issue 16

The 4x4 and Camping Issue Complimentary Copy

Discover more and visit us online: www.outdooruae.com Issue 16, April 2012

THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EASTTHE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST

MediterraneanAntonio takes us near Italy for some epic fishing

Sardinia: The pearl of the

‘like’ us on Facebook!

MTBHot CogWe head to Shawka for some hardcore mountain biking

An introduction to an inspirational pair

NEVER++ too old...

++

Adventure chickTori gives us some Yoga tips

DOES THE DOWNWARD DOG

A sneak preview of our latest off-road guide book

AND CAMPOUTME4x4 newbie driveA fun and educational off-road experience

FREE

2Mirdif City Centre | The Dubai Mall | Also available at select Sun and Sand Sports stores across the GCC.

TNF SP12 Ad_Outdoor UAE FP.indd 1 3/27/2012 1:15:13 PM

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In Print:Managing EditorDaniel Birkhofer

EditorsKim PerksMarilena Cilta Angelo Cabrera

Graphics & DesignJames Russell Administration Jane Mesina

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

Published by:Outdoor UAE FZEP.O. Box 215062Dubai, U.A.E.Tel. 04-447 [email protected]

Distributor:Tawzea, Abu Dhabi Media CompanyP.O. Box 40401, Abu Dhabi, U.A.E.

Printed at:Galadari Printing & Publishing LLCP.O. Box 11243Dubai, U.A.E.

© 2012 Outdoor UAE FZEIssue 16, April 2012

The information contained is for gen-eral use only. While we have made every attempt to ensure that the information contained in this maga-zine has been obtained from reliable sources, however the publisher is not responsible for any errors. All informa-tion in this magazine is provided “as is”, with no guarantee of complete-ness, accuracy, timeliness or of the results obtained from the use of this information. In no event will the pub-lisher, 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.

© 2012 Outdoor UAE FZEReg. at Creative City Fujairah

P.O. Box 4422, Fujairah, U.A.E.

Daniel Birkhofer Founder and Editor in [email protected]

Marilena Cilta Management Assistant [email protected]

James Russell Graphics and [email protected]

Kim Perks Copywriter and Editor

Tori Leckie Writer, runner, blogger, adventurer and adidas athlete

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

Tara Atkinson Sales and Marketing [email protected]

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

Toby Foord-Kelcey Climbing Expert

when you’re done reading, please recycle!

Patrice Wergifosse Traveller and adventurer

Angelo Cabrera Writer [email protected]

EDITORIAL++

Jane Mesina [email protected]

www.outdooruae.com

Get to us on Facebook!

BETWEEN THE LINES

EXPERTS + CONTRIBUTORS

Whoever read my article about the Wadi Nikhab hike will remember my experience of a normal hike which turned into a risky and life threatening situation. Fortunately for us, all went well and once again luck or any other higher force was on our side. Practicing outdoor activities always bears a risk of injury or even death. Some activities to an extent are more risky than others, but the risk always remains. These thrills and spills of adrenaline are one of the essential parts of each adventure small or big, but it’s not worth risking your life for, being a daredevil, or trying to prove something. It is much more the intense feeling of being alive and valuing every minute we are allowed to be here. For me personally, all experiences which have been life threatening haven’t been extreme adventures, in fact most of the times it has been very little things in normal situations; turning into a worse ones, but until now they’ve always had a happy ending.

I never met Dante (see page 52) but when our friend Leigh told me about him being an outdoor lover, and how he was taking on his favourite activity; kite surfing, from bottom of his heart and with full dedication until the very last minute of his life. I was deeply touched. We never know when our time will come and I think we should not be afraid of it no matter when it will be. We should live every day as if it is our last and enjoy every breath but with respect to other people and the environment. I’m sure Dante was one of these people, in which his passing makes it hard for his family and friends as everyone seemed to know him. Why – there will be never an answer. More important than “why” is to remember the person we lost and the things he loved. Keep them in your heart with a smile on their face; remember how they lived and not how they died.

Dante, I regret to never have met you.

My condolences to Dante’s family and friends, and to all outdoor lovers to be safe but never stop what you love doing!

Daniel.

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24 ME4X4 NEWBIE DRIVE

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CONTENTS

05 BEST SHOTS06 EVENTS CALENDAR32 PRODUCTS46 PEOPLE55 DIRECTORY

12 HOTCOG MTB14 GULF FOR GOOD17 MIDDLE EAST MOTOR TUNING

SHOW 201220 ME4X4 GPS CHALLENGE 201224 ME4X4 NEWBIE DRIVE30 THE BEACH FESTIVAL36 DUBAI INTERNATIONAL BOAT

SHOW 2012

08 NEVER TOO OLD22 SLOW LANE TO NOWHERE26 SARDINIA: THE PEARL OF THE

MEDITERRANEAN

34 ADVENTURE CHICK40 THE FISHING KIT42 GHALILAH MONSTERS

48 RECOVERY STRAPS WITH CRAIG 12 H

OTC

OG

MTB

26 SARDINIA

52 WE REMEMBER DANTE

44 EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW OF OUR NEW BOOK!

46 MEET JESSE AND NATHAN

++

EVERY ISSUE

EVENT REVIEWS

TRAVEL & ADVENTURE

OUR EXPERTS

TIPS & TRICKS

APRIL

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Shoaib Ahmed Jan

Colin Handy Green Machine

Nathan Root Shawka MTB

Each winning photographer will receive a free buff UAE headgear, and 5 free copies of the

magazine. Well done!

To see the rest of the fantastic entries simply visit www.outdooruae.com of find us on Facebook! (Outdoor UAE

publisher page)

BEST SHOTS++

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Red Bull X-Fighters FMX Tournament Round 1 April 13 - The Walk, Jumeirah Beach Residence, Dubai High-flying freestyle motocross action is set to electrify Dubai as daredevil dirt-bike riders shoot up and reach for the sky while performing the sickest, death-defying stunts ever imagined. The FMX tournament will be touring around six locations around the world, with Dubai being chosen to grace the opening of the adrenaline-packed specta-cle of twisted metal mayhem. Ticket prices range from 75 AED to 265 AED and can be bought at www.timeouttickets.com or www.tickets.virginmegastore.me.

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If you do decide to come down to any of the events listed below, look out for Out-doorUAE and you might be lucky enough to meet the team! If you would like your event listed here, get in touch with us at: [email protected]. Entries listed in green are media partnered events.

Al Gharbia Watersports Festival April 12 to 21 - Al Gharbia, Abu Dhabi The nation’s capital emirate will be bringing together sea kayakers, kite surfers and wake boarders worldwide to a ten-day event and show off some watersport action under the summer sun in the blue waters of the Arabian coast. www.algharbiafestivals.com/watersports/

Dubai Desert Road Run April 28 - The Sevens Stadium, Al Ain Road, Dubai The 10 km stretch of road at The Sevens Stadium will be readied for social and com-petitive runners alike. The run is a two-lap course that is aimed to draw the attention of spectators, and facilities will be made available on site including parking spaces, changing rooms, and most especially, food and beverage. Entry costs 70 AED per head, and individuals who are 15 years old and above can enter the event. Visit their website www.dubairunning.com for more details.

Zoggs Aquathlon Race 3 of 3 April 28 - Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai Runners and swimmers of all ages are invited to join in the third part of the biathlon event, and promises to bring a day of competitive fun under the summer sun. Those who would like to join can enter categories that start from the 200 m swim/2.5 km run to the intense 1600 m swim/10 km run or even the team relay. For registration and ticket price inquiries visit www.supersportsdubai.com.

April 13 - Jumeirah Emirates Tower – Office Tower, Sheikh Zayed Rd. Dubai Dash 265 meters up through 1,334 flights of stairs and challenge the pulling grip of gravity as you ascend towards the heavens in the Jumeirah Emirates Towers’ office building for a noble cause. The event is now running for its 10th year, and has raised over a million Dirhams that will be donated to humanitarian aid work done by Médecins Sans Frontières’ to more than 60 countries worldwide. For registration and the event details visit www.premieremarthons.com and www.dubaiverticalmarathon.org.

Dubai Vertical Marathon

EVENTS CALENDAR++

Stay up-to-date with the latest events

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Pro Bike Dubai Time Trial 21 and 42 km Series April 20 - Dubai International Academic City Take a sprint with your bike on the throughways of Dubai’s Academic City in the indi-vidual time trial cycling event and clock-in your best time performance on either the 21 km or the 42 km run. To register, visit www.premiermarathons.com and click on the Individual Time Trial 21 and 42 km.

If you have been regularly tuning to some of the FM stations lately, you would have probably heard that quirky radio commercial with shouting; a competition about a furniture sale. Candidly comic as it sounds, it got people mumbling and rushing to the Dubai Garden Center, to see what the store has to offer.

Prices of the garden furniture products were reduced to either 25 or 50 percent of their original price, a good deal indeed for bargain hunters of garden knick-knacks and handicrafts. Among the stuff you can choose from was a long, wooden dining table set priced at 5,824 AED that was previously going for 7,765 AED, a six-chaired dining set going for 3,750 AED from the original 7,500 AED, and a coffee table that was previously 1,595 AED then lowered to just 797 AED!

Their garden furniture sale will be running until April 20th, giving people plenty of time to get their list of garden things to buy. So far, according to the store’s operations manager Lito Dimaculangan, the turn-out of the promo was successful, as customers and the DGC patrons get to purchase their desired items and the store’s staff facing the need to re-stock their products on sale from time to time within the day as it is being sold after just a couple of hours on display!

There is the regular flea market happening every weekend, selling locally produced fruits and vegetables, along with a selection of other dandy handicraft products, and some patisseries and other foodstuff. Aside from that, the garden store

also has a mini bookstore that offers a selection good reads at a very good price and a section right beside it that has got several aquariums of ornamental fish, and even baby turtles!

With the summer season here, the garden store offers a variety of water-bedding plants that are suitable to grow in the coming months. Water fountains are also made aplenty at this time, too.

So then, if you happen to have a garden, need something to sit or eat on while enjoying the view of the lush plant life around, and you live somewhere around Dubai, pay a visit at the Dubai Garden Center situated along Sheikh Zayed Road and check out the fanciful items that are truly worth your while.

Just checking what’s in store at the

Words: Angelo Cabrera

DUBAI GARDEN CENTER

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NEVER TOO OLD The Barkers and competing in the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge

Cross-country mean machines are about to bring the thunder and intense off-road action to the dunes of the nation’s beloved capital as contenders rev up and roar the mighty engines of their battle-hardened vehicles in the 22nd Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge.

The six-day cross country race will be a tough plough through the sweltering heat of the desert sun as contestants from different categories will be traversing through the desolate desert lands of Abu Dhabi’s Western Al Gharbia Region with hopes to reach the finish line first among the multitude of contenders racing in the event.

Among a multitude of bold entrants in the desert driving showdown is an exceptional team that truly stands out of the competition: Newtrix Racing’s Ian and Sheila Barker, the only husband-and-wife senior tandem who will be competing in the 4WD category, and true blue veteran contenders of the grand event. And it is just not they are the only couple who will be making a dash for it in the competition –Ian is still going strong behind the wheel despite being 60, and his wife Sheila riding out with him at 52. Name: Ian BarkerAge: 60Nationality: BritishOccupation: Managing Director, Al Thika Packaging LLCName: Sheila Hutton-Barker Age: 52 Nationality: BritishOccupation: currently not working, previously an ELT teacher Hometown: Sunderland, UK

Emirate: living in Dubai since 1991 Vehicle of choice: Nissan Patrol LWB, 2008 model, modified with 6 litre V8 Corvette engine. This vehicle competes in T1, which is for modified/prototype cars, which means we are competing in the same class as the top professional drivers. How did you get yourself in with cross-country racing? And for how long have you been in to it? [Sheila] I have always been interested in off-roading and camping, having been involved in the Desert Challenge since 2001 as either a marshal, support crew for another local race team and in 2006/2007 as Sweep Team. We have been competing since 2008 when we raced in some local rallies and then in the Desert Challenge. We have also competed in Qatar, and my husband has competed in Saudi Arabia, but I am not able to take part there due to their ban on women in motor sport. What’s your preparation stratagem for the race? Conditions in the desert seems to be quite harsh most especially during April, how are you preparing for this? [Ian] The main preparation is centered on the vehicle. Personally I don’t have a particular fitness regime, but because of the heat we’ll be racing in next week we

are already working on our hydration levels. During the rally we will have 9 liters of drinking water in the cockpit, and we’ll probably finish that between us. We have a reserve of another 10 liters in the back.As far as race strategy is concerned, it’s all about avoiding time penalties. You obviously need to avoid getting off-track and missing waypoints and passage controls, all of which will cost you time penalties. But the main issue is to avoid getting stuck or having a mechanical problem, because if you finish outside the limit

time, it’s an immediate 2 hour penalty. So it’s a fine balance between maintaining enough speed to finish within the time limit, and being careful enough to avoid getting stuck. To give you an idea how tough this event is, last year 43 cars and trucks started, but only 20 finished. Of these, only 7 avoided getting penalties! We heard that your husband is also competing in the race; will you be riding in tandem? Tell us more about how it’s going to happen [Sheila] My husband, Ian Barker, is the driver. I am his co-driver - I’m the navigator. Is it true that you have been competing in the previous

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years? Tell us more about your experience on the ADDC challenge [Sheila] This will be the 5th time that we have taken part in the Desert Challenge. We managed 14th place in 2008, but in 2009 we blew the engine on day 3. In 2010 we finished 10th – although we were as high as 6th. Last year, we had some technical problems, but still managed to finish 18th. In November we competed in the Qatar Baja, and were very pleased to get 5th place there. Last month Ian took part in the Umm Al Quwain Solo Race, and won the 4x4 class – our first ever win!Based on your experience, what is the ‘real challenge’ of the ADDC?[Ian] The main challenge is the environment and its effect on vehicle reliability and crew performance. You’ve got the worst combination of factors – high ambient temperatures, problems caused by sand and dust, and problems caused by the terrain on the steering, suspension etc. As soon as you get into problems (like getting stuck) the crew will start to feel the effects of heat exhaustion and dehydration. So just keeping going is the key to success!An anecdote of your most memorable experience in your past entries in the ADDC[Ian] 2009 was our first DC in our current V8-engined Patrol. On day 3, the engine blew when we were at the extreme western edge of the rally route, as far from tarmac as possible. (We later found out that the oil pipework was too small to provide the required flow-rate.) The rescue helicopter brought us back to our crew on the Ghayathi Road, and then we had to recover our stranded race car. Rick Carless and I took my road car (another Patrol) back in along rally route, and hitched up the race car on a long tow-strap. Rick drove it (without power brakes or power steering), and I towed it 45km through the dunes and out to the road. It was a real struggle, we had to winch it up some of the slopes, and find detours to avoid the worst dunes, and I had to keep up as much speed as possible which made for some hairy moments! We finally got out of the desert just before dark. Rick tie-wrapped his phone camera to the roll cage, so we have a video of this adventure! Describe the entirety of the ADDC race[Ian] Every day, for five days, you do battle with the weather, the terrain and the rest of the competitors - then at night in the bivouac you make new friends, you beg, borrow and steal whatever you need, but everyone helps each other just to stay in the game.

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2012 Jeep® Wrangler:A New Heart, The Same Soul

Built on 70 years of legendary heritage, Jeep® is the authentic SUV with class-leading capability, craftsmanship and versatility. The 2012 Jeep® Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited - the most capable and recognised vehicles in the world - are now even more capable both on- and off-road, courtesy of Chrysler Group’s all-new 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 engine - winner of the prestigious Ward’s 10 Best Engines award.

More fuel efficient and powerful, and linked to a new five-speed automatic transmission, it delivers 285 horsepower (209 kW) and 260 lb.-ft. of torque (353 Nm), an improvement of, compared to the previous 3.8-litre V6 engine, 40% horsepower and 10% torque. The new powertrain and transmission also dramatically enhance the Wrangler’s on-road driving performance - delivering up to 21 mpg - while taking its legendary off-road capability to new levels. It also features the first application of a six-speed manual transmission to the Pentastar V6, making it one of the few mid-size SUVs to offer a manual option.

Wrangler continues to offer a body-on-frame design, front and rear five-link suspension system, live axles and electronic lockers. The new automatic transmission delivers more refined

shifting and gear selection - increasing the number of speeds from four to five allows the engine to operate in a more efficient rpm range, which helps increase fuel economy. More speeds also enable the engine to remain in the torque curve, increasing acceleration. The 2012 Wrangler boasts a 25% improvement in 0-60 mph (0-97 kmph) time, which is now 8.4 seconds. A lower first-gear ratio in the new automatic transmission also gives it more off-road capability via a lower overall crawl ratio.

Best-in-class approach angle of 44.6 degrees, breakover angle of 25.5 degrees and departure angle of 40.6 degrees, help the Wrangler scale the toughest terrain. The capable driveline of the Sport and Sahara models includes a Dana 30 front axle and Dana 44 rear axle. The Command-Trac® NV241, part-time two-speed transfer case features a 2.72:1 low-range gear ratio, while an optional Trac-Lok® limited-slip rear differential provides extra torque and grip in low-traction environments such as sand.

The 2 door Jeep® Wrangler and 4 door Wrangler Unlimited, available in Sport and Sahara versions in the Middle East, feature an interior that combines rich styling, versatility, comfort and improved feature use. Highlights include upgraded materials, automatic temperature controls, power mirrors and steering wheel controls for vehicle systems. With room for five adults, Jeep® Wrangler Unlimited remains the only four-door convertible on the

market.Jeep® Wrangler’s signature features include classic round

headlamps, seven-slot

grille, trapezoid wheel flares, removable doors, exposed hinges, a fold-down windshield and innovative removable and convertible tops and half-doors that allow the Wrangler to retain the brand’s iconic appearance and function.

The Wrangler incorporates structural enhancements and advanced safety systems to assist in crash avoidance and protection, including a reinforced passenger compartment safety cage that helps provide protection in the event of side and frontal impacts. Additional crash protection is provided by a standard frontal dual-stage air bag system.

The 2012 Jeep® Wrangler and Wrangler Unlimited are available with an array of safety and security technology features - standard electronic stability control, electronic roll mitigation, Trailer-sway Control, Hill-start Assist and brake traction control are among two dozen available safety and security features engineered to improve handling and accident avoidance while providing occupant protection.

An array of infotainment technologies enable drivers to safely communicate, navigate and select entertainment options using advanced voice recognition controls, including USB connectivity for iPod, Bluetooth® streaming audio, Uconnect® Navigation and Uconnect® Phone.

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It’s that time of the year when the sun burns the earth and your skin with its powerful rays, while the beach is sprawling with tanned bodies and the shore teeming with activities and life. And for the thrill-seeking few, what better way to quench their thirst for a rush of adrenaline and enjoy the great watery outdoors with a jet ski that can blast you through the waves with maddening speed and style.

And that particular type of need has

subtly been provided for by Yamaha with its latest line of Jet Skis, the FX luxury series, configured to perform with optimum speed and comfort. The design of the latest line of Yamaha’s speedy watercraft was refined to bring the smooth and sleek out and suit the rider’s handling needs.

The latest line of Yamaha’s Jet Ski model is led by the flagship FX Cruiser SHO, a three-seating Jet Ski model that features a command link that offers the rider easy access to the watercraft’s instrumentation switches. The FX Cruiser SHO’s seat design was also done to give the riders a good view of their surroundings while taking a ride down the waves. Other models featured in the luxury Jet Ski line include the FX SHO, FX Cruiser HO, and FX HO.

Another line of Jet Ski models to consider is VX Series WaveRunners, which Yamaha claimed to be the most affordable, reliable and fuel-efficient watercraft currently available in the market, and a top pick for the value minded buyers and rental operators alike due to its low maintenance feature. Another key feature of the VX line is its fuel-economy factor, being the best among three-seating Jet Ski models.

One more to consider in Yamaha’s speedy line of Jet Skis is the FZ Series, which the company boasts as its epitome of high performance in its racing heritage. The FZ Series features Yamaha’s 1.8 litre supercharged engine, the largest displacement in the industry, along with Yamaha’s NanoXcel hull and deck,

which are engineered using the latest nanotechnology to be light, strong and nimble.

If you’re the super sport adventurer who likes to gun through the waves with roaring engines under the summer heat, better put on a wet suit, try a ride out on one of these creations and zoom like a powerful jet stream on one of Arabia’s coastlines.

SPEED IN LUXURY: THE YAMAHA FX JET SKI SERIES


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On the 23rd of March last month, we scanned through the dry, rocky, and jagged landscape of Shawka that greeted our eyes in the far reaches of Sharjah’s Kalba area, anxious to check out the Hot Six Endurance Challenge organized by the ‘hearts-and-lungs of steel’ mountain bikers from the Hot Cog MTB group.

Six hours worth of mountain-biking through a 10 km course of rough and rocky turns, swerves, sudden drops, steep uphill and downhill paths under the sweltering heat of the sun was one hell of a challenge by itself, but the Hot Cogs had revealed what the real challenge was; to do as many laps as you could around the track of hardcore difficulty within the six, excruciat-ing hours.

As unfathomably difficult as it sounds, a bunch of bikers had done several laps through the insane course already! Our adventurous buddy Ian Ganderton, who was one of the organizers of the endur-ance challenge, told our team that there were riders who have legs of iron doing as much as eight laps, finishing each lap at an average of 40 minutes. On top of that, there was this rider named Sam who had to pedal his way through the rocky road towards the finish line and made 3/4 of a lap with a flat back tire!

In the end, the event saw a couple of spectacular efforts from several riders who had successfully gnarled and puffed their way through the sweet sight of the finish line.

Jaako Soivio rode like a hot-cog mon-ster and eventually nailed the top spot after doing seven laps in 5:21:15, while rider Adam Davidson followed behind in second as he completed the same amount of laps 21:47 minutes later. Phillip Ramos came in third and tallied six laps in 5:49:00.

Meanwhile, Martin Harris and his riding partner Mike Duckworth won the team event after completing 8 laps of hard ped-aling through the unforgiving terrain.

Our team was invited to give the course a go – but being unseasoned mountain

6 HOURS OF HEAT AND HARDCORE:

Hot Cog MTB’s Hot Six Endurance Challenge

++EVENT REVIEW

Words: Angelo Cabrera Photos: Nathan Root

Nothing like a good BBQ

bikers, we really felt the pinch of the rocky terrain. So be prepared when consider-ing a visit to the Shawka biking course, as a good level of experience and fitness is required.

Adventure HQ, Ride Bike Shop, Micahs Bike Shop and Wolfi’s Bike Shop brought some great products and services to the event. The mountain biking community was in for a treat with a variety of bikes and biking equipment made available at the camping grounds, whereas clothing brands Endura and Buff sold their trade-mark apparels and accessories.

A hearty meal of roasted chicken, char-broiled sausages and slaw was served by one of the guys from Adventure HQ who was doing his own endurance stint on the BBQ, while the others had their own roast-ing fires going and prepared their feasts. Some of them bade goodbye and left the camp site at Shawka tired but happy, while others decided to stay behind and settle for the night in the comforts of a campfire and tents, along with stories and a stash of cold drinks, before leaving the next day.

Angelo.

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Sebsports has now been opened for over a year, and for the second year running we will be racing at the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge.

This year we will be supporting a strong team of 8 riders, 4 local and 4 international riders, 3 of them being Ex World Champions and one being the DC defending champion of the 2011 edition of the DC.

The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge is a 2500 km rally over 5 grueling, hot and windy days in some of the toughest and tallest dunes in the world, Liwa is part of the empty quarter on the border of Saudi Arabia and has the world’s longest stretch of unbroken dunes. The event is part of the World Rally Championship and pushes the best riders and pilots in the world to their absolute limits.

The training for the riders for the Challenge has been specially formulated as to get them ready to spend in some cases 8 to 9 hours and their bike, this in dusty conditions and with temperatures reaching over 40 degrees Celsius.

The Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge is an event not to be missed and we strongly suggest that anyone who has the time, to come down for a day or two and watch the event. There is a multitude of spectator vantage points from which you will be able to catch all the action.

Abu DhabiDesert Challenge

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It’s an interesting thing, donating money to charity. Usually, people ask, you stick your hand in your pocket, and you hand over some cash. Job done. No idea who the money is really going to, whether it will get to the people that need it, or even whether it will make a difference.

Established in the UAE in 2001, Gulf for Good don’t ask you just for money, they ask you to put yourself through gruelling and sometimes extreme challenges that really help put life, yours and other people’s, into perspective. Challenges also include direct contact with the recipient of the raised funds. Whether it is physically helping to build new houses for villagers or visiting orphanages, you can be sure it will be an experience you will never forget, often leaving participants emotionally affected by what they have seen and the touching stories people have told.

Obviously the recipients of the funds benefit enormously, but doing the challenge itself often turns out to be a life-changing experience for many challengers.

Challenges have included summiting Kilimanjaro and Everest Base Camp, cycling from Bangkok to Angkor Wat, walking the Great Wall of China and a multi-activity adventure in Borneo.

The most recent challenge saw 28 participants take on an epic bike ride around the UAE taking in all seven emirates raising money for the Al Manar Charity School in Ajman currently educating 2400 students. It provides free schooling for both boys and girls up to the age of 16, but has no government funding, so is reliant entirely on public donations.

The children are of 36 different nationalities. More than 400 of these children are either abandoned or orphaned and at least 2000 of them are living in very vulnerable conditions.

THE CHALLENGEThe challenge began before a single pedal had been turned when 28 strangers from all walks of life, background and nationality met for the first time as a group. The next 5 days would see us eat, sleep, ride and

suffer extreme conditions together – all for a common goal.

Excitement, nerves, anticipation, fear – just a few of the emotions clearly evident on that first morning as we embarked on the tarmac route that took us from Al Ain Hili Park to Buraimi passing through the Omani border. It was a long drag to the campsite some 75km away, the road led us over undulating terrain that never seemed to end. A ‘wonderful’ (and I say that through gritted teeth as I remember the pain), long steep climb in the pitch black night following the pin-prick blinking lights of other riders was the last obstacle to be tackled before we could enjoy the comfort of our campsite and a hot meal – sleep wasn’t far away.

Challenger, Marc van-den-Broucque says, “I was so tired at the end of every day that I could have slept on a bed of nails to be honest! But meeting people around the campfire every night and having great BBQ’d food made it more enjoyable.”

A hearty breakfast cooked up by our very talented Nepalese camp-chef and the beautiful sun-dappled mountains were just enough to distract from steep gravel tracks winding up and over some monster climbs, and, although the day’s 92km seemed to have consisted of nothing but tough hill climbs, tunnels and traffic, a long fast downhill was enough to wipe

the memories of the day’s ascents as we swept, head down into Kalba with a majestic view across the ocean and at last, a rest off the bike seat.

Challenger, Michael Cooke says, “There’s nothing quite like the feeling of a long winding downhill payback after a punishing climb.” I couldn’t agree more Michael!

Dibba is a different world, especially in the morning light. A tranquillity punctuated only by the odd clip-clip of a goat hurried along by its owner. By now our morning routine was established – eat, brush teeth, check bike, fill water bottles and prepare for the day ahead with a short warm-up. We had quickly become a unit; riding out of camp zig-zagging backroads and chatting away like old friends.

Challenger, Marc van-den-Broucque says, “We all got along really well - by the end of the second day you wouldn’t have been able to tell that we hadn’t known each other for years. It was great to see everyone bond really well despite any differences in ability on the bikes.”

A tarmac section led us to the most difficult part of the day. Wadi Yas al Akl, through and up the Wadis Sidr and Sana – an incredibly challenging route for many reasons. It was touching 37 degrees with no breeze when we entered the narrow wadi and the gradual, almost invisible climb up the dried river bed had us all

GULF FOR GOOD: CYCLE THE 7 EMIRATES

by Louise Adamson

++EVENT REVIEW

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wondering how we could possibly have prepared for this gruelling mix of loose stones and gravel, boulders, tough climbs and technical descents. A final push across a long bone-rattling, teeth loosening stretch of wadi led us into the small village of Al Ghail where we were relieved to see the yellow tents of camp as well as a welcoming committee consisting of a few local kids dressed in National Day garb, curious to know what on earth we were doing on their sand race track.

Thursday morning had us on a bus and heading for the Al Manar School in Ajman where we were welcomed by a small group of representatives to give us a tour and show us how the funds raised will benefit the school and its students. It’s difficult to believe that an affluent country like the UAE can have such a school (and this is not the only one) funded entirely by charitable donations. It was evident that sanitation and developmental equipment is an absolute necessity where just a few barely functioning toilets service the students and a couple of slides in disrepair are the sum total of stimulation at play.

Challenger, Michael Cooke says, “It was great to see immediately where the money could potentially go to make some

genuine improvements in a short time.”

Challenger, Ben Gleisner-Cooke says, “It was interesting to see where the money would be going, and certainly highlighted that the project is in need of donations to further enhance what can be offered to students. Seeing how funds will make a difference underlined the real value of the cycle challenge. I’d ride up 1000 more hills if it meant a child gained an education they otherwise wouldn’t have.”

Back to camp after the visit and it was a short tarmac road ride giving us all a false sense of security as we turned and saw the sand tracks that lay ahead. The only things meant to get across these sand flats are camels, so our bikes were at a disadvantage from the start! Ride, dismount, walk, mount, ride, fall, mount, ride, walk, get back on, grind through and battle on. But no-one gave up. And the faces at the end, a sight to behold – smiling, exhausted, grinning, scowling, laughing, swearing. Magic.

Another wonderful night in the desert had us wake up to a freezing cold start

to the last day and the final 77km battle across pan-flat tarmac roads and through side-winds. Smiles were everywhere – I imagine mostly thinking of the soft, clean-smelling sheets of that night’s bed. Rolling victorious back into Bab Al Shams I think I speak for everyone when I look ba ck on an exciting, eventful, emotional, tough, challenging, thoroughly enjoyable, adventure-filled ride. To make things even more rewarding, the cycle group had managed to raise a whopping AED 350,000! Let’s do it again sometime!

Visit www.gulf4good.org and check out the 2012 challenges. Sign up and change yours and maybe someone else’s life.

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BOATINGby Kim Owen

DRAGON

Dragon boat paddling is a sport which should come with a warning: ‘Beware - Highly Addictive!’ In its purest form, it’s adrenaline pumping, fiercely competitive and provides an awesome display of control, grace and power.

CNCF Barracuda Paddlers - a newcomer to women’s dragon boating in Dubai, is on a recruitment drive looking for women who want to join their ambitious team. The club has just celebrated its 1st year anniversary, and has already made its mark on the dragon boat circuit. In January this year, the club had its first big competitive win and acquired its first piece of silverware, taking first place in the Premier Women’s 200 meter race at Abu Dhabi’s Knock Out Dragon Boat Challenge this year. The club has also raced in Hong Kong and plan to return to the Far East to compete later this year.

Nicki Berry, mother of two and the Barracudas’ team coach, says: “What we’re looking for is any woman who is willing to give it a go and make new friends. It’s a great way to challenge yourself individually while also learning to work as part of a team.”

Fittingly for a team with many mums as members, the CNCF Barracuda Paddlers are also aiming to help children in Vietnam and Mongolia. One of the main aims of the Barracuda Paddlers is to raise awareness and funding for CNCF - the Christina Nobel Children’s Foundation charity. The organization protects and supports under-privileged children in Mongolia and Vietnam, aiming to ensure that each child has access to basic care and education.

Dragon boating has ancient origins in Southern Chinese folk rituals and religious ceremonies going back 2000 years. Competition was originally between contending villagers and reaches as far back to the same era as the original games of Olympia in Greece.

Today, dragon boat paddling is one of the fastest growing amateur water sports,

with competitive events in 62 countries. It also features in programs of the Asian Games, the South-East Asian Games and the Asian Beach Games.

Dubai is a perfect place to get involved in the sport, with consistently good weather and easy access to water. The UAE has up to 15 dragon boat teams who regularly train and compete in local and international events. Teams are also formed for corporate events held throughout the year.

Dragon boaters use every muscle in their bodies, hitting places most gym workouts can’t reach. Paddling sessions focus on strengthening legs, thighs, back, shoulders and arms, as well as building core strength.

Nicki, a personal trainer and the teams coach, says: “The explosive power and speed required to be competitive in a race comes from having well-conditioned lungs and strong muscles. Most dragon boat training sessions focus on paddle technique and building paddle fitness. If done regularly and consistently, all the ‘body conditioning’ just seems to follow as a benefit from the process.”

Training sessions are held at the Dubai Marina. They’re varied and fun and last 60-90mins.

The club is once again planning to compete at Hong Kong’s Stanley Sun Life Dragon Boat Festival in June. Hong Kong is considered to be the birthplace of modern dragon boat racing and the Stanley event is full of tradition, ritual, colour and passion. It’s a spectacle well worth experiencing, especially as a competitor!

Dragon boat paddling is a team sport with a dash of oriental spice and a splash of competitive edge that could just fire up the athlete in you! Join up, and the Year of the Dragon could be your lucky year!!

For more details check out the web site: www.barracudapaddlers.com or email: [email protected]

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CANDY- SWEET RIDES

The Emirati nation has a serious love for cars – and we mean serious. We instantly know how much of its population have fallen for 4x4s and sports cars by taking a quick demographic look at all the motors cruising on the Sheikh Zayed Road. Another obvious place to check out this motor-pride was the Middle East Motor Tuning Show in from the 15th to the 17th of March that gathered the finest automotive creations which left car-loving blokes gasping in sheer awesomeness - another statement of their fancy for the metal-and-machine masterpieces. The OutdoorUAE team was also among the exhibitors that featured at the MEMTS and handed out some of the latest issues of the magazine to the public for free, with an aim to raise awareness of the Off Roading activities featured in the magazine that the public could get involved with…

The three-day tuner car spectacle that took place in Sharjah Expo Centre was a fanfare of the region’s automotive culture. Customized Chevy Camaros, Impalas, Cadies, Ford Mustangs, GMC’s, off-road 4x4s, tuner cars, pimped-out pick-up trucks which would seem to transform into Autobots at will, sports cars with sexy curves that would have made supermodels jealous, vintage automobiles in mint condition and waxed to a shiny glow, and lots of other stuff that had something or anything to do with hotrods. The life-size toy cars completely had us sighing at the sight of them – oh boy, we fell in love with them almost instantly.

There were cars trembling with the booming sound of bass speakers that made your heart beat to its own funky rhythm.

One sweet ride that got its interior juiced-up with a sleek audio system was a customized royal-blue Honda Civic with its backseat replaced by twin bass speakers and what seemed to be two nitrous-oxide

tanks that will have you zooming on the road at light speed.

The European Mobile Media Association – Arabia was there and hosted an audio showdown for the loudest booming bass audio system fitted in tuner cars. Bombastic entries went in and maxed up their volumes to know who’s got the ride with the most powerful music box among them, with eardrums still intact.

Another was a tuned-up brown-orange Mazda 6 ‘trophy car’ fitted with Lamborghini doors and a superb speaker set at the back trunk. The show-stopping show car was also strutting its championship cups just to show onlookers just how stunning the car’s winning beauty was.

Beastly customized pick-up trucks were also put up on display by the Cyclonez GMC Customs group. The rolling behemoths have got monstrous tires with rims specked with steel spike bolts at the center, and a brutish body kit that would have made Arnold Schwarzenegger proud.

The ‘Pride of the Emirates’ commemorative car was also on display – it’s a 1999 Chevrolet Camaro decked with 33,000 coins composed of 1 Dirham, 50 fils, 25 fils, 10 fils, 5 fils and 1 fil coins which was done to celebrate the country’s 40th National Day. The total amount of the coins used was about 21,000 AED and the job took 3,000 painstaking hours to finish. Talk about being patriotic!

For the hip-hop fans, there was a sky-blue-and-white Cadillac low-rider that caught our undivided attention, as it is being fitted with the famous hydraulic suspension systems that can make a whole car literally ‘bounce’ up and down on the asphalt with the flick of a switch, just like those things you see on rap artists’ music videos. The first words we uttered upon seeing this audacious automotive were ‘hell yeah!’ followed by a rhythmic head-bobbing to go with it.

An assembly crew from the G-Force Garage carried out a live modification job on a GMC pick-up truck to demonstrate what it’s like to fit body kits and other upgrades on a vehicle. There was also an artist at work doing his airbrush painting masterpiece on a hood of a black Nissan sedan that added flare in the creative and crafty atmosphere around.

The highlight of the three-day motor madness was the car drifting action done by the country’s drifting heroes, UAE Drifters, and the local 4x4 drifting team. Red Bull Car Park Drift’s reining UAE drift king Ahmed Al Ameri was also there and performed his trailblazing drifting skills with a tuner car, passing through the obstacle around the arena with graceful execution that wowed both the crowd and his fellow drift drivers.

It was three days of pure auto bliss for petrol-heads and tuner fans, and a grand way to show love for the flourishing local car culture in the nation. In the land where black gold flows like honey, expect hot-rod monster machines to set their trails ablaze in the far-reaching roadways of this spirited country.

Middle East Motor Tuning Show 2012

++EVENT REVIEW


Audacious interior for the audiophile

Grandpa’s car days

We bouncin’

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The Liquid Rain Parties are back…LiquidSM

, one of the capital’s most established parties, made its debut in June 2011 and we’re happy to report that the infamous Rain Pool Party is back at the aloft Abu Dhabi Hotel for the 2012 season. Not just a pool party, LiquidSM takes getting wet, wet, wet to whole new level as cool water showers over the entire dance floor – the perfect way to dance the long, hot summer nights away!

With a host of local and International DJ’s lined up, this party is so cool it’s hot, and when the weather is hot you’re guaranteed to stay cool! If you didn’t make the one on April 6th, make sure you circle May 4th in your calendar now, because one of the top DJ’s from Ibiza will be on the decks… As always ladies

can enjoy free entrance, whether you live in Abu Dhabi or outside it’s still worth checking out the hotel’s special LiquidSM overnight package for just AED 399 net including accommodation and entrance for two!

As always with the aloft Abu Dhabi hotel, their friends have benefits so checkout facebook.com/maipoolparty for your chance to win exclusive prizes… For more information and pricing reach out directly to the hotel at 02 654 5013 (and don’t forget to tell them Outdoor UAE sent you)! Simple to find, the aloft Abu Dhabi hotel is located at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), just a short spin away from downtown Abu Dhabi, so buckle up and you'll be there in a wink of an eye.

LETTING THE GOOD TIMES ROLL

For most of us, owning a “vicious” sport-bike will only remain a big dream to their costly price tags. But fear not, the folks from Kawasaki have laid out a crafty finance scheme specially made for those who aspire to ride one of their speed machines and zing like a roadster, at a more suitable option.

The crafty Japanese motoring brand introduces its Good Times! Financial Scheme that ranges from 4.49 percent to 6.15 percent, depending on the paying capability of their prospect buyers, with down payment plans starting at 0 percent and a financing term of up to four years. So this means a typical buyer who may not have been able to before, can now afford for example, to buy one of their Ninja Series models valued at over 55,000AED at 1,222 AED per month.

This financing offer is especially great for those who are looking forward to get their hands on Kawasaki’s prized creation, the all-powerful 2012 Ninja ZX – 14R. This super sports bike is being hailed by the Kawasaki group as ‘the king of all sport bikes’ with its massive 1,441cc engine. People can now have this masterpiece of a motorbike for just 1,666 AED per month, and it looks very bold and daring in lime green.

And take note, the financing scheme is available for absolutely all of Kawasaki’s vehicle range. You can apply for the financial plan for their dirt bikes, quad bikes, Jet Ski series, and off-road vehicle creations.

The financing scheme is a continuous offer aimed at helping future aspiring Kawasaki owners to get one of their masterly vehicle creations for a good deal. Do note that the prerequisite of the offer is to have a salary of at least 7,000 AED and above for financial security reasons. They have been strong on marketing the offer with the sport-bikes this past winter season, but now that the summer sun is out, they are targeting to launch the scheme with their watercraft series this April.

So again, Fear not, super-bike fan, owning a two-wheeled monster machine is not much of a tough grind now as it was before. So start choosing now, saddle up, and let the ‘Good Times!’ roll.

Kawasaki’s Financial SchemeWords: Angelo Cabrera

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ME4x4 GPS CHALLENGE 2012

by Gordon T. Smith

++EVENT REVIEW

The GPS Challenge is a drive between designated waypoints and the target is to achieve as close to the actual straight-line distance over the total number of waypoints. This distance is measured primarily via GPS readings rather than vehicle odometers due to gearing error if the tyres fitted are not standard. The team with the lowest average reading wins!

This year’s ME4x4 GPS Challenge was primarily in the Sharjah Emirate around Pink Rock, Wadi Faya, Fossil Rock and ending at the 1998 Arab Culture Capital Monument next to the Sharjah-Dhaid road.

A turnout of eight teams of three vehicles per team began a staggered start near Tawi Nizwa, heading towards the first of ten waypoints.

The local terrain in that area means trying to drive in a straight line between the waypoints, with large pieces of rock as well as fences, small buildings etc., cause some diversions (and increased mileage) making straight line driving a formidable task even for the most experienced drivers.

Once the first waypoint is reached, there are details of the next waypoint and so on. Each team has a page of stickers and must leave a team sticker on the GPS marker sheet. These sheets are then collected by the sweep team, who check that all teams have visited the waypoint, and also help

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ensure nobody is straggling behind or lost.The windy conditions blowing up sand

also created an additional challenge, in particular for those who had some issues recovering stuck vehicles - having a good shemagh and sand goggles helps.

One team using iPhones for navigation managed to find themselves at Dubai Outlet Mall; somebody apparently did not check the format used for the waypoints! The standard used by our club is WGS84 degrees, minutes, decimal minutes (dd mm.mmm).

The teams left at five minute intervals from 0800 hrs with the first team arriving at the finish around 1430 hrs and the last team three hours later at 1730 hrs, which gives an indication of how difficult navigation over desert terrain can be. Only one team did not finish the 64 Km route; we believe they went shopping instead.

Each team received discount vouchers from “Robbies” and Bling My Truck supplied some excellent prizes for the top three teams.

Results:1. The Coordinators with 73.7 Km2. The JLTs with 74.2 Km3. The Royal Falcons with 74.6 Km

Thanks to the organizing ME4x4 Marshals Dev, Warren and Sujit for the hard work setting up this event.

1st Place The Coordinators

2nd Place The JLTs 3rd Place

The Royal Falcons

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by Patrice WergifosseSo far, arriving back in Dubai was a remote idea in the back of my mind. But when I saw a road sign announcing Bandar Abbas 1350km down the road, it struck me that if I wanted, I could be home in 3 days. However, the only thing I wanted was to extend my visa to stretch the trip as much as possible before going back to normal life.

I am experiencing parts of Iran I haven’t seen on the first part of the trip. I went up roughly through the Zagros Mountains in the West of the country, and I am now coming down along the Caspian Sea (that I didn’t see) and through the deserts of the center. As usual, most of the beautiful sights I am blessed with can’t be found on any map or in any guide, and it looks more and more like home with sand dunes, mud forts, oasis, and wandering camels…

Following my instinct and trying to avoid any main road has been the thread of this trip and I definitely will not regret it.

I told you last month that I had been invited by some off-roaders from Tehran to join them for a trip crossing Lut Desert; one of the less explored deserts on the planet. I saw some pictures of dunes that make Liwa look as flat as a beach. Unfortunately they didn’t get authorization of the army to take a foreigner there. The

place is a corridor for drug smugglers after they cross Afghanistan or the Pakistani border and the guy in charge for the region was afraid for my security. That was a big disappointment for me as I was really looking forward to this 6-7 days trip in full autonomy. When wandering alone along the edges of the desert, I met a few army patrols that were not really happy to see me there for the same reasons, so for the next few days I will have to stick to the more touristy areas.

Two highlights of the North were an area I cannot remember the name of, near MeshginShar and Alamut valley north of Quazvin. In the first place I discovered a network of red canyons and I had a fun day trying all the tracks possible. Still with mud in some places, but it was evident that winter was getting away. Alamut Valley hosts a series of villages and hundreds of kilometers of mountain passes away from the nearest significant town. You could spend days exploring the whole region. There are tracks going over the mountains to the Caspian Sea, but they were still closed by snow (some passes are 3000+m high), so I had to backtrack and take the motorway to Tehran, but I’ll come back for

sure!For the last 10 days,

the snow has not been a problem anymore even though I still see some on a regular basis. I must admit I’ve started to have enough of it, I can now pack away my ski trousers for good after using them one last time for their real job: a day of skiing in Shemchak near Tehran. Unfortunately, the scattered snowfalls have been replaced by a powerful 5-day sand storm that didn’t stop for one single minute.

I have never seen anything that long in Dubai and even locals couldn’t remember something like that. Visibility was down sometimes to 10m and I had to seek refuge in Yazd and Kerman. I was pretty unhappy to be stuck in town, but I made the most of it by applying for few jobs. After all, in a few weeks life will go on.

I will have a few more days in Iran in April, and then it will be time to arrange the ferry trip back to Sharjah. Next month’s article will probably be my last contribution on the trip in OutdoorUAE but I have enjoyed it, and it is probably not the last thing you will read from me.

I couldn’t update my blog whilst in Iran because of the censorship, but if you just joined the story, you can read more articles and see a lot of pictures on my blog: slowlanetonowhere.blogspot.com

See you next month!

Patrice (&Marcel of course)

++TRAVEL + ADVENTURE

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Level 2, The Dubai Mall, t: +971 4 325 3595. Level 1, Bawabat Al Sharq Mall, Abu Dhabi.

Tents Cooking stations Kayaks Outdoor chairs and tables Stand up paddle boards Diving gear Sleeping bags Portable solar panels Backpacks Hydration packs Medical kits

FOR ALL YOUR CAMPING NEEDSBIG AND SMALL

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ME4x4 is not the largest, fast-est growing or most well known off-road club in the UAE; there are many more that can claim to be these. But what ME4x4 does have is a wealth of experience that few can probably match. Established in 1997, it has conducted week long trips through the Omani Empty Quarter and into Yemen, it has opened up a plethora of new routes in both the UAE and Oman and its main aim is to go to those places that few, if any, others go. However, despite these laudable aims, the Club does not lose sight of the need to induct newcomers to the pleasures of off road driving; after all, we must all start somewhere.

So, a decision was taken in December last year to organise an event to introduce newcomers and those with perhaps only a little experience, to these pleasures. Adverts were placed in this magazine and news of the event was put out on various grapevines. The number of participants was limited to 30 to which the Club allocated 10 senior members, allowing us to form 5 groups of 6 with 2 instructors. Of course a suitable area was also required that was sufficiently far away from Dubai/Sharjah in order to avoid the hordes of weekend dune-bashers and the resultant churned up dust bowls. The area also needed to be suitable for newcomers, with a mix of terrains and allowing practice over a large variety of dune formations. All this can be found in the dunes to the South of Shweib and there is the added bonus of being able to camp undisturbed and with glorious views across to Jebel Sumeyni in

the Oman.Full instructions

were sent out to all the participants and everyone duly arrived at the Dubai Outlet Mall car-park with their interpretations of the Club’s mandatory recovery equipment. Some interpretations were better than others and some had hoped to find inspiration in the car-park! Nonetheless, we headed for

Shweib and split into our 5 groups and entered the dunes from a selection of entry points. There then followed a full morning of progressive newbie driving coaching. Tyre deflation and convoy drills were explained and then we moved into the dunes taking the line of least resistance to get those wholly new to driving on sand used to the feeling. Where to find the firmer sand, what features to avoid, where and how to stop, and use of low and high range were covered.

Having successfully covered about 10km we now moved onto trickier terrain. Descending long slip faces, which, for the first time can be something of a mental hurdle for those new to it. It does take some positive persuasion to convince someone to keep their feet off both the accelerator and brake pedals while they descend a 50m long, 60° slope of soft, powdery sand. Finally we moved onto crest crossing, that most potentially embarrassing of terrains to cross.

ME4X4, NEWBIE DRIVE, RECOVERY WORKSHOP AND CAMPOUT

24th/25th February 2012

++EVENT REVIEW

Words: Mike Nott

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Inevitably, at some point, you end up stuck on the crest and have to be recovered but, with persistence and practice, you get your approach and speed just right to get you over. Now, linking these terrains together, we headed for lunch.

The Recovery Workshop is a must-do for any newcomer to dune driving. The Club’s ethos is to concentrate first on self-recovery before moving onto assisted recovery. We also emphasise the point that with the Club’s mandatory equipment you can extract yourselves from almost any situation. And, if you think this mandatory equipment is extensive, it isn’t. It consists of a shovel (not a spade!), a rated recovery/snatch strap, 2 rated shackles, a jacking board, a tyre pressure gauge/deflator, a jacking board, a pair of work gloves and a fire extinguisher. Self recovery consists of a considerable amount of shovel use. However, knowing where and how to dig is a skill in itself and, as was demonstrated, effective digging in conjunction with some judicious pushing and rocking can get you out of most places. Of course, assisted recovery is less of a physical effort but the aim here is to put any recovery equipment and any recovery points under as little strain

as possible, so don’t forget to ease this strain by digging. The Club covered most eventualities: side slope stucks, crested stucks, powder stucks and tyres popping off their rims. Finally, as an introduction, the Club members demonstrated the use of sand-shoes and waffles, winches and hi-lift jacks; something for those to consider who are keen to make off-road driving a regular activity.

By now, with the time approaching sun-downer, we hot-footed it to the campsite, rendezvoused with all the other groups and enjoyed a most convivial campout. Blingmytruck had, very generously, donated a selection of prizes and these were raffled off around the campfire by the team. The next morning saw three groups head out from the campsite. Two heading across the dunes to Shweib and the other on the shortest route out to the road head. There were a few dings and mishaps over the two days but apart from the inappropriate use of a Nissan Armada, necessitating a tow and a two hour night drive through the dunes, the weekend had been, by all accounts, a huge success. If you’re reading this and are looking for a club that hides it light under a bushel, come and join us.

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Antonio is a native and current

resident of Italy’s Sardinia Island. Besides being a

saltwater angler, he is also a video producer and a

well-known sport-fishing journalist, having written for

several magazines in Europe.

Sardinia: pearl of the Mediterranean

by Antonio Varcasia

This land does not look like any other place. Sardinia is something else: enchanting

space all around and distances to be travelled, nothing is finite,

nothing is defined. It is like freedom itself.

(David Herbert Lawrence, from Sea and Sardinia, 1921).

“The name Sardinia derives from its past inhabitants: the Shardana (Sherden). Well known in ancient times by both the Phoenicians and the Greeks, it was called Hyknusa or Ichnussa (Ιχνουσσα) by the latter, while the Latins called it Sardinia. It is the second largest of the Italian islands and of the entire Mediterranean Sea (23,821 km²); it is situated between the 41st and the 39th parallel, at a distance of around 187 nautical miles from the Italian coast, and of only 11 miles from Bonifacio, Corse.

The island is the depositary of a culture which is thousands of years old with unique ethnic and linguistic peculiarities. Its isolation, created by its geographical position is the prevailing feature which contributed to maintaining its old traditions. This is in spite of commercial and cultural relations which have existed with many Mediterranean and European populations since ancient times, given its strategic position in the centre of the Western Mediterranean. In recent times, many visitors and writers have exalted the beauty of the island in their works, immersed, as it is, in largely uncontaminated surroundings, which host botanic and faunal landscapes with unique species, where the remains of the mysterious Nuragic civilisation are to be found.

Its position means it is a good point of transit on the migration route of forage fish and all the predators which follow them. The abundance of rocky and shallows coasts, which are good refugia for

alevins of many species to take refuge in, contribute to maintaining a stable and abundant fish population. Furthermore, thanks to its particular orogenesis, the Sardinian coast has a low human population density (around 1 million) in relation to the length of its coast

and the low fishing pressure from professional fishermen maintains fish stocks at an acceptable level.

The Sardinian sea bottom is famous for the richness of its species and the clarity of its waters, and thanks to this fortunate combination, the island has been considered an

++TRAVEL

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ideal location for tourism and sportfishing, in particular for spinning and vertical jigging.

Catchable species The cold months: looking for Seabass and Barracuda

The species which is most sought by anglers in Sardinia in all seasons, but above all during the cold months, is the Seabass (D. labrax). The best conditions for this kind of fishing in Sardinia are when the sea surface is perturbed or when it is calm just after a storm, as this predator has the habit of hunting near the seashore exploiting the poor visibility of a murky undertow or even an outfall.

The most used tackle for Seabass is a classic light spinning rod of around 2.10-2.40 metres in length which casts up to 30-40 grams, matched with a medium/high 3000-4000 size reel with a 20-40lbs dyneema or spectra braided line and 20-50lbs nylon or fluorocarbon terminal tackle, depending on the type of seabed and the sea conditions.

Minnow, from 8 to 17 cm, are the best choice as lures as they do not sink too much unlike the lipless minnow, or other ones that don’t have big lips such as Ima Sasuke, Komomo, Duo Terrif, Nabarone, Rapala Max Rap, Duo Tide Minnow, Daiwa Shore line shiner.

Other artificial baits which give the best results for Seabass in rocky shores are topwater, such as small poppers or WTD (Walking the Dog) which should be used near to rocks or small outfalls.

We can say that Seabass fishing in Sardinia is very close to what happens in the Mediterranean rocky shore of France and Corsica. Seabass fishing from the beach is also possible, while fishing in estuaries is less common, as the island is not so rich of rivers (and often these

places are too crowed by surfcasters and bottom fishing anglers).

On deeper parts of the seabed, such as volcanic ones which have sudden drops, you can often catch another fascinating predator which has been populating the Sardinian coasts for around the last fifteen years: the Yellowmouth Barracuda (Sphyraena viridensis). In the last years this has become one of the most usual prey for anglers that use artificial baits. Their diffusion to areas under rocky coasts is now practically guaranteed almost all year round, except in particularly cold periods of the year (usually February/March), when large schools move for refuge in small tourist harbours where they can still, however, be caught. During the mating season in May, the cudas are largely present inshore but do not hunt or eat until they have attended to their reproductive affairs. Over the summer, when the influx of tourists makes most of the fish swim away, it is still possible to catch large specimens with topwater lures in many spots, particularly high rocky shores, during the night. For Barracuda, timing is essential for a shore spinner: at dawn and sunset they will come closer for casting and captures are usually concentrated in these periods, however, during the day it is very unusual to see cudas when the sea is calm.

Barracuda like minnows that float in the upper side of the water column (except for the coldest period, when they swim deeper): their size does not matter, generally bigger is better. Long jerk are appreciated by big and small cudas alike, with a classical slow jerking with the tip of the rod down. The most sought after colours are sardine and glowing colours such as vis yellow, white, orange. When the winter makes the water temperature colder, barracuda became lazy and swim deeper when the best choice should be lipless sinking (Rapala Glidin’ rap is probably the most appreciated by their teeth) but also soft plastics shad and classical jigs with bucktail dressing are very effective. No doubt a cudas’ mouth will make light work of your little arsenal and get away with some jigs. Wire leader is not a good choice because it dramatically reduces strikes and doesn’t allow any feeling from yourself and the lure: the best choice is a good monofilament leader (nylon or fluorocarbon) of 50/60 lbs.

The same fishing rod and reel used for Seabass from shore can easily be used, even during spring when the large females are close to reproduction, a slightly more powerful tackle could be recommended, given that 5-6kg specimens and even monsters weighing up to 10-12kg can be caught.

Sometimes, when fishing from a rocky coast, if the conditions are good and fortune is on your side, it is possible to see one of the most fascinating predators of the Mediterranean, the lord of the high

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seabed and the submerged shallows: the Dentex (Dentex dentex), a beautiful Sparidae which patrols the rocky seabed in search of its preferred prey: Squid, Garfish, Mullets and Chromis.

Up to now, only a few fortunate anglers have had the pleasure of catching a Dentex and they have used 12-16 cm sinking minnow or bucktail jigs, to be worked on the sea bottom. The defences of this predator are lively and it is always on the lookout for a rocky sea bottom to hide in. The Dentex, on the other hand, is one of the most frequent prey for those who have access to a boat in these months and can try their hand at vertical jigging. This technique, which is ever more frequently practised, enables Amberjacks, Sea Perch, and School Tunas to be caught in addition to these beautiful Sparidae, producing intense emotion and breath-taking combat.

The warm months: Tunids, Leerfish, Bluefish and Dolphinfish

When the days lengthen it is the sign that pelagics following the shoals of Anchovies and Sardines are coming closer to the coast.

One of the most exciting fish to catch is Bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix) which have a range which is limited to a few coastal areas, above all near to ports or river and fish trade outfalls.

The Bluefish is a ravenous predator which can reach up to 8 9 kg in weight and is one of the most engaging fighters for the seaspinner due to its habit of violently leaping out of the water to free itself and its extraordinary teeth which really put the fishing line and moreover your leader to the test.

This predator is active all day but it is, above all, at sunset and overnight when it is easiest to hook with surface

lures and classic minnow baits. The baits which have given the most important results, up to now, are classic skipping lures such as Robert Lure Rangers and Italian Utopia tackle Ketch; also pencil poppers are good and sometimes, lipless and WTD.

Roughly in the same environment of bluefish, we can also find the queen of the Mediterranean artificial bait anglers: the Leerfish (Lichia amia).

On the Sardinian coast, the Leerfish fishing season begins in April/May, when they comes closer to shore for breeding and where they can find large shoals of their favourite prey, Mullets, so the best spots to catch them are river outfalls and ports where they are to be found in abundance. Large Leerfish in these settings appear to be real invaders, it is easy to see them in groups of 6 to8 specimens,

which during the warmest parts of the day push the Mullets to the surface and hem them in towards the shore.

Spinning for large Leerfish is for the “diehard spinner”: an angler who wants to have this fish hanging from his rod must be very patient as often the hours spent without seeing a fin seem never-

ending. He must be able to keep a cool head: when the Leerfish finally ventures towards the artificial bait he must not balk, as a slow recovery or a hasty strike can thwart days of fishing. He needs to be in good condition: casting heavy artificial bait which can weigh 60 80 grams for hours with appropriate rods is not for everyone!

Indeed, these situations should be faced with heavy spinning tackle, so 2.20-2.70 rods and fast or extra fast actions which are able to cast heavy bait such as large poppers, skipping lures and pencils weighing from 50-90 grams should be used. The rod must have a good power reserve in order to support the fleeing fish which can weigh 20 kg and over.

The reel must be adequate for the rod and the prey and must contain at least 250 metres of 50lb braided GSPE line (5000/8000 sizes are the best choice), it must have very good friction, which is both fluid and which unreels the line without jerking, in general it should have a 50-60lb nylon or fluorocarbon terminal, which should be tied with a Bristol knot to the braided double with a Bimini Twist at the end section.

In Autumn, Spinner’s most wanted fish is the Dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus), a beautiful fish with bright colours which moves in large shoals patrolling the coasts perennially on the look out for small fish to terrorise with violent feeds at the surface.

This predator can also be caught near to floating objects such as wrecks or buoys due to its habit of staying in the shadows of these objects (FADs). The most profitable artificial baits are all the classic surface ones such as surface lipless, poppers or skipping lures, metallic-sardine jigs or classic bucktail or synthetic hair jigs, which should be used when the shoals of Dolphinfish are much deeper.

The recommended rod for this strong and entertaining prey could be a 2.10 metre rod which casts up to 30-50 grams, matched with a classic 4000/5000 high ratio reel (fastest is better) and usually a 30-40lb braided line. It is even possible to catch Dolphins when they comes closer to the coasts; boat fishing is recommended for better results, perhaps looking for fads and fries inshore.

Fishing from a boat enables other pelagics such as Sarda sarda or Mackerel Tuna (Euthynnus alletteratus) or Frigate Tuna (Auxis thazard) as well as Dolphinfish to be caught; these are all fish which despite their small size are able to develop exceptional strength and put our tackle to the test. Bluefin tuna is present in all these places, spinning for this fish requires specific tackle and good experience and is strictly regulated by severe legislation (minimun size: 30Kg, 135 cm minimum length). It is only allowed during the fishing period from 15 June to 15 October.

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Where to fishSardinia is situated in the centre of the Western Mediterranean, just 12km from Corsica, 120km from Tuscany and 185km from the coast of North Africa. The climate is generally mild, influenced by air masses from the Atlantic, Africa and the Arctic. The weather is generally good: there are around 300 days of sun during the year and rain on the other days, with the highest concentration of rain in the winter and autumn seasons and a few sudden heavy downpours in the spring. The island is very windy, with the Maestral wind from the North West dominating, making it cold and biting in the winter, but milder in the summer when the air is drier and more breathable. Less frequently, there is the Scirocco wind, which the southern coast is exposed to, and the Levanter and north-easterly winds which blow along the west coast. For this and other reasons, Sardinia is an ideal place for sports fishing, both for fishing techniques from dry land (Fly-fishing and Spinning) and from boats such as Vertical Jigging and Trolling. Bear in mind that even though it is a splendid island, Sardinia is not a Caribbean flat or an ocean spot, so with Sardinian fishing it is not always possible to catch what you would like to catch. This is also because the island is exposed to winds which can have a positive or negative influence on the fishing outcome. Without doubt, the best way to take advantage of the island’s potential is to plan a fishing holiday with an expert guide, who can adequately advise you and help meet your fishing needs.

Guides: Alghero and the Riviera del Corallo (West Coast)

Alghero is a small Catalan outpost in Sardinia, a city with a fine historical centre which overlooks a well maintained port and a coastline which is famous the world over for its spectacular reefs and its numerous white beaches which attract thousands of tourists every year. A holiday in Alghero is the best way for an angler

to combine his passion with pleasing the family, as they can enjoy the beauty of the uncontaminated sea and in the evening can find a little nightlife to complete the holiday.

As an expert guide for our fishing in Alghero, we found Daniele Foddai who dedicates himself mainly to live bait Trolling and vertical Jigging, but also for inshore spinning and fly fishing. He is one of the most long established sport fishing guides in Alghero and is avaliable for individual and group tours. He can be contacted via email: [email protected] or by mobile: +39 328 4766494.

Comune di Algherohttp://www.alghero-turismo.it

Stintino and the Asinara Gulf (North coast)

Stintino is a small fishing town in the northern part of Sardinia, in front of the beautiful National Park of Asinara Island.

Its location makes it a natural paradise for anglers in search of the queen of the

coast, the seabass, but it is also one of the best place to fish for Yellowmouth Barracuda. In summer the fishing becomes problematic as there is a large tourist flow concentrated in a relatively small area. This does not exclude fishing completely though, except during rare summer disturbances confined to sunrise and sunset and at night. Inshore fishing is very good for dolphinfish (there are few fads a couple of miles out of the harbour) and small tunids. The authors of this article are based in this small town and can provide various information for anglers who would fish from shore. There is also the possibility of going out with some local guides (send an email to the author to [email protected]).

Comune di Stintino http://www.comune.stintino.ss.it

Getting there Sardinia is easily accessible by air with

several flights a day from Rome or Milan on Alghero (west/north coast) Olbia (east coast) and Cagliari (south). The Island has a typical Mediterranean climate. Car hire is strongly recommended, expecially if you have to reach a fishing spot as train and bus services are not very efficent,). There are no special visa requirements. Sardinia’s food, history and nature makes this trip very interesting for non-fishermen too, and from May to October is amazing with its beautiful beaches reminiscent of other tropical locations.

Hotels of all price ranges are available in the main city . B&B accommodation is ideal for anglers: a quick google search will give you several possibilities in Alghero, while in Stintino there are a few open during the low season, including the recommended B&B Il Porto Vecchio (www.bbstintino.com).

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BEACHFESTIVAL

©Xavier Ansart

On the 30th of March 2012, Outdoor UAE organized its first beach festival. With the tremendous support of its main sponsors; Adventure HQ and Jebel Ali Golf Resort and Spa, the first OutdoorUAE beach festival proved to be a great success. Further sponsors of the event included Julbo Eyewear, Al Ain Water Adventure Park and Al Yousuf Motors. A special thank you goes out to all sponsors and all the supporters of the event, not to mention those who ran activities throughout the day and contributed to the fantastic job of getting the people involved!

Why a Beach Festival? The concept of the Beach festival first came about with an aim to bring together some of the most enjoyable, accessible and relatively inexpensive activities to one venue. With some of the top outdoor operators and retailers in the UAE as supporters and sponsors - their outdoor activities and products would be available for the public to try out, getting them involved, trying something new and meeting the people behind the names!

The main challenge the Outdoor UAE team faced in explaining the idea to people was to get them to understand it was a celebration of the Outdoors, a ‘Festival’ and not a trade show. One of Outdoor UAE’s main aims was to get people involved in all these activi-ties and let them try as many as pos-sible in one day. To be able to run the event, an entrance fee of 100 AED for Adults and 50 AED for kids below 10 years was charged. The entrance fee

and limited tickets ensured that everyone had the chance to try the activities with no long queues. Despite the World Cup the following day at Meydan (just 30 minutes drive away), 600 visitors walked through the door and enjoyed not only a great day out at the beach but activity participated in an event that looks to have a promising future on Dubai’s yearly to do list!

With not much more to say than, ‘hope to see you there next time’ –have a look to the photos to get a feel of what the day was about!

Dubai's Only True Resort

++EVENT REVIEW

FRIDAY 30TH MARCH - a most excellent day of fun for all

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All photos of the event can be found on our website and on facebook, please tag yourself and friends and share the photos.

If you are interested in the event and would like to join us for the next beach festival we are aiming to run the event from morning until evening rather than afternoon until midnight. Sign up to our newsletter to find out more about how to get involved.

The next event will most probably be after the summer heat or on the last week before the end of May, we will be announcing it shortly so keep your ears peeled! Follow us to stay up to date.

A big thank you goes out to all the visitors and to all the sponsors and supporters and remember once you get involved – stay involved!

The OutdoorUAE Team.

©Xavier Ansart

©Xavier Ansart

32

HUMMVEE JERSEY 225AED Available at: Adventure HQ in Times Square Center, Micah’s Bike Shop in Al Quoz area behind Oasis Centre Trail Protection, Rapid-wick textured fabric, Contrast mesh panels underarm/side/back neck Long CF zipper with snap-down puller and reflective piping Triple rear pockets Zipped reflective pocket with iPod® port Microfibre glasses wipe integrated into side seam Silicone back pack gripper shoulder prints

SINGLET RACK II SHORTS 335AED Available at: Adventure HQ in Times Square Center, Micah’s Bike Shop in Al Quoz area be-hind Oasis Centre Fully featured, durable baggy shorts, Cordura® nylon fabric with durable water repellent fin-ish, Stretch thigh and back yoke panels, Front pockets with magnetic closure including zipped security pocket, Rear cargo pockets, Thigh vents with contrast zippers and mesh inserts, Wicking waistband with integral elastication and D-ring construction for adjustment, Heavy duty double and triple stitch on all seams, Clickfast™ compat-ible

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

COLUMBIA ENDURA 35 605AED

Available at: all Columbia Stores +971 4 434 1280

Available sizes: 35L, 50L(755AED), 65L(785AED). Features: Omni-

Shield advanced repellency, Techlite Endurance L.O.A.D. shoulder straps, Techlite L.O.A.D. hip-belt, 3L hydration compatible

YAMAHA VALUE 4-BUCKLE PFD 230AED

Available at: all Al Yousuf Showrooms

Tel: 04 3390621

Heavy duty coated nylon PFD by Yamaha is designed to assist a wearer,

either conscious or unconscious, to keep afloat. Equipped with Front, Side

& back foam & U.S. Coast Guard Ap-proved/UL Listed.

++PRODUCTS

33

TWIN AIR FILTERS 110AED Available at: SebSports +9714 3393399 www.sebsports.com Twin Air Filter’s design, high quality materials and superior construction deliver unbeatable performance and protection - and make Twin Air Filters the hands-down choice of more World & National Champions than all other filters combined. Extensive range available for bikes, quads and UTVs

REACTOR 35 MUMMY 495AED

Available at: all Columbia Stores +971 4 434 1280

Compass Blue, 100% Nylon. Features: Omni-

Heat - thermal reflactive lining, Omni-Shield - ad-vanced repellency, 2lb average weight, storage

sack included.

FREESTYLE WATCH 620AED Available at: Burton & Circle8 shop at Dubai Mall. Tel: 04-434-0675 A sport inspired evolution from the original Precision, upgraded with a fresh look and new ana-digi module to keep you on time before, during, and after your next adventure. 51mm Case, Analog and digital time/day/date, 1/100s Stopwatch, Dual Time, Daily Alarm, Dual Time Alarm, Preset Timer, Hourly Chime, Stainless Steel case, Durable polyurethane strap, Rotat-ing bezel, Hydro pushers, 200 Meters H2O

Elementfitness

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Let Element �tness remove the 4 walls and take you outside the gym . Challenge your thinking about what it means to be "�t" and how great it feels to really enjoy achieving your goals,Let us remind you how amazing and exhilarating it is to be out there in the natural world, which we often take for granted.

Have a passion and stay �t and healthy.

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PERSONAL TRAINING…ADD A LITTLEEXCITEMENTTO YOURTRAINING

34

our e

xper

ts

Tori writer, runner, blogger &

adidas athletePS. My email address is

[email protected] for thoughts, ideas, and

suggestions… or just to say hello!

AdventureChickdoes the downward dog

I have long been a fan of yoga. It has multiple benefits on its own from stress and pain relief to increasing strength, balance and flexibility, from car-dio conditioning to finding some inner peace and quietening our monkey minds.

Yoga is also a fantastic way to iron out the kinks we create from our adventure activities, be they cycling or climbing, trail running or paddling, mountaineering or diving. Add the al fresco element and Adventure Chick becomes very happy indeed. And so it was, on a cool Friday afternoon, that I made sure I found time for Yoga Fest’s Full Moon Friday event.

Yoga Fest is a fantastic community yoga initiative held by one of the lakes in Dubai Internet City. Taking place every month, in conjunction with the full moon, the event is all about bringing together Dubai residents of all ages and abilities to practise yoga together and to experi-ment with different yoga styles. Various sessions are held, led by the city’s leading instructors, for an hour at a time.

Just pitch up at any major yoga studio these days and you will be dazzled by the array of classes on offer … some focus more on breathing and meditation, oth-ers give you a pretty tough and physical work-out and others again, are fantastic for stretching and rejuvenating. All, to varying degrees, have a profound effect on our mental, emotional and physical health.

The three sessions held on this occa-sion were Hatha, Pulse and Yin Yang.

Hatha Yoga is really the root of all yoga disciplines and is ideal for beginners as well as more experienced practition-ers who want a more gentle, slow-paced, meditative yoga experience. Asanas (poses) are held for longer lengths of time thus enhancing muscle tone, flexibility and a peaceful mind. The end of a class is usually spent practicing some breathing and relaxation techniques.

Pulse Yoga is all about micro move-ments and free weights that are applied to basic yoga postures to strengthen, sculpt & tone your body and give you arms, shoulders and a bottom to die for. The sequencing of the postures allows you to flow smoothly through the routine

and thereby reap the added benefit of enhancing your flexibility as well.

Yin Yang Yoga provides the benefits of a balanced practice of Yin and Yang styles of yoga. The Yin style of long-held passive poses opens the body to more flexibility, increased flow of chi (energy) and a more contemplative mind-set. Yang yoga, on the other hand, is more active and dynamic, designed to strengthen and invigorate the body and mind.

I left Full Moon Friday feeling relaxed, recharged and rejuvenated … and thanks to the lush lawns, splashing ducks and singing birds, I left forgetting I was in the midst of a commercial district in the middle of the desert. The entire concept is really pretty special. Here, amidst the offices of some of the world’s greatest companies, in probably one of the most dynamic, corporate and fast-moving cities in the world, come together a community from all four corners, of all levels of yoga experience and all walks of life, to prac-tise yoga outdoors. Few countries alone, throughout the ‘winter’ months, even have the climate to accommodate this!

I love that so many great community events are sprouting all over Dubai these days. They are a welcome antidote from the glitz and glamour that can sometimes seem overwhelming. This one, I certainly hope, will be here to stay and judging by the numbers that turn up each month, I suspect it will do!

Need to know:

When: The next Full Moon Friday is planned on 6th April then the series will break for the summer. Their annual weekend-long YogaFest event will be held 29th Nov – 1st Dec. Where: Dubai Internet City Amp-itheatre Wear: Comfortable clothing and take a yoga mat or a large towel What else: Call 04 391 0001 for enquiries, visit www.dic.ae/yogafest & join YogaFest UAE on Facebook too. The event is free but registration is recommended ...

Love, Tori x Photos: Wouter Kingma

++OUR EXPERTS

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DUBAI INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW 2012

A Boater’s Paradise

Dubai has been building its name as one of the world’s luxurious destinations to date, and does not fall short of being such. But still, with all the gold-and-diamond trappings embroidered on the desert-city’s landscape, it always remembers its roots of being a coastal community, once thriving on the gifts of the azure waters of the Arabian Gulf that has been richly blessed with pearls and an assortment of marine life.

And what better way to pay tribute to its blessed waters than by a celebration of boats and equipment that were meant for maritime travels, blending a stroke of class and the extravagance that Dubai has become inherently and rightfully synonymous with. That, indeed, must have been the motif of the Dubai International Boat Show that ran from March 13 to 17 at the Dubai International Marine Club – Mina Seyahi.

Boats of all sizes and ones with odd shapes and styles, were docked at the Marina where the gargantuan and grandiose have come together so well in one place. Super yachts were floating mansions at sea, boasting their fine woodwork and hotel-like cabin interiors aboard. Deck boats and speed boats made with five-star quality, catamarans for those who love setting to the sea with sails and the latest marine technologies and equipment available in the maritime market.

One particular watercraft that stood out from the rest was a huge ‘floating gallery’ that was indeed both stunning and audacious. The two-storey 15-plus ft. long gallery boat was brought by the Al Futtaim group as one of its frontline attractions

in selling its latest offerings in the marine industry.

The luxurious boat show event would not be complete without the presence of the nation’s crown jewel of the seas, the mega yacht ‘Dubai.’ The prestigious yacht once hailed the largest of its kind in the world was a grand statement of Dubai’s wealth and class. The 531ft behemoth of a yacht is owned by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE’s vice-president, prime minister and the ruler of Dubai. The floating seven-star-luxury-hotel-like yacht has 44 cabins, a crew of 88 men strong and a rumored worth of over 300 million USD. The mega yacht’s interior design was also made fit for a sheikh highlighted by luxurious fabrics and handmade mosaics within its masterful halls, and by a grand, circular staircase made with glass steps that changes color.

The boat show was not entirely about boats, though. A mélange of other trades were there ranging from diving clubs, adventure groups, and cars – which was quite an odd thing to expect in an exhibit that features things for the water, in spite of that, did not fall short of being one with the fabulous atmosphere, with high-class carmakers like Alfa Romeo, which caught the attention of passersby with its futuristic sports car, that strutted their top-of-the line automotives near the entrance halls.

The OutdoorUAE team was also one of the exhibitors at the event, handing out complimentary copies to passers-by curious of what we had in store for them. A raffle of three goodies we were given away during the final day of the exhibition:

including a Modular Kayak from GO Sport Dubai mall, a fishing trip for 6 from Ocean Active and a night’s stay for two at the Banyan Tree in Ras Al Khaimah.

Indeed, the emirate that was once a humble coastal province where the sails of its dhows billow to the breath of the Arabian breeze, has proved that it can and will always hail its beginnings, and celebrate the treasures of the Arabian blue with a spectacular show of maritime greatness.


++EVENT REVIEW

37

>>MEET OUR RAFFLE WINNERS!

We had 3 fantastic raffle prizes to give away at the boat show, and here are the winners!

MODULAR KAYAK FROM GOSPORTDUBAI MALLPENNY MCGARRY

1 NIGHT FOR TWO AT THE BANYAN TREELEANNE GALLARD-COETZEE

FISHING CRUISE FOR UP TO 6 PEOPLEGARY KELLY

38

SEA SPORTS & SAFETY

Your Life is More Important than the Unsafe Adventures!

Summer is almost at the doors, knocking the sea enthusiast to get into the exciting, fun filled sea adventures. Let’s do kayaking... what about surfing... No, no, we should do wakeboarding or may be rafting..! We are loaded with options! Hey wait for a while, have you prepared your-self for sea uncertainties or you are about to risk your life? Oh, what are the safety measures? Hmmm, let’s explore some:

Kayaking:Kayak is the perfect option to roam on sea, fishing, and exploring new exciting places. It’s a paddle supported boat with a capacity to hold 1 or 2 persons. Boat safety: Before getting into your kayak check your kayak & paddles thoroughly for any repair and maintenance requirements.Personal Safety: Life Jacket / PFDs, Helmet, wetsuit, gloves, shoes

Wake Boarding or Surfing:Wakeboarding, surfing or even wake surfing is thrilling face-to-face fun with the sea while ruling on waves or wake. It’s fast, easy & can be done around any water location with suitable waves. Wakeboard Safety: Check your bindings and the tow row are safely secured, and that you have a life jacket if you are behind a boat.Board Safety: Wax your board properly & check the Leash with other parts.Personal Safety: Wetsuit, Gloves, Boot and Bindings

Towable / Inflatable With towable you can share the fun together while keeping yourself close to water. Through this activity you come across to various faces of water with thrilling experiences.Towable Safety: check towable for possible leakages, breakage and other maintenance requirementsPersonal Safety: Life Jacket, Wetsuit, jacket, gloves, helmets, shoes

If you are planning to spend more than few hours in water than it is recommended to

keep the following items with you because weather conditions can change so quickly!

• Visual Signals (e.g: flash lights, flares)• Navigation Equipment (e.g: campus,

GPS)• Storage bags with shorts & extra

cloths• Sunscreen, sunglasses, cap etc• Drinking water and snacks• Tool Kits and Spare Parts• First Aid

It is always recommended that you should chose quality safety items through the authorized dealers such as Al Yousuf Motors where not only quality is good but also you can find their price very competitive, above all, you can find Al Yousuf Showrooms throughout UAE.

39

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40

RED BIRDTHE

Kit Our fishing pro

Each time I acquire a new fishing gadget, I get excited. The Hobie Mirage Adventure Island, is no exception. Getting to know a boat is like getting to know a person. Knowing that you have to work within the limits of its capacities could either be frustrating…or in my case, fun! I love experimenting and rigging things to suit my fishing style. This was a huge undertaking and I believe as I go on and discover more about its “personality” I will be able to rig it the way I expect it to be rigged. The boat will behave the way I want it to…and so, it started…

THE QUEST FOR THE UNCLUTTERED DECK!I was facing quite a few challenges with the Adventure Island. The very first thing I noticed is the challenge of not having the kind of space you would expect when you see the boat for the first time. The Adventure Island is a big kayak! Until you get into the cockpit... There are:

• Two ropes; one for furling the sail and your mainsheet.

• The dagger board• The dagger board hole plug. • The mirage drive• The mirage drive cassette plug

The ropes alone made me wonder how to stow them properly; they were all over the place! The first

solution I thought of was to install another pulley on the right side aka, then connect both the furling line and mainsheet. This would also provide a one- handed operation in both the furling, unfurling and trimming of the sail – this did not work, so off it went. Later I discovered that I could keep them out of the way by storing them neatly in front whilst fishing. I was happy with that, but there were other things cluttering the cockpit.

The daggerboard is long and poses the question of storage. When launching, I usually keep it lashed on the front hatch. However, I discovered that if you put the right side seat strap through the safety

loop of the daggerboard, you can safely strap it with the paddle strap on the right hand side. Stowing it on the side of the boat leashed with the paddle straps keeps it out of the way when not in use but just inches away from you, should you need it. If I only use the mirage drive when paddling out to deeper water, I still keep it strapped on the front hatch.

The foam plug for the daggerboard hole can be jammed in tight when in use which keeps it out of the way. However, the real challenge is what to do when the daggerboard is on and the plug comes out as there is nowhere to put it. I took the leash off the pad eye and put the strap of the seat through the rope loop. This gives you the freedom to slide it up and down the seat strap so you don’t lose it, and when the daggerboard is in use you can put the plug in the side mesh pocket. The length of the leash is just enough that you would think it was custom made!

The Mirage drive on my Adventure Island is always mounted and I ensure it is leashed at all times to prevent accidents. This is primarily the reason why I don’t take the mirage drive out of the mount in

An almost fully dressed Red Bird

A clean deck and some much needed free space!

++OUR EXPERTS

41

the first place; you stand a huge chance of losing it if you take it out of the well. The space is also where I put the Mirage Drive cassette plug when I use the Mirage Drive.

I am happy to report that I now have a very clean deck!

With all of that out of the way, my next challenge was where to put my rods.

The Adventure Island is a great piece of kit and I firmly believe that with a few modifications and a few aftermarket parts, it really could be a lean mean fishing machine. So after taking it out a couple of times, I immediately saw how the molded in rod holders, even with the extensions, just wouldn’t cut it.

The mainsheet runs to the back of the kayak and should not snag anything. With that in mind, you need your rod holder to stick to the sides in a very wide “V”. The place for this I believe is the aka mounting bar just behind the seat. It is easily one of the strongest parts of the kayak since this is one of the kayak’s lift points. These bars are the recommended places to hold when lifting the kayak with the akas and amas in place. I have installed two RAM ball mounts just behind the seat and use both rod holders for my trolling rods. The placement is perfect! I can adjust the tubes so they point slightly inward and can see both the right and left trolling rod tips at the same time.

The Adventure Island is a wet ride, but then again, most kayaks are. The adventure island is the sports car of the kayak world and with the kind of speed it can go, the ride IS expected to be wet. To keep things dry, a cooler box solves the issue and it can double as a fighting chair that you can also sit on while fighting fish. There is no fear of flipping over since the amas make the boat very stable. Putting the icebox there for dry storage will eliminate the option of using this space to carry more rods via crate and rod holder-tubes; you don’t want it there because of the mainsheet anyway…I tried, and failed.

On any day, I have at least 4 rods using two to troll and two for casting and bottom fishing. If I was to spend the whole day in the water, I could carry 6 or more rods fully rigged. The icebox contains everything from the stuff I want to keep dry, food, extra water, my phone and extra lures and much more.

The front hatch, when opened, is lined with an IKEA blue zipper bag, which I use as a fish bag. It can hold anything from as small as a snapper to a medium sized kingfish. On the mast base is a dry bag which holds the battery for my fish finder. I have temporarily glued the transducer (with a little bit of help from some waterproof duct tape) just behind the mast base and just in front of the mirage drive to keep it from moving around. It gives me very accurate readings and even water temperature!

ELECTRONICS AND OTHER BITS AND BOBSI have a GPS loaded with a chart for the whole of the UAE and Oman which I keep in the bottle holder in my right hand side.

The fishfinder is clamped on to the front AKA cross bar and I believe it is the best possible place for a fishfinder to be. Best of all, I didn’t have to drill holes for these modifications.

Next week, I will be installing trampolines for the first time so I can fish off of them whilst fly fishing or bottom fishing.

A drift chute and a sailing rudder are coming and the last to be installed would be a front splashguard.

THE FLIGHT OF THE RED BIRDMy friends and I started calling her “Red Bird”, as it’s red and boy can it fly!

I keep on looking forward to the weekends so I can spend time on the water with this amazing watercraft. Red Bird will definitely catch something crazy pretty soon…so watch this space!

Till the next tidechange,

Kit.

A drybag bungeed to the mast base to hold the fish finder’s battery

An IKEA bag lining the front hatch to keep the catch out of the sun and the inside of the hull clean

Everything I don’t want to get wet inside a cooler box that fits per-fectly in the well behind the seat - Also doubles as a fighting chair.

A nice catfish caught light jigging with PE 0.5 line.

42

Toby Toby Foord-Kelcey is

the author of “UAE Rock Climbing”, the first printed

guidebook to UAE and Musandam climbing. A

longer account of the first ascent of “Exile” can be

found at the blog (click the “nostalgia” tag) at www.

redarmadapublishing.com along with details about the

guidebook and UAE climbing generally.

GHALILAH MONSTERS

by Toby Foord-Kelcey

The road into Wadi Ghalilah sidesteps a giant cement factory flanked by correspondingly vast and apocalyptic quarry workings. There’s nothing to indicate that the UAE’s most dramatic mountain scenery lies beyond. In some other countries you would find a national park entrance at a similar location but in the UAE the extractive industries rule unchallenged. Perhaps one day that will change. A few kilometers beyond the quarries the wadi opens up into a broad basin ringed with large cliffs up to 1000m high. From this point most visitors head towards one destination: the infamous “Stairway to Heaven” hike. For non-climbers the “stairway” part of the route gives a taste of big cliff exposure, but for experienced climbers it’s just a moderate scramble, if a long one. More substantial challenges abound.

In the late 1990s several of the biggest faces in Ghalilah were climbed by the swiss climber, Antoine Fabre, with various expat partners. Due to their length and seriousness his ascents were a step or two beyond most of the climbing being pioneered elsewhere at the time and did not receive any further attention for several years. When I worked on the guidebook in 2008/9 I wasn’t convinced their likely limited appeal justified full descriptions in print and in most cases instead uploaded details to the web for anyone keen enough to find. The size of Antoine’s routes accentuates their seriousness as removing loose rock on abseil prior to an ascent would be impractical. In contrast new route pioneers like John Gregory working on smaller cliffs elsewhere in the RAK area were always doing this. I biased the book toward “pre-cleaned” routes, believing this was the direction UAE climbing was developing and that Antoine-style ground-up “chossaneering” would prove an aberration of the past.

How wrong I was! I was already aware that a couple of eccentric Dubai climbers, Aiden Laffey and Tim Richards, had been quietly plugging away with ground-up new routes in Ghalilah and elsewhere.

To my horror, the chossaneers’ ranks swelled, especially from the newly-established adventure training school, Al Shaheen, in RAK. Aiden even implausibly recruited Philippe Delauney, an expat from the spiritual home of safe, pre-prepared climbing: France!

Over the last couple of years almost all Antoine’s routes have now been repeated. The biggest of them, Barun Wall, a 600m monster, was dispatched by Aiden and Andrew LaBonte, a very strong “RAK local”, in December 2010 in a single effort. Quite apart from the massive scale of the ascent, the descent involved several km of ledge walking and committing multiple abseils, which took Aiden and Andy three and half hours even with extensive prior knowledge of the area. In his write-up of their climb, Andy commented that a less familiar team could easily double that time; so potentially a day to get up and day to get down: a real alpine scale adventure!

Around the same time, Andy’s colleague Peter Thompson, a British climber with extensive mountain experience around the world, got interested in the even larger face right of the “Stairway” cliff. Success required three attempts with different partners, exploring

Jebel Ras

++OUR EXPERTS

43

different parts of the face in stages, before making a single-day continuous ascent in February 2011. The route, Black Dog, is probably the longest in the UAE at nearly 1000m, though as the climbing is divided by a long section of scrambling, from which escape is possible, it is not quite as substantial as Barun Wall.

In the guidebook I noted that: “As yet no complete route has been pioneered to the summit of Jebel Ras Al Qays from this side; an interesting challenge with complex logistics.” Jebel Ras Al Qays is the mountain face behind which the usual Stairway to Heaven descends. It is a vast expanse of tiered cliffs, several km wide and certainly over 1000m tall. Aiden had been quietly exploring this face for several years, initially alone and in the summer months at night! He eventually linked the whole thing together in a single day in January 2011 with Shahan Contractor. This route is possibly even longer than Black Dog overall; much easier technically but much more committing as there’s no easy escape.

One of Antoine’s routes that did make the printed guidebook is Exit Surprise, a 250m route on the Shady Circus cliff, which actually forms the lowest tier of the Ras Al Qays face. I’d emphasized this cliff in the book as the routes seemed more like more conventional “cragging” than elsewhere in Ghalilah; an easy approach walk, fairly easy descent and strong lines to follow. However, at the time of inclusion in the book, Exit Surprise had not been repeated. Once again, Aiden has been the main protagonist. From 2009 onwards he made four attempts on the route, with escalating drama. The key obstacle was the fourth pitch, about 150m up the wall, where

Antoine had traversed horizontally leaving several pitons in place. One attempt ended in Andy getting lost beyond the pitons. His resultant long fall was an unwelcome test of the now decade old pitons’ integrity. Aiden and Philippe finally succeeded on the route in November 2011. The “surprise” on the route is a chimney that disappears right into the cliff. Aiden takes up the story.

“The chimney forms an hourglass shape that you have to squeeze through. You look straight down to the wadi from 200m here. It’s dark inside, hard to move and there’s no protection. I actually slid a metre or so at one point but stopped myself. At the top there’s an exit like a rabbit hole which is the exact width of my chest. You pop out on a big ledge. Above that it is easy.”

Toby.

Aiden.

Exit surprise

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AL YOUSUF MOTORS E-Bike out door ad.ai 1 1

44

THE FIRST OUTDOOR MAGAZINE FOR THE UAE AND THE MIDDLE EAST

ADVANCED OFF-ROADING GUIDE BOOK

18 ADVANCED ROUTES FOR THE UAE AND OMAN

DETAILED MAPS AND DESCRIPTIONS INCLUDING WAYPOINT TABLES

FREE CD WITH .GPS FILES FOR USE ON YOUR COMPUTER OR GPS DEVICE

PRESENTS...

Route 17Rock & Sand Tour

Grade 3

A little teaser of our ultimate off-road guide!

Get your copy online at www.outdooruae.com

General DescriptionThis route will take you over three very

technically demanding mountain passes in

the Jebel Sumeyni Area. Jebel Sumeyni lies

in a part of the Oman that can be accessed

from the UAE without the need for an Omani

visa. It lies to the South of the E44 (Dubai to

Hatta road). After the mountain passes of the

Jebel Sumeyni area you will move on to the

high dunes to the West and work your way

back towards the E44. This route is a circular

day route. Please note that unless you are

using, at least, AT tyres and have a limited

slip differential and/or differential locks on

your vehicle, you will be unlikely to make it

over some of the mountain passes without

difficulty. You have been warned! If you do

this route, you will be rewarded with some

spectacular desert and mountain scenery

and be traversing mountain passes that have

rarely been driven over.

Note: You will need to carry your Emirates ID

and/or Passport to pass through the security

check point on the Dubai – Hatta road. At the

time of writing, there were no formal immigra-

tion procedures on the road, merely an ID

check by the UAE authorities.

Accommodation OptionsAs this is a day trip, no accommodation op-

tions are given. However there are ample and

excellent camping opportunities along the

route, should you so wish.

Escape RoutesThe ‘rock’ part of the tour follows tracks,

though sometimes quite indistinct. If you

need to escape during this part of the tour it

would be best to either back-track (if you’re

heading up to a pass summit) or keep going

(if you’re descending a pass summit) to one of

the major West-East tracks that you cross and

then head East to the main road that leads

North to the E44. You may however, find that

you’re descending from a pass summit and

the track ahead becomes impassable. In this

case you face the difficult prospect of turning

around and heading back over the pass to

escape.

To escape during the ‘sand’ part of the tour

you’ll need to descend from the dunes on

to the gravel plains and then find your way

onto one of the West-East tracks and then

Rock and Sand

Detailed DescriptionGetting yourself to the start point is relatively

simple. Get onto the E44 (Al Khail road) in

Dubai and follow it to Hatta. You will pass

through the UAE/Omani border just after

the Al Madam roundabout (a passport and/

or an Emiratres ID card is required at the

checkpoint). You will pass the Al Maha petrol

station on your left and the start point is a

further 5.7km on the right.

head East to the main road leading up to the

E44. Once you’ve finished the last stretch of

dune driving it would be quickest and easiest

to follow the line of the Oman/UAE border

fence to the E44.

Enroute to RS8

45

RS Start - RS8: At the start point

you will turn right off the E44 onto a roughly

tarmacced quarry road. Follow this road until

you turn right at RS1 and keep following this

quarry road until you arrive at RS2. At RS2

you turn left onto the wadi track (you may

wish to deflate at this point) that will take you

through the spectacular Wadi Mayhah in the

shadow of Jebel Maqam. Follow the wadi

track and find your way to RS3 and on until

you reach the large track at RS4. Turn left onto

the track at RS4 and follow it for the short

This is just part of one route that you’ll find in the full book. This route will also come with a ta-ble of coordinates, along with a high resolution, detailed map! And don’t forget, a GPS file of this route come with the free CD!

distance to RS5, where you turn to the right

and follow the fainter track along the base

of a small hill. Follow this faint track on the

right side of the wadi until you arrive at RS6.

From here you will be able to see the line of

the track up to the first pass summit. Follow

the track and divert into the wadi bed at RS7

and then regain the track. Beyond this point

you will require some nerve, and faith in your

vehicle’s ability to continue. Follow the track

until it turns down and to the left and then

climbs steeply up to the pass summit, RS8.

RS8 - RS14: From the summit

descend with care to the floor of Wadi

Suhaymah and pick up the track taking you

towards RS9. You’ll need to divert off this wadi

track to get to RS9 but you’ll then pick up an-

other faint track. Follow this faint track until it

joins a larger one and follow this to RS10. Turn

right at RS10, stay on the track and turn right

onto the larger track at RS11 towards the vil-

lage of Sumeyni. Pass the village on your right

and turn left at RS12 and pick up the track on

the right side of the wadi and head towards

RS13. RS13 is a crossroads of survey tracks.

From here you’ll see the line of the track up

to the next summit pass. Beyond this point

you will require some nerve, and faith in your

vehicle’s ability to continue. Follow the line of

this track towards the summit, you will have

to divert a couple of times off and back on to

the track, before making the final steep climb

up to the second summit pass at RS14. Enjoy

the spectacular views from here towards

where the dunes and mountains merge.

RS14 – RS20: Descend with care

from the summit pass and follow the track

towards RS15. Turn left onto the wadi track,

skirting the edge of the dunes on your right.

Then turn right into a small gravel wadi at

RS16 and follow it with care until you can

climb out to the right towards the faint track

at RS17 You may need to explore on foot

from the wadi towards RS17 to check the way

ahead. At RS17, follow the faint track towards

the third summit pass. Turn right at RS18 and

then left at RS19 and head towards the sum-

mit pass. Beyond this point you will require

some nerve, and faith in your vehicle’s ability

to continue. Ascend to the summit pass at

RS20.

RS20 – RS27: Descend with extra

care from the summit pass. Turn left and then

right at RS21 and follow the tracks over the

gravel plain, skirting the sand and then onto

the track at RS22 and through to RS23 and

RS24. At RS24 turn sharp right on to the track,

then left at RS25 and right onto a survey line

at RS26 towards the dunes and RS27. You

may wish to deflate down to sand driving

pressures at this point. Gain the dunes and

ascend to RS27.

RS27 – RS Finish: The dunes

are quite spectacular and you should pick

your own line through them. Follow the

line of the dunes westwards and then north

westwards to descend to the track at RS28.

Then pick your line across the gravel planes

and over the dunes through RSs 29, 30 and

onto RS31. RS31 is at the base of the final

stretch of dunes, to the left of a plantation

enclosure. Ascend into the dunes and find

your own line to RS32. At RS32 you will see

the UAE/Oman border fence to your left. You

may wish to follow the track along the fence

line towards the finish point. As you near the

finish point, within 4km of it, you’ll need to

divert from the fence line track and pick your

way over the gravel plain to the finish point.

RS Finish Onwards: From

the finish point drive on towards the E44 and

re-inflate. Turn right onto the E44 and follow

it until you can make a U- turn and head back

towards Dubai, refilling at the Al Maha petrol

station if required.

Ascent to RS14

46

Jesse Lee DavidsonWhere are you from? I am from Zimbabwe How old are you? I am 11 and my birthday is in April and I’ll be turning 12How long have you lived in Dubai? I have lived in Dubai most of my life - 9 years nowWhat is your favourite thing to do? My favourite thing to do besides all my sports is motocrossWhat bike do you have? I used to have a 2011 KTM 65cc SX, now I have a 2009 Suzuk RM-Zi 85ccWhere is your favourite place to ride? I really like the U.A.Q track because it’s really open and you can give it full throttleHow long have you been riding / racing for? I have been riding for a year and this was my first seasonHow is the season going so far? It’s been a great season! I haven’t lost a round but missed a few because I broke my armWhat is your biggest achievement so far? My biggest achievement so far is be-ing the only girl at DMX so far competing to win a championshipDo you find it hard racing against all the boys? I don’t really think that I am racing against a different gender, I just try my best no matter if its boys or girls

What inspires you? Well my mom and dad used to race go karts and my friend’s brother did it, so as soon as I saw him I knew that was what I wanted to doWould you recommend this to other girls living in Dubai? I would highly recommend this to other girls; it gives us a chance to show our GIRL POWER!

©Kyle Stanley

++PEOPLE

47

Nathan RootName: Nathan Root Occupation: Camera Assistant / Editor Nationality: Australian Age: 26 What is your passion? Photography is a huge passion of mine along with travel, which is great because the two are inextri-cably linked for me. I always want to know what’s at the end of the road.. and then take a photo of it. Once you have the bug then you’ll do anything if you think you’ll get a good photo out of it!What inspires you? My deathbed. When all is said and done and your lying there sur-rounded by your family (hopefully) you will never look back and say, “wow, I’m so glad I stayed in that job an extra 10 years and didn’t ever follow my dream to travel the world because the job security was great!” You can’t take money, you can’t take a house and in the end all you have are some great stories to tell your grand kids.What has been your best experience that you can remember? At the age of 25 I had what I like to call a mid-mid-life crisis; I sold everything and bought a one way ticket to Bangkok. A few weeks later in Hanoi I bought an old Minsk and rode through South East Asia for 3 months alone. This was by far the most alive and free I have ever felt. It really was the adventure I’d al-ways craved.

What is your next planned adventure?A friend of mine has offered to teach me how to ride a horse, so it will be either a horse trip to Mongolia if I can ride well enough or another motorcycle trip, maybe this time to Europe.What would you recommend our read-ers? At some point in your life you have to look at what your doing, take a step back and say “this is so ridiculously awesome I can’t believe I’m actually doing it”. It may be as easy as going on a roller coaster you’ve always been scared of, it may be paragliding through the Himalayas or zip lining high through the canopies in north-ern Laos, but what ever it is, all your reasons of why you can’t do them are laughable once you are there.

48

The Porsche 911 was down to its’ chassis in a Jumeirah sand lot and was minutes away from being torn apart, as the owner had parked in the wrong place when fetching his daughter from pre-school. I arrived just in time to stop a well- meaning, but inexperienced rescuer from attempting to drag the car out. On closer inspection I saw that the strap had been looped around bits of the Porche’s rear suspension, one tug and the fancy sportster would be spare parts. Within a few minutes I’d reset everything using the correct equipment and, with very judicious use of the accelerator pedal, eased the 911 slowly from its sand trap. Recovery skills are not only for off-road; I’ve done many recoveries within Dubai city limits, and you start with buying the proper equipment, not just whatever you find at the hardware store.

Recovery straps. Snatch Straps. Kinetic Ropes. Tug-ems. They go by a variety of different names, most look like webbing while some are braided ropes, I’ll use ‘strap’

for simplicity. A recovery strap and a tow rope are two very different things, even though they look similar. Firstly, recovery straps are dynamic, not static, which means that the strap is designed to stretch; not only does this cushion the impact of the pull but it stores kinetic energy in the strap - more on this later. Secondly, they have sewn loops at both ends or are spliced in the case of some braided ropes. Good recovery straps are not cheap. My main strap (I also carry a spare) cost me AED500 and has been worth every Fil. It always amazes me that off-roaders will spend a fortune buying a car but will buy the cheapest recovery gear they can find, risking serious damage to

the vehicle or injury, even death, to themselves or bystanders.

Starting from left in the above picture (Picture 1) we have a lifting sling, steel-hooked towing strap and a towing strap with sewn loops. Avoid the steel-hooked strap at all costs; it’s a fatality waiting to happen. The D-shackle on the sling costs 12 dirhams, would you trust your expensive car to a cheap shackle? Only the two on the right are proper recovery straps, the large yellow one is my main workhorse and the white with red loops my spare. The white one is commonly available and quite adequate for most off-roaders.

When buying straps don’t rely on the sales-person but look for

Craig Craig Reynolds was born

and raised under the African sun and has been wondering around in the outdoors for as

long as he can remember. Over the years he has

climbed, hiked, 4x4ed, dived, surfed, kayaked and a lot

of other things too, always with a camera at hand. He is an unrehabilitated Land

Cruiser addict who is often sunburnt and generally in

need of a shave and you can see his photos and read his

infrequently updated blog at sunburntandinneedofashave.

com

Picture 2: The right kind of shackles

RECOVERY STRAPS

What Your Mates Don’t Know

++TIPS’n’TRICKS

by Craig Reynolds

Picture 1: The wrong and right straps

Lifting sling

Steel-hooked towing strap

Towing strap with sewn loops

Large yellow recovery strap

White with red loops recovery strap

49

generated could tear it loose. Don’t over tighten the screw pin, just finger tight (Picture 4). The tug will often tighten the pin anyway, making it difficult to remove. I put the round part of the shackle through the recovery eye and the strap around the pin, this allows the shackle to swivel in the direction of pull and ensures that the stress is on the full pin length, not one leg of the bow. I’m not a rigger and can’t say this is 100% correct, but it just feels right. 4. For the rescuer to build momentum there should be slack in the strap. As illustrated in the next picture laying the strap in a zig-zag pattern between the vehicles also allows you to see if the strap has passed through itself which would result in a disastrous knot when doing the snatch. Knots severely weaken the strap and in a hard tug can sever the strap immediately, I had this happen once while crossing the Wahaiba Sands in Oman and is why I do it this way and carry a spare strap. To prevent broken recovery points from whipping about and sending a lump of steel through a windscreen or person, cover with a tarp or blanket to act as a damper (use a bigger one than in Picture 5!) 5. Now explain to the person being rescued

gear marked with ‘recovery’ or ‘dynamic’ which indicates the strap is designed to stretch,. Some sets have both recovery and tow straps in the same bag. Know which is which, snatch straps should not be used for towing any more than tow straps should be used for recovery. Some stores sell slings that are designed for static loads. Although immensely strong these are not suitable as they don’t stretch and using a sling means it’s only a matter of time before you break something (or someone.) If you ever use steel cable you should be held down and severely beaten with it, imagine a steel cable snapping and flailing through a group of bystanders, especially kids.

Along with your strap you will need some rated shackles with screw-in cross pins, not just any old ones. As can be seen in Picture 2, rated shackles come with a working load limit (WLL) stamped or raised on them, common ones are 3.25t and 4.75t shackles. I added the luminous paint to make it easier to find shackles dropped in the sand.

A 3.25t shackle should be adequate for most off-road use. Avoid stainless steel shackles with a simple push-through pin, they are not rated and the angle at which you pull can severely distort,even brake, them. The impact of a highly tensioned cheap shackle breaking under the load generated by a 2.5 ton vehicle trying to free another 2.5 ton bogged vehicle is scary. Recovery points should be bolted to the chassis and are usually a metal loop. Make sure your shackles will fit through the recovery points, the older Jeep Wranglers have a very small recovery loop on the front bumper and I've come across more than one stuck in the desert with shackles that didn't fit the vehicle. Picture 3 shows standard recovery points bolted to a Land Cruiser's chassis, they're rock solid!

Even the best drivers get stuck, if you don't get stuck you're not trying hard enough. Being able to do a snatch recovery is a basic, highly effective, but often misunderstood, technique and one that requires practice. I once ventured

out with a friend who had some off-road experience and I naively assumed that he knew how to do a snatch recovery. I managed to get my vehicle stuck in a tricky situation and set up the straps in text-book fashion as described below, expecting an easy recovery. Unfortunately my friend tried to tow me out, not snatch me out, and by the time I realised what he'd done both cars were dug-in and held in place by a highly tensioned strap. It took some careful work and steady nerves to sort it all out.

As the name implies this is a snatch and not a tow, although 'tug' is closer to describing the correct method. The basic technique is that the strap is set up between the stuck and rescue vehicles with a fair amount of slack. The rescue vehicle drives off at a moderate pace pulling the strap taught, which stores kinetic energy as it stretches. The strap then contracts and it's the strap, rather than the towing vehicle, that pulls the stuck car free. A stretchy, dynamic strap ensures there is no sudden jerk to break bits off the vehicles and the subsequent contraction does the work. Going too fast risks breaking something.

This is the routine I have used successfully for many years: 1. Firstly, take some time to assess the situation. Is the car is really stuck, could you drive out with lower tyre pressures or simply a good push? Determine the best direction for recovery taking into account slopes, churned up tracks, soft patches and the length of strap. Sometimes it’s easier to pull the vehicle back, other times forwards is better. 2. The stuck vehicle will have dug up a lot of sand, push away as much as possible in the direction of pull making a gentle ramp for the wheels. Also clear any sand blocking the chassis cross-beams, axles and differential housings. 3. Attach the shackles to the chassis recovery points on both vehicles. Do not simply use the tow hitch or bumper, the forces

Picture 3: Chassis recovery points

Picture 4: Shackle pins should be finger tight only

Picture 5: Lay the strap without twists and knot free

50

what you plan to do, how far you intend pulling them, the direction, and ensure their steering wheels are aligned with the pull. Make it clear that they are expected to help by driving out, but without spinning their wheels. Explain any hand signals you will use, mine are simple: Thumbs up for ‘Ready?’ (and they must acknowledge) and a closed fist for ‘Stop’. If you cannot see each other, have a 3 rd person relay the signals. Tell your recoveree that if they drive over the strap after being freed that you’ll push them back in the hole and leave them there. No, seriously, tell them. 6. Chase bystanders far way, making they are at least two strap lengths away from the recovery and off to the side. DO NOT allow anyone to stand between the vehicles. The combined pulling force of a few tons can send a detached recovery point through a crowd without stopping. Even a strap on its own can be lethal to a child. On some heavy recoveries I raise the cars’ hood so that any flying projectiles will strike it first rather than obliterate a window and the driver. 7. Now it’s time to do the actual snatch: The stuck vehicle signals must signal it’s ready and is in the appropriate gear

depending on if it’s to go backwards or forwards. The rescuer drives off at a moderate pace, building momentum. You should feel a solid, but gentle, tug as the strap tightens, carry on driving for a few paces and then stop, keeping your foot on the brake. DO NOT spin your wheels and try to tow the other car out, all you’ll do is dig yourself in and then two vehicles will need recovery. After a few moments you’ll feel the strap contract and hopefully the other vehicle will be firmly pulled from its resting place. If the first tug doesn’t do it, go back again without driving over the strap, make sure there are no obstructions that you missed the first time and repeat with a bit more gusto, but never too fast. Sometimes it takes more than one pull, but avoid repeated, heavy jerks as this weakens the strap. Once the car is free keep driving to the pre-arranged firm spot. You might need pliers to loosen the shackle pin, even if it was only finger tight in the first place.

Even the best quality straps have a limited lifetime, some manufacturers reckon 10 or so recoveries. In my experience having good technique

increases the number of pulls you can get out of strap while poor technique can destroy it in one go. Don’t walk, stand or drive over a strap, this forces grit into the fibers and weakens it. If people are getting stuck repeatedly it’s a good idea to alternate with your spare strap, the dynamic nature of straps mean they need a rest period to return to their original length and strength. Muddy straps, or those used in salt water, should be washed with fresh water and left to dry in the shade, avoid leaving them lying around in sunlight or packing them away wet. In the picture you can see my custom made recovery box, with both snatch and tow straps, shackles, gloves for summer and basic repair items.

This sounds a lot more involved than it is, most of these steps are just common sense. If you’ve never done a snatch before I strongly recommend doing a few practice runs with a friend before venturing far off-road. And please, open that wallet and buy some quality kinetic straps and proper rated shackles. In the long run it’s cheaper … and far safer.

Craig Reynolds.

Picture 6: A home-made recovery gear container

51

52

Remembering Dante E. Torres Jr.15th December 1981 – 12th March 2012

On March 12th 2012, Dante Torres was kitesurfing on Topanga Beach, Los Angeles, USA. Sadly, this was to be his last session as he got into trouble in the water and by the time help arrived he had passed away.

The son of Dante and Lilian Torres, Dante was born in the Philippines on December 15th 1981. He lived in Dubai and continued his quest in excellence in his professional life in the field of media production with Orbit Showtime Network. He pursued his interests in various fields of education, sports and arts to the best of his abilities. A keen kitesurfer, mountainbiker, traveller and an avid reader and collector of Outdoor UAE magazine, he lived his life to the fullest and loved his family and friends dearly and passionately.

We will be missing him but, Dante was doing what he loved and in his own words, "everything happens for a reason".

Stories about DanteDuring the hot season, every weekend, my brother would rush me and his best friend because we have to go to the beach while there's wind. His heart was racing with excitement and acting all giddy. We'd go to the beach and watch him kite while his best friend and I made fun of him.

He would sometimes fly to Bahrain for the weekend or spend almost a month in the Philippines and just kitesurf all day. During the weekdays, he told me that- permitted that there's wind, he drops everything at work during the middle of the day/afternoon and goes to the beach and kites alone. My brother passionately loves this sport that's why I am still at ease that he passed doing what he's passionate about. To the kiters, stay safe always!

Denise Torres (Sister)

Dante, You were a lovely young man, we had the pleasure of 22 days cycling around the Himalayas. You are an Angel Dante - sent down from heaven, to touch our hearts and show us how to enjoy life – and you did!!! With that big smile, full of joy, happy living, and you loved life! Sadly God wanted you back - God wanted to keep his special Angel. Now you can fly around the world with your wings... R.I.P. Dante Love Jane and Adrian (Momma and Pappa) x

Death is inevitable but this is affecting me today and I can't seem to con-centrate on anything. Not that I knew him well, unless you count spending three weeks in his company during our trip to Tibet knowing him. But then it was very intense and you get to know people and their character under trying circumstances. He was only 30 but he loved the adrenaline rush. He pushed himself on that trip and almost didn't make it until we physically stopped him, made him take rest and let his body recover. But within no time he was back on that cycle. He loved those mountain kids. He was always one of the first on the campsite and was surrounded by village kids. He ate and drank a lot and pee-d a lot too. We called him 'piddler on the roof '. He was outrageous and made us all laugh. He was so talented. The ads that ran on OSN were, to a large extent, designed by him, a very clever man. Such a waste but his time was up. There must be a reason why. If anyone knows, please tell me so I can lift the lead weight in my heart.

Mita

Everybody has a Dante Torres story to tell. Keep those stories close to your heart, as these will make him live on forever. Thank you for the memories, Mr. Shenanigans (a.k.a "the Gos", as he dubbed himself when he looked so handsome wearing a suit)... You made such an impact on a lot of people. Yours is the life that we admire, yours is the life we want to live. Love you Deej, I'll see you again someday..

Kriska

I recall the last talk we had before u left.." Irma heart, once I'm back will catch up, promise!...I haven't since my parents for a long time so I need to spend some time with them..." I never thought this would be the last words that I will hear from you.. :( Fly high Dante...will surely miss you! Thanks for the good times! Hugs!

Irma

I always thought that losing a mother will be hard, but a friend is heart-breaking too. Thank you, Dante that you included me to one of your friends. Thank you for teaching kitesurfing to me. Thank you for lending me your trainers kite and for the patience when I almost ruined your new kite. I will have a hard time to look for a friend someone like you. Please guide me up there while I'm in the water. Now I know that I don't need a new and beautiful kite because you wings will help me. RIP Dante.

Jason

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I was on Topanga beach with my 8 year old daughter on Monday April 13. We spotted Dante on the beach getting ready to kite, Dante looked like he knew what he was doing, jumping both ways and not losing too much ground despite the light wind conditions.

About 30 min went by before Dante came in to land. He asked me why I was not going out and I told him I only have a small kite. As he smoked a cigarette, I told him about the beach, the wind, water conditions around here. We spoke about other local spots and about Dubai. Smiling, he told me how he is from the desert with warm conditions and not used to the cold water here. He was very happy to be out on his first day in California. He asked me to launch his kite for him and before he went back in the wa-ter I tapped him on the shoulder saying I hoped to kite with him with him during his trip. I didn't realize then but I was to be his last human contact and I'm heartbroken by it.

After 15-20 mins I noticed that Dante has dropped his kite. He seemed to be in control of re-launching & was about 150-200 feet from shore. 8-10 mins went by and I see that after a few attempts to relaunch have failed he is now not re-launching. I ran to the lifeguard station. The lifeguard headed down to the beach and enters the water. When he gets to the kite he follows the lines upwind to find Dante. Along with a surfer I can see them paddling and searching which means that Dante had gotten himself freed from his kite in an effort to save himself, I would think. The kite is drifting away slowly on the water. Approximately 20 mins elapsed between the time I got to the Life Guard station to them finding Dante. I'm very sorry to tell you all these details but I feel you ought to know and I'm deeply sorry for your loss.

My deepest condolences to you and your family. I will never forget Dante's smile and where he fell for the rest of my life as I go to Topanga beach often. I have also fallen in the same spot before and was lucky. Dante is teaching the whole kiting community to better understand the conditions and risks

Gerard

I would not say I was a close friend of Dante's but I have known him for some time through kitesurfing here in Dubai. The first time I met him he was still pretty novice at kiting and always seeking tips. Every time I saw him on the beach we were happy to see each other. He was always full of energy and so polite to everyone around. We chatted about his work and also his love of mountain biking. When I heard the news last week I was so upset. It will feel strange when I go to the beach this weekend knowing that Dante will not be there to chat to and kite with. Forever more though, each time I kite on Ness Nass beach I will remember him and I am sure many others will too.

Leigh

Our deepest and most heart-felt condolences go out to Dante and his family. The OutdoorUAE team could not be prouder to have had you as an avid reader of our magazine. Thank you Dante.

The OutdoorUAE team, the contributors and the community.

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DUBAI GARDEN CENTRE DESERT GARDEN CENTREInside Khalifa Park, Abu Dhabi

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Tel. No. 02-4490010Open: 8am till 9pm daily

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TRADEMARK PENDING AND ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

55

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AirBallooning Adventures Emirates, Dubai, +97142854949, www.ballooning.aeJazirah Aviation Club, Ras Al Khaimah, +9716139859, www.jac-uae.netSeawings, Dubai, www.seawings.comSky Dive Dubai, Dubai, +971501533222,

www.skydivedubai.ae Boating & SailingManufacturerAl Fajer Marine, Dubai, Al Quoz, +97143235181, www.alfajermarine.comAl Shaali Marine, Ajman, +97167436443, www.alshaalimarine.comGulf Craft, Ajman, +97167406060, www.gulfcraftinc.comDistributors & DealersArt Marine, Dubai, +97143388955, www.artmarine.netAzure Marine, Dubai, +97143404343, www.azuremarine.net Leisure Marine Beach Hut, Dubai, The Walk JBR, +97144243191Luxury Sea Boats, Dubai, +971505589319, www.luxuryseaboats.com Macky Marine LLC, Dubai, +971505518317, www.mackymarine.com The Boat House, Dubai, Al Quoz, +97143405152, www.theboathouse.ae EquipmentAl Masaood Marine, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, +97143468000, www.masaoodmarine.com Blue Waters Marine, +97142232189, Dubai, www.bluewatersmarine.com

Extreme Marine, Dubai, + 97143992995, www.extrememarine-me.comRineh, Dubai, Al Quoz, +97143391512, www.rinehemiratesme.comRepair and maintenanceExtreme Marine, Dubai, Dubai Marina, + 97143992995, www.extrememarine-me.comRineh, Al Quoz, +97143391512, www.rinehemiratesme.comThe Boat House, Dubai, Al Quoz, +97143405152, www.theboathouse.ae Cruise Operators Al Bateen Marina, Abu Dhabi, +97126665491, Www.marinaalbateenresort.comAl Marsa Travel & Tourism, Dibba, Musandam, +96826836550, +97165441232Art Marine, Dubai, +97143388955, www.artmarine.netBateaux Dubai, Dubai Creek – opposite the British Embassy, +97143994994Bristol Middle East, Dubai Marina,+97144309941, www.bristol-middleeast.comEl Mundo, Dubai, +971505517406, www.elmundodubai.com Happy Days Sea Cruising LLC, Dubai, +971558961276, +971503960202, www.happydaysdubai.com

tips & tricks

Where to buy?The OutdoorUAE distribution list: PRIME LOCATIONS

DUBAI Selected Choithrams, Spinneys and Carrefour

In all good book Stores: Books Plus, Jashanmal, Borders, Konokina, etc.

Selected Supermarkets

Barracuda Fishing Shop - Sheikh Zayed Road

Adventure HQ - Sheikh Zayed Road, Times Square Centre

KTM - Sheikh Zayed Road

Wolfi’s Bike Shop - Sheikh Zayed Road

Dubai Garden Centre - Sheikh Zayed Road

Ocean Active - Sheikh Zayed Road,

Go Sport - Ibn Battuta Mall

Masaood Marine - Sheikh Zayed Road

800 Sports - Sheikh Zayed Road

Circle 8 - Dubai Mall

K2 Shop - Dubai Mall

Go Sport - Mall of the Emirates

Go Sport - Mirdiff City Centre

Sports Direct - Outlet Mall

Leisure Marine Beach Hut - Jumeirah Beach Walk

Picnico - Jumeirah Beach Road

Sebsports - Al Quoz

Cannondale - Sheik Zayed Rd

Surf Shop Dubai - Al Barsha

ABU DHABI Choithrams


In all good book Stores: Books Plus, Jashanmal, Borders, Konokina, etc.

Sports Direct - Khaladia Mall

Marina Al Bateen

FUJEIRAH, RAK & SHARJAH

Choithrams


also available in more than 700 locations across the UAE

In all good book Stores: Books Plus, Jashanmal, Borders, Konokina, etc. Sharjah Paintball & Shooting Club Sharjah UMM AL QUAIN ChoithramsSelected SupermarketsIn all good book Stores: Books Plus, Jashanmal, Borders, Konokina, etc.Umm Al Quwain Marine Sports Club

ComplimentaryAtlantis Dive CentrePavilion Dive CentreAl Boom DivingSurf DubaiDubai Polo & Equestrian ClubWafi, The PyramidsDubai DolphinariumDubai AutodromeDubai British SchoolSharjah Paintball & Shooting CentreEvents where OutdoorUAE is participating Hotels (Complimentary) Sofitel Hotel (in hotel rooms)Al Maha Resort (in hotel rooms)Abu DhabiAloft Hotel The Palace - Old town (Spa)

Petrol Stations Enoc + Eppco

Dubai and Abu Dhabi Airports

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Club Area, +97126440300Al Jeer Marina, RAK Border, Musandam +971 7 2682333 or +971 50 4873185www.aljeerport.ae Dubai International Marine Sports Club, Dubai Marina, +97143995777, www.dimc.ae Dubai Marina Yacht Club, Dubai, +97143627900, www.dubaimarinayachtclub.comDubai Maritime City Harbour Marina, Dubai, +97143455545Dubai Offshore Sailing Club, Dubai, +97143941669, www.dosc.ae Emirates Palace Marina, Abu Dhabi, +97143388955Festival Marina, Dubai, Festival City, +97144498400, www.igy-festivalmarina.comPavilion Marina, Dubai, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, +97144068800Umm Al Quwaim Marine Sports Club, Umm Al Quwaim, +9716 766 6644, www.uaqmarineclub.com

Camping & HikingEquipmentBlingmytruck.com, +971505548255, www.blingmytruck.com Picnico, Jumeirah Beach Road, Dubai,

+97143941653Tour OperatorsArabia Outdoors, Dubai, +971559556209, www.arabiaoutdoors.comAbsolute Adventure, Dubai, +97143459900, www.adventure.ae Libra, +971559228362, www.libra-uae.comSheesa Beach, Musandam, Dibba, +97150336046, www.sheesabeach.comDesert Road Tourism, Al Khor Plaza – 503, Dubai, +971-42959428, www.arabiatours.com

CavingMuscat Diving & Adventure Centre, Oman, +971503289642, www.holiday-in-oman.com

ClimbingEquipmentGlobal Climbing, +97172353910, www.globalclimbing.comAdventure HQ, Dubai Times Square Center, Sheikh Zayed Rd, Toll free: 800-ADVENTURE www.adventurehq.ae Barracuda Fishing and Outdoor,

Dubai, Street 13A 1, Al Safa 1, +97143466558, www.barracudadubai.comServicesAbsolute Adventure, Dubai, +97143459900, www.adventure.ae Adventure HQ, Dubai Times Square Center, Sheikh Zayed Rd, Toll free: 800-ADVENTURE www.adventurehq.ae Al Shaheen Adventure, Abu Dhabi, +97126429995, www.alshaheenme.comArabia Outdoors, Dubai, +971559556209, www.arabiaoutdoors.comDorell Sports Management, Dubai World Trade Centre, +97143065061, www.climbingdubai.comE-Sports Dubai, Dubai, www.e-sportsdubai.comThe Club, Abu Dhabi, +97126731111, www.the-club.com

CyclingEquipmentCycle Sports, Dubai, Al Barsha1, +97143415415, www.cyclesportuae.comProbike, Dubai, Al Barsha1, +97143255705, www.probike.aeRage Shop, Dubai Mall, +97144343806, www.rage-shop.comRide Bike Shop, Dubai Mall, Festival City, Oasis Centre, Mirdiff City Centre, +97143750231,

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DivingEquipment Al Boom Marine, Abu Dhabi & Dubai+97142894858 , www.alboommarine.comBlue Waters Marine, +97142232189, Dubai, www.bluewatersmarine.com Gulf Marine Sports, Abu Dhabi, +97126710017, www.gulfmarinesports.comPremiers for Equipment, Abu Dhabi, Sh. Zayed 1st. Road, +97126665226, www.premiers-uae.com Diving Centers7 Seas Diving Center, Khorfakkan, +97192387400, www.7seasdivers.comAl Boom Diving (equipment), Dubai, Al Wasl Rd, + 97143422993,

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Aloft Abu DhabiADNEC Exhibition Centre

Abu Dhabi, P.O. Box 94943

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57

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Tel: +971 4 361 8111Fax: +971 4 361 7111

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www.desertsportsdivingclub.net

Fishing & KayakingEquipment Al Boom Marine, Abu Dhabi & Dubai+97142894858 , www.alboommarine.comAl Yousuf Motors, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Rd, +97143390621, www.aym.ae/yamaha/ Blue Waters Marine, +97142232189, Dubai, www.bluewatersmarine.com Al Masaood Marine, +97143468000, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, www.masaoodmarine.comBarracuda Fishing and Outdoor, Dubai, Street 13A 1, Al Safa 1, +97143466558, www.barracudadubai.com Global Climbing, Ras Al Khaimah, +97172353910, www.globalclimbing.comLeisure Marine Beach Hut, Dubai, The Walk JBR, +97144243191Leisure Marine, Sheikh Zayed Road, next to ACE Hardware, +97143415530, www.leisuremarine-me.comLeading Edge-S, +97172447732, www.leadingedge-s.comNautica1992, Dubai, +971504262415, www.nautica1992.aeOcean Active, Dubai, Garden Centre, +971502898713, www.oceanactive.com OperatorsAl Boom Diving, Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort, Fujeirah, +97143422993

Absolute Adventure, Dubai, +97143459900, www.adventure.ae Al Hamra Marina, Al Hamra, +97172434540Al Mahara Dive Center, Abu Dhabi, Mussafah, +971501118125, +97150720283 www.divemahara.com Al Shaheen Adventure, Abu Dhabi, +97126429995, www.alshaheenme.com Arabian Divers and Sportfishing Charters, Al Bateen Marina Resort, +971506146931, www.fishabudhabi.com Arabia Outdoors, Dubai, +971559556209, www.arabiaoutdoors.comBarracuda Diving Centre, Fujairah International Marine Club, +9719222558Belevari Marine, Abu Dhabi,+97126594144Fun Beach Water Sports, Dubai, +97153244550, www.funbeachsports.com Happy Days Sea Cruising LLC, Dubai, +971558961276, +971503960202, www.happydaysdubai.comNoukhada 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.comSoolyman Sports Fishing, Dubai, Umm Suqeim, +971508866227, www.soolymansportsfishing.comXclusive Yachts, Dubai, Dubai Marina, +97144327233, www.xclusiveyachts.com

General Sports Equipment Distributors 800 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.ae Flip Flop Arabia, [email protected], www.flipfloparabia.comGlobal Climbing, +97172353910, www.globalclimbing.comGoal Zero, +971509128353, www.goalzero.ae Ocean Sports FZE, +971559352735, www.kitesurfsup.comSakeen General Trading, +97147094224, www.sakeen.ae

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Jet SkiDealerAl Masaood Marine, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, +97143468000, www.masaoodmarine.comAl Yousuf Motors, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Rd, +97143390621, www.aym.ae/yamaha/RentalsAl Mahara Dive Center, Abu Dhabi, Mussafah, +97150720283 , www.divemahara.comFun 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 Moto-cross & ATV’sDealerAl Yousuf Motors, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Rd, +97143390621, www.aym.ae/yamaha/ KTM, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, exit 42, +9714323151, www.ktm.com PolarisUAE (atv’s), Ras Al Khor, Nad al Hamar Road, Al Ghandi Complex, +97142896100, www.polarisuae.com Liberty Kawasaki, Dubai, Interchange4, Sheikh Zayed Road, 04-3419341,www.libertykawasaki.com Sandstorm, Al Quoz, Dubai

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+9714 3470270www.sandstorm.ae Seb Sports, Al Quoz Industrial Area 1Dubai, +9714 3393399www.sebsports.com Wild X, Dubai, Um Al Ramoul Industrial Area, +97142852200, www. wildx.aeEquipmentDesert Road Tourism, Al Khor Plaza – 503, Dubai, +97142959428, www.arabiatours.com 2XWheeler, Motorcity Dubai, +97144548388, www.2xwheeler.com Sandstorm, Al Quoz, Dubai+9714 3470270www.sandstorm.aeSebSports, Dubai, Al Quoz Industrial Area 3, +97143393399, www.sebsports.com Wild X, Dubai, Um Al Ramoul Industrial Area, +97142852200, www. wildx.ae

MotorcyclingDistributors & DealersAl Yousuf Motors, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Rd, www.aym.ae/yamaha/Duseja Motorcycles, Dubai, Al Quoz, +97143476712, www.apriliauae.comLiberty Kawasaki, Dubai, Interchange4, Sheikh Zayed Road, +97142822144, www.libertykawasaki.comPolarisUAE, Al Ghandi Complex, Nad al Hamar Road, Ras Al Khor, +97142896100, www.polarisuae.comTristar Motorcycles, +97143330659, www.tristaruae.comWorkshop & Services2xWheeler, +97144548388, www.2xwheeler.com Dune Bike, Dubai, Al Khail Road Alweer, +97143272088, www.dunebuggyuae.comDuseja Motorcycles, Dubai, Al Quoz, +97143476712, www.apriliauae.comGecko Motors, Dubai, Al Quoz, +97143413550, www.gecko-motors.com

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

Off-Road ManufacturerBlingmytruck.com, +971505548255, www.blingmytruck.com

LRC Off Road Engineering, Dubai, +971553198526, www.lrcoffroad.comRepair and servicesOff Road Zone, Dubai, Al Quoz, +97143392449, www.offroad-zone.comEquipmentAEV, Dubai & Abu Dhabi, +97143307152, www.aev.aeCar Max Off Roading AccessoriesRas-Al Khor, Al Awir, Dubai, UAE +971 4 3204214 055 8485868www.4x4dubai.com Icon Auto, Dubai, +97143382744, www.icon-auto.com Saluki Motorsport, Dubai Tel: +971 4 347 6939 www.salukimotorsport.comWild X Adventure Shop, Dubai, Um AL Ramoul, +971509029800, www.wildx.ae Yellow Hat, Dubai, Times Square Centre & Festival City, +97143418592, www.yellowhat.ae Tour OperatorDesert Road Tourism, Al Khor Plaza – 503, Dubai, +971-42959428, www.arabiatours.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 Filipino Off- Road Club, www.forac.ae ME 4X4, www.me4x4.com

RunningClubs ABRasAC, Dubai, www.abrasac.orgAbu Dhabi Tri Club, Abu Dhabi, www.abudhabitriclub.orgMirdiff Milers, Dubai, www.mirdifmilers.com

Stand up Paddling, Kite & Surfing, WakeboardingEquipment Al Boom Marine, Abu Dhabi & Dubai+97142894858 , www.alboommarine.comLeisure Marine Beach Hut, Dubai, The Walk JBR, +97144243191Leisure Marine, Sheikh Zayed Road, next to ACE Hardware, +97143415530, www.leisuremarine-me.comPearl Water Crafts, Dubai Marina Yacht Club, +971553749398, www.pearl-watercrafts.comSurf Dubai, Dubai, Umm Suqeim, +971505043020, www.surfingdubai.com

Surf Shop Dubai, Dubai, Al Raha Bldg, Al Barsha 1, +97143990989, www.surfshopdubai.comUAE Kite Surfing, +971505626383, www.ad-kitesurfing.netDistributorOcean Sports FZE, +971559352735, www.kitesurfsup.comOperatorAl Forsan Resort, Abu Dhabi, +97125568555, www.alforsan.comDubai Kite Surf School, Dubai, Umm Suqeim Beach, +971 504965107, www.dubaikitesurfschool.comKite Fly, Dubai, +971502547440, www.kitesurf.aeKite4fun, Abu Dhabi, +971508133134, www.kite4fun.netNautica1992, Dubai, +971504262415, www.nautica1992.aeShamalkitesurfing, Umm Suqueim Beach – Dubai, +971507689226, www.shamalkitesurfing.comSky &Sea Adventures, Dubai, Hilton, Jumeirah Beach Road, +97143999005, www.watersportsdubai.comSurf Adventures UAE, Dubai, Al Barsha1, +97143990989, www.surfadventuresuae.comSurf School Dubai, Umm Suqeim & Al Barsha, Dubai, +97143990989, www.surfschooluae.comClubsAbu Dhabi Stand Up Paddle www.uaesup.com

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

Other leisure activitiesAbu Dhabi Golf Club, Abu Dhabi, + 97125588990, www.adgolfclub.comDolphin Bay AtlantisDubai, +97144260000, www.atlantisthepalm.aeDubai Dolphinarium Dubai, Creek Park Gate No. 1, +97143369773, www.dubaidolphinarium.aeIfly Dubai, Dubai, Mirdiff 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 & Health Centres The Physio Center, Suite 405, Building 49, Dubai Healthcare City, Dubai, +97144370570, www.physiocentre.ae

GoSport The Dubai Mall

Tel: 04-3253595 Fax: 04-3253590

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Available atAdventure HQ in Times Square Center

Micah’s Bike Shop in Al Quoz area

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