Tourism & Hospitality | Wednesday 31 August, 2016 8:55 am |

About 14 new caves were discovered in Al-Qara Mountain of Al-Ahsa Oasis by enthusiastic mountaineers who undertook a long journey, during which they faced stray dogs, scary bats and landslides, to see what the mountain had to offer.

Hussain Al-Issa, a mounteer, said that his mountain climbing and adventures began more than 28 years ago.
This adventure, at times alone, brought him much gratification: He got to know the ways and caves of the mountains and thus was able to guide tourist groups, research teams and amateur explorers.
Al-Issa said the mapped parts of the mountain represent only a third of its large size.
Some crossings in the mountain may reach 2 km, he said, adding that only four major spacious caves are best known to the public.
Some amateurs and explorers prefer trekking the mountain in the summer, to avoid rainfall, while others prefer winter, when the weather is less hot, he said.
“There are no predators inside these caves, except for dogs and bats, which do not allow adventurers to go beyond certain places,” said Al-Issa, adding that an old collection of vessels and some writings was found, which confirm that the place had been visited before.
Jaffar Al-Sultan said nature keeps a great balance in and around the mountain. The bats stay in the caves during daytime and come out to hunt insects in the evening, a natural way of getting rid of harmful insects, he said.
“Distances to different caves and sites vary on the mountains, depending on the rock formations at the site. There are places where one needs to crawl or skip because of narrow passages,” he said
He called on concerned authorities to take advantage of such sites and make them into tourist attractions for those interested both from the Kingdom and abroad.