Pack your pooch and head for the hills for this year’s Human & K9 Challenge in Ras Al Khaimah.

When it comes to walking your dog in Dubai, we know that options can be limited. But what if you could take your four-legged friends on a mountain hike? Better still, what if you could adopt a dog for a day and let your new canine pal enjoy a day of adventure?

The Human & K9 Challenge is a unique outdoor adventure challenge for dogs and their owners, and is taking place on 11 December in the wadis of Al Jais, Ras Al Khaimah. The non-competitive challenge is a 3-4 hour hike which is designed to be challenging but suitable for all with a reasonable level of fitness, including those new to hiking, and checkpoints are provided at regular intervals to ensure the safety of all involved.

Human and k9 Challenge

Registration is already half full and the organisers are urging anyone interested to reserve their spot now.

If you are not a dog owner but would still like to participate, don’t worry, you can adopt a dog from K9 Friends for the weekend and give your new furry friends a trip to remember.

Human and k9 Challenge

The challenge culminates in a barbecue at base camp. Meanwhile the RAK Wildlife Project will be taking interested participants through the UAE’s nature and wildlife, helping to raise awareness of the flora and fauna beyond the city.

“We’ve had an overwhelming response for this season’s event, and are very happy to see so much interest and enthusiasm from dog-lovers across the UAE” said Hussain Darwish, founder and co-organiser of The Human & K9 Ultimate Challenge. “The challenge is designed to stimulate the body and mind of both human and canine, strengthening the bond between owner and animal in a fun and challenging day out.”

Human and k9 Challenge

The challenge costs Dhs250 for for one person with one dog, Dhs400 for two people with a maximum of two dogs, and Dhs1,000 for a team of five people with a maximum of five dogs. To register your place, or for more information, email info@hk9.ae, visit hk9.ae, or check out www.facebook.com/HumanK9Challenge

Here’s what happened at the last Human and K9 Challenge: