Another scenic trip in the experimental format – combining overlanding, hiking and even a bit of desert. This time in the scenic area around Al Ghail and Wadi Maidaq – between Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah and Fujairah.

We gathered on the outskirts of Al Ghail village and after some initial briefing and radio check we set off. Radio communication is very useful in overland driving, sometimes even critical as gravel roads have a tendency to develop a cloud of dust reducing visibly significantly.
The first part of the trip was an exploration of desert formations interlocking with the neighboring rocky terrain. This is something very special – we mostly used a gravel road that zig zagged between the two – but we also made a dash through a part of the desert, very different here than what we know from Sharjah, Qudra or Sweihan.
After taking some photos we went to a rocky wadi, to the starting point of our hike. The objective was to locate a marble baby sculpture by an Italian artist Jago, known to rest on a sand dune next to a rocky ridge. We quickly moved through the wadi, climbed a small ridge to traversed to the area where the sculpture should be. But it was not to be found – apparently it was moved to a permanent exhibition. Regardless, we continued exploring hard-sand dunes and ridges and after 1 hours came back to our cars.
Benefiting from the shade of a tree, we enjoyed some excellent karak tea, dates and small bites. Good to have some camping chairs in your car.
Following the break we embarked on the last section of the trip – involving several kilometers through the sandy area of Ramlah village and mountains that develop in the direction of Masafi. In the mountains we stopped to explore Blue Pools, an irrigation system serving nearby farms. With some heavy rains not a long time ago, water was indeed there – but definitely not blue yet. We exited shortly after.
Big thanks to all the participants, especially the youngest for joining the trip, fun of exploring something new and a memorable atmosphere together. See you on the next trip in 2024.