Frederic

Hi @Jaswanthi Absolutely not. Bring the Xterra as you have it now

Congrats @Mark B! Start sharpening your shovel(s) ! 😜

Definitely not for beginner level you can either do massive sideys on the flanks, or cross over the ridges that branch out.

For the first time, scientists have been able to determine the age of a star dune, one of the largest dune species. The Lala Lallia was formed in Morocco 13,000 years ago, and today it still moves slowly through the desert. Star dunes such as the Lala Lallia (Berber for 'Highest Sacred Point') can grow up to hundreds of meters high. They are found in Africa, Asia and North America, as well as outside the Earth, such as on Mars. The Lala Lallia is 100 meters high and 700 meters wide and is located in the desert area of Erg Chebbi in the southeast of Morocco. In the UAE, there are hundreds of these types of dunes, mostly found in the Al Quoa Region: https://maps.app.goo.gl/qaeHbLqc6zQyvV3f8 Such a dune is created by winds from different directions colliding with each other. From the ground, such a dune looks like a pyramid (hence the nickname 'pyramid dune'. But from the sky, the dune looks more like a star, because it flares out in several arms. By finding out their age, scientists can learn to understand the workings of those winds and better map the climate of thousands of years ago. Understanding how the dunes form also has a practical use in the construction of infrastructure such as roads or pipelines. The Lala Lallia now appears to be 13,000 years old. That seems very old, but in geological terms, 13,000 years is pretty young. And to the researchers' surprise, the top layer of the dune was much younger, 'barely' a thousand years old. By the way, the sand that makes up the dune is much older: millions of years, in fact. Scientists were able to determine the age using the technique of luminescence dating, in which they calculate when grains of sand were last exposed to daylight. According to the scientists, the dune formed relatively quickly, in 4,000 years. After that, the dune stopped growing for about 8,000 years, only to expand again in the last thousand years. Because dune formation is so strongly dependent on the wind, a dune never stands completely still. According to the researchers, the Lala Lallia shifts fifty centimeters every year. Geoff Duller, a professor involved at the University of Aberystwyth in Wales, called the dunes "extraordinary" and "one of the natural wonders of the world".

DRIVE REPORT CONVOY 1 With the rising sun warming us up after a chilly night, we met up at the Khanoor entry point with two convoys eager to explore this "holy grail of terrains" for off-roaders: The Mystical Liwa ! After the briefing, where we emphasized this kind of terrain demands a humble approach and mental resilience, we set off and started making our way Eastwards. We had drafted a plan with waypoints to keep as a reference to fall back on, but the idea was to follow where the dunes were leading us, as in Liwa this is usually the only way through. After a couple of hours, i handed over the lead to @DP1011, as i wanted him to feel the joy of leading in this terrain, which he did MARVELOUSLY. Throughout the day, we had a handful of refusals, zero stucks, and no rope or recovery. In almost 7hrs of driving in this challenging terrain, where low gear was sometimes the only way up or out. This says a LOT about the convoy, that was so in tune and capable, and of course the lead, who carefully chose his lines to keep the group safe from harm. Our tactic of letting the lead climb first to the platform of the dunes, and then giving the second lead the confirmation to follow, worked like a charm, and this allowed to avoid massive bowls and pitfalls. @Rafey Hashmi you had your doubts about yourself and what the Jimny could manage in LIWA. Let it be put to rest for once and for always that it's always about the driver. The way you carefully chose your lines and built your momentum on bigger climbs was a sight to behold, and the skills that your little Jimny forced you to learn has turned you in a super capable off-roader ! @Alphin Aloor we all know what a heavy boat a stock Patrol Y61 is. Me too But look at how bloody capable they are. I slept comfortably in the Patrol the entire weekend, and the car is a blessing for this long journey. If driven the right way the Patrol is unstoppable and unstuckable. You proved it by not breaking a single sweat all weekend ! @Pascal you've done plenty of drives with us, and your skills are way up there, together with your calm approach and magnificent 4Runner. Always a pleasure to have you and your wife on any of our adventures ! @Richard Franks who is an Ex-Jeeper who moved to the Toyota world of no worries, proves once again how capable a stock FJ is, and how you navigated it seamlessly through this challenging terrain ! @AlexM and @Amr A both equipped with superb driving skills and green mean Jeeps, i love having you guys on our drives, as you both have a can-do attitude and back it up with so many drive skills. @M.Seidamand of course his dear Abdallah, was an absolute delight to have you watching our backs and supporting us at each step. We reached the camp around 4.45PM and took our time to setup. I was in touch with @GauravSoniand heard he ran into some technical troubles, but soon after we saw 6 knights in shining armor racing towards us, full of adrenaline and joy, and it looked they had a very different type of day but nevertheless turned it into a blast and A-Team Work ! Kudos to you guys for not giving up and i am looking forward to your drive report to tell us your stories ! The next morning, we cleaned up the camp, left by 9.15, and within 40mins we were on top of Moreeb, enjoying the scenery and taking photos that will help us remember this unforgettable weekend ! Most importantly we have to count our blessings for exiting two convoys, free of incidents. And that is what matters most. I am sure everyone drove home with a smile I know i did ! Thanks @GauravSoniand @Simon D for taking the second convoy and offering everyone a chance to experience this unforgettable drive. I will never forget the stories you guys shared about how the Pajero roared back to life after its surgery 😆 Below the actual track we did (black line was our draft, red is the actual track): Day one we covered around 76km in approx 8hrs total. Day two we only needed to cover 10kms in 40mins to reach Moreeb.

Hi @SamyB, we can't give any specific names here (as promoting shops is not allowed on the forum). But the Nissan Patrol is a very easy 4x4 to work on or diagnose, so i would try sticking to any decent mechanic. If it comes to performance upgrades, there are plenty in Al Quoz, Ras Al Hor, and Sharjah that specialize in turning the Patrol into a performance monster .

We have weekly Newbie drives that are being posted here on Monday evening 7pm. You can click on the event and then click on “going” which will put you in the RSVP.

Ok. Power wise please don’t compare with a Golf GTI 😜. This is a 2500kg boat. Having said that, the Patrol is plenty capable to get you everywhere in the deser but it has a few design flaws. The bumpers are really low and soon you’ll be seeing them coming off during your desert drive. Most of the Y62 members here trim the bumpers to gain extra clearance and avoid them getting completely ripped off. Apart from that, join us in a Newbie drive and we’ll teach you to unleash the Patrol power 😜

Hi @throttlejockeyis it a Y61 or Y62 ?