By Lakshmi Kothaneth — MUSCAT: April 4 - One man’s passion to prove to the world that it is possible to work from anywhere on earth all on his own with aid of solar energy; even from the wilderness of a desert, and another man’s love for the desert and his heritage has led to a unique meeting.
French adventurer Gauthier Toulemonde completed his four weeks in Rub al Khali, the Empty Quarter, inspired by the writings of Wilfred Thesiger and was joined by Omani adventurer Ahmed al Mahrouqi to walk through Al Sharqiya Sands to reach the Arabian Sea. For Gauthier it is the ideal finale after his rendezvous with the deserts of The Empty Quarter and the Sharqiya Sands.
But to do that they have to reach Ras Ar Ruwais and as of Monday it is 4.5 km away. But the heat of the sun made them break the journey and camp only to use the perfect energy solar for Gauthier to continue with his work-writing.
Meanwhile, Ahmed al Mahrouqi who has been the guide and a traveler who chooses to walk on the sand barefoot said: “We have about 4.5 km to reach Ras Ar Ruwais. But we will take a break now. We have completed more than 100 km.”
The temperature reaches 40 degree Celsius and above. The faithful Slooki who stayed with Gauthier throughout his stay in the Empty Quarter continued to keep up with his human companions and when they broke the walk due to the heat and he too looked for his corner of shade from the tent.
They are all looking forward to the sea of water tomorrow, the Arabian Sea after the endurance challenge of experiencing the two sand seas. The colours of the sands are different and can range from red to brown. The dunes of Al Sharqiya Sands can go very high creating spectacular settings during sunrise and sunset especially with the windblown dramatic lines.
One of the most popular sites for desert camping in the Sultanate, Al Sharqiya Sands extends up to 10,000 square km, according to the Ministry of Tourism. It is the Wilayat Bidiyah, an oasis that welcomes travelers to the captivating Al Sharqiyah Sands home to the people of the desert for centuries. This is where the two adventurers began this part of the journey as well. The dunes of Al Sharqiyah Sands have been a major tourism attraction that promises visitors star lit silent nights and yet in other areas of the Sands bustling activities such as sand skiing, sand-duning as well as races of camels and horses provide the adrenaline rush of adventure tourism.
But for these two adventurers, Gauthier and Ahmed their destination today will be the Arabian Sea.
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