RAKTRAV or Ras Al Khaimah Traverse, is one of FOX.AE's youngest event which only started in 2020. Last year's event ended with a total of 136 kilometers hike traversing Ras Al Khaimah hence the name. Second season, but hopefully not the last, FOX.AE held another season of the 7-day RAKTRAV last Nov. 26 - Dec. 2, 2021, as #RAKTRAV2021.
Hiking Trail of RAKTRAV:
Compared to the RAKTRAV2020 Hiking Trail Route, few trails were changed especially on Day 1 and 2. However, the rest of the hiking trails were the same.
First Half: Wadi Shaam & Wadi Ghalilah Trail
Instead of starting from the Wadi Ghalilah Dam to Wadi Litibah, we took Wadi Shaam (not the same trail as the 5th Cancer Awareness Climb) for Day 1.
From Wadi Shaam, we passed through wadis, boulders, and some stairs. The summit of the trail is where the cemetery is. From the summit, the side of Wadi Ghalilah was visible already but it was still a long way to go. We went down the wadi passing some very loose rocks and knife-edge ridges.
Eventually, we reached the bottom of the wadi which was a village and we even encountered kids offering us water (how sweet of them!). Afterwards, we walked towards Wadi Ghalilah Dam where we spent the night.
On Day 2, we took the Wadi Ghalilah Trail (next to the dam). This is the trail with electricity posts and the summit of this trail is the paved road of Jebel Jais on the other side. If you want to hike this trail, check this hiking guide from Toufiq / I Do It Cause I Can HERE.
Ending Day 2 on Jebel Jais' Road, we spent the night at one of the viewing decks.
The next day, we went down the Hidden Oasis and Wadi of Giants, the same trail as last year. This is the shortest trail of the whole Ras Al Khaimah Traverse yet this is my favorite. Everyone was so surprised by the 'improvement' of the trail done by Highlander 55. There were new railings along the trail, and some parts were paved and widened. Not sure if I like the changes though.
Second Half:
Unfortunately, I stepped out of the trail on Day 4 and Day 5 to get some rest. I re-joined on Day 6 after letting my legs have a short break.
The trail on Day 6 is the same as the previous year, which was the off-road trail of Wadi Sal up to the village. From the village, we walked along the ridge and rolling plains until we reached Yanas Mountain. From Yanas Mountain, the group took the winding dirt road up to the lift gate/barrier next to Wadi Naqab.
Last but not least, the last day and the longest!
From Wadi Naqab, the group started to hike towards Sheri Village. The group stayed at the village for lunch and a short rest then continued for the summit (with few cairns). From the summit, we followed a visible donkey trail, and the technical trail towards Qanan village (where we encountered the Pakistani shepherds) was skipped.
The trail is almost the same as the previous year except in this part where we found a much more established trail. The donkey trail that we followed, albeit long is an easy trail with hills and plains. It helped us preserve our energy until we reached Jebel Yibir's summit (tower).
The only struggle this time was the cold weather (around 7-10 degrees Celsius) during our descent towards Tala Village. During breaks, some of us had to use an emergency blanket to survive the night. I must say, we did not expect that extreme weather at that time.
If you want to know the details of this trail, check out my post Wadi Naqab Loop Trail!
Despite the struggle, we kept moving towards Baqal Village where two members of the Support Team were waiting for us. We had a few coffee and snacks and started our descent. I reached the camp at around 7:30 AM with Charm and the last hikers reached the camp at exactly 8 AM on Dec. 3, 2021. And that's how the 2nd RAKTRAV comes to an end.
FOX.AE would like to thank all the participants, support team members, and everyone involved during this 7-day event. The event will not be successful without the help and support from everyone. From the planning stage up to the execution especially during the transportation of the support vehicles, kudos! Once again, thank you, and may God Bless you all!
