At just over 3,600 meters in elevation, Halgurd Mountain is one of the few snow-covered peaks in the Middle East that is worthy of summiting. In January, I took a group of eight colleagues on an overnight winter trek in the Zagros Mountains, 170 kilometres northeast of Erbil, Iraq.
My favourite time to climb Halgurd Mountain is during the wintertime when days are short and the ground is covered by fresh snow. Hiking with a group in the mountains can be treacherous, so we hired a local guide in Choman to lead us. Driving the last five kilometres from Choman to the base of Halgurd is slow on snowy, mountainous roads with no other traffic and takes us 35 minutes. The scenery is stunning, but because of the snow,the road is closed. We park the cars and lug all the gear to our camp.
I reflect now with a smile at the thought of our group of weekend adventurers carrying 20 kg backpacks and hiking through the snow in Kurdistan about 10 kilometres from the Iranian border. Part of the challenge was the lack of mountain-ready meals available, so we carried heavy canned food and cooking gear from home. It took us five hours to get from the cars to our campsite.
Denne historien er fra May - June 2017-utgaven av OutdoorUAE.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra May - June 2017-utgaven av OutdoorUAE.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Reach The Unreachable With The New 2018 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado
Continuing the legacy of the powerful four-wheel drive performance and unrivalled off-road capabilities, the new 2018 Land Cruiser Prado has been officially launched by Al-Futtaim Motors. The new Prado comes with a more robust exterior, sophisticated and intuitive interior design in addition to improved driving abilities and user-friendliness, both on-and off-road, cementing its reputation as one of the world’s toughest and most reliable SUVs.
A Strange Meeting In The Desert
Passion for photography and the desert and a fantastic story told in front of a fire!
The World Is My Play Ground
We meet Josefina Fontana traveling the world to find amazing places and outdoor fun.
7 Emirates Run
My name is Toni Metcalfe I am a mum of three children and I also have a passion for running. Not just any running but Ultra running. An Ultra run is defined by any distance over a marathon (42.2kms) but is usually much longer and on mountainous terrain. My last race was 100 miles long and across the south of England countryside.​​​​​​​
Cyclists Are Training Hard For The Spinneys Dubai 92 Cycle Challenge
The countdown to the Spinneys Dubai 92 Cycle Challenge continued with a spin. With just a few weeks to go until the main event, over 550 cyclists from across the UAE met at the Al Qudra Cycle Track at the third Spinneys Build-Up ride ahead of the main 92km event on 15th December.
Subaru Driving Experience With Eyesight Demonstration
Al Khoory Automobiles held the ‘Subaru Driving Experience with EyeSight Demonstration’ event at the Dubai Autodrome, Hill Circuit on 23rd March 2018.
A Jeep Adventure Day In The City
What’s a better way to spend the weekend than outdoors?
How I Grew Up Riding Dirt Bikes
An interview with Dana Miskulnig and what she was telling people about in during the inspiring women’s talk
Team Building Outdoors In The UAE
On weekends, Alex, Olya and I love exploring the UAE. Usually we either sign up for an organized running event or drive to the mountains or sand dunes and run on our own. Some events are a bit technical, while others are intended for more casual runners.
Infant Swimming: PROS,CONS And Precautions
Swimming with your kids can be a fun way to spend hours with them