The sandboarding slopes near Dubai are dunes of twenty to forty metres, in the desert southeast of the city around Lehbab and Al Faya, forty minutes out along the Hatta road. The grains are fine and rust coloured from iron oxide, and the leeward face crumbles underfoot. You ride standing, in a stance borrowed from snowboarding, or lie flat on your stomach; the second way asks almost nothing and is where most people begin.

It is rarely sold on its own: sandboarding sits inside a desert safari, between the 4x4 run over the dunes and dinner at the camp, and takes twenty to forty minutes. Boards are handed out at the slope and waxed before every descent — without wax the base grabs and stops. Bindings are soft straps and you keep your own shoes on. Two things separate it from snow: sand is slower and a fall hurts less, but nothing carries you back up. Each run is paid for on foot, up a face that gives way with every step, so half an hour yields three or four attempts.

October to April is the season. In summer the surface passes fifty degrees by midday, so groups go out at first light or after sunset. Lying down is usually allowed from eight to twelve years old; upright riding suits teenagers and adults. Bring closed shoes, goggles — sand in the eyes is the real nuisance — a face scarf and water. Grit gets into everything, so keep a phone in a sleeve and leave the camera lens alone. When booking, ask how many boards the group shares and whether hotel pickup is included.