Morning Fewbie Plus Desert Drive - Technical Terrain transit - Dubai - 26 Jul 2025

[GauravSoni]

We request every member who 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 Etiquette's
• Emergency details for all off-roaders
• Off Road Driving - Roles & Responsibilities

Drive Details

Level:  Fewbie Plus and above (all levels)

Meeting time: 05:15 AM

Meeting Point:  https://maps.app.goo.gl/HaiLWCEhMTqjWYK59

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, face mask, rubber gloves, enthusiasm and willingness to learn.

Approximate finish time: 8:30 AM

P.S. Only join if you have a compressor to inflate your tires after the drive.
 

LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE

• This drive is limited to 10 cars only. 
• Please withdraw your RSVP, if you find you are unable to join, so your spot can be taken by others on the waitlist.
• If the RSVP is full, you can add your name to the waitlist, if an RSVP attendee removes themselves, you will be moved from the waitlist to the RSVP list as an attendee.
• A convoy list will be sent out the day prior to the drive.
• Latecomers will be returned back - Without any exceptions.
• Members without RSVP will be returned back - Without any exceptions.
• Repeated no-show members after RSVP will have their account suspended for a month.

PLEASE RSVP ON THE CALENDAR

 

[GauravSoni]

Welcome to the another edition of the Skill drive series - Technical Terrain Transit - Part 4.

 

@ChrisW@B.K. @Zulfikhar Naiyar @Abhishek Chikara @J-P L @Sam Selim @Jose Luis Campos @Sandeep N @Gertjan @Deepak Eswar @Faraz94 and waitlisted @Cesar Chacon @Alphin Aloor

If you enjoy cruising through the Technical Dunes and are not afraid to put your limits to test, you have come to the right place!

Latitude and longitude have been used in astronomy and navigation since ancient times. By calculating the angle between the horizon and a celestial object (usually the sun or the North Star), navigators could determine their approximate latitude using basic tools.

 

We use Inbuilt GPS on our mobile devices  or standalone dedicate GPS devices to find these coordinates and mark our positions / waypoints on a track.

Our intention of the drive will be to follow the 24.8 degree latitude moving EAST to WEST ( Murquab to Qudra Solar Park) navigating the most technical patch of desert. 

What to EXPECT: Tight Corners / Hard Right - Hard Left / Shoveling Shoveling Shoveling!!!

What NOT to Expect : High Flying Dunes / Fast pace / long range climbs / 6000 RPM!

Edited July 23, 2025 by GauravSoni

[ChrisW]

…thank you for the timely reminder to ensure we pack all the gear we are each required to carry…shovel, recovery rope, soft shackles, suitable tow points on the car, etc…

 

Looking forward to it @GauravSoni!

[Jose Luis Campos]

Hi everyone!

@GauravSoni, yesterday I went with Seidam and my compressor stopped working. I will try to fix it on time, but I don't know if I will do it, because I cannot work on this in the afternoon.

 

I will let you know until 8pm if I can go tomorrow.

 

EDIT: Ignore the message! All good now! I went to YouTube University and fixed it! Good to Go, see you tomorrow.

 

Edited July 25, 2025 by Jose Luis Campos

[B.K.]

@GauravSoni unfortunately I had something come up and I have to drop.   Have a great ride!

[GauravSoni]

The RSVP is now closed.

@J-P L @Jose Luis Campos @Gertjan @Sam Selim @Abhishek Chikara @ChrisW @Sandeep N @Faraz94 @Zulfikhar Naiyar @Anoop Nair

Please find the Meeting Point for tomorrows drive: https://maps.app.goo.gl/HaiLWCEhMTqjWYK59

Meeting Time : 5:15 AM

Please ensure that you are carrying the necessary gear as per your level.

We will require you to get your rope and shackles out in case of any recovery needed for the car in front of you. 

The convoy order is below:

[Sandeep N]

I just realized - i have misplaced my shovel somewhere - got the rope and shakles.

[GauravSoni]

Trip report:

We kicked off the drive with a delay from my side — I appreciate everyone’s patience at the meeting point and want to thank the team for holding back without a fuss. Much appreciated, truly.

Once we rolled out, the convoy made its way toward the technical dunes, looping around a farm to align ourselves to the 24.8°N latitude. From there, the plan was simple: stay as straight as possible along the line leading us to the solar park roundabout.

The terrain had its share of challenges — plenty of bushes, and some slip-face dunes that called for head-on climbs. Everyone handled these sections with solid control. A special shout-out to @J-P L who was exceptional in second lead — following my tracks with precision and handling his little Jimny like a champ. His driving gave the whole convoy great rhythm.

@ChrisWheld the center line steady with calm consistency, and @anoopbrought up the rear with confidence, making sure everything stayed tight and in sync. The team formation was spot-on throughout.

We had a minor pop-out incident from Sandeep, likely from a sharp steer on descent. Nothing major — it was quickly sorted with Chris stepping in to assist. Great teamwork.

From there, we kept pushing forward, mostly in a straight line — cresting dunes, weaving through the brush, and keeping momentum without straying from the path. Some parts needed sharp focus and careful throttle work, and the team delivered.

All in all, a great run. Solid performance across the board, and a pleasure driving with all of you. @Jose Luis Campos @Sam Selim @Abhishek Chikara @Zulfikhar Naiyar @GertjanLooking forward to catching up on the sand again soon.

 

[Jose Luis Campos]

It was a great drive indeed. My first of this kind, with a lot of learning moments and excelent to pratice the right approach and control of throtle. 

 

Thank you @GauravSoni, @J-P L, @ChrisW and @anoop, and the rest of the team. 

 

See you soon in the sand!

[ChrisW]

Thanks @GauravSoni, as mentioned elsewhere, this was a brilliantly simple drive plan executed extremely well. 
 

There was a continuous run of interesting technical dunes which all required slightly different combinations of momentum, gas and steering. This was definitely a good one to revisit basic skills and gain practice. I also enjoyed seeing what the highest gear/least RPM I could get away with was!

 

From my position in the convoy I could watch @Abhishek Chikara and @Sam Selim - I was very impressed with you both, good approaches and you adapted your lines well as you discovered where the traction was. You also made a very good call Abhishek with the turn down, loop and re-attempt - on an IM drive that’s the difference between keeping the convoy flowing and having to stop and re-start. 
 

 

All under the watchful eye of the solar furnace 😂