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
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Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
The Matrix Resurrections
Director: Lana Wachowski
Stars: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jessica Henwick
Rating:****
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TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
World Sevens Series standing after Dubai
1. South Africa
2. New Zealand
3. England
4. Fiji
5. Australia
6. Samoa
7. Kenya
8. Scotland
9. France
10. Spain
11. Argentina
12. Canada
13. Wales
14. Uganda
15. United States
16. Russia
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Monster
Directed by: Anthony Mandler
Starring: Kelvin Harrison Jr., John David Washington
3/5
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
Results
5.30pm Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,400m
Winner Spirit Of Light, Clement Lecoeuvre (jockey), Erwan Charpy (trainer)
6.05pm Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner Bright Start, Pat Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor
6.40pm Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (D) 2,000m
Winner Twelfthofneverland, Nathan Crosse, Satish Seemar
7.15pm Handicap (TB) Dh85,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Imperial Empire, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
7.50pm Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (T) 2,000m
Winner Record Man, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
8.25pm Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (D) 1,600m
Winner Celtic Prince, Fabrice Veron, Rashed Bouresly
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
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The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5