Almost4x4

Hello Guys

The meeting point was already busy when I arrived at 15:05. I quickly deflated my tires and mounted my flag, and greeted everyone.

Soon after, I met Mr. Shamsi and received my rescue keychain. That was an instant highlight of the day for me .

Before we set off, we had a short briefing. Mr. Shamsi shared tips about keeping an eye on exit points and maintaining distance between cars especially while climbing. Then Mr. Abubaker explained the buddy system. It was a completely new and useful idea for me.

The adventure began soon after. I was the fourth car, following a red Xterra. We started with a fast run along the dirt track and gradually entered the dunes. The pace matched the name of the drive, Sonic, perfectly. It was fast, smooth, and full of energy.

We weaved through big dunes, carving beautiful arches. I kept my eyes on the car ahead and the exit points, staying composed throughout.

Toward the end, the Lead Marshal’s tire got damaged and needed to be replaced. The recovery was done quickly and efficiently by the team. During the break, Mr. Shamsi surprised everyone with refreshing watermelon juice, and Mr. Moustafa handed out juicy slices of watermelon . It was the perfect treat under the desert sun.

Once the tire was replaced, Mr. Shamsi took the lead, I could literally feel the watermelon digesting with every climb.

Not long ago, I used to get uneasy whenever I lost sight of the car ahead or couldn’t judge a descent clearly. Thanks to the F13 drive, that fear has almost disappeared. It’s still there a little, but very minimal now.

We eventually reached a beautiful resting spot, where we enjoyed coffee and karak thoughtfully provided by Mr. Shamsi. After a short break, we continued toward the exit, wrapping up another memorable day in the dunes.

A big thank you to @Mabubaker for organising this amazing drive, to @alshamsi_m and @Ehab for watching over us, and to @Mghoneim , @Moustafa , @mpodroid , and @Vika for supporting us throughout.

Another incredible day in the desert, filled with learning, fun and great company. I can’t wait for the next drive.

Before the drive started I went to tilal sweihan on autopilot. Unfortunately the meeting point was round the back of where I entered. 65km to get to the meeting point by road , nah I'll straight line it across the desert instead. Was running late due to this mistake, so I deflated and proceeded to straight line across the desert. Very tricky area, soft sand, ditches and bushes eventually found myself in a ditch. Sent an SOS on the group and none other than Shamsi himself was on his way to rescue me with Marshall Abu bakers brother Tariq as passenger. I already had the rope out connected to my car when they arrived. Shamsi put himself straight in the rescue position and I hooked the rope up. Less than a minute and I was released from my trap, had fun chasing Shamsi across the desert to join the convoy.

We reached the convoy and Shamsi over the radio ordered me as 3rd car as punishment. Already hot, sweaty and covered in sand I assumed the position. Convoy set off and we are hitting the first arch at 80kmh, then arch to arch at speed like playing the console game sonic the hedgehog as the drive title suggested. Something we all need to get used to is driving at these speeds as it is an essential to be able to drive in intermediate level which I am itching to reach. Maintaining a safe distance but also not getting dropped by the car in front and losing the convoy. As speed increases so does the distance.

Thoroughly enjoyable drive and great lead from Marshall Abu baker and then Shamsi. Thank you to Abu baker for the drive, Shamsi for coming to rescue me and the great support we had from the intermediates , our explorer floating ehab.

Until next time.............

04/10/2025 - Sonic Newbie Drive Edition

The atmosphere was already buzzing when I reached the meeting point at 15:02.

Following a practical briefing—where we learned about maintaining distance and the fantastic new buddy system—we launched into the dunes.

The Sonic drive was pure adrenaline: fast, fluid, and full of energy as we tackled the big dunes.

The team's proficiency shone through during quick recoveries for two pop-outs and an efficient tire change for the Lead Marshal.

As a reward for our efforts, the marshals treated us to refreshing watermelon juice and slices during a break, followed by thoughtful coffee and karak at the final resting spot.

It was a perfect blend of high-speed fun, essential desert learning, and great company.

A big thank you to @Mabubaker for organising this amazing drive, to @alshamsi_m and @Ehab for watching over us, and to @Mghoneim , @Moustafa, @mpodroid, and @Vika for supporting us throughout.

My first 10+ drive. Was quite stressed at the beginning, but it ended up being a perfect match for my current abilities, with a few new types of terrain tested for the first time (for me). This is to show that the marshals know very well how to adjust the level and keep everyone safe, but also how to push us to learn new skills. Thank you to Abu Baker for organising, to the support team and all the newbies, lovely to see you as always!

V

A great day with adrenaline hungry 10+. We rarely drive in this area due the tricky access. Some of the members were innovative and some followed shortest google maps. But both approaches didn't work well .

Due the long convoy, I decided to start on a bit lower pace to test how Sonic the convoy can go, but quickly saw that most of the convoy is either capable or improving quickly, thanks to the focus on foundational skills learned at Almost4x4.

We tested side wall climbs but exiting on top on a relatively flat area, which is a good intro technique for next level of side cresting ... I only got the chance to do you of them gradually going to higher walls, due to losing two tires I couldn't continue the lead... Bu Salem took over getting the newbies on even higher walls exiting on the other side

Controling your car in such conditions specially on the edge is critical and shows how confident you are and how much prepared for the next level.

Thanks @alshamsi_m of extending hand taking over the lead when needed and @Ehab for ensuring the convoy safety.
Thanks to all the intermediates for support and newbies for joining.

Until next time!
M Abubaker



Casualties were limited to tyres

The first edition of the Sonic Drive for Newbies 10+ — which usually for an intermediate-level trip, and I was truly excited to join.

The meeting point was a bit tricky to locate, about 30 km along the gatch road, through a private farm where the watchman was kind enough to open the gate to allow passing through, eventually I managed to reach on time.

We started with a briefing from our marshals @Mabubaker , @alshamsi_m , who explained that it would be a fast-paced, safari-style drive, as suggested by the name “Sonic Drive.” The key, they emphasized, was to maintain distance and rhythm while covering long stretches of dunes. They also advised keeping an eye on the side arches for exit point, in case anyone felt unable to continue to the higher peak points.

The drive began smoothly through side arches and gradually higher dunes, where I applied all the tips and techniques learned from previous drives. I could confidently say that our marshals have trained us well — especially on how to drive attentively yet calmly, ensuring both self-safety and care for the car behind. I maintained a wider distance to keep the pace flowing as advised by marshal @alshamsi_m and fully enjoyed the speed and rhythm of the drive.

All drivers performed very well with no major issues throughout the trip. We only encountered a couple of pop-outs, one of which happened to our lead marshal @Mabubaker who had to hand over the lead to marshal @alshamsi_m due to a damaged tire.

Toward the end, we stopped in a flat area for a relaxing sunset break, enjoying watermelon, healthy cookies, and coffee — a perfect way to wrap up the adventure.

A big thank you to our marshals @alshamsi_m , @Mabubakr and the explorer @Ehab team for organizing such a wonderful drive, and to all the intermediates @Mostafa , @marco , @Vika , @Mghoneim for their great support and teamwork throughout the day.

Hello Everyone,

First of all, thanks to all the marshals and supporting crew for arranging the fast paced safari style drive, i always enjoys this type of fast paced drive in the desert where you are doing multiple arches in a single go, kind of pumps up the adrenaline.

We are lucky and drove well and did not got a single stuck during the whole drive but there were 2 pop outs and couple of 2nd tries. I was also being careful on the turns as there were a lot of tracks from the safari guys.

All together adding watermelon from @Mustafa and tea and coffee and snacks from @alshamsi_m added more fun to the drive as always, special thanks to both.

Overall it was an easy and fun drive for me, looking forward for more.

Cheers
Nomi

Hi Almosters,
I started my journey a bit earlier to avoid the rush and met up with @Moustafa, @mrwkassem, and @Haidy79 and @KingZoma as a passenger at the Al Ain Road petrol station. From there, we headed together toward the meeting point.
Everything was going smoothly until we reached Al Taff Road—Google Maps led us onto a shortcut that turned out to be 30 km of soft sand! We weren’t alone though—@Ehab and @Kinkq took the same route. Despite the challenge, we all reached the meeting point ahead of schedule.
@Mabubaker and @alshamsi_m began the briefing, but we received an SOS from @Spyda, who was stuck. @alshamsi_m immediately went to rescue him while @Mabubaker led the convoy and @Ehab floated to support.
The drive was exhilarating—fast safari style with high side arches and a few playful switches. Later, @alshamsi_m and @Spyda rejoined us, and the fun continued.
The convoy performed impressively, with just one bob-out and one tire cut. Huge thanks to @Mabubaker for organizing such an amazing trip, and to @alshamsi_m—our guardian angel—for the rescue. Thanks also to @Ehab for the usual solid support, and to the entire rescue team: @Mghoneim, @Moustafa, @mpodroid, and @Vika.
See you soon in the sand!