Al Qudra to Jebel Hafeet

Route overview

Riders comfortable with a 170 km day, where the 1,076 m of climbing is concentrated at the end.

A 170.2 km point-to-point desert crossing from Al Qudra near Dubai to the village of Jabal Hafeet, with 1,076 m of climbing.

The ride starts at Al Qudra on the edge of Dubai and heads out across open desert, passing the suburb of Mugatrah at 14.5 km before dropping to the route's low point of 30 m at 33.7 km. The first half is almost flat, holding only 34% of the day's total climbing, so the long middle section is a matter of steady rolling rather than gradient. Al 'Ajban comes at 75.1 km and Sweihan at 86.3 km, the last towns before another long open stretch. The hamlet of Country appears at 145.7 km and the village of Ni'mah at 154.7 km, by which point the ground has begun to tilt upwards. The closing 15 km carry the bulk of the remaining elevation, reaching the route's high point of 288 m at 160.4 km. Restaurants cluster here — Al Sahra at 158.1 km and Pizza Hut at 159 km — followed by viewpoints at 161.7 km and 164.7 km, and the Pearl of the Mountain restaurant and a Lavazza café at 165.2 km. The route finishes at the village of Jabal Hafeet, 166.3 km in, on the lower slopes beneath the mountain itself.

Highlights

• Long, near-flat desert crossing via Al 'Ajban and Sweihan
• High point of 288 m at 160.4 km
• Two viewpoints in the final 10 km, at 161.7 and 164.7 km
• Finish at Jabal Hafeet village, beneath the mountain

Practical information

Surface

Paved

Route shape

Point to point

Riding time

5½–8 hours riding

Know before you go

• The route crosses into Oman and back into the UAE — carry documents
• No cafés or restaurants listed between the start and 158.1 km, so carry food and water
• Almost all of the climbing is packed into the last 15 km

Routes are for inspiration. Roads, surfaces and conditions change — check locally and ride within your limits.