Almost4x4

Hi everyone,

“Slow and steady wins the race” drive was a Newbie 5- drive organized by @David with two convoys supported by @alshamsi_m , @Ehab , @Agalon , @Solmaz and @Mabubaker and a decent group of inter and advance members.

Selected playground was Tital Sweihan which for me it is not so well-known so I was glad to have the opportunity of keep on exploring the area and leading a convoy. Thanks David for that.

The original plan was to make a big loop and to finish in the same place we got started but due to times constrains, we needed to reshuffle a few and took a nearby exist when the sun started to go down in order to finish on time. Actually, our members enjoyed a beautiful sunset while driving towards the exit point thank to Shamsi’s advice before I could have decided otherwise. Experience matters and he is the master of it.

Drive went as expected, spiced up with challenges on small-mid size dunes with safari style, straight cresting, arches and plenty of climbs and drops. We also had the opportunity to ride on the top of the dunes when small and flat. Thank to my second lead @Haidy79 for keeping the convoy in the right track and making small corrections as per my indications, @Vika my part time sweeper , @ahmed77moharem and @Yazan .

Different terrain configurations with easy and clean areas, technical with some (ok, a lot of ) bushes and peaceful fast tracks (we call them gatch roads) were in the menu so our fresh new members had the change to taste a bit of everything and it is good to drive in different terrain conditions for developing different driving skills.

Convoy’s performance was good , at least what I saw from the leading position and thanks to our marshals and support team, we off set a few gaps on radio communications and proper distance. All in all, congrats to our new members as you did well, and I am sure that you are all improving your skills little by little. For the records, we covered 46km, a bit less than 3 hours moving with only 32 min stopped time which is great for this level.

A few recommendations/areas of improvement: i) radio communication for reporting and listening to instructions, ii) keeping the right distance (15-20m), iii) no flying no fighting gravity, iv) keep your engine “happy” and not “lazy” as momentum along with right (entry & exit) angles are the key.

See you soon.

Carlos (CARLOSS)

Drive intended for the Newbie 5- that have recently joined the Club in Tilal Sweihan.

2 convoys, Carlos leading the 1st one supported by Shamsi, Mabubaker and Ehab and the 2nd lead by me with the support of Solmaz and Agalon.

Before anything else many thanks to Haider, Noman, AlJamhi and Piotr that provided the much needed support for the convoy working hard to get everyone back safe.

We did not manage to complete the planned circular track as half way I decided to change the route since I was concerned we would not be able to make it to the finish line before dark, our convoy moved a bit slower than anticipated (which is normal, newbie is the time to learn) so I did not want to take any unnecessary risks.

Newbie 5- drives are designed to get drivers familiar with the new conditions so they do not feel afraid with how a car "feels" with driving in the sand, being the most important thing to finish the drive feeling that you have learnt something and that you feel more comfortable with desert driving, no matter at what speed you progress (everyone does it at different pace) this is the time to learn.

Please remember:

- keep the right distance between cars
- radio communication is key, give the clear after obstacle
- a moving car is a safe car, hard braking in the sand is dangerous in many situations

Many thanks to everyone that attended and supported the drive for making it possible.

See you on the sand soon.

Hi Almosters,

Slow and steady wins the race was the theme for Newbies 5-, organized by @David and supported by our founder @alshamsi_m, @Agalon, @Solmaz, @Mabubaker, @CARLOSS, and @Ehab.

We split into two convoys; I joined the second convoy led by @CARLOSS with support from @alshamsi_m and @Mabubaker.

@Haidy79 took the 2nd lead, while @Yazan and I were positioned among the newbies, and @Vika closed the convoy as sweeper.

The track was enjoyable, with plenty of practice on straight crests, and the convoy performed really well throughout.

A big thank you to @CARLOSS, @alshamsi_m, and @Mabubaker for crafting such a great route, and to the rescue team for their continuous support.

See you all soon on the sand.

Great trip. Thank you so much for such adventurous spirit and safety procedures as well as familial bond. Super enjoyed all aspects of the trip.

Thank you @David for organizing the “Slow and steady wins the race” and before that for relaxed lunch with good company

Even though support was limited at the registration stage, we eventually had a strong presence of intermediate and advanced drivers, as well as marshals.

The members were split into two convoys, and I was assigned to the one led by @CARLOSS , supported by @alshamsi_m , @Ehab and @Mabubaker.
Following Carlos's detailed and thorough briefing, where he always highlights all the key technical aspects of the drive, I was once again appointed as the Sweeper, which has now become something of a tradition
What i am completely happy with, there is always a nice view from the back

The drive was enjoyable with a nice mix of dunes, climbs, drops, and fast tracks, giving our new members a chance to experience different terrains and build confidence. Overall convoy performance was solid, and everyone is clearly improving step by step.

Well done to all the newbies — keep practicing, stay focused on radio communication and distance, and most importantly, enjoy the drive.

Unfortunately, I did not complete the drive, as my intensive morning hit me later in the afternoon with a horrible headache, and since we had a lot of support, I asked to leave.

Looking forward to the next one
Viktoriia

My second drive with the club - I was in the convoy with David leading and Nomi as second lead.

We had a briefing on the route and what to expect and then set off into the dunes! This time I was directly behind the second lead so got to see in more detail exactly how to tackle the dunes. I was still very scared / nervous but found myself really enjoying parts of the drive and just focused on following the lines. This convoy moved faster than the previous week so it was good practice to build up confidence and more speed on the easier / flatter parts and to see the importance of not having too big a gap so you can clearly see how the car in front approached the obstacle etc as sometimes multiple tracks can be an issue.

We did multiple crests and I did get stuck again and had to be pulled back for a second attempt. My pajero did take a hard thump going over one of the crests which did worry me as it was the first time hearing such a thing as a driver and I imagined the whole underneath of my poor old pajero to be split in half - but it made it out in one piece (so far so good) I am learning maybe the car can take the odd thump here and there although I will try to avoid this as much as possible as she is an older lady now

David was giving good instructions on the radio regarding the use of acceleration on some small climbs and also to put your foot down to accelerate out of the dip after a slope which was very useful and also reassuring especially when going up onto a ridge you can’t see over and for inexperienced driver accelerating seems a bit scary - so these pre warnings I found super useful. Felt really supported by the marshals whizzing around and checking and stopping to keep an eye on various places.

Really awesome photos were shared as well - thanks Noman! Also got a lesson on how to safeguard and secure my recovery equipment in the boot - thanks M Alshamsi I didn’t even know those hooks were there!

Sunset and scenery was beautiful - even got to see some camels and also a first hand example of bad desert etiquette as another crew crossed our path and were zooming around - one nearly flipped a car after sliding down a dune sideways and hitting a bush all very interesting!

The drive took place in Tilal Sweihan. The group was split in 2 convoys, and I was assigned to convoy 2 led by David and with the unmatched support of Agalon y Solmaz y Haider, Noman, AlJamhi and Piotr.

This was my second drive (CM does not count). My youngest son who has arrived to Dubai came as my passenger and he loved the experience. He is looking forward to the next CM event so that he can join the Club!

David gave us some instructions and explained technical details of the route, emphasizing the need to maintain the appropriate distance according to the characteristics of each section of the route. After that, we were assigned positions and we started driving.

Different landscape of last drives, the terrain seemed less challenging and very helpful to get gaining confidence, getting know the car better and practice the learnings and reflecting on what could be done differently – the pace was a bit slower so you could have time to think after navigating the obstacle).

We could not complete the route due to the timing (we enjoyed an impressive sunset). It was a very good drive with good learnings and I enjoyed very much.

Thank you, David and the team, for your dedication, patient and the effort you all put on organizing and managing this event. You all deserve a Bravo!

See you in the next one!

...In Telal Swhan we started in the middle of the day the trip was organised by @David supported by our founder @alshamsi_m and @Mabubaker @Solmaz @Agalon and our explorers @CARLOSS @Ehab with the support of our intermediates @ahmed77moharem @Vika
We were spilt into 2 convoys...I was lucky to be the second lead for @CARLOSS following his amazing track and his instructions.....the track was simple and nice with some straight dunes and some side walls..I got creasted and rescued by @ahmed77moharem .. of coursewe had all abreak enjoyed the spcial Ka'ak and coffee from Mr@alshamsi_m ...we finished on time enjoying the sunset thanks to Mr @alshamsi_m ....
Thanks every body see you all soon on sand ..