INTRODUCTION Earlier in the year I saw an advertisement from ECC Adventures (based in Fujairah, UAE) for UK Mountain Leaders to work for them over the winter months which is peak season in Fujairah for mountain activities. I contacted Chris Craver at ECC Adventures to see if he required any training support and he immediately expressed an interest in this. Over the summer we discussed the possibility of delivering the following courses in Fujairah in November:
Chris worked very hard to facilitate the required approvals for me and it was agreed that my initial visit to Sharjah and Fujairah would be to deliver a REC L2 Outdoor First Aid course at the Mleiha Archaeological Centre in Sharjah on November 5th/6th. One of seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates, Sharjah is an attractive and safe destination, rich in history and culture with friendly people and year-round sunshine. With a varied landscape, ranging from the majestic Hajar Mountains, sand dunes and pristine beaches, Sharjah is an attractive destination. Many thanks to Rohan Designs Limited for providing some very appropriate clothing for this desert trip to the wilder and more remote parts of Sharjah. On November 2nd my wife Yolande, and I left the UK for the UAE. NOVEMBER 2nd Having chosen Swiss Air for our flights from LHR T2 at 0850, it meant a very early start from home with a departure at 0315. With the ongoing round of rail strikes we'd booked a transfer with MET Executive Travel which proved to be very effective in a vehicle with plenty of luggage space as we had 4 large kitbags for the huge amount of training equipment required. Our Swiss A320Neo departed late but the crew reassured us that the flight would still arrive on time for our B777-300ER flight to Dubai. Zurich was a new airport for us, but we found our way to E42 for the flight without any difficulties. The flight of just under 6 hours was comfortable with fairly average food and Yolande's GF/non-seafood catering request not fully complied with. The Swiss chocolates were excellent, however. Formalities after arrival in Dubai were without any problems and Chris and Karen were there to meet us and transfer us over to the Ibis Styles Hotel in Sharjah. Room 1404 was very comfortable and spacious but after unpacking at around midnight we realised that the fridge wasn't working so it was a quick room reallocation down to 1104. NOVEMBER 3rd This morning, we drove over to the east coast. The drive had been quite interesting as we left the sprawling west coast development to see camels in quite large numbers before, we crossed the Hajar Mountains and down to the coastal city of Fujairah. We'd lived in Dubai many years ago whilst employed by Dubai Petroleum Company and were amazed by development of all the main cities in the northern UAE. We visited Fujairah Fort and the Fujairah Adventure Park where there are numerous hiking trails and mountain bike activities. The 16th Century fort is part of a complex with several old houses and a mosque. It is guarded by three round watchtowers and a square watchtower. The watchtowers and main building are connected by the walls, and there is a central hall surrounded by these towers and wall. The irregular shape of the castle is due to the uneven surface of the rock it sits on. The building is built of local materials, mostly rocks, gravels, mud, hay and plasters. Radiocarbon dating has identified the date of the construction as around 1500–1550. It was then renovated during 1650–1700. The British Navy destroyed three of the towers in 1925 during an action enforcing British anti-slavery policy. The bombardment was by HMIS Lawrence, resulting in the recovery of a fine of 1,500 rupees from the Sheikh. HMIS Lawrence (L83) was a sloop, commissioned in 1919 into the Royal Indian Marine (RIM). The fort was restored by the Fujairah Administration of Antiquity and Heritage during 1997/2000 using the same materials with which it was built. After visiting Fujairah Fort, we looked at the Fujairah Adventure Park before enjoying lunch at a Lebanese Restaurant and then returned to our hotel in Sharjah. NOVEMBER 4th Chris picked us up just before 1100 and we drove to the Mleiha Archaeological Centre which is operated by Shurooq which is a Sharjah government run centre and which would be the venue for the REC Outdoor First Aid Course over the weekend. A senior manager from Shurooq showed us the small conference room and the outdoor training area which was exclusively for our course. The outside area was spacious with a large Arabic tent for us to use and perfect for our needs. We discussed potential training for our March proposed visit and this will be held over on the east coast of Sharjah at Kalba where a new environmental centre is being constructed. After looking around the facilities we visited the Wadi Caves site for a quick look at the area before returning to Sharjah. Mleiha is about an hour inland from Sharjah and contains a rich collection of archaeological sites with burial mounds and the structural remnants of ancient settlements where recent discoveries of 125,000-year-old stone hand axes provide an insight into ancient lifestyles in this area. The centre is worth a visit and Yolande enjoyed a VIP tour of the museum whilst Chris and I were inspecting the training venue. NOVEMBER 5th REC L5 Outdoor First Aid course at the Mleiha Archaeological Centre in Sharjah with 12 participants - Day 1. Following on from the inspection visit on Friday, it was agreed that the entire two day course would be outdoor based in the arabic tent and surrounding area. The tent was duly equipped with a very large tv for some theoretical elements of the course which are delivered using Powerpoint. Yolande and I later enjoyed dinner at Jones the Butcher Restaurant on Flag Island in Sharjah Lagoon. NOVEMBER 6th REC L5 Outdoor First Aid course at the Mleiha Archaeological Centre in Sharjah with 12 participants - Day 2. Day 1 had worked very well with 12 participants from 8 nationalities. The course feedback was very satisfying to read: What did you like best about your experience? Team work - The learning, lovely group, great instructor - The variety of materials and equipment - The way Alan teaches - The actual training! - Learned new things, variety of new skills - The course was really engaging (and fun!) for all participants - It’s been years since my last first aid certification and I learned a lot of new things! - Course dynamic, lots of practical sessions and application on the theories in place after each theory makes practice session more streamline and efficient - The scenario and the analogies - New learnings that can be applied anywhere to anyone to provide help and scenarios that made us show what we have learned - The practical outdoor part was very good and skillful - The way they demo the practical things What did you like least about your experience? Bit of a long drive (not really a problem) and the heat sometimes (again, not really a problem) - Maybe a little bit more focused in mountains - The actual task - Heat the first day - The brevity in handling serious illnesses (only due to the amount of course time) - Toilet is a bit far. It gets hot sometimes while handling the indoor session (it felt a bit harder to focus) - Wish there will be more theory books Other comments, suggestions, areas of improvement, etc. Best of luck to all! - Not really - Actually going on a hike to see real hazards - Develop the course in Arabic - Provide detailed information for those interested (maybe in video format?) - Location, less sandy classroom would be better for next time - Great energy and enjoy/appreciate the patience - Indeed a very meaningful event! - Change location, more practical - Everything is nice. Enjoyed a lot Mleiha Archaeological Centre was an excellent venue for the course and many thanks to the staff there for being so friendly and helpful. Yolande and I again enjoyed dinner at Jones the Butcher Restaurant on Flag Island in Sharjah Lagoon for a second night. NOVEMBER 7th After some post-course administration and sorting/packing equipment Yolande and I enjoyed a long (and hot) walk on the Sharjah Corniche with lunch at the Ushna Indian Restaurant on the Al Majaz Waterfront which was very good. Chris and Karen picked us up late afternoon and we enjoyed a local meal at the Al Khayama Heritage Restaurant after which, we toured the souk before being dropped off at the airport. NOVEMBER 8th
Our Swiss B777-300ER took off on time I think for the 6 hour flight to Zurich where we transferred to the flight to LHR T2 where Martin from MET Executive Travel was there to meet us and drive us home. Only on one out of four flight sectors did Swiss catter properly in respect of catering for Yolande's GF and non-seafood allergies.
1 Comment
Mark Demmery
18/11/2022 16:42:18
Great blog Alan, sounds like a great trip and a destination worth considering for ML's looking for work through the winter.
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2021 OnwardsFollowing on from retirement, more time will be available for hill and mountain walking on a personal basis with friends. Categories |