Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, has shared footage of his hiking triumph in Yosemite National Park.
The Dubai royal, who has nearly 16 million followers on Instagram, shared a video on Monday showing details of his peak-to-peak Half Dome trek at the California park.
Rising more than 1,500 metres above Yosemite Valley and 2,682 metres above sea level, Half Dome is one of the most challenging hikes in Yosemite.
Spanning more than 30km, the hike is suited to seasoned mountaineers and those with high levels of physical fitness, and takes enthusiasts to the peak of Half Rock, a well-known formation at the eastern end of Yosemite Valley.
The trek comes with amazing views including those of the Vernal and Nevada waterfalls and the granite dome of Liberty Cap. Most people complete the round-trip hike in 10 to 12 hours, depending on the route chosen. Sheikh Hamdan and his entourage completed the hike in just under nine hours, according to his Instagram footage.
The video shows the Crown Prince hiking through Yosemite’s great wilderness, even spotting a bear in the distance.
He also comes across a snake, which slithers away into the rocks, and a grey squirrel that doesn’t seem to be camera-shy.
Wandering through paths lined by giant sequoias, Sheikh Hamdan takes in the views in front of Yosemite’s thundering waterfalls, snapping selfies and standing on top of some of the park’s famed granite cliffs.
A particularly challenging part of the hike is the Half Dome cables cliffside ascent; the steep climb uses two steel cables to scale the bare granite to the summit.
In the video, Sheikh Hamdan and his entourage are seen scaling the 120-metre climb to the peak of Half Dome.
What is Yosemite National Park?
Yosemite is a Californian landmark that has been a national park for more than a century. It is famed for its granite cliffs, lakes, mountains, glaciers and waterfalls.
El Capitan, the granite peak that served as the setting for Oscar-nominated Free Solo, a climbing documentary part produced by Image Nation Abu Dhabi, is also in Yosemite.
On average, four million people visit the park each year, with about 50,000 of those attempting to hike Half Dome.
Over the years, there have been more than 20 deaths on the Half Dome itself, and another 40 on the trail leading up to it.
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Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates
The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.
ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.
ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
Signed
Geoffrey Arthur Sheikh Zayed
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