Author: Marina Bruce AKA The Desert Diva
Distance: Off-road 40kms
Average Time to Complete: 2-4 hours with no stops
Route Grade: easy-intermediate
Suitable for families or kids: absolutely
Vehicle requirements: 4×4
Narrative – The Hameem loop takes you away from oilfields and civilization, into some beautiful big dunes which turn a gorgeous brown-red in the late afternoon sun.
Much of the route can be done by sand track but you can pick a line away from these in most cases; please keep away from camels and camel farms. You should be able to receive a 3G (Etisalat) signal for most of the way.
Start by filling up at ADNOC Al Fayadha #660, then head south for around 53kms until you reach HLWP001 Start. Deflate your tyres and prepare your car for off-road at this point.
Start by driving down a sand covered track, avoiding the farm near HLWP002, then pick your route travelling from waypoint to waypoint.
After HLWP003 you will reach the dunes proper; waypoint HLWP004 is just to keep you on track and you don’t need to hit it exactly, however, you should line up perfectly with HLWP005 as this is a designated berm crossing. Turn right up the gatch track for approximately 2km and take a left into the dunes again at HLWP006. Continue to meander among the dunes until you hit the road at HLWP007.
You will now be approx. 6kms from the ADNOC at Hameem where you can air and fuel up.
Camping in this area is highly recommended – suggest somewhere between HLWP003 and HLWP005. If you are near a camel farm remember you need to camp upwind from it!
If you have time at the end of your desert trip, you might consider travelling the length of the historic Liwa Crescent. For interesting stops check out Marina’s article on Liwa Crescent 2WD in Outdoor UAE’s September 2017 edition. ■
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Written by: Marina Bruce
Photos: Marina Bruce
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this article was published in OutdoorUAE printed magazine issue #93 February – March 2019
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