Morning Fewbie Desert Drive - Oryx Express - Dubai - 30 Apr 2022

[Ale Vallecchi]

53 minutes ago, Paolo Morresi said:

@Ale Vallecchi I was looking for the app you mentioned MyTrace but the only one appearing is a wellness app. Do you mind to send the link? Thanks 

@Paolo Morresi the App is called My Trails. 

[JeromeFJ]

Thank you @Ale Vallecchi for initiating the drive, and giving me the opportunity to lead the second part. You were great support and inspiration for the preparation and during the drive itself. From my Absolute Newbie drive that I did with you until today, i have always appreciated the care you take in the selection of the itineraries and the execution of your drives.

The  first part was a flawless warmup through the high dunes of Quadra around the crescent lake. Perfect start under the lead of @Ale Vallecchi to enjoy the morning light and the virgin sands, but already requiring full awareness of the drivers. A only a few  gazelles and cyclists (wildlife ?) were around at this early time.

Then we crossed the pylon track to reach the Ghantoot area, and Ale handed over the lead to me. This second portion of middle size dunes is challenging as they are quite tight in places, and present steep slip faces closing the way. But it is the perfect terrain to exercise our driving skills, and it was a pleasure to find a way through the sand valleys, crossing the ridges, riding the crests. There were some traps in the form of soft bowls, sand pockets, or sharp crests leading to a few stucks and refusal, including me being crested, all of them sorted without issue with the support of @Davie Chase and @Waqas Parvez.

Then came the third portion, more open with wider dunes and some hard flat sabkha surface between them. Driving there might have been easier, but we were facing another challenge, finding the mighty oryxes, purpose of the drive. The beasts had left their home vacant, with only one of them guarding the place, and we had to wander the area to find the herd. I could finally spot them atop of a crest and we had our 10 min of literally « chasing the oryx », the front cars driving on their side or just behind them, keeping a reasonable distance.

The oryxes being clearly superior to our cars in the sand, we turned our way back to reach the exit, to the relief of the passenger of @Harshal.

@Ashutosh Garg @Paolo Pellegrini @Vaibhav @Paolo Morresi @RiaanJH @Davie Chase  @DP1011 , Deepak wrangler @Pascal @Waqas Parvez  it was a pleasure to have you in the drive. Thanks again @Ale Vallecchi for the guidance and support. Enjoy the long weekend and see you soon on the sand !

 

 

[Waqas Parvez]

Thank you, @Ale Vallecchi, for leading us through such beautiful virgin terrains. It was a mix of technical and long-range crest crossing dunes, and it was always thrilling to follow your lead. 

@JeromeFJyou drove well, it was a difficult track with a lot of complex dunes and slip face dunes with a hard surface, but I was always confident following your lead, you truly demonstrated the degree of skill you bring to @Carnity 

We only had to shovel a couple of times and recover a few times through tugging,It's all part of learning and having fun,overall the convoy drove beautifully @Harshal @Pascal @DP1011 , Deepak wrangler @RiaanJH@Paolo Pellegrini @Ashutosh Garg

 

@Davie Chase as usual thank you for the support it is always been pleasure driving with you

@Vaibhav i saw you took beautiful lines throughout the drive and guided the ones  behind you

Since I was sweeping, I took advantage of the opportunity to take a few photos, which I have uploaded to the gallery. I wish you a very happy Eid and hope to see you in the desert soon.