Cool stars VI

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Tomvanhouten
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Hello everyone,

We had a great drive with smoking temperatures!

Nahil was the place to be, drive organized for 10- group with very mixed experienced drivers. It is really good to see that even this is possible in such an area.

In general the drivers were really good, nice flow and lovely area, but what an incredible area it is. I have been there multiple times, but it keeps on amazing me, the sheer variety of dunes and different styles you can drive is beautiful!

Thanks everyone and see you next time

Tom
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alshamsi_m
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Hello everyone

Nahel is one of most beautiful places you can drive as a nearby area. I used to drive it with the club before we have so many offroad groups in the desert but lately it became very crowded like Al Badayer. To make it worse, the tranches that was made last year looking for oil. Nature restored itself and we had had a great day in it.

The drive was introduction to safari style which we usually do for or members with 3 drives or more to give them the feeling of the fast drives.

Thank you @Barish for organising the drive and being our guardian angel 😇. Also all of you who trusted us and drove all the way in this heat.

Looking forward to see you soon before we go to Salalah.

Stay Safe and keep the sand flying.

Shamsi
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PedroLeal
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Hello Almosters,

this was my second drive of the day.
The area was Nahil, and it was my 3rd time driving in this area, 2 of them as part of the "Cool Stars" series.
I like this area a lot because it offers a large variety of different tracks depending on the drive level.

The weather was burning hot, and being familiar with the meeting location, I knew that there are no trees to find a shadow, so I found a small shadow close to a public park disting no more than 500m apart, and I deflated and mounted the flag there, and then moved to the meeting point to find already some members there.
With all drivers ready, the organizer marshal @Barish welcomed everyone, called the attendance, briefed about the drive and set the convoy order.
The initial idea was to have a 3.5h drive and try to reach Nagrah dune. The drive would be exceptionally longer than the usual 3h drives due to the long distance to cover and because the drive level had to match the 5- level of some fresh newbies.
The convoy was led by @alshamsi_m, I took the 2nd lead duties, and behind we had the 5-, the 5+ and the 10+ with the interm @dorudoru sweeping and making sure no one was left behind. Rescue and support was in charge of @Tomvanhouten, @mpodroid and @Sostick. Ensuring the safety of the convoy we had @Barish as floating marshal.

We started the drive in a moderate/fast pace because the initial section was quite flat, with some climbs and a few drops.
The area was beautiful with no tracks at all, and surrounded by amazing dunes and crests. In one of the dunes, Bu Salem started to climb one of the dunes, but quickly turned down making a small arch, then went on the radio and said: "Pedro, this was so tempting!..." grin
We then reached an area with some long climbs, which may have caused the first and only victim of the drive. Due to overheating issues, we had to escort a driver out to a gatch road to leave the drive early.
On a faster pace, we returned to the same area we were before to reach "The Climb" of the drive!
"Pedro, don't come...", I heard on the radio. Then @alshamsi_m continued: "If we do this well, we may spend the entire afternoon here. If we don't, we may not be able to get out of here, ever!"
Off he went and said: "you need to floor it and follow my tracks stricly".
It was a quite steep and long climb, with a left turn with some soft patches before starting the descent and closing the loop.
While I was dealing with the soft patches up there, I then realized the meaning of the words "... we may not be able to get out of here, ever!".
One by one, and with some 2nd tries, most of the drivers did it and had fun!
Due to the delays we have faced, marshals decided to change the plans for the remaining drive. There was no time to go to Nagrah anymore, but there was still time to cover some beautiful areas in Nahil on the other side of the power lines.
I knew exactly what area it was... I had been there 2 times before, both with drives led by @optimus and it ends in a big bowl where only interms are allowed to play, and this time was no different!...
So there we were, the newbies, standing aligned and watching the interms drawing beautiful arches on that bowl, and making us dream about it. That is why I name that dune as "The dream bowl"!
From there, we headed back to the drive starting point as the sun was about to set.
It was a beautiful drive, meant to be a 5- level, but when Bu Salem is leading, we never really know!

By the time I'm writing this report, I already know that I've been upgraded to the Intermediate level, which makes this my last drive as a Newbie.
I want to take this opportunity to give an advice to my fellow newbies: come to the drives to have fun, but mostly come to learn. Learn from your own mistakes by understanding what you did wrong and from Marshal's feedback. Trust the marshals, they are there for you!

I'll see you soon in the sand!

Pedro
Arjun_M
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Nihal is a beautiful desert. I was looking forward to this drive because it was so good the last time around. Its the second time i was here and both the times I've enjoyed it quite a lot. Thank you @Barish for organizing this drive and @Shamsi for the beautiful lead. Considering we had a couple absolute newbies in the convoy, I think there was a good flow and there were quite a few long runs we all enjoyed without any "situations".

Our plan was to drive up until Nagra and exit from Sweihan. Sadly, we had a pajero in the convoy that had some issues with overheating so we had to do a quick detour to escort him to the tracks so he could exit safely. Because of this detour, we didnt make it out to Nagra.

But thats okay, cause we did make it out to a really nice dune to climb. @PedroLeal was the second lead on this drive behind @Shamsi and the went out did a loop and came back. Shamsi had warned that either we would get out of this area quickly, or we'd be here forever. Once Shamsi and Pedro showed the way. The absolute newbies followed, and one of them got into a situation, Shamsi asked @Tomvanhouten to take him to the newbie car and drive back down with him. After this situation, we heard on the radio that the marshals were changing the track. I was sitting down looking at them on the top of the dune and radio-ed in saying, "but we want to go as well". He asked "are you sure?". Absolutely, was my response and he was nice enough to allow us a try. So we did, and yay I succeeded in doing the whole loop and coming back from the other side. I was told on the radio by shamsi that i would be rewarded however a few seconds later I messed up and heard Shamsi in a stern voice "not higher Arjun". So i guess that reward is gone. Oh well, my mess up, it was literally only a few feet i would say but rules are rules.

That was the best part of the drive, after that we reached a really nice bowl which was super tempting for us to see the intermediates play in it. We were watching and chatting around until the had their fun, and then headed to the exit.

All in all it was a really fun drive and looking forward the next one. Thank to all the members for their participation. The marshals for organizing the drive for us and @mpodroid @Tomvanhouten @Sostick for the support. See ya'll soon !!

Arjun
korym
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Drive : Cool Stars VI
Level : CM
Area : Nahel
Organizer : @Barish

Hello Almoters

it was officially my 2nd drive with the club and it is start very nice, actually i start to enjoy driving (till this moment my heart beat each time i pass a dune yaeh am not durnk :dizzy: ), i climb some dunes and it was very nice but suddenly i feel that i lost the power of my engine to discver that my car (Pajero) Overheated and need to cool it down.

i announce that on radio and our leader @Shamsi stop the drive and i found everyone in the convoy beside me like movie star grin .

i discovered also that my deflator was giving me wrong reading values and i was already over deflate

we take some rest and thanks @Tomvanhouten and @PedroLeal for assisting me on inflate.

we move again and after 20 or 30 Minutes my car had been overheated again and again i lost the power of my engine.

i had been advised to escort for my car safety ( Which is was a very wise decision ) until i check my cooling workflow.

unfortunately the all convoy change to route to escort me flat area and from what i read on the Trip Report that effect them to reach Nagra.

Am sorry for each one if i was a reason for that :you_re_kidding_right: :you_re_kidding_right: TT TT

it was nice short drive for me and i wish to see you all soon on sand

Thanks @Shamsi for lead
Thanks @Barish for organizing
Thanks @PedroLeal for Second Lead

and Thanks for every one was in the drive

i already check my car and change my coolant and waiting to join you Soon
jcarlosgarme
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better late than never!

Hello Almost family:

I signed off on this trip with lots of expectations, I sat on the bench for couple of months after Ramadan times and could not help myself joining any other before this one, so lots of excitement for being accepted!

A lot of new faces: @Arjun_M @Enrique @korym @thewhyterhino @PedroLeal (this one new to me but famous in the group already) and also @Mghoneim who had been behind or in front of me couple of times in the Radaman drives... I'm getting used to the group and I would say we all did an great drive, flowing and moving fast... i don't remember tricky situations anymore except for a challenge that our Marshals brought to us more or less on the last 3rd of the trip, going up and then turn right to pass next to the ball... AMAZING!!!

@Barish the organizer had everything on time and ready, as expected he was floating during the drive OMNIPRESENT, seems that all my windows had an sticker of his jeep all the time. I believe I report this on every trip, but it gives a great sense of security whenever is a tricky situation and you have a Marshal giving some advise in the radio. thank you!

@alshamsi_m led the convoy, the plan was all the way to Nagra but we had a lot of fun in the middle and make it harder to reach on time. I had some memories from 1 year ago in my first dive at Nahil, either the Marshal made it easier or is a different area because I was not as impossible as I remembered. Support team as usual: @dorudoru @Tomvanhouten @mpodroid and @Sostick , as as with the Marshals is always safer to have them in the convoy watching and helping us big shout out to intermediates thumbsup they do not get all the credit but they always come to rescue!

Lessons learned on this trip:
Radio communication.
@Barish asked the older newbies to be active on the radio and respect safety distance. After few drives one feels more confidence and is easier to forget the "Carlos clear" but was an excellent reminder as we younger newbies also learn from example of olders in the group... good reminder

Safety distance
Another reminder from Marshal, we all learn from what others are doing better to follow the rules to the best possibility.

What a real bowl looks like:
Just after a very nice challenge in the trip, it was clearer that we had no chance to reach Nagra but @alshamsi_m took us to another level experience.... yes my first bowl ever in real life. I can't describe how impressive it was, looking at the car far away going up around the bowl, u-turn, up again, come down and side cresting after flattening the knife. It is just an blast of adrenaline looking at the intermediates driving inside. Safety first tho, only intermediates could try it and that is fair play, nobody wants to see an incident down there and seeing the interms playing around was another level. What a way to encourage us to keep on going!!

Driving is a team spirit
@korym no regrets at all for driving with you, you should feel no shame but proudness doing a terrific job out there till the moment your car said no more. A year ago in Nahel I had like 3 stocks + 2 pop outs in the first 15 minutes my first 10+ drive... I probably got stock like 10 times so lost the count but @rapailo and @Rooies came to me for couching and mental support --- that day and ended up being the drive I learned the most!--- One of the greatest things here is the friendly and helpful environment. My Pajero lasted like 17 drives but it was capable for more so hope to see you soon in another drive mate, well done!!



Here is an image of my first bowl ever! Nahil is by far always showing me a before and after offroad.

Cheers and see you soon!

Carlos (b)
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