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Dear Tawi Nazwa visitors, @Theo09 @Shiju Raju @Yahir Marban @Srilakshman Karthikeyan @Issam Atra @Vishnu Ramankutty @Looper @Shiboo Kr @Faraz94 @Abhilash Kottakkal @DTG @Ben Williams @Benjamin almost 12 hours, and will be setting un belts, ready to start our new adventure. Please note having new friends joining for the first time, and a long convoy, there will be possibility to have good time and fun, which means we will might need to extend our timing from 8:30am, till 8:30 pm…😅So be ready, bring more water and food…. Don’t worry, but might extend depending on how it goes another 30-60 min, max. Lucky to have @Looper @Benjamin supporting our drive tomorrow, and @Theo09 whom everyone will follow as SL. Hope every one is ready with the gear required, and with the info mentioned in our videos. We will be moving as per the convoy order below, and radio Chanel 2 (446031). For any requirement you can reach me on 0506318834. Please Troy to reach 10 minutes earlier, to be ready for the briefing, to start moving at the earliest possible. Look forward to see you tomorrow morning. Good evening.

Dear brave hearts @Benjamin@Joji varghese@Rajiv Sam and @topgear Almost one day left to the event .. please fasten your seat belts from now 😂 welcome again in this special episode where a reload is anticipated and this time with higher level than the previous one , faster yet safer than ever . Expect super soft sand , gradual to quick climbs , short to long switches , side slips loops and re loops 🔁… etc . Please check your cars again fluid levels and come with full tanks . Concentration is prime here as the split second laps might lead to loss track refusal stuck and God forbid misshapen . I can’t wait seeing you all on time 8 pm will use channel 2 to communicate convoy order will be done at meeting point . enjoy

Please find your convoy numbering below We will use Radio Channel 4 @Alphin Aloor @Arun Menon @Emanuel @Glenn W @Davie Chase @Imteeaz Gaurav Silver Pajero Alphin Aloor Nissan Patrol Arun Menon Black Xterra Imteeaz Golden Patrol Emanuel Silver Pajero Glenn W Montero Sport Davie Chase Red Rubicon

Trip Update: Date: 27 July 2023 Country: Oman Region: Duqm to Sur On the road to Sur, we had 2 well-known points we wanted to visit: Sugar Dunes Bar Al Hikmann beach Sugar Dunes: https://goo.gl/maps/HMHEsg6KQdzoXN6s6 They can be reached by entering from here: https://goo.gl/maps/wLVe8rvExhFAxUr88 It's about 25mins on a regular gatch track, even in 2WD and inflated it was fine to do, as this is the road to the Duqm Salt Factory nearby. The catch track continues to run parallel to the beach at about 20m from the actual shore. The sugar dunes are called because they are actually white as snow, and the contrast with the blue sky and ocean was stunning ! Nice Google Photos: We didn't feel like going back on the same track where we came from so we kept following that same track which goes towards Al Khaluf and here it became tricky as at one point we had to deflate to 15psi, engage 4x4, and drive on the beach itself (mostly over litter that washed ashore). It was compact and no issue, but when you are alone it is a bit nerve wrecking and I was glad to be back on the regular gatch track later on. (gpx track attached). However beautiful the sugar dunes are, the moment you get closer to Al Khaluf you will see tons of litter / plastic that washed ashore. It's a shocking realization that somehow all of us are partially responsible for this and I hope in the future we can see this reducing by all doing our best. Barr Al Hikman: https://goo.gl/maps/q1UdTzMTWEiLSuML7 Entry from here: https://goo.gl/maps/KF2hEPiD4JRReJJYA In 2021 I read this article: https://www.thenationalnews.com/gulf-news/oman/2021/10/29/a-delightful-adventure-why-retired-omanis-are-heading-to-barr-al-hikman-beach/ it immediately made me put Bar Al Hikman on my Oman wishlist, but as soon as I started doing some research I read countless contradicting stories going from "totally fine with any SUV", to "extremely difficult due to salt-flats and sinking risks !! take multiple vehicles !!!" Evidently I wasn't planning on taking risks being one car only so it was on my mind for the last couple of days and after doing a lot zoom-zoom on Gaia to try to find existing tracks, I noticed a few tracks running parallel to each other, and ending up at the beach. The distance is about 40km but a big chunk of it is on salt flats which can be extremely deceiving to navigate. I drafted one track in Gaia and wanted to decide once we reached the entry point that day. The moment we reached the entry point next to the road, I was like "this looks totally fine, as it contained lots of gravel and bushes, and felt very hard. We discussed amongst ourselves and agreed to go in on moderate speed with 4x4 engaged and to keep an eye in the rear-view mirror to see if the car actually sinks in. If it did we would immediately retreat without second try. We started heading in cautiously and the first 10-15 mins were extremely easy. I followed my planned route religiously and there was indeed a nice hard gatch track on that salt flat, which looked like this was the regular route for the ones who come here often. After about 20 km, the terrain opened up and all around us we could see only endless sabkha, and to our biggest shock we track we drove on remained perfectly compact, but just on the left or right of the track you could see tracks of cars that immediately sunk in and retreated back to the compact part. This meant we had no other option than to continue on that compacted sand and not stray away from it at whatever cost. It became drop-dead silent in the car and kept going at 50-60 km/h and Alhamdullilah that track was a blessed one as it took us straight to the beach where we only saw one other visitor. I have attached the GPX file here but take note of the following: - I would NOT recommend doing this alone. I was experienced but all this means nothing if you sink into sabkha mud. It would have been a serious stuck and only on our way back 1,5hrs later we noticed some cars entering that could have potentially offered us help. - Even if you enter with a couple of 4x4s, following the track STRICTLY and do not deviate from it. If you see someone else stuck who has deviated from the track, the only option would be to join several ropes together and give a pull from the hard track, as you really do not want to venture into the mud yourselves. Luckily the end destination was worth it: a beautiful beach but unfortunately again a lot of litter and plastic that washed ashore. My son took a quick dip and soon we made our way back on the same track, this time we sped up to 80-90kmh without issue as we knew the track was fine. I now understood the big contrast in comments about driving to Barr Al Hikman. If you are not comfortable and experienced to follow your GPS compass heading exactly, you are in big trouble as sometimes that hard patch became difficult to see and we had to rely on the gps solely. Secondly even experienced off-roaders have been caught off guard as the salt flats shift and move as per the season, tide, and overall temperatures, so what was fine and compact today could be slushy mud the next day. We walked out of there unscathed but with sweaty palms and the acknowledgement we should always respect nature and abide by its rules. We booked a small cosy bungalow in the Ras Al Jinz Turtle Reserve area (SAMA Ras Al Jinz) which was extremely quiet, dark, and they offered delicious dinner and breakfast. Would be a great spot for stargazing ! We drove back to Dubai today, and this closes our trip. I am honestly already planning so many things for the next time we head to Oman. We have completely fallen in love with this gem of a country, its people, and the adventures it has to offer. For anyone who likes a road trip, sunny desolate pristine beaches, majestic and sometimes lush green mountains, super nice hiking/swimming in wadis, fantastic scenic dunes, and so much more, I would say GO NOW before this country becomes too well known. bar-al-hikman-track.gpx sugar-dunes.gpx

waiting for the event

We request every member that joins this drive to go through the below information and strictly follow these guidelines, etiquettes 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 and above When: 29 July 2023, Saturday Meeting time: 05:30 - Sharp (Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: https://goo.gl/maps/UDzJ7FKT2Aq5HcyFA Approximate finish time: 09:30 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 gears: Tire deflator, tire pressure gauge, compressor, walkie-talkie radio, off-road flag, shovel, first-aid kit, Tow Rope, 2 Shackles and fire extinguisher. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE This drive is limited to 10 cars only. RSVP will close on Friday - 12 PM. Please withdraw your RSVP, if you find you are unable to join, so your spot can be taken by others in 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 BELOW CALENDAR

Oh good that issue identified in time. Take care @Arda Yagcioglu Mr @Gary F you have been promoted to the position of platoon leader. Have fun. Make sure shovel is sharp, rope shiny and jack is set for all trades. 😀

Hello Sand Sailors Hope all set for the drive tomo morning. Here are the final details. We have a long convoy so will follow the tried and tested platoon concept, for those new to my drives - will share details during the briefing meeting. Channel : 3 Convoy Order: Varun in Rubicon @Bashar Beasha being the last to rsvp will be our sl @Zulfikhar Naiyar will be at No 3 on his Xterra @Hugo in his Fj (one of them) will be at no. 4 @Jaro Tuzinsky will be leading the 1st platoon in his fJ @Gertjan in his FJ @Salim Akhtar in his Pajero @Gary F in his sandrunner will be our 2nd platoon leader @Mark B in his black Gladiator and @Beide Worku in his blue F150’will be sweeping the convoy. See you all tomo morning.

Very valid point raised by Pavel, I myself have seen a few times that person jump in offroading with the fully-loaded vehicle and that charm for offroading fades after a few drives. So it's always better to test the water and then if you have 100% interest in offroading, switch to whatever your heart desire. Possible and probably reasons, why few ppl don't like off-roading, are: Adventurous but risky at times (totally scalable) Fun but get the car dirty with sand (unavoidable) Amazing to start but get physically taxing at times (if you are not in good health) Great to tinker (modify) but get backfire with wrong choices or damages I love what Mark said, And to understand that the fine line between fun vs stupidity comes with a lot of experience, hassle, cost and failures. As per my experience of training new ppl, I feel more under-power the car better you will learn the intricacies of offroading and then when you switch to a powerful beast (like 392) you will be more capable and sensible yet safer. The simple reason is if you start with 392, about 80-90% of the job will be done by power and not skill. In reality, your skills will make you shine and also avert danger before it happens. In off-roading most of the stuff that we do is pure physics (science) based to know our and our vehicle's limits to take the climb and when to turn down to respect gravity. With an under-power car, one tends to know these rules faster and agree to abide by them without any second doubts.

Get ready for exciting winter off-road drives with outdoor fun. We have used the Summer to create, plan prepare an exciting, new and challenging program of drives for everyone to enjoy through the Winter season. Make sure to look out for the callouts (below) in the drive calendar and posts to let you know the drive is different, when deciding to sign up. Take a good read and decide if these are made ‘just for you’. We can promise, each of these drives delivers something special, out of the ordinary, and designed to meet your demands. Lookalike - make, shape, colour or region specific vehicles Nature-lover – discover, fauna, flora, wadis and wildlife Passion play – join like-minded hobbyists R&R – family and fun times Skill Development (SDD) – crests, criss-cross, technical, climbs, recoveries Team Sport – drive hard, play harder Pet Drives – Fun for all the family Fitness – drive & thrive (run, ride, hike, stretch)

DRIVE PLAN Hello and welcome to the second version of this Night Drive in Area 53 from Badayer which is located at the South- West side of E44 Dubai Hatta Road . It is characterized by its huge pyramidal type of dune clusters from north to south interconnected by small/medium sized technical areas lacking any repetitve or spesific pattern which reqiure carefull navigation and attention to details. teckling those in the night is even more demanding and require strict adherence to the convoy discipline and maximum focus and undevided attention. having said that this drive is definitly not for the faint heart or has fear from heights; hence the theme of the drive topic " brave heart " . expect all kind of action from climbing , steep descends , criss crossing , side sloping and more. Please make Sure that you and your Vehicle are ready by then . 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: IM and above (all levels) Meeting time: 8 PM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: https://goo.gl/maps/jft3Y1ULAqu6568DA 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: 11:50 pm P.S. Only join if you have a compressor to inflate your tires after the drive. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE: Limited to 10 cars maximum. RSVP will close one day before the event If the RSVP is full and you wish to join, please mention your name on the drive thread to add on the waiting list Latecomers will be returned back - without ANY EXCEPTIONS. Members without RSVP will be returned back - without ANY EXCEPTIONS. Members that do not confirm the terms of the COVID requirements will be removed from the RSVP list. 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

Thank you @Asif Hussain bhai, always pleasure to drive with you. Actually I missed this drive notification. Drive with you in Abu Dhabi is always preferable.

Thank you for the confirmation. See u on Sunday morning (crossed finger!)

@Salim Akhtar thank you for joining the drive. I was about to cancel the drive today evening due to lack of participants and you made me to keep the drive alive. @Saverio Arena thank you for joining the drive and keeping your fingers crossed for signups. Drive RSVP is still open and will remain open till drive starts. If anyone wants to join at last moment will be welcomed. Meeting point added to original drive post. We will be using radio frequency 446.081-25 (carnity channel No.4) For emergency please contact me at 0506990411.

Looking forward to it @M.Seidam!

Hi @Hisham Masaad I'm so sorry for the last minute withdrawal as I just left Dubai for an unexpected meeting in Abu Dhabi not sure I can reach before the meeting time tomorrow morning I don't want to take a risk so I'm withdrawing my name so you could add someone in place of me. Will wait for next drive. Have an enjoyable drive everyone.

Sure most welcome, will be good to see you after a long time.

Many thanks @Frederic and @Vanessa8580 to put all this detailed trip report of your amazingly planned holiday to the last minute with tracks, coordinates and pictures. Real treasure buddy. This will def help and inspire many others for repeating this in your footstep. I hope I will be among one of them as soon as possible.

Confirmed

Done.. other info shall follow a bit later in eve. Busy today with my latest vocation - chauffering daughter around the town Its not fun and pays nothing..

Got a starting location to plan my leave time @Varun Mehndiratta

confirmed

@Vishnu Ramankutty looking forward to it, great to see such enthusiasm

Confirmed

@Davie Chase- Noted. I will completed by newbie sessions fast and will join soon. See you soon. Thanks

Confirmed

@Felix Obst I will be closing the RSVP and unfortunately will have to cancel the drive due to lack of participation, we have a minimum number of cars required before we can hold a drive safely. Apologies for the inconvenience.

@Vishnu Ramankutty you would need to RSVP on the calandar but I see you are a Newbie so you do not have the required level of drive to join this drive I am afraid.

@Hisham Masaad confirmed

@Davie Chase -I have exited from this drive. I misread this as a newbie earlier 🤪

Would love to have you on drive 😀 you are added to drive.

Hi @Varun Mehndiratta. Added myself to the waitlist. Would love to join.

@Hisham Masaad- Confirmed. Will be there on time. See you all there..

confirmed..see you all tomorrow.

I've been in same situation like you and was thinking more or less same, exept i never planning to have multipurpose car. In last January i was looking for new hobby due to boring life, and decided to try offroading. Everybody was saying don't spend big money, try first, try first.... i did not listen. Went to TE and bought brand new Sand Runner, which cost me around 250k with modifications. And after 2 month i realized that to be able to drive with most of the clubs, and have most of the fun, i need short wheelbase car. So, i bought 10 years old 2dr Wrangler for 50k. It's another story how much i spent for repairs and modification, generally it was not necessary, it's just my new hobby now, restoring and modifiyng jeeps. I am very happy from result and performance. What i want to say, if you have money, nobody will stop you, and you will get most probably wrong car. But if you need advice from the person been in exactly same situation, try what i am telling you. Buy car for 40-50k, there is lot on Dubizzle, and drive for one season. If you will not like it, i mean offroading you will sell it for 35k and will loose nothing. Consider as a price to try. But if you will buy now car for 250-350, you will loose a lot of money in case you will not like it. I did not loose anything, because my initial plan for Sand Runner was camping and expedition.

Confirmed!

@Hisham MasaadConfirmed Sir.

The best mode is what works for you, as long as you feel in control 👍 You will find that in manual mode you get more control over the car, as you do more drives I would use it as much as you can so that you get a good feel for what’s happening, it will be come second nature soon enough and when you go back to auto it will feel like you are disconnected from the car 😂 the problem with all of our petrol engines is they are junk at low rpm’s, to unleash your petrols inner beast you need to let it rev 😂 or get a diesel

Here is the list of very simple tips that every car owner should know to take care of his/her car in the UAE: Don't start and go: As soon as you start the car, wait for rpm to drop to idle rpm (600-800 rpm) from 15-30 seconds in a newer car and 30-60 seconds in an older car before driving it off. This will help the car to circulate all fluids to necessary place in engine, gearbox, steering and brake boosters. Driving it immediately will starve some critical component for few seconds and may cause damage in the long run. Don't block the driver: While parking cars in the tight spot, leave more space on the driver side than on the passenger side. In parallel parking, move vehicle little front or back to avoid hitting side view mirror while opening. This will save a lot of scratches and bumps on both the cars. Don't drive on underinflated tires: Learn to check your tires with visual look every day and inflate them to owners manual tire pressure asap. When tire pressure is down, then the bottom tread of the tire is very less visible and worth a stop and checking. Most tires when underinflated screech while turning on cemented flooring like in building parking, fuel station etc.. So if you are not used to hearing screeching while turning then that can be the very first signal of low tire pressure. If in doubt, simply inflate to 30-32 psi in general for most of the cars in UAE. Don't hit the curb: While parking once your car hit the curb, move little away from the curb because leaving the car with tire hitting the curb will damage tire over time and may result in unusual bulge, cuts or leak resulting in wobbling ride. Don't ignore the leaks: Learn to check for leaks visually. Every day when you walk towards your car just have a look under the car engine and sides to have any wet marking or oil drops or pool of oil. Minor few drops or stains are acceptable to some extent if they are occasional, but regular drops or pool of oil or any other fluid require an immediate check. Clearwater dripping when the car is on - AC condensation - nothing to worry Clearwater droplet coming out from exhaust - it's a good sign of healthy engine Front side underneath - golden or brown oil = Engine Oil leaking - Immediate check needed Front side underneath - green or red water-based fluid = Engine Coolant leaking - Immediate check needed Under front driver or passenger side - red or brown oil = Gear Oil leaking - Immediate check needed Don't drive with weak brakes: When you hear screeching noise while braking then it is an indication that gets your brake pads and/or brake disc replaced. It's a first telltale sign of worn out braking system and you should not be ignoring it for a long time. Don't ignore the warning lights: You should never ignore any fault code light appearing on the dashboard be it for check engine light, SRS, ABS or battery icon. Warning lights in red color are critical ones and yellow are least critical but still, they all are warning light and trying to tell you to check or fix something in the car.

Another alternative if you really want to keep the front bumpers very close to stock, you can remove the mud guards in the front of the tyres and get a workshop to trim the bumpers in front of the tyres. Can work out to be quite cost effective as well. Prado, has quite a decent approach angle. If you intend to do more aggressive offroading then it would be advisable to go with what Gaurav has mentioned regarding the bumper along with some firmer suspensions.

For your shape Prado, there is a modified bumper available for offroad - part metal + plastic + rubber that should suffice the RTA clause of no full metal bumper. Go to tires and accessories shop near Sahara center before Troy university crossroad and many shops have ARB, TJM and ARB look-like bumpers for Prado. My price guess will be in range 1500 - 2000 dhs max depending on your bargaining skills. Choose less aggressive to retain the same looks as you are not intending this car to modify for 100% offroad and it will be your daily driver too. Basically look for a bumper that can keep similar front looks and trim the sides upwards as that's what the impact area in this shape of Prado. Also, my suggestion is to avoid bullbar as we don't hit Kangaroo's here in UAE, as it will shave a bit of weight on the nose, which is better for a long hill climbs. And for adding additional light, I highly suggest LED bar on top than the front nose, to have a better spread and saving it from nosedive impact. Get the front bumper sorted first and drive for few drives and then judge if you need firm suspensions or stock is reasonably good for your usage.

@Varun Mehndiratta not looking too good, fever has increased- I’ll sit this one out- looking forward to the next!

Hi @Varun Mehndiratta, I regret to say but I have to drop out from unfortunately there is a problem with the steering that the steeting shaft needs to get replaced. See you all another time, enjoy the ride.

Sorry @Ale Vallecchi have to remove myself, can’t make it this afternoon