Friday 13th - revival of the desert ghost

[David]

I have always liked Friday 13th drives, that little thing jumping and turning around making cars behind really suffer.

Change of location this time, I had been there before and I was wondering how it would work out as not as technical as "eggs in basket" and with some medium size formations.

Couple of nice surprises came already before the drive, 1st one to see Rooies after a very long time, too long, I missed the sound of that Patrol (and the driver too) so hopefully we will see him driving more often. 2nd one that Phoenix really exists!!!, great to finally meet him!!!

Interms at the back and newbies behind the Jimny. Convoy was long, very long, no doubt too long to get momentum and a constant flow. In the 1st dune convoy became long minus one ... I thought that at this rate drive would be interesting but that was the only car to leave the drive.

I was closing the convoy so very difficult to see the action that was towards the front of the convoy, at least I had Paddy as passenger and conversation keep me entertained. We would only see the recoveries or situations left for the interms to assist with while Mabubaker and Rashid/Scorpio kept a vigilant eye.

As somehow tends to happen most of the interesting action happened towards the end of the drive, when getting dark, I love these, the lack of light always adds an extra element of adventure. At one point I think we had 3-4 stucks being attended at the same time, very nice one of the rescues mastered by Rashid, very unusual stuck (I don't know how that car ended up there) that was resolved amazingly.

Thanks to everyone that attended the drive for making it possible but specially to the support Marshalls, Rashid, Scorpio and Mabubaker and of course the one without who these amazing fun drives would never happen, Shamsi.

Time to travel back home to spend some time with the non-sand family so wishing you all a great summer and hopefully see you at the end of August for more fun and adventures.

See you on the sand soon.

[Tomvanhouten]

Hi everyone,

I was looking forward to this event the whole week! The location made me excited as there are so many traps there and an absolutely shitty week at work made me look forward to this day a lot!

A completely different scenario then previous F13 drives was the result. There was flow with horror, nearly no damaged cars and a good atmosphere. Although somehow, we left the desert only around 0830pm, still smiling but tired.

Thank you everyone and see you soon again

Tom

[AZK89]

Hello my love club

After i stop of driving from driving with the wonderful club, I got to the drive that day and was very excited to see everyone and see (Abu Salem - Tom - ehab - Brett - Rashid - Scorpio - Abu Bakr - Kimoz - the others) .. This is the first time that I enter I was excited about this event, and I was feeling a little anxious at the beginning, and that was because of my last driving, which was in Ramadan. Driving is beautiful, the track was exciting, and learning the art of driving in various difficult and simple terrains from watching others get stuck and being helped and the right ways to help them. In the end, I didn't get stuck in the sand and I only had one attempt... Thanks everyone

[piotr]

The Friday 13th drives don't seem to come by too often recently (blame the calendar) but they are always a ton of fun. This time round the schedule was not too merciful, a "dig-it / pull-it " drive right at the beginning of extreme summer heat season (weather did not disapopint! ;) ). Tough job for the lead car - push the convoy, but not kill'em ;)
The area was a little less tricky than the EiB, but still managed to deliver all the tricks a desert had to offer (or was it @alshamsi_m skill? :)?
We had our fair share of second tries and stucks (some of them quite picturesque), a couple of pop-outs, dented bumpers, and even a cut tire (first one to witness for me) :) - the frequency seemed to grow as the sun lowered towards the horizon :) The eagerness to rescue was constantly high, despite scorching heat - all the situations were swiftly resolevd.

Given the convoy was quite long (I was positioned at the back) the pace was not great - but also that is not the aim of the F13 drives - we covered 32km in 3:45h (1:30 stopped :))

It was great to once again get tested (car+driver) in the tricky terrain and get a bit of a "refresh" of technical driving,

As always, big thanks to the Marshals and Intermediate / Advanced support keeping the convoy safe!

Can't wait for more adventures with the A4x4 Family, but for now the car is getting a proper wash and will get parked for a month - summer travels await.

See you in the sand again soon!

Piotr

[Ehab]

Hi Almosters, a trip that each newbie must attend as it polish your skills and differentiate between real and fake offroaders.

I think the first nasty stuck was after 45 seconds from the start and we spent at least 10 minutes recovering the car

The track was easy at the beginning but very interesting toward the end. The last maneuver had 4-5 stucks in a radius of 100m, and then almost 2 km of driving alone to reach Bu Salem.

Amazing drive, very brave newbies and huge learnings.

Enjoy watching

Friday 13th - Revival of The Desert Ghost

[alshamsi_m]

Hello Everyone

Frist of all I would like to thank Tom for Suggesting this area for me. It is one of the areas where we have tracks in different directions but not the suggested way so I went for a scout and it got confirmed and approved. Even the marshals so a potential intermediate level in it .

The term " Madam Desert Ghost" was initially founded by our former chief marshal Silverster aka Caprihorse who was teasing the intermediates if the got stuck like newbies but taking a picture before rescueing them which lead to the early batches of our offroaders to take this hobby seriously and focus.

The area chosen this time was deceiving when it showed an easy track but it was a full package, the track was 22 km with three parts. The smooth area, the area after the trees, and the area after the palms. We succeeded to finish 15 km of the original plan and some members might say that after the trees was taught because they didn't see what was at the palms area

Thanks to all who joined us and made it another successful event
I hope we can come back with a stronger group where we can finish the track

Cheers
Shamsi




all credits for RashidJass

[brett]

Dear Almosters,

Friday 13th on Saturday 15th what a day. I have participated in Friday 13th back in 2021 in the EIB area, that drive was complete madness. Turns out this year was similar even in Sweihan area. Thanks to @tom_vanhouten for suggesting the track, thanks of course to our founder @alshamsi_m for arranging the drive.
The briefing was pretty standard, with reminders such as – radio communication, following distance etc., Newbies at the front, intermediates at the back only to move forward to do recoveries when needed. So off we went across the flat area and into the dunes. First dune – first stuck! so we waited down on the flat area until the recoveries was completed.
The drive proceeded and we had the expected number of stucks, and 2nd tries in a drive with this reputation.
I was having a nice afternoon and very uneventful. Was good to see @Rooies after so long, was also great to have my “Crew” @kimoz with us. Thanks to all the other intermediates, advanced and marshals – your experience and expertise was called on many times towards the end of the drive in the fading light @Mabubaker, @Scorpio, @Rassidjass. @arminjune, @orlantsev. @David, @Kimoz, @Ehab, @Imranfj, @Mghoneim, @Rooies and @Tom_vanhouten and @Laarni

The Carnage really started (as always) towards the end of the drive – following @kimoz after @Alshamsi_m called for intermediates to help – Kimoz attempted a straight crest in very soft sand and became crested, he then successfully crossed the dune – my turn ! hesitating before the crest as I didn’t want to fly – end result completely bellied (no magic buttons were going to help. Thanks to @rooies for dislodging me from the grip of the soft crest.
Within a few minutes again @Alshamsi_m called on the radio that everyone to come to where the Jimny was, it was getting dark and there were several recoveries taking place. I followed @Tom_vanhouten back to the Jimny, I parked behind it. I then thought to myself this is not the safest place to be parked as I was in the danger zone below a dune, So I decided to move, and that was my Mistake! driving around the Jimny I managed to slip into a ditch the sand was extremely soft and basically swallowed the lower part of my car. Thanks To @Tom_vanhouten for quickly establishing the anchor – ensuring the car was stable. And then thanks to @Rashidjass and @Scorpio for the perfectly executed extraction. A very humbling experience indeed, reminding me how a simple movement can quickly turn into a potentially dangerous experience.

[Paddy]

Friday the 13th --- there was lots of hype for the event and that already made all newbies a little nervous, best part was its our Founder @alshamsi_m who was leading the convoy in his little monster. So it was pretty evident that drive was going to be epic.

Now the day arrived and I was fortunate at the same time unfortunate for not driving in the convoy. But thanks to @David I got a chance to witness this event as a passenger.

We met at the meeting point where temperature was 48 degree Celsius, but energy level was way higher than that. Everyone was waiting for the @alshamsi_m with mixed emotions, and finally he arrived. After a brief intro we started and with in first 45 seconds we saw second lead struggling and stuck. Wow that gave an idea to all Newbies what they are up to.

Now the fun started, I was being lucky sitting with @David who was driving like spreading butter on a toast. With him it felt its an easy drive, when you sit with someone like @David who posses exceptional driving skills each obstacle looks easy, but there is a huge difference in watching and doing. I can imagine how I would have struggled like all other newbies if I would have been driving.

Overall not only newbies but few intermediates also needed help at times and that concluded the drive as it was described. Drive lived upto all the expectations and at the end of the drive everyone was exhausted but happy.

I was happy that I was part of the drive and learned how to deal with certain situations.

I am Thankful to @alshamsi_m for letting me be a part of the drive, @David for sharing the passenger seat, @Scorpio and @RashidJass for keeping everyone safe and all almosters who joined the drive to make it memorable.

~Br
Paddy

[Laarni]

Hello guys..

hope you are all good..i didn't drive today but i just love to give you all
a good video...so hope you all enjoy it.




thanks

[Aljamhi]

The JIMNY FEAR

On a thrilling 13 Friday drive, I embarked on an adventurous desert drive. Anticipation and excitement filled the air, along with a hint of nervousness. I set out with precautions to avoid getting stuck in the sand or experiencing any unexpected obstacles. Despite my efforts, I encountered both situations during the drive.

Around 30 minutes into the journey, the pace picked up beyond what I had anticipated, presenting new challenges. Assessing the risks, I was mindful of potential tire pops, getting stuck, overheating, team dynamics, and the condition of the car, particularly the marshals Alshamsi and Abu Baker.

In this adventure, the key was to rely on oneself while also seeking support from fellow participants. The team never halted or took detours. During one incident, I unintentionally followed Vika, who got stuck on the side of a crest. With no other option, I had to make a quick decision between stopping and risking a collision from behind or speeding up and veering 3 meters to the left. I chose the latter, but it resulted in getting deeply stuck. Thankfully, Kimoz came to my rescue and helped free my vehicle.

After approximately 40 minutes, my front left tire started leaking air, reaching 5.2 on the pressure gauge. I signaled Abu Baker to wait while I fixed the tire's air pressure, ensuring I wouldn't be left behind. The adventure continued, filled with challenges, camaraderie, and unforgettable memories.


Forget about my above excitement and don’t join the drive next year.

Be cautious with the marshal, especially if they've been looking after you since the CM drive.