Words + Photos By: Helen McClure from expatexplorers.org
If you are from Europe or northern American, “dusting your tent off” in winter is probably something you have never, or rarely, done. I’ve been camping in Wales in December. The water tap had frozen solid and the ground was so hard I couldn’t get my pegs in.
Things work a little differently in Dubai, and as soon as the nights start to get longer and the day’s heat more bearable, the lure of the great outdoors gets stronger and stronger.
So it’s not uncommon for us to pack up the car, shove in a tent, some firewood and a couple of small children. It is something I heartily recommend, and if you need more insight let me describe one weekend away: The day started with baking cakes inside oranges and ended with my daughter’s first tooth falling out.
Living in Dubai, we felt the need to escape the man-made madness where the only views are from the top of a skyscraper, in search of natural views from the top of a mountain; so we were exploring a little closer to home this weekend with an overnight camping trip to the mountains surrounding Ras Al Khaimah.
Following the Wadi Bih road passed a couple of dams we decided to drive up one of the many wadis in search of the perfect, flat, stoneless pitching site. This proved more difficult than you might think in the mountains. The gravelly track wove its way through the valley and not wishing to pitch in the middle of a wadi for fear of flash floods (we haven’t seen rain for nearly a year) we urged the cars along steeper, narrower and stonier paths, until by luck we found the Holy Grail.
The ground was stoneless, flat as an iron and had tremendous views down the valley. It was bordered by a dry stone wall, and at some point someone had painstakingly removed every last pebble. I’m still left wondering what this strange piece of land was originally used for. The wall perhaps indicated livestock, but why remove all the stones? The lack of stones indicated a crop field, but the ground was compact and completely even. I wondered about it being a burial or holy site, but there were no markers at all. The conclusion I have reached is that it was once a spot for Bedouins to pitch their tents, and I hope we respected the land accordingly. As an American Chief once said: “Take only memories, leave nothing but footprints.”
The children loved being able to scramble around, cook marshmallows on an open fire and nestle down into at tented haven at the end of the day. Even with all our mod cons, you can’t beat sitting around a fire sharing stories and a mug of something to keep the chill out. It might be due to the mod cons that we enjoy outdoor life so much, as there is always a comfy bed and warm shower to come home to. We undertook the journey with some friends who love to cook, and hence the breakfast treat of cake cooked in oranges must be repeated.
It was a fun packed couple of days, but when you ask our eldest daughter what her favourite part was, her answer will be: “My tooth fell out.” How do we raise the stakes to make a camping weekend even more exciting?!
So many families feel apprehensive about camping with small children, but it’s a great introduction to outdoor life. As long as you have a bucket to bath the baby in and enough water to drink and keep clean, you’re laughing.
Top tips:
Make sure you have the right maps and know where you are; if you’re heading to the desert don’t do it alone: travel in convoy;
Check your tyres and petrol tank;
Take enough water;
Remember your torch, mossie spray and sun-tan lotion;
Be prepared, but don’t take the kitchen sink;
Above all, respect the local flora, fauna and people – leave no sign that you have been there.
Essential reading:
Explorer: UAE off-road
Photos:
Setting up camp
Sun set in the mountains
Out for a stroll
Al Hajar mountains near Wadi Bih.
About the author:
Helen McClure is the journalist behind www.expatexplorers.org, a travel and expat website offering free independent insights, ideas and inspiration. Follow her on www.facebook.com/expatexplorers and www.twitter.com/expatexplorers.
Her travelling experiences have included backpacking in South America and the Far East, touring Europe in a camper van, working in villages in Africa, travelling with the British Army in Kenya, Oman and Northern Ireland, working in Saudi Arabia, living in Kuwait, Chicago and the United Arab Emirates. She is known for being sport mad (all sports), running long distances (just mad) and being competitive (in everything).
