Morning Fewbie Plus Desert Drive - Old Lady to Salamat (Drop In, Climb Out!), Abu Dhabi - 12 July 2026

[ChrisW]

DRIVE PLAN

🏜️ Old Lady to Salamat — Fewbie Plus Drive | Sunday Morning

Sunday morning we're heading out for one of the most exciting Fewbie Plus routes going! We'll air down at the meet point, warm up through the sand entry, then take on the legendary Old Lady Dune before winding south into Salamat's playground of deep bowls.

Expect tall dunes, punchy climbs and a proper run of bowls — Oasis Half Bowl, the 360 Bowl, Al Yarhar and the Egg Bowl — for the ultimate mix of thrill and technique.

Fun, fast-paced and rewarding. Sign up below! 🚗💨

Please avoid bringing guests with you unless they have previously had experience at this level.

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+  and above
• When: 12 July 2026, Sunday
• Meeting time:  5:30 AM (aired down and rolling by 06:00 AM)
• Meeting Point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/EyhEGuc87TSvU23o6
• Approximate finish time: 9:00AM
• 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.

MANDATORY OFF-ROAD GEAR:

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

LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE

• This drive is limited to 8 cars only (inc. lead and support). RSVP will close on Friday
• 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 BELOW CALENDAR

 

[ChrisW]

 

Very kind thanks to @Asif Hussain for supporting this drive too!

[Asif Hussain]

@ChrisW my pleasure! It will be an honor to follow you and witness your first independent lead. I am genuinely looking forward to being part of this special milestone and sharing the experience with you. 

Stay confident, trust your instincts and enjoy every moment. See you on the Sand!

[ChrisW]

RSVP NOW CLOSED

 

Dear @Asif Hussain @Danie @Andrew John Melvill @Krinesh @Diego - looking forward to seeing you all tomorrow morning. The drive order is as below, and we will use Channel 3 (446.056-25). We will meet at the point as advertised before: https://maps.app.goo.gl/EyhEGuc87TSvU23o6

We should aim to meet from 05.30 and be rolling no later than 6am, ideally earlier than this given we are a small and experienced convoy. The plan will be to move across to the Old Lady Dune, explore the slopes there as a gentle warm up, then drive cross country heading south between Al Saad and the airport before reaching Salamat from the north side. Our mission in Salamat will be to visit a number of the bowls - nothing crazy in view of the temperatures and soft sands, but a chance to stretch our right foot and practice our skills at pace.

We will take regular breaks for our cars and ourselves (!), and aim to complete by circa 09.00.

[Zed]

Hi @ChrisW just bought a new car and renewed my subscription, but this is the only drive for Sunday. Can I still squeeze in and follow from the back of convoy? 😊

[ChrisW]

@Zed If you extra promise to make sure your fluids are topped up, battery leads torqued down and gearbox linkage is tight…then of course! 

[Zed]

3 minutes ago, ChrisW said:

@Zed If you extra promise to make sure your fluids are topped up, battery leads torqued down and gearbox linkage is tight…then of course! 

Dang, u have good memory of each calamity I had in the desert 😂😂😂

[ChrisW]

12 minutes ago, Zed said:

Dang, u have good memory of each calamity I had in the desert 😂😂😂

Wouldn’t change a thing, Zeddy…I learned how to fix cars in the far side of Liwa with you!

[ChrisW]

Hey guys - many thanks again, I had a lot of fun going out with you all this morning. It was a varied drive, starting with some surprisingly clean and fun to drive on sands around Old Lady Dune, before a much less comfortable trip across the technical dunes to go past the airport and into Salamat itself. Following our short break we moved through the Oasis Half Bowl, 360 Bowl, Al Yarhar Bowl and finally the Egg Bowl, before using the last 20 minutes to just enjoy the slopes. 

Thank you to @Asif Hussain and @Andrew John Melvill for your support, and it was great to see @Diego, @Krinesh and @Zed at the back with the trucks! Finally well done @Danie, you stepped up well today and did your first drive in Salamat nicely.

I was a little late in starting the track recorder, so the numbers below are actually a bit more like 3 hours driving and 65 km distance covered. 

 

Raw clips from the Insta 360: 

 

 

Short AI compilation of today's drive: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-KlWTzpnDOU 

 

 

 

 

 

[Danie]

Thank you for a great drive @ChrisW and everyone that was there. I had a blast and learned loads. Couldn’t have asked for a better group for my first foray into Salamat. 

Edited yesterday at 12:45 PM by Danie