Getting the hump - Dec 14 2007

7days.ae - Full Story By Mike Norrish

Cranky camels have been kicked out of the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge after a mass show of desert defiance. The gruelling endurance event hit major problems during the desert trekking stage, after the 25 camels enlisted to carry essential supplies lived up to their cantankerous reputations.

And after camel-related problems prevented several teams from finishing the 87-kilometre journey, organisers decided to void the stage. That ruling meant the leaders before the desert trek - Team Eurosport NZ - returned back to first place ahead of the penultimate day's mountain bike trial.

The week-long, multi-event endurance event has been staged by the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, and features intrepid teams from all over the world. Although two teams from the UAE are taking part, many of the competitors were entirely unfamiliar with the 'ships of the desert'.

Camel training was provided...

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