#54 March 2015

STEER CLEAR
FISHING GREAT BEAR LAKE
LIFE ONBOARD
VOLVO OCEAN RACE
Outdoor play
HIKING AND CAMPING WITH KIDS
Plenty of
PRODUCTS
TO CHECK OUT
Price
10.00 AED
10.00 QAR
1.00 OMR
MUSANDAM
ADVENTURE
RACE 2015
Walk on the wild side
THE HUMAN & K9

ULTIMATE CHALLENGE
Vol. 5, No. 3
March 2015
www.OutdoorUAE.com
MIDDLE EASTS OUTDOOR, ADVENTURE, TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE
MARCH 2015 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM
OutdoorUAE Team
Its March already. It seems like not a

minute ago we were celebrating the turn
of the year. March sees the beginnings of
the return to the hotter weather as the
temperatures start to rise so take care
in the sun when you are outdoors. Weve
also seen some windy weather and sandstorms in February so be careful when
youre out at sea or on the water.
March sees International Womens Day and for

that reason you will find our supplement dedicated
to, written by, edited by and compiled totally
by women. The articles will appeal to everyone,
whoever you are and wherever you are from. At
OutdoorUAE we have over 50% female staff and
the UAE is a training ground for world-class female
athletes in all disciplines from motocross to climbing and triathlon.
March in the UAE has many events. The Boat
Sean James
Editor
sean@outdooruae.com
Show and the magazine is focused on boating and

fishing. OutdoorUAE will be at the Boat Show and I
will be showing some pictures from his adventures
in Musandam before I head off to Nepal to spend
two months climbing Mount Everest. Im fully connected by satellite so expect regular updates and
messages on the OutdoorUAE blogs so you can
follow my progress.
If you are still thinking about doing more outside
in the UAE, read through the magazine and get
inspired. Contact us or the companies in here. We
all share the same dreams and obsessions as you.
March is also the time that we at OutdoorUAE
are thinking about our summer holidays. In addition to regional adventures in the Middle East we
often have articles to give you a fresh look at overseas destinations. Make sure your next vacation is
something exciting and packed full of adventure.
Maybe you could be tempted by horse safari in Argentina, rafting in Costa Rica, climbing mountains
in Iran or even a staycation in Musandam.
Whatever you do in March make sure it is
outdoors and pushes you slightly out of your
comfort zone. Youll definitely feel better and
more rewarded for going the extra distance. Who
knows maybe it could be the start of a whole new
lifestyle. Nowhere are the workings of the mind
and changes in behaviour more acute than in the
outdoors. Profound changes happen in very short
spaces of time. Most are positive but we can guarantee you will remember them all and be talking
about them until next month.
Thats why we love the outdoors so much.
Editor
For editorial content and press releases
Tel: 04-447 2030
Mobile: 055 5760322
editor@outdooruae.com
Distributor
Tawzea, Abu Dhabi Media
Company
P.O. Box 40401,
Abu Dhabi, U.A.E.
Sales & Marketing (advertisement enquiries)

Tel: 04-447 2030
Mobile: 055 9398915
linda@outdooruae.com
Printed at
United Printing and Publishing
P.O.Box: 39955, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Published by
Outdoor UAE FZE
In cooperation with D32 Events
P.O. Box 215062
Dubai, U.A.E.
Tel. 04-447 2030
contact@outdooruae.com
www.outdooruae.com
Cover photo by: Sailing Arabia - The Tour
2015 Outdoor UAE FZE

Vol. 5, No. 3, March 2015
www.OutdoorUAE.com
2015 Outdoor UAE FZE

Reg. at Creative City Fujairah
P.O. Box 4422, Fujairah, U.A.E.
Get to us on Facebook!
Glaiza Seguia-Godinez
Editor
glaiza@outdooruae.com
Eulogy van Dyk

Editor Qatar
eulogy@outdooruae.com
Linda Turcerova
Sales and Marketing
linda@outdooruae.com
Jane Mesina
Administration
jane@outdooruae.com
Jung Francisco
Designer and Photographer
jung@outdooruae.com
EXPERTS & CONTRIBUTORS

Ian Ganderton
Kayaker, climber,
mountainbiker and snowboarder.
Enthusiastic jack of all trades,
master of none
John Basson
Moto/ATV and all round
adventure seeker
Marina Bruce
The Desert Diva and
off-road expert
Kit Belen
Our fishing pro
Facebook.com/OutdoorUAE
Twitter.com/OutdoorUAE
Nico de Corato
Diver and heli rescue swimmer
with Bergamo Scuba Angels
Instagram.com/OutdoorUAE
The information contained is for general use only.

We have made every attempt to ensure that the information contained in this magazine has been
obtained from reliable sources. The publisher is not responsible for any errors. All information in
this magazine is provided without a full guarantee of completeness, accuracy and chronology. In
no event will the publisher and/or any of our affiliates be held responsible for decisions made or
action taken in reliance on the information in this magazine.
All contents are copyrighted and may not be
reproduced in any form without prior written
permission.
Daniel Birkhofer
Founder and General Manager
daniel@outdooruae.com
WHEN YOURE
DONE READING,
PLEASE RECYCLE!
Ivana Chiles
Health coach and outdoor enthusiast
Dan Wright
Freelance wilderness guide in the UAE
Cindy Stadelmann
Equestrian expert
Trace Rogers
SuperTri triathlon coach
OUTDOORUAE
CONTENTS
14 DMX
12 K9 CHALLENGE
EVERY ISSUE
05 BEST SHOTS
06 EVENTS CALENDAR
40 LIFESTYLE
46 PRODUCTS
62 PEOPLE
70 DIRECTORY
EVENT REVIEWS & REPORTS

16 24HR RUN
24 EFG SAILING ARABIA THE TOUR 2015
26 SPARTAN RACE UAE
TRAVEL + ADVENTURE
34 GREAT BEAR LAKE
38 HONEY BADGER DIARIES
18 VOLVO OCEAN RACE
LIFESTYLE
42 SEAYOU WATERSPORT CHALLENGE
44 UAES GEOLOGY
OUR EXPERTS
56 ROAD TO ADDC - IAN
59 FAMILY FISHING KIT
60 RECON RIDE JOHN
TIPS + TRICKS
66 HIRE A GUIDE
68 FITNESS TIPS
22 SALOMON WADI BIH RUN
OUTDOORUAE
40 HEALTH POWERHOUSE
BEST SHOTS
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 three winners, who will each receive Buff headwear,
five free copies of the magazine and the Advance Off-road book: Christophe Besson, Stacey Brady and Jerry Damian. Well done!
To submit your entries, simply email us at competitions@outdooruae.com with the subject Best Shots.
Christophe Besson
A cloudy morning in the desert of Al Hayer.
Stacey Brady
Loving the Liwa dunes.
Jerry Damian
Acrobat Rider in Liwa.
OUTDOORUAE
EVENTS CALENDAR
Stay up-to-date with the latest events

featured event
Dubai International Boat Show
March 3 to 7, Dubai International Marine Club Mina Seyahi

The Dubai International Boat Show (DIBS)
is established as the MENA regions number
one marine luxury, leisure and lifestyle industry event. With 23 years of maritime history,
it is the premium event to gain exclusive
market exposure to the largest and most
influential gathering in the MENA marine
industry. It will be a big gathering of visitors
based not only in the UAE but around the
Middle East and the world with world-class
suppliers of marine equipment, boats, yachts
and leisure craft. This years DIBS will also feature sub sectors
covering sailing, watersports and fishing. OutdoorUAE is a media
partner for the Dubai International Boat Show.
For more information, visit www.boatshowdubai.com.
ITU World Triathlon

Abu Dhabi 2015
March 6 to 7, Abu Dhabi
Dare to tri! Following a five-year

partnership between Abu Dhabi
Sports Council (ADSC) and ITU, the
International Triathlon Union (ITU)
World Triathlon Series (WTS) will be
held in the UAE capital from 20152019 with this years event being centred in and around the
citys stunning Corniche. The World Triathlon Series represents the best of the best with the sports elite competing
in a 10-city circuit. The public will not only have a chance to
watch these elite athletes in action, but they also get the opportunity to compete on the same course and experience the
same race setup as the 65 elite men and 65 elite women.
For more information, visit abudhabi.triathlon.org
and www.premieronline.com.
2015 BULA & WFDF World

Championships of Beach Ultimate
March 8 to 13, The Beach, Jumeirah Beach Residence
Brought to Dubai by the Beach Ultimate

Lovers Association (BULA Beach Ultimate)
and the World Flying Disc Federation
(WFDF), Beach Ultimate is a fast-paced
sport that involves the rules and styles of
football, American football and basketball
to create an original activity. This sporting
event hopes to bring together up to 60 teams and huge number
of participants to play around JBR area and will be the first of its
kind to be held in the Middle East.
For more information on this new sport and event,
visit www.wcbu2015.org.
6
OUTDOORUAE
Saucony Dubai Autodrome

10K 2015
March 13, 6:30 a.m., Dubai Autodrome
The oldest running race in Dubai
held every year since 1991 is back.
Organised by the Dubai Road Runners, this is a 10km challenge on
an undulating course followed by
refreshments. Prizes will be given for
each age group category and for first
male or female overall
For more information, visit
www.dubairoadrunners.com and
www.premieronline.com.
Urban-Ultra Hajar 100
March 13, 8:00 a.m., Ras Al Khaimah
Challenge yourself on this beautiful

100km trail run through the mountain passes, along jeep tracks and
over spectacular sand dunes of Ras
Al Khaimah. It is a tough challenge
and requires training, but generous
cut-off times (24hr overall) allow most
physically fit, determined and wellprepared runners to get to the finish.
You will carry your food and water (fruit, water and Aqualyte
available approx every 10km). CP5 will be your opportunity to
eat a hot meal where hot water for your dehydrated
food and hot soup on the go will be provided.
The course will take you on a multi-terrain adventure; the
details of which will not be divulged until registration has
closed. It will take in approximately 2,000m of elevation over
the 100km distance.
For more information, visit www.urbanultra.com
Dubai Gran Fondo UCI World Cycling Tour
March 20, 6:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Al Qudra Cycle Path

The UCI World Cycling Tour (UWCT)
is a series of UCI-sanctioned
races held all over the world where
amateur and masters age-group
cyclists can qualify for the UCI
World Championships in both road
races and time trials. This is the
fifth season of the Tour and thirteen
qualifier events will qualify the top 25% in each age group
for the Amateur Road World Championships, and the UCI
Masters Road World Championships, where the champions
are awarded with the coveted rainbow jersey.
For more information, visit dubaigranfondo.com
EVENTS CALENDAR
Emirates Golf Club Half
Marathon 2015
March 20, 6:15 a.m., Emirates Golf Club
Starting at Emirates Golf Club, the
first half of the race is around the Faldo golf course, a picturesque winding route on the continuous cart path
followed by one loop around the
perimetre of Jebel Ali Race course.
There is an element of running on
hard pan sand in between the Faldo
course and the race course.
For more information, visit www.premieronline.com.
2XU Triathlon Championships

Series Race 3 of 3
Season 14/15
March 27, 7:00 a.m., Al Mamzar Beach, Dubai
Calm waters in the lagoon, closed
roads and a designated running track
will ensure a safe and speedy race for
all. Three distances including Sprint,
Super Sprint and Olympic. This event
is open for all ages and abilities and
relay teams of two and three people
are also welcome to enter. Enter this
event and stand a chance of winning an
all expenses weeklong holiday in the
French Alps.
For more information, visit www.supersportsdubai.com
Zayed Marathon 5km

and 10km Run 2015
The Pearl Qatar Triathlon 2015
March 21, 3:30 p.m., Yas Marina Circuit Grand Prix Circuit
March 27, 6:00 a.m., Doha, Qatar
Held under the patronage of His

Highness Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed
All Nahyan in collaboration with the
Abu Dhabi Sports Council, spectators
and runners will enjoy a day of health
and traditional entertainment in the
Athletes Village with live music from
Arabic and Western artists.
Exceptional cash prizes will be
awarded to the top three runners for
each categories.
In its second edition, this is one of

the most exciting events on the Qatar
sporting calendar with full international standards and an exciting course.
The event will be opened for public
and will consist of swim, bike and run
routes. Two distance routes: sprint
and Olympic; with respectively 750m
and 1.5km swim, 20km and 40km bike
ride and 5km and 10km run.
For more information, visit www.yasmarinacircuit.com


thepearlqatar.com/
Dubai World Cup
March 28, Meydan Racecourse
Dubai Desert Road Run

10km and 3km
March 21, 7:00 a.m., The Sevens Stadium

Featuring two distances, 10km race
(which starts at 7:00 a.m.) and 3km fun
run (7:05 a.m.). Both distances will be
timed and award medals to all
finishers. The 10km winners in each
age category will receive trophies,
there will be awards for the first three
male and female finishers in the 3km
fun run.
www.premieronline.com
or contact info@dubairunning.com.
Were off to the races! The regions premier equestrian event

pays tribute to the Arabian love
affair with horses and is also one
of the UAEs biggest social and
sporting events. It will be the
richest day of racing in the world
with a combined prize purse of
27.25 million USD. The event
features nine races, highlighted by the 10 million USD Dubai
World Cup sponsored by Emirates Airline.
For more information, visit www.dubaiworldcup.com.
This is just a selection of the events taking place this month,

for more upcoming events visit: www.outdooruae.com/event
OUTDOORUAE
NEWS + COMMUNITY
Mark Cavendish wins the 2015 Dubai Tour

On February 7, in the shadow of
the Burj Khalifa, the worlds tallest
building, Mark Cavendish (Etixx
Quick-Step) won stage four of the
2015 Dubai Tour.
Victory brought Cavendish the race leaders
Blue Jersey by a margin of six seconds over
Saturdays stage winner and the overnight
Blue Jersey, John Degenkolb (Team Giant
Alpecin), who finished ninth. Cavendish also
secured victory in the overall points classification and received the final Red Jersey on the
podium, by virtue of his wins in stages one
and four and his second place in stage two.
Elia Viviani (Team Sky) finished second in
Saturdays stage, and in the overall points classification. Third, for the second day in a row,
was Juan Jos Lobato (Movistar Team). The result moved Lobato into third place overall, and
he stood on the final podium with Cavendish
and Degenkolb.
In the intermediate sprints competition,
Alessandro Bazzana (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling), 20th on Saturday, successfully defended
the UAE Flag Jersey, while Michael Valgren
Andersen (Tinkoff Saxo), 30th, retained the
White Jersey for the best young rider.
JERSEYS
BLUE JERSEY (SPONSORED BY THE
COMMERCIAL BANK OF DUBAI)
Overall race winner:
Mark Cavendish (Etixx - Quick-Step)
RED JERSEY (SPONSORED BY EMIRATES)
Overall points classification winner:
Mark Cavendish (Etixx - Quick-Step)
UAE FLAG JERSEY
(SPONSORED BY DUBAI SPORTS CHANNEL)
OUTDOORUAE
Intermediate sprints classification winner:

Alessandro Bazzana
(UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling)
WHITE JERSEY (SPONSORED BY THE RTA
THE ROADS AND TRANSPORT AUTHORITY)
Best young rider, born on or
after 1 Jan 1990, winner:
Michael Valgren Andersen (Tinkoff Saxo)
After the podium ceremony, stage winner
Mark Cavendish (Etixx-Quick Step), who is now
the 2015 Dubai Tour champion, HE Saeed
Hareb, Chairman of the Organising Committee of the Dubai Tour, and Lorenzo Giorgetti,
CEO of RCS Sports and Events (UAE) spoke to
the press.
Cavendish said of his overall victory: Im
super-happy obviously its nice to win, but winning isnt new. What makes this super special
is the fact that Etixx - Quick-Step just rode
from the beginning of the race on Wednesday until the finish of the race here today.
Our team wanted to control. We had no help
but the majority was left to us and the lads
rode out of their skin for four days. Yesterday
it wasnt necessarily for me, it wasnt a stage
that really suited me, but we honoured the
jersey, we rode, and the lads stayed around
me and delivered me as best as possible and
more than I could have hoped for. They kept
me within distance of winning this Dubai Tour
overall. We wanted it back. The lads rode with
fire in their eyes today. That was a phenomenal display the whole day, not just the
lead-out. To be fair, I didnt really do anything,

so Im incredibly grateful to the lads for this
win. I think, yeah, they deserve this jersey
more than me.
Our contributor Nico de Corato also had a
chance to speak to HE Saeed Hareb, Chairman of the Organising Committee, who talked
about the goals of Dubai Tour. Spreading the
culture of cycling, encouraging our community
to practice this sport for its numerous benefits
of health, fitness and well-being, and showcasing the development of Dubai and the
UAE, especially for tourism, construction and
urban planning, Hareb said. The Dubai Tour
offers us an opportunity to reveal to the world
images of convergence between our rich heritage and our flourishing present; images of
harmony among communities, of more than
200 countries, living and working in our nation,
and images of millions of visitors who come to
the UAE throughout the whole year.
Lorenzo Giorgetti, CEO, RCS Sports and
Events (UAE): I think that we will know in
2017 what rules will set the new standards
in UCI professional races. I know the UCI is
talking to riders, teams and organisers but
some of the criteria are already clear: they
include rider safety, the quality of TV production, and the quality of hospitality. I think that
Mark [Cavendish] can witness the level of
investment made by the Dubai Sports Council,
by booking this wonderful hotel, building an
entire paddock and then engaging the fans
and the general public.
Animaniac
Animaniac
adventure
Words By: Trace Rogers
Are you an animal lover that likes

getting outdoors and is looking for
something different to do? A great
opportunity exists right on our
doorstep and the bonus is that this
adventure is for a very good cause.
The Animal Welfare Project UAQ (TAWP),
was founded by Barbara Carstens and Louise
Mitchell in May 2014. They have taken on the
full-time job of looking after the animals living
in the Umm Al Quwain industrial area. These
ladies spend up to nine hours a day ensuring
that the animals are watered, fed, neutered,
tended to for medical emergencies and (most
importantly) vaccinated. In the event that they
come across a younger animal or animal that
cannot fend for themselves, the animal will be
removed from the environment to be taken
care of. For the best part, they will look for foster and permanent rehoming for the animal. In
other cases where it is evident that the animal
will thrive back in the original environment, they
are returned. In all cases the first consideration
is what is best for the animal.
Up close and personal
Barbara with dogs
Animals currently being looked after by

TAWP include: dogs, cats, camels, donkeys,
goats and sheep all of them in great condition and always very happy to see the ladies
(and friends).
Be part of the experience. TAWP will gladly
have you join in on the feeding rounds. This
involves travelling to various feeding stations to place food down for the animals. Be
prepared though, many of these animals are
far less interested in the food and far more
interested in receiving hugs and cuddles.
When we arrived at the first feeding sight,
we were treated to (what would be an
unusual sight anywhere else) the dogs
running towards us followed by their
camel companions. It was so special to see
those happy dogs followed by camels on a
mission. The dogs and camels really seem to
enjoy the interaction with people and I was
challenged to a head/fist butting competition with one of the goats. It was an amazing
experience and the best part for me was to
see that these animals were all very happy and
well taken care of.
Knock on effect. As a result of going out
to care for the animals, these ladies have
developed a rapport with the workers who live

in the area. This is fantastic as many of the animals are overseen by these men and although
there is a genuine concern for the animals they
do not always have the means or know-how to
care for the animals properly. A genuine sense
of gratitude and friendship has developed and
the workers have become watchdogs for the
animals, alerting Barbara or Louise when there
are emergencies.
The other positive effect of this project
is that it keeps animals out of shelters and
in the environment that they are happy in.
There is a neutering project in place, so
although the animals are fed and cared for,
it is done responsibly without encouraging
further breeding.
Get out there! If you are considering going
out there, the meeting point is about 45 mins
drive from Dubai. To organise a visit, please
contact TAWP UAQ through their Facebook
page.
Be sure to wear comfortable clothes as
there is a bit of walking, carrying and a lot of
cuddling involved. Also, feel free to donate.
This project relies on donations to continue
the great work.
Happy herd
OUTDOORUAE
Advanced Expedition Vehicles:
For the past seven years, we

have been building some of the
regions coolest, toughest and
fastest Jeep Wrangler JKs. For the
demanding off-road Jeepers, a hemi
engine swap is performed. The
Jeep Wrangler JK doesnt come
equipped with a V8 engine. At
AEV, we offer a wide range of Hemi
engine swaps starting from 5.7L
and all the way to 7.2L. The conversion uses high-end factory quality
conversion kit and the whole swap
is performed by our experienced
Hemi gurus supported by our hemi
conversion partner in the united
states Dakota Customs and led by
Hemi swap guru and inventor Dan
Mackeag.
The car in the pictures has been converted from its stock engine Chrysler 3.8L
to a Hemi 440 7.2L with a whopping 630hp.
The conversion is factory alike and the entire
electronics work and perform just like a
stock car. All stock car functions and engine
programming will be retained. Its such a
feeling when you do zero to 100km in less
10
OUTDOORUAE
than five seconds with a JK Wrangler sitting

on 37 tyres!
The front and rear axles has been upgraded using high-end Dyanatrack Pro Rock
D44 front and Mopar Dana 60 at the back
with 4.88 R&P ratio and ARB air lockers
front and rear as well as heavy duty ceramic
breaks. A thicker heavy-duty radiator has
been fitted. The car is lifted using Teraflex
3 full lift kit with Pro series Fox shocks. The
tyres are BF Goodrich 37x12.50R17. The
transmission has been upgraded to a Getrag
Manual transmission and we retained the
stock transfer case. 1350 front and rear drive
shafts from Tom Wood has been added too.

The process of engine swap required the
cutting of the stock engine mounts, welding
new CNC machined and laser-cut mounts.
About AEV:
We started the business back in 2009

and focused from day one to become
the GCCs largest one-stop Jeep shop.
Built and driven by Jeep enthusiasts.
For information, visit www.aev.ae
or call 04 330 71 52 or visit our
showroom in Al Quoz.
INTRODUCING
DUBAI
Showroom No. 8, Al Ghandi Complex
Nad al Hamar Road, Ras al Khor
Tel: +971 4 2896100
Fax: +971 4 2894914
Email: sse@polarisuae.com
AL AIN
Al Masaood Showroom, Sanaya
Tel: +971 3 7219999
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
BADA ZAYED
Al Masaood Showroom, Sanaya
Tel: +971 2 8844200
MUSSAFAH
M4, Sector 13, 10th Street
Tel: +971 2 5555144
DISTRIBUTORS
QATAR
Protech Powered Sports Co
Street: Salwa Road PO Box: 91, Doha, Qatar
Tel: +974 44398030
Fax: +974 44398030
Sales
Email: info@protech.com.qa
EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTION
RIGHTS FOR THE MIDDLE EAST
OMAN
FairTrade Auto Services LLC
P.O. Box 2636, Ruwi, Muscat
Tel: +968 96778552
Fax: +96824701787
LEBANON
Helmets On sarl
Independence Street, Sodeco, Beirut
Tel: + 961 1 644442
Fax: + 961 1 633332
Contact person
Mr. R. K. Sunder
Email: sunder@ftgroupholding.com
Contact person
Mr. Khalil Abu Chwareb
Email: khalil@helmets-on.com
EVENT REPORT
Dog Days
Hiking with mans best friend
High in the hills
doesnt mean they dont need money. On

the contrary they are run entirely by volunand rely 100% on donations to operate.
This is a story about two beauti- teers
Much of their time is spent fundraising. A
ful souls who entered our lives for
visit to the kennels in Jebel Ali is a fantastic
day out and you will be overwhelmed by the
a brief couple of days. Boomba
positivity and compassion of the volunteers
and Dingo, two foster dogs, who
all focused on caring for these beautiful but
we were lucky enough to spend a
unwanted dogs. If I was a homeless dog, I
short period of time with. Modern
would want to be brought here.
K9 Friends had come up with an event
life then pulled us apart and they
and challenge for the whole family. They had
returned back to a life of uncerorganised a hike in one of the most secluded
tainty and we continued on a path
and breathtaking valleys of the UAE.
The hike would provide a way of bonding
of relentless goal-driven behaviours
between your family, friends and also your
and the quest to attain the aspiradog. If you didnt have a dog you could take
tions of our society.
a foster dog.
The event was totally supervised with
Recently OutdoorUAE was invited by a
marshals, first aiders and vets. Everything you
dog welfare organisation in Dubai to support
need to ensure a safe and fun day out in the
their annual hike. K9 Friends was set up in
mountains. At the end there was even a BBQ
1989 and is a non-profit organisation. Their
brunch. The hope was that time spent with
objective is simple to rescue and rehome
the foster dog would lead to a more permastray and abandoned dogs in the UAE. You
nent relationship.
can imagine they are very busy. Non-profit
Hiking with your dog or a foster dog has so
Dogs are part many advantages. Dogs love being outside
of the family
and will follow you on virtually any trail. They
wont complain when you are lost and are
always willing to please. Dogs are banned
Words + Photos By: Sean James
Forever grateful and tired
12
OUTDOORUAE
from most beaches in Dubai so taking to the

mountains, wadis or desert is a good alternative for everyone.
We had planned to take two dogs just for
the day of the hike but ended up taking them
for the whole week so we could get to know
them: Boomba and Dingo. Both two years
old and both have their own story. Instantly,
we saw they had very different personalities
that complimented each other. They were
both male and acted like brothers. Constantly
nudging and bumping noses affectionately,
obviously used to spending time together
and taking care of each other in the kennels.
For anyone, it is a big upheaval
moving from Jebel Ali to Arabian Ranches
for the week but they instantly settled in and
looked like that had lived in a villa all their
lives. Dingo made straight for the back garden, past the comfy couch in the living room
and claimed the garden chairs as his. This
was his safe place and he preferred to sleep
under the stars at night as well, only lifting his
head up for dinner time or walkies. Boomba,
a black Labrador cross was a lively young
man but so loyal. He would do anything for
his owner. He constantly followed me around
the house, trying his best not to get under
my feet, watching every move and just happy
for the newfound companionship.
Dogs need reassurance
Whatever it takes
Walking a dog will take you to many new places
Plenty of rest and shade for owners and dogs
Tips to make your dog

hike more comfortable
Take a bowl and plenty of water

for your dog.
Try to build the distance of your hikes
slowly. Dont start with a huge four-hour
marathon. Three to four kilometres to start
should take less than two hours with stops.
Dogs get sunburn as well.
On trickier, steeper sections and going
down, keep the dog closer to you on a short
lead and let them know who is in control.
Constantly check their pads. Dogs are so
eager to please that they will keep going
and cant easily tell you they have a thorn
or sore feet.
Have regular stops in the shade.
Dogs dont sweat, they pant to lower their
body temperature. Excessive panting and
drooling is a sign they are getting too hot.
Stop, rest and let them drink.
Get a good dog body harness that doesnt
rub. This is easier to control and better than
a collar.
Take poop bags and a hard plastic
container. Never leave any waste in the
outdoors. Even skins from oranges or
bananas take years to decompose and looks
trashy for the next person.
Dont let your dog chase goats or annoy
local villagers.
Boomba and Dingo took to the lead instantly and loved the sandy tracks around the
Ranches, meeting the permanent residents,
domestic staff and local dogs. Like most from
a humble background, Boomba and Dingo
were naturally more sociable and well-mannered than many of the expats in Dubai. They
became accustomed to travelling in style in
the Cayenne with Boomba loving to sit upright in the middle of the back seat, checking
we were going the correct way, occasionally
putting his head or paw on your shoulder to
let you know he was thinking of you. Dingo of
course was happy to curl up and sleep until
we arrived.
The hike with the dogs was amazing. They
loved the Bedouin staircases, secret pools,
hidden villages and stood staring out into the
wilderness on the very top of the plateaus as
the wind blew their ears and cheeks. Never
pulling too hard on the leash they would
break stride and glance back every few
minutes to check we were still there. Happy
we were ok and after a rub on the head they
would trot on, contented that they were
pleasing their new masters.
The weekend was over and it was almost as
if they knew it was time to go back. We were
so proud of them. They had been the best,
most loving and loyal new house guests and
friends you could want.
We drove silently to the kennels in Jebel
Ali and pulled up outside in the sandy parking area amongst the industrial buildings.
They sat up in the car and patiently waited
for the car door to open. As we took hold
of their leads for the last time, they jumped
down and knew where to go. Not a whimper or growl of complaint, just happy to
have been out and loved for a week. Their
temporary owners were suffering more than
them. They were used to this scenario. That
evening we went for a bike ride. Opening the
door to the villa, no furry bundles of energy
came rushing to see us, no furious wagging
tails. Only silence.
Since 2000, K9 Friends have found over
4,000 dogs homes but the struggle never
ends. To start your adventure with mans
best friends and maybe even be part of the
happy homing stories visit the website www.
k9friends.com. #humank9challenge
What you can do to help

dogs in the UAE
Even if you cannot adopt a dog full time

there are many ways you can help
Arrange or attend a lecture for a group of
friends or children
Stylish dogwear
Hiking with a dog is very rewarding
Take a bowl and water
Sponsor a kennel for a year

Sponsor a dog
Foster a dog for a short period (one week)
Volunteer your time to help at the centre
Take a foster dog for a walk
Encourage people to consider a foster dog
if you know they are thinking of getting a dog
Promote K9 Friends and foster dog
organisations whenever you can on social
media etc.
Donate books etc to the centre for sale
For details of hikes we run where
you can bring your dog, contact
trips@outdoorarabia.com.
OUTDOORUAE
13
DMX
Words By: Mark Ackerman
Photos By: Andy McNab
Motocross has become a

popular recreation activity within
the UAE. An average race day
attracts approximately 80-100
racers whilst this number is much
higher for riders who just ride for
fun. Our small club has approximately 10% of the riders either
being race professionals or making
their living in the industry. DMX
racing is every bit as exciting as
any event in the world with racers
covering 1.9km of race track in the
fastest time of 1min 36sec with
a maximum speed of 70km/h. The
riders will fly over 17 jumps with a
total airtime of about 150m along
with 13 corners, thick sand, deep
ruts and fellow competitors all
racing for the first corner down a
100m start line.
Each racer has to be very fit for racing with
MX being rated as one of the most physically demanding sports in the world with the
average competitive age at premier level
of 18-24 years old. Most racers these days
spend many hours practicing, going to the

gym and cycling is also a key activity for
cardiovascular endurance. Injuries are not
uncommon with MX being rated the seventh
most dangerous sport in the US; however,
its still safer than rugby, soccer and football!
At a slightly more conservative pace we
have the Masters and Clubman class. The
seasoned veterans in the Masters class have
an average age of over 42 years old yet
this class is without doubt the biggest class
every weekend. The Clubman class is really
the best place to get into MX with open
entries to all who are keen to learn. The
classes are typically combined for a full race
gate of about 25-35 bikes for one race and
have oldies and newbies duking it out for 20
minutes. Every rider gets off the track just as
pumped as the junior track riders and it is

truly awesome to see CEOs, directors and
general petrolheads just having heaps of fun
like they are all teenagers with no day jobs.
Round 5 was a big upset day in the
points for the Masters Class with some
crashes from Ali and broken toes for the
new points leader, Shannon OConnor, who
still managed to grit out a second moto
finish to overtake Ali Alkubaisi in the points
for the overall. Clinton Wyngard continued
to extend his points lead in the Clubman
class but was not immune from an MLOT
(Momentary Lapse of Talent) in Moto 2. The
overall winners on the day include Ahmed
Alnuiami (65cc), Eugenio Barbaglia (85cc),
Dean Jullien (125cc), Jake Shipton (MX2)
and Jake Shipton (MX1).
Dale Jullien
Age: 19
Nationality: South African
Occupation: Student
Race Number: 3 and 2
Bike Model: 2015
Class: Mx1 and Mx2
How did you get into motocross?
Motocross has been in the family for
years. My dad surprised me one day with
a 50cc when I was eight and I have been
riding since. Im trying to think of someone in my family who hasnt put their foot
over a bike at some point in there life.
Cant think of anyone.
Whats your greatest racing

achievement so far?
Ive won championships as a junior but I

think my greatest achievement is coming
third in my first season in the Mx1 class
(big boy class).
Whats your training like?
Just cardio and ride as much as possible.

Seat time is very important in motocross
for sure. Im pretty much a weekend
warrior. Ride weekends, school and gym
during the week.
Whats your race strategy?
Everyone wants to come out leading
round the first corner. My strategy is

different depending on my start but if
its a good one, ride it like you stole it.
Always ride the best you can. There is no
worse feeling than giving up or knowing
you could have done better. Competition
is tough in my classes for sure. Few riders
have come over from different countries
and it makes ruling real exciting.
What do you love

about this sport?
I love the feeling of having a good ride

and knowing I put all my effort into
something and get rewarded for it. The
adrenaline rush is what I love. Ive learned
to be patient mostly. You cant just hop
on the bike and expect to win. A lot of
work behind the scene needs to happen
such as strategy, tactics, stamina, etc.
Arent you worried

about accidents?
Accidents are a part of motocross, we

try not to get into it as much as possible
but it does happen at times which is a
part of the game. Ive had a bunch of
big injuries. My worst was probably at a
Supercross event where I knocked myself
out and broke my collar bone and tore
some ligaments.
What do you like most about

riding for the Kawasaki team?
The support we get from Liberty Automobiles Kawasaki from all fronts is
unmatched which essential for a sport like
motocross. They take care of things from
A-Z, the bikes are awesome and which
makes riding much more enjoyable.
OUTDOORUAE
15
EVENT REPORT
A personal goal
Is it a dream? If it is, please dont pinch
me because I dont want to wake up!
Words By: Gigi Young
This dream goal started in

August. My coach Howard (who is
the US National 24hr Ultra Running
Team Leader) mentioned to me
that based on my performance at
the Keys100 in Florida (160km in
19hrs 27mins) I might be able to
run well in a 24hr race and
suggested that I might have a
chance to reach the National Qualifying standard for the 24hr World
Championship.
Wow! To me this sounded a
totally unrealistic goal being a
leisure runner! However after
a few emails backwards and
forwards, Howard guided me to
contact the HK Ultra Running Association. First, I needed to find
out if HK is registered under the
International Association of Ultra
Running (IAU) and participate
in a 24hr IAU certified race that
would enable me to qualify for
the World Champs.
During my usual home visit to
Hong Kong in August, I decided I had nothing to lose. I contacted the HK Ultra Running
Association and asked what plans they had
for any 24hr races, as well as checking out any
other IAU certified races in other cities. However the HK URA committee told me that they
were organising an international 24hr certified
race in January 2015. As a Hong Kong born
Chinese, there would be nothing better than
to run a race with friends and family
support! At that time, deep down I knew I had
already quietly and secretly decided to set this
unrealistic goal! I was going to run a 24hr
race!
Training started; Howard scheduled quite
a bit different schedule than the one for
Keys100, I quietly ticked the box day in, day
out, morning and evening running sessions,
paying a lot more attention to nutrition and
the all too important recover time between
my back-to-back sessions. I had to admit this

training was never easy, but is it not what we
go for to push our limit?
During the training period, I have only told
a very few running friends; the group that I felt
comfortable to talk to, the group I trusted and
never needed to hide my fears. On the other
hand, I was so nervous I couldnt even bear
to tell the public that I was training for this
epic race! I was speechless when my running
buddies Nick and Lesley decided to make a
trip to HK to support me and John! My very
dear husband as usual, never questioned me
and always stood by my side and supported
whatever I wanted to try to achieve.
After a horrible nerve-racking and uncomfortable taper, John, Nick, Lesley and I met up
in HK a few days before the race.
We attended the race briefing,
met some other running friends
who I had bumped into on previous ultras in South Africa and the
enormity of the challenge hit me
hard. I was running with some
great runners and this was going
to be a huge challenge. We discussed what I needed during the
race, etc. The 24hr race was set
around a 1.1km running track with
just two timing mats at each end
of the track. Runners would run
round and round on the track within 24hr and
see what the maximum mileage we could tuck
in! I always laughed and described this like a
monkey running inside the cage! This race was
obviously not just physically challenging, but
also very much a huge mental challenge. This
race was strict with no pacers and assistance
from official supporter in one very small area
along the route. John, Nick and Lesley could
only pass me things when I ran pass the runners helper tent. So you could imagine how
exciting a job they had to do standing
and sitting for 24hrs watching runners running
round and round! As a runner, I can tell you it
is a much harder job as a supporter! Needless
to say, they did a fantastic job to support me;
they did a top job to make sure I have enough
balanced nutrition during the race. At the first
official weigh in (being four hours into the race)
I had lost 1kg. At the second weigh in, I had
lost 1.7kg. My supporters in Dubai upon hearing this were very jealous of my weight loss
and I got lots of rude comments over the SMS!
During the dark and down periods, the rain
and wind started from 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.
and I had to change to waterproof gear, but
to see my supporters also stood in the cold
and just watching all the runners, I cant really
describe my feeling! I told myself over and
over that I had to stay focused and keep moving, I dare not drill into any negative energy, all
I needed to do was keep running, walking or
even crawling - as long as I didnt stop I would
make the 24hr!
Rain stopped around sunrise and this gave
me a bit of a lift. I glanced at the official timing
clock and saw 20:10:00, it means I just had less

than four more hours to run. I also dared to
open up myself to my support team; that my
goal was to run 180km, as this is the National
Qualifying mileage for the World Championship! When I passed the timing mat on lap
164, my team told me I have ran the minimum
180km! They were jumping up and down and
so did I! I am not sure who was happier. I was
happy but exhausted and when I looked at
the Timing Clock again I realised I still have
another 1hr 20mins left to run!
Immediately I asked myself Am I going to
stop now? I have done what I came for. I was
tired and every bit of my body was screaming
at me that Im in pain. But the other side of me
was also telling me that I might still have a bit
more to give; no pain no gain theory! So with a
bit of a stubbornness and determination, I did
it. I ran 190km in 24 hours! Exceeded my own
expectation!
I realised that this was no longer a dream,
my dream had come true! I got three awards,
1st Hong Kong Female, 3rd Overall Female,
and I exceeded the National qualifying standard! Lastly I was officially invited to represent
Hong Kong in the 24hr World Championships
in April in Italy.
Of course the above would not have happened without all these wonderful people
helping me during my training period: Andrea,
Jerry, Kerry, Julie, Noel, Monique and Samantha, they are truly my running buddies.
I wouldnt have done this race without John,
Nick and Lesleys support - their physical and
mental support was outstanding and kept me
going even during the darkest hours of this
race. When I stood on the stage to receive my
trophies and all the glories, I looked at these
three wonderful people. They had done all
they could to help me achieve my dream. Its
hard to describe my feeling. I just know those
faces will stay in my heart forever. I can never
offer enough thanks to them. I hope I did them
proud. Another wonderful and memorable
time was to see all my very good friends in HK:
Sean, Sandy, Simon and family, Anita, Tracy,
Connie, Fanda who all came along to cheer
me and share the moment with me during the
awards ceremony. Many people have asked
me How can you run on a 1.1km track for 24
hours? Wasnt it boring? Was it hard? What
were you thinking? My answer was it was never
easy, but with all the above mentioned wonderful people being part of this journey, I can
say it was well worth it. A wonderful lifetime
experience!
EVENT REPORT
Live and train yourself like a Spartan

Words By: Nico de Corato
The most famous obstacle race

finally came to Dubai! The Spartan
Race brought an unforgettable
adventure, one that pushes competitors of all backgrounds and skill
levels to their limits. The obstacles
and over three miles sprint course
were designed to challenge the fittest athletes to their limits.
Spartan Race was founded in 2010 by Joe
De Sena, Selicia Sevigny, Richard Lee, Brian
Duncanson, Mike Morris, Andy Weinberg,
Shaun Bain and Noel Hanna. The first
Spartan Race event was held in 2010 at the
Catamount Outdoor Center in Williston,
Vermont; nowadays its franchised to 14
countries including Canada, many European
countries, South Korea, Australia and now
UAE.
As with any fitness endeavour, one must
be properly ready to compete and run a certain distance; in particular, this race requires
stamina to wade through the mud, water
and signature obstacles that characterise the
Spartan Race.
The event challenged my cardiovascular
fitness and endurance level on a course designed to test the full spectrum of terrains,
with natural and man-made obstacles. I tackled physical and mental challenges along
the way, while running, jumping, crawling,
climbing and plunging through mud. Participants had to complete the obstacles or
perform burpee penalty exercises (just one
penalty for me). Organisation did not pro-
During the race
vide the course map or list of obstacles until

race day making it more and more intense,
but also fun. The Spartan Race brought excitement to spectators and athletes alike.
I prepared for my first Spartan Race joining the free Spartan Workout every Friday at
the SkyDubai; learning exercises to help me
over the toughest of obstacles and getting a
Spartan mindset. Unlike any other competitive race, its not just a race but a way of living. You need to be ready to train your mind
as well as your body; to make your personal
health and well-being a top priority. Train as
if your life depended on it. If you can exercise while watching TV, talking on your
mobile, sharing pictures with your smartphone, youre doing it wrong. Youre like the
potter who calls himself a soldier. You need
to think, train, prepare like a Spartan.
Having a group at work exercising with me
every Friday helped me a lot. If you say you
are going to work out at a certain time on
a certain day, I was there no excuses, no
Start of the first wave
With Eva Clarke before the Race
email to send, no traffic jam to stop me.

Spartan Races are open to any person;
anyone can do it, and everyone should try
it. Obstacle races such as these are among
the hottest trends in fitness right now. Those
that do not want to partake in the event as
individual runners can choose to create a
team with a minimum of four people to join
in on the excitement. With course lengths of
3+ miles (Sprint), 8+ miles, (Super) and 12+
miles (Beast), the race accommodates different fitness levels and training experience.
Spartan Race also has a military series in
which obstacles are designed by the United
States military. ESPN describes the Spartan
Race as a true test of will.
Spartans obtain a Trifecta medal after
completing a Spartan Sprint, Spartan Super
and a Spartan Beast in one calendar year.
A participant can earn multiple Trifectas i.e.
Double Trifecta, Triple Trifecta etc in a given
year by completing another set of events.
Ready to follow the Spartan way,
Nico
Spartans never quit (even with a broken arm)
Blogger, marathon runner and triathlete, diver and heli rescue swimmer with
Bergamo Scuba Angels. You can read my
blog www.dubayblog.com, contact me
on social networks or via email at
admin@dubaiblog.it for information
about this article or just to say hello.
OUTDOORUAE
17
EVENT REPORT
Volvo Ocean Race 2015

Words + Photos By: Guida Verschut
I didnt need to think a second

to say yes to an invite from our
supplier, Ocean Glasses, to step
on board the Mapfre, one of the
sailing yachts representing Spain
and participating in the Volvo Ocean
Race.
I am not currently into sailing, so when
Volvo Ocean Race came across I did not
know exactly what it was. In short, seven
identical, high performance sailing yachts
made of 98% carbon fibre and 65m in length,
race around the world. It is held every three
years and is named after the main sponsor.
The race takes approximately nine months,
goes over four oceans and five continents.
The total distance covered is a staggering
39,000 nautical miles (75,000 km). The race
starts in Alicante (Spain) and has 10 stopovers
before it finishes in Gothenburg, Sweden.
One of this years stopovers was Abu Dhabi,
and involved a series of Pro-Am races. I was
definitely an Am.
Water is my element. Being born and
brought up on a house boat, my playground
was either on the water or around it. For
example we had a canoe that my dad converted into a sailing boat, so if the weather
was right, we often went out on a large channel where freight boats would pass now and
then. In winter, we would ice skate to school,
we learned at a young age what floats and
what doesnt, signing up for swimming
classes as soon as we could walk.
So here we are in Abu Dhabi, after instructions, filling in disclaimers and lots of information for an hour or so, we finally stepped on
board not on the sailing boat but on a
rigid-hulled inflatable boat which took us out
on open sea. It is here that we stepped on
board the Mapfre. The wind was good so
the waves did not make it easy to step on
board. With a crew of nine people, this yacht
offered enough space to get 10 guests on
board. It was huge!
As soon as we were settled the crew
started to do all the preparations to start a
short race of an hour. You could feel the tension building up these guys were competitive. The key was to get as close as possible
to the start line in time, get most of the wind
possible (with six other yachts around you)
and to block the wind of your competitor
without hesitation.
While most of us made ourselves useful
In front is women-only team SCA
making momentum, before Abu
Dhabi yacht takes the lead
Mapfre Race yacht, representing Spain
Waiting for the start sign
by providing counter weight some of us

were helping manage the sails by rotating
grinders as fast as possible which looked
quite exhausting and was ongoing. We had
a good start and were neck to neck with
the competition, then the Abu Dhabi yacht
started gaining speed, took all our wind while
passing by before cutting us off sharply. We
never were able to recover the distance. We
finished second in the race and I was over the
moon as we were called on stage to receive a
medal for it.
Everything went super smooth. There was a
strong synergy among the team, every person
had his or her role, and the skipper standing
on his platform was clearly the boss. Knowing
what extremes these guys have to put up with
the mental and physical stamina required
The combination of physical endurance and
mental toughness it takes to complete this race

makes it one of the most extreme athletic events on
earth. - Laird Hamilton, American extreme
surfing legend.
The Volvo Ocean Race - the best worst

experience of your life. - Justin Slattery, Bowman
Trimmer and Helmsman, Abu Dhabi Team.
Packing up sails
is tremendous has given me great respect

for the sport, and it was a great experience to
meet these passionate people.
Sailing is a way of life for them, they live it,
eat it and breathe it.
The yacht
Everything is high-tech on this boat and

equipped with the most advanced electronica. At the same time it looks simple
as everything is stripped down to a bare minimum. There is a desalination pump on board
but there is for example no shower; just a
small toilet equipped with hand holds and
helmet for when it is windy as you could get
smashed around.
SOME INTERESTING FACTS
Mast height: 30.30m (about the size of a
10-storey building)
Weight: 12.5 tons (12,500kg)
Length of boat: 20.37m
Length of ropes on board: 3km
Total number of sails for the race: 17
Total number of sails onboard: 8
Largest sail on board: The Gennaker =
420sqm
Max speed: 40 knots (74 km per hour).
Compared with 20 knots (37km/h with a
traditional boat of this size)
Gear on board: electronic hardware, batteries, power systems, media equipment,
satellite and communication systems.
12x hours of autonomy thanks to the
batteries. That is what it takes to run 6
iPhones 24/12 volts which is the voltage
used on board.
Number of crew: 8 (plus one onboard
reporter who writes reports and produces image material).
EVENT REPORT
Who is Mingma?
A story of the Sherpas

Part 1
Words By: Sean James
Mingma is just another Sherpa. You might have walked past him in
Kathmandu or you may have even been on an expedition with him. If you
were from a western country such as the UK or the States and had done
what he had done you would be a
superstar giving motivational talks
to Fortune 100 multinationals
about what drives you on to push
yourself against these incredible
challenges. You would command
many thousands of dollars for an
hour. Instead Mingma Sherpa,
Tschering Sherpa
climbs dangerous mountains and
returns home to his farm and
family in the quiet season.
Mingma is pretty special. In fact, there are
quite a lot of things that are special about
Mingma and his friends. They do things that
mountaineers dream about. They do them
every day and hardly ever blog or tweet
about it. Twenty times Mingma has stood on
the top of Everest. From the North, from the
South, without bottled oxygen. Back in the
1990s, he was the first Nepalis to stand on
the top of K2.
This month we will look at who the Sherpa
people are and why they are so vital to the
success of climbing expeditions and the aspirations of the modern world. Next month,
in Part Two, we have recollections from Sherpas who I have personally worked with in the
high mountains. Kindly they have given their
time, pictures and thoughts to provide us
with further insight into the lives of climbing
Sherpas and Sherpanis. Maybe one day you
will climb with them. As you read this I am
preparing for an expedition to Everest. In a
few weeks I will be reacquainting myself with
these wonderful people.
Lhakpa Sherpa
Always happy to show you the ropes
Ongchuu Sherpa
Who are the Sherpas?
Be in no doubt, the position of Sherpas,

especially those climbing high mountains has
changed in Nepali and even global society.
There is a clear hierarchy amongst the ranks
and keen competition to rise from cooks,
porters and farmers to become high altitude
guides. Many Sherpas have their own expedition companies and run them as profitable
businesses. They advertise and attract climbers who are prepared to pay 100,000 USD
to live out their dreams. In the off season
they frequently live abroad in New Zealand,
Australia, Norway, Canada and ply their trade
in these foreign places. Of course some are
more successful than others like any industry.
Sherpa youngster
Like the marathon runners of Kenya and

the African countries, climbing and working
on the high mountains is a way to care for
ones family.
Until the early 20th century Sherpas were
unknown to the rest of the world but now
the word Sherpa has come to have its own
meaning. Physically strong, friendly and
loyal. Not only is Sherpa the name of an
ethnic group and a generic term for a mountain guide, it is also a common last name in
the Sherpa group.
The first Sherpa
The first Sherpa to bring the Sherpa name

into the public consciousness was
Tenzing Norgay Sherpa in 1953. With Edmund Hilary, he was the first person to climb
Everest and set the precedent for generations to come. In fact, his own generations
have continued the tradition. His son
Jamling Norgay Sherpa summited Everest,
and not to be outdone his grandson Tashi
Wangchuk Tenzing Sherpa also summited
establishing the record of most generations
to summit Mount Everest. All Sherpas have
the last name Sherpa. This does not mean
they are directly related although when
asked they all seem to be able to trace
cousins, brothers, uncles etc to one another.
Another Sherpa legend and one recognised how to harness Sherpa power by
establishing records was Babu Chiri Sherpa.
Born in 1965, he summited Everest 10 times
without oxygen and at one point held the

speed record of just under 17 hours from
basecamp to the summit. There is even one
Sherpa family with seven brothers who have
summited Everest: Ang Chhirring Sherpa,
Nima Temba Sherpa, Pema Tharke Sherpa,
Nima Gombu Sherpa, Mingma Chhiri
Sherpa, Thundu Sherpa and Passang Tenzing Sherpa.
A monopoly
Everyone agrees equivocally that climbing

high mountains is impossible without the
help of the Sherpa. The domination of the
Sherpas in successful high altitude climbs is
total. Sherpa has become synonymous with
high altitude climbing. In Pakistan where
similar high altitude locals can be employed
on 8,000m peaks, commercial expedition
companies will bring their own Sherpas to
strengthen the HAPs or High Altitude Porters of Pakistan.
Sherpa homeland
Sherpa literally means people of the East

and refers to the migration of the original Sherpas from eastern Tibet. Sherpas
are considered an ethnic group and now
number around 25,000. Their homeland is
considered to be the Solukhumbu region of
Nepal. They migrated to this mountainous
area from Tibet through the Nangpa La pass
in the 1500s establishing villages and living
in relative isolation. Now there is another
exodus. Sherpas are moving to cities like
Kathmandu further diluting the original
origins.
Although many Sherpas are mountain
guides or work in the mountains, most survive through trade and subsistence farming,
growing crops such as wheat and potatoes
in the off season. With the men spending
long periods away from their families as
mountain guides, Sherpa women have had
to be strong and independent as the head
of the household taking care of the important roles in daily life such as looking after
the children and tending to the crops and
yaks. Now they are also gaining recognition
as guides.
Contrary to popular belief the
tourist industry does not underpin the Nepal
economy and only accounts for 10% of GDP
and less than 6% of employment. While
Looking down on Namche Bazaar
Buddhist prayer stones
area. Hillarys Himalayan Fund charity built

30 schools in the Solukhumbu region. Today,
some schools have fallen into disrepair and
suffer from low attendance because most
students must trek long distances to get to
school.
Religion
Prayer flags are everywhere the Khumbu region
some Sherpas work with trekking and expedition companies, most are still subsistence
farmers. Despite the danger of working at
altitude, the rewards are too great to ignore.
A Sherpa at the top of the tree can earn
more than 2,000 USD for an 8,000m expedition. Compare this to the average yearly
income of 331 USD for Nepals per capita
Gross National Income in 2007 and you see
why many want to be mountain guides.
Sherpas speak a Tibetan dialect rather
than the national Nepali language and have
no written language. Until the 1960s and the
funding from Edmund Hillarys foundation,
little formalised education existed in the
Although many Nepalese are Hindu, Sherpas practice a form of Tibetan Buddhism.
Understanding their Buddhist practices
helps understand their way of life and why
the Sherpas are so deeply linked to the
mountains. The mountains, particularly
Mount Everest, hold spiritual significance
as places to come closer to enlightenment.
Even the Khumbu valley is referenced in
Buddhist literature as sacred.
Compassion is central to the Sherpa
religion and their way of life. Many Sherpa
homes contain religious shrines to which
they pray and present daily offerings. In
the mountains, you will see visible symbols
of Buddhism dotting the footpaths and
landscape. Mani walls, which are stones
engraved with mantras, or short prayers of
transcendence, remind Sherpas of their journey toward nirvana. Chodens, or religious
shrines, are also common milestones along
the trails, often wrapped in the strands of
Tibetan prayer flags.
This religious background explains much
about the differences between the Sherpa
mindset and the Western approach to
mountaineering. To attain enlightenment,
Buddhists must not perform religious acts
for their own sake, but rather for others. This
selflessness translates into the Sherpa profession of guiding the climbers and sometimes sacrificing their own safety for others.
Next month, meet some of the Sherpas
and their stories in OutdoorUAE. In April
and May, I will be in Nepal working with
them on the high mountains. Follow my
blog on OutdoorUAE and see them in action. If you join one of our treks or climbs
at OutdoorArabia you will more than likely
meet them in person.
OUTDOORUAE
21
EVENT REPORT
Salomon Wadi Bih Run

reaches new heights
Words By: John Young
Photos By: Glen Nuestro and Barry Morgan
The 23rd Salomon Wadi Bih Run

was held on 6th and 7th of February
2015 and reached new heights with
the increased popularity witnessing
over 1,500 runners, some old and
some new, enjoying the great outdoors of the wadis and mountains of
Musandam, Oman.
Due to the ever increasing interest in the
event, it was split over Friday and Saturday to
avoid congestion in the Wadi.
To some, the Salomon Wadi Bih Run is a
competitive event but for the majority it is a
physical challenge and a great social day out
with friends. The way the event is structured
with a number of stage markers over the
route means that each runner runs a series
of relatively short stages before meeting up
again with their team vehicle, so even the not
so great athletes enjoyed the fresh air and
environment of the great outdoors.
22
OUTDOORUAE
The Salomon Wadi Bih Run is now firmly

cemented in the local calendar for hundreds, if not thousands, of local and regional
athletes, running clubs and fun runners.
Its far-reaching appeal, when compared to
the majority of other sporting events in the
region, lies in its uniqueness due to the location and the environment where participants
are taken out of their normal comfort zone in
the city and face the challenges of a steep ascent through a rugged and dramatic canyon
opening out into the high mountains. The
run is also a great example of camaraderie
between friends, family members and work
colleagues who come together in a relay
team and support each other through a great
physical challenge.
This year, the solo run categories were
developed, which are relatively new to the
event and was originally undertaken by a very
few hardy types about 10 years ago but has
subsequently grown into a very competitive
race. The original solo category was the full
72km but last year a new 50km solo category
was introduced which proved extremely
popular, and this year a new 30km solo
category was introduced and appealed to serious runners but not seriously mad runners!
The organisers are keen to open up the event
to solo runners internationally as its a great
escape from the harsh winter of the northern
hemisphere.
For the first year, the solo events were held
on the Friday and there were 74 finishers for
the Solo 72, 32 finishers for the Solo 50, and
48 finishers for the new Solo 30 route. This
year saw a new category event, the Team 50
on the Friday where many of the 40 finishing
teams comprised of families and children. On
the Saturday, the main Team 72 event saw
214 finishing teams of five.
Everyone who has ever run in the Salomon
Wadi Bih event should be grateful to long
term expatriate John Gregory, the founder of
the event. John has been a stalwart of the local climbing and mountaineering community
in RAK and is renowned for his hospitality at

the many camps he has arranged and where
he is locally known as the Laird of RAK.
The history of the Salomon Wadi Bih Run
harks back to the early 1990s when Johns
long term passion with the mountains lured
him to the Musandam area. John was an
ardent climber and mountaineer, and in the
cooler winter months used to explore some
remote areas of the mountains. On one trip
John climbed a large peak overlooking the
Wadi Bih road and when sitting having a
sandwich the idea came to him that it would
be great to run across the mountains. John
took this idea to the RAK social running
group, the Hash House Harriers, and initiated
the first Salomon Wadi Bih Run in January
1993 when 16 teams of five people gathered
on the RAK side of the mountains for a social
camp on the Thursday evening before heading off very early on the Friday to cover the
approximately 75km distance through the
spectacular wadi over the high point of the
mountains and down the narrow Wadi Khab
Shamsi canyon to the finish. John is a really
practical easy-going guy and his mantra for
the run was to ensure that there was always
plenty of hot curry and adequate beverages
at the finish.
Since 2007, the run has been from Dibba

up Wadi Khab Shamsi to a high point of over
1,000m on the road and then back down
the same route. The previous route through
the mountains from RAK to Dibba has been
closed since 2007 due to border restrictions.
The route was as per the previous few
years and traversed the very narrow and
deep Wadi Khab Shamsi canyon, which is
very susceptible to being washed out in case
of a flash flood. The authorities in Dibba are
generally very good in repairing and reinstating the road in a relatively short time, but its
always a worrying period because if the wadi
is washed out just prior to the event a change
in route would be required and the contingency plan is for a shorter route with two
members of the relay team running together
to make sure each runners distance is maintained. This year the route and track were in
good condition.
For the last few years, there have been
difficulties in crossing the UAE-Oman border
in Dibba which has involved the organisers in
close liaison with the authorities to attempt
ensure a smooth flow of participants through
the border. This year saw a great improvement thanks to the organisers meetings with
the authorities and all runners, friends, family
members, sponsors and others involved or
participating in the event had submitted their
visa and passport in advance and passage
through the border was greatly improved.
There are many people who have completed numerous Salomon Wadi Bih Runs in
teams and solo in its 23-year history and the
question came up when the 20th run was
held a few years ago as to who had completed the most runs. Some of the team captains
have been coming back over the years and
there are a lot of names that could contend
for the most runs.
On the social side, the regular competition
to find the best named team and also the
best dressed team took place with the not so
super sporty types putting on their thinking
caps to form a team with humorous or
anecdotal names, whilst some headed down

to the souk to buy some unusual characteristic running gear for the fancy dress category.
The run was very fortunate this year to have
some high ranking members of the Oman
government attend to present the prizes provided by Salomon and witness the traditional
Arabic dancing.
The Salomon Wadi Bih Run has developed
into one of the regions top sporting and
social events and last year Salomon joined as
the headline sponsor for the event and this
year again Salomon continued their support
as the title sponsor.
Since its construction in Dibba a few years
ago the Golden Tulip hotel and Resort has
been a major partner for the event and the
hotels setting by the Gulf of Oman , with the
dramatic backdrop of the mountains makes a
great location for the post run buffet.
Absolute Adventure is an outdoor sports
centre based in Dibba who offer people
trekking, kayaking and mountain biking in the
great outdoors and are a principal supporter
of the event providing the marshals on the
course.
The Salomon Wadi Bih Run has its roots in
the very, very, very social Hash House Harriers
local running clubs who enjoy the occasional
beverage and in this regard thanks are due to
MMI for their support.
The organisers would like to thank the
other sponsors: Suunto, Thule, Sport 360,
Voss water, GU, Aqualyte, OutdoorUAE and
Physio House for their support. A special
thanks needs to be extended to Miffy and her
team of physios from Physio House for helping to alleviate the pain of the long distance
solo runners.
Again this year, the support to solo runners
out on the course at the manned checkpoints
was very professionally organised and staffed
by Absolute Adventure who deserve a big
thank with very positive feedback from race
participants.
From Thursday evening through to the end
of Saturday, there was an awful lot of work
to be done and the organisers are extremely

grateful to all of the volunteers for helping
with the registration, timekeeping manning of
checkpoints and handing out the medals at
the finish.
Over the year prior to the event, there is
an awful lot of hard work for the preparation,
planning and organisation and the event relies on the services of a dedicated team, the
Salomon Wadi Bih Run Organising Committee, so many thanks are due to:
Barbara Young
Neil Young
Tasha Young
Graham Rafferty
Katrina Rafferty
Helen Rodd
Thilan
Adrian Hayes
Looking forward to welcoming people to the
next Salomon Wadi Bih Run!
ACTIVITY REPORT
Two wins in a row for EFG

Bank (Monaco) after Leg 4
The fast 60nm sprint from Dubai
to Abu Dhabi gave Sidney Gavignet
and his EFG Bank (Monaco) team a
chance to demonstrate their tactical skill once again to secure their
third leg win of the of EFG Sailing
Arabia The Tour. Gavignet and
his super-tuned crew that includes
Spanish sailor Alex Pella, Nicolas
Lunven, and Irelands Damian Foxall,
had a poor start but it did not take
the seasoned team long to find their
stride and lead the 11-strong fleet
round the windward mark.
Although they had an impressive oneand-half minutes lead at the mark, they were
pushed all the way by the ever-threatening
Zain Sailing Team headed by seasoned

Tour competitor, and former team partner of
Gavignet, Cdric Pouligny.
Mohammed Al Mujaini, one of the three
Omani crew members on board EFG Bank
(Monaco), commented: Our start was really,
really bad but we played the shifts well.
Zain pushed us all the time but we kept all
the focus on speed and we did not think
of anything else other than that. In fact, it
always makes us work harder when we have
pressure from others.
Seasoned Tour competitor Cdric
Pouligny and his Zain Sailing Team includes

Grald Vniard on navigation and a crew
formed mainly from employees of Zain
one of the Middle Easts leading mobile telecoms operators. The crew for this leg also
included Bader Al-Khafari Deputy Chairman of Zain, and Head of the MAK Group in
Kuwait. Commenting on his first ever yacht
race, Al-Khafari said: It was interesting
and challenging and the rough sea made it
tough but we made it, enjoyed it and got
a top result. It was all down to teamwork. I
enjoyed being part of it and actually help
sail the boat, including a stint at the helm.

In third place after a race long struggle
through the fleet following an over the line
at the start (OCS) was Marcel Herrera and
Team Averda (Oman). Herrera commented:
Despite our OCS we actually had really
good speed throughout the day. We worked
hard and constantly gained, which was down
to a top effort from the team.
Fahad Al Hasni and the all-Omani team
on Renaissance sailed well once again and
held third position for most of the leg but
lack of boat speed in the closing stages saw
them lose four places. Al Hasni commented:
We dont know what happened the boat
just seemed to stop. We did everything we
could but it is a mystery.
The consistent Delft Challenge team was
always in the top half of the fleet and took

fourth despite a start line incident that resulted in a bit of damage to the boat.
Another team sailing well and posting
consistent results is Lorenz Mllers amateur
Bienne Voile team from Switzerland. Today
they finished fifth, and the team currently
stands in fifth place overall.
Nick Moloney and his mostly Chinese
team on GAC powered by Dongfeng Race
Team had a better day finishing sixth, just
ahead of Renaissance.
In seventh place were Mary Rook and the
all-female team on Al Thuraya (Oman). It
was a tough day for the girls, some of whom
suffered with seasickness in the rough sea.
They were eighth overall.
Mathijs Wagemans and the predominantly
Omani crew on Team IMCO, and Ahmed Al

Mamari and Team OMIFCO finished in ninth
and tenth place respectively.
The Royal Navy of Oman announced the
teams retirement from the EFG Sailing Arabia The Tour after Leg 4 due to extensive
boat damage. Commenting on the decision,
skipper Ali Al Rahbi said: It was a tough decision not to continue but we are extremely
pleased with what we have achieved so far.
Our aim was to use the race as an opportunity to develop team skills and I believe that
is exactly what we have carried out.
EFG Sailing Arabia The Tour, now in its
fifth year, provides an opportunity for Oman
Sail, organisers of the race, to promote the
Gulf region as alternative international race
destination.
Ahead of the race,

SATT spoke with
Ahmed Al Mamari,
skipper for OMIFCO team.
What is the energy like for the team at
the beginning of a race?
The team is a group of passionate sailors,
none of them professional off-shore sailors
yet but all of them very keen to take part
in EFG Sailing Arabia The Tour. We are
all focused on pushing our abilities to the
limit and testing ourselves on the water
but also we want to have fun that is why
we sail.
How important is it to have team members for whom the Gulf is home waters?
Certainly we have an advantage because
we understand the waters, we know the
conditions, especially with the Musandam
Peninsula which can be unpredictable.
How do you keep spirits high
during long legs?
You have to keep looking forward and
keep the goal in sight. It can be hard to be
out on the water for 15 days, and sometimes we are sailing for up to 48 hours at
a time, sleeping in shifts and not getting
much rest. It is demanding, so its important to make sure you have fun and laugh
with your teammates too.
The tour is a strenuous 15-day trek
across the Arabian Gulf, is it hard being
on sea for that long?
It becomes harder if you are not sailing
well as a team together or compared to

the other teams in the race. I dont miss
much, I am happiest when I am on the
water.
Which event in your sailing career are
you most proud of and how do you take
your learnings from that into this race?
The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.
If there is one thing I learned, it is that its
important to know that the race finishes
only at the finish line you have to stay
focused and dedicated the entire time,
you cannot become distracted.
Whats your day-to-day fitness
regime when prepping for a race like
Sailing Arabia?
I train 40 minutes a day for four days a
week in the gym. Sailing is tough physically and you have to be prepared for any
conditions and your body needs to be
able to react. Core strength is essential.
What is the greatest challenge you
face when out on the water?
Light winds.
OUTDOORUAE
25
EVENT REPORT
Spartan spirit
Words By: Candice Ford
This weekend the long awaited

Spartan Race arrived in Dubai
a five-kilometre sprint obstacle
course the shortest of the three
distances that the famous Spartan Race offers. However, despite
the shorter than average length,
Dubais adventure-loving residents
took up the challenge in their thousands.
Ever up for a challenge, 75 members of
the Reebok CrossFit LifeSpark community
joined 4,000 other competitors at Jebel Ali
Racecourse to take on everything Spartan
had to throw at them. The course, set out
over 5km of soft sand, challenged all aspiring Spartans to take on 15 obstacles ranging
from sand bag carries to spear throws, wall
traverse to rope climbs and a leap over a
flaming wall to finish! Plus, with a penalty of
30 burpees for every missed obstacle, competitors had a physical challenge regardless of their ability to complete the many
obstacles!
With a hazy start to the day, it looked like
an overcast morning was going to benefit
the thousands of racers, however in true
Spartan style, Dubais weather threw another
challenge into the mix! By mid morning,
the sandstorm, which plagued the city over
the weekend, had hit in all its glory! Breathing dust and sand-filled air made the tough
course even tougher for the racers and left
many shielding their eyes as they made their
way around the track.
The beauty of obstacle races of this sort
is how the course provides different challenges to different athletes. For the runners
and endurance athletes the run was the
easier element, while the obstacles had the
potential to challenge racers, particularly
the higher skill obstacles such as the rope
climb. In contrast, for the more CrossFitesque athletes the obstacles presented less
of a problem, while the longer distances
between obstacles, especially in soft sand,
were the most challenging element.
As with many obstacle races in the
region, you only needed to look to the

podium to see who the race suited best.
Familiar names stood atop the podium.
Hallvard Borsheim and Eva Clarke, both
more endurance-based athletes, are known
for their ability to take on weighted and skillbased challenges with as much ease as they
can produce speed around even the toughest courses. Hallvard set a blistering course
time of 34:00 minutes, while Eva was close
behind in 42:17 minutes. Both these times
would rival the international records in the
Spartan Sprint and although every course
is different, there is no doubt that these
two powerhouses would crush any course
presented to them.
But the Spartan Race wasnt just about
incredible athletes and course times. The
UAEs first Spartan Race offered something
for everyone, with fully clad Spartans running around the track, teams of various sizes
and even a kids course, the event offered
something for everyone.
The kids race provided an excellent opportunity for younger athletes. Open to kids
from 4 to 15 years old, and offering three

distances; 0.8km, 1.2km and 1.8km, with
appropriately scaled obstacles, even the
smallest-Spartan was able to take up the
challenge. The sheer number of kids, including a few Little LifeSparks, tearing around
the track with confidence and competence
clearly demonstrated a demand for more
kids challenges! Not to mention how awesome it was to see whole families cheering
each other on, caked from head to toe in
dust and muddy sand!
In addition to many of the LifeSpark Community taking on the Spartan Race, Reebok
CrossFit LifeSparks coach Craig Harriman
had worked with Radio Ones Danny and
Surina in the month running up to the race,
helping them prepare for the 5km Spartan
Challenge. During the course of their training Danny and Surina both reduced their
1.2km test runs by an incredible one minute
and 45 seconds and one minute and 39 seconds respectively. So, by race day, they were
both ready to take on the Spartan Challenge, and despite starting out in the height
of the sandstorm, both DJs made their way
confidently around the track proving to
themselves and their teammates that a little
hard work will go a long way!
All in all, it is safe to say that, even after a
slightly untimely start, and a rather horrendous shammal, everyone had a great race! A
race which put their fitness to the test, and
challenged them in a way that many had not
experienced. So in looking forward to the
next Spartan Race, I will leave you with a few
choice remarks from the LifeSpark Community on their thoughts after the race:
Eat my dust literally!

Blown away!
Gone with the sandwich?!
LIFESTYLE
tales
FROM THE
yard
Off into the desert
Words By: Cindy Stadelmann and Cosmo
In the last edition, we gave you some

insights into hacking in and around Al
Khawaneej. What a great way to exercise.
I, Cosmo, love to have a blast out in the
desert but as I mentioned last month, I do
encounter other horses and riders there
who are training hard for endurance races
and they take riding through the desert
to the next level.
Endurance riding is very popular amongst
UAE nationals and even His Highness Sheikh
Mohammed bin Zayed Al Maktoum and
his sons participate in Endurance events
nationally and internationally. It is absolutely
fascinating to watch this sport. The first
endurance races were done in the USA and
organised events were registered in 1955.
In 1998, the UAE was the second country to
host the World Championship. But before
setting up a world event, the UAE under the
directive of President His Highness Sheikh
Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan organised its first
distance events in 1993. In this 40km race,
camels competed against horses in the dunes
of Dubai and the first 15 places were taken
by horses. In 2014, in the UAE, endurance
riding was tied into modern triathlons and

substituted the normal swim: horse-ride,
cycle, run = The Dubai Desert Triathlon. Two
competitions have taken place since and
were very popular.
What is an endurance race?
In one sentence, endurance races are competitions in which horse and riders cover very
long distances at the highest speed possible. The distances vary from 80km (in one
day) to 240km (over up to three days). The
terrain in the UAE is certainly desert but in
other countries the riders compete through
forest trails, fields, etc. Any horse type can
participate, but Arabians are dominating the
scene due to their superior stamina. In order
to participate, horses and riders need to first
Cooling down starts as soon as horses enter transition
participate in speed-regulated Qualifiers.

They need to successfully complete two rides
with the distance of 40km and two rides of
80km. Minimum age for these qualifiers is
five years for the horse and 14 years for the
rider. In qualifier races there is no weight restriction, but for the official races there is. No
whips and spurs or other special riding aids
are allowed during endurance races. Your
legs and reins are the only tools to indicate to
your horse to go faster or slow down.
In order to regulate the speed for these
qualifier races a car drives at the head of the
group and acts as pacer. Nobody is allowed
to pass this car. The goal of qualifiers is to
finish the race comfortably and as fast as
possible, within the given time limit. The
distance to cover in any of these races is not
completed in one section but rather legs or
phases (indicated with different flag colours
along the path) of different distances. All
loops start and finish at one central location. Here all rider and teams set up their
camps, depositing all tools and equipment
they might need throughout the day. The
equipment that I am referring to includes riding tack, sunscreen, water and feed for horse
and rider, big buckets with ice-water, heart
rate monitors, helmet, chaps, bandana and
clothes for the rider. The format for qualifiers
and official races is more or less the same.
Registration and checking
The day before the race riders need to register and the horses need to be brought to the
host of the endurance cup and presented to
the vets. It starts with trotting the horse up
in front of a vet to assess potential lameness,
which means the rider runs next to the horse
on a track of around 20m, first away from
the vet and then back towards the vet. If the
horse is judged as lame, the race ends there.
The vets also check the horses passports
to ensure that the horse in the passport is
identical with the horse they see and the
vaccination cycles are validated. The vets also
Ready for the second lap
measure the heart rate (around 36-42/bpm),
breathing, and evaluate the hydration level.
horse cannot move any further and needs to
For the latter the vet checks that the eyes are
be transported back to the centre. Also at
shiny, the skin is elastic (pinching the skin on
numerous places are dedicated areas where
the horses neck) and presses his or her finger
horses can drink out of buckets or endurance
against the horses gums. The gums will turn
team members hand riders water bottles
white or light pink for a moment. If the gums
from which they can drink or pour over the
turn normal again in less than three seconds
horse to cool it down while it is on the move.
the horse is sufficiently hydrated. All details are
Some horses are initially quite sensitive about
recorded on a form. If the horse passes, the
having their rider hold a bottle over their
registration number of the horse/rider team is
neck and suddenly splashing water over
drawn onto the horses hind with a big marker
them. Something over my head is making
(quite tricky if you have a dark horse). It is
a slushy noise over my head. Scary! It takes
admitted to the race. After the check, the rider
practice and time for the horses to get accan either bring the horse back to its stable
quainted with these techniques. Once horse
if it is close or leave the horse under groom
and rider return through the entry-gate, their
supervision in temporary stables close to the
time is stopped. Now the horse has to cool
facility. The impressive Dubai International
down and its heart rate has to slow down to
Endurance City in the Bab Al Shams area is a
less than 60bpm to be then presented to the
great example. I can highly recommend doing
vets again. The saddles and bridles are taken
a quick drive there when a race is on. You will
off. In headcollars they are gently walked
not believe your eyes when you enter the
around and buckets of iced water are poured
facility. Lush grass, a state-of-the-art facility,
over the horses bodies to bring the heart
and lots of organised hustle and bustle. Entry
rate down. Once that is accomplished, you
is free and you often encounter royals strolling
line up for the vet check. The vets review the
around and working with their teams.
existing record of the horse and assess the
Since the races start early in the morning,
data again. Any lameness, dehydration or
many riders camp, sleep in their cars or stay
other health problems are factors to declare
in bedrooms that some endurance facilities
the horse as unfit. After the vet inspection,
offer. The next morning the riders get ready,
the horse is held for another 20 to up to 45
put on their race number and assemble at
minutes for a break to eat and drink before
the exit gate. They all leave together and trot
the horse continues on the next leg. The
or canter to complete their first loop. Each
riders also take in their nutrition and stretch.
rider chooses their own pace. On the way,
Needless to say that the time out on the
vets in cars accompany the riders on tracks
tracks and inside the centre is electronically
next to the riding path. They flag riders down
monitored. After this break, each individual
if a horse is spotted and assessed to be unfit
horse and rider leave the exit-gate at a time
to continue. Important to mention is that the
depending on their entry time and time
drivers always drive on the off wind side to
they had to stay and rest. Depending on the
avoid dust and dirt polluting the air around
length of the race, the competitors complete
the competitors.
two or more legs every time repeating the
vet inspection and break. The winner of the
The race
race is the first team to come back from the
Throughout the event the race organisers
entire race length and pass a final vet check.
have a few horse trailers stationed in case the
Training and preparation
To accomplish these races, horse and rider

have to put a lot of time into training and
start preparing months before the race
season, similar to human athletes training for
ultramarathons, Ironmans and other races.
Numerous days per week they go out, mostly
in bigger groups, and improve their fitness
levels and stamina.
Besides Dubai International Endurance
City, there are two other self-sufficient
modern endurance centres or villages in
the UAE. At this point, 22 riding clubs and
equestrian establishments are registered with
the Emirates Equestrian Federation. Some of
the races are women only. To have a look at
the scheduled events go to the Endurance
schedule at www.eef.ae.
Anyway, enough chat, its time to get
outside and log some more kilometres in the
desert. Stamina doesnt come by standing
and gossiping.
Another great way of spending hours
outside with your horse and similar to the
human triathlon is participating in eventing competitions, formerly known as Military.
In the next edition of the magazine, we will
share with you details on this great discipline.
Testing for lameness
Cooling down is a team job
Electrolyte solution during breaks
OUTDOORUAE
29
EVENT REPORT
Musandam Adventure Race

Dramatic twists and turns

Photos By: Absolute Adventure
All week the temperatures had

been rising and signs of summer were here. Dubai hit 38C as
competitors looked forward to the
weekend in Musandam and one of
the longest and hardest multi-sport
adventure races in the region.
On Friday 20th February, 33 teams took
place in an epic adventure race that started
with a 35km kayak from Khor Najd just south
of Khasab to Lima in Musandam. The next
leg was a hilly 20km run back towards the
mountains and then over those mountains.
At the end of the run, competitors grabbed
their mountain bikes and pedaled towards
Wadi Beih before making a sharp turn up
and over Jebel Harim, the highest mountain
in Musandam and a touch over 2,000m. At
the col near the military base they took a
breath before descending all the way down
to the coast and the finish. The winning
mixed team of Catherine Todd and Daniel
Menton took just over 16 hours to finish!
This is the fourth year that the race has
been run. Originally an idea conceived by
Mike Nott, a Dubai resident who has since
Pete completing the bike leg
The race course covers some amazing territories
left the Emirates, the organisation has now

been taken over by Paul Oliver of Absolute
Adventure. His team of instructors oversaw
the safety aspects and marshalling. Those
AA staff on a day off even got a team together and took part.
Musandam, the northern part of Oman is
particularly suited to adventure with its rugged, isolated areas. What typifies Musandam is the combination of high mountains
and coast. There is nothing in between. The
mountains drop sheer down to the sea. If
you are hiking the mountains here you will
nearly always have a view of the water and
possibly on a clear day, Iran. Its a magical
place with mystery and everyone has a story
about Musandam.
Problems of course still exist with the
borders, but that happens everywhere in
the world. If you make the effort and learn
the current situation and the best ways to
get there, you will have the time of your life.
The entrance via the Al Dara checkpoint is
relatively straightforward and you can be in
Khasab within an hour.
Competitors arrived on the Thursday
evening and camped on the beach beside
the idyllic bay at Khor Najd. There were
threatening clouds in the sky and whilst
Musandam did not receive the full onslaught
of the sandstorm that hit Dubai, it was touch
and go whether the race would go ahead.
The kayak leg even though it started early
was still hit by strong winds forcing some
competitors to capsize and some to climb
about the support dhow. This is a remote
area with serious weather and the clouds

and wind continued throughout the day
reducing visibility and leaving everyone feel
like they had been in a true battle.
The Musandam Adventure Race is a serious undertaking and, for those choosing to
do the Full Monty (all three disciplines as
individuals), it is probably the toughest one
day event of this nature in the region. Most
organise a team and complete the legs as
a relay, passing over the baton to the next
member thankful that their part has finished.
In addition there is a driver who accompanies and supports the biking leg.
Put this in your diary for next year. There
are not many adventure races in the world
that cover such dramatic and remote territory.
Gordon sheltering during the kayak leg
EVENT REPORT
Polaris held second Camp RZR in the UAE

Polaris Industries Inc.,
(NYSE: PII), the leading
manufacturer of off-road vehicles,
showed off its RZR vehicles for the
second year in a row, in the United
Arab Emirates. Camp RZR UAE
took place February 5th to 7th,
2015 in Dubai, UAE.
For the second year in a row, Polaris is
celebrating our riders and our customers in
one of most important RZR markets in the
world, said Suresh Krishna, vice president,
EMEA for Polaris. With a shared passion for
riding, we are looking forward to spending
a couple days in the desert with our biggest
and most loyal RZR fans.
Camp RZR UAE was open to Show and
Shine registrants on February 5th and to the
public on February 6th. The event featured
riding activities, new product displays,
giveaways, a traditional desert BBQ and
evening campfire. The next day, off-road
enthusiasts interested in demo rides of
Polaris vehicles had the opportunity to test
out a wide range of RZRs, RANGERs, ATVs
and ACEs.
Information about the complete line of

Polaris products, apparel and vehicle accessories are available from authorised Polaris
dealers or anytime at www.polaris.com.
OUTDOORUAE
31
ACTIVITY REPORT
Yoga for cyclists

with Andree Clement
Words By: Sarka Svobodova and Andree Clement
Photos By: Sarka Svobodova
performed in a concentric movement where
muscles are always in a contraction and never
I had an opportunity to meet
in full extension. Hip flexors and hamstrings
Andree Clement at her yoga for
contract repetitively and can shorten overtime potentially creating muscle imbalances
cyclists session at the cycle track
and the result of overuse injury. In addition,
in Nad Al Sheba. She is a very
the habitual posture of the sport being in a
energetic and enthusiastic woman, bent over position can also have major impact on the day-to-day posture. Because of
a certified yoga teacher, massage
a lack of awareness or fatigue from the long
therapist with an extensive sport
hours spent in the saddle, this posture can be
background and a truly passionate
compromised and result in lower back, shoulcyclist. Taking part of her yoga
der and neck problems, hunched upper-back,
poor breathing mechanics, creating further
session was a great learning
problems and discomfort.
experience.
Regardless of you being a top athlete or
As a yogi and non-cyclist well I used to
recreational practitioner, yoga will always
cycle when I was teenager I was really curiprovide benefits to your life and health no
ous to know more about the main benefits of
matter what. Although cyclists have an amazyoga for cyclists and what are the main issues
ing cardio, power output and strong legs,
cyclists have to deal with. What I found to be
really interesting, was the fact that cycling is
About Andree:
Andree is a former member of
the Canadian Judo Team, a certified massage therapist and has a
Bachelor degree in Physical Education. No matter what domain
Andree performs in, her driving
force and key to success has
always been her positive outlook
and approach in her mind, it
goes without question that everyone is entitled to live their best
possible life. Called to high-performance
at a very young age, Andree trained on the
Canadian Judo Team for 10 years only to
qualify for the Canadian Olympic Team at
the Sydney 2000 Games. Always driven to
one common objective amongst cyclists is

certainly the need to be more flexible.
Yoga will contribute in increasing your
strength, flexibility, correcting imbalances and
play a key role in injury prevention allowing
you to enjoy the ride with a better posture
for longer period of time. Furthermore, it will
nourish that mind-body connection, which
will translate to more focus, mental perspective and ultimately better performance while
on the bike.
Even cyclists, who are now visiting her
lessons regularly can confirm how much their
flexibility has improved since they started,
how much more comfortable they feel in the
saddle, some health related issues such as
back pain has just disappeared.
So dont hesitate and visit Andree at Nad
Al Sheba on Sunday evenings at 7:30 p.m.
for a post-ride 30-minute recovery session or
at The Cycle Hub in Motor City on Monday
evenings 7:00 p.m. for a full hour session
and learn more about the yoga for cyclists
and how you can benefit from it. No matter whether you are a recreational cyclist,
road cyclist, mountain biker, or a triathlete,
Andrees group classes or private sessions
are sure to bring some insightful solutions for
you.
succeed she had yet to discover
the power of yoga for athletes
and suffered a major injury causing her to miss competing in the
games themselves. Following
her injury, Andree adopted a
new yoga practice to facilitate
her physical healing. Over time,
yoga practice and holistic healing
became a regular part of her
life until she realised how it had
fundamentally changed her forever. Seeing in hindsight how her athletic
performance could have been combined
with the benefits of yoga, she now saw the
strong connection between the two and
the exponential power it could create.
ACTIVITY REPORT
SUP fishing
Words By: Carl de Villiers
What better way to include a bit

of exercise than with some sightseeing and some fishing? Endless
long distance paddling can be dull
so why not just pull a lure behind
you to pick up some dinner on the
way?
While the kayak has always been the
traditional personal watercraft for fishing, the Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) also
makes an excellent platform for this too.
You can enjoy a better workout with a SUP
as you stand and paddle rather than sit and
paddling or using your legs to propel the
kayak. As you stand, you also get better
visibility and this makes for a great and
stealthy platform for sight casting and fly
fishing too.
There are a also lot of great and easily
accessible places to fish in the UAE as there
are mangroves, lagoons, long stretches of
flat sea areas and great flat water areas that
are full of fish and protected from the wind
such as the Palm Jumeirah. Besides bottom
fishing, the UAE has a great range of gamefish such as kingfish, trevallies, queenfish,
barracuda and cobia which frequent areas
very close to shore. An easy catch for the
SUP fisherman with lures, live bait or sight
casting.
There are also some great SUP fishing
paddleboards available locally which are
specifically geared up for SUP fishing and
offer all the necessary attachments to keep
your gear on board too. We use the BOTE
boards range to fish (www.boteboard.com
) which have models specifically made for
fishing and they pretty much lead the market in this. They have attachments to strap
gear down and have a tacklerack which is
a metal piece fitted into the board that has
rod holders and can hang your bag or lean
on for extra stability. The boards are also
wide, stable and fast on flat water. These
are also available from Surf Shop Arabia.
When SUP fishing or looking at a board

to do SUP fishing, you need to consider
the following:
For trolling, get a board with a pointy
V-nose the race style boards that cut
through chop and will troll easier with less
work are the ones to use. Wider rounded
nose boards tend to make a lot of work to
troll and can be a real workout in the wind.
You will want to cut through the water and
glide your way to success.
Look for a board that is wide and stable
as nobody wants to fall off all the time and
your equipment needs to stay dry too. The
wider, the more stable and the better for
sight casting and fly fishing. Boards over 30
- 32 inches wide are best.
Get a board with some weight on
it carbon race boards are fast but are
generally not suitable as they cannot make
the forward momentum to pull a lure due
to their lightness. The lure has resistance
when its pulled (especially if you pull two
or more) so it makes for more work on a
lighter board with no weight in its forward
momentum.
Tie down points are a great help so look
for boards that have webbing on the nose
or have tie down points to stash your gear.
take these with and make sure you phone

is in a waterproof container as it wont work
when its wet! We also recommend taking
a leash with you and when conditions are
bumpy, wear it!
Follow the birds the absolute best way
to catch fish from trolling and bait casting is to fish where the birds are diving.
The gamefish push small baitfish up to the
surface and the birds eat them. Where the
birds are diving, the fish are feeding.
Be ready have all your gear such as flies
and bait casters ready to go you may arrive at a spot where birds are diving and by
the time you have gotten everything ready,
the fish have moved on. Be ready so as you
arrive you can get a fly or lure in front of
the fish.
Use wind and tide conditions to move
into position when the wind is blowing
or tide are moving around, the board will
move around and move away from your
spot so drift in on the wind or make adjustments when you get to your spot.
Live bait is best the best way to catch
big game fish is with live bait. Put out some
live bait while you bottom fish.
Dont troll in busy boating areas unless
you want issues. A lot of boaters and jetskiers dont have a high regard or respect for
fisherman and paddle boarders and will
wakeboard right past you or over your lines
hence areas like the inside of The Palm being a good place to fish.
Go early fish are active early morning
till about 9:00 or 10:00 a.m. so be on the
spots at this time. Later afternoon can be
good to but bumpy.
Strap on a cooler we strap on a cooler
box and have attached some extra rod
folders to it. It makes for a great place to
stash fish and to hold your lunch. It also
makes for a great seat. If you dont have
any cleats or attachments on the board, just
use a strap and run it smoothly around the
board to firmly fix it in place.
Try to take a camera, GoPro or waterproof container will be best. OutdoorUAE
loves good pictures and fishermen can
share their pics on Emirates fishing Facebook group!
Lastly, just get out there and enjoy yourself. Getting outdoors, enjoying nature and
doing some recreational fishing is good for
the soul.
We have been through a lot of trial and

error to find the best set-up and how
best to do this so here are some of our
tips and tricks:
Take water and snacks while you travel
out on the water. Dehydration and getting
out of energy is not great so plan to stay
energised and full of water!
Watch the weather check weather and
wind reports when going out on the open
sea. Mist, wind and bad seas can create
emergency situations, so stay safe.
Safety lifejackets and telephone are a
must when going off-shore so make sure to
OUTDOORUAE
33
TRAVEL + ADVENTURE
Great Bear Lake:
Words By: Rasmus Ovesen

Photos By: Rasmus Ovesen, Og Klaus and Boberg Pedersen
FROTHING FOREST FIRES rage below us
spewing out severe plumes of thick, white
smoke into the air. Klaus and I are sitting in a
small, chartered propeller plane in the veiled
airspace between Yellowknife and the massive Great Bear Lake a giant body of water
that has found its gnarled and uneven bed in
Canadas desolate and harsh Northwest Territory a mere cast away from the bitterly cold
Arctic. The scenery below is both disturbing
and irresistibly compelling. It is as if a selfeffacing and ill-tempered force in nature has
flared up, and there is something disquieting
about the way it is trying to conceal its vehement rage by covering everything in thick
smoke. The same smoke soon hems in the
plane, and for the remainder of the flight the
ravaging flames are hidden from our flabbergasted eyes.
Great Bear Lake is also shrouded in thick
smoke, and it isnt until seconds before we hit
a rather rudimentary landing strip right on the
lake shore that a massive water mirror is revealed below us. When the plane is brought
to a stop; we alight and find tentative footing
in a vast, intrusive wilderness, where the
silence is as deafening as the humming drone
of the airplane propellers. Here in the middle of absolutely nowhere, in an immense
and undulating morass of anorectic pines,
slight thickets, tufts, heather and moss lies
Plummers Great Bear Lodge, the wilderness
dwelling well be staying at for the coming
week and from which we will head out in
search for full-grown lake char.
GREAT BEAR LODGE is booked to the point
of bursting this week, because guests who
had otherwise intended to stay at Plummers

Great Slave Lake Lodge, have been transferred here (the lodge on Great Slave Lake,
close to the city of Yellowknife, is in imminent
danger of burning down!) Here, unmanageable forest fires are raging too, and stubbornly incited by a hoarse northern wind, one
of them is in the process of hauling its crackling and all-consuming body of licking flames
across the lodge property. Fire fighters all the
way from Alaska have been summoned to
contain the fire, but apparently the situation
is grave. And for the coming days, a lot of
Great Slave Lake Lodges repeat customers
will be fishing with a gnawing fear in the back
of their minds.
NO LESS THAN AN HOUR AFTER OUR
ARRIVAL, were sitting on board a spacious
Linder alu-boat that is cutting its way with
authority across the bitterly cold and slightly
rough waters of the Great Bear Lake. Our
guide, Matt Dick, is heading for one of the
numerous exciting fishing spots on the Dease
Arm a bay comparable to a mid-sized
Norwegian fjord, that unbeknownst to us,
consists of myriads of smaller bays, inlets,

reefs, depth curves, fault lines and towering
islands.
The smoky air has shrouded the lake in a
kind of illusory mist that the sun is incapable
of penetrating, and it isnt until later in the
week, when northern winds finally displace
the smoke further to the south, that the lakes
size becomes even remotely comprehensible
to us. Until then, the sheer fact that it takes
two full tanks of gasoline to ferry us across
the Dease Arm and back to the camp will
have to suffice as an indication of the lakes
awesome magnitude. It also serves to prove
that there is plenty of room for an overbooked lodge with 20 boats and about 40
eager fishing guests.
THE BOAT IS BROUGHT TO A HALT outside a series of reefs that outline a small bay.
Here, the bottom drops off quite dramatically, and along the fault line our guide a
young chap, who is set to become a great
friend over the coming few days expects
us to find foraging lake char. These fierce
fish, which undoubtedly are the undisputed
rulers of the watery Arctic realm, are savage

and shady predators with insatiable appetites
and gory-looking jaws designed to inhale
unsuspecting prey of remarkable sizes. Typically, they are targeted in 25-100m of water,
but here in July, during midsummer, when the
tireless midnight sun bathes the Arctic region
in clear and colour-saturated light, the fish are
supposedly to be found in relatively shallow
water.
WITH OUR FLY RODS IN FIRM, IRON
GRIPS, we prepare for the first expectant
casts. Soon after, the big, bushy streamers,
that we have tied on to our 0.40mm tippets,
whistle through the air and land on the water
like maimed birds, they find themselves
forced irresistibly downward, into the ice-cold
water by the weight of our sinking lines.
When, seconds later, we hitch up the flies
and bring them back towards the boat with
long, even retrieves, our heartbeats suddenly
begin racing uncontrollably.
We have no idea what to expect, but we
get an indication soon enough. In his third
cast, Klaus #10 fly rod suddenly bows and
scrapes under the weight of a powerful fish
thrashing about in the crystal-clear water. A
few intense minutes later, the fish is thrashing
about in the guides spacious landing net.
Klaus now proceeds to lift an immaculate
lake char of about 10lb out of the water for a
quick photo shoot, and then prepares for its
release. Immersed into the lakes chilly water,
the fish quickly frees itself from Klaus hands
and catapults its matte-olive and slightly-marbled body towards the bottom of the abyss.
Above it, two relieved Danes and a Canadian
guide cheer loudly.
WE MUST HAVE FOUND THE FISH,
because less than 10 minutes after Klaus releases the first fish of the trip, a heavy tug on
my fly line announces that yet another lake
char has been fooled by one of our deceiving
streamers. This fish, too, manages to send
jagged convulsions through the carbon fibres
of the 10-weight rod. It moves about like a
mythological creature from the seven seas
deep, unyielding and heavy and every turn
on the fly reel is laden with excitement. A
single surge into the back to the depths and
an ill-tempered stint of tug-of-war later, the
shadow of a fish appears in the water. Shortly
after, another Great Bear lake char finds itself
reluctantly embraced by mesh and netting.
The magnificent and broad-shouldered
14lb fish is duly photographed, and upon its
release, heads straight for the gloomy solace
of the depths below. It hasnt gotten very
far though, before our treacherous, white

streamers whistle through the air yet again.
Our hearts are still racing, but our souls are
suddenly infused with a newfound quietude
and calm.
THE NEXT FEW DAYS, we continually prowl
edges, drop offs, reefs, islands and fault lines
and there are surprisingly few dull moments
in the boat. We consistently find fish where
the water temperatures are the highest;
typically in wind-exposed bays with water
depths between 15 and 45ft. There are loads
of them reckless, aggressive and powerful.
Most with impressive average size of around
a solid 10lb, with the occasional 20lber
thrown in.
The thick, clingy smoke, thats been
shrouding the lake for the past couple of
days, has finally lifted, and with a deep-blue
sky and a flickering sun above us, it seems as
if the lake has been brought back to life. The
icy water suddenly assumes an absorbingly
deep cobalt-blue colour, the wave crests
sparkle among the distorted cliff fragments
of the reefs, and the dramatic drop offs are
more defined and spectacularly saturated
than before. At the same time, news reaches
us that the Great Slave Lake Lodge has been
rescued from the flames and at dinner later
that day there is an atmosphere of relief and
gratitude. Additionally, the good news coincides with some rather impressive Great Bear
Lake trolling catches including a massive
45lb fish, and for the next few days, we fish
with intensified ambitions and expectations.
themselves clearly against the sandy bottom,

and as a result, we can handpick individual
fish to cast at.
On the very first cast, one of them resolutely sets in motion and pursues my fly. A
handful of quick retrieves later and I pause
for a short bit. The fish stops immediately
trembling with excitement and when shortly
after the fly makes a subtle but tempting
forward motion, it is suddenly gone. Hidden
between the jagged jaws of the fish, which
has scooped up its prey in one lightningquick and impulsive manoeuvre.
The fight is on, and the fish is all over the
place. It thrashes about with such uncontrollable ferocity that at one point in an explosion of water and foam it regurgitates a half
digested prey fish. One of the other fish in
the school sees this. It shoots forward in the
water and sucks in the frayed, white meal
with the great self-satisfaction. Shortly after,
it spots another frayed, white prey object in
the water. However, when it clamps its jaws
around it, a piercingly sharp hook anchors
up in its bony mouth, and its freedom of
movement is suddenly overcome by a weird,
unyielding pull.
THE DAYS THAT FOLLOW offer several

unforgettable moments and episodes. At
one point, for instance, we find ourselves in
a small, shallow bay where a school of solid
lake char are on the prowl. With the sun
perched at its highest peak and dead-calm
water above them, these agitated fish reveal
OUTDOORUAE
35
Klaus is now into a decent fish too, and for

the next few minutes looming chaos reigns in
the boat, as we perform a simultaneous fight
with two big and uncooperative 10lb+ lake
char.
GREAT BEAR LAKE is a big lake, so big it
generates its own weather, and the weather
can be quite unpredictable and unsettled.
We get a taste of this on the penultimate
day, where the lake is in turmoil and crackling flashes of lightning rapture the charcoal
firmament of the sky.
We had found provisional shelter from the
wind between two islands, when the wind
suddenly dies down, the sun peaks through
the dark cloud ceiling, and the lake becomes
one big recumbent mirror. Bewildered greybrown caddis flies now swirl across the water,
and suddenly the water surface is breached
here, there and everywhere, by hungry lake
char.
We now find ourselves in a major rush.
With overly eager hands and reckless haste,
our dry fly rods are mounted, fly lines and
leaders are threaded through guides, and
bulky caddis imitations are tied onto tippets.
For the next half an hour or so, we carefully cast at more 8-12lb trout, than most fly
fishermen see in their entire lives. We even
manage to hook a couple before the winds
pick up again and the lake turns nasty, however, landing double-digit trout on #4 fly rods
and 4lb tippets prove an altogether different
ballgame.
THE MONSTERS OF GREAT BEAR LAKE

also show a bit of interest in our flies during
the week. For instance, I still have nightmares
about a massive lake trout that almost pulled
the line out my hands when striking. It then
proceeded to disappear irresistibly into the
abysmal depths dragging more than 150ft of
fiery-orange backing behind it. It must have
stalked an 8lb fish Klaus was in the middle of
fighting probably in order to steal away the
prey, because it hit my fly with resolute determination, when at one point during the
fight my fly ended up right behind Klaus
fish. In the end, however, the massive fish
ended up spitting the fly, and the anticipative link to a hauntingly big dream fish was
abruptly disconnected.
Luckily for the calm and serenity of my thinly worn soul, I land another Great Bear Lake
Monster. It clams its staunch jaws around my
streamer outside a big gravel bar, immediately heads for deeper water and quickly
proves heavier and more stubborn than the
other fish, I have hooked up until this point.
I lean back on the fish until the fibres of my
10-weight fly rod creaks, but the fish wont

readily budge.
The next 10 minutes is a battle of fairly
even will powers. The guide circles around
the fish, and I do my very best to keep my
nerves calm and utilise all the power reserves
in the fly rods carbon fibre blank. In the end,
the heavy-handed treatment proves too
much for the fish. I gain on it little by little,
and when it finally appears along the boat
side, I can see how massive it actually is. Now
my whole focus narrows I fall back into myself, and all thats left is the gravity of the task
ahead: bringing the fish close to the boat and
safely netting it. When that finally happens, I
re-emerge with a loud and redeeming roar!
We quickly drive the boat to the shore,
dragging the fish behind us in the net. I then
jump in the water, and Klaus shoots a barrage
of images with the camera, while I gently
lift the 30lb fish briefly out of the water.
Afterwards, I take a self-conscious minute to
enjoy the sight of this old, broad-shouldered
monster from the depths. As it rests in the
shallows by my side with its big sail-like fins,
soulful eyes and inverted dots like scintillating
stars in a dark sky, I suddenly understand and
appreciate, why we have travelled all the way
to the Northwest Territories and Great Bear
Lake. And when the fish liberates itself from
my grasp with a couple of defiant fin strokes
and catapults itself into deeper water, the
feeling intensifies.
GREAT BEAR LAKE is the worlds fourth
biggest lake a massive freshwater
reservoir with a water table of 31.153sq
km and water depths of up to 446m. It is
situated in the central part of Canadas
vast Northwest Territories, which borders on the Arctic Ocean to the North.
Fifteen different species of fish inhabit
the lake including lake char, grayling,
pike and whitefish.
Plummers Arctic Lodges manage the
fishing on the lake, which, throughout
the years, has produced one recordbreaking lake char after the other;
among them the standing world record
of 72lb. In total, there are three lodges
on Great Bear Lake (Trophy, Great Bear,
and Arctic Circle) which are all run by
the Plummers staff and offer a variety
of different fishing options. For more
information, please visit the following
link: www.plummerslodges.com or send
an email to fish@plummerslodges.com.
LAKE CHAR (Salvelinus Namaycush) belong to the char family, which also
counts brook trout, arctic char and bull trout. To thrive, it requires clean, cool
and well-oxygenated water in combination with a solid prey biomass. When
these conditions are met, it can grow up to 100 years old.
In terms of geographic distribution, the lake char is endemically distributed
across the north-eastern parts of USA and across all of Canada.
In Great Bear Lake there are three distinct lake char sub-species: silverbacks,
red fins and butterfly red fins. Silverbacks are pelagic lake char with a silvery
grey gleam and a relatively big head and mouth. They primarily live off of prey
fish such as grayling, whitefish, pike and even relatives. As a result of their
piscivorous inclinations, they tend to grow big and they have been known to
reach weights up to 100lb.
Red fins display saturated olive-green flanks and bright red fins. They dont
grow as big as the silverbacks probably not bigger than 30lb, and they primarily live off of small baitfish, gammarus, caddis and other aquatic insects. In
terms of colourations, the butterfly red fins are quite similar to ordinary red fins,
but they differ physiologically. They display oversized fins, a notable overbite
and plump lips. These fish rarely exceed 15lb, and they are typically found in
relatively shallow water, where they specialise in insect-based bottom feeding.
Photostory City Boating, between the sky scrapers in

Dubai Marina N 25 04 26.3 E 55 07 35.0
After launching from the beach, right of the JBR Sheraton, its just a short
paddle round the corner into the Marina before you are engulfed by Dubais
majestic skyline. Because the Marina is very protected from any wind its a
superb place for even the least experienced of paddlers to explore.
A kayak gives a unique perspective on the skyline and the city life happening
beneath and between the towers.
Distributor of awesome outdoor brands www.globalclimbing.com info@globalclimbing.com +971 (0)4 882 9361
TRAVEL + ADVENTURE
The Honey Badger

Episode 11: Lake Malawi
and the Nyika Plateau
Destination:
Malawi and Eastern Zambia
Diaries
After a week of comfy beds,

washing machines and general bliss
with Susan in Lusaka, our Belgian
friend Elliot arrived for a journey
through Malawi.
With a long distance to cover and only
a few hours of daylight left, the three of us
squeezed into the front seats of the Honey
Badger and started the eight-hour journey
to Chipata. We arrived just after 8:00 p.m.
at Deans campsite, near the Malawi border
with Zambia, and Mira prepared dinner
whilst James showed Elliott how to set up
the tent and use a machete safely.
Early the next morning, we headed north
west along a track for two hours to South
Luangwa National Park. We arrived only to
be disappointed when we could not camp
inside. James briefly considered wild camping, an idea which Mira quickly put to bed,
so we ventured inside for an afternoon safari
before staying at crocodile valley, which is
a beautiful campsite just outside the park
along the shores of the Luangwa River.
Inside the park we immediately saw a lot of
game, including a giraffe lying down which
was a first for all of us. Much of the park was
flooded and we saw numerous hippos and
buffalo lazing in the swamps whilst we drove
for several exciting kilometres over marshland. Quietly impressed with James driving,
Mira started to wonder why we had not yet
got stuck in the flood plains and mud.
Sure enough, on our way out of the park
James decided to take a little detour to get
closer to the river. Feeling confident when
we reached the next swamp, we continued
along the track and found a deep puddle
where we came to an unexpected stop. The
winch came out again and we managed to
move a few metres before the next swamp.
By this point the tyres were so full of mud
that we might as well have been driving on
balloons. Even when we managed to pull
the car forward a metre or two, we were
pulling hundreds of kilos of mud with us,
putting a lot of strain on the winch. Having
had enough mud-dwelling for the day, Mira
decided to call the rangers to help. Nevertheless, with his pride slightly dented, James
continued to try and drag the car out of the

mud as the sun set.
During the recovery calamity, Elliot had
decided that we were definitely going to
be eaten by lions. He retreated to the roof
of the car with a powerful torch and started
to search for things that were going to eat
us. A couple of elephants came quite close,
but the ground was too wet for any lions to
bother approaching. At 9:00 p.m. we considered whether to sleep in the car and wait
to recover it in daylight, but James persisted
and the winch continued to struggle pulling
the car, emitting an electrical burning smell.
An hour later, with buried Max Tracks and
car covered in mud both outside and inside,
we finally reached a dry patch in the middle
of the swamp. Having seen several failed
recovery attempts from the rangers we decided to make a dash for dry land. By some
miracle we made it, and retreated back to
the campsite for a much needed shower and

late dinner.
The next morning was spent cleaning the
car and we were ready to head to Malawi
by midday. With an easy border crossing we
continued past Lusaka to Senga Bay. We
had been concerned about reports of two
cyclones hitting southern Malawi leading to
a humanitarian disaster with over 100,000
people displaced. Luckily everyone we
saw had been unaffected and Senga Bay
provided our first view of Lake Malawi. The
lake was impressively large with beautiful
beaches, although the mosquitoes were horrendous and very hungry! We were covered
in bites which all swelled up and itched for
several days afterwards.
We followed the coast northwards to
Nkhata Bay the next day. It was more picturesque than Senga, with fewer mosquitoes
and a lower risk of Bilharzia (a nasty waterborne parasite found in most African lakes).
We camped at the Blue Star Campsite and
watched a wonderful sunset whilst eating
steak and mashed potatoes for dinner.
After a discussion of the symptoms of
Bilharzia we finally convinced Elliot to come
diving in the lake the following morning. It
was a 30m shore dive which was cut short by
Miras dive computer alarming. We surfaced

a little concerned after 30 minutes because
the lake is 800m above sea level and we
needed to drive to the Nyika plateau at
2,500m, ideally without suffering from the
bends from a deep dive at altitude. Some
local boys washing in the lake had seen us
surface and swam out to us. Mira offered her
spare regulator and they joined us for a 2m
dive back to the shore.
We took our time ascending into the
mountains, watching as the grassland slowly
turned into moorland. By the time we had
reached our campsite in the heart of the
Nyika Plateau National Park, the landscape
looked more like North Yorkshire than Africa.
The campsite was remote and well maintained, with a great view over the rolling hills
where the zebras and other antelopes were
grazing. The man at the campsite built a
huge fire for us and we enjoyed the evening at a much cooler temperature with no
mosquitoes in sight.
The drive out of the northern end of the
park was only suitable for robust 4x4s, but
was absolutely worth the effort with picturesque landscapes over the hills the whole
way. We headed on to the northern border
between Malawi and Zambia which we had
heard was closed. Luckily we found a sleeping man in a hut who stamped our passports
and let us through.
The road back into Zambia got progressively worse and we were lucky not to get
stuck as a storm blew over turning the dust
into sticky, deep mud.
We stopped for the night at Shiwa House,
a colonial stately home built about 80 years
ago in north eastern Zambia. The campsite
was a few kilometres down the road near
some hot springs, which made for a refreshing start in the morning before an informal
tour of the house and grounds.
We made it back to Lusaka over the next
couple of days, through more storms and an
uneventful campsite near a farming town.
We were sorry to see Elliot fly home to his
studies before heading off on our next adventure with the chimpanzees of Chimfunshi.
A key part of Mira and James trip

is fundraising and volunteer work and
they are currently teaching nursery school
children in Zanzibar. If you are interested
in helping them to achieve their target
and make a difference to African communities and wildlife, please spread the
word or donate using the following links:
To donate: www.gofundme.com/
thehoneybadgerdiaries
If you would like to follow their journey
through Africa and see more photos,
recordings and vidoes:
Website: www.thehoneybadgerdiaries.com
Facebook page: www.facebook.com/
pages/Honey-Badger-Diaries
Instagram: @thehoneybadgerdiaries
OUTDOORUAE
39
LIFESTYLE
Au Natural:
Health powerhouse
Transform your health and feel
inspired by eating fresh vegetables from your own garden
Words By: Ivana Chiles
In the last issue, I gave you some tips

about how to start a small herb garden.
But what if small is not big enough for
you and you want to experiment more?
What if you want to nourish your body and
soul with vegetables that are handpicked at
their peak nutritional value? What if you care
about what you put on your fork and want
to shorten the harvest to plate time to an
absolute minimum? Perhaps you are tired of
running around Dubai supermarkets looking
for organic kale or celery? Or you just want
to liven up your salad and sandwich with
the incredible spectrum of colors you had
watched grow?
Did you know?
The average time it takes from leafy greens,

fruits or vegetables to be imported from
all over the world to Dubai is between two
to three weeks? Wouldnt that be another
reason for you to start growing your own
vegetables and herbs?
Vegetables have a set amount of nutrients when harvested and begin to lose
them the minute they are cut off from their
food source. Once harvested, they begin to
consume their own nutrients in order to stay
alive. This decline is hastened by the things

we do to them. Leafy greens like spinach will
lose 50% of their vitamin content within 12
hours of harvesting!
After picking, fruits and vegetables continue to breathe. This process, called respiration, breaks down stored organic materials,
such as carbohydrates, proteins and fats,
and leads to loss of food value, flavour and
nutrients. Produce will lose heat from this
respiration as well as moisture, which is one
way nutrients are lost. Asparagus, broccoli
or cauliflower have a very high respiration
rate and will lose nutrition and flavour more
quickly than apples, garlic or onions, all of
which have low respiration rates. The longer
produce has to breathe before it is consumed, the less likely it is to retain nutrients.
Take your own health into your hands.
Come to life again by eating vegetables
from your own garden.
If you have grown some fresh herbs, green
leafy vegetables should be your next choice.
If you can afford a larger planting area or
perhaps you have a wonderfully skillful husband like me who shares your passion and
will make raised beds for you or perhaps
your balcony is large enough to place some
bigger pots? Rocket, spinach, kale and red
chard have been doing incredibly well in my
first ever attempt to grow them this season
while broccoli has never made it far enough
to create reasonable edible heads. Just
dont give up! At least we have been harvesting and enjoying beautiful green broccoli leaves in our salads or sauted them
with some olive oil, onion and garlic. Some
vegetables simply require weeks to mature
and grow fully.
Once you have prepared your soil, simply
throw some seeds, sprinkle a handful of
soil on the top (just enough to cover the
seeds), water and make sure the soil never
gets completely dry. All leafy greens should
not be replanted at any stage, as they grow
in thick patches and their roots are rather
deep. Dont forget to nourish with Bokashi
juice (www.bokashidubai.com), organic fertilizers or by sprinkling some Epsom salt (for
magnesium) every couple of weeks!
If you wish to take your gardening further,
try cucumbers, peppers or tomatoes. But
remember, that they are all nutritionally
demanding crops and pouring some water
now and then will not reward you with very
positive results.
Cucumbers, peppers, red chard,

kale, broccoli, spinach and rocket
Cucumbers
I love growing cucumbers. They do require

lots of space and water, but I enjoy literally
training them how to grow up the trellis.
They are simply fun. You will be able to
harvest tasty cucumbers in less than three
months here in UAE and the size gain can
be amazing; 2cm in 24 hours. You will love
it! Another amazing thing about cucumbers
is that you will be able to do two harvests
within one winter here in UAE! I have also
planted rhubarb and beetroot couple of
months ago and they are doing very well
too and we will be enjoying some fresh juice
sometime this week.
Vegetables need
friends as well
Ever heard of companion gardening? I

have recently attended a workshop and
learnt about crop combinations. If you have
read my article last month and got inspired
by herb gardens, you can now combine your
herbs with vegetables and flowers. For example, tomatoes will do great when planted
together with basil and marigolds; each
plant will supply certain nutrients to support
the other and together they will live in harmony. Yet another example that plants, soil
and insects are intimately connected on our
planet. Bright yellow marigolds will attract
pollinating bees while basil will keep insects
and bugs away. Isnt that amazing?
Tomatoes
The smell of your own organic tomatoes
40
OUTDOORUAE
Tomatoes seem to be the top choice for

most people in UAE. After all who does not
want to have juicy organic tomatoes in their
salad from their own garden? Ripe tomatoes
on a vine are rather inviting, at least for me
and smell amazing. Just remember, it is a
slow plant (just like peppers) and you should
start planting tomato seeds indoors around
September, so you can harvest in December
and throughout the season. Tomatoes do
like sunny areas and dont do too well in airconditioned flats. They also require plenty of
water, which should never be poured onto
the leaves or the stems. And remember, you
have to fertilize every two weeks to keep the
plants strong.
Morning selection of vegetables and herbs from our garden
Add some nourishment

to your life
I could be going on and on about gardening, crop combinations, crop rotations, nutrient deficiency etc., but remember, do what
you feel like and can find time for. Treat your
plants with love and care, learn from your
mistakes, so next time you will get it right.
Enjoy the sudden abundance of birds, bees,
butterflies and dragonflies in your garden or
on your balcony. Start or join a like-minded
gardening community of people in your area
and connect with them to exchange gardening tips.
If my article resonates with you, join my
Health Powerhouse Facebook page and
check out my website www.ivanahph.com
for some more gardening tips, delicious
healthy recipes, natural cosmetics and lots
more.
Some interesting facts about how quickly
vegetables lose their nutrients
Freshly cut broccoli
Yes, even beetroot is possible for you, but it takes about three months to mature!
The depletion can happen

in many ways:
Through the chopping itself which exposes

surfaces from which vitamins and minerals
can be lost. When a vegetable is cut, it
perceives it as an attack; it goes on the
defensive and activates enzymes which
destroys its own nutrients. (Better to destroy
yourself than be destroyed). The brown discoloration is the evidence. The more pieces
you cut it into before you cook it, the more
defensive the vegetable gets. Ever heard of
tearing leafy green rather than cutting with
knife? Definitely more gentle way of
preparing!
You should always delay cutting and buy
whole vegetables vs pre-cut. Dont peel or

pre-cut and store in the fridge! Peel vegetables after cooking (especially beets), as the
skin seals the nutrients in.
Through freezing, when the enzymes are
deactivated. Vitamin C seems to be particularly vulnerable and lost during freezing.
Through juicing, juicing breaks the vegetable into such tiny parts that the nutrient
loss begins rapidly. Very few nutrients will be
left in the glass 24 hours later. To maximise
benefits from freshly made juice, drink it as
soon as possible after juicing, alternatively
use glass bottle and fill it up with juice to the
maximum to minimise oxidizing.
Broccoli recipes
Here are two recipes to give an idea what to do with broccoli when it doesnt exactly
grow the way you wish:
There are many different ways to use up your beautifully coloured broccoli leaves
(the same rule applies for pretty much any other similar vegetable like cauliflower,
beetroot etc). The delicious tart taste will enhance your raw salad, sauted broccoli
leaves can be used as a substitute for spinach with your morning scrambled eggs and
the leftover used in another salad. Let your fantasy be your guide.
Raw broccoli leaves are packed with B vitamins (especially riboflavin, niacin and thiamine), vitamin A, C, folate, calcium, iron, potassium, selenium and manganese. They
are also excellent source of protein!
Recipe 1
In a large pot, saut finely chopped onion

and few cloves of crushed garlic with olive
oil or butter. In the meantime wash broccoli
leaves, remove and chop the stems and add
to the pot. Saut for two more minutes on
medium heat (you dont want to destroy any
precious vitamins!). Add hand-teared broccoli
leaves, fresh pepper and a pinch of salt and
cook briefly for one to two minutes. Serve with scrambled eggs and fresh bread (in the
picture homemade organic buckwheat/hazelnut bread).
Sweet green pepper are rather demanding,

but its worth it giving a try
Treat your plants with love and care,

learn from your mistakes, so next time
you will get it right. Just like me. You
can find some more tips and links on my
website www.ivanahph.com or follow
me on my Health Powerhouse Facebook
page for some more gardening tips,
delicious recipes and natural cosmetics.
Recipe 2
What to do with leftover sauted broccoli

leaves? In the picture above, I mixed them
with cooked millet and amaranth, handful of dried cranberries, pine nuts, pinch of
pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and one
tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. Delicious,
nurturing and well deserved!
Ivana Chiles has been living in the

UAE for almost 15 years. Her passions
are nutrition, healthy cooking and
gardening. Ivana is a certified health
coach, member of American Association
of Drugless Practitioners and also a keen
outdoor enthusiast.
OUTDOORUAE
41
EVENT REPORT
SeaYou
Watersport Challenge
On Saturday 6th of February,

SeaYou offered a great opportunity
to all the competitors and visitors
at the SeaYou Watersport Challenge to sail and paddle inside the
amazing Palm Jumeirah thanks to
Nakheel support.
For this second edition, the day was
divided in two parts with SUP races in the
morning and windsurfing races in the afternoon.
All the SUP races were free and open to
all. At 10:00 a.m., it started with a sprint race
of 1km towards the Atlantis for boards below 126. Then at 11:00 a.m. a long distance
race of 4km was running for race boards
of 126 and above. It was one lap going in
front of Atlantis, entering in one frond and
the finish line was on the beach! There was
a prize giving with trophies and medals for
female Siyun Liang and male Amer Dantachi
first prize (1,000 AED SeaYou voucher and
a lunch for two in Coya restaurant, value at
700 AED).
Afternoon was dedicated to windsurfing race on Starboard Phantom 295 which
is a one-design class race board, so all the
42
OUTDOORUAE
competitors were sailing on the same board

with only different sails fitting to their body
type. The board is equipped with a retractable dagger board rudder which is perfect
for light wind conditions like in UAE.
SeaYou provided all the equipment for the
competition (100 AED) and with this kind of
event, SeaYou wants to develop a windsurfing community through all of the emirates.
There were two races with 12 competitors
each and there was a final race with the six
best of each groups.
Its the biggest windsurfing event in all the
Middle East!
The race was launched at 1:30 p.m. in
light wind conditions approximately 7-8

knots coming from west northwest. There
were three laps about 12min over a triangle
course where the competitors were sailing
broad-reach, then up-wind port tack and upwind starboard tack.
After the race, all people were invited to
the prize giving with trophies and medals. Edern Lalann won the overall first prize
(Starboard apparels, lunch for two people
in Sofitel the Palms restaurant, 1,000 AED
SeaYou vouchers) and Sihem Soukeur won
the female first prize (1h massage in Sofitel,
The Palm, Starboard apparels).
With a family-friendly atmosphere (18
nationalities involved in both activities),
visitors and competitors already planned to
come again to the next SeaYou Watersport
Challenge in April. Stay tuned on www.
seayou.ae.
Thanks to Nakheel, Dubai Sport Council,
Sofitel, The Palm Resort & Spa for their support and a special thanks to OutdoorUAE
and GU (energy gel), all the three first
winners of each race were lucky to get a
goodie bags with some issue of the
magazine, the Off-road guide book and
ICFlix cards. Sofitel, The Palm also offered
20% discount to all the participants as well
as Raffin Beauty Salon and Smart Haiways
Gents Salon.
Habitually healthy
Words + Recipe By: Chef Christopher Zerbe
During the winter months here in Dubai and

the UAE, one of the more popular things to do
is boating and fishing! I for one grew up with
a fishing pole in my hand constantly. Whether
it was freshwater fly fishing for trout or deep
sea fishing for flounder, fishing has been in my
blood since the very beginning. (Then again, it
could be the Greek in me!)
The average fishing season in the UAE runs
from October to usually early May. With the
increase in population over the last 10 years, the
demand for local fish has drastically caused the
overfishing of at least six to seven different species! Who is doing anything about this you ask?
It has been stated on record that in the last
nine years, the supply of fish off the coast of the
UAE has decreased by more than two thirds
(2/3)! By far a byproduct of the increased construction off our coastlines and reefs, however
we all can do our part to help bring back certain
species of fish which have dwindled so low that
they are becoming endangered.
Over the last two years, we have also seen
a big push for sustainability in our local fishing and purchasing of fish whether it be at the
local market or by the huge five-star resort
properties. Some of these fish are still sold in
restaurants and markets across the UAE even
with government pressure from the incredible
ORANGE-SPOTTED TREVALLY
Ingredients
METHOD
Be sure to keep your trevally fillets nice and cold when
transporting from the market to your kitchen!
For this recipe you will need two med size fry pans.
www.choosewisely.ae organisation heavily

endorsed by the Ministry of Environment
and Water of the United Arab Emirates. This
organisation has set up a fantastic resource for
everyone, describing the overfishing being
done here as well as the consumer purchasing
of non-sustainable fish!
In case you were wondering which fish are
sustainable, the Choose Wisely website has a
great section with even pictures of each fish
and which category they fall in. An impressive
resource for you especially on your shopping
days. Avoid purchasing hamour or kingfish
and try some other amazing local fish like
orange-spotted trevally (known locally as
Jesh Um Al Hala) or even the black-streaked
monocle bream (known locally as Ebzimi).
There are many other fish in the sea as they
say, so go try them. Take a few minutes and
visit the weblink mentioned above and do
your part to help revive the age old custom
of responsible fishing and trade in your home
away from home!
Quantity Preparation
Orange-spotted trevally fillets 1 each
Ask the fishmonger to scale/de-bone it for you
Organic yellow onion
25 g
Minced
Garlic clove
1/2 each
Minced
Fresh heirloom tomatoes
2 med
Small diced
Fresh basil leaves
4 leaves
Thinly sliced
Extra virgin olive oil
5 tbsp
Use 1/2 for cooking and the other half for finishing
Chili flakes
1 pinch
(I like it a bit spicy. Your choice though!)
Flaked sea salt
2 pinch
Use 1 for seasoning the fish fillet and the other while cooking
the tomatoes
Ground white pepper
1 twist
Use 1 for seasoning the fish fillet and the other while cooking
the tomatoes
Cauliflower
1/2 head
Cut into 4cm pieces and pulse in your food processor till you
get a rice like texture and size
Lemon wedges
6 pcs
Use 4 pieces for the fish and 2 pieces for the cooking!
Water
3/4 cup
For the cauliflower rice
In the first fry pan, place on med heat, add 1tbsp of olive oil
and 2tbsp of the minced onion and cook till the onion starts
to turn translucent. Now add 1/2 of the minced garlic and the
chopped parsley. Next add the chopped cauliflower to the pan
and toss liberally to get it all mixed thoroughly. Squeeze a bit of
lemon juice in the pan, toss then add the water and cover, cook
till the rice is al dente!
Once your rice is done, drain the excess water just like you
would regular rice, and set aside in a bowl and cover with cling
film to keep hot. (That microwave on your counter acts as an
awesome insulated hot box too).
Now I like to take my fresh fish fillet and pat them dry with a tea
towel first before I put a very small amount of olive oil rubbed
on and the sea salt and white pepper.
Next heat your second fry pan to medium heat and sear the fish
flesh side down. Once it has cooked for about 2-3 minutes it will be
a nice golden brown. Carefully flip the fish fillet over to the skin side
( be sure to flip the fish away from you so that if you splash the oil
it goes away from you avoiding the chance of a nasty burn. Cook
the fish on the skin side for another 3min to get the skin crispy and
remove from the pan and set aside.
Now that the fish is 3/4 cooked, its time to deglaze the pan.
Place your same fish pan back on the stove and heat again to
med heat. With the remaining oil in the pan, add your minced
onions and brown gently. Add the garlic mince, then add the
chili flakes and basil. Before the garlic turns brown, add the
chopped tomatoes and a healthy pinch of the sea salt and a
twist of white pepper.
Cover the pan with a lid and cook on med heat for approximately 2-3min to allow the tomatoes to break down and the
sauce to form!
Carefully lift the lid off your pan with it angled away from you to
prevent the steam from burning you. Safety first always.
Now place your 3/4 cooked fish fillets on top of the cooked tomatoes and cover again for 2min till the fish is cooked through
and flakes nicely. Remove the pan from the heat and turn off
your stove top.
To plate your fish, place a bed of the cauliflower rice on
your plate, place a fish fillet on top and spoon over half of the
chunky tomato sauce. Drizzle a bit of the extra olive oil over top
and garnish with a bit of basil.
The Cycle Bistro

GPS location:
Latitude:
N 25 02.792
Longitude:
E 055 14.384
Phone:
04 425 6555
OUTDOORUAE
43
LIFESTYLE
The geology of the UAE
Walking along the limestone ridge at Maleha, Fossil Rock
Words + Photos By: Dan Wright
I have always had a love for

Geology which was inspired by
my father and mother taking my
brother and I out into the hills of
Gloucestershire at weekends to collect fossils and minerals.
The predominantly limestone hills where
we grew up were abundant with outcrops
(also good for climbing and caving!) where
a few hours with a picnic spread out on
the grass nearby could turn out a pocketful of gastropods, ammonites, bivalves and
various other Mesozoic era fossils. Sometimes we would vary the day out by visiting
the Red Lion Inn on the banks of the River
Severn and whilst mum and dad tucked into
a ploughmans lunch and lemonade, my
brother and I would happily splash along the
exposed shale and mudstone river banks
looking for glittering chunks of pyrites otherwise known as Fools Gold!
This fascination with ancient life and the
way the world has developed followed me
through an A-Level in Geology and a degree
in Environmental Science with a specialisation in Sedimentology and Glaciology. Since
arriving in the UAE in 2008, I have amassed
quite a big collection (to some concern
from my wife for the dust it brings into the
house!) on our apartment window ledges of
rocks, minerals and fossils from all over the
seven emirates and beyond into Oman.
The past
For most people, if I asked them, what do

you know about the Geology of the UAE?
Its likely theyd reply something along the
lines of Its pretty flat with lots of sand
a few mountains and a lot of oil stored
underground. Well, thats a fairly accurate
description of the area we live in now but
44
OUTDOORUAE
how did that happen? This month Im going

to tell you a bit about the geology under
our feet and about how that has shaped the
landscape that we live in today. HH Sheikh
Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan states in the
foreword to the book Abu Dhabi 8 Million
Years Ago that:
It is appropriate that we should take time
to remember the countrys past for it is
from there that we derive our roots and from
there that the environment of today has
evolved.
but also some of the much older layers.

Geologists can look at these exposed layers
and date them according to what is found in
the beds and use them to form an accurate
picture of what has occurred here over the
last few hundred million years!
Exposed limestone beds at Maleha
The Arabian Plate
The UAE lies on the Arabian Plate which was

once a part of the supercontinent known as
Gondwanaland, this dates back to around
950 million years ago which to be fair is
quite a long time! Throughout the millennia
the area has been subjected to vastly changing conditions and for much of the time was
under the sea and was actually located in
the Southern Hemisphere. These conditions
meant that various sediments have been
deposited and gradually form successive
layers. From sandy beaches (forming sandstone) to layers rich with dead organisms
under the sea (forming limestone), marshy
land between the beach and mainland
(forming shale) and thick mud deposits
from river deltas (forming mudstone). The
process of these sediments being laid down
is called sedimentation. As they form layers
and layers on top of each other, the intense
pressure from the weight above mixes with
mineral fluids and crushes down to cement
together forming rock beds. This process is
also responsible for the oil and gas beds in
the shale layers that are so prevalent in this
region.
Over time due to tectonic forces (the
shifting of the Earths plates that form the
crust) many of these beds have been twisted
and moved so that they are no longer
horizontal and it is now possible to see not
only the most recent layers on the surface
Believe it or not the Western Region used

to look pretty much like a modern African
Savannah would today. Seems unlikely right?
Elephants, hippo, hyena, sabre-toothed
cats, apes, crocodiles and lots of fish and
birds. But six to eight million years ago this
is precisely what you would have found
on the plains around Abu Dhabi. This was
known as the Late Miocene period. If you
visit the natural history museum in Abu
Dhabi or at Sharjah Wildlife park you can
see the fossil evidence of these animals living here yourselves.
There are now no rivers in the UAE but
back then the river that flowed through this
region is likely to have been either a lower
section of the Tigris or Euphrates that we
now know or possibly the eastern part of
a Saudi Arabian system. Whichever source
it came from, it doesnt exist today and
the fertile flood plains that it would have
deposited silts on in the rainy seasons are
also long gone and the land now is dry and
sandy.
Desert Rose
Desert Rose
Fossils collected above Greyskull Canyon in RAK
Fossil Rock
Large parts of the UAE were also from time

to time underwater, specifically sea water
and the evidence for this is found in the
beds of sedimentary rocks, in particular limestone that hold fossils of known sea dwellers
from specific periods in geological time. For
example the mountains at Maleha that form
the well known Fossil Rock and the almost
straight ridgeline that rises out of the desert
like a prehistoric dinosaurs back are formed
of limestone beds that are rich with fossils.
The limestone dates back to the Cretaceous
or Jurassic periods which were between 65
and 213 million years ago.
RAK is also famous for its fossil beds in the
mountains above the city and if you head up
there on a half day hike or to descend a dry
canyon with OutdoorArabia youll easily find
a pocketful of small Gastropods or Ammonites or Bivalves to take home for your
school project or to clutter up your apartment window ledges!
Apart from the enormous fossil fuel reserves in the region the UAE is also famous
for its Ophiolite formations. Ophiolites are
sequences of rocks which are very rare to
see because they come from deep under
the overlying sediments and form the upper layers of the Earths crust. Sometimes
tectonic forces thrust them upwards and
the Hajar Mountains from Dhaid to Dibba
have surface exposed outcrops which allow
geologists the rare opportunity to study the
Earths crust.
One beautiful mineral you may be lucky

enough to find in the UAE is the Desert
Rose which is formed from gypsum. This
is a very important mineral in soil and the
amount and location will decide the different soil type. It can be found in the desert
in shallow depressions between two sand
dunes. It forms in sabkhas (saltwater rich
desert) when shallow salt basins evaporate
(especially as they dry out after rains). The
CaS04 2H2O in the water crystallizes into
the mineral Gypsum which forms between
the individual sand grains trapping them in
its structure. Winds and other surface processes expose the crystal structures which
look like rock roses as in the example below:
What can I do with all these rocks?
You could create your own Rock Garden

at home to impress visitors or make a small
collection in compartmentalised boxes each
one labeled and then take it into school for
extra credit! You can even take nice crystals
or fossils to a jewelry store and have them
set in silver and made into pendants to give
to friends and family as gifts. For some time
in my 20s, I funded my travels in Asia by
collecting fossils and setting them in silver at
Rock Garden
local jewelers and then selling them through

natural history shops in the UK. Or you could
leave everything in place where you find it
and just take photographs (which is definitely the cleanest and tidiest option!).
Whatever you decide to do, please do
it in a safe and responsible way. Theres no
need to take more than one or two samples
from any one place and you should always
pay attention to the landscape you are in
and preserving its natural beauty. I dont
use a hammer to collect samples as this
destroys the environment. As always check
the weather forecast before heading into the
mountains and take all your rubbish home
with you.
Geology is a great way for anyone and
their friends or family to get an introduction to the environment we live in and an
understanding of geology will give you a
better understanding of the landscape in the
UAE and how it was formed. Good luck and
have fun!
Discovering yourself
If you do decide to head out and do some

rock, fossil or mineral collecting then you
may also want to invest in a good rocks and
mineralogy book like DK Nature Guide:
Rocks and Minerals by Ronald Louis Bonewitz or the pocket book on Fossils by David M Martill. These are available from any
good book shop in the UAE. You can create
your own collecting kit and you should
include a handheld magnifying glass (around
10 AED from any big shopping centre) and
take separate sandwich bags to keep similar
samples together. A marker pen is a useful
way to write on the sandwich bag where and
when you found those samples. Be careful if
you are turning over rocks and watch out for
scorpions or even snakes.
Geology collecting kit
About the Author: Dan Wright is a

freelance Wilderness Guide in the UAE
and Asia, prior to that he worked for an
Emirati Citizenship program. He has a
degree in Environmental Science. Dan
has been on several International wildlife and exploration expeditions with UK
Radio stations and writes for a range
of publications in Asia and the Middle
East. His wife is the former Nepal National Mountain Bike Champion, Nirjala
Tamrakar (See OutdoorUAE, issue44,
page 8). They live in Fujairah with their
son Percy and spend all their spare time
exploring the UAE!
OUTDOORUAE
45
T R&I E D
TESTED
ODUC
THIS PR
OV
T IS APPR
TDOO
ED BY OU
RUAE
The vest rests nicely in

a position in the back
BY NATHAN
Im a very sceptical person when

people tell me things. Especially
if it comes from a marketing department. I always need to check
them out myself. So when my task
this month was to test a veste de
course or a race vest that was
totally black but claimed to be more
reflective than other materials, I
smiled.
Most people in the UAE know Nathan as
the guy at Premier Marathons who you email
when deadline has passed and try to beg a
late entry or who stands at the front of the
RAK Half Marathon every year and apologises
for the late start. In fact, Nathan is a market
leader in creating groundbreaking running
essentials. Running essentials is anything
that helps you run faster and longer in races
from 5km to ultramarathons. And Nathan has
a full range of products from hydration vests,
belts, handhelds, bottles, running packs, active visibility and reflective vests. Nathan is a
US-based company with distributors worldwide. Their products feel like high quality
and they have been awarded several design
awards for graphic and/or product ideation
and execution by industry bodies.
The Nathan product I was testing was the
hydration vest. It looked awesome in black
and the materials, meshing and clips felt so slick,
A front bottle for quick
tactile and of a very high
access and the drinking
tube keeps you hydrated quality.
Its almost like a backpack, but its called a race
vest. When you put it
on it, wraps around your
body so that when you
are running, especially
bumpy trails it doesnt
jump about. In the back
section there is a two-litre
reservoir with a drinking
tube that stretches to
the front. Hydration in
the Emirates is essential
when out in the mountains, wadis and deserts
at any time of the year but coming up to the

summer even more so. Running around the
streets of Dubai in the evening in the summer
you benefit from having the liquid and the
reflection abilities of this product.
There are a number of selling points of this
beautiful, iconic design but rather forgettable
name, the HPL 020 Blacklight Hydration Vest
2L:
Black reflective fabric is super-reflective and
provides incredible visibility
Patented three-way Propulsion Harness
Comfortable mesh straps and a tube for easy hydration
stabilises side-to-side/up-down movement of
snug. All around the vest there are reflective
bladder and other contents for a bounce-free
strips that trim the black reflective fabric.
ride
The straps on the vest mean you can pull
Wall mesh shoulder straps are highly
it tight or loosen the fit according to how
breathable
you feel and the front zip pocket and hooks
One front bottle pocket fits a 22ozTru-Flex
safeguard your car keys etc so you dont have
Bottle and one front zip
to run another loop and find them.
smartphone-compatible pocket
Overall, I found the vest very tactile and
an object of desire. It fits and holds perfectly
The whole vest weights 413g without the
on the back and feels so nice
bladder. The bladder holds
to wear that you look for op2L of water which is 2kg so
portunities to use it. Maybe
you want something that is
owning one of these will moticomfortable and doesnt move
vate you to get outdoors a bit
around. There is a breathable
more. The black material gives
perforated back panel to cool
it a feeling of style and authenthings down a little and make
tic design but it is also very
your next 100-miler a breeze.
functional, 2L in the bladder
The stability and comfort
and space for more bottles on
is provided by the three-way
the front so you can stay out
harness which controls siderunning for at least a couple
to-side/up-down movement
of hours. Nathan has a whole
of the bladder and other
range of products to suit difcontents you might be carryferent uses and demands. The
ing such as a phone, camera,
HPL 020 Blacklight Hydration
gels or food. The breathable
Vest is definitely one of my
mesh material extends to the
The material is actually black but
favourites.
shoulder straps and feels very glows when light is directed at it
PRODUCTS
A ROUND-UP OF QUALITY PRODUCTS AVAILABLE RIGHT HERE IN THE UAE
Jobe Conflict Wakeboard 2015

collection
2,050 AED (previously 2595 AED)
Available only at Al Yousuf Motors across UAE

It is champions choice.
A large nose is the mark of a brisk, strong and dependable man,
a wise Frenchman once said. Were guessing the same goes for
boards made by Frenchmen! Julian gave his 2015 pro model a
nose and tail with as much surface area as possible, making the
Conflict not only super strong but also fast, consistent and
balanced on rails especially when pressing! The 2015 Conflict also showcases
a three-stage rocker and a H.I.T. base,
giving this years model even more pop off
kickers and fleon rails. Its long and deep
channels run all the way from tip to tail
and work in unison with its sharp and hard
edges, giving you the kind of grip youll
need to boost air tricks like JuJu!
Three-stage construction
ABS sidewall
Blended core
Flex
Hit base
Slider fins
Press technology
Patagonia R1 Full-Zip Jacket

710 AED
Available at Adventure HQ
The classic R1 Jacket offers maximum versatility for the full
spectrum of mountain endeavours. Made with Regulator grid
fleece for outstanding stretch, breathability, compressibility and
durability.
More than a decade after we introduced the R1, it remains a
favourite of the world over for good reason: it stretches, breathes,
wicks and warms with ultimate efficiency. The full-zip iteration only
enhances its range, whether worn as a midlayer or a lightweight
jacket. The finely tuned high/low interior grid polyester fabric (Polartec Power Dry) also squashes down to practically nothing,
has a terrific feel and remains durable and warm. Two-zippered
hand warmer pockets sit above the harness line, and offset shoulder seams steer clear of pack straps.
Versatile R1 fleece, with its high/low grid pattern,
provides excellent stretch, warmth, fast wicking and
great breathability in a variety of temperatures
Microfibre face speeds dry time and allows for
easy layering
Two-zippered hand warmer pockets with
brushed polyester mesh
Raglan sleeve construction reduces bulk
under a pack
6.8-oz Polartec Power Dry 93% polyester (41% recycled)/7% spandex. Fabric is
bluesign approved
294 g (10.4 oz)
Made in Colombia
48
OUTDOORUAE
Marmot Limelight Two-Person Tent

1,335 AED
The Limelight 2P follows the keep it simple principle for quick
set-up and weight-minimisation while still camping in comfort.
Features include a roomy side vestibule to keep gear dry in wet
weather, D-shaped door for easy entry/exit, colour-coded Easy
Pitch clips and poles, seam-taped catenary cut floor to maximise
space and ventilation and seam-taped full coverage fly. Free gear
loft and footprint!
Sea to Summit Ultrasil Duffle 40L

210 AED
The latest addition to our range of ultralight travel bags, the new
Sea to Summit UltraSil Duffle Bag, is the ultimate in lightweight
duffle bags. With an incredible volume capacity of 40L and strong
enough for a heavy load, it is
the perfect duffle bag as airline
carry-on baggage, a carry all for
impromptu excursions or just
going to the gym. Super compact and superlight, it is also an
obvious choice as a spare bag on
any trip.
Ultralight versatile duffle bag
Fits snugly in the accompanying
stuff sack with a Hypalon key
ring attachment
UltraSil fabric for strength and
durability
Bar tacked stitching to reinforce
all key stress points
Durable YKK TM zipper
Boat Show
This month sees Watercooled celebrate

three years in the UAE, after first opening
their doors at the Jebel Ali Golf Resort in
March 2012. In those three years, Watercooled has expanded their training and
rental operations, opening activity centres on
the Corniche at Hiltonia Beach Club in Abu
Dhabi, and most recently on JBR at the newly
opened DoubleTree by Hilton. Watercooled
offer a wide range of water sports activities, and they specialise in providing certified tuition, which means they choose their
operation locations carefully. Watercooled
general manager Barry explains, We choose
areas based on certain criteria, namely wind
direction, shelter and other water users. We
train hundreds of new students each year,
and it is important that they can learn to sail,
windsurf, paddle or ski in a safe environment,
so that they get a chance to really enjoy what
they are doing, and therefore have the desire
to continue with their chosen sport and their
training.
Activities
Watercooleds club houses at Jebel Ali and

Abu Dhabi are recognised training centres of
the Royal Yachting Association (RYA), while
their JBR centre is currently under application for the same. The RYA is the UK National
Governing Body for sailing, windsurfing and
powerboating and is globally recognised as a
standard of excellence in training. The team
at Watercooled are all RYA qualified and each
location has specialist instructors who are
experts in their chosen sport, from sailing to
windsurfing to powerboating. Scott, Watercooleds operation manager, has been with

the company since they opened in the UAE
in 2012 describes the range of activities on
offer, We certainly take pride in our RYA accreditation, and we do a lot of certified
training in sailing, windsurfing and powerboating. The great thing about the RYA
schemes is that they have been refined over
the years so the progression is really achievable, they also specialise in youth and adult
schemes. However, we carry this training
ethos over to all our activities, and provide
great structured tuition for kayaking, stand up
paddleboard (SUP) as well as the motorised
activities of waterski and wakeboarding. To
top it off we have the activities that anyone
can enjoy, like fishing trips, boat tours and
donut tows!
Accessibility
Part of Watercooleds mission is to make
water sports accessible to as many people
as possible, whether you are an experienced
windsurfer or a novice sailor, the team will
be able to cater for you. Even though the
centres are located at premium beach clubs
and hotels, anyone can come and use the
activities at any time, without having to pay
any entrance fees. The company has specific
entrance policies with their hotel partners,
meaning customers pre-book their activity
for their chosen location, then provide their
details at the hotel entrance, where they are
allowed to come and do their Watercooled
activity. If guests wish to stay and use the
hotel and beach facilities afterwards, they
simply pay the daily rate at the hotel to do
so. Each centre has a wide range of equipment from top suppliers to ensure that all
abilities are catered for. The beginner training
courses prove to be very popular, particularly
for sailing. Each RYA course has an instructor
student ratio of 1:6, meaning that the tuition
is very hands on, with trainees having plenty
of time to ask further questions. The rental
options available at the centres really open
up the different water sports opportunities,
allowing people to pick and choose different kit and equipment each time they come,
either keeping it a leisurely day on the water,
or upping the ante for a real challenge in
windy conditions. Scott elaborates It is really
important for people new to a sport, that
they can easily practice and develop their
skills, this is really one of the strengths of the
centres, it allows people to learn at their own
pace, or as part of a group lesson. And for
experienced people, the centres are really

the ultimate playground, with all the top kit
on hand ready to go when they choose.
Clubs
Watercooled aim to keep building their

inclusive take on water sports by increasing
their group and club offerings.Water sports is
often seen as singular activity, but most can
be enjoyed as part of a group. Regular group
SUP sessions, like safaris, yoga and fitness
camps, as well as windsurfing workshops and
sailing race clubs have proven very popular
over the years. With their new location at
JBR, the company hopes that now they are
closer to peoples doorsteps, it will encourage more people to get on the water, try
something new, or enjoy meeting some new
people in a fun environment.
Watercooled Jebel Ali:
bookingsdxb@watercooleduae.com;
04 8876771
Watercooled JBR: bookingsjbr@watercooleduae.com; 055 9137152
Watercooled Abu Dhabi: bookingsauh@
watercooleduae.com; 02 6395997
PRODUCTS
FitBit Surge
1,299 AED/QAR
141.2 OMR
Available exclusively at GO Sport from 1st to 15th March 2015
Train smarter and go further with Surge a sleek, Fitness Super
Watch helps you reach your peak performance on the track, in the
gym and all day. With integrated GPS and automatic, continuous,
wrist-based heart rate tracking, Surge gives you real-time workout
stats like pace, distance, calories burned, heart rate intensity and
target zones to make the most of your training. Designed for
all day wear, this contoured watch tracks your steps, distance,
calories burned, sleep and 24/7 heart rate trends for better fitness
insights. Stay connected on the move with advanced smart watch
features like call and text notifications and music control. Every
moment counts when youre striving to be the best. Dont just
start. Surge.
Five Ten Camp Four Approach Shoe

825 AED
Available at Adventure HQ and Rock Republic

Be ready for when your
world suddenly goes vertical. From the worlds most
dangerous big walls to the
worlds most dangerous
big hikes, Camp Fours with
their super sticky Stealth
S1 give you the confidence necessary for success. A svelte heel cage has been
added plus increased the lug height for better penetration into
soft ground, and reduced seams on the upper for improved
durability and weather resistance.
More aggressive tread and a less absorbent foam make the
newer version of the old classic more suited to loose, slippery
approaches. They also feel lighter but just as sticky as we all
know and love from the old Camp Four.
They are, designed for the worlds most dangerous hikes:
slippery rock, big exposure and dire consequences from a slip.
The new Camp Four is well made for this, sticky rubber that
inspires more holds in sketchy situations, deep tread for sure
footed grip and tough leather upper
that is triple stitched in high wear
areas around the bend in the foot.
Minimal panels to reduce weakness
and complication.
Mocks
Starting from 325 AED
Feel Free Lure 10

and 11.5 Fishing Kayaks
Starting from 275 AED
7,450 AED (Lure 11.5)

6,950 AED (Lure 10)
(mens and ladies CLASSIC CANVAS)

Starting from 150 AED (kids)
and Global Climbing
(mens and ladies MOCKLITE CLASSIC II)
Available at Namshi, Athletes Co,

Stadium, TAF Kids. For information, call +971 4 362 9497.
Are your feet ready for an adventure? One where theyll be
stepping into a world of pure colour, pure comfort and pure
style? Youve arrived at Mocks, the new footwear trend your feet
will thank you for. Taking our lead from traditional moccasins,
weve looked at a comfort classic and given it a few 21st century
twists. With so many colours and styles to choose from, you can
express yourself and get your feet fizzing wherever you are:
in the city, in the country,
on the beach.
Feelfree Kayaks are taking kayak fishing to a

new level in stability, comfort and
versatility with the new 2014 Lure. The Lure
11.5 is the Lure 10s bigger brother designed
for longer paddling trips on rivers, lakes and oceans
with more capacity and additional deck space.
The kayak also comes with a variety of unique features seen on
Lure series kayaks including a removable multi-level extra wide
Patent Pending Gravity Seat, Feelfrees patented wheel in the keel
and Uni-Track system. The Gravity Seat offers a wide range of seat
heights, which is adjusted with the simple function of a lever and
is removable. What really sets the Gravity Seat apart is the ability
to sit flush on the deck of the kayak when additional stability and a
more efficient paddling position is needed for longer distances.
The Lures super-stable 36 wide hull paired with a padded
standing platform gives you the option to paddle or cast in either
the sitting or standing position whether fishing inland waters or
wide open oceans this kayak fears no water.
50
OUTDOORUAE
New RACE ULTRA 270 Running Shoe

Building on the success of their
award-winning RACE ULTRA 290,
Inov-8 has designed a new, lighter
version to give long-distance athletes an even faster weapon in their
shoe armoury.
Available now, the RACE ULTRA 270
weighs in at just 270g 20g lighter than the
RACE ULTRA 290 and has been designed
for big-mile races over trails and mountains.
With a reduced 4mm drop (heel to toe
differential), the RACE ULTRA 270 brings
the athlete closer to the terrain. And while
this delivers increased levels of proprioception, the shoe retains optimal cushioning
and comfort.
A flatter outsole ensures a stable ride
when fatigue sets in, while outstanding grip
is guaranteed through a combination of
sticky and high abrasion rubber cleats.
Inov-8s unique on-the-shoe attachment
system allows a RACE ULTRA GAITER (available to buy separately) to be fitted, ensuring all debris is kept at bay.
A multi-finger polymer Meta-Shank aligns
with each individual metatarsal, delivering an extra kick of energy with every step
while retaining impact protection and

flexibility.
The RACE ULTRA 270 has been engineered in Inov-8s standard fit, which allows
extra room and increased comfort for when
feet swell over long distance races.
International ultra-runner Brendan Davies,
who finished top eight in both the Western
States 100 and Ultra-Trail Mt Fuji last year,
has been involved in the testing and development of the RACE ULTRA 270.
Brendan said: The RACE ULTRA 270 is
the perfect shoe for racing long distances
over trails. With the 4mm drop I still have
a great feel of the ground underneath my
feet but with superb comfort too.
The Meta-Shank gives me flexible and
lightweight protection. It means I can run
long distances and always be protected
from the harsh sandstone that is a feature
where I live in the Blue Mountains, Australia.
The grip is ideal for running long ultras.
It really is a great all-rounder, offering superb traction on technical trails, both in dry
and wet conditions. I also use it in training
when a lot of my running is on fire trails. Ive
found the RACE ULTRA 270 really comfortable when running big miles in training.
I wore the RACE ULTRA 270 when,
as part of a four-man team, breaking the
course record for a 100km race in Sydney

recently and plan to wear it for a lot of races
in 2015, including the Western States 100.
The RACE ULTRA 270 is also currently on
the feet of global adventurer Ray Zahab,
who is running 800 miles across the Patagonian Desert, one of the most remote and
extreme places on earth.
For more information visit:
www.alboommarine.com
PRODUCTS
Suunto D4i
2,645 AED
Suunto Ambit3 Sport Sapphire

2,650 AED
Available at Adventure HQ, Modells, Sun & Sand Sports,

GO Sports and Stadium
The elegant design, inspired by feedback from hundreds of
women, is unique in the world of sports watches. Without compromising performance or functionality, the Ambit3 Sport Sapphire
is the kind of watch you really want to wear all day. Not only does
this high-powered sports watch look great, but it also monitors
your daily activity. You can check how many calories youve burned
for the day and see your daily average for the week.
With the free Suunto Movescount App (currently available for
iPhone, and for Android in March 2015), you can get notifications
sent directly to the Ambit3 Sport Sapphire. A glance at your wrist
is all it takes to see who is texting or calling, putting an end to
those frantic searches for your phone.
With four dive modes including freediving Suunto RGBM

algorithm, and the option of wireless integration, the Suunto D4i is
the dive computer of choice for all divers looking for a lightweight,
reliable and stylish dive computer.
The all-round dive computer comes out in two new editions.
With the pink edition, it gets a splash of colour. Its the perfect fit,
whether blending in with a coral reef or your style out of the water.
The gray Suunto D4i makes for a modern and streetwise alternative to black.
Salomon Elevate Seamless Tee
Salomon Agile Short
Available at Modells Sporting, Adventure HQ and Stadium
Available at Modells Sporting, Adventure HQ and Stadium
A seamless tee with an active fit, the Elevate Tee is made with 14%
wool, making it incredibly soft and comfortable, and it will only
become softer with age. Active fit is great for running or sports,
but still looks great for everyday activities. Subdued branding so
you can wear it everywhere.
Lightweight two-in-one running short with a soft, lightweight internal short and superlight outer shell, as well as a convenient zipped
key pocket.
270 AED
52
Available at
selected retail
stores and dive
centres
OUTDOORUAE
160 AED
Are your feet ready for an adventure?

One where theyll be stepping into a world of pure colour, pure comfort and pure style? Youve arrived at Mocks, the new footwear trend
your feet will thank you for.
Taking our lead from traditional moccasins and generations of native Americans cant be wrong - weve looked at a comfort classic and
given it a few 21st century twists.
With so many colours and styles to choose from, you can express yourself and get your feet fizzing wherever you are: in the city, in the
country, on the beach.
Explore our world. Take your first steps in Mocks and you know good times are ahead.
Available at Namshi, Athletes Co,
Stadium, TAF Kids. For information, call +971 4 362 9497.
Kids Shoes
Mens Mocklite Classic
Womens Mocklite Classic
Mens Canvas
Womens Canvas
At the end of March I will be in

Kathmandu, Nepal preparing to
climb Mount Everest, the highest
mountain in the world. You cannot
stand anywhere higher on this Earth.
Everest has caught the imagination
of people for a long time and lucky
for me it still continues to inspire
people to this day. This year, I have
been fortunate enough to be supported by a fantastic company, Nite
Watches, here in the Emirates who
understand what it takes to even
dream about such a challenge.
Wristwatches were first introduced in the
16th century when Elizabeth I of England received one as a present. Early models were
adaptations of pocket watches but with a
leather strap to enable the owner to wear it
on their arm. Instantly the watch became not
only more accessible and usable but more
visible and naturally a fashion item.
Nite Watches is a British watch brand
founded by Roger Green in 1998. He was
the first person to introduce a technology
into the British market known as GTLS or
Gaseous Tritium Light Source.The light produced by GTLS s varies in colour and size
with green usually being the brightest color.
In daylight, the amount of light given off is
not visible but in the dark it is clear from a
distance of several meters. It looks stunning
in day and night. GTLS uses a combination
of tritium and phosphors to create this visible light and requires no external electrical
energy and is a completely self-powered,
cold light source.
For this reason GTLS technology is favored by the military for applications where
a power source may not be available, such
as for instrument dials in aircraft, compasses
and sights for weapons. For the Nite watch

it looks striking.
The background of Nite Watches is borne
from adventure and excitement but also
style. I had been approached to wear the
Nite Watches because of my mountaineering background and forthcoming Everest
expedition linked closely to the core brand
values of Nite Watches. The watch I was
wearing was called the Icon.
On the wrist it looks grand with a simple
and classic elegance. The large open face,
bold dial numerals and the GTLS illumination are super effective at any time of the
day and in particular at night. The piece
feels solid and living in Dubai where the
wow factor is part of daily life, it draws many
remarks and comments. Wearing it you can
feel there is a very high build quality that
is lacking in many products these days and
you appreciate the solid steel case and
internal Swiss movements.
The Icon by Nite Watches can be an
elegant piece of jewelry, a collectible or
as in my case a functioning timepiece for

when Im outdoors. Its interesting that Nite
chooses not to sell the watches via retailers
but everything is done online and direct to
consumer. In doing so they have tried to
create a brand that is more connected to the
end user and their social media platforms
are equally full of stories and photos of the
watches as they are with information about
the products.
To recognise the design quality of Nite

Watches, the company was awarded a contract in 2005 to supply British Special Forces
with the MX10-001 model and the issue of
a NATO codification reference. So I felt that
when I was wearing my Icon I was in good
company. I hope to be wearing the Icon in
30 days more at the summit of Everest.
Available at
Instagram: @almekshah
Facebook: www.facebook.com/almekshah
Mobile:+971 55 4005441
54
OUTDOORUAE
OUR EXPERTS
Taking up the challenge
Part 4
Words + Photos By: Ian Ganderton
Im writing this fourth instalment in

my Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge story in
a good place, but with some frustrations.
There is just over a month to go before
the rally starts and I can feel it looming.
So lets look at the frustrations first and get
them out of the way. There are two major
problems. First off is my rally bike is not yet
built. If youve been following these articles
you may recall that around Christmas the
Gas Gas project came to an end and the
Yamaha WR450 Rebel X project took its
place. The WR450 base bike is here and Ive
been racking up the hours getting used to
its different feel but the rally kit (navigation
tower and instrumentation, extended range
tanks and bash plate with water and tool
storage) is trapped in Dubai customs/DHL
somewhere. Im really keen to get on it and
become completely at home riding it.
Frustration number two is a days riding I
had a couple days ago. Ive just spent the
past week down in the Liwa Crescent on a
training camp with James West (Crazy Camel
Racing) and some fellow ADDC competitors.
For some reason on the fourth day I lost
my riding mojo. A couple of minor falls and
struggling on some complex slip faces going
against the grain led to more falls and more
struggling. With each problem my riding
became worse and worse.
The route we were riding for the day was
combination of previous years rally routes
but in reverse. This meant we were going
against the grain. Those who have driven
or ridden in the dunes will know they have a
natural grain like wood or waves in the sea.
This is caused by the prevailing wind. On the
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side the wind mainly comes from the dunes

are less steep and the sand more compact.
The slip faces form on the other side, the
lee, out of the wind. The sand here is soft
and at its steepest. Against the grain means
you are tackling this steep, soft stuff.
Its not all one big slip face though, there
are weaknesses, joining the dots between
these creates lines to ride. But they are
tough lines requiring both momentum and
traction. Because the sand is at its softest
carrying speed keeps the bikes wheels from
digging in. But of course you cant just go
flat out like its flat. Concave depressions
cause compressions and Gs that can be
impossible to hold. Convex bumps, even
when soft sand, can launch you into the air.
This is not so much a problem, its the landing thats the problem. Soft sand is also difficult to turn on feeling vague and robbing
valuable momentum.
Then there is traction needed to keep

your optimal speed going as you fight the
gravity and drag of the sand while climbing up the dunes. The aim is to have just
enough power to the back wheel, not
enough and you lose that precious momentum, too much and either you will be too
fast with its associated problems or the rear
wheel will spin too much and dig right in
losing drive and speed again.
If it all sounds difficult its because it is a
bit!
There is one more problem too. At the
top of every dune there is exactly that, a top
and end. The steeper the dune the more
sharply it finishes. Its very important to
judge your speed correctly at this transition,
too fast and you get launched into orbit, too
slow and you wont make the top.
When its all going well all is good, you
can see the lines, hold the transition at
the bottom, keep your momentum, judge
your speed correctly at the crest and flow
through dune after dune. Its tiring but feels
great. Make a mistake though and suddenly
you are picking a bike up in the middle of
a soft slip face and thats very tiring making
the next mistake more likely and this is how
it can snowball. This is what happened to
me. It was horrible. I was making all the mistakes resulting in a loss of confidence which
directly leads to a loss of flow and momentum, more fighting picking up the bike,
more energy burned quickly all resulting in
more confidence-robbing mistakes.
I felt like an accident waiting to happen
plus its no fun being constantly being off
the back of the group, getting dropped and
feeling like you are holding everyone else
up unacceptably. I didnt seem to be able
to shake it so at the refuel stop I decided to
quit while I was ahead and leave the other
guys to crack on without me. Better to walk
away and be ready to play another day?
Day 5, I was back on the bike, the weather
was poor (start of the sandstorm) and the
pace down as a result. I didnt have any offs
but felt stiff and lacking flow on the bike.

Im confident these two frustrations should solve
themselves with a combination of bike time and
patience. The Rebel X Rally Kit is here somewhere
and there are more on the way (we will be a team of
six riders for the event). My missing mojo will come
back with time on the bike and Im planning on
heading to some big dunes to work on the weaknesses I found in my riding.
Now whats going well? Firstly the ankle I broke
back in October is healing well and feeling stronger
and stronger each time on the bike. Its now not
restricting my riding at all, just feels a bit sore and
stiff in the mornings or at the end of a long day.
Next is my riding has been feeling good and Ive
been finding lots of flow over recent weekends.
In the three days prior to losing my mojo down in
Liwa, I felt I was riding well and felt comfortable
on the bike in the terrain. Im comfortable in the

environment, I know how the dunes feel down there
and know the topography reasonably well now.
Im happy with the kit I wear and that I can stay
fed, hydrated and comfortable for full rally days
in the expected temperatures and sun. Doing five
consecutive days of more or less rally distances has
allowed all those first timer concerns to melt away.
Im really happy and confident with the rally bike
plan. WR450s are well proven to be reliable in our
prevailing conditions, even through the summer, so
are an excellent base bike. The Rebel X kit brings
together components proven for functionality and
reliability over many of the worlds toughest races.
Most importantly, Im most happy with the group
of people I have around me supporting me in this
endeavour. James West and his crew with their race
experience and riding ability are huge assets to
have in my camp. They tolerate my noob inexperience, stupid questions and by riding with them,
give my riding a head start by ensuring Im learning
from their experience and the best lines. During
the rally their team, Crazy Camel Racing, will be
providing their race proven support, bike servicing
and logistics.
Im also lucky enough to have Malcolm from
Dune Raider Desert Racing Team as a mentor. With
several successful DCs in the bag, his patient experience has been invaluable when evaluating where
Im at, bouncing thoughts around and planning the
path forwards.
Lastly over the past few months Ive met a lot of
fellow competitors and teams. Im looking forward
to the camaraderie of the bivouac and being part
of a world championship event. My understanding
is that because its the first round of the FIM World
Raid Rally Championship a successful finish will actually give me a world ranking. Thats kind of cool.
As this will be the last article issue that goes to
print before the event start on the 27th March 2015
Id like to take the opportunity to wish everyone
involved the best of luck and a safe rally. That
includes not just the competitors but also the huge
team of people supporting the event to make it
happen, the mechanics, marshals, cooks, medical
team, helicopter pilots, sweep team, photographers
and journalists. The list is long but everyone is appreciated by this newbie competitor.
For more information on the event go to
www.abudhabidesertchallenge.com.
QATAR EXPLORER
An ideal all-year round activity

Words By: Eulogy van Dyk
Photos By: Black Fern Photography
There are not many places in

the world where you can do any
outdoor activity all year round.
Most of the time, you have to wait
for the season to be right, the
weather to clear up and circumstances to be favourable to do that
thing you love to do. But in Qatar,
there is one blissful activity that is
available 365 days of the year
sailing.
Due to its unique geographical location,
the little peninsula of Qatar ensures that
there will be wind almost every day of the
year. Maybe not enough for kitesurfing or
similar sports, but certainly enough to get
your captain spirit out, set sail and have
some fun in the desert sun! No traffic jams,
no speed limits; just the open water as your
playground and plenty of free wind!
About sailing in Qatar

History
Dhow boats are somewhat of a common feature in the waters of Qatar, and with a proud
pearl diving history, it is not surprising that
the Qatari people have a special relationship
with the ocean. Although more conventional
sports like football dominate the sporting activities for the locals, there is a natural interest in boating and sailing in Qatar. And the
popularity of sailing is certainly increasing.
Ideal place to learn to sail
There is a marvelous breeze that establishes

itself in the late morning through to late afternoon (courtesy of the desert heating). As
the desert gets hot, the air over the desert
rises and the cooler ocean air flows over into
the desert, so you can almost set your watch
by it - by 11:30am everyday you get a lovely
breeze blowing into the desert form the sea.
These stable and steady conditions makes
it a very ideal place to learn the skills and

techniques of sailing, and indeed, to have a
pleasant sailing experience almost daily.
Local activity
The local Doha Sailing Club was established

in 1959, sanctioned by the State of Qatar
under the Youth and Sports Authority, with
affiliation to the International Sailing Federation (ISAF); and its membership is on the
rise. Sometimes referred to as a baghlah
(from the Arabic meaning mule) the traditional dhow has been traded in for a faster
catamaran. And with the growing expat
community, sailing has taken off in Doha!
Local club racing events are organised on
Friday and Saturday afternoons throughout
the year, although less popular during the
hot summer months of July and August.
With annual membership available at the
Doha Sailing Club, it provides a safe and
welcoming environment for its members.
Many of the members of the sailing club only
took up sailing when they moved to Qatar,
so it really is an opportunity for anyone to
learn the skill and build up their confidence.
There are of course some very experienced
sailing members who have found they could
continue their passion in the waters of Qatar.
The Regatta Sailing Academy opened
seven years ago to enable people throughout Qatar to experience the wonderful sport
of sailing. They are dedicated to youth
sailing programs and school activity classes
run daily for complete beginners through to
race training and school regattas. They are
the only RYA (Royal Yachting Association)
accredited training centre in Qatar, and their
highly experienced instructors work with

those who have special needs to learn about
the environment and experience the thrill of
sailing a boat. They do not only cater for the
youth but also provide training programs for
adults. A wide variety of boats and yachts
can also be hired from their base, which
makes it user-friendly to enjoy the sport
here.
Why come sailing in Qatar?
A recent report in the local media quotes

on sailor as saying: Dohas coast is ideal for
sailing. Its clean, shallow waters and yearround summer temperatures rule out the
need for dry or wet suits, or any other protective clothing. You only need sun protection and beach gear to go.
Need we say more? This is really one of
the few places in the world where you can
have such excellent conditions for sailing non-stop. With a warm community of
enthusiasts, great learning opportunity and
wonderful facilities, there is no better place
for sailing the waters of the Arabian Gulf
than right here in Doha!
Where to start
Regatta Sailing Academy
Contact: regattasailing@yahoo.com;
www.regattasailingacademy.com
(+974 5550 3484)
Location: Katara Beach, Doha
Doha Sailing Club
Contact: dohasailingclub@gmail.com;
www.qmsf.com (+974 4443 9840)
Location: Katara Beach, Doha
OUR EXPERTS
When I moved to Dubai, our times fishing

together was cut short and each time I went
home on holiday, I would make it a point to
have a trip or two with him. Fishing is bonding time between dad and me.
When I became a dad, I wanted to give to
my daughter what I have not experienced
when I was her age to fish with my grandfather and my dad at the same time. So that
we did when my parents and brother visited
Dubai. We braved the weather and fished
together. Although the catching could have
been better, the memories that we shared
that day will forever be in Kaylees mind the
day she fished with her grandpa for the first
time.
Legacy
Words By: Kit Belen
It is said that the most precious

gift we could ever give our children
is the learning we pass onto them
from what weve learned in our
lives. Not necessarily for them not
to make the same mistakes, but to
warn them of the outcome and to
let them know what to expect.
Of the three offspring my parents have
produced, I am the only one who inherited
our fathers passion for fishing, the enjoyment
of the solitude and beauty it gives to both
mind and soul.
Looking forward
Kaylee eagerly showing her grandpa how she fishes
My dad, Kaylees grandpa
One of the fondest memories Ive ever had

was when my uncle (my dads brother) gave
me my first rod and reel. When the government started to restrict hunting for birds, dad
My grandad
took up fishing again, it was a chance for
My fathers dad passed away when I was 10
me to learn from someone who knew how
years old and the only grandfather I have
to fish. Or so I thought. Dad was primarily
ever known was my mothers dad. I never
a freshwater fisherman and to make it even
got to fish with the old man, although dad
stranger, he didnt even know how to use a
and mum always told me that he was a very
rod and reel, he used long bamboo poles
decent fisherman. At a very young age, I had
to fish for the native species we have back
visions of learning from an old master and
home. There was no need to use fancy
learning to fish the way they used to when
gear, although he had a rod and reel in the
they were actively fishing. It did not happen
closet (also given to him by his brother) it
for me. I learned from older men that were
remained there, untouched and unused for a
not related to me, not that Im complaining,
few years.
its just that I believe, these things are better
Due to the restrictions imposed by the
done with someone close and dear. The
government, he finally took up saltwater
younger kids will always have fond memofishing and elected to learn how to use a rod
ries of the people that they learned fishing
and reel. After a few quick sessions with his
from and it will be forever ingrained in their
elder brother, he learned how to cast and
memories.
eventually, after a few years, became one of
Fishing together for the first time
the best, pier fisherman of the country.
I slowly inched away from fishing with kids
from my age group and fished more and
more with him chasing after snapper, giant
trevally, sweet lips and pretty much anything
that would bite a bottom fished live shrimp.
Showing her grandparents how she casts
I honestly believe that it is very important to

let our kids understand whom we got our
passion from.
In my case, having inherited my fathers
passion for fishing, and I find it very important to let my child know and experience
it straight from the guy that took me out
fishing. The memories that she has of her
grandfather will forever affect the way she
sees the sport. Its not just about catching
fish, but rather time spent with family and
make memories with the people that matter
most.
We cannot do anything about the past, I
cannot change the fact that I was not able to
fish with either of my grandfathers, but I can
do something about my childs experiences
and for mine as well. It was great to see dad
fishing somewhere else and catch fish other
than the ones that he catches back home. I am
looking forward to their next visit and perhaps
next time, I can show him the spots I regularly
fish and fish like we did years ago, perhaps we
can even take the little girl with us.
Kaylee showing the contents of her
tackle box to her grandparents
Our fishing pro who shares

his experiences and erpertise with OutdoorUAE
through his regular column.
thefishingkit@gmail.com
OUTDOORUAE
59
OUR EXPERTS
Recon ride into Oman

Words By: John Basson
About six years ago, I did an

off-road trip to Mashirah Island
(Oman) on my Honda 450. It was
the highlight of my riding at the
time and something I would like to
repeat before leaving the UAE.
What I do recall from this ride was the
beauty of the route, especially day one. This
was a section that ran from the Hafeet border
crossing in Al Ain to Ibri and then turns
southbound towards a town called Nati.
Strangely, neither the town nor the guest
house can be found on Google! (I will talk a
bit more regarding Google Earth
images later in the article.)
I called my friend Bradley from Just Gas It,
to discuss the possibility of them joining me
on this adventure. The problem we (might)
have is that virtually no ones off-road bikes
are registered or insured. As it is not yet a
legal requirement in the UAE, nobody
bothers the effort or cost. Six years ago, at
the border crossings, they certainly asked for
all paperwork and without legal proof of
ownership, not just an invoice, Oman custom
officials would not let you enter with a nonregistered bike, even on a trailer. It seems
these regulations are either no longer in
place, or we were just lucky as this time neither countries official asked us for any papers.
Both Kevin and my bikes are registered, so it
would not have been a problem.
Whilst discussing this issue with Bradley,
he asked me why we dont do the trip on
our BMWs. These bikes are all registered
and, depending on the terrain, might just
be perfectly suited for this adventure. The
more I thought about it the more I realised
that the BMWs might just be the answer and
with slight adjustments to the route we can
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OUTDOORUAE
plan an excellent trip. There was only one

problem. I could not recall the type of terrain
on the second section of Day One. I remembered that there were no major difficulties,
but I could not remember if there were any
sandy patches or not. One can still attempt
slightly technical terrain on a GS, but a 300kg
bike, with semi off-road tyres does not
go anywhere in soft sand. (Only in YouTube
videos, but not in reality).
The only way to be sure that this route
would be achievable on a GS was to scout it
first with our Honda 450 bikes. I immediately
started my planning and went on Google
Earth to find a route that at least looked doable. I did the exact planning, using maps
and Google Earth six years ago. I clearly
remember a small town, with a fuel station,
on the Google map. I think the name of the
town was Nati. Also on the first evening
we stayed in a guest house that was also
depicted on Google Earth. However, both
town and guest house are no more visible on
Google. They are there, but not on Google.
This obviously caused some uncertainty and
made me question my aging memories.
With our bikes loaded, Google maps
printed and my GPS programmed, Kevin and
I left Al Ain early morning on the last Friday
in January. As we had to scout the route, and
still come back the same day, we drove the
pickup and trailer all the way to Ibri, 120km
into Oman. At Ibri we off-loaded and took
the bikes. I knew the off-road section from Al
Ain to Ibri was suitable for the BMWs as we
did that route in October last year.
I plotted the route to pass through several
small villages and also pass through the
mountains rather than just straight down
between the two mountain ranges. The
route turned out to be one of the best I had
ever ridden. Both Kevin and I were again

overwhelmed by the beauty of Oman. The
crisp and clear winter skis, combined with
zero wind the whole day, only made things
more impressive! This route would probably
not stimulate someone that is looking for
an adrenaline overdose, but if adventure
riding/touring is what you love, then this is
a must. By the end of the day, whilst driving
back in the pick-up, I realised that instead of
trying to plan a three to four day ride, that
often complicates things and limits many
people from partaking, this ride/route is
probably one of the best one day rides any
GS rider can ask for.
If one enters Oman by 6:00 a.m. you
should reach the guest house by around 1:00
to 2:00 p.m. for lunch. The lunch is cheap
and very acceptable for the location. After
lunch and a short rest, the bikes can head
back to Al Ain riding tar all the way. This
one day ride will allow you to ride 250km
of tracks and gravel roads with truly amazing
views, and then, after lunch 250km on road,
all in one day. Something not possible on a
GS anywhere in the UAE.
By the time this article is printed and
published I would have already done trip
one of many to come on the GS and will
just add a small comment on the ride in the
April issue. For now, all I can say is that those
who are interested must hurry up as by end
of March it will be too hot for the average
GS rider to do this trip. Remember that our
speed off-road is a lot slower and some sections are very slow due to terrain. These low
speeds and all our fancy touring outfits
tends to cause the riders to overheat.
Ride safe and go for gold.
Regards,
John
PEOPLE
Red and Gisela Vargas

Occupations: Hes a banker,
shes a brand manager; both are
dive masters
Nationality: Filipino
Ages: Both are 39
This married couple has fallen in

love with the sea thanks to scuba
diving and gives back the love by
organising underwater clean-up
drives and capturing great images
to share.
How did you get into diving?
R: Its ironic that we learned to scuba dive in
UAE, a land more known for the dry desert
than the sea. We started scuba diving in
2009. We have friends who were also divers
and they encouraged us to try it out through
a Discover Scuba Diving (DSD) event conducted by the Filipino Scuba Divers Club
(FSDC). We liked it and proceeded to take
the Open Water course.
Do your kids join you for your dives?
G&R: Our eldest son, Sebastian, 19 is also
a scuba diver who started diving three years
ago. Our youngest, Diego, 13 just had a
DSD last month and is very keen to learn
and start diving with us. He will be taking
the Open Water course next year. Kids can
start as early as 10 years old.
Photo by: Andrew Borela
In Fujairah
Photo by: Red Vargas
Where is your favorite

diving destination?
G&R: For us, the best dive sites are still in
the Philippines because of the marine biodiversity and clear waters. The dive site depends on what you are interested in. There
are choices if one prefers small creatures (for
macro photography) or large fishes (for wide
angle).
What was your most challenging dive?
R: A shark dive in the Maldives. Usually,
divers are deployed from a boat and waited
for each other at the surface before going
down together. In this case, we had to
enter the water with negative buoyancy,
meaning we went straight down without
waiting for the others because the dive
site had a very strong current. There was a
good chance one might get lost from the
group and be forced to abort the dive. The
second factor was that we had to go very
deep at 30m. This meant that we had to
watch our time and air very closely. There
is a limited time to avoid decompression
and going deeper means you consume air
faster. We were holding the edge of a plateau while the current was constantly pushing us. It was then that we were greeted
by an inspiring sight of eight to nine sharks
swimming around. The dive was not tough
because of the sharks; the sharks were the
reward for the tough dive.
G: I was a novice diver then and we were
in a Fujairah dive site called Shark Island.
Visibility was very bad, about 3m or less.
We were about 12m deep when I became
fascinated with a sea creature. I followed
it for a while and before I knew it, I could
not see my buddy or anyone in our dive
group. I could hear my buddys rattle but
could not pinpoint the direction the sound
was coming from (as the law of acoustics
underwater).
Then I remembered the name of the site
and it made me nervous. What I love about
scuba diving is that it trains you to keep
calm and recall your training to solve problems in emergency situations. In my case,
I was a lost diver in Shark Island! I slowly
ascended to 5m and spent the longest
three minute safety stop of my life, turning around every five seconds to watch out
for sharks that could creep up from behind
me. When I finally surfaced, I was relieved
to see the boat only a couple of metres
away from me. My buddy also surfaced but
found them at least 20m away!
Advice for those who
want to try diving?
R: If you live in Dubai, this is the best place
to learn. It has opened a new world for us.
It has enriched our family since it is something that we enjoy doing together. It also
developed us as individuals since we have
learned new skills and it has augmented
Anniversary Dive in Dubai Aquarium
our other passions such as photography

and environmental awareness.
G: Scuba Diving is one activity that teaches
you to relax in order to act accordingly in
the face of emergency situation to stop
and think of your training, and to anticipate what could go wrong in order to plan
ahead. These are skills we all need even in
the surface.
What puts a smile on my face though
is that moment when I got my buoyancy
right in crystal clear water. I felt like I was
flying, like I do in my dreams. When I am
soaring above the coral and sea urchin, all
the stress in the world is taken away at that
moment. Then when I get to see and even
swim with the most magnificent creatures,
it is truly exhilarating. In Jumeirah Open
Beach for example, on average, you dont
see much but we have been lucky to see
sting rays, cuttlefish, nudibranch and marble shrimp on certain days. Some friends
even got to swim with a whale shark one
Saturday morning. Even on bad days with
almost zero visibility and all we see is sand,
we still manage to have fun. There is a
saying, A bad day in the water is better
than a good day in the office.
In Tubbataha
Photo by: Anthony Allen
PEOPLE
Paul Drury
Occupation: Ignite Fitness &
Wellness franchisee, sports specific
coach and fitness instructor
Nationality: British
In the recent Vertical Run Almas

Tower climb and MediaOne Run
vertical race, Paul finished 11th
and 6th place respectively. Not an
easy feat, given the fierce competition these days.
He also won numerous races including

the Dubai Holding Vertical
Marathon Emirates Towers,
the Urban-Ultra Big Stinker hill
climb in Ras Al Khaimah over
12km, the 5km category of
the 2014 ADNIC Yas Run, and
has set a team relay record of
4hrs 42mins for 72km at the
2014 Salomon Wadi Bih. The
Salomon and Suunto ambassador, runner and squash
player for Sheraton Jumeirah
Beach Resort team, talks more
about sports specific coaching,
running in the Middle East and
shoe science.
What brought you to Dubai?

I used to be a writer and photographer for
the national paper in the Cayman Islands. I
started travelling the world and ended up in
the Caribbean. That was supposed to be a
week, then it turned into six years [laughs]. I
came out here to have a look and got myself
work with Ignite three years ago.
Its a pretty happening city. The sports industry has taken off dramatically and its great
because the city needs it. We have such a
busy lifestyle here that we need to balance it
with a healthy and active routine, and simply
to de-stress, if nothing else.
What is your coaching approach?
A lot of my work is one on one with
individuals because I do a whole wide range

of stuff. Its not just personal training; its
sports specific coaching, injury rehabilitation
and lifestyle adjusting. My style of training is
all about fun and variety, making it enjoyable
and mixing it up so it doesnt get boring.
That way, you appeal to them mentally first,
get on the cerebral side of things and then
the body follows. The key is a thorough
evaluation first off, to check out where the
starting point is and really focus on setting
some goals so you know what you are trying
to achieve. Ive been doing this for 23 years
now. If you have the experience and the
background, you can adapt your
knowledge to all sports to produce very sports specific training
and preparation.
As a runner, how many
shoes have you retired?
Quiet a lot [laughs]. Ive had
issues with my feet because Ive
been racing for so long, beating
the hell out of them and putting
a lot of miles on them running,
gym and other activities. I need
good shoes to look after my feet.
I often go for the top-end ones
to really do the job.
Theres a lot more
to shoe science, right?
You dont know the half of it. Some of it is
even quite technical for me and Ive been
doing it for a long time. I had to do a lot of
research.
For comfort, getting that bigger size is crucial. In the summer time, your foot is going
to expand. It expands even when youre in a
plane because you dont have much blood
flow. You live in a country with a hot climate
and your foot is going to swell. Sports like
squash and running make your foot expand
anyway because its trying to make a bigger
surface for more stability. The shoe size is
absolutely crucial. The key is when youre
standing up in a shoe there should be a
space the size of a thumb width in the end.

Were so used to shoes fitting like a glove,
but not in sports shoes, there needs to be a
little space for excess movement.
Whats your favourite running spot?
Fossil Rock because its not too far from the
city and it is stunning. Youve got that red
sandstone, red dunes, and then the mountain ridges. You can do some off-roading
there or picnics. If you go further afield,
theres some stunning stuff in Ras Al
Khaimah, Musandam and Oman.
What do you like most about your work?
Its kind of like an honourable gig. You
change peoples lives for the better. Its all
about inspiring people and letting them
get a lot more from their lives. In a way,
its like Im writing all the time because Im
motivating people, being an inspiration and
a catalyst. Instead of writing, Im using my
voice but I still have to be creative and be
an inspirational speaker. I do miss writing
sometimes.
What are your tips for runners?
Running on the soft is key to longevity. If you
are going to be running for years and using it
as an integral part of your fitness routine, its
pretty crucial you get off the road as much as
you can. Its the whole concept of the Salomon CITYTRAIL. There are probably thousands of people who have never been out of
the city, never seen the desert or the mountains. At the very least, the CITYTRAIL
concept is to show people that even in the
city, with a little bit of effort, creativity and
adventurous spirit there are cool places to
run. In races, the main thing is not about the
winning. Its about the adventure, exploring
and making it fun. Just being a participant
and enjoying the social side as well.
Paul is also organising the Salomon
CITYTRAIL running group session
every Saturday at 8:00 a.m. in various
locations. For enquiries and training,
contact Paul at drurypaul@hotmail.com
or 055 6541913.
LOCATIONS
Get outdoors in the UAE

Hiking A series of articles to help you start or progress your hiking in the UAE
Children, hiking and the outdoors

Part 2
Why dont you? This was

the title of a television programmein the 1980s in the UK. The full
title was Why dont you switch off
your television set and go and do
something less boring instead?
and it is still very relevant 30 years
later.
This is part two of a series looking at children
and the outdoors. Part one highlighted how the
current generation of children have already lost
contact with nature and the outdoor environment and as a result are suffering in their development. Inactivity is a major problem in society.
It also suggested a number of ways that you
and your family can spend more time outdoors
as well as a child-friendly hike. This month will
look at how camping can benefit your child, the
initiatives, organisations and people who are offering opportunities for children to explore and
have adventures here in the UAE.
Camping
Spending a night under the stars is a great
way for children (and their parents) to get closer to the natural environment and de-stress.
In the UAE, there are a number of
organisations and schools that run programs
to do this very thing and overnight stays are
always a wonderful occasion. World Challenge, the Duke of Edinburgh Award, Outreach Programmes, volunteering and gap
years are all fantastic examples of giving your
child the opportunity to explore more of the
world in which they live.
Stress can negatively affect childrens health
in just about every way possible and you may
not notice it as they quietly go about work on
their laptop of electronic device. Spending
Learning to setup camp
time at a camp in the wilderness there is less

strain on their mental and physical faculties
and this gives rise to an increase in oxygen
levels, higher levels of serotonin and melatonin.
The benefits of camping
Camp is a great way for children to learn
how to do things on their own to develop
responsibility. World Challenge runs a number
of programs for children and one is a month
long that consists of five different phases;
Planning and Preparation, Acclimatisation,
Trekking, Project Work, Rest and Relaxation.
Children can spend the time in a whole range
of international countries such as Kenya,
Borneo, Argentina amongst their peers and
the local community. Each stage is carefully
planned by the students before they leave and
in country they are encouraged to run the
month long experience with guidance from a
qualified trip leader and teacher. If youre not
there to remind them about things you will be
surprised how quickly they learn. Often these
trips camping and travelling are life changing
and set the direction for future life pathways.
The Duke of Edinburghs International
Award is another way that children can satisfy
the need for adventure. Many schools will
participate in this scheme and it is progressive and challenging. Aimed at young people
aged 14 to 24 anywhere in the world, children
who complete different stages receive National Awards and those who achieve the Gold
Award are invited to Buckingham Palace to
receive it and also benefit from points that can
be used for university entrance.
People making it happen
The UAE outdoor community is small and several companies exist to provide children with
opportunities for adventure and growth. The
people behind them do a vital job and their
efforts should be recognised.
Paul Oliver is a well-known figure in the
Repton school out in the Hajar Mountains learning navigation skills
Many skills are learnt around a campfire
UAE and has been in the UAE for 32 years.

He is the CEO of Absolute Adventure and
Absolute Adventure Education and a number
of other adventure companies. Exploration
is in his blood.He operates local adventures
and international expeditions for individuals, schools, companies, charities and special
interest groups. Mountains are big in Pauls
life and Africa is one of his favourites. He has
spent the past 20 years organising expeditions
there. Other favorites include Nepal, Tibet and
Bhutan. He spends a lot of time in Musandam
where he also runs school camps.
Paul Oliver says of adventure: Watching
children become self-reliant and confident is
wonderful. Many kids are homesick and nervous when they first reach camp. By the end of
the week theyre begging us to allow them to
stay.
Camps International is another provider
of activities with over 25 permanent camps
worldwide. In this region their director is Rhys
Jones. You might imagine Rhys has an exciting
job but organising expeditions to over 1,000
students from the UAE each year and facilitating travel for a further 3,500 from the region
takes a lot of emails, planning and
Supporting and looking after your friends
Outdoor education develops focus and concentration
administration. Rhys is the sort of person you

want in control of your childrens outdoor education and can take the worry out of the experience for you. Before he came to the UAE
in 2013, Rhys was a highly proficient mountaineer himself and has climbed the highest
mountain on each of the seven continents.
He still loves to travel and deep water soloing trip in Oman is a favourite along with Canada, the European Alps and the Lake District
in the UK. Rhys has himself stepped outside of
the comfort zone many times and says theres
no excitement living inside your comfort zone.
You have to push yourself to see and do more,
and take on challenges. Now he encourages
this in others in a controlled environment.
Seeing the world is a tremendous privilege
and seeing the wonderment of children is very
fulfilling. I worked at activity centres in the UK
for a few years and always enjoyed watching
young people develop and surprise themselves with what they could achieve.
The Emirates Scout Association is part of
the worldwide scouting organisation and is in
the UAE. Founded in 1972, it now has over
5,500 members who take part in regional and
worldwide Scouting activities. The scout motto
is Kun Mustaidan, and is translated as Be
Prepared. Members undertake community
project work in the rural communities around
the camps as well as having their own adventure.These are key life skills they learn on all of
the trips, and it always gives a great perspective on life compared to how many of us live
here in the UAE.
Likewise there is a movement for Girl
Guides, Emirates Girl Guides Association.
Their first squad was formed back in 1957 to
enhance the religious, national and moral education through scouting and outdoor activities.
What can you expect from
hiking and camping?
There are many benefits to introducing your
Quick checklist route planning
Google Earth screenshot of the route

You can download the GPS files here: www.outdooruae.com/downloads/Marchhike2015.zip
children to the outdoors and hardly any negatives.

They learn to work together
They learn to slow down
They learn to appreciate the small things
They learn new skills
They learn to make new friends
They learn to make their own choices and
decisions
They learn to appreciate their parents
They learn to have a good nights sleep
They learn to appreciate nature and a simplified way of life
A camping trip in the UAE can fit into any
amount of time. It can be one night, a weekend, a week or more. It can be far away or just
out in the desert and you can explore so many
different landscapes; beaches, mountains,
lakes, high plateaus. If you are looking for
ideas of where and what to do, contact www.
outdoorarabia.com.
Exhausted
After returning from a camping trip, students
report better sleep cycles. If youve been active all day long, youll fall asleep fast. Sleep
has an effect on all of your body processes
and can reduce inflammation, improve your
cardiovascular system and help you stay alert.
The mental challenges involved in outdoor
activities often push you more than the
physical. What is certain is that with a properly
designed and delivered outdoor programme
you and your children will be changed for the
better for ever. Awaken the adventurer in you
today.
adventure programme for you child? There

are lots of outdoor activities to choose from
for you children. Sometimes its difficult to
know which one to select. Often its best to
let the child decide. Expose them to as many
different activities as possible. Try a different
activity each weekend and see what gets them
excited. It will be easy to tell.
Paul Oliver recommends childrens programmes should be age appropriate. You
should build on skills learnt, year on year. As
well as the technical skills children learn to
be more self-sufficient and confident, they
improve their communication and develop
a leadership style. They come away with a
greater appreciation of our natural environment.
Hike for March
Naturally the hike for this month is one that
can be done with young children. It is on the
east coast near Kalba and can be combined
with some time on the boats in the lagoon
or the rental bikes. You get to walk along the
beautiful Corniche amongst the local Emirati
families who spend a lot of time here enjoying
the mangroves.
Learning to have fun without electronic devices
Final advice
So what should you look for in an outdoor
Start point
25 018.61N 56210.58E
Off-road driving required
No
Distance and time from Mirdif City Centre to start
120km 78min
Navigation on hike
Flat hike along the Corniche
Time required for hike
1-2 hours
Distance
The whole corniche is 2.6km long so there and back is 5.2km
Elevation gain on hike
0m
High point
0m
Grocery / water on hike
No
Possible to encounter a vehicle on trail
No
Suitable for all the family
Requires experience in scrambling, decision making and route

finding, especially at night. Nearly all of the track is not undefined,
steep and loose rock.
If you are not confident going or

starting hikes alone or you just want to
have an expert or a group of nice people with you, OutdoorArabia is offering
hikes lead by our expert Sean James.
outdoorarabia.com/regional-trips
OUTDOORUAE
65
TIPS & TRICKS
Your instructor will ensure you follow the right path
Getting the best out of the UAE

Believe it or not there is a

science and a lot of research behind
tourism and the tourist industry.
Nice beaches, hiking trails, the position of hotels, tour operators and
the supply of transport does not
just happen. Countries and regions
that have positioned and marketed themselves correctly such as
Jordan, Costa Rica, France, New
Zealand, Morocco are in our minds
as adventure destinations. They
have paid attention to the details
and benefitted from it.
In the UAE and Oman the natural resource
of mountains, desert and wadi is world-class
but in comparison to other countries, virtually
undiscovered by residents, locals and oversea tourists. There are a number of social/
community groups started by enthusiasts in
the UAE that take people out hiking,
Learning to climb in a group is fun
Learn some new skills when hiking
At the end of the day, feeling comfortable

and enjoying your time outdoors is what
matters. Whether you do it in a large group
of 10 or 15 people or with a personal guide.
A professional gives you peace of mind and
if they are good you will take them again,
asking for suggestions for the next, more
progressive hike to improve your skills.
What it takes to be a guide
It is not necessarily the best climbers or
hikers who make the best guides. If you have
paid to spend all day with someone, you at
least want to enjoy their company as well as
learn something.
With many of the qualifications that instructors and guides take, there is a minimum personal standard of performance that
is assessed. Whether it is hiking, climbing,
yoga, biking, kayaking or sky diving you can
expect they have a level of expertise and
decision making.
Any keen enthusiast can start a hiking
group and take people on an adventure.
kayaking, climbing and exploring here and

even overseas. There are also some commercial companies that do similar. As with every
business or group the quality of these varies.
This month we are going to look at why its
a good idea to hire a professional, experienced and qualified guide and what you
should look for when making your choice.
Adventure seekers or tourists, be they day
trippers from Dubai or week long vacationers
from China are classified by tourism planners
with labels to help determine their needs
and wants. Four of the most popular labels
are enthusiasts, dabblers, activity groups
and learners. You probably know which one
you are. It may be different for a particular
activity.
Planners can then allocate a different provision of facility to each category. For
example, an expert or enthusiastic hiker
in the UAE might be happy planning and
preparing for the majority of their hikes and
only take a guide on more demanding and
difficult trails such as Stairway to Heaven or
in preparation for an overseas expedition. A
dabbler, i.e. an occasional participant with
a busy schedule might benefit from joining
a group or taking professional instruction to
An instructor will show you the techprogress quicker in say climbing.
niques required to be safe in the UAE
And it is true that experience counts for a

lot. However qualifications are a definite
benchmark and standard, showing you that
your guide has been through a learning period themselves, a training course, a period of
consolidation and then an evaluation course.
In the UK these evaluation courses are high
pressure situations and to be a basic level
mountain leader the continuous assessment
lasts five days. The time and money spent on
qualifications and continuing CPD courses
to remain up to date by those working in the
adventure industry is often not recovered for
a long time.
A guide can help you to progress to wherever you want your mountains to take you,
and whatever the level you aspire.
Instructors will take you to unique places
apprenticeship but it is a very good way of

accelerating and stimulating your skill levels
and ability to do some great climbs.
Succeed at something you think you couldnt do
In many countries, instructors and guides

are self-employed. However in the UAE
getting a business license and therefore
insurance to cover yourself and your clients
is difficult and expensive. Some operate
without the necessary range of requirements
and just hope that accidents wont happen.
Other instructors come under the umbrella of larger companies. A good company
should be run by experienced industry staff
who know the pitfalls. They will have done
their risk assessment and checks and able
to talk to you about your adventure experience.
These companies will be able to organise
complete itineraries for their clients, arranging transport, camping, suitable trails,
climbs, equipment hire and accommodation. So if you are a busy person, looking
to maximise your free time in the outdoors,
then your first stop should be a suitable
guide.
It will enhance your time in the mountains

They can enable you to achieve your goals
with a greater margin of safety
They will pass on some of their
experience and advice on climbing,
hiking and expertise
You will become a better, safer adventurer
and have a great time in the process

To explore areas you are not familiar with
To quickly achieve specific objectives
in the mountains
The hard work of planning and
organisation of the adventure is all done
by a professional
If you have limited time but want to get
the best out of an area
Its difficult to find a suitable hiking
or climbing partner who has the same
objectives as you
To sum up, the BMG, an association in the
UK that sets professional standards for its
members has some nice thoughts and put
it very succinctly as to why you should hire
an appropriately qualified and experienced
professional.
If you are unsure about whether to hire
an instructor or guide, think about it this
way: most folk are happy to spend hundreds
of pounds on equipment yet sometimes
lack the necessary skills and experience to
get the most out of it. Traditionally, some
hikers and adventurers have had a reluctance to use guides and instructors and had
an approach to mountain safety that was
over dependent on equipment.
Kit is easy to buy but skills and good
experiences are hard won. Hiring a guide
is not an alternative to a mountaineering
Just like picking a gym instructor or hair

dresser, you should choose someone who
you feel comfortable with and who gets the
best results for you. This may take several
attempts but dont give up if you have a
bad experience or the first one is just not
right. Its unwise to pay too much, but its
also unwise to pay too little. When you
pay too much, all you lose is a little money.
When you pay too little, you sometimes lose
everything, because the thing you bought
was incapable of doing the thing you
bought it to do. Common sense says you
cannot pay a little and get a lot, although
many companies will tell you different. If
you deal with the lowest bidder, its well to
add something for the risk you run.
Considering the nature of the adventure
activities you will be undertaking with an
instructor you want someone who is trained
and assessed to a very high level and has a
wealth of experience to base crucial safety
judgments on. Adventure professionals
work long hours doing a physically and
mentally demanding and relatively dangerous job. However they will tell you on some
days it is the best job in the world. Most are
also willing and want to show you the best
days of your lives.
See www.outdoorarabia.com or
contact trips@outdoorarabia.com for
details of our courses and hikes in the
UAE wilderness.
Its much more fun with an instructor
OUTDOORUAE
67
Mobility stretches by Fitness First

purpose, we should be able to cope with
anything the day throws at us. Whether it
be picking our children up off the floor or
running to catch the bus. These simple day
to day activities can sometimes become
a real struggle. There are seven types of
movements that everybody can do, these
are called primal movements, they are squat,
bend, lunge, twist, push, pull and locomotion
(walking or running).
Words By: Ben Press
Our love for the great outdoors has no

boundaries, but what about our bodies?
Over the coming months we will be helping
you with fitness tips and exercises to keep
you in tip-top condition for your outdoor
activities, whether that be hiking, mountain biking or rock climbing. But first lets
start with whats most important, making
sure our bodies are fit for life.
Here are five mobility stretches

you can do at home or outdoors
before an adventure:
1. The Groiner: The groiner is a mobility
stretch that helps loosen the hip flexor and
glute muscles. Go into a push up positon
Mobility is a word some of you may not

be familiar with but in fitness terms it simply
means our bodies ability to move freely.
The human body is designed to move with
Groiner 1
Walk out 1
3. Deep Squat: Once upon a time we could

all sit in a deep squat position. But over time
our bodies tighten and without practice we
lose the ability. If you cannot sit in a deep
squat then find yourself a nice tree to hold
onto and sit yourself as low as possible, hold
for 45-60 seconds.
4. Walk Outs: To help loosen and mobilise our hamstrings and lower backs. From
a standing position reach down until your
palms are on the floor, with your legs as
straight as possible. Then walk your hands
Groiner 2
Walk Out 2
with your hands at shoulder width under your

head, then bring your right foot up beside
your right hand and hold there for one or two
seconds, slowly move your foot back to the
starting position and repeat with the left leg.
Do this continuously for 45 60 seconds.
2. Spider Lunge: Spider lunge helps loosen
and mobilise your lower back and glutes.
Take a big step forward and drop into a
lunge position. With the opposite arm reach
down and place the palm of your hand on
the floor next to your front foot. Then reach
up as high as you can with your other arm,
all the time keeping your eyes on the hand in
the air. Repeat 10 times on each side.
Walk Out 3
Walk Out 4
out until you are in a full push up position.
Walk your hands back as close to your feet as
possible and stand. Repeat 10 times.
5. Bird Dog: Bird dog activates your glutes
and core muscles in one movement. Get
down on all fours and slowly raise your right
arm and left leg until in line with your body.
Hold at the top for one to two seconds then
slowly lower. Repeat 10 times on both sides.
Deep Squat
Bird Dog 1
68
OUTDOORUAE
Spider Lunge 1
Bird Dog 2
Spider Lunge 2
Ok so now you
are loosened and
mobilised for your
outdoor adventure.
Just remember if
you have any injuries
or medical
conditions to consult the help of a
registered exercise
professional before
BEN PRESS
doing any form of
Fitness Manager
exercise. Let the
adventure begin!
Fitness First Al Manzil
TIPS & TRICKS
Will my gadget
make me go faster?
Words By: Trace Rogers
This month we consider collecting free speed or just a false

sense of it.
The term: all gear, no idea
comes to mind when seeing the
guy with the sperm helmet sitting in the middle of peloton or
overtaking the serious looking
girl doing 25kph on wheels that
cost the same as my car. Admittedly, these are the clichd and
obvious examples of questionable return on investment on a
really expensive gadget. Now
lets look at some of the other
must haves for triathletes that
may not be pulling their weight
(or ours) in the faster department.
We use wetsuits and tempo trainers to improve our swimming speed. Of course these
will help but the help is limited. Ignoring the
importance of good swim technique and
throwing products at your swim for a faster

time is not that different from mounting a
V12 engine on the rusted chassis of Ford
Cortina (circa 1980) and expecting to win a
Grand Prix. A struggling swimmer would be
better advised to invest in a few one on one
coaching sessions.
We use power metres on the
bike to train and race in the
correct zones. As a coach, I
love working with power and I
believe it to be very effective. I
also like using HR monitors to
establish correct training zones
and to determine cardiovascular efficiency and improvements. However, I believe it
to be far more important to
understand your effort levels
intrinsically. I know of at least
two cases where athletes were
working to a race plan based on power and
had disastrous race results because in both
cases the power metre was giving inaccurate
readings. I also recall a seasoned triathlete
telling me that she had decided to pull out
of an Ironman event with 10km to go based

on the fact that her HR monitor was giving
off the wall readings. She feared that she
was on the brink of a heart attack. I could
not help but ask: How did you feel at this
time? To which she replied: Oh, the usual
tiredness but otherwise fine. In all of these
cases, I have to wonder how the race results
would have differed had the athletes ignored
the information being presented to them
through technology and trusted what they
felt instead.
There seems to be method in the madness of turning our backs on technology. It
is rumoured that elite marathoners training
in a remote part of Kenya have only ever
seen one HR monitor. The only use that they
could find for it was to use the HR strap as
a washing line and yet we see them kicking
our highly technologically advanced butts in
every foot race.
So, do we ship our HR monitor straps over
to Kenya as a goodwill gesture? Do we break
the internet whilst advertising the sale of our
once highly coveted get-faster-gadgets? Im
not suggesting this at all. I believe there is
a place for technology but before buying,
ask yourself the following: Are my limitations
due to technique or lack of technology?
Do I understand my own effort and comfort
levels enough to know when to override the
information being presented to me? In the
absence of said gadget can I still produce the
results? Depending on your responses, go
old school or go shopping.
UAE DIRECTORY
General Sports
Equipment Megastores
Adventure HQ, Dubai Times Square Center,

Sheikh Zayed Rd, toll free: 800-ADVENTURE,
+971 43466824; The Beach on JBR, Dubai:
+971 44304419; Dalma Mall, Abu Dhabi:
+971 24456995, www.adventurehq.ae
Decathlon, Dubai, Mirdif City Centre,
+971 42839392
Go Sport, The Dubai Mall: +971 43253595;
Abu Dhabi Mall: +971 26454595; Bawabat Al
Sharq Mall, Abu Dhabi: +971 25868240
InterSport, Dubai Times Square Centre:
+971 43418214 and Dubai Festival City:
+971 42066581,www.intersport.ae
Peiniger BMT Est., CBD, Khalifa Street,
Yateem Optician Bldg., Abu Dhabi, UAE,
+971 26262332, www.peiniger.org
Sun and Sand Sports, most shopping
centres, +971 43504444,
www.sunandsandsports.com
Adventure tours
and desert safaris
Alpha Tours, Off #512, 5th Flr., Al Qwais Bldg.,

Al Ittihad Road, Deira, Dubai,
+971 42949888, www.alphatoursdubai.com
Dadabhai Travel, SR 1&2, GF, Gulf Towers,
Oud Metha Rd. Dubai, +971 43885566,
www.dadabhaitravel.ae
Desert Rangers, Dubai, +971 43572200,
www.desertrangers.com
Desert Road Tourism, Office 503, 5th Flr.,
Al Khor Plaza, Dubai, +971 42959429,
www.arabiantours.com
Dreamdays, First Floor Rm. 107 Ibn Battuta
Gate (Offices) Sheikh Zayed Rd.,
+971 44329392, www.dreamdays.ae
Dream Explorer LLC, Shop no # 9,
Plot # 312-504, Al Musalla Building ,
Mina Bazar, Bur Dubai, +971 43544481,
www.dreamexplorerdubai.com
Dubai Relax Travel, National Towers: Churchill
Tower Suite #614, Business Bay, Dubai,
+971 44221776, www.dubairelaxtours.com
Element Fitness, Dubai, +971 502771317,
www.element-fitness.net
Explorer Tours, Umm Ramool, Dubai,
+971 42861991, www.explorertours.ae
Gulf for Good, Dubai, +971 43680222,
www.gulf4good.org
Gulf Ventures, Dnata Travel Centre
+971 44045880, www.gulfventures.com
MMI Travel, Mezzanine Floor, Dnata Travel
Centre, Shk Zayed Road, Dubai,
+971 43166579, www.theemiratesgroup.com
Net Group, Dubai and Abu Dhabi,
+971 26794656, www.netgroupauh.com
Oasis Palm Dubai, Dubai, +971 42628889,
www.opdubai.com
Rahhalah, Dubai, +971 44472166,
www.rahhalah.com
Vera City Tours, Downtown, Dubai, UAE,
+971 556100414, www.veracitytours.com
70
OUTDOORUAE
Wild Guanabana, Dubai, +971 567954954,

www.wildguanabana.com
Clubs
Abu Dhabi Fishing, Camping, Kayaking,
& Adventure Club, +971504920860,
mohammed.almahrouky@gmail.com
Air
Ballooning Adventures Emirates, Dubai,

+971 42854949, www.ballooning.ae
Dubai Paragliders, www.microaviation.org,
+971 552120155 or +971 552250193
Jazirah Aviation Club, Ras Al Khaimah, +971
6139859, www.jac-uae.net
Seawings, Dubai, www.seawings.com
Sky Dive Dubai, Dubai, +971 501533222,
www.skydivedubai.ae
Boating & Sailing
Manufacturer
Al Fajer Marine, Dubai, Al Quoz,
+971 43235181, www.alfajermarine.com
Al Jeer Marina, RAK border Musandam,
+971 72682333/+971 504873185,
www.aljeerport.ae
Al Shaali Marine, Ajman, +971 67436443,
www.alshaalimarine.com
Alyousuf Industrial, LLC,
+971 43474111, www.aym.ae,
yamboats@alyousuf.com
Elite Pearl Charter, Saeed Tower 1 office
# 3102, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE,
+971 43889666, www.elitepearlcharter.com
Gulf Craft, Ajman, +971 67406060,
www.gulfcraftinc.com
Distributors and Dealers
Art Marine, Shed Nr. 31, Jaddaf, Dubai, UAE,
+971 4324061, www.artmarine.ae /
www.artmarinechandley.com
Azure Marine, Dubai, +971 43404343,
www.azuremarine.net
Luxury Sea Boats, Dubai, +971 505589319,
www.luxuryseaboats.com
Macky Marine LLC, Dubai,
+971 505518317, www.mackymarine.com
Nautilus Yachts, Sharjah, +971 65576818,
www.nautilusyachts.com
The Boat House, Dubai, Al Quoz,
+971 43405152, www.theboathouse.ae
UAE Boats 4 Sale, Dubai Marina,
+971 44471501, www.uaeboats4sale.com
Western Marine, Marina Yacht Club, Dubai,
+971 43039744
Equipment
Ali Khalifah Moh Al Fuqaei, Deira, Dubai,
+971 42263220
Al Masaood Marine, Sheikh Zayed Road,
Dubai, +971 43468000,
www.masaoodmarine.com
Blue Waters Marine, Shop 11,
The Curve Bldg., Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai,
+971 43808616 / +971 553899995,
info@bluewatersmarine.com,
www.bluewatersmarine.com
Extreme Marine, Dubai, +971 43992995,
www.extrememarine-me.com
Japan Marine General Trading, Al Garhoud
Road, Liberty Building, Dubai,
+971 559299111, +971 42828255,
uday@japanmarine.jp, www.japanmarine.co
Rineh Emirates Trading LLC, Dubai, Al Quoz,
+971 43391512, www.rinehemiratesme.com
Repairs and Maintenance
Extreme Marine, Dubai, Dubai Marina,
+971 43992995, www.extrememarine-me.com
Rineh Emirates, Sheikha Sana Warehouse 1,
Al Quoz, +971 43391512,
info@rinehemiratesme.com,
www.rinehemirates.com
SNS Marine, JAFZA Techno Park, Jebel Ali,
Dubai, +971 501405058, info@snsmarine.ae,
www.snsmarine.ae
The Boat House, Dubai, Al Quoz,
+971 43405152, www.theboathouse.ae
Cruise Operators
Al Bateen Marina, Abu Dhabi,
+971 26665491, www.marinaalbateenresort.com
Al Marsa Travel & Tourism, Dibba,
Musandam, +968 26836550, +971 65441232
Bateaux Dubai, Dubai Creek opposite
the British Embassy, +971 43994994
Bristol Middle East, Dubai Marina,
+971 44309941, www.bristol-middleeast.com
Captain Tonys, Yas Marina, Yas Island, Abu
Dhabi, +971 26507175, www.captaintonys.ae
Delma Industrial Supply and Marine
Services, Al Bateen Jetty, Abu Dhabi,
+971 26668153, www.delmamarine.net
Eden Yachting, Dubai Marina,
YAS
+971 504586171, www.edenyachting.com

Emirates Yachting, Dubai, +971 42826683
El Mundo, Dubai, +971 505517406,
www.elmundodubai.com
Four Star Travel and Tourism, Dubai,
+971 42737779, www.fourstartravels.net
4 Yacht Arabia, Shop No. 5, Dubai Marina
Yacht Club, 800 92248, www.4yachtarabia.ae
Fujairah Rotana Resort & Spa,
Al Aqah Beach, Fujairah,
+971 92449888, www.rotana.com
Ghantoot Marina & Resort, Abu Dhabi,
+971 529933153, www.ghantootmarina.com
Happy Days Sea Cruising LLC, Dubai,
+971 558961276, +971 503960202,
www.happydaysdubai.com
JPS Yachts and Charter, Room 225,
Emarat Atrium building, Sheikh Zayed Road,
Dubai, +971 43437734, www.jpsyachts.com
Khasab Divers, Oman, +971 567255889,
khasab.diver2@gmail.com
Khasab Musandam Travel & Tours,
PO Box 411, Khasab, Musandam,
+968 93350703, info@tourkhasab.com
Khour Shem Tourism, Oman,
+968 26731919, www.khourshemtours.com
LY Catamaran, Dubai, +971 505869746, +971
566506683, www.lycatamaran.com
Marine Concept, Dubai, +971 559603030,
www.marine-charter-concept.com
Nautica1992, Dubai, +971 504262415,
www.nautica1992.ae
Noukhada Adventure Company, Villa 332/7,
Al Meena Street, Abu Dhabi, +971 26503600,
www.noukhada.ae
RAK Marine LLC, Ras Al Khaimah City Hilton
Marina, +971 504912696, +971 72066410
Sea Hunters Passenger Yachts & Boats
Rental, Dubai Marina, +971 42951011
Sheesa Beach, Dibba, Musandam,
+971 503336046, www.sheesabeach.com
Smoke Dragon Of London Yacht, Abu Dhabi
International Marine & Sports Club, +971
507011958 / +971 504546617
Summertime Marine Sports, Dubai,
+971 42573084
The Club, Abu Dhabi, +971 26731111,
www.the-club.com
The Yellow Boats LLC, Dubai Marina Walk
opposite Spinneys, Intercontinental Hotel
Marina, +8008044,
www.theyellowboats.com
Marinas
Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club,
Abu Dhabi, Breakwater,
+971 26815566, www.adimsc.com
Abu Dhabi Marina, Abu Dhabi,
Tourist Club Area, +971 26440300
Al Jeer Marina, RAK Border, Musandam
+971 72682333 / +971 504873185
www.aljeerport.ae
Al Mouj Marina, Muscat, Oman,
+968 24534554, www.almoujmarina.com
Al Wasl Charter & Fishing, Airport Road, Al
Qwais Bldg., Off. 207, Dubai, UAE,
+971 42394760-61, www.cruiseindubai.com
Dubai Creek Marina, Deira, Dubai,

+971 43801234, www.dubaigolf.com
Dubai International Marine Sports Club,
Dubai Marina, +971 43995777, www.dimc.ae
Dubai Marina Yacht Club, Dubai,
+971 43627900,
www.dubaimarinayachtclub.com
Dubai Maritime City Harbour Marina, Dubai,
+971 43455545
Dubai Offshore Sailing Club, Dubai,
+971 43941669, www.dosc.ae
Emirates Palace Marina, Abu Dhabi,
+971 43388955
Four Seasons Marina, Doha, Qatar,
+974 44948899, www.mourjanmarinas.com
Fujairah International Marine Club, Fujairah,
+971 92221166, www.fimc.ae
Intercontinental Abu Dhabi Marina,
Al Bateen, Intercontinental Hotel, Abu Dhabi,
+971 26666888, www.intercontinental.com
Jebel Ali Golf Resort and Spa Marina,
Jebel Ali, Dubai, +971 48145555/5029,
www.jebelali-international.com
Lusail Marina, Lusail City, Qatar,
+974 55843282, www.mourjan-lusailmarina.com
Marina Bandar Al Rowdha, Muscat, Oman,
+968 24737286 (ext 215), www.marinaoman.net
Pavilion Marina, Dubai,
Jumeirah Beach Hotel, +971 44068800
The PearlQatar Marinas, Doha, Qatar,
+974 4965801, www.ronauticame.com
Umm Al Quwaim Marine Sports Club,
Umm Al Quwaim, +971 67666644,
www.uaqmarineclub.com
Dragon Boat Groups
Dubai Dawn Patrol Dragon Boating,
Dubai, +971 508795645 (Michael),
www.dubaidawnpatrol.org
Dubai Diggers, Jumeirah Beach Hotel,
pier next to 360, Dubai, +971 501547175
(Nick Hando), www.dubai-diggers.com
UAE Dragon Boat Association,
+971 507634008,
www.dubaidragonboat.com
Camping & Hiking
Equipment
Blingmytruck.com, +971 505548255,
www.blingmytruck.com
Gulf Camping, Dubai, UAE,
www.gulfcamping.com
Jack Wolfskin, Mirdif City Centre Dubai,
+971 42840228; Al Wahda Mall,
Abu Dhabi,+971 24437802
Picnico General Trading, near Sharaf DG
Metro Station, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai,
+971 43951113
Tresspass, 2nd floor above ice rink,
The Dubai Mall, +971 43398801
Tour Operators
Arabia Outdoors, Dubai, +971 559556209,
www.arabiaoutdoors.com
Absolute Adventure, Dubai, +971 43459900,
www.adventure.ae
Desert Road Tourism,

Al Khor Plaza 503, Dubai, +971 42959428,
www.arabiatours.com
Libra, +971 559228362, www.libra-uae.com
Mountain High Middle East, Dubai,
+971 43480214, www.mountainhighme.com
Sheesa Beach, Musandam, Dibba,
Caving
Mountain High Middle East, Dubai,

+971 43480214, www.mountainhighme.com
Muscat Diving & Adventure Centre, Oman,
+968 24543002,
www.holiday-in-oman.com
Oman World Tourism, Oman,
+968 99431333,
www.omanworldtourism.com
Climbing
Equipment
www.adventurehq.ae
Barracuda Fishing and Outdoor, Dubai,
Street 13A 1, Al Safa 1, +971 43466558, www.
barracudadubai.com
Global Climbing Trading LLC,
Dubai Investment Park 1, Dubai,
+971 48829361, www.globalclimbing.com
Jack Wolfskin
Mirdif City Centre Dubai,
+971 42840228; Al Wahda Mall, Abu Dhabi
+971 24437802
Services
Absolute Adventure, Dubai,
+971 43459900, www.adventure.ae
www.adventurehq.ae
Al Shaheen Adventure, Abu Dhabi,
+971 26429995, www.alshaheenme.com
Dorell Sports Management, Dubai World
Trade Centre, +971 43065061,
www.climbingdubai.com
E-Sports UAE, Dubai, +971 42824540,
www.esportsuae.com
The Club, Abu Dhabi, +971 26731111,
www.the-club.com
Information
UAE Climbing, +971 506456491,
www.uaeclimbing.com
Mountain Biking & Cycling
Equipment/Dealers
Bikers JLT, Unit H6, Cluster H,
Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai, UAE,
+971 526221888, products@allbikers.net
Cycle Sports, Shop No. 1, Al Waleed Bldg., Al
Barsha 1, Dubai, +971 43415415,
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
Micahs Bike Shop, Warehouse no.4
6th St. Al Quoz 3, Dubai, +971 43805228
Peak Performance, Mall of the Emirates,
72
OUTDOORUAE
Dubai Mall, Dubai,

+971 43413056 / +971 43308023
Probike, Dubai, Al Barsha 1,
+971 43255705, www.probike.ae
Rage Shop, Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates,
Dubai Festival City,
+971 43369007, www.rage-shop.com
Revolution Cycles, Shop G05, Apex
Atrium, Motor City, Dubai, +971 43697441,
www.rcdxb.com
Ride Bike Shop, Dubai Mall, Festival City,
Oasis Centre, Mirdif City Centre,
Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, +971 43750231,
www.ridebikeshop.com
Sportz Unlimited, Sheikh Zayed Road & Jebel
Ali, Dubai, + 971 43388644
Tamreen Sports LLC, Khalifa Street,
Abu Dhabi, +971 26222525,
www.tamreensports.com
The Cycle Hub, Motor City, Dubai,
+971 505528872, www.thecyclehub.com
Trek Bicycle Store, Seih Al Salam,
Al Qudra Road, Dubai, +971 48327377,
www.trekbikes.ae
Trikke uPT, Dubai, +971 45081202,
+971 556096757, www.trikkeme.net
Wolfis Bike Shop, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road,
+971 43394453, www.wbs.ae
Operator
+971 43459900, +971 506259165,
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, +971
42894858, www.alboommarine.com
Al Hamur Marine and Sports Equipment,
Jumeirah Beach Road, Dubai,
+971 43444468
Al Masaood Marine, Sheikh Zayed Road,
+971 43468000, Dubai
Al Yousuf Motors, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai,
+971 43390621,
www.aym.ae/yamaha
Blue Waters Marine, +971 42232189, Dubai,
Gulf Marine Sports, Abu Dhabi,
+971 26710017, www.gulfmarinesports.com
Premiers for Equipment, Abu Dhabi,
Sh. Zayed 1st. Road, +971 26665226,
www.premiers-uae.com
Scuba Dubai, Al Barsha, Al Khail Road, Dubai,
+97143414940,
info@scubadubai.com
Scuba 2000, Al Bidiya Beach, Fujairah, +971
92388477, www.scuba-2000.com
Diving Centres
Al Boom Diving (equipment),
Dubai, Al Wasl Rd, +971 43422993,
www.alboomdiving.com
Al Jeer Marina, RAK Border, Musandam,
+971 72682333, www.aljeerport.ae
Al Mahara Dive Center, near Muroor St
across from main bus terminal,
+971 26437377, info@divemahara.com,
www.divemahara.com
Arabian Diver, Hilton Marine, Ras Al Khaimah,
+971 72226628, +971 502428128
www.arabiandiver.com
Arabian Divers and Sportfishing
Charters, Al Bateen Marina Resort,
Abu Dhabi, +971 506146931,
www.fishabudhabi.com
Coastal Technical Divers,
glenn@coastaltechnicaldivers.com,
www.coastaltechnicaldivers.com
Deep Blue Sea Diving, International City,
Dubai, +971 44308246,
www.diveindubai.com
Desert Islands, Sir Bani YAs Island,
Abu Dhabi, UAE, +971 28015400,
www.divemahara.com
Divers Down, Fujairah, Rotana Al Aqah Hotel
Resort & Spa, +971 92370299,
www.diversdown-uae.com
Emirates Divers Centre, Abu Dhabi,
near Meena Fish Market, +97126432444,
www.edc-ad.ae
Euro-Divers Oman, Muscat, Oman,
+968 95035815, www.euro-divers.com
Extra Divers Ziggy Bay, Oman, Musandam,
+968 26735555,
www.extradivers.info
Freediving UAE, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Fujairah,
contactus@freedivinguae.com,
www.freedivinguae.com
Freestyle Divers, Dubai, Al Wasl & Dibba,
Royal Beach Hotel, +971 43944275,
www.freestyledivers.com
Fujairah Rotana Resort
& Spa - Al Aqah Beach,
Al Aqah Beach, Fujairah,
+971 92449888, www.rotana.com
Global Scuba Dive Center, Civil Aviation
Club, Oman, +968 99317518,
www.global-scuba.com
Khasab Divers, Oman,
www.khasabdiver.com
Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort,
Dibba Road, Fujairah, +971 92449000,
www.lemeridien-alaqah.com
Moonlight Dive Center,
Madinat Qaboos, Oman,
+968 99317700, www.moonlightdive.com
Muscat Diving & Adventure Centre,
Oman, +971 503289642,
www.holiday-in-oman.com
Neptune Diving, +971 504347902,
www.neptunedivingcentre.com
Nomad Ocean Adventures,
www.discovernomad.com,
+971 508853238, Dibba, Oman
Oman Dive Center, Muscat, Oman,
+968 24284240, www.omadivecenter.com
Pavilion Dive Centre (equipment), Dubai,
+971 44068828
Scuba Oman, Oman, +968 99558488,
www.scubaoman.com
Scuba 2000, Al Bidiya Beach, Fujairah, +971
92388477, www.scuba-2000.com
Scuba UAE.com, +971 502053922,
www.scubauae.com
7 Seas Diving Center, Khorfakkan,
+971 92387400, www.7seasdivers.com
Sharjah Wanderers Dive Club, Sharjah, +971
50784 0830, www.bsac406.com
Sky &Sea Adventures, Dubai, Hilton,
Jumeirah Beach Road, +971 43999005,
www.watersportsdubai.com
The Dive Shop, 34G, European Center, Green
Community, Dubai, UAE,
+971 48135474, www.thediveshopdubai.com
Clubs
Atlantis Underwater Photography Club,
Dubai, +971 44263000
Desert Sports Diving Club, Dubai,
www.desertsportsdivingclub.net
Emirates Diving Association, Diving Village,
Al Shindagha, Dubai,
+971 43939390, www.emiratesdiving.com
Filipino SCUBA Divers Club (FSDC),
Dubai, UAE, +971 566952421,
www.thefilipinoscubadivers.com
Freediving UAE, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Fujairah,
contactus@freedivinguae.com,
www.freedivinguae.com
Sharjah Wanderers Dive Club, Sharjah, +971
507840830,
www.bsac406.com
Fishing & Kayaking
Equipment
Al Boom Marine, Abu Dhabi & Dubai,
+971 42894858, www.alboommarine.com
Al Hamur Marine and Sports Equipment,
Jumeirah Beach Road, Dubai,
+971 43444468
Al Masaood Marine, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed
Road, +971 43468000,
Distributor of awesome outdoor brands
Is looking for
Experienced
outdoor
buyer
across all activity

spectrum(water, land,
adventure travel,
climbing)
Email: vanda@globalclimbing.com
www.globalclimbing.com
Al Yousuf Motors, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Rd,
+971 43390621, www.aym.ae/yamaha
Arabian Divers and Sportfishing
Charters, Al Bateen Marina Resort,
Abu Dhabi, +971 506146931,
www.fishabudhabi.com
Barracuda Fishing and Outdoor, Dubai,
Street 13A 1, Al Safa 1, +971 43466558,
www.barracudadubai.com
Blue Waters Marine, Shop 11,
The Curve Bldg., Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai,
+971 43808616 / +971 553899995,
Challenging Adventure, Wadi Al Bih Ras Al Khaimah, +971 561060798,
contactus@challengingadventure.com
Dubai Investment Park 1, Dubai,
Ocean Active, Dubai, Garden Centre,
+971 502898713, www.oceanactive.com
Operators
+971 43459900, www.adventure.ae
Al Boom Diving, Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach
Resort, Fujairah, +971 43422993
Al Hamra Marina and Yacht Club, Al Hamra,
Ras Al Khaimah, +971 72434540,
www.alhamramarina.com
Al Mahara Dive Center,
Downtown Abu Dhabi, +971 501118125,
www.divemahara.com
Al Wasl Charter & Fishing, Airport Road, Al
Qwais Bldg., Off. 207, Dubai, UAE, +974 4
2394760-61, www.cruiseindubai.com
Al Shaheen Adventure, Abu Dhabi,
+971 26429995, www.alshaheenme.com
Al Wasl Charter & Fishing (Al Wasl
Passenger Yachts and Boats Rental LLC),
Airport Road, Al Owais Building, Dubai, +971
42394761, www.cruiseindubai.com
Arabian Divers and Sportfishing Charters, Al
Bateen Marina Resort,
+971 506146931, www.fishabudhabi.com
Barracuda Diving Centre, Fujairah
International Marine Club, +971 9222558
Belevari Marine, Abu Dhabi,
+971 26594144
Captain Tonys, Yas Marina, Yas Island, Abu
Dhabi, +971 26507175,
www.captaintonys.ae
Fun Beach Water Sports, Dubai,
+971 53244550,
www.funbeachsports.com
Happy Days Sea Cruising LLC, Dubai, +971
558961276, +971 503960202,
www.happydaysdubai.com
Hiltonia Beach Club, Hilton Abu Dhabi Hotel,
Abu Dhabi, +971 26811900
Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort,
Dibba Road, Fujairah, +971 92449000,
www.lemeridien-alaqah.com
Nautica 1992, Dubai, +971 504262415,
www.nautica1992.ae
Noukhada Adventure Company,
Villa 332/7, Al Meena Street, Abu Dhabi, +971
26503600, www.noukhada.ae
Ocean Active, Dubai, Garden Centre,
+971 502898713, www.oceanactive.com

Soolyman Sports Fishing, Dubai,
Umm Suqeim, +971 508866227,
www.soolymansportsfishing.com
Summertime Marine Sports, Dubai,
+971 42573084, www.summertimemarine.com
Xclusive Yachts, Dubai, Dubai Marina,
+971 44327233, www.xclusiveyachts.com
Clubs
Abu Dhabi Camping, Fishing & Kayaking
Club, mohamed.almahrouky@gmail.com
Dubai Surfski & Kayak Club, Kitesurfers
Beach, Umm Suqeim 1, Dubai,
+971 554986280, www.dskc.hu
General Sports Equipment

Distributors

Sheikh Zayed Rd, Toll free: 800-ADVENTURE,
www.adventurehq.ae
800 Sport, Al Quoz, Dubai
+971 43467751, www.800sport.ae
Flip Flop Arabia, flipme@flipfloparabia.com,
www.flipfloparabia.com
Dubai Investment Park 1, Dubai
Goal Zero, +971 509128353, www.goalzero.ae
Highbury Trading, Dubai, UAE,
www.highburytrading.ae
Jack Wolfskin Mirdif City Centre Dubai,
+971 42840228; Al Wahda Mall Abu Dhabi,
+971 44437802
Ocean Sports FZE, +971 559352735,
www.kitesurfsup.com
PORTABLE SHADE UAE, Jebel Ali, Dubai,
UAE, +971 4 3469600, www.portable-shade.net
Sakeen General Trading, +971 47094224,
www.sakeen.ae
Sport in Life Distribution, Nad Al Hammar
Rd., Ras Al Khor, Dubai, UAE,
+971 42896001, +971 42896002,
info@sportinlife.ae, www.sportinlife.ae
Tresspass, The Dubai Mall
2nd floor above ice rink, +971 43398801
Horse Riding
Equipment
Al Asifa Horse Equestrian
& Requisites Trading, Al Khawaneej 1, Dubai,
+971 554733110, www.asifa.ae
Black Horse LLC, Abu Dhabi,
+971 26422237, www.blackhorseuae.com
Bonjour Equestrian Supplies,
Nad Al Hammar Rd., Ras Al Kho, Dubai, UAE,
+971 42896001, +971 42896002,
info@bonjourequestrian.com,
www.bonjourequestrian.com
Cavalos Equine Care and Supplies,
16th Street, Al Khalidiyah, Abu Dhabi,
+917 22222433, www.cavalosuae.com
Emirta Horse Requirement Centre,
Sheik Zayed Rd, Dubai, +971 43437475,
www.emirtahorse.com
Equestrian Clubs/Centres
Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Al Mushrif, Abu
Dhabi, +971 24455500,
www.adec-web.com
Al Ahli Riding School, Al Amman Street,
Dubai-Sharjah Rd., +971 42988408,
www.alahliclub.info
Al Forsan International Sports Resort, Abu
Dhabi, +971 25568555, www.alforsan.com
Al Jiyad Stables, Behind Dubai International
Endurance City, Dubai, +971 505995866,
info@aljiyad.com, www.aljiyad.com
Al Sahra Desert Resort Equestrian Centre,
Dubai, +971 44274055,
equestrian.centre@alsahra.com
Desert Equestrian Club, Mirdif, Dubai, +971
503099770 / +971 501978888
Desert Palm Riding School, Near Al Awir
Road (going to Hatta-Oman),
Dubai, +971 43238010,
www.desertpalm.peraquum.com
Dubai Polo Academy, Dubai,
+971 508879847, www.dubaipoloacademy.
com
Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club, Dubai,
Arabian Ranches, +971 43618111,
www.poloclubdubai.com
Emirates Equestrian Centre, Dubai,
+971 505587656,
www.emiratesequestriancentre.com
Ghantoot Polo & Racing Club, Exit 399, Abu
Dhabi/ Dubai Highway, Abu Dhabi,
+971 25629050, www.grpc.ae
Golden Stables Equestrian Club, Al
Khawaneej, Dubai, (Nouri) +971 555528182,
www.goldenstables.ae
HoofbeatZ, located just inside the Dubai Polo
& Equestrian Club, Dubai,
+971 501810401, www.hoofbeatz.com

Mushrif Equestrian and Polo Club, Mushrif
Park, Al Khawaneej Road, Dubai,
+971 42571256, www.mushrifec.com
Qudraland Community,
info@qudraland.com, www.qudraland.com
Rahal Ranch, Al Wathba Racing Area,
Abu Dhabi, +971 566127914,
www.rahalranch.com
Riding for the Disabled, Dubai,
lessons@rdad.ae, www.rdad.ae,
Sharjah Equestrian & Racing Club, Sharjah,
Al Dhaid Road,
+971 65311188, www.serc.ae
Racecourses
Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Al Mushrif, Abu
Dhabi, +971 24455500,
www.adec-web.com
Ghantoot Racing & Polo Club, Exit 399, Abu
Dhabi/ Dubai Highway, Abu Dhabi,
+971 25629050, www.grpc.ae
Jebel Ali Racecourse, off the main Abu Dhabi
- Dubai Highway (Sheikh Zayed road) beside
the Emirates Golf Club, Dubai,
+971 43474914
Meydan Grandstand and Racecourse, Al
Meydan Road, Nad Al Sheba, Dubai,
+971 43270000, www.meydan.ae
Sharjah Racecourse, Al Dhaid Road, Sharjah,
+971 65311155, www.serc.ae
Jet Ski
Dealers
Al Masaood Marine, Dubai,

Sheikh Zayed Road, +971 43468000,
Japan Marine General Trading,
Al Garhoud Road, Liberty Building, Dubai,
+971 559299111 / +971 42828255,
uday@japanmarine.jp, www.japanmarine.co
Liberty Kawasaki, Dubai, Interchange 4,
www.libertykawasaki.com
Motocross & ATVs
Dealers
Al Badayer Rental (Rental),
Dubai-Hatta Road, +971 507842020,
www.albadayerrental.com
Al Shaali Moto, Ras Al Khor,
+971 43200009, sales@alshaalimoto.com.
www.alshaalimoto.com
Golden Desert Motorcycles
Rental (Rental), Dubai-Hatta Road, Dubai,
+971 551532550,
www.goldendesert-dubai.com
Just Gas It, Hatta Rd., Al Aweer, Dubai, UAE,
+971 509192394, www.JustGasIt.net
KTM, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, exit 42, +971
4323151, www.ktm.com
Liberty Kawasaki, Dubai, Interchange 4,
Polaris UAE (atvs), Ras Al Khor, Nad al
Hamar Road, Al Ghandi Complex, Dubai,
+971 42896100, M4, Sector 13,
10th Street, Mussafah Industrial, Abu Dhabi,
+971 25555144, www.polarisuae.com
Sebsports, Al Quoz Industrial Area 1
Dubai, +971 43393399, www.sebsports.com
Wild X Adventure Shop, Dubai,

+971 48321050, www. wildx.ae
Equipment
Desert Road Tourism, Al Khor Plaza 503,
Dubai, +971 42959429,
Sandstorm Motorcycles (Rental),
Al Quoz, Dubai, +971 43470270,
www.sandstorm-motorcycles.com
Sebsports, Dubai, Al Quoz Industrial Area 3,
+971 43393399, www.sebsports.com
2XWheeler, Motorcity Dubai,
+971 44548388, www.2xwheeler.com
Wild X, Dubai, Um Al Ramoul Industrial Area,
+971 42852200, www. wildx.ae
Workshops and Services
Moto-X and Quad, PO Box 476214, Dubai,
UAE, +971 50 6169727, www.gasgasmotos.
me
Motorcycling

www.aym.ae/yamaha
Ducati, Mussafah 4, Street 10, Abu Dhabi,
+971 25535771, info2@ducati.ae,
www.ducati.ae
Duseja Motorcycles, Dubai, Al Quoz,
+971 43476712, www.dusejamoto.com
Harley-Davidson, Mussafah 4, Street 10,
Abu Dhabi, +971 25540667,
hd.auh@harley-davidson.ae,
www.harley-davidson-abu-dhabi.com
Liberty Kawasaki, Dubai, Interchange4,
Polaris UAE, Al Ghandi Complex,
Nad al Hamar Road, Ras Al Khor,
+971 42896100, www.polarisuae.com
Tristar Motorcycles, +971 43330659,
www.tristaruae.com
Workshops and Services
Al Forsan International Sports Resort, Abu
Dhabi, +971 25568555, www.alforsan.com
Dubai Autodrome, Dubai, +971 43678700
www.dubaiautodrome.com
Emirates Motorplex, Umm Al Quwain,
+971 67681717
2xWheeler Adventures, Dubai,
+971 44548388, www.alainraceway.com
Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi,
www.yasmarinacircuit.com
Off-Road
Dealers
Bling My Truck,
+971 503634839 / +971 505548255,
info@blingmytruck.com,
4x4 Motors LLC, Shk. Zayed Rd, Dubai,
+971 43384866, www.4x4motors.com
Liberty Automobiles, Dubai, 800 5423789,
www.libertyautos.com
Repairs and Services
AAA Service Centre, Al Quoz, Dubai, UAE,
+971 4 285 8989, www.aaadubai.com
Icon Auto Garage, Dubai, +971 43382744,
www.icon-auto.com
Mebar Auto, Al Quoz, Industrial Area 2, Dubai,
UAE, +971 4 3469600, www.mebarauto.com
Off Road Zone, Dubai, Al Quoz,
+971 43392449,
www.offroad-zone.com
Saluki Motorsport, Dubai, +971 43476939
www.salukimotorsport.com
Equipment
Advanced Expedition Vehicles,
Dubai & Abu Dhabi, +971 43307152,
www.aev.ae
+971 43390621,
www.aym.ae/yamaha
Bling My Truck, +971 503634839 /
+971 505548255,
info@blingmytruck.com,
Heartland UAE, Al Mafraq Industrial,
Abu Dhabi, +971 567231967,
www.heartlanduae.com
Icon Auto Garage, Dubai, +971 43382744,
www.icon-auto.com
Mebar Auto, Al Quoz, Industrial Area 2, Dubai,
UAE, +971 4 3469600,
www.mebarauto.com
Wild X Adventure Shop, Dubai-Hatta Road,
Dubai, +971 48321050, www.wildx.ae
Yellow Hat, Nad Al Hamar, and Times Square
Center, Dubai, +971 42898060,
www.yellowhat.ae
Tour Operators
Arabian Adventures, Dubai & Abu Dhabi,
+971 43034888, www.arabian-adventures.com
Desert Road Tourism, Al Khor Plaza 503,
Dubai, +971 42959429,
Oasis Palm Dubai, Dubai, +971 42628889,
www.opdubai.com
Clubs
Abu Dhabi Off- Road Club,
www.ad4x4.com
ALMOST 4x4 Off-Road Club,
+971 507665522, www.almost4x4.com
Dubai Offroaders,
www.dubaioffroaders.com
JEEP Wrangler JK Fun Club,
suffian.omar@yahoo.com,
www.jk-funclub.com
ME 4X4, www.me4x4.com
Running
Clubs
ABRasAC, Dubai, www.abrasac.org
Abu Dhabi Tri Club, Abu Dhabi,
www.abudhabitriclub.org
Abu Dhabi Striders,
admin@abudhabistriders.com,
www.abudhabistriders.com
Al Ain Road Runners, Abu Dhabi,
+971 504188978, alainroadrunners@yahoo.co.uk
Mirdif Milers, Dubai, www.mirdifmilers.info
Dubai Creek Striders
www.dubaicreekstriders.org
Stand up Paddling, Kite & Surfing,

Wakeboarding
Equipment
Al Boom Marine, Abu Dhabi & Dubai,
+971 42894858, www.alboommarine.com
Al Masaood Marine, Dubai,
Iknic Brands, Suite 509 Dsseldorf Business
Point Al Barsha Dubai, UAE
+971 506874178, info@ikonicbrands.com
Kitesurf Dubai, Kitesurf Beach,
Umm Suqueim and Jumeirah 3
+971 505586190, www.kitesurfdubai.ae
Pearl Water Crafts,
Dubai Marina Yacht Club, +971 553749398,
www.pearl-watercrafts.com
Picnico, Jumeirah Beach Road
Opposite Sunset Mall, Dubai
+971 43941653
Surf Dubai, Dubai, Umm Suqeim,
+971 505043020, www.surfingdubai.com
Surf Shop Arabia, Building 1,
Al Manara Road (East), Interchange 3, Dubai,
+971 43791998,
www.surfshoparabia.com
UAE Kite Surfing, +971 505626383,
www.ad-kitesurfing.net
Distributors
Kitepeople Kite & Surf Store,
International City, Dubai,
+971 504559098, www.kitepeople.ae
Ocean Sports FZE, +971 559352735,
www.kitesurfsup.com
Operators
Al Forsan International Sports Resort,
Abu Dhabi, +971 25568555, www.alforsan.
com
Dubai Kite Surf School, Dubai,
Umm Suqeim Beach, +971 504965107,
www.dubaikitesurfschool.com
Duco Maritime, Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah
and Abu Dhabi, +971 508703427,
www.ducomaritime.com
OUTDOORUAE
73
OMAN DIRECTORY
Adventure tours
and desert safaris
Bike and Hike Oman, PO Box 833, Ruwi,

Postal Code 112, Oman, +968 24400873,
www.bikeandhikeoman.com
Dolphin Qasab Tours, PO Box: 123, P.C. 811,
Khasab City, Musandam, Oman,
+968 26730813, www.dolphinkhasabtours.com
Go Dive Oman, Capital Area Yacht Club
(CAYC), Sidab Muscat, +968 99289200,
www.godiveoman.com
Nomad Tours, PO Box: 583, Postal Code 100,
Muscat, Oman, +968 95495240,
www.nomadtours.com
Oman Trekking Guides, PO Box: 917, NIZWA,
Oman, +968 95741441,
www.omantrekkingguides.com
QATAR DIRECTORY
Adventure tours and desert safaris
Al Mulla Travels, PO Box: 4147, Doha, Qatar,

+974 44413488, almullatrvls@qatar.net.qa
Alpha Tours, PO Box: 13530, Doha, Qatar,
+974 4837815, info@alphatoursqatar.com
Al QAYED Travel & Tours, PO Box: 158, Doha,
Qatar, +974 44072244, www.alqayedtravel.com
Arabian Adventures, PO Box: 4476, Doha,
Qatar, +974 44361461,
www.arabianadventureqatar.net
Black Pearls Tourism Services,
PO Box: 45677, Doha, Qatar
East Marine, West Bay, Doha, Qatar,
+974 55200078
E2E Qatar Travel and Tours,
PO Box: 23563, Doha, Qatar,
+974 44502521, www.e2eqatar.com
Falcon Travels, PO Box: 22031, Doha, Qatar,
+974 44354777, www.falcontravelqatar.com
Gulf Adventures, 29, PO Box: 18180 Qatar,
+974 44221888, www.gulf-adventures.com
Net Tours Qatar, PO Box: 23080, Doha, Qatar,
+974 4310902, www.nettours.com.qa
Regency Travel & Tours, +974 4434
4503/4718, www.regencyholidays.com
Qatar Adventure, PO Box: 13915,
Doha, Qatar, +974 55694561,
www.qataradventure.com
Qatar Desert Gate, Doha, PO Box: 18496
Ad Dawha, Qatar, +974 55594016,
www.qatardesertgate.com
Qatar Inbound Tours, PO Box: 21153,
+974 77451196, www.inboundtoursqatar.com
Qatar International Tours, PO Box: 55733
Doha, Qatar, +974 44551141, www.qittour.com
Qatar Ventures, Doha, Qatar, +974 55776679,
www.qatar-ventures.com
Clubs
Cycling, Running & Triathlon

Doha Sailing Club, Katara Beach
+974 44439840/+974 55649995
www.qmsf.com
Qatar Chain Reaction,
www.qatarchainreaction.weebly.com
Dukite, Kitesurf Beach, Umm Suqeim,

Dubai,+971 507586992, www.dukite.com
Kite Fly, Dubai, +971 502547440,
www.kitesurf.ae
Kite4fun.net, Abu Dhabi, +971
508133134, www.kite4fun.net
Kitepro Abu Dhabi, Yas Island
and Al Dabbayyah, Abu Dhabi,
+971 505441494, www.kitepro.ae
Nautica1992, Dubai, +971 504262415,
www.nautica1992.ae
Shamal Kite Surfing, Umm Suqueim
Dubai, +971 507689226,
astrid@shamalkitesurfing.com,
www.shmalkitesurfing.com
Sky & Sea Adventures, Dubai, Hilton,
Jumeirah Beach Road, +971 43999005,
www.watersportsdubai.com
Surf School UAE, Umm Suqeim Beach
and Building 1, Al Manara Road (East),
Interchange 3, Dubai,+971 556010997,
www.surfschooluae.com
Watercooled, Jebel Ali Golf Resort
and Spa, Dubai, +971 48876771, www.
watercooleddubai.com
Water Cooled, Watercooled Sports
Services LLC, Hilton Beach Club, Abu
Dhabi, UAE, +971 26395997, www.
watercooleduae.com
Clubs
Abu Dhabi Stand Up Paddle,
www.abudhabisup.com
UAE SUP www.uaesup.com
Diving
Omanta Scuba Diving Academy, Al Kharjiya

Street, Al Shati Area, Muscat, Oman, +968
97700564, www.omantascuba.com
Oxygen Diving and Adventures, PO Box:
1363 PC130 Alazaiba, Muscat, Oman,
www.o2diveoman.com
Seaoman, PO Box: 2394, RUWI PC 112,
Oman, +968 24181400, www.seaoman.com
Sub Aqua Dive Center, Hilton Salalah Resort,
PO Box: 699, Salalah 211, Oman,
+968 99894031, www.subaqua-divecenter.com
Equipment
Al Marsa Musandam, PO Box: 44, Dibba,
Sultanate of Oman, +968 26836550,
www.almarsamusandam.com
Al Sawadi Beach Resort, PO Box: 747, Barka
- Al Sawadi, Oman, +968 26795545,
www.alsawadibeach.info
Diving UAE & Oman, www.dive-uae-oman.com
Euro Divers CAYC Oman, Marina Bandar Al
Rhowda, PO Box: 940, Muscat, Oman,
+968 95035815, www.euro-divers.com
Extra Divers Musandam, PO Box: 498,
PC 811 Khasab, Musandam, Oman,
+968 99877957, www.musandam-diving.com
Global Scuba LLC, +968 24692346,
www.global-scuba.com
Moon Light Dive Center, P.O. Box: 65,
Madinat Qaboos, Muscat Oman,
+968 99317700, www.moonlightdive.com
Oman Dive Center Resort, PO Box: 199,
Medinat Sultan Qaboos, Oman,
+968 24824240, www.omandivecenter.info
Qatar Sandstromers, +974 77775207
/ +974 77776634, www.facebook.com/
QatarSandstormers
Velostar Doha, https://www.facebook.com/
groups/587539064642288/
Doha Bay Running Club,
www.dohabayrunningclub.com
TriClub Doha, www.triclubdoha.com
General Sports
Equipment Megastores
Galaxy Sport, City Centre Mall, 3rd Floor,

Qatar: +974 44822194; Villagio Mall, Qatar:
+974 44569143; Ezdan Mall, Qatar: +974
44922827, www.galaxysportqatar.com
GO Sport, City Centre Mall, 3rd Floor, Qatar:
+974 44631644; Villaggio Mall, Qatar:
+974 44517574, www.facebook.com/gosport.qatar
Sun & Sand Sports, City Centre Mall, Qatar:
+974 44837007; Dar Al Salam Mall, Qatar:
+974 44932973, www.sunandsandsports.com
Boating & Sailing
Equipment
Regatta Sailing Academy, Katara Beach
+974 55503484
www.regattasailingacademy.com
Speed Marine, Speed Marine, Museum Road,
PO Box: 9145 Doha, Qatar, +974 44410109,
www.speedmarinegroup.com
Horse Riding
Equestrian Clubs/Centres
Al Shaqab, PO Box: 90055, Doha, Qatar,
+974 44546320, www.alshaqab.com
Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club, Racing and
Equestrian Club, PO Box: 7559, Doha, Qatar,
+974 44197664, www.qrec.gov.qa
Diving
Equipment/Centres
Al Fardan Marine Services, Najma Street
(near Al Fardan Exchange), Doha, Qatar,
+974 44435626
Doha Sub Aqua Club, Doha Sub-Aqua Club,
+974 66304061, www.dohasubaquaclub.com
Water Parks
Aquaventure Atlantis, Dubai, Palm Jumeirah,

+971 44260000, www.atlantisthepalm.ae
Dreamland Aqua Park, Umm Al Quwain,
Emirates Road, +971 67681888,
www.dreamlanduae.com
Wadi Adventure, Jebel Hafeet, Al Ain,
+971 37818422, www.wadiadventure.ae
Wild Wadi Water Park, Dubai,
+971 43484444, www.wildwadi.com
Other leisure activities
Abu Dhabi Golf Club, Abu Dhabi,

+ 971 25588990, www.adgolfclub.com
Al Tamimi Stables, Sharjah,
+971 67431122 \ +971 44370505,
www.tamimistables.com
Blokart Sailing, Nad Al Sheba, Dubai,
+971 556101841, www.blokartme.com
Childrens City, Creek Park Gate No.1, Dubai,
+971 43340808, www.childrencity.ae
Dolphin Bay Atlantis, Dubai,
+971 44260000, www.atlantisthepalm.ae
Dubai Dolphinarium Dubai, Creek Park Gate
No. 1, +971 43369773,
www.dubaidolphinarium.ae
iFly Dubai, Dubai, Mirdif City Centre,
+971 42316292, www.iflyme.com
Stand Up Paddeling, Kite

& Surfing, Wakeboarding
Equipment, Operators
Kiteboarding Oman, Sawadi Beach,
PO Box: 133, PC 118, Muscat, Oman,
+968 96323524,
www.kiteboarding-oman.com
Omans Kite Center, +968 94006007,
www.kitesurfing-lessons.com
Extreme Adventure, PO Box: 33002, Shop

3, 4 Ahmed Bin Ali Street (Bin Omran), Doha,
Qatar, +974 44877884, www.extreme.qa
GoSport, City Centre Mall, 3rd Floor, Qatar:
+974 44631644; Villagio Mall, Qatar:
+974 44517574,
www.facebook.com/gosport.qatar
Pearl Divers, PO Box: 2489, Doha, Qatar, +974
44449553, www.pearl-divers.org
Poseidon Dive Center, Ras Abu Abboud
Street, Al Emadi Suites, Showroom #2,
+974 66084040, www.pdcqatar.com
Qatar Scuba Center, 187 Al Mansoura Street,
Al Mansoura Area, Doha, Qatar,
+974 66662277, www.qatarscubacenter.com
Q Dive, Souq Al Najada cnr of Grand Hamad
and Ali bin Abdulla Str.; Al-Odeid Aisle numbers
129-132, +974 55319507, www.qdive.net
World Marine Centre, PO Box: 6944,
Doha, Qatar, +974 44360989,
www.worldmarinecenter.webs.com
Pearl Divers, Al Mirqab Al Jadeed Street,
Doha, Qatar,
+974 4444 9553, www.pearl-divers.org
Poseidon Dive Center, Ras Abu Abboud
Street, Al Emadi Suites, Showroom #2,
+974 66084040, www.pdcqatar.com
Qatar Divers, Marriott Hotel Marina Near Old
Airport, Ras Abu Aboud Area, Doha, Qatar,
+974 44313331, www.qatardivers.com
Qatar Marine, Go Sport City Center
West Bay, PO Box: 16657, Doha,
+974 553199507, www.qatarmarine.net
Qatar Scuba Centre, 187 Al Mansoura Street,
Al Mansoura Area, Doha, Qatar,
+974 66662277 / +974 44422234,
www.qatarscubacenter.com
Qdive Marine Center, PO Box: 16657, Doha,
Qatar, +974 44375065, www.qdive.net
World Marine Centre, Old Salata Street, near
the Qatar National Museum, Doha, Qatar,
+974 55508177
Fishing & Kayaking
Equipment
Al Kashat, Fishing and Hunting Equipment, Souq
Waqif, next to the Falcon Souq, +974 66724828
Al Mamzoore Marine Equipment,
Sadiyaat Beach Club, Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat

Island, +971 25578000, www.sbgolfclub.ae
Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club, Sharjah,
+971 43999005,
www.golfandshootingshj.com
SkiDubai, Dubai, Mall of The Emirates,
+971 44094000, www.skidxb.com
Spacewalk Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi,
+971 24463653, www.spacewalk.ae
Health, Safety & Training
Safety Lessons
Marine Concept Yacht Charter
& Sea School, Rania Business Centre, Dubai,
+971 559603030,
www.marine-charter-concept.com
Safety & Leisure Training Middle East,
Dusseldorf Business Point, Al Barsha 1, Dubai,
+971 44502418, www.sltme.com
Sport and Health Centres
Bespoke Wellness, Dubai,
+971 553724670, www.bespoke-wellness.
com
Original Fitness Co., C6 Tower Al Bateen
Bainunah St, Abu Dhabi, +971 2406 9404,
www.originalfitnessco.com
Orthosports, 5B Street, Jumeira Beach road,
Dubai, +971 4355060, www.orthosp.com
The Physio Center, Suite 405, Building 49,
Dubai Healthcare City, Dubai,
+971 44370570, www.physiocentre.ae
Camping & Hiking
Tour Operators
Safari Desert Camp,
PO Box: 117, Postal Code 421,
Bediyah, Ghabbi, Oman,
+968 99310108,
www.safaridesert.com
Fishing & Kayaking
Equipment
AzZaha Tours, +968 99013424,
www.azzahatours.com
Water World Marine Oman,
POBox:76,Muscat,113,Sultanate
ofOman, +96824737438,
www.waterworldoman.com
Boating & Sailing
Manufacturer
Saphire Marine, PO Box: 11, Post Code 118,
Muscat, Oman, +968 99877243,
www.sapphire-marine.com
PO Box: 6449,Old Salata, Doha, Qatar, +974
44444238, almamzoore@qatar.net.qa
Extreme Adventure, Shop 3,4 Ahmed Bin Ali
Steet, Doha, +974 44877884, www.extreme.qa
Fish World, PO Box: 1975, Doha, Qatar,
+974 44340754
State of Qatar (QatarSub), Souq Waqif,
next to the Falcon Souq, +974 4431234,
www.stateofqatar.com
Operators
Paddle Qatar, +974 55490895,
www.paddleqatar.com
Entalek, +974 3023 3207, www.entalek.org
Motocross & ATVs

Dealers
Qatar Adventures, Barwa Village, Building

# 9 Shop # 11, Doha, Qatar, +974 77700074
Stand Up Paddeling, Kite & Surfing,

Wakeboarding
Equipment, Operators
Fly-N-Ride, Ras abu Aboud, Doha, +974
33117089, www.fly-n-ride.com
Flo Kite School, Westbay, Doha,
+974 55041039, www.flokiteschool.com
Kitesurfing Qatar, +97430179108,
www.kitesurfingqatar.com
QSUP, Qanat Quartier, Costa Malaz,
The Pearl-Qc, Doha, Qatar, +974 66602830,
www.qsup.me
Cycling (Road & Off Road)
Bike Servicing, Equipment

Carbon Wheels Bike Shop, Al Maha Center
10, Salwa Road, Doha, +974 44419048,
www.facebook.com/CarbonWheelsQTR
Flash Bike Shop, Mesaeed New Souq, Shop
C.06, +974 6600 9116, www.flashbikeshop.com
Skate Shack, Salwa Road, South Doha,
+974 44692532, www.skate-shack.com
Galaxy Sport, City Centre Mall, 3rd Floor, +974
44822194; Villaggio Mall, +974 4456 9143;
Ezdan Mall, +974 4492 2827,
www.galaxysportqatar.com;
Sportswell, Salwa Road, South Doha,
+974 40165155 / 40165156
STATE
OF THE
HEART
The heart is our will - the power

behind our desire to do another
rep or run another mile.
The heart is our engine - it drives
our blood and fuels our muscles.
2XU compression technology
supports the heart and shapes
how we recover, train and perform.
Its about heart not hype.
#HEARTNOTHYPE 2XU.COM/HEART
THE WORLDS MOST ADVANCED COMPRESSION TECHNOLOGY

#54 March 2015

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STEER CLEAR

FISHING GREAT BEAR LAKE

HIKING AND CAMPING WITH KIDS

Walk on the wild side

THE HUMAN & K9

MIDDLE EASTS OUTDOOR, ADVENTURE, TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

MARCH 2015 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

Its March already. It seems like not a

March sees International Womens Day and for

Show and the magazine is focused on boating and

Sales & Marketing (advertisement enquiries)

2015 Outdoor UAE FZE

2015 Outdoor UAE FZE

Eulogy van Dyk

EXPERTS & CONTRIBUTORS

The information contained is for general use only.

MIDDLE EASTS OUTDOOR, ADVENTURE, TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

MARCH 2015 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

EVENT REVIEWS & REPORTS

18 VOLVO OCEAN RACE

22 SALOMON WADI BIH RUN

MIDDLE EASTS OUTDOOR, ADVENTURE, TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

MARCH 2015 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

A cloudy morning in the desert of Al Hayer.

Loving the Liwa dunes.

Acrobat Rider in Liwa.

MIDDLE EASTS OUTDOOR, ADVENTURE, TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

MARCH 2015 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

Stay up-to-date with the latest events

Dubai International Boat Show

March 3 to 7, Dubai International Marine Club Mina Seyahi

ITU World Triathlon

Dare to tri! Following a five-year

2015 BULA & WFDF World

Brought to Dubai by the Beach Ultimate

Saucony Dubai Autodrome

Urban-Ultra Hajar 100

March 13, 8:00 a.m., Ras Al Khaimah

Challenge yourself on this beautiful

Dubai Gran Fondo UCI World Cycling Tour

March 20, 6:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Al Qudra Cycle Path

MIDDLE EASTS OUTDOOR, ADVENTURE, TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

MARCH 2015 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

2XU Triathlon Championships

Zayed Marathon 5km

The Pearl Qatar Triathlon 2015

March 27, 6:00 a.m., Doha, Qatar

Held under the patronage of His

In its second edition, this is one of

For more information, visit www.yasmarinacircuit.com

For more information, visit

Dubai World Cup

March 28, Meydan Racecourse

Dubai Desert Road Run

March 21, 7:00 a.m., The Sevens Stadium

Were off to the races! The regions premier equestrian event

This is just a selection of the events taking place this month,

MIDDLE EASTS OUTDOOR, ADVENTURE, TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

MARCH 2015 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

Mark Cavendish wins the 2015 Dubai Tour

Intermediate sprints classification winner:

lead-out. To be fair, I didnt really do anything,

MIDDLE EASTS OUTDOOR, ADVENTURE, TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

MARCH 2015 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM