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Morning Fewbie Desert Drive - Ghantoot - Dubai - 18 Jun 2022


JeromeFJ

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Let’s admit it, the drive this morning was a bit frustrating. It is very rare to have the fog for so long in the morning. And a fog so thick that it prevents driving. So here we were, this morning, after a short night, extending the briefing until we cleared the very last question, and repeated again not to fight gravity.

Despite the thick fog we were in, I decided to start moving, and at least reach the moon lake (moon pond could be more appropriate, but much less evocative). GPS is a beautiful tool, and I had to brake just before diving in ! After another 15min around the lake, watching the birds, fog was still there, preventing to access the tall dunes close to the lake. 
thinking that the lakes maybe were holding more fog, I decided to leave the area to come closer to Ghantoot, our objective for the day. We reached the oryx farm just in time to see the oryxes just being fed, coming out of their fence, running into the dunes and vanishing in the fog. And still, despite a bit of blue sky above us, we had to wait another 20 min to have enough visibility.

Finally we could enter the dunes, to find difficult conditions, where the soft sand of the area was soaked with humidity, and heavy below our wheels. We did not have a proper warmup, and arriving straight in this difficult environment was not easy. The dunes are narrow, the crests sharp, and deep pockets of sand are everywhere, even on the flat portions. We had some nice rolling parts, ending suddenly in a steep succession of narrow bowls. Each of you did very well, including for the recoveries during the inevitable stucks. All of them where resolved with a combination of shovelling, self recoveries, a few tugs, and a great team spirit, under the efficient guidance of @Looper and @Rob S
But with the heat building up, and the humidity still so high, each shovelling part was becoming a real physical effort. And we were already at the planned exit time ! I decided to shorten this Ghantoot portion to reach the pylon track and the sabkha and to cross in direction of the Bab Al Shams road. This last portion was hiding a few surprises, with these long cordon of dunes perpendicular to our way, of course slip faces against us! Navigating through the vegetation, and crossing one dune after the other, we reached the tarmac by 10 am. 

@Paolo Pellegrini thank you for the excellent 2nd lead, stopping in time when I was ending in a dead end, or when crossing a dune, I was facing rocks just below my wheels.

@Emanuel, well done in this difficult terrain, you become more and more confident.

@Suresh K I can see your progression drive after drive, you gained a lot of confidence, and it reflect on your driving.

@Zulfikhar Naiyar well done also, you had a difficult stuck, the front and the back touching the edges of a bowl, and managed well to recover after shovelling and reducing the tire pressure.

@FiNaR for your first Fewbie, it was not an easy one, and manoeuvring the F150 in the tight dunes was not easy. You did very well, using sometime of that power that is available.

@Rob S great support as usual. Your own driving is totally under control in this environment, and you are always there to spot a car in difficulty and to actively support recoveries. Thank you.

@takeshi sobue amazing progress since last time we drove together. The FJ is now under control, and I’m sure you enjoy the drives. It was a pleasure to have you with your family.

@Gerrit Bus no issue at all, despite the churned tracks at the back of the convoy. Very good control of the Gladiator.

@RiaanJH very well driven also, you are ready for your first FB + anytime!

@Looper thank you for the sweep and the support on the recoveries. Having you at the back was very confortable for me !

enjoy the rest of the weekend, and definitely we have to go back to complete the full stretch of the Ghantoot dunes !

 

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Thanks for leading the group on another great morning out @JeromeFJ, it is always a pleasure to be part of your convoy! and thanks @Looper for ensuring the convoy was safe at the back.  It was also good to meet some new faces @Emanuel @Zulfikhar Naiyar@FiNaR @takeshi sobue @Gerrit Busand also see some familiar ones @Suresh K @RiaanJH@Paolo Pellegrini.

Although I have been driving mostly Fewbie+ and Intermediate lately, it is always nice to step back down to Newbie and Fewbie drives and encourage others to do the same every now and again. With a bit slower pace, it gives opportunity to learn not through doing, but observing. So, having done so, I wanted to share a brief summary.

1) Be careful where you stop . . . . especially as the sand is getting softer, positioning your car correctly when stopping is important to make sure when the convoy gets going again, we don't have multiple stucks. A few members had a few moments (including myself, requiring the first rope recovery of the day). Ideally, always try to stop on a flat or decline and not on a crest!

2) Self Recovery is encouraged at Carnity, and a key learning for us all. Although at times we took the rope out it was mainly due to the heat and the delayed start. Almost all the stucks the convoy faced could have been resolved with some more shoveling. @Emanuels was very close to self recovery from his cresting, and we were successful with @Zulfikhar Naiyar after he deflating his tyres further. 

3) Momentum Momentum Momentum and gravity. After recovering @Emanuel, @Suresh K didn't have enough space to build the right momentum and by trying to steer up only slowed the car further resulting in a stuck. Here, it would have been better to have reversed more to start with, or looped round. This is all part of the learning process and you will get it right in the future.

4) Looping round and exiting earlier is not failure, and its something that carries no shame in the desert. At one point, I could see each car struggling a little bit more over one criss cross as the line got tracked. When it was @FiNaRs turn, as soon as his car lost momentum he immediately steered down, looped round and tried again. This resulted in no awkward stuck, no pop out and the convoy could continue without stopping. Well done.

Thanks again @JeromeFJ for leading us and @Looper for the support!

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2 hours ago, Rob S said:

Thanks for leading the group on another great morning out @JeromeFJ, it is always a pleasure to be part of your convoy! and thanks @Looper for ensuring the convoy was safe at the back.  It was also good to meet some new faces @Emanuel @Zulfikhar Naiyar@FiNaR @takeshi sobue @Gerrit Busand also see some familiar ones @Suresh K @RiaanJH@Paolo Pellegrini.

Although I have been driving mostly Fewbie+ and Intermediate lately, it is always nice to step back down to Newbie and Fewbie drives and encourage others to do the same every now and again. With a bit slower pace, it gives opportunity to learn not through doing, but observing. So, having done so, I wanted to share a brief summary.

1) Be careful where you stop . . . . especially as the sand is getting softer, positioning your car correctly when stopping is important to make sure when the convoy gets going again, we don't have multiple stucks. A few members had a few moments (including myself, requiring the first rope recovery of the day). Ideally, always try to stop on a flat or decline and not on a crest!

2) Self Recovery is encouraged at Carnity, and a key learning for us all. Although at times we took the rope out it was mainly due to the heat and the delayed start. Almost all the stucks the convoy faced could have been resolved with some more shoveling. @Emanuels was very close to self recovery from his cresting, and we were successful with @Zulfikhar Naiyar after he deflating his tyres further. 

3) Momentum Momentum Momentum and gravity. After recovering @Emanuel, @Suresh K didn't have enough space to build the right momentum and by trying to steer up only slowed the car further resulting in a stuck. Here, it would have been better to have reversed more to start with, or looped round. This is all part of the learning process and you will get it right in the future.

4) Looping round and exiting earlier is not failure, and its something that carries no shame in the desert. At one point, I could see each car struggling a little bit more over one criss cross as the line got tracked. When it was @FiNaRs turn, as soon as his car lost momentum he immediately steered down, looped round and tried again. This resulted in no awkward stuck, no pop out and the convoy could continue without stopping. Well done.

Thanks again @JeromeFJ for leading us and @Looper for the support!

@Rob S and @Looper you are always so patient and helpful with all of us. it is always a pleasure and a peace of mind know that you are in the convoy. I remember a triple popout with @Looper and the way he managed......so zen!

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19 hours ago, Rob S said:

Thanks for leading the group on another great morning out @JeromeFJ, it is always a pleasure to be part of your convoy! and thanks @Looper for ensuring the convoy was safe at the back.  It was also good to meet some new faces @Emanuel @Zulfikhar Naiyar@FiNaR @takeshi sobue @Gerrit Busand also see some familiar ones @Suresh K @RiaanJH@Paolo Pellegrini.

Although I have been driving mostly Fewbie+ and Intermediate lately, it is always nice to step back down to Newbie and Fewbie drives and encourage others to do the same every now and again. With a bit slower pace, it gives opportunity to learn not through doing, but observing. So, having done so, I wanted to share a brief summary.

1) Be careful where you stop . . . . especially as the sand is getting softer, positioning your car correctly when stopping is important to make sure when the convoy gets going again, we don't have multiple stucks. A few members had a few moments (including myself, requiring the first rope recovery of the day). Ideally, always try to stop on a flat or decline and not on a crest!

2) Self Recovery is encouraged at Carnity, and a key learning for us all. Although at times we took the rope out it was mainly due to the heat and the delayed start. Almost all the stucks the convoy faced could have been resolved with some more shoveling. @Emanuels was very close to self recovery from his cresting, and we were successful with @Zulfikhar Naiyar after he deflating his tyres further. 

3) Momentum Momentum Momentum and gravity. After recovering @Emanuel, @Suresh K didn't have enough space to build the right momentum and by trying to steer up only slowed the car further resulting in a stuck. Here, it would have been better to have reversed more to start with, or looped round. This is all part of the learning process and you will get it right in the future.

4) Looping round and exiting earlier is not failure, and its something that carries no shame in the desert. At one point, I could see each car struggling a little bit more over one criss cross as the line got tracked. When it was @FiNaRs turn, as soon as his car lost momentum he immediately steered down, looped round and tried again. This resulted in no awkward stuck, no pop out and the convoy could continue without stopping. Well done.

Thanks again @JeromeFJ for leading us and @Looper for the support!

Hey, Ivan's here (AKA FiNaR --- just changed the name in Carnity :P)

I agree, it was a slow start because of the fog, but even if it was short I actually enjoyed the "fewbie rookie" status :)

no one single stack as newbie! 1 and a half as first time fewbie :) ! time to step it up!!! LOL

anyhow, Thank you @JeromeFJ for leading the pack! thank you @Rob S for good advises on the "half stacked" (self recovered by following your advises) and thank you @Looper for "pulling me" on the "full stacked position" :) (BTW, did I even spelled right staked??? ;)  mmmm)

BTW, @Rob S, can you share the website/contacts where you got the setup to inflate the 4 wheel at the same time? you actually mentioned to me that there are few company that do the same... please :) 

 

Thank you all and I'll see you soon!

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39 minutes ago, Ivan P said:

BTW, did I even spelled right staked??? ;)  mmmm

The term you are looking for is "Crested". 

don't drive like its your last one.

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@JeromeFJ despite the foggy start you yet again managed to take us on an exciting drive. Thank you. 
And @Looper, @Rob S thanks for the excellent support. Appreciated. 
Dear fellow dune bashers @Paolo Pellegrini @Emanuel @Suresh K  @Zulfikhar Naiyar @Ivan P @takeshi sobue @RiaanJH below some pics and Gladiator POV video. 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/onto8v5sMxKCu41w5

 

517AFD2E-4A78-4892-ADB4-0E4CE2F63A97.jpeg

0830E72E-E531-42AA-93D0-2A696A9ACB4A.jpeg

F40F748F-9DD2-4E54-89AF-332F2CC1E5D6.jpeg

6658372D-FE15-46C3-9C6F-3FBC20B9B2A2.jpeg

A3BE6486-B870-47F6-8FC0-B2C5EEE111CB.jpeg

C20EDB6C-E412-4000-915D-77224FB96815.jpeg

4D4D7652-29BE-4F04-85ED-8DFA8BB72648.jpeg

60C203A6-CCE4-4CC8-99B6-BE4DB1747D7B.jpeg

C614B05A-CB77-4182-9CEB-5BD725C49232.jpeg

8C119F29-7F5B-43F9-9EFB-B701C8C0137D.jpeg

ED109B7D-66C4-4423-BB96-8900823C8A4F.jpeg

19C7786E-879E-483C-983B-4D1370732E3D.jpeg

520069BD-34B7-4AFE-B3A7-5578D9324A60.jpeg

C5B05DDA-5683-4361-8EF3-56146C19F377.jpeg

Edited by Gerrit Bus
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