Tuesday March 19th, 2024
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7 Unconventional Sports You Can Practice in Cairo

If you claim that you're not a sports person, then perhaps you just haven't tried enough sports.

Staff Writer

Sports; you either love them, or you hate them. But – like many sports enthusiasts would tell you – if you don't like playing sports, that probably means you just haven't found the right sport for you yet.

The fascinating thing about engaging sports it that it's basically like playing a game that gets you burning calories, participating in social activities, and sometimes even winning points – which means this is a boost of happy endorphins in your brain that will give you enough energy to muster through the week.

If you're sick of the football practices, and if tennis and squash are not for you, then take a look at this list of unconventional sports clubs that don't involve balls and might be your next big thing.

Adventure Cycling Hub - Road Biking

"Adventure Cycling Hub" Road Biking
Credit: The Adventure Cycling Hub

Cycling is a great sport and will definitely get you fit; the great thing about it, too, is that it’s a mobile sport, meaning it will also get you to places. Adventure Cycling Hub is a cycling group in Egypt which takes you to destinations remote from Cairo. They have several pit stops on the way to ensure that everyone is hydrated and in good shape; there are also several adventure stops on the way to make sure that you're not bored, whether it's a hike up a small mountain, or at Rock 'N' Rope, Egypt's first mountain park.

Adventure Cycling Hub currently has six cycling routes with varying difficulty levels: Fayoum and Sokhna are Easy routes; Red Sea and Delta are Intermediate; and Sinai and Desert are Daring. The prices will depend on each package, but Adventure Cycling Hub also offers on budget.

The teams are supported by guides and mechanics to ensure your safety on the road.

Find out more information and details on their FacebookInstagram, or website.

Price range: EGP 1,400 – EGP 5,000.

Kitesurfing - 360 Sudr

Kitesurfing in 360 Sudr
Credit: The Kite Buzz

Although the sport looks difficult, kitesurfing is actually one of those sports that gets easier as soon as you start learning the basics. People start looking like professionals the moment they learn how to balance themselves on the board while steering the kite, and that only takes a few attempts, according to kitesurfers.

"I practiced on my own or with other people or other riders, and that gave me enough of a push to try new things and learn a lot," Tarek Amir, a kitesurfer hobbyist told us. Amir began practicing by taking classes at 360 Sudr, a kitesurfing centre in Ras Sudr, but not before long, he decided to continue playing the sport on his own.

"There's actually a kitesurfing community because we share the passion and everything, we are connected somehow through social media," Amir said about the community. You'll see the same faces, you'll bump into the same people, and the combined passion in kitesurfing is what gathers them together both online and offline.

Find out more information and details on 360 Sudr on their Facebook and Instagram.

Price range: EGP 500/session.

Horseback Riding - Cairo Horse Riding School

Horseback Riding at Cairo Horse Riding School
Credit: Ranczo Mustafa

Is horseback riding still a thing? Yes, it is. If you go out to the Pyramids in Giza, you'll find some Egyptian men trying to sell you a ride on their horses. If you pay them, they'll take you and your friends out to the desert area where you can go for a long horse ride, and you might even get to gallop across the desert land with it.

But, unlike kitesurfing, horseback riding is not as easy as it looks, and the Pyramids isn't the only (or best) place to go for a serious horseback riding sesh either. The sport looks fun, especially since it involves a furry animal, but running with a horse can be dangerous and sometimes even fatal if you don't receive the right practice or training for it.

Cairo Horse Riding School is a British/Egyptian-run riding school located near the Pyramids of Giza, in a serene Arabian stud farm. The school cares about their horses, so you can guarantee that the animals are kempt and well-fed; the school boasts that they not only teach you the skill, but also work on developing the relationship between you and your horse.

In this riding school, you will also get some tips on how to properly treat and care for a horse; this includes feeding the horse, washing the horse, and knowing how to deal with a horse before and after your horseback ride. You'll also meet several like-minded people who you can walk and ride horses with, just like they did in the old days.

Find out more information and details on their Facebook or website.

Price range: EGP 200-EGP 400/session.

Fishing - Egypt Fishing Club

Fishing with Egypt Fishing Club
Credit: Alphonse Fishing Company

Going fishing on your own – especially for the first time – might seem a bit daunting for some, if not most. It's not unusual for one to wait for hours before catching their first fish, and it also takes a certain kind of skill and guidance to learn how to catch a fish. It's not a matter of just throwing your line into the sea, and hoping for the best.

If fishing has always been one of your fantasies, then you can stop fantasising because Egypt has three vast fishing spots for you to scour through – Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, and Lake Nasser. These three bodies of water are home to many kinds of fish – such as Barracuda, Wahoo, Cobia, Wolf Herring, Sailfish, and a lot more.

Egypt Fishing Club is a fishing club in Egypt that basically organises your fishing trips from beginning to the very end. With their club membership, Egypt Fishing Club will take care of the location, the accommodation (on a boat or in a hotel), boat transfers, fishing equipment, and anything else that needs taking care of.

Find out more information and details on their Facebook or website.

Price range: EGP 1,800/month.

Pole Dancing - Brass Monkeys Studios

Pole Dancing at Brass Monkeys Studios
Credit: The Spin Egypt

How many of you were waiting for this one to pop up? Yep, we said it; pole dancing. Recreational pole dancers have found each other from different ends of Cairo and have created somewhat of a community, impressing us with their swift dance moves and their endless counts of spins.

The art of pole dancing – which started off in circuses back in the 1940s before developing into something that was associated with strip clubs – is now being redefined into a sport of sorts, and some people are even rooting for the activity to be a part of the Olympics.

Now, women all across Egypt are connecting through pole dancing, and have gracefully mastered the dance in several studios around Cairo. Brass Monkeys Studio train you to become pole monkeys in their Monkey Challenge programme, combining fitness, strength, cardio and flexibility all into one workout. The crew is supportive, and they always offer ways to enhance your practice.

Pole Dancing is one of those sports that you can also take to your home; many Egyptian women have purchased and installed poles in their houses so that they can take a spin, taking the sport beyond just the club.

Find out more information and details on their Facebook and Instagram.

Price range: EGP 950 – EGP 1,450/month.

Meditating - Breath Energy Health Mediation

Meditating at Breath Energy Health Mediation
Credit: Transforma Yoga & Fitness Camp

Is this even a sport? Hell yeah, for the brain it is. Mental exercise is as important as physical exercise. You'll find that spiritual people embody this peacefulness within them wherever they go, and that sort of peacefulness doesn't come by simply staring at the beach (although beach vacations sure do work as a quick fix).

Breath Energy Health Meditation is a group in Egypt; the couple behind the group hold weekly sessions at their house, where you will be surprised with trippy lights and pyramid-like structures lit with neon lights, and in there you will meditate for an hour with the guidance of the team.

Their next two events are on November 2 and November 3 for free at Osana Family Wellness. There, they guide you to try to bring out your happiness through the powers of meditation.

The group is pretty active, believing that everyone can and should attain peace and mindfulness. Their community acts like a tribe – and the best part is they're free.

Find out more information and details on their Facebook page.

Price range: free.

 

Rock Climbing - Fingerlock Egypt

Rock Climbing at Fingerlock Egypt
Credit: Fingerlock Egypt

For all the badasses out there who like hanging upside down and don't mind having blisters on your hands and an injury here and there, rock climbing is the name of your game.

Rock climbing fitness is a sport that challenges your physical and mental stamina. Being able to push through and climb regardless of your fear and pain boosts your mind's  endurance, strength, agility, and balance - and will in turn give you a tight bod and a sharper brain.

Fingerlock Egypt is one of Cairo's few indoor rock climbing arenas and has a range of courses and packages to help you get Tomb Raider buff, climbing up walls faster than the blink of an eye. All you need is a tight grip and  a pair of comfy climbing shoes, and there you can choose the difficulty of the course you want to climb. The studio has several routes for different levels of climbers, and different categories, from thrilling to paced climbing.

Every now and then, Fingerlock organises trips, with their last one's destination being Dahab. There, they take a 4x4 out between the high rocky mountains to do some serious climbing. Ropes and harnesses are necessary, and if you're looking to get over your fear of heights, then this is the place to be.
 
Find out more information and details on their Facebook and Instagram.
 
Price range: EGP 185-EGP 2,000.