RAK SHORT STEEP HIGHLAND
RAK SHORT STEEP HIGHLAND
2012
I had not scared the wife (ILPH) for a while. And so it was off to Ras Al Khamaih. Pylon tracks are always interesting because they a built for the lowest, which generally means steep, and then they are not maintained. This pylon track was bloody steep!
Early start, find your way through Ras Al Khamaih, onto off-road and then hit a sign saying “WARNING - Vehicle Entry Strictly Restricted”. The oxford English dictionary defines restricted as follows: adjective - limited in extent, number, scope, or action (and for those English buffs out there its Orign - Middle English: from Old French restreign-, stem of restreindre, from Latin restringere, from re- 'back' + stringere 'to tie, pull tight'). Restrain or restrict does not mean prohibit. We continued.
The first stretch was ok, second stretch a little steeper, in the third stretch there was a distinct tyre smell, and the fourth stretch was wet your pants time. This was steeper then anything we had done before. The ILPH wanted to go back but I did fancy turning around on this road. We ploughed on. After some more tyre destruction we emerged onto high plateau.
We parked up and went for a wander up to the ridge. Along the ridge we could se wadi Shahah to our right and the sea to our left. As always there was a bit of coaxing of the ILPH, including a perilous photo shoot. Halfway up the ILPH could be coaxed no more and we bounced back to the car.
Now we had to take on the sleep crazy road again but in reverse. And as I always say it is more dangerous going down... The car was put into low range and 1st gear. We crept all the way down at a comical speed, thankfully I don’t think anyone there witness our timidity. A puff of the cheeks at bottom to release the tension and we were off to Dhaya fort.
Dhaya fort is a re-built fort on the top small hillock in Ras Al Khamiah. As we arrived it was also a rather uncomfortable photo shoot location involving 6 Russian beauties, clothed but in various positions, and two quite happy Indian photographers. Dodging the Russians we went straight to the back fort, a quick look about, then back past the Russians and that was that. On our way down we did notice an old mud fort that was very eroded. So we poop along to take a look. Who knows how old it was or what it was it’s purpose. The old fort was nice because it did look like new a rarity in the Emirates!
Well we activity discourage you from attempting the steep pylon track but I suppose if you really wanted to take it on then we could not stop you...
RAK short steep highland
11/1/2013
Restricted does not mean prohibited...