COOL STARS VII

[brett]

Dear Almosters,

Thanks to @Barish (the General) and our Founder @alshamsi_m for arranging and supporting this drive in the amazing Nahil area.

As it was a 10- drive my wife agreed to join – expecting a fairly relaxed drive. Driving to the meeting point was interesting as we were chasing the storm. When we arrived, the heavens opened, and the wind picked up. A couple of the first newbies arrived and asked if the drive would still take place due to the weather, should they install their flags etc. due to the wind! My response was “I guess so”.

Soon enough everyone was assembled, the rain had passed and @Barish gave the briefing and set the convoy order. @Alshamsi_M would lead in Linda with @Barish floating marshal. We had @Ely in her Jimny as 2nd Lead, intermediates and advanced drivers distributed throughout the convoy for support, we had @Petr @Mghoneim , @orlantsev , and myself towards the rear. @Aljamhi was to be our sweeper.

It is amazing how the characteristics of the sand change with a little bit of rain – wet and compact on top but the soft dry sand remains underneath – so as the convoy passed through the dunes the terrain and track was challenging in different ways depending on your position in the convoy – breaking through the top wet layer for those up front, controlling your car in the partially wet and partially dry spots for those in the middle, and then bashing our way through the completely chewed up tracks for those of us at the rear of the convoy.

Linda may look unassuming from a distance but as with any vehicle – put the master of the dunes - @Alshamsi_m behind the wheel and nothing is impossible. The drive was a lot faster than the 10- Newbies had ever experienced before – Safari style with some small and medium arches, climb and cross and then some nice straight steep high climbs. Mostly the convoy were able to complete the challenges presented to them, with only a few 2nd tries or changes to the original track required.

Overall, it was a very quiet day for the support team with the Viking Rope only needing to come out on one occasion.

This drive highlighted some important aspects to be remembered and developed by the newbies as their development continues.
- Tire pressure, start with the right pressure for your car, check the pressure when you get the opportunity during the drive, as it will increase during the drive, causing you to struggle to make climbs and loss of traction on arches etc.
- Listen to your car and learn how it will react on climbs. Arches, descents etc.
- Try and stay focused – the last 30min of the drive is when mistakes happen due to fatigue, loss of concentration and possibly increased tire pressure.
- Radio communication – the radio is for relaying important information about your situation – not for general chit chat.
The weather is now fantastic for driving in the dunes, get ready for more drives and prepare yourself for some “All Day” Drives, where concentration and stamina will be needed to enjoy long hours of driving at faster pace.

[Sanadshaikh]

Hello everyone!

Cool Stars VII for me marked three occasions – welcoming winter, completing 1 year with Almost4X4 and 10 newbie drives

Preps started well in advance for this drive with refueling, comms & recovery gear packed the night before, ensuring I reached the meet-up point on the dot. Took me about 1.5 hours to reach Nahil, halfway though I was greeted with grey clouds, light showers, and breeze – I knew then this drive was aptly named. Upon arrival, I was quick to deflate, mount flag and took rest of the time to meet & greet the crew. Post attendance check, newbies were briefed in by Barish and Abu Salem, emphasizing on the impact of wet + soft sand on the drive, things to watch out for and asserting on maintaining right distance and communications, given that this was going to be fast paced drive.

In true Almost4X4 fashion, drive by Barish was extremely well planned with a mix of medium and big dunes, cruising along the beautiful slopes of Nahil and many a times flooring the gas pedal for big climbs and keeping up with the convoy. It also allowed for a few stops where newbies got to rest and recharge with a special cup of Karak +dates from Abu Salem (cherry on the cake!). Views at every point were just stunning with a mix of blue skies, some cloud cover, sun rays and orange dunes – one of many reasons to be grateful to Almost4X4 team for organizing such drives, educating and enabling newbies with the right knowledge, tools and tips to explore this beautiful desert terrain.

Overall, no major hiccups throughout the drive. Witnessed 1 recovery, 1 “drive it like you stole it moment” and some quad car action. Towards the end of the drive, we witnessed a beautiful sunset and what looked like 2 meteors (not sure) passing by and stories of underwater adventures involving various species of sharks.

Looking forward to the next adventure. I hear 10+ drives are not for the faint hearted :/

[alshamsi_m]

Hello everyone

Thanks to @Barish for choosing this area for us. It has clean dunes with lots of chances to do Safari Style driving which we used to do in Al Badayer in the old days.

The rain was an added factor which made the sand look much better with their colours

I was expecting sick passengers in my swinging drive but then I needed to take it easy because I had a sick driver , on the other hand I heard unhappy passenger for reducing the level

The drive finished on time with beautiful sunset face Nahel Oasis.

It was beautiful to see you all and as @brett said : get ready for all day drives in Liwa

Till next time keep the sand flying!!!
Cheers
Shamsi

[MuddassirT]

Hi all,

It was an awesome ride with awesome people in an awesome place and awesome climate
Enjoyed every moment, thanks for all of you to make it happen

Regards
Muddassir T

[Barish]

Hello everyone,

The event started with good weather aplashed by a quick rain promising some surprises inside the Nahil desert with a chain of mixed terrain.

These kind of wode areas are good when there is a wide range of drivers from multiple Newbie levels, you try low, you increase; if the convoy responds, you try higher. Thanks to convoy controllers, the second lead, @Ely and sweeper, @Aljamhi , in those tricky spots. Overall the convoy did amazingly well, pace was good and interruptions on the pace was minimal.

Special thanks to support team guiding the convoy in every situation and special thanks to @alshamsi_m for another great lead to practice as usual which is a privilige in the Newbies experience.

We ended at a spot with amazing lake view with some nice chat and relax after the long day which definitely helped to boost the energy for the way back to home.

One small note; go ahead with the change as soon as you can improve.

See you next time.

Barish

[Lapsis]

Well, back in at the deep end it seems... wow!

After too long away from the dunes, almost six months sadly, I signed up for "Cool Stars VII".

My last drive was "Easy and Slow" apparently. Cool Stars VII seems to have been the absolute opposite!

On our way to the meeting point I was asking my copilot Delia (@Oasis ) to check the forum and chat for updates on the drive as we navigated storms, watched the lightning, and received the safety warnings through the UAE's emergency alert system, I was convinced I'd arrive at the meeting point to find it deserted. Nope, not one bit. There they were, nice and early 'almosters' airing down and raising flags. It was on!

So first time back in the sand for a while. New conditions. A clear briefing from @Barish . And off we went.

It was clear that these conditions would not be met frequently. Those of us towards the front would be dealing with mostly firm, compact sand, but with the risk of breaking through that reassuring crust into the powder below. Those at the rear would have our soft tramlines to follow with crust either side.

So, in my newbie ignorance I thought to myself 'I already have warm tyres from the 1:20h drive to the meeting point, it's early afternoon the hottest time of the day, the sand is firm so I don't need the footprint of a super-soft tyre and the risk of pop-outs is presumably high with such firm sand under us. So I'll be conservative and go for 11 psi rather than the 10 psi I normally aim for.

That proved to be a mistake.

Surely enough, with the speeds we were doing in the incredible conditions with @alshamsi_m 'driving it like it was stolen' (from the newbie perspective at least. I still can't work out how he could lead the convoy, drive at those speeds, and still somehow call on the radio things like "Car four, you're too far back!". Eyes in the back of his head? A sixth sense?) those lovely 11 psi tyres became 12, and then 13. Then, after an unexpected stop as a vehicle two cars ahead had to abort a climb, I found myself in a position where I was struggling to get going again, however as I finally did I thought to myself "I think I'll drop the pressure on the next stop". Little did I know it would be me causing the next stop!

As we were lead through a smallish bowl I was defeated by the soft sand in the bottom and there was no chance I was going to drive out the other side. So out I jumped to make the 'walk of shame' around 'Andy' as I let the extra pressure that had built-up out, deflating to 9 psi, whilst the entire convoy was stopped and patiently waiting. Sorry everyone!

Anyway, that 4 psi change was like some sort of voodoo, and seemingly with ease I was able to drive out the other side and complete the rest of the drive.

So, lessons learned this time:

• Don't be afraid to run on 9 psi

• Don't be afraid to ask for a quick stop to readjust pressures when things just don't feel right

• Don't be afraid to be the subject of pop-out recovery training

• Whatever I do, keep driving with Almost4x4. The lessons I am learning, the confidence I am gaining, and the support I feel is tangible. Thank you all!

Photo credit to @Oasis :

[Oasis]

Hello All! I have finally figured out where to post photos from drives. Apparently on the trip reports! I now have some serious catching up to do, but thought that some people might appreciate the pics as a keep-sake (plus, your beloved trusty steed may be featured in some of them). Without further ado…