There are plenty of fun activities to do in the UAE to help us stay fit. A unique one is located inside Mushrif Park in Mirdif. The Aventura Nature Adventure Park is just what the name suggests — an adventure waiting to happen, and all that’s missing is YOU. Though I must insist you bring along some courage and dexterity, because you sure are going to need them.
The park opened December of last year and it’s a 35,000 square metre stretch of forest with thrilling ropes courses. Living in an urban jungle, we all want to reconnect with nature at some point, well, this venue weaves its course in and around Ghaf trees and desert dunes. As you get to the facility, you instantly get a sense of nature adventure just by looking at the park’s layout.
So, what about the aforementioned ropes courses? What does the park really offer?
Tons of fun and excitement up to 9 metres high above ground, actually, and it includes rope-climbing (duh!), tree-surfing (I know, you’ve got try it), zip-lining and various other obstacles. They’ve got a wide range of circuits to do so there’s something for you if you’re 6 years old and up. Circuits are categorised as follows: 1) Rangers, which, in short, is for children; 2) Explorador, for the challenging but not so difficult obstacles set at 2-3 meters high; 3) Aventura and 4) Thriller for teens and adults looking for some serious hang time zip-lining across the park, at 5-9 meters high; and finally 5) Xtreme, which, as the park calls it, ‘the most daring circuit of them all’… And I just had to try it for myself.
But first! Safety. Before I embarked on my adventure, the park’s personnel made sure we were equipped with fail-safe harnesses. For about 15 minutes, we were also briefed with navigating the circuit obstacles as some of them can be tricky, not to mention nerve-racking, to get from one platform to another.
All set. It’s time to get Xtreme! Haha!
So, there I was, suspended in mid-air, about 9 meters above ground, gripping ropes and wires tightly and hanging on for dear life. I remember thinking to myself, ‘I don’t want to die this way’. I’m north of advanced when it comes to fitness, so I didn’t expect the Xtreme circuit to push me physically. It did.
Many things stood out to me. The initial wall climb to the top was the starting point and in the middle of that ascent I could already feel my knees trembling. The combination of the dizzying height and the fear of falling took over me. You know it’s safe as you are strapped to a harness but you can’t rely on that for comfort, at least not if you’re trying a ropes course for the first time, like me. Another one that still gets my palms sweaty just by thinking about it, is having to cross suspended log bridges. The steps hang individually from ropes on each end and they move in unexpected directions once you step on them. It must’ve taken me a good 8 minutes crossing one 10-12 metre long log bridge. What a shame! It was a bit hard, OK? But fun… that’s what I constantly told myself up there,
Close to the end of the Xtreme circuit, my arms and legs got a good workout. As I moved from one obstacle to the next and tried to balance my body, so I don’t embarrass myself and fall, I unnecessarily spent more energy than I had to. I guess I should do this one more time and see if I improve. There’s also the exhilarating 25-metre Tarzan jump and the scenic zip-line courses, which, in my opinion, will have crowds coming back for more.
All in all, a thrilling experience and I’d recommend it to everyone. Whether you’re with family, with friends, or especially if you’re alone this Valentine’s Day, have a go at it. If you can’t connect with someone, connect with nature instead.
Jokes aside, staying fit need not be confined inside a gym. The outdoors provide lots of challenging activities as well, and Aventura Nature Adventure Park is well worth your time and energy.
