Haneen Dajani hikes to a village in Leopard Canyon. PJ van Schalkwyk for The National
Haneen Dajani hikes to a village in Leopard Canyon. PJ van Schalkwyk for The National

The tough but terrific hike to UAE’s Leopard Canyon



LEOPARD CANYON, RAS AL KHAIMAH // If you want to see RAK’s ancient village dwellings, be prepared to hike hard for it.

Despite being billed as an “easy beginner’s hike”, trekking to the village in Leopard Canyon was a challenge on what turned out to be the hottest weekend of the year.

Our group met on the road to Jebel Jais at around 8am, climbed into 4x4s and took a rocky 20 minute drive towards the start of the trail.

Along the way, we were greeted by mountain goats, their skinny frames barely supported by sparse grazing patches.

We hit the trail at around 9am and started hiking. It started off fairly easy.

But halfway up, about an hour in, dehydration started to kick in a bit. I was determined to catch up with the first group making their way to the village, so I did not take any breaks during the first part.

Altogether the trek is 7.85km and takes about four and a half hours.

Although this is my seventh hike of the year, the climb does take it out of you.

My occasional swigs of water and the floppy beach hat were not enough to fend off the blazing sun and rising heat.

Just before reaching the first rest stop, I started to feel nauseous, so I put down my backpack, pulled out my electrolytes and the inflatable pillow I had stuffed in there and lay on a rock.

But just as I was telling my friend that I’d drop my macho act and slow my pace, I saw a spectacular view above me.

Trees dangled from the tall, dark mountain above, like a scene from a fantasy story.

A small waterfall also winds its way down the mountain, so I got up and made my way to shower under it and cool down.

After we all had our fun with the water, we were briefed on the safety instructions to go up to the village.

When there was nothing to hang on to, we were told to keep our feet and heels steady and press hard against the ground.

I don’t remember exactly how we got up there, but the view was certainly worth it. To our knowledge there is no recorded history of the origin and age of the stone houses we saw, but that made the experience all the more captivating. Indeed our tour company, UAE Trekkers, hope the government will explore the history of the village and mark it as an official hiking site.

On the way down, towards the end of the hike, I had my share of stumbles as I got lost in thought amid the scenery.

We were warned against leaning or sitting on the rocks to slide down, as that might cause stones to tumble down and hit those ahead of us. A rock hit the back of my leg as the person behind me slipped a bit, but we made it.

I came out “with the wounds of a warrior” as a fellow hiker said. But I consider my scraped knees and bruised legs a source of pride for completing the hike to this fascinating place.

hdajani@thenational.ae

Paatal Lok season two

Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy 

Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong

Rating: 4.5/5

Company%20Profile
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The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

On sale: Now

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
THE SIXTH SENSE

Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

Rating: 5/5

MATCH INFO

Uefa Nations League

League A, Group 4
Spain v England, 10.45pm (UAE)

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.

Director: Paul Weitz
Stars: Kevin Hart
3/5 stars

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The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

A Bad Moms Christmas
Dir: John Lucas and Scott Moore
Starring: Mila Kunis, Kathryn Hahn, Kristen Bell, Susan Sarandon, Christine Baranski, Cheryl Hines
Two stars

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma

When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Premier League results

Saturday

Tottenham Hotspur 1 Arsenal 1

Bournemouth 0 Manchester City 1

Brighton & Hove Albion 1 Huddersfield Town 0

Burnley 1 Crystal Palace 3

Manchester United 3 Southampton 2

Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 Cardiff City 0

West Ham United 2 Newcastle United 0

Sunday

Watford 2 Leicester City 1

Fulham 1 Chelsea 2

Everton 0 Liverpool 0

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Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
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  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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The Intruder

Director: Deon Taylor

Starring: Dennis Quaid, Michael Ealy, Meagan Good

One star

How to donate

Text the following numbers:

2289 - Dh10

6025 - Dh 20

2252 - Dh 50

2208 - Dh 100

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*numbers work for both Etisalat and du

The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Power: 510hp at 9,000rpm
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Price: From Dh801,800
If you go:

 

Getting there:

Flying to Guyana requires first reaching New York with either Emirates or Etihad, then connecting with JetBlue or Caribbean Air at JFK airport. Prices start from around Dh7,000.

 

Getting around:

Wildlife Worldwide offers a range of Guyana itineraries, such as its small group tour, the 15-day ‘Ultimate Guyana Nature Experience’ which features Georgetown, the Iwokrama Rainforest (one of the world’s four remaining pristine tropical rainforests left in the world), the Amerindian village of Surama and the Rupununi Savannah, known for its giant anteaters and river otters; wildlifeworldwide.com

Know your Camel lingo

The bairaq is a competition for the best herd of 50 camels, named for the banner its winner takes home

Namoos - a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as 'the pride of victory' - and for competitors, it is priceless

Asayel camels - sleek, short-haired hound-like racers

Majahim - chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s

Millions Street - the thoroughfare where camels are led and where white 4x4s throng throughout the festival

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Panipat

Director Ashutosh Gowariker

Produced Ashutosh Gowariker, Rohit Shelatkar, Reliance Entertainment

Cast Arjun Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Kriti Sanon, Mohnish Behl, Padmini Kolhapure, Zeenat Aman

Rating 3 /stars