Magzine Feb Mar April 2010

8/4/2019 Magzine Feb Mar April 2010

1/36

The Magazine and Online Portal for Outdoor Activit ies in the U.A.E. and the Border of Oman. Visit: www.OutdoorUAE.com

E SCAPE THE C ITY... E NJOY Y OUR F REEDOM!

# 1

F e

b . 2

0 1 0

T a k e y o u r

F R E E c o p y !

Mo r e t h a n 3 0

p a g e s

a c t i o n a n d

a d v e n t u r e !

Valley of TreesA Great Deser t Destination P.29Enjoy the cool & sunny weather!

D ese rt Ba llo on Adv en tur e Page 30-33

Roc k Clim b ingPage 23 -25

Myth s vs. Trut hs Page 7-9


2/36

You dont need to search for

Simply register at www.outdooruae.com before March11th 2010 or send an email (Subject: I want to win!) tora [email protected] and win great prizes. The membership is absolutelyfree and o ers a lot of extra options on the website, like uploading picturesor chatting on the forum.

All registered users of OutdoorUAE.com will be entered into thedraw. The winner will be announced on OutdoorUAE.com and willreceive a con rmation Email. Only valid Email address will beelligible. The prices can only be delivered to P.O. Boxes within theUAE. Any legal action is excluded.

2009 All right reserved OutdoorUAE.com

First Prize: Khasab Dhow CruiseKhasab Divers sponsored a one day Dhow

cruise for you and up to 8 friends. Cruisingthrough the amazning ords of the Musandammountains the experience of a lifetime.More info: www.khasabdiver.com

Third Prize: Surf Lessons Dubai Surf School sponsored surf lessons forbeginners including rental of equipment. Enjoythe warm gulf waters and ride on a wave.More info: www.surfschooluae.com

500 AED Voucher Second Prize: Masaood Marine sponsored a 500 AED shop-ping voucher. Choose from a wide range of marine equipment, water sports gear andclothing. Check Al Masaood Marine Show-room or their website for the full productrange.More info: www.masaoodmarine.com

TreasuresTreasures


3/36

3

Editorial

In Print:Managing EditorDaniel Birkho er

Senior EditorBogdan Oanele

EditorChantel Parise

MarketingGina Vaduva

In Print & Editorial

First o all - Thank you, or taking one o our Magazinesand or reading it. I you want to nd more in orma-tion, check out our website and discover the U.A.E. at

www.OutdoorUAE.com.

Everybody remembers those nice and uncomplicatedyears when we were young and went to school. Theteachers asked us what we wanted to be when wegrew up: Fire Fighters, Astronauts, Doctors, Adventur-ers. In my dreams I was one o these daredevils whowas dragged rom one adventure to the next.By the time you get older, your aspirations becomemore realistic and your dreams move more and moreinto the background. The adventurer o my dreams isa character which will never exist or survive in the realworld. But why we shouldnt keep striving towardsour dreams? Why we shouldnt try to realize at leastsome parts o our dreams? Dreams are a great, posi-tive and motivating orce! Why not start using and ap-plying them to our lives and the real world?I asked mysel all o these questions and couldnt ndan answer - why not? This was the birth o the idea:OutdoorUAE. Realizing ones ideas and dreams isnever easy, but with enthusiasm and a good plan, youcan and will succeed. I strongly believe in this attitude: The only thing which can stop me rom succeeding ismysel .Since moving to Dubai and the birth o the idea, al-most our years have passed, and I made the nal de-cision to go through with my plan one year ago. Today I have the proo that realizing ones dreams ispossible. There have been a lot o sacri ces, relapsesand risks along the way, or mysel as well as the resto the team. We have come so ar and hope you willsupport us and allow our dreams to really come true-- making OutdoorUAE a success. Read the Magazine,visit the website, involve yoursel and give us eed-

back or even contribute yoursel , by writing some-thing or sending us your avourite photos.

Outdoor UAE is not simplythe realisation o personaldreams, Outdoor UAE is

a community, a commu-nity which is closely con-nected in support o eachother. Share your knowl-edge, your experience,meet new people and ex-

perience the adventures which awaiting you right inyour own backyard our collective backyard, herein the UAE. We see our role in this community as theconnecting hub and we will provide this service or

ree no member ees to use the website, and eventhe Magazine will be distributed or ree.I know as well as you, that we may never be the ad-venturer o our childhood dreams - but we can stillhave those adventures a ter work and on the week-ends. So get your butt o the couch and get out! Youwill be surprised how much the U.A.E. o ers.I look orward to meeting you somewhere in thedesert, on the mountains or in the sea.

Enjoy the Magazine, enjoy li e and thank you all!

Daniel Managing Editor OutdoorUAE Additional Note:

This is the rst issue of the Magazine and the website hasonly been online for a couple of months, therefore we arestill looking for events, clubs, shops and everything related tooutdoor activities. If there is any information which you cant

nd or you have the feeling we missed something, pleaselet us know. We are working hard on it, to provide as muchinformation as possible, absolutely free. Feel free to contact us at anytime if you have a question - as my grandfather said: There are no stupid questions only stupid answers!

hesitate to question or comment at [email protected] call us at 04-3233701

Graphic & DesignRES Media

For advertisement & distributionenquiries contact: Tel: 04 32 33 701Fax: 04 32 33 [email protected]

Published by:RES MediaP.O Box 215062Dubai UAE

The in ormation contained is or general use only. While we have madeevery attempt to ensure that the in ormation contained in this magazinehas been obtained rom reliable sources, however the publisher is notresponsible or any errors. All in ormation in this magazine is provided asis, with no guarantee o completeness, accuracy, timeliness or o the resultsobtained rom the use o this in ormation. In no event will the publisher,its related a liates or anyone else be responsible or any decision made oraction taken in reliance on the in ormation in this magazine.All contents are under copyrights and may not be reproduced in any kindwithout written permission.

2010 RES MediaIssue #I , 02/2010


4/36

4

ContentIn Print & Editorial

ContentEvent Schedule

Myths vs. Truths - Diving

Product Check

Event Reviews

Bull Fight

News & Notes

Reader Photos

Surfing

People

Tips & Tricks

Rock Climbing

About OutdoorUAE.com

Locations

Route

Desert Balloon Adventure

Commercial Contacts

3

4 5

7

11

12

13

15

16

18

19

20

23

27

28

29

30

34

Content

Myths vs. Truths about Diving - P. 7-9

DMX Race Series - Event Reviews - P. 124x4 Recovery - Tricks - P. 21

Desert Balloon Adventure - P. 30-34

Climbing in the UAE - P. 23-25

Sur ng in the UAE - P. 18


5/36

5

Event Schedule February/MarchEvent Schedule

Date: Event Name: Location: In o & Contact:Thu 18. Feb 2010 -Fri 19. Feb 2010

Abu Dhabi Jet Ski Race Abu Dhabi International MarineSailing Club

www.dimc.ae

Thu 18. Feb 2010 YAS V8 400 Yas Marina Abu Dhabi www.atcuae.aeFri 19. Feb 2010 RAK Hal Marathon Ras Al Kaimah www.rakmarathon.org

Thu 18. Feb 2010 -Fri 19. Feb 2010

Horse Race Meydan Racecourse, Dubai www.emiratesracing.com

Fri 19. Feb 2010 Motorcross UAQ Round 6 Umm Al Quaim Motorplex www.motorplex.ae

Sat 20. Feb 2010 Dubai Traditional Dhow Sailing Championship22 t

DIMC www.dimc.ae

Sun 21. Feb 2010 Horse Race Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, AbuDhabi

www.emiratesracing.com

Sun 21. Feb 2010 Al Maktoum Sailing Trophy DIMC www.dimc.ae

Tue 23. Feb 2010

every week

Bike Training Rides - Dubai Roadsters Nadd Al Sheb www.dubairoadsters.com

Thu 25 Feb 2010 -Sat 27. Feb 2010

Abu Dhabi Yacht Show Yas Marina Abu Dhabi www.abudhabiyachtshow.com

Fri 26. Feb 2010 Horse Race Jebel Ali Racecourse www.emiratesracing.com

Fri 26. Feb 2010every week

Bike Tour - Dubai Roadsters Dubai or Hatta www.dubairoadsters.com

Fri 26. Feb 2010 Motorcross DMX Round 6 Jebel Ali Motorcross Track www.mydubaimotocross.com

Sat 27. Feb 2010 Dubai Wooden Powerboat Race Mina Seyahi www.dimc.ae

Sat 27. Feb 2010 Abu Dhabi Traditional Rowing Race Dimc www.dimc.ae

Sun 28. Feb 2010 Horse Race Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club, AbuDhabi

www.emiratesracing.com

Thu 04. Mar 2010 -Sat 06. Mar 2010

Wakeboarding Festival Abu Dhabi Corniche www.wakestock.ae

Fri 05. Mar 2010 Fujairah Traditional Rowing Race Fujairah International Marine Club www.dimc.ae

Sat 06. Mar 2010 Abu Dhabi Traditional Dhow Sailing Grand Prix(43 t)

Abu Dhabi International MarineSailing Club

www.adimsc.ae

Sat 06. Mar 2010 2nd UAE BIATHLE CHALLENGE 2010 Le Meridien Mina Seyahi, Dubai www.biathleme.org

Sat 06. Mar 2010 -Fri 12. Mar 2010

Dubai Polo Gold Cup Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club www.dubaipologoldcup.com

Tue 09. Mar 2010 -Sat 13. Mar 2010

Dubai International Boat Show Dimc www.dimc.ae

Thu 11. Mar 2010 UAE Wooden Powerboats Championship Abu Dhabi International MarineSailing Club

www.adimsc.ae

Fri 12. Mar 2010 Zoggs Super Sports Tadpole Gala 2 Sa a School, Dubai www.supersportsdubai.com

Fri 12. Mar 2010 -Sat 13. Mar 2010

Xcat World Powerboat Series - Heat1 Abu Dhabi International MarineSailing Club

www.adimsc.ae

Sat 13. Mar 2010 President Cup Traditional Dhow Sailing Race 60 t Abu Dhabi International MarineSailing Club

www.adimsc.ae

Sat 13. Mar 2010 Abu Dhabi International Triathlon Abu Dhabi www.abudhabitourism.ae

Thu 18. Mar 2010 -Fri 19. Mar 2010

Abu Dhabi Jet Ski Race Abu Dhabi International MarineSailing Club

www.adimsc.ae

Thu 18. Mar 2010 -Sat 20. Mar 2010

Dubai International Horse Fair DICC, Dubai www.dwtc.com

Fri 19. Mar 2010 Mina Mile - Le Meridien Mina Seyahi Open WaterSea Swim - Race 3

Dubai www.supersportsdubai.com

Fri 19. Mar 2010 Free Syle Driving Umm Al Quaim Motorplex www.motorplex.ae

You can nd more events and detailed information online at www.OutdoorUAE.com Please send information about events to: [email protected]


6/36

Luxury Yacht with JACUZZI

Fishing Trip / Cruise4 Hrs - Upto 10 People

AED 3500

Flybridge Boat

Fishing Trip / CruiseMin 4 Hrs - Upto8 People

AED 2000

Fishing Boat

Fishing Trip / CruiseMin 4 Hrs - Upto6 People

AED 1500

Call 050 2453396 to book NOW!

Enjoy a fun filled fishing trip or sea cruising with familyand friends along the beautiful Dubai coast.

FISHING TRIPSEA CRUISE

Call 050 2453396


7/36

7Myths vs. Truths - Diving

Scuba diving (like all adventure sports) is surrounded bymyths and commonly accepted reasons o why this sportis too boring / di cult / expensive etc or the normal personto take up. Most o the myths are untrue, some are partlytrue and none o them is reason enough to stop any inter-ested person rom escaping rom the hum-drum o normalli e and entering a world that o ten goes unseen and unex-plored by most people.

Dont let these common misconceptions hold you back!Join us in the wonder ul underwater world, enter a newrealm o experience and start to live!Myth: Diving? - that sport is or sa e, boring, old peopleTruth: I you think scuba isnt extreme enough or you,youre not seeing past the rst step. Sure, a lot o peoplenever go beyond puttering around in nice, calm water, look-ing at nice, calm sh. However, i you get the right trainingand equipment, you can get radical with this sport. Try div-ing down 120 metres onto a sunken World War 2 submarine

o the Fujairah coast. It will be you who will be shakingrom the adrenaline rush, incoherent and exhausted, thrilled

and high as a kite - not the elite band o middle-aged diverswho have tagged this wreck as theirs and dive it regularly.Need more? Ever hand- ed a shark? Explored the ar reach-es o a fooded cave? Chased a 200 kilo sh through the legso an o shore oil rig? Gone inside the rusting hallways o a sunken ocean liner? Swam beneath the polar ice caps? These are just some o the experiences that divers (and onlydivers) get to have. But youve got to build up to it, check your ego at the door, and take the rst step (earning yourOpen-Water certi cation) be ore you start talking like theBig Boys.

Myth: Diving is only or people who live near warm water,I will leave here soon / eventually and will not be able todive again.Truth: There are ew things that rival the experience o being suspended weightlessly in warm, clear tropical wa-ter while foating e ortlessly along a colour ul coral ree .Unless, o course, it is the experience o dri ting througha Cali ornia kelp bed with a pod o sea lions. Or exploring

the amazingly preserved ruins o a wooden shipwreck in aSwiss Lake. Or diving with sharks in South A rica, or seeingSea Lions underwater o the British Coast, or... the list goeson and on.No matter where you live back-home, chances are theresa popular dive site somewhere nearby. Dont believe me?Just ask anyone with the red and white diver down fagon his car. Lakes, quarries, rivers, fooded minesha ts - al-most anywhere theres water, youll nd divers. Each o these sites provides its own unique dive experience and a

chance to get started in the sport and to continue diving.Not every dive site is or every diver, but scuba diving isnot just a sport, its also a li estyle and a very social activ-ity. So even i your back-home dive sites do not sound allthat inviting, get started in the welcoming warm waters o the Indian Ocean, make new riends and know that back home your new sport will open more doors, opportunitiesand riendships to you.Myth: There are sharks in the ocean and they eat divers.Dont try to deny it--I saw Jaws and Open WaterTruth: Dont tell Hollywood, but the actual record onshark vs. diver is pretty dull: Sharks just dont make a habito munching on divers. In act, except in certain conditionsand environments, they dont even stick around whendivers get in the water. Lets look at it rom the sharks

Myths vs. Truths10 reasons why you should not learn to scuba dive!

Photo by: Leo Virgo


8/36

Scuba Dubai The best in the UAE

The diving equipment experts. We know more about diving equipment.Buy from the best, buy from Scuba Dubai

The diving equipment experts. We know more about diving equipment.Buy from the best, buy from Scuba Dubai

Tel: 04 341 4940Fax: 04 341 4960

Freephone: 800 scuba

Deep down you want the best! Deep down you want the best!

8

point o view. Youre out cruising the depths, when out o nowhere this noisy, bubble-blowing pack o creatures thatlooks and moves like nothing else in the ocean, drops intothe water and starts fashing lights (i.e., camera strobes) atyou. Its got to be the shark equivalent o Close Encounters . The rst thing most sharks do? Turn tail and run. It usedto be that divers could go their whole lives without everseeing the beauty and majesty o a shark up close. Today,care ully managed encounter dives ( rom cage diving withgreat whites o Australia to hand- eeding ree sharks inthe Bahamas) abound, and there is no better way to gain atrue understanding o these amazing creatures than to seethem up close.

Myth: You have to be a really t competitive swimmer tobe a diverTruth: It is true, ultra- t, competitive swimmers make greatdivers because theyre com ortable in the water and theyrein great shape, but i the logic o this myth were true, thenonly pro essional ootballers would play ootball. Diving isan active sport and the better shape youre in, the easier itwill be, but any healthy individual with at least an average

tness level can do it. This myth is most likely uelled by theact that there is a basic swim test at the start o scuba les-

sons. Youll need the endurance to swim about 200 yardsnonstop, but theres no time limit and its not a race. The in-structor also needs to know that you have basic water skillsand are com ortable submerging your ace in water. Thatsit. And when you consider that there are divers rom ageeight to age 80 who have passed this gruelling test o physi-

cal ability, its pretty clear that anyone with an activity levelabove that o a chronic couch potato can do it. So, get o the couch and get diving!Myth: Diving is a male macho sport that is not emale-

riendlyTruth: This might have been true, back in the 1950s whenAmerican TV showed Sea Hunt with men o steel like MikeNelson (played by the late, great Lloyd Bridges) who wereout there spearing sh with their bare hands and rescuingdamsels in distress. Only it wasnt really true then, either. The lovely Zale Parry, the actress who played the damsel,was one o the most accomplished divers on the set. Andwhen Sports Illustrated decided to eature the young sporto scuba diving in its May 23, 1955, issue, it was Zale Parrywho made the cover, not Lloyd Bridges.It is true, however, that men have always participated inthe sport more than women, but the gap has been clos-ing steadily since the 1980s. Today, the male/ emale ratio isroughly 60/40 and everyone rom equipment manu actur-ers to tour operators o ers products speci cally or emaledivers. And theres no glass ceiling to this sport - there are

emale instructors, dive-masters, boat captains and resort


Myth: I have to buy a ton o gear just to learnTruth: Scuba is a gear-intensive sport, but you only needthree basic items to start lessons (a mask, a snorkel and apair o ns). These are personal gear items and they needto t well or you to have a good time, so its worth buy-ing them even i the dive school / instructor provides theequipment or the course. All the other gear is available torent, usually at a discount rate to students, and o ten theuse o the more complex equipment is included in the divepackage price. Once you are a ull-fedged diver, you willultimately want to purchase your own gear. It will be tempt-ing to max out the plastic and buy everything at one time,and i youve got the room on your credit cards, go or it. Butmost beginning and intermediate divers continue to makeuse o rental gear and acquire their own items one piece at

a time.


9/36

9

owners. Look at me Im a woman, Ive dived more thanmost men, own a dive business, my most power ul con-tacts at most o the diving equipment manu acturingcompanies are women. Diving is a great sport and a greatbusiness or women to be in.Myth: Diving will make my ears hurt

Truth: This ones true - but only i you dont equalize thepressure in your ears as you descend. Thats one o the rstthings they teach you to do in scuba lessons. Its calledthe Valsalva manuever and its really easy: Pinch your noseand blow gently against your nostrils until you eel relie . Try it. See? Its so easy.

Myth: Certi cation is way too expensiveTruth: Only true i you never go out and do anything! Check the price or a decent dinner, movie tickets or two, throwin some popcorn, a ter-movie co ees and youll have spentDH 370 easily. So, how does that compare to scuba? De-pending on who you learn with, the average certi cation

class runs between DH 1,750 and DH 2,200, or just a ew o those dinner-and-a-movie dates. In return, youget an all-access pass to a world o aquatic adventure, notto mention a great new li estyle you can brag about at theo ce. Go on: Compare the cost o scuba lessons to almostanything and youll see its a bargain, especially comparedto gol green ees, ski li t tickets and the cost o that homegym collecting dust in your guest room.Myth: I cant dive. I have asthma.Truth: Why not get a second opinion? Your Doctor is prob-

ably a great General Practitioner, but not a Diving Doctor.GPs are a very cautious bunch and o ten dont understandthe sport o diving, so i you ask about scuba with regard toa speci c medical condition, their likely answer will be the

sa e one: No. But be ore you let a li etime o adventure slipaway, you should get a second opinion rom a diving doc-tor. Dr Horst Ka er o Dr Akels Clinic on the Beach Road is adiving doctor and can give you a second opinion. You maybe surprised to nd the answer is: Yes, you can dive sa ely.In just the past 10 years, or example, asthma and diabetes

have gone rom being absolute disquali ers to conditionalones. In both cases, i the condition is care ully monitoredand controlled, and the patient can tolerate physical exer-cise, the pool (and the sea) is usually open.Myth: Snorkeling is just as good as scuba divingTruth: Dont get me wrong. I like to snorkel - foating


around on the sur ace peering down on the ree romabove is a great way to spend time between dives. But justas good? No way! Not i you like action. Snorkelling is sorto like watching a ootball game rom the window o anapartment block overlooking the pitch. Diving is like suit-ing up, running down the tunnel and getting in the game.

Strap a tank on your back and you are a player - swimmingwith the sharks as equals, getting up close and personalwith giant Goliath grouper, or, or a good laugh, looking upand seeing the so t, bulging underbellies o all those snor-kelers dri ting like fotsam on the sur ace and blocking outthe sunlight.So......... Do you still think that you cannot dive??? May beyou just dont want to, thats ok diving is not or everyone.However, hope ully this article will make you think a bit, re-assess your reasoning and open a door or you. Come on

in and join us!

Writen by Stephanie Davies,Owner, Scuba Dubai. Dubai

Photo by: Leo Virgo


10/36


11/36

11

Smart Cooling

Multi Pliers

Foldable Bike

Dive Computer Fishing Lure

Waterproof Surf Cam

Inflatable Air Jack Roof Top Tent

LED Head Torch

Products

Price: 5,290 AEDManu actured o heavy duty r ipped-topcanvas double stitched through-out and

tted onto aluminum bows, xed to topquality polyurethane coated ply boards.Easy to set up and very com ortable. Comeswith climate skirt, mattress, ladder, trans-port cover and mosquito netting. Sleeps 2adults. (Free delivery) Bigger sizes available.Dimensions: 1,22m W 2,44m L 1,3m HAvailable at: www.leadingedge-s.comMore In o: www.eezi-awn.co.za

Price: about 200 AED The TIKKA o ers great versatility with itsthree lighting modes. In maximum mode,the our LEDs deliver enough light to seeover a distance o 29 meters. The economicmode optimizes battery li e and providesa long burn-time o up to 120 hours. Thebattery compartment is now hinged oreasier access along with an easier to useclosure system.Available at: Several sport shops in the UAEMore in o: www.petzl.com

Price: about 1,200 AEDParticularly well-suited to use in sand, theInfatable Exhaust Jack is an invaluablerecovery tool, providing up to 31 o vehicleli t. This Jack is infated via a hose that con-nects to the vehicles exhaust. As soon asthe vehicles engine is started, the jack willstart to infate.Available at: Ace MegastoreMore In o: www.bushranger.com

Price: 3,900 AEDWith this gadget, Mares is bringing state-o -the-art consumer electronics technologyto the underwater world. High de nitionLCD color display Plug in and recharge Up-gradeable so tware, PC inter ace includedNitrox mode with 3 di erent oxygen mixes,Integrated inter ace, rechargeable lithiumbatteries , map unction, pictures unction.Available at: Masaood Marine ShopMore in o: www.mares.com

Price: 1,000 AEDProbably the best on-board sur cameraon the market. Easy to install and oper-ate and user- riendly. Shoot 56 minuteso TV resolution video with sound or 5mpx photos automatically or over anhour while you sur . Waterproo to 30 m.Features a 170 ultra wide angle lens andhigh-resolution 5 mpx sensor.Available at: Sur Shop DubaiMore In o: www.goprocamera.com

Price: 19 AEDMidThunder with a swimming depth 8 12 (2.4-3.6m). Can you think like a sh?What would you like to eat today? Howabout a delicious Storm Lure? Its injuredbait sh motion attracts all kind o sh. Thesilver color and middle size is a great lure

or barracuda and king sh.Available at: Barracuda Fishing EquipmentMore in o: www.stormlures.com

Price: starting rom 30 AEDFrio Products are patented cooling wallets

or medication or body cooling. The prod-uct needs to be soaked in water or about

our minutes to activate, and will remaincool or about 24hrs. The products arereusable and available in di erent kinds e.g.can or bottle cooler, cooling caps, coolingwallets and much more. For more detailscall Sue: 050 2741667Available at: www.aimsmena.com

Price: 165 AED This tool comes ull o built in gadgets thatcan tackle just about any task that comesyour way. Components: Needle nose pliers,wire cutter, ne edge kni e, serrated edge

kni e, saw, scissors, cross-point screwdriver,small and medium fat blade screwdrivers,can opener, bottle opener and lanyard hole.Handle Material: Stainless SteelOverall Length: 6 inchesAvailable at: Picnico General TradingMore In o: www.gerber-tools.com

Price: 1,750 AED This bike eatures a lightweightaluminium rame. With 20 alloy rims,the Velo-city sports an alloy oldingstem and the bike reduces down toa olded size o 790x420x620 mm.SADDLE : Velo double spring com ort.SHIFTER : Shimano 6 speed Gripshi tsSIZE : 285mm WEIGHT : 12.5kgAvailable at: www.cyclesportsuae.comMore In o: www.bronxcycles.com


12/36

12

Horse Race

Motor Cross Series

UAE Jet Ski Championship - Round 2 Desert Fun Drive

Super Run Series Kayak Fishing

Event Reviews

Date: Friday 22. Jan. 2010Location: Jebel Ali RacecourseDuring the Race Season, several horseraces are held at Jebel Ali Horse RaceCourse, which is amous or its atmos-phere Garden Party. We were thereduring a pleasant winter day in Januaryto see the race. Its a great experience

or horse lovers or people who like tohave picnics next to the race course. Theentrance to the course is ree.More in o: www.emiratesracing.com

Date: Friday 9. Jan. 2010Location: Jumeirah Beach HotelSuper Sports and partners organized the3rd Race rom the well-known Super SportsRun Series Challenge. The race o ered allathletes a unique running experience as therace course winds itsel through the threeexclusive resort properties o the JumeirahGroup. The ourth Race rom this Run SeriesChallenge will take place on 27 March in thesame location.More in o: www.supersportsdubai.com

Date: Friday 22 Jan. 2010Location: Ras Al Khaima The Inaugural Kayak Fishing Competition,organized by the UAE Kayak-Fishing Grouptook place in Al Hamra (RAK). The weather wasnot great. It was rainy and a bit cold but theseguys really know how to warm everybodyup. Considering the bad whether, we can saythat the catch was quite impressive and thatit was a success ul inaugural Competition. They had great Sponsors too: Alec Construc-tion, Emirates NBD, and Sa ety Solutions, tomention a ew.We had a good turn out but the weathercertainly scared o a ew people. The realdie-hard sherman turned up either the nightbe ore or very early on the morning in act,due to a popular request, we extended theweigh-in or an extra hour while the guys

paddled in the rain to try get into the leaderboard. Friday evenings prize-giving ceremonyand party certainly were a ected by the rainas it kept pouring down, but that did not stopa ew guys rom still camping over again andenjoying what turned out to be a very pleas-ant evening sitting around the bon re. saysIvan Kraemer. He also told us that more eventslike this are to ollow, so i you want to get incontact with this group,call them at: 050 455-7504

Date: Saturday 23. Jan. 2010Location: Dubai, JBR O ShoreDubai hosted the 2nd Round o the UAE JetSki Championship. The 1st Round was held inAbu Dhabi in the beginning o January. ThisJet Ski Championship started already to attractcompetitors rom abroad: Europe, USA, Asia,and A rica. It was organized by DIMC with alot o pro essionalism and precision, whichare mandatory or such an event abundant inadrenaline and horse power. The classes were: Pro Ski, up to 900 C.C, Runa-bout Stock, up to 1600 C.C, Junior Stock, up to800 C.C, Ski Limited up to 800 C.C, and Runa-bout Super Stock up to 1600 C.C, competed intwo races o between 8 and 15 laps or eachclass. There were also 2 minutes o ree stylewhere the jet skis and their riders proved theirspecial skills.

The winners where as it ollows:Pro Ski 900CC Class - Steven DauliachRunabout Stock 1600CC Mohammed JasemAl Baz, Junior Ski 800CC Shamis RashidHamad Al Shamsi, Ski Limited 800CC - Al MurMohamad Bin Huraiz, Free Style - OhamedSaeed Al Rumaithi. The 3rd Round will take place in Abu Dhabi,between 18th -19th February 2010, atADIMSC.More in o: www.dimc.ae

Date: 15.-16. Jan. 2010Location: Umm Al Quwain to DubaiGul News organized its 29th edition o Overnight Drive Fun, on a special route

rom Umm Al Quwain to Dubai. The Startwas at UAE Motorplex and the route wasreally tough with it being more than 90percent on sand, eaturing high dunes andvery tricky stretches that challenged eventhe most experienced participants, whodrove or about eight hours up to the FinishLine-Camp in Dubai. The route had a ewcheckpoints where participants had theoption to abandon the drive i they elt likeit. Most o the participants spent the nightin the Camp, enjoying time together andhaving a lot o un.More details: www.gul news.com

Date: FridaysLocation: Jebel Ali DMX Track The DMX Club is hosting annual race series indi erent classes o age, gender and vehicles. The vehicles are motorcross bikes or quads

which are categorized in classes by enginetype and size. The 2009/2010 season is stillongoing with regular races on Fridays startingat about 8am until the a ternoon. Entrance

or visitors is ree and riders have to pay a

registration ee. I you like motor sports ando -road action, you should de nitely check out one o the thrilling races at the race track next to Jebel Ali Beach Resort. For the nextrace and race schedule contact the DMX Club.More In o: www.mydubaimotocross.com

Photo by: DIMC

Photo by: Super Sports


13/36

x

Dhow Cruise

Equipment Rental

Premium Services:

Beach CampingSea & Fishing CruiseKayak ToursDive TripsEquipment RentalBeach Camping

Dive Trips

Khasab DiversFor Booking & Info call:

Gwendoline +971 566514682Hamed +968 99883345Email: [email protected] www.khasabdiver.com

13

Bull FightDate: Friday 15. Jan. 2010Location: Fujairah. (E250650.82 / N0562123.71E).I you want to experience something di erent on a Friday a ternoon youshould go to watch the traditional bull ghting in Fujairah. Coming romKalba the arena is on the right a ter entering Fujairah. There is excitementin the air and the place vibrates when the two contestant bulls enter thearena and try to push each other out o the way. In contrast to the Spanishbull ghts here two bulls ght each other and there is no bloodshed. It ismore like a sumo style bull ght and the bulls are actually pushing eachother with their massive heads until one o them capitulates meekly andquietly. I both o them are stubborn and re use to quit the ght, then a re -

eree decides and wreathes the winner with glory. There is no prize moneyor the winner, however, the victorious bull brings prestige to its owner and

will increase in value. These kinds o bulls originate in India and known as Brahman Bulls, orIndian Bulls, or Indian Oxen. They can reach some very impressive sizes andweights o more than 2500 pounds. The Brahman Bull is widespread aroundthe world especially in the tropical areas, being amous or its resistanceand adaptation to high temperatures, but are also ound in America, Eng-land, A rica and o course, the UAE. They are also recognized or intelligenceand desired disposition. They are very responsive to kindness and they arequite gentle when handled properly. But this doesnt mean that they donthave pride and they test it rom time to time in a bullring in their own style:gently.

Event Spotlight - Bull Fight

Traditional Bull Fights in Fujairah

Photo by: Oliver Kammerer




14/36


15/36

15

Dubais Premier Surf School & ShopSur School UAE has o cially launched and is nowDubais premier sur school o ering lessons orall ages or sur ng and stand-up paddle board-ing. All levels rom beginners to intermediatesare taught basics like paddling, sitting & turning,

catching waves as well as sur ng etiquette andwater sa ety. Free lessons are also o ered or allbeginners with all equipment provided. Lessonsare taught in sur or fat water and are guaranteedto get you up & riding very quickly. Get in touchwww.sur schooluae.com or in o@sur schooluae.com or more in o.

The UAEs premier Sur Shop, has moved to itsgreat new location and is now located oppositeMall o the Emirates. This means that you canget the latest DVDs, Magazines, new & used sur -boards, board repairs, accessories and ree advice just 5 minutes rom the beach. The store is opendaily rom 10am 7pm, so pop in and check outthe biggest and best range o sur ng goodies inthe Middle East, or get in touch on

carl@sur shopdubai.com or 050 940 3487. The new address is:Al Barsha 1Eagle Building, Shop 5

1. RTA Jet Ski Project The project aims to regulate the use and rental o Jet Skis in Emirate o Dubai, through the develop-ment o laws and regulations.Jet-Skis should be registered and licensed by theRTA.Operator should be medically t, age not less than

14 years old, and ully aware o Jet-ski operationand regulations. Operation timing permitted onlybetween sunrise and sunset. Operation must beonly within the permitted area. Operator shouldwear li ejacket and comply with all sa ety require-ments. Operator should register in and out at se-curity o ce log.Following a lot o complaints, and or sa ety rea-sons, the authorities have banned jet-skis in someparticular beach areas and introduced some regu-lations. O cially, there is just one permitted area

or Jet Ski activity in Dubai or individual use, inthe close vicinity o Umm Suqeim Fishing Harborand the Al Mamzer area or jet skiing or compa-nies.For more details regarding the regulations or us-ing a Jet Ski please visit www.rta.ae

News & Notes

The Fish supply in theUAE will be better protected Environment Agencies rom all o the Emirates,especially those rom Abu Dhabi, Dubai and RasAl Kaimah, are really concerned because themeasures they had regarding protection o some

sh species have not done enough to maintain ahealthy level among those species. Their major concern alls on orange-spottedgroupers, sweet lips and emperor sh, also knownby their Arabic names o hammour, arsh andshaary.Dr Al Abdessalaam says o Abu Dhabis waters:There have been improvements but they areslight and in some occasions, insigni cant. We arestill not out o the woods, i you will. Fish mortalityis still high. And that is because too many sh arebeing caught be ore they reach maturity, whichmeans they have no opportunity to reproduce.

Fish mortality the measure o how many areremoved rom the water has decreased or thehammour. But more arsh and shaary are beingcaught by shermen. There are no strict regulations regarding the ageor size o sh caught yet, but they will de nitely bein place in the near uture. Even the existing rulesarent much help or the ingrate reason that morethan 30% o shermen dont respect the rules. It ishard to control all the shing boats around UAEand in this case it is up to each person to ollowthe rules in place to preserve something that be-longs to everybody.Authorities rom Environmental Department inRAK welcomed the intention o the UAE Ministryo Environment and Water to ban the catch andsale o small-sized sh and there ore they issueda ministerial decree prohibiting the catch o a shthat is smaller than the regular permitted size. TheMinistry will also coordinate with all the sheriesdepartments around UAE and with the local au-thorities on the issue o protecting the small shspecies. They will organize campaigns to educatethe shermen in the spirit o respecting theseregulations giving them lessons on the length o

sh to be caught.The Dubai Government last year addressed the

issue by identi ying shing boat owners whodepend solely on the sea or income but whocannot go shing themselves because they aretoo old. Such people are now paid salaries by theGovernment, depending on the number o boatsthey own. The hope is that the payments will discouragethem rom hiring outside labour to run theirboats and the shing o small sh which haventyet reached maturity.As an example, the ideal size or the hammour be-ing caught is 70 centimetres, because they do notreach sexual maturity until they are 45 centime-tres. From all these endangered species only theshaary is shed at a size larger than the minimumrequired.

70 Captive-bred HoubaraReleased As part o Abu Dhabis e orts to protect Houbarabustards and its comprehensive global strategyo producing over 50,000 houbara bustards toincrease the birds population in their naturalhabitats in its geographic distribution in Asia and

North A rica, 70 captive-bred Houbara bustardsproduced at the National Avian Research Centre(NARC) o the International Fund or HoubaraConservation were released by H.H Sheikh Ham-dan Bin Zayed Al Nahyan in the Western region o Abu Dhabi Emirate.In o: The Houbara Bustard is 60 cm long with an140 cm wingspan. It is brown above and white be-low, with a black stripe down the sides o its neck.In fight, the long wings show large areas o black and brown on the fight eathers. The sexes aresimilar, but the emale is smaller and greyer above.Bustards are omnivorous and nest on the ground. They walk steadily on strong legs and big toes,pecking or ood as they go. They have long broadwings with ngered wingtips, and striking pat-terns in fight. The emale lays three to ve dark,speckled, eggs in a scrape in the ground, and incu-bates them alone. The Houbara Bustard is widelyprized in Arabia or its meat and as a quarry or

alconers. Widespread hunting and loss o habitathave greatly reduced their numbers.Sources: www.ead.ae www.wikipedia.org

UAE Rock Climbing GuideBeyond the sand, but just within the UAE, lie theHajar Mountains. These rugged mountains riseup to nearly 2000m in Musandam and straddle

the UAE Oman border. For centuries the area washome to numerous small arming communities,but more recently serves as a destination or therock climbers o the UAE who have spent the lastcouple o decades exploring remote wadis andtaking on the rock climbing challenges that thisregion presents. This Guide is the rst printed guide describingclimbing locations, the routes and characteristicso the outdoor rock climbing in the UAE and theOman border region. Nine regions, 29 climbinglocations, hundreds o climbing routes are de-scribed in detail, with passion and pro essional-ism. The guide is available at Go Sports (Dubai),Noukada Kayak Tours (Abu Dhabi) and MugrudysBook Shops (nationwide) and Global Climbing(RAK).UAE Rock Climbing, IBSN 978 0 9811805 0 2, RedArmada Publishing, 150 AED.


16/36

16

Reader PhotosReader Photos

Photo by: Kristin P.

Photo by: Fahad A.

Photo by: Samira T.

Photo: Ingo S.

Photo by: Ingo S.

Photo by: Dario L.

Photo: Ema N. Photo: Nerea D.

Photo by: Surf School Photo by: Yvonne B. Photo by: Tom O.

Photo: Stehon K.

Photo by: Jens S.

Photo by: Ranshid B.

Photo by: GinGin

Photo by: Esam H.


17/36

17Reader Photos

Photo by: Esam H.

Photo by: Anna Photo by: Chrissi V.

Photo by: Simon S.

Photo by: Ahmed A.

Photo by: Human A.

Photo by: Christof B.

Photo by: Patrick W.


18/36

18

I I had a dirham or every time I have heard that, I wouldhave retired rich and now be sipping Pina coladas, munch-ing on delicious tropical ruit and lying in a hammock inBali!Much to most peoples surprise, Dubai has a lot o sur too er and the region is rich in waves, you just need to knowwhen and where to go. The sur in the Gul is mainly winddriven which means that it is produced by strong windswith the biggest waves being ormed above Qatar and nearIraq. They are uelled by erce gales and built up in size asthey travel down the length o the Gul towards us. The sur generally averages around 1-1.5metres but can peak well

over 3m with some o the biggest waves on record nearing5 metres! Dubai is especially well positioned as it is direct-ly in the line o the swell and the NW winds generate theswells, so it has become the central point or sur ng in theregion. The waves can be onshore and messy or a day butthen clean up overnight to produce some excellent wavesthat are warm, riendly and inviting to sur ers o all levels. These waves are available or short periods o time at sev-eral locations like Sunset beach (the avourite), JBR, Mamzar,Sharjah and as ar a eld as RAK.In summer the Kharee (Monson) drives big seas up theOman coast and Kalba and Fujeirah produce some ride-able, albeit hot weather waves. Oman itsel has some excel-lent sur especially in summer and can o er up some coolweather and cracking point break waves which makes ita rm avourite area or summer sur aris. Egypt, Lebanonand Turkey also have some great waves and sur ng com-munities are springing up in these areas as well. The sur season is mainly during the winter months rom Novemberto March, when low pressures dominate the upper Gul andsend sur coming down to us in Dubai and the UAE coast-line. However, sur can ound all year round, depending onthe weather. The best thing to do, in order to sur at the right time, is toget in touch with one o the many sur reports available viathe local sur shops or sur schools and ask when sur will

Surfing There is no surf in the U.A.E.

be available. As a general rule, the sur tends to be best inthe morning as it is o ten clean and o shore, making thebest rides. A lot o the local sur ers dash in at sunrise or amorning session be ore rushing o to work and sneak out

o work in the a ternoon to catch some messy but rideableonshore a ternoon action. Un ortunately, due to the coast-line being mostly dominated by breakwaters, Abu Dhabihas at the present moment no known rideable sur spots.Rather, stand-up paddle-boarding has now become thedominant sur -style sport in that area.

The waters o the Gul are generally warm and the wavesrange rom wedging, hollow shore-breaks at JBR and Mam-zar, to peaks and very un rides at Sunset Beach and Shar- jah. This makes the Gul an excellent area or beginners tolearn to sur , and there are several sur schools operatingin the UAE.As there are requent fat periods, stand-up paddle-board-

ing has become one o the biggest and astest growingboard sports in the Gul . This ancient Hawaiian sport isdone with a large fat board on which the sur er stands up,and is propelled with a paddle. The board can be used inthe sur to ride waves or simply to be used or fat waterpaddling, as a plat orm or snorkelling, or or kids to rolicabout on.For those o you who are either new to the sport, rusty romlack o sur ng, havent sur ed or ages, or pleasantly sur-prised by the idea that you can sur here, get onto the local

websites, speak to the local sur shops and get yourselvesinto what is now becoming a great Middle East outdooractivity.Writen by Carl de Villiers,Dubai Surf Shop & School. Dubai

Surfng

Photo by: Surf School


19/36

19

Carl de VilliersName: Carl de Villiers

Activity: Sur ngNationality: South A ricanHow long have you been in theU.A.E. and why did you comehere?

Around six years. I originally came or work but ell in lovewith a place where all my avourite things are all in oneplace sur ng, snowboarding, camping and shing. TheUAE is my home now and I am not planning to go any-where soon, other than to keep nding better places toexplore and nicer places to camp.

Whats your passion?I love outdoor sports and especially anything in water.Sur ng, stand-up paddle boarding, wakeboarding, skur -ing, as well as shing, camping and exploring are rm a-vourites o mine. I am also a very keen and experiencedsnowboarder and I love exercise too, so I enjoy a healthyli estyle ull o activity!

Whats your avourite spot/route?

I love going to Oman and camping on the beach, nd-ing peace and quiet, good waves and sharing good timeswith those who are close to me. The area around Asyllahand Al Ashkarrah are my avourites but I have my sightsset on urther exploration o Masirah Island and the areasnear Salalah.

What do you recommend to our readers? The Middle East is a reallygreat place to explore itis un-crowded, undevel-oped and sa e, so makesome time, plan a routeand go nd adventure andenjoy memories that youwill not ever orget.

Simon Speidel

People

Name: Simon SpeidelActivity: Sur ng, MotocrossNationality: GermanHow long have you been in theU.A.E. and why did you comehere?

I have been in Dubai or around ve years. A riend called

me up when I was on a long vacation and convinced meto come to Dubai. Since then I have tried all various sportsand ended up with Motocross. The UAE o ers a great ter-rain or riding and several motocross events.

Whats your passion?Generally my passions are snowboarding and sur ng.Motocross is de nitely at the top o my agenda sinceI started our years ago. Apart rom that, a Jeep or thedesert is a must or desert tours around the UAE and

Oman.

Whats your avourite spot/route?My avourite spot is probably the Liwas desert and many

other small spots around the UAE-Oman boarder. The Liwadesert is just mind-blowing. There are some nice places inthe desert be ore Al Ain.

What do you recommend to our readers?Every one should nd a sport he/she likes. There is a lot todo. Just explore and you will nd something or yoursel .


20/36

Think to the future, think green!

1

2

20

Green Camping Clinch KnotCamping is very popular in the UAE and during weekendyou can nd amilies or groups o riends having picnics,BBQs or camping all around the desert and the wadis.Un ortunately, many times they leave their tracks behind,visible as color ul gatherings o cans, bottles, plastic bagsand ood packaging.

Did you know that it takeshundreds* o years or aplastic bag to decompose?None o us is happy with the

act that currently, that evenspots deep in the desert are

polluted with trash. The trashis also a serious threat to the

ragile li e in this harsh envi-ronment. There is no excuseto leave your trash behind. Take your trash with you

back to the city, or use one o the many trash containersprovided by the authorities along several roads. There are also a lot o cheap and simple ways to makingcamping greener. Use reusable bags when you go or shop-ping, or at least paper bags. Instead o plastic cups, platesand cutlery, use reusable materials. In many stores thereare reusable, or even better, solid metal plates and cupsavailable. A ter several picnics or BBQs, your purchases arecheaper than constantly buying disposables, and believeme, it is ar more com ortable to use proper tools or a BBQor picnic. Everybody who has ever tried to cut a steak withplastic cutlery on a paper or plastic plate knows what Imtalking about.Be smart and do something good or our environment, sothat it will be preserved or uture generations.

*Nobody actually knows for sure how long it will take: some say 300 years, whileothers estimate it to be more than 400 years so far nobody reached this age,so we cannot know for sure..

The clinch knot is one o the most amous knots in theworld to tie hooks, carabineers or other objects securely.We use it to x hooks to shing lines but it can be used ora lot o other purposes. The advantage o the clinch knot is that it will not open.Rather it will get even tighter with stronger orce. Knots arealways the weakest point in your system (in your line). Theclinch knot provides about 85% o the strength/load o theline.

Put the line through the eye o the hook and wind it at least6 turns around the line. When youre nished the 6 turns,put the end o the line through the rst loop o the 6 turnsat the beginning (at the hook) and then through the loopo the last turn. Now pull the end o the line to make theknot tight. To make it easier to put the line through the rst loop, youcan put your nger into the rst loop be ore you wind the6 turns around the line. Then remove your nger and movethe end o the line to the big loop. I the end o the line istoo long a ter you are nished, just cut it o . The nished knot should look like this.

Tipps & Tricks

Environmentally-friendly camping The best knot to tie hooks safely


21/36

pu l l ing d irec t ion

21

4x4 RecoveryO -road driving is one o the most popular activities inthe UAE and provides a eeling o reedom and a lot o un.Experienced drivers will have no troubles navigating theirvehicles into, through, and out o the desert. Newcomersmostly manage the rst part What to do i you get stuck in the sand? There are a lot o ways to recover a car. Withmore experience you will avoid getting stuck in most cases,but even experienced drivers get stuck rom time to time.First o all, check the terrain where you are stuck, as basedon the terrain there are di erent ways to get out.As long as you are on an incline, it is quite easy: Reverse andgo down the dune. It is important, that you reverse straight

and dont try to turn the car. I you try to turn you are risking

Tipps & Tricks

Basic methods of 4x4 recovery in sand

the ground, speed up the pulling car. Be ore the rope getstight, let the stuck car turn the tires and accelerate. The ropewill get with one strong hit tight. It doesnt sound good orthe cars or equipment actually, it isnt good but it is the

astest way to get the car out. I dont need to mention thatyou are trying to move tonnes o metal, use only strong and

high quality ropes or this. Caution: Make sure that no one isclose to the cars; i the rope tears, it can badly injure peoplewho are close by.Finally the worst-case scenario being stuck in a ditch be-tween dunes, where its not possible or another car to pullyou out (pulling a car uphill will not work). You should al-ways avoid this situation and drive in an anticipatory man-ner, always knowing the way up the next dune. But nowit has happened! Digging is useless because the sand willalways slip back in the hole you are digging. Lets hope youbrought a bunch o strong riends with you into the desert!Ask them to push the car out o the sand. Depending onthe weight o the car and how badly you are stuck, ourguys could be enough. Again avoid spinning the wheels, asyou will only dig the car deeper into the sand also you willpiss o your riends who are pushing the car i you coverthem in sand. I this will not solve the problem, release evenmore pressure rom the tires as you did be ore entering thedesert. Release as much air until you almost run on com-pletely fat tires. Just leave enough pressure in the tires tonot slip on the rims. This should help. I you cant directlymake it over the dune reverse back as ar as possible up theopposite dune dont stop again the car on the bottom o the ditch. Go backwards and orwards like a swing till youhave enough speed to make it over the dune.I all these tips will not help, it doesnt mean that you or yourcar is lost but you will need help o an experienced driveror special equipment. There is a lot o equipment which willhelp in certain situations, like a winch with a sand anchor,special sand boards, special jacks and much more.

fipping the car.I you are stuck directly on top o a dune, there are two waysto get the car out, either to pull the car out, or to dig. Diggingis no un, especially in summer heat and windy weather. Tohave any progress, you have to move a lot o sand. Try todig the way that the car will slip on either side o the dunesedge. (Caution dont move under the car while digging!)One o the worst ways o getting stuck is on fat terrain. There, you should try rst to dig the car out by itsel (thisapplies or all situations). I you turn the steering wheel45 to right and le t, your wheels are digging sand romaside instead o just digging deeper into the sand whichcould give you the required bit more traction to get out.

You will need a good eel or your car but as long as youeel a small movement orward dont stop. This technique

has worked many times. Be patient and avoid spinning thewheels. I you are still stuck, you have to pull out your carwith another one. I you are pulling out a car you shouldalways check rst which the best direction to pull is. Thisapplies or both cars. It will not help you i you manage toget the second car (the pulling one) stuck while you try toget another one out. Especially on fat terrain and so t sand,there is high risk that the pulling car will also dig into the

sand and get stuck. There ore you should use a rough pull-ing method. Normally you bring the rope (or a sling) rst ontension to pull the car slowly out in a controlled manner. Onfat terrain, you have to challenge the material much more.When the rope is attached to both cars, still lying loose on


22/36

Sports & Leisure

Evolution 465Evolution 465Fishing Kayak - 4,7x0,67m, 25kg, angler capacity 125kg

Contact us for product advise and a quotation:[email protected]: +971 50 [email protected]: +971 50 490-7537or visit: www.leadingedge-s.com

Eezi-Awn Safari tents.Since its inception 20 yearsago the name Eezi-Awn haslong been synonymous withquality, from rooftop tents,retractable awnings andaluminium roofracks, Eezi-Awn's dedication to excep-tional quality and service isevident in all the equipment weproduce, sell locally and exportto many countries around theworld.

TentsKayaks

Fishing Lures

Service

Equipment

and much more...

DISCOUNT VOUCHER Present this voucher when booking for your Kayak Fishing

experience and well give you 20% o .

This voucher is valid until June 2010 and is not redeemable for any other activities.

Lightweight yet strong construction Large fish hatch Comfortable Excelent lure pulling craft Buoyancy complaint International standards

5 carry handles 2 rod holders Front and rear store Rod chute Fully adjustable peddles with

rudder an Steering system

Front and rear storage webbing Storage hatch 2x drain holes Latch clips Maximum load 195kg

cut here


23/36

23

A get you started guide or people who want to start out-door rock climbing in the UAE or who are already climbersand have just moved or are visiting here.

Health & Sa ety Warning and DisclaimerBe ore you read on, read the health and sa ety warning.

Rock climbing, whether in the UAE or anywhere else in theworld, is dangerous and its potential participants shouldonly get involved in the activity i they accept that there arerisks that may result in atal or serious accidents i they arenot managed. Like all extreme sports these risks are parto the appeal o the activity and contribute signi cantlyto the buzz achieved rom participation. It is the personalresponsibility o participants to understand the risks andto ensure that they are correctly equipped and have thetechnical knowledge to make in ormed decisions in order

that they can identi y and manage those risks. The authoro this article takes no responsibility or actions taken byreaders whether based on in ormation herein or rom othersources; you climb at your own peril.Guide Book There is a Climbing Guide to the UAE titled UAE Rock Climb-ing. (See page 15 - News & Notes)Where to ClimbWithin the UAE and the border region between UAE andOman there is signi cant potential or recreational rock climbing and in the last ten years there has been consid-erable development o some crags. However, there is un-doubtedly scope or more routes on identi ed crags andnew crags to be ound. The general areas where climbinghas taken place are as ollows:

Wonderwall, in the border area between UAE and Oman40km beyond Al Ain. Al Ain, some development has occurred on crags near AlAin, these should be considered works in progress or themoment. Hatta. And just to confuse you the climbing is not in Hatta

but in the Oman salient on the Dubai to Hatta road. Ras Al Khaimah (RAK). The largest concentration of climb -ing is within the Emirate o RAK. Dibba area. Dibba gives access to DWS on the Easternside o the Musandam Peninsular and signi cant climbinglocations inland on Wadi Al Bih route. Musandam Peninsular (Oman). An unknown number of crags have been explored in the Musandam Peninsularand one has been developed north o Kasab.Type o Climbing

In the above areas there are traditional routes rangingrom single pitch to almost alpine in scale, sports routes

up to three pitches in length, bouldering and Deep WaterSoloing (DWS). The vast majority o UAE climbing is doneon single or two pitch routes.

Rock Climbing

Rock Climbing

A short guide for rock climbing in the United Arab Emirates!

Photos by: Global Climbing

Photo by: Global Climbing


24/36

24 Rock Climbing

Rock and Climbing Character The rock that is climbed on in the UAE is predominatelylimestone. Unlike many other limestone climbing areas o the world it has not been subjected to weathering rom wa-ter or reeze-thaw e ects. This has resulted in sur ace rock that is requently brittle, can be very sharp and potentiallyunstable. Below the sur ace layer, the rock is generally hardbut can be ractured like many limestones. So what youmay ask? Some thoughts and considerations: There is potentially an abundance of loose rock on andaround the climbing crags. Even on cleaned routes thereis always the possibility that urther rock may becomedetached, albeit small pieces. Helmets are highly recom-mended and should be considered essential at the bottomo the crags. All xed gear should be treated with a sceptical eye, this

includes bolts. Whilst bolts have been placed in accordancewith current best practice you are responsible or making a judgement on whether they are sa e. On the longer multi-pitch routes, loose rock is to be ex -pected so be prepared or it. Considerable skill and practice is required to con dentlyplace traditional protection. Do not push your limit untilyou are amiliar with the characteristics o the climbing andthe rock eatures. Many of the traditional routes away from the popularcrags and harder routes on popular crags see ew ascents;take a pioneering spirit with you. Whilst the walk-ins to the popular crags are short they aregenerally in rough un orgiving and steep mountain terrain.Maintain your vigilance at all times and in particular at thetop or descending rom crags. If you are going to develop new routes, especially one ortwo pitch ones, then clean them prior to rst ascents or theywill not see repeats or be o interest to the general climbingcommunity. The rock is hard on clothing and equipment, it is not rec -ommended to wear your new designer crag rat clothes i you value them.Grading Systems Used The ollowing grading systems have been used on climbs: Sports Routes: French Traditional: BritishBouldering: VEquipmentSixty metre ropes are su cient or the vast majority o routes; double ropes may be considered or some tradition-

al routes. For sports climbing you will need up to 15 QDsand a ew longer slings. For traditional climbing, a variedrack including cams and nuts is recommended with a ewextra medium sized nuts on wire. There are a variety o low-

er o s at the top o sports routes so be prepared or lowero chains through to two normal bolt hangers. I you areplanning to top rope o lower o chains it is requested thatthe rope is ed through a screw gate carabineer to preservethe in-situ rings. You can purchase all the climbing equip-ment that you will require here in the UAE rom either GoSports or Picnico; these outlets are all within Dubai but it isanticipated that an Abu Dhabi outlet will be available soon.I you can not nd what you are looking or then contactthe author direct (this is not a substitute or you driving toDubai).

When to ClimbIt is possible to climb year round; this may come as a sur-prise. During the summer months it is recommended tomove inland to Hatta and Wonderwall or the crags in WadiAl Bih. Whilst the temperatures will be in the mid 40s thehumidity is a lot lower than on the coast. From Octoberthrough to April it is possible to climb on all the crags.Apart rom the winter months, it is strongly recommendedto avoid climbing in the sun. For the DWS enthusiasts, wa-ter temperatures in summer will be mid 30s and in the latewinter (February) will all to a chilly 20 degrees or so. There

are likely to be a couple o days o rain during the wintermonths and the risk o thunder storms year round in land; just make sure that you stay clear o wadi bottoms duringand immediately a ter any rain.



25/36

25Rock Climbing

Access The local population is very riendly and hospitable toclimbers and the number o adverse situations has beenminimal. Please avoid parking in villages and camping onwhat may be pasture/ armed land. The right o access toclimbing locations is untested and hope ully will remain so.Please ensure that you conduct yoursel in a digni ed ash-ion at all times. In the event o a locally requesting that youmove on, it is strongly requested that you do so promptlyand without argument.LitterPlease take all your litter home with you (cigarette buttsand water bottles included).Vehicle The majority o the current climbing locations are acces-sible by 2WD or you can get close enough not to require

a 4WD vehicle.I hope the above has not put you o climbing in the UAE,because there is a wealth o quality climbing out there.Some o it is choss but there are a lot o good routes outthere and some are outstanding. Climbing here is adven-turous and not as accessible as going to a climbing wall al-though some o the crags have shorter walk-ins than romthe car park to the wall.Forum and Next Steps The UAE climbing orum (www.uaeclimbing.com) orOutdoorUAE.com should be your next stop to nd more in-

ormation and partners. Use this as your primary in orma-tion source and do register and meaning ully contribute toit. For those o you who have only previously climbed onindoor walls I would urge caution be ore throwing yoursel at the nearest cli without getting some in ormed guid-ance. The similarity between indoor and outdoor climbingis compatible with the di erence between driving a ped-dle cart in the yard and a Land Cruiser blind olded on theSZR at rush hour.Qualifed InstructionI you are looking or quali ed instruction on basic climb-

ing, technical skills or learning to lead sport or traditionalroutes then contact the author direct.Bolt FundI you want to assist with the development o UAE climbingthen there is a bolt und where voluntary contributions arealways welcome to o set the signi cant personal contribu-tions that the route developers make themselves. To con-tribute, again, please contact the author direct.

The AuthorAbout the author Pete Aldwinckle; the less said the betterbut it is probably relevant to say that he has been activelyclimbing or 35 years on 5 continents, run a UK nationalmountain training centre, has been climbing in the UAE

or over 6 years, including development o new routes, andbuilds climbing walls, distributes 30 international brandso adventure sports and industrial rope access equipment.

Writen by: Pete AldwinckleGlobal [email protected]



26/36

"The Al Masaood Group has been involved in the marine business for over 60 Years, with anunequalled record in providing quality service. Internationally recognized, we have been awardedby Volvo Penta and Mares International Distributors of the Year for excellence in Sales, Service andSpare Parts over many years.

Al Masaood Marine is one of the largest distributors in the GCC for diving, fishing, skis, wakeboards,kayaks, jet-skis, marine tech clothing, boat care, boat accessories, marine engines for leisure andcommercial applications, marine generators, docking systems, marine fabrics, underwater lightingsystems, safety equipment and many more quality products.Al Masaood Marine deals with your entire marine needs with factory trained enthusiasts, who arereadily available to support your lifestyle with friendly advice, including how to enjoy the marineenvironment.Visit our showrooms located across the emirates and see how you can enhance your lifestyle. Ournew lifestyle marine store is now open in Al Quoz, behind Times Square for the latest products toenhance your boating world.Our team of marine lifestyle professionals will be available to explain the features and benefits of our award winning products and services fromleading manufacturers of technologicallyadvanced products.

Al Masaood Marine

Phone: +971 4 32 333 44Fax: +971 4 32 333 55

Web: www.masaoodmarine.comEmail: [email protected] S h

o w r o o m

D u b a i -

A l Q o u z

I n d

. A r e a ,

b e

h i n d T i m e

S q u a r e

C e n t e r

E x p l o r e t h e

p o s s i b ilit ie s E x t e n d y o u r s e lf

Li v e i t , d o n t d r e a m i t.


27/36

27

This section will be a monthly series, introducing di erentunctions o our website, www.outdooruae.com.

Commercial SectionYou will nd our commercial section on the top o everyactivity page under the topic search. You will only be ableto see commercial entries i you select an activity and click Go, on the right side o the page.

About OutdoorUAE.comFeatures and functions of the online portal. First issue - the search function

Commercial EntriesAll commercial entries are ree or the companies. I youhave any business related to outdoor activities, please sendthe required in ormation to [email protected]

I you know a shop or commercial outlet which you cantnd within our database please also in orm us at

[email protected], and we will contact them to getthe required in ormation to include them in our database.

It is important to us to have a complete database with allcommercial outlets related to outdoor adventures withinthe UAE. We will add commercial outlets without charging

or it. We will not judge or validate any business and remaina neutral in ormation provider. For any quotes about com-

mercials please use the orum or send us reader-articles.

About OutdoorUAE.com

There are three search lters, activity, category, and Emir-ate. I you choose all three lters and you will not get anyresults, extend your search by using ewer lters (e.g. choseonly an activity and a category). There are two types o entries, the basic one which gives

simple contact details, and the premium one which givesdetailed in ormation, pictures and a location map. To accessthe additional in ormation or a premium entry,click details.


28/36

28

Hatta Hill Park A Barbecue Spot set in the Green Mountain Park GPS: N2448.129 / E05607.797

Gear: any vehicle will make it there

It is a quiet, nice place, proper or recreation especially dur-ing the coolest months o the year, considering that you will

nd some nice turrets with grills or barbeques swimmingpools, playgrounds or children, as well as ootball, volley-ball and basketball elds and courts. In addition, you can

also work on your t-ness with those 198 steps

rom the gate o the park to the tower, on top o the hill.It is a peace ul place and the view rom the top is quiteimpressive.

Snoopy RockExperience the colorful underwater world GPS: N2529.290 / E05621. 590Gear: any vehicle will make it there

The Snoopy Rock, along with the Sandy Beach Resort isa amous place or weekend, snorkeling, and diving trips. The Rock is named a ter the cartoon dog Snoopy because

it looks like Snoopy lying on his back. Snorkeling and div-ing are amazing around this structure. Even i you are a raido deep waters, you will enjoy it and see a lot o underwa-ter li e. From shallow waters o about one meter to about10 meters, you will see turtles, color ul sh, sharks, and somuch more. The easiest way to enter is through the area o

the Sandy Beach Hotel,or which you will pay an

entrance ee. Therea ter, you may use the acilities and res-

taurants o the hotel. They also o er rental equipment, divetrips etc. I you come in rom the open beach you will haveto swim a bit.

Locations


29/36

29

Valley of Trees A desert ride from Shwaib to the Valley of Trees in Al Haiyir GPS: N2438.793 / E05547.002

Gear: O -Road vehichle requiredLevel: EasyTime: 2-3hrs drive - destination is great or camping

The Valley o Trees is a great location or BBQ and overnightcamping, which makes it a per ect destination or a desertroute. As usual or the sandy routes, there is no speci c wayand the route is a bit di erent every time. You could eitheruse only the end spot to navigate your way there, or ollowour track points.You come rom the E 44 in the direction o Hatta until youreach the Madam roundabout, here you turn right on the E55, towards o Shwaib or about 17 km. You cross a bridgeover a Wadi, where you have to leave the main road andcontinue on an unpaved road GPS N2446.838 E05548.942along the Wadi (a ter passing the bridge you have to go abit urther until you can make a U-turn and go back. Fol-low the unpaved road until you reach a gate with barbwire.Open the gate and pass down to the fat terrain (dont or-get to close the gate again). This would be the best time todefate your tires.

Route

have to take le t. On this part o the route it is possibleto lose the tracks, but dont worry and continue until thenext track point. From here its easy to ollow the tracksagain until GPS N2438.987 E05545.874, where you haveto turn le t again. You are now close to the Valley o Trees.I you would like to continue the easiest way, then take aright at the next junction and ollow the tracks until youreach the valley and continue rom there (you will see allo the trees) to the nal coordinates or choose your ownspot. Alternatively, make your way through the dunes. Finaldestination: GPS N2438.793 E05547.002. The length o theroute is roughly 30km and the time strongly depends onyou, but you should calculate 3-4 hours i you are not racingthrough the dunes and take some breaks. While you can

ollow almost the whole route on tracks, and it is an easydesert route and good or beginners, there should still be atleast one experienced driver within your group.

GPS N2446.591 E05549.812 A ter driving along the bor-der ence to Oman, you will nd a track leading into thehigh dunes. I you havent defated your tires, you shoulddo it now GPS N2443.932 E05549.500. Follow the track until you see a construction site. Take le t be ore the sur-rounding ence (GPS N2443.699 E05548.860), and ollowthe track until you reach a camel arm. For rst-timers inthe desert, its a good chance to get close to camels and

its worth stopping or a ewminutes. To continue the

route, enter the dunes a terthe camel arm next desti-nation at GPS N2441.824E05545.344, where you

Have a rest and enjoy the green surroundings with a BBQ orovernight camping. Please dont leave any garbage!You can reach Al Haiyir rom here within 10minutes whereyou nd a compressor at a small workshop GPS N2436.595E05546.202 and have direct access to E66, the Dubai - AlAin Road. I you want to go only or BBQ or camping, youcan access the Valley o Trees directly rom Al Haiyir. Check this route out online with more coordinates and a detailedGoogle-map on www.outdooruae.com in the sectionRoutes.


30/36

30

Desert Balloon AdventureThe desert from the birds eye view, a lifetime experience! At our a.m. my alarm went o . I opened one eye and knewthat there was no time to waste. I jumped out o the bed,brushed my teeth, washed my ace and got dressed allin the usual ve minutes. No time or co ee, but, instead,grabbed the one essential item or the day, my digital cam-era. A ter getting out o bed widely known as the hard-est part o each day I ound mysel happy to be awakeso early in the morning. It was still dark outside and veryquiet. Un ortunately, when I got into the car I realized Id be

acing high humidity and some og. A ter a ew minutes inthe car I was not only a raid o the og and the risk o badvisibility later on, but my schedule was at stake! I ran outo petrol and had to make an uncalculated stop. I had tobe at Festival City Centre at 5:15 sharp, and or a Germanthat means being there at least ten minutes earlier. Enter-ing a petrol station at this time is quite amusing especiallythis particular one close to the Greens. I had the eeling that

the people who had le t the clubs were stopping at thisstation early on Friday morning to get something to eat ordrink. When I looked at their aces, I was una raid o lookingas though Id just gotten up. Some o them looked muchworse then I did, or sure. Anyhow, I was in a good moodeven with a tired ace, as I thought to mysel , today I will

nally experience fying in a balloon.Balloons are the oldest manmade fying objects in humanhistory. Flying hot air balloons began about 1750 years agoin China. As time passed, the Chinese invented small bal-

loons with candles burning underneath. The candle heatedup the air and the small paper balloon was able to fy. Theseballoons were used to send signals, and are still known andused as fying candles or di erent occasions. The princi-

ple idea is like that o the big balloons used today, and theormer can be considered the true beginning o balloon-

ing history. The rst big balloons were invented in 1783in France. One o the rst was made o canvas and paperand few or about ten minutes, at an altitude o up to 1500meters. The world record or open balloons was set in 1933with an altitude o 11,300 meters. Un ortunately, becauseo the low pressure and lack o oxygen, the pilots lost con-sciousness, but still returned sa ely to the ground. However,one year later those same pilots died in an attempt to break this record. The record or closed cabin balloons is morethan 34km altitude and was set in 1961. There are two maincategories or balloons; hot air balloons with an open hull(those with a device to heat up the air) and balloons lledwith a light gas (e.g. helium or, historically, hydrogen). To-day hot air balloons are mainly used or leisure fights, butthey are also used as weather balloons or by adventurers

attempting to use them to travel around the world.

Report - Desert Balloon Adventure

Picture by: www.wikipedia.org


31/36

31Report- Desert Balloon Adventure

On the day o my ride, I arrived on time at the designatedmeeting place where the ballooning tour operator pickedus up. They also did hotel pick-ups or tourists as well as hav-ing a pickup point in Abu Dhabi. Usually you dont drive di-rectly to the launch spot o the balloon, as the balloon de -nitely wont land in the same place where it was launched,so unless you have a remote-control car, youll be stuck without a vehicle upon landing. Rather, a bus will drive sev-eral passengers to the balloon and ollow it to its landingspot. I was quite surprised when I saw a minibus ull o peo-ple who would be our ellow passengers, and was told thateven more people would be joining us. The good news wasthat we would have to fy with two balloons which wouldresult in even more gorgeous views. We drove on Route 66,the Dubai-Al Ain Road or about one hour be ore we nallyreached our takeo location. During the drive, I was able to

learn a lot about ballooning rom the tour operator.

the balloon which can be opened though a line by the pilot.When the hot air is released the balloon will inevitably de-scend quickly. So do balloons fy wherever the wind takesthem? Yes, in a sense, but winds do not simply blow in onedirection. At certain levels o altitude, winds have di erentspeeds and di erent directions. The pilot o a balloon usesthese winds to guide the balloon but with the use o thewinds, the course is always a bit uncertain and there oreadventurous! With weather radar and weather orecasts thepilot knows in advance the general speed and direction o the winds, and can there ore determine where the balloonwill go.However, I personally didnt care as much about whereand how the balloon was fying, as long as it would fy, andas long as wed be fying over some amazing desert land-scapes.

I ound our Hungarian pilot Attila very experienced and thewhole team o Balloon Adventures to be extremely pro es-sional, as well as being one o the worlds biggest and mostexperienced ballooning businesses. The equipment waswell maintained and the ground crew as well as Attila knewexactly what they were doing. There was nothing to ear.Luckily on the whole way to our takeo spot, close to thevillage Nahel (N 2437,256 / E 05530,057), there was no og;it was a little bit cold but the clear view mattered most tome. The ground crew prepared the two balloons, with each

balloon able accommodate up to twenty passengers, plusthe pilot. I was very much impressed by the large size o thebasket, which itsel weighs about 600kgs. The crew alreadyhad prepared everything or the launch o the two balloons.We got some brie instructions about onboard security, andthen, in tandem with the rising sun, the rst balloon arose!First, air was pressed with ventilators in the balloon be orethe burner was started and the rst huge fames lit up thestill-dark surroundings. Within about ten minutes, the bal-loon was ready or take o and the rst group jumped intothe balloon. To secure the balloon so that it doesnt takeo be ore the passengers got onboard, it was anchored bytwo cars on the ground. As soon as the balloon was ready,the passengers needed to quickly jump in, because thepilot needed the weight in the balloon. As soon as every-body was in the balloon, the pilot cut the security line tothe car and the balloon li ted impressively ast into the air.

A balloon is actually quite simple in how it unctions. It uti-lizes the basic physical principle that hot air is lighter thancold air and i you have enough hot air you can li t evenheavy weights. A balloon is simply a light hull lled withhot air. More speci cally, the hull is open on the lower sidewhere a gas-burner is placed. To control the height o theballoon, the air is heated with this burner. A balloon has nosteering and no break, which makes fying more compli-cated; the height can be adjusted with the temperature o the hot air in the balloon, and turns around its own middleaxis are possible using one fap where the pilot can releasehot air on a side. To lower the altitude, the air is not heatedup any more and the balloon descends slowly. To descendmore quickly there is a fap (called the parachute) on top o


32/36

32 Report- Desert Balloon Adventure

As I watched the process with the rst balloon, I couldntwait until ours was ready to ollow. About teen minuteslater I was the last one to hop into our balloon to take o . The compartment was not very spacious but there wasenough space to stay com ortable and have great views

rom all around. In the beginning the pilot has to use theburner at ull power, even or our big balloon which had a

our-burner. I could eel the heat in my ace while we wereli ted up into the air. The huge fames and the sound romthe burning gas being blown out with high pressure werequite impressive.Usually balloon fights are in the morning or the eveninghere in the UAE, mostly mornings. This is due to thermal li t,another air phenomenon. The sun heats up the ground andthere ore heats the air on the ground (as previously men-tioned, hot air is lighter than cold air). The hot air ascends

up in higher levels and, in exchange, cold air comes downrom the higher levels o altitude. This vertical circulation is

used in some aviation (like with gliders) but during balloonfights, it can be dangerous. It is possible that cold windsgoing down vertically could theoretically press the hot air,

rom the top o the balloon out o the lower opening andthe balloon would crash downwards. To avoid this e ectand risk, it is best to takeo as the sun rises, and nish thefight be ore this e ect begins. Another great part o thisfight time is that it allows one to see the sunrise rom the

balloon. As long there arent og and clouds, the view is alsomuch better than during the day or evening, and in goodconditions, one can see a view o hundreds o kilometers.I have already experienced several helicopter fights in theUAE as well as visiting the desert many times. However, see-ing the desert rom the perspective o a balloon passenger its breathtaking. During takeo everybody in our groupwas so exited that we cheered. We ascended directly up tothe highest altitude or our fight, which was about 900 me-ters (about equal to the peak o the Burj Kali a). And thatwas just the peak o the antenna, not the viewing plat orm.During my ride, the dark orange shape o the sun was risingbehind the mountains o the east coast. The desert was stillslightly covered by a thin haze and the sky was covered inwarm red and orange tones by ar one o the most amaz-ing sunrises Ive seen during my our years in the UAE.

A ter a mere ew minutes in the air I knew it was worth get-ting up so early and that this experience was worthy everydirham it cost. It is especially interesting i you have (as Ihave) been to the desert many times and like to navigate a4x4 through the dunes; its incredible to see it rom a birdseye view. From high above, the desert seemed like a yel-low or light red ocean with rozen waves. Especially in themorning, with the low sun and long shadows, the e ect was


33/36

33Report- Desert Balloon Adventure

emphasized. The warm and smooth morning light coveredthe scene with per ect ambiance. The twenty o us in theballoon were quiet, as everybody simply enjoyed the amaz-ing views in serenity. From time to time Attila broke thesilence by turning on the burner to navigate the balloon.I glanced at the aces o my co-passengers, and it was ap-parent how amazed they were like children, as they sud-denly discovered a gorgeous area, a camel, a green arm, aunique dune or even a rare Al Maha - desert antelope. A ter

having spent countless hours in the desert, I saw the rstwild living desert antelopes. While we still hovered abovethem at about 600 meters o the ground, they appearedvery small. But, as always, seeing wildli e in the desert is anice, albeit rare, experience. A ter a while Attila lowered theballoon down to about 100-200 meters. From this perspec-tive, everything was more amiliar to me, and not as ab-stract as it was rom higher up. From this altitude we couldsee all o the small details, like wind cutting the edge o adune, ootprints o animals, and the unique desert vegeta-

tion. The closer we got to the ground, the better I could eelthe speed o our balloon, which was about 15-25km/h. Thewind carried us quietly and smoothly over the dunes, sowe, and our colour ul balloon, cast our own shadow be oreus.When it was time to land, I recalled the short and simpleinstructions we were given on our landing positions. At-tila told everybody that we would land soon (N 241,207 / E 05532,168) and that we should secure our cameras

and other belongings, and hold tightly to the slings in ourcompartment. While hovering only a ew meters over thedunes, I realized that 20km/h was not as slow as Id previ-ously thought. Attila gave the signal to assume our landingposition and only a ew meters were le t until we skimmedthe sand. We hit a glitch on small dune rst, and the basketshook a bit, be ore we touched down. As a orementioned, aballoon has no breaks, but is still easy and sa e to land andto stop. I wont spoil the exact experience o the landing oreveryone, as it should be le t or ones own experience. Ill just say that it was a little surprising or me and my ellowpassengers, but it was the per ect end to our journey, andmade everybody laugh, or at least smile.A ew minutes a ter land-ing, the ground crew ar-rived at the scene to pick us up and stored the bal-loon on a truck. We gotsome re reshments andeverybody chatted about our fight. On the way back toour meeting location, most o the people used the hour-

long drive to take a nap. I was dropped o at Festival Cityby 10am and had a whole Friday o beauti ul weather anda great mood ahead o me. My verdict: A balloon fight maynot be cheap (it costs about 900 AED per person), slightlymore i you choose to buy souvenir photographs (whichcost about 100 AED and the 8x10 photos will be sent toyour P.O. Box even outside the UAE); but the experience iscompletely worth it or the great morning, including aboutone hour up in the sky.I few with Balloon Adventures Emirates LLC (www.bal-looning.ae, Phone 04 2854949) which I most de nitelyrecommend. They comprise o a riendly and very pro es-sional team which was necessary or my un orgettableadventure. Special thanks to Attila our pilot and to Peter

or an amazing experience and sa e fight. Daniel Birkhofer


34/36

34 Shops, Operators & Commercial Contacts

You can nd detailed information and other commercial entries online at www.outdooruae. com Use the search function on top of the page (see page 27).If you want to submit a commercial entry for free, please send us an email at [email protected] or call us.

Commercial Contacts - Shops, Dealers, Tour Operators, Rentals, Services...

Name Activity Category Tel360 Li estyle Cycling Dealer 04 33730134x4 Motors LLC O road Dealer

Documents

Magzine Feb Mar April 2010