FEELING HIGH in RAS AL KHAIMAH

BETTER KNOWN AS THE 'NATURE EMIRATE' OF THE UAE, ITS RUGGED LANDSCAPE ENCOMPASSING THE DESERT, MOUNTAINS AND SEA HAS BECOME A LAUNCHING PAD FOR ADVENTURE SEEKERS

-  Pallavi Pasricha

THE TOWERING, Hajar mountain range, the sand dune swept desert and the sea beckon me to explore an emirate stamped with its own distinct identity. As I arrive in UAE's fourth largest emirate, located in the north, I haven't come seeking Dubai's glam factor, skyscrapers and shopping, but to take a deep dive into the adventures it promises in the backdrop of its spectacular landscape. After all, Ras Al Khaimah, just a one-hour drive away from Dubai, is known as the 'nature emirate' of the UAE for a reason - where else do the sea, mountains and desert converge within kilometres of each other?

Home to the highest mountain in the country, Jebel Jais (1934 meters), Ras Al Khaimah is a hotbed for adventure sports-ziplining, sledging and hot air ballooning - exhilarating experiences that I delve into over three days. The country's highest restaurant and campsite are all part of this lovely emirate.

THE WORLD'S LONGEST ZIPLINE-JAIS FLIGHT

AS I DON the equipment at the site office near Jais Adventure Park Centre, and then take a car to the take-off point to zipline for about 2.8 kilometres down the Hajar mountain range, I can't wait after all it the longest zipline in the world.

But one glimpse and my heart nearly stops - the platform is at quite a height (1680 meters) and all I can see around is the brown, jagged range. The zip cable is so long that after a point it vanishes into the horizon. There are two parallel cables so that people can go in sets of two. A couple before me are already in position and the guy tells us jokingly, "Don't do it guys. Not worth it." He says "I love You" to his partner and off they go, screaming their lungs out and soon they become tiny specs till I can't see them anymore.