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COVID19 Compliant - Intermediate Desert Drive - Area 53: the 1km ascent quest (reloaded) - Sharjah - 31 Jul 2021


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4 minutes ago, varunmehndiratta said:

Sorry @Ashok chaturvedi had taken permission from wife and the maid, however baby was just in too naughty a mood yesterday for  both of them to handle. 🙂So had to step out at last min. 

 

5 minutes ago, varunmehndiratta said:

Sorry @Ashok chaturvedi had taken permission from wife and the maid, however baby was just in too naughty a mood yesterday for  both of them to handle. 🙂So had to step out at last min. 

@varunmehndiratta no sweat dear... 

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@Lorenzo Candelpergherwhat a fun filled drive it was today. Even though there were quite few refusals, you have paced it perfectly and made the drive very interesting. The second half was absolute fun, tall dunes, nice criss cross and ending the drive in Iftar bowl was icing on the cake. I truly believe that carrying the entire convoy is team effort and definitely you have done that well as a lead and demonstrated its a team sport. Personally it was very satisfying drive for me in total, with Iftar bowl and without popout. 
Truly amazing support team and entire convoy did very well. Thanks to every one for joining and having raised your tolerance level. Hope we get to enjoy once again reload of the area soon!!!!!

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6 hours ago, Abu Muhammad said:

As usual @Lorenzo Candelperghergreat drive full of fun but to be honest for intermediate drive the performance were poor and disappointing specially at the beginning with too many refusals and simply keeping the convoy in order. 

Just a friendly suggestion for such drive there should be a “Minimum Intermediate Drive”requirements. 
 

Have good weekend friends. Will see you 🔜 on the Sands. 

Can you explain that @Abu Muhammad, what do you mean by "minimum intermediate drive" to join an IM🤔🤔??

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Just now, Hisham Masaad said:

Can you explain that @Abu Muhammad, what do you mean by "minimum intermediate drive" to join an IM🤔🤔??

Sure brother @Hisham Masaad. What I mean here is that when a drive such as @Lorenzo Candelpergher’s drive today. 
 

There should be an special requirement for JOINING For example say:

“This Drive is Only for intermediate drivers WHO had at least (…No of drive…) previous Intermediate drive. 
 

The opposite example is if an unexperienced intermediate driver joins say it’s his first one he might be struggling and causing the whole convoy be effected. 
 

I hope this helps 😆.

 

 

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1 hour ago, Abu Muhammad said:

Sure brother @Hisham Masaad. What I mean here is that when a drive such as @Lorenzo Candelpergher’s drive today. 
 

There should be an special requirement for JOINING For example say:

“This Drive is Only for intermediate drivers WHO had at least (…No of drive…) previous Intermediate drive. 
 

The opposite example is if an unexperienced intermediate driver joins say it’s his first one he might be struggling and causing the whole convoy be effected. 
 

I hope this helps 😆.

 

 

Dear @Abu Muhammad, I don't think there should be any additional requirements. 

We've all been inexperienced Intermediate drivers at some point and we've all had bad days, while not all of us have 100+hp/1000kg power to weight ratio under the hood. 

We all drive to become better drivers and I think one of the best things of today's drive was precisely that those who most struggled, in the end succeeded toghether with the rest of the convoy and that not a single time we left anyone behind, making sure the weakest car could  always make it to the top as everyone else. 

This is one of the best things in @Carnity, in my opinion. 

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11 minutes ago, Lorenzo Candelpergher said:

DRIVE REPORT

Dear Desert Wanderers, 

My last drive as lead had been exactly 30 days ago, so I came to this drive with some concern whether I was actually going to be up to the task, given that the 1st edition of the 1km ascent quest had created a lot of expectations. 

I must say I really enjoyed the drive today and it was great to be back again on the sand. It was a memorable drive, with endless challenges that put everyone to the test. 

We started very early this morning: by 5am sharp we started to line up the convoy. I feel it was maybe a bit too early, as we had to drive for 45 mins before the sunrise. 

We indulged a bit in the small dunes between our entry point and the 2st group of dunes of Area 53 next to the Dubai - Hatta Road, but we couldn't possibly spend 45 mins there, so I decided to aim to the top climbing in total darkness. Not exactly the easiest way to start the day, but certainly an effective way to make sure everyone was fully awake! 😂😂

We started having refusals right away at the very first climb, I guess mostly because of the additional challenge with the darkness and because of the abrupt ramp-up of the technical level that today's ascents implied. 

Even if with some hesitations, the convoy made it to the top 3 times in a raw on the first group of dunes: it was the perfect warm-up for the day. 

We progressively moved across 11 different areas of big dunes, everytime climbing from all sides and making sure we left our tire marks on every available bowl. 

The first 2 hours were not easy, as we had to deal with several refusals, mostly with the two Pajeros, whose underpowered engines with undesidered upshifting demanded their drivers, @Danish MohammadMohammad and @Lakshmi Narasimhan, every drop of their driving skills to make it to the top.. Kudos to both for the extra effort!

I could sense some frustration by the big and experienced guys at the back, whose desire to unleash their endless horse power was often dampened by some stucks and refusals at the front and even more by my occasional decisions to abort and reroute (or restart from the bottom) when things were getting too troubled at the front of the convoy. 

@Watteau was very vocal when he asked not to give up and to make sure the cars at the back could have their fair chance to make it to the top. I know my choices may have disappointed, @Watteau or @Abu Muhammad, but the point for me was that ALL drivers (and cars) today had to make it to the top and I believe that is what happened 80% of the over 40 straight bottom-to-top climbs we performed today. 

The sand was tricky today, with lots of unusual pockets and patches of very soft sand caused by the unusual winds of the last weeks, combined, in the 1st part of the drive, with an immense number of tracks everywhere. This is where most of us had our good share of refusals and stucks, which required a great deal of brilliant self-recoveries, including the spectacular ones by @Danish Mohammad and @Mario Cornejo in deep bowls and with great inclines. 

Just to make sure we didn't miss anything, we also had repeated overheating issues and two pop-out for my myself and @Dodi Syahdar! What a day! 

The drivers in the front didn't have the horsepower nor the experience of the big guys in the back, and I must say I was proud to see the enormous improvement in self-confidence and actual car handling that @Danish Mohammad achieved trough-out the drive as he shifted to 2nd lead. It is only by being challenged a bit beyond our comfort zone and by our mistakes and struggles that we become better. Kudos, my friend!

I must say I was also a bit disappointed to see how convoy discipline today was often neglected.. Impatience to climb and not to lose momentum often led to a split convoy or to overtakes and confusion, as we had to slow down and reorder the convoy multiple times. I still believe, as frustrating this may be, that if a car in front struggles, those behind should avoid overtaking and should patiently allow as many attempts as may be required for whoever has difficulties in a specific passage.. 

In the last two hours of the drive we drove more, stopped less and enjoyed fantastic, virgin dunes that repaid us of all the waiting, digging, rerouting and struggling of the first two. The climax of the day for me was the stretch at and after Suhail Dune, where we had a quick photo stop:

20210731_065503.jpg.feaf2d348b5a3c7c84d58ea737f10446.jpg

With some concerns about overheating and running out of fuel for some cars, we then headed towards Iftar Bowl, where we took 3 full rounds back to back before eventually making our exit. 

We drove for 4h and 35 mins, covering 68.6km at an average moving speed of 16.7km. 

As far as the goal of the day is concerned, I'm glad to say that -  despite all setbacks - we hit the 1670m ascent mark, which is 100m than last month. See the analysis below:

Screenshot_20210731-102419_Drive.jpg.38157ca7b1ebd9cdc51e24fa471b9640.jpg

Congratulations to @Mario Cornejo (you' conquer that high bowl) @Danish Mohammad (full throttle!!) , @Ranjan Das(great new Rubicon!), @Lakshmi Narasimhan(Iftar Bowl is now yours), @Ilya(a walk in the park for an Expert like you), @Watteau(we did get to the top, eventually), @Dodi Syahdar("when I enjoy the drive I get a pop-out", you said 😂😂😂😂😂), @Abu Muhammad(we were all inexperienced IM drivers at some point!) and big big thanks to @M.Seidam and @Hisham Masaad for their outstanding support at all times. 

See you at the next stuck! 

Just a small suggestion to add, as @Lorenzo Candelperghermentioned when there is a refusal ahead we should hold our positions in order so that it will be easy to start again, lets not lineup side ways in very narrow track with soft patch. I have learnt a lot in today’s drive both do’s and dont’s.

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