Biking

Select A Route

Dadna Circuit
Rating Easy
Stats 18km, 150m of elevation, 2-3 hours to complete
Terrain Tarmac, graded track
Scenery Coastal plains with green plantations, mountains and wadis
Main challenge A few small but steep ascents and a fast  final downhill
 
The tour starts with some easy riding on asphalt through a quiet residential area with local villas, before winding its way between some nice farms. You can also do a loop inside Fujairah Farm’s surprisingly green plantations. Make sure you stop by the farm shop on the main road to pick up some of the refreshing produce for a tasty stop en route. 

After crossing the main road, the off-road experience begins on rocky tracks and the occasional small patch of tarmac as you pass a social housing complex and a palace; you’ll cycle slowly, climbing through the coastal plains towards the mountains till you reach the lower, smaller dam and the wilderness really begins. 
Stop for a moment here; you will be embraced by the total silence of the mountains as you face the wide track ahead. Once in the wadi bed, stay on the right side of the valley and cycle up to the to the great Owais dam and on to its 18m high wall. Enjoy the amazing view; sometimes, you may even spot some water behind this huge retention dam which can hold 3.5 million cubic metres of water. 

Continue the track along the wide retention area of Wadi Zikt until a steep climb to your left takes you up to a mountain pass. Climb up to enjoy the fresh air that constantly blows through the rocky gap at the top of the small pass. 

After a last break, you can enjoy the downhill back to civilisation, passing the ruins of the old abandoned village to reach the new village houses along with some wonderful oases. The modern tarmac road leads you straight back to the starting point, passing a number of farms en route. 

Al Hala Round Tour
Rating Intermediate 
Stats 39km, 785m of elevation, half a day to complete
Terrain Tarmac, graded track 
Scenery Narrows wadis with plantations, mountain villages and summit areas with views
Main challenge Long ascents with a steep, long downhill
at the end
 
The village of Al Hala lies just off the Masafi-Dibba road (E89) and is easily accessible from all directions. Your best bet is to park up right next to the small strip of shops, where there’s plenty of space for leaving your vehicle. The cycling starts with a gentle climb of just 200m as you cruise along on tarmac until you reach the entrance to the beautiful, narrow Wadi Tayyibah. 
After 11km of riding (and 308m of climbing) you reach the village of Tayyibah, where you turn right to enjoy some nice tarmac riding – it makes for a relaxing break from the previous uphill, while still delving you deeper and deeper into the mountains until you reach Wadi Sidr. 

Take a break in the next small mountain village, which has a small grocery store that is ideal for topping up fluids, before the cycling continues right up Wadi Sidr (still on tarmac), passing the upper retention dam. The enjoyable ride through the mountains continues until the tarmac comes to an end and the off-road terrain winds up the very narrow valley. It climbs significantly here and soon becomes fairly steep as you rise out of the valley and emerge at the top of the mountains, with some great views of the mighty Jebel Yibir far away on the left. This section will require some low gearing and a decent level of fitness.

You should rest at the summit (on the right side of the track) to enjoy the fabulous views – you’re actually only roughly 700m above sea level, although you’ll feel like you’re on the top of the world as no vegetation obstructs the view. If the weather is good, you can see all the way to Dibba and the Indian Ocean.

Just a bit further down, you reach a mountain plateau where you can choose between two routes; both are dazzling 3.5km downhills and end up at the same spot. The one on the right is more demanding due to greater steepness and the condition of the track but both are great fun. 
Once in the valley, you can enjoy a bit of tarmac until you turn right to cross back over to the start point in Al Hala.

Jebel Yibir Route
Rating Difficult 
Stats 42km, 1,833m of elevation, full day to complete
TerrainGraded track and compacted dirt
Scenery Wide wadis, amazing mountains and some of the very best views over Musandam and the Northern Emirates
Main challenge Three minor ascents and descents on the 10km approach before a very steep and long ascent up to Jebel Yibir, all of which you repeat in reverse before getting back to the car.
 
The starting point for this is right off the Ras Al Khaimah-Dibba Highway (E87), almost exactly halfway from either side. The exit is signposted Al Mihtaraqah. Once you start cycling, you will soon escape civilisation and experience the remoteness of the UAE mountains, passing small settlements and houses where locals still live the simple life. 

Over the first 10km, you will tackle three minor but sporadically steep ascents, which are followed by three descents which take you right back down to your starting altitude. At the top of the third climb, after 6km of riding, you will get your first sight of the mighty Jebel Yibir which, at 1,527m, is one of the highest mountains in the UAE. One last downhill leads you into the mighty Wadi Khab. 
Turn right, following the wadi upwards to the last T-junction where a left turn will leave you with an extremely steep ramp up towards Jebel Yibir directly in front of you, deep at the end of the huge wadi. If you are already feeling a little fatigued, best not to think about the fact that you are still at exactly the same altitude as when you started! 

Now, you quickly gain 120m altitude on this first steep mountain step. Once you have fought your way up the first few winding bends, the view widens as you reach a 430m high mountain plateau. From here, you can clearly see the day´s destination, Jebel Yibir, and the steep track that leads up to it.
 If you decide to continue, you should be prepared for a very steep and constant uphill climb which gains altitude quickly. You should take your time climbing, stopping to enjoy some of the amazing viewpoints looking back over where you have just come from, as well as over the surrounding mountains. At 875m above sea level, look down to see a huge canyon rising from your right. 

In the upper half of the climb, the track heads a bit deeper into the mountains for further remoteness and wilderness. Although the summit area is restricted from access, once you reach the ‘no entry’ sign, you are already at 1.360m – the perfect place to relax on some of the big rocks under the open skies up here and pride yourself in having mastered a total of 1,455m of elevation up to this point. 

What follows is one of the longest downhills the UAE has to offer; you will be virtually dragged down by gravity and can really enjoy each of the many switchbacks that eventually deliver you 9.7km away and 1,090m lower, back in Wadi Khab. From here, you still have 10km and 378m of total climbing to go until you reach the car on the same path you followed on the way in.

Directory

Write to us

Latest News

View More

Newsletter Subscription

View Newsletter
About us Contact us Join us Advertise Corporate Shop