Hiking in Saudi feels a little like exploring the surface of Mars. No wildlife. No green. Plenty of dust and rocks.
I was skeptical of the outdoor opportunities we’d have in a desert climate culture, but we were surprised when we learned of a few weekly hiking clubs in the city. Groups of around 50-100 people drive out to different spots in the desert on Friday afternoons to take hiking paths that have been charted out by the leaders. After a couple hours of scaling rock mounds and dumping dust from our shoes, everyone ends back at the cars before the sun goes down. Then rugs come out of trunks, grills are lit, hookah pipes start bubbling, and people settle in to hang out late into the night.
These trips feel like a gasp of fresh air after being underwater for too long. It’s good for our sanity to spend some time in wide open spaces when every other day we’re surrounded by clusters of concrete buildings.
Unfortunately we haven’t participated much since the babies were born, but as soon as we’re allowed to leave our homes again, Mars here we come! 🏜
