Delecki’s Guide to Riyadh

1. Delecki’s Guide to Riyadh

2. Table of Contents • Edge of the World • Graffiti Rock • Red Sands, sand boarding • Desert Caving, near Eskan • Sand dune ATVing • High Speed Go Carts • Rock Climbing near DQ To navigate click link, to go back to beginning press home

3. EDGE OF THE WORLD ATV GO CART CAMEL SOUK CAT WALL CAVE GRAFFITI ROCK RED SANDS

4. Edge of the World • Overview • Getting There • Required Equipment • Recommended Equipment • Photos • Outside infromation

5. Overview • Edge of the world is the given to a formation out in the desert. It is made up a large cliffs in the shape of a crescent, that drop down to a large flat floor. The contrast of the cliffs butted up to such flat ground makes for very dramatic scenery. • After you arrive at the Cliffs, the best route of exploration is up the hill to your right. While the left is climbable, it is much harder and does not allow you to walk as far. • Best time to go is in the winter months when the temp is cooler. • Expect 3 hours drive time round trip and 1 to 2 hours for exploring and picnicing.

6. Getting There • A Four Wheel Drive vehicle, and a driver experienced in driving in the sand are a must. • The drive takes about 1.5 hours. Half of this on road and half off. About 20 Minutes of the off road driving being in deep sand. • Take highway 535 • Drive through the town of Al 'Uyaynahin the middle of the town you will see a large coffee pot on the right side of the road (24°53'57.88"N 46°22'5.74"E) • Keep driving 16k. When you see the road ahead starting to rise, make a left near a 8’x8’ sign with a round top (24°57'21.76"N 46°13'43.29"E) • Continue strait 6.8 k until you reach a low long damn (24°55'7.56"N 46°10'50.08"E), pass it on the right. You will see a police guard shack ahead, drive to it entering the gate to the left of the buildings/tents. • After passing the buildings make a 90 degree right turn. This is where the real off road starts. • Drive down the best looking path, do not head up any of the hills. • At (24°55'34.01"N 46° 9'10.08“E) you will see a brown sign midway up the hill on the left (3.9k from damn). When you see this keep right and follow the best path. • After 18k from brown sign at (24°56'41.33“N 45°59'31.87"E) park, you are here.

7. Getting there continued

8. Required Equipment • Water, like any trip to the desert the only water is the water you bring • Sunscreen, there is almost no sun protection • Sturdy shoes, the area to explore is covered in loose rocks

9. Photos

10. Graffiti Rock • Overview • Getting There • Required Equipment • Recommended Equipment • Photos • Outside Information

11. Overview • A large rock in the middle of the desert with ancient etchings. • Rock can be climbed. • This is a relatively short trip. After an hour you will have fully explored the site.

12. Getting There • A Four Wheel Drive vehicle, and a driver experienced in driving in the sand are a must. • The drive takes about 50 hours. 40 Minutes on road and about 10 minutes of off road driving being in deep sand. • Exit DQ back gate and make a left on Mekkah Road. • Continue to exit __. Drive to the end of the 100meter road and make a 90 degree left at the end. Continue strait until you enter the escarpment, then make a 90 degree right. Drive strait until you see a large rock cube. (24°18'58.23"N 45°38'25.84"E)

13. Getting there continued

14. Required Equipment • Water, like any trip to the desert the only water is the water you bring • Sunscreen, there is almost no sun protection • Sturdy shoes, the area to explore is covered in loose rocks

15. Recommended Equipment • Camera

16. Outside Information • The book Desert Treks from Riyadh does a good job of covering the basic information on this site. The CLO has a copy if this book, or it can be purchased used on Amazon for about $15.

17. Red Sands • Overview • Getting There • Required Equipment • Recommended Equipment • Photos • Outside Information

18. Overview • Rolling Sand dunes made up of red sand as fine as talcum (baby) powder. • USERA has Sand boards and Sand sleds and the required wax available for rent. You will need to apply “Dr. Dune’s sand wax” after every run, or the boards will stick to the sand. • Winter is best because hot sand will melt the wax too quickly. In the summer going an hour before sunset provided us with about 1.5 hours of relatively cool temperature sand boarding. • The ideal sand boarding slope is about 30 degrees. The sand is not packed enough on steeper slopes and less steep slopes are not fast enough to slide. The exception to this in the morning after a rain storm. The wet sand forms a crust on the steeper slope that stop you from sinking in.

19. Getting There • You can get here entirely on the road. A Four wheel drive cansave you some walking once you arrive but is not required. • About 25 minutes from DQ exit. • Exit DQ back gate and make a left on Mekka Road. • Option one: continue until you see the red sand dunes to both sides of the road. Take the next exit, and go left. There is a power line service road that you can drive down to access the sand. • Option two: continue down the long hill on Mekka road then take your first exit. Toward Diarb golf course. Next take your first right about 5 kilometers from Mekka Road. Stay on this road until you reach the sand, park on the side of the road. ( 24°26'29.64"N 46°13'32.51"E)

20. Getting there continued TO THE DQ

21. Required Equipment • Water, like any trip to the desert the only water is the water you bring • Sunscreen, there is almost no sun protection • Sturdy shoes, the area to explore is covered in loose rocks

22. Recommended Equipment • Camera • Sand Board or Sand Sled • Dr Dune’s sand wax

23. Photos

24. Desert Cave • Overview • Getting There • Required Equipment • Recommended Equipment • Photos • Outside Information

25. Overview • A large cave that has a pool of water at the bottom. • The cave is at about a 45 degree slope. About 200 meters of the cave is very open and sunny. Then you head under some rocks (at the rigth edge of the bottom) to a mostly dark area for another 100 meters, ending in a pool of water. • The pool of water is about 30 meters deep. There is a film of fine dust covering the waters surface making it look uninviting. • If you follow the water to your right there is a small side cave, that requires some real caving.

26. Getting There • 4 wheel drive not required. There is about 5 minutes of off road driving, but it is hard soils. • Head to Eskan, then continue past Eskan and the industrial city, until you hit Kharj Road. Take it to the left. (South) • Get off the first overpass and take it to the left. Keep making your way in that direction until you cross train tracks. • You will see many walled compounds. Head to the right of these. • There is a clear path heading into the valley, take this and keep left. You will see the caves after you pass a small concrete block building (24°29'7.52"N 46°59'48.79"E)

27. Getting there continued Eskan gate Walled Compounds

28. Required Equipment • Water, while there is a pool of water it isn’t potable. • Sturdy shoes, the area to explore is covered in rocks and inches of fine dust. • Headlamp or flashlight. Best option is a headlamp with a high power flashlight as a backup or for lighting up the larger rooms

29. Recommended Equipment • Camera • Dive mask and fins • Helmet • Knee pads • Rope and a climbing harness • Glow Sticks, to mark your way

30. Photos

31. Outside Information • http://www.saudicaves.com/cavedive/index.html

32. ATV on Sand Dunes • Overview • Getting There • Required Equipment • Recommended Equipment • Photos • Outside Information

33. Overview • ATVs are available for rent from a row of tents along the highway. • Expect to pay 150 SAR/hour for a 400 CC that requires shifting with a clutch. Expect to pay 100 SAR/hour for a 250 CC that requires shifting with an automatic clutch. • If you are driving in the same direction of the wind, expect there to be a steep or vertical drop when crossing the top of all dunes. This being said, if you don’t know go slow. • If you do find yourself coming to a vertical drop, fight your instincts to use the breaks, and hit the gas, this will keep you flat. Hitting the breaks will cause your to crash with the front down and likely throw you from and in front of the ATV.

34. Getting There • You can get here entirely on the road. • About 50 minutes from DQ exit. • Drive to Camel Souk, take exit and continue down that road past Equestrian center. • You will pass a larger gas station on the left, followed by a line of tents with ATVs outside of them.

35. Getting there continued ATV RENTAL CAMEL SOUK DQ

36. Required Equipment • Water, like any trip to the desert the only water is the water you bring • Sunscreen, there is almost no sun protection • Sturdy shoes, shifting will take its toll on your left foot • Bandana, to cover your nose and mouth cowboy style because of the dust • Sun glasses of goggles, for the sun and dust. Ski goggles work well

37. Recommended Equipment • Camera • Helmet, Full face motocross style work best. To my knowledge they do not rent these. Watching gear sales web sites like Chainlove.com can get you one for as cheap at $60.

38. Photos

39. High Speed Go Carts • Overview • Getting There • Required Equipment • Recommended Equipment • Photos • Outside Information

40. Overview • High Speed Go Carts are operated by Race World KSA. • Currently they have one small location outside of the city, but they are expanding to a second larger location closer to the city • The carts reach speeds of 30mph on a tight curving track.

41. Getting There • On Thumama Road past 2nd roundabout on the right hand side.

42. Getting there continued

43. Required Equipment • Water • Sturdy shoes • Helmet and race suit are provided

44. Recommended Equipment • Camera

45. Photos

46. Outside Information • http://raceworldksa.com/index_e.php

47. Rock Climbing near DQ • Overview • Getting There • Required Equipment • Recommended Equipment • Photos • Outside Information

48. Overview • “Cat Wall” provides some rock climbing on the wall of the DQ • Two 35 foot sport routes. 4 bolts and a top rope each. • One easy Trad crack, potentially more. • One easy top rope in progress • Police often located in the park, talk to them before climbing to avoid possible legal problems. If they say you can’t climb don’t climb.

49. Getting There • Leave DQ for Annex, pass Annex and continue to Park in the Wadi. Park in the corner of the Park nearest the Annex. The climbing wall is across the Wadi on the wall to the DQ.

50. Getting there continued GSO ANNEX PARK HERE