Looper

Newbie drives are all about learning tricks of driving in desert and today’s drive was such a drive where we learnt a lot. @Sita Sharma was a bit rusty in the beginning but quickly recalled what she has learnt till date. Later in drive due to sun glare she dropped into the ditch as she could not see the path that was taken but was able to recover with some guidance. Thanks to @Islam Soliman for a wonderful drive. @Davie Chase you were exceptional as a center forward. I could hear very clear and precise instructions you were giving over the radio and helping others in recoveries. @JeromeFJ your calm presence is always puts every one at ease. Ever present to help others, appreciate your efforts in the drives.

Congratulations @Dimitrios Kalogirou

Congratulation @Abdul Basit Khan

Congratulations @Amr Aydin

Congratulations @Davie Chase on your promotion. Well done.

Congratulations @Tom Bwell done.

Congratulations @Beide Worku, love to your blue f150 in the desert always. Well done.

Congratulations @Suresh K. Well done.

Congratulations @Goh KP, well done.

Congratulations @Claudio C, well done.

Congratulations @Harshal on your promotion. It would be fun to see your mighty V8 do more here on.

Day One (Gaia GPS Link) I covered 86 km in exactly 9 hours. with a moving speed of 15.6 kmph and moving time of 5-hour 30 min. Day two (Gaia GPS Link) I covered 59.9 k, in 4-hour 42 min at a moving speed of 20.2 kmph and in 2 hr 57 min moving time.

What an epic drive. Lot of driving and lots of fun. This drive needed a lot of planning both from marshals ( @Frederic-FB, @Gaurav-FB+, @Srikumar-IM) to organize and the participants to bring the right amount of stuff so that they can drive safely and well. After a day and a half of driving I am quite impressed by how well the drive was spread-out over two days. The majestic Liwa - empty quarter dunes are like Sirens; they invite you to ride them, but they won't let you drive over them. Often exceedingly difficult to read and extremely easy to get stuck. Half the dunes are not even drivable, but majestic and a remarkable sight. I could not even count how many times I gasped at the beauty of the mother nature here in this barren desert land. On the first day we tried to start early but covered a lot of ground and reached the 18th hole in time to set up the tent and gather around the bonfire. The first eighteen waypoints were quite easy to navigate since they were from one sabkha to another, so we wandered around and had lots of fun. Thankfully in our FB+ drive we did not face many refusals and the few that we did face - (by @Gaurav) they were masterclass in self recovery - being applauded by everyone every time he self-recovered from a seemingly impossible stuck. The camping site was one of the best I had seen. On a dried-up lake front, under the stars without any light pollution. The moonrise in the east was a sight to behold. I was tired and slept like a baby late into the morning the next day. On the second day our drive was a bit straight though the waypoints, but they were not as easy as first day's waypoints - quite challenging to be frank. But we quickly wiggled out of all the stucks and refusals and reached the end, stopping only to take a few nice photographs to commemorate our achievement on finally crossing the Liwa. This Liwa Crossing was indeed a test of endurance and grit, and I am quite happy to be a part of this first installment and looking forward to next year once again. A big thanks to all who participated and contributed to the drive. @imranaasghar81, @Alphin Aloor, @Waqas Parvez, @Fabien Monleau, @munkybizness, @Zixuan Huang - Charlie & @Ashok chaturvedi.

@Gaurav this is the drive I could not attend. Please remove my name from the attended list.

US$ 99 plan is with "Outside" subscription perhaps we dont need it. The normal rate for annual subscription is 39.99. I was able to renew mine just now for 34.99 (10% discount). I think it will automatically apply the coupon when you proceed to subscribe it.