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PRODUCTSTO CHECK OUT

Plenty of

www.OutdoorUAE.com

Vol. 6, No.

May 201

Price10.00 AED

10.00 QAR

1.00 OMR ON THE HOT SEAT

THE CLIMACTIC

FINISH TODMX 15/16

First GCC NationalSpartan Race

Winner Rashid Butti:

15 Things to Save the Waters!

Larn to Kiturf

Surfing in Wadi Adventure

SplashdownUAE’s coolest waterparks

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DUBAI

Showroom No. 8, Al Ghandi ComplexNad al Hamar Road, Ras al Khor

Tel: +971 4 2896100Fax: +971 4 2894914Email: [email protected]

MUSSAFAH

M4, Sector 13, 10th Street Tel: +971 2 5555144

DISTRIBUTORSQATAR

Protech Powered Sports CoStreet: Salwa Road PO Box: 91, Doha, Qatar

Tel: +974 44398030Fax: +974 44398030SalesEmail: [email protected]

OMAN

FairTrade Auto Services LLCP.O. Box 2636, Ruwi, Muscat

Tel: +968 96778552Fax: +96824701787

Contact personMr. R. K. SunderEmail: [email protected]

INDIANMOTORCYCLEGCC.COMAED 38,999FROM

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MIDDLE EAST’S OUTDOOR, ADVENTURE, TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE MAY 2016 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

The information contained is for general use only.We have made every attempt to ensure that the information contained in this magazine has beenobtained from reliable sources. The publisher is not responsible for any errors. All information inthis magazine is provided without a full guarantee of completeness, accuracy and chronology. Inno event will the publisher and/or any of our affiliates be held responsible for decisions made oraction taken in reliance on the information in this magazine.

All contents are copyrighted and may not bereproduced in any form without prior writtenpermission.

© 2016 Outdoor UAE FZEReg. at Creative City FujairahP.O. Box 4422, Fujairah, U.A.E.

WHEN YOU’REDONE READING,

PLEASE RECYCLE!

EditorFor editorial content and press releasesTel: 04-447 2030Mobile: 055 [email protected]

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

Mobile: 055 [email protected]

Published byOutdoor UAE FZEIn cooperation with A2Z EVENTSP.O. Box 215062Dubai, U.A.E.

OutdoorUAE Team

Kit Belen Our fishing pro

Nico de Corato

Diver and heli rescue swimmerwith Bergamo Scuba Angels

Get to us on Facebook!

Marina Bruce The Desert Diva andoff-road expert

EXPERTS & CONTRIBUTORS

Tel. 04-447 [email protected]

Distributor

Dar Al Hikma LLCP.O. Box 2007, Dubai, UAETel. 04-266 5394

Printed atGN PrintingP.O. Box 6519, Dubai, UAE

© 2016 Outdoor UAE FZE Vol. 6, No. 5, May 2016

www.OutdoorUAE.com

Facebook.com/OutdoorUAE

Twitter.com/OutdoorUAE

Instagram.com/OutdoorUAE

Dan Wright Freelance wilderness guide in the UA

Jake Lyle

Diving and Watersport Expert

Ian SebeldiaCirculation

Margo CiruelosSales and [email protected]

Katherine Cañedo Patangui

[email protected]

Ireneo ‘Jung’ FranciscoDesigner and Photographer [email protected]

Keith PereñaJunior Editor & Social [email protected]

Daniel BirkhoferFounder andGeneral [email protected]

Eulogy van DykEditor Qatar

[email protected]

Rachael BrufordTravel [email protected]

Helle Bachofen Von EchtElite Women Cyclist

We have been blessed with great weather in the last weeks. The temperaturesare not as high as the years before around this time and we had windy days and

even rain. We all know too well this will change soon and we will have months ofcontinuous heat ahead of us.

Cover photo by: Max Buzin

Enjoying it Whi it Lat

Ivana Chiles Health coach and outdoor enthusiast

Bandana Jain Outdoor and Lifestyle contributor

Even though this outdoor season was longer than usual, it felt as short as a blink. Somake the best of your time and enjoy hot but still pleasant days on the beach or in one ofthe many water parks you can find in our listings.

We have been busy testing for you new products and you can read all about it on thefollowing pages. From May onwards, we will also start providing some interesting anduseful videos about outdoor, travel, adventures and active lifestyle. So look out for Out-doorUAE on YouTube soon.

Even if getting out in the region will be limited over the hot summer months, we will doour best, to provide you information and hope to inspire you to get

outdoors, travel, share with us stories and photos, be active and justenjoy life. With all the hazards and challenges surrounding us at homeand at work, we need a few times a week for our salvation - going or

just simply dreaming about our next adventure. No matter how limitedyour time is, make the most of it and never look back on the days andopportunities you might have missed, this season is over but manymore lay ahead of us. So get out in this wonderful world, appreciateeach day and enjoy.

Nela MacoveiBusiness Development [email protected]

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OUTDOORUAE

CONTENTS

EVERY ISSUE

TRAVEL & ADVENTURE

10 JUST ADD VOLCOM

14 DMX – DUBAI MOTOCROSS FINAL ROUND

06 EVENTS CALENDAR

07 BEST SHOTS

08 OFF-ROADER’S CORNER: AHMAD’S NO-NONSENSE,

ALL-POWER FJ TRD EDITION

42 PRODUCTS63 DIRECTORY

EVENT & ACTIVITY REPORTS22 THE KILI QUARTET: EGO

24 MALDIVES: A TRIP TO HEAVEN ON EARTH

26 NOMAD’S ROAD: OMAN, THE CAMPING PARADISE

28 CROKANGO, OR THE DEADLY KISS OF THE

TIGERFISH: THE CONCLUSION

26 NOMAD’S ROAD: OVERLANDERS FOR LIFE

09 NORTH FACE ROCK RUN 2016

10 JUST ADD VOLCOM

12 DOWNWIND CLASSIC 2016

13 CUSTOM SHOW EMIRATES

14 DMX – DUBAI MOTOCROSS FINAL ROUND

16 DUBAI HOLDING SKYRUN

17 TEENAGE SUP STORIES

18 THE NEXT CHALLENGE – 7/7/7

19 COAST TO COAST - SURFING IN THE UAE

20 THE RISE OF THE UAE DRAGON BOAT NATION

21 DEFY GRAVITY WITH KITESURFING!

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OUTDOORUAE

OUR EXPERTS

TRIED & TESTEDPEOPLE

TIPS & TRICKS

60 WATERSPORT EXERCISES BY FITNESS FIRST

61 TOP 10 HOME MAINTENANCE DO’S

AND DON’TS BY REVOLUTION CYCLES

62 OUTDOOR EDUCATION

62 OUTDOOR EDUCATION52 ABU DHABI DESERT CHALLENGE 2016 - MARINA

50 XCAT RACING ACTION IN THE UAE - NICO

52 ABU DHABI DESERT CHALLENGE 2016 - MARINA

54 THE SUSTAINABLE DIVER - JAKE

56 MARK MCCABE –ALL AROUND WATERSPORT ENTHUSIAST

58 RASHID BUTTI AL QUBAISI – UAE REPRESENTED

CHAMPION RUNNER

34 OUTDOORUAE SUMMER GUIDE

41 CHALLENGE GRAVITY & FLY ABOVE THE WATER

43 TORQEEDO ULTRALIGHT 403

45 2XU ICE X SINGLET

47 FREEDOM ON THE DUNES - KTM MOTOCROSS

EXPERIENCE WITH MXDUBAI

49 POLAR M400 GPS RUNNING

AND CYCLING WATCH

30 NATURAL HISTORY

32 HEALTH POWERHOUSE: THE SELF HEALING REVOLUTION

34 OUTDOORUAE SUMMER GUIDE

39 HABITUALLY HEALTHY: RISE UP AND CONQUER

YOUR BREAKFAST

LIFESTYLE

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EVENTS CALENDAR STAY UP-TO-DATE WITH THE LATEST EVENTS

MAY 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 31

06MA

Y

NIGHT HOWLERA unique dog and owner run through the RAK mountains.

When: May 6Where: Wadi ShowkahContact: www.urbanultra.com

22MA

Y

AL GAFFAL TRADITIONAL 60FT DHOW RACEThe iconic dhow race in honor of pearl divers is making areturn.

When: May 22Where: Dubai International Marine Club, Mina SeyahiContact: www.dimc.ae

G4G SNOW HIKEIf you’re going to hike elsewhere in the world,this free training session is for you!

When: May 13Where: Ski DubaiContact: www.gulf4good.org

HAMILTON AQUATICS

LAST CHANCE MEET This is your last chance to cool down before thespring season begins!

When: May 6-7

Where: Hamdan Sports ComplexContact: www.hamiltonaquatics.ae

MAY

06SUNMAN FOR RICH 2016

You have three days to complete an honourbased full or half Ironman. Ready?

When: May 26-28Where: Anywhere in the world

Contact: [email protected]

MAY

26

MAY

13

WINGS FOR LIFE WORLD RUNThe Dubai metropolis is running for a second time for those who can’t

When: May 8Where: Dubai, UAEContact: www.abudhabi.triathlon.org

MAY

03TRAINYAS

Get training every Tuesday night in safe and coolspaces.

When: May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31Where: Yas Marina CircuitContact: www.damanhealth.ae

08M

A

Y

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OUTDOORUAE

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 copiesof the magazine and the Advance Off-road Guidebook: Sanjay Pradhan, Uros Mazej and Ernesto Viesca. Well done!

Sanjay PradhanCaptured during a Jet Ski championship at Sharjah

Uros MazejFatbiking with the family out in Al Qudra

Ernesto ViescaAfternoon in Musandam

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OUTDOORUAE

O F F - R O A D E R STHE

c o r n e r

Ahma’No-Nonn,Al-Powr FJTRD Eition

Want your 4X4 to be the next feature?It’s all simple! Just send us an emailat [email protected] with thesubject “Off-Roaders Corner” and you

and your car might just be the next oneon this page!

Don’t let the vanilla appearancefool you, Ahmad’s FJ runs the TRDPackage which for all intents andpurposes is one of the best ver-sions of the venerable Toyota FJCruiser people can get. Add to thatthe intimidating stance and youget a daily driver with more thanenough guts to take on anything thedesert throws at it.

Could you tell us all about themodifications that were made?Performance and cosmetic-wise?I believe and know that the car was designed

by the manufacturer after a lot of researchand testing and do not believe in cosmeticmodifications, period. Performance modifi-cations too need to be kept at a minimumand extreme performance modifications arean absolute negative. However, due to thisbeing an American specifications FJ, I had totake care of a few issues basically pertainingto the engine cooling and air intake system.I replaced the radiator installing a dual core,high capacity aluminium radiator, changedthe water pump and installed the Sy-Klone9001 pre-filter.

The FJ, being TRD specs, was already fit-ted with a TRD Bilstein suspension system,TRD cat-back exhaust system, A-track system,

central and rear diff locks. The FJ was thusready with minimum modifications.I have recently changed the suspension on

the FJ, upgrading to a Fox Stage 1 suspen-sion as the original suspension had becomeless responsive lately.

Do you have something thatyou would consider to be a“special feature” of your car?Being the founder of Dubai Offroaders, I’mvery active in the off-road scene in UAE andOman, and due to this, the FJ sees exten-sive off-road usage both in the deserts andthe mountains. This means that the FJ is aconvoy lead car on almost all the drives that

we participate in.The car also has to be fully prepared for

any rescue situation that anyone in the

Name: Ahmad Pervez

Nationality: Indian

Occupation: Founder of Dubai

Offroaders, Managing Director at Blaze

Computers L.L.C. and TECHSOUQ.COM

Ride: 2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser TRD Edition

Tell us a little backgroundstory about the car...I got interested in the FJ after helping Toyotacheck it out in the pre-launch testing in late2007. Then I was part of the team that helpedToyota/Al Futtaim launch the FJ Cruiser aswell as the Land Cruiser 200 back in 2008. Iwas driving a LC 80 Series at that time, whichis an iconic vehicle and one of the best off-road vehicles ever built. However, I wanteda stick shift and Al Futtaim did not have an

option for a Manual FJ at that time so I hadto import one all the way from USA. It costme an extra 1,200 USD plus a six week waituntil the vehicle arrived and was registered inUAE.

convoy may encounter. Or group belief isthat we do not leave anyone behind. Ourgroup officials and marshals make sure thatany car that goes in with us, comes out of theoff-road situation, with us.

That said, I believe in absolute minimal-ism and consider any tool be it the car or a

motorbike to be able to contribute a max of20% to the sport, IT’S ALL ABOUT YOU - thedriver/operator/ rider behind the machinethat is the “special feature”.

What were your other options beforeyou bought this car?I am a Toyota fan, after having kept and ex-perienced a Jeep Cherokee XJ, Jeep Chero-kee WJ, Nissan Patrol Capsula, LC 100, JeepWrangler and LC 80. I was thus very clearon my choice. I am really impressed with thenew generation of 4.0 Litre V6 Toyota en-gines, which are light, easy revving and withan excellent torque curve that’s especiallywell suited for off-road driving, developing

max torque at the relatively low 3000-3400RPM band. As your readers may be aware,this particular engine is being used on differ-ent models by Toyota from the Land Cruiser,LC Prado, Fortuner, FJ Cruiser, Four Runner,Hilux and even the legendary LC pickup!

How do you spend time with the car?The FJ is daily ride and my off-road com-panion. Most modern vehicles are very welldesigned and will provide years of reliableservice as long one takes care of them. TheFJ is also the base station and a carrier of allthe camping, off-road and rescue equipmentthat may be required on 2-3 day campingand hiking trips that we frequently do.

What 4x4 do you dream of owning?The next vehicle whenever the FJ needs tobe upgraded will either be the Mercedes-Benz G-Class G500 Gelandewagen or theLC Double Cab Pickup with the V8 Dieselengine. The two of them are both on theextreme ends of the spectrum with one beinga perfect marriage of luxury and functionalityand the other being a no-nonsense, reliablework horse.

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The UAE’s biggest Trail Run of the Year

The North Face Rock Run 2016 at Wadi Showka, RAK

The annual The North Face Rock Run tookplace at Wadi Showka, Ras Al Khaimah,and included mountainous terrain, shortclimbs and wonderful wadis. The trail runwelcomed athletes from around the Emir-ates and participants began at 4:35 p.m.and completed three distances, 5km, 10km

and 21km. The finish line came alive withmusic, entertainment and F&B where theparticipants celebrated their achievements.The winners were Ismail Ssenyange (21KMale), Yasmine Ouchatar (21K Female),Darryl Chiles (10K Male), Maria Anisa (10KFemale), Francois Maureta (5K Male), RefrefMohammed (5K Female) and Lucas Cohen(5K Male Junior) and Anna Maureta (5KFemale Junior) who won cash prizes of up to2,500 AED.

Explorers and adventuristsalike completed the biggest trailrun to ever take place in the UAErecently with The North Face RockRun which saw over1,200 trail runners. Now in itssecond year, The Rock Run haswitnessed massive growth, more

than doubling the number ofparticipants from the first race in2015. The runners completed therace in the beautiful surroundingsof Ras Al Khaimah’s ruggedterrain which was the perfectpicturesque backdrop.

Miquel Pancorbo, President of Sportsat Gulf Marketing Group said: “We areextremely pleased with the success of thesecond edition of The North Face Rock Run,and are already looking forward to return-ing next year even bigger and better.” Headded; “We’re honored to be able to growthe trail running community and bringsuch a unique event to the UAE, and aredelighted to see this community growthroughout the Emirates.”

Prior to the event and to supportathletes training for the event, The NorthFace hosted a series of training sessions lead

by the Founder of the Trail Running Group,Coach Lee Harris. The brand also launchedthe “Mountain Athletic App” in the regionwhich provided specific training, exercisedemonstrations and tips for the trail runners.

Ismail who took first place in the 21km dis-tance of The Rock Run added: “I had such awonderful day and experience at the race.The Rock Run is a truly exceptional eventwith a challenging yet thoroughly enjoyabletrail, and I am proud to have won first place.I can’t wait to run it again at next year.”

EVENT REPORT

Words + Photos supplied by: North Face Middle East

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OUTDOORUAE

EVENT REPORT

Jut Ad Vocom:

Photos supplied by: Max Buzin

Skate

1. Baxter Jackson2. Uros Kovacevic3. Omar Al Abbar

Girls Surf

1. Karina Bensemann2. Malu3. Tasha Young

Squids Surf

1. Noah Offord2. Luke Hussey3. Noah Dongier and Jared Cockle

Mens Surf

1. Lance Dicks2. Daniel Van Dooren3. Alexandre Oliviera

Groms Surf

1. Lucas Bay2. Theodore Desclee3. MatthewRhodes andAlexandre Sherwin

The winners in each of the categories were:

Waves, good vibes and the last ofthe gorgeous UAE winter left over100 spectators rapt as the region’sbest board riders battled it out onthe shores and the mini ramp.

Commenting on the event, Alex

Volcom , Wadi Adventure, and

RAGE brought the surfing and skat-ing culture alive in the UAE at “JustAdd Volcom” at Wadi Adventurein Al Ain over the weekend. Thecompetition is one of the biggestsurfing and skateboarding eventsin the Middle East. The day-longevent concluded its fourth editionon Friday bringing more than 45skateboarders and surfers togeth-er to relish a day of outdoorsports at Wadi Adventure,

the Middle East’s first manmade whitewater rafting,kayaking and surfing facility.

— Waiting for the next one.”The competitions were split in two cat-

egories - Surf Jam, where male and femalesurfers competed together in Under 12, Un-der 18, and Above 18 categories; and SkateJam Juniors (Above 14) and Seniors (Above14) and Best Trick.

Medvedev, Brand Manager for DDE ActionSports said, “We are all very pleased withthe event participant turnout and spectatorswho came down to support the event. It’samazing to see the constant growing board

sports talent in the region andthe positive vibes from all surfersand skateboards involved. Hope

to be doing more of these eventsand seeing new faces in the nearfuture.”

In the winner’s circle, KarinaBensemann, Winner of theWomen’s Surf category, said“It was an epic day with greatpeople! I would like to thank theRAGE and DDE team for lettingus have fun doing what we love

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EVENT REPORT

The RaceA fleet of 4x4s are snaking into the car parkat the Dubai International Marina Club, alloutfitted with their Fenn and Epic Surfskis.The DSKC trailer was the first to arrive atthe scene ready with the cooler box withice cold drinks and some snacks, watersportequipment and lifejackets while the earliestones patiently wait for the rest of the groupready to head out for some fun in the sun!

As paddlers greet each other like longlost friends that they probably are, a few

kids jump out of the cars and they toocan’t wait to play with the surfkis and otherwatersports equipment. Everyone unloadsquickly and in no time the DIMC is litteredwith Epics and Fenns. The sun is quicklysetting but the wind was nowhere to beseen. PFD’s, leashes and race briefingare absolutely imperative at this point toensure all participants smash the course

Downwind Classic 2016Making Surfski a Big Thing in the UAE

Organised by the Dubai SurfskiKayaking Club, the DownwindClassic 2016, is beyond a surfskirace. This wet get-togethergathers the most enthusiasticpaddlers in the region to test theirskills, socialize and enjoy the lastdrops of coolness out in the sea.The DWC attracted severalpaddlers along with a crowd ofsupporters staying back on theshore preparing a traditionalafter-race braai. safely. The convoy gathers at the beach for

the race briefing, this awesome energy andpre-race excitement was palpable. A cou-ple of minutes later as paddlers get on thewater a few enthusiastic cheers are heardfrom the DIMC.

The hard-charging fleet of surfskis swiftlygathers at the start line, the adrenaline ishigh and the heart is pumping. Paddlersplan their last minute race strategy andevaluate the conditions all to finish the hot-test of the season 11km course as fast aspossible!

Colin Campbell, club veteran, blows

the whistle and together with Gary Lukeand Doug Bitcon the race front pack wasformed. Paddling out next to The PalmJumeirah was refreshing as paddlers couldstill enjoy a bit of fresh air and catch theoccasional run. Once you reach the turnpoint and paddle back it’s when you feelthe heat! Paddlers really have to give 100%and push their physical fitness to the limits.

The distance between the front pack andthe remaining of the group kept increasing

during the race with a few newcomers at-tempting to come closer to the front pack.The gruelling 11km finished in no time

with top paddlers completing the coursewell under one hour. Paddlers start gradu-ally arriving to the finish line at DIMC andquickly share what we call in the community“war stories”. Previous war stories includeboats colliding against rocks, paddlerscrashing against each other, 30km/h maxspeed but this race was all about pushingyour body to the limits and beat the heat!

All paddlers did the course in excellentform and they all shared a great sense ofaccomplishment which makes it all worth-while. The paddle itself is fairly quick, but

the spirit remains for much longer onceback at the shores. Friends discuss thecourse and previous races, rookies takenotes of every word of wisdom from themore experienced ones, plans for bar-beques and future trips are discussed; thespirit of surfski is alive! This is what thisgreat community is all about. Discussionsfor the next season are already in place,promises to have bigger events with morepeople on-board of this great sport aremade.

To get involved please email us [email protected] or visit www.face-book.com/Dubai-Surfski-Kayak-Club formore details. See you on the water!

Words by: DSKC Committee

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EVENT REPORT

Compared to last year, this year’s showboasted a 40% increase in event space andwelcomed more than 25,000 visitors, 104

local and 63 international brands across 17countries. With a 450,000 square feet floorspace, this is the biggest festival of UAE carculture to date.

With this improvement to the show ingeneral, of course we too had to do our

Custom Show Emirates 2016UAE custom culture at largePhotos by: Nela Macovei and Charles PereñaWords by: Keith Pereña

For the second time coming,the OutdoorUAE team was proudto be a part of the 2016 CustomShow Emirates. Now in year two,the Custom Show expounded onits strengths last year and broughtmore cars, bikes, 4x4s, stunts andenthusiasts from all over the GCCregion to ADNEC, Abu Dhabi overthe course of five days.

own upgrades! Amidst the lowriders, themuscle cars and tuners, our SilverbackScoop Fatbike was proudly displayed on alldays of the show and it was a welcome treat

to everyone who saw it! This interest evenreached the point where people wanted tosnap photos with it, and even inquire wherethey could get to experience fatbiking. Theteam was more than happy to answer anyqueries about it as well as giving people freemagazines and offering the Second Editionof the Advanced Off-Road Guidebook atdiscount prices to the joy of many off-roadenthusiasts that visited the show.

Speaking of the cars, the number ofvehicles displayed during the event wasastounding. And that is an understate-ment. From the entrance alone, there wereclassic cars, a Camaro turned into a duallyand even classic pickup trucks! Inside the

hall was where it was mind blowing, Jeepscustomized beyond recognition with evenone inspired by vintage airplanes. A lot ofoff-road groups also saw this as an opportu-nity to gather and show off their cars. Therewas UAC4X4 and the UAE Hummer Team- who was also a part of the 2015 Dubai Off-Road and Adventure Show showcasing theirmodified and dune ready Hummers, and FJto name a few. The outdoor vibe within theUAE car community is impressive.

Another highlight of the show is the livedrifting and stunt driving event which waswidely attended by visitors last year. Likelast year, the outdoor arena was where mostfootfall occurred. For this year’s show they

brought in over 70 professional driftersroaring into action as they kept people onthe edge of their seats. The arena includedvarious stunts such as 4x4 and saloon

drifting, gymkhana and the fan favouritestunt driving.

Of the 950 cars that participated in thisyear’s show, it was quite difficult to choosethe best of them all. With each vehiclemodified based on the liking of their own-ers. But despite the difficulties, the King ofthe Show was hailed to be a golden NissanGT-R that came straight from Japan and at awhopping cost of 3.5 million AED; it was the

most expensive vehicle in the entire show.With all these being said, everythingabout this year’s CSE is literally bigger andbetter even bringing out the best of not onlylocal talent but also international talent aswell. We’ll see you next year in CSE 2017!

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OUTDOORUAE

EVENT REPORT

This season has wrapped and the cham-pionships earned. This was an excitingseason in for DMX. We started our seasonin October on a completely remodelled and

UAE Motocross and the Final Round of DMXMotocross is widely

considered to be the world’smost popular form of motorcycleracing. It is a form of off-roadracing that is done within anenclosed course. This sport is soexciting to watch and the wholecourse can be seen from thesidelines. Dubai Motocross Club

is Dubai’s original motocross track.It was created by a group ofmotocross enthusiasts andcontinues to run purely on thepassion and hard work of ourvolunteers and members. Wewelcome all our motorcycle friendsto join in on the motocross fun.

Photos by: Lacey Sexson, Jay R Mendoza and Fabian HoehnWords by: Lacey Sexson

newly designed track. Thank you to SeanGaugain of SRG Motorsports, your visionwas our club’s reality and it did not disap-point. The sport of racing motorcycles overa rough course with many obstacles; hillsturned jumps for our fast and skilful rid-ers, sharp turns, deep sands (we are in thedesert after all) and surprise hidden anduncovered rocks has kept our riders focusedand our spectators an unbeatable combina-tion of thrills and gut wrenching nervousenergy - especially for those of us with little

riders; like our family. Our Junior classeshave seen the most growth in the club thisseason, with over 41 riders this season. Wehave riders starting at age four and they donot disappoint. My own boys have beenracing with Dubai Motocross Club for fouryears now, each starting their race “career”at age four. They are Myles Sexson, age 9on bike number 86 - KTM 65cc Class andLiam Sexson, age seven on bike number 31- KTM 65cc Class. These kids, all of them areequal parts; heart and true grit.

Here at DMX (Dubai Motocross Track),we have already begun the planning fornext seasons schedule and changes. Hereis some basic information on our track and

club membership.

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We are a non-profit club. The Dubai Moto-cross Club Committee is made up of strongand passionate volunteers. We encourageclub memberships to financially support thedevelopment and maintenance of the trackand facilities. We welcome other motocrosssport enthusiasts to volunteer their time andprofessional skills to benefit our track for allto enjoy. Dubai Motocross track does NOTprovide insurance to the riders. It is manda-tory that each rider carries full comprehen-

sive personal insurance. These regulationsare posted at the track. You will also signthe indemnity form releasing the DMX trackfrom liability. Ride at your own risk.

Practice fees: Non-members AED100per day per rider (weekday or weekend).Members pay 50 AED per day per rider. Thetrack is closed on Thursdays and Sundays formaintenance.

We use Facebook exclusively to updateinformation on our track. Please checkthe page for information. DMX (DubaiMotocross Club)

It is a club for everyone; all nationalities,all age groups and all levels of riders. Our

race classes are testament to this.

DMX has two tracks: one main track andone exclusively for our junior riders, bothare located at the Club’s Motocross Park inJebel Ali across from Jebel Ali Golf Resort.

The UAE racing season runs from Sep-tember to April during which DMX hostsmultiple round motocross championship.

Membership fees: Single club member-ship 1,200 AED (1 Sep to 31 Aug), Singlemember unlimited practice 1,500 AED,

Family club membership 1,500 AED, Familymembership unlimited practice 3,000 AED.

Motocross is growing across the region.There is news in the air of another greatMotocross track in the works. We lookforward to growth of this wildly competitive,spectacular sport in the UAE.

See you in the dirt,

Motocr oss Mom, @laceysexson

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EVENT REPORT

An official event of the Dubai SportsCouncil, the Dubai Holding SkyRun saw arecord participation of 363 runners at the14th edition of the race, which is organisedin support of Al Jalila Foundation’s obesityresearch. The event is the second race in the

Vertical World Circuit (VWC) of skyscraperruns in iconic towers in famous cities. The

VWC 2016 kicked off in London in Marchbefore moving along to Dubai, and willcontinue onwards to Paris, Manila, Sydney,Beijing, Shanghai to conclude with theGrand Finale in Hong Kong.

His Excellency Saeed Hareb, SecretaryGeneral of Dubai Sports Council awarded

the prizes to the fastest winners. Other thanPiotr, who has set the current fastest recordother winners include the fastest female run-ner, Suzanne Walsham who reached the topin 8 minutes and 38 seconds. For the teamleg of the race, the win was given to TaliseFitness JBH who completed the race in 12minutes and 6 seconds.

Participants included UAE residents, inter-national elite runners and wellness-focussedcompanies, as well as Dubai Holding’s veryown team led by Ahmad Bin Byat, Vice

Place Name Time

1 Piotr Lobodzinski 00:07:18

2 Emanuele Manzi 00:07:36

3 Ignacio Cardona Torres 00:07:51

4 Gustavo Ayres Netto 00:08:58

5 Paul Drury 00:09:54

Place Name Time1 Suzanne Walsham 00:08:38

2 Dominika Wisniewska Ulfik 00:09:22

3 Lenka Svabikova 00:09:49

4 Cristina Bonacina 00:10:51

5 Ivana Kolaric 00:11:15

Place Name Time

1 Talise Fitness JBH 00:12:06

2 KHDA Warriors 1 00:12:08

3 Dubai Holding Fit N Roll 00:12:51

4 Talise Fitness MJ 00:14:125 Skywalkers 00:14:50

Male

Female

Teams

Words + Photos supplied by: Dubai Holding

On the 8th of April, DubaiHolding, in partnership with Jumei-rah Emirates Towers welcomedPolish runner, Piotr Lobodzinski tothe podium after setting a courserecord for the 2016 Dubai HoldingSkyrun after scaling 1,334 steps;265 metres and 52 floors to reachthe top of the Emirates Towersbuilding. He completed the iconicand popular race with a time of 7minutes and 18 seconds.

Results

Chairman and Managing Director of thecompany. All proceeds of the event go tothe generous cause of supporting obesity

research in the UAE.Talking about the causes that are being

supported by the Skyrun, Dr AbdulkareemSultan Al Olama, Chief Executive Officer ofAl Jalila Foundation, commented: “It is verygratifying to see our partnership with DubaiHolding on promoting health and wellbeingin the UAE go from strength to strength. Allfunds raised at the Dubai Holding SkyRunwill support obesity research, a major con-cern in the UAE and the region. Over theyears, we have been able to successfullyinvest in and advance medical research toaddress lifestyle related diseases, namelydiabetes, obesity and cardiovascular dis-ease. This further complements the positive

steps that companies like Dubai Holding aretaking to foster a fitter, healthier and moreproductive workforce and community.”

The Dubai Holding SkyRun was organisedby Talise Fitness and hosted by JumeirahEmirates Towers. Other sponsors included-Technogym, SHARP- ITL COSMOS GROUP,Dubai Eye 103.8, Physique TV , Coco Pro,Costa, Dubai Bone and JointCenter, du,MonViso, noviplus, OutdoorUAE, Reebokand Spinneys.

Dubai Holding SkyRun is a key pillar

Going th Vrtica Limit

2016 Dubai Holding Skyrun

of Dubai Holding’s Corporate WellnessProgramme, an award-winning wellnessprogramme that is completing its 10th year

in 2017.

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OUTDOORUAE

ACTIVITY REPORT

Tenag SUP StoriWords by: Guy Welchman

Paddleboarding in Dubaihas grown massively over the pastfive years. I personally started thesport in which I have become sofond of back in 2012, introducedto it by Tati, my trainer at the timeas well as my teacher at the DubaiEnglish Speaking College. WhilstI was in year eight she had startedan after school club and wewould go to Sunset Beach andnon-competitively race around

and try some of the differentpaddleboarding techniques.

Sadly, the after school activity stoppedbut I continued to train in a bid to becomebetter for my own personal fitness andalso as the sport was growing and Iknew I needed to push hard to becomecompetitive.

me with a Suunto sports watch to help mekeep track of and observe how I train. Itshows my distance and average speed viaGPS, helping me to track my progress andbecome better each time I race.

I am proud to be a young athlete in theUAE especially taking into consideration

that I am Type 1 Diabetic. I hope to inspire,captivate and motivate young up andcoming athletes and especially diabeticswho feel intimidated about entering sucha sport. I hope that we can help grow thesport and build the next generationof paddleboarders here.

OutdoorUAE congratulates Guy Welchmanto his titles at the UAE Teen Sportsand Fitness Awards held on April 21!

• 3rd place in the Fittest Teen U16Male category.• 1st place in the Sports Personality of the

Year U16 Male category.

In 2014, Ocean Sports, the Naish MiddleEast distributor gave me an opportunity that

would completely change the way I had totrain and meant that I had to show extracommitment from myself and towards pad-dleboarding. I became a sponsored teamrider and was fully exposed to the sport ata competitive level. Naish gave me a goodrange of paddleboards to further my abilityand strengthen my paddling technique andwinning capability. For that I am very grate-ful as I am sure without my current equip-ment, I would not be coming first in juniorraces and scoring top five results in the adultclasses. Thanks to my 12.6” Naish JavelinLE, a true motorless speed machine!

Training plays a key part in the develop-ment of one’s ability to do anything, regard-

less of the sport. However, for me trainingconsists of early mornings and mediumto long distances. My trainer at present isAmer Dandachi. He guides a small teamof paddlers, normally starting from KiteBeach and going 10km along the coast inthe mornings before the heat would get toomuch. All of this would be done to build upa level of fitness that would assure results atany competition. Recently the team trainingdays have been less with our usual team aswe were informed the joyful news that Amerand his wife were having a child.

So now, my father and race day com-panion, takes me training every Friday andSaturday. I train with my good friend Conrad

Bay and we normally train for around 7kmalong the coast. Although the 10km has de-creased to 7km, training has not been madeeasier as in addition that I am now doingtraining during the week with FittHPC a gymthat offers specialist training for any sportthat you partake in. Danil Bourneventure, mypersonal trainer, is a great supporter in mysport and makes it his priority to make mea top level athlete and a paddler with bruteforce. Equipment plays a vital role in the waythat I do my sport and Naish have supplieda paddle and board that can be used in thegym - both are much needed components.Also I have recently received sponsorshipfrom Adventure HQ who kindly equipped

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OUTDOORUAE

ACTIVITY REPORT

Words + Photos by: Bandana Jain

The Ultra-athleteBraces for the Next

Challenge - 7/7/7

“Every sportychallenge shouldhave a bigger ideabehind it. Sportsbenefit not only ona personal level,but can also bea great contributortowards goodness. If one can dosome outstanding challenge thatgarners public attention, then whynot dedicate it to matters thatreally deserve attention,” observesOlga Zolotova, who is all set to takeon her next challenge!

Date: 5th May to 11th May.Time: 2:00 A.M. until 8:00 A.M. daily (dueto weather conditions, Olga will start herrun in the wee hours of the morning)Route: Starting from Abu Dhabi-Dubai– Sharjah- Ajman-Umm Al Quwain-Ras AlKhaimah and finishing in Fujairah.Distance to be Covered: Olga plans torun 50km each day in each emirate, whichshe will finish in six hours, so the totalrunning time within the week will be 42hours and the total distance to be coveredis 350km.Running Technique: During first 20 km,she will take a break once in 10 km. Afterthat every 25-30 min, she will take a fiveminute break.

Hardships in Olga’s 7/7/7 Challenge

• Physical challenge - Olga will be runningcontinuously for seven days, so she barelyhas any time for recovery (because thebody experiences pain and soreness theday next to marathon)

Olga says - “The challenge is to train mybody to be able to take that pressure andto recover as much as possible under theconstricted time frame.”• Logistical challenge. For the ultramara-thons, a straight route is always preferred,

avoiding routes in circles and sharp turnsas that puts extra pressure on the legs.Olga says - “It is quite tough to find

such a route in some of the emirates, somost probably I will have to sacrifice myconvenience and adapt to the situation.”Training: Olga runs for 3-4 days per weekwhich is a combo of interval trainings withlong aerobic runs. Another three days areallocated for the gym where she practicesstrength and general physical exercises.“But the preparation goes far beyondphysical aspect… it is more of dedication,discipline and perseverance,” reckonsOlga.

Details of the 7/7/7 Challenge

Challenges are not new to Olga. In Octo-ber 2015, Olga took up her first challengeof cycling 400km across seven emirates in24 hours. Next, came the 200km solo run in24 hours in December 2015. And comingMay will see the twenty-five year old Rus-sian ultra-athlete brace up for her nextcharity challenge - 7 ultra-marathons in 7emirates in 7 days! Slated to take placein the first week of May 2016, this solochallenge is dedicated toJusoor, a charitable or-ganization working for theeducation of Syrian kids.

Olga has always dedi-cated her challenges forsocial causes. Earlier it wasto support kids’ educationin developing countriesand for the treatment ofchildren in a cancer hospitalin Pakistan. This time, shewill be focusing on raisingawareness for the educationof the Syrian refugee kids.For Olga, there is anotheraspect of seeing the chal-lenge - a great opportunityto explore each emirate in a

different way (as she has never run mara-thons in any emirate except Dubai). Andlastly, a challenging aspect from the physi-

cal perspective as she has to run literallyevery day with hardly any time for recovery.

“My next charity challenge is dedicatedto supporting Syrian kids’ education incooperation with Jusoor. Jusoor is an NGOof Syrian expatriates who help refugee chil-dren to receive primary education. They arecurrently running two schools in Bekaa Val-ley (Lebanon) where 650 kids are receivingprimary education. It costs approximately700 USD per year to educate one child andboth schools are running entirely on dona-tions. Some of these kids have lost theirfamilies, others missed years of school dueto the tough political situation in their coun-try. For most of them these refugee schoolsare the only chance to get educated.”

Olga will be running 7 ultra-marathonsin 7 emirates in 7 days in order to raiseawareness on this matter. “My target is tocollect at least 25,000 AED (7,000 USD)which will hopefully help ten children tocomplete a year of education,” says Olgawho had recently travelled to the refugee-camps in Lebanon (on the Syrian border).“I was moved to see children as young asfive years old selling tissue boxes on thestreets!These kids are so happy to cometo the school, they are happy to mingle

with other children and mostimportantly, they have a hopefor better future. I want tohelp them because thesechildren, for sure deserve afar better life!”

When asked, what Olgaaims to achieve from thischallenge on a personal level,she replies, “The main ideais self-development. Chal-lenge is a great catalyst ofevolution. You need to stepout of your comfort zone andexpand the boundaries inorder to develop yourself andgrow. And every tomorrowwe try to be better than whatwe are today.”

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Photos by: Abdel ElechoWords by: Carl de Villiers

ACTIVITY REPORT

Despite numerous construction projectscausing the opening and closing of beachesfor surfing along the coastlines, the sport hasgrown in popularity in the UAE with surfers,

longboarders, bodyboarders and paddle-boarders attacking the waves with vigourwhenever a swell is on the horizon. The besttime of the year for surfing in the Gulf is any-time out of the summer months, although wedo get swell almost all year round but infre-quently and for only a few days a month. Thebest months are however the cooler wintermonths from November to March.

Occasionally, the east coast of the UAEgets incredible cyclone swells and makes thisarea look like a topical paradise with longpoint breaks and epic surf that most peoplewould never expect from the emirates, whichis usually looking like a lake every day! A fewtimes a year, the east coast also gets messy

storms which produce some rideable wavesand surfers flock from across the emirates toscore some fun rides.

There is surf just about everywhere in theUAE but in various forms, strengths andshapes and at different times of the year -you just need to know where and when tolook. Here is a list of the most commonlyknown spots:

Abu Dhabi: There is not too much to surfhere barring at Saadiyat Island where there isa small wave. It generally breaks far out andfades in to be a shore break. Best on the SUPor longboard. Rumours of offshores islands inthe area producing surf too.

Ghantoot: Some small waves here but whenit’s bigger it tends to break far out in the mid-dle of the bay and roll in with less power.JBR: This used to have some excellent wavesand the DEWA plant at the bottom of the

The UAE is an absolute freak ofnature for surfing and incrediblyunique as the shape of the Gulf isperfectly long and thin and it funnelsthe northwesterly shamals we getover the winter months into somegood size waves for surfers. Warmwaters and mild to wild waves makeit a great place to learn to surf too.

Marina was a good place to surf but access isnow limited by construction.Black Palace Beach: There are waves in front

of the palaces all the way down to the Burj AlArab but don’t expect to surf them with yoursurfboard as these areas are privately ownedso off limits to surfers. You can however sneakthe occasional wave while Paddleboardingup and down the coastline here.Sunset Beach: Dubai’s long standing mainsurf beach next to the Jumeirah Beach Hotelwith a beautiful backdrop to the iconic BurjAl Arab hotel. This place used to have epicwaves however over the years has becomeincredibly crowded with the beach being per-manently changed by the ongoing construc-tion of the bay. It is now a very dumpy wavewhich can however offer up some barrels inthe right conditions but beware of the dreggy

steep waves and overcrowded surf.Kite Beach: The addition of groynes on thisbeach has developed a few surf spots soscout the area next time there is a big swell,you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the neat lefthanders coming through.North Beach: A popular surf spot on a man-made island offering good waves for inter-mediate and advanced surfers. Its flat bang inthe middle of some highly sought after areasfor property development so enjoy it whileit’s still accessible.Mamzar: Access for surfing is limited to thisbeach (you may even be denied permissionto surf) but on the off chance you get somewaves, this spot has a great peak and works

when there is a bigger swell. It can also bea little wind protected during messy swellsand offer a slightly cleaner waves with lesscrowds.Sharjah: There are 2 beaches here which of-

fer good waves. Al Khan 1 is near to Mamzar(and behind the Sharjah Aquarium) and has agreat beginner and intermediate wave on theleft hand side of the beach; lots of good leftson the high tide and mixed peaks down thebeach on the low tide. Al Khan 2 has somewaves and is close to the port. Not too manycrowds on either of these areas so ideal forthose surfers wanting to have a mellow surfand some waves all to themselves.Ajman: This places gets really good whenyou get a big thick overnight swell andoffshore winds. You can get long rides andbig barrels in this emirate. Works best on midtide and the best spots are near the jetty on

the one side and the adjacent side next to allthe fast food take out restaurants.Ras Al Khaimah: Some breaks near Al Ham-riyah with fun waves and lots of exploringpotential. This would be a good one to visitwhen the swell is on, as there are some hid-den spots to find.Kalba: On the Fujairah/Kalba border thereare some fun beach breaks. On the left handside of the DU building is a long beach whichis slightly protected from the wind and offersup some fun waves on a messy wind swell.Khorfakkan: Some classic beach breaks inthis area with a world class A-frame wavewhich forms on the left hand side of the bay,only when cyclone conditions hit the East

cost of this Emirate which is only every fewyears…well worth the wait!Sandy Beach: On the far right hand sideof this popular holiday destination is thepremier point break “Tim’s Reef” which is anexcellent place to surf when the swell is on.However, it does get crowded with most ofthe Dubai surf scene driving across Emirateto chase the swell.

In between all these places are spots whereyou can explore on your own, just follow thesurf reports, obey the law of the land andgo searching! There are also a number ofresources for swell reports, surf trips, gearand learning to surf. For more informationon the surf scene in the emirates and

surrounding regions, get connectedon www.surfshoparabia.com.

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ACTIVITY REPORT

Photos supplied by: UAE Dragon Boat NationWords by: John Panuelos

Dragon boating traces itsroots from ancient China as part ofreligious rituals dating back morethan 2,000 years. From an ancient

practice of venerating a deity,it now evolved into a sport thattests the skills, techniques andendurance of a person. It is a teamsport which comprises the helm,the drummer and the paddlersworking out together and aimingto reach the finish line faster usingthe boat.

Its prominence as an adrenaline filledhuman-powered watersport became phe-nomenal worldwide and the United ArabEmirates is not spared; from the very few

teams at its onset, it has grown into morethan twenty teams actively participatingand competing in local and internationalarenas, as well as producing world classpaddlers and champions as evident on the

Th Ri of th UAEDragon Boat Nation

recently concluded 10th Club Crew WorldChampionship held in Adelaide, Australia.

With the growing numbers of paddlingenthusiasts, the dragon boating communityis becoming a big family and the birth ofUAE Dragon Boat Nation is conceptualizedto bond all teams and provide the socialmedia platform of all dragon boating activi-ties, news and information.

It provides directories for all UAE dragonboat teams to guide all would be enthusi-asts to locate the different team’s traininglocation and timings which they will findconvenient if they wish to try. The sportwelcomes everyone from all fitness levelsand doesn’t discriminate whether you area couch potato who decided to start beingactive or an adrenaline junkie who wants totry another sport.

The community page also gives an up-date for the calendar of events on incomingraces locally and internationally to keep allthe teams informed and to prepare them ifthey are sending contingents for the races.It also apprises everyone as to the latest

happenings on the race itself includingresults of the competitions.The Facebook page is now the unofficial

source of what’s the in and out of dragonboating and a way to connect with other

fellow paddlers and other teams in theUnited Arab Emirates. It provides an av-enue to express the shared passion on thelove of the sport. It captures the zeitgeistof the race event and shows not just thecompetitive side but also the quirky andfun nature of paddlers. They also share theknowledge of the sport and the new tech-niques being used to improve the paddlingskills of the team.

In a water sport where synchronizationand team work plays a vital role in winning,it also teaches every paddler the impor-tance of making an alliance and fosteringcamaraderie and not to treat other teamsas foe but friends as well. The UAE DragonBoat Nation came into place to bridge thisalliance, being a non-partisan and non-profit organization dedicated to uniting allteams in the United Arab Emirates and tocover all events related to dragon boatingand promoting the sports.

If you are interested in meeting the UAEDragon Boat Community and want to bepart of it or simply curious to try the sport,you could check for the UAE Dragon BoatNation Facebook page at facebook.com/UAEDBN/, they have the directory of vari-ous UAE teams’ in which you could test a

dragon boat and most teams are offeringfree sessions for beginners.

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OUTDOORUAE

ACTIVITY REPORT

Words by: Christelle Schaal

What is Kitesurfing?Kitesurfing is a very complete activity, aperfect mix between wakeboard, snow-board, windsurfing, surfing, paragliding andgymnastics all that turned into one extremewatersport. Once you got the right equip-ment, all you need is wind blowing! Thewind will propel you out of the water andmake you ride the ocean while supportedby your kiteboard. And jump if you want to!Sounds good right?

Let’s Get Started!As I said, anybody can learn, so whether youare 10 or 75 years old, man or woman, you

can enjoy this awesome sport. As long as

Christelle is a big kitesurfing enthusiastand can be regularly seen taking to thewaves and feeling the wind around her.She wanted to share her passion forkitesurfing and XKite was born. HereChristelle and her team welcome thosewho are eager to give kitesurfing a goand to learn more about the sport and bekitesurfers themselves. To see moreof what she does, visit www.xkite.ae.

Defy Gravitywith Kitesurfing!

So you’ve heard about thatawesome sport called Kitesurfing?Or maybe you’ve seen kites flyingat the beach and some peoplejumping high over the water? Haveyou wondered if you too, could dothat? Well here is the good news,anybody can learn to kitesurf. AndI am going to share with you all thethings you need to know to get you

started!

you know how to swim a little and have nomedical restrictions for that sport, you cango for it! Don’t be scared, contrary to what

people think, you do not have to be reallyfit or strong, and girls make great kitesurferstoo by the way!

Now, unlike other sports that you canteach yourself, kitesurfing is a sport thatrequires professional supervision by a quali-fied kitesurf instructor. You cannot just buyequipment, go to the beach and try to learnon your own… Remember this is an extremesport and for your own safety and the safetyof other innocent beach goers, you need tolearn to kitesurf in a responsible way.

Take Lessons You will need an average of 10 hours les-sons before you’re able to kitesurf on your

own. The school will provide you with all thetraining equipment, you just need to comewith your board shorts/bikini, sunscreen andsmile on!

Average cost will be around 2,500 AEDfor private lessons and 2,000 AED for semiprivate. At first, prices may seem expensive,but trust me, investing in a few lessons is inyour best interest and will be money wellspent, as you’ll not only become a safer kite-surfer, but you’ll also learn much quicker.

EquipmentOnce you’ve completed your lessons oreven during your lessons, you can considerbuying your own gear. In this way, you

can practise on your equipment while stillunder the supervision of your instructor.

You will need at least one kite with a bar, akiteboard, a harness and a pump. Speak toyour instructor who can advise you on thedifferent types of kites and the best size tobuy depending on for your weight and localweather conditions. Our school uses thebest and latest equipment from Naish andProlimit - brands made for kitesurfing and allother watersports.

Voila! That’s all you need to know fornow… So, if you feel you are ready todiscover a sport that will bring you pleasure,will make you look super cool and keep youfit and tanned at the same time don’t lookany further! Trust me when I say this: onceyou have started kitesurfing, you becomeaddicted to it for life!

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TRAVEL & ADVENTURE

Photos Supplied by: Sancho Barcia

Words by: Ben Thomas

Th Kii QuarttAct 2: Ego

45% of all climbers make it tothe summit of Mt Kilimanjaro. It’strue. That’s the published figure byKilimanjaro National Park althoughcompanies publish their figuresat 75%. The catch? An altitudeof 5,985 metres and a horizontaldistance of 70 kilometres to coverwith our group having as muchaccrued acclimatization as astranded fish.

lump that has returned to bask in their richlydeserving praise. All of these triumphs arewonderful accounts of success in the face ofadversity that weigh heavily on the shoul-ders of our group seeking to follow in theirfootsteps. And thus compound the desireto avoid the condescending post climb

comments of: “but you did your best,”or the glib “there’s always a next time,”that accompanies any spectacular physicalcollapse. Just ask Jordan Spieth about hisperformance at the recent Golf Masters. Iam sure he heard all of the above, but in hismind he choked — impressively.

As a general rule, collective wisdomsuggests that an organized and committedfitness program triumphs shawarmas andshisha in preparation. So a little pre-expedi-tion training may go a long way toimproving our post Kilimanjaro dinnerconversation. “I did it- the top was sublime”carries more punch than having to mutter, “Ididn’t make it,” quietly, and then having to

explain the details of being carried off,gibbering like a lunatic.Success should also help placate our

generous sponsors who have so far contrib-uted 20,000 dirhams of the targeted 50,000dirhams (More donations gratefully re-ceived). Sancho and Michele will spend tendays at the orphanage working alongsidethe staff their teaching and helping out withthe projects.

Planning for fitness training often suffersfrom the sense that more complicated andtechnical is better than simple. We generallygo for smarter phones and more compli-cated cars so why not apply that logic toexercise? As a group we have thoroughly

endorsed this by making our training as di-verse and difficult as possible, despite goingon what is essentially a long and steep walk.

Sancho, at seventeen and with the bound-less energy of a youthful triathlete, is fol-lowing a particularly gruelling schedule. Histraining is weekly and involves:

Sunday: 1km early morning swimTuesday: 10km early morning run aroundArabian RanchesWednesday: 50km bike ride at the DubaiAutodromeFriday: 30km mountain biking in the HajarMountains at Hatta or Wadi ShowkaSaturday: 65km bike ride around the Al

Qudra loop.

Neil, a product of the 70’s, will follow amore traditional upper body gym-basedprogram for two days, attend circuit ses-sions once, and flog himself through thesummer heat in and around the Marina fortwo 10km runs per week. The plan for Neil isto up this in July in preparation for the start

of our climb on the 2nd of August, 2016.As the oldest, and with the greatest physi-cal wear and tear, I have thrown myself withrenewed vigor at Freeletics gym with lots ofrowing for good measure. The aim for allis to improve our VO2 max whilst alsodeveloping our leg and core strength.

So that’s sorted then and this is our guideon how best to approach climbing MountKilimanjaro; I am planning on burpeeingand rowing my way to the top, Sancho andMichele will swim and cycle and Neil willhave to do it on his hands.

Realistically what we should do is clearlymuch more simple - practise walking,preferably on hills, a lot.

The Kili Quartet is composed of Geogra-phy teacher Ben Thompson, students San-cho Barcia and Michele Longhi and NeilDavies on a quest to climb the high-est freestanding mountain in the world.Their journey sees them preparing for thefateful climb as a group of friends for thecause of helping children in Tanzania aswell as teaching them math and English.To support their cause visit www.crowd-funder.co.uk/upendo-childrens-home-fund-raiser or follow the climb atwww.facebook.com/uchkiliclimb

So the question dominating all thoughtsin anticipation of our impending expeditionto the roof of Africa is how do we make it tothe top and not embarrass ourselves? Being

carried off by fit mountain rangers, past anassembled team of guides and porters snig-gering at another team of wazungukichaa,that failed to heed their expert advice of“pole pole” or “slowly slowly” makes it verydifficult to keep your upper lip stiff.

And this is the brunt of the Kili problem.Ego. In the mix is the heady whiff of testos-terone from four males that enjoy differentphysical disciplines. We also don’t knoweach other well enough to have any estab-lished pecking order. What could possiblygo wrong? Ego and competition are prob-ably the most likely causes of failed expedi-tions the world over and give Kilimanjarothat added excitement factor.

It’s not just exuberance and healthy com-petition that jeopardises any or all that willascend in this jolly foursome. Oh no, it’s thesteady accumulation of know-it-all friendsand family that mention some octogenarianKili summiteer or chain-smoking amorphous

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TRAVEL & ADVENTURE

I have shortlisted several options accord-ing to locations, such as Mexico, CaymanIslands, Maldives, Egypt, Bali and Raja Am-pat. After many long days of research I havefinally decided on Maldives for the followingreasons:

1. DistanceA movie and a nap would entertain afour-hour flight from Dubai. It’s pretty close!

After experiencing my firstliveaboard trip in Egypt’s Red Seaback in 2011, memories, experi-ence and the enjoyment kept flash-

ing back in my head! Every time Ibrowse the photos and the videostaken during that trip, I get inspiredto repeat the whole experience allover again! That’s when I’ve startedsearching the internet about livea-board options around the world.

A Trip to Heaven on Earth

2. Weather April boasts the warmest sea temperaturesof the year. During this month, average day-time temperature hovers around 29 degreescelsius, which is perfect for watersports andseaside activities.

During April, Maldives enjoys nine hoursof daily sunshine and relatively little clouds,

thanks to the still present northeasternmonsoon winds.

3. Diving QualityScuba diving around the Maldives hasrecently become hugely popular among thediving community. The hundreds of isolatedand deserted islands offer an enormousplayground for divers to explore. Dive sitesare divided to several types: pinnacles,channels, reef and wreck.

With 26 atolls spread over 90,000 squarekilometres, there’s plenty of pristine coral toexplore. The protected lagoons allow diversto float along with the tide to discover col-ourful sponges and soft corals.

4. Diving Package Affordability1,300 USD or 5,000 AED for seven nightsand eight days sounded like a bargainto me. It was especially attractive since itincluded en-suite accommodation on board,all meals, most drinks (water, coffee, tea,etc.), professional divemaster services, scubatanks, weights, weight belt, air refills, up tothree dives per day, one night dive and BBQon a deserted island.

Photos by: Guido Peeters, Krystal Leong and Laetitia ZimmermannWords by: Alaa Ali

Part 1

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5. Big FishIf you love big marine life, the Maldiveswill make your heart skip a beat! Talk aboutwhale sharks, mantas and an abundance ofvarious kinds of reefs. You may see more bigmarine life in one dive than you have in yourwhole dive career!

6. Liveaboard TripsLiveaboard cruises are plentiful in Mal-dives, and many are more affordable thanyou might think. Forget long transfers and

bumpy speedboat rides, whatever directionyou head you’ll find amazing dive locationsand a friendly atmosphere.

Day 1As soon as I landed at the airport, I wasgreeted and transferred to the main boat.The MV Sting Ray is an exceptionallycomfortable and spacious liveaboard boatoperated by one of the most experiencedand outstanding teams in the Maldives.After the arrival of all divers we spent thefirst night at the Hulhule Harbor near thecapital city of Male. Next morning westarted our journey heading towards SouthMale Atolls.

Day 2Kuda Giri - South Male(Wreck Dive)To most people this is a wreck dive since thesite is dominated by the small wreck that liesupright on the south Male seabed between15 and 35 metres depth. However the nameof the site described the giri, or pinnacle,that is found nearby and this too could beconsidered a dive in its own. You willprobably drop to the deepest part of thiswreck to begin your dive. However, thecurrents are often absent or negligible sothis is one site the less experienced divercan enjoy. They may wish to stay toward the

shallower bow section. The wreck was sunkon purpose to form an artificial reef and has

been well and truly colonized by orange, redand yellow sponges, as well as tubastraeacup coral.

When you are scuba diving on the wreckyou should look out for the big schools ofglassfish that hover together in the interiorand a large school of batfish that seems tostay around the wreck. The wreck is penetra-ble in via a couple of different methods, butit is small and any group penetration needsto be handled in an orderly fashion.

Miyaru Kandu – FelidhooAtoll - (Channel Dive)Not easy for beginners, especially in thepresence of strong currents, where you need

to descend quickly to the reef since currentsin the centre of the channel may be strongenough to wash you away. The upper partand the outer reef have got very nice coralswhile the channel slope is poor. Whileswimming, we kept the reef to the rightshoulder. Once we reached the bottom at30 metres, we have rested on a sandyportion of the reef and started observing

grey reefs with incoming currents, white tipreef sharks, jacks, turtles, napoleons,

groupers and sometimes also eagle rays onthe edge and in the channel.

Fotteyo Kandu - FelidhooAtoll - (Channel Dive)The mouth of the channel is exposed tothe ocean and when the currents areincoming, a good variety of fish speciesgather at the entrance to the channel. Thissite is considered one of the top dive sitesin the Maldives! Animals commonlyspotted include gray reef sharks patrollingthe channel mouth, Jack and tuna in deeperwater, schools of midnight snappers and redsnapper form in huge groups.

The wall features caves, overhangs and

swim throughs at different depths. Thesecaves and overhangs are filled with colourful,yellow, soft coral; deeper caves and the over-hangs are filled with huge bushes of blackcorals. The thila (Coral reef just below the sur-face) in the middle of the channel entrance isthe best place to do a safety stop. A surfaceballoon is a must at Fotteyo Kandu.

To be continued...


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Nomad’s Road:Ovranr for LifEpisode 3: Oman,the Camping Paradise

TRAVEL & ADVENTURE

In Oman , we chose to visit thenorth only from the UAE borderto the Indian Ocean and just drivesouth up to Masirah Island thengo back to UAE. We’ve got for this

a one month visa and it has beenenough to visit Oman properly.As usual we took time to reallyappreciate the nature and thebeauty offered by the Sultanate ofOman. We somehow had found theway we used to travel in Australia,setup our camp in peaceful natureand observe the Milky Way whileeating around the campfire.

We have crossed the border at Al Ainand drove straight to our first target - JebelShams, the highest point of Oman. To gothere, we have followed the advice froma friend of ours, driving off-road throughmagnificent landscapes, the tracks was notbad at all but the last climb to reach the topof the Al Hajar Mountain range was reallyhard; as we discovered our vehicle has got-ten an overheating problem. After hours,we discovered this breathtaking view of thevalley and the surrounding mountains andthe impressive canyon located right on sideof the road.

We continued our journey to Muscatthrough Nizwa by one of the most touris-tic routes and discovered some historicaland traditional places. We have done arefreshing stop at the Oasis of Misfat - oneof the must dos in Oman where you canwalk through a typical Omani’s villageand continue by a small walk in the oasisalong the irrigation canals that irrigate datepalms’ plantations. On the same day we gotenough time to visit a few other places likethe well-restored Bahla Fort and the nearbyNizwa Fort in middle of the city which

houses a large number of handicraft stallsand shops.

After a week of visiting the highlightspoint at north of Jebel Akhdar, we reachedMuscat, the capital of Oman. Although thecity is quite airy and it has a lot of greenspace, it is difficult for us to find a placewhere we can deploy our equipment forthe night. We spent our day exploring theinteresting points of the city and then wedeparted to the beaches to camp. It was onone of these beaches where we met Omaniguides who gave us a few places not tomiss during our stay. This complemented

Photos by: Grég, Magali,Natasha and Anastasia Trastour

Words by: Grég Trastour

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The Trastours is a family that has beenoverlanding the planet for as long as theycan remember! Made up of Greg andMagali as well as their daughters Natashaand Anastasia, The Trastours is a familyfilled to the brim with an unstoppablesense of adventure for the ultimategoal – to explore the world.

You can check out their next stop atwww.nomadsroad.com or look forNomads Road on Facebook and Twitter.

the ones we were already given by somefriends. We also realized that the old Muscatis not where the city centre is but at Matrah,a small and pretty town well organized alongthe ocean, nice to visit with its corniche andits old souk.

After leaving the capital we followed thecoast up to the city of Sur on alternatingdays between wadis and beaches, not tomention a few places like the Sink Hole,the largest ones on the Arabian Penin-sula and worth a visit because the wateris translucent. If we have some advice forfuture travellers and adventurers, don’t gocamping Thursday and Friday night on thebeach if you want have a quiet night. Weexperienced it twice — it’s nice for meeting

people but not for sleep. We really appreci-ated White Beach especially at night when

the waves become fluorescent green due toa high concentration of micro planktons.

We spent a few days in the wadis to enjoytheir peace and their grandiose environ-ment, swimming in their water holes andtaking advantage of the abundance of waterto do our laundry. Wadi Arbeieen was ma-

jestic as the Wadi Tiwi was spectacular withits huge rocks piled in the valley flow leavingthem beautifully clear water. We also did atour of the popular Wadi Shaam where it isimpossible to install a bivouac, hence ourpreference for wadis accessible by car.

After the second week to do 200km and afew stops, we reach Sur - a small town wherewe have seen a dhow factory and where wehave done a refill of food and fuel for therest of our stay on the East Coast. Our nextdestination, after a stop for few days on RasAl Hadd and Ras Al Jinz known as beacheswhere green turtles come to lay, was Ma-sirah Island.

This island is not really known and fewtourists who go to this place know there isnot much to see and do, except birds andbeaches. But that’s exactly what attractedus to this place. We love these places wherethere is nothing and especially not invadedbecause it means that nature is still intactand preserved. And indeed, spectacular

nature was outstanding.After crossing a beautiful network ofdunes that stretches for kilometres we ar-rived at the jetty where we took the dailyferry to the island. We found a heavenlyplace on a white, sandy beach, separatedfrom the road by large dunes. We were ableto enjoy this beautiful, emerald colouredlagoon, and had the impression of havingmade a leap in time and be back on PoeBeach in New Caledonia. We spent our timeon Masirah Island sunbathing and swimmingin the reefs enjoying all the colourful fishesand corals. However I was a little disappoint-ed by the lack of birds, especially because Icame there for it. I’ve been able to observe

more birds at the jetty on the mainlandbefore departure.

After these two wonderful days on Ma-sirah Island, we drove back to Muscat thenwe spent our last three days in one of thebest wadis we have visited during our tourof Oman. We have set up our camp in ameander of the river. We were completelyalone in the middle of this nature in thedepths of this wadi. Few vehicles cameup here because of the fords and gravellyriverbed. We took advantage of the naturalpools formed by the river to refresh us whenthe sun warmed the walls of the cliffs at thefoot of which we were installed.

This stage in Oman during our world tourwas one of the most relaxing we did, wefound our way to travel during our tour ofAustralia in 2006. Although in most coun-tries we never had any problems to deploy

our roof tents at night, Oman will remain acountry in which it was easier to camp, aswell as being in enchanting places.


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Words + Photos by: David Mailland

The Conclusion

The BivouacThe second part of our trip consisted infishing from a camp located several hoursfrom Guma Lagoon by boat, far fromcivilization, mobile phones, internet etc. Thethree tents were prepared the day before byGuy’s men and we realized that the logisticsrequired to set up such an expedition isimpressive.

The first night we all sat before the fire.While everything was calm again and theland gently breathed before entering thetwilight, the sight of juvenile tigerfish huntsaroused our enthusiasm. We rushed to catch

them, got some bitesand lost a few lures.Before that Guy ad-

vised us to get closer.“In broad daylight alion is afraid of you, atnight, it’s not the samestory.” Later, thecase of hippos wasalso discussed, Guyreminding us that inthis place the law of

the jungle applies and asking us to avoidarousing their delicate sensibilities with ourlures.

Our enthusiasm was not diminished bythese words of wisdom: after eating wedecided by mutual agreement to fish forcatfish using the remains of the barbecue as

baits: ten furious catfish were caught within10 minutes of which a good one around9kg, our biggest fish of the stay. We weresurprised at the speed with which they areable to detect the slightest whiff of anythingthat might be eaten. It was only at that mo-ment that we have agreed to join our tentunder the roar of the hippos and the sneerof the hyenas.

Fishing quality was substantially identicalto that of the Guma Lagoon. Many tigerswere captured, with a 4.5kg record. Whenthere were no catfish runs we fished theborders with lures or used bream fillet.

The tigerfish are willing scavengers, livebait fishing is therefore very productive.

Many bites are due to small fish nibblingthe bait permanently. To satisfy our curios-ity, we have captured some leaving a smallhook to hang at the end of our lines. Amongthe strangest species, we met Synodontismacrostigma, a yellow catfish with blackpoints. Its uniqueness is that it spends mostof its time swimming on the back as we have

observed later in the large aquarium that sitsin the middle of the lodge.

The presence of these small fish ballscircling endlessly around our bait has anadvantage: the attention of tigerfish isinevitably attracted and their usual mistrustseemed to disappear with food competition

effect. Outside the period of catfish run, livebait is clearly the most effective techniqueand one can reasonably expect to capturefive fish in one morning. The good spotsare the series of corners. These are primelocation for opportunistic fishtiger that standthere, waiting in the quiet parts, on the look-out for anything arriving fast, like a baitfishthat lost control of its speed.

On the last day, at dawn, we had the chanceto go for a mini-safari on the water. As soon aswe got out swampy areas we saw a beautifullioness, elegant predator of the savannah. Alittle further was a warthog who shyly showedthe tip of his defenses before trotting brisklytoward us. The sound of two squabbling ba-

boons made it stop short and turn back. In theminutes that followed we observed a peacefulherd of elephants, surrounded by fearful ante-lopes, ready to scamper at the slightest signof danger. Finally, we encountered a hippo-potamus in a narrow channel which has forcedus to end this magical ride and to initiate ourreturn to civilization.

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Fishing TechniquesMany species are present in the deltaand it is possible to catch them in manyways depending on the conditions encoun-tered. That is why we advise you to takeseveral combos. Note that if somethinggoes wrong, a shop is available at the camp,providing lures, rods, hooks and smallequipment at reasonable prices.

For bream fishing: a light or mediumspinning combo, to cast far. The silver spin-

ners (Mepps) in size #3 or #4 work wonder-fully when propelled far and brought backsmoothly.

We gradually swapped our spoons forother lures (small crank baits from well-known Japanese brands) but did not obtainbetter results. A steel leader (20lbs) is rec-ommended because many juvenile tigerfishlive close to the breams, ready to sever thelines.

For tigerfish fishing with live bait: a robustspinning combo is good. Because big fishcan be captured and you do not want tolose them: 20/30lbs regular/fast action rod,a reel equivalent to a 4000/5000 Stella,45lbs braided line, 40lbs steel leader, good

size circle hooks. Keep the line slightlyrelaxed, and the rod in your hand in order tofeel the bites then wait for a frank departureand strike.

For catfish-runs: casting is better; 20/30lbsrod, fast action with a reel size 200, 30 to45lbs braided line. Spinning is possible, butless effective because it does not to animate

the lure and strike as quickly. Lures that workbest are the bucktail jigs (3/4 to 1oz): castnear the border, wait to be at the bottomand then animate rapidly being ready tostrike at any time. Attacks typically occurwhen you do not expect it. The number oflost fish is important (only one tigerfish outof four is landed) but there are many bites.

Finally, fly fishing is practiced at Gumawhen the waters are crystal clear. Guy per-sonally takes care of the fly fishers, guiding

them at the junction of two rivers. He ex-plained to us that the technique was then tolet the fly sink and follow the bottom waitingfor the deadly kiss of a tigerfish.

Some usual recommendations for Bot-swana: protect yourself from the sun with aBuff, long sleeves, pants, hydrate a lot withwater, of fruit juice. The dehydration casesare common, bring rehydration solutions torenew the mineral salts that the body haslost due to excessive sweating.

ConclusionThe Guma Lagoon lodge is a little gem andwe recommend it to the readers, eager tocatch a good tigerfish while completing their

list of species. Tigerfish are numerous, com-bative, and can be caught with tilapia filletwithout much difficulty outside the period ofcatfish run. A very positive point is the op-portunity to practice bream fishing, as fun asrelaxing, right outside the lodge. Regardingthe diversity of species, we have establisheda list of everything we caught:

• Tigerfish• Three spotted tilapia• Blunt-toothed catfish• Sharp-tooth catfish• Largespot Squeaker

• Red breasted-tilapia• Greenhead Tilapia

Other species arepresent, including thesplendid Nembwe. It isan emerald colored cich-lid whose fins vary fromyellow to orange formingan unforgettable trophyfor the exotic fisherman.

In the middle of ourstay, we granted to ourselves a day of restthat was dedicated to the African pikefish

in two small lakes near the camp. We hadmany attacks but we were unable to catchany fish and add it to our collection of spe-cies.

The lodge offers another important advan-tage: families are welcome. Fishing is clearlynot the first business and it is for examplepossible to fly over the delta by plane, toparticipate in an expedition to observebirds, or simply sit on the terrace with agood book and a glass of wine enjoying theview.

The discovery of the heart of the delta byMokoro, long canoes designed from a largetree trunk is very interesting. Two people siton board and let themselves be lead by the

pilot, standing at the back and using a longpole to steer the boat. Very stable, movingsilently on the wave, the Mokoro is the bestally of the wildlife photographer. But it isabove all the ancestral mode of transport ofthe inhabitants of the Okavango, the Bayeiand Banoka with which these peoples usedto hunt hippos.

The offered meals are excellent, rooms arecomfortable, the availability of WIFI networkis acceptable. Boats are Canadian aluminiumhulls arranged like bass boats, some with anecho sounder (200HP engine for the biggerboat, 60HP for others).

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Natura HitoryLIFESTYLE

Words + Photos by: Dan Wright

Camels are often misunderstood and peo-ple refer to them as the “Beasts who spit”or “as lazy as a camel” or “as foul tempered

as a camel”. These myths have arisen fromthe camel’s temperament which is a copingmechanism for the environment it lives in.

Firstly camels are constant ruminatorswhich means that they have two stomachsand they constantly regurgitate food and

Often referred to as the“Ship of the Desert” The ArabianDromedary Camel or CamelusDromedarius to give it its binomialLatin name for genus and species

is a two toed ungulate with a singlehump on its back. It is much largerand less hairy than its northerncousin, the Bactrian which has twohumps. A simple way to rememberthe difference is:

“Will They

Not ConsiderHow CamelsWere Created?”

[Al-Qur’an 88:17-21]

re-chew it to help digest it properly. Thisprocess can result in spittle forming aroundthe corners of the mouth and if you are inclose proximity to a camel’s face it can meanyou periodically get flecks of spit on you too.Secondly camels are not lazy in fact a trainedcamel can carry more than a 3rd of its ownbody weight for up to 50kms a day withoutstraining itself. Thirdly camels can see downthe sides of their bodies due to the angleof their eyes and this means they are aware

of anything approaching from behind and ifthat’s you then it’s likely to get you a goodhard kick in the midriff!

The truth is that camels mostly live inextreme desert environments both in the hotdeserts of Arabia or Africa or Australia andin the cold deserts of the north in Mongoliaand Ladakh etc. They have therefore learnedto conserve water and to do this they tendto be fairly calm and relaxed, often choosingto kneel for long periods to conserve energy.That energy is stored in fat reserves in thehump and is easily broken down to releasewater but it’s not so easy as opening a tapin the side of the hump. That being said,the hump has very few nerve endings and

in times of real desperation the Bedouin areknown to cut a flap in the skin of the humpdig out fat with a spoon to fry to eat. The flapquickly closes and heals again. This is actuallyquite a common practice in the world andyou will find the Masai Mara of Africa piercethe neck of cattle to draw hot blood whichthey mix with fresh milk as a quick energysource. The Mongolians also used to dothe same thing with their horses as a quickenergy boost. The wound is easy to close by

rubbing a handful of dirt into it which helpsthe blood to clot.

All creatures develop specific adaptationsfor the environments they live in. But it’s fairto say that Camels are one of the most highlyadapted animals on the planet.

Their eyes have a second, see-throughnictitating eyelid which they can close in asandstorm to protect the eyeballs but stillbe able to see – like having your own sandgoggles built in! Their eyelashes are extralong and bushy to catch dust particles beforethey reach the eyes. The nostrils are flaredand wide to make it easier to draw breath,but they also have flaps inside that they canclose to stop sand blowing up their nostrils.

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OUTDOORUAE

Dan Wright is a freelance WildernessGuide in the UAE and Asia. He has adegree in Environmental Science. Danhas been on several International wildlifeand exploration expeditions with UKRadio stations and writes for a range ofpublications in Asia and the Middle East.His wife is the former Nepal NationalMountain Bike Champion, NirjalaTamrakar. They live in Dubai with theirson Percy and spend all their spare timeexploring the UAE!

The hair is short and thick which allows themto radiate heat off their body during the daybut also to trap a layer of air next to the skinat night to insulate the body. The tail is longwith bristles on the end to act as a fly swish.

The neck is long to reach high into trees toget the leaves other animals can’t reach andthe tongue and lips are thick and leatherywhich makes the camel one of the only ani-mals in the desert which can comfortably eatthe thorny acacia scrub and bushes. Thesebushes and trees have the adaptation todefend against wondering grazers of havingneedlelike thorns but the camel has adaptedto get past those too!

Even the blood of the camel has adapta-tions. In extreme heat when the body is lowon water, our blood gets thicker which makesit harder for the red blood cells to flow roundthe veins transporting oxygen. This makes usincreasingly tired. But camels have adapted

so at times like this their red blood cellschange shape from footballs to rugby balls(elongated) which makes it easier to flowthrough the veins and carry that all importantoxygen!

The camel’s foot is split into two toes andthe pad at the base is thick with very fewnerve endings. This allows the camel to bothwalk on soft sand without sinking but alsoto walk on very hot sand without burning.Another adaptation to avoid burning is todevelop thick calluses over the knees and thecentre of the breast plate. This lets the camelkneel down to chew the cud, wait out a stormor sleep and they don’t burn on the hotsands. Interestingly the camel’s foot is similar

to a human fingerprint and you can learnto identify individual cam

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