COVID19 Compliant - Day and Night Fewbie Drive - Lisaili to Margham - Dubai - 12 Feb 2021

[GauravSoni]

@Wrangeld just had an exhilarating drive in morning. I will not be able to make it for the evening drive. Apologies. 
 

[Thomas Varghese]

The SUNSET - Even when saying farewell the sun is Magnificent. 

[Thomas Varghese]

[Thomas Varghese]

[Thomas Varghese]

[Thomas Varghese]

[Wrangeld]

I am a little late to be writing this, but I will excuse myself as I ahd another drive yesterday morning

Rajeevan Vickneswaran @Rajeevan Vickneswaran	Intermediate	Jeep Wrangler	Y	2
Thomas Varghese @Thomas Varghese	Fewbie	NIssan Xterra	Y	3
@Karim Allam
Mahmoud Hamzawy @Mahmoud Hamzawy	Intermediate	Toyota Landcruiser Prado	Y	6
Senthil Kumar @Senthil Kumar	Fewbie	Jeep Wrangler LWB	Y	7
Kailas @Kailas	Advance	Jeep Wrangler SWB
Jack Thomas @Jack Thomas	Fewbie	Ford F150	Y	9
Bernd Stucke @Bernd Stucke	Fewbie	Jeep Rubicon Gladitor	Y	10
Tariq Carrimjee @Tariq Carrimjee	Intermediate	Jeep Wrangler SWB	Y	11
Chaitanya D @Chaitanya D	Marshal	Nissan Xterra	Y	12

This was the convoy with which we were left after a few last minute withdrawals and a last minute arrival and what a convoy it was. 

We started with a bang - literally as we hit a big bump at the start of the drive (sorry about your flag Thomas - but if noone saw it when it fell and that's 7 cars the sand gods at it quickly) and moved through some fantastic wonderful long dunes and the technical sections on the way up to the central part ofthis zone. 

From the lead, it looked like everyone was having fun with the ridges, the climbs, the side slipping and then the technical exercise that we covered before the light started to fail and our night drive experience began. 

And - wow, what a different experience it is and for me a massive buzz of adrenaline as we made our way through the gloom, looking all the time to miss the pockets and soft sand looking to swallow up up as we drove though the desert. So many surprises, so much to see and then - a camel that had just given birth to a calfminutes before we arrived and drove back off into the dark to our eventual destination at Sky Dubai and inflation. 

@Chaitanya D and @Kailas were simply amazing in support: Sorting out all the problems one after another including a truly incredible and immense effort for Thomas to be able to drive himself out of a stuck that he was convinced needed a tug. Next time maybe, but the learning from this type of commitment to getting out of trouble is essential. And of course @Jeepie who not only met me have the driving seat in the TJ but also go involed in quite a lot more digging than she expected. 

We will be posting more night drives with different locations - because this really was fun and next time there will be moonlight so we can see the difference in how to drive with the moon in sight. 

See you soon in the sand. 

 

[Jack Thomas]

4 minutes ago, Wrangeld said:

I am a little late to be writing this, but I will excuse myself as I ahd another drive yesterday morning

Rajeevan Vickneswaran @Rajeevan Vickneswaran	Intermediate	Jeep Wrangler	Y	2
Thomas Varghese @Thomas Varghese	Fewbie	NIssan Xterra	Y	3
@Karim Allam
Mahmoud Hamzawy @Mahmoud Hamzawy	Intermediate	Toyota Landcruiser Prado	Y	6
Senthil Kumar @Senthil Kumar	Fewbie	Jeep Wrangler LWB	Y	7
Kailas @Kailas	Advance	Jeep Wrangler SWB
Jack Thomas @Jack Thomas	Fewbie	Ford F150	Y	9
Bernd Stucke @Bernd Stucke	Fewbie	Jeep Rubicon Gladitor	Y	10
Tariq Carrimjee @Tariq Carrimjee	Intermediate	Jeep Wrangler SWB	Y	11
Chaitanya D @Chaitanya D	Marshal	Nissan Xterra	Y	12

This was the convoy with which we were left after a few last minute withdrawals and a last minute arrival and what a convoy it was. 

We started with a bang - literally as we hit a big bump at the start of the drive (sorry about your flag Thomas - but if noone saw it when it fell and that's 7 cars the sand gods at it quickly) and moved through some fantastic wonderful long dunes and the technical sections on the way up to the central part ofthis zone. 

From the lead, it looked like everyone was having fun with the ridges, the climbs, the side slipping and then the technical exercise that we covered before the light started to fail and our night drive experience began. 

And - wow, what a different experience it is and for me a massive buzz of adrenaline as we made our way through the gloom, looking all the time to miss the pockets and soft sand looking to swallow up up as we drove though the desert. So many surprises, so much to see and then - a camel that had just given birth to a calfminutes before we arrived and drove back off into the dark to our eventual destination at Sky Dubai and inflation. 

@Chaitanya D and @Kailas were simply amazing in support: Sorting out all the problems one after another including a truly incredible and immense effort for Thomas to be able to drive himself out of a stuck that he was convinced needed a tug. Next time maybe, but the learning from this type of commitment to getting out of trouble is essential. And of course @Jeepie who not only met me have the driving seat in the TJ but also go involed in quite a lot more digging than she expected. 

We will be posting more night drives with different locations - because this really was fun and next time there will be moonlight so we can see the difference in how to drive with the moon in sight. 

See you soon in the sand. 

 

Thank you for a truly great day and evening, like you mention it was exhilarating 

[Thomas Varghese]

2 hours ago, Wrangeld said:

I am a little late to be writing this, but I will excuse myself as I ahd another drive yesterday morning

Rajeevan Vickneswaran @Rajeevan Vickneswaran	Intermediate	Jeep Wrangler	Y	2
Thomas Varghese @Thomas Varghese	Fewbie	NIssan Xterra	Y	3
@Karim Allam
Mahmoud Hamzawy @Mahmoud Hamzawy	Intermediate	Toyota Landcruiser Prado	Y	6
Senthil Kumar @Senthil Kumar	Fewbie	Jeep Wrangler LWB	Y	7
Kailas @Kailas	Advance	Jeep Wrangler SWB
Jack Thomas @Jack Thomas	Fewbie	Ford F150	Y	9
Bernd Stucke @Bernd Stucke	Fewbie	Jeep Rubicon Gladitor	Y	10
Tariq Carrimjee @Tariq Carrimjee	Intermediate	Jeep Wrangler SWB	Y	11
Chaitanya D @Chaitanya D	Marshal	Nissan Xterra	Y	12

This was the convoy with which we were left after a few last minute withdrawals and a last minute arrival and what a convoy it was. 

We started with a bang - literally as we hit a big bump at the start of the drive (sorry about your flag Thomas - but if noone saw it when it fell and that's 7 cars the sand gods at it quickly) and moved through some fantastic wonderful long dunes and the technical sections on the way up to the central part ofthis zone. 

From the lead, it looked like everyone was having fun with the ridges, the climbs, the side slipping and then the technical exercise that we covered before the light started to fail and our night drive experience began. 

And - wow, what a different experience it is and for me a massive buzz of adrenaline as we made our way through the gloom, looking all the time to miss the pockets and soft sand looking to swallow up up as we drove though the desert. So many surprises, so much to see and then - a camel that had just given birth to a calfminutes before we arrived and drove back off into the dark to our eventual destination at Sky Dubai and inflation. 

@Chaitanya D and @Kailas were simply amazing in support: Sorting out all the problems one after another including a truly incredible and immense effort for Thomas to be able to drive himself out of a stuck that he was convinced needed a tug. Next time maybe, but the learning from this type of commitment to getting out of trouble is essential. And of course @Jeepie who not only met me have the driving seat in the TJ but also go involed in quite a lot more digging than she expected. 

We will be posting more night drives with different locations - because this really was fun and next time there will be moonlight so we can see the difference in how to drive with the moon in sight. 

See you soon in the sand. 

 

THE DRIVE WITH A BANG

Thank  you @Wrangeld, @Chaitanya D . @Kailas for organizing such an exhilarating drive. Started off with a bang. The desert wanted an offering from me for all the enjoyment he has given me for the drives with @Carnity. The way the offering was taken reminds me of how unforgiving the desert is if we make a mistake. I was watching @Karim Allam who was ahead of me assessing his driving habits - how he accelerates, how he slows down and brakes so that I can adjust my driving styles accordingly to suit the driver's driving ahead of me to escape unnecessary refusals which may end up in a stuck. The ditch caught me by surprise - I literally jumped up from the seat even though belted to the seat and my head hit the roof upholstery with a thud. My spectacles flew off my face and under the shock of the jump didn't notice I was driving for almost a km without them. I had to radio the convoy to stop so that I can finally find them and wear. My worst fears about magnetic mounts had been answered when @Mahmoud Hamzawy announced he had been following me and my flag is missing. The only way to secure anything during a desert drive is only a proper fixture by a weld or secured by nuts & bolts. The magnetic mount was very convenient though as I could put the flag or remove them in a flash.

Very valuable lesson learned from @Wrangeld, @Chaitanya D & @Kailas for crawl self recovery method during an almost impossible stuck with 1 wheel pointing up to the sky. When @Chaitanya D suggested to pull me out @Wrangeld promptly over ruled the method and said to shovel me out. @Chaitanya D's and @Kailas faces were down thinking about the physical labor and time to recover a car like this. @Wrangeld promptly declined the easy method to my dismay as he was intent upon teaching me the blip blip, left right steering and crawl out method even if it meant losing some precious time so that me and others would learn. THANK YOU @Wrangeld. The parting sentence at the end of the ordeal as I slowly crawled out from the seemingly impossible stuck from @Wrangeld was now do you realize the best friend of an off roader is a 20 AED shovel. Experience counts for sure and it proved he knew all along that my X could be recovered by a mere shovel and brute physical force. Thank you @Chaitanya D & @Kailas and sorry for the unintended exercise you had to do because of my stuck. 

The drive was exciting when the sun went down and I could capture some of the parting shots of the sun thanks to someone else in the convoy having a refusal. Hope everybody liked the pictures posted earlier. I intentionally enhanced the color and the clarity so that the overall effect is that of a painting. I never intended to give it a photo look. 

THE NIGHT DRIVE.

I was really apprehensive about joining the drive as I had only stock headlights and was unsure if I can really see in the desert when the sun goes down. @Chaitanya D encouraged me during the weekday short drive that its ok and I should be able to manage. The last fewbie + drive with @Foxtrot Oscar which ended up at 8pm in almost similar situations gave me confidence I can with stock headlights. Don't know if everybody will like my comment but all the fancy lights fixed in other cars I saw is not good as the stock headlights. I did fine with them but I have something else in my mind to enhance night vision and hopefully will fix on my car soon. Nothing fancy but little vintage. When I was a teenager I used to ride Bullets, RD 350's and Yezdi 350 and their single headlight was like a sun during night rides and the single headlamp is all what I needed to ride all night. I have asked my friends to source the same headlight and ship it to me here with the light reflector of LUCAS (its a glass reflector and will not melt) along with 100/90 W bulbs. 

THE EXPERIENCE

As all men are not same so are all the marshals. Every time it was a different experience. @Frederic's style is different from @Rahimdad's. @Gaurav's is different from @Chaitanya D. @Wrangeld is totally different from @Ale Vallecchi. @Vanessa8580 is different from @Foxtrot Oscar. The drive with @sertac to big red was a very good experience. Is one above the other? Not at all. We learn different styles from different marshals. Every drive with @Carnity was an experience and confidence booster to take the 4 X 4 out into the desert. I hope 1 day I can take the car out alone with a couple of shovels and friends with me thanks to the famous sentence - In the desert your best friend is a 20 AED shovel. 

THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR THE WONDERFUL DRIVE. 

[Chaitanya D]

3 minutes ago, Thomas Varghese said:

When @Chaitanya D suggested to pull me out @Wrangeld promptly over ruled the method and said to shovel me out. @Chaitanya D's and @Kailas faces were down thinking about the physical labor and time to recover a car like this.

Sorry my dear friend you got it wrong🤣. May be @Wrangeld can elaborate as to what discussion we had