For record’s sake: Band of brothers

Three Italian brothers are about to embark on a 1,200km desert trek around the UAE on KTM quad bikes – hoping to enter the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest off-road trip.

On Friday, January 16, Paolo, Andrea and Marco Rossetti will hop on two quads and one Ford Expedition SUV and start their trip in Sila in the northwest corner of the UAE before travelling south and then north again to finish in Fujairah at Le Meridien Al Aqah, the event's sponsors.

Chasing a dream

"The record is not our main motivation. We want to show that it's OK to challenge yourself and do extreme sports provided you do it safely," said Paolo, 40, the oldest brother and the only one living in the UAE.

A student development co-ordinator at UAE University, Paolo wants to dedicate the trip to UAE youth. "If you have a dream, you can achieve it if you prepare properly. The idea might seem crazy but it's well studied, planned carefully and, hopefully, it will be executed properly."

Paolo said another reason for undertaking the adventure is to make it to the Guinness Book of World Records and set a UAE record too. "After we complete it – and it's a tough challenge – we'll submit a letter to the authorities so it can go into the public record."

Andrea, 38, who lives in Italy, said the desert is a harsh and unforgiving environment. "But at the same time it gives me something that I struggle to find in any other place – peace of mind.

"You never know what's on the other side of the dune. There are always some unforeseen events, such as a flat tyre or sandstorm, so we're scheduling nine days for the trip. Over nine days and we call it off," Paolo said. "We've been practising riding quad bikes. You've got to follow the dunes according to how they've been built by the wind, and few people can do that well. Reading the dunes is the number one training we've been doing."

The route

Departing from Sila on two competition KTM quad bikes and a Ford Expedition support vehicle sponsored by Al Tayer Motors, the adventurous trio will travel along the Saudi border – always riding within 20km from the border – before going across the top of Rub Al Khali, known as the Empty Quarter and the largest sand dune desert in the world.

The brothers will then come out at the southeast corner of the country, bordering Oman, drive north past Al Ain and cut across Khor Kalba before reaching Fujairah. "If we can do that completely off-road we'll be successful," Paolo said.

They'll be wearing full-body protection gear, including a helmet and chest, back, neck, elbow and knee protectors.

Logistical support

The brothers will have the logistical support of UAE-based off-road enthusiasts, Emarat 4x4, who will be setting up camp in the desert around the halfway mark to bring them support and supplies.

The youngest of the three brothers, Marco, 32, has only travelled twice to the UAE before. He said the journey is both exciting and scary. "What excites me is that it's a challenge between man and nature, and what worries me is the psychological stress that an adventure like this can bring. But I am sure that the strong link between us three brothers can overcome any obstacle." Buona fortuna fratelli (good luck, brothers).

Itinerary

The trio plans to complete their adventure in nine days, riding an average of 200km per day and rotating every three hours from the quads to the 4WD, which will be pulling a trailer just in case.

Equipped with satellite maps, GPS tracking and a laptop, they will update their progress every evening online via a satellite uplink.