Leaderboard

Thank you all for joining me this morning. Finally the weather starts to be nice, and it was a pleasure to start with open windows, gently strolling through the dunes with the morning light. Starting was easy but soon we hit the first challenge of the day, with a steep climb with little space for momentum, soft sand on the top, and a sharp edge to cross. 2 cars got stuck on the top, good opportunity to learn where to shovel, (team work, thank you all !) and to talk through what might be challenging when crossing a dune without knowing what is behind. After this warm-up we had a nice flow through bigger dunes, including riding some of the ridges, with nice views of the desert and sabkha around. After the break, we reached a more technical portion, with hidden soft sand patches and narrow dunes. On a tricky crossing, @Lazy Frog was missing a bit of momentum and was dragged into a small bowl with steep edges. A bit of a scary moment as the car was stopped with a steep angle, but again, an opportunity to learn how to recover. As the angle was increasing during shoveling and a first attempt, we secured the car with a strap to another car above, and with a combination of shoveling, and using the capabilities of the FJ (and its driver of course), he got out of the trap. We still had enough time to enter the Ghafeteen bowl and circle around, experiencing the steep descent, and we reached back to our entry point, with a last run at higher pace through the open dunes. Very well done everyone @Lazy Frog, @Aringga, @Menon Arun, @Walter Palk, our NB squad, @Ozgu and @Theo Prado and @Dan S went through the challenges as experienced drivers, with a special thank for my second lead @Theo Prado adjusting my lines when needed. Big thanks also to @Rob S and @Vanessa8580 supporting the drive and providing guidance as required.

DRIVE RSVP IS NOW CLOSED Gentlemen : @Dan S @Zahid Sharif @JC_E @Haneef Thayyil @nithish468 @Alex M @Aser @Andrew John Melvill @Senthil Kumar @Mike M. Thanks for signing up for this adventure! This one will be quite different from driving in the sand, but nevertheless we will be having fun As i mentioned prior on my drive post, please be aware of the following: This route will take you on steep climbs and descents and is not for the faint of heart ! Make sure your 4x4 is in tip-top condition. You will need all its power and it will run hot. Be ready to regularly switch to 4LO during steep climbs / descents. All-Terrain types are highly recommended. You might struggle with HT tyres. Do not join if you have any fear of heights. Max 2 passengers per vehicle allowed. Please carry packed snack - Coffee is on me - Mountains made and served hot When you arrive at the meeting point: - Deflate to 25 PSI only. - Off Road Flags : please dont mount them , we will adapt when necessary considering the terrain ( Don't kill me @Alex M ) We will be using Channel 2 - 446.031 Mhz See you all Tomorrow 6am ! Drive Safe ! Weather God hopefully will be in our favor ! In case needed : I will be reachable on 056 683 8510 WE WILL MISS YOU TOMORROW @Frederic Keep inspiring us ! !

Dear Desert Wanderers, @Mark B, @Shary, @Mirvin, @Rakesh Iykkara Menon, @Christian Jooste, @Imran Asghar, @Gunjan Jain, @UvinOverland, @Raptor Runner - Dhawan P, @Ash S., @Thomas54675, @Sivaprasad Gopalakrishnan, @Fabien Monleau @Cyril de Masfrand, @Jean Jarjoura, @JC_E & @J-P L, Thank you all for showing up on time this morning, it was a great way to start the weekend in the small but pristine area of Qudra. You all drove amazingly well with only a handful of stucks and refusals. s o well done to you all. A big thank you to the support team, of @J-P L who swept the convoy like a pro, our two Center forwards @Fabien Monleau (apologies I got the wrong Fabien in the original convoy list posting) & @Imran Asghar who assisted with most of the stucks and refusals with ease and confidence, and Of course my brilliant second lead @Mark B who also had a brain wave to use the key ring as an r clip for the brake caliper pin issue. you all deserve pat on teh back for showing up and doing an excellent job keeping everyone safe and sound, thanks again guys could not have done it without you. Have a great rest of your weekend and car willing i will be leading another drive in two weeks once back from the US.

@Davie Smooth_Operator awsome morning. Got some smooth ride and your advise is gold. Despite Boys will be Boys I realy liked your Dune drive explanations with the TEMU Model 😁

Post-Drive Report: Fewbie Plus – Nahel Thank you all for arriving on time, deflated, and ready for the briefing this morning—with just one minor latecomer. Please do respect your fellow community members’ time and effort to arrive punctually and be ready to start the briefing at the designated time. A warm welcome to our new Fewbie Plus drivers, @Krinesh and @Diego. You both did really well on your first FB+ drive, adapting to the faster pace and handling the terrain confidently. Your spacing was mostly good, though this can be tightened up in future drives. You both had some great lines in Double Bowl—well done! @Aser, thank you for your excellent support in Centre Forward. You handled the minor refusals smoothly and your briefing at Double Bowl was especially appreciated. I’ve only been to this area once before, about a year ago, so your guidance was very helpful. @Jose Luis Campos, great job on second lead. You maintained the right amount of distance and reacted promptly to instructions, which helped the convoy adjust to new and improved lines. Your responsiveness made a big difference. @Zulfikhar Naiyar, thank you for Sweep today. You gave me the regular updates on what was happening back there and ensuring we were all together. There was only one point where up in the taller dunes we got separated though Aser kept you guys together and we were able to connect again after a short interval. We had just one stuck today, which we tried to recover with some shoveling and a couple of pulls, but the sand was just too soft. @Cesar Chacon and his winch came in especially handy and made quick work of the recovery—thank you! The drive featured a few technical patches and a few ridges, long sweeping slopes, and some sweet hill climbs. The teamwork during the recovery and the positive spirit throughout the convoy made for a fantastic start to the weekend. Thanks again for a great drive—enjoy the rest of your weekend and see you all next time! Here are the drive stats and our track from this mornings drive. We made a respectable distance during our time and the elevation chart reminds me of the fun hill climbs we had today. Here is the Relive video of our drive this morning. Enjoy! https://www.relive.com/view/vLqejDBGZRv

Thank you @JeromeFJ, @Rob S, @Theo Prado, @Vanessa8580 for your guidance and passionate during the event, it was great opportunity to learn from you all. Beside the technicality (disable ATC, A Trac, which is so simple that I haven’t tried in the past). Safety is the utmost priority that is my biggest take away from driving this morning. Thank you all and I hope to see you again at the next drive.

Hello desert surfer! @Srikumar @Kashx2 @Paul Eldho @J-P L @Mei Ling @Jose Luis Campos @Sam Selim Thank you for joining tomorrow drive. We will meet at the meeting point with tires deflated and flag raised at 6.30. Radio channel at 4: 446.081 Whether you're a seasoned driver or new to the trails, this convoy is about supporting one another and enjoying the ride.

@Gunjan Jain being everything with you in the morning and we will get you fixed up

…is it who can do the best Sean Connery impression on the radio?

Dear Desert Drivers @Theo Prado @Lazy Frog @Aringga @Menon Arun @Walter Palk @Ozgu @Dan S @Vanessa8580 @Rob S Last updates for tomorrow Meeting 6:30 AM at https://maps.app.goo.gl/LHbFHb1WQUtA55kV7 Take a bit of margin as it might be foggy in the morning. In case there is fog on the route, take your time, drive carefully, and observe the reduced speed limit in Abu Dhabi. My mobile if you need it is 05 88 62 09 42. The convoy order will be We will use Carnity radio Channel 5. Enjoy the evening, have a good rest, and see you tomorrow morning !

What a plan! Looking forward to join next time

@DP1011 what an awesome drive it's going to be - sounds amazing! Super excited for the next one you planning in the future Count me in . Heading to Nahel instead with Jerome this weekend as Sunday isn't and option due to... (every off-roader understands - hehe

@DP1011, due to some work I will not be joining tomorrow, enjoy and safe drive to all,

@DP1011 Unfortunately I will have to drop out due to urgent travel to India in the weekend. Catch you next time