Al Wahtba dunes

It was a lazy Saturday afternoon when the idea to find this place drove away the stupor I had. The clock factually declared that there was barely three hours of skin-complimenting golden sunlight and the clear skies promised at least an hour or so of blue light shooting. I had no time to waste. Studying the maps in the book and entering the coordinates, my GPS figured it would take 46 minutes to get to my destination. 

The 2016 edition of the UAE explorer off road book features an eye-catching cover picture of an out-

of-this-world landscape that seemingly invites the viewer to go out and explore what majestic treasures the desert has to offer. I just knew I had to go to that place.  An artwork in progress, this barren sea of sand littered with icebergs of rocks that are continuously shaped by mother nature's breath of seasonal winds is surprisingly not that far away from the city. The stunningly captivating masterpiece is centuries old and still far from complete. 

The thought of going to this place may be intimidating to some car drivers since it looks so remote and
the fact that it is in the cover of an off road book adds to the impression that a 4x4 is needed to get there. Reality is, this place is actually accessible to sedans. If fact, I was using my Altima when I first visited this dunes. Located just a few hundred meters from the road, the drive to this area actually is not that bad. 

Photography was the first reason for me to find this place. after a few visits I soon realized that this was a good camping site. Google maps actually marks this as a camp site. Since then, this became my favorite destination for a quick overnight camp or just to go celebrate rest days on Friday sunsets.

These natural formations are delicate works of art. They may withstand baking under the sun, strong winds, sand storms and all the elements but they easily crumble and even walking over these may cause a frack or even break them.  A sad observation I had was that some folks think that these formations are actual rocks and and they drive their rigs over the "rocks". Others  actually break the smaller formations by sitting on them for pictures. 

I was happy to find out during a 2019 visit that the trash left by campers and visitors was actually removed from the area. It is our responsibility to keep places like this clean by taking out rubbish materials with us after enjoying the place.

 

My last visit to the dunes was on my traditional new year's solo camp to welcome 2020. As seen in the video below, I got stuck on the soft sand. Was that an omen of what has to come this year? 

Shuweihat Island

 

It has been five months now since "lock down" has been implemented due the the COVID situation. Although this situation has prevented me from traveling freely, I am thankful that measures to promote our safety from infection has been in place. As  "stay at home" rules slowly ease up and a new "normal" is slowly being implemented, I just can't help but dream of the best road trips I have had in the UAE. I will be revisiting most of them when leisure road trips will be safe again. 

Topping my list of all-time favorite outdoor destinations in the UAE  would be Suhweihat Island. This

Instagram-candy island is located around 270 kilometres west of the capital. The accessibility of the island heavily contributes to the melancholic feeling when adventuring alone, which I find amusing. This rock island is actually reachable by a land bridge that adds to the dramatic approach to what arguably is the most scenic spots on the country's coastlines. Technically being a military base, most of the beaches are fenced off to the public but that does not serve as a turn off to the wandering ones since the accessible areas still make up more than enough for the 2.5 hour drive from the big city. 

Lined with cliffs and beaches, the coastline of this island paradise can be described with a thousand adjectives of praise. I would say, it is like Arizona's Antelope Canyon had a love child with the Maldives. The beauty of the island is highlighted by the pastel colors of the sands, rocks and the clear ocean that emits ever changing hues as the sun traces it's path across the Arabian sky. With the island being barely 2 kilometres wide, photographers can easily move about, taking full advantage of sunrise and sunset landscapes. 

In one of our opportunities of camping overnight a few years back, we have observed that a lot of 

rubbish is left by campers. It is a sad fact that humans leave an ugly footprint in natures masterpieces. Still, a silver lining is that there are more of those campers who are responsible enough to clean up after camp break.

My favorite activity in the island is exploring the cliffs and beaches. It is a unique experience to see the different faces of the beaches within a few hundred meters of walking and "discovering" caves along the cliffs. 

Public access to the island have changed quite a number of times in the recent year. If you plan to visit, doing due diligence of checking online may be a good idea. 

Another new year solo off road drive and hike: The Village of Sal

It has been a complete orbital ride around the sun since I first climbed the highest mountain of UAE. Okay, I drove to the top. That makes it more accurate. This time, I decided to make that destination a back up. I got the latest UAE off road book and Al Qudra lakes looked like a promising place to pitch a tent and welcome the year.
 4:30 pm. The final shift for the year was done. I hurriedly bought my camping food and the promised chocolate cinnabon roll for my best friend who was still at work. Time seemed to be going faster and a granted wish to be in two places in one time would have made everything perfect.



Al Qudra lakes, Dubai



I delivered the sinfully tasty pastry to the hungry friend, we exchanged new year wishes, I left my trip details, explaining where I was supposed to be and what time I have to check in over facebook, and finally, the time I would be back in the city. That is a must for every solo camping trip. They must understand that if they do not hear anything from me, they gotta alert the world that someone stupid is lost.

Abu Dhabi- Dubai traffic was a mess. The road was full of red tail lights from in front of me to infinity. Although the night was clear, cars were only going 120. For this road, that was a drag. I needed to get off the next exit and find an alternative route. The road I found was cutting across some forestation area and finally leading to al Qudra lakes. It was 10 pm when I finally got to the lakes. I was not expecting the camp site to be overcrowded. Cars were lining the lakeside and tents were everywhere. Although the whole camping site was in a party mode, it was not what I came for. I found a place to park and took some photos. 

 

These lakes were developed as a haven for migratory birds and yes, there were big birds by the vegetation along the lake. Although unseen to me, one could tell they were big ones by the baritone, hoarse quacking the make every time someone lights firecrackers.

After taking a few shots, I decided it would suit my intentions best if drove 140+ kilometers to Ras Al Khaima and revisit Jabel Jais. Well, not the exact area I camped to welcome 2015. A small ancient village at the lower part of the mountain seemed roused my curiosity. Grabbing the off road book, I flipped to the route I saved as my plan B, the village of Sal.
 

Ras al Khaima is significantly cooler than the other emirates especially when you are in the mountain ranges at night. I pitched my tent and made my meal. It was now 2 am and a foggy 6 degrees  so the camera had to be in its bag. I cant risk moisture from the fog and condensation inside the tent so I regretfully failed to take pictures of my camp.

The first light of 2016 was obscured by fog and I had no chance of seeing it as I was camped between high peaks to avoid strong winds. Still, the day was awesome! I was on the road to the village of Sal and it was my objective to be there before noon. Making a fresh cup of cappuccino and eating corn I roasted over my fire was enough for breakfast. Power bars were in my bag but I deemed it overkill since i was driving most of the time eating them would add up to adipose in my belly. Although there seemed to be no sweating in this cold weather, water was always in demand. 

The steep road up the mountain was tricky. Crushed rocks were used on the dirt road and often times, I had to make the car crawl since spinning the tires would be a big no-no. There were ascending parts where all I could see was the sky and I was sure that I'd be dangling on the seatbelt on my way down. I felt so alien in land cruiser/patrol country. Still, the 175 horses under the hood managed to pull this 5-year old all stock saloon up the ancient, weather-beaten road to the archeological mountainous village. One final turn and i discovered that I not only reached my goal. I was literally looking down at Sal. The mystical village of Sal that was 1350 meters above sea level was a hundred feet lower from where I was. 

 

Leaving the car in a rather safe spot where it would not be an roadblock, I took by back pack and explored the area on foot. Trekking was tricky. It became apparent that choosing my steps took more time than I thought. There were times when  rocks that look heavy actually move when stepped on as they are the type of light rocks that make a metallic ting when hit. Big boulders demand caution when you approach them, They tend to be likely places where snakes make their home. Luckily, the only wildlife I noticed we mountain goats, bees and doves and falcons.

 

As the sun reached its zenith, I had consumed half the trail water I brought. That was my cue to head back. Retracing my steps down the moon-like terrain was no easy task. I almost lost balance a few times. okay, a lot of times! (no witnesses were there to keep count)

There is always a jubilant sense of completion when you reach the goals you set to your challenging self in hikes like this. Friends often ask me why I do these solo camping or hiking trips. The best response I always give is "why not?" Starting a brand new year with a sense of achievement and completion in day one was not so bad. 



View from above the Village of Sal.

The Archeological Village of Sal is currently being renovated as of time of writing this blog.