Morning Fewbie Plus Desert Drive - Sweihan West - Abu Dhabi - 19 Apr 2025

[JeromeFJ]

DRIVE DESCRIPTION

From  the outskirts of Sweihan on the E16, drive West along the dune cordons, pass the Tilal area, cross the sabkha to the South, and continue West on the high dunes, try to find the Sweihan Pond, continue on the white sands of Fayah and exit on the E75 side.

We request every member that joins this drive to go through the information below and strictly follow these guidelines, etiquette and responsibilities.

MUST READ AND COMPLY

• Environmental Policy
• Offroad Flag Guideline
• Two Way Radio Guideline
• Off road Driving Etiquettes
• Emergency details for all off roaders
• Off Road Driving - Roles & Responsibilities
   

DRIVE DETAILS

Level:  Fewbie Plus and above
When: 19 Apr 2025, Saturday
Meeting time:  6:00 AM - Sharp
Meeting Point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/jJFZW3efvbMw73629
Approximate finish time: 10:00 AM
Type of Car: Any proper 4x4 with front and back tow hooks and 8-10 inches of ground clearance.
What to bring along: Loads of water, snacks (for yourself), smiles, enthusiasm, and willingness to learn.

RECOMENDED OFF-ROAD GEAR:

• Tire deflator & Tire pressure gauge
• Compressor (MANDATORY)
• Walkie-talkie radio (MANDATORY)
• Off-road flag (MANDATORY)
• Shovel, Tow Rope & 2 Shackles
• First-aid kit
• Fire extinguisher

LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE

• This drive is limited to 10 cars only. RSVP will close on Friday - 12 PM.
• If the RSVP is full, you can add your name to the waitlist, once anyone drops, you will be moved to the RSVP list.
• RSVP will close a day prior to preparing a convoy list.
• Latecomers will be returned - Without any exceptions.
• Members without RSVP will be returned - Without any exceptions.
• Please withdraw your RSVP, if you aren't joining, so your spot can be taken by others.
• Repeated no-show members after RSVP will have their account suspended for a month.
   

PLEASE RSVP ON THE CALENDAR

 

[Glenn W]

Thanks for adding me to the drive @JeromeFJ. I didn’t get to drive last week due to illness so I’m looking forward to it!! 

[JeromeFJ]

Dear Desert Drivers, 

@Mike M. @lucas amat @Sam Selim @Abhishek Chikara @Bjoern @Deepak Eswar @Glenn W @ChrisW @Mehmet Volga

Thank you for joining up for the drive tomorrow.

Meeting is at 6:00 am at  https://maps.app.goo.gl/jJFZW3efvbMw73629

The convoy order will be

We will use Carnity radio Channel 5.

Please check and remove unnecessary items from the trunk and passenger areas, and secure your offroad gear.

Take a good rest, as this drive can be long, and will require your full awareness.

Enjoy the evening and see you tomorrow.

 

[Glenn W]

Morning I’ll be a few minutes late due to a small delay at the petrol station 🤦🏼‍♂️

[Abhishek Chikara]

Good morning. Apologies but I’ll also be slightly delayed. Realized I had forgotten the radio so rusted back. If not in time and you don’t want to wait then that’s perfectly fine too but I hope I’m not Not than 5-7 mins late. 

[JeromeFJ]

Thank you for joining the drive today. We had nice runs in the first set of dunes, the highlight being the large bowl that was a good practice for ridge alignment, and climbing from the bottom. Also a strong reminder of the possible effects of gravity. @Abhishek Chikara and @Deepak Eswar found themselves fishtailing and fighting, luckily with no other consequence than a  scary moment for all.

After crossing the sabkha, the large virgin dunes were inviting. After a few loops and sidies we tried to go inside this maze of small pockets and ridges. The dunes were defending themselves, but we found a way around, and had a nice set of high soft technical terrain inside these massive dunes. Well done every one !

Then we continued to the West, with some nice runs on the white sand unfortunately cut by portions of bushes and vegetation.  With the increasing number of bushes, I think this itinerary is losing a bit of its interest, as we don't have anymore the nice flowing portions, .... and the duration of the drive becomes a bit long.

Thank you again for staying focused till the end, assisting each other for the recoveries. @Mike M., in SL, @Bjoern and @Mehmet Volga in support, and @Sam Selim @Abhishek Chikara @Deepak Eswar @Glenn W @ChrisW for sharing the fun !

[Abhishek Chikara]

Thanks very much @JeromeFJ for the fantastic and scenic drive. Thanks to the support team @Mike M., @Mehmet Volga and @Bjoern for the many recoveries and getting us out safely. It was a great start to the weekend.

@JeromeFJ, also thanks for the patience and guidance on fighting gravity - the slide was very scary and hopefully, it doesn’t happen again.

Thanks,

[ChrisW]

Thank you, @JeromeFJ - that was a fun drive with some nicely paced sections allowing both practice of tighter more technical skills along with the longer, faster, more flowing sections. Despite having driven Sweihan many, many times - some of those tracks were new to me and very fun! I was also impressed with your patience breaking into the dunes to the west - it paid off!

 

 

Team FJ to the rescue!

Edited April 20, 2025 by ChrisW

[Deepak Eswar]

Hi Jerome, I regret the delayed response. Thank you for an enjoyable, safe, and well-led drive! As always, it was an interesting experience, and your guidance, especially the reminder not to fight gravity, truly stuck with me.

I enjoyed the route and the variety it offered, from technical climbs, soft, tricky patches. I look forward to learning more and participating in many more drives. Appreciate your constant support and encouragement throughout!

Thank you to the support team @Mike M., @Mehmet Volga  @Bjoern for all the assistance, and to all the fellow drivers for making the drive interesting.