Trek back in time on 'ship of the desert'

Previous participants have avowed of the life-changing experiences they had in the desert.

Dubai - Only few slots are open for the 15 adventurers who will join the 4th edition of the Camel Trek, organised by the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center (HHC) and taking place from January 17 until 27.
The expedition will cover a total distance of about 500km. The trekkers will ride the camel for at least 50km daily, traversing through the vast expanse of UAE desert beginning from Liwa.
"No fees and prior experience are required, just deep commitment and passion to learn the rich Emirati culture and old ways of the Bedouins," Hind bin Demaithan Al Qemzi, the HHC director of events, told Khaleej Times on Wednesday. 
Al Qemzi said the HHC will provide the trekkers everything - from camels to tents, food and other provisions, including a medical team on standby, for the entire journey. "But it will be a travel back in time so the desert explorers are asked to leave their gadgets and busy city life behind. 
"They (camel trekkers) will be deprived of any modern technology and will have to rely on the camel, the 'ship of the desert', to carry them throughout the journey," Al Qemzi said.
"Many potential candidates - Europeans, Arabs and Asians - are already undergoing intensive survival training at our camel farm in Al Nakhra, off the Dubai-Al Ain road. Those who would like to join can register through our website www.hhc.gov.ae and catch up in our daily exercise from 3pm to 7pm," she added.
"There will be many challenges, especially for the first-timers. But, eventually, they (trekkers) will learn the different tasks at the camp. They will know how to take care of their own camel, saddle, tether and feed it," one of the trainers said.
Previous participants have avowed of the life-changing experiences they had in the desert.
Charlotte Sarrazin and Anne-Laure Laine, who joined the camel trek twice, said they "enjoyed the once-in-a-lifetime experience of travelling back in time - sharing a nomadic life and experiencing the unique Arabian hospitality". 
Their advice for first-time camel trekkers is to "let go of their fear, relax and hop on".
"The camel is an intelligent beast, it can sense your fear and would be unhappy with it. The hard part would be mounting the camel but the trick is to understand every movement of the camel. Once you're already on top, do not resist the movement of the camel - sway with it and relax," said the duo, who forged a deep friendship during the trek.
California-born expat Mike Metzger, who only had two days of intensive training last year said he survived because of the help from his teammates. "It was tough on my knees and on my back, especially in my inner quads. It was very painful but after a few days of kind of roughing it out, the pain finally went away and I started enjoying the whole experience," he said.
Trekkers follow a strict regimen throughout the voyage. They have to wake up early to prepare their camels, break camp and leave for the daily journey. But not before enjoying a hearty Arabic breakfast of shakshouka (scrambled eggs, tomatoes, onion, chili); fasolia, foul, Arabic bread, boiled eggs, honey and cheese, balaleet (sweet vermicelli), and kahwa (coffee).
"Songs and tales are shared throughout the journey - actually the one in front or the leader of the pack has to keep on singing so those at the back of the single-file convoy will be able to follow the caravan and not get lost in the ever-changing sand dunes," a trainer said.
The trekkers pitch camp before sunset and at night they sleep in desert tents under the stars.
angel@khaleejtimes.com
 

• UAE
• Dubai

Angel Tesorero

angel@khaleejtimes.com