Adventure tourism with a purpose

Want to climb the highest peak in Jordan? Go dog sledding in the Arctic? Walk the Inca trail in Peru? Raise awareness for breast cancer?

Join Julie Amer, the founder of Mountain High — an adventure tourism organisation, and a sports science degree holder. The organisation encourages people to connect with nature and discover their potential through adventure challenges. "My mission is to encourage and inspire as many people, especially women, to step out of their comfort zone and take charge of their health and well-being," said Amer.

Amer recently gave a lecture at the University of Wollongong Dubai where she introduced students to her brand of adventure tourism.

"Adventure tourism stretches you not just physically, but also mentally. It helps your personal growth and development," said Amer.

Titled 'Leading Diverse Teams', Amer's talk focused on her experiences leading teams of multinationals to new heights.

"In our most recent adventure trip, the youngest team member was a 22-year-old UAE national boy and the oldest team member was an 80-year-old British man. There are always differences, and that is what makes it exciting," said Amer.

Pre-departure

Amer meets all her potential team members personally before taking a booking. Team members have a chance to train in Dubai before leaving the country. Rather than just stick to physical exercise, Amer, who is also trained in neuro linguistic programming, uses a type of training that incorporates mental activities along with the physical.

"I am a strong believer in visualisation. It really motivates and prepares one to be able to see his or her goals.

Logistics

Amer's preferred team size is 16 people. She arranges social gatherings so people can keep in touch.

The cost of one of her trips is anywhere from Dh2,500 for a trip to Musandam to Dh20,000 for a fortnight in the Arctic.

Broadening Horizons

Awe-inspiring though her endeavours may be, how do they benefit students in their day-to-day lives?

"Travel gives you a global perspective, showing you how other people live. Being in nature gives you a chance to learn more about yourself and your inner abilities, more than you ever would in a city. People find that when they come back, anything that is thrown at them, they can handle better. It gives us an idea of what really matters," Amer said.

What tests your physical endurance tests your mental endurance too. The focus and perseverance that is built up during the adventure undoubtedly serves you well come exam time when you are tested.

To go on a Mountain High trip, you can contact Amer on jules@mountainhighme.com

Amer's Mission

Born on April 7, World Health Day, Amer feels it is one of her duties to spread the message of health.

Most of her trips raise awareness about lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, breast cancer and heart disease.

"There are three steps: awareness, education and prevention. On the trips, participants become role models, roaming ambassadors for prevention. The trip to Jordan aimed to raise awareness about diabetes. We have a short DVD with clips from the trip interspersed with messages and facts about diabetes and its prevention, which I am willing to present to schools and other institutions," said Amer.

The trips also contribute to individual motivation.

"People come on these trips, because they simply want to, but when they are cold, tired and hungry, and half way up a mountain, they know there is a higher meaning to these trips."

What tests your physical endurance tests your mental endurance too. The focus and perseverance that are built up during the adventure undoubtedly serve you well when you are tested.

In an attempt to break down cultural and social barriers, Amer tries to make sure that most of her teams comprise people of all ages, from all over the world making students a pivotal part of this venture.

From an experience

Notes spoke to Ahmad Al Merri, a recent graduate of Dubai Men's College and a UAE nationa. The youngest member of the Jordan team spoke about climbing Jebel Um Admi.

How did you hear about Mountain High?
I was listening to the radio one day and they were interviewing Julie. They were talking about the Jordan trip and saying how nice it would be to have a UAE national on board. It sparked my interest so I got in touch.

After registering, how did you go about making all the necessary arrangements for the trip?
I didn't have to do anything; Julie arranged everything, the tickets, the climbing equipment, the accommodation and even the visas.

Was there an awareness-raising dimension to this trip?
Yes, we were raising awareness for Diabetes. I certainly gained a lot out of it. There were a lot of things I didn't know about diabetes before this trip that I know now. Someone in my family has diabetes and before this I'd never even thought of the possibility of being diabetic.

What do you feel this experience has taught you?
I've never done something like this so it has definitely taught me a lot. I am more independent now and have the skills needed to get along with a diverse group of people. We had eight different nationalities on our team and every single person in the group had a completely different personality.

There was one person in our group who was very blunt, almost to the point of being rude. We soon realised that he didn't mean anything by it, he was doing what he thought was right. Reminding myself of his intentions was a challenge, but one that has helped me be more patient and tolerant of individual differences.

What was you think was the trips most memorable moment?
Every single moment (laughing). But if I had to pick one, it would be climbing the mountain. When we reached the top we were surrounded by mountains and the view was breathtaking. I have never seen anything like it.

How do you think this experience has influenced you in your day-to-day life?
A lot of things went wrong during this trip, things that we couldn't change. Our tent got blown away in a storm, some of the team were stranded in the desert for over four hours, a woman broke her leg while coming down the mountain but none of them lowered our morale.

Instead we learnt how to deal with them. We couldn't change our situation so we kept a positive mental attitude and stayed happy. These events did not ruin our trip but added to it. I now apply the same attitude to my professional life. If you can't change it, don't complain about it.

Would you recommend one of Julie's trips to students?
Yes, I would whole-heartedly recommend it – but to university students, not school students. Her trips really teach you something about teamwork. Anyone who is looking to positively change their mental attitude or for a new challenge, join Jules and follow her wherever she goes.