The Shifting Sands

Saddling up in the pond for the main channel with the conveyor belt to to top of the channel behind me My old Army mates, Dan and Cam, needed a little bit of R and R from the challenges of life in Dubai.  So a trip to Wadi Adventures seemed like a great boy's day out given that our families had absconded to cooler climes. We started with an hour of surfing in the wave pool with the intermediate wave which is an A Frame. This means we were able to have multiple surfers on the wave where "one guy can break right, one's left simultaneous"  (just like Apocalypse Now but without helicopters, mortar fire and napalm). Unfortunately, I don't have any photos as no one wanted to miss a wave to get the camera. Thank goodness it was only an hour as, with 90 seconds between waves, my arms were very heavy by the end of the session.   The photos show the middle third of the main channel. Plenty of angles and crossing curre...

The drive through Al Ain with Jebel Harfeet in the background The next of the big UAE bike climbs is Jebel Harfeet.  It also located next to the the Oman border at   Al Ain and is is shorter and steeper than Jebel Jais.  It is a 767 metre climb up to a height of 1033 metres over 12.5 km at an average grade of 6.1% but with with a steepest 1km section of 11.3 %. The climb flattens a little at the top, past a hotel, then you ride along the ridge before the final viewing car park at the end of the road The start point with Green Mubazzarah, a hot spring and park, in the foreground Some of the switchbacks leading uphill The start is a 90 minute drive from Dubai and it has the added benefit of being adjacent to Wadi Adventures, the white water kayaking/rafting and surf pool operation.  This means I can get in an early ride then head to the Wadi Adventures to cool off in my kayak Looking back along the summi...