald

Tips & Tricks

What Is A Zen Garden?

And Why Would You Want One In The Uae? There’s something about Zen gardens. It could be their beauty, composition, serenity, but to me they are pieces of art.

Also known as a Japanese rock garden or “dry landscape” garden, they are made up of rocks, water features, moss, pruned trees and bushes, gravel, stone ornaments and sand, though they don’t have to include all of the above.

A Zen garden is normally small, surrounded by a wall and is meant to be viewed from a single area outside the garden such as a porch or deck, so that it screams out to me that a villa like the ones in Arabian Ranches would be a perfect location for one. Classic Zen gardens were created at temples of Zen Buddhism in Japan. They were meant to imitate the intimate essence of nature and to be an aid to meditation. The design and placement of rocks and gravel determines what your Zen garden is to be imitating.

Rocks placed upright are mountains, while rocks laid out can represent hills and ravines.

Sand and gravel are water and can be used to cover a wide area, often raked to show water movement. Zen gardens should be asymmetric, simple, natural, they were created to generate peace, calm and to relieve anxiety and nervousness.

To create your own Zen garden you will need: Wood, sand, stones,

rocks, boulders, polished pebbles, other stone ornaments, a garden rake and optional would be a water feature.

1. Decide on the size for your Zen garden.

2. Create a wooden frame which can be nailed or screwed together. This will hold the sand and any other materials used in the garden.

3. Lay a weed barrier down inside the frame. This can be black plastic, thick newspapers, shade material or weed barrier cloth. Keeping weeds out is a must.

4. Fill the frame to the top with sand or gravel, spread it to make it level with the rake.

5. Place your rocks, pebbles water fountains, polished stones, statues, buddhas etc. Don’t use too many items, keep it simple and asymmetrical.

You can submerge some in the sand, have fun moving things around to get it looking right.

6. Rake the sand or gravel in long, running designs to represent rippling water.

7. Relax and enjoy your Zen garden.

A Zen garden is literally no maintenance.

It looks amazing and it will have a great therapeutic effect on you. The Dubai Garden Centre stocks all items needed to make your Zen Garden and has a carpenter to help make the frame.

62

OUTDOORUAE

THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST

may 2013 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

Tips & Tricks

Partner stretches

This month we show some Acro Yoga moves you can try with friends at the beach or in the park before the weather really heats up.

Please always have a third person present when trying these postures.

It’s important to have someone around for safety in case of a fall.

The person on the floor is the “base,” the person on the feet is the “flyer,” and the third person is the “spotter.”

Half bow The base points their toes so that the weight of the flyer shifts back in space. The flyer bends one knee and reaches for the ankle. The flyer presses the foot into their hand to extend the chest forward and up. The opposite arm can slowly reach forward.

Front bird The base and flyer take a palm Plank lean The flyer shows the base where their hip bones are and the base places the ball of the feet here, in parallel. The flyer leans their full body weight into the base.

The base then bends and straightens their knees to get used to the weight of the flyer.

Back bird The flyer stands at the feet of the base, facing away. The base places their feet on the buttocks of their partner, with the toes in the beltline. The flyer hands the ankles of the base, thumbs facing in. As the flyer leans back, the base catches first the elbows and then the shoulders of the flyer as they straighten their legs to 90° to lift the flyer up. The flyer bends one knee.

64

OUTDOORUAE

to palm grip. The base bends their knees and elbows simultaneously to receive the weight of their flyer. Once the hips of the flyer are directly over the hips of the base, the base straightens their arms and legs simultaneously. The flyer keeps their arms straight throughout and presses down into their hips.

Back bow From back bird, the flyer bends both knees and reaches for their ankles.

The base can keep their hands on the flyers shoulders. If they feel secure the base can release the arms down by the side. It is especially important in the last two moves to use a spotter.

Front bird – hands free Once the base

finds a 90° angle of their legs to the floor, the flyer can slowly release their arms out to the side. As the flyer, keep looking forward and draw your shoulder blades together.

Traction Once the flyer is back down on the ground it’s important to give the base a stretch for their back and hips. Take a hold of the base’s ankles, placing your elbows onto your knees. Inhale here, and as you exhale lean away from your partner to give traction to the lumbar spine. Repeat three to five times and work with a lot of gentleness.

Sandy Joy

THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST

may 2013 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

Tips & Tricks

, n a D the Desert Gardener

loves

Tecoma stans

(Part of the Bignoniaceae family)

You may not have heard of Tecoma stans, but it is one of those magical plants that can survive in the UAE in full sun, sandy soil and very little water.

Not only that, but it has a most beautiful flower, lush green leaves and can look great all year round.

Final Thoughts

Tecoma stans is perfect for your UAE garden because it is native to the Americas and comes from the desert and dry areas of Texas and Arizona.

It is a fast and easy growing evergreen shrub or small tree and it has a tendency to spread, which is great if you need to fill an area in your garden.

The bright yellow flower is trumpet shaped and hangs in clusters from the branches, the weight of the yellow flower cluster often bends the branch to form droopy arches, which makes the plant even more attractive.

The seeds of the Tecoma stans are in a long string bean like pod that also hang in vertical clusters. These do split open in time so it is best not to plant Tecoma stans near a swimming pool.

This plant is perennial which means it

Words by: Lee Harris

My thoughts on nutrition after a tough months training

As I settle back to work and back in to my offshore routine, I get a chance to look back on another tough training month back in Dubai.

One thing I’ve noticed as the years have crept by, apart from the fact I’m not getting any younger, is how much more attention I need to pay towards my nutrition. Now in order to perform in any sport at a decent level you need to train hard and eat healthy.

But when we were young we could get away with burning the candle at both ends. Then one day you realise the years have crept up on us, well me for one, I find I can’t do that anymore!If I want to enjoy the sport that I’m passionate about (in this case Ultra Trail Run-

ning) and it requires a lot more dedication especially when it comes to recovery, and that not only boils down to rest but most importantly what I eat, i.e. nutrition. What and how much food you put into your body is a science.

The simple notion that “all I need to do is eat” doesn’t work anymore; I now need to look closer at how my body works and what is needed to repair it. Eating the right amount of protein each day as well as carbohydrates, fats, getting the right vitamins and minerals, fibre intake, all so my body can repair itself as well as become a more efficient machine. The great thing about today is all the info is out there on the web on how much you need to eat and what exactly you need to eat. A few hours sat doing

has its green pointy shaped leaves all year and if you prune it, then with each burst of new growth you will see new flowers so it can have the lovely yellow trumpet flowers nearly all year. It can be planted in a pot or planter and requires minimal water, but would need cutting to keep into a shape and to be contained. Tecoma stans planted with Agave in a garden creates a spectacular colour contrast. It is the official flower of the Virgin Islands and the floral emblem of the Bahamas. Other names for Tecoma stans are: Trumpetbush, Yellow bells, Yellow elder, Ginger-Thomas.

Tecoma stans for me is a magical plant because it is beautiful and yet it is hardy and loves the hot Middle Eastern sun.

The Dubai Garden Centre always has Tecoma stans in stock.

some research can seriously improve your performance.

This is just one simple site www.sportsmedicine.about.com/od/sportsnutrition/a/ Protein to name hundreds that will give you a good guide on what your body requires in order to improve and stay healthy while training. One of my main concerns this time back in Dubai is my race nutrition during the run; how much fuel I need, what fuel I need (fat, protein carbohydrates).

Now fortunately for me, I’ve been training for a long time in various different sports and I know how my body works. Coupled that with plenty of trial and error as well as specific research into ultra running, I’ve been able to work out what my body needs to consume calorie-wise during the run and in the recovery phase. After each training run, and I can safely say all the research and trial and error is paying off! So I’ll leave you with another link if you’re an ultra runner looking to improve your race/training nutrition and a tip: remember, as we get older we need to adapt to the fact that our bodies require more attention to recovery through our diets! Training is the easy part, what we do after will decide how we perform on the day and how we will continue to perform for the future. www.ultrarunning.com/ultra/9/9_2/ nutrition-for-your-long-t Enjoy, run easy and stay healthy.

Editor’s note: to find more about the Ultra Running and Trail Running communities in Dubai visit www.dubaitrailrunning.com.

OUTDOORUAE

65

Flo

Surina

Whether yours is a tea or a coffee, the Radio 1 breakfast show is the key ingredient to waking up in the UAE. With guaranteed laughter, great music and a range of prizes to be won, Danny C, Flo and Surina provide the perfect edge to make the mornings a little more tolerable. On air from 6-10 a.m. every weekday, the trio get too little sleep! But that’s a good thing, as their cheerfulness represents the vibe of the nation’s number one hit station Radio 1.

It may seem like the start of a bad joke, with an Englishman, a Frenchman and a Kiwi… but we sat down with them to find out more about their love for the outdoors, as well as what makes the breakfast show click.

Right, to start off guys, sum up the breakfast show in one word?

Danny: Unpredictable.

Flo: Busy.

Surina: Challenging!

me. I prefer early starts as I get to spend time with my children, which isn’t always a good thing by the way.

Outdoors or indoors?

Flo jus

t after

his bun

gee Ju

mp

Out of all three of you, who’s the most outdoorsy?

Danny: I am.

Flo: That’s a lie, you spend most of your time in bed!

Danny: That’s true, but I have been trying kitesurfing recently. It’s a lot harder than I thought and requires a lot of concentration.

Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever woken up?

Danny: In a petrol station in Satwa.

Who works hardest out of the three of you?

Danny looking flustered

Surina: Me. Danny: Me. Flo: Me. Surina: No, let’s be honest… it’s definitely Flo. Danny: Okay, I’ll let that one go.

What’s it like waking up at 4:00 a.m. everyday?

Danny: Depends if I’ve been out the night before! But in all fairness, I’ve just about got used to it, after five years… and besides, I’ll sleep when I’m dead.

Surina: It actually works out quite well for

66

Danny

OUTDOORUAE

Danny: Outdoors for me.

Flo: Indoors. I have delicate French skin.

Surina: A mixture of both. Outdoors when I can.

If you could try one outdoor sport in the UAE, what would it be?

Flo: Surfing, but the waves aren’t that big in the UAE. Danny: Skydiving.

Surina: I want to learn to drive off-road.

Danny, if you three were rock-climbing and the ropes snapped, and you could only catch one of your co-presenters, who would it be? (Question from Flo) Danny: Neither, I’m not sure my rope would hold two people, so they’re both gone!

And finally, what makes the Radio 1 breakfast show the best in the UAE? Flo: Because mornings are difficult, we make sure we put our listeners in a good mood.

Surina: The laughter!

Danny C: It’s just the all-round fun we have and that’s definitely reflected on air.

You can tune in to the Radio 1 breakfast show weekdays from 6–10 a.m. on 104.1 FM in Dubai and 100.5 FM in Abu Dhabi. Follow the latest updates on the Radio 1 Facebook page: My Radio 1.

THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST

may 2013 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

DIRECTORY General Sports Equipment Megastores

Adventure HQ, Dubai Times Square Center, Sheikh Zayed Rd, toll free: 800-ADVENTURE, www.adventurehq.ae Decathlon, Dubai, Mirdif City Centre, +97142839392 Go Sport, The Dubai Mall: +97143253595; Ibn Battuta Mall: +9714368 5344; Mall of the Emirates: +9714341 3251; Mirdif City Centre: +97142843034 InterSport, Dubai, Times Square Centre and Dubai Festival City, +97142066587, www.intersport.ae Sun and Sand Sports, most shopping centres, +97143504444, www.sunandsandsports.com Sport in Life, Nad al Hamar Rd., Ras al Khor, Dubai, +97142896001, www. sportsouq.ae

Adventure tours and desert safaris

MMI Travel, Mezzanine Floor, Dnata Travel Centre, Shk Zayed Road, Dubai, +97144045888, www.mmitravel.ae Alpha Tours, +97142949888, www.alphatoursdubai.com Bike and Hike Oman, PO Box 833, Ruwi, Postal Code 112, Oman, +96824400873, www.bikeandhikeoman.com Cyclone Tours & Travels, Abu Dhabi, Khalifa Street, +97126276275, www. cyclonetours.com Dadabhai Travel, Sama Bldg. next to Al Mulla Plaza, Dubai-Sharjah Road, Dubai, +97142209393,www.dadabhaitravel.ae Desert Rangers, Dubai, +97143572200, www.desertrangers.com Desert Road Tourism, Al Khor Plaza – 503, Dubai, +97142959429, www.arabiantours.com Dream Days, +97144329392, www.dreamdays.ae Dream Explorer LLC, Dubai, +971433198801, www.dreamexplorerdubai.com Dubai Relax Travel, Dubai, +97144221776, www.dubairelaxtours.com Element Fitness, Dubai, +971502771317, www.element-fitness.net Explorer Tours, Umm Ramool, Dubai, +97142861991, www.explorertours.ae, Gulf for Good, Dubai, +97143680222, www.gulf4good.org Gulf Ventures, Dnata Travel Centre +97144045880, www.gulfventures.com Net Group, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, +97126794656, www.netgroupauh.com Oasis Palm Dubai, Dubai, +97142628889, www.opdubai.com Rahhalah, Dubai, +97144472166, www.rahhalah.com Relax Tours Travels, Dubai,

GoSport The Dubai Mall Tel: 04-3253595 Fax: 04-3253590 gosport_dubaimall@almana.com

+97144221776, www.dubairelaxtours.com Wild Guanabana, Dubai, +971567954954, www.wildguanabana.com Clubs Abu Dhabi Fishing, Camping, Kayaking, & Adventure Club, +971504920860, mohammed.almahrouky@gmail.com

Air

Ballooning Adventures Emirates, Dubai, +97142854949, www.ballooning.ae Jazirah Aviation Club, Ras Al Khaimah, +9716139859, www.jac-uae.net Seawings, Dubai, www.seawings.com Sky Dive Dubai, Dubai, +971501533222, www.skydivedubai.ae

Boating & Sailing

Manufacturer Al Fajer Marine, Dubai, Al Quoz, +97143235181, www.alfajermarine.com Al Shaali Marine, Ajman, +97167436443, www.alshaalimarine.com Gulf Craft, Ajman, +97167406060, www.gulfcraftinc.com Al Jeer Marina, RAK border Musandam, +97172682333/+971504873185, www. aljeerport.ae Distributors and Dealers Art Marine, Dubai, +97143388955, www.artmarine.net Azure Marine, Dubai, +97143404343, www.azuremarine.net Leisure Marine Beach Street, Dubai, The Walk JBR, +97144243191 Luxury Sea Boats, Dubai, +971505589319, www.luxuryseaboats.com Macky Marine LLC, Dubai, +971505518317, www.mackymarine.com Nautilus Yachts, Sharjah, +97165576818, www.nautilusyachts.com UAE Boats 4 Sale, Dubai Marina, +97144471501, www.uaeboats4sale.com Western Marine, Marina Yacht Club, Dubai, +97143039744 The Boat House, Dubai, Al Quoz, +97143405152, www.theboathouse.ae Equipment Ali Khalifah Moh Al Fuqaei, Deira, Dubai, +97142263220 Al Masaood Marine, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, +97143468000, www.masaoodmarine.com Blue Waters Marine, Shop 11, The Curve Bldg., Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, +97143808616/+971553899995, C info@bluewatersmarine.com, www. bluewatersmarine.com M Extreme Marine, Dubai, +97143992995, www.extrememarine-me.com Y Japan Marine General Trading, Al Garhoud Road, Liberty Building, Dubai, +97155 9299111, +97142828255, uday@japanmarine.jp, www. CM japanmarine.co Rineh Emirates Trading LLC, Dubai, Al MY Quoz, +97143391512, www.rinehemiratesme. com CY Repairs and Maintenance Extreme Marine, Dubai, Dubai Marina, CMY +97143992995, www.extrememarine-me.com Rineh Emirates, Sheikha Sana Warehouse K 1, Al Quoz, +97143391512, info@ rinehemiratesme.com, www.rinehemirates. com SNS Marine, JAFZA Techno Park, Jebel Ali, Dubai, +971501405058, info@snsmarine.ae, www.snsmarine.ae The Boat House, Dubai, Al Quoz, +97143405152, www.theboathouse.ae Cruise Operators 4 Yacht Arabia, Shop No. 5, Dubai Marina Yacht Club, 800 92248, www.4yachtarabia. ae Al Bateen Marina, Abu Dhabi, +97126665491, www.marinaalbateenresort. com Al Marsa Travel & Tourism, Dibba, Musandam, +96826836550, +97165441232 Leisure Marine Beach Street, Dubai, TheWalk JBR, +97144243191 Bateaux Dubai, Dubai Creek opposite the British Embassy, +97143994994

Bristol Middle East, Dubai Marina, +97144309941, www.bristol-middleeast. com Captain Tony’s, Yas Marina, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, +97126507175, www. captaintonys.ae Delma Industrial Supply and Marine Services, Al Bateen Jetty, Abu Dhabi, +97126668153, www.delmamarine.net Eden Yachting, Dubai Marina, +971504586171, www.edenyachting.com Emirates Yachting, Dubai, +97142826683 El Mundo, Dubai, +971505517406, Cycle Hub_proof new.pdf www.elmundodubai.com Four Star Travel and Tourism, Dubai,

Khasab Divers, Oman, +97156 7255889, khasab.diver2@gmail.com Khour Shem Tourism, Oman, +96826731919, www.khourshemtours.com LY Catamaran, Dubai, +971505869746, +971566506683, www.lycatamaran.com Marine Concept, Dubai, +971559603030, www.marine-charter-concept.com Nautica1992, Dubai, +971504262415, www.nautica1992.ae Noukhada Adventure Company, Villa 332/7, Al Meena Street, Abu Dhabi, +97126503600, 1 5/2/13 www.noukhada.ae 2:43 PM RAK Marine LLC, Ras Al Khaimah City Hilton Marina, +971504912696,

OUR MEGA STORE IS NOW OPEN!!!

Great opening specials in store!

Dubai Motor City Next to Dubai Autodrome

+9714 2737779, www.fourstartravels.net Fujairah Rotana Resort & Spa, Al Aqah Beach, Fujairah, +97192449888, www.rotana.com Ghantoot Marina & Resort, Abu Dhabi, +971529933153, www.ghantootmarina.com Happy Days Sea Cruising LLC, Dubai, +971558961276, +971503960202, www.happydaysdubai.com JPS Yachts and Charter, Room 225, Emarat Atrium building, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, +97143437734, www.jpsyachts.com

To list your company for free or to advertise, please contact us: 04 4472030 contact@outdooruae.com

+971 50 552 8872 sam@thecyclehub.com www.thecyclehub.com

+97172066410 Sea Hunters Passenger Yachts & Boats Rental, Dubai Marina, +97142951011 Sheesa Beach, Dibba, Musandam, +971503336046, www.sheesabeach.com Smoke Dragon Of London Yacht, Abu Dhabi International Marine & Sports Club, +971507011958/+971504546617 Summertime Marine Sports, Dubai, +97142573084 The Club, Abu Dhabi, +97126731111, www.the-club.com

OUTDOORUAE

67

THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST

may 2013 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

The Yellow Boats LLC, Dubai Marina Walk – opposite Spinneys, Intercontinental Hotel Marina, +8008044, www.theyellowboats. com Marinas Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club, Abu Dhabi, Breakwater, +97126815566, www.adimsc.com Abu Dhabi Marina, Abu Dhabi, Tourist Club Area, +97126440300 Al Jeer Marina, RAK Border, Musandam +971 7 2682333 or +971 50 4873185 www.aljeerport.ae Al Mouj Marina, Muscat, Oman, +968 9423 9777, www.mourjanmarinas.com Dubai Creek Marina, Deira, Dubai, +971 4 380 1234, www.dubaigolf.com Dubai International Marine Sports Club, Dubai Marina, +97143995777, www.dimc. ae Dubai Marina Yacht Club, Dubai, +97143627900, www.dubaimarinayachtclub.com Dubai Maritime City Harbour Marina, Dubai, +97143455545 Dubai Offshore Sailing Club, Dubai, +97143941669, www.dosc.ae Emirates Palace Marina, Abu Dhabi, +97143388955 Festival Marina, Dubai, Festival City, +97144498400, www.igy-festivalmarina. com Festival Marina, Dubai, Festival City, +97142085100, www.mourjanmarinas.com Four Seasons Marina, Doha, Qatar, +97444948899, www.mourjanmarinas.com Fujairah International Marine Club, Fujairah, +97192221166, www.fimc.ae Intercontinental Abu Dhabi Marina, Al Bateen, Intercontinental Hotel, Abu Dhabi, +97126666888, www.intercontinental.com Jebel Ali Golf Resort and Spa Marina, Jebel Ali, Dubai, +9714814 5555/5029, www.jebelali-international.com Lusail Marina, Lusail City, Qatar, +9745584 3282, www.mourjan-lusailmarina.com Marina Bandar Al Rowdha, Muscat, Oman, +96824737286 (ext 215), www. marinaoman.net Pavilion Marina, Dubai, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, +97144068800 The Pearl–Qatar Marinas, Doha, Qatar, +9744965801, www.ronauticame.com Umm Al Quwaim Marine Sports Club, Umm Al Quwaim, +97167666644, www.uaqmarineclub.com Dragon Boat Groups Dubai Dawn Patrol Dragon Boating, Dubai +971508795645 (Michael), www.dubaidawnpatrol.org Dubai Diggers, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, pier next to 360, Dubai, +971501547175 (Nick Hando), www.dubai-diggers.com UAE Dragon Boat Association, +971507634008 (Jason), www. dubaidragonboat.com

Camping & Hiking

Equipment Blingmytruck.com, +971505548255, www. blingmytruck.com Jack Wolfskin Mirdif City Centre Dubai, +97142840228; Al Wahda Mall Abu Dhabi +97124437802 Picnico General Trading, near Sharaf DG Metro Station, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, +97143951113 Tresspass, The Dubai Mall, 2nd floor above ice rink, +97143398801 Tour Operators Arabia Outdoors, Dubai, +971559556209, www.arabiaoutdoors.com Absolute Adventure, Dubai, +97143459900, www.adventure.ae Libra, +971559228362, www.libra-uae.com Mountain High Middle East, Dubai, +97143480214, www.mountainhighme.com Sheesa Beach, Musandam, Dibba, +97150336046, www.sheesabeach.com Desert Road Tourism, Al Khor Plaza – 503, Dubai, +97142959428, www.arabiatours. com

Caving

Muscat Diving & Adventure Centre, Oman, +96824543002, www.holiday-inoman.com

68

OUTDOORUAE

GO SPORT STADIUM STUDIO R SUN & SAND SPORTS AL BOOM DIVING ADVENTURE HQ Al Jeer Port, Border of RAK, Musandam, UAE Mob: +971 50 4873185 Tel: +971 7 2682333

N.I.K General Trading LLC P.O. Box 111549, Dubai, UAE Tel: + 971 4 450 8480 Fax: + 971 4 450 8481 suunto@niktrading.com www.niktrading.com

Mountain High Middle East, Dubai, +97143480214, www.mountainhighme.com Oman World Tourism, Oman, +96899431333, www.omanworldtourism.com

Climbing

Equipment Global Climbing Trading LLC, Dubai Investment Park 1, Dubai, +97148829361, www.globalclimbing.com Adventure HQ, Dubai Times Square Center, Sheikh Zayed Rd, toll free: 800-ADVENTURE, www.adventurehq.ae Barracuda Fishing and Outdoor, Dubai, Street 13A 1, Al Safa 1, +97143466558, www.barracudadubai.com Jack Wolfskin Mirdif City Centre Dubai, +97142840228; Al Wahda Mall Abu Dhabi +97124437802 Services Absolute Adventure, Dubai, +97143459900, www.adventure.ae Adventure HQ, Dubai Times Square Center, Sheikh Zayed Rd, toll free: 800-ADVENTURE, www.adventurehq.ae Al Shaheen Adventure, Abu Dhabi, +97126429995, www.alshaheenme.com Arabia Outdoors, Dubai, +971559556209, www.arabiaoutdoors.com Dorell Sports Management, Dubai World Trade Centre, +97143065061, www. climbingdubai.com E-Sports UAE, Dubai, +97142824540, www.esportsuae.com The Club, Abu Dhabi, +97126731111, www.the-club.com Information UAE Climbing, +971506456491, www. uaeclimbing.com

Walltopia’s ME Sales Showroom will be opening in late May ‘13.

Climbers’ training memberships for Out of Working Hours bouldering, now available.

Special Summer Sizzler membership now available. facebook.com.rock.republic.dubai or vanda@globalclimbing.com

www.aljeerport.ae

Mountain Biking & Cycling

Equipment/Dealers Cycle Sports, Shop No. 1, Al Waleed Bldg., Al Barsha 1, Dubai, +97143415415, www.cyclesportsuae.com Fun Ride Sports, 301, 3rd floor, Mushrif Mall, Abu Dhabi, Rm. 4, Mezzanine floor, C-13 Bldg., Khalifa City A, Abu Dhabi, info@funridesports.com, www. funridesports.com Micah’s Bike Shop, Warehouse no.4 6th st.

Al Quoz 3, Dubai, +97143805228 Probike, Dubai, Al Barsha 1, +97143255705, www.probike.ae Rage Shop, Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai Festival City, +97143369007, www.rage-shop.com Ride Bike Shop, Dubai Mall, Festival City, Oasis Centre, Mirdif City Centre, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, +97143750231, www.ridebikeshop.com Revolution Cycles, Shop G05, Apex Atrium, Motor City, Dubai, +97143697441, www.rcdxb.com Sportz Unlimited, Sheikh Zayed Road & Jebel Ali, Dubai, + 97143388644 Tamreen Sports LLC, Khalifa Street, Abu Dhabi, +97126222525, www.tamreensports. com The Cycle Hub, Motor City, Dubai, +971505528872, www.thecyclehub.com Trikke uPT, Dubai, +971 4 508 1202, +971 55 609 6757, www.trikkeme.net, info@ trikkeme.net Trek Bicycle Store, 1a Sultan Business Centre, Oud Metha, Dubai, +97143350399, www.trekbikes.ae Fun Ride Sports, Rm no. 4, Mezzanine flr, C-13 bldg. Khalifa A City, Abu Dhabi, +97125566113, www.funridesports.com Peak Performance, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai Mall, Dubai, +97143413056/+97143308023 Wolfi’s Bike Shop, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, +97143394453, www.wbs.ae Operator Absolute Adventure, Dubai, +97143459900, +971506259165, www. adventure.ae, info@adventure.ae Clubs Abu Dhabi Tri Club, www.abudhabitriclub. com Cycle Safe Dubai, Dubai Autodrome www.cyclechallenge.ae Dubai Roadsters, www.dubairoadsters. com

Diving

Equipment Al Boom Marine, Abu Dhabi and Dubai, +97142894858, www.alboommarine.com Al Masaood Marine, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, +97143468000,www. masaoodmarine.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 Al Hamur Marine and Sports Equipment, Jumeirah Beach Road, Dubai, +9714 3444468 Scuba 2000, Al Bidiya Beach, Fujairah, +97192388477, www.scuba-2000.com Scuba Dubai, Al Barsha, Al Khail Road, Dubai, +97143414940, info@scubadubai. com Diving Centres 7 Seas Diving Center, Khorfakkan, +97192387400, www.7seasdivers.com Al Boom Diving (equipment), Dubai, Al Wasl Rd, + 97143422993, www.alboomdiving.com Al Jeer Marina, RAK Border, Musandam, +97172682333, www.aljeerport.ae Al Mahara Dive Center, Downtown Abu Dhabi, +971501118125, www.divemahara.com Al Marsa Musandam, Dibba Harbour, Musandam, Oman, +968 26 836550, www.almarsamusandam. com Arabian Diver, Hilton Marine, Ras Al Khaimah, +97172226628, +971502428128 www.arabiandiver.com Arabian Divers and Sportfishing Charters, Al Bateen Marina Resort, Abu Dhabi, +971506146931, www.fishabudhabi.com Deep Blue Sea Diving, Dubai, International City, +97144308246, www.diveindubai.com Divers Down, Fujairah, Rotana Al Aqah Hotel Resort & Spa, +97192370299, www.diversdown-uae.com Emirates Divers Centre, Abu Dhabi, near Meena Fish Market, +97126432444, www. edc-ad.ae Euro-Divers Oman, Muscat, Oman, +96895035815, www.euro-divers.com Extra Divers Ziggy Bay, Oman, Musandam, +96826735555, www.extradivers.info Free Diving UAE, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Fujairah, www.freedivinguae.com Freestyle Divers, Dubai, Al Wasl & Dibba, Royal Beach Hotel, +97143944275, www.freestyledivers.com Fujairah Rotana Resort & Spa - Al Aqah Beach, Al Aqah Beach, Fujairah, +97192449888, www.rotana.com Global Scuba Dive Center, Civil Aviation Club, Oman, +96899317518, www.global-scuba.com Khasab Divers, Oman, www.khasabdiver.com Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort, Dibba Road, Fujairah, +97192449000, www.lemeridien-alaqah.com Moonlight Dive Center, Madinat Qaboos, Oman,

To list your company for free or to advertise, please contact us: 04 4472030 contact@outdooruae.com

THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST

+968 99317700, www.moonlightdive.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 Oman Dive Center, Muscat, Oman, +96824284240, www.omadivecenter.com Pavilion Dive Centre (equipment), Dubai, +97144068828 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, +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 Emirates Diving Association, Diving Village, Al Shindagha, Dubai, +97143939390, www.emiratesdiving.com Filipino SCUBA Divers Club (FSDC), Dubai, UAE, +971 56 6952421, www.thefilipinoscubadivers.com Sharjah Wanderers Dive Club, Sharjah, +971507840830, www.bsac406.com

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 Al Hamur Marine and Sports Equipment, Jumeirah Beach Road, Dubai, +9714 3444468 Arabian Divers and Sportfishing Charters, Al Bateen Marina Resort, Abu Dhabi, +971506146931, www.fishabudhabi.com Blue Waters Marine, Shop 11, The Curve Bldg., Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, +97143808616/+971553899995, info@bluewatersmarine.com, www. bluewatersmarine.com Al Masaood Marine, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, +97143468000, www.masaoodmarine.com Barracuda Fishing and Outdoor, Dubai, Street 13A 1, Al Safa 1, +97143466558, www.barracudadubai.com Global Climbing Trading LLC, Dubai Investment Park 1, Dubai, +97148829361, www.globalclimbing.com Leisure Marine Beach Hut, Dubai, The Walk JBR, +97144243191, www.leisuremarine-me.com Ocean Active, Dubai, Garden Centre, +971502898713, www.oceanactive.com Operators Al Boom Diving, Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort, Fujairah, +97143422993 Absolute Adventure, Dubai, +97143459900, www.adventure.ae Al Hamra Marina and Yacht Club, Al Hamra,

Ras Al Khaimah, +97172434540, www. alhamramarina.com Al Mahara Dive Center, Downtown Abu Dhabi, +971501118125, www.divemahara.com Al Shaheen Adventure, Abu Dhabi, +97126429995, www.alshaheenme.com Al Wasl Charter & Fishing (Al Wasl Passenger Yachts and Boats Rental LLC), Airport Road, Al Owais Building, Dubai, +97142394761, www.cruiseindubai.com Arabian Divers and Sportfishing Charters, 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 Captain Tony’s, Yas Marina, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, +97126507175, www.captaintonys.ae Fun Beach Water Sports, Dubai, +97153244550, www.funbeachsports.com Happy Days Sea Cruising LLC, Dubai, +971558961276, +971503960202, www.happydaysdubai.com Hiltonia Beach Club, Hilton Abu Dhabi Hotel, Abu Dhabi, +97126811900 Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort, Dibba Road, Fujairah, +97192449000, www.lemeridien-alaqah.com Nautica 1992, Dubai, +971504262415, www.nautica1992.ae 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 Summertime Marine Sports, Dubai, +97142573084, www.summertimemarine.com Soolyman Sports Fishing, Dubai, Umm Suqeim, +971508866227, www.soolymansportsfishing.com Xclusive Yachts, Dubai, Dubai Marina, +97144327233, www.xclusiveyachts.com Clubs Abu Dhabi Camping, Fishing & Kayaking Club, mohamed.almahrouky@gmail.com Dubai Surfski & Kayak Club, Kitesurfers’ Beach, Umm Suqeim 1, Dubai, +971554986280, www.dskc.hu

General Sports Equipment Distributors

800 Sport, Al Quoz, Dubai +971 4 346 7751 www.800sport.ae Adventure HQ, Dubai Times Square Center, Sheikh Zayed Rd, Toll free: 800-ADVENTURE, www.adventurehq.ae Flip Flop Arabia, flipme@flipfloparabia.com, www.flipfloparabia.com Global Climbing Trading LLC, Dubai Investment Park 1, Dubai +97148829361, www.globalclimbing.com Goal Zero, +971509128353, www.goalzero.ae Jack Wolfskin Mirdif City Centre Dubai, +97142840228; Al Wahda Mall Abu Dhabi +97144437802 Ocean Sports FZE, +971559352735, www. kitesurfsup.com Sakeen General Trading, +97147094224, www.sakeen.ae Tresspass, The Dubai Mall 2nd floor above ice rink, +971 4 339 8801

LLC, Dubai, +97142895069, www.horseandcarriageuae.com Mirzan Equestrian Equipment, Dubai, +971 4 4472808, www.metdubaihorse.com Equestrian Clubs/Centres Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Al Mushrif, Abu Dhabi, +97124455500, www.adec-web.com Al Ahli Riding School, Al Amman Street, Dubai-Sharjah Rd., +97142988408, www.alahliclub.info Al Forsan International Sports Resort, Abu Dhabi, +97125568555, www.alforsan.com Al Sahra Desert Resort Equestrian Centre, Dubai, +971 44274055, equestrian.centre@alsahra.com Dubai Polo Academy, Dubai, +971508879847, www.dubaipoloacademy. com Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club, Dubai, Arabian Ranches, +97143618111, www.poloclubdubai.com Desert Equestrian Club, Mirdif, Dubai, +971503099770, +971501978888 Desert Palm Riding School, Near Al Awir Road (going to Hatta-Oman), Dubai, +97143238010, www.desertpalm.peraquum.com Emirates Equestrian Centre, Dubai, +971505587656, www.emiratesequestriancentre.com Ghantoot Polo & Racing Club, Exit 399, Abu Dhabi/ Dubai Highway, Abu Dhabi, +97125629050, www.grpc.ae Golden Stables Equestrian Club, Al Khawaneej, Dubai, (Nouri) +971555528182, www.goldenstables.ae HoofbeatZ, located just inside the Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club, Dubai, +971501810401, www.hoofbeatz.com Mushrif Equestrian and Polo Club, Mushrif Park, Al Khawaneej Road, Dubai, +97142571256, www.mushrifec.com Qudraland Community, info@qudraland.com, www.qudraland.com Rahal Ranch, Al Wathba Racing Area, Abu Dhabi, +971566127914, www.rahalranch.com Riding for the Disabled, Dubai, lessons@ rdad.ae, www.rdad.ae, Sharjah Equestrian & Racing Club, Sharjah, Al Dhaid Road, +97165311188, www.serc.ae Racecourses Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Al Mushrif, Abu Dhabi, +97124455500, www.adec-web.com Ghantoot Racing & Polo Club, Exit 399, Abu Dhabi/ Dubai Highway, Abu Dhabi, +97125629050, www.grpc.ae Jebel Ali Racecourse, off the main Abu Dhabi - Dubai Highway (Sheikh Zayed road) beside the Emirates Golf Club, Dubai, +97143474914 Meydan Grandstand and Racecourse, Al Meydan Road, Nad Al Sheba, Dubai, +97143270000, www.meydan.ae Sharjah Racecourse, Al Dhaid Road, Sharjah, +97165311155, www.serc.ae Equine Hospitals/Clinics Dubai Equine Hospital, behind World Trade

Horse Riding

Equipment Al Asifa Horse Equestrian & Requisites Trading, Al Khawaneej 1, Dubai, +971554733110, www.asifa.ae Black Horse LLC, Abu Dhabi, +97126422237, www.blackhorseuae.com Cavalos Equine Care and Supplies, 16th Street, Al Khalidiyah, Abu Dhabi, +9172 2222433, www.cavalosuae.com Emirta Horse Requirement Centre, Sheik Zayed Rd, Dubai, +9714 3437475, www.emirtahorse.com Horse & Carriage Equestrian Equipment

may 2013 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

Dubai - Tel: 04 3390621 | Dubai Auto sport 04 3388822 Abu Dhabi - Tel: 02 5588890 | Abu Dhabi - Buteen - 02 6660591 Sharjah - Tel: 06 5388066 | Ajman -Tel: 06 7410004 Al Ain - Tel: 03 7211444 | Fujairah - Tel: 09 2221188 Ras Al Khaimah - Tel: 07 2351592 Center, Zabeel 2, Dubai, +97143178888, www.dubaiequine.ae Gulf Vetcare, Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi, +971508617590, www.gulfvetcare.com Sharjah Equine Hospital, Bridge no. 6, Al Dhaid Road, next to Sharjah Equestrian & Racing Center, Sharjah, +97165311881, www. seh.ae Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, next to Dubai Equestrian Hospital, Zabeel 2, Dubai, +97143375165, www.cvrl.ae

Jet Ski

Dealers Al Masaood Marine, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, +97143468000, www.masaoodmarine.com Japan Marine General Trading, Al Garhoud Road, Liberty Building, Dubai, +97155 9299111, +97142828255, uday@japanmarine.jp, www. japanmarine.co Liberty Kawasaki, Dubai, Interchange 4, Sheikh Zayed Road, +97143419341, www.libertykawasaki.com Al Yousuf Motors, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Rd, +97143390621, www.aym.ae/yamaha Rentals Fun Beach Water Sports, Dubai, +971 5 3244 550, www.funbeachsports.com The Cove Rotana Resort, Ras Al Khaimah, +9717206000, www.rotana.com Xventures, Dubai, +971555404500, www.x-ventures.ae

Motocross & ATV’s

Dealers Al Badayer Rental (Rental), Dubai-Hatta

THE DUBAI MALL 04 325 3312

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

To list your company for free or to advertise, please contact us: 04 4472030 contact@outdooruae.com

MIRDIF CITY CENTRE 04 284 3243

ALSO AVAILABLE AT SELECT SUN & SAND SPORTS STORES ACROSS THE GCC. www.sunandsandsports.com

OUTDOORUAE

69

C

THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST

may 2013 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

Road, +971507842020, www.albadayerrental.com Al Yousuf Motors, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Rd, +97143390621, www.aym.ae/yamaha

CMY

K

Sebsports, Al Quoz Industrial Area 1 Dubai, +9714 3393399, www.sebsports.com Clubs Dubai Motocross Club (DMX), Jebel Ali, Dubai, +971506950764 (Tom Wynn) www.dubaimotocross.com

Motorsports

Al Ain Raceway International Kart Circuit, Al Ain, +97137686662, www.alainraceway.com Al Forsan International Sports Resort, Abu Dhabi, +97125568555, www.alforsan.com Dubai Autodrome, Dubai, +97143678700 www.dubaiautodrome.com Emirates Motorplex, Umm Al Quwain, +97167681717 Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, www.yasmarinacircuit.com

C

Off-Road

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

www.element-fitness.net KTM, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, exit 42, +9714323151, www.ktm.com Golden Desert Motorcycles Rental (Rental), Dubai-Hatta Road, Dubai, +971551532550, www.goldendesert-dubai.com Polaris UAE (atv’s), Ras Al Khor, Nad al Hamar Road, Al Ghandi Complex, Dubai, +97142896100, M4, Sector 13, 10th Street, Mussafah Industrial, Abu Dhabi, +97125555144, www.polarisuae.com Liberty Kawasaki, Dubai, Interchange 4, Sheikh Zayed Road, 04-3419341, www.libertykawasaki.com Sandstorm Motorcycles (Rental), Al Quoz, Dubai, +97143470270, www.sandstorm-motorcycles.com Sebsports, Al Quoz Industrial Area 1 Dubai, +97143393399, www.sebsports.com Wild X Adventure Shop, Dubai, +97148321050, www. wildx.ae Equipment Desert Road Tourism, Al Khor Plaza – 503, Dubai, +97142959429, www.arabiantours.com 2XWheeler, Motorcity Dubai, +97144548388, www.2xwheeler.com Sandstorm Motorcycles (Rental), Al Quoz, Dubai, +97143470270, www.sandstorm-motorcycles.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

Distributors and Dealers Al Yousuf Motors, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Rd, www.aym.ae/yamaha Duseja Motorcycles, Dubai, Al Quoz, +97143476712, www.dusejamoto.com Liberty Kawasaki, Dubai, Interchange4, Sheikh Zayed Road, +97142822144, www.libertykawasaki.com Polaris UAE, Al Ghandi Complex, Nad al Hamar Road, Ras Al Khor, +97142896100, www.polarisuae.com Tristar Motorcycles, +97143330659, www.tristaruae.com Workshops and Services 2xWheeler Adventures, Dubai, +97144548388 Dune Bike, Dubai, Al Khail Road, +97143272088, www.dunebike.com Duseja Motorcycles, Dubai, Al Quoz, +97143476712, www.dusejamoto.com Gecko Motorcycles, Dubai, Al Quoz, +97143413550, www.gecko-moto.com

70

OUTDOORUAE

Dealers 4x4 Motors LLC, Shk. Zayed Rd, Dubai, +97143384866, www.4x4motors.com Bling My Truck, +971503634839/+971505548255, info@ blingmytruck.com, www.blingmytruck.com Liberty Automobiles, Dubai, 8005423789, www.libertyautos.com Repairs and Services Off Road Zone, Dubai, Al Quoz, +97143392449, www.offroad-zone.com Icon Auto Garage, Dubai, +97143382744, www.icon-auto.com Saluki Motorsport, Dubai, +97143476939 www.salukimotorsport.com Equipment Advanced Expedition Vehicles, Dubai & Abu Dhabi, +97143307152, www.aev.ae

kawasaki@liberty.ae Bling My Truck, +971503634839/+971505548255, info@ blingmytruck.com, www.blingmytruck.com Icon Auto Garage, Dubai, +97143382744, www.icon-auto.com Wild X Adventure Shop, Dubai-Hatta Road, Dubai, +97148321050, www.wildx.ae Yellow Hat, Nad Al Hamar, and Times Square Center, Dubai, +97142898060, www.yellowhat.ae Tour Operators Desert Road Tourism, Al Khor Plaza – 503, Dubai, +97142959429, www.arabiantours.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 ALMOST 4x4 Off-Road Club, +971507665522, www.almost4x4.com

ME 4X4, www.me4x4.com JEEP Wrangler JK Fun Club, suffian.omar@ yahoo.com, www.jk-funclub.com Dubai Offroaders, www.dubaioffroaders.com

Running

Clubs ABRasAC, Dubai, www.abrasac.org Abu Dhabi Tri Club, Abu Dhabi, www. abudhabitriclub.org Al Ain Road Runners, Abu Dhabi, +971504188978, alainroadrunners@yahoo. co.uk Mirdif Milers, Dubai, www.mirdifmilers.info Abu Dhabi Striders, admin@abudhabistriders.com, www.abudhabistriders.com Dubai Creek Striders www.dubaicreekstriders.org

Stand up Paddling, Kite & Surfing, Wakeboarding

Equipment Al Boom Marine, Abu Dhabi & Dubai, +97142894858, www.alboommarine.com Al Masaood Marine, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, +97143468000, www.masaoodmarine.com Leisure Marine Beach Street, Dubai, The Walk JBR, +97144243191 www.leisuremarine-me.com Picnico 04 3941653 Jumeirah Beach Road Opposite Sunset Mall, Dubai Pearl Water Crafts, Dubai Marina Yacht Club, +971553749398, www.pearl-watercrafts.com Surf Dubai, Dubai, Umm Suqeim, +971505043020, www.surfingdubai.com Surf Shop Arabia, Building 1, Al Manara Road (East), Interchange 3, Dubai, +97143791998, www.surfshoparabia.com UAE Kite Surfing, +971505626383, www. ad-kitesurfing.net Distributors Ocean Sports FZE, +971559352735, www.kitesurfsup.com Kitepeople Kite & Surf Store, International City, Dubai, +971504559098, www.kitepeople.ae Operators Al Forsan International Sports Resort, Abu Dhabi, +97125568555, www.alforsan.com Dubai Kite Surf School, Dubai, Umm Suqeim Beach, +971 504965107, www.dubaikitesurfschool.com Duco Maritime, Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah and Abu Dhabi, +971508703427, www.ducomaritime.com Dukite, Kitesurf Beach, Umm Suqeim, Dubai,+971507586992, www.dukite.com Kite Fly, Dubai, +971502547440, www.kitesurf.ae Kitepro Abu Dhabi, Yas Island and Al Dabbayyah, Abu Dhabi, +971505441494, wwww.kitepro.ae Kite4fun.net, Abu Dhabi, +971508133134, www.kite4fun.net Nautica1992, Dubai, +971504262415, www.nautica1992.ae Shamal Kite Surfing, Umm Suqueim Beach – Dubai, +971507689226, astrid@ shamalkitesurfing.com, www.shmalkitesurfing. com Sky & Sea Adventures, Dubai, Hilton, Jumeirah Beach Road, +97143999005, www.watersportsdubai.com Surf School UAE, Umm Suqeim Beach and Building 1, Al Manara Road (East), Interchange 3, Dubai, +971556010997, www.surfschooluae.com Watercooled, Jebel Ali Golf Resort and Spa, Dubai, +97148876771, www.watercooleddubai.com Clubs Abu Dhabi Stand Up Paddle, www.abudhabisup.com, abudhabisup@gmail.com

ZSI TRADING LLC Exclusive distributor for Marmot www.zsicorp.com Available at Adventure HQ (Time Square Centre), GoSports (Mall of the Emirates) and SnowPro, SKIDubai (Mall of the Emirates) Aquaventure Atlantis, Dubai, Palm Jumeirah, +97144260000, www.atlantisthepalm.ae Dreamland Aqua Park, Umm Al Quwain, Emirates Road, +97167681888, www.dreamlanduae.com Wadi Adventure, Jebel Hafeet, Al Ain, +97137818422, www.wadiadventure.ae Wild Wadi Water Park, Dubai, +97143484444, www.wildwadi.com

Other leisure activities

Abu Dhabi Golf Club, Abu Dhabi, + 97125588990, www.adgolfclub.com Al Tamimi Stables, Sharjah, +9716743 1122, +97144370505, www.tamimistables.com Blokart Sailing, Nad Al Sheba, Dubai, +971556101841, www.blokartme.com Children’s City, Creek Park Gate No.1, Dubai, +97143340808, www.childrencity.ae Dolphin Bay Atlantis Dubai, +97144260000, www.atlantisthepalm.ae Dubai Dolphinarium Dubai, Creek Park Gate No. 1, +97143369773, www.dubaidolphinarium.ae iFly Dubai, Dubai, Mirdif 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 and Health Centres The Physio Center, Suite 405, Building 49, Dubai Healthcare City, Dubai, +97144370570, www.physiocentre.ae Orthosports, 5B Street, Jumeira Beach road, Dubai, +971 4 355060, www.orthosp. com

UAE SUP www.uaesup.com

Water Parks

To list your company for free or to advertise, please contact us: 04 4472030 contact@outdooruae.com