Mountain of caravans, mountain of greatness, shining mountain - no one quite agrees on the real interpretation of 'Kilimanjaro'. But among the multiple meanings ascribed to it, my personal favourite is 'little white hill'.
Little, indeed.
But Kilimanjaro may well turn out to be a molehill as compared to the bigger problem I'm facing now - gear shopping. There are hardly any outdoor outfitters in Dubai, and the only two I've found - Columbia and Timberland - seem woefully inadequate.
Sample conversation:
Me: Do you have fleece jackets?
Salesman: Yes, ma'am. Right here... (points to a row of sleeveless jackets)
Me: Don't you have jackets with sleeves??
Salesman: Ok, look in the children's section. You might get your size.
If he didn't get advanced hypothermia from the look I gave him, I would be very surprised.
It doesn't get easier when it comes to shopping for the right pair of boots. "Walk down a ramp to check that your toes don't get crushed," suggested Alpha.
Not only were there no ramps in the store I went to, but even options were hard to come by. One pair of tenacious leather boots which would've shredded any toe that fell under it, and one pair of boots with Gore-tex fabric, which didn't inspire much confidence.
All's not lost though. It turns out there's a store right down my street which stocks ski gear at almost throwaway prices. I've never understood their business model, but I'm not complaining right now. I've managed to get a few pairs of gloves and socks, and a fleece jacket or two.
My final resort is to order gear from Alpha's friendly neighbourhood REI and get/request /implore/beseech Alpha to lug it to Nairobi.
6 comments:
Get a few burkhas. They'll keep you warm and double up as sleeping bags too.
My final resort is to order gear from Alpha's friendly neighbourhood REI and get/request /implore/beseech Alpha to lug it to Nairobi
Did you guys check out REI's website?
The store at the entrance of Ski Dubai?
Alpha: I'm surprised you didn't say get a few camels, they'll come in handy when we run out of water... :)
Anantha: Yes I have. And if it's the 50% sale you're referring to, no I haven't missed that :)
Richard Gear: Go Sport, you mean? Have checked it out, planning a second reconnaissance soon.
You could order stuff online (joes, northface, patagonia, amazon, rei-outlet etc etc etc) and have it shipped to Alpha.
While you're at it, why stop at gear-for-the-trip? (I'm sure Alpha wont mind carrying the extra stuff for you!) :)) (The 150 lb mark is the limit)
Help please! I live in Dubai and have 1 month left to buy all equipment. Where is the best place to buy? You mentioned a ski shop-where is it? I'm most concerned about shoes!!!
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