#72 September 2016

Featuring the latest products and expert advice on how to look after your gear
Kit bag essentials
The must-have items, whatever your sport
Summer cycling achievements

Reports from some of the UAEs top female cyclists
Travelling around China with a baby
Bali
Cooking breakfast atop a volcano
Plenty of
PRODUCTS
TO CHECK OUT
Price
10.00 AED
10.00 QAR
1.00 OMR
Tried & Tested:
TYR
SWIMMING
GEAR
Event Report:
THE 70KM
IJEN TRAIL RUN
Vol. 6, No. 9
September 2016
www.OutdoorUAE.com
MIDDLE EASTS OUTDOOR, ADVENTURE, TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE
SEPTEMBER 2016 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM
OutdoorUAE Team
The changing of the seasons

The most amazing years of my life have been in the United Arab Emirates.
Working with different companies has made me more mature and a better
person. In particular, to be a part of OutdoorUAE magazine is a great privilege.
It has been an enriching experience to be a part of the media industry. Ive also
dealt with so many different kinds of outdoor people who do activities that I could
only ever imagine! Ive enjoyed attending a range of events with many high profile
people that Id previously only read about in the newspapers or seen on social
media before.
Summer is cooling down and OutdoorUAE magazine is coming out for another
exciting issue this September. In this gear issue, we feature different kinds of
products that will help with your passion for the outdoors, plus we have new videos
on our website. Our usual contributors (and some new faces!) have written fantastic
articles that will make you want to get outside and get involved, especially now the
temperature is beginning to drop. After more than six years in
existence, OutdoorUAE magazineis still providing information and
inspirationto our valuable readers.
Katherine Patangui
Administration
kathy@outdooruae.com
As the season changes, its also a change of scene for me, as

this is the last issue that I will be working on. So its a heartfelt and
sincere thanks to each and everyone of you who have been so
supportive and made me feel so comfortable. These memories will
be cherished forever.
Editor
For editorial content and press releases
Tel: 04-447 2030
Mobile: 055 5760322
editor@outdooruae.com
Sales & Marketing (advertisement enquiries)
Tel: 04-447 2030
Mobile: 055 8647125
nela@outdooruae.com
Mobile: 055 9398915
margo@outdooruae.com
Published by
Outdoor UAE FZE
In cooperation with A2Z EVENTS
P.O. Box 215062
Dubai, U.A.E.
Tel. 04-447 2030

contact@outdooruae.com
www.outdooruae.com
Distributor
Al Nisr Distribution LLC
P.O. Box 6519, Dubai, UAE
800 4585/04-4067170
Printed at
GN Printing
P.O. Box 6519, Dubai, UAE
2016 Outdoor UAE FZE
Vol. 6, No. 9, September 2016
www.OutdoorUAE.com
Twitter.com/OutdoorUAE
Get to us on Facebook!
2016 Outdoor UAE FZE

Reg. at Creative City Fujairah
P.O. Box 4422, Fujairah, U.A.E.
Nela Macovei
Business Development Manager
nela@outdooruae.com
Margo Ciruelos
Sales and Marketing
margo@outdooruae.com
Ireneo Jung Francisco

Designer and Photographer
jung@outdooruae.com
Ian Sebeldia
Circulation
EXPERTS & CONTRIBUTORS
Kit Belen
Our fishing pro
Dan Wright
Freelance wilderness guide in the UAE
Jake Lyle
Diving and Watersport Expert
Helle Bachofen Von Echt

Elite Women Cyclist
Marina Bruce
The Desert Diva and
off-road expert
Youtube.com/OutdoorUAE
The information contained is for general use only.

We have made every attempt to ensure that the information contained in this magazine has been
obtained from reliable sources. The publisher is not responsible for any errors. All information in
this magazine is provided without a full guarantee of completeness, accuracy and chronology. In
no event will the publisher and/or any of our affiliates be held responsible for decisions made or
action taken in reliance on the information in this magazine.
All contents are copyrighted and may not be
reproduced in any form without prior written
permission.
Rachael Bruford
Editor
rachael@outdooruae.com
Facebook.com/OutdoorUAE
Instagram.com/OutdoorUAE
Cover photo by: Rachael Bruford
Daniel Birkhofer
Founder and General Manager
daniel@outdooruae.com
WHEN YOURE
DONE READING,
PLEASE RECYCLE!
Nico de Corato
Diver and heli rescue swimmer
with Bergamo Scuba Angels
CONTENTS
12 100 MILES IN BERLIN
14 BREAKFAST ATOP A VOLCANO IN BALI
18 CHINA WITH A BABY
EVERY ISSUE
TRAVEL & ADVENTURE
06 EVENTS CALENDAR
07 BEST SHOTS
41 PRODUCTS
63 DIRECTORY
14 BREAKFAST ATOP A VOLCANO

18 CHINAWITH A BABY
22 BHUTAN DRUK PATH TREK
26 DEAD 2
28 DIVING IN THE PHILIPPINES
EVENT & ACTIVITY REPORTS
LIFESTYLE
08 BOULDER BASH
09 HIKING ROUTES: JEBEL JAIS
10 IJEN TRAIL RUN
12 100 MILES IN BERLIN
32 KIT BAG ESSENTIALS

36 DIVING WITH CHILDREN
39 HABITUALLY HEALTHY
OUTDOORUAE
28 DIVING IN THE PHILIPPINES
32 KIT BAG ESSENTIALS
52 SUMMER CYCLING ACHIEVEMENTS
TRIED & TESTED
PEOPLE
40 SUNBLAST COCONUT WATER

44 QUECHUA CAMPING GEAR
46 TYR SWIMMING PRODUCTS
59 MAURIZIO SCHEPICI POWERBOAT PILOT

61 OFFROADERS CORNER: PATRICKS LAND CRUISER
OUR EXPERTS
TIPS & TRICKS
48 OFF ROAD DRIVING - MARINA

50 FISHING - KIT
52 CYCLING - HELLE
54 OUTDOOR EDUCATION HAYDON
56 DIVING JAKE
58 BE A MORNING PERSON! RACHAEL
62 SUSPENSION TRAINERS BY FITNESS FIRST
OUTDOORUAE
EVENTS CALENDAR
STAY UP-TO-DATE WITH THE LATEST EVENTS
SEPTEMBER 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
24
S
E
P
T
Dubai Desert Road Run
The UAEs running season gets underway with a 10km race on private roads at The Sevens, with trophies for the first three
people in each age category. A 3km fun run is a great way to get the family involved.
When: 24th September, from 6:30am
Where: The Sevens
Contact: www.premieronline.com
23
S
E
P
T
Urban Ultra Night Rebel
A challenging 10, 20 or 30km cross-country trail run that

takes place after the sun has set.
When: 23rd September
Where: WadiShowka
SEPTEMBER
The launch of Fahrenheit

Beachsports
If youre in to all things watersports, be sure to

check out the new Fahrenheit Beachsports, which
offers surfing, SUPing, wake boarding, SUP Polo,
kayaking, inflatables and flyboarding, as well
asclasses just for children and ladies.
01
O
C
T
Stages TT Challenge (Stage One)
A time trial on a clockwise loop of the Al Qudra track.

When: 1st October
Where: Al Qudra, Trek Shop
Contact: www.dubaisportsworld.ae
SEPTEMBER
24
Abu Dhabi Junior Aquathlon (Race one)

A childrens only aquathlon with categories based
on ability and experience.
When: 24th September
Where: TBC
When: Opens in September

Where: Dubai Marine Beach Resort
Contact: Facebook @fahrenheitbeachsports
SEPTEMBER
23
NYUAD Indoor SUP Race
The UAEs first indoor SUP race, in a 50m Olympic

size pool. Includes sprint racing and other events.
When: 23rd September
Where: NYUAD Pool, Saadiyat Island Campus
SEPTEMBER
26
Al Wathba Cycle Race Series 3 (Race One)

An excellent event series for novice riders, the aim is
for each group to chase the group in front.
When: 26th September
Where: Al Wathba Cycle Track, Abu Dhabi
BEST SHOTS
Here are the best shots sent in by you for our monthly photography competition! Thank you for all your entries, they were all great and it
was hard selecting the best photos this month. Congratulations to the top three winners, who will each receive Buff headwear, five free copies
of the magazine and the Advance Off-road Guidebook: Bishworanjan Das, Sanjay Pradhan and Andre Saladaga. Well done!
Bishworanjan Das
Base Camp, Tavan Bogdh National Park, Mongolia
Sanjay Pradhan
Kayaking at Wadi Adventure
Andre Saladaga
Sunset conversation at the top of Jebel Jais
OUTDOORUAE
EVENT REPORT
ROCK REPUBLICS
BOULDER BASH 2016
Come to the Land of the Brave
Photos by: Nyi Nyi Aung
This summer, Rock Republic

brought you the ultimate test of
strength, endurance and willpower.
The annual Boulder Bash kicked
off on August 7th and has been
witnessing amazing progress
across all categories finishing in
a spectacular live finals round
on 27th August.
For the second year running, Boulder
Bash proved to be a fantastic summer competition for anyone to join. Rock Republics
Prime Minister, Vanda Turcerova, elaborates:
Summer is heavenly for bouldering; this
is our season. We are one big family at Rock
Republic and among us we know almost
every member by their first name. We
know their winter projects, who is progressing at what, their other hobbies or pets or
kids. Without these athletes, we would not
be successful. The annual Boulder Bash
is a fantastic way to give back, push and
motivate in the right way and of course, it is
a fabulous excuse to get together and support each other. Thats how we roll.
In line with recent announcements about
climbing being introduced into the lineup
for the Summer Olympics in Tokyo 2020, the

competition suits the international
professional format other countries
established long ago.
I have worked and climbed all over
Europe and beyond; Rock Republic became
my pride a few months ago. Us climbers and
boulderers are ecstatic at this months announcement and while on the Old Continent
clubs and gyms are well established and can
plug into the regional and national matrix
for qualifications, here of course we have
challenges ahead of us. Putting together
a bouldering event this summer is just the
beginning for us; expect more events of
various natures as well as performance and
technique classes starting in October 2016,
states Sebastian Crosina, Minister of Interior
at Rock Republic.
The rules of the competition were simple.
Sign up for an AED 70 one time fee; climb
for as long as you like and score on 60
routes until Saturday 27th August at 3pm.
Scores are tallied on the same day and the
top 3 competitors are to battle live, on 3
special problems set up only for the finals.
Over 40 climbers signed up and pushed
hard over the 3 weeks of the duration of
Boulder Bash. Measuring their progress on
weekly basis, it was evident for most how
dedicated they were to coming back and
working tirelessly to better their results. On
the 27th, top performers in their categories

battled it out in front of supporters and
friends and gave everyone a gripping finale
to their fantastic 3-week long performances.
Emily Garbutt scooped first place in Junior
with Master Zayn Reynolds coming in
second - Emily also absolutely rocked all
female problems. The ladies showcased unrivaled endurance with Homai Faridi strong
in third place, determined Mayssam El Kaii
placing second and the Ballerina Nemo
Chang crushing first place and managing to
break only one nail! What a battle!
The boys went head to head with incredible stamina and power, and put on an amazing display of determination and strategies
across the walls. Tatsuya Kashiwamura killed
the third spot, with Masaki Ishitobi close in
second and Alan Goddard almost flashing
all three finals problems!
Nyi Nyi, a veteran of bouldering and
mountaineering and Republics Chief of
Staff, explains the golden formula of making
it into finals: The real value of bouldering
is progression. It is like those before and
after photos; a few months can make a huge
difference between your starting point and
where you are or want to be. Our Bash is
about that; keep coming and keep getting
better. The more you come and train, the
better the chance of being top five. If you
dont come back, you will stagnate where
you already are without any progress. We at
Rock Republic work super hard to bring you
new experiences on and off the wall; for example Sebastian, Federico and myself have
set up 45 brand new routes for this competition. Because we love it, we understand how
to bring the love out in you too.
Hill top village hike Jebel Jais

Finally, the temperatures are
dropping and it is time again to
dust off our hiking boots for the
winter season 2016/2017. The
route for this month might still be
a bit too long for September, or you
may need to start at sunrise. This
route is not very difficult but it is
not clearly marked and there are
many tracks and paths so it is easy
to get lost. We highly recommend
using a GPS to follow the route safe
in the knowledge that you are on
the right track. For those who dare,
there is also an alternative bypass
to the route which is much steeper
and exposed.
Thanks to its easy access and scenic
views, this is a busy hiking area and I have
never encountered so many other hikers
than when on this route. Simply follow the
E311 or E611 to RAK, then follow the road
signs to Jais Mountain (Jebel Jais). You can
park your car in the wadi directly next to the
Jebel Jais road,so a 4x4 is not required. The
route is circular and you can do it in both
directions. These instructions follow the
route in a counter-clockwise direction, but in
summer it might be better to do it clockwise
since you will have welcome shade in the
wadi on your way back.
Follow the wadi from where you parked
Cairns en route
Google Earth and route length and elevation
your car and take the next wadi on your left.

The wadi up to the first village is marked
quite well with spray painted arrows and
cairns (stones stacked on top of each other
as markers). Once you reach the village,
sticking to the route becomes a bit tricky
and we were wandering around a bit until
we found the correct path (you will see this
also on the GPS route file). Make your way
up to the hill top where you will find another
cairn marking the high point of the hill. From
here you have great views up to Jebel Jais,
as well as the surrounding area with the
winding road and other villages.
Hike down to the next village you can
see when looking towards the road. In the
village, turn left to enter the easy way down
after a few hundred meters. You can enter
the bypass in the village its more
exposed and steeper, and is therefore only
recommended for more experienced hikers.

Follow the path down until you reach the
wadi again, and follow the wadi back to the
Jebel Jais road. You will need to follow the
road downhill for a few hundred meters to
return back to where you parked the car.
OutdoorUAE do not take any
responsibility for accidents or inaccurate
or wrong route information. You follow
this route at your own risk. Be aware
that you might not have phone
coverage and please carry enough
water and a first aid kit at all times.
You can download this route online www.outdooruae.com/routes
ACTIVITY REPORT
Words : Aida Othman

Photos by: Ijen Trail Running and Asia Trail Master
More than 40 ultra runners

battled a route up an active volcanic crater and then ran back down
what enticed them? For me, it was
about longing for a sense of adventure, to witness and to be charmed
by the wonder of nature in an area
that is remote yet famous among
tourists. My first visit to East Java,
Indonesia, and my first race in this
stunning part of the world.
The Ijen Trail Run takes you on an ultratour around a stratovolcano area to see the
large Ijen crater lake (the most acidic in the
world) with stunning blue flames ignited by
sulfuric gas at night. Its a large sulfur mining
area that is surrounded by forest, nature
reserves, and agriculture.
Mandatory Gear
Out of the 17 items of mandatory gear

listed on the website, two were not in my
possession when last minute preparations
were made. Overseas travel insurance was
quickly sorted online the very last night
before travelling and the first water kit (refers to water disinfectant) was purchased at
the airport before departure. Later, I found
out from fellow seasoned runners that the
exhaustive list, which includes a waterproof
jacket and long trousers, may not be entirely
necessary for Indonesia trail conditions, but
is rather a guidance of good to have.
Getting There
The organiser of the event provided a van

to transport runners to Sempol, where the
race took place, from Surabaya Airport. It
took 8 hours, which was a long day but on
the plus side it gave me the chance to get
to know other runners, such as the speedy
Ann-Mari Lillejord who came 1st in the
womens category.
Registration and Race Briefing
Never miss a briefing at any trail race event

in Indonesia, said Vincent Chalias, a French
runner at the hotel lobby on race day. After
a quick registration, we waited for the race
briefing. Detailed information was given to
avoid confusion, especially on the repeated
path from the tarmac section towards checkpoint 3 and then the path to the crater. A
mask would also be given to us, and our
attention was drawn to various types of signage we had to be aware of. We were told
to pick up a yellow ribbon when reaching
the crater. A light drizzle was also predicted
the next morning for a few hours.
Start: Sempol, 11pm
I had a simple dinner, which consisted
of nasigoreng (fried rice) and sotoayam
(chicken soup), cooked by a lady in the
village. Going to bed rather earlier than
usual, I woke up to the sound of my alarm
at 9.30pm. Unfortunately, I found a hole
in my Compressport sock which was the
size of 50 cents and threatened to give me

a blister some time into the run. An emergency stitch performed one hour before the
race thanks to my sewing kit packed at the
last minute proved to be a life saver. By
10.30pm, I had gone through the speedy
and smooth registration and had received
my pink fluorescent bangle.
Checkpoints One and Two:

Krepekan and Kawah Wurung
The first 10km up to checkpoint one was a

warm up run which saw us pass by cabbage farms and into a pine forest. One
wrong turn led to an unnecessary climb on a
rough slope, but I was quick to return to the
correct route with the help of some other
runners. I reached checkpoint two, where a
bunch of volunteers awaited. Kawah Wurung
(which means failed crater in Javanese) is
an open savanna covered in grass and green
pastures with contouring hills definitely
stunning in daylight.
Checkpoint Three:
Paltuding and Crater
After Kawah Wurung, there was a short vertical climb that slowed me down. A few runners, including three ladies, overtook as I allowed them to pass the narrow path. Never
mind, I said to myself, as this race wasnt
particularly about time for me. My feet were
beginning to get a little damp from the early
morning dews, but not far later, I reached
a tarmac section with a continuous steady
uphill. A Chinese female runner passed me
when I stopped to stretch. Then I saw the
top runners come down from the crater. I
reached checkpoint three after a slow hike
marking the starting point of a steep climb
of 3km to the crater. I was given my mask,
and off I went to the unknown after enjoying
a cup of delicious hot chocolate.
Because this is a tourist area, the one
way path going up to the crater had to be
shared with other holidaymakers who were
there at very early dawn. No doubt having
them around added to the excitement as
I continued moving forward for what felt
like a forever climb. Initially, the view was
less visible and dusty, but thanks to the full
moon, some amazing breathtaking panoramic scenery was able to be enjoyed as I
hiked above the white clouds. The sulfur
smell got stronger as I made my way closer

to the crater, and I began to feel a bit chilly
too. Tourists aside, the path was also shared
with mining workers who were walking up
and down carrying heavy loads of yellow
sulfur to earn their living. Suddenly the pain
in my legs was banished and this race I was
battling for some hours felt very minuscule
compared to the brave miners.
The emerald crater, complete with the
stunning backdrop of sunrise, made it all
worth it. No blue fire, said one of the
volunteers as I arrived there just past
4:30am. He then tied the yellow ribbon to
mark my summit.
Checkpoints four and five:

Blau and Lerpenang
My sprint back downhill to checkpoint

three was effortless as I cheered other runners who were still climbing. The day got
brighter, and so did my pace and energy.
Towards checkpoint five, the path was
shared with other runners from the 42km
and 21km events. A fast runner ran passed
me and said hi; later, I learnt it was Matt
Phillips Long, the winner of the 42km race.
The route to checkpoint 5 passed through
more villages and was accompanied by the
sound of the river flowing.
Checkpoints six and seven:

Blawan and Pedati
I had been warned about the last ascent
around Blawan. It was a long, never-ending

climb to test what strength remained. I
stopped for a bit to enjoy the view. Feeling more fresh, I picked up a long sturdy
wooden stick from the bush, knowing that I
needed support to tackle the steep hills.
One km flat and then all downhill from
here, said the volunteer at checkpoint
seven. I was very excited to reach Sempol
and kept my pace strong down the zigzagging steep edge of the coffee plantations.
Finish at Sempol, Performance

and Overall Organisation
I finished sixth female and 28th overall; not

my best time for a 70km race, but what an
incredible adventure it was! As well as a blue
race t-shirt, finishers medal and black finishers t-shirt, Asia Trail Master, who sponsored
the event, added in a cool Raidlight visor.
The overall organisation of the race was
good considering that this was only the
second event. It is indeed a great course
(though Im not too keen on the sulfur smell)
and pretty much runnable (not very technical, nor the toughest I have encountered).
I learnt that this race is one of the easiest
races amongst other well-known trail races
in Indonesia.
Accommodation and Surroundings
While there are plenty of local guesthouses,

there seem to be only two hotels in the area:
Arabica at the start line and Catimor about
5km away. I stayed for 2 nights in Catimor
and enjoyed the beautiful waterfall nearby.
The hot springs are also handy for soothing
sore legs after the race!
Thank you to Ijen Trail Running, especially Hadid and Arfan, for organising
the accommodation and coffee plantation tour.
To new acquaintances: Fauzan Razi
terimakasih for your local knowledge.
To Indah, Vincent Chalias, and Laurent
Roeykens merci beaucoup for your
support in making this trip a memorable
one.
OUTDOORUAE
11
ACTIVITY REPORT
Berlin Wall 100

Mile Race Report
Words by: Gigi Young
Photos by: Gigi Young and
pebe-sport.de/Mauerweglauf
This is the eighth race report I

have written on my ultra-running
races, which are between 100km
and 190km. Every single race
gave me different experiences and
different challenges.
12
OUTDOORUAE
The more I run these ultra events, the

more I respect them because we put our
bodies out there for such a long time to test
our fitness, our pain levels, our determination, and to push ourselves to the very limit
and see how much we have left in the tank,
or try to empty it! Sometimes we execute
our race plan and everything falls into place
and we achieve what we set out to do, but
sometimes not! However, this time I was
very fortunate in that I was able to overcome
the tough periods of the race and managed
to complete it and exceed my own expectations.

When I was accepted to enter the Berlin
Wall 161km race, I wasnt initially as excited
as I had been for some of the other previous
events. For whatever reason, perhaps the
course or the people, I didnt really enjoy
the Berlin Marathon in 2008. In May, I found
myself in the position of having two 100mile events to choose from; one in Ireland
called Connemara 100 miles and the Berlin
100 miler in Germany.
Having one of the biggest race fields with
350 registered solo runners and over 700
team relay runners, I decided the bigger
field meant a bigger challenge and I wanted
to feel the atmosphere and run with so
many hardcore ultra-runners. The eventual
outcome was proof that I had chosen a
great race. The organisers did a superb job.
The entire route was marked very well with
27 check points featuring toilet facilities and
a buffet table full of nutrition, hydration and
various fuels for the runners, as well as for
the support crews. The people managing
the check points were so supportive, friendly
and prided themselves in putting on a great
feast for the runners.
This race is run in memory of the construction of the Berlin Wall and the victims
of the border. Among the 138 people who
lost their lives at the Wall, Karl-Heinz Kube
was shot in an escape attempt in 1966. The

race this year was dedicated to him. It was
a very moving experience running the route
and seeing the remains of the wall. The
100-mile route is along the former border;
100 miles against forgetting what took place
and all the sadness that it created. As such,
this race is not just about us ultra-runners
but also has a bigger picture as a symbol of
Hope. Shortly before passing the famous
Brandenburg Gate at 7km we ran across
a wall made of wooden bricks. In respect
to the Berlin Wall motto running without
borders, the idea is that this wooden wall
would be torn down piece by piece. Each
runner picks up a brick and carries it through
the Brandenburg Gate to be discarded. Its
a symbol of breaking the wall down, and
was a very emotional moment that gave me
goosebumps! (We all got a wooden brick at
the post race ceremony.)
60 -70 per cent of the route is off-road
and features lovely countryside, where you
find yourself running through forest and
along lakes and rivers with spectacular
views! Race day was a beautiful sunny day
without being too hot. Many people were
out with their bikes, dogs and sailing and
everybody looked lovely until we stumbled
across a large group of people sun bathing
totally in the nude! I guess we ran through
a nudist colony, though I did not see this in
the race notes. Maybe that shows how much
freedom they now have since the wall has
been brought down! We didnt have much
time to keep looking however as we had a
mission to achieve!
As a road runner myself, although the

route was beautiful and it was so nice
to breathe in the fresh air, I found it very
challenging on my feet and ankles as I had
never trained to run on gravel, grass and
uneven ground. The most killing part was
the uneven cobblestones in the various
villages we ran through outside Berlin city.
It took me a long time to relax and find my
running rhythm. The race did not allow support crew members to run with their runner
until after 15 hours (9pm) from the start of
the race - crew members were encouraged
to cycle alongside to support their runners
after the 17km check point. Consequently,
my wonderful crew - Lesley, Nick and John
- decided to rent a bike locally and support
me by cycling alongside me. They carried
all my hydration and fuel on the bike and
as they cycled they all tried to tell me how
wonderful the view was. They updated me
with all the supportive messages from family
and friends, whilst at the same time making
sure I was eating and drinking enough over
the 161km route. During the tough period
of the race, as night closed in, I become
very nauseous and couldnt stop vomiting.
My crew did a great job trying their best to
will me on, although they felt very helpless.
The key focus was to make sure we stuck to
the traffic light rules (strict German law!) and
kept to the directional markers on the road.
We had no intention of getting lost despite
running in the pitch-black on an off-road
route among the forests and dark alleyways
of Berlins city suburbs. I was impressed
my crew did not get us lost! Being runners
themselves, they were all expecting and
hoping to support me by running alongside
me, but seeing them cycling for hours and
hours on off-road routes on a rocky rental
bike with NO CYCLING SHORTS was a real
challenge! They all had very sore bottoms
and walked a bit funny the next day.
With their amazing support, we did it
again. I completed the race in 19 hours
53 minutes, which positioned me as fifth
female overall. The result exceeded my own
expectation for a sub 20-hour race. My crew
simply did a superb job! This goal would
not have been achieved without the three
of them.
Dreams are always worth chasing, but to
be able to chase it with your husband and
wonderful friends is amazing! Id like to
thank my very dear husband John, my
family for their support and my crew, Nick
and Lesley, for supporting me for a third
race. Of course, Id also like to say a big
thank you to all my running buddies back in
Dubai who helped me throughout the

journey of training: Andrea, Marek, Kerry,
Julie, Jerry, Samantha, Malcolm and Brian.
Lastly of course, thank to all my running
friends for your moral support!
I am for sure a runner and not a cyclist,
but I think life is like riding a bike. In order
to keep the balance, we have to keep
moving forward. Quite a few friends asked
me just 24 hours after the race, whats
next?. I am thinking but I will certainly find
another challenge.
Thanks to the A Team for your support!
Gigi
TRAVEL & ADVENTURE
Words + Photos by: Anne-Elizabeth Cecillion
For most people, Bali is a

mystical island. Close to the Java
Sea, part of Indonesia by rule but
completely independent by feel,
vibe and atmosphere. A surfers
paradise that is also popular with
trek seekers and culture lovers who
go there to unplug and to be mesmerised by the numerous temples
spread all over the island. Without
a set schedule in mind, I jumped on
an Emirates airlines flight for a 9
hour journey with stars in my eyes;
I was finally going to Bali after
thinking about it for years.
Once I landed in Denpasar (Ngurah Rai
International Airport), I quickly cleared immigration (a non event), and jumped in the
taxi that I had organised through the hotel. I
highly recommend doing this as the myriad
of independent drivers that greet you upon
arrival can be quite daunting. I had looked
at the map and the resort was only 70km
away from the airport, which I thought
would be covered in 45 minutes to an hour.
I could not have been more wrong as the
relentless traffic, very narrow roads and lack

of discipline of the drivers made for chaos.
Between stopping for dogs or cats, plowing
in traffic jams like bulls rushing through the
gates in Pamplona, as well as the generally
poor conditions of the roads, it took over
three hours to reach a very remote resort on
the west coast of the island. The turn to the
entrance had me concerned for a minute,
as the road just stopped and we were
bouncing on a gravel road at night, with
trees lining the way to a minuscule open
aired reception only reachable after stepping over some stones scarcely spaced over
a lovely pond. The check in was expeditious
and soon I was following a very friendly

smiley man, dressed in traditional garb, on
weaving paths with numerous sets of stairs
poorly lit to my villa. Thankfully, they knew
my approximate time of arrival and had
turned on the lights in my villa. As we were
approaching, the halo of torches created a
safe heaven and lifted any concerns I had for
my safety. The gentleman showed me around
the villa and I was very impressed by the outdoor shower, which was completely private
with its own waterfall at the back. After such
a long trip I had only one desire, which was
to sleep. This I did very peacefully after a hot
shower and a bite of fruit in my room.
The next morning I set out for breakfast

on the terrace, surrounded by birds and
dragonflies. The fresh fruit salad was one
of the best I have had in the world and the
American breakfast wasnot. But never
mind. After admiring the sunrise over the
ocean, I set out for a long walk on the black
sandy beach to reach a lovely village some
3km away. I knew I only had a couple of
days to relax before my trekking passion
would take over, so I had to make the most
of it. The day consisted of massages, yoga,
relaxing in the pool and eating as much as
possible all day.
I had arranged a scooter rental the

following day to leisurely explore some of
the temples, blessed trees (Bunut Bolong
Holy Tree) and waterfalls in the area before
relocating to Ubud for my Batur Climb.
Besides the constant dust and crazy traffic,
I had a lovely day of exploration and
was even invited to a local traditional
blessing ceremony as I arrived at Rambut
Siwis temple right when they were about to
start. Shortly after, looking for dinner, I stumbled on Medewi Beach, a surfers community. I was stunned to feel thrown back to the
70s commune lifestyle with huts just built
along the seashore and handsome young
men and women sporting flowers in their
hair and obviously enjoying life to the fullest.
I unfortunately did not have time to stay and
jump on the board but there is always next
time, right?
At 8am the next day, my driver Sanjay and
I started my trip to Ubud, where I would be
based for the next three days. I decided on
private transport with several stops along
the way to see as much as possible, even if it
meant seeing the famous sites crowded with
other travel enthusiasts. The first stop was
Tanah Lot, the temple by the sea that most
of us have seen on postcards. Although it
was melting hot and quite crowded, the
site just possesses an ethereal, natural
calming effect. A procession of monks was
in progress and they slowly ascended the
religious part of the site that is not accessible to foreigners. Their orange robes flowing
in the wind created a stark contrast with the
jutted black rocks emerging from the deep
azure blue sea. Taking the time to observe
them, I was in awe of the peaceful feeling
that engulfed me.
We left for the next stop, Mengwi Temple,
the Royal Temple with its typical Balinese
towers. On the way I invited my driver and
my guide for some suckling veal in a small
stall along the road. I enjoyed it very much
but couldnt help wondering how it was

going to affect my digestive tract (luckily
I had no problems!). The next stop was for
coffee Luwak; the most expensive coffee
in the world due to the fact that the coffee
cherries have to be partially digested by the
Asian palm civet. Sanjay stopped at a coffee
plantation that offers to show the whole
process and even gives one the chance to
play with one of the baby civets. I normally
do not support that kind of operation since I
am very aware of animal rights, but that particular plantation was known for their good
treatment of the animals. I did enjoy the
sweet taste of the coffee but I am not sure
about drinking it every day. By now, we had
one more temple to visit and a detour to a
poor village so I could donate some money
and what I brought with me to the villagers
who literally have nothing.
It was a quick dinner and off to bed, as
the next day our morning departure was set
for 01.30. Right on time, my driver showed
up and we drove to the starting point, which
was one and a half hours away. Once there,
confusion reigned as the message had not
been delivered and my guide had not yet
arrived. It was pitch black, and as I waited in
anticipation, I heard German, French, Polish
and Mexicans around me, all as eager to
climb as I was.
Water temple, where people came to bathe in groups

and prostrate themselves under holy water.
Finally, Estewae, my guide, arrived and

off we went at the front of the line, climbing
in the dark with head torches lighting only
a few meters ahead. The climb was mildly
challenging, mostly due to the wet terrain,
as although the incline was steep, my heart
rate stayed low and I was climbing with
little effort. On the way we passed several
temples, which were more or less stone piles
that my guide had to worship for good luck
before we were allowed to continue. I sat by
his side and took several deep breaths while
silently feeling grateful for the opportunity I
have to climb all over the world.
We made it to the top quite quickly and
had to wait for sunrise for a couple of hours.
It was very windy and cold there and
we huddled together for warmth while
sharing travelling stories. I kept asking about
breakfast but was told to wait a little more as
the cooks had not made it to the top of the
mountain yet. When they did, we happily
cooked our own eggs in the fumaroles while
they brewed our coffee. We were also given
a mashed banana sandwich that one of the
stray dogs stole from me! The light started
to appear on the horizon and the sunrise
was worth the wait. The suns rays grazed
Mount Agun to the East and reflected on
the lake down below. The sides of the crater
looked nearly photo luminescent, so green
was the grass growing on these parts. The
temperature finally rose and the sun kept
changing the colours around us. Clouds,
blue skies, grass and brown earth all contrasted with one another and I felt sad to
have to leave this beautiful place.
The way down, as always, was not so
much fun and the terrain was muddy and
slippery. The slopes on the other side of the
crater got the better of my boots (the lace
rivets broke down and I had to get a new
pair after the trek). Midway down, Estewae
needed to worship in a small crevasse along

a ridge, so off we went, crawling in a very
narrow rocky cave sparsely covered with
stalactites and stalagmites. After ten
minutes, we reached a very small altar and
switched our headlights off. It was pure
darkness and silence in the bowels of the
mountain, and the only distraction was a
water droplet falling here and there. We
stayed for what seemed like hours but
in reality was probably only five or ten
minutes. Then, we switched our lights back
on and crawled back out of this deep
crevasse under the volcano.
From that point onwards, the incline was
quite easy on the legs and my next stop was
going to be Kuburan Terunyan, a cemetery
where people are not buried but rather
layed to rest in the open air to decay in the
elements. Legend has it that a very fragrant
tree, the Taru Menyan from the Banyan
family, masks the odor of the decaying
corpses, but I have to say I do not find it to
be true. It was fascinating though to witness
the different beliefs that people have all
over the world and how the villagers come
to eat with their deceased loved ones and
bring them gifts for the afterlife.
Crossing the lake to come out and return
from the cemetery was very welcome as the
fresh air cleaned my nostrils out. On the way
back to my hotel I stopped at the Pura Tirtha

Empul, (water temple), where people came
to bathe in groups and prostrate themselves
under holy water. The weather was dreadful
with pouring rain, and after consulting with
my guide it was decided that climbing Agun
was too dangerous and that this would have
to be postponed. Running out of time, I had
to fly back to Dubai and plan another trip
to Bali for Agun... Batur got my boots but I
have a new pair and they are ready for Agun
in the not too distant future.
Coffee Luwak
The number one most expensive coffee

in the world is made from the number
two of the jungle cat. Kopi Luwak, aka
Bali jungle cat poop coffee is produced
in the jungles of Bali. After spending
about a day and a half in the civet cats
digestive tract, the partially digested
beans are expelled in clumps through
the defecation process, thus gaining
the alias cat poop coffee. The collected beans are harvested, washed and
roasted. Believe it or not, the coffee has
a smooth flavour with a hint of caramel!
OUTDOORUAE
17
TRAVEL & ADVENTURE
China with a child

China might not be the first place that springs to mind when you start
planning a trip with a three month old child, but as Nicola and Nabin found
out, travelling with a baby doesnt have to mean all inclusive five star resorts
Words by: Nicola Holmes
Photos by: Soul Photography
Ni hao!
In January 2015, I was a few
months pregnant with our daughter
Maya, and struggling with morning
nausea, when a wedding save the
date popped up from my cousin
inviting us to share their special
days in Cambridge in July 2015
(shucks, baby is due then so
unlikely well make it)and in
Changsha (China) in September
(awesome! Baby will have arrived
by then and so subject of course
to a green light from the doctor
for mother and baby, count us in!).
18
OUTDOORUAE
A few family and friends thought we might

regret the decision to travel with a three
month baby in tow, but our view was that its
easier to travel with a baby than a toddler
or older, and we didnt want to miss such
a unique opportunity to see China and
experience its cultureand so the preparations began.
Our key thought was; if were going then
lets plan as if we wont go back and travel to
all the must sees. Through our research we
realised two key things; firstly, that we would
experience four seasons across the threeweek trip, and secondly, that despite wanting
to travel overland it would be impossible
with the time we hadand so air travel it
was! With the help of a website called Ctrip

(recommended for ease and price) and the
advice of my cousins fiance, we finalised
the itinerary, and, some eight flights later, we
were all booked up and ready to go.
We travelled direct from Dubai to Beijing
and then on to Zhangjiajie where we visited
the incredible Wulingyuan Scenic Area,
designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site
and noted for more than 3,000 quartzite
sandstone pillars and peaks, caves, ravines,
gorges, streams, pools, waterfalls and natural
rock bridges. It is also where much of the
epic movie Avatar was filmed. This was the
scenic highlight of the trip for us and at times
left us speechless.
Next, we travelled to Changsha where

the wedding was held. It was a traditional
Chinese Buddhist ceremony and was a truly
unique experience. Together with our Yorkshire family members, who had also made
the journey over, we enjoyed the opportunity
to wear traditional outfits and get involved
in all the activities; even Maya had her own
attire, slippers included. We also had the opportunity to watch the epic fireworks display
which takes place weekly over the city and
draws thousands of spectators.
Our next stop was Jiuzhaigou, a national
park and another UNESCO World Heritage
Site, located in the north of Sichuan province.
Having grown up visiting the English Lake
District as a child, I felt a real affection for this
beautiful area full of mountains, waterfalls
and colourful lakes. It is also home to a number of Tibetan villages that retain their culture
and traditions and can be easily visited as
part of the trip. Shuttle buses drop you by the
main lakes and then wooden boardwalks
take you around and allow you to fully appreciate the scenery. Our favourite spots were
Five Flower Lake, Reed Lake and Pearl Shoal
Waterfall.
From here we flew to Chengdu for a visit to
the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda
Breeding, well worth a visit, especially to
see the baby Pandas. We took a trip out to
visit the Leshan Giant Buddha and we had a

day exploring the city where we visited the
ancient Anshun Bridge and Jinli Street where
the buildings are in the Qing Dynasty style.
Next was a quick stop in Xian, one of the
oldest cities in China. It is also the starting
point of the Silk Road and home to the world
famous Terracotta Army. A few other sights
we enjoyed when touring by rickshaw were
Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, Drum Tower,
Bell Tower and the City Walls (which stretch
for miles and are worth exploring by bike to
avoid exhausted legs).
Shanghai was next where we spent a
wonderful two days admiring the stunning
architecture and soaking up the vibrant
atmosphere of this city. Highlights included
The Bund by night, the old French concession, Longhua temple and Old Nanshi
district. A couple of where to eat tips from
our friends living there are Sproutworks in
Xintiandi, Baker & Spice on Anfulu and Ginger caf overlooking one of the city parks.
Our final stop was Beijing where we were
fortunate to have friends who hosted us for
four days. The city was slightly overwhelming
in both size and population. We decided to
cut our itinerary and so focused on our top 5

which were The Forbidden City (an absolute
must see, get the audio guide and afterwards
take a walk in neigbouring Jingshan Park for
the view over the city), Tiananmen Square,
Summer Palace (a little out of town so prepare yourself for the traffic), Hou Hai (back
lakes), which is great for dinner and nightlife,
and Nanluoguxiang where you can still see
Old Beijing with its narrow alleys, courtyards
and traditional hutong neighbourhoods (take
a pedicab tour but be prepared to haggle).
You could say we saved the best for last as
the day before we left we hired a driver to
take us out to the most popular tourist site,
The Great Wall of China. There are a few
popular access points to the wall, and we
chose Mutianyu as it was deemed accessible
for families. After an early start (to get ahead
of the hordes of tourists) and a 1.5 hour drive,
we took a cable car and then climbed up
to one of the forts and onto the wall itself.
20
OUTDOORUAE
TOP TIPS FOR TRAVELLING WITH A BABY

Reflecting on the trip we want to give
useful advice to other families planning
to travel around China and so here are
our top tips.
The only word I can use to describe the

experience of walking along this remote and
ancient wall, stretching over 20,000 km, is
wondrous. Looking out over the hills you get
a sense of the vastness and historical role this
wall played in protecting the country as well
as border control. On one particularly steep
section Mayas feeding cry could not have
been better timed and meant I enjoyed an
almost solitary pause to sit, breathe, listen to
the silence, admire the views and implant
our final and everlasting memories of this
incredible country.
1. Travel light: take clothing that is

adaptable to different seasons such as
trousers that zip off at the knees and
clothing that can be layered.
2. Time your flights: for long haul
choose daytime flights, this way theres
no pressure to sleep, no concern about
disturbing other passengers and on
arrival you can hit the sack and get a
good nights sleep.
3. Book it all: book all the flights, hotels,
drivers, guides etc before you travel.
This way you can focus on enjoying the
experience rather than worrying about
logistics.
4. Learn to meditate: it is a frenetic
country and in places people, traffic,
sounds and smells overwhelm you. Meditating, taking time out or even just a few
deep breaths will help. Also a heads up
for other Brits; queuing does not exist in
China. Its every man for himself, survival
of the fittest.
5. Basic language skills: English is not
widely spoken and so for smoother
travels take the time to learn a few basic
phrases before you travel and other
useful words as you go. You could even
use a pocket Chinese phrasebook or a
translation app.
6. Check the weather: it was only when
we looked at average temperatures for the
time of year in each place we were planning to visit did we realise that we literally
would experience four seasons in one trip.
7. Over budget: compared to most
other Asian countries China is more
costly in terms of hotels, transport and
sightseeing. Budgeting accordingly
means you dont have to worry and feel
that you are overspending.
8. Make the most of the day: the
Chinese are notoriously early risers and
so for you to have the best experience of
the country, you should join them. This
suited us (with Mayas 5am wake time)
and we fondly recall the daily sight of
thousands of Chinese, young and old,
partaking in Tai Chi in city parks and on
city streets.
When considering what you need for travelling with a baby we feel five
items are essential;
1. A carrier such as Baby Bjorn
2. A lightweight travel cot such as Koo-di (with Babys favourite blanket)
3. Pump (or formula) and bottles
4. Feeding shawl - breastfeeding in public is not common place and so this ensures
you feel comfortable (and as result so does Baby)
5. A daily stocked change bag with nappies, wipes, mat, change of clothes and
muslins (be aware it is rare to find babycare facilities and so changing nappies on the
go is the norm!)
We will never forget the fascination people had with Maya; everyone wanted to hold her
or touch her skin (especially her feet, for luck, apparently!). It was only towards the end
of the trip that we realised that with her mixed British & Nepalese heritage she was often
mistaken for a Chinese baby and that exclamations made were actually thanks and joy
that we had adopted a child of their nation, especially a girl. Now that really would have
been a lasting memory! Although Maya will have no memory of her trip to China, she
does have a stamp in her passport and we have many many stories and photos that we
look forward to sharing with her. Where next on the adventures of Maya..???
TRAVEL & ADVENTURE
The Druk Path Diaries:
Exploring Bhutan
Words + Photos by: Fahd Abu Aisha
In part two of his journey on

the Druk Path Trek, Fahd Abu Aisha
discovers that yaks arent
necessarily to be trusted
Day 3, November 1st: The Land
of the Thunder Dragon
I woke up numb and sore, having slept in a

breached fetal position all night.
The sun was scorching our campsite, in
contrast to the Arctic conditions encumbering us throughout the night. I enjoyed an
outdoor breakfast while glowing rays kissed
the snowy peaks of the mountains a picturesque view. We cleared up our tents and
made our way back up to the monastery to
continue the trail beyond the monks hut.
The hike was relatively short. We traversed
up and down slopes through the forest for a

few hours before we walked out on an open
plain, delighted to happen upon our chef
who had prepared lunch for us. It was there
where I met Frank and Nancy again (the San
Franciscan couple) and we picked up where
we left off; sharing strategies on how to
keep warm during the freezing nights.
With only one hour of hiking left to reach
our next destination, I took my time finishing my lunch as it was only noon. I explored
the lunch site longer than usual in an effort
to kill time in a productive and prudent
manner. By then our chef and horseman had
already made for the second camp, so Tashi
and I bid our adieus to Frank and Nancy
once more and we tried to catch up with our
dynamic Chef/Horseman.
Tashi was not sure what their chef
meant by next camp. It was still early but
reaching tomorrow nights camp was going

to be cutting it too close to make it in time
before sunset. We continued our walk again
into more forest; this time the atmosphere
took on a darker, more ominous tone as tall
skeletal trees hung lifelessly around us.
Tashi mused how it would be the perfect
horror setting for a movie. I responded
nervously with a high-pitched giggle.
We walked for another half hour. As nonchalant and experienced Tashi was, I began
to feel even he was getting anxious. Perturbed, I peered into the distance through
the branches fretfully. With what sounded
like a combination between a wail, a choked
sob and a massive sigh of relief, he stopped
to show me an arrow pointing forward
drawn into the mud, confirming we were
moving in the right direction. Sure enough,
we walked out onto yet another open plain
and 5 minutes later were surrounded by
mountains, where the main camp lay.
Out of nowhere a massive cloud lumbered
across the sky and hovered over us expectantly. A pregnant pause later it emitted the
roar of the thunder dragon and began to
pour down sacks of rain. We took shelter
inside the main camp and waited for the rain
to subside. We were the only people within
a 20km radius.There was not much more I
could ask for, seated with a warm cup of tea,
and a view to die for.
Day 4, November 2nd:

The Yak Crossing
It had poured heavily the night before, the

raindrops beating violently against my tent.
The pitter-patter on the roof soon became
white noise to me and I slept soundly
throughout, blocking out the impending
knowledge that the heavy, hell soaked night
would have devastating results on todays
hiking path.
My memory of todays surroundings is a
bit hazy, so entrenched with mud was the
path, that I focused all my concentration on
getting one foot successfully in front of the
other. It is no exaggeration to say that it was

impossible to navigate the route if you had
not already done it before, as the trail was
obscured by all the sludge. I had not done
it before, so naturally I was the damsel in
distress of the crew.
We faced our first real obstacle on the
trek when we came upon a rushing river we
needed to cross in order to continue our
ascent. Due to the high winds and poor
weather the night before, the make-shift
bridge built for commuters had been blown
away. My bridge building skills not intact,
Tashi insisted we turn back into the forest to
find another way across.

Tashi scurried ahead of me trying to find
an alternative route, and for the first time
he was out of my sight for a few seconds. A
twinge of panic set in. There were at least
four potential footpaths that led in different
directions from where I was standing. Thankfully before I had time to soil my last remaining pair of clean underpants, Tashi popped
out of the trees with a victorious war cry,
revealing he had found another way across.
As we walked down this newly discovered
trail to the river, Tashi stopped in his tracks
and signaled for me to move back: ahead
stood 4 beastly yaks. Curiously blinking

at us, they staunchly remained guarded in
front of the river we needed to cross. Tashi
whispered that despite these being domesticated yaks, they could be highly aggressive
if provoked. They could run up to speeds of
40km/h so there was no way we were going
to make a quick escape. Whilst assessing
the situation,Tashi, in an attempt to relieve
the tension, told me a funny local tale about
The Yak: Centuries ago, the yak and buffalo
were best friends. Back then; it was the buffalo that was the hairy creature and not the
yak. One day the yak asked the buffalo if he
could borrow his hair as he was travelling to
Tibet and the climate was much colder, to
which the buffalo happily obliged. The yak,
all dressed up in his hairy new get-up made
for Tibet, and as the story goes, never came
back. Until this day in Bhutan, when the buffalos do not have their heads down grazing
the land or sleeping they are always looking
north wondering when their friend the yak
would return. Sneaky yak.
As much as this story did lighten the
mood, it made me more cautious and
distrustful of them. Tashi warned me not to
look them in the eye, as it may feel like we
are challenging them, and then we would
really be in trouble. However, we needed
to get behind them to cross the river. We
approached them slowly, particularly the
alpha male who didnt take his eyes off of
us and the only one standing directly in our
path. Another two slow steps toward him
and he started toward us. Tashi shouted to
jump left, and without hesitation, we lunged
onto the low hanging branches of the trees
like frantic koala bears then swung onto the
massive boulders that were anchored into
the gushing river. The yak let out a snicker
and turned away; content he had won the
duel.
We hopped from boulder to boulder,
doing our best to avoid falling into the river,
where the current would have swept us further downstream. The boulders were more
like mini islands so the challenge was not
death defying but still challenging. We had
finally made it across the river behind the
yaks. I didnt like them anymore.
And so we continued up the trail, with the
river flowing downstream adjacent to us. As
we climbed out over the trees, we reached
a flat platform where the water flowed over

the cliff and into the river (a mini waterfall
of sorts). The view overlooking the valley
was mesmerizing. Five more minutes of
climbing over the cliff and we had reached
our destination the shores of a massive
lake randomly created so high up there and
girdled in by 3 gargantuan mountains. Tashi
would eventually explain that the water from
the glaciers of those mountains would form
the lake, which in turn, would spill over the
cliff and into the valley to form the river we
had just trailed up against. It was a truly a
sight to behold as we stood alone, appraising the magnificence.

The government had placed a lot of trout
in the lake to stimulate the habitat and Tashi
thought it would be a good idea to try our
luck at DIY fishing.
Using a bundle of yak hair (NOT plucked
from our old friends backside) as a fishing
line, he bent the pin we used to hold the
sleeping bags together as a hook topped
with a small piece of chicken that we were
originally going to have for dinner. It ended
abysmally and almost as quickly as it started.
There were no takers for our now sopping,
soaked chicken.
By the time we conceded that we werent
having a lush, gourmet seafood feast for
dinner, the sun vanished behind the clouds
and the wonderful unpredictable Bhutanese
weather struck again. As the cold bit down
on my spine and legs I fled to my tent to
change into heavier clothing.
The seasoned chef and horseman had
pre-empted this sudden weather change
and disappeared out of sight to look for
firewood, which they found. We sought
out a cozy spot in a cave under one of the
mountains, away from the rain. Tashi warned
me that this would be the coldest night
we would face. I prayed I would be able to
sleep through it.
OUTDOORUAE
25
TRAVEL & ADVENTURE
QBE and Beginners Luck

Words + Photos by: Chris and Amanda Fraser
Travelling around Africa

and Europe in their trusty car,
Magellan, Chris and Amandas road
trip has well and truly begun! Here,
we join them in Botswana as they
venture through the stunning
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.
We all know the story of the man who
walked into the casino for the first time,
threw all his hard earned savings on one
black jack hand and walked away a rich
man...beginners luck. Well we definitely hit
the jackpot during our 11-day tour through
the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.
Combining our luck with Jeremy and
Nunnys vast experience in the bush, we had
a fantastic run. Of the 22 game drives we
went on, we spotted the big cats on 20 of
them...how about that?! With a total of 23
lions, 12 cheetah, and 1 leopard, we had
non-stop action.
Our top moments included a cheetah kill,
a blobbed cheetah hunt, a long leopard
sighting, an up close and personal encounter
26
OUTDOORUAE
with a lion and lioness, and a home visit from

a male lion.
I learned on our third day that game viewing can be about spotting an animal and
exercising a ton of patience, waiting for that
one flash of excitement, or it can just be a
matter of being in the right place at the right
time. We were lucky to experience both.
As Chris and I were leading the pack, we
decided to slow down and see what another
parked car was observing. We had quickly
assumed it was a secretary bird near the
side of the road and were about to carry on
when Chris suddenly nudged me, and Jem
frantically called on the radio. Within a split
second a cheetah darted across the road. A
springbok started jogging towards us with
the gemsbok running in the other direction.
All of a sudden, the springbok picked up
speed as the cheetah leaped over a dead
tree full speed ahead. Three springbok
leapt across the road; two peeled left while
one darted to the right. Game on. The lone
springbok and the cheetah chased across the
road, just meters from our car. The springbok
tried to take cover behind a dead tree, but it
was too late. The cheetah, true to its
character, was too fast! Unfortunately, we
did not see the cheetah take the small buck
down, but seconds later, we witnessed

the springboks legs splayed in the air.
Simultaneously, a nearby jackal began calling
his jackal friends, alerting them to the recent
kill. The cheetah looked around and then
dragged the springbok under a tree. Dinner
was served.
Minutes after we had experienced the
most incredible adrenaline filled moment, we
received a call over the radio from
Jeremy and Nunny telling us there was a
female cheetah stalking and we should
get there quick. As we approached, they
motioned where the cheetah was. About
50 meters away from the female was a lone
springbok milling around, oblivious to what

was eyeing him down. Binoculars out, car off,
we exercised patience. For the next hour, our
eyes were peeled. The cheetah would scan
the area: left, right, back. Left, right, back.
Creep. Continuing this pattern. After a long
wait, the hunt seemed imminent. She was in
position, looking very determined. As she
was about to pounce, down came four curious cubs. Hunt over. However, this was an
experience all on its own as we got to follow
the family down the road, as Mum perhaps
looked for more unknowing food.
On our second day in Rooiputs, we followed a male and female to a campsite
just down the road from ours. All night we
had been kept up with the exciting roars of
male lions. These calls got us up and out
of camp very quickly, despite the -8 degree
temperatures! As we came down the hill
from our camp to the main road, the Ferrows

spotted a beautiful male sauntering through
the bush, coming directly between our two
vehicles. We then tracked this beast until the
road ended. Chris and I decided to head up
towards camp to see if we could head the
lion off, and thats when Chris spotted the
second male lion, with his female posting up
at the camp. The four of us were fortunate to
have these two lions to ourselves for some
time. The two looked ready to bask in the
sun, preparing for their daily cat nap. Every
time both would get situated, the female
would come up and tease the male, taking a
swipe towards his face, ending in a frustrated

grunt from the male.
Our 11 days of extraordinary sightings
ended with a male lion traipsing through our
campsite in search of water from the leaking
shower. As a vehicle that had been tracking the male lion (sleeping 100 meters from
our campsite) started slowly driving closer,
we knew he was approaching. Chris and I
jumped on top of the water tanks, Nunny
took to the ladder of their vehicle, while
Jeremy stood his ground at the front of our
car. Walking with ease, the lion went directly
to our shower. Unfortunately we had run out
of water that morning. As the lion moved,
so did Jeremy. Nunny and Chris came out of
hiding to get a closer glimpse, while I kept
my distance...remaining safe on the roof!
Ocean Sports FZE: enquiries@kitesurfsup.com | +971 (0) 55 935 2735
TRAVEL & ADVENTURE
Diving Malapascua
Words + Land Photos by: Ally Landes

Underwater Photos by: Simone Caprodossi
Drone Photo by: Simon Pierce
If seeing Thresher Sharks

(Alopias pelagicus) are on your
bucket list, then Monad Shoal in the
Malapascua area in the Philippines
is the perfect place for you. The
Monad Shoal cleaning stations are
known worldwide as the one place
in which divers can consistently
see the unusual and rare Pelagic
Thresher Sharks. They can grow
to 3m, with their tails making up
50 per cent of their body. They
can be seen circling the cleaning
stations in twos or threes, but
remain solitary.
They are impressive sharks with huge eyes
for hunting at deep depths. Their pectoral
fins are much longer than those of other
sharks which give them incredible manoeuvrability and speed. Their ribbon-like shaped
tail is the Rolls-Royce of all tails and can
whip fish into a motionless and stunned
28
OUTDOORUAE
state, making them an easy morsel.

We received an invitation from the
Philippines Tourism Board to go on over in
July and discover some of their dive sites
treasure troves. Malapascua came up on
Pelagic Thresher Shark - Alopias pelagicus
the list of destinations to choose from and

threshers were on the top of our Must See
list. With a direct flight over to Mactan-Cebu
International Airport with Emirates, we were
greeted by a driver from Fun and Sun Dive
Painted Frogfish - Antennarius pictus - at Gato South Wall
beachfront cabins, guest houses and

boutique hotels. There are plenty of beach
bars and restaurants, and many walkways to
explore around the island that lead to food
stalls, and artisans stands selling handmade
wooden sculptures. The mornings start
at 5am on the island for those off to dive
Monad Shoal, a pace one gets used to fairly
quickly.
Nudibranch - Nembrotha kubaryana at Chocolate Island 047A7556
THE DIVING
We were very fortunate to have Danilo

and Leo, two pro critter spotters, as our
dive guides. Malapascua turned out to be
quite the macro location. Apart from seeing
Thresher Sharks at Monad Shoal, the rest of
the dive sites really are more about macro
than anything else.
and Travel, and made a3-hour journey by
road to a boat port. From there, we climbed
aboard a traditional Filipino Banca boat for
a 30 minute journey over to Malapascua
Island.
Malapascua Islands white sandy beaches
offer an array of accommodation, from
Painted Frogfish - Antennarius pictus at Chocolate Island and Lapus-Lapus
CHOCOLATE ISLAND
Depths: 13 metres
Chocolate Island is labelled as the most

amazing macro site in the Malapascua area.
It certainly started our first dive off with a big
bang.
Highlights:
Reaper Cuttlefish - Sepia cf mestus - at Ka Osting
Frogfish also known as Anglerfish are

just such a joy to come across. No two of
the same species are ever alike and we were
looking forward to seeing plenty more of
these guys on the rest of our dives. Their
rather shapeless and incredibly camouflaged
bodies with webbed feet, can make them
incredibly hard to spot. One of the coolest
things about Frogfish are their humongous
mouths and expandable stomachs in which
they are able to swallow prey even bigger
than themselves.
Striped Catfish - Plotosus lineatus - at Quillano
Nudibranchs (Nembrotha kubaryana) and

(Nembrotha milleri)
Painted Frogfish (Antennarius pictus)
Reaper Cuttlefish (Sepia cfmestus)
Striped Catfish (Plotosus lineatus)
KA OSTING
Depths: 10 metres
This was such a fun night dive on both the

dives we did here. Creatures come out of
nowhere and can give you quite a fright like
Sea Moth - Eurypegasus draconis
Giant sized Ringed Sea Snake - Laticauda colubrina - at Ka Osting
Bobtail Hummingbird Squid Euprymna berryi - at Ka Osting
made its entrance. A pleasant surprise to see.

One can also spot Oceanic Mantas (Manta
birostris) here from time to time. We didnt,
but whos to say you wont on your trip over.
Our fourth dive was the best day we
had had with the threshers. Although
the water was a little murky, we had a
continuous repertoire of sharks coming in and
out throughout the dive all at one cleaning
station. It was an absolutely thrilling show!
the very large Ringed Sea Snake did to me

when it popped up through my view finder
while I was busily focusing on something
else, to then watch it swim directly under my
nose and past my legs. You need to keep
your wits about you.
Highlights:
Day Octopus (Octopus cyanea)

Bobtail Hummingbird Squid
(Euprymna berryi)
Ringed Sea Snake (Laticauda colubrina)
Reaper Cuttlefish (Sepia cfmestus)
Robust Ghostpipefish
(Solenostomus cyanopterus)
Ascidian or Sea Squirt (Atriolum robustum)
accompanied by unknown Blenny
Decorator Crab (Camposcia retusa)
Saddled Toby (Canthigaster valentine)
Sea Moth (Eurypegasus draconis)
Devil Scorpionfish (Inimicus didactylus)
Flatworm (Pseudobiceros bedfordi)
Porcelain Crab (Neopetrolisthes maculatus)
The Bobtail Squid is so small and
incredibly hard to spot, unless you know
how to look to find them. They are nocturnal and Danilo was quick to spot this ones
bioluminescent light and Simon Pierce and
Simone Caprodossi each got to spend quality time photographing this little one. The
males grow to no bigger than 3cm and the
females to 5cm, making us believe this one
was most probably a female. With their gorgeous peacock colours of small dark, electric
blue and green dots, you cant help but be
marvelledby them. Their tiny eight arms and
two tentacles, are just too cute.
There was such a variety of amazing things
to see on this dive, it all seemed to have
ended far too quickly and eyes at the back
of the head would have been useful.
MONAD SHOAL
Depths: 30 metres
Highlights:
White-spotted Eagle Ray

(Aetobatus ocellatus)
Pelagic Thresher Sharks (Alopias pelagicus)
Pelagic Thresher Shark - Alopias pelagicus
Flatworm - Pseudobiceros
bedfordi - at Ka Osting
Mandarin Fish - Synchiropus spendidus - at Lighthouse
PASIL BAY
Depths: 18 metres
This dive sites topography has unique

characteristics compared to those of the
others and is covered in a carpet of green
algae and dotted with lots of pretty Longspined Sea Urchins (Astropyga radiata).
Highlights:
Greater Blue-ringed Octopus Hapalochlaena lunulata - at Lighthouse
Monad Shoal is done by visiting

cleaning stations and patiently waiting
behind designated diver zones to watch
threshers suddenly appear from out of the
blue. Its incredibly well organised and divers
are made to kneel behind the rope barriers.
The dive masters will move you on to the
next station if need be. Nitrox is definitely
the way to go on this dive, so make sure to
ask for it. Photographers and videographers
are prohibited from using light as they disturb the sharks.
What a breathtaking sight it is to see
them. They are much larger in scale than
one imagines and they swim with such
grace. That moment made the whole trip
all the more worth it! They come in alone
from the blue and they exit alone, but you
can easily see 2-3 at a time.
The single White-spotted Eagle Ray we
saw on the third dive with strong current,
appeared on our descent along the anchor
line and flew past us just as quickly as it had
Hairy Frogfish - Antennarius striatus - at Pasil Bay
Black-Pitted Snake-Eel
(Pisonophis cancrivorus)
Hairy Frogfish (Antennarius striatus)
Porcelain Crab (Neopetrolisthes maculatus)
Ringed Sea Snake (Laticauda colubrine)
The biggest highlight here was the small
Hairy Frogfish perched in motion with the
algae and the Black-Pitted Snake-Eel protruding from the sand it had buried itself in.
Known to scarper deeper in the sand from
sudden movements made close to it, this
snake-eel seemed quite relaxed as it stared
back at us with its large golden eye.
LIGHTHOUSE
Depths: 10 metres
The shallow dusk dive in search of the

famous Mandarin Fish always extends into
a night dive, doubling your dive time. The
dive site here, although not a pretty one, is
loaded with nooks and crannies for a variety
of critters to play hide and seek in the
rubbled bottom.
Highlights:
Mandarin Fish (Synchiropus spendidus)

Estuary Seahorse (Hippocampus kuda)
Greater Blue-ringed Octopus
(Hapalochlaena lunulata)
It oddly felt as if all the divers on Malapascua had come to join us on our dusk dive to
find the Mandarin Fish. Once everyone settles on the first lot of Mandarin fish you find,
move on to find another couple as you know
they wont move to follow you, and you can
then get your shots from all angles. You cannot use regular lights when photographing
the Mandarin Fish as it disturbs their mating
ritual, so make sure to have red filters over
your lights or else you wont get them.
The very small Greater Blue-ringed Octopus up to 7cm is an elusive specimen
was there and in my opinion, it counts as a

check off my list.
and Danilo hit the jackpot. This dive site is

the perfect location for this little guy with all
the rubble around. This stunning and colourful little tentacled being of poisonous life, is
an incredible find and one to be observed
from a safe distance to avoid its venomous
and possibly deadly bite.
VERDICT:
GATO SOUTH WALL

Depths: 22 metres
Gato Island is a popular all day destination

and 2 dives are normally done here, with
5 dive sites to choose from. The island is a
marine reserve and its unique feature is the
tunnel which runs through the entire island.
Its a very popular location though and it can
get packed with divers.
Highlights:

Ringed Sea Snake (Laticauda colubrine)
Big-Fin Reef Squid (Sepioteuthis lessoniana)
We had a very interactive moment with
a small swimming Painted Frogfish which
rapidly grabbed the attention of every other
diver in a matter of seconds. You may have
to be quick in getting your shots.
GATO TUNNEL
Depths: 22 metres
After a lovely lunch and relaxing surface

interval on our Banca dive boat, we did our
second Gato Island dive. The 30m tunnel
is usually home to Whitetip Reef Sharks
(Triaenodonobesus), but with the number
of divers on this day, it was no wonder we
didnt see any. This is a great dive site with
much to explore. It also makes some great
photos with your dive group in the background with the surface light visible at either
of the tunnel openings.
Highlights:
Robust Ghostpipefish
(Solenostomus cyanopterus)
Gato tunnel exit
Harlequin Shrimp - Hymenocera

elegans - at Gato Tunnel
Harlequin Shrimp (Hymenocera elegans)
We took seven days with travel time taken into

account to get a full five days of diving done.
With an average of 4 dives per day, you get
to see a huge variety of rich marine life that
you dont get to see in many other places.
Malapascua surpassed our expectations and
the Philippines has a lot more underwater
exploring to offer. The 5am dives with Thresher
Sharks is a top start to each day. Whatever you
do, dont miss out on those!
The Robust Ghostpipefish and Harlequin

Shrimps make great macro subjects and
there are plenty of other things to photograph here, its a matter of being at the right
place and the right time as its a large area
to cover.
LAPUS-LAPUS
Depths: 30 metres
This is an incredibly colourful reef, covered

in soft corals, wire and whip corals and
small fans, and has a very strong permanent current that brings everything to life.
Unfortunately, I had not taken the current
into account and did not make the most of
all the things to see on this dive. The cracks
and crevices along the wall have lots to
explore and I had to give the pair of frogfish
a miss as I was on the last reserves of my air
and needed to make the safety stop.
Highlights:
Yellow Pygmy Seahorse

(Hippocampus bargibanti)
Vomer Conch (Strombus vomer vomer)
The Yellow Pygmy is a rare find and
although I did not see it with the naked eye,
Simone got it with his super macro lens. I
Yellow Pygmy Seahorse - Hippocampus
bargibanti - at Lapus-Lapus
The fun and sun team
Planning your Trip:
WEATHER
There are two seasons in the Philippines.
The wet season, July-October, and the
dry season, November-June.
The weather is generally warm and
tropical so you can pack light,
remembering to bring a rain jacket or
umbrella if going in the wet season. You
will need it. The great thing is, come
rain or shine, you can dive year-round in
the Philippines.
Breaking the seasons down further,
December through March is the northeast monsoon that can bring strong
winds. April through June is usually dry
with warm days and little wind. July
through November is the southwest
monsoon, which is wet, but the water
is warm. Air temperatures average 2532C with high relative humidity. We
went in July, and we had only one wet
day out of 7, and that did not deter us
from the diving.
Who to Dive with and find

Accommodation:
FUN & SUN DIVE & TRAVEL
There is accommodation to fit everyones budget on the island which Fun

and Sun Dive and Travel, can help you
with. They will also take care of airport
transfers.
info@funsundivetravel.com
www.funsundivetravel.com
www.facebook.com/funsundivetravel
Gato tunnel entrance
Vomer Conch - Strombus vomer vomer - at Lapus-Lapus
Things to Bring:
A universal travel power plug adapter converter and a 6-way plug extension lead as
we had so many different things to charge
overnight with all the different camera batteries, lights, tablets, laptops, etc.
OUTDOORUAE
31
Kit bag essentials:
What to carry to ensure you dont get caught out!

Words by: Rachael Bruford
Photos by: Rachael Bruford and supplied
Any athlete knows that the time

before a race can be particularly
nerve wracking. No matter what
your sport is, you will most likely
feel some pressure as this is when
you will be truly tested; when all
your training comes together, and
hopefully the hours and hours spent
preparing for an event will be reflected in a performance that youre
happy with.
However, nerves can also lead to mistakes
when it comes to packing your kit bag,
which can then have a negative impact on
your race. Whether your next event is just
round the corner or thousands of miles away,
there are some items that you should always
carry with you, just in case you happen to
need them. By ensuring that your kit bag is
always stocked with these things, youll have
the time to focus on the task ahead of you,
rather than running around trying to find last
minute essentials.
Sunblock and sunglasses
Be sure to carry a travel-sized tube of sunblock for unexpectedly sunny days, even
in countries that arent renowned for warm
weather. If your race starts early, you may
still need to protect your skin from the sun
when hanging around afterwards.
Cap/ visor
Again, this is something that may not necessarily spring to mind, but a cap or visor is an
ideal way to shield your eyes from the suns
glare, whether you use it to race in or just
afterwards. A cap can also protect your scalp
from sunburn, which you really dont want
after youve exerted yourself.
Flip Flops
Every athlete knows the relief that comes

with taking off your shoes after a run, cycle
or even just a hike. Having a pair of shoes
such as flip flops, that allow your feet to get
some air and recover, is something youll
really appreciate afterwards. Theres almost
nothing worse than having to keep your sore
feet in the same sweaty socks and trainers
that you had to race in, whilst you hobble
back home or to your hotel. Similarly, if
youre in a cold climate, be sure to bring a
spare pair of warm shoes, and some socks.
32
OUTDOORUAE
Insect repellent
This is always handy to have, even if youre

in an area that is not particularly known for
mosquitoes or other critters. You just never
know when you might need it, or if youll
be able to buy some in the local area; so
be sure to carry it with you. Also, carrying a
soothing cream or some Tiger Balm will help
with any irritation or itching if you do get
bitten not exactly what you want before
heading into the race or when trying to get
a good nights sleep beforehand!
Towel
Theres something comforting about having

your own towel to use after a shower, or
even using it to sit on after the event, in the
case of rocky or wet ground.
Toiletries
Whilst many hotels and shower facilities

offer toiletries such as shampoo and shower
gel, theres something luxurious about using
your favourite brands when enjoying a hard
earned shower after your event. The feel
and smell of these products will be sure to

refresh your weary body. For example, after
a race you might love having a hot shower
and then lathering yourself in your favourite
moisturiser afterwards. Psychologically, its a
huge boost!
Spare kit
This really does go without saying. How

many of us have turned up to training with
no shorts, no socks or (for the ladies) no
sports bra? Ensuring you have a spare full kit
in your bag means that theres no need to
panic if you do forget something, and you
can also use it as something to change into
afterwards.
Money
Some people try to race with a little money

on them, just in case, but you should have
some in your kit bag too, if only to deal
with unforeseen transportation issues and
after-event celebrations.
Phone
Definitely needed to check your official results and to let your friends and family know
how you did! Its also handy when meeting
up with people afterwards and of course,
in case of an emergency. More importantly,
youll also need to make use of your phones
camera to take the all-important medal
selfie afterwards!
ID/Medical and travel

insurance cards
These should definitely be in your possession at all times if possible, but if not, be
sure to keep them in a safe place in your
bag, where they wont get wet or damaged.
Plastic bags
For used smelly gear and shoes.
Headphones
Most major events will not allow headphones; however, it can be nice to listen to
some music or your favourite podcast before
or after the race.
Face or hand wipes
A great way to remove dirt and sweat

before you head to the shower. We all know
that being competitive can sometimes get
a little messy, with gels and the like somehow finding their way all over your face and
hands. This gives you the perfect chance to
get rid of it without having to find water.
34
OUTDOORUAE
Spare Gels/fuel
If you use energy gels or any type of fuel

when youre on the go, youll know the
physical and psychological impact of forgetting them or not bringing enough. Be sure
to pack some spares, but also check every
now and again that they have not gone off.
If possible, bring a banana or something to
consume immediately after your race.
Hair brush/hair ties
Women (and men with long hair) will know

only too well how matted and tangled long
hair becomes when youre pushing yourself
to the max. Taking time afterwards to slowly
brush out any knots will make you feel
much more human again. Hair ties are funny
things; one day you have millions and the
next week theyve somehow vanished. Be
sure to keep plenty of spares!
Vaseline/anti-chafe
If youve ever stepped into the shower

after a hard work out only to realise youve
chafed, youll know that prevention is
definitely the way forward! Be sure to apply
this before your event to any areas that are
prone to chafe.
Medication
This should be kept in a safe place and

should include any of your regular medication. In addition, think about carrying some
Imodium (for obvious reasons!), anti-histamines, Ibuprofen or other painkillers.
Warm layers
During and immediately after your race, you

may feel ridiculously hot. However, once
youve finished and the sweat begins to
evaporate, you risk getting a chill that could
potentially make you ill. Be sure to include
at least a sweater to put on afterwards.
OUTDOORUAE
35
LIFESTYLE
Family adventure diving

Words + Photos by: Jen Hardie
When were young, the sky is

the limit for the adventures we
can get up to. At least it was for
me. Sadly, my exciting pre-children
weekends of adventure made
way for play dates, kiddie sports,
visiting attractions and childrenfocused activities. Before I knew it,

those crazy adventure filled days
were behind me. This past year, I
began to miss the old adventure
loving me and tried to find ways to
seek adventure, while also including
my kids, Matt (12) and Eva (7).
Our first family adventure activity was

scuba diving. Luckily, parents can learn how
to scuba dive together with their kids as
PADI (Professional Association of Diving
Instructors) offers courses for youngsters
from eight years old. In the UAE, we are
blessed with perfect scuba diving weather
all year round, so it seemed like a great fit
for our first family adventure activity.
There are PADI centres throughout the
UAE, but to get started, we stuck close to
home and went to Dive Atlantis at the Atlantis Hotel. We started with the Open Water
course. I was impressed with how good the
team were in working with children, teaching key skills in a fun and easy to understand
way, while still enabling them to be safe
in the water. Atlantis is well set up for its
introductory PADI courses, and you do your
first few training dives in the dive centres
pool, before further expanding your skills
in the Ambassador Lagoon, swimming with
14 different types of sharks and rays as well
as 65,000 other marine animals. Its great to
actually be in the water and see so many sea
creatures at one time, especially for children
and particularly when learning to dive.
Having that initial experience in the Ambassador Lagoon is what hooked my son Matt
on scuba diving and left him wanting more.
Once you have your PADI Open Water
qualification, adults can go to 18m and kids

10 years and older can go to 12m, which
is more than enough to see great sea life.
After gaining our PADI Open Water certification at Atlantis, Matt and I were keen to dive
more and see a greater diversity of sea life,
so we headed to the East Coast.
Our next stop was Divers Down, who are
based at the Miramar Al Aqah Hotel in Fujairah, to take our PADI Advanced Open Water
course. This allows adults to go to 30m
and kids to go to 21m. Divers Down are a
well-run and professional dive centre that
cater for absolute beginners all the way to
highly experienced technical divers. There
are always plenty of families taking courses
or going out for fun dives whenever we are
there, so we always feel right at home.
The East Coast offers a range of great fun
dives for families. Some of the highlights for
my son have been the black tip reef sharks,
moray eels, turtles, lively cuttle fish, groups
of 8-10 squid at a time, curious clown fish
who might just try to nibble your finger if its
mating season, and a playful jaw fish that
will sometimes let you drop a shell down its
hole and spit it out again. Great divesites
with kids include: Dibba Island (16m), Hole
in the Wall (15m), Martini Rock (3-22m) and
Shark Island (16m). For more advanced
divers, you can also explore Car Cemetery
which holds around 50 wrecked cars spread
out around 60 square metres featuring
plenty of nudibranchs, moray eels, the odd
manta ray and a few seahorses, if you look
closely. Perhaps the most popular with my
son is Inchcape 2, a wreck that sits at 21m,
and is home to several nudibranchs, moray
eels, rays and beautiful corals. Although you
need a PADI wreck diving qualification to
penetrate Inchcape 2, there is plenty to see
circumnavigating the outside of the vessel.
My daughter Eva isnt quite old enough to
start the PADI scuba programme yet, which
starts from the age of eight years old, so she
will often join us on the dive boat and go
snorkelling or free diving while were under
water. You need to check with the dive centre before you go, as each centre will have
different policies. Often you will need to hire
a PADI guide who will accompany your child
in the water while youre diving. But this offers a great opportunity for the whole family
to stay together, yet still have an adventure.
If you have kids who are a bit too small
for snorkelling independently, or who dont
want to be on the water, many hotels that
have dive centres will also have babysitters
that you can pre-book, or kids clubs, such
as at the Al Aqah hotel, that they can go to
while youre diving.
Matt, Eva and I have managed to squeeze
in about 30 dives/snorkel trips together as
a family over the past year, both in the UAE
and in Bali. Eva is now counting the days
until she turns eight years old and can join

the PADI Bubble Maker (2m) and Seal Team
(4m) pool-based scuba programmes.
USEFUL INFORMATION:
PADI
www.padi.com
Useful resource to find dive centres, learn
about different qualifications, and sign up
for e-learning
Dive Atlantis
www.atlantisthepalm.com
Tel: 04 426 3409
Email: Dive.Atlantis@atlantisthepalm.com
PADI Open Water course 2,400 AED
PADI Seal Team
1,450 AED
PADI Bubblemaker
490 AED
Fun dive in Ambassador Lagoon
(certified divers)
950 AED
Divers Down
www.diversdownuae.com
Tel: 09 237 0299 (Fujairah)
055 988 8687 (Dubai)
email: info@diversdownuae.com (Fujairah)
dubai@diversdownuae.com (Dubai)
PADI Open Water course 1,900 AED
PADI Seal Team
1,400 AED
PADI Bubblemaker
275 AED
Discover Snorkelling
350 AED
Skin Diver
550 AED
Explorers UAE Diving book
Great resource listing all of the UAEs dive
sites and useful UAE scuba information
149 AED
Jen is an avid boxer, scuba diver,
runner, rock climber and hiker who can
often be found exploring the very best of
the UAE and the world with her two kids
Matt and Eva.
OUTDOORUAE
37
THE TRACK
#OutdoorWo
Social media
men
icons to follow
GEAR FOR THE

GIRLS
Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon
AWAFI MTB FESTIVAL
All you need to know about DIBS 2016
Mothers, Legends,
Heres to
The Combat Zone of WAR 11
Close encounter with pirates!
...and Run 100k in the Desert!
Marathon tips and tricks
Run a Marathon now!
Lure them out!
The magic of fishing lures
New Year, New You!
Tried and Tested
Extreme sailing Series underway
Keep Calm...
Polar A360
The Ultimate Holiday Detox Diet
Plenty of
www.OutdoorUAE.com
Exclusive:
EXTREME SAILING
SERIES
SARAH AYTON,
OBE
Champion tactics
at ADDC
Plenty of
PRODUCTS
TO CHECK OUT
Dark Skies Challenge 2016
DMX in photos
MX Starter Tips
Plenty of
PRODUCTS
Plenty of
PRODUCTS
Icons, Enthusiasts
the Girls!
March 2016
Plus free Special
LADIES ON
Womens Issue!
www.outdooruae.com
PRODUCTS
TO CHECK OUT
TO CHECK OUT
TO CHECK OUT
Price
10.00 AED
10.00 QAR
1.00 OMR
One for the Road:
4X4 CROSS
LIWA
CHALLENGE
CATCHING HIRAME
IN THE UAE
Vol. 6, No. 1
January 2016
Price
10.00 AED
10.00 QAR
1.00 OMR
CAVE DIVING
IN THE
MIDDLE EAST
www.OutdoorUAE.com
OLLIE UP AT
XDUBAIS
KITE BEACH
SKATEPARK!
Vol. 6, No. 2
February 2016
Price
10.00 AED
10.00 QAR
1.00 OMR
BLOOMIN
LOVELY!
A closer look:
Vol. 6, No. 3
March 2016
UAE MANGROVES
First ever Bloomberg

Square Mile Relay
TAKING
FLIGHT WITH
BREITLINGS
NIGEL LAMB
Price
10.00 AED
10.00 QAR
1.00 OMR
www.OutdoorUAE.com
www.OutdoorUAE.com
Artificial Dive Sites:
A GUIDE
Vol. 6, No. 4
April 2016
www.OutdoorUAE.com
Arabs with Altitude
Dive centre roundup
Meet the people who thrive on challenges

for your biggest dose of inspiration yet
EDA Digital Online 2016
Making history on the seven summits
Yoga and raw cuisine in Ubud
Diving in the Damaniyats
Do The Maldives live up to their hype?
Action Against Poaching
Protecting Elephants and Rhinos in Mali
The Red Sea
The wonderful end to Wills journey
Cycling in Iceland
Circumnavigating the stunning Land of Fire
Saving UAE Dolphins
Trekking in Bhutan
Thailand
Adventure above and below sea level
Surfing in Wadi Adventure
15 Things to Save the Waters!

Learn to Kitesurf
Splashdown
Plenty of
10.00 AED
10.00 QAR
1.00 OMR
Plenty of
Plenty of
PRODUCTS
Now distributed across the UAE!
PRODUCTS
TO CHECK OUT
TO CHECK OUT
PRODUCTS
UAEs coolest waterparks

Price
Check Inside
SCUBAPRO MANTIS 2 DIVING COMPUTER
from SCUBA MARINE
TO CHECK OUT
THE CLIMACTIC
FINISH TO
DMX 15/16
First GCC National

Spartan Race
Winner Rashid Butti:
Vol. 6, No. 5
May 2016
ON THE HOT SEAT

www.OutdoorUAE.com
Price
10.00 AED
10.00 QAR
1.00 OMR
It Starts Here:
DEAD2
COMES
TO LIFE!
Outdoor Education:
LEARNING
THROUGH
ADVENTURE
Vol. 6, No. 6
June 2016
Price
10.00 AED
10.00 QAR
1.00 OMR
www.OutdoorUAE.com
A trip like no other:
WOMENS ONLY
MOTO HIMALAYAN
EXPEDITION
Sharks in the UAE?:
DISCOVER
THE TRUTH
Vol. 6, No. 7
July 2016
Price
10.00 AED
10.00 QAR
1.00 OMR
www.OutdoorUAE.com
Tried & Tested:
CYCLEOPS
VIRTUAL PRO
TRAINER
Event Report:
CLIMBING
MONT BLANC
FOR CHARITY
Vol. 6, No. 8
August 2016
www.OutdoorUAE.com
Advertise Now!
We believe that our readers are special and selective, therefore, it is important that we place the
magazine where our readers will be, rather than waiting for them to find us. Aside from the copies for
sale, we also provide complimentary copies to many locations of interest, directly to our target groups.
Advertising with us gives you the unique opportunity to get access to the outdoor community. We are a small
company focused on providing the best service to our readers, our advertisers and our supporters. We are not a
common publication house with a series of magazines; we focus on what we do best, which is to serve our target
group.
Subscribe and Read for Free!
Always on the go? Spending a lot of time outdoors?

No problem, you can bring and read a copy of OutdoorUAE anywhere with the
digital version of OutdoorUAE magazine which we send free of charge to your
email account. Sign up now at www.outdooruae.com/subscribe
Facebook.com/OutdoorUAE
Twitter.com/OutdoorUAE
Instagram.com/OutdoorUAE
Habitually healthy
Gadgets, Gadgets, Gadgets
Words by: Chef Patrick Ikinofo
Whether you are walking through a

kitchen store or surfing the web for new
equipment, its hard to deny the excitement
that one feels when faced with the task of
buying a new gadget. There are so many
different gadgets in an array of various
colour options that you are often tempted
to buy them all. Yet the hard truth is that
most of the equipment that you buy will soon
render itself useless or will just collect
dust after the initial enjoyment of the
device subsides.
We at The Cycle Bistro understand that
its not always possible to eat our delicious
Paleo dishes and that sometimes you just
want to cook at home. To continue
following your Paleo
diet or to just eat
healthy dishes, we
recommend having the
following equipment in
your kitchen.
A Blender
(Recommended Brand:
Vitamix)
Blenders are the most
multi-functional pieces
of equipment that you
could possibly own.
The blender opens up
healthier options to you
and your family, making everything

from smoothies to soups. It allows
you to create delicious foods by not
limiting you to what is available at the
supermarket. Owning a Vitamix
blender makes a massive difference;
its using professional graded
equipment at home. Once you have
used a Vitamix you will never turn
back, and you will never have to,
due to its robust properties.
Basics to great smoothie recipes

Liquid (1/2 cup): Youll need some liquid to get everything whirring in your blender, but
choose wisely. Skip juices - theyre high in sugar.
Frozen Banana (1 cup): For natural sweetness and always rich, creamy (not icy) body,
frozen banana slices are a must.
Frozen Fruit (1/2 cup): Frozen fruit makes a frosty smoothie without added ice. Buy
ready-frozen fruit or freeze your own.
Try these: Blueberries, cherries, strawberries, pineapple, mango, apples, raspberries,
blackberries, grapes.
Greens (1 cup): Add 1 cup of greens to help meet your daily veggie quota without
overpowering your smoothie.
Try these: Baby spinach, kale (stemmed and chopped).
Optional: Have a sweet tooth? Add up to 2 tsp. liquid sweetener like maple syrup or agave.
A Sous Vide Machine
(Recommended Brand:
PolyScience from Muddle-me.com)
Sous Vide is a technique that
brings food to a very precise
temperature and holds it
there for a period of time.
The immersion circulator
clamps onto any pot or tank
and allows you to select the
set cooking temperature to
a 1/10th of a degree. Some
of the
benefits include: preparing
perfectly cooked food every
time, helping to retain your
foods valuable nutrients and
packing plenty of flavour into
your food by vacuum sealing
your ingredients.
Always remember, should
the mere thought of cooking
be too daunting for you,
The Cycle Bistro offers Paleo
Meal Plans as well as delivery of our
dine-in menu.
The Cycle Bistro

GPS location:
Latitude:
N 25 02.792
Longitude:
E 055 14.384
Phone:
04 425 3000
OUTDOORUAE
39
Words by: Alin Epure

Photos by: Jung Francisco and supplied
I have always been in constant

search of a good quality and
organic coconut water because of
the fantastic health benefits that
comes with its great taste. I must
have tried a dozen different types
of coconut water here in the UAE
and was not able to find one which
I can truly say that I like until I tried
the Sunblast Organic Raw Coconut
Water.
I have been trying to maintain a better
lifestyle which involves going for a bike
ride in the evening after a day at work or a
quick dip at the swimming pool. Since the
summer started, I have been sweating more
than usual and feel very dehydrated after.
According to experts, water is never enough
to restore the electrolytes that we lose after
sweating vigorously. Drinking coconut water
40
OUTDOORUAE
Triede&d
tast
is one of the best ways to keep our body

hydrated and get essential nutrients for us
to function at our best on a daily basis. But
we should always keep in mind that not all
coconut water can serve this purpose, and
thats why we should always select the one
which is closest to its natural form.
This is why I highly recommend Sunblast
Organic Raw Coconut Water. Aside from the
fact that it tastes so good that it feels like
drinking it right out of the coconut shell, it is
definitely all natural. It has been processed
within 48 hours, chilled at 4 degrees to
maintain its freshness and it didnt undergo
any heat treatment of any sort, which enables all the nutrients and enzymes to live.
Hence, the shelf life of each bottle is only 60
days.
Another interesting thing about Sunblast
Organic Raw Coconut Water is its colour
(which I found odd in the beginning), because it is pink! The science behind the pink
pigmentation is that the beneficial phenolicantioxidant of the coconut water reacts with
the enzymes of the coconut water to turn
it pink. This only happens with RAW and
FRESH coconut water. The more the antioxidants, the pinker it turns.
Imagine a coconut water that is pink and
contains most of the essential nutrients and
antioxidants our body needs. How cool
and interesting is that? Go grab one for
yourself and give your body the treat it well
deserves!
Available at all major supermarkets across UAE
PRODUCTS
A ROUND-UP OF QUALITY PRODUCTS AVAILABLE RIGHT HERE IN THE UAE
X-lite X-201 Ultra Carbon

Motorcycle Helmet
1,300 AED | Was: 1,800 AED
Available only at Al Yousuf Motors across UAE

The X-Lite X-201 Ultra Carbon helmet is a new, vintage
inspired, open face jet helmet - featuring an ultra-lightweight
carbon fiber shell. 3 Outer shell sizes guarantee a perfect fit, as
does the helmets supreme comfort inner liner.
The inner padding is the perfect blend of vintage looks and
modern functionality - offering a completely removable interior
with a micro perforated liner and modern highly-absorbent
fabrics. The X-201s carbon shell gives the helmet an
unmatched look and is incredibly low
weight.
Five snap buttons on the
outer shell allow the
attachment of visors
and/or peaks, and the helmet
is finished with subtle
metallic detailing. Double
d-ring fasteners, which
increase security and
comfort, and an extra groove
for glasses are concealed by
interior flaps.
Alpinestars Rox Jacket

995 AED | Was: 1,195 AED
Available only at Al Yousuf Motors across UAE

Rox Textile is an elegantly designed and stylish textile jacket
featuring a durable advanced poly-fabric main shell.
Class-leading Protection
Removable and adjustable lightweight CE certified elbow and
shoulder protectors offer the jacket a sleek sports fit yet provide
classleading impact protection.
Chest and back pad compartments supplied with PE foam
padding (CE certified Nucleon protectors available as accessory).
Comfort Performance Sport fit with precurved sleeve
construction for reduced fatigue and enhanced riding comfort.
Strategically positioned accordion
poly-fabric stretch inserts on elbow for
excellent flex fit.
Comfort textile collar plus wrist cuff
edging for improved comfort and
moisture-wicking.
Lower rear profile design offers
lumbar coverage and prevents
jacket from riding up over pants.
Waist connection zipper
allows attachment to
Alpinestars riding pants.
Reflective details for
improved rider visibility.
BTWIN Rockrider 520S

Full Suspension Mountain Bike
Quechua 2 Seconds Easy III Fresh

& Black Pop Up Tent - 3 people
Available at Decathlon
Mirdif and Ibn Battuta
Available at Decathlon Mirdif and Ibn Battuta
3,200 AED
MTB touring. Fullsuspension, sport

touring mountain
bike equipped with
hydraulic disc brakes,
rear air suspension,
Shimano 27-speed
drivetrain, and a fork
lockout. Lighter and with greater precision!
Cycling comfort: 120 mm rear air shocks: lighter and smoother.
Comfortable saddle.
Efficiency: Shimano 27-speed drivetrain. Lightweight Suntour
XOR fork.
Precision: Tektro hydraulic dual disc brakes that are more
powerful and durable.
Ease of use: Fork with lockout feature. Shocks with a single
adjustment: air pressure.
Lifetime warranty: BTwin offers a lifetime warranty on the
frame, stem and handlebar.
Suspension: 120 mm
Size: M / L / XL
front and rear
Wheel Size: 26 inches
Weight: 15.1 kg in M without pedals Colour: Black
540 AED
The new 2 Seconds, just as quick to pitch, now has the

Easy system to help you fold it down. The Fresh and Black
technology keeps the tent cool for a comfortable nights sleep.
It also keeps it dark, making it a black out tent.
Easy assembly / dismantling: Free standing structure. Pitch in 2
seconds. Guided folding system: Easy
Capacity: Sleeping width: 60cm/person.Improved useful length.
Heat reduction: Fly sheet, mechanical vents, Fresh & Black
fabric for a good nights sleep.
Darkness: It is dark inside the tent, even in the daytime: BLACK
fabrics (patented outer).
Durability: Resists wind up to 50km/h (Force 6) - validated in
wind tunnels on rotating plate.
Waterproof: Tested under shower at 200mm
water / hour (tropical
rainstorm) and in the field
Easy maintenance: 2
year guarantee. Spare
parts available at
Decathlon stores.
OUTDOORUAE
41
X-LITE X-802RR ULTRA CARBON:
LIGHT AND SPORTY HELMET

The X-Lite X-802RR
Ultra Carbon is the ultimate
expression of sportiness of the
Italian brand X-Lite, that belongs to
the Nolan group. This helmet is the
result of developments in racing
seen before in the X-802, X-802R
and X-802RR helmets, used by
riders like Jorge Lorenzo, Casey
Stoner, Carlos Checa, and more
recently, Danny Kent; all proclaimed
world champions.
Shell
The shell of the X-802RR Carbon Ultra is

made, as its name suggests, with a carbon
fiber compound. This material ensures
maximum resistance to any impacts, and
is also very light. X-Lite has three different
shell sizes, so there are plenty of scope to
find what best suits you.
In fact, one of the most positive aspects of
the introduction of this new fiber in the shell
is the reduction of the overall weight. The
X-802RR Ultra Carbon shows 1,240 grams
on the scale for a M size, representing a
reduction of between 80 and 100 grams
over its predecessor, the X-802RR.
Additionally, it also features a very good
load balance, so that it shows very light
once set.
Ventilation
The ventilation in the X-802RR Ultra Carbon

is designed under the RAF (Racing Air Flow)
concept, which creates a specific air ducting
that proves more efficient for sporty
driving experiences as evidence of the
brands experience at racing.
Thus at the top we find three entries:
a large central and two lateral closures on
/ off type. Just looking at the aerodynamic
shape of the shell we can imagine the air
flow traveling andfinding its way out of the
back, in the center of the spoiler.
The X-802RR Ultra Carbon also features
an air channeler in the chin designed to
improve aerodynamics, by letting air in and
reducing friction.
Screen
The screen of the X-Lite X-802RR Ultra

Carbon is made from Lexan material, which
42
OUTDOORUAE
has anti-scratching properties. Its also

Pinlock-ready, the best anti-fog system on
the market. It features a clear, wide view,
one of the best in the markets racing
helmets segment.
The edges of the screen are topped by a
rubber crown that improves the sealing and
prevents the entry of air, water or noise.
bike riding with world renowned safety

items, Al Yousuf Motors is always there to
assist you in your adventurous endeavors
by only following one rule, and that is
customer satisfaction.
Inner
Inside the X-802RR Ultra Carbon Ultra

we find a brand new construction
material called Carbon Fitting. This is a
brand new padding, created with carbon
active filaments, a technology developed
as a result of the X-Lites racing activities.
This material is 100% natural and
bacteriostatic (anti-pollution), and stands
out because it is an element with high
thermoregulatory capacity. X-Lite states
that the use of this type of padding
decreases the temperature and the bodys
O2 needs as well helping to decrease
heart rate when racing at high stress level.
Carbon Fitting decreases static electricity
that can be
generated in the interior.
The X-802RR Ultra Carbon fastener is a
double D system, as is compulsory for a
helmet homologated for track use.
In summary, the X-802RR Ultra Carbon
is the most advanced helmet from Nolan
Group. Handmade in Italy, with a carbon
composite shell of low weight and high
strength fiber, its a very interesting
combination for a very interesting price in
the segment of premium racing helmets.
It is always recommended that you
should choose quality safety items through
authorized dealers such as Al Yousuf
Motors, who offer good quality and a
competitive price. Above all, you can find
Al Yousuf Showrooms throughout the UAE.
From training to the provision of complete
Please contact us any time for bike riding

safety recommendations & accessories on
the details below. It will be our pleasure
to assist you.
Email: saferide@alyousuf.com
Mob# +971 55 2179342
PRODUCTS
Nest Pro Goggle
Special Ops 2.0 Goggle
Available at selected GO Sport stores in UAE and Qatar
Go fast or go home with the Nest Pro Goggle. Equipped

with embedded anti-fog, these latex free goggles retain
clarity without the need for traditional anti-fog spray
application. This performance goggle features a unibody
design to fit various face types, as well as a wide peripheral
range for optimal sighting.
Outsmart mother nature with the Special Ops 2.0 Transition

Goggle. Advanced photochromic technology responds to
changing light conditions by automatically transitioning lens
colour from clear (for indoor use) to smoke (for outdoor use)
and vice versa. All polycarbonate lenses include full UVA/UVB
protection.
The Nest Pro goggle frame has a modern, grid-like effect, similar
to the way a birds nest is intertwined for support. With a great
backstory and even greater features, the Nest Pro competition
goggles are perfect for triathlons, open water and training.
TYR Special Ops 2.0 goggles feature durable, hypoallergenic

DURAFIT silicone gaskets that provide a comfortable, watertight seal and maintain their shape over time. They also feature
embedded anti-fog, a unibody design and a wide peripheral
range for optimal sighting.
95 AED/QAR
Features:
Embedded Anti-Fog
Wide Peripheral Range
Unibody Nosebridge
Double Strap Adjustments
Girls Ditsy Daisy Maxfit Swimsuit

110 AED/QAR
120 AED/QAR
Features:
Embedded Anti-Fog
Photochromic Lenses
Durafit Silicone Gaskets
Wide Peripheral Range
Womens Reversible Brites

Diamondfit Swimsuit
220 AED/QAR
With a fun floral print and awesome pink lining, the Girls Ditzy
Daisy Maxfit Swimsuit is perfect for poolside play or
building sandcastles at your favourite beach.
Durafast Lite fabric ensures UPF 50+

protection from the sun, as well as peace
of mind for TYR parents, while the vibrant
colour and Maxfit help every girl feel like
a superstar. Engineered for growing
swimmers, it is long-lasting and fully
lined. The swimsuit features a flexible
stretch, 200+ hours of performance, 360
degree range of motion and a lightweight feel for
unrestricted comfort.
Durafast Lite: 88% Polyester/ 12% Spandex
Features:
Lightweight and breathable fabric
Durafast Lite
UPF 50+ Protection
Youth Fit
Designed for todays athlete, the womens

reversible brites diamondfit swimsuit is constructed
with TYRs most flexible textile, Hydraspan.
Featuring a medium neckline, sleek/flexible
straps, keyhole back and moderate cut leg,
the Diamondfit is ideal for athletes who want
reliable coverage during every swim. In addition
to a colourful trim, this reversible swimsuit also
offers athletes a second, solid option.
TYR Hydraspan swimsuits ensure 360 degree range
of motion and provide a superior fit wear after wear.
Hydraspan: 80% Nylon / 20% Spandex
Features:
Reversible
Double Binding Diamondfit
Complete Comfort
Hydraspan: 100 + Hours of performance
UPF 50+ Protection
OUTDOORUAE
43
T R&I E D
TESTED
ODUC
THIS PR
OV
T IS APPR
TDOO
ED BY OU
RUAE
Words by: Dan Wright

Photos by: Daniel Birkhofer
Being keen weekend explorers,

my wife and I like to get out camping
with our son whenever we can,
and before he was born we also
spent a lot of our spare time
mountaineering. I discovered the
Quechua brand back in 2000
when I was working in France as a
Climbing Instructor and there was a
big Decathlon store nearby.
Decathlon was my first experience of an
Outdoor Superstore and it was like an
Aladdins cave for me! Ever since then I have
been buying and using Quechua kit because
it is designed well, is cost effective and
very functional. The following 12 products
all come from the Quechua line and are all
great for different reasons:
1. Folding Table Unlike most of its competitors it is both well priced and reasonably
strong. I have three of these which I use at
base camps on treks with groups in Nepal
and we put them in the dining tent end to
end. They can take the full weight of a meal
and all the serving bowls and bottles and
when not in use they fold flat.
2. Folding Chair We use these chairs with
our trekking groups and they feature a convenient cup/can holder in the right hand arm.
They collapse into their own carry bag and
we find them functional and comfortable.
3. 2 person folding tent The real benefit
of these for use out here in the Middle East
where night temperatures can be hot is that
they have flaps in both sides which can be
raised to allow airflow through no-see-um
mosquito mesh, but they still keep the insects
out. They are very quick to set up (less than
10 seconds) and very quick to take down (if
you know the secret art of folding one!).
4. Gas Stove This features a very stable
base on three folding legs under which the
gas cylinder screws into the base of the

stove. I found the stability to be great, especially with a heavy pan full of water or pasta.
If you add a wind shield to it then it dramatically decreases the cook time as all the heat
is deflected back to the pot.
5. Hooded Sleeping Bag This sleeping bag
features a simple left hand zip with a hood,
and is made from synthetic fiber. Rated for 1
to 2 seasons, the square end means you can
unzip the whole bag into a rectangle to use as
a duvet if its too hot to keep zipped up.
6. Inflatable Cold Box We all know that
air is the greatest insulator, but the problem
with a rigid cold box is that it takes up so
much room. This inflatable cold box folds
flat for storage but inflates easily for use. It
has a convenient carry strap which makes it
easier to handle than the rigid boxes end
handles.
7. Double Inflatable Mattress Not as
thick as the version you buy as a spare bed
at home but then not as thin as the more
traditional inflatable pads for camping.
This mattress is quick to inflate (especially if you have a car socket pump!) and
just right for 2 people in a 2 person tent.
Cover it with a fitted sheet, use a sleeping
bag that opens out into a duvet and with a
couple of pillows you have a very luxurious
camp bed!
8. Collapsible Camp Bed I especially like
using these to sleep outside with no tent
either under an awning or under the stars! It
stands around 40 centimeters off the ground
which means you wont find any creepy
crawlies in your bed at night and it has the
comfort of a normal bed with no hard rocks
to lie on! It is quick to set up and take down

and comes in its own carry case.
9. Aluminum 1 litre water bottle These
bottles are designed to hold any liquid and
for the gourmet chef out camping you can
use one for olive oil and another for a readymade marinade just make sure you label
them so an unsuspecting guest doesnt
drink one thinking its water!
10. Aluminum Cup These are very light
weight with a folding handle covered in rubber to insulate your fingers from hot drinks.
It also has a convenient scale down one side
in millilitres, so you can measure out liquids
for cooking.
11. Aluminum Plate Also extremely lightweight and ideal for spaghetti bolognese
or a nice goats cheese salad. Very easy to
wash and store.
12. Camping Lantern I have several of
these for camp site use. It takes two AA batteries but these last for several nights. It has
three settings; bright light, low light and red
light. When I camp in the desert I put one
at each end of camp on red light all night
to give quad bikers ample warning that our
campsite is there! You can hang it or place it
on the table as a lantern.
One of the greatest features of buying Quechua kit is that it is so well priced. The above
12 items which form the basis of your campsite for the weekend (just add people, food
and pets!) comes to just 1,892 AED in total,
making it a great deal for a wide selection of
kit. So get on down to your nearest Decathlon
and check out their huge range
of Quechua products!
The Ohio-based Lum-Tec

Combat B32 is a stylish watch
that incorporates gunmetal PVD
titanium carbide hard coating,
making it perfect for active people
in the UAE.
The old world style brown leather straps,
included alongside black nylon straps, certainly make this watch a versatile accessory
for a range of occasions and activities. Made
of 316L stainless steel with a bead blasted
finish, the watch is also water resistant to
depths of up to 200m.
Furthermore, the prominent hands and
curved sapphire crystal display, with clear
anti-reflective coating, means that the time
can easily be read, no matter what conditions the user finds themself in. The B32
GMT is limited to 150 pieces, making this an
exclusive purchase that is both stylish and
practical.
Specifications:
Complete assembly in Ohio

43mm width excluding crown
22mm lug width
13mm thick
316L stainless steel. Bead blasted finish
Gunmetal PVD titanium Carbide
hard coating
High-tech Viton gaskets

Precision screw down crown with double
diamond sealing system
Curved sapphire crystal with clear
anti-reflective coating
MDV Luminous technology.
Old radium tone
Threaded stainless steel caseback

200 meters/656 ft. water resistance
2 straps included: black nylon and old
world style brown leather with matching
hardware
Extra spring bars included for fitting
other straps
All Swiss made R515 Quartz movement
Two year limited warranty
Limited numbered series of 150
Free lifetime battery replacement service
Free lifetime pressure testing and seal
lubrication/cleaning
Available at
Instagram: @almekshah
Facebook: www.facebook.com/
almekshah
Mobile: +971 55 8008829
OUTDOORUAE
45
T R&I E D
TESTED
ODUC
THIS PR
OV
T IS APPR
TDOO
ED BY OU
RUAE
Words by: Dana Epure

Photos by: Jung Francisco and Ian Sebeldia
As a parent, you always want you

and your family to be the best. The
beginning of the school year is always a good time for a fresh start
when it comes to new activities and
the gear needed to enjoy them. My
daughter is an amazing swimmer
and to encourage performance I
always try to offer her the best
equipment you can find in Dubai,
and Im always on the lookout for
high end technology and quality
materials for a reasonable price.
I had known about TYR swimming goggles
for a long time, and when we got the chance
to try a wider range of swimming products
from GO Sport I was nothing but excited and
curious. Named after TYR, the Norse god of
warriors, this American brand is cultivating a
culture of greatness that is often chosen by
both athletes and water enthusiasts at entry
level because of the great features and technology behind the products.
The TYR WOMENS REVERSIBLE BRITES
DIAMONDFIT SWIMSUIT is very comfortable
and flexible. What I like most is the fact that it
is reversible, giving you two swimming suits in
one with two different colours.
Featuring a medium neckline, sleek/flexible
straps, a keyhole back and a moderate cut
leg, this swimsuit fits on any body shape very
well and it has also an impressive UV
protection of UPF 50+. More than that,
although it seems a bit thick because of
the reversibility, it dries fast and I feel
comfortable all the time.
My daughter is 11 years old and it is always
a challenge to find equipment and clothes
that will fit her for a longer time. TYR GIRLS
PHOENIX SPLICE DIAMONDFIT SWIMSUIT
fits her perfectly as it is very flexible and has a
similar cut and design to the womens swimsuit. With UPF 50+ protection, it is chlorine
proof and has an antimicrobial lining for odor
protection and long lasting freshness. As we

all know, kids like to enjoy the water forever,
this swimsuit is conveniently designed to last
through more than 300 hours of swimming, so
it would be guaranteed for a full years use.
Other basic pieces of equipment are the
goggles and the swim caps, so you can keep
your eyes and ears protected and your hair
dry. My daughter liked the KIDS SWIMPLE
goggles from TYR because the straps adjusted quickly and had a secure release button.
The soft silicone fits well on her face, sealing
her eyes with no fog effect and, of course, the
colour is so joyful. From a parents perspective, I appreciate that the TYR kids goggles
are tested and approved in accordance with
the Consumer Product Safety Commission
guidelines. This confirms once again that
special attention to health and safety is given
For more info please visit www.gosport-me.com
for these products.

The MONSTER SWIM CAP is very funny
looking. It fits well on the head, covering her
hair and ears so that no water gets inside
and the hair keeps completely dry, even it
is long and gathered under the cap or if the
swimming session is long. My cap is also
wrinkle free silicone with minimum drag. It
fits perfectly and keeps my hair dry and ears
protected.
The BLACKHAWK goggles I used are
transparent and mirrored, being designed for
racing as they have a low profile with wide peripheral viewing. They are very comfortable,
leaving no marks on my face, and are easily
adjustable with five removable nose bridge
size options.
NEST PRO goggles have an interesting
grid-like effect frame, similar to the way a
birds nest is intertwined for support. They
have integrated anti-fog treatment and a
double strap adjustment, and are useful for
training, open water and triathlons.
Sometimes we use kickboards to build leg
strength, and pull floats for my daughter to
concentrate on arm stroke and technique.
Both Adult and Junior kickboards are very
light, dont get soaked with water and are
chlorine resistant. The pull float that my
daughter uses is simple and ingenious for
practicing correct techniques and discipline
in swimming.
I recommend TYR products for all families,
as they are so appropriate for a range of
needs and to encourage performance. TYR
products offer excellent value for money, as
they are comparable in quality to high end
brands, yet do not come with such a hefty
price tag. This swim gear is also good for all
water enthusiasts, more advanced swimmers
or athletes, and is designed to look good, fit
well and stand the test of time. You can find
the full range in selected GO Sport stores.
OUR EXPERTS
Discover Desert Driving!

Words + Photos by: Marina Bruce
One of the best things about

living in the UAE is the ease of
access to the outdoors. Some may
choose to bike, climb or paddle
to discover new places but for a
self-confessed petrol head like me
there is only one way to explore,
and thats using four wheels!
Desert driving
The first time I sat behind the wheel in the

desert I thought, I regularly drive on snow
and ice, how difficult can sand driving be?
I discovered in the next few hours, in fact
over the next few years, that there is far
more to it than you would imagine!
Deflating tyres to correct pressure
is important by Donald Matheson
You need to think about so many things

that your brain goes into overdrive and after
your first two hour drive you will probably
want to go home and sleep for hours! For
instance, you need to look where you are
going, watch your speed, keep an eye on
your rev counter, listen to your engine, keep
enough distance between you and the
car in front...and that is just when you are
travelling over flat sand!
There are certain similarities to snow
driving in that moderation of power is
extremely important too much and your
car will be out of control which is never a
good thing; too little and you are likely to
get stuck, although at least if you get stuck
in sand you wont get frostbite!
Wadi driving
There are many wadis (dried up riverbeds)

to be explored in the Northern Emirate, and
even more in Oman (see my article on Wadi
Aydam in last months OutdoorUAE); many
people choose wadis where they can camp/
swim/climb and make a weekend of it. The
driving skills required here are completely
different to those employed when desert
driving; whereas in the desert power is
everything, wadi driving and rock crawling
need a somewhat gentler approach to
steer through the rocks and ledges you will
typically encounter.
Climbing is fun
48
OUTDOORUAE
The difference between

4x4s and AWD/4WD
All Wheel Drive cars generally have permanently engaged 4WD; power is delivered
to each wheel via a computer, ensuring
good road holding. The computer decides
which wheel to channel the power to and
this takes a split second. In sand, often this
tiny delay means you can find yourself stuck!
Many experts are of the opinion that prolonged sand driving can put immense strain
on the vehicles drive train, possibly leaving
you with a broken down car at the edge of
the desert and a hefty repair bill to follow.
However, that is not to say that a well maintained AWD cannot take you into the desert
on a camping trip, especially if you know
what you are doing and take care.
4x4s are usually often more expensive, but
with an experienced driver behind the wheel
should be able to traverse a variety of extreme terrain. Most have part-time 4 wheel
drive which means that 2WD, normally to
the rear wheels, is used for road driving, cutting down on fuel and tyre costs. When you
hit the sand or the rocks, switch it into 4WD
and a series of differentials will deliver equal
power to each wheel. There are times when
maximum power and control are required
a 4LOW function changes the gear ratios
to assist out of the trickiest of situations.
Remember though that most 4x4 cars have
a maximum speed of 45kph when this is
selected so you will need to change back
to 4HIGH for more moderate terrain.
Even low cars can tackle some terrain
Perfect convoy driving by Debra Galvin
Acquiring off-road driving skills
I picked up my elementary off-roading skills

as a member of a couple of great off-road
clubs, and once I thought was reasonably
competent I started my own one, Oasis Offroad, to pass on the lessons I had learned.
Instructional styles vary from club to club
and Oasis Offroad starts rookies off with an
Easy Introduction to Offroading whereas
many others adopt a follow me and you
will soon pick it up style. Do some research
before signing up to a club to make sure
you choose one that suits you.
Over the years I have seen many drivers
capable of advanced manoeuvres who lack
some fundamental skills, and I am a great
believer in learning to walk before you
can run. I like to coach new and improving
drivers in soft skills while they hone their
practical ones; things like recognising when
to check and deflate your tyres some more
(after half an hour on a hot day as pressures
may have risen, or if the going becomes
much softer) or understanding some basic
causes of overheating cars in the summer
(leaving the a/c on when climbing dunes,
too many people in the car or carrying too
much stuff).
I cannot condense what I have learned
in 20,000kms of sand driving over 500 trips
into one article, but here are some
top tips for you.
Consider fixing an offroading flag

to the rear of your car
This makes the drive much safer as those
following you will see where you are if you
cross a small dune.
Turn off your traction control, should you
have it as it can work against you in the
desert.
My Patrol Safari does not have this but I
do disable the ABS when off-roading and
some vehicles are best with their airbags
disabled when off-roading.
Driving on flat terrain
Choose your gear

Highish revs are your friend when off-roading so I suggest that you limit your automatic gear to 3. If you are lucky enough to
have a manual car then you will find yourself
using gears 1 and 2 most, with occasional
3rd gear when on easy terrain.
Watch where you stop
Starting off from soft flat sand can be
very tricky. Instead try to park on a slight
downslope thus enlisting the help of gravity
when you move off.
To reduce situations with multiple stuck
cars, always keep a good distance from
the car in front as that way you can choose
where you stop (see above.)
Before you select 4x4,

prepare your car
Deflate your tyres

Its a good idea to start at 15psi as you are
unlikely to unseat your tyre from the rim at
this pressure. Later you can gradually deflate
them to the optimum pressure for your car,
your driving style and the prevailing sand
conditions; I deflate mine to 12.5psi, front
and rear.
Check that everything is secure
Use a cargo net or boxes with bungee cords
to keep everything in place should your car go
for a short flight! (Whenever the car is moving
make sure you wear your seatbelt too)
Learning when to stop by Dennis Templeton
Be vigilant and concentrate on where

you are going at all times
Keep your eyes open for rocks, burrows and
hidden small steps, all of which may cause
damage to your car.
Driving over dunes
The only way to learn just how much power

to apply when driving up dunes is to practise too much and you will fly over the top
and may even damage your vehicle, too
little and you will not make it all the way up,
or may get crested.
When driving down a dune always keep
your wheels straight and the weight of the
engine will assist you in reaching the bowl at
the foot.
Never ever slam on your brakes you risk
your front wheels digging into the sand and
your car somersaulting!
And finally the most important rule of all:
Never ever go on your own even
experienced drivers get stuck sometimes!
Even the experts get stuck by May Mayer
Marina is running some half-day

off-road coaching sessions in October
and November, just outside Al Ain. The
4-hour program will include both theory
and a practical session; an extensive
safety briefing; coaching on the most
common obstacles such as crests,
climbs and bowls; followed by a short
scenic drive to bring it all together.
Groups will be small a maximum of 4
vehicles per practical session; separate
sessions will be run for low or long cars
and these will also be suitable for AWD
and 4WD cars find out what your
Kia Sedona, Ford Explorer or Hyundai
Tucson can do! To find out more please
email marina@desertdivaevents.com.
OUTDOORUAE
49
OUR EXPERTS
The insides of the reel seat are also notorious for salt
deposits, don't forget to wipe this part down or if
there's salt in it already use a coton bud to take it off
All that's left after wiping them all down is to put them in a place
where they can dry - loosen the drags before you store them
Words + Photos by: Kit Belen
Buying new rods and reels is

always a happy occasion for us
anglers. We take them out of the
box and treat them like babies. I
even know of a few people that keep
them close to their bedside when
they are first purchased, probably
for them to wake up and know that
they really have them and that last
nights unboxing was not just a
dream.
The salinity level of the waters in the UAE
is quite high, increasing the likelihood of
salt affecting your gear. While the steps of
cleaning your gear are quite simple, a lot of
people often make the mistake of washing
everything down with a hose. The pressure
from the water exiting the hose actually
does more harm than good in the long run.
The stream of pressurised water pushes salt
into the hard to reach places of both rods
and reels. In reels, salt deposits will be in the
corners beneath reel seats, between the bail
roller on spinning reels, between the drag
washers and many more places where you
think water would not get pushed into. Rods
suffer corrosion from the places where the
guide foot meets the blank. Even the best
made rods have gaps between the epoxy
and the blank, where the salt deposits will
seep in, and before you know it, you will
start to see rust forming in those areas.
While there are a lot of people who pay
close attention to their gear and clean it as
they should, quite a lot more try and fail.
This is the main reason why a lot of people
have a growing collection of corroded rods,
reels and lures.
I allocate a couple of compartments for lures I use when I fish so
the other lures in the box won't get wet and get salt on them
Don't forget to wash your line - the line is

what gets wet the most, next to the lure
Cleaning lures is a very simple matter. The

easiest way I have found starts when you are
out in the water. As a matter of practice, I
usually have a separate compartment in the
tackle box reserved for lures that I have used
while in session. This separates them from
the bulk of the lures that have not touched
water or the ones that are brand new. When
I get home from fishing, it would then be
very easy for me to separate the lures Ive
used and rinse only those.
Rinsing lures is a very easy task, however
it might be the one that gets ignored the
most. In my case, I usually just put them in
the kitchen sink and rinse each lure in warm
running water. Lures are not subjected to
the same pressures as a rod and reel and the
parts that might rust are the hooks and split
rings, which you should change from time to
time anyway.
Before going into the rods and reels,
I want to mention something that I have
mentioned a lot before. With rods and reels,
you really get what you pay for. The more
expensive items have features that are not
only made to make the reel run smoother
or stronger, they are also more improved
with seals and are usually protected from
corrosion by having higher quality saltresistant bearings and plating. Some cheap
reels might just be anodized, while the more
expensive reels have a type of anodising
that is specifically developed to combat
corrosion (like type 3 anodising). Higher
priced reels such as the Shimano Twin Power
and Stella, to name a couple, are saltwater
sealed, which means they have seals in
their bodies that protect the insides from
saltwater intrusion. Both reels also have the
special type of anodisation. Daiwa has taken
reel sealing to another level with their

MAGSEAL technology. Daiwa utilises
magnetic oil that seals the areas of water
intrusion making their reels practically
waterproof. This is done on top of their
anodisation. The problem with these reels
are the price tags they command. However,
if you have reels such as these, they negate
the problem of buying a cheap reel and having to replace it after a few months of use.
The reason why these reels are easy to
maintain is because the makers have taken
into account how most people wash their
reels. Also, most Japanese domestic market
reels are sealed differently than their US/EU
counterparts. This is one of the main reasons
why I choose to buy the Japanese models
over their western counterparts; the Japanese models are just built better. But be
warned, they are usually also more expensive. At times, the Japanese manufacturers
build a mid-priced reel and throw in the
waterproof feature reels that come to mind
are Shimanos Exsence and Daiwas Caldia
and the cheaper Freams. All three reels are
sealed, the Exsence with some sort of super
gasket and both the Caldia and Freams with
the MAGSEAL.
MAGSEALED reels are not just for show - they really

keep the water out when you use the reels and when
you wash them - they are worth the extra money
Some reels are easier to clean than

others, this MAGSEAL reel from daiwa can
take a washdown straight from the tap
Rinsing Reels
Before cleaning your reels, make sure you

tighten the drags as much as you can before
they get in contact with water. Doing this will
prevent water from getting inside the drag
housing and getting to your drag washers
salty water getting inside the housing and
drying up will give you a bumpy drag.
Unless you havent figured it out, you also
need to take the reel off the rod. washing
them together is not a good idea, even if
your reel is sealed.
For the top end models

and mid end models that
have seals, you can dunk
them in a bucket of water
or literally take them to
the shower, run the reels in
water, let them drip a bit,
then spin the handle a few
times before wiping them
down with a soft cloth. You
can then air dry them before
loosening the drag and put
them away for storage. Its
that simple and its part of
the reason why these reels
are expensive in the first
place.
I can almost guarantee
that if you do the same
process above for reels such
as Penn Battles, you will immediately feel a knock in the
bearings after a few weeks.
For other models that are
not sealed, doing what I
described above will break
them, and this is exactly
where a lot of people fail.
Countless times, I have seen
people washing their gear
as soon as they get off the
boat, and they rinse the reels
by using a hose. They rinse
their reels on the rod (this
will push the salt into the
threads and it will freeze the
threads - commonly seen with
You can easily side it back

and twist it back on after
wiping it down thoroughly
The threads of your reel seat always

get some salt deposites - don't miss
this part, slide the threaded part all
the way up, or completely dislodge
it if your reel seat allows it.
rods that look new because

trolling setups),
of this, so this is a method I
and they are
really stand behind.
left wondering
The main reason why
why they cant
I prefer this over a wash
take the reel off
down is simple; your rods
the rod after a
and reels only get subjectwhile.
ed to salt spray when you
The best way Warm soapy water and foam pads
are all I use to wipe out the salt
use them, so you only have
to clean mid
a film of micro particles you
end reels is to
need to get rid of. These minute particles
use an absorbent foam pad
will deposit themselves in the tiniest crevices
(about 7 AED in Carrefour for
if you wash them with flowing water, but you
a pack of 5) dunked in warm
can effectively take them off with a rag or in
soapy water and wringed
my case, the foam pads.
out. I usually wipe the reel
The last thing you need to make sure of
down and rinse the foam pad
is to check that everything is dry before you
in running water, wringing it
put them away; otherwise they will smell
out before dunking it again
funky when you next take them out for a
in the soapy water, then
fish.
wringing it out and wiping it
I made a video together with this article if
down thoroughly once more.
you want to see how I do it. Just go to
I repeat the process about 3
youtube and search for my name (Kit Belen)
times before wiping it with
to find the channel and look for the video
a soft dry cloth. Again, keep
with the same title as this article.
in mind that you need to
I hope this helps you and your gear.
tighten the drag before doing this.
The rods are wiped down
Till next tide change,
with the exact same process,
keeping in mind that you
need to pay close attention
to the guide feet. You also
Our fishing pro who shares
need to wipe the reel seats
his experiences and
down move the threaded
expertise with OutdoorUAE
foot all the way up and all the
through his regular column.
way down to cover all of the
thefishingkit@gmail.com
threads. I have 10 year old
Kit
I pay close attention to the part

where the guide foot meets the
blank because this is where salt
usually deposites on rods
OUR EXPERTS
Women
n Wheels
Summer Adventures
on Two Wheels
Compiled by: Helle Bachofen von Echt
As blistering temperatures
scorch the Arabian Desert, our
committed cyclists pack up their
biking equipment and jet off to
their selected locations around the
world seeking cooler temperatures,
higher mountains, cycling events
and new challenges in general.
I caught up with some fellow female
cyclists to learn about their cycling adventures this summer.
Liesl at the Sani river crossing
on the podium after placing second in my

age category! Wow, what a start!
Day two: On Wednesday the second challenge took place. Les Prix des Rousses is a
ride of 40km with an elevation of 1,800m.
I finished in 2 hours and 19 minutes, which
earned me third place in the womens
category! Podium again!
Day three: Then on Saturday the big
event arrived; La Marmotte. I was quite

nervous about this 174km ride with nearly
5,000 meters of elevation, but the
previous rides gave me confidence that I
could do this. It was tough; long climbs,
cold and windy on top of the Galibier, but
also had beautiful descents, great support
and people to ride with. I finished in the official time of 7 hours and 30 minutes of which
I am super proud. Jasper finished eleventh
overall in 5 hours and 59 minutes, an amazing result out of 7000 people participating.
Day four: The last event was the Grimpee
Yvonne van Hattum
La Marmotte Granfondo - Yvonne van

Hattum scoops up medals in France.
After catching the cycling bug one year
ago and making fast improvements on the
bike, my partner and I decided to participate in La Marmotte Granfondo this summer.
We took the full challenge by registering
for Le Trophee de lOisans which consists
of four challenges, with La Marmotte as the
main event.
Day one: Sunday saw the first first chal-
lenge in the form of La Vaujany; a ride of

186km with 4,300 meters of elevation. This
was a tough but beautiful ride with the
finish in Vaujany (where the pros also
finished a stage of the Critrium du Dauphin this year). To my own surprise I was called
52
OUTDOORUAE
de l'Alpe, a ride straight up the 13km long

Alped Huez, which seemed like a crazy
thing to do the day after La Marmotte,
however 174 other (crazy) people still
participated!
The entire week was a fantastic experience. La Marmotte Granfondo was a great
challenge that made me a better and
stronger cyclist. I highly recommend it to
everyone!
We settled in to Orta San Giulio, just north

of Milan. Our training for this holiday had
consisted of various events at Jebel Jais
as well as our usual weekly group and solo
rides.
Orta proved to be the perfect choice; a
beautiful little lakeshore town with cobbled
roads and an eclectic group of restaurants
and bars for recovery sessions. Pizza and
Gelato make a scientifically proven recovery
system; well, at least we thought so!
The local area was stunning for riding with
a great choice of undulating routes around
the shores of Lake Orta and Maggiore. Even
the touristy main roads were a pleasure to
ride on with traffic rarely being an issue.
We also found a couple of really decent
hills; the most notable was Mottarone, a
climb of 1,200m topping out 15km from
Orta, at a Ski resort. With gradients of up to
18 per cent and constant grinds of 15 per
cent, it was a monster of a climb. Unfortunately due to my injured shoulder, I did not
climb Mottarone, but Megan, Sara and the
boys all managed to get to the top.
A cycling holiday with friends proved to
be never less than entertaining, with lots of
laughter and mickey taking, not to mention
the ever present Strava fuelled competitive
nonsense. We all came away thinking that it
was one of our best holidays ever.
Lakes of Italy - Dawn Roberts and team

AGMC Rolls Royce find the perfect mix
of gelato and casual hill climbing
After a cycling holiday in Tuscany last year,
summer holidays this year were always
going to be about two wheels. It started off
as just the two of us, but then somehow our
riding friends here in Dubai were roped in.
As a result, eight of our Team AGMC Rolls
Royce crew found their way to the Italian
lakes.
Dawn Roberts
Liesl at the Sani finish line
Sani2C, South Africa - Liesl

Rademeyer takes on a Three-in-One MTB
adventure
I knew it was 267km and had about 3,765m
of climbing, but what I didn't know was how
much it would change me.
The KAP Sani2C is the largest multi-day
paired mountain bike event in the world,

with three events over three days with 4,500
riders. This event creates over 10,000 jobs
through the upkeep of the race villages as
well as building and maintaining trails. More
than AED 2 million was distributed to the
underprivileged in 2016, including 40
sponsored pupils.
I had four months to prepare for this
event and I used a professional multi-stage
training program as a base. I spent hours
training on the indoor home trainer. I rode
outdoor on Al Qudracycle track and I spent
most weekends in the mountains of Showka
and Hatta. However, I didnt spend nearly
enough time in the gym; a lesson welllearned.
Day one: Our journey started from the

Sani Pass in KwaZulu-Natal, but the wet
conditions and my race-nerves caused a
major wipeout, and 30km later I got five
stitches in my elbow.
Day two: With my injured arm strapped

up, we took off and went down the Umkomaas valley, which had rolling single
tracks and breath taking views. I was in pain
from my fall however. Everything hurt and
that little voice was telling me: 'I cant do
this! I am too old, too unfit and too overweight! It was hard, but with the support of
my amazingly patient partner, we made it to
the end before sunset.
Day three: The third and final stretch had
us gliding through sugarcane fields, and

then you smell the Indian Ocean and it hits
home: 'I DID IT, I can do anything!'
I still get emotional thinking about
crossing the finish line and how blessed I am
to have had the opportunity to dig deeper
than ever before. Life is such a gift, you have
to grab it tight, with both hands and your
bicycle.
Tower of London, Big Ben and finish by

cycling down The Mall towards Buckingham
Palace. Why not? Sounds great. 160km was
set to be no problem, as I had previously
completed the 212km UAE-based Coast to
Coast Challenge.
My training plan had been going well,
however I hadnt factored in the three weeks
holidays in Thailand with my husband and 3
children leading up to this challenge. While
we had a great time diving and trekking,
there wasnt any time for riding. So when
I arrived back from Thailand I managed to
squeeze in a couple of 85km rides before
packing my bike all by myself (usually my
husband packs it) and heading off to
London. The first thing I did when I arrived
was to build my bike with no help.
On the morning of the ride I awoke with
knots in my stomach. Not again! Why do I
always doubt my strength and ability?
It was a warm sunny day in the mid
20s with very little wind. Just perfect
for smashing it.
I had joined up with another four riders
from the Dubai based Loopers cycling group
for support and encouragement, and as we
set off from the Olympic Park I think my
riding partners forgot we were targeting sub
6 hours and not sub 4! I hung on for dear life
as we raced our way through London.
Unfortunately there were a couple of bad
accidents and we got delayed while the
people involved were airlifted to hospital.
As we slowly restarted in waves, I got severe
cramp in my quads several times, causing
me to stop and stretch. Once stretched we
cruised onto the Leith Hill climb at approximately 55km, where I got into rhythm and
cruised up the 2.3km climb and on to the
Box Hill, which is one of Britains most iconic
climbs given its close proximity to London.
The 4.3km climb with an average gradient of
4 per cent and a maximum of 13.3 per cent
turned out to be a breeze and a post ride
email notification confirmed I ranked 207th.
Next year I will smash it.
The residents of London created a great
party atmosphere and were handing out
food and drink while singing and dancing. I
shed a few tears as we crossed the line, and
all in all I am very pleased that the Dubai
Loopers started and finished as a team,
rolling over the line in 5hrs 21 mins.
Chasing the Pros Cycle Hub girls Laura

Holton and Aime Wright on tour in the
French Pyrenees
Louise Cairns
Prudential Ride London Louise Cairns

takes on the 2012 Olympic road race
route in the UK
Ride around London they said; See the
We were both lucky enough to follow this

years Tour de France as it reached the
French Pyrenees. We joined onto a
seven-day group tour, which was run by
Aimes parents cycling holiday company,
Pyrenees Multisport.
Each day offered new exciting climbs,
all famous from the Tour, which had to be
completed in time for the mad freebie
grabbing session as the race caravan came
through. We battled against our rivals for
the key rings, Haribo sweets and polka dot
hats. After completing our own rides, we
were able to enjoy the special moment as
our idols came blasting through in a
colourful lycra blur.
Aimee and Laura
Aime
One of the most exciting days was riding

through Andorra up the Port dEnvalira
(2,408m), which is the highest paved climb
in the Pyrenees. As soon as we reached
Andorra we were sucked back into the Tour
de France excitement as the pro teams were
all out on their recovery rides. Some teams
cheered us as they rode past, some even
allowed us to hitch a ride up the climb (for
about two minutes) and we even got the
chance to see what goes on inside the team
buses on a rest day (a lot of washing and
maintenance!).
Laura
This was my first time riding in the mountains and experiencing the Tour de France.
A memorable moment was descending
down the Col de Peyresourde. This was
particularly special because previously, on
the first day of our Pyrenees Multisport
Tour, Aime and I had watched the pros
descend this Col on a large screen from
the finish line. I admit that I was nowhere
near as impressive as Chris Froome (he was
crouched and pedaling on his crossbar!),
but it certainly felt pretty fast! Experiencing
the Cols featured in this years and previous
years Tour de France made me appreciate
the incredible fitness and courage that these
professionals have. I am very much looking
forward to finding out the route for next
years Tour de Franceand planning my
summer vacation accordingly!
Helle Bachofen von Echt is a Dubai
based amateur road cyclist competing
in both local and International events.
She is team leader of a UAE based
female amateur cycling team and she is
also an Indoor Cycling Instructor at Flywheel Sports Dubai. Helle loves traveling with her bike and you can follow her
adventures and racing in pictures on instagram @thegirlwhocyclesinthedesert
and her blog page www.hellebve.com
OUTDOORUAE
53
OUR EXPERTS
Educat ion
Words + Photos by: Haydon Kerr
Its that time of the year again

when students are back in class,
teachers are looking for exciting
experiential learning opportunities
and parents are back at work and
out of holiday mode. At Deira
International School, this is also
a great time for our returning
teachers to show off what Dubai
has to offer to the newbie staff!
As well as the usual revision of important
policies, procedures and exam results, our
induction and inset week dedicated a full
day to staff team building and experiencing some of the latest attractions to hit
Dubai. With nearly 200 participating staff, it
was important to make sure that there was
something for everybody to enjoy, and that
we werent just going to the usual haunts.
With particular attention to locations that
teachers could use as class trips for enhancing learning and fun, a route was devised
across the Emirate. Each of the 10 groups
54
OUTDOORUAE
would discover new things on offer while

trying to complete a list of around 20 challenges with photo evidence. Some of these
challenges included asking teams to get
a group selfie in a forest, a group shot of
everybody in National UAE dress and even
of somebody in the group holding a snake.
From the exciting to the absurd, this action
packed day provided plenty of laughs!
One of the stops along the way was to
the new City Walk of Dubai. Located just
a stones throw from the Dubai Mall and

Burj Khalifa, theres plenty already operational, although there is heavy construction
continuing on many other projects. However, one of the new attractions that is open
for business is Hub Zero. With innovative
experiences geared towards young gamers
and the inner child in adults, Hub Zero blurs
the lines between the real and virtual worlds.
Upon arriving, our group were impressed
with the range of immersive activities and
were treated to a few hands on experiences

such as at Double Agent, where we were
asked to race against the clock while dodging a maze of lasers! With other attractions
inside Hub Zero named Battlefield, Resident
Evil and Hack Attack, there is plenty for
entertaining youngsters with a penchant
for high octane fun. Parents with younger
ones can also set their little adventurers free
in the awesome soft play area and toddler
karting track while enjoying a coffee at the
Hub Caf. In true teacher fashion, there
were already learning outcomes and lesson
objectives being formulated to tie in with a
class trip to this virtual playground!
Also located at City Walk is the impressive towering white building that houses 4
levels of tropical rainforest! With The Green
Planet not quite open to the public at the
time our group visited, it was amazing to see
what is on offer within this huge bio-dome.
Boasting the worlds largest indoor artificial
yet life sustaining tree, there are thousands
of living plants and animals inside this firstof-its-kind structure in the Middle East.
People of all ages will enjoy exploring the
different levels of the indoor tropical forest,
from the flooded floor to the canopy tree
house. On site are purpose built classrooms
to cover the many topics which can be covered throughout the year. Catering to school
groups, families and individuals, The Green
Planet has guided tours for those wishing
to delve into the education side of things or
simply stroll around the various exhibits at
their own leisure.
Our final stop within City Walk was Mattel
Play! Town. This magical place is open for
parents to bring children and experience
any or all of the themed attractions including Barney, Thomas and Friends, Fireman
Sam, Bob the Builder and Angelina Ballerina
all under one roof! More for the younger
kids, Mattel Play! Town has loads of dress
up and action stations that reinforce positive
values through play. Their large team of fun
staff will ensure a great time for groups and

individuals that visit. Even some of our own
staff couldnt help themselves around the
sand pit play areas!
As our group moved on from City Walk
to other locations around Dubai, the new
teachers were more and more impressed
with the attractions that were available with
a focus on fun, education and adventure.
As a resident of 10 years in Dubai, I have
also been impressed at the number of projects coming online for students in recent
years. It was refreshing taking newcomers
to the region; places that were also new to
me.
A tour of major Dubai attractions wouldnt
be complete without a visit to the world
famous Aquarium at the Dubai Mall. With
King Crocs and the official Discovery Channel Shark Week exhibit, this place never
ceases to evolve with Curator and General
Manager Paul Hamilton at the helm. With
groups of teachers that had visits to the
Dubai Mall Aquarium ranging from zero to
literally hundreds, all agreed that the latest
instalment for Shark Week is cutting edge
visually and educationally.
A lot of careful thought is being poured
into ventures that are enhancing the UAE
experience for not only the tourists, but

also for the residents who continue to settle
here. From an educational point of view, this
is an exciting time as these new activities
provide a reenergised approach to planning
experiential learning outside of the classroom.
Our staff groups managed to cover many
other Dubai experiences, such as taking
Abra rides across the Creek. We watched as
the dhows were loaded full of goods, and
one of the challenges was to see if we could
get involved! The friendly faces all along the
waterfront welcomed our teams and shared
some laughs along the way. Whether stepping into the iFly suits and spinning out of
control, or throwing on the Ski Dubai outfits
to complete other challenges, our staff
got to hang out together in a range of fun
environments.
So many adventures await those who wish
to try new things and learn about how play
can be super educational. Whether parents
want to show children the new wonders of
Dubai, or teachers want new activities for
class groups, or a team of adults want to
make some sort of competition out of exploring new attractions, theres definitely lots
more on offer these days. Exciting times!
OUR EXPERTS
Experience
THE NIGHTLIFE OF THE OCEAN
Words by: Jake Lyle

Photos by: Jon Lyle
Picture a street or a plaza

during the day; think about the type
of people walking around, the brightness, the colours and everything
thats going on. Now picture the
same area at night-time. The people, the brightness and the all the
activity is very different. The exact
same goes for the ocean. The things
you may see on a typical daytime
dive vary greatly to the opportunities
that are present at night. Its
something that every diver must
experience, and its certainly something that a diver will never forget.
56
OUTDOORUAE
Diving itself already carries with it so much

mystery and intrigue, as there is no other
recreational activity that lets you explore
something so vast and so untouched as the
ocean. So much of the ocean hasnt had the
pleasure of meeting humankind, and so it is
up to us to explore the unexplored. Its this
mystery and unfamiliarity that makes diving
so interesting and addictive. What will the
environment be like when you get down
there? And what creatures will be waiting on
the reef for your arrival? Take that excitement
and that fascination and multiply it by one
hundred as that is the effect of the night.
The unknown element of every dive drastically increases, but its not something you
wonder about before the dive which is then
cleared up for you as soon as you jump into
the water - its something that you wonder
about for the full duration of the dive, as in
every moment you are never aware of your
full surroundings. Unlike a typical dive, all
that you are completely aware of is the thin
line of light in front of you, illuminated by

your dive light. For those who live for adventure and thrill, this overwhelming fear of not
knowing is priceless. Granted, night diving is
not for everyone, and once you do it you will
either love it or hate it. However, I personally
have never met anyone who has hated it.
So where do you start? Do you just get
on a boat in the night, head out and plunge
down into the abyss? Thats certainly one way
of doing it, but the best night dives are the
ones that begin at sunset, or dusk. This gives
the best experiences. So whether youre doing a beach entry or youre taking out a boat,
youre still granted that last sliver of light
during the golden hour. Not only does this
mean you get to ride out into a picturesque
sunset and give your camera a real workout,
but it also makes the kitting up process much
easier. Having to get your equipment ready
and strapped on in the dark is no small feat,
so doing it during the fading daylight is a
much more sensible option. Although, most
dive boats that undertake night diving will

be equipped with floodlights to help you get
in and out of your gear, so its never really a
problem.
Theres not a great deal of special equipment required for a night dive, as it is still
very similar to your typical daytime dive.
There is though one crucial item that youll
want to equip yourself with prior to entering
the water, and thats your dive light. Although
it may seem obvious, Ive seen divers jump
into dark water, descend a few meters and
only then realise they cant see anything. To
properly defend yourself against any such
situation, the safest way to do it is to get a
light that you can clip on to either your wrist
or your BCD because the last thing you
want to do is end up on the bottom of the
ocean without a light.
As the sun sets and you ready yourself for
one of the most memorable experiences you
have ever had, you may look into the water
youre about to plunge into and think why
am I doing this? Cast those thoughts aside
and take the giant stride into the water. As
there is still some daylight present, during
your descent you may be lucky enough to
see the very last few rays of sun shooting
through the dark blue water, creating a pattern of glassy lines. This brightness however
will soon become but a distant memory once
youve acclimatised to the darkness. Some
people are aware of it and others arent, so
you may notice how quickly the light fades
to darkness, transforming your surroundings,
or you may be one of those people who
suddenly find themselves in a cloak of darkness as they thought just a second ago it was
light. If you dont notice it, it means there are
much more interesting things in front of you
to focus on which is a good thing!
You may also find that when the darkness
finally sets in, your senses are slightly enhanced. You notice when even the smallest
creature swims beside you, or perhaps its
just the current from your buddys moving
fins. Youre listening out for sounds around
you, to give you clues about your environment that unfortunately your eyes cannot
provide. This is a very unique feeling of
tranquillity mixed with a dash of fear.
The thin line of sight illuminated by your
torch is your primary focus, although a few
looks and peaks into the darkness either side
of you are not uncommon, when your curiosity finally gets the better of you. Often with
first time night divers, their ability to keep
their torch facing down on the reef rather
than facing other divers right in the eye is
limited. So the best thing you can do on your
first night dive is be sensible with your light
remember that youre down there to see the
reef and not to blind your buddies. As well,
try to make your movements with your light
slow and cautious, as rapid and frantic movements with your light will often convey a sign
of emergency and may cause other divers to
come to your rescue, or the dive may even
be called off early. In the rare case that you
lose your buddy or get separated from your
group, there is a procedure that many divers
undertake that is different from any daytime
protocols. Take your dive light and shine it
on your chest, ascend 2-3m, so no surrounding coral or rock faces are blocking you, and
spin 360o once. This will hopefully signal to
your buddy your location and they will reach
you promptly. Many divers also like to just
clip a chemical luminescent rod to either
their regulator or BCD, so they can quickly
find their regulator in the dark, and so other
members of the group can constantly keep
eyes on them.
So what makes it different to a daytime
dive? Aside from the drastically different environment, enhanced senses and the need to
use a light, what you see will also be a great
change from the day. Everybody is aware
that large, and even small, predators hunt at
nightime. Its when theyre best camouflaged
and they can creep up on their prey with the
greatest ease. But relax theyre not there
to hunt you. During a night dive, its not
uncommon to encounter larger species of
marine life that are otherwise shy or sleeping
during the day. This can vary from sharks and
manta rays, to eels and octopi. Not only do
you see creatures that would be difficult to
find during the day, but you also see them in
action. During the day you may find a White
Tip Reef Shark laying on the sound inside a
cave, whereas at night you will see the very
same shark swimming and darting after its
dinner. These hunting spectacles are often
on a large scale, depending where you go,
and if youre lucky and you pick the right
spot on the right night, you will be exposed
to one of the greatest shows on earth. You
can pick a spot, relax and watch the oceans
nightime activities unfold. Sharks twisting
and turning after their prey, free-swimming
eels searching for a meal of their own and
manta rays flipping and tumbling above
you, taking full advantage of your bubbles.
It is this commotion and poetic chaos that
can only be experienced at night, making a
night dive a crucial step to becoming a truly
veteran diver.
If you have dived before, then you must
be well aware of the underwater spectacles
that await you below the surface, and if you
havent, now you are. But the phenomenons
present during the day are vastly different to
those at night. The hustle and bustle in the
darkness of the night contrasts with the clarity and tranquillity that can be experienced
during the day. But either way, much like out
on the street, you must experience both the
night and the day for a full and complete
perspective of the environment. So grab a
light, build up the courage and head on out
into the night.
Rise and Shine!

How early morning exercise sets you up for the rest of the day
Running, or doing any exercise, as the sun
rises is motivating. The prospect of a whole
new day ahead of you makes you pick up
the pace, run with a spring in your step, and
imagine all there is to look forward to and all
that can be achieved. It makes you feel alive,
fit, happy, and grateful. On the other hand,
theres always that sense of dread as the sun
rises: how much further do I have to go?
How much longer before the heat becomes
unbearable?
Of course, running every morning is not
always possible, and running in the heat/
humidity does have its benefits (raising your
heart rate, which means that you may run at
a slower pace, but when the weather cools
down youll find yourself able to run a faster
pace with the same amount of effort). Its
just nice, a couple of times a week at least,
to drag yourself out of bed, pull on your
trainers, and greet the day the way you mean
to go on: pushing forwards, challenging yourself, and breaking your own personal records.
Words by: Rachael Bruford

Photos by: Supplied
Yesterday morning, I woke

up at 4am, lay in bed for a while,
then went downstairs to sort myself out with a coffee and a banana.
By 5am, I had got dressed, jumped
into the car to head towards the
beach track, parked at my destination and was at the start line ready
for my planned one hour run.
With the temperatures and humidity still
high in the UAE, I was not particularly surprised to see that I was not alone. Waking up
early to work out whether its paddleboarding, running, cycling or boot camp style activities is not unusual, particularly during the
summer months. In fact, during my marathon
training over the summer, I began a couple of
runs at 4am, in the hope of completing them
before the dreaded hour of 7am.
As much as I dislike getting out of bed at
such an hour (Ive cursed my alarm clock and
pressed snooze more times than Im willing
to admit), Ive come to the realisation that I
love early morning running. Yes, some people must think Im a little odd for sacrificing
those last few hours of sleep, but what I gain
from a good, solid early morning run more
than makes up for it.
Im not somebody who deals with the heat
and humidity very well. My heart rate increases as my pace slows, and the mental battle
feels like it is being lost with each heavy step.
Although I do make use of the treadmill and
the indoor track during July and August, I still
believe that, despite my complaints, nothing
beats running outside. In the hotter months,
the only way to do this is to get up early.
Although the UAE offers perfect training conditions in the winter months, even then, its
still beneficial to avoid running between 8am
and 5pm. We are all familiar with the risks
of becoming dehydrated and battling heat
exhaustion, and this is something that must
still be considered during the cooler months.
In the mornings, this is not so much of a concern. At 5am yesterday, the temperature was
teetering around the 31degrees mark, with a
humidity of around 66%. Whilst still not ideal,
it made for a much better run, and I certainly
felt relieved to be finishing my run just as the
sun had risen above the buildings that surround the track. Had I left it any later, I would
have certainly paid for it.
Theres also something about simply being up at that time: setting off in the dark or
twilight, with very few people around you,
watching the sun rise as a whole new day
begins, and certainly not least of all, having
completed your exercise before most people
are even out of bed! At the beach track, Im
not that strange woman who gets up at an
unearthly hour to run. There are plenty of
people, of all different nationalities, backgrounds, and shapes and sizes, who run or
walk before getting on with the rest of their
day. Im simply a face amongst the crowd,
another busy person who fits in what I enjoy
when I can, and who is dedicated enough to
do it properly.
Top Tips for becoming

a morning person
Make sure you set your alarm.

Try to give yourself something to look forward to upon getting out of bed, such as a
nice cup of coffee.
Lay out everything you need the night
before.
That way, you dont have to think about what
to wear or what to bring with you.
Arrange to meet a friend.
Making plans like this will make you less likely
to roll over and go back to sleep.
Make sure you sleep early the night before
Getting up early to exercise does not mean
having less sleep, although we are all guilty
of this at some point. Ensure you get adequate rest by turning off technology in the
hour or two before bed, and by avoiding
large meals late at night.
Know when you need to rest
Of course, there are bound to be times when
a sleep in is needed for the good of your
health. Learn to recognise the difference
between needing an extra hour of sleep and
making excuses.
PEOPLE
Maurizio Schepici, powerboat pilot

Maurizio Schepici was
born in 1975 in Messina
in Italy, and founded the
Tommy Racing Team in
2011. The team is named
after his dog, Tommy
Words by: Nico de Corato
Photos by: Nico de Corato and supplied
Powerboats are like the Formula One of the oceans. This motor
sport on water can be thrilling
and dangerous at the same time.
One classic powerboat race is the
Cowes-Torquay, set to take place
at the beginning of September,
when several top boats and pilots
will undertake another exciting and
challenging course. Motor boating enthusiasts have enjoyed this
classic contest for years; the first
Cowes-Torquay race took place in
1961!
Fans come from all over the world to
check out the field of competition, boats
and drivers, and to view the action as powerful boats and advanced engines go head
to head in battles at high speeds.
The Cowes Torquay Powerboat Race is
organised by the British Powerboat Racing
Club, and this year Tommy Racing Team, a
team very well known in the UAE, will take
part.
Boat pilots Maurizio Schepici and Gabriele
Giambattista will race the Cowes Classic as
Tommy Racing Team. It will take great courage and seamanship on their part to come
out on top at the end of the day and receive
the prestigious Beaverbrook trophy.
We had chance to meet Maurizio, who
is also the owner of the team, for a quick
interview.
We know in the past you were

a hammer thrower, with a lot of
records still unbeaten; how did you
become a powerboat pilot?
In 2000 I moved from Messina to Rome
Arab tradition and culture. I love coming to

the UAE out of the race season. I spent a
couple of New Year's Eves in Dubai.
How is Dubai changing

thanks to Expo 2020?
for work and here in the capital I discovered powerboating, and was immediately
fascinated by these racing cars of the sea,
able to fly at extreme speeds over brutal
waves. The first offshore catamaran I tried
was a Moretti 3000. In 2011, I created my
own team.
Looking to the future and your

ambitions, what would you like to
achieve in your racing career?
I wish hope to grow further, and maybe even

experience other categories.
You could say you are a real pilot

only after you capsized...
Of course! And you can confirm that, since

you were with me during my first one. It was
in Naples in 2011 during a Class 3 race.
Expo 2020 is widely expected to work as an

economic catalyst as it generates economic
benefits in the form of increased tourism,
job opportunities, and hospitality revenues.
Dubai is becoming a larger hub; the population is rapidly increasing. The Government
is already working hard to ensure perfect
organisation of the Expo and to get the
maximum benefit from that: financial benefits, both during the run up to the event and
after, in terms of large construction activity,
and investments from outside the country,
among others.
What is the best advice you can give

to those who wish to approach the
world of motorboating?
If you want to do well in racing you have to
get professional training. This is particularly
relevant in the championships where the
boats are all identical (very common in the
lower categories), as you need every advantage you can get and need to learn how to
squeeze every mph from your boat thats
what makes the difference between winning and losing. It is also important to learn
how to race creating a safe environment,
together with being comfortable with all the
safety procedures.
You often come to the UAE to watch

and take part in powerboat races.
Tell us something about your stays
in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Although powerboating is often associated
with parties on glamorous beaches, ports
& yachts, when you are involved in a 3-day
stage schedule you cant afford to be anything less than focused on the race and at
your sharpest; so the race weekend for the
pilots and their team doesnt really allow for
too much fun.. but when the stage is over
we can let our hair down a little. I love how
the UAE fuses incredible architecture with
OUTDOORUAE
59
FROM
AED
38,999
INDIANMOTORCYCLEGCC.COM
DISTRIBUTORS
QATAR
Protech Powered Sports Co
Street: Salwa Road PO Box: 91, Doha, Qatar
Tel: +974 44398030
Fax: +974 44398030
Sales
Email: info@protech.com.qa
OMAN
FairTrade Auto Services LLC
P.O. Box 2636, Ruwi, Muscat
Tel: +968 96778552
Fax: +96824701787
Contact person
Mr. R. K. Sunder
Email: sunder@ftgroupholding.com
DUBAI
Showroom No. 8, Al Ghandi Complex
Nad al Hamar Road, Ras al Khor
Tel: +971 4 2896100
Fax: +971 4 2894914
Email: sse@polarisuae.com
MUSSAFAH
M4, Sector 13, 10th Street
Tel: +971 2 5555144
THE
OFF-ROADERS
corner
Name: Patrick Bol

Nationality: Netherlands
Occupation: Owner of Desert Max
(Operational Oct 1st)
Vehicle: 2015/06 Toyota Land
Cruiser Pickup LC79 DC 4L VXR
Patrick's LC79 is the ultimate camping car for those wishing to explore the vast deserts
of the UAE. Bought in Abu Dhabi
and modified here, it's the perfect
vehicle for sailing over tough dunes
and relaxing after a hard day of
navigating.
Tell us the background
story of the car
We have enjoyed off-road expeditions for the

last two decades with a group of friends, riding mostly enduro bikes and buggies through
the desert far away from tarmac roads.
I vividly remember last year a 1400km offroad Oman enduro expedition. We were in
the South of the soft Wahiba sands and two
of our motorbikes without sand scoops started to struggle in the soft dunes. The nearest
asphalt road was at least another 50km away,
but we were closely observed by a local
camel herder who effortlessly moved around
and gently parked his Toyota LC79 on top of
the dune. About an hour later the conditions
improved as we drove a soft desert piste,
with speeds over 90 km an hour. The herder
overtook us with his Land Cruiser pickup, this
time with a full grown camel in the back as he
cheerfully opened the window to wave at us
shouting, Thats the one car I want!
Whenever we travelled in the UAE or
Oman, we always noticed these indestructible vehicles favoured by the locals, with an
impressive one ton load capacity in the tray
and a 130L fuel tank as standard. On top of
that, you can get Toyota parts everywhere.
When I started my own self-drive expedition company with operations in the UAE,
Oman and East Africa, I thought, when in
Rome do as the Romans do. The choice of
the lead vehicle was easy and I selected the
extremely reliableLC79 DC 4L VXR. In the
desert the extra grunt of the 228hp engine is
most welcome and I even considered more
horse power.
When you drive this manual car in town
you realise its old fashioned in design. Its
not fully adapted to modern traffic or shopping malls, nor does it have fast breaking or
sharp U-turn ability. This machine is designed
for the outback and to function on a farm for
the next 25 years. So I told my five year old
son that I had bought him a car that he will

drive once he gets his licence.
What modifications have been made,

performance and cosmetic wise?
After buying the car from a trader in Abu
Dhabi we took it for a spin, and then headed
to Liwa to test its capability. Here we tested
suspension, tire width and size, and vehicle
balance when fully loaded.
Since I dont know enough about cars it
was time to turn to the professionals. I asked
the Dakar veteran Sebastian Husseini, owner
of SEBSPORTS, to orchestrate the rebuild.
We basically turned the LC79 into an
overland camping car. For that purpose the
Toyota is a great platform as the chassis is
really heavily built. In the pictures you can see
the most obvious upgrades. By far the best
modification for money is the suspension of
Old Man EMU shocks with enhanced spring
packages. This really improved the ride both
on and offroad. We added wheel spacers
on the rear axel as Toyota had previously
re-designed the engine bay with a wider front
axel to accommodate the mighty V8 4.5l twin
turbo diesel without bothering about the rear
track width.
Thunder 4x4designed and built the aluminium canopy to great precision and strength,
including preserving the rear camera. The
canopy ended up weighing the same as the
steel pickup tray. For safety, we added an
exoskeleton roll cage integrated with a roof
rack, and improved the brakes. By the time
we finished, the car had doubled in value.
Do you have something

that you consider to be a
special feature of the car?
There are several special features such as

a 67 litre Engel refrigerator powered by a
Dual battery system, a tire pressure and
temperature system thats integrated with the
standard NSV central control panel, and last

but not least two under seat compressors to
speed up tire inflation.
What were your other options

before you bought this car?
I have always been in love with the legendary

Land Rover Defender; however, when I tried
one at the dealer my 67 (2m) tall body did
not fit in as anticipated, as I could not see
out.
We also looked at the LC 200 automatic
GXR 4.5L twin turbo diesel. Desert Max is
building up two of those vehicles which will
serve well in our luxury tours.
How often do you use your car, and

what activities do you take part in?
In the winters we drive in the UAE and Oman

and in the summer Desert Max organises
trips where the cars get shipped from Dubai
to Djibouti for60 day self-drive expeditions
from Addis Ababa to Cape town.
Are you planning any future

modifications?
This car only misses a proper stereo. My wife

votes for a shower but Desert Max Man 6x6
already provides us with shower and toilet
modules.
What 4x4 do you dream of owning?
If money was not a problem, the choice

would be a Mercedes AMG G 6x6.Just watch
Top Gear; now that is a machine.
Want your 4X4 to be the next feature?
Its all simple! Just send us an email
at editor@outdooruae.com with the
subject Off-Roaders Corner and you
and your car might just be the next one
on this page!
Shift into Gear at the Gym

Words by: James Sidhu
Photos by: Jung Francisco
For the average person, standard gym training tactics used to involve a splash of treadmill cardio, a
dabble in the free-weight area and
a sprinkling of abdominal crunches
to top it off.
Now, trends have shifted into more exciting freestyle training methodologies, which
involve engaging with pieces of equipment
that better suit functional movements and
are far more accessible than the imposing
barbell/dumbbell lifts that were common
place before. Let's take a look at one piece
of equipment that has really exploded onto
the gym scene, which offers a great alternative to developing functional strength; the
Suspension Trainer.
What is a Suspension Trainer?
The Suspension Trainer has roots in military

fitness training, but has now seen global
success with its ability to add increasing
load to functional
based movements,
with the users
own bodyweight
as resistance. The
Suspension Trainer
can be adjusted in
length to suit the
exercise and the
proportions of the
person when using
it and is an ideal
training tool for anyone looking to improve functional strength.
Suspended Row
A great place to start is with the Suspended

Row; it strengthens the upper back, which is
a key weakness in many, and it also benefits
the core and grip strength.
To perform it:
Start by shortening the straps to the highest
they can go
Grab the handles in front and stand completely straight, with the spine in a neutral
position
Step backwards until there is full tension in
the straps
62
OUTDOORUAE
Have the feet shoulder-width apart for

stability
Have the palms facing each other and keep
them close to the torso (just under the chest)
Start to lean back and extend your arms
out, rotate your wrists so that palms are facing down at full extension
Pull yourself back in, while rotating the
palms back to facing each other to complete
the rep
Keep the back straight and core engaged
at all times
Top Tips
The great thing about using the Suspension
Trainer is that the intensity of it is controlled
entirely by you! The taller you stand, the easier this exercise becomes. If you lean further
back at the start; it becomes more difficult to
pull back in. Another progression is to bring
the feet together, so there is less stability. You
could even go for a single leg variation to
make it even harder!
Suspended Push-Up
Just like the row, it is an ideal place to start

and works the opposing muscle groups, with
the chest and shoulder getting engaged the
most.
To perform it:
Start by lengthening the straps to midlevel, as you will need additional length to
get depth in this exercise
Grab the handles in front and stand completely straight, with the spine in a neutral
position
Now walk forwards and extend the arms
out until there is tension in the straps and
the straps are both aligned slightly above
the shoulders (not touching)
Palms should be facing down throughout
the exercise and arms shoulder-width apart
Lower the body down to parallel with the
chest, or just under the hands
Push back up to the starting position to
complete the rep
Keep the back straight and core engaged
at all times
Top Tips
Just like the row, you can adjust the intensity
by modifying your stance for the exercise.
This time you would lean further forward to
increase intensity, or stand tall to reduce the
effect of gravity and the amount of bodyweight involved. Again, going from a split
leg stance to close feet and even single
leg (advanced level only!) will progress this
exercise.
Suspended Squat Jumps
This one gives your cardio a run for its money, burns fat and also develops explosive
strength by working all of the leg muscles.
To perform it:
Set straps to mid-length for this exercise
Grab the handles in front, so that the
palms are facing each other, shoulder-width
apart
Standing straight, with a neutral spine
and feet slightly further than shoulder-width
apart, go into a deep squat and then explode up into a jump
You can rotate the wrists down in the
jump, if it feels more comfortable
Immediately drop back into a squat and
repeat
Keep full tension on the straps at all times
(leaning slightly back with your weight helps,
however, the back must remain straight)
Top Tips
This one is a high-energy, cardio intensive
exercise; the faster and higher you jump,
the harder it gets! You could try a single-leg
jump variation for a real burn, or, remove the
jumping portion to take the intensity down
a notch.
Suspension Trainers are a great way to
kick-start a functional training routine in
the gym. Give them a try next time you
want to add some spice into your programme!
James Sidhu
Senior FM DIFC Fitness First
UAE DIRECTORY
General Sports
Equipment Megastores
Adventure HQ, Dubai Times Square Center,

Sheikh Zayed Rd, toll free: 800-ADVENTURE,
+971 43466824; The Beach on JBR, Dubai:
+971 44304419; Dalma Mall, Abu Dhabi:
+971 24456995, www.adventurehq.ae
Decathlon, Dubai, Mirdif City Centre,
+971 42839392, www.decathlon.com
Go Sport, The Dubai Mall: +971 43253595;
Abu Dhabi Mall: +971 26454595; Bawabat Al
Sharq Mall, Abu Dhabi: +971 25868240; Yas
Mall: +971 25650812; MOE: +971 4395 8951,
www.go-sport.com
Peiniger BMT Est., CBD, Khalifa Street,
Yateem Optician Bldg., Abu Dhabi, UAE,
+971 26262332, www.peiniger.org
Sun and Sand Sports, most shopping
centres, +971 43599905; Online store: +971
43149001; Retail store: +971 43504400,
http://en-ae.sssports.com
Adventure tours
and desert safaris
Alpha Tours, P.O. Box 25718, 27th Floor,

Burlington Tower, Business Bay, Dubai,
+971 47019111, www.alphatoursdubai.com
Dadabhai Travel, SR 1&2, GF, Gulf Towers,
Oud Metha Rd. Dubai, +971 43885566,
www.dadabhaitravel.ae
Desert Rangers, P.O. Box 33501, Dubai
UAE, +971 44569944 or 507035111
www.desertrangers.com
Desert Road Tourism, Office 503, 5th Flr.,
Al Khor Plaza, Dubai, +971 42959429,
www.desertroadtours.com
Dreamdays, First Floor Rm. 107 Ibn Battuta
Gate (Offices) Sheikh Zayed Rd., Dubai
+971 44329392 or 44329393,
www.dreamdays.ae
Dream Explorer LLC, JLT, Dubai,
P.O. Box 214576, +971 44563390
www.dreamexplorerdubai.com
Dubai Relax Travel, P.O. Box 37459,
National Towers: Churchill Tower Suite #614,
Business Bay, Dubai, +971 528996307,
www.dubairelaxtours.com
Explorer Tours, Umm Ramool, Dubai,
+971 42861991, www.explorertours.ae
Gulf for Good, P.O. Box 506006, 1/F, Building
4, Dubai International Humanitarian City,
Dubai, +971 43680222, www.gulf4good.org
Gulf Ventures, Dnata Travel Centre,
+971 44045880, www.gulfventures.com
MMI Travel LLC, Mezzanine Floor, Dnata
Travel Centre, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai,
+971 4 4045999,
www.theemiratesgroup.com
Net Group, Dubai and Abu Dhabi,
+971 26794656, www.netgroupauh.com
Oasis Palm Dubai, P.O. Box 181258 Dubai,
Office 404, Royal Plaza Building
Al Rigga Street, +971 42628889 or
42686826, www.opdubai.com
Rahhalah, Shata Tower 27th Floor, Office
No. 2711, Media City, Dubai, +971 44472166,
www.rahhalah.com
Clubs
Abu Dhabi Fishing, Camping, Kayaking,
& Adventure Club, +971 5 04920860,
mohammed.almahrouky@gmail.com
Air
Balloon Adventures Emirates, Office 123

Oasis Centre, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai,
+971 43884044, www.ballooning.ae
Dubai Paragliders, +971 552120155 or
552250193, www.microaviation.org
Jazirah Aviation Club, Ras Al Khaimah,
+971 72446416 or 555531318,
www.jac-uae.net
Seawings, Dubai,+971 48070708,
www.seawings.ae
Skydive Dubai, The Palm: Al Seyahi St,
Dubai Marina, +971 43778888,
www.skydivedubai.ae
Boating & Sailing
Manufacturer
Al Fajer Marine, Dubai, Al Quoz,
+971 43235181, www.alfajermarine.com
Al Jeer Marina, RAK border Musandam,
+971 72682333 or 504873185,
www.aljeerport.ae
Al Shaali Marine, Ajman, +971 67436443,
www.alshaalimarine.com
Al Yousuf Industrial, LLC,
+971 4 3474111, www.aym.ae,
yamboats@alyousuf.com
Elite Pearl Charter, P.O. Box 214173,
Saeed Tower 1, office #3102,
Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, +971 43889666,
www.elitepearlcharter.com
Gulf Craft, P.O. Box 666, Sheikh Khalifa Bin
Zayed Street, Ajman, +971 67406060,
www.gulfcraftinc.com
Distributors and Dealers
Art Marine LLC, Al Quoz Industrial Area,
Sheikh Zayed Road, 3rd Interchange
+971 43388955, www.artmarine.ae or
www.artmarinechandlery.com
Azure Marine Dubai, +971 4 3706886,
www.azuremarine.net
Luxury Sea Boats, Showroom #8, The Curve
Building, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai,
+971 4 3284629, www.luxuryseaboats.com
Macky Marine LLC, Box 37594, Ground
Floor, Marina Yatch Club, Office # 5, Dubai
Marina, Jebel Ali, Dubai, +971 505518317,
www.mackymarine.com
Nautilus Yachts, Sharjah, +971 553419494
or 503419494, www.nautilusyachts.com
The Boat House, P.O. Box 71628,
Al Quoz, Dubai, +971 43405152,
www.theboathouse.ae
UAEBoats4Sale, Dubai Marina,
+971 42932465, 567001801,
www.uaeboats4sale.com
Western Marine, P.O. Box 52938, Sheikh
Zayed Road, Knotika Marine Mall, Dubai,
+971 44327870
Equipment
Ali Khalifah Moh Al Fuqaei, Ground Floor,
Tara Hotel Building, Abdul Nasser Square
Street, Dubai, +971 42263220
Al Masaood Marine, Sheikh Zayed Road,
Dubai, +971 43468000,
www.masaoodmarine.com
Blue Waters Marine, Shop 11,
The Curve Bldg., Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai,
+971 43808616 or 553899995,
www.bluewatersmarine.com
Extreme Marine, Dubai Marina Branch,
+971 43992995, www.extrememarine-me.com
Japan Marine / D1 Marine,
WS # 110, Dubai Maritime City,
+971 4 4426395 or 55 1666035,
www.japanmarine.co
Rineh Emirates Trading LLC, Al Quoz,
Dubai, www.rinehemiratesme.com,
+971 43391512
Repairs and Maintenance
Extreme Marine, Jebel Ali Branch, Jebel Ali,
Industrial Area, P.O. Box 97705, Dubai,
+971 48830777, www.extrememarine-me.com
Rineh Emirates, Sheikha Sana Warehouse 1,
Al Quoz, +971 43391512,
SNS Marine, Dubai Creek & Yacht Club,
Dubai, +971 501405058, www.snsmarine.ae
The Boat House, P.O. Box 71628, Al Quoz,
Dubai, +971 43405152, www.theboathouse.ae
Cruise Operators
Al Bateen Marina, Abu Dhabi,
+971 26665491
Al Marsa Travel & Tourism,

P.O. Box 32261, Sharjah, UAE, +971
65441232; Dibba, Musandam, Oman,
+968 26836550
Bateaux Dubai, Dubai Creek opposite
the British Embassy, +971 48145553
Bristol Middle East, Marina Heights Tower,
Dubai Marina Marina Walk,Dubai,
+971 4368 2480, www.bristol-middleeast.com
Captain Tonys, Yas Marina, Yas Island, Abu
Dhabi, +971 26507175, www.captaintonys.ae
Delma Industrial Supply and Marine
Services, Al Bateen Jetty, Abu Dhabi,
+971 26668153, www.delmamarine.net
Eden Yachting, Dubai Marina,
+971 43282930, 50 3716377,
www.edenyachting.com
Emirates Yatching, P.O. Box 8380, Dubai,
+971 42826683
El Mundo, Dubai, +971 505517406,
www.elmundodubai.com
Four Star Travels and Tourism, Dubai,
+971 561012599, www.4startravels.com
4 Yatch Chartering LLC, Toll Free: 800
YACHT (92248), Office #4, Dubai Marina
Yatch Club, Dubai, www.4yachtchartering.ae
Fujairah Rotana Resort & Spa,
Al Aqah Beach, Fujairah,
+971 92449888, www.rotana.com
Ghantoot Marina & Resort, Abu Dhabi,
+971 529933153, www.ghantootmarina.com
Happy Days Sea Cruising LLC, Dubai,
+971 48706668, www.happydaysdubai.com
LY Catamaran, Bur Dubai, +971 566506683,
www.lycatamaran.com
Marine Concept, P.O. Box 282586, Office
611, Al Barsha Business Centre, Dubai,
+971 43958022, 559603030
www.marine-charter-concept.com
Nautica1992, Habtoor Grand Beach Resort
& Spa, Autograph Collection, Dubai Marina,
+971 504262415, www.nautica1992.ae
Noukhada Adventure Company - P.O. Box
73373, C/O Ali & Sons Real Estate LLC,
Plot No. 29, Abu Dhabi Al Ain Rd, Um Al
Nar, Abu Dhabi, UAE - +971 25581889
www.noukhada.ae
RAK Marine LLC, Ras Al Khaimah City
Hilton Marina, +971 72066410, 504912696,
507682345
Sea Hunters Passenger Yachts & Boats
Rental, Dubai Marina, +971 42951011
Smoke Dragon of London Yacht, Abu Dhabi
International Marine & Sports Club,
+971 507011958 or 504546617
Summertime Marine Sports, Dubai,
+971 42573084
The Club, Abu Dhabi, +971 26731111,
www.the-club.com
The Yellow Boats LLC, Dubai Marina Walk
opposite Spinneys, Intercontinental Hotel
Marina, 800892, www.theyellowboats.com
Marinas
Abu Dhabi International Marine
Sports Club, Abu Dhabi, Breakwater,
+971 26815566, www.adimsc.com
Abu Dhabi Marina, Abu Dhabi,
Tourist Club Area, +971 26440300
Al Jeer Marina, RAK Border, Musandam
+971 72682333 or 504873185,
www.aljeerport.ae
Al Wasl Charter & Fishing, Airport Road, Al
Qwais Bldg., Off. 207, Dubai, UAE,
+971 42394760 or 42959477,
www.cruiseindubai.com
Dubai Creek Marina, Deira, Dubai,
+971 43801234, www.dubaigolf.com
Dubai International Marine Sports Club,
Dubai Marina, +971 43995777, www.dimc.ae
Dubai Marina Yacht Club, Dubai,
+971 43627900,
www.dubaimarinayachtclub.com
Dubai Maritime City Harbour Marina,
Dubai, +971 43455545
Dubai Offshore Sailing Club, Dubai,
+971 43941669, www.dosc.ae
Emirates Palace Marina, Abu Dhabi,
+971 26907725
Fujairah International Marine Club,
Fujairah, +971 92221166, www.fimc.ae
Intercontinental Abu Dhabi Marina,
Al Bateen, Intercontinental Hotel, Abu Dhabi,
+971 26666888, www.intercontinental.com
Jebel Ali Golf Resort and Spa Marina,
Jebel Ali, Dubai, +971 48145555
www.jebelali-international.com
Pavilion Marina, Dubai,
Jumeirah Beach Hotel, +971 44068800
Umm Al Quwaim Marine Sports Club,
Umm Al Quwaim, +971 67666644,

www.uaqmarineclub.com
Dragon Boat Groups
Dubai Dawn Patrol Dragon Boating,
Dubai, +971 508795645,
www.facebook.com/DubaiDawnPatrol
Dubai Diggers, Jumeirah Beach Hotel,
pier next to 360, Dubai, +971 501547175,
www.dubai-diggers.com
UAE Dragon Boat Association,
+971 507634008, www.dubaidragonboat.com
Camping & Hiking
Equipment
Blingmytruck.com, +971 505548255,
www.blingmytruck.com
Gulf Camping, Dubai, UAE, +971 551222252
or 502550666, www.gulfcamping.com
Jack Wolfskin, Al Wahda Mall,
Abu Dhabi,+971 24437802
Tresspass, 2nd floor above ice rink,
The Dubai Mall, +971 43398801
Urban Peak, PO Box 9587, Office 502E,
Ibn Battuta Gate Offices, Dubai,
+971 44548805, www.urbanpeak.com
Tour Operators
Arabia Outdoors, Dubai,
+971 559556209, www.arabiaoutdoors.com
Absolute Adventure, Dubai, +971 43926463,
www.adventure.ae
Desert Road Tourism, Al Khor Plaza 503,
Dubai, +971 42959428, www.arabiatours.com
Libra Travel & Tourism LLC, +971
43397700, www.facebook.com/
LibraTravelDubai
Mountain High Middle East, Dubai,
+971 506595536, www.mountainhighme.com
Sheesa Beach, Musandam, Dibba,
+971 50336046, www.sheesabeach.com
Caving
Mountain High Middle East, Dubai,

+971 43480214, www.mountainhighme.com
Climbing
Equipment
Adventure HQ, Sheikh Zayed Rd.,
Dubai Times Square Center, toll free:
800-ADVENTURE, www.adventurehq.ae
Barracuda Fishing and Outdoor, Street 13A
1, Al Safa 1, Dubai, +971 43466558,
www.barracudadubai.com
Global Climbing Trading LLC,
Dubai Investment Park 1, Dubai,
+971 48829361, www.globalclimbing.com
Jack Wolfskin, Al Wahda Mall, Abu Dhabi
+971 24437802, www.jack-wolfskin.com
Services
Absolute Adventure, Dubai,
+971 43926463, www.adventure.ae
Adventure HQ, Dubai Times Square
Center, Sheikh Zayed Rd, toll free:
Al Shaheen Adventure, Abu Dhabi,
+971 28137444, www.alshaheenme.com
Arabia Outdoors, Dubai, +971 559556209,
www.arabiaoutdoors.com
Dorell Sports Management, Dubai World
Trade Centre, +971 43065061,
www.climbingdubai.com
E-Sports UAE, Dubai, +971 43697817,
www.esportsuae.com
The Club, Abu Dhabi, +971 26731111,
www.the-club.com
Information
UAE Climbing, +971 506456491,
www.uaeclimbing.com
Mountain Biking & Cycling
Equipment/Dealers
Bikers JLT, Unit H6, Cluster H,
Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai, UAE,
+971 526221888
Cycle Sports, Shop No. 1, Al Waleed Bldg.,
Al Barsha 1, Dubai, +971 43415415,
Fun Ride Sports, 301, 3rd floor, Mushrif
Mall, Abu Dhabi, Rm. 4, Mezzanine floor,
C-13 Bldg., Khalifa City A, Abu Dhabi,
+971 24455838, www.funridesports.com
Micahs Bike Shop, Warehouse No.4
6th St. Al Quoz 3, Dubai, +971 43805228
Probike, Dubai, Al Barsha 1,
+971 43255705, www.probike.ae
Rage Shop, Al Ghurair Centre: +971 4294
8634; MOE: +971 43413388; Al Wahda
Mall, Abu Dhabi: +971 24437617, Dubai
Mall: +971 44341549, www.rage-shop.com
OUTDOORUAE
63

Revolution Cycles, Shop G05, Apex
Atrium, Motor City, Dubai, +971 43697441,
www.rcdxb.com
Ride Bike Shop, Sheikh Zayed Road:
+971 43395602; Mirdif City Centre: +971
42840038; Al Seef Village Mall, Abu Dhabi:
+971 26337172, www.ridebikeshop.com
Sportz Unlimited, Sheikh Zayed Road,
Dubai, + 971 43388644 or 43391333
Tamreen Sports LLC, Khalifa Street,
Abu Dhabi, +971 26222525,
www.tamreensports.com
The Cycle Hub, Motor City, Dubai,
+971 505528872 or 44256555,
www.thecyclehub.com
Trek Bicycle Store, Seih Al Salam,
Al Qudra Road, Dubai, +971 48327377;
Shop #5, Reemas Building
Al Quoz 1, Exit 46/47, Sheikh Zayed Road
Dubai, +971 43211132
www.trekbikes.ae
Trikke UPT, P.O. Box 53527, Dubai,
+ 971 43434499; P.O. Box 33869, Abu Dhabi,
+971 26333377, www.trikkeme.net
Wolfis Bike Shop, Sheikh Zayed Road,
Dubai, +971 43394453, www.wbs.ae
Operator
+971 43926463, www.adventure.ae,
info@adventure.ae
Clubs
Abu Dhabi Tri Club,
www.abudhabitriclub.com
Cycle Safe Dubai, Dubai Autodrome
www.cyclechallenge.ae
Dubai Roadsters, +971 43394453,
www.dubairoadsters.com
Diving
Equipment
Al Boom Marine, Abu Dhabi and Dubai,
+971 42894858, www.alboommarine.com
Al Hamur Marine and Sports Equipment,
Jumeirah Beach Road, Dubai,
+971 43444468
Dubai, +971 43468000,
Al Yousuf Motors, Sheikh Zayed Road,
Dubai, +971 43390621,
www.aym.ae/yamaha
Blue Waters Marine, +971 43808616,
Dubai, www.bluewatersmarine.com
Gulf Marine Sports, Abu Dhabi,
+971 26710017, www.gulfmarinesports.com
Premiers for Equipment, Sheikh Zayed
1st. Road, Abu Dhabi, +971 26665226,
www.premiers-uae.com
Dive Shop.ae, Building #123, Street 26,
Area 369, Al Quoz Industrial Area 4, Dubai,
+971 43414940, www.diveshop.ae
Scuba 2000, Al Bidiya Beach, Fujairah,
+971 92388477, www.scuba-2000.com
Diving Centres
Al Boom Diving (equipment),
Dubai, Al Wasl Rd, +971 43422993,
www.alboomdiving.com
Al Jeer Marina, RAK Border, Musandam,
+971 72682333, www.aljeerport.ae
Al Mahara Dive Center, near Muroor St.
across from main bus terminal,
64
OUTDOORUAE
+971 26437377, info@divemahara.com,

www.divemahara.com
Arabian Diver, Hilton Marine, Ras Al
Khaimah, +971 72226628 or 502428128
www.arabiandiver.com
Arabian Divers and Sportfishing
Charters, Al Bateen Marina Resort,
Abu Dhabi, +971 506146931,
www.fishabudhabi.com
Coastal Technical Divers,
glenn@coastaltechnicaldivers.com,
www.coastaltechnicaldivers.com
Deep Blue Sea Diving, International City,
Dubai, +971 44308246,
www.diveindubai.com
Desert Islands, Sir Bani Yas Island,
Abu Dhabi, UAE, +971 28015454,
www.divemahara.com
Divers Down, +971 559888687, Dubai;
Fujairah, Rotana Al Aqah Hotel Resort & Spa,
+971 92370299, www.diversdownuae.com
Emirates Divers Centre, Abu Dhabi,
near Meena Fish Market, +97126432444,
www.edc-ad.ae
Freediving UAE, Dubai, Abu Dhabi,
Fujairah, +971 506130486
contactus@freedivinguae.com,
www.freedivinguae.com
Freestyle Divers, Al Corniche Street, Dibba,
Fujairah, +971 504514259,
www.freestyledivers.me
Fujairah Rotana Resort & Spa - Al Aqah
Beach, Al Aqah Beach, Fujairah,
+971 92449888, www.rotana.com
Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort,
Dibba Road, Fujairah, +971 92449000,
www.lemeridien-alaqah.com
Neptune Diving, +971 504347902,
www.neptunedivingcentre.com
Pavilion Dive Centre (equipment),
Dubai, +971 44068828
Scuba 2000, Al Bidiya Beach, Fujairah,
+971 92388477, www.scuba-2000.com
Scuba UAE.com, +971 502053922,
www.scubauae.com
7 Seas Diving Center, Khorfakkan,
+971 92387400, www.7seasdivers.com
Sharjah Wanderers Dive Club, Sharjah,
+971 506683430, www.bsac406.com
Sheesa Beach, Dibba, Musandam,
Sky & Sea Adventures, Dubai, Hilton,
Jumeirah Beach Road, +971 43999005,
www.watersportsdubai.com
Clubs
Atlantis Underwater Photography Club,
Dubai, +971 44263000
Desert Sports Diving Club, Dubai,
www.desertsportsdivingclub.net
Emirates Diving Association, Diving
Village, Al Shindagha, Dubai,
+971 43939390, www.emiratesdiving.com
Filipino SCUBA Divers Club (FSDC),
Dubai, UAE, +971 566952421,
www.facebook.com/FSDCuae
Freediving UAE, Dubai, Abu Dhabi,
Fujairah, contactus@freedivinguae.com,
www.freedivinguae.com
Sharjah Wanderers Dive Club, Sharjah,
+971 507840830, www.bsac406.com
Fishing & Kayaking
Equipment
Al Boom Marine, Abu Dhabi & Dubai,
Al Hamur Marine and Sports Equipment,
Jumeirah Beach Road, Dubai,
+971 43444468
Dubai, +971 43468000,
Al Yousuf Motors, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed
Rd, +971 43390000, www.aym.ae/yamaha
Charters, Al Bateen Marina Resort,
Abu Dhabi, +971 506146931,
www.fishabudhabi.com
Barracuda Fishing and Outdoor, Dubai,
Street 13A 1, Al Safa 1, +971 43466558,
www.barracudadubai.com
Blue Waters Marine, Shop 11,
The Curve Bldg., Sheikh Zayed Road,
Dubai, +971 43808616 or 553899995,
www.bluewatersmarine.com
Challenging Adventure, Wadi Al Bih Ras Al Khaimah, +971 561060798
or 44538386,
contactus@challengingadventure.com
Dubai Investment Park 1, Dubai,
Ocean Active, Dubai, Garden Centre,
+971 502898713, www.oceanactive.com
Operators
+971 43926463, www.adventure.ae

800 Sport, Al Quoz, Dubai
+971 43467751, www.800sport.ae
Flip Flop Arabia, +971 556881793,
501084010, www.flipfloparabia.com
Dubai Investment Park 1, Dubai
Highbury Trading FZE LLC, P.O. Box
16111, RAK Free Trade Zone Authority, Ras
Al Khaima, +971 526799506,
www.highburytrade.com
Jack Wolfskin, Al Wahda Mall, Abu Dhabi,
+971 24437802
Ocean Sports FZE, +971 559352735,
www.kitesurfsup.com
Picnico General Trading, near Sharaf DG
Metro Station, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai,
+971 43951113
Portable Shade UAE, Jebel Ali, Dubai,
UAE, +971 508897125,
www.portable-shade.net
Sport in Life Distribution, Nad Al Hammar
Rd., Ras Al Khor, Dubai, UAE,
+971 42896001 or 42896002,
info@sportinlife.ae, www.sportinlife.ae
Tresspass, The Dubai Mall
2nd floor above ice rink, +971 43398801
Horse Riding
Al Boom Diving, Le Meridien Al Aqah

Beach Resort, Fujairah, +971 43422993
Al Hamra Marina and Yacht Club, Al
Hamra, Ras Al Khaimah, +971 72432274,
www.alhamramarina.com
Al Mahara Dive Center,
Downtown Abu Dhabi, +971 501118125,
www.divemahara.com
Al Wasl Charter & Fishing, Airport Road,
Al Qwais Bldg., Off. 207, Dubai, UAE,
+971 42394760 or 42959477,
www.cruiseindubai.com
Al Shaheen Adventure, Abu Dhabi,
+971 26429995, www.alshaheenme.com
Al Wasl Charter & Fishing
(Al Wasl Passenger Yachts
and Boats Rental LLC),
Airport Road, Al Owais Building, Dubai,
+971 42394761, www.cruiseindubai.com
Charters, Al Bateen Marina Resort, +971
506146931, www.fishabudhabi.com
Arabia Outdoors, Dubai, +971 559556209,
www.arabiaoutdoors.com
Barracuda Diving Centre, Fujairah
International Marine Club, +971 503366224
Belevari Marine, Abu Dhabi, +971 26594144
Captain Tonys, Yas Marina, Yas Island,
Abu Dhabi, +971 26507175,
www.captaintonys.ae
Fun Beach Water Sports, Dubai,
+971 507050433 or 506947764,
www.seaworlddsf.com
Happy Days Sea Cruising LLC, Dubai,
+971 48706668, 503960202,
www.happydaysdubai.com
Hiltonia Beach Club, Hilton Abu Dhabi
Hotel, Abu Dhabi, +971 26811900
Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort,
Dibba Road, Fujairah, +971 92449000,
www.lemeridien-alaqah.com
Nautica 1992, Dubai, +971 504262415,
www.nautica1992.ae
Noukhada Adventure Company,
Villa 332/7, Al Meena Street, Abu Dhabi,
+971 25581889, www.noukhada.ae
Ocean Active, +971 504592259,
www.oceanactive.com
Soolyman Sport Fishing, Umm Suquiem,
Fishing Port No. 2, Jumeirah Beach, +971
508866227, 508866228 or 503402379,
www.soolymansportfishing.com
Summertime Marine Sports, Dubai,
+971 42573084, www.summertimemarine.com
Xclusive Yachts, Dubai, Dubai Marina,
+971 44327233, www.xclusiveyachts.com
Clubs
Abu Dhabi Camping, Fishing & Kayaking
Club, mohamed.almahrouky@gmail.com
Dubai Surfski & Kayak Club, Kitesurfers
Beach, Umm Suqeim 1, Dubai,
+971 554986280, www.dskc.hu
General Sports Equipment

Distributors
Adventure HQ, Dubai Times Square

Center, Sheikh Zayed Rd, Toll free:
Dubai, +971 43390621, www.aym.ae/yamaha
Equipment
Al Asifa Horse Equestrian Equipment
& Requisites Trading
P.O. Box 77282, AL Khawanij 1st , Dubai,
+971 554733110, www.asifa.ae
Black Horse LLC, Baniyas West,
Near Empost Abu Dhabhi, +971 25866205,
www.blackhorseuae.com
Bonjour Equestrian Supplies,
Nad Al Hammar Rd., Ras Al Kho, Dubai,
UAE, +971 42896001, +971 42896002,
info@bonjourequestrian.com,
www.bonjourequestrian.com
Cavalos Equine Care and Supplies,
16th Street, Al Khalidiyah, Abu Dhabi,
+917 22222433, www.cavalosuae.com
Emirta Horse Requirement Centre,
Sheik Zayed Rd., Dubai, +971 43437475,
www.emirtahorse.com
Equestrian Clubs/Centres
Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Al Mushrif,
Abu Dhabi, +971 24455500,
www.adec-web.com
Al Ahli Riding School, Al Amman Street,
Dubai-Sharjah Rd., +971 42988408,
www.alahliclub.info
Al Forsan International Sports Resort,
Abu Dhabi, +971 25568555,
www.alforsan.com
Al Jiyad Stables, Behind Dubai
International Endurance City, Dubai,
+971 505995866,
info@aljiyad.com, www.aljiyad.com
Al Sahra Desert Resort Equestrian
Centre, Dubai, +971 44274055,
equestrian.centre@alsahra.com
Desert Equestrian Club, Mirdif, Dubai,
+971 503099770 or 501978888
Desert Palm Riding School, Near Al Awir
Road (going to Hatta-Oman), Dubai,
+971 43238010, www.dubaipoloclub.com
Dubai Polo Academy, Dubai,
+971 508879847, www.dubaipoloacademy.com
Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club, Dubai,
Arabian Ranches, +971 43618111,
www.poloclubdubai.com
Emirates Equestrian Centre, Dubai,
+971 505587656,
www.emiratesequestriancentre.com
Ghantoot Polo & Racing Club, Exit 399,
Abu Dhabi/ Dubai Highway, Abu Dhabi,
+971 25629050, www.grpc.ae
Golden Stables Equestrian Club,
Al Khawaneej, Dubai, (Nouri)
+971 555528182
Hoofbeatz, located just inside the Dubai
Polo & Equestrian Club, Dubai,
+971 569424551, www.hoofbeatz.com
Mushrif Equestrian and Polo Club,
Mushrif Park, Al Khawaneej Road, Dubai,
+971 42571256, www.mushrifec.com
Rahal Ranch, Al Wathba Racing Area,
Abu Dhabi, +971 565066741,
www.rahalranch.com
Riding for the Disabled, Dubai,
lessons@rdad.ae, www.rdad.ae,
Sharjah Equestrian & Racing Club,
Sharjah, Al Dhaid Road,
+971 65311188, www.serc.ae
Racecourses
Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, Al Mushrif,
Abu Dhabi, +971 24455500,
www.adec-web.com
Ghantoot Racing & Polo Club, Exit 399,
Abu Dhabi/ Dubai Highway, Abu Dhabi,
+971 25629050, www.grpc.ae
Jet Ski
Dealers
Al Masaood Marine, Dubai,

Sheikh Zayed Road, +971 43468000,
Al Yousuf Motors, Sheikh Zayed Rd., Dubai,
+971 43390621, www.aym.ae/yamaha
Japan Marine General Trading,
Al Garhoud Road, Liberty Building, Dubai,
+971 44426395, uday@japanmarine.jp,
www.japanmarine.co
Liberty Kawasaki, Interchange 4,
Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai,
Direct: +971 45019442, 45019412
or 43419341, www.libertykawasaki.com
Stand up Paddling, Kite &

Surfing, Wakeboarding
Book Your Test Drive
Call : 055-2385880
Motocross & ATVs
Motorcycling

Al Yousuf Motors, Sheikh Zayed Rd.,
Dubai, +971 43390621,
www.aym.ae/yamaha
Ducati, Al Salam Street, Abu Dhabi,
+971 24918593, www.ducati.ae
Duseja General Trading Co. LLC,
Warehouse No: B3, Alquoz Ind Area #3,
Umm Suqeim Road next to Max Garage
Diagonally opposite Lulu Hypermarket Al
Barsha, +971 43476712,
www.dusejamoto.com
Harley-Davidson, Mussafah 4, Street 10,
Abu Dhabi, +971 25540667,
hd.auh@harley-davidson.ae,
www.harley-davidson-abu-dhabi.com
Liberty Kawasaki, Interchange4, Sheikh
Zayed Road, Dubai, Direct: +971 45019442,
45019412 or 43419341,
www.libertykawasaki.com
Polaris UAE, Al Ghandi Complex,
Nad al Hamar Road, Ras Al Khor,
+971 42896100, www.polarisuae.com
Tristar Motorcycles, Al Awir Road,
Nr Oman Transport, +971 43330659,
www.tristaruae.com
Workshops and Services
Abu Dhabi, +971 25568555,
www.alforsan.com
Dubai Autodrome, Dubai,
+971 43678700,www.dubaiautodrome.com
Emirates Motorplex, Umm Al Quwain,
+971 67681166
2xWheeler Adventures, Dubai,
+971 44548388, www.alainraceway.com
ABRasAC, Dubai, www.abrasac.org

Abu Dhabi Tri Club, Abu Dhabi,
www.abudhabitriclub.org
Abu Dhabi Striders,
admin@abudhabistriders.com,
www.abudhabistriders.com
Al Ain Road Runners, Abu Dhabi,
+971 504188978,
alainroadrunners@yahoo.co.uk
Mirdif Milers, Dubai, www.mirdifmilers.info
Dubai Creek Striders
www.dubaicreekstriders.org
Desert Road Runners
www.desertroadrunners.club
Jebel Ali Racecourse, off the main Abu

Dhabi - Dubai Highway (Sheikh Zayed road)
beside the Emirates Golf Club, Dubai,
+971 43474914
Meydan Grandstand and Racecourse,
Al Meydan Road, Nad Al Sheba, Dubai,
+971 43270000, www.meydan.ae
Sharjah Racecourse, Al Dhaid Road,
Sharjah, +971 65311155, www.serc.ae
Dealers
Al Badayer Rental (Rental),
Dubai-Hatta Road, +971 68861161 or
507842020, www.albadayerrental.com
Al Shaali Moto, Ras Al Khor,
+971 43200009, www.alshaalimoto.com
Al Yousuf Motors, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed
Rd, +971 43390621, www.aym.ae/yamaha
Golden Desert Motorcycles,
P.O. Box 47912, E-44 Hatta road, Al Badayer
Madam, Sharjah, +971 529484616
or 505 033 800
Just Gas It, Hatta Rd., Al Aweer, Dubai,
UAE, +971 559031664, www.JustGasIt.net
KTM, Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, exit 42,
+971 43468999, www.ktm.com
Liberty Kawasaki, Interchange 4, Sheikh
Zayed Road, Dubai, Direct: +971 45019442,
45019412 or 43419341,
www.libertykawasaki.com
Motoventure, Hobbies Club, Al Awir,
Hatta Road, Dubai, +971 555437392,
www.motoventure.net
mxDubai, Al Ain Road Dubai, +971 55
2090832, www.mxdubai.com
Polaris UAE (atvs), Ras Al Khor, Nad al
Hamar Road, Al Ghandi Complex, Dubai,
+971 42896100, M4, Sector 13,
10th Street, Mussafah Industrial, Abu Dhabi,
+971 26441478, www.polarisuae.com
Sebsports, Al Quoz Industrial Area 1
Dubai, +971 43393399, www.sebsports.com
Equipment
Sandstorm Motorcycles (Rental),
Al Quoz, Dubai, +971 43395608,
Sebsports, Dubai, Al Quoz Industrial Area
3, +971 43393399, www.sebsports.com
2XWheeler, Motorcity Dubai,
+971 44548388, www.2xwheeler.com
|
|
Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi,

800 YAS (927) or +971 26599800,
www.yasmarinacircuit.com
Off-Road
Dealers
Bling My Truck,
+971 503634839 or 505548255,
info@blingmytruck.com,
4x4 Motors LLC, Shk. Zayed Rd, Dubai,
+971 43384866, www.4x4motors.com
Liberty Automobiles, Dubai, 800 5423789,
www.libertyautos.com
Repairs and Services
AAA Service Centre, Al Quoz, Dubai, UAE,
+971 4 2858989, www.aaadubai.com
Icon Auto Garage, Dubai, +971 43382744,
www.icon-auto.com
Mebar Auto, Al Quoz, Industrial Area 2,
Dubai, UAE, +971 43469600,
www.mebarauto.com
Off Road Zone, Dubai, Al Quoz,
+971 43392449, www.offroad-zone.com
Saluki Motorsport, Dubai, +971 43476939
www.salukimotorsport.com
Equipment
Advanced Expedition Vehicles,
Dubai & Abu Dhabi, +971 43307152,
www.aev.ae
Dubai, +971 43390621,
www.aym.ae/yamaha
Bling My Truck,
+971 503634839 or 505548255,
Heartland UAE, Al Mafraq Industrial,
Abu Dhabi, +971 569796524 or 506472447,
www.heartlanduae.com
Icon Auto Garage, Dubai, +971 43382744,
www.icon-auto.com
Mebar Auto, Al Quoz, Industrial Area 2,
Dubai, UAE, +971 4 3469600,
www.mebarauto.com
Wild X Adventure Shop, Dubai-Hatta
Road, Dubai, +971 48321050,
Yellow Hat, Nad Al Hamar, and Times
Square Center, Dubai, +971 42898060,
www.yellowhat.ae
Tour Operators
Arabian Adventures, Dubai & Abu Dhabi,
+971 43034888,
www.arabian-adventures.com
Desert Road Tourism, Al Khor Plaza 503,
Dubai, +971 42959429,
www.desertroadtours.com
Oasis Palm Dubai, Dubai,
+971 4 2628832 or 4 2686826,
www.opdubai.com
Clubs
Abu Dhabi Off- Road Club, www.ad4x4.com
ALMOST 4x4 Off-Road Club,
+971 507665522, www.almost4x4.com
Dubai Offroaders, www.dubaioffroaders.com
JEEP Wrangler JK Fun Club,
suffian.omar@yahoo.com,
www.jk-funclub.com
ME 4X4, www.me4x4.com
Equipment
Al Boom Marine, Abu Dhabi & Dubai,
Dubai, +971 43468000,
Kitesurf Dubai, Kitesurf Beach,
Umm Suqueim and Jumeirah 3
+971 505586190, www.kitesurfdubai.ae
Picnico, Al Fairdooni Building, Sheikh
Zayed Road, Near Sharaf DG Metro Station
and Mall of Emirates, +971 43951113
Surf Dubai, Umm Suqeim, Dubai,
+971 505043020, www.surfingdubai.com
Surf Shop Arabia, Building 1,
Al Manara Road (East), Interchange 3,
Dubai, +971 564716180,
www.surfshoparabia.com
Surf School Arabia, +971 556010997,
www.surfschoolarabia.com
UAE Kite Surfing, +971 505626383,
www.ad-kitesurfing.net
Distributors
Kitepeople Kite & Surf Store,
International City, Dubai,
+971 504559098, www.kitepeople.ae
Ocean Sports FZE, +971 559352735,
www.kitesurfsup.com
Operators
Abu Dhabi, +971 25568555,
www.alforsan.com
Dubai Kite Surf School, Umm Suqeim
Beach, Dubai, +971 504965107,
www.dubaikitesurfschool.com
Duco Maritime, Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah
and Abu Dhabi, +971 508703427,
www.ducomaritime.com
Dukite, Kitesurf Beach, Umm Suqeim,
Dubai,+971 507586992, www.dukite.com
Kite Fly, Dubai, +971 502547440,
www.kitesurf.ae
Kitepro Abu Dhabi, Yas Island
and Al Dabbayyah, Abu Dhabi,
+971 505441494, www.kitepro.ae
Nautica1992, Dubai, +971 504262415,
www.nautica1992.ae
Shamal Kite Surfing, Umm Suqueim
Dubai, +971 507689226,
www.shamalkitesurfing.com
Sky & Sea Adventures, Dubai, Hilton,
Jumeirah Beach Road, +971 43999005,
www.watersportsdubai.com
Surf School UAE, Umm Suqeim Beach
and Building 1, Al Manara Road (East),
Interchange 3, Dubai, +971 43791998,
www.surfschooluae.com
Watercooled, Jebel Ali Golf Resort and

Spa, Dubai, +971 48876771,
www.watercooleddubai.com
Water Cooled,
Watercooled Sports Services LLC,
Hilton Beach Club,
Abu Dhabi, +971 26395997,
www.watercooleduae.com
Clubs
Abu Dhabi Stand Up Paddle,
www.abudhabisup.com
UAE SUP and Surf Association, +971
26665588, www.ridersuae.com
Water Parks
Aquaventure Atlantis, Dubai, Palm

Jumeirah, +971 44260000, www.
atlantisthepalm.com
Dreamland Aqua Park,
Umm Al Quwain, Emirates Road,
+971 67681888,
www.dreamlanduae.com
Wadi Adventure, Jebel Hafeet, Al Ain,
+971 37818422,
www.wadiadventure.ae
Wild Wadi Water Park, Dubai,
+971 43484444, www.wildwadi.com
Other leisure activities
Abu Dhabi Golf Club, P.O. Box 51234, Sas

Al Nakhl, Abu Dhabi, +971 28853555,
www.adgolfclub.com
Al Tamimi Stables, Sharjah,
+971 67431122 or 44370505,
www.tamimistables.com
Blokart Sailing, Nad Al Sheba, Dubai,
+971 556101841, www.blokartme.com
Childrens City, Creek Park Gate No.1,
Dubai, +971 43340808, www.childrencity.ae
Dolphin Bay Atlantis, Dubai,
+971 44262000, www.atlantisthepalm.com
Dubai Dolphinarium Dubai, Creek Park Gate
No. 1, +971 43369773,
www.dubaidolphinarium.ae
iFly Dubai, Dubai, Mirdif City Centre,
+971 42316292, www.iflyme.com
Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, Abu Dhabi,
Saadiyat Island, +971 25578000, www.
sbgolfclub.ae
Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club,
Sharjah, +971 65487777,
www.golfandshootingshj.com
SkiDubai, Dubai, Mall of the Emirates,
+971 44094000, www.skidxb.com
Spacewalk Indoor Skydiving, Abu Dhabi,
+971 26577601
adcountryclub.com/spacewalk/aboutspacewalk/
Health, Safety & Training
Safety Lessons
Marine Concept Yacht Charter
& Sea School, Rania Business Centre,
Dubai, +971 559603030,
www.marine-charter-concept.com
Sport and Health Centres
Bespoke Wellness, Dubai,
+971 553724670, www.bespoke-wellness.com
Running
Clubs
OUTDOORUAE
65
Original Fitness Co., C6 Tower Al Bateen

Bainunah St, Abu Dhabi, +971 2406 9404;
P.O. Box 126469, Office 508 The Fairmont

Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai,
+971 43116571 www.originalfitnessco.com
Orthosports Medical Centre, 5B Street,

Jumeira Beach road, Dubai, 800 ORTHO
(67846), www.orthosp.com
The Physio Center, Suite 405, Building 49,

Dubai Healthcare City, Dubai,
+971 44370570, www.physiocentre.ae
OMAN DIRECTORY
Al Sawadi Beach Resort, P.O. Box 747,

Barka - Al Sawadi, Oman, +968 26795545,
www.alsawadibeach.info
Diving UAE & Oman, www.dive-uae-oman.com
Euro Divers CAYC Oman, Marina Bandar
Al Rhowda, P.O. Box 940, Muscat, Oman,
+968 97899094, www.euro-divers.com
Extra Divers Musandam, PO Box 498,
PC 811 Khasab, Musandam, Oman,
+968 99877957, www.musandam-diving.com
Global Scuba LLC, +968 24692346,
www.global-scuba.com
Khasab Musandam Travel & Tours,
P.O. Box 786, PC No. 811, Khasab,
Musandam, Sultanate of Oman,
+968 91713449, info@tourkhasab.com
Al Mouj Marina, Muscat, Oman,
+968 24534554, www.almoujmarina.com
Moon Light Dive Center, P.O. Box 65,
Madinat Qaboos, Muscat Oman,
+968 99317700, www.moonlightdive.com
Nomad Ocean Adventures,
+968 26836069, Dibba, Oman; Fujairah,
+971 508918207, www.discovernomad.com
Diving Centres
Euro-divers Marina Bandar Al Rowdha,
P.O. Box 940, Postal Code 100 Muscat,
Sultanate of Oman, +968 98194444,
www.euro-divers.com
Extra Divers Zighy Bay, Oman,
Musandam, +968 26735555,
www.extradivers.info
Moonlight Dive Center, Near Grand Hyatt
Muscat, Shati Al Qurum, Oman,

+968 99317700, www.moonlightdive.com
Oman Dive Center, Muscat, Oman,
+968 24284240, www.omandivecenter.com
Oman Dive Center Resort, P.O. Box 199,
Medinat Sultan Qaboos, Oman,
+968 24824240, www.omandivecenter.info
Omanta Scuba Diving Academy,
Al Kharjiya Street, Al Shati Area,
Muscat, Oman, +968 99777045,
www.omantascuba.com
Oxygen Diving and Adventures,
P.O. Box 1363 PC130 Alazaiba, Muscat,
Oman, +968 92537494 or 9723 2661,
www.o2diveoman.com
Scuba Oman, Oman, +968 99558488,
www.scubaoman.com
Seaoman, P.O. Box 2394, RUWI PC 112,
Oman, +968 24181400, www.seaoman.com
P.O. Box 117, Postal Code 421,

Bediyah, Ghabbi, Oman,
+968 99310108, www.safaridesert.com
Stand Up Paddeling, Kite

& Surfing, Wakeboarding
Boating & Sailing
Clubs
Horse Riding
Adventure tours
and desert safaris
Bike and Hike Oman, P.O. Box 833, Ruwi,

Postal Code 112, Oman, +968 24400873,
www.bikeandhikeoman.com
Dolphin Qasab Tours, P.O. Box 123, P.C. 811,
Khasab City, Musandam, Oman,
+968 26730813, www.dolphinkhasabtours.com
Go Dive Oman, Marina Bander Al Rowdha
Dive Center, +968 9548 3813 or 98194444,
www.godiveoman.com
Khour Shem Tourism, Oman,
+968 91713449, www.khourshemtours.com
Nomad Tours, PO Box 583, Postal Code
100, Muscat, Oman, +968 95495240,
www.nomadtours.com
Oman Trekking Guides, PO Box 917,
NIZWA, Oman, +968 95741441,
http://omantrekkingguides.tumblr.com
Cruise Operators
Diving
Equipment
Al Marsa Musandam, PO Box 44, Dibba,
Sultanate of Oman, +968 26836550; UAE: +971
502124100, www.almarsamusandam.com
QATAR DIRECTORY
Adventure tours
and desert safaris
Al Mulla Travels, P.O. Box 4147, Doha,

Qatar, +974 44413488,
almullatrvls@qatar.net.qa
Alpha Tours, P.O. Box 13530,
Doha, Qatar, +974 4344499,
info@alphatoursqatar.com
Al QAYED Travel & Tours, PO Box: 158,
Doha, Qatar, +974 44072244,
www.alqayedtravel.com
Arabian Adventures, PO Box 4476, Doha,
Qatar, +974 44361461,
www.arabianadventureqatar.net
Black Pearls Tourism Services,
P.O. Box: 45677, Doha, Qatar,
+974 44357333
E2E Qatar Travel and Tours,
PO Box 23563, Doha, Qatar,
+974 44516688 or 444515995,
www.e2eqatar.com
Falcon Travels, PO Box 22031, Doha,
Qatar, +974 44354777,
www.falcontravelqatar.com
Gulf Adventures Tourism LLC, P.O. Box
18180, 29 Aspire Zone Street, Aspire Zone
Al Ryyan City, State of Qatar
Switchboard: +974 44221888,
www.gulf-adventures.com
Net Tours Qatar, P.O. Box 23080, Doha,
Qatar, +974 4310902, www.nettours.com.qa
Regency Travel & Tours, +974 44344444,
www.regencyholidays.com
Qatar Adventure, P.O. Box 13915,
Doha, Qatar, +974 55694561,
www.qataradventure.com
Qatar Inbound Tours, P.O. Box 21153,
+974 77451196, www.inboundtoursqatar.com
Qatar International Tours, P.O. Box 55733
Doha, Qatar, +974 44551141,
www.qittour.com
Qatar Ventures, Barwa Village Bulding #12
Shop #33, Doha, Qatar, +974 55776679,
www.qatar-ventures.com
Cycling, Running & Triathlon

Qatar Chain Reaction,
www.qatarchainreaction.weebly.com
Qatar Sandstromers, +974 77775207
or 77776634, www.facebook.com/
QatarSandstormers
Velostar Doha, https://www.facebook.com/
groups/587539064642288/
Doha Bay Running Club,
www.dohabayrunningclub.com
TriClub Doha, www.triclubdoha.com
General Sports
Equipment Megastores
Galaxy Sport, City Centre Mall, 3rd Floor,

Qatar: +974 44822194; Villagio Mall,
Qatar: +974 44569143; Ezdan Mall, Qatar:
+974 44922827, The Pearl(Parcel 9) +974
40027513, Souq Jabor +974 44430322.
Office: +974 44417935,
www.galaxysportqatar.com
GO Sport Qatar, City Centre Mall, 3rd Floor,
+974 44631644; Villaggio Mall,
+974 44157463,
www.facebook.com/gosport.qatar
Sun & Sand Sports Qatar, City Centre Mall,
+974 44837007; Dar Al Salam Mall,
+974 44510179; Mustafawi Exhibition,
+974 44935183, en-ae.sssports.com
Boating & Sailing
Equipment
Regatta Sailing Academy, Katara Beach
+974 55503484
www.regattasailingacademy.com
Speed Marine, Speed Marine, Museum
Road, P.O. Box 9145 Doha, Qatar,
+974 44410109,
www.speedmarinegroup.com
Marinas
Four Seasons Marina, Doha, Qatar,
+974 44948899, www.mourjanmarinas.com
Lusail Marina, Lusail City, Qatar,
+974 55843282,
www.mourjan-lusailmarina.com
The PearlQatar Marinas, Doha, Qatar,
+974 44953894, www.ronauticame.com
Add your free listing to the

66
OUTDOORUAE
Equipment, Operators
Kiteboarding Oman, Sawadi Beach,
P.O. Box: 133, PC 118, Muscat, Oman, +968
96323524, www.kiteboarding-oman.com
Omans Kite Center, +968 94006007,
www.kitesurfing-lessons.com
Camping & Hiking
Caving
Muscat Diving & Adventure Centre,

Oman, +968 24543002,
www.holiday-in-oman.com
Oman World Tourism, Oman,
+968 24565288, www.omanworldtourism.com
Fishing & Kayaking
Equipment
AzZaha Tours, +968 99425461,
www.azzahatours.com
Water World Marine Oman,
P.O.Box76,Muscat,113,Sultanate
ofOman, +96824737438,
www.waterworldoman.com
Manufacturer
Saphire Marine, PO Box: 11,
Post Code 118, Muscat, Oman,
+968 24568887, 24566566, 24561619 or
24568881, www.sapphire-marine.com
Marinas
Marina Bandar Al Rowdha, Muscat, Oman,
+968 24737286 (ext 215),
www.marinaoman.net
Tour Operators
Safari Desert Camp,
Fishing & Kayaking
Equestrian Clubs/Centres
Al Shaqab, P.O. Box 90055, Doha, Qatar,
+974 44546320, www.alshaqab.com
Qatar Racing & Equestrian Club,
Racing and Equestrian Club,
P.O. Box 7559, Doha, Qatar, +974 44197704,
www.qrec.gov.qa
Diving
Equipment/Centres
Al Fardan Marine Services, Najma Street
(near Al Fardan Exchange), Doha, Qatar,
+974 44435626
Doha Sub Aqua Club, Doha Sub-Aqua Club,
PO Box: 5048, Doha, Qatar,
+974 50483794, www.dohasubaquaclub.com
Extreme Adventure, P.O. Box 33002, Shop
3, 4 Ahmed Bin Ali Street (Bin Omran), Doha,
Qatar, +974 44877884, www.extreme.qa
GoSport, City Centre Mall, 3rd Floor,
Qatar: +974 44631644; Villagio Mall,
Qatar: +974 44517574,
www.facebook.com/gosport.qatar
Pearl Divers, P.O. Box 2489, Doha, Qatar,
+974 44449553, www.pearl-divers.org
Poseidon Dive Center, P.O. Box: 11538,
Ras Abu Abboud Street, Al Emadi Suites,
Showroom #2, Doha, Qatar
+974 66084040, www.pdcqatar.com
Qatar Scuba Center, 187 Al Mansoura
Street, Al Mansoura Area, Doha, Qatar,
+974 66662277, www.qatarscubacenter.com
Q-Dive Marine Centre, Souq Al Najada cnr
of Grand Hamad and Ali bin Abdulla Street;
+974 55319507 or 4375065, www.qdive.net
World Marine Centre, PO Box 6944,
Doha, Qatar, +974 44360989,
www.worldmarinecenter.webs.com
Qatar Divers, Marriott Hotel Marina Near Old
Airport, Ras Abu Aboud Area, Doha, Qatar,
+974 55246651, 40405156,
www.qatardivers.com
Qatar Marine, Go Sport City Center
West Bay, P.O. Box 16657, Doha,
+974 55319507, www.qatarmarine.net
Qatar Scuba Centre, 187 Al Mansoura
Street, Al Mansoura Area, Doha, Qatar,
+974 66662277 or 44422234,
www.qatarscubacenter.com
Equipment
Al Kashat, Fishing and Hunting
Equipment, Souq Waqif, next
to the Falcon Souq, +974 70057489
Al Mamzoore Marine Equipment,
P.O. Box 6449, Old Salata, Doha, Qatar,
+974 44444238, almamzoore@qatar.net.qa
Extreme Adventure, Shop 3,4
Ahmed Bin Ali Steet, Doha,
+974 44877884, www.extreme.qa
Fish World, P.O. Box 1975, Doha, Qatar,
+974 44340754
State of Qatar (QatarSub), Souq Waqif,
next to the Falcon Souq, +974 4431234,
www.stateofqatar.com
Operators
Paddle Qatar, +974 55490895,
www.paddleqatar.com
Stand Up Paddeling, Kite

& Surfing, Wakeboarding
Equipment, Operators
Fly-N-Ride, Ras abu Aboud, Doha,
+974 33117089,
Flo Kite School, Westbay, Doha,
+974 33155628, www.flokiteschool.com
Kitesurfing Qatar, +97430179108,
www.kitesurfingqatar.com
QSUP, Qanat Quartier, Costa Malaz,
The Pearl-Qc, Doha, Qatar, +974 66602830,
www.qsup.me
Cycling (Road & Off Road)
Bike Servicing, Equipment

Carbon Wheels Bike Shop,
Al Maha Center 10, Salwa Road, Doha,
+974 44419048,
www.facebook.com/CarbonWheelsQTR
Flash Bike Shop, Mesaeed New Souq,
Shop C.06, +974 6600 9116,
www.flashbikeshop.com
Skate Shack, Salwa Road, South Doha,
+974 44692532, www.skate-shack.com
Galaxy Sport, City Centre Mall, 3rd Floor,
+974 44822194; Villaggio Mall, +974 4456
9143; Ezdan Mall, +974 4492 2827,
www.galaxysportqatar.com
Sportswell, Salwa Road, South Doha,
+974 44151687
ONLINE DIRECTORY
exhibitions

#72 September 2016

Încărcat de

Informații document

Drepturi de autor

Formate disponibile

Partajați acest document

Partajați sau inserați document

Opțiuni de partajare

Vi se pare util acest document?

Este necorespunzător acest conținut?

Drepturi de autor:

Formate disponibile

#72 September 2016

Încărcat de

Drepturi de autor:

Formate disponibile

Featuring the latest products and expert advice on how to look after your gear

Kit bag essentials

The must-have items, whatever your sport

Summer cycling achievements

Travelling around China with a baby

Cooking breakfast atop a volcano

Tried & Tested:

MIDDLE EASTS OUTDOOR, ADVENTURE, TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

SEPTEMBER 2016 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

The changing of the seasons

As the season changes, its also a change of scene for me, as

Tel. 04-447 2030

2016 Outdoor UAE FZE

Ireneo Jung Francisco

EXPERTS & CONTRIBUTORS

Helle Bachofen Von Echt

The information contained is for general use only.

Cover photo by: Rachael Bruford

MIDDLE EASTS OUTDOOR, ADVENTURE, TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

SEPTEMBER 2016 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

12 100 MILES IN BERLIN

14 BREAKFAST ATOP A VOLCANO IN BALI

18 CHINA WITH A BABY

TRAVEL & ADVENTURE

14 BREAKFAST ATOP A VOLCANO

EVENT & ACTIVITY REPORTS

32 KIT BAG ESSENTIALS

MIDDLE EASTS OUTDOOR, ADVENTURE, TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

SEPTEMBER 2016 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

28 DIVING IN THE PHILIPPINES

32 KIT BAG ESSENTIALS

52 SUMMER CYCLING ACHIEVEMENTS

TRIED & TESTED

40 SUNBLAST COCONUT WATER

59 MAURIZIO SCHEPICI POWERBOAT PILOT

TIPS & TRICKS

48 OFF ROAD DRIVING - MARINA

62 SUSPENSION TRAINERS BY FITNESS FIRST

MIDDLE EASTS OUTDOOR, ADVENTURE, TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

SEPTEMBER 2016 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

STAY UP-TO-DATE WITH THE LATEST EVENTS

Dubai Desert Road Run

Urban Ultra Night Rebel

A challenging 10, 20 or 30km cross-country trail run that

The launch of Fahrenheit

If youre in to all things watersports, be sure to

Stages TT Challenge (Stage One)

A time trial on a clockwise loop of the Al Qudra track.

Abu Dhabi Junior Aquathlon (Race one)

When: Opens in September

NYUAD Indoor SUP Race

The UAEs first indoor SUP race, in a 50m Olympic

Al Wathba Cycle Race Series 3 (Race One)

MIDDLE EASTS OUTDOOR, ADVENTURE, TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

SEPTEMBER 2016 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

Base Camp, Tavan Bogdh National Park, Mongolia

Kayaking at Wadi Adventure

Sunset conversation at the top of Jebel Jais

This summer, Rock Republic

for the Summer Olympics in Tokyo 2020, the

the 27th, top performers in their categories

Hill top village hike Jebel Jais

Google Earth and route length and elevation

your car and take the next wadi on your left.