Day 2 of the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge (12.12.2010)

According to the logbook there should be a run from the camp to a bike transition area on this 2^nd day. From there the Dschebel Hafeet should be climbed with the mountain bike. The last section of the day should be a mountaineering section which should be done just after the first 2 without any break.

After a relaxing night at the bottom of Dschebel Hafeet team captain Faris Al-Sultan and his crew decamped. On time at 6.30 in the morning all the teams left the campsite in their running shoes with climbing gear and bike (except the bike) in their backpacks. With the first shafts of sunshine the athletes ran on the hard and flat sand until they had to climb a step hill where their bikes awaited them. The next task was to climb Dschebel Hafeet with the mountain bike. All members of Abu Dhabi Triathlon Team were looking forward to that section. Faris did that ride for more than probably 100 times. As they reached the highest point of the road Faris and his team was approximately on place 15.  Before the start it was pretty clear for the athletes what would happen in the first 2 sections of the day. But the third one was the unknown factor. After changing from cycling to mountain running gear Abu Dhabi Triathlon Team followed 2 other teams. The course they had to do was marked. But unfortunately they took the wrong way just at the beginning and so they had to do additional 30 minutes through impassable area. Soon after they found the right way the running was over and they had to put on their climbing gear to do a long via ferrata. The highlight and end of that one was a 50 meter abseiling section. But that was not the finish of the day but just the lowest point of the trip and another 3 hours of climbing followed. Exhausted Abu Dhabi Triathlon Team finished that second day on top of Dschebel Hafeet.

This unknown challenge of day 2 took almost everything out of the athletes especially of Christof. After a short consultation the team decided to drop out. Faris did not want to endanger anyone of the team members as the following day would have been the toughest of the entire race. Disappointed they left the race venue to think about the experiences of this year’s Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge.