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Day 1 , 8 February 2014
The adventure continues...
We left comfort behind to our first expedition - the mountain terrain. It was a long two-hour ride and through a scenic view of orange and black mountain range to the base of Jebel Akhdar, or the "Green Mountain". The temperature gradually dropped from the oh-so-familiar air-condition 23deg to 15deg at the starting point, around 2700 meters above sea level. I wonder how the donkeys and goats survive.
We unloaded our supplies and boy, there were loads of food, enough to feed an entire village. All of us were stunned and wondered if we were to carry them on our backs. After a simple lunch of Arabian bread, cheese and fruits, we started our Outward Bound journey in a true OB Oman style - opening meeting under the shade of intertwined juniper and olive trees.
After a brief introduction of ourselves, OB Oman and safety hazards, we were posed the first challenge as a team - to load the unloaded supplies back into the tiny pick-up truck. It was received with mixed feelings - we are glad that we do not need to carry them on our backs but no, none of us paid attention how it was loaded. We quickly get ourselves organized, improvised and moved on to embark on our first hike.
Oh before we left, let's assign some task. We were each given one or two yellow cards with roles and description of responsibilities. These roles are assigned so that we can move on and work effectively as a team. Roles include a team leader, a time keeper and a GPS navigator. Other interesting roles include being the risk & HSE manager, motivator, camp and kitchen manager. I picked the media manager - the guy in charge of reporting anything interesting.
We were left stranded. The instructors drove off with our supplies and we were to meet at the campsite. 10 minutes into the hike, we had our first mishap. Our back marker - happened to be yours truly - dropped the walkie-talkie, our lifeline to get connected with the instructors. Note to future back markers: check your surroundings before you start after stopping or just simply carry them by the hand.
We reached the campsite, quickly decided on the camp layout and pitched our tent. Chaos ensued... in the kitchen. What to cook, who to start fire - all have to be decided while battling the wind chill, dark cloud and imminent setting sun. We planned grilled frozen dory, rice with mixed vegetable and soup. We served soups, dory cooked three ways - grilled, fried with lemon juice and fried with masala spices, rice with mixed vegetable, grilled potato, tomato and sausages. Fret not, it is just a little..too complicated. Yes, we do make mistakes, overestimated and we learnt one thing: cook everything in one pot!
During a short debrief by the cozy campfire, we agreed that it is only Day 1, the day we get used to the outdoor elements and learning about each other - the day we experiment. We believed we will go nowhere but up.
Reporting from inside my tent,
The first lucky guy who picked the media manager card, Tony
Post-note: while everyone is starting to fall asleep, in a fashion of a true media trying to get the story out by press time, I had the privilege of enjoying the outdoor silence, of course, with occasional stampede of wild animals, howling wind and rousing snoring orchestra.
-Tony Sugiarta, aka "Talal"
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