Tourism & Hospitality | Sunday 18 August, 2019 5:00 am |

Taif Seaaon is providing mountain-hiking lovers the opportunity to take part in a range of activities, organized as part of the Al-Baid Masters event. Carefully planned, with all safety precautions in place, the event gives participants a rich and memorable experience. 

Participants are brought from downtown Taif to the mountain camp area, where they are provided with all the necessary equipment for their safety and security, including clothes, tools, and instructions on how to hike safely. 

The organizing committee is making participation open to everyone, men and women, aged 16 to 60, with an obligation to bring appropriate clothing, footwear, helmets, sunglasses, sticks, food bags and hanging bags. Hikers must also take care not to leave anything behind or make any impact, in order to preserve the environment. 

Hikers are divided into beginner, intermediate and expert levels, with each group accompanied by tour guides to ensure their safety. The guides also provide interesting information about the trek, including details about the types of rocks, plants and mountain names. All those who complete the 4-km route receive an international accredited certification, and earn the title of “Al-Baid Master.” 

The Al-Baid Masters event has been split between the Al-Hada and Al-Shafa mountains, with hikes taking place on Al-Shafa for the first half of August, and switching to Al-Hada on August 18, until the end of the month. There have also been a number of accompanying events taking place, which end around 8 p.m.