Emmanuel Posted March 1, 2020 Report Share Posted March 1, 2020 Sweihan, also known as little Liwa in Abu Dhabi offers perfect learning opportunity for fewbies to hone their off-roading skills in broad and tall dunes for adrenaline filled desert driving. Drive is open for all 4x4 vehicle having 8-10 inches of ground clearance and front and rear tow hooks. Level: Fewbies and above When: 6 Mar 2020 Meeting time: 6:45 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: Al Rashedi Restaurant https://maps.app.goo.gl/yhhVzrCRhXv1mJNRA Type of Car: Any proper 4x4 with front and back tow hooks and 8-10 inches of ground clearance. What to bring along: Loads of water, snacks, smiles, stories, enthusiasm and willingness to learn. Approximate finish time: 12:00 PM - (much before Friday prayer) Friday Prayer Mosque: Muammar Mosque https://goo.gl/maps/tRVc4DYzSuCcW6WU7 MUST READ: First off-road drive checklist Off Road Driving - Roles & Responsibilities Off road Driving Etiquette's Off-road Convoy Rules Off roading - Everything you need to know Please RSVP on the below calendar: 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emmanuel Posted March 4, 2020 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2020 Closest Gas station to meeting point (please take into account the time you need to fill up your tank so that you reach meeting point on time 😘) ADNOC Sweihan: https://goo.gl/maps/FCfB4iLJLrMi2fKt9 2 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Wrangeld Posted March 7, 2020 Popular Post Report Share Posted March 7, 2020 (edited) Little Liwa Boy – were we spoilt for choice yesterday. Three drives, three different Emirates, lots of different experiences. As a relatively new ExPat in the UAE, one of the massive side benefits of joining Carnity has been the chance to get to see a totally different side to the country than the ‘Panem’ lifestyle of Dubai [for anyone not familiar with the reference, ask any teenager about The Hunger Games]. Which is why we jumped at the chance to drive Sweihan for the first time. Such is the addiction of the sand that dragging ourselves out of bed 30 minutes earlier than usual on a Friday (which is normally at ‘oh my god o’clock in the morning) seems completely reasonable! Watching the sun rise as we drove towards the meeting point we were excited at the prospect of what ‘Little Liwa’ had to offer. Even that early in the morning Sweihan was busy. A group of heavily modified F150s roared by, Jeepers crossed our path and there were more, including a newbie drive led by @Srikumar, very well attended and including @Vanessa8580, determined to strike out on her own in Little Blue. As the Fewbie group assembled, @Emmanuel gave us our briefing. Key message of the day (particularly as a number of the group were on their first Fewbie drive) – it you don’t feel it, don’t do it. There’s some days when we are at one with the car, others when things flow less well. Yesterday, for most it seems like things were going well, cars and drivers flowed in harmony and it started to look like the new fewbies were taking to this more challenging (and exciting) level with aplomb – but I spoke to soon. I am almost sad that @Denizzalbayrak has given up the Koleos for 4x4 moments as the new drive took everything with ease. Pop … seemed to be the theme for the day. As first @Michael sammy and then @Roshan Abraham suffered pop outs. Luckily, the pop-out king @Shamil was on hand with his heavy weight jack to get both moving again, in almost record time. Perhaps it was fortunate, perhaps not that we had followed @AKR or we might also have lost a tire. As Emmanuel continued with @Ale Vallecchi in second lead we crested wave after wave of wide, high banked dunes, everyone including @Febin Frederic and @Mostafa Taha gaining in confidence as the intensity grew. @sertac sweeping was rarely troubled: until, following a very clear message from Emmanuel to ‘come down this slope slowly and carefully’ was responded with @Szymon Stankiewicz and within seconds @Mostafa Taha confirming they had both had pop-outs within 10 meters of each other. Having recently added to the equipment myself and @Jeepie keep on board, I was keen to try out our new jack, but Shamil had reassured everyone that his jack was bigger than mine: and who was I to argue? With a double pop out, I was at least able to sort out the lighter car 😂 and we were on our way again. Talking of equipment, it’s OK to turn up to a newbie drive empty handed as far as equipment is concerned, but not acceptable to turn up to a fewbie drive without the equipment needed. @Gaurav takes time to send out a promotion mail to everyone who makes the grade, and it’s clear that the invitation to join drives with more experienced people is conditional on not just being able to drive, but also carrying the required equipment. Sweihan is not called Little Liwa for no reason. The sand is soft and it is difficult to gain purchase and so it was that out next stop was enforced by our poor little Wrangler getting a little hot under the collar as we tried to get up on little incline (apparently this is ‘Jeep’ thing). After an enforced break to allow the gauges to read more normally and checking there were no burst or blown pipes we were on our way again. Bowl riding is inherently risky, you need to time everything right and not to push when it’s not going right. Especially on exit you need to be in control and sure it’s safe. No more details, save to say, no one was injured, but if you don’t get this right it’s going to end the drive and lead to an exit quicker than planned. Which is a shame on too many levels to mention – so I will focus on the one that continues to impress every time we go out. The desert is phenomenally beautiful. Atop a highish dune the views are truly magnificent and stunning. What a privilege to be able to see them from within and enjoy this majesty. And how lucky we are that the tool we take with us, our dear beloved vehicles cope with the incredible stress and strain under which we put them. Our drive out of Sweihan was swift and mainly on a dirt track so there were no more incidents. As @Ale Vallecchi and ourselves decided we would help out on the Newbie afternoon drive we left quickly because we did not want to keep the other convoy waiting. For anyone wanting to know more, my thoughts about the Afternoon/Evening (!) Newbie drive, you’ll find it there. See you soon in the sand. Edited March 7, 2020 by Wrangeld 7 1 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mostafa Taha Posted March 7, 2020 Report Share Posted March 7, 2020 Nice article ...though it’s not me that had a pop-out it was Symon and the red Pajero. 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrangeld Posted March 7, 2020 Report Share Posted March 7, 2020 26 minutes ago, Mostafa Taha said: Nice article ...though it’s not me that had a pop-out it was Symon and the red Pajero. Mostafa - thanks for clarifying. Maybe it was @Febin Frederic I know if was a Wrangler and @Shamil dealt with the pop out - because my jack was just not big enough to lift it 😋 The red pajero was @Roshan Abraham 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanessa8580 Posted March 7, 2020 Report Share Posted March 7, 2020 @Wrangeld I love reading your trip reports ! I think I did well in my little blue, next week it's time to try the big blue 😁 7 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denizzalbayrak Posted March 7, 2020 Report Share Posted March 7, 2020 6 hours ago, Wrangeld said: @Denizzalbayrak has given up the Koleos for 4x4 moments as the new drive took everything with ease. When driving with Koleos, one of the concern was to get maximum power that small engine will provide before approaching a hill and the other one was not get stopped buy electronics. Because they kick back in over 55km/h speed. The role of electronics can be summarized with a quote from Gandalf, “You shall not pass” Trailblazer undoubtedly is a powerfull car. But dealing with weight needs completely a different study. 4 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gaurav Posted March 7, 2020 Report Share Posted March 7, 2020 3 hours ago, Denizzalbayrak said: The role of electronics can be summarized with a quote from Gandalf, “You shall not pass” The most hilarious and appropriate explanation of modern day 4x4/AWD/SUV saga. 5 2 Let's root for each other & watch each other grow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rahimdad Posted March 8, 2020 Report Share Posted March 8, 2020 Thanks @Wrangeld for your beautifully written trip report. Never get enough. Wish I could just read on and on. 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rahimdad Posted March 8, 2020 Report Share Posted March 8, 2020 @Vanessa8580 heard great things about your driving skills from @Srikumar. Looking forward to driving along side you. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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