Afternoon Fewbie Desert Drive - Badayer (Sharjah) - 13 Mar 2020

[Salarios]

It’s not a stock bumper but I do need a bash plate, ideally a strong metal one that attaches directly to the chasis and not the bumper itself. If anyone has any recommendations as to where to get it installed please let me know. 

[Mostafa Taha]

Ladies and Gentlemen and Kids (TG's son), I had lots of fun as always when driving with such good people as you are all. thanks to all that watched over us and kept us safe from harms way and irrational behaviors that can overwhelm you when you are driving among all the crazy off-roaders out there. And if you really want to enjoy calm driving please give a big applause to Richard he is the voice on the radio that reminds you to "Keep Calm and off-road"

[Wrangeld]

It's that Fewbie Feeling

It was not that long ago that we had the pleasure of our first Fewbie drive, and this afternoon (into evening) drive brought the memories flooding back of that shift from the relative comfort of Newbie drives to Fewbie. 

What's in a name I hear you ask? Actually, ask any of the New Fewbies and they will likely tell you a lot: and that the difference between the capabilities needed and the skills required at Fewbie level are significant - so significant that the number, regularity and degree of stucks is quite different as well. 

Additonally, the 'heroic' days (when the sand was hard packed) when drives were 'easy' are over and with Badayer, at times, having more traffic than Sheik Zayed Road this fewbie drive was not without incident. 

But I get ahead of myself. After a morning Newbie drive, the Newbie-Fewbie convoy left Al Qudra for Mahila @Gaurav led off @Vanessa8580 @Jeepie myself, @Shamil and @Xaf (taking up his customary, and quite majestic position in Sweep). We managed to fit prayers, picking up food supplies, gas and even @Colin Jordan along the way (hope you are feeling better @Cara Jordan) and arrived at the meeting point on time, @Gaurav having managed to deal with the admin of @Amoru  who self certified as a Fewbie (and pretty much showed us why during this drive). 

As the convoy assembled we realised it was a big group (perhaps bigger than would normally be accepted). Fewbie briefings are no less important than any other pre drive briefing - perhaps just briefer.  It did give us the chance to check some tow points - more on that later - but not all! 

I will stick it out there again - when the notice of promotion comes RTFM: being promoted carries with it a responsibility as well. It clearly says that if you don't have the kit, you don't drive. Carnity is not a club that checks this with marshalls before we leave, because members are trusted, but frankly, it's not fair on the other drivers if you are not prepared.  

Anyhow, we lined up with @Ale Vallecchi as second lead, @Srikumar as our massively capable centre forward, @Javier M adding soem mush needed experience in the middle @Shamil a flying sweep and @Xaf once again sweeping the convoy set off into the dunes for an afternoon of fun. 

And fun it was, with multiple learning opportunities (for those who got stuck and those of of us involved in getting people unstuck) because the sand was soft, the dunes quite technical and that shift from Newbie to Fewbie when suddenly the driving gets a bit more difficult. 

@Salarios (car looking magnificent with it's new wheels) @Jeffrey Osito Pilgreen @Julien V @Nizam Deen @Rinelle Sanaani @Denizzalbayrak were all gassed up and ready to go and intersperced through the convoy. The rear (bsically behind @Jeffrey Osito Pilgreen were myself, @Brette @tjsingh . 

Big thanks to @Jeepie for giving up the chance to drive this one. I think a lot of fun was had in the Little Blue including when  @Vanessa8580 managed to really get stuck up to the axles towards the end of the day and needed a group effort to get her out [thanks to @Salarios for the images]. @Frederic will be cleaning out the sand for some time to come after they forgot to close the windows. 

One of the pleasures of more advanced drives is the ability to participate in 'play time'. @Gaurav identified a spot to which we could head. Those who wanted experiemented, tested their cars, their mettle and cameras while we all tried to avoid the multitudes of exotic (and less exotic) metal all converging on the same location. 

All of this was put into context however, after @Gaurav decided to go for his last, last (last) go swiftly followed by an open truck full of locals (one in the back smiling broadly) which somehow managed to climb higher than the Legend and drive off into the sunset. 

Descending from the play area caused us a major delay, however as at least six drivers found themselves at the bottom of a bowl and unable to get out. As each was slowly coaxed from their depths of the pit @Gaurav could be heard repeating the same instructions to go round, give it gas, keep going round, more gas, more gas keep going up. Those on standby at the head of the convoy must have thought that the poor driver stuck in the bowl was simply unable to get out and obviously not listening to Gaurav, while he remained incredibly calm and relaxed!

After regrouping and trying to find our way to an alternative play area (overcoming a few more stucks and recoveries along the way, by the time we got to the alternate play area, it was so churned up that we decided to to retreat to the route out of the dunes. 

This was not without incident. Thanks to @Julien V @jeepie was not the one who had the opportunity to test our new kinetic rope. Thanks to @Amoru we saw the difference between a delfated tire and a pop out and thanks to @Vanessa8580 we had the chance to laugh and think how much @Frederic would enjoy the pictures of little blue stranded with hiw wife (and mine) inside and unable to get out of the vehicle. 

Other honorable mentions could be made, but it seems impolite a few days later to remind attendees of their various stucks and refusals as the dark enroached and we finally made our way out to inflate and make our way home. 

It was a mammoth convoy, and with a convoy of such length clearly when there is a problem, the convoy gets split and stuck and it take stime to regroup. Special mention needs to go, therefore to both @Srikumar and @Gaurav who did keep us all going, rescued those that needed rescuing and once again, brought us back to tarmac with smiles on our faces. 

All in all a great result. No injured animals, cars (Almost - sorry about the bumper @Salarios) or humans and even, in most cases pride. 

See you soon in the sand.  

Edited March 15, 2020 by Wrangeld

[Gaurav]

On 3/13/2020 at 11:45 PM, Salarios said:

By the way, this is me breaking my front bumper. I welcome your comments and criticisms on what I did wrong here.. 

 

 

• Not safe distance between white pajero and your patrol, you could have pulled over little earlier when you have seen the white Pajero stopped.
• Stopped on slightly inclined than on flat ground, which made it difficult to move up again.
• Pay 100% attention to close vicinity before you stop as you have completely missed the dip on right side where you hit the bumper.
• You could have reversed out if car had a refusal to climb up than going side ways which is not a part of the track that entire convoy took.
• If you knew that dip on right and if you still have to go through it, no matter what, could have taken that dip with very slow speed.
• Irrespective of all above "minor" mistakes, your bumper design, material or angle is not perfect for such use. Research more on the best ways to avoid such damage and get the strong bash plate and skid plate. 

[Salarios]

Thank you @Gaurav for the detailed analysis. I couldn’t see ahead so I slowed down as soon as the refusal was announced on the radio, which meant I stopped in a sticky spot. The car behind me also stopped very close to me so I couldn’t back out. When I accelerated I felt the car slide into the pocket on the right and so I tried to save it by swerving head first into it to use the momentum to avoid getting stuck in the pocket. But obviously had too much momentum. Looking back, it’s much clearer to me as to what I should have done, and of course everything you said is spot on. 
I really recommend recording your drives people! You can relive your mistakes in full HD view! 😂

 

[Rahimdad]

Sorry for the delay, but I have finally put any useful drone footage into a video with the help of my daughter.