#39 december 2013

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WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM Issue 36, December 2013

Price: 10 DHS

++CAMPING IN OMAN

DUBAI INTERNATIONAL MOTOR SHOW

Rock Republic Dubai review

Gone camping!

Climbing

SOLO OFF-ROADING TIPS

Fast cars, cool rides

GARMIN VIRB Action Camera

Tried & Tested

IN TAJIKISTAN

ROCK STARS

2013

3OUTDOORUAE

THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST DECEMBER 2013 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

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

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

© 2013 Outdoor UAE FZEReg. at Creative City FujairahP.O. Box 4422, Fujairah, U.A.E.

WHEN YOU’RE DONE READING,

PLEASE RECYCLE!

On the cover: Gina Birkhofer campingPhoto by: Daniel Birkhofer

Managing Editor Daniel BirkhoferEditors Glaiza Seguia, Tara AtkinsonDesigner Oybek DaniyarovAdministration Jane Mesina

Sales & Marketing (advertisement enquiries)Linda TurcerovaTel: 04-447 2030Mobile: 055 [email protected]

Published byOutdoor UAE FZEIn cooperation with D32 EventsP.O. Box 215062Dubai, U.A.E.Tel. 04-447 [email protected]

DistributorTawzea, Abu Dhabi Media CompanyP.O. Box 40401, Abu Dhabi, U.A.E.

Printed atDubai Printing PressP.O. Box: 6820, Dubai, UAETel: 04-3370344

© 2013 Outdoor UAE FZEIssue 36 December 2013

BETWEEN THE LINES

Daniel Birkhofer Founder and Editor in [email protected]

Oybek Daniyarov Graphics & [email protected]

Linda Turcerova Sales and Marketing [email protected]

Jane Mesina [email protected]

EXPERTS & CONTRIBUTORS

Tori Leckie Writer, runner, blogger and adventurer.

Kit Belen Our fishing pro

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

Mike Nott The 4x4 expert

John Basson Moto/ATV and all round adventure seeker

Pete Aldwinckle Climber and all-round adventure seeker

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

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

Gordon T Smith Desert Diver and wannabe Marine Biologist

WANT TO CONTRIBUTE? CONTACT US! [email protected]

++

++

Glaiza SeguiaEditor [email protected]

Challenge accepted! This year has been all about rising up to the challenge. At the beginning, it was the challenge of taking on new responsibilities that tested my mettle and not to mention my physical abili-ties as I try to get into grips with the outdoor activities. You truly get to know yourself better when you are at your weakest or at your most ridiculous! Then there was the challenge of continuing the ethos and pace OutdoorUAE has set up, which we believe we have addressed through fresh ideas like launching our new section, masthead and thicker pages with variety of articles. The outdoor community interaction also increased thanks to the growing Facebook fans and getting a piece of the action ourselves by being ever present in exhibitions through-out the year and joining events like the recent ADNIC Yas Run where some of us, such as myself, literally went from couch to a 5km run – a small feat, I know, but I try to celebrate life’s little successes. Miles away back home, a tragedy struck in the form of the super Typhoon Hai-yan, one of the strongest and deadliest storms recorded in history. Seeing the “bayanihan” spirit (Filipino sense of community and cooperation towards an endeavour) come alive and the surge of relief efforts and support from Dubai and the rest of the world renewed my faith in humanity. It made me understand that challenges are just opportunities in disguise and it’s up to us if we want to avoid or make the most out of them. I’ll keep that in mind as we close another year and welcome a new one full of possibilities. A happy and adventurous holidays to everyone!

Glaiza

Tara Atkinson Travel [email protected]

Get to us on Facebook!

4 OUTDOORUAE


14 DUBAI INTERNATIONAL MOTOR SHOW 2013

CONTENTS

EVERY ISSUE

EVENT REVIEWS & REPORTS

OUR EXPERTS

LIFESTYLE

TIPS + TRICKS

TRAVEL + ADVENTURE

05 BEST SHOTS06 EVENTS CALENDAR32 LIFESTYLE38 PRODUCTS54 PEOPLE68 DIRECTORY

10 ADNIC YAS RUN 201316 DMX RESULTS18 SAILING IN THE UAE

24 MT SOMONI, TAJIKISTAN28 FISHING IN SENEGAL

34 CYCLE BISTRO: HABITUALLY HEALTHY

48 SKYRUN - TORI50 THE EMIRATES DESERT CHAMPIONSHIP - JOHN52 FISHING WEEKEND - KIT

60 REBIRTH OF A QUAD62 SOLO OFF-ROAD DRIVING66 PARTNERS STRETCHES – SANDY

12 WADI ADVENTURE RACE 4 54 ROCK REPUBLIC

52 OMAN EMPTY QUARTER OFF-ROAD

34 TRIED & TESTED: GARMIN VIRB

5OUTDOORUAE


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 3 winners, who will each receive Buff headwear and five free copies of the magazine: Ryan Silva, Dave Beardsmore and Beerta Maini. Well done!

To submit your entries, simply email us at [email protected] with the subject “Best Shots.”

Dave BeardsmoreDune jump.

Ryan SilvaFly high.

Beerta MainiFisherman in Mauritius.

WINNER!

WINNER!

Join the OutdoorUAE Calendar Photography Contest! Send us your best outdoorsy shots and your photo can be included in the 2014 OutdoorUAE calendar. For more details, visit www.outdooruae.com/calendarcontest orgo to page 21

WINNER!

mailto:[email protected]


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

The Life & Style Show UAEDecember 5 to 7, up to 11:00 p.m., ADNEC Abu Dhabi

This will be the largest and most exciting consumer lifestyle show in the Middle East featuring over 300 exhibitors and highlighting six events: Sports & Leisure, Speed & Power, Gizmos, Gadgets & Tech, Toys, Hobbies & Games, Home Living, and Fashion & Beauty. Plus, fun activities, cooking demos, entertainment and more. OutdoorUAE is one of the media partners of this event; grab free magazine copies and visit us at Stand 4330! For more information, visit www.thelifeandstyleshowuae.com.

Johnson Arabia Dubai Creek Striders Half Marathon 2013 December 6, 6:30 a.m., Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club

Already in its 12th edition, the 21km course will follow a scenic route around, over and under the iconic Dubai Creek. Note that parking within the Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club will be limited on the morn-ing of the race. Parking options will be available in Deira City Centre car park across the road from the golf club entrance or runners can take a taxi. For more information, visit www.dubaicreekstriders.org.

Just Gas It – RAK AttackDecember 6, Dubai to Ras Al Khaimah

A social event for all desert warriors to enjoy and meet new people to ride with. This is a fun ride not a race and the plan is for your team to navigate from the Just Gas It Ranch to the finish at the Bin Majid Beach Resort. This ride is around 130km with two fuel stops. This event is aimed at the community of dirt bikers and established desert riders. To register your team and for more details, visit www.justgasit.net or email [email protected].

Adventure HQ Hatta DuathlonDecember 7, 7:30 a.m., Hatta Fort Hotel

Following a run-bike-run format, be prepared for a gruelling, hilly bike course sandwiched between two different but equally challenging runs. The race takes place at the Hatta Fort Hotel and is composed of a 4km run, 1km of which is uphill, then followed by a hilly and not for the faint-hearted 23.4km bike on the roads outside the hotel. The race finishes with a leg-busting final 4km run within the grounds of the hotel; be prepared for hills, some single track and very rough ground underfoot. For more information, visit www.race-me-events.com.

Dubai Kartdrome Endurance Championship driven by MiniDecember 6 to 7, Dubai Autodrome, Motor City

Start your engines for the endurance challenge that has been running since 2004. Drivers will be driving for gruelling periods of 12 and 24 hours straight which requires stamina, concentration, speed, consist-ency and most importantly team work. At the end, there can only be one winning team. Free entry for spectators, drivers registration online. For more information, visit www.dubaiautodrome.com.

Featured Event

Featured Event

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http://www.thelifeandstyleshowuae.com

http://www.dubaicreekstriders.org

http://www.justgasit.net

http://www.justgasit.net


http://www.race-me-events.com

http://www.dubaiautodrome.com


7OUTDOORUAE

EVENTS CALENDAR ++

The Color RunDecember 14, 9:00 a.m., Dubai Autodrome

Splash some colour to your sport! “The happiest 5km on the planet” will begin and end on the Dubai Autodrome tracks and participants will start in waves that have a three to six minute interval between while colour throws will occur every 15 to 20 minutes. This run is open to all levels of runners from athletes to moms and their kids, the Color Run is all about the fun rather than the race. Get ready to run through the colors of the rainbow all while having a blast with your family and friends.

Jones Lang LaSalle Double Super Sprint TriathlonDecember 14, 7:00 a.m., Jebel Ali Golf Hotel

The double super sprint race will see competitors completing a nice short super sprint distance triathlon and then straight after the first 2.5km run, they jump back into the water to do it all over again! Versatility and fast transitions are key. The swim will be in the sea, followed by the bike section which will take place on the open roads outside of the hotel, with the final run through the hotel grounds. There is also a super sprint race for youth category (age 12-18). For more information, visit www.race-me-events.com.

The Spinneys Dubai 92 Cycle ChallengeDecember 13, 6:00 a.m., Nad Al Sheba Cycle Park

One of the largest cycling events in the Middle East is back. The fourth Spinneys Cycle Challenge is held under the patronage of the Dubai Sports Council wherein beginners and experts alike will take on the 92km of cycling on the Dubai roads, including the most famous landmarks: the Burj Khalifa, The Dubai Mall, the Burj Al Arab. More details can be found at www.cyclechallenge.ae.

GIANT Bicycles Duathlon Series Race 3December 20, 2:00 p.m., The Sevens Stadium

The nine-race series is designed for at triathletes, duathletes, cyclists, runners and fitness enthusiasts, of all ages and abilities. The distances for the third race are run 5km, bike 40km and run 5km and the sec-ondary race are run 3km, bike 25km and run 2.5km. The kids duathlon (age 12 and under) will be raced over a distance of run 1km, bike 4.5km and run 1km. To register, visit www.premiermarathons.com.

XCAT World SeriesDecember 12 to 14, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Dubai International Marine Club Mina Seyahi

The Xtreme Catamaran race is one of the most challenging and extreme powerboat events in the world with each round attracting nearly 30 teams. Dubai will witness the final round of this exciting World Series. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.xcatracing.com.

Dubai Autodrome 5Km RaceDecember 11, 8:00 p.m.,Dubai Autodrome

Organised by the Dubai Road Runners, this 5km run is open to ages 16 and above. Participants will run two laps around the floodlit Autodrome track and trophies await the top finishers. For more infor-mation, visit www.dubairoadrunners.com.

http://www.race-me-events.com

http://www.cyclechallenge.ae

http://www.premiermarathons.com

http://www.xcatracing.com

http://www.dubairoadrunners.com

Ignite Fitness & WellnessAQUATHLON SUCCESS

Ignite Fitness & Wellness hosted the fifth edition of their aquathlon on 15th November at The Shack, Kite Surfers Beach, Umm Suqeim.

The aquathlon started bright and early at 6:00 a.m., the conditions were perfect. The event started with a swim followed by a run on the beach. The race had four dif-

Sprint Individual Male: Xavi OlivéSprint Team: Atlantis Lost Chambers – Pavlo Mangilinan and Randi PasuvaOpen Lifeguards Team: Le Royal Meridien – Dilsha Ashen and Mahesh SangeewaOpen Team: Rotovegas – Nicola Alono and Eddie AlonoOpen Individual Female: Tanya Lee-ParkerOpen Individual Male: Ilya SlepovFun Run Male: Saif HamdanFun Run Female: Renee LangJunior Under 16 Boy: Tarik AdelJunior Under 16 Girl: Jasmin GreyJunior Under 12 Boy: Morgan BevanJunior Under 12 Girl: Hanna McLaughlin

The event was a great success with over 150 children and adult participants on the day. The event supports Ignite’s philoso-phy of improving sedentary lifestyle by introducing fitness and fun and making fitness accessible to all.

Kellogg’s are the main sponsor for the event.

For more event information contact: Guillaume Mariole at [email protected] or visit Facebook: www.fa-cebook.com/events/129847930541197/ or the website www.ignite-wellness.com.

ferent categories dependent on age and level of fitness and for the non-swimmers there was a fun run. As always there was a mix of participants some wanting to beat their personal best and others just out for some fitness and fun.

Winners:Sprint Individual Female: Kristina Netley

with NaishWindsurfingand started to surf on the waves. To my biggest surprise chatting with my friends Aey and Leigh from Ocean Sports made me discover that they have brand new Naish demo windsurf unpacked in their warehouse! I was rude enough to ask if I can borrow it and blessed to get their “yes!” I was happy as a small kid! I took it for a spin and now I am impatiently waiting until their new stock arrives as I have ordered one. I was surprised that Naish equipment is fairly affordable compared to the prices of other SUP board brands, and it is lightweight, and most importantly, packable into a manageable kit you can take down quickly to the beach. Naish also pro-vides you with an inflatable board solution which is super convenient to store and move around. As a basic kit, you would be looking at Naish Crossover 11’0 for 5,225 AED (board); Naish Boxer 4.7m at 1,995 AED; Naish Mast RDM 60 430 at 1,395 AED; Naish Global Wave Boom 135-195cm at 825 AED; Naish Firestick mast extension at 110 AED (more information on www.kitesurfsup.com). What is great is that once you have a windsurf board you can use it for the SUP as well because this is a Crossover board.

The beauty of windsurfing lies in the quiet of the sea, hundreds of metres away from shore and only with yourself, when your board is gliding gently on the surface, ever-present wind battling with your controlling hands, testing your abilities to com-mand the forces to safely return you to the shore.

I have grown up watching my parents and their friends windsurf effortlessly on lakes in Slovakia; as soon as I was strong enough to lift the sail out of the water, I couldn’t wait to try it out myself.

Beginnings were tough, especially since I was a scraw-ny 12-year-old attempting to drag an old-school, heavy, adult size wet sail out of the water. But once I managed to actually hold it upright without tipping myself over the board, I was picked up by the gentle breeze and was cruising around.

Back in the days, boards were also heavy! I still remember the two polystyrene skeletons that were the board’s building foundation, stored in my father’s garage, waiting for his friends to turn them expertly into gliding instruments of wonder, laminate layer upon lami-nate layer. Back in those days if you wanted something you needed to make it yourself. Our garage started to become a “board room” and we were forced to move all furniture from our living room to have more space to sew the sails on an old communistic Makita sewing machine.

Today’s progress in technology which I call the “age of carbon,” boards and the rest of the windsurf equipment

(like sail, boom and mast) are as light as they can get. Five years ago when I came to Dubai there wasn’t a company who would sell windsurfs, so I gave up on this thought

8 OUTDOORUAE

NEWS + COMMUNITY


Words By: Linda Turcerova



http://www.facebook.com/events/129847930541197/

http://www.facebook.com/events/129847930541197/

http://www.ignite-wellness.com


On a near perfect morning for racing, Christian completed the Men’s Olympic distance of 1.5km swim, 40km bike ride and 10km run in an impressive 1 hour 50 minutes and 37 seconds. Nicholas Tipper crossed the finish line to take second place in 1:58:13 with Christian Henn also making it under the two-hour mark in 1:59:14. Vasiljevic com-pleted the ladies Olympic course in 2:07:04 to clinch the overall title but was pushed all the way by Ana Celie Cruis de Campo in second with a time of 2:12:29 while Merele Talviste completed the podium positions with a time of 2:15:59.

The Super Sprint distance of a 200/375m swim, 8km cycle and 2.5km run was keenly contested with many juniors taking the top spots. In the Boy’s 12 years and under 200m swim category, Max Powell reigned supreme dashing to the line in 29:16 with Nicolaas Zwager close on his heels in 0:32:49 and

Hosted by Le Meridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort and Marina and the Dubai Interna-tional Marine Club, this Dubai Sports Council sanctioned event attracted over 330 entries ranging in ages from six years old through to 50 years and over.

Van Beek clinched her first title in the 800m swim in 12 minutes and 54 seconds, well ahead of Samira Al Bitar in 13:35 with Destiny Hoffman in third in 13:42. After a short rest it was back in the water for the 400m event which she blitzed in 7:36 but this time with Hoffman in second in 8:03 and Al Bitar third in 8:11. The Mile was the highlight of the day and again van Beek emerged from the water first to get all three titles on offer on the morning in 25:16. Danielle Hatcher was less than a minute behind her with Al Bitar third once again two minutes back from the winner.

In the 200m swim for the juniors aged 12 years and under, it was Lucjan Ulanowski sprinting across the line first in the boy’s event in 03:51 and close on his heels Csongor Cellie

2XU Triathlon Championships 2013/14Ryan Christian and Jelena

Vasiljevic showed their class at recent 2XU Triathlon Champi-onships held at Mamzar Park. Nearly 550 multi-sport enthusi-asts from the UAE, surrounding Gulf states and as far as the UK competed in Race 1 of this three-race series.

Ned Farrell rounding off the top three in 33:48. Keeping it in the family, Elisha Powell powered her way to victory in the same age group for girls in 32:45 followed home by Angelica Gordon and Hannah Burns in 33:17 and 34:48 respectively. In the 375m swim category, juniors took the top three places with Jed Skilton – 32:07, Ollie Cottam – 34:03 and Etienne Tillon – 34:09. On the ladies side, Anne Marie McGettigan brought them home in 39:03, closely followed by Charlotte Edwards in 40:23 with 13-year-old Tilly Farrell third overall in 43:51.

The Sprint distance of 750m swim, 24km cycle, 5km run was hotly contested with over 200 entrants for this popular distance. On the men’s side, Julien Periard prevailed on top in 1:04:36 with Jordan Janszen in second in 1:10:06 pushed all the way by Kevin Chesham only three seconds behind in 1:10:09. Leanne Fanoy blitzed the ladies sprint course in 1:10:39, two minutes ahead of veteran Bever-ley Mason in 1:12:57 with Alison Grinnell third in 1:18:20.

“This was an amazing turn out for Race

1 and a great start to the 2XU Triathlon Championships. Triathletes of all ages and abilities took part and they are growing the sport week by week. For many it was their first time and they conquered their ultimate chal-lenge! The support from parents, partners and siblings was huge toward all athletes and we must have had over a thousand people down here competing and supporting,” comment-ed Event Director Warren van der Merwe from Super Sports Events. “What was really promis-ing to see was the number of juniors who had entered, and many for the first time who said they will be back for more. Support from sponsors on the day was also appreciated by all, especially from Dubai Sports Council, Go Sport and 2XU the title sponsors. Co-sponsors included Zoggs, Probike, Aqualyte, Sharbatly Fruit, Adventures in the Alps, Sport 360, Su-perPro Race Timing Services, Imax and Barry Morgan Sports Photography.

All results can be viewed from www.super-sportsdubai.com. Entries for Race 2 on Friday, 07 February 2014 are already open and will be limited to the first 500 entries.

Van Beek secures hat trick of titles at Mina Milein 03:52. Rayhaan Guerni also put in a good swim for third place in 04:03. On the girls side, Kayla Berry dashed home in 03:49 with Emily Peck second in 04:03 and Lois Van Beek rounding off the top three in 04:05

Julian Ulanowski’s exit from the water in 07:17 was just enough to pip Thomas Dalgarno in 07:20 for first place in the Men’s 400m race. Harry Dalgarno clinched third in 07:31. But the tables were turned in the 800m for Men when Thomas Dalgarno crossed the line first in 12:33 with brother Harry second in 12:41 and Ulanowski third in 12:46. The Mile swim for Men was another success for Thomas Dalgarno who raced home in 24:18 with Milan Den Haese a close six seconds behind and Ulanowski once again third in 25:08.

“It was a perfect morning for open water swimming with calm flat waters in the Meridien Bay,” commented Race Organiser Warren van der Merwe from Super Sports Events. “From the results you can see that juniors dominated all the events with 80% of the overall winner’s podium positions going to them. It was an inci-dent free morning with no swimmers having to be rescued and that is always a good sign, even though there was ample support from over 20 lifeguards on kayaks and rescue boats by Club Mina.”

Full race results can be found at www.super-sportsdubai.com. Race 2 is scheduled for 1st March 2014 and entries close at midnight the Wednesday before the race.

Gwen van Beek from Sports Life Swim Academy was un-doubtedly the swimmer of the day at Race 1 of the ZOGGS/Go Sport Mina Mile Open Wa-ter Swimming Race for the 2013/14 series.

WE WANT YOUOutdoorUAE is looking for writers interested in the outdoors to cover events for us or write activityrelatedreports on a freelance basis. Yourpassion is more important to us thanyour experience, so students are most welcome. For more details send us an email to: [email protected] and let us know about your passion for writing and the greater outdoors.

Writers

wanted!

http://www.supersportsdubai.com




Where else would you get the chance to run on the same circuit where merely three weeks ago, the legends of Formula One racing went side by side to measure power, skill and precision during the Etihad Air-

Friday November 22nd marked the day when runners big and small, amateurs and seasonal, got together for a truly spectacular event – the ADNIC Yas Run 2013. Organ-ised by Abu Dhabi National Insurance Company, this is dubbed as UAE’s favourite run-ning event and it is not hard to see why.

ways Abu Dhabi Formula One Grand Prix. Of course, none of the runners have beaten Fernando Alonso’s fastest lap of 1:43.434, but just to have the chance of your feet touching the same ground, your muscles testing themselves and the surrounding of this magnificent venue, this was really a one-of-a-kind experience.

But it was not only about the actual running. This year has seen more people mainly due to the addition of 5km run (1lap on circuit) to the already established 3km, 1km and the internationally certified 10km (2laps) runs. Other additions were the Corporate Challenge and UAE National Championship.

Around 3,100 runners started at the cov-eted start line of this amazing circuit, with 3,400 spectators right above them, big ones

Words By: Vanda Turcerova with additional information from ADNIC Yas Run

ADNIC Yas Run

EVENT REVIEW

The way running events should be

11OUTDOORUAE

cheering on the little ones and vice versa. Adults had their chance later, on the 5km and 10km that started 4:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. respectively. In the meantime, kids had plenty of activities to get involved in. AD-NIC’s main stand had box jumping competi-tions on, Adventure HQ showcased their mobile climbing wall and slackline balance station that proved to be much fun for the young ones. There were plenty of giveaways too: kids couldn’t get enough of ADNIC’s whistles and balloon maracas to a point that parents must have confiscated quite a few of those! Displayed Formula One cars were available for photos and OutdoorUAE satis-fied the curiosity of adventurers who visited its station. Radio 1 presenters Danny Cee and Surina Kelly showed support in the 5km run and did not place too badly either.

John Ndungu, 27, and Gladys Jemaiyo, 19 were crowned champions of the 10km race with astounding times of 29:48 and 35:55 respectively and will fly to New York for the 2014 UAE Healthy Kidney Race in March alongside fastest UAE National 10km competition winners Mohamed Rashed and Reem Fekri. At the 5km race 13 year-old Harry Dalgarno and 13-year-old Maya Gill had the fastest times.

A popular feature in previous years, the 1km and 3km kids’ races, brought 800 children to the circuit with Abu Dhabi Indian

School being named as the fastest school in the UAE with 80 pupils competing. Kyle Simpson, 10, and Rosie Botros, 8, took first place in the 1km, and Euan Bell, 14 and Jasmine Grey, 12 were first across the line in the 3km. It is all about the spirit, after all, and everyone had it going on that Friday.

The furst UAE National Challenge winners on the day were: Dana Ali Al Amoudi (1km female), Mohamed Hajeri (1km male), Aisha Almehairi (3km female), Sultan Al Shamsi

(3km male), Nuha Luqman (5km female) and Omar Bukhani (5km male).

When the last run finished, everyone was very excited, slightly exhausted and a little sad to be going home. It will be another year before ADNIC Yas Run comes back in its glory and gives us another chance at fun run in a world famous venue and awesome entertainment. We can’t wait!

Full results can be found at www.premiertiming.com.

People gathered at the OutdoorUAE stand to chat up with the team, grab complimentary magazines and strike some crazy poses with funny “I Run Because…” banners in our fun photobooth. Photos can be downloaded at www.OutdoorUAE.com/photos and www.facebook.com/OutdoorUAE

Crowd at the OutdoorUAE booth.

Words By: Glaiza SeguiaPhotos By: Daniel Birkhofer

EVENT REVIEW

Petrolheads from all over the world were at full attention with the busy goings-on dur-ing the biennial Motor Show, which included grand unveilings and over 100 global and regional launches. The local community was especially excited to see the first Arabian supercar from the new Lebanese carmaker W Motors. The Lykan HyperSport is decked with advanced digital dashboard and naviga-tion, plush interiors of carbon fibre seats and it is the first car to have diamond-encrusted LED headlights. Of course, it comes with a heavy price tag of 12.4 million AED and is currently the second most expensive car in production in the world.

The luxury car brand Rolls-Royce first

Rolling out!

The fanciest, priciest and fastest cars took centre stage once more as Dubai rolled out this year’s edition of the International Motor Show. From November 5th to 9th, the World Trade Centre hosted the largest motoring event in the region—putting the spot-light on the leading and rising brands in the automobile market.

Dubai International Motor Show 2013

introduced the Celestial Phantom at the Frankfurt Auto Show last September, but they kicked it up a notch for its Dubai debut by adorning the dusk-coloured saloon with 446 diamonds on the door cappings, centre console lid and rear privacy divider. Accord-ing to Rolls-Royce Motor Cars CEO Torsten Muller-Otvos, “The Middle East is the largest

market for bespoke in the world. In celebra-tion of this, we sought to create something truly special for the Dubai Motor Show. The use of the very finest materials is central to the marquee’s unique brand promise, extending the Celestial Phantom’s starry night theme with one of the rarest and most precious commodities in the world therefore

A new addition to the Dubai Police’s supercar fleet, the Audi R8.

ZX-10r

WE’RE Rolling oUTnEW 2014 PRodUcTs

800 [email protected]

12 OUTDOORUAE


Toyota Prius Hybrid

GTA Spano

felt most appropriate.” Not to be outdone, Lamborghini show-

cased its Aventador LP 700-4 in red and blue, along with its 25-inch prototype made from solid gold, platinum and precious stones. This work of art ringing up to 3.1 mil-lion AED is looking to break into the Guin-ness World Record for the most expensive scale model in the world.

The fastest hypercar in the world, the Hennessey Venom GT, that can go to a record-breaking speed of 0 to 300km/h in 13.63 seconds also made its regional launch. Another speed fiend was the UAE-built supercar, Devel Sixteen, which looks like it could have been teleported from the far future and boasts of 5000hp that can report-edly go 62mph in 1.8 seconds and can reach a staggering top speed of 348mph.

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Meanwhile, Toyota showcased its eco-friendly Prius Hybrid and the sleek FT-86 Open Concept convertible; while Ford wowed with their Atlas Concept that aims to redefine people’s notion of a pickup truck with its massive and tough body, next-gen-eration EcoBoost® with Auto Start-Stop, a 360° point-of-view camera and all-terrain tyres.

On Friday, the crowd gathered on the sidelines of the Sheikh Zayed Road to witness the inaugural Dubai Grand Parade on their way to the venue. The Dubai Police supercar fleet, now with the latest addition of an Audi R8, Mercedes SL 63, Mercedes

G, Brabus and Nissan GTR, led over 500 shiny high-end and vintage vehicles to the venue, while the proud owners behind the wheels hammed it up for the cheering crowd and photographers. The Red Bull Car Park Drift Regional Finals came to a climactic end with Lebanese drifter Jad Himo crowned as the new “King of Drift.”

The Senior Vice President of Dubai World Trade Centre and organiser of the show, Trixie Loh Mirmand said, “The recognition of the Dubai International Motor Show as a truly international event has never been more evident, with an exceptional number of manufacturers choosing Dubai as the global stage for the unveiling of their new marquees and models. This highlights the importance of the MENA region as well as the show’s success at reaching the key cus-tomer audiences being targeted.”

It was also OutdoorUAE’s first time to join and to make things more interactive, we set up our “fast, furious and fun” photobooth sponsored by Kawasaki. See you at the next Motor Show in 2015!


Following the success of previous W.A.R. events, and given the popularity of Wadi Ad-venture as a unique destination for outdoor adventure activities, the race was completely sold-out over a month before the event.

With the growing number of athletes and the increasing number of event sponsors and spectators, it was only natural for race coordi-nator, Sean Kinsella, to up the ante and create a course designed to push these athletes to the limit! In response to feedback from previous events, Sean and his team went out of their way to construct a variety of obsta-cles that were not only Herculean in size, but longer, heavier and more punishing than ever before. “We don’t intend to break anyone on the course today… well, maybe just a little!,” said Sean in the pre-race briefing.

MENS Place Race# Name Time1 172 Kristian Lauge Joergensen 52.582 252 Ryan Jucker 55.033 179 Lee Bradbury 56.144 306 Davi Kunch 57.335 171 Kris Karcher 57.586 129 Jason Coke 58.197 15 Andrew Balthrop 59.18 42 Carl Hewlett 59.159 67 Daniel Van Dooren 59.2910 123 James MacDonald 59.35 WOMENS Place Race# Name Time1 94 Eva Clarke 58.172 177 Lea Chilton 1.04.513 278 Sioned Taylor 1.05.294 152 Julia Ridley 1.08.125 97 Frances McNally 1.09.126 299 Viktoria Hadley 1.10.337 10 Alison Hamrick 1.13.098 173 Kristin Bond 1.14.209 116 Hayley Fisher 1.14.2310 297 Veronica Meyer 1.14.40

EVENT REPORT

W.A.R. HEROESEMERGE VICTORIOUS!

On race day, the athletes were faced with a cool morning breeze on the beach as they emerged from the registration area with goodie bags in hand and race numbers inked indelibly on arms and legs. On the beach, the sound of sponsors’ flags flapping in the wind was steadily replaced with apprehensive chat-ter, and runners sharing W.A.R. stories and strategies that served them well in the past.

At 9:00 a.m., the anticipation climaxed as the entire field of over 300 racers was lead to the starting line – an abandoned service road through the neighbouring desert. Tightly packed across the starting line, all pre-race nerves were blown away by the drop of the flag, and the thunderous sound of over 300 pairs of feet pound-ing against the gravel. The race began with a 3km run, 2km of which were spent carrying a 20kg sandbag – a tough start for even the fittest of competitors. Throughout the 10km course athletes were expected to run upstream; leap between upturned rafts; scale chest-high walls; climb over mountain ridges and crawl under barbed wire fences. And if you thought that was enough, we’re only half way! Racers still needed to navigate their way through a maze of tyres and ropes; run another 2km through moun-tain valleys; make their way across 30m of hand-shredding monkey-bars; swim 50m to shore and of course, summit the

notorious finish line of the Wadi Adventure Race – The Wall.

Despite being a course that would test the mettle of John Rambo himself, a vast majority of racers completed the course in less than two hours, with race winner, Kristian Lange Joergensen completing the course in 52 minutes, 58 seconds. Ryan Jucker claim-ing second place in a time of 55 minutes 3 seconds; and Lee Bradbury finishing third in 56 minutes, 14 seconds.

Eva Clarke lifted the coveted W.A.R. trophy for the ladies, taking first place with a time of 58 minutes and 19 seconds. Lea Chilton claimed second place in 1 hour, 4 minutes and 51 seconds; and Sioned Taylor wrapped up third in a time of 1 hour, 5 minutes and 29 seconds.

After the race, runners were treated to a buffet lunch, along with various prizes and giveaways, all generously provided by all 18 event sponsors. The four prime gold event sponsors were: Daman Health, Eastern Mo-tors, Fitness First and The Green Mubazzarah Chalets.

Full results are available on the “Wadi Adventure Race” Facebook page (www.facebook.com/WadiAdventureRace), along with all the photos captured on the day.

On Saturday morning, No-vember 9th at the foot of Jebel Hafeet in Al Ain, over 300 of the UAE’s most daring indi-viduals ventured towards Wadi Adventure with high hopes of conquering the gruelling 10km obstacle race – the fourth of its kind in the Wadi Adventure Race (W.A.R.) series.


15OUTDOORUAE

EVENT REPORT

This two-day event saw teams, in two divi-sions, throw down, completing six workouts (WODs) over the weekend. Ten teams of four competed in each division, Scaled and RxD, with 80 athletes taking the field over the weekend. Heats ran throughout both days and excitement was high.

In the Scaled division it was the Kuwaiti teams Circuit+ CrossFit and Team Expenda-bles that dominated the weekend, both vying for the top spot with Circuit+ edging out Expendables in Day 1. In the RxD division, it was a three-team race between Teams SHP, Size Matters and, for some, the dark horse, Sonic Boom!

But CrossFit competition isn’t just about the athletes, it is also about the community. With over 200 people coming out over the weekend to support their friends, teams and fellow athletes, excitement was high. The inter-team support was also huge, with Karl Darianne walking away with the “Spirit of the Beard” award – an award recognising the person who showed the most spirit through-out event – with his dancing, cheering and unending support of every team, he inspired the community and rallied them in every heat.

After Day 1’s gruelling workouts Circuit+ lead the Scaled division, and Team SHP led the RXD Division – both first place teams had their competitors hot on their heels. As the site was cleared and the day came to an end, athletes went home to rest, recover and wonder what Day 2 has in store.

Day 2 saw more events testing not only physical prowess, but also strategy, communi-

Words By: Candice Ford

As Dubai took on this week-end’s storm, there was a differ-ent kind of storm taking place in JLT. CrossFit athletes and enthu-siasts gathered from across the region at Reebok CrossFitLifeS-park for FireStorm, the second annual CrossFit competition hosted by LifeSpark, with the support of Reebok.

SCALED RXD 1 Team Expendables 1 SHP & The Beautiful Beast 2 Circuit+ CrossFit 2 Sonic Boom! 3 Warehouse Weaklings 3 Size Matters 4 Typhoon 4 Inner Fight 5 TouregCrossFit 5 Work Dogs 6 Fran-tastic 4 6 Racks & Sacks 7 Team Ballin’ 7 3 Brits & an Asian 8 CrossFit Q8 8 Desert Ducks 9 WOD Balls of Fire 9 Wall Ball Wallowers10 Sons of Snatches – Daughters of Dips 10 Team Callous

LEADERBOARD

Firestorm 2013

cation and teamwork. All critical skills in team CrossFit competition as smart and fast transi-tions and strategy can make the difference between winning and losing a workout.

Scaled teams breezed through the modified workouts, all until WOD 6, the final three-part workout, which saw only the top six teams from each division progress. This WOD saw many teams struggle with the bar dips. The athlete struggles served to rally the crowds who were all anxious, and excited – a high or low placing could cause an upset and change the leaderboard.

For the RxD teams the final workout proved a complete game changer. Competitors rec-ognised this as they paced the lake run which their Scaled counterparts had sprinted, know-ing they need to conserve their energy for the later, higher skill parts of the workout. As predicted the overhead squats and ring dips proved too much for many teams, with four of the six top RxD teams failing to progress beyond the second portion of WOD 6.

Only two teams managed to progress to the pistol-farmers carry portion of this workout; SHP, the leaders going into the final, and Work Dogs, who entered the final in fifth place. The Work Dogs were slowed at the

rings, but regained ground with fast pistols and ease in the farmers carry. However, the final was all about Team SHP, who, unfazed by any portion of this workout, was the only team to complete it, in a time of 19:51.

As massive thanks must be sent to all the volunteers, judges and staff, without whom an event of this size would be possible. To all the teams and spectators who guaranteed the energy and enthusiasm, cheering and supporting and making this an awesome weekend.

Thanks to Cycle Bistro for prizes, a shout out to Xtreme Dubai for the incredible photos, and to Reebok for all their support. For more information about CrossFit and FireStorm check out www.ReebokCross-FitLifeSpark.com.

http://www.ReebokCrossFitLifeSpark.com

http://www.ReebokCrossFitLifeSpark.com

The heat was on at the second round of the DMX races held on No-vember 8th at the Jebel Ali track. The green daredevils of the Liberty Kawa-saki team were in top shape with the likes of Ross Run-nalls finishing first in the MX1 moto 1 category, followed on second by Sean Gaugin. While Dale Jullien was a close second in the MX2.

DMX Review is kindly sponsored and supported by

DMX Round 2 Results2013-2014 race season

Position No. Competitor Laps Total time

1 48 Alex Macfarlane 7 13:17.895

2 124 Ryan Underwood 7 14:30.929


1 4 Ryan Wynn 12 20:44.241

2 2 Dale Jullien 12 20:48.117

3 12 Sean Gaugain 12 21:12.779

4 23 Mohammed Jaffar

12 21:21.229

5 1 Ross Runnalls 12 22:10.987

6 38 Keegan Bernard 12 22:43.015

7 800 Hussain Mahallati 11 20:46.382

8 888 Hammid Darwish 11 22:39.250

82 Sultan Al Balooshi 9 16:43.522

51 Regan Laue


1 51 Marco Bernhard 11 20:44.919

2 13 Shannon O Con-nor

11 20:49.042

3 27 Corrado Me-neghello

11 20:55.194

4 99 Medhy Menad 11 21:02.806

5 6 Nic Bac 11 21:38.143

6 5 Sean Holder 11 21:38.378

7 310 Enrico Barbigalia 11 22:18.737

8 7 Paul Malpass 11 22:26.303

9 25 Duncan Crerar 11 22:38.490

10 88 Steve Morritt 11 23:02.041


1 5 Dean Jullien 11 21:35.528

2 73 Darren Berry 11 22:04.708

3 28 Hamdan Al Tamimi

11 22:05.795

4 272 Jake Porter 11 22:39.634

5 79 Richard Cornfield 11 22:51.343

6 100 Adam Ridgway 10 20:53.151

7 40 Raymond White 10 21:34.137

8 23 Roman Lihau 10 22:54.922

9 450 Bryan Smit 9 21:47.626

10 327 Mattfieu Galibert 9 22:37.296



2 12 Sean Gaugain 13 23:12.995

3 18 Ben Menzies 13 23:20.694

4 50 Jinan CD 13 23:25.789

5 15 Mark Ackerman 13 23:35.123

6 11 Dale Jullien 13 23:38.000

7 14 Mitch Malpass 13 24:30.379

8 49 Shelby Ingrill 12 23:49.397

33 Josh Brodalka 6 09:33.135


1 11 Eric Langdren 10 20:20.034

2 5 Dean Jullien 10 21:36.036

3 22 Nicholas Kefford 10 21:43.349

4 73 Darren Berry 10 22:48.013

897 Regan Laue 1 02:19.601


1 22 Nick Kefford 8 15:54.112

2 19 Eugenio Barbaglia

8 16:28.271

3 88 Tom Hudson 8 16:49.811

4 174 Abdullah Al Nuaimi

8 17:13.441

5 7 Samuel Porter 8 17:18.443


1 174 Ahmed Al Nuaimi 5 16:20.854

88 Alex Mortado 5 12:58.647

PRO QUADS

MX2

85cc

65cc

MOTO1

MX1

125cc

CLUBMAN CLASS

MASTERS

*Race result source: www.dubaimotocross.com



1 48 Alex Macfarlane 6 12:07.458

2 124 Ryan Underwood 6 12:07.745



2 2 Dale Jullien 12 21:24.581

3 12 Sean Gaugain 12 21:30.473

4 23 Mohammed Jaffar

12 21:34.201

5 4 Ryan Wynn 12 21:57.039

6 800 Hussain Mahallati 11 21:18.708

7 38 Keegan Bernard 11 21:26.448

8 897 Regan Laue 11 22:06.108

9 888 Hammid Darwish

11 22:08.184

82 Sultan Al Balooshi


1 13 Shannon O Connor

11 20:53.241

2 99 Medhy Menad 11 21:06.306

3 51 Marco Bernhard

11 21:07.342

4 27 Corrado Meneghello

11 21:11.856

5 310 Enrico Barbigalia

11 22:10.069

6 25 Duncan Crerar 11 22:11.397

7 222 Lee Corby 11 22:19.600

8 7 Paul Malpass 11 22:52.990

9 131 Thomas Burke 10 21:15.839

10 50 Philip Van Der Walt

10 21:28.463


1 28 Hamdan Al Tamimi 11 22:04.132

2 5 Dean Jullien 11 22:36.900

3 73 Darren Berry 11 22:43.835

4 272 Jake Porter 11 23:04.748

5 79 Richard Cornfield 11 23:11.197

6 40 Raymond White 10 21:53.102

7 23 Roman Lihau 10 22:46.209

8 327 Mattfieu Galibert 9 22:50.090

100 Adam Ridgway dnf 7 14:17.968

450 Bryan Smit dns



2 12 Sean Gaugain 12 21:10.552

3 18 Ben Menzies 12 21:17.049

4 50 Jinan CD 12 21:33.833

5 11 Dale Jullien 12 22:20.491

6 33 Josh Brodalka 12 22:29.610

7 14 Mitch Malpass 12 22:44.467

8 49 Shelby Ingrill 11 21:29.560


1 11 Eric Langdren 10 20:58.917

2 5 Dean Jullien 10 22:10.812

3 22 Nicholas Kefford 10 22:11.913

4 897 Regan Laue 10 22:54.549

73 Darren Berry


1 22 Nick Kefford 7 13:36.850

2 19 Eugenio Barbaglia

7 14:07.156

3 88 Tom Hudson 7 14:31.438

4 174 Abdullah Al Nuaimi

7 14:33.645

5 7 Samuel Porter 7 14:53.384


1 88 Alex Mortado 6 14:47.255

2 174 Ahmed Al Nuaimi 5 15:51.681

PRO QUADS

MX2

The junior bikes are back this season with fierce determination and lots of smiles. We have added a new class for those mini riders taking the next step up to the 65cc bikes.

This makes three classes total for the Junior track; a Cadet class for ages four to seven, Junior class for ages six to eight and our new Novice 65cc class for those younger riders learning to shift with a clutch for the first time. Our goal is to prepare these kids for their journey to the big bike track as they grow out of their little boots and into the big ones. Our race season is in full swing and the mini track is alive with fun and excitement as we make new friends, learn new skills and create lifelong memories with a sport we can enjoy throughout. We welcome new riders at any time. Each race is packed full of thrills and parents line the track to actively spectate with the hands on support that these little riders sometimes need for encouragement and reinforcement. Dubai Motocross (DMX) track has a website and an active Facebook page that’s fun to “Like.” See you in the dirt!

Junior motocross madness!Words + Photos By: Lacey Sexson

MOTO2

65cc

MX1

85cc

MASTERS

125cc

CLUBMAN CLASS


18 OUTDOORUAE

ACTIVITY REPORT

There are two different types of sailing on offer in the UAE – dinghy and keel boat sailing. Dinghy sailing is a small boat that is normally sailed by one or two people. In the UAE, the most commonly sailed dinghies are Optimists, which are designed for children, Lasers and Catamarans. Keel boat sailing on the other hand, is made up of the bigger sailing yachts that can hold more than three or four people.

I’ve met many people in the UAE who are keen to get into sailing themselves or have children that are interested in trying it out. Like many things here, the key is to find out where you can take lessons, go racing or just hang out with other like-minded sailors. There are plenty of sailing centres and clubs in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah, it’s just finding out which one best suits your needs and requirements.

Learn to sail programmes are run in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and RAK for children as young as six years, all the way up to adults. For those just starting out, RAK has a comprehensive sailing programme for adults and children of all levels. Enrico Malingri, founder and CEO of the RAK Sailing Academy says: “We love teaching kids and we look forward to having more and more of them. In Al Hamra there is fantastic sea and sailing conditions. I

Match racing, where two boats go head to head in a race against each other, is run regularly in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

Laser sailboats racing at the UAE Nationals in Abu Dhabi.

Laser 4.7 sailors compete in the Abu Dhabi Nationals.

Ahoy sailor

Living in the UAE, we’re fortunate that we’re never too far from the sea. Now that the weather has cooled down, it’s a great opportunity to get out on the water and enjoy the UAE from a sailboat. Whether you’re an experienced sailor, just learn-ing how to sail, or even keen to go for a cruise around for the day – there really is something for everyone.

active racing kids are out there sailing four to six times a week.” This enthusiasm for kids’ racing at the club has seen a big increase in the number of young sailors taking part in regular races and regattas throughout the season, with the club boasting a youth rac-ing squad of over 30 sailors.

If keel boat racing is more your thing, you can take lessons at one of the many centres around the UAE. DOSC also holds weekly Tuesday night keel boat racing for those who can leave work early and runs Facebook page that advertises crewing opportunities.

If you are keen to get into racing in the UAE, you can always check out the websites of the sailing clubs in the UAE. Many list the forthcoming regattas and sailing events at a club and UAE national level.

Where to sail in the UAEWant to give sailing a go, or start sailing again, now that you’re living by the sea? Here’s a comprehensive listing of all of the places you can take lessons, or if you’re more experienced, where you can find rac-ing in the UAE.

hope that all kids living in the UAE can take advantage of it!”

If you live in Dubai, and have a youngster who has already done some sailing and keen to do more, the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club (DOSC) is a good place to start. Chris Pope, head of DOSC’s sailing academy says, “Where else in the world can we sail pretty much all year round? We are so lucky to be able to get the kids at DOSC out on the water throughout the week, some of our

Words By: Jennifer HardiePhotos Supplied By: Abu Dhabi Sailing & Yacht Club, Natalie Tonking

Photo By: Vac Hanemaaijer, Dubai Offshore Sailing Club

Photo By: Vac Hanemaaijer, Dubai Offshore Sailing Club


19OUTDOORUAE

UAE Nationals, Round 1: 1 – 2 November 2013

Optimist Junior (under 11 years)1st Matthew Hardie, DOSC2ndJentl Hanemaaijer, DOSC3rd Abdulla Nooh Alraeesi, AHCSC

Optimist1st Abdulla Al Amoodi, EHC2nd Mohamed Abdelkrim Al Hamadi, EHC3rd Matthew Hardie, DOSC

Laser 4.71st Hamood Salem Al Zaidi, EHC2nd Saif Ibrahim Al Naimie, EHC3rd Harry Bone Knell, DOSC

Laser Radial1st Saeed Salem Al Zaidi, EHC2nd Saif Ibrahim Ah Hamadi, EHC3rd Hamdan Ali Al Ghailani, EHC

Laser Standard1st Adil Khaled2nd Daniel Kilsby, DOSC3rd John Woolcock, DOSC

Open Catamaran1st Brian Hillesdon, JASC2nd Conrad Schwindt, JASC3rd Henry Clark, JASC

UAE Nationals, Round 2: 15-16 November 2013

Optimist Junior (under 11 years)1st Matthew Hardie, DOSC2ndJentl Hanemaaijer, DOSC3rdJamie Wilkinson, DOSC

Optimist1st Peter Dalem, DOSC2nd Matthew Hardie, DOSC3rd Saif Al Mansourie, EHC

Laser 4.71st Hamood Salem Al Zaidi, EHC2nd Saif Ibrahim Al Naimie, EHC3rd Ibrahim Showaiter, Bahrain

Laser Radial1s tFaris Ahmed Al Bakri, Qatar2nd Fionn Conway, DOSC3rd Saeed Salem Al Zaidi, EHC

Laser Standard1st John Woolcock, DOSC2nd Daniel Kilsby, DOSC3rd BrahimDaji, Bahrain

Open Catamaran1st Conrad Schwindt, JASC2nd Alessandro Angeletti, JASC3rd PietroMarchionni, JASC

Children compete in the Optimist class of boat at the UAE Nationals in Abu Dhabi this November.

Dubai to Muscat RaceThe annual Dubai to Muscat Race took place in November with racing yachts taking part in the epic, week-long voyage that sees sailors racing 24/7. Winners were:1st Lee Overlay Partners, RORC2nd Shahrazad, DOSC3rd Diablo, DOSC

Upcoming racesAirbus Winter Regatta: 6th-7th December 2013, DOSCUAE Nationals, Round 3: 24th-25th January 2013, DOSC

Dhow racing in Abu Dhabi.

UAE Sailing Results – NovemberDubaiDubai Offshore Sailing Club (DOSC)DOSC is the biggest and most active sailing club in the region. This members’ club is located in Umm Suqeim 1, and offers Royal Yachting Association (RYA) dinghy and keel boat lessons for members, as well as an extensive racing programme throughout the year. The club does offer spaces on lessons to non-members, if there’s availability, but there’s typically a long waiting list. If you’re a sailor, the club welcomes applications for membership. www.dosc.ae

Jebel Ali Sailing Club (JASC)Located on a small stretch of beach next to the Jebel Ali Hotel, JASC focuses on cata-maran sailing. www.jebelalisailing.com

Watercooled DubaiThis RYA training centre, located at the Jebel Ali Hotel, runs lots of lessons at all levels for adults and children. www.watercooled-dubai.com

Abu DhabiAbu Dhabi Sailing & Yacht Club (ADSYC)ADSYC is located just before Abu Dhabi’s Heritage Village (near the Marina Mall). The club has a newly accredited RYA training centre, and will be offering lessons for the general public in 2014. They also host a wide array of dinghy, keel boat and dhow races throughout the year. www.adsyc.ae

Abu Dhabi Sailing Club (ADSC)ADSC is located within the private members’ club, “The Club” on Mina Saadiyat. ADSC is a RYA training centre and offers lessons for members. www.the-club.com

Watercooled Abu DhabiWatercooled runs their second RYA train-ing centre from the Hilton Hotel on the Corniche. www.watercooleddubai.com/abu-dhabi/

Ras Al KhaimahRAK Sailing AcademyThe RAK Sailing Academy runs Interna-tional Sailing Federation (ISAF) accredited courses in dinghy and keel boatsailing for all levels, including racing, at its training centre in the Al Hamra Marina. They have plenty of space during the week (with a 20% mid-week discount) and limited avail-ability on weekend courses for adults and children. For those who would just like to go for a sail, they will also take groups or families out in a 45 foot sail boat cruising around Al Hamra or Marjan Island. www.raksailingacademy.com Photo By: Vac Hanemaaijer, Dubai Offshore Sailing Club

http://www.dosc.ae

http://www.jebelalisailing.com

http://www.raksailingacademy.com

http://www.raksailingacademy.com

20 OUTDOORUAE

ACTIVITY REPORT

Things work a little differently in Dubai, and as soon as the nights start to get longer and the day’s heat more bearable, the lure of the great outdoors gets stronger and stronger.

So it’s not uncommon for us to pack up the car, shove in a tent, some firewood and a couple of small children. It is something I heartily recommend, and if you need more insight let me describe one weekend away: the day started with baking cakes inside oranges and ended with my daughter’s first tooth fall-ing out.

Living in Dubai, we felt the need to escape the man-made madness where the only views are from the top of a skyscraper, in search of natural views from the top of a mountain; so we were exploring a little closer to home this weekend with an overnight camping trip to the mountains surrounding Ras Al Khaimah.

Following the Wadi Bih road passed a couple of dams we decided to drive up one of the many wadis in search of the perfect, flat, stoneless pitching site. This proved more difficult that you might think in the mountains. The gravelly track wove its way through the valley and not wishing to pitch in the middle of a wadi for fear of flash floods (we haven’t seen rain for nearly a year) we urged the cars along steeper, narrower and stonier paths, until by luck we found the Holy Grail.

Helen McClure is the journalist behind www.expatexplorers.org, a travel and ex-pat website offering free independent in-sights, ideas and inspiration. Follow her on www.facebook.com/expatexplorers and www.twitter.com/expatexplorers.

Her travelling experiences have included backpacking in South America and the Far East, touring Europe in a camper van, working in villages in Africa, travelling with the British Army in Kenya, Oman and Northern Ireland, working in Saudi Arabia, living in Kuwait, Chicago and the United Arab Emirates. She is known for being sport mad (all sports), running long distances (just mad) and being competitive (in everything).

Words + Photos By: Helen McClure from expatexplorers.org

If you are from Europe or northern American, “dusting your tent off” in winter is proba-bly something you have never, or rarely, done. I’ve been camping in Wales in December. The wa-ter tap had frozen solid and the ground was so hard I couldn’t get my pegs in.

The ground was stoneless, flat as an iron and had tremendous views down the valley. It was bordered by a dry stone wall, and at some point someone had painstakingly removed every last pebble. I’m still left wondering what this strange piece of land was originally used for. The wall perhaps indicated livestock, but why remove all the stones? The lack of stones indicated a crop field, but the ground was compact and completely even. I wondered about it being a burial or holy site, but there were no markers at all. The conclusion I have reached is that it was once a spot for Bedouins to pitch their tents, and I hope we respected the land accordingly. As an American Chief once said: “Take only memories, leave nothing but footprints.”

The children loved being able to scramble around, cook marshmallows on an open fire and nestle down into at tented haven at the end of the day. Even with all our mod cons, you can’t beat sitting around a fire sharing stories and a mug of something to keep the chill out. It might be due to the mod cons that we enjoy outdoor life so much, as there is always a comfy bed and warm shower to come home to. We undertook the journey with some friends who love to cook, and hence the breakfast treat of cake cooked in oranges must be repeated.

It was a fun packed couple of days, but when you ask our eldest daughter what her favourite part was, her answer will be: “My tooth fell out.” How do we raise the stakes to make a camping weekend even more exciting?!

So many families feel apprehensive about camping with small children, but it’s a great introduction to outdoor life. As long as you

have a bucket to bath the baby in and enough water to drink and keep clean, you’re laughing.

Top tips:

• Make sure you have the right maps and know where you are; If you’re heading to the desert don’t go alone: travel in convoy

• Check your tyres and petrol tank• Take enough water• Remember your torch, mossie spray and

sun-tan lotion• Be prepared, but don’t take the kitchen

sink• Above all, respect the local flora, fauna

and people – leave no sign that you have been there

• Essential reading: Explorer: UAE off-road

Setting up camp

Out for a stroll

Dust the tent off – winter is here

We know that the great outdoors is challenging as it is stunning, so we encourage all amateur and professional photographers in the Middle East to capture nature’s beauty through your lens and enter the very first Out-doorUAE Calendar Photography Contest.

If you are a passionate photographer and keen outdoors-man, put your skills to the test and send us your best shots depicting people, nature or wildlife with the main focus on the outdoors. Please submit only real and original photos that reflect the outdoor lifestyle.

The winning photos will be included in the 2014 Out-doorUAE calendar to be launched January next year. Plus, receive ten (10) copies of the calendar, one (1) OutdoorU-AE t-shirt, twelve (12) months free subscription of the Out-doorUAE magazine through your PO Box, and, of course, bragging rights!

*Send your entries to [email protected] with the email subject “OutdoorUAE Calendar Photography Contest.” All submissions must include your name, age, contact number, email address, and a short description of the photo. Deadline is December 20, 2013.

*Read the rules before submitting your entries

PHOTOGRAPHY CONTESTCALENDAR

Call for Submissions!

ACTIVITY REPORT

Marina Bruce is The Desert Diva – read her

blog at www.thedesertdiva.com

Oasis Offroad is a free to join offroad club based in Al Ain offering family trips and overland adventures in the

beautiful sand dunes of Al Ain and beyond. Their website is

www.oasis-offroad.com and their Facebook page is

www.facebook.com/OasisOffroad

The Oman empty quartera journey full of adventure

afternoon and soon resumed our jour-ney heading towards Shisr once more. After fuelling up our cars again, we backtracked to OE75, staying on track to OE74 towards the Rub al Khali. Our second night’s camp was near OE72, just a few kilometres along a reason-able track into the dune area where we had a most comfortable and quiet night watching the stars with absolutely no light pollution whatsoever.

Next morning we continued on both faint and well established tracks, as well as some easy sand saddle crossings as we wove our way in and out of the beautiful red dunes crossing some extremely soft sabkhas.

Pausing at an oasis just after OE70, we picked up some long abandoned wood from a crate for that evening’s campfire, all the while wondering how an abundant water supply could be found in such a seemingly arid landscape.

Having made great time reach-ing OE51 and the end of the “dune pyramid” area by mid-afternoon, we reckoned on reaching OE36 before nightfall and possibly having time to return to the desert and set up camp.

The desert, however, had other ideas and we ended up ploughing

We based our route on Mike’s “Route 16: Oman Empty Quarter” from his book Off-road Adventure Routes (UAE and Oman). The pub-lished trip takes you from just south of Jebel Hafeet down to the beach at Ra-khult and is 1357km long, but it can be broken down into three or four sections to allow you to tackle this expedition over a series of weekends.

We had two cars and no passengers but would suggest that unless you are very experienced in both off-road and desert driving that three or four cars would be a safer convoy size. Both our Nissan Patrols can carry 133L of fuel onboard and we took an extra 80L each in jerrycans. We would also recommend carrying a sattelite phone for this trip due to the remoteness of the area.

Our journey started at the blowholes at Mugsail from where we took Road 47 towards Yemen, negotiating the brilliantly engineered switchbacks cut into the mountain at N16 51.823 E53 43.191. When we visited Salalah in

After travelling to Salalah off-road as part of Mike Nott’s Eid expedition (Oman Odyssey 2013 in OutdoorUAE’s November edition) my husband Neil and I relaxed in Oman’s southernmost city for six lovely days before heading back to Al Ain – off-road of course.

2012 we discovered an interesting road from here to Mudhai so we retraced those steps over the mainly graded gravel track which stays high over plateaus, dropping down to cross the occasional wadi.

From Mudhai we took a blacktop road northwards, allowing us to join Mike’s route at OE77 – Wadi Aydam which is a wide, beautiful wadi, with lots of wildlife – we saw a fox, eagles and locusts and the footprints of rab-bits, cats and jerboas.

There are no hotel accommodation options on this route so thankfully the temperatures were fine for camping in Oman in October. Our first night under canvas was on an elevated area just 15km in, and next morning we had a most enjoyable drive following the wadi’s course which offered some diverse driving; soft sand, interspersed with rocky sections, areas of dried up mud and some gravel plain.

At waypoint OE75 we continued via track to the nearest gas station at Shisr, where we fuelled up, had a slow punc-ture repaired and sought advice on a leaking water pipe on my car. A detour to the nearest city, Thumrait, some 96km distant was required; we were lucky to find a garage open on Friday

Crossing a sand saddle

Switchbacks cut into the Mountain

through kilometre after kilometre of soft, technical dunes; many of the tracks which were faint when Mike prospected this route back in 2010 had now disap-peared under white sand. In the new low dunes it proved impossible to gain enough height to look for a new track so our third night’s camping saw us near OE41 at “camp camel spider.” Never before have we seen so many of them in one place; attracted by the warmth of the fire they were everywhere, including one large specimen which enjoyed the shade of my camping chair!

Punctures galore were the order of the next day as we wove our way past trees and shrubs, snagging our tyres on small hidden splinters of wood which lurked just below the surface. Thankfully we had a puncture repair kit with us and tedious as they were, we dealt with these quickly and our progress wasn’t too badly affected.

We reached refuel 2, Shell Al Ghaftain at lunchtime and enjoyed a cheap and delicious meal in the adjoin-ing restaurant before tackling part two of the route. Had we reached here the night before we could have had the comfort of a bed – and no camel spiders – in the reasonably priced resthouse on site.

We cut across some easy gravel plains to hook up with Mike’s route at OE35, and very soon we were in among beautiful high red dunes, so typical of the Empty Quarter. From here the route was all track and even although the occasional dune had encroached, the driving was very easy and fast.

Our last night in the Empty Quarter saw us pitching our tent near OE25 where we sat down to view the gorgeous red dunes in the fading light, followed by an amazing sunset.

Although we were deep into the desert we could still see the occasional water tanker and pickup as they made their way to the nearby oil and gas fields; next morning we were happy to have assistance from one of the tanker drivers when he helped us change a tyre – not another puncture but one of our previous day’s repairs which wasn’t holding.

Once “on the road” we drove at a fairly fast pace in the hope of completing our planned route to OE09 and then onwards to Ibri, a total of 425km, before nightfall.

We just had to make a stop at the nearest point to Saudi which according to our Google maps was only 800m from Mike’s track, in fact I went closer to get a photo of the dune in the distance which was definitely out of bounds to a lady driver! Please note there is no fence between Oman and Saudi so make sure you are

aware where the border lies.Shortly after this we had the only “mushkala kabira”

(big problem) of the entire holiday and it was a signifi-cant one. I had the misfortune to lose a back wheel, 280km from the start of the route and approximately 300km from Ibri; thankfully the track had recently been graded and a pile of very soft sand at the side of the road cushioned my landing. I couldn’t get through to the Oman emergency services number of 9999 and it was difficult to make a decision on our best hope for recovery. We called Mike via satphone, gave him our coordinates and just a few minutes later he came back with his suggestions, one of which was to backtrack to the Abu Tabul army base, some 20km away to seek their assistance.

We took photos of the car and the wheel, just in case there were no English speakers there, but thank-fully there were. Nevertheless they were somewhat confused as to why an expat and his wife would choose to drive separate vehicles through the Rub al Khali.

“Why you come this way, good road from Salalah to Ibri,” asked Tariq. “So we can see the beautiful land-scape here,” replied Neil, to which Tariq came back with, “What’s to see? It’s only sand!”

The Commanding Officer let us join their pre-planned convoy to Ibri with the intention of arranging a recovery vehicle to come back with us and retrieve my car. However we were amazed when we stopped at my damaged car as the soldiers decided to try to fix it! We had all the necessary tools and a hi-lift jack and with their expertise and manpower, we were moving again in under three hours, albeit with a very noisy wheel hub. They insisted on convoying us out to the blacktop about 150km away where we bid our farewells and offered our profuse thanks.

You shouldn’t take photos of local military or police, so the camera had to be put away, even when we crossed the enigmatically named “Umm As Sameem” – the Mother of all Worries/Poisons. A huge salt flat mentioned by Thesiger in his book “Arabian Sands,” this vast expanse of nothingness allegedly has quick-sand areas; thankfully today there are a number of good gatch tracks to ensure a safe crossing.

Limping slowly on to Ibri, we stayed at the comfort-able Ibri Oasis Hotel, then onwards to Al Ain and our local garage first thing the next morning. Counting the journey to Salalah with Mike, we drove 2000km off-road and the total distance covered over 20 days was approximately 4000km.

We have the skills and experience to put a track together ourselves however there is something to be said for basing your travels on a tried and tested route prospected by an expert, even allowing for some geographical changes which could have taken place since publishing. Mike’s complete route will take five days but the two sections we tackled were OE77 to OE36, then OE36 to OE Camp 1 and onwards to Ibri via blacktop, taking us just over two and a half days. Please remember, when planning any overland journey some contingency time for breakdowns and punctures should be added in.

Wadi Aydam near OE76 Not so Empty Quarter OE66

Incredible Dune Structures near OE54

TRAVEL + ADVENTURE

Words + Photos By: Sean James

Only the 50th highest mountain in the world

Peak SomoniDubai, a seemingly safe

oasis global hub of air traffic, is surrounded by countries that are unsettled, unstable and unpredictable. They are tense and ready to explode. But they are also exciting. Living in the UAE, short haul vacations will undoubtedly land you in some of these adventure playgrounds.

In the summer of 2013, I went to Tajikistan. The trip had been planned for 2012 but the region was considered too dangerous even for my company. The UK Foreign Office still advises its citizens against all “essential travel.” This year we thought climbing mountains is more essential than safety, so with a bag packed full of euros with which to pay the local fixer, I flew from Dubai to Dushanbe.

Tajikistan is next to Afghanistan and ac-cording to the World Bank had a per capita income of 390 USD in 2006 ranking it 187th out of 209, just above Tanzania. Nearly half of this was earned abroad and the infrastructure is crumbling. Some are proud that their main economy is based upon the transportation of drugs, the illegal type, and guns, also the illegal type. There is widespread corruption amongst government and those in power who control the national economic assets. Strict control over freedom of expression, religion, education, and the media as well as domestic violence and torture are all cited as common occurrences by human rights groups. It sounded like it would be a fun trip.

My first contact with the people of Tajikistan was in Dubai at the consulate. There are many stories of neverending struggles for visas to en-ter the former CIS countries only to be denied for no obvious reason or simply granted three days. I found the consulate/private villa located in a very affluent residential area beside Beach Road. Entering through the back garden, I filled the simple form in with my passport and asked

how much and how long. “Maybe tomor-row, maybe next day,” was the reply. Great, that’s quick I thought. “Can I have a receipt or something for my passport?”“No problem my friend, it is here don’t worry. This is consulate.” Anywhere else in the world this would be suspicious. I thought okay this is Dubai; leave your uptight Western perceptions behind. I said I could only come at the weekend to pick it up. No problem he said. They were closed at the weekends, but he would take my passport home with him and give me a call when it was ready. Easy.

Everything in Tajikistan is named after the for-mer president, Ismoili Samani; the currency, the airline. The airline Somon Air offered to help with the transport of our considerable amount of gear and equipment. Everything was going smoothly so far.

I was in Tajikistan for 32 days with a group of seven clients from the UK and Australia. We were to climb Peak Communism, 7,405m,

recently renamed to Peak Somoni and Peak Ko-rzenevskaya, 7,105m. Peak Somoni is the 50th highest mountain in the world and one of the highest outside of the Himalaya or Karakoram. I had led many trips for Adventure Peaks, a UK expedition company, but this was the first time they had run this one so I was the lucky guinea pig.

These two peaks in addition to being a cov-eted prize on their own are part of a collection known as The Snow Leopard. To achieve Snow Leopard status you must summit five peaks. All are over 7,000m and all are located in Russia or the ex-soviet controlled states. The other three are Khan Tengri (7,010m), Peak Lenin (7,134m) and Peak Pobeda (7,439m). To date, no British or Australian citizen has climbed all five. Upon completion it is rumored that Russian citizens receive a medal of honor from the Russian President.

Dushanbe is the capital and arriving at 3:00 a.m. I bump into a tired looking collection of 50

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climbers, amongst them my clients who have travelled via Istanbul from the UK. They are all waiting for a visa on arrival. It takes three hours for the exchange of dollars and a stamp in the passport, but we finally get to the state-run hotel.

The first few days of an expedition are always chaos, buying food for the next month and trying to get ready for our helicopter flight into basecamp. I am also conscious of walking around the streets with an obscene amount of cash in euros which would surely register on Interpol’s radar and was the equivalent to the earnings of nearly 15 Tajik citizens for a year.

Tajikistan is an Islamic country and it is July. Normally the street outside our hotel is buzzing at night with lively restaurants and bars, but it is Ramadan. Dushanbe is a pleasant town for a few days. The grandeur of the national monu-ments is in complete contrast to the poorer

areas of town. The streets and public places are wide and tree-lined with western style restaurants and coffee shops that have been proliferating each year.

After a long eight-hour drive to the town of Djirgital, we almost fly direct to basecamp. The flight is delayed by a day due to an unhappy pi-lot refusing to fly with dirty fuel. The ex-military Russian helicopter is creaking and groaning when it eventually takes off. Tight-fisted climb-ers having more luggage than they want to pay for, makes the process a bit unstable and we look at each other bravely hoping we clear the cows at the end of the airfield and the snowy passes in the distance. Basecamp for the next four weeks is Moskvina Glade, a permanent area of moraine located at the confluence of two glaciers and at a height of 4,200m. Unless there is an emergency, there is only one flight out scheduled in the middle of this period. It is

10 difficult days to walk back to Djirgital.Although it is only the 50th highest mountain

in the world, Peak Somoni is big. The vertical height gain from basecamp to the summit is similar to that of Everest, over 3,300m.The difference here is that there are no porters, no bottled oxygen, no fixed ropes and a fraction of the thousands of climbers willing to break trail. This is not commercial climbing like you will find on the big peaks. This is hard.

Tajiks have a typical central Asian history. They came fully under Russian rule after a series of military campaigns that began in the 1860s. In 1925, Tajikistan then became an autonomous republic within Uzbekistan. In 1929, it was detached from Uzbekistan and given full status as a republic. The fight for independence in 1991 was successful, but led to a struggle for power between the clans and civil war. At the time, Islamic fundamentalists wanted to create


an Islamic state and political instability led to a collapsing infrastructure, corruption, and extreme poverty. An estimated 50,000 people were killed, and 660,000 displaced. Today the country cannot feed itself and depends on in-ternational aid for daily life. 75% of households grow food for their own use with over 80% of the population living below the poverty line and 50% under the age of 14. Many want to return to the former days of Soviet rule.

The term Tajik is a designation for a wide range of Persian-speaking people generally thought to be of Iranian origin. Presently, Tajiks are living across many countries in central Asia. It is an indication of conditions in Tajikistan that there are more Tajiks in Afghanistan than here, making up 27% of the Afghani population. They speak a variety of Persian with the majority following Sunni Islam. Because much of the country is mountainous and isolated particularly in the winter, many ancient traditions have re-mained. The name “Tajik” may derive from the name of a pre-Islamic tribe and means “crown” or “royalty.” The Islamic influence flourishes wherever there is poverty and unrest and the construction of one of the largest mosques in the world, funded by Qatar, was announced in October 2009 to be built in Dushanbe.

For us it is necessary to climb both moun-tains, Peak Communism and Peak Korzenevs-

kaya in stages. We will place about four camps on the way up and then take them down on retreat. The constant carrying of food and equipment is exhausting but essential. Com-bined with the poor diet and sanitary condi-tions at basecamp, many climbers are forced to abandon the siege as the season progresses and opt to get on the next available helicopter. For the first two weeks the weather is stunning, no snow and clear blue skies. We acclimatised quickly, made good progress and news of our triumph on Peak Korzenevskaya is sent back to the UK.

Two weeks into the expedition, a young Ukrainian climber was lost high on Peak Somoni in a storm. A team set out to try and find him but only succeeded in bringing his climbing partner back, looking vacant and unaware of what had happened to them both. Off course in poor visibility, he fell through the snow into a crevasse. His body was recovered and would be taken back on the last helicopter of the season. A warning that this sport can have a high price. A ceremony was held at basecamp and as is the nature of the Russian influence, we drank.

Four weeks is a long time to spend at an altitude of over 4,000m and we also had our casualties. Expeditions are expensive, joining alone is over 9,000 USD, plus high-priced

equipment, time off work and away from fam-ily. It is a big commitment. A short time after arriving at basecamp, I took the hard decision that one of my party was suffering from both pulmonary and cerebral oedema; fluid collect-ing on the lungs and a swelling of the brain both caused by altitude. This manifests itself in confusion, stumbling, difficulty breathing, loss of vision and eventually death. The only option is to descend to a lower altitude immediately. Leaving the rest of the team with our Rus-sian guide at a high camp, I descended with the unfortunate team member into the night, hoping the increase in oxygen would lessen his condition. I had seen it many times before on high mountains. I was hoping that even a short drop of 300m would improve his situation. It did but his expedition was over. Helicopters are also not cheap and whilst insurance covered his evacuation to the UK, others from basecamp took the opportunity to grab a ride out.

The first ascent of Peak Somoni was made on 9th September 1933 by the Soviet mountaineer Yevgeniy Abalakov. He and his brother, Vitaly dominated the Soviet climbing scene, claiming ascents of Lenin Peak and Khan Tengri. Vitaly is also credited with the invention of the camming device and the Abalakov Thread used in ice climbing.

Eventually our time ran out. The continental air masses moved over and a change in the weather altered the nature of the mountain. The head Russian guide ordered all people to leave the slopes; no climbers would reach the summit of Somoni this year. Heavy snowfalls had created avalanche conditions that even the Russians wanted nothing to do with.

Tajikistan is a country of contrasts. So much to offer, yet its people and leaders struggling to find permanency and direction. Projects such as the Vakhsh River dam make Tajikistan the third largest producer of hydroelectric power in the world and show that things can be achieved. However with the planned NATO pullout from Afghanistan in 2014, mines planted along neighboring borders and continuing military tension with China there are still many moun-tains left to climb here.

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MidAsia Casio AD Outdoor Magazine FP.ai 1 11/26/13 5:05 PM

TRAVEL + ADVENTURE

L’Africa vicinadakar, senegal Words + Photos By: Antonio Varcasia and Daniele Macis

He watches the horizon trying to see the typical colourful pirogues of the local fishermen, daydreaming about the pos-sible catches of the day. When he can, he spends a bit of time hearing the tales of

Issa plays soccer with a ball made of rags on the beach in Dakar with a multitude of young boys. He’s only 12 and his idol is Patrick Viera, hung in a photo faded from the sun in the room he shares with his five brothers. Unlike many of his friends, once adult Issa does not want to be a football player and this is the reason why, almost at sunset, he leaves his noisy “stadium” and go close to shore.

29OUTDOORUAE


his uncle, an old fisherman, which tells him of incredible fish and encounters with real sea monsters that dragged him offshore, desperately attached to a yellow con-sumed handline whose marks on his skin remain as indelible memory. When he ar-rived earlier to the beach, Issa has another dream to chase with open eyes, disappear-ing through a hole in a fence looking for anglers returning from sportfishing in the big boats, which are coming back from the daily pursuit of another myth of his adoles-cence, the “espadon.” He dreams one day to be there, maybe on a pirogue or also in the tower of a fishing boat, or as mate with big thick leather gloves, ready to tame the giants of the sea. One day he will be there, no doubt, and despite the resistance of his mother, after many entreaties, he obtained the promise from his uncle when he turns 14 years he’ll go fishing with him, to learn

from the sea that has always dreamed.His uncle is usual to tell him how the sea

is like a field for farmers: it has its seasons, its time and for taking the big fish you have to wait the right moment, when Alisei winds comes, when the sea changes and is full of life from the surface to the depths. Between science and tradi-tion: the boreal upwelling In reality, the wisdom and the popular tradition for centuries, has figured out a unique phenomenon in the Senegalese coast, which is what the Anglo-Saxons called upwelling, or in scientific terms thermohaline circulation. It’s a natural phenomenon due to the global circulation of ocean water masses caused by currents, the upwelling of deep waters along the slope of the continental shelf that pushes offshore the surface waters and it will

intensify the biological productivity since it causes the rising mineral nutrients – which together with sunlight – triggers the entire oceanic food chain. This is due to the change in the density of water masses. The density is determined by the temperature (thermo) and salinity (haline) of water. At high latitudes, like in southeast of Green-land and around Iceland, water sinks, and for the low temperature, both for the high salinity caused by the formation of ice. Moving toward the equator the bottom water decreases its density interacting with other waters and tends to rise. In Senegal this phenomenon is due to the current in the Canary Islands, that in the coasts of Mauritania and Senegal creates the boreal upwelling. This phenomenon in Senegal is accentuated by the shape of the continen-tal shelf, rich in submarine canyons. All this means that the waters off the promontory of Cape Verde from June to October are an incredible spot where offshore huge balls of forage fish attract predators of all kinds, from the school of porpoises and dolphins, impressive and spectacular and often followed in the deeper layers of the water from large schools of yellowfin tuna, sailfish and dorado up to the true king of the ocean, the Blue Marlin.

A meeting not to be missedFor this reason, in recent years in the

waters in front of Dakar, it is organised by Samir Rahal, avid fisherman and owner of Hotel Terrou-Bi under the patronage of FSPS (Federation of Sport Fishing Senega-lese) a Marlin Open tournament now in its

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fourth edition was held on June 9th to 16th 2012. An event that every year attracts many lovers of marlin fishing from around the world. Every morning at eight o’clock, a huge crowd including anglers, crew mates, officials and hotel staff will give appointment in the hotel marina to begin a challenge that will end only eight hours later. The crew are generally composed of a captain, a fisherman, two mates and a commissioner. After about 20-30 minutes by boat they finally get the best spot for fishing, especially canyons and seamounts, real natural fad for hunting big fish! The techniques Fishing in Dakar takes place almost with lures, with which you can cover many miles in order to search for billfish and other pelagics, but also with natural baits, such as bonito and ballyhoo rigged with circle hooks, that are used instead when you can do sight fishing or you can tease a fish very closer to the boat.

If the captain decides to use artificials, usually boats fishing with four rods, two short and two long on outriggers with a classic layout, and usually preceded by teaser driven at a speed between 7 and 8.5 knots depending on the type of lures and fish activity and weather conditions.

Artificials are daily checked (along with their 600lbs terminals) and sharpened me-ticulously, every captain has his personal preferences, even if the Black Bart and Mold Craft often of generous size are the most common employed, and the most popular colours combinations are black and green, black and orange, green and yellow.

Normally, having to be ready to accom-modate customers with great or lesser experience, the boats are fully-equipped with fighting chair and normally used rods ranging from 80 to 130 pounds, which also allow anglers with little experience to be able to complete a fight with a big fish without these arriving at the boat exhaust-ed (and anglers too). The average size of the Marlin in Dakar is between 200 and 400lbs, but it is not uncommon to catch big females over 600lbs.

Some captains, depending on the de-gree of expertise of the angler, are used to opt for a more aggressive strategy, which involves the use of only two or three rods (those long for instance), with lures, while on the short they use only teasers, with two stand-up rods ready with ballyhoo rigged for bait and switch. For those less versed in this world, it is a technique that aims to take the billfish closer to the boat

with the teasers’ help, and then allowing the angler to cast his bait on billfish, all at no more than 5-8m from the boat, creat-ing an adrenalinic situation, really hard to describe with words.

Although well known for blue marlin fishing, Dakar is a very interesting spot for fishing other fish, such as sailfish, which peak season is July, but also for the dorado and yellowfin tuna, which together with wahoo are present seasonally. Yel-lowfins are in the early part of the season in the wake of large schools of dolphins, as in other parts of the world, with sizes between 10 and 80kg, while in October/November is the time for targeting big sized YFT.

Marlin Open Despite a uncommon atmospheric distur-bance which made it more complicated than usual fishing, the marlin open was a great success with a number of participat-ing teams, which led to the capture of sev-eral marlin between 250 and 400lbs, plus sailfish, yellowfin tuna (including a beauti-ful specimen that exceeded 200 pounds), XL wahoo (40-60lbs), and dorados. As planned, the last day, at the return from fishing, the award ceremony took place with a cup, plaques and medals. The same day, a rich buffet offered by the organisa-tion, the competition concluded with the presentation of prizes to the winners. How to get there Senegal is quite easy to reach from the UAE, with flights from Dubai and Abu Dhabi. For your stay we recommend the structure that organises the tournament, Hotel Terrou-Bi (www.terroubi.com), which minimises the distance (10 minutes from the airport) and have a marina few metres from the hotel, from where boats depart for the fishing adventures. The owner, Samir Rahal is an avid fisherman, is always well informed and is the right person to find for asking the right connections with the most reliable boats and captains in the area.

Among the fishing charters mention also for Atlantic Evasion (www.atlantic-evasion.com) by Eric Dubouchet, professional guide who works both in Dakar and in the Bijagos islands, situated off the neighbor-ing Guinea-Bissau.

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Escape the cityTempted to explore Musan-

dam? Considered to be one of the most picturesque regions in Oman and separated from the rest of the country. Musan-dam Peninsula is located on the northern border of the Sultanate of Oman with its scenery be-ing attractive for tourists. The mountains in this region rise for more than two thousand metres above sea level and spread out in a naturally geometric way. This area also contains the strategic oil shipping lane – the Strait of Hormuz. The mix of sea and mountains is considered to be one of the exclusive features in this area. Excursions on boats and traditional dhows give the visitor unforgettable enjoyment.

with Sheesa Beach Travel and Tourism

Are you tempted to escape the city? Doesn’t matter whether in a camp or on boat for few days, you could exchange your daily routine with an exciting journey to the majestic fjords of Musandam with us. Being only an hour and a half from Dubai, Sheesa Beach Travel and Tourism can help you to explore the

Sultanates of Oman’s tourist mecca by land or sea. Are you looking to get away from the grind and soak up the adventure, to relax in amazing atmosphere and enjoy panoramic landscapes? Then just call us – we are more than happy to help you and are here for you all year round!

For those who would prefer to spend a weekend or more in relaxed place, our camp offers you a cosy atmosphere, panoramic land-scapes and traditional local cuisine. The 180-bed camp is situated close to our offices and the port. You can spend your day sightseeing,

hiking, biking, climbing, exploring or just lazily relaxing in the village. When the evening comes you could spend your time in a friendly chat near the fire or just observe the authentic traditional dances and the mysterious dancers.

For those who possess the adventurous spirit, we offer unforgettable sea trips with our dhow cruises. You could spend few days in water that boasts to approximately 900 dif-ferent marine life species while exploring the fantastic fjords. Sleeping under the gorgeous sky full with stars or in a comfortable cabin – the choice is yours. The variety of activities


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available during the trip include snorkeling, kayaking, banana boating, wakeboard-ing, deep water soloing, fishing, diving and more… just ask us.

The itineraries are designed to provide different services for every taste and need. Depending on the group and the duration of the cruise we operate with one single-deck, five double-deck and two triple-deck dhows. We offer half day pleasure cruises that operate every day of the week on one of our double-deck dhows, overnight relish cruises on our single-deck, double deck or one of the triple deck air-conditioned live aboard dhows. We provide a wide range of routes from single day trip up to seven days and seven nights away. Being the only truly Omani owned company, we have the unique ability to reach places far off the beaten tracks. Our relaxed, pleasure cruises are designed for those having the ambition to do nothing at all and just chill out as well as for those adrenaline junkies looking to spice up their weekend. The only company that can offer a diverse range of dhow options (eight in total), a camp to relax in the cooler months and a dive centre willing to push limits in order to continually offer unique

sites and marine biodiversity. The difference between Sheesa Beach and the other compa-nies in the area is that we offer everything that the others do, plus more and all under one roof. You do not have to go to company that only offers speedboat diving or pleasure trips and then to another for an overnight dhow cruise or even a third for a relaxed weekends camping. We do it all!

The divers on board can have unforgettable experiences underwater. The water surround-ing Musandam and the Straits of Hormuz pro-vide fine coral reef diving. There are over 35 established dive sites within 60 minutes speed boat ride and we also visit the very northern sites. As the region is remote and commercial fishing is not permitted, the variety of marine life is very noticeable and leaves a lasting impression on divers.

The dive sites themselves range in character from walls to extensive coral gardens. The diving here is almost exclusively drift diving. The combination of plankton and strong local currents attract a great range of pelagic species, which includes both manta and eagle

rays, along with whale sharks. The dive centre’s boats are often ac-companied by dolphins that like the calm waters of Musandam’s fjords. Numerous shark species can also be encountered, as well as most species of turtles. The underwater visibility typi-cally lies in a range from 12 and 20 metres.

Sheesa Beach Travel and Tourism has been at the forefront of providing world-class diving with multilingual dive guides and professional instruc-tors. We provide full

diving packages on the dhow cruises as well as weekly speed boat trips. The dive centre which was started formally in 2010 has always followed the ethos of giving a personal care, being friendly and being professional where everyone knows your name. We never wanted to be the biggest, but a centre where you are greeted by name. The guides have over 30 years of experience, speak variety of differ-ent languages and have a sense of humour that won’t be rivaled anywhere in the UAE and Oman region. We specialise in private overnight trips from one day and one night up to seven days and seven nights. We offer a sharing trip for like-minded diving folks with an itinerary of between a two nights, two days op-tion or the recently launched three nights three days option for those looking to dive areas where the fish do not know what diving impact is. Speedboat diving trips are offered every weekend and run all the way up into the Straits of Hormuz. Our speedboats are by far the best around and we will let you be the judge as we are sure we can back our boasts up. Our prices may be a little higher than some of our com-petitors but then again quality, better facilities and higher customer oriented services stand-ards do cost a little more wherever you go.

Mobile: +971 50 333 6046Telephone: +968 2 683 [email protected] www.sheesabeach.com


The Cycle BistroGPS location:Latitude: N 25° 02.792Longitude: E 055° 14.384Phone: 04 425 6555

LIFESTYLE

Habitually healthyWords By: Chef Christopher Zerbe

So a whole month has gone by over here at The Cycle Bistro and we have seen such enthusiasm for healthy food! I am truly amazed at the amount of people here in the UAE (I say UAE and not just Dubai be-cause we have had people drive all the way from Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and even Fujairah just to try our fare!) In this last month, we have seen the F1, The Race to Dubai, Islamic New Year and quite a few weekends!

During these events we tend to gravitate towards all our food and beverage vices – guilty as charged as usual! Over the last 30 days I have made a conscious effort to eat much healthier, drink healthier and exercise regularly.

I have cut out 90% of dairy products, oc-casionally eat Arabic style bread, and haven’t even looked at a soda unless water follows it by name. I stated as well that I would start road cycling! I started with a simple 7km every other day, followed that up with 14km the week after and now I am doing 21km every other day! So far I have lost almost 3kg! How did you all do this month? So to follow up last month’s Baja Fish Taco Recipe, I’m going to give you my Beetroot Hydration Smoothie Recipe! This one is fantastic for post workout as beetroot contains amazing properties that help to oxygenate the blood, reduce free radicals which in turn help your skin and hair and, of course, it keeps you hy-drated using one of nature’s greatest gifts… coconut water!

Ingredients:1. 5 cubes of ice2. 100g beetroot (peel and cut into 2 inch cubes, par boil for 8 minutes and chill)3. 50g blueberries

4. 1tbsp organic honey (if you can find a local one all the bet-ter!)5. 330ml organic coconut water

• Now that you have your ingredients organised, chuck all of that goodness into your trusty blender. Mine is personally a Vita-Prep 3; best of the best and a straight up workhorse.• Blend until smooth, adjust your consistency with a little balance coconut water!• Pour the mix into your favour-ite glass and enjoy!

It’s as simple as that and will do wonders for your overall mood, wellbeing and, of course, health. Now keep in mind not to overdo it with the honey and of course be sure to only consume one glass. Anything more and

you are going to spike your insulin levels. So be sure to try this at home after you return from your run, swim, bike ride or gym work out!

Be sure to give it your best this month to eat healthy, exercise regularly and do any-thing you can to reduce your stress. Cut out those sugars, fizzy drinks and late night fast food runs. Enjoy a hearty salad for lunch, a glass of water instead of beer or a handful of nuts instead of a candy bar. As always, feel free to ask any questions you like of us and pop by for a visit and a healthy bite to eat at The Cycle Bistro!

For any questions, don’t hesitate to con-tact [email protected] or stop by The Cycle Bistro in Dubai Motor City.

Treat your loved ones to presents they’ll love this festive season. We’ve got special bundles of gifts to fit every budget, so head to your nearest GO Sport store today.

DUBAI: The Dubai Mall, Level 2, Fashion Catwalk ABU DHABI: Bawabat Al Sharq Mall(near Mafraq Hospital) Level 1, next to the cinemasDOHA: City Centre, 2nd Floor I Villaggio Mall, Entrance 4

/gosportuae/gosportuae

THE PERFECTGIFT IS WAITING

THE PERFECTGIFT IS WAITINGFOR YOU AT GO SPORT!

GS009_Xmas_Print Ad_210x280mm.pdf 1 11/25/13 12:03 PM

36 OUTDOORUAE


A form of bento is called “kyaraben” or “character bento.” This form of bento making, decorates food to look like popular characters or items. A group of chefs

Japan has brought to the world many amazing inventions and ideas, from beloved animated characters, to great food, to innovative machinery that made life simpler as well as more entertaining. One of Japan’s crea-tions is the “bento.” Bento is a portable meal, usually in a box-shaped container, which typically consist of a main dish along with side dishes. Bento utilises staple Japanese ingredients such as rice, fish, meat and cooked veg-etables to create colourful edible pieces of art.

Grizzly 700:The Grizzly 700 – with its power-ful 686cc, liquid-cooled, SOHC power plant – produces more power for the 2014 model year with enhanced engine settings to improve low-end, mid-range and top-end engine performance. The

Raptor 700:Aggressive styling makes the Raptor 700R look as menacing as it really is. The mighty Raptor 700R is ready to go whether the destination is the dunes, the trails or the track. Powered by our most potent big-bore Rap-tor engine ever – 686cc of liquid cooled, fuel-injected power. A thick comfortable seat, adjustable suspension with sport-tuned piggyback shocks provide excellent comfort while the dual counter bal-ancers, electric starting and reverse keep things nice and civilised when needed, but when it comes time to pull the trigger the big-bore Raptor 700R stands tall.

Viking:The all-new Viking is ready to conquer whatever comes its way with our most powerful 686cc, liquid-cooled, fuel injected, SOHC power plant. This new engine delivers strong low-end acceleration and pulls hard through the RPM range to deliver excellent power for getting the job done or when hitting the trails. This true three-passenger machine achieves driver and passenger comfort with a hand-hold, padded head rests, and three-point seat belts for all riders. The superior seating position, adjustable driver’s seat, and the middle seat sets back 5°, provide unmatched comfort that all riders will appreciate. Yamaha’s proven electric power steering technology further reduces fatigue and strain on the driver.

For more information or to test ride any of these products visit any of Al Yousuf Motors showrooms across the UAE.

supervised by Mr Hajime Oiwa, the executive chef at the Yamaha Group’s Katsuragi Kitano-Maru resort have created character bentos inspired by the beloved Yamaha products. The idea was to create something unique and fun to relate Japanese cuisine to Yamaha products. The results are the beautiful bento boxes you see. Each bento depicts a Yamaha product that we have enjoyed over the years. Another way to appreciate Yamaha is to enjoy its products, and with the beautiful weather this time of the year, what better way than to bash the dunes with these amazing vehicles:

Yamaha - revs your heart

piston shape has been modified and compression ratio raised from 9.1:1 to 10.0:1, for an increased power feeling throughout the rev range. The front and rear A-arms are longer while suspension stroke on both the front and rear shocks has also increased. These adjust-ments greatly enhance low speed rider comfort without sacrificing any of the legendary Grizzly handling.

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Words + Photos By: Daniel Birkhofer

Task Leatherman Wave Cheap Multi-tool (100 AED)

Cutting a metal wire cord with several cords is a good test of the cutting abilities of pliers. The materials are strong and only a good tool will give a smooth cut.

The 3mm wire was a piece of cake for the Leatherman.

It did not even manage to cut through the wire. With all the pres-sure I put on my hand, the tool bent, but the wire remained uncut.

Cutting wood is possible with many tools, to have a comparison we saw for 10 at the same pressure.

The saw penetrated fast and it cut nicely through the plywood.

The saw has only one row of teeth which are not very sharp and cutting through the soft plywood was a slow progress - at least double the effort that is really required. I doubt it can cut through harder wood.

Loosening stuck screws The high-quality steel with-stood all the force and got the job done.

The low-quality steel bent under the pressure of the test.

Cutting a sheet of paper is a good test to see how sharp the blade is. New tools should usually provide a clean cut.

The Leatherman cut nicely through the paper like a hot knife through butter.

It wasn’t a clean trim and after, the paper looked more torn than cut.

I’ve had many multi-tools in my life and only the cheap buys were abandoned by will. All other multi-tools were lost all around the world. In general, I need a few more things than a nor-mal blade, even though you can find multi-tools with a ridiculous amount of tools. The downside is, the more tools, the heavier it gets, especially if you are looking for heavy duty tools which are reliable and durable. Therefore I always choose a tool from the mid-range with the important stuff I need. I am not a big fan of the small versions of multi-tools since they are too tiny to have a real use for them (a small knife on the keychain is all I need).

Leatherman almost stands synonymous for multi-tools and for a good reason. The company has a long history of building these tools and has a wide variety to suite anyone needs. The Leatherman Wave is one of the full-size muli-tool with 17 functions: needle nose pliers, regular pliers, wire cutters, hard-wire cutters, 420HC knife, 420HC serrated knife, saw, spring-action scissors, wood/metal file, diamond-coated file, large bit driver (II), small bit driver, medium screwdriver, ruler (8 inch/19 cm), bottle opener,

I think the time that a real man needs a knife is out-of-fash-ion and nowadays, only a multi-tool will serve the demands of modern and outdoor life. Multi-tools come very handy in many situations of everyday business and even more as soon as you leave the boundaries of the city.

Built for toughcan opener, wire stripper, nylon sheath.

Its weight is 241g at 10cm size when closed. The needle nose pliers are really useful if you use it for fishing, rather than normal pliers with a wide nose. With the small tip you can easily hold or remove for example small fishing hooks. The wire cutter is strong, sharp and easily cuts metal nails, wires and cables (see test) and the rounded handles let you put enough pressure with the tool comfortably in your hand. One big advantage of the Leatherman Wave is that its main tools are situated on the outside with an easy one-hand opening (you can open the knife without opening the tool). This comes in very handy if you have only one hand free. Also all main tools lock in their position so they don’t close accidently and leave you with nasty cuts. The serrated blade works much better for ropes and other man-made materials than a normal blade (clip pointed knife). While fishing, I had to cut ropes or nets caught many times in the pro-peller and the serrated blade works much better and faster. The interchangeable bits for the screw driver are also a great feature especially since you cannot only replace the bits, you can also buy additional bits to suite your needs. The integrated mini screw driver is also super useful for fixing sunglasses or other mechanical gear with small parts like fishing reels. The bottle and can opener is of course a must for any multi-tool. The diamond coated file needs also a special

mention since this feature allows you to really sharpen blades or fishing hooks to a high level. Normal steel files will allow only a rough finish. The only thing missing is a corkscrew of course only for the purpose of getting a message out of a stranded bottle. Also in my case for using the tool on a boat where it gets in contact with salt-water, a polished finish would be better than the brushed stainless steel since it is easier to wash off and protect against rust (don’t think stainless steel will not rust, the salty water here is so ag-gressive to metals that even the best stainless steel will get rusty if not maintained properly).

Now the big question, why should you spend the multiple of the price for a Leatherman compared to a not branded cheap multi-tools? To be able to provide you with a sound answer, we tested the Leatherman Wave worth 515 AED (from Go Sport the Dubai Mall) against a less than 100 AED tool from the supermarket.

Even though the tools look similar at a first glance, their performance is from two different worlds and spending a small amount for a multi-tool is not worth it at all. So overall, I can only recommend the Leatherman Wave or any other multi tool from their range. You can find the Wave and other multi-tools in Go Sport the

Dubai Mall, Abu Dhabi in Bawabat Al Sharq Mall and Doha in City Centre Doha and Villag-gio Mall ranging from 95 to 955 AED.

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TESTEDTHIS PRODUCT IS APPROVED BY OUTDOORUAE

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VIRBI decided to include my

friend Clint for this review. Between the two of us, we have more than 10 action cams. He uses his for his driving and also has one of those fancy drones to which you can strap a camera. I virtually only use my action cams for my quad and off-road riding. Combined, our review would be more objective and versatile.

The camera only arrived late afternoon on Thursday 21st of November. The review had to be completed by Sunday (submission deadline!).The pressure was thus on as we only had the weekend to test it. It was also raining for half of the weekend! We thus went for an overview, rather than an in-depth review due to the limited time.

The camera with its good looks and rugged feel compliments what we have all come to know about Garmin products – quality! The only issues we had throughout this review was during the initial stages of getting the camera updated by logging onto Garmin’s web page and downloading the required updates. Just be patient and take your time with this. Remember to update your camera as it is not mentioned on the box nor the booklet supplied.Clint was the first one to play and here is his side of the review:

Now first impression…Once you’ve gotten around the frustration of setting the camera up (latest firmware), the camera impresses immediately. My opinion is based on the fact that I own GoPro 2, GoPro 3, Sony ActionCam, Drift HD Ghost, and Liquid Image Co. The VIRB Elite appears rugged, and menus are fairly simple. The de-sign of the controls ensures that they can be used without any hassle, even with gloves!

The unit feels and looks rugged and I felt no guilt at all mounting it low down on the outside of my car and hitting the biggest puddles I could find after the recent rain.

Initially colours seem to be at least as good as any other system, and the only thing that could improve would be 60fps at 1080. (Have not tried the slow-mo mode yet, and that may be acceptable). If that is the sacrifice that needs to be made for what I think is the camera’s most impressive feature, then I’ll take 30fps over and over again.

The editing software, combined with the built-in GPS, compass, accelerometer, and altimeter are reasons enough for me to swap out all my cameras for VIRB. These features are very intuitive, and there are enough overlays in the editing program to keep me happy for a long time.

The current editing software does not have the ability to insert text, but it would be easy enough to export a completed movie into a program that can. The LCD screen is very clear, even in direct sunlight, which is unusual, but almost invisible at night, which I guess is acceptable because none of these cameras are much good in low light condi-tions.

If I had to gripe, it would be that there were no suction mounts for the test and I had to piggyback it on a GoPro suction mount. These mounts are however available on the market.

Clint’s summary:Maybe I can convince John that the camera “got lost” in the mud somewhere as I will most certainly be getting one!

John’s review:After having to use a little force, I managed to get the camera back from Clint and here is my story (no need to repeat the bit about the good looks and rugged appearance as it has been mentioned):

I use action cams for what they are intend-ed: action sports! My sport is off-road bikes/quads. Buying my first camera I had several considerations prior to buying, at the time the Contour HD won the toss, rather than the GoPro. The reason the Contour won was that it had a slider that activated the recording. This is easier to find than a button and the biggest advantage is that there is no guessing! Slider in the front means it is recording. Pressing a button, and not know-ing if it’s actually activated the recording is

very frustrating. Often I have to stop, switch off the bike, wait till all other riders have passed me and then press the button again just to hear a very soft “beep” from inside the housing of my current “top” camera. The slider is a must for a helmet mounted cameras! VIRB gets another like!

My test was conducted mounting the VIRB next to one of my “top brands” and then compared the videos afterwards. As I do playback on big screen TVs, almost all the time, I select 1080 at 30fps. Even on the cameras that are capable of a higher frame rate, to me this works best, and the VIRB can record at this setting.

Having a built-in screen: LIKE!Yes you can get screens for some other leading brands, but these are purchased separately and drains the already limited battery life. The VIRB’s screen hardly does anything to the battery and visible even in direct sunlight.

39OUTDOORUAE


cameras want sunlight! Still photos in over-cast conditions, crisp and clear:

Easy to remove mount: LIKE!This is a great feature for guys like myself. The camera is mounted on my helmet and if I want to do any changes or settings then I would normally have to take my helmet off. With the VIRB’s easy quick release bracket this is no longer needed. Just press in the front, lift the camera, and it is in your hands ready to use or adjust as required. Yes, most cameras can clip from their mounting pads, but not remotely as easy as the VIRB.

Battery life: SUPER LIKE!This, to me, is surely the highlight of this action cam. As the VIRB’s image is at par, and she has many extra features to enhance your videos, it also has a stunning 2000ma battery that can

Video quality (selected for the test 1080 at 30fps) was at par with the best: LIKE!I was not very optimistic because of the overcast conditions present when I tested the camera. None of the action cams do well in these conditions, even if the manufacturers state “great low light ability.” I mounted the VIRB next to one of my other “top” cameras and was pleasantly surprised. The image quality is at par with the “best” and virtually at any time in the video if I would pause, during play back, it would be a nice “crisp” image, especially for the low light conditions.

Additional feature: LIKE!This camera has it all. GPS, accelerometer that indicates not only fore-aft, but also left-right acceleration and deceleration. Al-timeter and compass, WiFi compatible with many devices like heart rate monitors for our fitness fanatics. RPM sensor that can connect to your bicycle’s pedals and many more. With these additional gadgets one now has a camera that truly compliments many differ-ent activities.

See photo for some examples of different “dashboards” that are available!

Editing software: LIKE!Not only does Garmin have these extras, but they can also be superimposed on the editing software. This makes for truly great videos as you can see your true speed, heart rate and much more as it changes. There are several overlays for the different sport lovers and athletes. This allows you to customise the video for your sport before the final video is composed. This editing software at present is limited regarding text and transi-tions, but I am confident that Garmin will soon include these features in an update. The editing program is however very simple to use and would probably be sufficient for a lot of people.

I took some “stills” at 8MP (12MP and 16MP also available) and again very im-pressed as it was still overcast and “small”

supply up to three hours of video at full HD (1080 at 30fps)! This compared to its rivals is to say the least, “wow!” Often my rides are more than five to six hours. This means that I have to switch the camera off to conserve battery life and cannot leave home without spare batter-ies. This single battery gives you more record-ing time than a Hero3 with three batteries. The camera also goes into a standby mode if not used for while. If you then slide the slider forward it automatically powers up and starts recording (takes about 10 seconds to fire up and start recording) with this feature it would be possible to go the whole day and take your selective shots as the day/event progresses.

My summary:Apart from the initial software updating issues and the booklet this is a great camera. It is loaded with more features than any action cam-era I know; and the only camera with a battery life that compliments my sport. It looks good, takes great video and is simple to operate! For a first generation, it surely is a bang of an entry for Garmin into the action cam market!

See for yourself:We will post a video with our findings on OutdoorUAE’s web page. Go to www.outdooruae.com/virb for our video review and some videos, all taken with the VIRB elite action camera from Garmin!

Ride safe and go for gold,

John Basson

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OZtrail Twin Flush Portable Toilet595 AED

Available at Adventure HQ

Your throne away from home.

• A 20L capacity waste holding tank• Piston pump provides a more efficient and more hygienic flush• 15L fresh water tank capacity for up to 50 flushes• Greater safety from a sturdy compression resistant design rated at 150kg• Comfortable adult size seat and lid• Easy to empty with rotating waste spout• Double seal on the waste tank to protect against leaks and odours• Twin nozzles provide a cleaner, more efficient and more hygienic flush• High density polyethylene construction creates a smooth easy clean surface• Large 20L waste tank capacity with gauge and pressure release valve• Compact, lightweight and easy to carry with integrated handle• Ideal for camping, 4x4 adventures and boating

OZtrail Solar Shower 55 AED

Availble at Adventure HQ

Compact, lightweight and easy to use shower that is ideal for showering, cleaning the car and washing dishes. Holds up to 20L of water which is heated by being placed in direct sunlight. Includes a long hose to get to those hard to reach places.

• Black in colour to absorb heat quickly and efficiently• Push/Pull action on/off shower rose • Perfect for camping or hiking

Goal Zero Sherpa 50 Solar Panel Kit 2,280 AED

Available at Adventure HQ

The Sherpa 50 powers your device in three ways:USB: The USB port best charges all your medium USB powered devices.Laptop Port: Use the included laptop tips to power your laptop without the need of the laptop wall charger.AC Inverter: Plug in your device just as you would to the wall with the remov-able inverter. (sold separately)

• Single battery can recharge a smartphone up to seven times• It takes the same amount of time to charge your device from a Goal Zero

power pack as it does from the wall.• The Nomad 13 Solar Panel will directly charge most USB and 12V

devices. Most handheld USB devices, include: cell phone, smart phone, GPS, MP3 player

• Other Goal Zero products that work best with Nomad 13 are Switch 8 Recharger, Guide 10 Plus, Sherpa 50 Recharger, Rock Out Portable

Speaker, Guardian 12V Charge Controller.• You can use the YSB and 12V ports simultaneously. The

Nomad 13 will split the incoming solar power between the two ports to charge devices simultaneously. Some devices may not be compatible.

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

41OUTDOORUAE


PRODUCTS

Peak Performance Women’s Heli Alpine 3,099 AED (Jacket) 2,899 AED (Pants)

Available only at Go Sport Mall of the Emirates

Developed together with the Peak Performance ski team, one of most hard-work-ing, protective ski jackets and pants. The three-layer GoreTex® Pro shell (super durable) maintains your own comfy micro-climate inside, and keeps all the weather on the outside. Add the bonus features like Recco® avalanche rescue system, long pit zips for ventilation, strategically placed and large pockets and a helmet compatible hood, snow gaiters and you’ve got serious jacket and pants you’ll be wearing for many seasons.

Peak Performance Heli Skull Light Helmet819 AED

Available only at Go Sport Mall of the Emirates

At the speeds you’ll be going, you’ll need some serious protection. Our Skull Light Helmet has a comfortable, padded interior that fits nice and tightly and is constructed of the most resilient materials. It’s light on your head and tough on any kind of impact.

Zéfal EZ Push70 AED

Available at Decathlon, Adventure HQ, Revolution Cycle, Pro-bike, Fun Ride, Go Sport and Intersport

Ultra compact CO2 inflator for threaded cartridges, the EZ Push system gives an accurate and flow adjustments. Used by our ProTeam for its light weight and advantages, the EZ push is easy to be carried. For better comfort, a protection is included against cold made by the cartridge. It is compatible with Schrader, Presta and Dunlop valves.

Zéfal CO2 Inflator Kit95 AED

Available at Decathlon, Adventure HQ, Revolution Cycle, Probike, Fun Ride, Go Sport and Intersport

Made of two cartridges, a CO2 Holder and an EZ Control, the Zéfal CO2 Inflator Kit is made for quick repair and easy carrying. The EZ control system is easy to use and gives an accurate inflation with regulation system. The CO2 Holder has a rubber part to ensure a good grip and it works with all diameters.

42 OUTDOORUAE


Alpinestars A-8 Body Protector (black and white)740 AED

Available at Al Yousuf Motors Showrooms

• Combines high-tech materials and advanced design to provide superior protection for motocross riders

• Can be worn under the jersey without shoulder cups, or outside the jersey with shoulder cups

• Semi-rigid plastics enable a superior fit against the body• Design of the A-8 panels allows it to follow the body’s movements to ensure the vest

is always in the optimal position to provide maximum impact and roost protection• Large, lateral protectors are unique design to wrap comfortably around the body• New buckle system allows for precise adjustment for an ideal fit• Intake and exhaust vents combine with perforated panels to enhance airflow for

comfort in hot conditions• Designed to accept the Alpinestars BNS support• CE Level 2 certified

Lifeventure Sleeplight Travel Sleeping Bags575 AED (Sleeplight 750)950 AED (Sleeplight 1100)

Available at Adventure HQ in Times Square Center

The Sleeplight range of sleeping bags has been designed with travel specifically in mind, particularly when travelling in warm climates. Each bag includes an external pocket for night-time essentials, plus two secu-rity pockets inside the bag for hiding valuables overnight. The Sleep-light bags are uniquely treated with an EX3 triple layer treatment which protects you and your bag against bed bugs, mosquitoes and bacteria. Each bag has a glow-in-the-dark zip puller and an innovative waterproof compression stuff sack, which can be blown up or filled with clothes to use as a pillow when the bag is in use.

• Lightweight ripstop nylon outer shell with external front pocket • Tactel nylon and micro-polyester internal lining • High-quality ThermaFibre insulation • Two-way zip and draw-cord top entry • Treated with EX3 triple layer protection• Two hidden security pockets• Waterproof compression stuff sack• Zip and shoulder baffles (except 750)

PRODUCTS

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Polaris Scrambler XP 850 HO54,500 AED which includes a one year manufacturer Warranty

Available at Specialized Sports Equipment LLC (www.polarisuae.com)

New from Polaris is the Scrambler XP 850 HO in both a sporty limited edition package with EPS and Fox Shocks, and a base model. The Scrambler XP 850 HO is geared towards riders who want a more powerful and sportier ride in a four-wheel drive vehicle.

The vehicle couples the proven, 77 horsepower, 850 twin, high output EFI engine, Polaris’ exclusive On-Demand, True All-Wheel Drive with a sports tuned suspension and more streamlined design for a sport vehicle that can tackle anything the trail throws its way. For

riders wanting even more perfor-mance in a 4×4, Polaris is offering

a limited edition model with Electronic Power Steer-ing (EPS), Fox Podium compression adjustable shocks, cast aluminum

wheels, hand guards, cut and sew seat, dual LED headlights and Stealth Black paint with a sportier graphics package.

• Proven 850 Twin EFI High Output SOHC engine with dual bal-ance shafts

• Automatic Transmission with P/R/N/L/H• On-Demand True All Wheel Drive• Sachs Shocks with 9 in/22.9 cm of front travel and 10.25 in/26

cm of rear travel• Sport type exhaust silencer, stainless steel• 11.5 in/29.2 cm of ground clearance• Front bumper with tie-down points• Dual High/Low Halogen headlights Single LED tail light• Cut and sew seat• Analog gauge• Available in indy red• Limited edition offers Electronic Power Steering (EPS), Fox

Podium compression adjustable shocks, cast aluminum wheels, hand guards, custom cut and sew seat, front LED lights, and Voodoo Blue paint with a sportier graphics package.

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PRODUCTS

JP Australia SUP boards

Although the inflatables can be pretty fun toys, here at JP-Australia we take the inflatable SUP boards seriously. That is why we de-cided to work only with the best materials and give you an amazing product. Our inflatable SUPs come in the most advanced drop-stitch construction available and are therefore considerably stiffer as well as up to 5kg/11lbs lighter than many comparable boards out there. What is the point of having a board that you can pack in a backpack if you can’t pick up that backpack afterwards?

When it comes to performance we were amazed with the GPS speed comparison test between the inflatables and their epoxy siblings as results are almost evened out. All our boards work great for the whole family. Soft pads cover the whole standing area mak-ing them very comfortable. Thanks to the inflatable technology you can‘t hurt yourself with the board. No matter if you might fall on them or might get hit by them when tumbled in a wave. They all come with a towing D-ring on the bottom of the nose which works great to tow them at low speeds – even if someone is sitting on them. They all include a backpack, pump and repair kit. Aluminium adjustable paddle is 500 AED.

AllroundAIR4,250 AED (10‘2“x32“x4“)4,650 AED (10‘2“x32“x6“)

Available at Adventure HQ and JP Australia Middle East Facebook group or contact Richard Howes 0529820988

The super stable all-round board works in all conditions from flat water to small surf, for every rider from beginner to expert. Experts can also take them to white water rivers.

Marmot Ledge575 AED

Available at GO Sport (UAE) The Dubai Mall and Bawabat Al Sharq Mall; (Qatar) City Centre Doha and Villaggio Mall

This pack is built for the long haul. The Ledge is equipped equally well for city, campus and camp, with a padded laptop case that fits most 15” computers, a roomy and efficient organiser pocket, reflec-tive clipping points, and high-quality compression straps. Numerous specialty pockets and a hydration port finish the job. Go ahead, this bag was built to abuse it!

• Double layered bottom• Spacer airmesh back panel and shoulder straps• Internal pocket fits most tablets and E-readers• Clipping points with reflective tape• Internal organiser front pocket with key clip• Tool/trekking pole attachment• Hydration port and clip for hanging reservoir• Soft, brushed tricot-lined sunglass pocket• Front stash pocket for extra essentials• Removable webbing waist belt• Stretch mesh water bottle pockets

45OUTDOORUAE

If you love those long weekends on the boat and a cool drink at your destination, then the WAECO Cool-Ice iceboxes are ideal for you.

These practical iceboxes are rotomoulded, i.e. moulded in one piece, so there are no seams to al-low heat to enter. This also makes them extremely strong, durable and very easy to clean.

WAECO Cool-Ice iceboxes

Fully integrated hinges with stainless steel rods.For superior strength and smooth unobtrusive lines

Carry strap for WCI-13 & WCI-22. Strong, ergonomically designed polyethylene handles.(WCI-42 and up). Full unobstructed hand grip actionfor easier carrying whether by one or two people.

Tie-down points.Integrated into handle base moulding for superior strength.

Strong nylon latches with stainless steel fixing screws.Over-centre action enables single hand operation.

They can keep ice for up to 10 days, due to the thick, refrigeration grade foam insulation, like in your fridge at home, and the “Labyrinth Seal De-sign” feature. This unique sealing design holds the cold air inside the box and keeps the warm air outside the box from entering.This feature also keeps dust from entering and will keep your supplies dry and fresh, if you are using it as a storage container.

WAECO Cool-Ice iceboxes are lightweight and easy to carry. Whilst the two smallest models come with carry straps, the rest of the range are equipped with ergonomic handles, which make the iceboxes easy to carry without hitting your knuckles.

Underneath the handles are practical tie down points, which are great for when you’re packing your car or boat, as well as the square shape which fits easily into any space.

The hinges are recessed and made of stainless steel, which make them strong. The steel pins in the front latches are also stainless steel and the latches, which are made of durable nylon, can be replaced.

The WAECO Cool-Ice range is available in seven sizes, and features a one year warranty.

The products are available at all Ace Hardware Stores & Adventure HQ Outlet at Times Square. Price starts from 259 AED.


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PRODUCTS

Suunto Ambit2 S 1,950 AED

Available at Adventure HQ, Go Sport, Sun and Sand Sports, Stadium, Dubai Duty Free, Jumbo and other stores around the UAE

The new Ambit2 S is a light and sleek GPS watch for multi-sport athletes which packs all the features needed for cycling, running, swimming and multi-sport training. The GPS provides accurate pace, route navigation and tracking, while the heart rate monitor lets you train within your ideal zone.

• Cycling: The new Suunto Ambit2 S will support power meters (ANT+) and offers various power measurement values and numerous options for in-depth analysis.

• Swimming: The Ambit2 S also offers comprehensive swimming functionality, including pace and distance, automatic intervals, stroke rate and swimming time related to different pool lengths. The Ambit2 S will also learn to recognise your swimming style, which makes performance analysis easier.

• Running: Runners benefit from highly accurate pace and distance thanks to FusedSpeed™, the Ambit’s accelerometer integrated GPS, as well as interval timer and autolaps for training.

• Multisport Training: Users can switch between sports, making the Suunto Am-bit2 S ideal for recording your multisport training or race.

Salomon XR Crossmax 2 CS 525 AED

Available at the newly launched Shop in Shop concept in Stadium Dubai Mall, Adventure HQ in Times Square and Go Sport in Mall of the Emirates. Other outlets: Trespass, Go Sport, Stadium, Studio R and other stores within the UAE

It’s the ideal training shoe for running from your door to any trail, anytime. Door to trail is what most trail runners really do on a daily basis. You run out the door, down the street, to a path that leads to a trail. It’s the daily workout and the daily escape. You want the cushioning and feel of road shoes on the way to the trail, and the grip and protection of trail shoes once you’re on it. Salomon’s “DOOR TO TRAIL” collec-tion runs great on pavement, but protects your feet and provides great grip on trails. So no matter where you find yourself, you have the right shoe.

• Weight: 320g (size UK 8.5) - Women 280g (size UK 5.5)• Upper lace pocket; friction free lace eyelet; Sensifit™; Sensiflex™; Quicklace™;

Protective toe cap• Lining membrane: Climashield™ lining material; textile• Sole outsole: non marking Contagrip®; Contagrip LT; Contagrip HA; OS Tendon • Sockliner: EVA shaped footbed; Molded EVA; OrthoLite®• Midsole: Dual density EVA; Molded EVA; Light Weight Muscle; Compresed EVA• Midsole height: 19mm/10mm

GU Energy Gel8 AED (Salted Caramel)15 AED (Passion Fruit Roctane)

Available at www.sportinlife.ae for a full list of retailers and more information

If you’re looking for a sports-related stocking filler idea with a tasty twist, GU Energy Labs has launched two exciting new flavours, Salted Caramel and Passion Fruit Roctane. Packing the same optimal blend of carbohydrates, proprietary GU amino blend and a full serving of Vitamin C and E, these “pocket rockets” ensure fast and easy replen-ishment of sodium and potassium during training sessions and races. So GU for it!

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OZtrail Double Jaffle Iron95 AED

Available at Adventure HQ in Times Square Center

Cooking at campfires has come a long, long way from what we remember as kids. Gone are the days when mom’s cooking sets were basically the most used pots and pans from the kitchen; bulky, heavy, and just resistant to any decent scrubbing afterwards. Camping these days border on home comfort with the minimum space and hassle attached to it. Sometimes, I wonder if we should just live the camping lifestyle.

Take this OZtrail Double Jaffle Iron. It looks like a rugged waffle/sandwich maker at first. The cast iron cookware is designed to take as little space as possible in your camp pack, dead easy to handle and clean, and surprisingly efficient. This is as close as you can get to proper food preparation in the outdoors. The deep base is excellent for bread or cooking meat, fish and vegetables. Unlike traditional camp-ing grill pans that, of course, have their application, the Jaffle Iron keeps all the right juices inside. It is equipped with handle-locking clip to secure the food item, plus it also has long handles to keep it conveniently away and safe when placed in the coal bed or a roaring fire. Material-wise, you are dealing with high density cast and the thick walls of the cooking surface allow for perfect hot meals. After eating clean up is easy too – just rinse and you are good to go for next round. Bon appetite!

• Deep base and thick walls allow for uniform heat distribution• Secure wooden handle grip to reduce heat transfer when away from a direct

heat source• Long handles for easy placement• Convenient handle locking clip to keep iron closed• Simply rinse clean and dry after purchase then you are ready to cook

48 OUTDOORUAE

OUR EXPERTS

Tori runner, writer, blogger &

adventurer PS. My email address is

[email protected] for thoughts, ideas, and

suggestions… or just to say hello!

goes Sky highAdventureChick

This month Adventure Chick returned to stun-ning SA to run in the epic Skyrun and survived (just) to tell the tale. The Skyrun, often labelled as South Africa’s toughest trail run, is a monster mountain race of either 100km, the daddy of the event or the “lite” option, “just” 65km in distance and a total misnomer if ever there was one.

Starting from the small rural vil-lage of Lady Grey and traversing the Witteberg Mountain Range in the Eastern Cape, the race is fully self-supported, self-navigated and with 4,700m of elevation gain, the country’s most extreme single stage race. Needless to say, it draws in some pretty big names from within SA and I expect going forward, from further afield.

I first heard about it at the Dodo Trail in Mauritius this past July. Clearly, just hearing about it wasn’t enough as a few enquiries later, I was signed up and the trip booked. Of course, at that point I hadn’t quite considered the difficulties of training for such a tough event in the flat, sandy desert where we call home. Details, details! Instead, I just did what I could with what I had, a maxim that every trail runner must embrace because very few of us have

the luxury of the perfect terrain on our doorstep.

I expected a toughie, of that I have no doubt. The press release in the week prior, with talk of the likelihood of puking and seeing either God or lions, cleared that one up quite nicely… but I certainly had no idea just how much of a toughie it would turn out to be! But before I get to the race itself…

The calm before the stormWe drove the 600km or so from Dur-ban to Lady Grey the day prior to the race. As the wind howled and the rains lashed, I silently prayed for the weather to improve. Effect? Nil. On arrival, we headed to registration where we found 350-odd runners full of bracing anticipation, nervous excitement and animated chatter, eager to conquer this epic distance and in doing so, conquer themselves. Hostile weather aside, I don’t think anyone could have predicted how the following 24 hours would pan out.

Goodie bags were collected, medi-cals completed and bellies filled with comforting carbs before settling into the marquee for video footage from last year’s event… the sort of footage that can’t help but rev you up and touch your soul… and the race briefing from Pure Adventures’ Mike de Haast and Adrian Saffy. Later, when the clock struck 9:00 p.m., we went our separate ways, time to rest in sheltered tents and warm beds before our 4:00 a.m. start the following morning.

The eye of the stormRace day. 0245 and the alarm rang. 0330 and the roll call began. 0400 and the race commenced. And then? What

followed was a long day, and night for some, of brutal conditions that tested us all, in mind, body and spirit. It is one thing running on such exposed and technical terrain at altitude and another altogether, when you throw in extreme weather conditions. Think gale force winds, pelting rain, icy sleet, visibility often little more than a couple of metres and stabbing horizontal hail that pierced every inch of skin on show. There was rarely a moment’s respite as we tackled high ridges and peaks, scrambled on rocks and forged our way through unmarked wilderness terrain. This isn’t a trail run as there are no trails.

Checkpoints came and went but there was no catching your breath or stopping for a well-deserved rest. Instead, a fleeting moment to shout out your race number through the biting wind and unrelenting mist.

Thanks to the truly poor visibility, small groups stayed tight together. Of


49OUTDOORUAE

course, in any race involving personal chal-lenge, the spirit of camaraderie is displayed to perfection. Despite running being a so-called solitary sport, the combining of dedication and pain, of defeat and accomplishment, of mud, sweat and toil forges friendships that would take years to nurture elsewhere.

Eventually, twelve hours after the race com-menced, the final curtain was drawn and the race brought to a halt. Consensus over radio contact between the support in the mountains and the team back at base simply deemed it unsafe to continue. We are at the mercy of the mountain gods after all and there are times when we need reminded that she is the boss not the other way round.

Even the race leader, a seasoned mountain runner and the first South African to com-plete the Seven Summits was pulled from the course. He, Iain Don-Wauchope, said after-wards, “We were in survival mode; you don’t worry about times, wins, money, nothing... you just got to get yourself to help because that’s how bad it was. It was serious.”

The aftermathThe day ended with warm food around the campfire at Balloch cave. When finally we found a bed for the night, we flopped into it, shattered but strangely exhilarated. And as my eyes drew to a close, I reminded myself that it is the moments in life when we are truly stripped back, that we learn the most about ourselves. Every single one of us out

there had to dig deep and has left us stronger individuals today.

During the days following the race, there was much chatter from Skyrun competitors via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blogs… you name it. Aside the usual regaling of tales of the trail, there were opinions voiced over whether we should have been out there. The winds were so severe that one wrong move could have been your last. Although the race was abandoned, should we have been called off the mountains earlier? It still took around six hours after the race was pulled to get eve-ryone out, such was the remoteness and inac-cessibility of the route alongside the extreme and persistent conditions and there were a handful of pretty serious cases to deal with.

I wasn’t sure of my thoughts on this until I read the words of another runner, Filippo Faralla, who said:“Should we have been up there? I don’t think this is the correct question because it abdicates all the responsibility onto the organisers. Mountain running is the most spectacular and beautiful of all trail running, but it comes with a severe risk warning. Indi-vidual runners must always take responsibility for their own safety. What does this mean? It means knowing the conditions on the moun-tain. Becoming familiar with the route. Being adequately prepared in terms of fitness and specific training and most importantly taking appropriate gear and clothing sufficient for your personal needs in all types of weather conditions.”

He then talked of how we are drawn to trail running for the freedom it offers away from the structure, confines and organisation of our towns and cities.This reminded me of the incredible words of Robert McFarlane in his book, Mountains of the Mind when he says:

“Mountains seem to answer an increasing imaginative need in the West. More and more people are discovering a desire for them, a powerful solace in them. They challenge our complacent conviction that the world has been made for humans by humans. Most of us exist in worlds that are humanly arranged, themed and controlled. One forgets that there are environments, which do not respond to a flick of a switch or the twist of a dial. They induce, I suppose, a modesty in us.”

Skyrun 2013 will now go down in history, a legend on the SA mountain running calen-dar. There will no doubt be a lot of runners returning next year with unfinished business… and I hope, a big handful of international participants ready to take on the challenge. As for me? When asked the day after the race whether I would return in 2014, I said, “No way”, but another day and I’d softened… and today, I’ve got the preliminary 2014 date blocked out in my calendar.

Till next year?

Love Tori x

For race details, visit www.skyrun.co.za. Skyrun is not for the faint-hearted nor the rookie trail runner and certainly not for road runners, but if you love mountains, nature and being tested in stunningly remote and raw wilderness, then this race is for you. It’s certainly a good race for us fair-weather desert rats who could do with toughening up!

A BIG thank you to Pure Adventures and Salomon South Africa for this epic experience… Skyrun www.skyrun.co.za / Pure Adventures www.pureadven-tures.co.za / Salomon www.salomon.com/za/Photos: © kelvintrautman | nikon | lexar

OUR EXPERTS

John Moto/ATV and all round

adventure seeker

Championship(Or just the “Baja” as we call it)

The Emirates Desert

the event and even lost 5kg to be in shape, only to be plagued with flu on race day! As I had never been to one of these events, I decided to go in any case and support some friends who were riding, and of course took my camera for some photos.

I would say that this must surely be the ultimate “race/event” in the UAE that caters for everybody who takes their riding a bit more serious than just weekend riding. This by no means implies that you have to be a “pro” to compete, but at least you, and your machine, must be able to endure the

The “Baja” (pronounced “ba-ha”) race has it origin dating back to the late six-ties, from an annual racing event that was held in the “Free and Sovereign State of Baja California Sur” in North West Mexico. The race has had several name changes since then, but today, every off-road rider in the USA (and most other countries) knows the “Baja 250, 500 and 1000.” It is a nonstop relay (rider’s change) race for more than 1,000 miles, and there is an iron-man class doing it completely solo!

Here in the UAE, there is of course no way we could race 1,000 miles, but we do have our own “Baja.” It started back in 1990s when Dubai used to

have a “mass start” style Baja, from the Al Bustan Rotana Hotel, through what is now Mirdif, over to Al Awir heading onwards to some burning tyres, with black smoke as the route marker, then racing back to the city! The Baja did run again in the mid 2000s, 2009 and 2010 to much stricter route rules, but then stopped until this year. Friday 15th November saw round two of the 2013/14 Baja UAE Desert Champion-ship series. The venue was just outside Dubai past the camel racetrack on the Al Ain Road. I had spent lots of money and time preparing my bike for

51OUTDOORUAE


two hours plus of racing. With more than 100 entries everybody was there; from world class riders like Sebastian Husseini and Sam Sunderland, to “New-Bs” like my friends Jakes and Collin.

As I was walking through the “pits” taking pictures, the atmosphere was alive and tense! Last minute adjustments, scurrying around looking for tools and gear, and trying to com-plete the registration before the start created a lively buzz from early morning. That same buzz that I am sure so many sportsmen and women, have experienced many times at the start of great events. It is something only those who actually “live life” have experienced and something I enjoy being part of every time I attend sports events.

It was also great to see how many riders’ families were there in support. There were many small children and listening to some kids telling daddy that “he must win!” must have surely been inspiring to them!

This is also an event that can be used for aggressive marketing by the different dealers/suppliers in the UAE. Sadly, not all the sup-pliers seem to realise this and their absence to events like these, in my opinion, does not

reflect good sportsmanship. Then again, that is only my opinion.

As for Kawasaki, I am sure it went well for them! The fact that the first quad (Mohammed Shamshi) and the first bike (Ross Runnalls) to finish were both riding Kawasaki machines can only be to their own advantage!

The race:At 9:00 a.m. exactly, the first group departed in a cloud of sand and dust. With all 100 cars, bikes quads and buggies departing in about 10 minutes the crowd was solidly entertained at the starting point, till the last vehicle disap-peared out the gate and into the desert. The silence that followed was short lived as the front riders returned from the first lap after only 19 minutes (more than 20km).

As part of the course, every lap passed the spectators before returning back into the desert. This was a flat section of almost 450m and I am sure some riders must have stretched their throttle cables from twisting the grips to full throttle and beyond! I don’t think my bike is even capable of the speed that some of these guys were doing on this section. Then just to remind us of how good he is, young

Ross (overall winner) would come past on his No 26 Kawasaki, at the same speed as the other riders, but with a small difference – he was on his back wheel! Very impressive to see.

Regarding accidents, this was a great event with only very few incidents and luckily no injured riders apart from one of the pros whose ego must have taken a huge knock. After all, who runs out of fuel before the second lap is even completed? Don’t worry Sam, I won’t tell them it was you! LOL! Another welcoming sight was our four lady riders, who not only completed, but also beaten many of their male rivals. The elegant Vicky Northway on her No 20 Honda took the honours of top lady rider and separated by only four positions to the second lady, Abi Shephard. Well done to all the ladies!

As I am not involved with motorsport other than the bikes and quads, I am not sure why there were so few cars and buggies that participated. I know there are many, many cars and buggy riders out there that would have loved to race, but probably didn’t know about the Baja. Please, if you know any of them, tell them about the Baja.

To all those involved with the organising of this event, congratulations and thank you. It was a job well done. Everything was in place throughout the whole day. Walking amongst pit crew and the riders, before, during and afterwards, they only had positive feedback and they all loved it!

Special thanks once again to Stuart Billing-ton and John Spiller who instigated the restart of the series, Dr Mohamed Ben Sulayem and the ATC who gave the series the go ahead and backing. Also to Tag Heuer Middle East for support with the timing system, and the EMSF all who helped revive this great event. It has rocketed in popularity and we are confident that this time the event is here to stay. Round three of the 2013/14 Baja will be on 29th Jan 2014. Get your machines ready and enter the fun! For full event details, positions and rank-ing, visit www.emsf.ae.

Ride safe and go for gold,

John Basson

Our fishing pro who shares his experiences and

expertise with OutdoorUAE through his regular column.

[email protected]

OUR EXPERTS

Steve and his first grunter

The trip that almost didn’t happen

The limited species of fish we have on the flats does not really dampen my enthusiasm. The few that do bite

the presence of food source, tides, current, wind; the list goes on and on (read between the lines – our excuse for not catching). You could be fishing in the worst of conditions and experi-ence the best time on the water – however it may be, the old adage: “the worst day fishing, is still better than the best day at work” rings loud and true. The only better time is when you spend it with friends.

On one such occasion, I have been fortunate enough to spend some time with a friend who came over from the UK. For months, Steve and I have been corresponding about a trip we’re going to make when he comes around for a visit. Nothing fancy, just a day trip to catch some of our spe-cies on fly rods. The chosen weekend coincided with the F1 qualifiers, noth-ing wrong with that we thought, but while we were getting ready to set up in the outskirts of Yas island, a car came around with a friendly CID of-ficer who informed us that for security reasons, they are closing that part of the island. Off Steve and I rode to find another place to wet our fly lines.

The only other place I could think of is a crowded place just outside of the capital. It involves a long walk, something I wasn’t sure we were both ready for. The prospect of catching one of my favourite species got the better of me. Steve did not need to be convinced either. As it turned out, this would be his first shallow saltwa-ter trip. When we arrived, the water was on the rise and we had a long walk ahead of us. Three kilometres in fact, I was tentative and thought we could get by with the closer spot. We stayed at the first spot for a while before I made the decision to just bite the bullet and walk the 3km in the hopes of catching a few fish.

A few slips and bumps later, the

a fly on the flats and in the edges of these flats are fussy enough to keep me challenged and wanting for more.

When the weather started cool-ing up this year, I was looking for the perfect excuse to explore new flats and perhaps revisit my old favourites. The first outing to an old favourite that produced well for us some years ago threw me a curve ball. It was the first time I got stumped in that place. Not a single nibble even on our faithful soft plastic lures that some residents there love so much.

Fishing is very unpredictable, and although there are certain things that give the angler the advantage, it is still up to the fish to choose to bite or not. A lot of things influence their behavior,

Year in and year out, I wait for the weather to turn a bit cooler so I could once again, go out and fish the flats. Since moving here, it has become an addiction that’s pretty hard to shake off. Even with the promise of bigger fish in deeper water, the challenge of sight casting to a tailing fish gets my blood pumping more than any other type of fishing I could do here in the Gulf.


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A long walk ahead

shallows of the massive flat in front of us greeted us, the tide was rising fast and we had to get to a small island before the water was too deep for us to wade in. The water rushing into the flat made it a challenge to walk forward, but the prospect of catching a silver grunter on a fly was so close and urged us to go forward. Halfway though, we were seeing fish darting around us, we were close but not quite there yet.

Another few minutes have passed and we were in knee deep water, in this section, the current is being pushed sideways and be-hind an island, white sand with a bit of rub-ble with shallow channels that look like veins streak though the pale colour of the bottom. The channels form an eddy just behind the island; this slows the velocity of the current and with the break in current speed it acts like a buffer zone for bigger fish to ambush their prey.

Before approaching the area, I explained how the tailing fish would be visible as soon as we reach the place where the water starts to slow down and the flow starts to bend. I asked Steve to cast to some riffles where I saw a tail appear seconds before. Noth-ing. Unconvinced, I tied on a fly, casted out the same riffle and my fly immediately got inhaled. The fight was quite surprising, although the fish was not that big, the shape of the fish, together with the force of the current made it tough for my five-weight fly rod to muscle in. This got repeated for a few times before I finally stopped so I could stand beside Steve and coach him so he could catch a fish.

A few minutes and a couple of expletives later, one finally decided to bite the fluff and feather we had at the end of the line. With each run the fish made, Steve’s smile kept on getting bigger and bigger.

On the walk back to the car, Steve and I spoke of how the day was just a little shy of magical. From being informed that we can-not fish in our chosen spot to one of the best fishing days both of us have ever experi-

enced in recent memory, it really was a day that both of us will talk about for years to come, and more importantly, it was Steve’s first time on the flats; it was really an honour to show a friend the kind of fishing I liked to do a lot of.

Till next tide change,

Kit

PEOPLE

Student: Dubai English Speaking College Nationality: BritishAge: 13

Guy Welchman

How did you get into SUP?I was introduced to paddling through our after-school activity club at DESC and it took off from there.

You also participated in the SUP All Stars last March, how was it?I competed in the flatwater racing. Consider-ing my age and being up against the best in the world, just competing with them was an amazing experience. Getting a position was not even on my mind, I was just happy I didn’t get knocked out in the first round. These guys are the best in the world and the experience of meeting them, let alone race against them was awesome.

How are you preparing for the Surf Dubai charity paddle?I have been doing long distance training with Tati Coco SUP over the weekends as well as technique training with Tati Coco SUP during the week, which is sometimes at night after school.

He was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age five, but that didn’t stop him from enjoying the outdoors. This month, Guy is taking on his biggest challenge yet by paddling 30km for the Surf Dubai Around the World Charity Paddle 2013 this De-cember.

obstacle would be my blood sugars going too high or too low, which might make it hard for me to continue. I think joining this event is a cool thing to do and to prove to others with diabetes that anything is possible.

At what age were you diagnosed with dia-betes and what changes happened in your life after? I was diagnosed when I was five so it didn’t really affect me. I just continued being a normal kid doing normal things.

Despite your condition and young age, how do you maintain living an active and full life?Just by being careful with what I eat, making sure I am carrying my glucose tester, sugars and making sure I have insulin. I’m just getting on with it, remaining positive and accepting it.

How are your family and friends supporting you in this challenge?My whole family and friends from school have been really supportive and got right behind the idea. Plus, the support from all the people I have met whilst doing SUP has been really encourag-ing especially Tati, Jen and Nick from Live Love SUP, and Scott and Dan from Surf Dubai.

So your family and friends are into SUP as well? Yes my father and brother. My mother is always there to make sure I have the right food before I go SUP’ing so I don’t go high or low. My sister is not really into it as she doesn’t like fish!

What have you learned and taken away from this whole experience?If you just put your mind to it, most challenges in life can be overcome and you will know how supportive all the people around you can be.

What other outdoor activities are you interested in?I used to play rugby but then got seriously into SUP’ing. To support SUP’ing, I also surf, skate-board with school and Tati, and rock climbing at Adventure HQ.

How do you want to encourage people with diabetes or other illness to stay posi-tive and be engaged in sports like SUP? Just go out there and have fun in the water. I want to show everyone that what I do is an amazing sport and I control diabetes and it doesn’t control me.

You have Type 1 diabetes, what is your mindset for this long distance paddle?Focus on the paddle and at the same time keep an eye on monitoring and controlling my sugar levels. I will be carrying sweets and glucose in case my sugar levels go low. Tati will also be there to assist me if I need it. I am also working with Sweetkidz, a support group in Dubai, on the best way to deal with my diabetes. The only thing that could be an

55OUTDOORUAE

PEOPLE

Nada Al Assaad KivelaOccupation: Marketing manager and philanthropistNationality: Finnish

How did you get involved with MSF?My attraction to nature and hiking in sustain-able world heritage sites and my love of humanity drove me to combine my adventure travel with charitable causes. Upon reading in MSF website about the “Syria Emergency Aid Appeal” for the Syrian citizens who have been suffering the consequences of the crisis which is now in its third year, where the healthcare system has collapsed and people who are wounded or chronically ill are without medical assistance, I decided to climb for fundraising for MSF.

What made you decide to climb Mt Toubkal?I was supposed to travel to Marrakech for a holiday but after seeing in the newspapers the

This UAE-based professional has never climbed mountains before, but what she lacked in experience she made up for in determination to help those in dire need. In cooperation with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) or Doctors Without Borders, Nada scaled 4,000m Mt Toubkal, the highest peak in the Atlas Mountains and North Africa, to raise funds for Syria.

horrendous photos of bodies of innocent Syr-ian children who died while sleeping from the horrific neurotoxin effects of poison gas, these photos influenced my decision to take up this challenge.

How did you prepare physically and mentally for the Mt Toubkal climb? My decision to climb was taken in less than three weeks before the trip. I did not have the proper physical training exercises to prepare me for such a challenging adventure. It was the cause that kept me going forth all the way to the summit. I totally forgot about myself and all that mattered was the humanitarian part of the climb.

What struggles did you meet during the climb?On the way to the summit, I was a bit worried when I realised that we did not bring enough water supply, underestimating the time dura-tion to reach the summit and descent. We have been exhausted the day before from the full day’s hike to the refuge that was at the basecamp of the mountain. The summit day climb was strenuous, especially for someone like me who was not well trained. I was walking at my own pace, where oxygen levels were decreasing after 3,000m and although I was well aware of the climb’s challenges, my strong intuition and will kept me pushing my way for-ward. The descent was tough and slippery due to fine sand mixed stones, there were some vertical pathways with rocks as we were rush-ing our way back to the refuge before sunset.

What was your mindset and strategy for this climb?It was purely the emotional psychological part of the cause for the fundraising that influenced my decision to do this. I was accompanied by my husband and the Moroccan guide from a local trekking company. The climb started on 12th October and I reached the summit on 13th October 2013.

What’s your advice for people, especially for women, aspiring to get more outdoorsy?Don’t wait until tomorrow, just do it now. Any choice of outdoor activity that you are pas-sionate about will change the way you think, act and live. Outdoor activities and adventures bring hope, happiness, feelings of self-accom-plishment and confidence to people seeking to discover new initiatives and incentives in life. We are capable of achieving more than we think we can.

What lessons have you taken from this climb?I learned that when there is a will there is a way. No matter how hard it was, having not climbed before and without proper physical training, my strong conviction in the fact that I will achieve my goal, driven by a high spiritual humanitarian mission, led me to push my way ahead and to overcome my fears and doubts. The cause was so noble that I forgot about myself! Challenging outdoor activities is the doorway to discovering the true self.

What are your goals/plans for this year?I have some thoughts in the horizon for even-tually climbing a few other mountain peaks but I will only be able to confirm this closer to the trips dates as and when they materialise along with more fundraising charity initiatives. This in addition to discovering new cultural heritage/hiking trails routes in the GCC countries, Mid-dle East and North Africa.

How can people contribute to this cause? By contributing to my MSF fundraising Just Giving donation page www.justgiving.com/Nada-Al-Assaad-Kivela. I still am hoping that contributions will continue to rise from the few hundred dollars to the set target of 10,000 USD after reaching Mt. Toubkal summit. MSF is one of the few international aid organisations providing life-saving medical care inside Syria.

LOCATIONS

OMANescapes

With this type of camping, people generally fill their cars with much, much more than the bare necessities. I typically bring an extra-large tent, inflatable mattress, a big cooler with lots of food; I even have a collapsible kitchen with a sink! I bring everything! In the mountains of Canada you can’t camp anywhere you wish. Instead, people are sequestered to designated camping areas called campgrounds. Some of the largest campgrounds can accommodate nearly 10,000 campers! So, even though you are in the forest, you are still surrounded by hordes of people. As I grew older, I continued to explore the wilderness and became a big fan of back country camping, where you carry all of the necessary supplies on your back,

Words + Photos By: Darryl MacDonald

Growing up near the Rocky Mountains in Canada, it was a regular occurrence to head out on the weekend to go camp-ing with the family. Most of the camping was what I like to call “car camping,” where you drive up to the site with all of your supplies in your vehicle, you park and camp.

limiting yourself to necessities, and head as far into the back country as possible, away from civilisation, for days on end. With this type of camping, everything in your pack is carefully thought out and weighed; anything deemed a luxury generally doesn’t make the cut. With back country camping, it is very plausible to go for days without seeing a single person. In my youth, I completed one camping excursion on my own, covering hundreds of kilometres over nearly three weeks without seeing another person!

Since living in Oman, I have been intro-duced to two new types of camping. There is car camping but with a twist. Here it is possible to 4x4 into the middle of nowhere and camp wherever you wish, bringing all of your luxury items,making it easy enough to find a location where it is unlikely to see anyone else around.

The second type is my favourite type of camp-ing thus far, “boat camping.” It is exactly what it sounds like, camping with a boat.

Upon arriving in Oman, my wife and I promptly decided that in order to take full advantage of our proximity to the ocean we re-quired a boat. So, we purchased a half share in a boat that suited our needs and our first boat camping trip took place only a few months later. My wife and I, along with our friends, the Coopers, decided to head out to the Daymani-yat Islands for the weekend. The Daymaniyat Islands are located 20km off the coast of Barka and 65km from where we set off in the boat. This nature reserve consists of nine islands. The islands are home to beautiful, white sand beaches and some of the most stunning exam-ples of coral and marine life in the country. The islands are protected and hence, are off limits


57OUTDOORUAE

from April to October when various species of turtles flock to the islands to lay their eggs.

We checked the weather, loaded everything into waterproof bags on the boat and set off to find our very own desert island to camp on. The journey took nearly two hours to reach the most distant islands. The water was flat calm and the visibility was great so we explored some of the shallow lagoons, had lunch and spent most of the afternoon snorkelling. As the temperature cooled and the sun neared the horizon, we headed to a nearby island with a sheltered lagoon and found the perfect stretch of beach to set up camp without another person in sight. That evening, the Omani coast became more visible as the lights from the road and towns lit up the entire horizon. Similar to car camping, we brought plenty of luxury items including large tents, inflatable

mattresses and a portable shower. We even had a three course meal for dinner, providing the perfect end to a perfect day.

After a long active day in the sun, I was exhausted and headed off for bed… then at 2:00 a.m., I awoke. I had attached three anchors to the boat, fearful of waking up in the morning on a desert island with no transporta-tion home. So when I awoke, I was still a little paranoid. I poked my head outside of the tent to assure myself that everything was okay and realised that what I had not accounted for was the tides! The water had gone out further than expected, forcing me to swim out in the darkness to move the boat and reset all the anchors. It was a mistake I haven’t made since. In fact, my wife and I have realised since that it is much more comfortable and less stressful to sleep on the boat under the stars, while an-

chored to shore. Other than that little mishap, the rest of the trip was amazing, and we have since spent many nights camping on our very own desert island.

Because the Daymaniyat Islands is a nature reserve, you require a permit from the Ministry of Environment if you wish to snorkel, dive or overnight in the area, which needs to be ar-ranged in advance. If you are interested in this type of weekend adventure but are lacking a boat, several operators offer overnight snorke-ling, diving and camping trips out to the area from Muscat and Sawadi. As always, stay safe, be prepared and as we like to say in Canada, get out there, have fun and “keep your stick on the ice.”

Darryl

Fitness and Health

Now packaged into a unique gift for under the tree.

Contact: [email protected] or 04 88 29 361

- Ten -Boulder Sessionsin Rock Republic

TRIED


&

It is the local showroom and sales centre for Walltopia, one of the world’s leading compa-nies in building customised artificial climbing walls. Since customer feedback on climbing walls is paramount in building and running any type of climbing gym or wall successfully, it was an obvious step to provide access to facilities to the UAE climbing and fitness com-munity. The centre also serves as a training and educational facility that push develop-ment towards implementing safety rules and standards in the region, as well as awareness of the sport.

The Rock Republic is mainly offering boul-dering problems where no harness or rope is required. The routes are limited to a maximum height of four and half metres above deep purpose-built safety mats. Bouldering is a perfect way of training and detailing climb-ing techniques and strength. Bouldering is not only a sport enjoyed and valued by rock climbers, it is also very popular within the fitness community since it’s a perfect full body workout. Despite a wide spread myth, climb-ing and especially bouldering is not about

strength, it is much more about technique, planning and body control. Of course strength is also required but it is not the most essential part and the other things are more important that is the reason why this sport also attracts a lot of women. You can also ask to any physi-otherapist about the positive effects of climb-ing/bouldering and it is even used as therapy in many physio centres. The great thing about this sport is that everyone can do it no matter of the gender, age or fitness level. With some basic instructions, the risk of injuries is also minimal. To ensure that everyone is aware of the risks and to avoid any injury or strain, every member has to run through a short induction.

The centre is not open to the public and is not seen as entertainment or amusement facility, it is a high-class sports facility. The centre is located just outside of Dubai in Dubai Investment Park. It is an air-conditioned warehouse with 250 square metres of climbing surface, 90-plus boulder problems in the range V0 to V9.

To gain access to the centre, you must sign up as member of Rock Republic and complete safety induction. There are different types of memberships, ranging from 10-visit cards to annual memberships. The centre is open six days a week for members, Sunday to Thursday 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and Fridays 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. For more information, visit their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/rock.republic.dubai.

I’ve been to a few climbing centres in Europe and also tried the few in the UAE. Until now, I was missing a facility close to what I was used to in Europe – a facility with a diversity of routes to climb as well as the right atmosphere. The last point was the thing I was missing the most. Going to a climbing centre was always a very social activity for me, going there with friends or meeting people there and spending a good time as well as some great body workout. Since the sport is very challeng-

Welcome to a new republic just founded some weeks ago and already home to some of the UAE’s sports climbers and fitness enthusiasts. The Rock Republic has actually nothing to do with any state formation and not even with real rock apart from its members having made dramatic improvements in the standard they climb outside.

ing and workouts are usually short and intense with many breaks in between, there is a lot of time to chat with friends or like-minded people in the centre. There is also an amazing and dy-namic atmosphere when someone or yourself is attempting a route and you will be cheered on and motivated by the people there. It pushed me beyond the point that I would have reached without the verbal support of the people around. If you find the right place, this is not a matter of being the best climber in the gym, every small achievement of each individual is appreciated and applauded. This dynamic is it what brings people back and pushes everyone to the next height no matter on which level you are. This was exactly what I was missing here and what I found that at my first visit to the Rock Republic.

For a long time, I was also looking for a sport I could do together with my wife that we would both enjoy. Everything I wrote before was all what was needed to catch my wife’s enthusiasm for the sport. The first visit was a lot of trial and error, one broken fingernail (so manicure was due the next day), sore muscles, but a very satisfying feeling of achievement and knowing that there are muscles we almost forget actually exist. The after-work opening hours are also perfect for us to spend one evening in the Rock Republic. For us, the reason to go back is not that we are plan-ning to attempt to climb mountains, it is the atmosphere, the perfect full body workout and finally having an activity we enjoy both and being able to do together despite our very dif-ferent body physique. All the equipment you need are your climbing shoes which you can rent there until you get your own. The Rock Republic is regularly holding events open to the public, to get a first taste of the sport and the facilities. Follow them on Facebook to find what is happening or contact Global Climbing during the day on 048829361 or mail [email protected].

Welcome to theWalltopia sales centre provides access to the UAE’s best climbing facility

Rock RepublicWords By: Daniel Birkhofer

http://www.facebook.com/rock.republic.dubai

http://www.facebook.com/rock.republic.dubai

Fitness and Health


Contact: [email protected] or 04 88 29 361

- Ten -Boulder Sessionsin Rock Republic

60 OUTDOORUAE

TIPS & TRICKS

I paid for it, but it was nearly what I had paid for Junior’s previous quad that was in good condition, and running.

I knew I was buying a project because the quad was in an awful state. Not to mention it wasn’t running. When I got a chance to inspect it properly, I realised just how bad things were! There was a hole in the right hand engine casing with all the bare metal heavily rusted! The plastics had severely faded under the sun (the quad was stored on the trailer in an open parking lot), tyres were worn out and apparently the quad (when still

OK, here is how it started. In the begin-ning of the year I was in the market for a new quad for my four-year-old and came across a well-used (but running) Suzuki LT50. It had a few issues, but they were easy to sort. Junior got very comfortable on it straight away and rode “the wheels out of it.” I noticed though

When Pavel sent his buddy John Basson some photos, John immediately felt that the story of how Pavel gave this doomed machine a new life must be told. Pavel’s project was done without a proper garage and from inside the villa and looking at the then versus the now photos, one can-not but admire Pavel’s passion for machines and perfection. This is his story:

The ‘rebirth’ of a great machine!

that on the rough stuff, the quad would bounce and loose control as this quad had no suspension whatsoever! Also the power became quickly out of date for little Junior and I could see that he needed more of it.

Quick overview of available quads in the same size showed that a good direction to move would be LT-A50 quad, based on the same two-stroke engine but on a suspended chassis. Plus it was a step up in size with big-ger controls and more rider room. It was also heavier and thus Suzuki improved the motor to suit the demand.

It took a couple of months to find one and eventually when I did, the owner wasn’t so flexible with his price. I think he saw my excitement and he felt how desperate I was. I would thus not go into any details as to what

Words + Photos By: Pavel Annenkov


61OUTDOORUAE

running) was in an accident that damaged the front section.

I was not in a hurry and set my aim for the beginning of the autumn. Thus, most of the work was done through the summer. Every project should have a goal. Mine was to end up with a quad which would be close in the power of a 90cc four-stroke, but still remains the size of 50cc quad. The idea was also to keep as much original parts as possible and change to new only if it didn’t work other-wise. That was accomplished for at least 80% of the restoration.

The whole thing was pulled apart:Motor: I found a used right hand engine case on eBay. Polished the whole casing with a wire brush and wheel. The final touch was with very fine sandpaper. New cylinder, crank, piston and all bearings went in. A new ported head was part of the CT racing performance kit. I removed the oil injection system and went for a premix option.Transmission: The clutch was within the specs. Gears were fine (made in Japan). New sprockets and chain of course. The carbure-tor was junk. As if someone poured acid in it. All the internals were literally dissolved. I found a used but working one and replaced it.Exhaust and intake are the business of CT racing. Really nice stuff.Frame, wheels, everything went for sand-blasting, and when I say everything, I mean literally everything! Then it was powder-

set of decals from eBay made it look fresher!

The outcome: Just as it was planned, the quad has got way more power than any stock 50cc (be it two or four stroke). But handling that power for the five-year-old is not a problem as it is still a little quad.

Moneywise it was not worth it! The budget neared a new 50cc quad from the showroom, but we are not talking moneywise here, right?!

coated. Tyres are Carlisle Trail Wolf – the cheapest option I could find on eBay.Electrical: All was fine here. Just a new spark plug and a cap for it.Controls were all restored.Plastics: It was a pain. Had to sand it all around and trim the broken edges. The new

TIPS & TRICKS

Words By: Mike NottPhotos By: Colin Campbell, Shaun Ellis, Gordon Smith and Mike Nott

There are some excellent examples of solo off-road explorations, Tom Sheppard is probably one of the leading ones, and there are many others. What I hope to dispel in this article are the fears and consequent aversion that some of you may have to solo off-road

Some thoughts and tips

It is a truth, universally ac-knowledged, that the risks of driving alone are inherently higher than driving in a group, but that doesn’t mean we should dismiss the idea out of hand. Solo off-road driving should not be considered the first resort of the idiotic and the last resort of the wise.

excursions in this region. The article is aimed at those that may be considering a solo, long-haul, overland trip rather than those that want to do a solo blast-in-the-local-dunes. However, those “blasts” should be considered essential practice.

The easiest way to deal with this topic is to consider what can go wrong and suggest measures that you should have in place to deal with things that do go wrong. But, first, let me state that I’m primarily going to deal with those things that are specifically neces-sary for solo trips. When we go off-roading in a group there is much that we should already know and carry that would be necessary whether we were going solo or in a group; such things as basic recovery equipment and how to use it, essential spares and how to fit them, communications, food and water. So, for solo trips, in addition to what we already have “normally,” we need to consider the following:

Staying out of troubleThe best approach to a successful, solo off-road trip is to avoid those things that we know can cause trouble. What does this mean? In my view, it means not over taxing our vehicle’s capabilities and our driving skills. So much of making a success of the trip is the result of good route planning. Use all the resources at your disposal. The most obvious is extensive use of Google Earth®. This remarkable re-source allows us to plan in detail our intended route and we can avoid the worst areas by careful analysis of the imagery. Talk to others that have travelled through the areas you in-tend to go to and take advantage of any tracks or local knowledge that they may have. Dune driving is the most obvious problem area. Solo driving in the dunes is exhilarating but the constant fear of a “stuck” should concentrate your mind. Where possible, avoid technically

complex dune areas and look for the easiest way through, even if it extends your journey. There is always an easier, but perhaps, longer, way round.

When conditions deteriorate and the driving becomes technically more demand-ing, there can be a tendency to plough on regardless and a form of panic can take over. We inevitably then make mistakes in haste that we wouldn’t when we are in the more calming presence of a group. There is a requirement to have a certain mental strength that doesn’t allow you to succumb to this “panic.” This mental strength comes from extensive driving experience in the types of terrains you’ll en-counter, a thorough knowledge and apprecia-tion of your driving ability and the capabilities of your car, and the presence of mind to be able to deal with the worst eventualities alone without becoming a quivering wreck.

What you should consider before going solo for the first on a long-haul trip is to go and practice in less remote and more benign areas. Even areas that you have frequently driven in as a member of a group become very different when you’re alone and, for example, there’s no one to help pull you off a crest when you’re stuck. Your whole approach to risk taking becomes very different indeed; more cautious, more inclined to take the less technically demanding line. First get used to that feeling of being alone in areas with which you are familiar and areas from where you can reasonably walk out to the nearest road or large track if you become irretrievably stuck or broken-down. Once you’ve had plenty of prac-tice doing that, then the mental pressure of going alone in areas where you’ve never been will be lessened.

The time of year is also a key factor in your planning. You should stick to the cooler times of the year. There are regular and tragic tales of intentional or reckless soloists who have gone into the dunes in the summer and have died. Give yourself the best possible chance of making it out by avoiding the lunacy of remote, solo dune trips in the summer.

Recovery equipmentThere is a glut of equipment on the market that we can justify to ourselves that we “must” carry when off-roading. The only things I would advocate (as additions to the “normal” levels of equipment that we carry) when doing any solo, long-haul off-road trip in dunes,

Recovered with ground anchor

Can you do this on your own

Solo off-road driving


63OUTDOORUAE

gravel plains, beaches and wadis, is that you should carry a self-recovery device and winch. The best self-recovery device is the US made Pull-Pal®. Of all the other known ones on the market, this is the only one that works well in soft, dry sand. It can be used in sand, gravel, mud and dirt; those terrains in which you are most likely to get stuck. It allows you to pull yourself out of the worst of bogging-ins.

These two items are expensive but they are worth the cost when they are your only solution to becoming un-stuck. If you can’t stretch to a vehicle fitted winch, there are a couple of alternatives. A hand winch (Tirfor) or a Hi-Lift jack can be used as a hand winch but the physical effort required when using a hand winch can not be overstated. But, if it’s all you have, then there’s no alternative. Except for when a winch is the only solution, there are other types of equipment that can be used in many self-recovery situations, such as waffle boards, sand shoes and Maxtrax®, and I would advocate carrying a selection of these as well.

Vehicle knowledge and equipmentIf you have to send your car to the garage to have it serviced then it is likely you do not have sufficient technical knowledge and ability to fix it should it break down in the ulu. You must know your car’s foibles, what are the common faults and equipment that fail and which could leave you stranded. You must, therefore, carry the necessary spares to re-place them. This may be a particular electrical relay, or a v-belt pulley, or an electrical sensor. You must be able to work out the cause of a breakdown and have the technical knowledge as well as the spare parts and/or technical ability to be able to replace or repair it. You need practical experience of repairing a car in the wilds and have sufficient mechanical nous to be able to think your way round a seem-ingly intractable problem and come up with a solution that will get you moving again, even if it’s only to the nearest road.

Modern cars comprise a maze of electrical complexity which, to the layman, present a daunting prospect if you have an electrical problem. I would suggest that solo off-roaders carry an electrical diagnostic device that can tell you where the problem lies. This will help you work out a solution and, it is hoped, you’ll be carrying a spare and have the knowledge to replace it or even circumvent it. It is also ad-visable to carry the phone number of a friendly vehicle technician or knowledgeable friend who you could call and discuss the problem and possible solutions with.

Worst case scenariosShould you breakdown and can’t repair your car, or you damage it beyond repair, or are irretrievably stuck and are consequently stranded, you are going to be faced with some stark choices. Communications and navigation devices are going to be extremely important in this situation. In addition to your mobile phone you should carry a satellite phone and know the emergency number for the country in which you’re in. You should also be able to call the person with whom you’ve left your itinerary and who you have forewarned that you may call if it all goes belly-up.

An alternative to a satellite phone is to carry a personal locator beacon (PLB). PLBs are more usually found amongst the personal survival equipment of pilots and mariners. However they are more frequently being used by people on land. If you chose to buy a PLB you should ensure that it is a 406MHz transmitter and that it has an inbuilt GPS. Each PLB has a unique identifier code, which can be registered with an official government rescue agency and allows them to identify the holder/user. To register your PLB you may wish to call the UAE SAR organisation (800 UAESAR) and they will log you and your PLB’s details. The UAE has a receiving station for PLB transmis-sions and an established search and rescue service.

When activated by the user, the PLB will transmit a distress signal with the personal identifier code and the GPS location, which will be picked up by the local user terminal. In effect, the PLB will alert the search and rescue services and be able to tell them exactly where you are located and who you are (if registered). If you do have a PLB you should know that they are not to be used lightly. They should only be used in life threatening situations where your only possible means of survival is to be rescued by government funded rescue agencies. If you can dial 999, it is suggested that you do not use your PLB.

A GPS (I would advocate two, both loaded with the same data) is essential because you must be able to report your location to the emergency services or a rescuing friend. In addition to GPS/s you should carry a magnetic compass and mapping of the area you’re driving in. Good quality land mapping is frustratingly difficult to procure in this region. However, aeronautical charts can be bought freely and are available down to scales of 1:250,000. They are sufficiently detailed to show most of the larger land features including roads, tracks, dune, sabkhah, mountains, water features and habitation. They can be used

successfully in the more remote parts of this region. In addition, particularly for the UAE, 1:120,000 satellite photography mapping is available for off-road use. They do not show the detailed land features that would be the norm for a “government quality” map of that scale, but they can be used very effectively for navigation.

You should also consider carrying a 3L hydration pack, such as a CamelBak®, and at least a 20L rucksack so that if you reckon you can comfortably walk out to the nearest road or habitation, you’ll be able to carry sufficient food and water to last the distance. This is a calculated risk and should not be guesswork. You must know where you are and where you intend to go. If you have planned your route well, you will have this knowledge immedi-ately to hand but, if you have communica-tions and have spoken with the emergency services, it very likely that they will tell you to stay with the vehicle and await rescue. To this end, you should carry several days of food and water.

The final thing to consider is medical emer-gencies. Medical self-aid is not something that you see being offered by the normal providers of first aid courses; it’s little bit more esoteric. In the absence of that type of training being available, attendance on a routine first aid course would be of some benefit. There are a number of self-help medical books around which would be useful to take along with you. Knowing how to self-treat the usual off-road associated injuries and having the appropri-ate equipment in your first aid kit is key. Such things as heat burns, electrical burns, dislo-cated joints, broken and sprained limbs, cuts, grazes and reptile and insect bites. Also, you must know how to recognise the symptoms of heat illnesses in yourself and you should also know the correct treatment for heat illnesses and what the preventative measures are. Heat illnesses occur in several ways, such as heat exhaustion, heat stroke as well as sunburn. All are caused by too much exposure to the sun, a lack of water and too little bodily salt.

End pieceSolo, long-haul off-road trips are hugely enjoyable and provide you with invaluable experience and knowledge about yourself and what you can cope with. They are very de-velopmental, even character building, but be under no allusion as to the amount of prepara-tion required to ensure success and also to ensure that you are not left stranded, without food and water in the heart of some remote expanse of desert and incommunicado.

Solo at Shweib Solo with winch deployed


64 OUTDOORUAE

“My friends are in the desert, they need help to get out; I can’t go back in as I have no fuel.”

“No, no, desert dangerous, don’t go desert.”

“But my three habibi, inside desert now.”The drover, an older Bedouin farmer must

have been convinced he had met the mad woman of Liwa, clearly hadn’t understood the problem and replied, “Desert danger-ous, Khalas,” and drove off.

Thankfully, the next vehicle to stop was a young local man who spoke excellent Eng-lish and was able to drive her to the nearest gas station. In the meantime, her friends were able to drive off the desert under their own steam, but it would have been useful to have an off-road specific phrasebook to hand! (You can read full details of an eventful trip on The Desert Diva’s blog – Epic Liwa: Blood, Sweat and Tears)

We are lucky in the UAE that in most towns and cities, almost everyone can speak English. However, once you venture off the beaten track to areas such as the west of Liwa, this is not always the case and most phrasebooks don’t cover many of the topics vital for adventurers. We hope you’ll never need these, but just in case, here are some phrases which you may find useful:

So you think you can get by without knowing any Arabic?Words By: Marina Bruce

As Karen stood by the side of the road she gave a huge sigh of relief when a locally owned pickup stopped to offer assis-tance.

TIPS & TRICKS

English

Pronunciation

Arabic

Arabic greeting(God be with you)

As-salam alykum

عليكـــــم الســــالم

Response to greeting (and god be with you)

Wa alykumu-salam

الســــالم عليكـــــم و

Excuse me Min fadlik فضــــــلك من

Can you help me please Hal bi-imkaanik an tusaa'idani? تســــــاعدني؟ أن بإمكانـــــك ھل

This is an emergency Haathihy haalat tawaare' طوارئ حالــة ھذه

We have no water Laisa ladaina maa' ـــــدينا ليــــس ماء أي ل

Can you call the police/ambulance

Hal bi-imkaanik al etisaal bil shorta/ isaaf?

اإلتصـــــال بإمكانـــــك ھلـــعاف؟/بالشـــــرطة اإلس

Where is the nearest... Aina aqrab... ــرب أيــن ...أق

Police station Markaz shorta مركز شرطة

Hospital Mustashfa مستشــــــــفى

Garage Karage كراج

Petrol Station Mahattat Petrol ـــــترول محطة ب

Road Tareeq

طــريق

How far? Kam yab'od min hona? كم ـــــد ھنا؟ من يبع

Can I use your mobile phone

Hal bi-imkaani isti'mal haatifak?

ــــك؟ إســــتعمال بإمكـــــاني ھل ھاتف

My friend is sick

Sadeeqi mareed.

ــريض صـــــديقي م

My friend is injured

Sadeeqi musaab.

صاب صـــــديقي م

My friends are stuck in the desert

Asdiqaa'i 'aaliqoon fil sahraa'

ـــــدقائي ـــي عـــالقون أص الصـــحراء ف

My car /bike is broken

Sayyarati/darrajati mu'attalah.

ــــــيارتي ـــتي/س ــة دراج معطل

We have a car/quad/bike missing

Ihdaa sayyaraatinaa/darrajaatina mafqoodah.

ـــــــياراتنا إحدى ــــا/س ــــودة دراجاتن مفق

Have you seen another car/bike recently

Hal ra'ayta sayyara/darraja okhra mu'akharran?

ــت ھل مؤخراً أخرى دراجة/ســــيارة رأي

Our vehicle is stuck

Sayyaratuna la tataharrak. ـــــــيارتنا ال س ـــــرك تتح

My battery is flat – do you have jump leads

Battariyyati faarigha, hal ladaika aslaak shahn?

ــــديك ھل ،فارغــة بطـــــــاريتي أســالك ل الشـــحن؟

Have you got a compressor Hal ladaika daaghit? ــــديك ھل ضــاغط؟ ل

We need extra gas

Nahnu bi-haajatin lil mazeedi min al waqood.

ـــــد بحاجــة نحــن الوقـــود من للمزي

We need a tow out

Nahnu bi-haajatin lil sahb. للســـــحب بحاجــة نحــن

Yes

Naam نعـــم

No

Laa ال

right

Yameen ــــن يمي

left

Yasaar يســــار

straight

Ilall amaam ــى األمام ال

This direction

Fee hathal ittijaah ـــي اإلتجــــاه ھذا ف

Thank you

Shukran شكراً

OutdoorUAE is not taking any liability for the translation.

Outd

oo

rUA

E is no

t taking any liab

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Words By: Trace Rogers

So, you’ve decided that this is going to be the triathlon sea-son that you shine. To achieve this, you have hired a triathlon coach. Sorted? Not quite.

A few months ago, I attended a running course in South Africa. Zola Budd Pieterse was a guest speaker. Amongst many pearls of wis-dom, she shared this bit of advice: “Your coach is only as good as the feedback you give them. Share as much information as possible with them.” I had to hold myself back from not get-ting up and giving a full-on whoop whoop to accompany my applause. Why was this is such a big deal to me? The reason being, so many people employ coaches and do not share very critical information with them. This opens up a Pandora’s box of disadvantages for the athlete and very often is a direct threat to the goals they are set on. If a change of any sort is going to affect your training (and therefore ultimately your performance), you need to share it with your coach. Here are a few examples of this:

1. Changes in your race goals. One scenario is you have been training for a while now. It’s all going better than you would have imagined so

Making the most of your relationship with your coachyou have decided to upgrade your goals from a PB in an Olympic distance to taking on your first 70.3 distance in the same period. Your coach needs to be aware of this to ensure that you have enough time to prepare and enough time to progress the workload.

2. Changes in your life outside triathlon (yes, there is another life out there). You may have just changed jobs, become a new parent, met a new partner or moved homes. All of these (and so many more scenarios) could very pos-sibly affect how much time you can dedicate to training. Your coach needs to know so that they can ensure that you are getting the most effective training plan possible. This may mean cutting down or modifying training sessions. It is always important that you and your coach figure out what would be the best option for you.

3. Motivational challenges. Lately, you just don’t feel motivated to do that solitary 90-min-ute run on the treadmill. You are finding excuses or deliberately sabotaging your training sched-ule by giving priority to other things. Speak to your coach. Perhaps a change in goals or a different approach to your training is required.

4. Fatigue. You are ticking all the boxes on your training plan but you are not feeling or seeing any improvements in your performance and you constantly feel heavy and tired. This is a red flag. Discuss this with your coach im-

mediately. It could mean that your training load at this time is just too much. As a coach, I was mortified to learn through a previous client’s blog after his key race of the season (and not di-rectly through him!) that in a lead up to his Iron-man, he had not been able to tick all the train-ing sessions on his programme as he was just too tired. He felt that he would have raced better had he had more recovery time! Had I known this, I would have changed his plan im-mediately to allow for exactly this. To this day, I still view this as a defeat for both of us.

5. You have developed an injury. This is another really big red flag. Although your coach is not qualified to diagnose and make recommendations for healing, it is important that you speak to your coach about this. Injuries could be due to: taking on too much too soon, incorrect technique, insufficient recovery, etc. You would then be expected to get the injury seen to by a professional. Any advice regard-ing rehabilitation and cause of injury should be shared with your coach so that training plans can be adjusted accordingly. In the case of the injury being due to poor technique, (once you have been given the all clear from your health professional) it would be advisable to book a one-to-one technique session with your coach.

In conclusion, good coaches spend a lot of time preparing training sessions in a way that they believe to be in their clients’ best interests. This is all based on trusting that the information given is sufficient in order to do so. Are you making the most out of this relationship? If not, speak to your coach.

TIPS & TRICKS


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PARTNER s t r e t c h e s

This month we look at part-ner work to open the hips and strengthen the body. These are great for building trust and, as always, having a lot of fun while toning the body. Please use a third person as a spotter when doing this partner work to ensure you are working safely.

TIPS & TRICKS

TractionThe base lies on the floor and the flyer picks up their ankles, bending their own knees to protect back. Place your elbows on your thighs and gently lean away from your partner with your full body weight to lengthen their low back. Only hold for a couple of seconds then lean forward again. Repeat as often as feel good.

Front plankConnect hands with your partner. The base (partner on the floor) places their feet on the flyer’s (person in the air) hip bones. The base bends their arms and knees gently and then lifts them directly up to the sky. There is one straight line from the base’s shoulders to the flyers and from the base’s hips to the flyer’s. Flyers look up.

Front plank hip openerFlyer stays straight and strong. The base bends the knees and elbows as deeply as he can and then straighten them. Repeat a few times to build strength and flexibility simultaneously.

ThroneThe flyer stands at the base’s shoulders, facing away from the base. The base holds the flyer’s ankles and bends the knees in very deep and places the feet on the back of the flyer’s thighs. The flyer sits down onto base’s feet as the base presses his legs up and back and straightens his arms. It is very important to have a third person standing behind the flyer here in case they fall backwards.

Throne hip openerThe flyer stays straight and strong and the base bends the knees and elbows simultane-ously as deep as possible. With the weight of another person on you this is great way to really work your flexibility. And getting back up is going to require a lot of strength.

Table top on table topThe flyer places hands on the base’s ankles and vice versa. The base extends one arm to straight as the flyer bends that knee in towards their chest. Then do the same on the other side until there is one straight line from the flyer’s hips to the base’s knees and vice versa.

Table top skiingIf you are feeling very strong and adventur-ous, both flyer and base extend opposite arm and leg away from the body, moving slowly. Then repeat on the other side.


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The Walk JBR, +97144243191, www.leisuremarine-me.comOcean Active, Dubai, Garden Centre, +971502898713, www.oceanactive.com OperatorsAl Boom Diving, Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort, Fujairah, +97143422993Absolute Adventure, Dubai, +97143459900, www.adventure.aeAl Hamra Marina and Yacht Club, Al Hamra, Ras Al Khaimah, +97172434540, www.alhamramarina.comAl Mahara Dive Center, Downtown Abu Dhabi, +971501118125, www.divemahara.comAl Shaheen Adventure, Abu Dhabi, +97126429995, www.alshaheenme.comAl Wasl Charter & Fishing (Al Wasl Passenger Yachts and Boats Rental LLC),Airport Road, Al Owais Building, Dubai, +97142394761, www.cruiseindubai.comArabian Divers and Sportfishing Charters, Al Bateen Marina Resort, +971506146931, www.fishabudhabi.comArabia Outdoors, Dubai, +971559556209, www.arabiaoutdoors.comBarracuda Diving Centre, Fujairah International Marine Club, +9719222558Belevari Marine, Abu Dhabi,+97126594144Captain Tony’s, Yas Marina, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, +97126507175, www.captaintonys.ae Fun Beach Water Sports, Dubai, +97153244550, www.funbeachsports.com Happy Days Sea Cruising LLC, Dubai, +971558961276, +971503960202, www.happydaysdubai.comHiltonia Beach Club, Hilton Abu Dhabi Hotel, Abu Dhabi, +97126811900Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort, Dibba Road, Fujairah, +97192449000, www.lemeridien-alaqah.com Nautica 1992, Dubai, +971504262415, www.nautica1992.aeNoukhada Adventure Company, Villa 332/7, Al Meena Street, Abu Dhabi, +97126503600, www.noukhada.aeOcean Active, Dubai, Garden Centre, +971502898713, www.oceanactive.com Sheesa Beach, Dibba, Musandam, +971503336046, www.sheesabeach.comSummertime Marine Sports, Dubai, +97142573084, www.summertimemarine.comSoolyman Sports Fishing, Dubai, Umm Suqeim, +971508866227, www.soolymansportsfishing.comXclusive Yachts, Dubai, Dubai Marina, +97144327233, www.xclusiveyachts.comClubsAbu Dhabi Camping, Fishing & Kayaking Club, [email protected] Surfski & Kayak Club, Kitesurfers’ Beach, Umm Suqeim 1, Dubai,

+971554986280, www.dskc.hu

General Sports Equipment Distributors800 Sport, Al Quoz, Dubai+971 4 346 7751www.800sport.ae Adventure HQ, Dubai Times Square Center, Sheikh Zayed Rd, Toll free: 800-ADVENTURE, www.adventurehq.aeAl Yousuf Motors, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, +97143390621, www.aym.ae/yamaha Flip Flop Arabia, [email protected], www.flipfloparabia.comGlobal Climbing Trading LLC,Dubai Investment Park 1, Dubai+97148829361, www.globalclimbing.comGoal Zero, +971509128353, www.goalzero.aeJack Wolfskin Mirdif City Centre Dubai, +97142840228; Al Wahda Mall Abu Dhabi+97144437802Ocean Sports FZE, +971559352735, www.kitesurfsup.comSakeen General Trading, +97147094224, www.sakeen.aeSport in Life Distribution, Nad Al Hammar Rd., Ras Al Khor, Dubai, UAE, +97142896001, +97142896002, [email protected], www.sportinlife.aeTresspass, The Dubai Mall 2nd floor above ice rink, +971 4 339 8801

Horse RidingEquipmentAl Asifa Horse Equestrian & Requisites Trading, Al Khawaneej 1, Dubai, +971554733110, www.asifa.ae Black Horse LLC, Abu Dhabi, +97126422237, www.blackhorseuae.comBonjour Equestrian Supplies, Nad Al Hammar Rd., Ras Al Kho, Dubai, UAE, +97142896001, +97142896002, [email protected], www.bonjourequestrian.com Cavalos Equine Care and Supplies,16th Street, Al Khalidiyah, Abu Dhabi, +9172 2222433, www.cavalosuae.comEmirta Horse Requirement Centre, Sheik Zayed Rd, Dubai, +9714 3437475, www.emirtahorse.comHorse & Carriage Equestrian Equipment LLC, Dubai, +97142895069,www.horseandcarriageuae.comMirzan Equestrian Equipment, Dubai, +971 4 4472808, www.metdubaihorse.com Equestrian Clubs/CentresAbu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Al Mushrif, Abu Dhabi, +97124455500, www.adec-web.comAl Ahli Riding School, Al Amman Street, Dubai-Sharjah Rd., +97142988408, www.alahliclub.infoAl Forsan International Sports Resort, Abu Dhabi, +97125568555, www.alforsan.comAl Jiyad Stables, Behind Dubai International Endurance City, Dubai, +971505995866, [email protected], www.aljiyad.comAl Sahra Desert Resort Equestrian Centre, Dubai, +97144274055, [email protected] Dubai Polo Academy, Dubai, +971508879847, www.dubaipoloacademy.comDubai Polo & Equestrian Club, Dubai, Arabian Ranches, +97143618111, www.poloclubdubai.comDesert Equestrian Club, Mirdif, Dubai, +971503099770, +971501978888Desert Palm Riding School, Near Al Awir Road (going to Hatta-Oman), Dubai,+97143238010, www.desertpalm.peraquum.comEmirates Equestrian Centre, Dubai, +971505587656, www.emiratesequestriancentre.comGhantoot Polo & Racing Club, Exit 399, Abu Dhabi/ Dubai Highway, Abu Dhabi, +97125629050, www.grpc.aeGolden Stables Equestrian Club, Al Khawaneej, Dubai, (Nouri) +971555528182,www.goldenstables.aeHoofbeatZ, located just inside the Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club, Dubai,+971501810401, www.hoofbeatz.comMushrif Equestrian and Polo Club, Mushrif

Park, Al Khawaneej Road, Dubai,+97142571256, www.mushrifec.comQudraland Community, [email protected], www.qudraland.comRahal Ranch, Al Wathba Racing Area, Abu Dhabi, +971566127914, www.rahalranch.comRiding for the Disabled, Dubai, [email protected], www.rdad.ae,Sharjah Equestrian & Racing Club, Sharjah, Al Dhaid Road, +97165311188, www.serc.aeRacecoursesAbu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Al Mushrif, Abu Dhabi, +97124455500, www.adec-web.comGhantoot Racing & Polo Club, Exit 399, Abu Dhabi/ Dubai Highway, Abu Dhabi, +97125629050, www.grpc.ae Jebel Ali Racecourse, off the main Abu Dhabi - Dubai Highway (Sheikh Zayed road) beside the Emirates Golf Club, Dubai, +97143474914Meydan Grandstand and Racecourse, Al Meydan Road, Nad Al Sheba, Dubai, +97143270000, www.meydan.aeSharjah Racecourse, Al Dhaid Road, Sharjah, +97165311155, www.serc.aeEquine Hospitals/ClinicsDubai Equine Hospital, behind World Trade Center, Zabeel 2, Dubai, +97143178888, www.dubaiequine.aeGulf Vetcare, Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi, +971508617590, www.gulfvetcare.comSharjah Equine Hospital, Bridge no. 6, Al Dhaid Road, next to Sharjah Equestrian & Racing Center, Sharjah, +97165311881, www.seh.aeCentral Veterinary Research Laboratory, next to Dubai Equestrian Hospital, Zabeel 2, Dubai, +97143375165, www.cvrl.ae

Jet SkiDealersAl Masaood Marine, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, +97143468000, www.masaoodmarine.comJapan Marine General Trading, Al Garhoud Road, Liberty Building, Dubai, +97155 9299111, +97142828255, [email protected], www.japanmarine.coLiberty Kawasaki, Dubai, Interchange 4,Sheikh Zayed Road, +97143419341,www.libertykawasaki.comAl Yousuf Motors, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Rd, +97143390621, www.aym.ae/yamahaRentalsFun Beach Water Sports, Dubai, +971 5 3244 550, www.funbeachsports.comThe Cove Rotana Resort, Ras Al Khaimah, +9717206000, www.rotana.comXventures, Dubai, +971555404500, www.x-ventures.ae

Motocross & ATV’sDealersAl Badayer Rental (Rental), Dubai-Hatta Road, +971507842020,www.albadayerrental.comAl Shaali Moto, Ras Al Khor, +97143200009, [email protected]. www.alshaalimoto.comAl Yousuf Motors, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Rd, +97143390621, www.aym.ae/yamahaKTM, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, exit 42, +9714323151, www.ktm.comGolden Desert Motorcycles Rental (Rental), Dubai-Hatta

Road, Dubai, +971551532550, www.goldendesert-dubai.comPolaris UAE (atv’s), Ras Al Khor, Nad al Hamar Road, Al Ghandi Complex, Dubai, +97142896100, M4, Sector 13, 10th Street, Mussafah Industrial, Abu Dhabi, +97125555144, www.polarisuae.comLiberty Kawasaki, Dubai, Interchange 4, Sheikh Zayed Road, 04-3419341,www.libertykawasaki.comSandstorm Motorcycles (Rental), Al Quoz, Dubai, +97143470270,www.sandstorm-motorcycles.comSebsports, Al Quoz Industrial Area 1Dubai, +97143393399, www.sebsports.comWild X Adventure Shop, Dubai, +97148321050, www. wildx.aeEquipmentDesert Road Tourism, Al Khor Plaza – 503, Dubai, +97142959429, www.arabiantours.com 2XWheeler, Motorcity Dubai, +97144548388, www.2xwheeler.comSandstorm Motorcycles (Rental), Al Quoz, Dubai, +97143470270, www.sandstorm-motorcycles.comSebsports, Dubai, Al Quoz Industrial Area 3, +97143393399, www.sebsports.comWild X, Dubai, Um Al Ramoul Industrial Area, +97142852200, www. wildx.ae

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MotorcyclingDistributors and DealersAl Yousuf Motors, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Rd, www.aym.ae/yamahaDucati, Mussafah 4, Street 10, Abu Dhabi, +97125535771, [email protected], www.ducati.aeDuseja Motorcycles, Dubai, Al Quoz, +97143476712, www.dusejamoto.comHarley-Davidson, Mussafah 4, Street 10, Abu Dhabi, +97125540667, [email protected], www.harley-davidson-abu-dhabi.comLiberty Kawasaki, Dubai, Interchange4, Sheikh Zayed Road, +97142822144, www.libertykawasaki.comPolaris UAE, Al Ghandi Complex, Nad al Hamar Road, Ras Al Khor,+97142896100, www.polarisuae.comTristar Motorcycles, +97143330659, www.tristaruae.comWorkshops and Services2xWheeler Adventures, Dubai, +97144548388, www.alainraceway.comAl Forsan International Sports Resort, Abu Dhabi, +97125568555, www.alforsan.comDubai Autodrome, Dubai, +97143678700www.dubaiautodrome.comEmirates Motorplex, Umm Al Quwain,+97167681717 Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, www.yasmarinacircuit.com

Off-Road Dealers4x4 Motors LLC, Shk. Zayed Rd, Dubai,

+97143384866, www.4x4motors.comBling My Truck, +971503634839/+971505548255, [email protected], www.blingmytruck.comLiberty Automobiles, Dubai, 8005423789,www.libertyautos.comRepairs and ServicesOff Road Zone, Dubai, Al Quoz, +97143392449, www.offroad-zone.comIcon Auto Garage, Dubai, +97143382744, www.icon-auto.comSaluki Motorsport, Dubai, +97143476939www.salukimotorsport.comEquipmentAdvanced Expedition Vehicles, Dubai & Abu Dhabi, +97143307152, www.aev.aeAl Yousuf Motors, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, +97143390621, www.aym.ae/yamahaBling My Truck, +971503634839/+971505548255, [email protected], www.blingmytruck.comIcon Auto Garage, Dubai, +97143382744, www.icon-auto.comWild X Adventure Shop, Dubai-Hatta Road, Dubai, +97148321050, www.wildx.ae Yellow Hat, Nad Al Hamar, and Times Square Center, Dubai, +97142898060, www.yellowhat.aeTour OperatorsDesert Road Tourism, Al Khor Plaza – 503, Dubai, +97142959429, www.arabiantours.com Arabian Adventures, Dubai & Abu Dhabi, +97143034888, www.arabian-adventures.comOasis Palm Dubai, Dubai, +97142628889, www.opdubai.comClubs Abu Dhabi Off- Road Club, www.ad4x4.com ALMOST 4x4 Off-Road Club, +971507665522, www.almost4x4.comME 4X4, www.me4x4.comJEEP Wrangler JK Fun Club, [email protected], www.jk-funclub.comDubai Offroaders, www.dubaioffroaders.com

RunningClubs ABRasAC, Dubai, www.abrasac.orgAbu Dhabi Tri Club, Abu Dhabi, www.abudhabitriclub.orgAl Ain Road Runners, Abu Dhabi, +971504188978, [email protected] Milers, Dubai, www.mirdifmilers.info Abu Dhabi Striders, [email protected], www.abudhabistriders.comDubai Creek Striders www.dubaicreekstriders.org

Stand up Paddling, Kite & Surfing, WakeboardingEquipmentAl Boom Marine, Abu Dhabi & Dubai, +97142894858, www.alboommarine.comAl Masaood Marine, Dubai, Sheikh

Zayed Road, +97143468000,www.masaoodmarine.comPicnico04 3941653Jumeirah Beach RoadOpposite Sunset Mall, DubaiPearl Water Crafts, Dubai Marina Yacht Club, +971553749398, www.pearl-watercrafts.comSurf Dubai, Dubai, Umm Suqeim, +971505043020, www.surfingdubai.comSurf Shop Arabia, Building 1, Al Manara Road (East), Interchange 3, Dubai, +97143791998,www.surfshoparabia.com UAE Kite Surfing, +971505626383, www.ad-kitesurfing.netDistributorsOcean Sports FZE, +971559352735,www.kitesurfsup.comKitepeople Kite & Surf Store, International City, Dubai,+971504559098, www.kitepeople.aeOperatorsAl Forsan International Sports Resort, Abu Dhabi, +97125568555, www.alforsan.comDubai Kite Surf School, Dubai, Umm Suqeim Beach, +971 504965107, www.dubaikitesurfschool.comDuco Maritime, Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah and Abu Dhabi, +971508703427, www.ducomaritime.comDukite, Kitesurf Beach, Umm Suqeim, Dubai,+971507586992, www.dukite.comKite Fly, Dubai, +971502547440, www.kitesurf.aeKitepro Abu Dhabi, Yas Island and Al Dabbayyah, Abu Dhabi, +971505441494, wwww.kitepro.aeKite4fun.net, Abu Dhabi, +971508133134, www.kite4fun.netNautica1992, Dubai, +971504262415,www.nautica1992.aeShamal Kite Surfing, Umm Suqueim Dubai, +971507689226, [email protected], www.shmalkitesurfing.comSky & Sea Adventures, Dubai, Hilton, Jumeirah Beach Road, +97143999005, www.watersportsdubai.comSurf School UAE, Umm Suqeim Beach and Building 1, Al Manara Road (East), Interchange 3, Dubai,+971556010997, www.surfschooluae.comWatercooled, Jebel Ali Golf Resort and Spa, Dubai, +97148876771,www.watercooleddubai.comClubsAbu Dhabi Stand Up Paddle, www.abudhabisup.com, [email protected] SUP www.uaesup.com

Water ParksAquaventure Atlantis, Dubai, Palm Jumeirah, +97144260000, www.atlantisthepalm.ae Dreamland Aqua Park, Umm Al Quwain, Emirates Road, +97167681888, www.dreamlanduae.comWadi Adventure, Jebel Hafeet, Al Ain, +97137818422, www.wadiadventure.aeWild Wadi Water Park, Dubai, +97143484444, www.wildwadi.com

Other leisure activitiesAbu Dhabi Golf Club, Abu Dhabi, + 97125588990, www.adgolfclub.comAl Tamimi Stables, Sharjah, +9716743 1122, +97144370505, www.tamimistables.comBlokart Sailing, Nad Al Sheba, Dubai, +971556101841, www.blokartme.comChildren’s City, Creek Park Gate No.1, Dubai, +97143340808, www.childrencity.aeDolphin Bay AtlantisDubai, +97144260000, www.atlantisthepalm.aeDubai Dolphinarium Dubai, Creek Park Gate No. 1, +97143369773, www.dubaidolphinarium.aeiFly Dubai, Dubai, Mirdif City Centre, +97142316292, www.iflyme.comSadiyaat Beach Club, Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Island, +97125578000, www.sbgolfclub.aeSharjah Golf and Shooting Club, Sharjah, +97143999005, www.golfandshootingshj.comSkiDubai, Dubai, Mall of The Emirates, +97144094000, www.skidxb.comSpacewalk Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, +97124463653, www.spacewalk.ae

Health, Safety & TrainingSafety LessonsMarine Concept Yacht Charter & Sea School, Rania Business Centre, Dubai, +971559603030, www.marine-charter-concept.comSafety & Leisure Training Middle East, Dusseldorf Business Point, Al Barsha 1, Dubai, +97144502418, www.sltme.com Sport and Health CentresBespoke Wellness, Dubai, +971553724670, [email protected], www.bespoke-wellness.comThe Physio Center, Suite 405, Building 49, Dubai Healthcare City, Dubai, +97144370570, www.physiocentre.aeOriginal Fitness Co., C6 Tower Al Bateen Bainunah St, Abu Dhabi, +9712406 9404, [email protected], www.originalfitnessco.com Orthosports, 5B Street, Jumeira Beach road, Dubai, +971 4 355060, www.orthosp.com

Do you have a business related to outdoor activities, sports, lifestyle or travel? Or are you an active club or social group who is looking for new members? Then list your businesses, clubs or groups with us.

The listing should give all people interested with the outdoors a good overview of what is offered in the UAE, easy access to contact details and a reliable location map.

To ensure that all entries are genuine and complete, we review any listing before it will be posted online. We also review all entries on a quarterly basis, to keep the directory up to date.

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