No pain no gain III - 5th Feb 2021

[David]

Consulted with the pillow if to write or not to write a trip report, and if doing it what to say, "show must go on" and let's assume the drive finished a couple of dunes earlier. "glass half full" in this hobby/love that we all have but that carries some risks and moments.

I will not hide my happiness when I saw the trip being posted on the App, Rashid drive in "his backyard", my first drive following him and with all the good things I have heard from other fellow drivers I was so looking forward to it.

Meeting point at the end of the runway of Al Ain airport, by the way, probably the best airport in the world, empty and no flights so I guess that those who work there spend the day in the fantastic dunes that are around, applying for a job there shortly.

Rashid leading, Johanna 2nd lead, middle of the convoy for Rathica, Christiaan, Petr, Sorin and myself with Samer (that came to the drive with "the monster") closing. Scorpio and Optimus floating around and in charge of our safety.

Nice sized dunes, sharp edges and loads of sidecresting, love those conditions, and we went for it from the start, climb, crest/ride, cross, and go for it again from the other side, once done move to the next one. The drive had all the ingredients that I had been been told about, and with the convoy doing really well and facing very few issues (pop-outs, stucks, 2nd tries) the flow was beautiful allowing for some fantastic sequences of dunes.

I love riding crests and I can not remember a drive with so much of it, so plenty of opportunities to practice this skill, hit the crest too fast and you will not be able to hold the car on top, too slow and get stuck on your belly, Rashid is a master of this, moves on top of those crests at exactly the right pace, very beautiful to watch.

Personally very happy with the way driven, no pain no gain was for me no pop-outs, no stucks, not even a single 2nd try, loads of fun and so many crests ridden, contrary to me my air filter does not like these judging by the amount of sand ...

Time to say thank you, first to Scorpio and Optimus for looking after us and providing guidance when needed.

Final words for Rashid, thank you for the drive and sharing all of your knowledge, but most importantly for always being there for us when needed with the warmest smile possible. We all love you

See you on the sand soon.

[Johanna]

Hi all,

It was an amazing drive, but as @David said, it should have ended a few dunes earlier...
Bu we had for sure three hours of pure fun, with a nicely flowing convoy and just some second tries here and there
@Rashidjass gave us the full dose of side crests, walls and riding on the crests it was fantastic!
Thank you all especially @Scorpio and @optimus for the support and of course @Rashidjass for this incredible drive

[Sorin]

Hi everyone,

I am very lucky to have been part of this unique drive and the area in which it was held brought back memories of the time I joined @rapailo as a passenger more than a year ago when I was a newbie. Seeing what the intermediate drive meant, I was in awe and couldn’t wait to reach that level.

On Friday morning my turn came to try and survive in this beautiful but very challenging part of the Al Ain desert.

It was thrilling and exciting, I loved the parts where we rode the crests of the dunes and even though I had multiple second tries and struggled with the big climbs, I enjoyed those too very much.

Near the end of the drive, being more careless I guess, I experienced my first pop out with ALMOST4X4, interesting experience and thank you to all the guys who helped me fix it quickly.

Being part of this drive in this area and at this level was a dream come true for me and I have to thank our amazing Marshall @Rashidjass and the two supporting drivers @Scorpio and @optimus for their time and effort, risking life & limb for us to enjoy and learn in this challenging area and staying safe. You guys deserve a statue!

[Petr]

My first memory of this trip recalls the moment I was approaching the meeting place and I noticed@Johanna on the top of one dune and @Sorin on another one, watching the incomers. The perspective played with my eyes and their cars looked huge like some of these mining trucks - see the picture below.

I like the desert around Al Ain, I always enjoyed driving there, especially in the tracks of @Rashidjass. The dunes are relatively high and make nice chains, so the drive was smooth, well paced and the flow was perfect.

At one point Rashid said "be careful, there are stones somewhere here, I don't have GPS to say exactly" - I thought wow, that shows he really knows this area by heart. To me all the dunes looked alike!

It was a great few hours of driving, and thanks to all who made videos from this day. They are all great, and Johanna's one the greatest - I like her editing and taste for music.

Thanks @optimus and @Scorpio for your support.

Many thanks Rashid for the fantastic day, we love you!

[Rathica]

No Pain No Gain indeed.
When I saw that @Rashidjass was leading the drive I knew I had to get on it. 4 door was playing lame so I hopped in my 2 door and raced to Al Ain Airport to drive for my life.

This area was completely new to me and I was in awe. Beautiful dunes with high crests and rounded bowls. Barely any tracks and bushes, it was a dream.

@Rashidjass started us off with a safety briefing warning us of the dangers of the sharp crests and the need to err on the side of caution - don't fight gravity even if it looks like just a few meters; if you are losing momentum, Turn down; balance your car on the crests because it is very sharp on both sides...

I thought I could ride ridges but the height of the climb up to ride the ridge, coupled with the sharpness of the dune and the softness of the sand, I felt like a baby. I got a sharp awakening at the first switch but my Jeep slightly off - shot the ridge and I had to immediately slam on the gas downwards. I certainly was wide awake after that The 2 door was a great climber especially when I got the momentum right, but to ride the long, twisting, teasing dunes, required more precision of keeping the higher line and balancing 60/40; balancing momentum with the tap tap technique. A few second tries were required.
@Rashidjass got us to ride every ridge and every side slope in both directions. Wow
@optimus and @Scorpio kept a sharp eye on us making sure no man/lady was left behind.
@Johanna kept Rashid's lines in front of me and gave me courage to keep the pace and conquer the challenges.

@David and @Sorin @Christiaan @SameRaptoRed and @Petr were such great company
@brett thank you for the chocolate croissants. They were provided at the right time.
It was a day full of adventure, excitement and truly a No Pain No Gain day. Thank you Rashid - this day will never be forgotten

[brett]

No Pain No Gain
5th March 2021



I was fortunate to be invited to ride as a passenger upfront with the infamous @Rashidjass. I woke up very early in order to reach my pickup point at Outlet Mall on E66. I jumped into the FJ – my first every ride in one of these beasts.
We headed off to the meeting point at Al Ain Airport

The colour and size of the dunes are amazing. We waited for everyone to arrive, there was a pretty even spread of Jeeps and FJ’ and the Monster V6 Twin Turbo Raptor (what a beast)

Rashid conducted a quick briefing and told all the drivers to be careful as the sand was extremely soft. So off we went – hey I am an 8 drive Newbie and up until now I thought I was starting to hone the skills of dune driving pretty well but let me tell you ! this was an Intermediate drive – Rashid did mention in the drive broadcast that it would be pretty extreme and any driver wanting to join should consider it carefully. This was Advanced Intermediate. The pace of the drive and the technical driving was mind blowing, the height of the dunes and the sharp peaks of the dunes being crested was something else, on the crest of the high dunes at times the steepness on either side was almost vertical. To drive at this level and at this pace requires immense concentration and hours and hours of experience behind the wheel. The best comparison would be that of a pilot whose rank and experience is measured in “Hours of Experience”. I now fully understand and appreciate the Almost4x4 grading system. There is no short cut to gaining the experience, to think otherwise would be very foolish, not to mention dangerous.

We saw several herds of camels, a large lizard and even a guy on a horse off in the distance. I didn’t get the opportunity to take many photos or videos as I was too busy hanging on. Thanks to the other drivers for the posted photos and videos.

There were a couple of second tries by almost all of the drivers – but considering the steepness and height of some climbs this was expected, the precise speed and angle was required to execute the cresting. The ropes came out a couple of times too. I cannot really say much more about the drive except that I was in awe of the professional approach of each and every driver, the focus on safety was obvious in every aspect of the drive.

And then the drive came to an end and everyone went their separate ways (thanks for dropping me home @Sorin )

What a fantastic, awesome, exhilarating learning experience it was for me. It will surely remain ingrained in my memory for a very long time.

Thanks to everyone @David @Johanna @Rathica @Christiaan @Petr @Sorin @SameRaptoRed @Scorpio @optimus
And a very special thanks to the master himself @Rashidjass for granting me the privilege.

My takeaway from the drive
Listen to the radio instructions.
There is no shortcut to this level of skill. Be patient, watch, listen and learn at every opportunity.

Brett
Jwasp

[Christiaan]

I was lucky to get into this drive as I was a bit late with the registration. Luckily for me Rooies couldn't make it and I grabbed his spot. I knew the area quite good because I stay in Al ain, but never have I ever thought that this is the way one could approach these dunes.

@Rashidjass said in the PM that he is ready for the drive and if you want out now is your last chance. Well arriving at the airport everyone was ready. Rashid had a quick chat and explanation of the area and that this was one of his favorite areas to drive. The dunes were big and sharp and concentration was needed. The two ladies @Johanna & @Rathica behind Rashid and the men to follow. @Scorpio and @optimus floating around and keeping an eye out for us.

The drive was fast and not one crest was missed. From the one side, turning around cresting from the other side and returning again it was unbelievable. I don't think there was a single crest without tracks after we left.

This was surely my best drive to date. Thanks for a wonderful morning in the desert. Thanks to Rashid, Scorpio and Optimus for keeping us safe and always ready to help where they can.

Thanks @Petr @Sorin @David @SameRaptoRed @Johanna @Rathica and @brett for a wonderful morning.

Thanks to the Marshalls and crew for all their time and effort to make these drives possible and enjoyable for us. Thanks for all the knowledge and help you share. We are fortunate to have people like you!