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Between a Rock and a Hard Race

Chris Archer / 14.12.2007

With the desert sections over and their heads filled with images of dunes, camels and oppressively blue skies, the teams travel to the Garden City of Al Ain, a glittering emerald mounted in a boundless expanse of burnished gold, to confront the majestic Jebel Hafeet.

Soaring dagger-like from the desert, the jagged blade of the Jebel Hafeet Mountains tower above one of the Arabian Gulf’s most eminent and treasured cities. Where rock forms a bridge between sand and sky, the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge has come to pay its respects to Al Ain, the crossroads of epic history, ancient cultures and modern lifestyles. Museums, ancient forts and splendid hotels abound in a verdant region appreciated for its wildlife, including the illusive Arabian Leopard.

The teams will camp in the shadow of these illustrious peaks and start early in the morning with a 24km adventure run up the rocky northern slopes, finishing the run at the start an intricate and taxing series of rope works awaits.

On the menu is a dash along a canyon, a rope bridge, an 80m rappel and an ascension using jumars with a sprint back to Green Mubazzarah, a splendid, comprehensive activities park at the foot of the mountain. The action continues unabated with a high-speed mountain bike dash into the city centre and a final 5 km sprint to the finish at Al Ain's renowned and visually striking Jahili Fort, built in 1898 by Sheikh Zayed the Great and a shining example of the country’s cultural heritage.

With only 3 minutes separating the first 2 teams, the frenetic tempo of this final day is guaranteed and the winners of the very first Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge are unlikely to be known until they cross the finishing line.

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