Morning Fewbie Plus Desert Exploration Drive - Al Jabib to Faqa: The Reopening - AD/Dubai - 2 Oct 2021

[JeromeFJ]

Thank you @Ale Vallecchi for taking the time to prepare new itineraries and giving us the opportunity to discover new areas.

Reaching the meeting point in the fog was part of the challenge, and the same prevented the convoy to take the full measure of the first portion, but for sure it will be worth going back.  Then we could fully enjoy the nice mix of rollercoaster, ridge riding, and crisscrossing !

Thank you @Wrangeldand @Alex Raptor for the support, and to all the friends and new faces in the convoy. Sharing experience on previous drives and car mods is also part of the pleasure  !

[Niki]

Thank you @Ale Vallecchi for a wonderful drive! I am in awe of how you navigated with only 10m visibility early on and all of us appreciated you extending the trip.  Thank you @Wrangeld for offering to support which allowed myself and a few other to join yesterday... felt great being able to explore that region once again!  

@Alex Raptor super support throughout!

was a great convoy .. again .. minimal refusals/stucks/drama and just a lot of fun and exploration! was nice doing an outside briefing in the fog, got to meet some old and new friends and look forward to the next trip out into this part of the desert! 

 

Edited October 3, 2021 by Niki

[Ale Vallecchi]

Al Jabib to Faqa: The Reopening - Drive Report

Be patient when you sit in the dark. The dawn is coming - Rumi

Extreme drives are not always synonym with speed and intimidating terrains. Sometimes extreme can be an unexpected adverse condition, or the beauty of an area unveiling itself in front of the convoy. Extreme was the fog that shrouded the Faqa District for most of the early morning, and extreme was our surprise at finding, and exploring, a beautiful. unspoiled, set of long and wavy dunes, where we zipped around with gusto as soon as the fog lifted.

In fact, just reaching the meeting point, and doing so in good time, was a small feat in its own right: the gravel and sand tracks leading to it from the Al Khadr exit on E66 had a visibility of virtually zero meters, and occasionally produced small groups of camels walking along the side of the track, making the whole approach both eerie and surreal. After a delay of almost 1 hour, waiting for the sun to rise and the fog to lift, we decided to start the drive anyways, trusting that the very qualified, albeit long convoy, would manage maneuvering almost blind, following the dim lights of the car in front, with patience and skills. Finally, after a snail-paced, and yet exhilarating 1 hour and 25 minutes of driving blindfolded, during a stop top sort out a stuck, visibility started to improve dramatically. Even though we had just passed a rough track that I had marked as the turning point on my previous recce drive, we decided to venture further south, toward E20, enjoying the pleasure of exploring the area. Able to see what laid ahead, after the first timid criss-crossings, the sun burst through the last remnants of fog, bathing with its light and warmth a beautiful area with long, open and pristine cordons. Even though I had initially planned to take just a look around here, we ended up spending almost 1 hour roaming in all directions, simply relishing in the fun of an unstoppable drive. Finally, it was time to turn back up north, to reach the E14 tarmac, from where we would enter Dubai's side of Faqa District. While 4 cars decided to exit, due to time limitations, the rest of the convoy headed into the tall, long dunes south of the Faqa Plateau. The pace, already picked up after the fog had lifted, further increased, as we managed to side-slope and criss-cross our way East, until we reached the tighter dunes and camel farms bordering Faqa Town, indicating our proximity to the exit. 

A beautiful drive, perfectly executed by all, in spite of the initial adverse conditions, that certainly celebrated in the best possible way the reopening of the border and the possibility of crossing it freely while off-roading.

Only 1 tug, 1 digging, and 1 pop-out occurred, while driving almost 89 Km, in 3:47 hours of moving time (4:31 total) at an average moving speed that picked up from the original 12km/h to the final 23km/h (20 km/h total). 

Great support by @Niki (who managed to keep sight of the lead, and adjust accordingly, through the thick fog), @Wrangeld, who keep the convoy together from the center, and @Alex Raptor, never losing sight of the long convoy, and sweeping all to safety. Perfect driving by @Ehab, @Sunil Mathew, @Mus_hus78, @JeromeFJ, @Chris Wing, @Tareck, @Looper, @PaoloMaraziti, @AlexPol, @darren thompson, @Russ and @Darren Brooke.

Thank you all, and see you soon out there.

[Russ]

Thank you @Ale Vallecchi firstly for allowing me to join this drive (and @Wrangeld Richard’s presence for making it possible) and secondly for - as is common with your drives - allowing us to explore new areas previously unseen!

The drive to the meeting point is not one I would like to experience again, but it was well worth it! A fast paced drive with minimal issues and plenty of fun!

Thanks to all who were there and supported, and hope to see you all again soon 🌵

[Sunil Mathew]

Thank you @Ale Vallecchi for this Saturday morning exploration drive. Although i had to exit after the first half, due to other commitments, the part i drove with all of you was very engaging and enjoyable. Really missed the remaining part, as we were picking up pace and swooping on bowls as much as we could , just consoling myself - there's always a nect time

Yes, the drive to the meeting point was an adventure in itself, with close to zero visibility and my white LED headlights lights making things worse with blinding reflections, had to drive all the way with only my lower fog lights on!!

It was my first time within borders of abu dhabi, and was surprised to see AD - Faqaa dirstrict boards and markings on the way home.

Thanks @Niki for the second lead, doing your part perfectly in the reduced visibility... @Wrangeld for anchoring the convoy and @Alex Raptorfor the perfect sweep, good to drive with everyone else.

Thanks @Tareck for lending your compressor, when mine went bust..

See you all on the next adventure!!

Edited October 3, 2021 by Sunil Mathew

[Tareck]

Thank you @Ale Vallecchi for this drive, I always feel the challenge when I reserve a drive with you.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to drive efficiently as my friend who joined me got motion sickness so I tried to limit my speed which got me stuck and had to exit early. Also thanks to @Wrangeld who was driving in front of me which made it easier to follow the best lines of approach he took.

Thank you @Niki @Alex Raptor for the support and @Russ for your help