Operation desert storm

Not every sand is a desert, but every sand is making you think of desert. Not every 4x4 is a Land Cruiser, but every 4x4 is making you think about desert driving. So shall we do with the new weekend? No wind? CHECK; 4x4? CHECK; a lot of sand around? CHECK; fridge full of beer? CHECK…Let’s go camping to the desert J

We were 2.75 cars. Jaro’s Pajero, Laurent’s Pathfinder, Jiri’s Tiguan and Kaupo’s Yaris. 1+1+0.5+0.25=2.75. Pajero and Pathfinder are the real 4x4 with low speed 4WD, 4.0 liter engines and a lot of taste for offroading. Tiguan is only common AWD with no low speed gears, no lockable differential, only 2.0 liter engine and a lot of worries and respect of unknown. And Yaris? Waste of words J

So that nice Friday morning we met under the wheels of the biggest Land Rover in the world in Emirates National Auto Museum and continued on the road to the edge of the Great Arabian Desert. After refueling at the last petrol station and after looking to the yellow shifty hell all around we realized, that Yaris will serve the best dumped here on the sun…so we continued with only 2.5 cars.

After another five kilometers we turned from the paved highway to sandy road leading in the heart of the desert. Last looks at green palms, asphalt safety and we were in!!

We started driving rather slowly and enjoying the scenery around. But with passing kilometers of wide, hard and safe road we started to be like on needles and was funny to observe the others how they were cautiously touching the terrain next to the road, like if it was a thin ice J First two wheels, than for wheels not further that two meters from the road and at the end we were driving far on small dunes, making turns and spinning the wheels fast. But after some more kilometers and growing confidence and skill we started to want more.

So we turned to a salt flat next to the road and drove to the other end. There we stopped and thought for a second: “If we go further, there not even a sign of a road…just dunes. This is a last point when we can turn back”. Then with a smile we looked at each other and pushed the throttle forward J

At the first higher dune from where it wasn’t obvious where to go next we stopped and deflated tires to half the pressure to increase the tire surface. And then? Yyaahhaaaaa…..We drove across a set of smaller dunes to another salt flat and decided to break the camp in elevated panoramic saddle between two big dunes, unload the cars and do some dune driving.

I got from my Tiguan the safe maximum. Driving on relatively long and flat dunes without any sharp and changing elevations. The car for my surprise was performing better than I thought it could be. But again after some time of safe driving everybody started to push limits further. So we picked a high dune with a good access and tried drive up. It was probably the steepest drive I ever did. Wheels spinning in place, engine in high revolutions, we pushed into the seats, but still moving forward up to the very edge where I turned back and stopped facing downhill (first rule of desert driving). We stepped out of the car and almost fell forward ho steep it was. Nice feeling of accomplishment J

When we got back to the base camp we almost had to make a rescue mission when we saw Jaro stuck on the top of a sharp dune like sausage on the stick. But fortunately it was nothing serious, so they dug themselves out. It was in the scary territory of sharp and short dunes so we couldn’t have done much anyway J

Just before the sunset we reunited in the camp and evening/night/morning chill out could start. Beer, talk and barbecue in desert silence far away from everybody. What you want more J

Next morning we just cleared the site and headed back to the road the same way we came. It was a bit trickier, because we were driving up the few small sharp dunes and I, scared of getting stuck kept driving quite fast to every problematic place (second rule of desert driving) so in one moment I dug Tiguan’s nose to the dune that it threw a huge spray of sand onto the windshield. This is because my car is a basically highway car with quite low front bumper J

But all got safely out and returned same way ho our homes with a next trip already in minds J But I am sure that Jaro will want to do something more. Like driving 50 kilometer through the desert from A to B. In that case I will gladly dump my Tiguan in the garage J

Some links for photos from the others:

http://picasaweb.google.com/kkorven/CampingInLiwa#

http://tinyurl.com/cs3jnw

http://picasaweb.google.com/Rune.L.Jorgensen

The week that was

It is already starting to be a long time since I saw people I know back home for a last time. Longer time I am here, Yas Island Formula 1 Grand Prix on 1 of November 2009 is getting closer and everybody working on anything connected to the Race Day, including Envac, is starting to panic and therefore we have more work than usual. And of course everything needs to be done ASAP (As Soon As Possible J) or yesterday. But for me it means that I cannot get any vacations to go home see my old friends until we finish our part, which means until September, maybe August.

If Mohamed cannot go to the mountain, the mountain has to go to Mohamed. So my mom decided to be my first mountain moving to me. She came for two weeks seeking hot temperatures, peace, relaxation and of course her lost son ;)

“Eee…ehm..Sathu. Could I have Sunday off? My mom is coming” I tried. “Eee…ehm…I don’t know Jiri” Sathu said and I was getting confident that I could have three days weekend. “Hello Nigel, what news are you bringing to us?” Sathu asked incoming Project Delivery Team supervisor. “You can start laying pipe in Golf Course from yesterday. You have three weeks!!” Nigel replied with a wide smile and disapeared. “Jiri, this is your area. You should come Saturday to the office” stated Sathu and my weekend split in half. “I would like to have you at my last progress meeting on Sunday” added Leo only thinking about his last day in UAE and his one-way flight to Sweden. And my plans vanished to the sandy construction site.

Fortunately my mother is very independent traveler she didn’t have problems to spend whole day on her own on the beach, sleeping, buying carpets, sightseeing in Old town, cleaning my apartment, cooking, ironing, washing clothes…J And when I came from work we went for a dinner to 52nd floor, swimming to the sea at night, to buy a new fridge or just sitting at the balcony talking and watching shinning skyscrapers.

Maybe you wouldn’t enjoy such holidays, but she definitely did. Pity that those were so short two weeks. But a combination of climate, bit exotic and world completely new and familiar in the same time made this hard to forget.

For sure that it was also a bit merit of my presence and of one weekend trip we made. I realized that I was somehow too busy to go outside the city. So it was a perfect opportunity to force me to catch up. Plan was then clear. We go to the dry wadis in Oman, high mountains on the East, swim to the Indian Ocean and basically while driving see something else than high society in the shade of high-rise buildings.

We loaded the car with supplies for two days and on Friday morning headed south towards Dibba. First, to our surprise we found well hidden Friday marked in the middle of nowhere, but living a busy live of a cheap commerce hub. “3500 Dirhams sir”, quickly replied a Pakistani carpet businessman when we asked for a price. With an amused smile I countered: “I could have a similar one for 400 next door, but I like yours more”. “But this is a high quality from Iran and a big size” Paki kept trying. “2000”, we moved in our negotiations. “500, take it or leave it!!” was my final offer. “It’s too little, but I’ll give a very generous offer my friend, 1000”. “In Czech it would cost thrice as much. 600 would be ok” told me my mom whispering. “600”, I took a wallet and started to dig for money. “Deal!! You are very lucky my friend”. Later we found out from a gardener that 600 is a normal price. For 400 would be a good deal and for anything more than that we would have been cheated J We continued heavier for a red Iranian carpet and a rope climbing plant.

After the lunch at old waste dump overlooking villas for “I have no idea who could possibly live here” and short stop at the ocean at Dibba we finally came to mountain mouth. This road should lead through Oman back to UAE on the other side. I had didn’t know exactly how such a road could be, but when I have 4x4 I had to give it a try J To Hideaway resort the road was closed so we continued straight up the wadi up to a place where the road left the wadi and was climbing to a pass.

“The road to Ras al Khaimah is closed, but to Khasab you can go” said to us some expats coming opposite direction and added “These 500 meters are tough, but after that it is ok”. So far so good. My plan was to go to Khasab anyway. We easily climbed to the pass and down on the other side. The descent was same steep but at least 10 time longer and muddy. At the bottom there was an Omani border post.

“Hello” said to us a soldier with machine gun on his shoulder, lifted a gate a let us into a place 10x10 meters cornered with another two gates.

“Can we go right to Khasab?” I asked. “No…problem” replied the soldier and behind him stood up another. “What problem?...permission?..papers?” I tried, but it was clear that those expats haven’t actually tried this way. “Can we go right then?”, “Yes…but also problem”. We already knew what that problem was. Emirati border patrol 20 kilometers further wouldn’t let us back to UAE. In the meantime couple of white FJ Cruisers came also from Dibba, but because they were locals they continued straight to Khasab!! Is this fair?

After judging our options if to camp here and return tomorrow or return now we went for option 2, because I was running low on petrol and after looking at the dark sky and muddy road up we decided to escape back 40 kilometers from the gunners when we could. It paid off because we found a nice spot on the beach next to Indian Ocean and only listened how there is storming somewhere in the mountains.

Morning the next day was a like in paradise. Bit of swimming, breakfast on the sun, dig up some palm saplings for my balcony and slowly leave towards Fujairah. It was a nice ride in different environment then Dubai. It was greener, older fashioned, more Arabic actually and therefore with more locals driving aimlessly their Land Cruisers around.

On the way we stopped at famous Snoopy Island for snorkeling and drove into a dry wadi full of picknicking families. This is apparently the favorite weekend activity of whole population and the government supports them by constructing paved roads to such remote places. These roads are just a dead ends leading to the desert to encourage people to have aim in their Land Cruising, which is like a drug.

Last stop was an old fortress where the Sheikh of Fujairah was living 200 years ago J Different region, different style. From there we just made a detour to Barracuda alcohol mall to refuel and returned home to busy Dubai city full of nice experiences.

Over the hills and far away

Previously on JIRI!!

Like a restless seed which took root in the middle of the unknown, like a young sapling grasping firmly the desert, like a strong tree silently awaiting sandstorm over the horizon, JIRI has grown into the next stage. But paths of destiny are mysterious. Will the tree break or bend, will the sapling dry up or turn green, will the seed be blown away or to leeward…let’s find out!!

After a couple of deaf weekends on the beach using kite only as a umbrella I realized that I have to find a backup sport for non-windy days. Actually I didn’t even have to search at all and only look into my cabinet. Harness and climbing shoes were sadly looking from behind. OH YES!! Rock climbing…of course!! Perfect backup sport. I am not sure if fortunately or unfortunately, but after the last windless weekend I had to wait only five days for another. 

Along the axis: www.google.com – climbing uae – search – www.uaeclimbing.com – forum – Weekend trips – Hatta 13.4. – respond – “Hi, I am JIRI from Czech republic, I wanna meet climbers in UAE and go to try some routes” – “Sure, call Peter. He goes to Hatta this Friday. I meet you there. JERRY” – “Nazdar Petre, to je ale nahodicka. Ja taky bydlim v Dicovery Gardens J”…I arranged from zero a Friday climbing trip in 15 minutes.

The last sentence means that I happened to meet another Czech climber Peter living just few houses away from me. How is the world small and how is internet making it much smaller J

    So at 9am Peter picked up me and his buddy Andre and we drove one hour to Oman desert to climb some routes at Hatta crag.

I was really curious how the place will be and I was amazed. After initial uphill walk I found nice, smooth limestone rock with over 30 bolted routes around 6b. Long ones, short ones, “slabby” ones, overhang ones…everything.

Just to have power enough to finish them all…which was not my case. Surprisingly after half a year without climbing I wasn’t that bad, but still…there is a lot of training to be done.

We stayed there whole day, had typical Arabic shawarma dinner and tee with milk and sugar on our way back. I also learned that there will be a new (second) indoor climbing wall opened soon and that they are more climbers gathering in Wafi wall every Monday. Fair enough.

When I reached nicely tired my bed, I was already thinking that I have to suspend for a while my saving plan and invest to some quickdraws and climbing rope…and maybe new shoes J

This photo: Copyright Andre: www.pbase.com/andreh