May the Force be with you III
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CARLOSS
- Explorer
- Posts: 230
- Joined: Sun Sep 20, 2020 2:10 pm
- Location: Dubai
- Has thanked: 1069 times
- Been thanked: 1233 times
Hi everyone,
May the Force be with you III hopefully did not disappoint our 10- padawans as it came with a bit of everything: Safari style with decent flow, small and big arches, straight cresting, drops, technical areas and hard and soft sand.
It is important that, at early stages, our dear members try as many as possible different driving styles and playground conditions as otherwise they might get too much familiarized to one or two of them and when becoming Old newbies or even intermediate will definitely suffer.
Convoy performed very well from my limited perspective while leading and expected second tries and stucks were observed as part of the training program. All of them very successfully managed by our brave intermediates @Vika (strong second lead), @Lapsis and @mpodroid guided by Master @alshamsi_m and my mate @David .
It seems to me that we are cooking a strong batch of Newbies that eventually might become Jedi Masters . Today, we got around 3 hours driving with 34km and almost 2 hours driving. Not that bad considering all “traps” I set for them… nobody saw the 2 straight crest in a row coming just after hitting the sand 
Almost forgot to mention that we challenged the two beautiful dunes chains in Nahil and finally completed the “P” shape I was planning for weeks…well-done team!
And get tuned for some more…the little bird
told me that next weekend might be quite technical so make sure that your bumpers are firmly tighten.
See you soon
May the Force be with you III hopefully did not disappoint our 10- padawans as it came with a bit of everything: Safari style with decent flow, small and big arches, straight cresting, drops, technical areas and hard and soft sand.
It is important that, at early stages, our dear members try as many as possible different driving styles and playground conditions as otherwise they might get too much familiarized to one or two of them and when becoming Old newbies or even intermediate will definitely suffer.
Convoy performed very well from my limited perspective while leading and expected second tries and stucks were observed as part of the training program. All of them very successfully managed by our brave intermediates @Vika (strong second lead), @Lapsis and @mpodroid guided by Master @alshamsi_m and my mate @David .
It seems to me that we are cooking a strong batch of Newbies that eventually might become Jedi Masters
. Today, we got around 3 hours driving with 34km and almost 2 hours driving. Not that bad considering all “traps” I set for them… nobody saw the 2 straight crest in a row coming just after hitting the sand Almost forgot to mention that we challenged the two beautiful dunes chains in Nahil and finally completed the “P” shape I was planning for weeks…well-done team!
And get tuned for some more…the little bird
told me that next weekend might be quite technical so make sure that your bumpers are firmly tighten.See you soon
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David
- Explorer
- Posts: 236
- Joined: Tue Feb 11, 2020 12:15 pm
- Location: Dubai
- Has thanked: 986 times
- Been thanked: 1019 times
Very nice drive for the 10- in Nahil organised by Carlos and also lead by him with Shamsi and myself as support plus Vika (2nd lead), Marco (sweeper) and Lapsis (congrats on your first recoveries).
Carlos put together very very nice lines, some struggles at the beginning by the convoy but a massive improvement overall in the performance from start to finish. Amazing to see the progress of the drivers that took very seriously the advice given.
Remember:
- Arches - clean lines, don´t get stuck on the side walls and avoid harsh/sudden movements
- Straight crests - stucks or 2nd tries much better than flying
- Radio communication - improvement still needed but progressing nicely
- Distance between cars, still not ideal in some cases, this area needs improvement for some drivers
- Do not be afraid of full acceleration/throttle when Marshalls ask you to, car will not break, cars break because wrong lines and/or steering, "hard on the engine safe on the tires" please.
Thank you to everyone that attended the drive, specially Carlos for organising and Shamsi (and the new toy - get ready interms ... ) for the support.
See you on the sand soon.
Carlos put together very very nice lines, some struggles at the beginning by the convoy but a massive improvement overall in the performance from start to finish. Amazing to see the progress of the drivers that took very seriously the advice given.
Remember:
- Arches - clean lines, don´t get stuck on the side walls and avoid harsh/sudden movements
- Straight crests - stucks or 2nd tries much better than flying
- Radio communication - improvement still needed but progressing nicely
- Distance between cars, still not ideal in some cases, this area needs improvement for some drivers
- Do not be afraid of full acceleration/throttle when Marshalls ask you to, car will not break, cars break because wrong lines and/or steering, "hard on the engine safe on the tires" please.
Thank you to everyone that attended the drive, specially Carlos for organising and Shamsi (and the new toy - get ready interms ... ) for the support.
See you on the sand soon.
David - Black FJ (0505543626)
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Carlos06
- Newbie
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Wed Jan 14, 2026 8:02 pm
- Has thanked: 1 time
- Been thanked: 20 times
Hello everyone,
It was a really nice drive and a deserved disconnection and energy release from the ongoing situation. We managed to start early after a short but nice briefing by @CARLOSS . I was at the back of the convoy which I enjoyed. We gained pace as we progressed through the drive and all of a sudden it was over. I managed to put in practice the tips from the previous drive and was overall satisfied with my progress (and enjoying the response of the Raptor!), although with a lot to learn and improve. Thanks to the whole team for making us feel safe and enjoy the drive. Thanks to David & Shamsi for the constant instructions and tips. Thanks to the support team for their help. Special thanks to Carlos for organizing. It was another great experience for me. See you all next time.
Carlos Amortegui
It was a really nice drive and a deserved disconnection and energy release from the ongoing situation. We managed to start early after a short but nice briefing by @CARLOSS . I was at the back of the convoy which I enjoyed. We gained pace as we progressed through the drive and all of a sudden it was over. I managed to put in practice the tips from the previous drive and was overall satisfied with my progress (and enjoying the response of the Raptor!), although with a lot to learn and improve. Thanks to the whole team for making us feel safe and enjoy the drive. Thanks to David & Shamsi for the constant instructions and tips. Thanks to the support team for their help. Special thanks to Carlos for organizing. It was another great experience for me. See you all next time.
Carlos Amortegui
This was my 3rd drive and it was great experience, I have learned more and enjoyed 
.
Never be afraid of getting stuck .
Getting stuck is better than flying
.
Thank you for giving privileges to learn how to drive off road .
Thank you .
. Never be afraid of getting stuck .
Getting stuck is better than flying
.Thank you for giving privileges to learn how to drive off road .
Thank you .
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Vika
- Intermediate
- Posts: 77
- Joined: Fri Jul 17, 2020 12:15 pm
- Has thanked: 406 times
- Been thanked: 389 times
May the force be with you lll
Hello everyone!
On Saturday another drive took place organized by @CARLOSS , dedicated to our Newbies 10—, designed to practice the skills that have already been acquired and, of course, to continue developing new ones.
Drive took place in Naheel, and the weather was just fantastic.
Due too Ramadan we don't have usually enough support during the morning drives, so briefing was given accordingly: Safety is the first
As a support and rescue team, there were only three intermediate drivers. I was appointed Second Lead. @mpodroid closed the convoy as the Sweeper, while @Lapsis was in the middle of the convoy in case a rescue was needed. Meanwhile, @David and @alshamsi_m were floating, keeping an eye on the whole convoy and giving the necessary instructions.
At the very beginning, @CARLOSS did not make us wait long and made a couple of straight crests and took advantage of it to enjoy the weather and the morning breeze and I took advantage of @CARLOSS and asked him how to activate the kill switch properly. As for this drive, I brought my second girl, since my Brave Black Dot was supposed to go on Inquisition to garage right before the drive, and I had never driven my another FJ in the desert before. She is a bit older, 2014 model, and I was confident that all the buttons worked exactly the same as on the 2015 models.
And I was totally wrong
@CARLOSS showed me kill switch and said hold it a few seconds, then got out, opened the hood, unplugged some wires, and I just stood there with my eyes wide-open
thinking he’s joking, then he plugged them back in and said, nope, I am not joking this time, check, four lights on the dash and you’re good. Eureka!!!!
It is never too late to learn
Also, I noticed that a quite serious mission was delegated to me recently by the marshals, but that is a campfire story
The drive was as amazing as it could be
Everything matched perfectly — the weather conditions and the truck chosen by the leader. Plenty of arches, soft sand, and technical areas. The only thing heard very often over the radio was “keep your distance,” especially for drivers handling heavy and long trucks.
A huge thank you to everyone who participated in the drive, especially the organizer, support team, and of course the marshals, without whom this would simply be impossible.
Until next time,
Viktoriia.
Hello everyone!
On Saturday another drive took place organized by @CARLOSS , dedicated to our Newbies 10—, designed to practice the skills that have already been acquired and, of course, to continue developing new ones.
Drive took place in Naheel, and the weather was just fantastic.
Due too Ramadan we don't have usually enough support during the morning drives, so briefing was given accordingly: Safety is the first
As a support and rescue team, there were only three intermediate drivers. I was appointed Second Lead. @mpodroid closed the convoy as the Sweeper, while @Lapsis was in the middle of the convoy in case a rescue was needed. Meanwhile, @David and @alshamsi_m were floating, keeping an eye on the whole convoy and giving the necessary instructions.
At the very beginning, @CARLOSS did not make us wait long and made a couple of straight crests and took advantage of it to enjoy the weather and the morning breeze and I took advantage of @CARLOSS and asked him how to activate the kill switch properly. As for this drive, I brought my second girl, since my Brave Black Dot was supposed to go on Inquisition to garage right before the drive, and I had never driven my another FJ in the desert before. She is a bit older, 2014 model, and I was confident that all the buttons worked exactly the same as on the 2015 models.
And I was totally wrong
@CARLOSS showed me kill switch and said hold it a few seconds, then got out, opened the hood, unplugged some wires, and I just stood there with my eyes wide-open
thinking he’s joking, then he plugged them back in and said, nope, I am not joking this time, check, four lights on the dash and you’re good. Eureka!!!!
It is never too late to learn
Also, I noticed that a quite serious mission was delegated to me recently by the marshals, but that is a campfire story
The drive was as amazing as it could be
Everything matched perfectly — the weather conditions and the truck chosen by the leader. Plenty of arches, soft sand, and technical areas. The only thing heard very often over the radio was “keep your distance,” especially for drivers handling heavy and long trucks.
A huge thank you to everyone who participated in the drive, especially the organizer, support team, and of course the marshals, without whom this would simply be impossible.
Until next time,
Viktoriia.
Last edited by Vika on Mon Mar 09, 2026 11:33 am, edited 1 time in total.
"The most effective way to do it, is just to do it"
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alberod
- Newbie
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Mon Oct 27, 2025 12:18 am
- Has thanked: 3 times
- Been thanked: 32 times
My grandmother always said: “de bien nacido es ser agradecido” what translated could be something like “ It is the mark of a well-born person to be grateful” and I want to start the report by thanking Carlos for organising the drive and David, Shami, Vika Lapsis and Marco for supporting all of us. Your dedication, patience, and commitment to our learning is commendable.
This was my 4th drive and took place in Nahil area: very nice and we were alone all the way. Carlos gave us the general and safety instructions an immediately led us to a straight crest that was a bit of a challenge so we definitely woke up! (at least I did).
We practiced quite a lot of arches which I find them of a big fun and some crests - still for me to manage the right speed and momentum -. In some areas de sand was quite soft and that was a new experience for me which was very good for learning.
Overall, another great and exciting drive!
Thank you again and looking forward to the next drive soon!
This was my 4th drive and took place in Nahil area: very nice and we were alone all the way. Carlos gave us the general and safety instructions an immediately led us to a straight crest that was a bit of a challenge so we definitely woke up! (at least I did).
We practiced quite a lot of arches which I find them of a big fun and some crests - still for me to manage the right speed and momentum -. In some areas de sand was quite soft and that was a new experience for me which was very good for learning.
Overall, another great and exciting drive!
Thank you again and looking forward to the next drive soon!
Alberto - Black FJ
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Lapsis
- Intermediate
- Posts: 24
- Joined: Sat Dec 24, 2022 10:41 am
- Has thanked: 99 times
- Been thanked: 40 times
Hello everyone,
Another great morning in Nahil and a very enjoyable drive organised by @CARLOSS for the 10- group.
Although it wasn’t my first drive since being upgraded to Intermediate, it was actually my first time doing support and recovery, so that added a new dimension to the day. Just before my first recovery, I received some very helpful advice from @David about how to approach it, what to look for, and the usual reminders about keeping things calm and controlled.
My first recovery went smoothly, and thanks to some cleverly chosen lines by Carlos there were plenty of opportunities to practice afterwards. The drive was clearly very well thought out — the route and pace were nicely balanced to test the newbies without overwhelming them. A few stucks here and there (very much part of the learning process) gave me the chance to practice recoveries in a safe and controlled way, which was great experience.
Nahil is always a fantastic area because the leader can easily adjust the challenge level depending on the convoy, and Carlos used that flexibility very well.
A couple of good reminders from the day:
• Arches: keep the momentum through the crest — don’t lift too early at the top.
• Commitment vs judgement: if the energy isn’t there, it’s always better to turn down early or take a lower line rather than forcing it.
It’s great to see a strong and enthusiastic batch of newbies coming through, and the overall convoy performance improved nicely as the drive progressed.
All in all, a really enjoyable drive with a great team effort from everyone involved. Thanks again to Carlos for organising and to the marshals and support team for their guidance throughout the morning.
Looking forward to the next one and seeing the continued progress from the convoy.
See you on the sand soon.
Another great morning in Nahil and a very enjoyable drive organised by @CARLOSS for the 10- group.
Although it wasn’t my first drive since being upgraded to Intermediate, it was actually my first time doing support and recovery, so that added a new dimension to the day. Just before my first recovery, I received some very helpful advice from @David about how to approach it, what to look for, and the usual reminders about keeping things calm and controlled.
My first recovery went smoothly, and thanks to some cleverly chosen lines by Carlos there were plenty of opportunities to practice afterwards. The drive was clearly very well thought out — the route and pace were nicely balanced to test the newbies without overwhelming them. A few stucks here and there (very much part of the learning process) gave me the chance to practice recoveries in a safe and controlled way, which was great experience.
Nahil is always a fantastic area because the leader can easily adjust the challenge level depending on the convoy, and Carlos used that flexibility very well.
A couple of good reminders from the day:
• Arches: keep the momentum through the crest — don’t lift too early at the top.
• Commitment vs judgement: if the energy isn’t there, it’s always better to turn down early or take a lower line rather than forcing it.
It’s great to see a strong and enthusiastic batch of newbies coming through, and the overall convoy performance improved nicely as the drive progressed.
All in all, a really enjoyable drive with a great team effort from everyone involved. Thanks again to Carlos for organising and to the marshals and support team for their guidance throughout the morning.
Looking forward to the next one and seeing the continued progress from the convoy.
See you on the sand soon.
