Muscat – The Wadi al Qunoot Hiking Team organised a hike with close to 700 citizens on February 26 in a show of love and loyalty to the country and to promote domestic tourism.

The group regularly organises hikes and camps to encourage people to raise awareness on the significance of living healthy lifestyles.

Speaking to Muscat Daily, Majed al Saeed, a member of the group and participant of the hike on Saturday, said, “We want to promote the culture of physical fitness among people.”

The group conducts activities under the umbrella of Al Khabourah Sports Club.

The 16km hike started at 7am in Ghubra, passing through various villages of Wadi al Qunoot in the wilayat of Al Khabourah, North Batinah. “The hike began with the slogan ‘Discover Wadi al Qunoot’ with the participation of 44 hiking and adventure teams, as well as volunteer groups.”

The event was held under the patronage of H E Dr Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Said al Sa’eedi, Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs, in the presence of Sheikh Ishaq bin Salim al Rawahi, Wali of Khabourah.

“Citizens sang songs expressing their love for the sultanate. The 700 participants included women and children from different wilayats. They walked through plains, wadis and over mountains seeing sites not explored before,” said Saeed.

The group’s activities involve elaborate planning. Locations are chosen after much deliberation and research. An advance team is sent to study the site and weather conditions. “We are also careful when deciding how many people can be taken for a particular trip,” said Saeed.

Wadi al Qunoot Hiking Team was formed in November 2020. “The idea was to get people to explore new tourist attractions, such as caves, and follow in the footsteps of our earlier generations who left a rich legacy behind.”

The group has organised three hikes since 2020 in North Batinah. “We want to promote Oman’s tourism potential,” Saeed said, urging citizens and residents to join the group in its forthcoming activities.