Hot Sand

[alshamsi_m]

Hello Everyone

Hot Sand drive was intended for our newbies 5- members, the idea is to many km as much possible to have fun but at the same time to practice keeping the right distance and build up more confidence in climbing high dunes.

The Drive started with a chill sitting under the tree to discue the plan and then off we go !!! Since the rain recently the sand was fairly easy and we had no major issues and the members did verywell.

Thanks for @Barish for the support. @brett to be the first to jump to support and our beloved Media Crew @Ehab & @nidal78 to cover this event.

Sepcial thanks to @haider alnuaimi for helping our marshals , we always can count on you

Till next time , stay safe and keep the sand flying

Cheers
Shamsi

[TarrynLush]

I nearly didn’t make this drive…thank you to the admins and @alshamsi_m for assisting with the registration process.

The last couple drives I have been a tad disorganised, so I tried to make sure I had all my tools ready and tried to get car ready as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Unfortunately I forgot the most important thing - to select four wheel drive Luckily it took a second try on the first obstacle to realise my mistake.

Today’s safari style drive was very enjoyable. Following distance was of utmost importance because the tracks are heavily used in some parts and you need to be able to follow the car in front of you carefully.

After a tour of some beautiful geological sites we made it up a big dune at the end - I was very proud of my Suzuki Jimny as it was by far the least powered vehicle in the convoy.

Thank you to Shamsi for leading the drive and to all the Marshals and crew for assisting in a smooth drive.

Until next time
Tarryn

[Chris69]

Another enjoyable morning on the sand, after a briefing by shamsi under a well placed tree we set off on a safari.
Following distance and communication was the two key fundamentals put into practice on this drive. One climb at the end first demonstrated by the founder himself showed the importance of when to floor it on approach to a climb. Was bumpy so had to go slow enough on approach so the car didn't fly up and lose momentum.Then full gas to make the climb, key fundamental on terrain and importance of line choice learned today.

Thank you to the Marshalls and support crew for organising and teaching us, looking forward to the next drive as always

[brett]

Dear Almosters.


Others are starting to embrace this new fangled AI so I decided to give “Chat GPT” a try. Below is my drive report as described by AI after submitting a few specific points !

Almost4x4 Desert Drive Report - 4th May 2024

Location: Al Badaya area, Sharjah

Participants: Newbie 5-Drive

Weather: Pleasant with firm sand due to recent rains

Overview:
The Almost4x4 desert drive on May 4th, 2024, in the Al Badaya area of Sharjah was a successful and exhilarating adventure. The convoy, comprised mainly of newcomers, navigated the terrain with enthusiasm and skill, benefiting from the favorable weather conditions and solid sand surfaces resulting from recent rains.

Leadership:
The drive was expertly led by @alshamsi_m , guiding the convoy in his Mando vehicle. Support was provided by the experienced “floating marshal,” affectionately known as “the general,” @Barish , who demonstrated advanced driving techniques throughout the journey. Advanced driver @Abu haider Intermediate support was also offered by @Petr , along with media coverage by @Ehab and @nidal78 , capturing the essence of the expedition.

Highlights:
One of the standout moments of the drive was the impressive performance of the Little Jimny @TarrynLush , which defied expectations by successfully ascending a steep climb on its first attempt, surprising everyone in the convoy. Additionally, a memorable incident occurred when the report author, driving “the red Baron,” opted for a different approach, resulting in a lively demonstration reminiscent of a bronco ride. This served as a valuable teaching moment for the newbies, illustrating the importance of choosing the right line when navigating challenging terrain.

Conclusion:
Overall, the Almost4x4 desert drive on May 4th, 2024, was characterized by its fast-paced safari style, with no major incidents reported. Participants enjoyed a thrilling adventure amidst the stunning desert landscape, honing their off-road driving skills and fostering camaraderie within the convoy.

[BShehzad85]

It was a lovely morning, I reached meeting point almost an hour ahead of briefing time, this allowed me to deflate and get car ready early enough and had opportunity to sit under shade of tree and chit chat with M Al Shamsi and other seniors,.
Drive was very smooth, fun and informative about Pink Rock geography. I was second car in convoy, this allowed me to follow Marshal closely and learn.
We finished at 2nd December cafeteria, It turned out at the the end of drive, my Car hood wouldn’t open, Thanks Suman for helping me out by let me use your car battery to connect my compressor.
Overall great, fun drive, thanks to All Marshals and seniors for support.

[Oasis]

What a scenic drive this was. It was also very fluid and well paced… thank goodness the lead was not in a Jimny!
It was a good technical drive too, as we practised a fair bit of arching and dune cresting... and a relatively steep and long climb at one point, thrown in there for good measure. Once again, a fun drive and another valuable lesson on driving in the sand pit. As usual, a big shout-out to all of the team for your support and assistance…. Looking forward to the next 5- drive, so that the time after that I can sign up for 5+ drives!

[Suman]

Another memorable drive especially for 5- newbies.
After gathering at meeting point, we had group briefing.

The drive started from 4x4 Track towards the side of Pink Rock. Then we moved towards 2 December Cafeteria, and came back to the Pink Rock and headed to Al Badayer. We all came back to Pink Rock, again and attempted successful climb of step dune.

During the drive, we received interesting information on Pink Rock, Crocodile Rock from our lead Al Shamsi. He also shared with us how do desert safari drivers drive. We constantly received alert on movement of camels & buggies, tourists and our route as we moved ahead.

Towards the end we drove to 2 Dec Cafeteria to finish the drive, inflated the car and departed from the group.

Thank you to all fellow Almosters, newbies, Lead, Sweep and Marshals.

[Barish]

Hello everyone,

Another Almost4x4 traditional drive part of training series usually designed following CM, training with practice to focus on certain skills monitored and identified during first drive for our new members after CM, such as distance and climbs. Also the drive that we start calling our new menbers with their own nicknames rather than car model and color..

Climate chg was very noticable, drive was smooth, flow was continous and pace was higher than prev week drive which was an indicator for our new members how we control the pace increase in the level moving fwd.

Thanks to Haider and Nidal for their great help on my car mechanics and Ehab to ensure my duty is not interrupted. :)

Thanks to Bu Salem taking us to one of the scenic routes of the region through the famous rocks. All drivers did well, couple of stucks and second tries was part of the game.

Remember always; chg is in question as soon as improvement is there.

See you next time.

Barish