Does speed equate to gladness and exhilaration mean happiness? Visit Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates. It offers the thrills and excitement you crave.
Jebel Jais tops the places to visit in Ras Al Khaimah for adventure. It is the United Arab Emirates’ highest peak and part of the Al Hajar (i.e., The Stone) mountain range.
Note: Al Hajar is the highest mountain range in the Arabian Peninsula. It is 100 kilometers wide and 700 kilometers long, with an average elevation of 1,220 meters and measuring 2,980 meters at its highest point.
Ras Al Khaimah’s Jebel Jais soars 1,934 meters above sea level. As you can imagine, getting there and climbing up the twisting and turning 30-kilometer mountain road is an adventure in itself.
Aside from the drive up, what else awaits you at Jebel Jais?
- Jais Sky Tour
Jais Sky Tour is the longest zipline tour in the region. It takes about two hours to navigate the seven platforms interconnected by six ziplines.
From the adventure center, you’ll make your way up to the first platform, the sky bridge, which is located about 1,250 meters above sea level and suspended around 300 meters above the ground.
The crew will then tether you to the line. You’ll be seated as you zip from one platform to the next, going as fast as 60 kilometers per hour and enjoying the breathtaking views provided by the Al Hajar mountain range.
The Jais Sky Tour can be an excellent family adventure. Children at least 130 centimeters tall and weighing at least 40 kilograms may try the activity.
- Jais Flight
Jais Flight is not a series of interconnected ziplines and platforms like the Jais Sky Tour but a single zipline, the longest zipline in the world. It’s exhilaratingly fast, and it’s the type of adventure people come to Ras Al Khaimah for.
Imagine yourself hanging face down, suspended from a line approximately 1,680 m above sea level. When everything’s ready, the ground crew will release you and off you go, zooming down a 2.83-km line. For three whole minutes, you’ll feel like Superman flying through the craggy landscape of the Al Hajar mountain range at a peak speed of 160 km/h.
To try the attraction, you will need to be at least 130 cm tall and must weigh from 40 to 120 kg.
- Jais Ropes Course
Do you climb? How about obstacle courses — do you like them? If you answered yes to both questions, the Jais Ropes Course is for you.
The Jais Ropes Course is a two-level rope and bridge obstacle course. What makes it so exciting is that the whole structure seems suspended thousands of meters above sea level.
You’re safe, of course. You will be tethered the whole time you’re attempting the itinerary. However, the height and location of the ropes make your mind believe that one wrong move means a tumble down the rocks and into the moonscape below.
Jasi Ropes Course takes approximately an hour to complete. You must be a minimum of 125 cm tall with a maximum weight of 120 kg to try this activity.
- Jais Hiking
If you like hiking, trekking, and walking, you should inquire about the Jais hiking trails. There are a total of six trails with varying degrees of difficulty and suited to walkers of different experience levels.
Note that not all of the trails may be open at the time of your visit. You should call ahead for essential Ras Al Khaimah travel information and to learn which trail is open if hiking is the primary activity you wish to try at Jebel Jais.
If you’re at Jebel Jais for hiking, make sure you’re suitably garbed. Athletic wear is recommended. Ideally, you should be wearing comfortable hiking shoes or boots with excellent grip when you attempt any of the trails.
- Jais Via Ferrata
Via Ferrata is Italian for iron road. If you’re an avid mountaineer or rock climber, you’ll enjoy the challenge presented by Jebel Jais’ iron path adventure.
Jais Via Ferrata is a rock climbing and mountaineering activity. It will take you through three hikes, three ziplines (50 m, 60 m, and 30 m long), and up 470 m (more than 30 stories) the rocky face of Jebel Jais.
Jais Via Ferrata offers three routes, so choose the path that suits your mastery level. The Ledge Walk is the least challenging. The Middle Path offers intermediate-level difficulty. The Julphar Scare is for the fearless, as it is the most punishing.
Go Adventuring in Ras Al Khaimah
The Al Hajar mountain range is one of the most distinctive features of Ras Al Khaimah, and it offers some of the best adrenaline-filled activities in the emirate. If you’re hankering for thrills and adventure, go to Jebel Jais and try the Jais sky tour, flight, ropes course, hiking, and via ferrata.
