Gregory

An enjoyable and varied drive today, with some of everything.... thanks @Kailas, and @M.Seidam and @Lawrence_Chehimifor support and backup.

@Marwan Haddad I have a spare radio and will bring it... you're welcome to use it tmrw morning if you like 👍

Nice job @Anoop Nair - Congrats!

Congrats @Tareck nice job!

Congrats @Ehab nicely done!

Thanks @Tbone @Janarthan @Lawrence_Chehimi for a good drive. Enjoyed it. Appreciate the tug @Janarthan towards the end of the drive when I somehow managed to get myself crested. Wish everyone a good week.

@Tbone I'm not able to see the car list/convoy order, or radio frequency for tomorrow morning. Did I miss it or haven't you posted yet? Thanks

Thanks for sharing @Felix Obst - great to hear you and boys are good and are/have moved forward emotionally. Sounds like you're in the right frame of mind to make a comeback - congrats, and see you in the sand!

Wow, what a drive! Or should I say an extended practical tutorial After several weeks of smooth, and mostly stuck/refusal free drives, I was expecting something similar today on the Bab al Shams morning. I also had in my mind that with a small group, we would be able to increase the pace and cover more ground. It shows that in life, one should always expect the unexpected! @Aisha S had a wish - to be able to dig, and to be part of / assist with recoveries as far as possible. Within 30 minutes of our very humid start, her wish was granted... I was the first to get stuck. As second lead, I wanted to ensure I kept up with @Islam Soliman, and fulfil my duty - I ended up too close. I was generously assisted by all, and the situation was treated as a learning experience. One after the next, others granted her her wish too, either in the form of refusals or stucks - at one time we had 3 of the cars stuck at the same time. This included @Islam Solimanon occasion. Lots of digging, tow ropes and creative thinking/strategies in the super soft sand. Beautiful dunes but such soft sand. I decided to keep my tow rope inside my car (as opposed to the trunk) from that point on as it seemed to be a very popular piece of equipment during the drive. In between these stucks, we did some ridge riding. What was fantastic was how the group members assisted each other in finding solutions, and the participating (all Covid guidelines observed), and this was patiently and graciously facilitated by @Islam Soliman This is how people learn their strategies - from a practical perspective, which increases their confidence and skill. Patience was tested in the (by now) hot sun. @Aisha S 's wish allowed us to enjoy a very different drive to the one that most of us may be used to. On the way to the exit, @Islam Soliman returned to the back of the convoy to assist with a stuck situation. When he called for fire extinguishers, I originally thought that he was inviting us back for some barbecued Kofta - it was actually some vegetation under his car that had caught alight/was smoking. Quick thinking (and use of his fire extinguisher) by @Zixuan Huang - Charlie ensured the danger was controlled, and Islam's Yukon prevailed. @Anoop Nair followed up by using his shovel to remove any further vegetation from under the vehicle, lessening the risk. Islam needed a pull-out, and @Daniel Yang obliged, as V8 power was needed in the crazy soft sand. Close to the exit, we were blessed to come across a herd of Gazelles - I thought of the barbecue again 🤣 (and the connection between Gazelle and barbecue), but decided we had had enough excitement for the day, and left it at that. Jokes aside, a great learning experience for us all - the day had turned out differently. My son commented that this was his favourite drive (and he comes on almost all of the drives with me) - as he said he spent more time outside the car witnessing recoveries, than in it 🤣 @Islam Soliman thanks for giving me the second lead position - I'll keep more distance next time. Great teamwork and company this morning @Anoop Nair @Zixuan Huang - Charlie @Daniel Yang @Aisha S Will post some pics tomorrow.

Appreciate the good drive @Tbone, and support from @MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ and @Anoop Nair. I enjoyed the cooler than expected weather, and a generally flowing drive. Thanks @Tareck for the galley photos, and @PaoloMaraziti for the recovery video - always adds a different perspective from another angle/camera/position. Looking forward to the next drive!

Great video thanks Ehab! I can now scrutinise my driving from an outside perspective 👍

Thanks @Lorenzo Candelpergher for a great drive, and @Lakshmi Narasimhan @Danish Mohammad and @Gaurav Soni for the support. Great weather, especially when starting off... It's always good to be in peace of the desert, leaving the city behind. I had around 3 refusals, but was happy managed to get myself out - due to work commitments I haven't been able to join any drive for around 6 weeks, and this drive was a bit of re-learning. I also learned that there was a dine called "little red" 🤣 @Lakshmi Narasimhan congrats again on your 50th drive! Have a good day everyone.

Congrats @Sunil Mathew!

Congrats @Aisha S!