Detour #41: Jebel Jais, United Arab Emirates
Jebel Jais road leads to a massive mountain adventure playground, but the road itself is worth the adventure alone.
Just an hour and a half north of Dubai Jebel Jais offers a wild variety of adrenaline rushes, from near-100mph zip lining to an insane cycle ride in the sky.
Like its far-neighbour 200 miles to the south Jebel Hafeet is this new road, carved into the region’s highest peak (1,911m) to offer as much entertainment on the way up and down as there is at the summit.
Two lanes of super smooth asphalt head uphill and there’s a single lane for the descent, giving the road the look and feel of a race circuit. And, with the number of local Lamborghinis, Ferraris and other supercars you're bound to encounter, it sounds like one too. Up in the canyon the rasp of exhausts bounces evocatively off the rock walls.
It’s a little over 30 miles from the base at Wadi Bih to the peak and you’ll need to take it easy at the beginning. The desert encroaches on the road, leaving it slippery and hard to see if you’re in the dust trail of a car ahead. But as soon as you begin to climb, the sand disappears and you’re faced with a glorious ascent, with open corners and tighter switchbacks, all with strong sight lines and plenty of space.
Early mornings and dusk are the most spectacular times to drive as the barren rock changes colour right before your eyes from a stark grey to golden orange (or vice versa). As it’ll be cooler you’ll also be able to turn down the climate control a notch or two and free up a few extra horsepower for one of the drives of your life.
Words Nik Berg Twitter | Instagram
Photography Mirza Babar Baig / Nagendra Badiganti / Pranav-Madhu / Unsplash
ROADBOOK
Class: Mountain pass
Name: Jebel Jais
Route: Wadi Bih to Jebel Jais
Country: United Arab Emirates
Distance: 36 miles