New Stars
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Dave
- Advance
- Posts: 0
- Joined: Fri Sep 06, 2013 3:54 pm
What a treat for our club members to have an introduction to Almost4x4 in the beautiful Al Faqaa desert. It's one of the quietest desert regions within an hour of Dubai/Sharjah. Full of clean and smooth dunes. Well worth the early start for most. Being a CM drive there was a lot of briefing to be done, hence although we met at 6am we didn't get driving till 7.30am. All the points covered are important as for some this is the first time they have ventured off road. The club prides itself on safety.
With almost 20 cars in total, we split into 2 convoys. Yoghybear guided our convoy through the small to medium dunes within 8-10km of Faqaa village. Overall the pace was very good. It was obvious we had some experienced drivers within the group. Tire pressure was a minor issue which caused a few second rounds of the sharper dunes. Maybe this could be covered in a little more detail in the initial group brief as some cars had almost 20psi, much too high for the hot soft sand. Once pressure was correctly set the convoy flowed a little better. There was the expected recovery here and there and a few second rounds where the sand was quite tricky. But from what I could see, there was a safe approach by all drivers and no one putting themselves , their 4x4 or others in danger.
Experience down the line will make drivers more aware of correct tire pressure, when to use the power of the 4x4, and how to read the terrain ahead so the car is in the correct gear and speed for that particular section of track. A good driver is always thinking ahead!
At approximately 9.30am the drive was complete and desert temperatures were at 42 degrees Celsius. Time to air up and head home! I hope our potential new members enjoyed the drive and company of the club marshals and assistants. I still remember my CM drive and thanks to the club have seen some beautiful regions of the UAE since then and in the meantime have become a better and safer driver.
Thank you all for an enjoyable Friday morning. Hope to drive together again soon.
With almost 20 cars in total, we split into 2 convoys. Yoghybear guided our convoy through the small to medium dunes within 8-10km of Faqaa village. Overall the pace was very good. It was obvious we had some experienced drivers within the group. Tire pressure was a minor issue which caused a few second rounds of the sharper dunes. Maybe this could be covered in a little more detail in the initial group brief as some cars had almost 20psi, much too high for the hot soft sand. Once pressure was correctly set the convoy flowed a little better. There was the expected recovery here and there and a few second rounds where the sand was quite tricky. But from what I could see, there was a safe approach by all drivers and no one putting themselves , their 4x4 or others in danger.
Experience down the line will make drivers more aware of correct tire pressure, when to use the power of the 4x4, and how to read the terrain ahead so the car is in the correct gear and speed for that particular section of track. A good driver is always thinking ahead!
At approximately 9.30am the drive was complete and desert temperatures were at 42 degrees Celsius. Time to air up and head home! I hope our potential new members enjoyed the drive and company of the club marshals and assistants. I still remember my CM drive and thanks to the club have seen some beautiful regions of the UAE since then and in the meantime have become a better and safer driver.
Thank you all for an enjoyable Friday morning. Hope to drive together again soon.
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Adam
- Intermediate
- Posts: 11
- Joined: Tue Jun 09, 2015 6:54 pm
Enjoyable drive with good guidance from @alshamsi_m and immediate backup from @Eric and @Mark B
The size of the convoy was good to keep the pace up.
A few stucks on crests, a couple of self recoveries and no real dramas.
Moral of the drive: keep enough distance to ensure you can get out of the way when something happens in front of you.
Below is our track info and the track can be viewed on google earth with picture locations:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0nqODWby4vxN2RNZFo2UVp4M1U/view?usp=drivesdk
Created by Google My Tracks on Android
Name: Al Faqaa
Activity type: driving
Description: -
Total distance: 32.95 km (20.5 mi)
Total time: 2:13:23
Moving time: 1:55:36
Average speed: 14.82 km/h (9.2 mi/h)
Average moving speed: 17.10 km/h (10.6 mi/h)
Max speed: 87.12 km/h (54.1 mi/h)
Average pace: 4:03 min/km (6:31 min/mi)
Average moving pace: 3:30 min/km (5:39 min/mi)
Fastest pace: 0:41 min/km (1:07 min/mi)
Max elevation: 215 m (705 ft)
Min elevation: 156 m (510 ft)
Elevation gain: 249 m (815 ft)
Max grade: 9 %
Min grade: -9 %
Recorded: 13/05/2016 07:46
The size of the convoy was good to keep the pace up.
A few stucks on crests, a couple of self recoveries and no real dramas.
Moral of the drive: keep enough distance to ensure you can get out of the way when something happens in front of you.
Below is our track info and the track can be viewed on google earth with picture locations:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0nqODWby4vxN2RNZFo2UVp4M1U/view?usp=drivesdk
Created by Google My Tracks on Android
Name: Al Faqaa
Activity type: driving
Description: -
Total distance: 32.95 km (20.5 mi)
Total time: 2:13:23
Moving time: 1:55:36
Average speed: 14.82 km/h (9.2 mi/h)
Average moving speed: 17.10 km/h (10.6 mi/h)
Max speed: 87.12 km/h (54.1 mi/h)
Average pace: 4:03 min/km (6:31 min/mi)
Average moving pace: 3:30 min/km (5:39 min/mi)
Fastest pace: 0:41 min/km (1:07 min/mi)
Max elevation: 215 m (705 ft)
Min elevation: 156 m (510 ft)
Elevation gain: 249 m (815 ft)
Max grade: 9 %
Min grade: -9 %
Recorded: 13/05/2016 07:46
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Daggerfall
- Marshal
- Posts: 342
- Joined: Mon Nov 03, 2014 11:23 am
- Has thanked: 164 times
- Been thanked: 142 times
It was a lovely Friday morning with Almosters and new family members.
I don't have much to add those comprehensive reports before me. The sand was soft and the track and level was very good for a CM drive. Following @Yoghybear is never easy in any level :)) but our new members did great.
I agree with @Dave that the correct tire pressure (at least a range) and how to protect your tires from pop outs should be one of the topics in the introduction.
I think everybody in the convoy did great. Thanks to @Yoghybear for the ride and @Dave for sweeping and nice photos. The defender looks very cool :)
And @Rashidjass for watching over us.
Looking forward to see new members soon.
Best Regards
I don't have much to add those comprehensive reports before me. The sand was soft and the track and level was very good for a CM drive. Following @Yoghybear is never easy in any level :)) but our new members did great.
I agree with @Dave that the correct tire pressure (at least a range) and how to protect your tires from pop outs should be one of the topics in the introduction.
I think everybody in the convoy did great. Thanks to @Yoghybear for the ride and @Dave for sweeping and nice photos. The defender looks very cool :)
And @Rashidjass for watching over us.
Looking forward to see new members soon.
Best Regards
" I feel the need, the need for Speed " 
Drives Black FJ " VF-1 Valkyrie " , Mob: 050 725 09 31
Drives Black FJ " VF-1 Valkyrie " , Mob: 050 725 09 31
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Rashidjass
- Marshal
- Posts: 98
- Joined: Wed Jun 08, 2011 2:12 am
- Has thanked: 95 times
- Been thanked: 11 times
Some pictures :playingsmiley::playingsmiley::playingsmiley:
[MENTION=8472]Dave[/MENTION]
https://www.facebook.com/rashid.soomar/ ... nref=story
[MENTION=8472]Dave[/MENTION]
https://www.facebook.com/rashid.soomar/ ... nref=story
Straight Roads Do Not Make Skillful Drivers yuush
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Rashidjass
- Marshal
- Posts: 98
- Joined: Wed Jun 08, 2011 2:12 am
- Has thanked: 95 times
- Been thanked: 11 times
[quote=Dave;47285]Nice photos @Rashidjass. I think you are a secret Land Rover fan!!![/quote]
Yes [MENTION=8472]Dave[/MENTION] I m super fan :004::004:
Yes [MENTION=8472]Dave[/MENTION] I m super fan :004::004:
Straight Roads Do Not Make Skillful Drivers yuush
