Desert Gazing - Happy Feet

[alshamsi_m]

Hello Everyone

This is the shortest trip report I would ever write . Well, the night started very nice with nice weather and all the happy faces at the starting point.

I was so excited to try my new suspension with added offroad light on my littel Jimny. Once we hit the sand I realized my 4WD is not working so decided to deflate more and continue the drive but after 3 stucks in less than 200 meters I understood that today is not my offroading day so I have to give the FLAG to someone else.

Luckly we had @Daggerfall who became our leading marshal & @Barish aka The General guarding the convoy till the end.

I am looking forward for the next Desert Gazing drive where we are going to do the chapter of this Ramadan. It is going to be EPIC 72 km with everything including the CLOSED SECTION !!!

See you in the dark !!
Shamsi

[Tomvanhouten]

Hello everyone,

It is difficult to write a trip report after a weekend like this....Where to start???

Arriving at the meeting point, deflated, chit chat trip briefing and drive...normal so far.
Once we got started, @alshamsi_m had to give the stick to @Daggerfall due to some issues. We drove and we drove and we drove..Now, during the briefing, it was told that the drive would be short and then we would go for some star gazing. Not sure if the track was changed on the fly or we were just moving slow, but we drove for roughly 2,5hrs, ending at the sitting point around 12.
As the weekend was suppose to be a very long, we decided to head home for some small rest.

Thank you guys and see you soon.

Tom

[CARLOSS]

Dear everyone!

Happy Feet drive was not happy as it was supposed to be as Big Red refused to be on duty that night and forced @alshamsi_m to leave just a few minutes after we got started. “The show must go on” I guess Marshals decided so it was @Daggerfall the one leading along General @Barish taking care of the stucks and keeping the convoy flowing well.

With @Daggerfall is always the same, he manages to find the right track in the middle of nowhere (at night in this case) making beautiful lines between bushes and ditches …it is a real pleasure follow his lines.

The convoy did well with expected crested cars and second tries and we finished on time, and I headed home as a bullet as next day another drive was waiting for me…

Thanks @alshamsi_m for organizing & to all drivers for playing safe and all my dear interm mates for keeping the convoy safe as well.

See you soon
Carlos

[AntonT]

Dear Almosters,

for sure, everyone already understood what happened to Big Red - Jimmy. After saying goodbye to @alshamsi_m , our convoy followed @Daggerfall into "open space" with the support of @Barish . The light from the headlights was quite enough to enjoy the landscape of the night desert. The shadows of our cars moved in sync with the convoy along the neighbouring dunes. The area was familiar - we were driving along the route regular to newbies only in the opposite direction (towards Marqab).

Night drives are specific in that the pilot is careful and does not always create enough momentum to take on obstacles. As a result, frequent second tries, etc.

It so happened that I was in convoy next to @CARLOSS (shoulder to shoulder) for three trips in a row. Even since Hello Hi drive, I want to say how important it is when you are driving in convoy next to an intermediate driver. There is a sense of confidence, especially at a high driving pace. You can also get advice on how to get out of a difficult situation before you get stuck completely and so on. Thanks, Carlos, for the support!

Good that I didn't take a telescope with me to the desert to gaze at a meteor shower (as I wanted initially) since, like everyone else, I was in a hurry to get home.

Thanks to everyone who organized and supported the Happy Feet event. Until the next drive with Best Off-Road Club!

[CARLOSS]

Hey Anton, thanks for your nice words but please don't get used too much to interm drivers escorting you because you are a great driver and will soon become one of us and then, you will be on your own!

Dear Almosters,

for sure, everyone already understood what happened to Big Red - Jimmy. After saying goodbye to @alshamsi_m , our convoy followed @Daggerfall into "open space" with the support of @Barish . The light from the headlights was quite enough to enjoy the landscape of the night desert. The shadows of our cars moved in sync with the convoy along the neighbouring dunes. The area was familiar - we were driving along the route regular to newbies only in the opposite direction (towards Marqab).

Night drives are specific in that the pilot is careful and does not always create enough momentum to take on obstacles. As a result, frequent second tries, etc.

It so happened that I was in convoy next to @CARLOSS (shoulder to shoulder) for three trips in a row. Even since Hello Hi drive, I want to say how important it is when you are driving in convoy next to an intermediate driver. There is a sense of confidence, especially at a high driving pace. You can also get advice on how to get out of a difficult situation before you get stuck completely and so on. Thanks, Carlos, for the support!

Good that I didn't take a telescope with me to the desert to gaze at a meteor shower (as I wanted initially) since, like everyone else, I was in a hurry to get home.

Thanks to everyone who organized and supported the Happy Feet event. Until the next drive with Best Off-Road Club!

[jcarlosgarme]

Hello Almost Family!

Indeed a Happy Feet drive, see below my lessons learned. Not only my first time driving in the night ever but also first time in an FJ… I couldn’t help thinking every difference I felt compared to the mighty Pajero (Kudos #Mitsubishi, I learned a lot and pushed my limits without regret but the car never ever complaint).

The drive started sharp on time but unfortunately Red Big was not on the mood and @alshamsi_m has to retire early on. @Daggerfall took the lead and did a nice and smooth path for all of us.

As usual, our commander @Barish was everywhere in the middle of the night, back/front/up/down/left/right... I saw his jeep all night long... thanks, it really game some confidence knowing someone is watching after.

Our support group, @Laarni , @Tomvanhouten , @CARLOSS , @Yazan Ali , @osman , @mpodroid ... thank you guys, I felt the convoy constantly eventhough it was a night drive, having you every 2 cars makes also a big different to help newbies like me.

Many, many take aways from this drive:

happy feet on the pedal
It was a constant try and fail for me... too much acceleration but then breaking up on the crest otherwise jumping... towards the end it was coming more natural but I also got crested once... this drive offered opportunities to learn

Steering.
I felt some differences in the car, sliding sideways more than previous drives... is this an FJ thing?? Naaahh, is probably the driver but I will learn from this... is probably the major difference from changing the car (in addition to the extra power of course ).

Lights on!
Marshals are not joking about the need of proper lighting... thanks @rashid for the proper setup.
I turned them off couple of times to feel the difference and is DARK. For every newbie that has not done this mod... never go in the night without them,. Safety come first!


Quiet on the radio,
It could be we were mourning the departure of our organizer, maybe we were tired after a week of work but I felt that we, the newbies, were quiet on the radio... or maybe it was just me and the fact that the convoy was constantly moving...

Proper distance.
Is not nice to loose the car in front of you in the middle of the night, you can easily loose the track or jump on somebody else if you are too close. Watch for distance!

Alltogheter, I had a fantastic night, wish all the bewbie team (@sumaiya (well done btw),@AntonT , @Flor , @Deadpool , @Deadpool , and all!!

hope you enjoyed as much as I did!
See you soon,

Carlos

[Laarni]

HELLO GUYS!!

hope you are all doing good, hope you enjoy watching my trip report. nothing more to say
but as for me. i have enjoyed it.

thanks all

[osman]

Hi,

We had another happy soul drive which was named as happy feet...

I was the first one at the meeting point, maybe for two reasons - anxious for another night drive & meeting point is close to home this time.

As mentioned by others, we had a very early lead car/driver change due to mechanical issues. I was assigned to be a sweeper, @Daggerfall being the lead car after @alshamsi_m decided to give Big Red to some TLC then come back with revenge. @Tomvanhouten as the second lead, @Barish as "floating everywhere" marshal with his overworked radio and @Yazan Ali also floating. The intermediate drivers were placed every second newbie in the convoy. We had total of 20 cars, which is relatively long stretch when all the cars are moving at the same time.

We would have far less stops, cresting, pulling, 2nd tries, etc. if we drove during the day. But this is the fun and another dimension and joy for the night drives. The event was planned to end at 23:59 according to the invitation and we finished exactly at 23:59. No one wanted to stay back after the drive and we drove back to home.

Thank you @alshamsi_m for making this event happen & @Daggerfall and @Barish for taking care of us. I would never think I would miss the sand in my first years in Dubai, but for sure I will now as I will be away for four weeks. Hoping to see you on the sand at the end of May.