4 min read · Ras Al Khaimah
The country has mountains
Nearly two thousand metres, cold nights and a via ferrata. The Hajar range is the UAE most visitors never see.
The Hajar range runs down the eastern side of the country, and Jebel Jais in Ras Al Khaimah takes it to about 1,934 metres — high enough that the summit is genuinely cold on a winter night and several degrees cooler than the coast in July.
The road to the top is sealed and open to any car, with viewing decks near the summit. From it runs the world's longest zipline, 2.83 kilometres flown face-down, and a via ferrata that pulls itself across the gorge.
Across the ridge in Fujairah, Wadi Wurayah became the country's first mountain protected area: freshwater pools, waterfalls after rain, and Arabian tahr on the cliffs. Bring more water than you think, and never camp in a wadi bed.