Why we should Hike - featuring Wadi Naqab

“To clear your mind – hike!” ; “Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but pictures, kill nothing but time.”

I am not an expert in hiking, trekking or adventures but I love it! When I came to Dubai I started doing or joining these outdoor thing two years back – not regularly but I have an history in hiking or walking.

Those years in my grade school I did hiked after classes for 20 minutes (about 2 kilometers) every schooldays with my siblings, some classmates and schoolmates. We live in an elevated area in our province and our parents allowed us to walked when we go back home after school. Of course, we enjoyed those times. We did play in the road, run and when we reached home we sweat a lot. I still can remember during rainy days – we played in the rain on our way back home, played those mud and dirty water that flows from above the mountains. Those are the memories that I cannot forget.

I always do love adventures since, though I didn’t practice or appreciate it many years back in my life until 2014 and now. I was shy an introvert, but at least since then when I started to volunteer and my few travels I develop my social skills little by little.

“this is what it looks like when I hike, but more when I finished the hike (Wadi Naqab).”

Here are the reasons why we should Hike:

You learn to appreciate GOD’s gift the NATURE – when you hike this is the time when you start to appreciate nature. You can experience and see how wonderful our world is – superb work of art! Through the sites you see, those animals you met and those people you walk with – simple things that will make you happy. It is mysterious, it is beautiful, it is powerful and the Life! You are Nature indeed and you will learn more of appreciation as you walk forward.

It clear your mind and meditate – in your working environment sometimes you cannot hide from stress. Hiking soothes your souls and quiet your minds. It also gives you more time to feel the divine presence in you.

You become grateful and humble – in hiking all hikers experience the trials and obstacles along the way. Especially on the rocky trail, they encounter difficulties but didn’t give up and continue their pace to finished the hike. This is when one develop humility and being grateful to the little things they accomplished.

You become more open-mind – in hiking you will learn and improve your openness to others or to nature. Being with others you will hear new ideas and learn to understand that everybody is unique. Hiking through nature, you learn to try new things and willing to discover challenges along the way or as life’s ahead.

You can have exercise – hiking is like a whole body workout. The therapy that gives your senses, brain, nerves, heart and mind to calm down and exercise. Whatever mode you have at first it will definitely brighten you up.

You can make some friends – it deeply connects us to others and meet new friends. It is great to know and meet like minded people as you hike through.

You can travel – by joining group hikes you can explore new places. Of course, going back and forth to the same trail is not always the choice of most organizers they love to explore new places and more challenging trails.

You feel free, relax and peace – through hiking most trails go to forest and mountains. All of us knows that through looking to nature it can gives us peace of mind. After all, we are here born on this earth not just to pay bills and die! We are here, free to explore the world and make the most out of life!

FEATURING WADI NAQAB

My inspiration when I do this blog was our great hike last weekend in Wadi Naqab, Ras Al Khaimah. It was great, it rained towards the end of our hike! We are 83 hikers lead by Steve Tollington. It was an easy to moderate hike. Some had the camping overnight – I didn’t. The round trip distance is about 15 kilometers and the total elevation is 200 meters – it was a long distance hike!