Jump to content
  •  

Intermediate Wagan Desert Drive - 2 Dec 2018


Srikumar

Recommended Posts

A long anticipated drive is finally around the corner. Ever since we set sights on Wagan in the beginning of the year I am sure in everyone’s heart, we were wondering when we would be returning back. Now, with the weather cooling off and on the occasion of National Day Celebration, Carntiy Offroad Club is celebrating it in its own unique version of having a drive through the absolutely amazing Wagan Dunes. And hopefully with a little bit of luck we would have found a nice set of dunes without hitting any fences.

 

Plan is to have a full day drive starting from Al Wagan and ending on the other side near Umm Al Oush.

 

Meeting Time: 8:00 am on 2nd Dec

Location : ADNOC Gas Station : https://goo.gl/maps/89AN54b7tsA2

 

End Point : Umm Al Oush https://goo.gl/maps/ufdCxScTL4T2

End Timing : Around 7:00 pm on 2nd Dec

 

Checklist:

  • Your 4x4 should be well serviced and all lubes and fluid should be topped up
  • 20 Liter fuel jerry can
  • 20 Liter water can or equivalent water bottles
  • Air compressor, tow rope, 2 rated shackles, proper shovel, flag, jack and wooden plank

Please ensure that your car is in the best possible condition as this is an area that would definitely test your vehicle. Also, please carry the bare essentials for the drive so as to reduce the load in your vehicle.

 

Please RSVP in the below Calendar Event

 

 

 

Edited by skumar83
  • Like (+1) 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘

  • Like (+1) 1
  • Haha (+1) 1

Let's root for each other & watch each other grow.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sri, get inspire from Asif bhai's excellent paced, high adrenaline lead he did in yesterday's drive.

In wagan you will need this skill a lot.

  • Like (+1) 1

Let's root for each other & watch each other grow.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Gaurav said:

Sri, get inspire from Asif bhai's excellent paced, high adrenaline lead he did in yesterday's drive.

He has set the bar very high...so let's see

  • Like (+1) 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

On an off day waking up at 4:30 am is the most difficult thing. A near 3 hour drive takes away a lot fro your body and mind. Yet just standing in the middle of Wagan in anticipation of the amazing dunes on offer. Meet up was casual and but delayed due to fog, and after a quick bite and tea we were on the way for deflation. Having only 5 cars in such an area is always a plus. After a quick brief and deflation through a break in fence found with some keen eyes we were on our way to an epic day.

We drove through some challenging dunes as there were some very soft patches, and even the small technical dunes are medium elsewhere. But the quality of dunes in Wagan is so amazing and it always keeps you on your toes that after every challenge you are treated to an awesome play area. We had to avoid a few dunes in order to be able to play in some good ones.

Another challenge in the area due to which we could not have a fast paced ride was due to the occasional uneven surface and loads of bushes which were eventually going to pose a much bigger challenge than anticipated. As we occasionally played on dunes which seemed a safer place and more manageable we finally stopped for a quick lunch. The table was full of some delicious treats, but we were all edging to move on and make the most of the day light available to us. As soon as we heard a voice asking if we should move on, it only took Lee's than 5 minutes to clear the space and everybody was ready to continue.

As we headed through the buffet of large to humongous dunes on offer playing safely due to the humps and bushes we came across a massive bowl. This one carried a huge temptation for us as the top portion of the bowl was laced with tire marks running through. From a safety point of view @Gaurav bhai decided to do it first and after he would have safely negotiated it we would all have our chance. This decision paid of immediately as soon as Gaurav bhai started his circle the soft sand pulled him down immediately as he sank lower and lower till he was in a pit of bushes.

As it turned out this was going to be the epic story for the day. Gaurav bhai tried his best and pushed the Pajero to its roaring best, but the bushes below and the soft razor sharp edges provided the recipe for keep Gaurav bhai in. After several suggestions, an open mind from Gaurav bhai and several attempts yet another challenge as Gaurav bhai got stuck on a nasty bush. As we were dreading the thought of sending another car down into the bottomless pit to recover, the rear difflock engaged and the Pajero was out of that situation.

After taking a walk around in the fresh breeze trying to get a fresh perspective on the situation at hand and some jokes on changing our ways of not leaving anyone behind a thought came to us from a recent write up. There was a great write up on how a Suzuki Jimny was recovered from a bowl and and we decided it was the only way to get the Pajero out. Gaurav bhai did very well to maneuver through the bushes, gain momentum and come half way up, close enough to connect our ropes and Gaurav bhai's which to slowly and patiently pull himself out of the bowl.

We had connect the winch to @Asif Hussain whale and further supported the whale with @EmVarlet Xterra. @skumar83 was doing the duty of running up and down the steep bowl to make sure everything was well connected and secured. Slowly, but surely Gaurav bhai made it almost to the top at which point the whale was placed in a better position and now the winch was directly connected to the whale and we finally saw the Pajero raise its head from this bottomless pit.

Once the Pajero was out we all took a sigh of relief and with the sun quickly setting we tried to make our way to the sabkha. At the point I realized that my left front tire was completely out of air. After a quick inflation I made my way to the rest of the convoy and soon we were on the sabkha. At this point we were faced with a fence, driving to the left of the fence we were faced with a huge dune with with a very dark night made it very difficult. So now we were headed to the right side of the fence where along with the break in fence we found that it was a shooting range for the military. Thus we drovevfurther down in search for the end of the fence, what we found instead was a wal of a dune.

We stopped for a while trying to search for a solution, at which point the best scenario would be to back track in the sabkha to some small technical dunes and make our way out to the other sabkha where we could use and earlier track we had been on to head out. Fortunately we entered soon from the sabkha onto a medium dune and found a track that took us across in very quick time. We were quickly on to the sabkha which lead us to a dune where we could sit back, relax, have a bite and discuss the events of the day.

This relaxed moment gave us the strenght to head back inflate and on our way home. What a day. Thanks to @skumar83, @Gaurav, @Asif Hussain and @EmVarlet to put in their all with amazing food and refreshments overall patience to make this drive one to remember for a long time. I have posted my pics in the Gallery, looking forward to everybodies clicks.

https://carnity.com/gallery/category/99-wagan-desert-drive-2-dec-2018

  • Like (+1) 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It was an epic day that ended with an epic and extreme recovery.

If I really pushed I could have crossed the ridge but the blade was razor sharp and could have caused the flip from 200 meter tall dune.

Better safe than sorry and I think it was an hour well spent pulling the Pajero from the third quarter.

History repeats after 10 years as I have done same to a Jimny from a bowl near Pink rock - 1/20th of this bowl size.

image.png

image.png

image.png  

  • Like (+1) 4

Let's root for each other & watch each other grow.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Terms of use