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Part one – UAE – to SALALAH Well it all started with disappointment, my wife and kids visa was not granted till Thursday evening so we decided to go directly to border and apply for manual visa, we started at 1:00 AM sharp from SHJ to Hatta Border and we reached there by 2:30 hrs, it took 2 hrs to finish formality at border by the time we entered Oman it was 04:30 – 05:00 hrs. Stage- 1 - Hatta Border to Ibri - 05:30 am – 09:00 am We took below route from Border to Ibri our first stop was at Lulu hyper Market. The view from marked segment is awesome with hills, animal grazing and Wadi’s with few water ponds in between. Stage – 2 – Ibri – Haima 10:00 – 19:00 with 1 hr stop after 250 kms and Petrol Filling Next route from Ibri to Haima is very boring and tiring with only Flat lands till horizon with no view or Town in between, you get small villages in between after 200 – 250 Kms, Fuel stations are available after every 100 – 150 Kms. It is consisted of both two ways and 4 Track High ways, Work in progress to make it 4 Ways highway. Haima is big town will most of the facility and most of travelers stop for final stage preparation. Final Stage - Haima to Salalah – 19:00 – 23:30 Hrs From Haima to Thumrait again its barren land with no life in between, petrol stations are very rare so fill when you see one, No Lights on roads and its two way not very difficult but it makes challenging with Incoming Traffic. You start seeing mountains and greenery once you cross Thumrait things begin to change with green Lush Mountains and misty climate This is Part one of the journey, I’m not updating the things to do in Salalah as most of us know about Salalah. Part 2 to follow soon – Salalah – UAE

We know that too, and Sri plan to exit by 9 to keep an hour as a buffer till 10 AM for any extreme recoveries or problems. Depending on the situation and actual heat in sand we might play around till 10 AM.

Would recommend to put some dielectric grease on the battery terminals to prevent this issue from happening.

I fully support this. Been doing morning drives during the summer, it doesn't get hot until around 10-11 am.

That's why I have kept an extra one hour and we are starting at 5 am just to be on safe side. 😁

Just checked my Dubai Police Fines to see the 50% reduction for the second quarter. What a great relief......! 500 become 260 400 become 200 600 become 300 I know website fine amount icon has some border issue, but its readable at least.

Sweihan dunes also regarded as "Little Liwa" by some offers plenty of opportunities to test our desert driving skills by climbing sideways, ridge riding, ridge cutting and to climb huge dunes to its peak and capture some stunning pictures. As the weather is still hot, its best to start off at the onset of sunrise and have a good 3 hours of fast paced drive through some of the most amazing dunes that UAE has to offer. This drive is for Intermediate & above level When: 16th August 2019, Friday Meeting time: 4:45 AM, Convoy will move sharp at 5:00 AM Meeting GPS Coordinate: https://goo.gl/maps/4YP93yynZaYBuNHq7 Level of drive: Intermediate & Above What to bring along: Snacks, Quick Breakfast whatever you like with little extra to share, water, liquids, smiles, stories, enthusiasm and willingness to learn. Approximate Finish Time: 9:00 AM on 16th August 2019, Friday Please Note, at meeting point there is no petrol station, make sure you fill your tanks on your way at nearest petrol station. If you are coming via the Abu Dhabi truck road the nearest gas station is https://goo.gl/maps/xnrTzaMEpAN3UXWF6. If you are coming via Dubai, the closest and most convenient gas station is https://goo.gl/maps/pG6gsxQRXbSN9qF77 Please RSVP the below calendar event

...and perhaps an alternator that has not been whacked with a hammer to keep it running.

OMG dude, Swaihan & early morning drive... Can't get any better but isn't it still a bit too hot in the morning?

This good advice and no offence intended, but the no spark triangle mechanics look for is air/fuel, spark, and compression. You need these 3 things to make an engine start.

Oops! Yes you are absolutely right! And cleaning the battery terminal didn't occur to you during all your under hood inspection and trouble shooting, since you describe it as all gunked up.

Starter motor you mean? Hammering on an aluminium alternator doesn’t sound like a great idea.

Couldn’t find the original thread but here’s the gearbox and transfer box I know some of you think I’m a crazy dreamer but this is crazy than anything I could ever dream up. It’s real

It came out of a 1980s GMC G series van. Can’t find much information on it but it was produced for less than 2 years.

I don’t know what it is. Just spotted it when I was out and about and looked interesting

I called recovery today and they have tried to jump start but still car hasn't started. Lights are all on, just that engine is not cranking at all. Finally recovery guy, open the battery terminal and clean the green powder stuff from inside the battery terminals, responsible for partial contact. After 30 minutes of detail cleaning and patience, car finally started in a single attempt. They also checked the battery and said it's working fine on both when car is switched off and when car engine is running. Thanks for all your help and advices, really appreciate it here.

thanks a million @Asif Hussain for route suggestion i took your route from Salalah to Ash Shuwaymiyyah its breath taking. Will update in details shortly

Nice choice Sri, we love Sweihan for grand dunes and most amazing offroad terrain in UAE.

Yup not starting and engine not turning over are two different problems with a different set of remedies. P.S : Don't tap the alternator, give it a good couple of blows. If you motor is not turning over that is.

Let's start with the basics- does the engine crank (turn over) when you turn the key to the "START" position?

Hoping for some day time newbie meets soon!

Car not starting has majorly three areas to doubt to complete the combustion cycle: Fuel, Spark and Oxygen. As you mentioned ignition switch is working fine, can you share some more details on when was car service last and when did you changed the spark plugs? For oxygen, try removing and cleaning your air filter by compressed air or gently tapping on the floor. Just to eliminate air filter doubt you can even start the car without the air filter and if it starts the car then that means you have isolated the problem. Change the air filter first and do not drive without air filter - it was just a test. Next you can find out MAF (mass airflow sensor) plug and remove that plug from air filter neck to try to start the car. Clean the MAF plug with soft brush - no spray needed and put it back how it was. For fuel, ask someone to come along with you and let them start the ignition switch half way and you stand next to engine bay with hood open to hear a long fuel pump prime (5-10 sec) and then tick of fuel relay. This means that fuel pump is sending fuel to the engine and fuel relay tick is completing the operation. If you don't hear any of these priming noise or tick means something wrong with fuel pump and that's why car not starting because there is no adequate fuel or fuel pressure. For spark, battery having green eye is not enough always if battery is just getting weak and lost its required cranking amp to start the car. Have you tried to jump start with another car battery, as that will eliminate the battery and power related doubt. Also Im not sure which pajero you drive, but if you have access to reach the spark plug HT leads, remove them gently, blow some air, clean with soft brush and put it back until you hear a proper click noise. May be some spark plug got some sand or got loose while driving and that's why car not starting all of sudden - rare, but possible.

Have you checked your battery?

It was a very different drive than the usual ones, in which we had a good mix of new faces and few come back after a long break. It was good to see @Asif Hussain with his friends after a very long time. Nice to have @Emmanuel after his month long vacation break. @AKR was the first to reach and I was totally surprised to see him after a very long break, as he managed to make 1:4 days trade off with his wife. Followed by new offroader with us @Adel Muradov totally impressed me with his adaptation and following all the newbie briefing points to superb level. And above all Adel handling of his beast Patrol was something very impressive irrespective of LWB, he manage to do very well overall. Also love the guest appearance from our superman @Rahimdad at the meeting point just to say hello to all of us as he is busy with his house shifting this week. We started a bit late after few delays and newbie briefing, and I kept the pace slow on flat and rolling dunes to test the convoy capability and slowly wake them up after a long break. Everyone responded very nice and thanks to @G.huz for a capable second lead to keep the convoy safe. As we start getting little warmed we start having few stuck and I remember @Srikumar comment of not keeping the drive boring without any stuck. Weather was very humid but every stuck gives us an opportunity to put the teamwork together and get the whole convoy back on its way asap. Everyone responded very well from simple to tricky recoveries and soon we were on our way to top of fossil rock. We lay our spread around 3:30 and wind stopped blowing with the most humid night we can imagine in this entire summer. Initially it was terrible to sit, but after few minutes wind changed her mind and blessed us with good intermittent breeze so that we can eat in peace, relax and share nice stories from France to Uzbekistan to Pakistan to India and UAE. As we had our fill, we packed and moved for the second leg to go down from behind and circle fossil rock to reach the Tawi Khatimah for saying hello to monster dunes at first break of sunlight. Here everyone become like a kid making an endless attempts after another and that's what bring the true offroading spirit of enjoying the challenging climb irrespective of the fact that you can just make 25% of the whole dune size. After our 3 tricky monster dunes, I decided to test the stairs knowing that convoy was very responsive and fully charged. To my surprise everyone safely reach almost to the top of Fossil rock from backside in two of the different stairs strategy I tried. The view from top was very serene and everyone who reached the top had a ear to ear smile of solid accomplishment and pride. After nice round of photos, videos and selfies, we decided to exit and all reached the ADNOC by 7:00 AM to beat the heat while going back. Looking forward to see you all soon, have a nice long weekend and enjoy your EID holidays.

Well done, enjoy seeing uae plates in oman

Hi @Gauravi am on my way,might be a bit late,will come 10:45

There are plenty of sandy areas where you can drive without a licence, look out and see. I am in sports city, there is a big sandy area where I drive to and let my wife drive around in my car. She has learned how to drive forwards and backwards, now she is learning to use her mirrors to park. Look around and see. If you have a 4x4 just go to a desert area and have some fun. Pick a big area with nothing to crash into

At least one Superman has to join

Probably ex-royal hunting fleet patrol

(Photo : Hancheng Li)

Nice route will try and update you

Me too joining with friends on board..

@Sidshk all the best and happy journey, drive safe. One of the most scenic ride I have ever taken was this route: Salalah - Mirbat - Hadbeen - Hasik. The total distance is around 200 kms (one way) from Salalah. Hasik is worth two-hour drive with some of the most gorgeous mountain views and incredible seaside drive along the coastal road. There is not much to see in Hasik but if you continue along the road from Hadbeen to Hasik, look for some interesting limestone formation overhanging the cliffs. You can also plan your trip as below: (I had never tried this route but sure next time when I visit I will definitely take this route) Haima (half way to Salalah from Dubai) take LEFT to – Shalim via Ash Shuwaymiyyah via HASIK via Hadbeen via Mirbat via Taqha to Salalah this route will add you around 100 kms to your Dubai to Salalah trip instead of driving 2hours + 2hours from Salalah to Hasik and back to Salalah. Plan your trip that you reach Haima in the evening and stay there at night. There are few hotels in Haima (you can google and check). Next day early morning start your trip and by evening you can reach Salalah. You can also visit Anti Gravity Point at Mirbat on your way to Salalah Location to visit on your way: Canyon View Point (between Ash Shuwaymiyyah – HASIK. (I had never gone here) https://goo.gl/maps/oV7w5MasnWuw9K9DA Anti-Gravity Point Mirbat - https://goo.gl/maps/Hh15Rsh7kPK6k2Ha9 Route: Haima to Salalah Via HASIK

Than 2th gear and low might take that Pajero to the top. @Frederic But dont try like 10 times. It will create stress on the car. Personally i diidnt face any issue because of using low gear ONLY for Faya climbing. Also last year after me other members was trying the low gear.

@adil I only have wonderful memories from my visits to Oman and I absolutely adore the hospitality and helpful attitude of the people. My comment about the drivers is not meant in a bad way, but as you know there are far less speed cameras installed and i felt the driving by the Omani locals was sometimes really crazy. And yes that might young people mainly but they mess it up for the others.

This is actually not advisable. Atleast 2 ppl should be there. The journey is really really long and at times especially during summer, boring. In those 30mins break which you will take make sure do some light exercise to free up your muscles. Make sure atleast one of your friend keeps talking to you, like constantly! . Dont let everyone sleep and you are the only one driving. Especially the passenger next to you should not sleep. There are speed cameras randomly placed so as Gaurav said please dont exceed 140 its not going to make any difference in reaching early. Once you reach that place all your stress will just disappear in thin air. So enjoy the ride and drive safe. True that. Omani drivers are the most hospitable people. No matter which expensive car they are driving they will always stop and ask if your stuck in the mountains or wadis.They will always offer tea if they are camping next to you in the wadis. I have traveled across mountains and wadis in Oman and have really experienced their hospitality first hand.

Yes originally, but im in UAE since few year now. Not really, Omani are very cool and welcoming but yes you are right for young drivers. That's same everywhere.

also watching landing plains, 95% of flights landing in Dubai Airport south to north

Blown way out of proportion and some masala added by the media, there isn't that much uninterrupted desert left in Dubai and most of the UAE that you can have a scenario where you are lost for days and end up dead, specially in the Dubai side. Pick a direction, any direction and start walking and with in a few hours, a day at the most you will bump into someone or something. Or simply call for help on your cell phone, like the people in the story did. P.S : Barry is right, people are so reliant on GPS nowadays I swear they couldn't find the way to their bathroom from their bedroom, let alone navigate in the desert. To this day I get a little chuckle when people ask or share GPS tracks for the desert.

I feel bad for Syd and what happened to him. I’ve taken a lot of psychedelics in my time and it definitely changed how I view the world, Syd took it to a whole other level and it wasn’t helped by the people around him. I’ve read a story where his flat mates were slipping acid into his tea every morning to keep him on a permanent trip to supposedly increase his creativity. It’s ok getting high and getting inspired, but if you never come down, how can you do anything about it? Roger and David were good to him after he was kicked out, especially David, considering the amount of resentment Syd must have had for David for “taking his place”. They helped him produce his solo material after Pink Floyd. I can only imagine how difficult it must have been for them to work with him considering how he was. They must have had a massive love for him. But there comes a time to realise you can’t help some people and you have to walk away. I had a bandmate like that in the early 2000s. Massively talented and inspired but a massive alcoholic and drug addict and could never keep it together long enough to do anything productive. He would come out with these amazing guitar licks but when you asked him to play it again, what? Who are you? Where am I? I loved the guy but the last straw was when he stood on the table and tried to insert a CD into the lightbulb because he wanted to listen to guns n roses. You can’t work with that.

Cool 80s and 90s rock vibe. The band is pretty alright, nice riffs, drummer soild steady beat, none of that modern off beat splashes, ghost notes and fills but the singer is terrible. Need to get a new front man! Lyrics pretty wonky too.

In the meantime check out black stone cherry new song, an old elvis cover. Not bad, maybe a bit kid rock, The first song I heard of theirs in the early 2000s. I love the cocaine, I love the cocaine! Think modern Aerosmith.

😂 🤣 😆 😂 🤣 😆 😂 🤣 😆

Gene Simmons is the Morrisey of metal. Pretentious twat with a lot of views that don’t fit in with being a decent human being.

I use to like Gene Simmons until I found what a huge douche bag he is, now KiSS is on the boycott list.

I have been waiting for this album to come out for a while. It's called Prequelle by a Swedish band called Ghost. It's not very often in life you get to see true stars in the making and when you do, it's something special you will always remember and look back and say I was there. Ghost were always a decent band with their own style but something was always holding them back. They have really found their feet on this album and I have a feeling they are going to blow up big. The new album is a mix of 70s, 80s, 90s rock with a touch of Ghosts own dark gothic style thrown in. There really is no other band to compare them to. I got the album last week as soon as it was released and have listened to nothing else since apart from one of their older EPs for comparison sake and I can confirm it is gold. All killer, no filler. Aside from their new songs, I particularly loved the cover of The Petshop Boys-It's a Sin at the end. It just sums up Ghosts style perfectly.

TBH I was never too much of a radio fan, terrestrial or not. I'm too opinionated to listen to stuff I dont like and not be in control of the playlist. Only time I ever really listened to radio was while on commutes.

Radio stations here suck. Radio 2 99.3 is the only one I would ever listen to. It plays "classics". Internet radio killed it all. I can tune into some random station in America and listen to Striker playing a live concert. Why would I bother with terrestrial radio?

New music? How about Pink Floyd, circa 1982? In my opinion, the late 70's -early 80's was when the last good music was made (not only by Pink Floyd), so to me, there is no "new" music worth listening to or spending money on.