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COVID 19 Compliant - Full Day - Fewbie Desert Drive - Dubai Crossing: Lahbab to Qudra - 15 Jan 2021


Ale Vallecchi

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4 hours ago, Ale Vallecchi said:

ALL THE REASONS FOR LOVING DESERT OFF-ROADING IN A DRIVE - Full Day Drive Lahbab to Solar Park Report

Sunrises and sunsets, misty mornings, sunny days, blazing dusks, yellow, red and white sand, crawling pace, fast runs, lunch with fellow members, coffee, tea, conversation, refusals, second-attempts, working together at sorting stucks, directing traffic amidst tight dunes and rolling bowls, the excitement at starting a drive, and the satisfaction at the end of it. This and more, depending on each one's sensibility, passions and expectations, are the elements that draw certain people irresistibly toward deserts, and off-roading, and which were all available for our enjoyment in yesterdays' full day drive.

In terms of the drive itself, most of it had been described in its presentation, so I will not repeat myself. Suffice it to say that all terrains were available to us - sabkhas, with little or lots of vegetation, tight technical areas, long range open (more or less) dunes, play areas with sand bowls, even pylon dirt tracks and tarmac roads. 

We were chased by the sun, from sunrise to sunset, throughout a drive that took us a total of 6:55 hours, covered 143.2 Kms, at a total average speed of 21 KM/h, and a very impressive 27 KM/H average moving speed in the second segment. 

As for the most important part of the drive, the human component, my biggest thanks to all the drivers: great driving, great attitude and great company.

My first thoughts (and questions) go to @Yasas Dharmadasa and @Athula Dharmadada: it's a pity you had to forfeit the drive due to mechanical issues. Please update us on your car's prognosis.

A most felt thank you goes to @Kalahari, resuming his position as trusted Second Lead, often mind reading my corrections, to @Ahab Shamaa, managing the long convoy from the middle and assisting with the winch, and @Francois Germishuys, not only positioned at Sweep due to his long, big, bad truck, but also, and foremost, for his reassuring driving skills. Your support was key to managing a successful long drive such as this.

Words of praise go to @Thomas Varghese and @Ken Hüüdma, debuting among Fewbies, but driving like much more experienced off-roaders. With only minor imperfections (a moment of distraction on one side, and an indecision coming off a ridge on the other), you allowed the drive to be bumped up to more than Fewbie, closer to Fewbie Plus, both in terms of skills being applied, and speed sustained. Well done also to @sri ganesh, for overcoming all challenges and perfecting his command of the Pajero (which often requires a bit more time to manage in the desert, to to its length and mechanics). 

@AlexPol, @VipinShetty,  @Joe Biju Joseph and @Islam Soliman, you were the more established, experienced drivers, and managed with so few issues that lifted any worries from my mind, and contributed decisively to raising the bar for this drive.

Thanks to all for this first Full Day drive of the season. See you soon out there, for more long treks and explorations. Enjoy the new week.

 

@Ale Vallecchi I hope yesterday's drive was a successful one and I'm sure it was by the looks of it. Just wanted to apologize for the inconvenience my Jeep caused during the drive even after repairing the power steering system the night before the drive. After further evaluation, it has come to my attention that the hose associated with circulating the power steering oil had burst, much to my surprise. From what I observed, this may have happened when my Jeep began to vibrate aggressively for atleast a few minutes straight which was when @VipinShetty saw the smoke coming through my hood. As of now, my Jeep's still undergoing further inspection and repairs but I will make sure I get a second opinion on its funtionality on dunes to avoid having to go through this unfortunate event again. Big thanks to everyone yesterday for being cooperative and patient.

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Definitely an exhausting drive from 8 am to almost 6 pm. But truly truly TRULY exhilarating and worth the time. Cheers to @Ale Vallecchi for a beautiful drive through the deserts. Thoroughly enjoyed myself, and I honestly learn so much more about my car by letting my car engine "sing" as @Ale Vallecchi so rightly says it 😂

 

Quick inquiry though, does the full day drive count as 2 fewbie drives towards level promotions?

 

Cheers!

Joe

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14 hours ago, Rahimdad said:

@Joe Biju Joseph this has already been answered before the drive when @Thomas Varghese asked the same question. It will be counted as one drive only.

Ahh I see, I must've missed that. Thanks for clearing that up !

 

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