Morning Fewbie Plus Desert Drive - North of Sweihan: Al Ajban Recce Drive - Abu Dhabi - 15 Feb 2025

[Ale Vallecchi]

Dear Desertnauts

Finally we have our lineup and drive plan for tomorrow. After a bit of back and forth, all members, signed up and on the waiting list have been accommodated. This has extended the convoy to a total of 16 drivers, which makes it quite a long one. 

In consideration of this, and because the drive is a Recce in an unexplored area, we'll have to tweak the drive plan on the cautious side, especially if, and when, facing tall or close dunes, and tight or soft pockets. There is a chance that I'll have to go in first to test the terrain, and possibly take the convoy through bit by bit, a few drivers at the time. This should add to the drive an element of "adventureness".

There is also the plan to extend the drive beyond the giant farm in the middle of this area, through a short drive on a dirt track, to the dunes just north-east of Sweihan, possibly ending somewhere not far from the Nahil area (just on its opposite side of E20).

The convoy order is built to get the Intermediates and the Support Team involved in helping to manage small segments of the line-up, at even intervals from each other, as follows:

@Jessica Lambert in Second Lead

@Abhishek Chikara at #3

@Misha Puskar at #4

@J-P L at #5

@Zak_ at #6

@Mark B at Center First

@Giacomo at #8

@Sherry Jacob at #9

@Deepak Eswar at #10

@Glenn W at #11

@Ashutosh Garg at Center Second

@Frans M at #13

@Hani crest king at #14

@Mike M. at #15 and

@Luke K P in Sweep

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE DEPARTURE TIME HAS BEEN SET AT 8:00 AM.

See you tomorrow. 

[Sherry Jacob]

sorry guys, Hv to drop off, need to take car to workshop

[_luke_]

Gulf news drive on today. If coming from Abu Dhabi and need fuel take EXTRA time

[_luke_]

Exciting drive today. Thanks for the exploration guiding @Ale Vallecchi.

We started heading east along a series of soft technical dunes, with a lot of broken ridges before turning westward and heading back one set of dunes to the south. We experienced a few moments of hesitation and rerouting as is expected in a recce with 14 cars.

I marked lots of big dunes to the side that were clean of vegetation and worth exploring on a future trip.. we once again turns eastwards to explore the peripheries of this cordon before we stopped for a break. From here we had a quick adventure to the north before resuming course along side of the farm whilst looking for a suitable entrancein the dunes to get into from the sabhkas, and then threaded the needle between farms to the south.

We headed eastwards into even softer sand, experiencing a free more refusals although most of these were quickly resolved. Some nice long ridge riding sections here before we decided to not exit, and take an extra 30 minutes of dune play heading towards the large solar installation.

Definately lots of waypoints to investigate in the future in a area which was pretty clean overall. I sense a few more drives here in the future. 

 

@Mark B @Jessica Lambert thanks for finessing the lines and getting the refusals going again quickly. 

@Abhishek Chikara great work on your first FB+ drive! 

 

Hope to see you all in the sand again soon! Happy Saturday 💪

Edited February 15, 2025 by Luke K P

[Ale Vallecchi]

Dear Desertnauts.

A quick recap of the thinks we spoke about and learned during the Recce.

NAVIGATIONAL TIPS

1) Always plan the route to be scouted by setting as many waypoints as possible, including possible entries and exits (these especially along different parts of the route, just in case).

2) Use the high ground as much as possible. First, it will give a better visual of the unknown surroundings (lay of the land, proximity to landmarks, nice looking dunes to check, etc.). Second, especially when driving along the ridges, it will give the opportunity to make sure there are no unseen dangers (hidden fences, debris, trees or shrubs). 

3) Do not risk too much during the recce, in terms of "extreme" moves, but rather take the safe route, while at the same time marking places that may either pose a challenge/danger (no-go zones) or be points of interest to visit the next time. In case of a very small recce convoy, these challenging places may be reached and visited during the recce itself, but not this time with a 15 car convoy. 

In particular, during the recce mark and avoid tight technical areas (unless they are the purpose of the drive), which may only slow you down and make you waste time better used to thoroughly scout the rest of the area.

4) Become aware of any possible landmarks (pylon lines, farm tracks, sabkhas, rock formations, conspicuous buildings, farm grounds) that may guide you the next time.

5) Ideally, observe the sun light's angle and the color of the dunes. Often it may make a big difference in ease of leading and overall convoy's performance if you avoid the climbs and crossings when the refraction (especially on white sand, as in parts of this area) is too much, and the clear visibility of depths and ridges is limited or almost null. If too much refraction is experienced at a give time of day, may be better to invert the direction of the route. 

FINAL EVALUATION OF THE ROUTE

This particular recce has given us back at least 2.levels of drives we may organize in the future:

A) The first segment (Al Ajban north of the big farms, south of E20) can be either a FB or FB+, where FB+ can be taken more inside the long cordons where the bowls are tighter and softer, and the latter part of the drive (if heading back to the entry point) would have to be executed against the slip-faces. Keep FB convoys out of the cental part of the cordons, unless with a particularly experienced and/or short convoy.

B ) The second segment (Al Ajban south of the big farms) can easily be both a FB and a FB+, regardless of the track to be taken, with only speed of driving and of executing maneuvers would be the discriminating factor.

Intermediate convoys may, of course, also be taken here, with the possibility of increasing the speed of the drive, and extending it all the way to Nahil and Al Hayer areas (both north of E14).

Thank you @Jessica Lambert @Abhishek Chikara @Misha Puskar @J-P L @Mark B @Giacomo @Deepak Eswar @Glenn W @Ashutosh Garg @Frans M @Hani crest king  @Mike M. and @Luke K P for the opportunity to explore this area. Have a great week.

[Hani crest king]

Thank you @Ale Vallecchi for accommodating a large convoy and making us experience a proper exploration drive with the navigational techniques.

 

[Deepak Eswar]

6 hours ago, Ale Vallecchi said:

Dear Desertnauts.

A quick recap of the thinks we spoke about and learned during the Recce.

NAVIGATIONAL TIPS

1) Always plan the route to be scouted by setting as many waypoints as possible, including possible entries and exits (these especially along different parts of the route, just in case).

2) Use the high ground as much as possible. First, it will give a better visual of the unknown surroundings (lay of the land, proximity to landmarks, nice looking dunes to check, etc.). Second, especially when driving along the ridges, it will give the opportunity to make sure there are no unseen dangers (hidden fences, debris, trees or shrubs). 

3) Do not risk too much during the recce, in terms of "extreme" moves, but rather take the safe route, while at the same time marking places that may either pose a challenge/danger (no-go zones) or be points of interest to visit the next time. In case of a very small recce convoy, these challenging places may be reached and visited during the recce itself, but not this time with a 15 car convoy. 

In particular, during the recce mark and avoid tight technical areas (unless they are the purpose of the drive), which may only slow you down and make you waste time better used to thoroughly scout the rest of the area.

4) Become aware of any possible landmarks (pylon lines, farm tracks, sabkhas, rock formations, conspicuous buildings, farm grounds) that may guide you the next time.

5) Ideally, observe the sun light's angle and the color of the dunes. Often it may make a big difference in ease of leading and overall convoy's performance if you avoid the climbs and crossings when the refraction (especially on white sand, as in parts of this area) is too much, and the clear visibility of depths and ridges is limited or almost null. If too much refraction is experienced at a give time of day, may be better to invert the direction of the route. 

FINAL EVALUATION OF THE ROUTE

This particular recce has given us back at least 2.levels of drives we may organize in the future:

A) The first segment (Al Ajban north of the big farms, south of E20) can be either a FB or FB+, where FB+ can be taken more inside the long cordons where the bowls are tighter and softer, and the latter part of the drive (if heading back to the entry point) would have to be executed against the slip-faces. Keep FB convoys out of the cental part of the cordons, unless with a particularly experienced and/or short convoy.

B ) The second segment (Al Ajban south of the big farms) can easily be both a FB and a FB+, regardless of the track to be taken, with only speed of driving and of executing maneuvers would be the discriminating factor.

Intermediate convoys may, of course, also be taken here, with the possibility of increasing the speed of the drive, and extending it all the way to Nahil and Al Hayer areas (both north of E14).

Thank you @Jessica Lambert @Abhishek Chikara @Misha Puskar @J-P L @Mark B @Giacomo @Deepak Eswar @Glenn W @Ashutosh Garg @Frans M @Hani crest king  @Mike M. and @Luke K P for the opportunity to explore this area. Have a great week.

Hi Ale, That was an awesome recce! And It was a nice learning curve too..

Big thanks to @Ale Vallecchi for leading the way and to @Mark Band @Luke K Pfor the solid support—really appreciate it!

Just now, Deepak Eswar said:

Hi Ale, That was an awesome recce! And It was a nice learning curve too..

Big thanks to @Ale Vallecchi for leading the way and to @Mark Band @Luke K Pfor the solid support—really appreciate it!

 

6 hours ago, Ale Vallecchi said:

Dear Desertnauts.

A quick recap of the thinks we spoke about and learned during the Recce.

NAVIGATIONAL TIPS

1) Always plan the route to be scouted by setting as many waypoints as possible, including possible entries and exits (these especially along different parts of the route, just in case).

2) Use the high ground as much as possible. First, it will give a better visual of the unknown surroundings (lay of the land, proximity to landmarks, nice looking dunes to check, etc.). Second, especially when driving along the ridges, it will give the opportunity to make sure there are no unseen dangers (hidden fences, debris, trees or shrubs). 

3) Do not risk too much during the recce, in terms of "extreme" moves, but rather take the safe route, while at the same time marking places that may either pose a challenge/danger (no-go zones) or be points of interest to visit the next time. In case of a very small recce convoy, these challenging places may be reached and visited during the recce itself, but not this time with a 15 car convoy. 

In particular, during the recce mark and avoid tight technical areas (unless they are the purpose of the drive), which may only slow you down and make you waste time better used to thoroughly scout the rest of the area.

4) Become aware of any possible landmarks (pylon lines, farm tracks, sabkhas, rock formations, conspicuous buildings, farm grounds) that may guide you the next time.

5) Ideally, observe the sun light's angle and the color of the dunes. Often it may make a big difference in ease of leading and overall convoy's performance if you avoid the climbs and crossings when the refraction (especially on white sand, as in parts of this area) is too much, and the clear visibility of depths and ridges is limited or almost null. If too much refraction is experienced at a give time of day, may be better to invert the direction of the route. 

FINAL EVALUATION OF THE ROUTE

This particular recce has given us back at least 2.levels of drives we may organize in the future:

A) The first segment (Al Ajban north of the big farms, south of E20) can be either a FB or FB+, where FB+ can be taken more inside the long cordons where the bowls are tighter and softer, and the latter part of the drive (if heading back to the entry point) would have to be executed against the slip-faces. Keep FB convoys out of the cental part of the cordons, unless with a particularly experienced and/or short convoy.

B ) The second segment (Al Ajban south of the big farms) can easily be both a FB and a FB+, regardless of the track to be taken, with only speed of driving and of executing maneuvers would be the discriminating factor.

Intermediate convoys may, of course, also be taken here, with the possibility of increasing the speed of the drive, and extending it all the way to Nahil and Al Hayer areas (both north of E14).

Thank you @Jessica Lambert @Abhishek Chikara @Misha Puskar @J-P L @Mark B @Giacomo @Deepak Eswar @Glenn W @Ashutosh Garg @Frans M @Hani crest king  @Mike M. and @Luke K P for the opportunity to explore this area. Have a great week.

•  Wrangler - 2 door - silver
• Designation: General Manager
• Expertise: Shipping line

Posted just now

  6 hours ago, Ale Vallecchi said:

Dear Desertnauts.

A quick recap of the thinks we spoke about and learned during the Recce.

NAVIGATIONAL TIPS

1) Always plan the route to be scouted by setting as many waypoints as possible, including possible entries and exits (these especially along different parts of the route, just in case).

2) Use the high ground as much as possible. First, it will give a better visual of the unknown surroundings (lay of the land, proximity to landmarks, nice looking dunes to check, etc.). Second, especially when driving along the ridges, it will give the opportunity to make sure there are no unseen dangers (hidden fences, debris, trees or shrubs). 

3) Do not risk too much during the recce, in terms of "extreme" moves, but rather take the safe route, while at the same time marking places that may either pose a challenge/danger (no-go zones) or be points of interest to visit the next time. In case of a very small recce convoy, these challenging places may be reached and visited during the recce itself, but not this time with a 15 car convoy. 

In particular, during the recce mark and avoid tight technical areas (unless they are the purpose of the drive), which may only slow you down and make you waste time better used to thoroughly scout the rest of the area.

4) Become aware of any possible landmarks (pylon lines, farm tracks, sabkhas, rock formations, conspicuous buildings, farm grounds) that may guide you the next time.

5) Ideally, observe the sun light's angle and the color of the dunes. Often it may make a big difference in ease of leading and overall convoy's performance if you avoid the climbs and crossings when the refraction (especially on white sand, as in parts of this area) is too much, and the clear visibility of depths and ridges is limited or almost null. If too much refraction is experienced at a give time of day, may be better to invert the direction of the route. 

FINAL EVALUATION OF THE ROUTE

This particular recce has given us back at least 2.levels of drives we may organize in the future:

A) The first segment (Al Ajban north of the big farms, south of E20) can be either a FB or FB+, where FB+ can be taken more inside the long cordons where the bowls are tighter and softer, and the latter part of the drive (if heading back to the entry point) would have to be executed against the slip-faces. Keep FB convoys out of the cental part of the cordons, unless with a particularly experienced and/or short convoy.

B ) The second segment (Al Ajban south of the big farms) can easily be both a FB and a FB+, regardless of the track to be taken, with only speed of driving and of executing maneuvers would be the discriminating factor.

Intermediate convoys may, of course, also be taken here, with the possibility of increasing the speed of the drive, and extending it all the way to Nahil and Al Hayer areas (both north of E14).

Thank you @Jessica Lambert @Abhishek Chikara @Misha Puskar @J-P L @Mark B @Giacomo @Deepak Eswar @Glenn W @Ashutosh Garg @Frans M @Hani crest king  @Mike M. and @Luke K P for the opportunity to explore this area. Have a great week.

Expand  

Hi Ale, That was an awesome recce! And It was a nice learning curve too..

Big thanks to @Ale Vallecchifor leading the way and to @Mark Band @Luke K P for the solid support—really appreciate it!    Really enjoyed driving with everyone and see you all in the dunes soon!

[Misha Puskar]

Great ride indeed. Was also my first FB+ so thank you all for being patient with me 😉

I drove the car this morning (first time after yesterdays desert drive) and its so shaky. Any idea what could that be? I will surely be taking it to the mechanic tomorrow but curious maybe you have an idea? 

[Deepak Eswar]

Hi Ale, That was an awesome recce! And It was a nice learning curve too..

Big thanks to @Ale Vallecchifor leading the way and to @Mark Band @Luke K P for the solid support—really appreciate it!    Really enjoyed driving with everyone and see you all in the dunes soon! 

[Mark B]

1 hour ago, Misha Puskar said:

Great ride indeed. Was also my first FB+ so thank you all for being patient with me 😉

I drove the car this morning (first time after yesterdays desert drive) and its so shaky. Any idea what could that be? I will surely be taking it to the mechanic tomorrow but curious maybe you have an idea? 

It will most likely be a wheel balancing weight has come off, or possibly alignment as you were hard steering in the sand when stuck, but both are small fixes. 
if it is balancing weights, what I do is when I have balancing done I Tape down the weights with aluminium tape, that way that don’t fall off, it happens a lot especially in summer as they are only stuck with double sided tape. 

Edited February 16, 2025 by Mark B