TRAVEL + ADVENTURE LOCATIONS T.L.R.D Episode 1 The Land Rover Diaries Recapturing the Spirit of Adventure Health Powerhouse Words + Photos By: Theo Measures and Neil Walton “Thousands of tired, Foster good bacteria in your gut by eating nerve-shaken, over-civilised people A pristine, untouched, unspoilt pocket of Oman — are beginning to nd out that going probiotics in theirmost natural form to the mountains is going home; the most breathtaking desert I have ever seen! that wildness is a necessity; Words + Photos By: Ivana Chiles and that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as Episode 2 It is autumn, my favourite season fountains of timber and irrigating The Elbrus Leers of the year. Not only because rivers, but as fountains of life.” I love fresh air and running through OutdoorUAE Magazine ―John Muir, Our National Parks Words + Photos By: Fahd Abu Aisha irritable burn on my hand for the remainder the coloured leaves, but also of the trip. because of the abundance of fruits I had for some time, felt a vagueness and Day 3 - I Swear Nobody Our accommodation was comprised of desolation consume me; I couldn’t tell where Gave Me Crampons insulated metal crates with one bunk bed and vegetables ready to be har- it had come from or why, and I did my best to located in each corner of the room, so there vested and some of them stored hide it. Flitting between purposes in life had It was an early start to the were four bunk beds in total. The girls had a for winter. left me with a disenfranchised sense of self, morning as we packed our bags smaller, cosier crate to themselves while Mo- struggling to nd direction, place or calm in hammad and I commandeered the “master I know we do not particularly feel the a concrete jungle I began caring less for day and walked over to the cable car suite.” We were spoilt for choice on which changes in seasons in Dubai, but perhaps many traditional dishes. Raw juice helps you have noticed a sudden variety of ap- constipation, I don’t think we really fully by day. It was at this point I remembered my station which would take us up bed we would deign to sleep in. I concluded Words + Photos by: Aimee Davidson area beaches, before moving south resident Giant Crab Spiders for company, rst love: exploring the natural world with an the platform up the mountain. that it would be strategic if he slept in the ples, sugar rich plums or gs in the shops. It appreciated its unique benets. through Wahiba Sands, to end up at we decided to carry on with the original off-road vehicle. bed above mine to consolidate the warmth is because nature is preparing us for tough Today I will teach you how to optimise plan, and cross the Wahiba Sands desert, For the last four years I have loved living From there we would take another in one corner of the room so as to maximise times and theoretically we should load up your gut ora by making fermented veg- Making the most of a much the area known as the Sugar Dunes. solo. in the United Arab Emirates, but I had never dreaded chairlift that would take the body heat, sort of like a human hearth,as on nutrients to survive. It is natural that etables at home, in your own kitchen. If you needed long Eid weekend, I jumped As with all the best made plans, vari- This is not a decision to be taken lightly, explored or adventured outside of the city us to camp. Thankfully, this chairlift it was to get colder at night. many of us gain a few extra kilos as part of have never eaten fermented vegetables at the opportunity to explore anew ous people dropped out at the very last however we were very experienced in limits, not really. It is this, which for a former was less stressful, predominantly A practice session with the crampons fol- this process. Extra sugar is stored as fat (in before, I recommend you start introducing area of Oman slightly off the beaten moment, leaving us free to do a solo blast desert driving, had enough water, supplies, countryside-dwelling, muddy lover of the lowed. After a slightly embarrassing decla- the form of triglycerides) to be used up later percent of your immune system is in your them gradually. A large portion may provoke driving through the night, and so avoiding shade and all the necessary recovery gear. unknown and undiscovered became a bit too because I had assessed and ration that I wasn’t given any (only to nd in winter whenever needed. If you have an gut? That your health starts from a healthy a healing crisis. This process occurs when trackand away from the main Eid the holiday queues at the Al Ain border. We also had good routes and knew what much. I could blame Dubai, the city in which incredible theatre of nature. It is the oasis that Neil, who as a professional photographer is sufciently concluded that the fall them at the top of my bag) we proceeded opportunity and a few extra kilos of apples gut? Scientic evidence shows that the the probiotics kill off pathogens in your gut. tourist hot spots. A plan was for- We arrived at our favourite beach near to expect after supporting the rst fatbike I live; I could argue that the repetitive nature rst drew me here, that feeds and shelters responsible not only for the fantastic between the chair and the ground to learn how to walk with them on the ice. or plums come your way, dehydrate them. types of food that you eat will directly de- When these die, they release potent toxins mulated with a group of friends in Ras Al Hadd at 3:30a.m. and went to bed crossing of Wahiba a year or two earlier. of life here, the nerve-shaken, over-civilized me, and I should be grateful. The wilds of images born from The Land Rover Diaries Unfortunately, mine kept falling apart whilst They will serve as a delicious snack on your termine the levels of certain bacteria in your into the blood stream making you feel to the sound of waves, accompanied by The vastness, isolation and massive hori- rat racers and the endlessly multiplying con- Arabia are often dismissed simply as arid, or TLRD as we now affectionately refer to was survivable. Once we reached trying to tie them around the boots, which hikes! gut. Your intestines are home to many differ- unwell (headache, for example). several cars to have a road trip turtles digging their nests in the nearby zons of Wahiba Sands are always breathtak- crete enclosures have blinkered my desire to desolate and forbidding deserts, bearing it, but also for inspiring much of the drive in the highest platform, we carried prompted Lisa tolet me continue walking Our ancestors were well aware of these ent kinds of bacteria and some non-bacterial leaving from Dubai, taking in the sand. After a peacefulday and night on the ing; we made the full 140km crossing from Putting on the crampons roam, dig, splash, climb and just simply be. nothing of interest or consequence. In real- me (if you will pardon the pun) to get out in our bags, barrels and all our equip- normally in the snow with my boots. tricks, that’s why they started preserving organisms as well. Together they are called Why we should eat old favourite of the Ras Al Hadd beach, with only the turtles and one of the north to south without incident and without But that would be a agrant excuse. ity this part of the world offers a chance to the cars, purse the next adventure and write The views of the Caucasus mountains with experience a mild headache. We retreated foods for winter by fermenting. Until today the “gut microbiome.” They come from the fermented foods: seeing another car! This really demon- Dubai is an oasis in the middle of an observe and interact with one of the most about it. For Neil these adventures offer an ment up to the “Red Fox Campsite,” their icy plains and the two massive hills of to the camp, passing the remainder of the this is the simplest way of loading up on food you eat and whatever else gets into • They are considered one of the healthiest strates the need to be fully self-sufcient on OUTDOOR, ADVENTURE, TRAVEL AND LIFESTYLE diverse, rare, colourful and enduring ecosys- opportunity to photograph compelling Elbrus looming ahead of us was unargu- evening playing Uno and once again (over) probiotics and vitamins to keep you healthy. your mouth. Therefore, your gut immune foods on the planet. the refuge we would be calling such a crossing. tems anywhere on earth. Home to an amaz- landscapes, which as an accomplished hospi- home for the next three days. ably one of the most beautiful scenes I had shared some stories. Tomorrow would be We have proof that Julius Caesar fed his system needs to be thriving and healthy in • Fermentation does more than simply The ultimate goal of the trip was to reach ing and exotic variety of wildlife, traditions, tality photographer represents the next bas- ever happened upon. We walked around our rst real test...and indeed it was. forces sauerkraut because he believed in order to avoid illness. preserve the food. It can also make nutrients the area known as Sugar Dunes, just to the people and places, Arabia is begging to be tion of fullment.