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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Salalah Trekkers identify 60 new locations

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SALALAH, Feb 25 -


Where there is will there is a way. This has been aptly proved by an informal group of trekkers in Salalah.


It is their will only that takes them to difficult treks every weekend and brings them back rejuvenated for another trekking next weekend. So far they have identified about 60 old and new trekking locations in and around Salalah.


The beauty of their activity lies in consistency and professional approach they adopt during trekking, as they do not just visit a location and come back.


They document the whole journey and compile them for future reference.


Not only have they identified these locations, but have visited most of them and there are a few left where most of the group members have not yet visited together.


Thus Salalah Trekkers is a name to reckon with among like minded people.


It is a multi-cultural group of people from many countries who love to explore the beauty of Salalah on foot and “not just from the windshields of their cars.”


“There are 20 families attached to the group, as we keep on receiving interest from people to join. So sometimes there are 30-40 people visiting one of the sites on a particular weekend,” said the group members Pedro Rivera and Sambandam.


They, however, insisted that the Salalah Trekkers is an open group and there is no hierarchy involved in it. “People take joint initiatives here. This is very healthy entertainment and achieving something in a group feels like fulfilling and rejuvenating.”


The group, according to Pedro and Sambandam, was an initiative of an avid explorer Subramanyam who left Oman last year due to some personal reasons but still keeps track on the activities of the group.


“We have some Omani friends in the group. They are helpful in identifying the locations and communication with local people. We draw a plan for trekking, as a small group would go initially to identify the location, way to reach, etc, and then the message about the location is circulated on the group.


“We fix time and venue for meeting point and then start in a group. We keep in mind the type of vehicle which can go to the location. If it can be covered only in a four-wheel vehicle, rest is left at the meeting point and all are accommodated in four-wheels,” said Pedro.


The group is active for the last three years.


There is no hierarchy and interest is the only criterion to be part of the group. “It is an interest group, vibrant and active,” he said.


The sites are divided in all four directions in which some of them do not involve difficult trekking and can be reached by simple walking after parking the cars at a distance.


Among the sites are some popular locations, but there are many others which are not motorable and are explored by the Salalah Trekkers on foot.


Among them are some exclusive sites for sunrise and sunset view, while there are plenty of places which are just nature.


“Watching sunrise and sunset respectively from Eftalquot beach and Titam Mountain is beautiful beyond explanation... it is captivating to watch the sun rising from the sea at Eftalquot,” said Pedro.


“It is very rejuvenating and hardly there is any feeling of tiredness as there is group energy involved and everyone climbs amid laughter and plenty of jokes shared during the journey. Depending on availability, the group members join trekking. The youngest in the group is 10-12 years old while the oldest is even 60 years.”


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