Thursday, February 23, 2012

Jebel Hafeet


It was back in 2010 when I first heard of Jebel Hafeet. (Arabic: جبل حفيت‎) (variously translated Jabal, Jabel and Jebal- meaning "mountain") I had just parked my then brand new Nissan Altima when a friend came by and told me we should go for a drive to test its handling in the curves and cliffs of Jabel Hafeet. I did not know where that was or what it was, but it sounded good.



It was not until March of 2011 when I heard that name again. I looked it up in the maps and books (how old school!) and it was then that I resolved to actually go for a drive there.

I read more about this road and part of my readings said that when the ruler of the UAE and one of the richest men in the world decides that his palace needed a driveway, you'd expect something grand, especially when that palace sits 1200 odd meters above sea level. This so-called driveway was built with drivers in mind. Skid marks along the road stand as a testimony of how drivers negotiate the deadly curves with adrenalin flowing through the veins.

With a travel buddy, we went and explored our way to the legendary mountain road.

It took a little more than an hour to drive from Dubai to Al Ain in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi where the majestic 4000-foot mountain stands just in the border of UAE and Oman, overlooking the beautiful city of Al Ain. Just before the winding road that takes you to the peak is a well developed park, the Green Mubazarrah, where one can spend time unwinding from the stress of city life and enjoy the scenic view of jagged-edged mountains. This park also offers hot springs, swimming pools and a lake- something uncommon for a desert park. The greenery also has a football pitch, tennis courts, cabins and camping grounds for families who loved the outdoors.

The ascent to the peak starts with a modest 8% grade that gradually increases. This 7.3 miles (11.7 kms) of smooth paved ribbon of concrete has 23 sharp corners with cliffs on one side of the road and the weather-beaten mountain side on the other. Towards the top of the peak is the Mercure-Hotel and of course, the "Palace in the Sky"- another one of the Sheik's palaces in the area.


The road finally leads to a parking lot at the top of the mountain where one can enjoy the fresh air and endless views of the regions terrain. We walked around the area, enjoying the scenes from different corners of the peak. As the sun was beginning to kiss the sands in the horizon, the cloudy sky displayed kaleidoscope of colors too good for my camera to capture. The chilly winds started caressing our napes, reminding us that the desert's temperature was just about to plunge into it's "night mode".

At last it was time to go home. We started our slow descend and just as we passed on of the viewing areas along the road, we were awed by a sight that I deemed worthy for a stop and a camera-tripod set-up.


note: This road was featured by edmonds.com as the "best driveway in the world".