Fadi Hachicho followed his passion for mountains to create his own Adventure company, Adventurati Outdoors

Hiba Khan - Writer 10:43 13/03/2018
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  • Fadi Hachicho was a successful advertising professional from Lebanon, who had steady employment and a stable lifestyle that every expat in UAE aspires to.

    So, when Fadi decided to quit the 9-to-5 grind in 2015 to pursue his passion – or rather obsession with the outdoors to become a mountaineer, not only did he raise many eyebrows but had to prove the viability of his choices to himself as well.

    To escape the drudgery of his work environment, the 32-year-old was heavily involved with lots of outdoor activity groups but they did little in satisfying his wanderlust and eventually got him to summit Mount Kilimanjaro, which was the turning point in his life that strengthened his resolve to pursue mountaineering as a full-time profession.

    “Kilimanjaro is the mountain that changed the whole formula of my life. I knew it was going to be a challenge and I needed all the mental support to push for my family and myself to prove to myself that this was the right thing to do. Kilimanjaro, for me, was the metaphor of what I was going to face in the near future should I choose to quit my job,” he said.

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    “I am the happiest when I am outdoors and I was really unsettled when I was behind the desk. I was heavily involved in other outdoor activities and jumped around the Hajar mountains in the region, but they were nothing compared to climbing a high-altitude mountain, like Kilimanjaro,” Fadi Hachicho told Sport360.

    Extricating himself from the corporate sphere was a daunting task, but not nearly as unnerving as presenting a valid explanation to his family for his drastic career change.

    “I knew changing my career path was going to be a big challenge, mentally, physically, and emotionally. You know after spending money and time on education and university, you can’t just turn around to your parents and say that you have decided to become a mountain guide.”

    Despite the many hurdles, Fadi found comfort and support from his then-employers, who pushed him to give mountain climbing a shot and come back to his regular job, if it didn’t work out.

    Fadi underwent rigorously training for Kilimanjaro to build up his endurance, but even multiple rounds of stairclimbing could not prepare them for the rough weather and the terrain.

    After many difficulties, Fadi successfully climbed Kilimanjaro and decided to obtain the necessary certifications to finally start his own adventure company called Adventurati Outdoor.

    “In August, I signed my resignation and was on my way to Alaska, where I signed up for an outdoor leadership school. I spent two months there in the wilderness backpacking and we had to carry almost 45 kilos on your back to get certified as a mountaineer, rock climber, and ice climber. And that was the birth of Adventurati,” said Fadi.

    From there on, Fadi embarked on this life changing journey that allowed him to explore the natural beauty of the world and also made him realise how a person’s true nature bares itself when they are left to their own devices on the terrain.

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    “The beauty about the mountains is that you can’t fake it. When you’re out there out of your comfort zone, there is no mask – you are who you are. You want to cry, you cry. You want to laugh, you laugh. You want to be angry, you will be angry. It’s not like the city, where you can hide behind your possessions and your title in the mountain, it’s just you.”

    Adventurati Outdoor offers tailor-made tours & treks for all group sizes. They cater and customise trips for individual travelers, families, groups, corporate clients and school adventure escapes.

    For more info, you can email Fadi on [email protected] or visit their website here.

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