Few Yemenis hike, and female hikers are even rarer. But one group is overcoming security and social challenges to enjoy the benefits of walking in nature
On a warm spring afternoon in Haz, 40km north-east of Sana’a, Yemen’s capital, a curious child asks Fatima al-Aghbari if her bag carries treasure. After all, Aghbari is a stranger who has hiked for miles across rugged terrain to reach this rarely visited location – it is assumed she is in search of artefacts scattered among the village’s archaeological sites.
Along with the rest of Yemen, historic Haz, famed for its pre-Islamic remains, has been snared in back-to-back conflicts for more than a decade. An acute humanitarian and economic crisis, coupled with a volatile security situation, has dramatically reduced domestic tourism.
