Moreeb Dune Challenge
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Johanna
- Golden Member
- Posts: 192
- Joined: Sun Oct 08, 2017 8:04 pm
- Location: Dubai
- Has thanked: 1 time
Hi all,
I am writing this report with a heavy Liwa hangover... Who has been to this amazing place before might know this feeling.
This time the drive was scheduled on a Saturday and we camped Friday evening between Mezairaa and the Moreeb dune. I did not visit the challenge this year as [mention]thursday[/mention], [mention]optimus[/mention] , [mention]DustnGlory[/mention] and me were running late. So we went straight to the camp to have some bbq as we were all starving.
After the usual dose of lamb chops I went to bed early, excited to test my new camping gear. My new sleeping set up is very comfy, but due to the challenge it was noisy nearly the whole night so I did not get much sleep.
It was a small convoy this time, we had 12 cars only. [mention]alshamsi_m[/mention] lead the convoy with [mention]Scorpio[/mention] floating around keeping an eye on the convoy and the convoy kept him busy.
After 5 minutes of driving we faced the first challenging spot - a small climb through soft sand next to a bowl - it took some time until everyone made it through. I guess this was a wake up call for the convoy - Liwa is different, be prepared for soft sand, high climbs and big drops and always expect the unexpected.
We continued the drive through this stunning area, I will never get tired of this view. But there was not much time to enjoy the view while driving, soon after we started we arrived at our first big drop - drops are my personal nightmare - for some of our drivers it was the first Liwa trip and therefore the first Liwa drop, well done everyone.
In this drive a had my first opportunity to do some rescue, we had 7 rescues in total if I am not mistaken and 2 pop outs. Most of the rescue situations were caused by soft sand spots and little ditches, but nothing dangerous.
I experienced that 1-2 PSI tire pressure can make a huge difference. I usually drive with 10 PSI but I had some problems while climbing, after deflating to 9 everything went smoothly.
We had a longer coffee break during noon time and decided to extend the drive. The terrain requires a bigger distance than usual between the cars, but as there are no tracks in the area you wont get lost if you do not see the car in front of you, just follow the tire prints.
So while the end of the convoy is still on the dunes, the first cars already crossed the sabkha - a view that fascinates me. I hope to see some nice pictures in the reports.
We reached the road at around 3pm, I was totally finished, 4 more hours to go home. I arrived Dubai super tired but happy.
Thanks [mention]optimus[/mention] + [mention]thursday[/mention] for the food, [mention]Scorpio [/mention] for rescue and guidance and of course [mention]alshamsi_m[/mention] for taking us all there.
Have a great week ahead everyone and see you all in the sand
I am writing this report with a heavy Liwa hangover... Who has been to this amazing place before might know this feeling.
This time the drive was scheduled on a Saturday and we camped Friday evening between Mezairaa and the Moreeb dune. I did not visit the challenge this year as [mention]thursday[/mention], [mention]optimus[/mention] , [mention]DustnGlory[/mention] and me were running late. So we went straight to the camp to have some bbq as we were all starving.
After the usual dose of lamb chops I went to bed early, excited to test my new camping gear. My new sleeping set up is very comfy, but due to the challenge it was noisy nearly the whole night so I did not get much sleep.
It was a small convoy this time, we had 12 cars only. [mention]alshamsi_m[/mention] lead the convoy with [mention]Scorpio[/mention] floating around keeping an eye on the convoy and the convoy kept him busy.
After 5 minutes of driving we faced the first challenging spot - a small climb through soft sand next to a bowl - it took some time until everyone made it through. I guess this was a wake up call for the convoy - Liwa is different, be prepared for soft sand, high climbs and big drops and always expect the unexpected.
We continued the drive through this stunning area, I will never get tired of this view. But there was not much time to enjoy the view while driving, soon after we started we arrived at our first big drop - drops are my personal nightmare - for some of our drivers it was the first Liwa trip and therefore the first Liwa drop, well done everyone.
In this drive a had my first opportunity to do some rescue, we had 7 rescues in total if I am not mistaken and 2 pop outs. Most of the rescue situations were caused by soft sand spots and little ditches, but nothing dangerous.
I experienced that 1-2 PSI tire pressure can make a huge difference. I usually drive with 10 PSI but I had some problems while climbing, after deflating to 9 everything went smoothly.
We had a longer coffee break during noon time and decided to extend the drive. The terrain requires a bigger distance than usual between the cars, but as there are no tracks in the area you wont get lost if you do not see the car in front of you, just follow the tire prints.
So while the end of the convoy is still on the dunes, the first cars already crossed the sabkha - a view that fascinates me. I hope to see some nice pictures in the reports.
We reached the road at around 3pm, I was totally finished, 4 more hours to go home. I arrived Dubai super tired but happy.
Thanks [mention]optimus[/mention] + [mention]thursday[/mention] for the food, [mention]Scorpio [/mention] for rescue and guidance and of course [mention]alshamsi_m[/mention] for taking us all there.
Have a great week ahead everyone and see you all in the sand
BR, Johanna
If it excites you and scares you at the same time, it probably means you should do it.
If it excites you and scares you at the same time, it probably means you should do it.
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Scorpio
- Marshal
- Posts: 221
- Joined: Fri May 06, 2016 12:05 pm
- Location: Dubai
- Has thanked: 280 times
- Been thanked: 167 times
Hello Everyone,
For those of you who could not attend this Liwa drive, please read this trip report at your own risk! The report can take unanticipated turns and can suck you in like Liwa and….please don’t fly on the crests thumbsup
It is always a good experience attending the Moreeb Dune Challenge. I watched it this time with [mention]alshamsi_m[/mention], [mention]Serkan[/mention] and [mention]James[/mention]. After buying the Liwa stickers for [mention]Haani[/mention], [mention]DustnGlory[/mention] and [mention]Bu Zayed[/mention] (a lot of to and fro to change the stickers from one size to the other and from one language to the other happened in between and the shopkeeper got pissed off I think :lol: :lol:), I head for the camp for the much needed rest. The weather was pleasant, though I was expecting it to be more cooler. Thank you James and Serkan for the BBQ treat. The night was not that cold for me but there was much dew and my tent was covered with it in the morning.
While everyone was busy in the breakfast, I saw Bu Salem rushing towards the big wall dune and I knew that he is going to the top AGAIN (I remember the last time when we had camped here he climbed that dune). I don’t know how many had noticed but this was the sign that the drive is going to be interesting for newbies….buckle up :twisted: arr.
We had the briefing and attendance by Bu Salem and Serkan was put as the 2nd lead and Bu Zayed was placed in the Sweep position. [mention]Johanna[/mention] was placed in the middle of the convoy and I was assigned to stick around the convoy.
Liwa is truly loving and just after 5 minutes of drive it showed its love grin. Bu Salem climbed a small dune which was followed by a slope and then followed by a small climb and then a drop (don’t get scared, it’s just the start melt). After crossing it, Bu Salem stopped the car and sat down to watch the show where I was the only host attending all of the newbie guests ouch...it hurts grin . Things to learn at this point were:
1. Don’t fight gravity – if gravity is pulling you down then go down and do a second try
2. Keep your car under control
3. Cross the crests in appropriate speed – no flying please
4. Keep the momentum in bowls and sticky areas and always park nose-down
As Bu Salem said, it’s better to get stuck then to fly on the crest. No shame, we all are here to learn and get better. You will get stuck many times before you learn how to do it properly so, give yourself that freedom and time – don’t escape from it otherwise, you will not learn and it might affect you in higher levels heavily. The drive was full of surprises (did I say it’s Liwa) and we had all types of fun – second/third/…. tries, crested cars, stuck on a slope, trapped in the ditch, pop-out in a bowl, pop-out with tire twisted on the rim towards inside, sticky climbs, losing convoy track and landing in a bowl, etc. But the drive was superb fun and I enjoyed it completely.
There was one nice sticky climb where we had many second tries to reach to the top. On such areas, you need to know your car power and the optimum speed that would take you to the edge of the top. Why I am saying ‘edge of the top’ because we don’t know what is on the other side of the crest; a flat landing or a steep drop. If you will not learn it this way then at higher levels you would find it difficult to re-adjust your habit when you would be asked to lead a convoy or if you have to drive on your own beside a convoy. The leading car takes this risk and that’s why its always advised to keep the front car in sight and watch its behavior and adjust accordingly. And also when you could not reach to the top and have to go back in reverse then please keep your car under control. The pop-out that we had in that bowl was quite a learning for all I think, because:
1. The area was sticky
2. It happened while the car was going back in reverse and got tilted on a side that put a lot of pressure on that tire and made a pop-out (good that we only got the pop-out :!: )
3. The tire got twisted on the rim – if you don’t know how to fix such pop-outs please call for help immediately
4. 4wheel drive gear was not dis-engaging
I would like to emphasize that the radio communication could have been much better during the drive. Please inform others immediately about your position. It gives you a sense of responsibility towards yourself and towards others in the convoy. Stay safe and play your part to keep others safe too.
This was my first drive in Liwa after becoming Advance and I really felt the difference in me in terms of reading the dunes and confidence. Without any exaggeration, I tell you that each and every drive that I had with almost4x4 taught me something or the other and all that learning comes into play when you drive outside the convoy on your own. Although, I was not literally ‘floating’ as per Bu Salem advice because I was the only Advance and there was no other Advance or Marshal as well so, was keeping myself very close to the convoy but here and there whenever someone used to get stuck or needed help then I used to travel around to reach to the scene site. No one knows what is on the other side of the dune and it’s your reflexes and training that prepares you to react according to the situation. I never have imagined that one day I would be able to drive like that in Liwa – much thanks and respect to the Founders and Marshals of this family.
I hope this was a great learning experience for all and an enjoyable one. Thanks to the Inters for their great support and Bu Salem for arranging this wonderful trip.
Some of the drive stats are as follows:
Total Time: 06:19:48
Track Distance: 69.85 km
Area: 55.93 km
Moving Avg: 27.6 km/hr
Keep coming, keep having fun, keep learning!
See you soon in the sand.
Cheers 8-)
For those of you who could not attend this Liwa drive, please read this trip report at your own risk! The report can take unanticipated turns and can suck you in like Liwa and….please don’t fly on the crests thumbsup
It is always a good experience attending the Moreeb Dune Challenge. I watched it this time with [mention]alshamsi_m[/mention], [mention]Serkan[/mention] and [mention]James[/mention]. After buying the Liwa stickers for [mention]Haani[/mention], [mention]DustnGlory[/mention] and [mention]Bu Zayed[/mention] (a lot of to and fro to change the stickers from one size to the other and from one language to the other happened in between and the shopkeeper got pissed off I think :lol: :lol:), I head for the camp for the much needed rest. The weather was pleasant, though I was expecting it to be more cooler. Thank you James and Serkan for the BBQ treat. The night was not that cold for me but there was much dew and my tent was covered with it in the morning.
While everyone was busy in the breakfast, I saw Bu Salem rushing towards the big wall dune and I knew that he is going to the top AGAIN (I remember the last time when we had camped here he climbed that dune). I don’t know how many had noticed but this was the sign that the drive is going to be interesting for newbies….buckle up :twisted: arr.
We had the briefing and attendance by Bu Salem and Serkan was put as the 2nd lead and Bu Zayed was placed in the Sweep position. [mention]Johanna[/mention] was placed in the middle of the convoy and I was assigned to stick around the convoy.
Liwa is truly loving and just after 5 minutes of drive it showed its love grin. Bu Salem climbed a small dune which was followed by a slope and then followed by a small climb and then a drop (don’t get scared, it’s just the start melt). After crossing it, Bu Salem stopped the car and sat down to watch the show where I was the only host attending all of the newbie guests ouch...it hurts grin . Things to learn at this point were:
1. Don’t fight gravity – if gravity is pulling you down then go down and do a second try
2. Keep your car under control
3. Cross the crests in appropriate speed – no flying please
4. Keep the momentum in bowls and sticky areas and always park nose-down
As Bu Salem said, it’s better to get stuck then to fly on the crest. No shame, we all are here to learn and get better. You will get stuck many times before you learn how to do it properly so, give yourself that freedom and time – don’t escape from it otherwise, you will not learn and it might affect you in higher levels heavily. The drive was full of surprises (did I say it’s Liwa) and we had all types of fun – second/third/…. tries, crested cars, stuck on a slope, trapped in the ditch, pop-out in a bowl, pop-out with tire twisted on the rim towards inside, sticky climbs, losing convoy track and landing in a bowl, etc. But the drive was superb fun and I enjoyed it completely.
There was one nice sticky climb where we had many second tries to reach to the top. On such areas, you need to know your car power and the optimum speed that would take you to the edge of the top. Why I am saying ‘edge of the top’ because we don’t know what is on the other side of the crest; a flat landing or a steep drop. If you will not learn it this way then at higher levels you would find it difficult to re-adjust your habit when you would be asked to lead a convoy or if you have to drive on your own beside a convoy. The leading car takes this risk and that’s why its always advised to keep the front car in sight and watch its behavior and adjust accordingly. And also when you could not reach to the top and have to go back in reverse then please keep your car under control. The pop-out that we had in that bowl was quite a learning for all I think, because:
1. The area was sticky
2. It happened while the car was going back in reverse and got tilted on a side that put a lot of pressure on that tire and made a pop-out (good that we only got the pop-out :!: )
3. The tire got twisted on the rim – if you don’t know how to fix such pop-outs please call for help immediately
4. 4wheel drive gear was not dis-engaging
I would like to emphasize that the radio communication could have been much better during the drive. Please inform others immediately about your position. It gives you a sense of responsibility towards yourself and towards others in the convoy. Stay safe and play your part to keep others safe too.
This was my first drive in Liwa after becoming Advance and I really felt the difference in me in terms of reading the dunes and confidence. Without any exaggeration, I tell you that each and every drive that I had with almost4x4 taught me something or the other and all that learning comes into play when you drive outside the convoy on your own. Although, I was not literally ‘floating’ as per Bu Salem advice because I was the only Advance and there was no other Advance or Marshal as well so, was keeping myself very close to the convoy but here and there whenever someone used to get stuck or needed help then I used to travel around to reach to the scene site. No one knows what is on the other side of the dune and it’s your reflexes and training that prepares you to react according to the situation. I never have imagined that one day I would be able to drive like that in Liwa – much thanks and respect to the Founders and Marshals of this family.
I hope this was a great learning experience for all and an enjoyable one. Thanks to the Inters for their great support and Bu Salem for arranging this wonderful trip.
Some of the drive stats are as follows:
Total Time: 06:19:48
Track Distance: 69.85 km
Area: 55.93 km
Moving Avg: 27.6 km/hr
Keep coming, keep having fun, keep learning!
See you soon in the sand.
Cheers 8-)
Scorpio
+971 55 5804488
Drives a grey FJ 'Everest'
The race for excellence has no finish line!
+971 55 5804488
Drives a grey FJ 'Everest'
The race for excellence has no finish line!
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thursday
- Newbie
- Posts: 14
- Joined: Sun Jan 28, 2018 3:02 pm
- Location: Dubai
Hello Everyone!
First I would like to thank [mention]alshamsi_m[/mention] for organizing the trip and leading us through this adventure, [mention]Scorpio[/mention] [mention]Johanna[/mention] & [mention]Bu Zayed[/mention] for their support and everyone else for the great company.
I was about to enter a relatively boring weekend with routine stuff to do until I was saved on Friday morning when I noticed the message from the previous day on the chatroom about an opening in Liwa's drive. I directly replied to the message hoping that I was not too late. Fortunately, many 10+ drivers were away or busy or were not lucky to see the post before me, so [mention]JockJKU[/mention] made my weekend by confirming my participation.
Preparing for a camp on the same day wasn't so easy. I was running around the city to get some stuff and run a few errands before I took off on the journey. After a very long drive, I reached with [mention]Johanna[/mention] [mention]optimus[/mention] & [mention]DustnGlory[/mention] straight to the camp as we were late to get to Liwa. We started food preparation straight away and got the chance to chill for a bit before everyone headed to sleep. The weather was much better than I expected. The camping spot was well shielded from the wind. It was tempting to spend the night on the chair out in the open with the amazing moonless sky full of stars. But I decided to give up my habit of staying up on camps since it was my first camp with a drive in the next morning. And I wanted to get some rest before driving in Liwa and after a long drive from Dubai.
This was my first time to go to Liwa. As we got there, it was night already and everything was dark. All we could see is the road we were on. But I could feel the vibes of the dunes around us. It was all clear when we woke up to the beautiful scenes of an endless desert of huge dunes.
I was so excited about the drive but I had no idea what to expect. After an assuring and comprehensive briefing about the drive, we took off towards the trackless dunes. We had our first challenge after a few minutes only where many cars second try to pass a technical area with soft sand on the top of a climb. From there onwards, the drive was smoother with only few hiccups and stops. We had plenty of second tries mainly caused by the unpredictable soft sand, few stucks/pulls and 2 pop-outs. I was the victim of the first pop-out while accelerating to climb a dune and trying to avoid a wall on my right. I fixed the pop-out in few minutes with the help of [mention]optimus[/mention] and was back on track ready for more action.
Now I know how driving in Liwa feels. And it exceeds my expectations from what I heard of people's stories. And I can see how people are hungover after a drive in this beautiful scenery and driving down the breathtaking drops.
I can't wait to get back there again.
Photos will follow...
Thanks again and see you all on the sand
P.S The link in my signature is for my library of photos with ALMOST 4x4. You can check them whenever you want. The photos of this drive will be added later to the same folder and I will share the specific link for it as soon as I can.
First I would like to thank [mention]alshamsi_m[/mention] for organizing the trip and leading us through this adventure, [mention]Scorpio[/mention] [mention]Johanna[/mention] & [mention]Bu Zayed[/mention] for their support and everyone else for the great company.
I was about to enter a relatively boring weekend with routine stuff to do until I was saved on Friday morning when I noticed the message from the previous day on the chatroom about an opening in Liwa's drive. I directly replied to the message hoping that I was not too late. Fortunately, many 10+ drivers were away or busy or were not lucky to see the post before me, so [mention]JockJKU[/mention] made my weekend by confirming my participation.
Preparing for a camp on the same day wasn't so easy. I was running around the city to get some stuff and run a few errands before I took off on the journey. After a very long drive, I reached with [mention]Johanna[/mention] [mention]optimus[/mention] & [mention]DustnGlory[/mention] straight to the camp as we were late to get to Liwa. We started food preparation straight away and got the chance to chill for a bit before everyone headed to sleep. The weather was much better than I expected. The camping spot was well shielded from the wind. It was tempting to spend the night on the chair out in the open with the amazing moonless sky full of stars. But I decided to give up my habit of staying up on camps since it was my first camp with a drive in the next morning. And I wanted to get some rest before driving in Liwa and after a long drive from Dubai.
This was my first time to go to Liwa. As we got there, it was night already and everything was dark. All we could see is the road we were on. But I could feel the vibes of the dunes around us. It was all clear when we woke up to the beautiful scenes of an endless desert of huge dunes.
I was so excited about the drive but I had no idea what to expect. After an assuring and comprehensive briefing about the drive, we took off towards the trackless dunes. We had our first challenge after a few minutes only where many cars second try to pass a technical area with soft sand on the top of a climb. From there onwards, the drive was smoother with only few hiccups and stops. We had plenty of second tries mainly caused by the unpredictable soft sand, few stucks/pulls and 2 pop-outs. I was the victim of the first pop-out while accelerating to climb a dune and trying to avoid a wall on my right. I fixed the pop-out in few minutes with the help of [mention]optimus[/mention] and was back on track ready for more action.
Now I know how driving in Liwa feels. And it exceeds my expectations from what I heard of people's stories. And I can see how people are hungover after a drive in this beautiful scenery and driving down the breathtaking drops.
I can't wait to get back there again.
Photos will follow...
Thanks again and see you all on the sand
P.S The link in my signature is for my library of photos with ALMOST 4x4. You can check them whenever you want. The photos of this drive will be added later to the same folder and I will share the specific link for it as soon as I can.
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Serkan
- Newbie
- Posts: 12
- Joined: Fri Sep 11, 2015 9:52 pm
- Location: Dubai
- Contact:
Hello Almosters,
Many thanks to [mention]alshamsi_m[/mention] and to the team who supported and organised this drive. Liwa is wonderful place to drive, in addition to that if you have good guidance in Liwa then the drive comes excellent. It was really excellent drive....we were out of our track time to time but discovered amazing places and came back to track.
On Friday, I met with [mention]alshamsi_m[/mention] and he took me to the Moreeb where big toys were challenging each other. (special thanks to [mention]alshamsi_m[/mention]) when we reached to Moreeb we met with [mention]Scorpio[/mention] and watched the big Toys. Later on we moved to the camping spot and dinner, some chitchat.
Next day drive was so good, there were some second tries and stucks but allow us for chitchat and watching amazing view.
During the drive I took some photos (a few of them are from the previous drive). The below is the link to reach them
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing
Thanks again for this amazing trip....
Regards
SeRkAn
Many thanks to [mention]alshamsi_m[/mention] and to the team who supported and organised this drive. Liwa is wonderful place to drive, in addition to that if you have good guidance in Liwa then the drive comes excellent. It was really excellent drive....we were out of our track time to time but discovered amazing places and came back to track.
On Friday, I met with [mention]alshamsi_m[/mention] and he took me to the Moreeb where big toys were challenging each other. (special thanks to [mention]alshamsi_m[/mention]) when we reached to Moreeb we met with [mention]Scorpio[/mention] and watched the big Toys. Later on we moved to the camping spot and dinner, some chitchat.
Next day drive was so good, there were some second tries and stucks but allow us for chitchat and watching amazing view.
During the drive I took some photos (a few of them are from the previous drive). The below is the link to reach them
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing
Thanks again for this amazing trip....
Regards
SeRkAn
Following is the easiest way. More importantly, what really matters is How to Lead
-
alshamsi_m
- Founder
- Posts: 839
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2007 8:29 am
- Location: Al Hamriyah
- Has thanked: 939 times
- Been thanked: 968 times
- Contact:
Hello Everyone
Moreeb Challenge is one of the events that you shouldn't miss every year. It's crazy , chaos but FUN to try. We were able to see the fastest car, the burned car and the fireworks so I don't think that we missed anything. What I liked this year also the safari shops, coffee shops and restaurants in the challenge area so you have full entertainment.
Thanks [mention]Serkan[/mention] & [mention]Chris Rothmann[/mention] for the dinner. after the food I jumped to my tent and I remember that I waked up in the morning just like that "OFF/ON" 2 z Z
The drive was very nice, what do you expect ?? it is LIWA grin [mention]Scorpio[/mention] was our superman in this drive flying from one place to other to help everyone since he was the only senior member but " Even HEROES need rescue " thumbsup .
We finished 1 hour behind the schedule , what do you expect ?? it is LIWA grin
I was a little bit upset that not all were helping when someone in trouble but at the lunch break I realized that they were all tired , what do you expect ?? it is LIWA grin
Looking forward to drive with the INTERMEDIATES next weekend and what do you expect ?? have a nice day
See you next drive in Liwa
Moreeb Challenge is one of the events that you shouldn't miss every year. It's crazy , chaos but FUN to try. We were able to see the fastest car, the burned car and the fireworks so I don't think that we missed anything. What I liked this year also the safari shops, coffee shops and restaurants in the challenge area so you have full entertainment.
Thanks [mention]Serkan[/mention] & [mention]Chris Rothmann[/mention] for the dinner. after the food I jumped to my tent and I remember that I waked up in the morning just like that "OFF/ON" 2 z Z
The drive was very nice, what do you expect ?? it is LIWA grin [mention]Scorpio[/mention] was our superman in this drive flying from one place to other to help everyone since he was the only senior member but " Even HEROES need rescue " thumbsup .
We finished 1 hour behind the schedule , what do you expect ?? it is LIWA grin
I was a little bit upset that not all were helping when someone in trouble but at the lunch break I realized that they were all tired , what do you expect ?? it is LIWA grin
Looking forward to drive with the INTERMEDIATES next weekend and what do you expect ?? have a nice day
See you next drive in Liwa
Adventurous League of Mountains, Oceans and Sand Thrills
-
DustnGlory
- Newbie
- Posts: 56
- Joined: Sun Jan 21, 2018 8:53 am
- Location: Earth
Hi All,
I’ve been waiting a long time for Liwa and boy was it worth it. This place…. the edge of the famed Rub’ al Khali desert…. feels like a different planet all together…. ORLY
[mention]optimus[/mention] , [mention]Johanna[/mention] and I decided to drive together to camp. When we met at Jebel Ali I came to know that [mention]thursday[/mention] will also be joining us. It is a long drive but with a Patrol and FJ in front of me – and a Jeep joining in between - it felt great… 4 hungry souls driving towards an adventure in the Empty Quarter blank . By the time we reached the meeting point it was almost 22:30 and while we deflated we were joined by [mention]Bu Zayed[/mention]. When we reached camp, there was a fire going, [mention]Scorpio[/mention] [mention]Chris Rothmann[/mention] [mention]James[/mention] and his friend Sulaiman and [mention]Serkan[/mention] were already there and some mini steaks already grilling! Since all of us were really hungry we quickly got all the BBQ kit out and got about grilling some delicious lamb chops. [mention]thursday[/mention]'s pastries kept us going until the food was ready. After dinner and some time by the fire everyone went off to rest for the drive next day.
Next morning, we had [mention]Lenny[/mention] and [mention]Rooies[/mention] joining in. [mention]alshamsi_m[/mention] gave us a briefing of what we intend to achieve and what to expect. He was already driving around and doing climbs when we were waking up so it was clear we will be having a fun drive. Well, a few minutes in and we come to a point where we have to do a short climb and rim a bowl to cross over and we started getting stucks and second tries. It was fun and it set the tone for the drive. The dunes are enormous and the drops are long here. Being my first time I had no words when I came to the first drop…. all I could remember is the video I saw of the chief going down a huge drop a few years back. And as I went down making sure to keep my wheels straight and watching out if I’m fishtailing I kept having flashes of that clip. The dunes here are huge – rather than dunes we should be calling them sand mountains! I’ve spent a fair amount of time driving in the Ghat roads back home and this felt like that – only instead of mud and rocks it was powder sand. The drops had 3-4 levels and then a final drop to the sabka. The sabkas here were muddy unlike ones I’ve seen in Dubai. We had a fair amount of stucks and 2 pop outs. By the time we stopped for some coffee everyone was tired – but still excited to drive. Bu Salem asked the question – do you want me to take you back to the road or do you want to continue? Continue we did and 2 minutes into the drive the pace and the track changed drastically. As the coffee started kicking in, Bu Salem took us on mix of safari style drive with fast and short climbs and arcs, steady climbs and drops and then ripping through the sabkas – it was fun. All that tiredness was gone and it felt like a race! Finally, after the final drop Bu Salem pointed to a tower across the sabka and confirmed that is our exit point.
On the way back home after refueling I had mixed feelings. I was still excited from the drive and kept going over it, thankful to have been in such a beautiful place and relieved to finish the drive without any cars having any issues. Thanks [mention]alshamsi_m[/mention] for gifting us this New Year present and thanks to [mention]Scorpio[/mention], [mention]Johanna[/mention] and [mention]Bu Zayed[/mention] for the support and everyone else for the wonderful company.
See you in the sand another time…
I’ve been waiting a long time for Liwa and boy was it worth it. This place…. the edge of the famed Rub’ al Khali desert…. feels like a different planet all together…. ORLY
[mention]optimus[/mention] , [mention]Johanna[/mention] and I decided to drive together to camp. When we met at Jebel Ali I came to know that [mention]thursday[/mention] will also be joining us. It is a long drive but with a Patrol and FJ in front of me – and a Jeep joining in between - it felt great… 4 hungry souls driving towards an adventure in the Empty Quarter blank . By the time we reached the meeting point it was almost 22:30 and while we deflated we were joined by [mention]Bu Zayed[/mention]. When we reached camp, there was a fire going, [mention]Scorpio[/mention] [mention]Chris Rothmann[/mention] [mention]James[/mention] and his friend Sulaiman and [mention]Serkan[/mention] were already there and some mini steaks already grilling! Since all of us were really hungry we quickly got all the BBQ kit out and got about grilling some delicious lamb chops. [mention]thursday[/mention]'s pastries kept us going until the food was ready. After dinner and some time by the fire everyone went off to rest for the drive next day.
Next morning, we had [mention]Lenny[/mention] and [mention]Rooies[/mention] joining in. [mention]alshamsi_m[/mention] gave us a briefing of what we intend to achieve and what to expect. He was already driving around and doing climbs when we were waking up so it was clear we will be having a fun drive. Well, a few minutes in and we come to a point where we have to do a short climb and rim a bowl to cross over and we started getting stucks and second tries. It was fun and it set the tone for the drive. The dunes are enormous and the drops are long here. Being my first time I had no words when I came to the first drop…. all I could remember is the video I saw of the chief going down a huge drop a few years back. And as I went down making sure to keep my wheels straight and watching out if I’m fishtailing I kept having flashes of that clip. The dunes here are huge – rather than dunes we should be calling them sand mountains! I’ve spent a fair amount of time driving in the Ghat roads back home and this felt like that – only instead of mud and rocks it was powder sand. The drops had 3-4 levels and then a final drop to the sabka. The sabkas here were muddy unlike ones I’ve seen in Dubai. We had a fair amount of stucks and 2 pop outs. By the time we stopped for some coffee everyone was tired – but still excited to drive. Bu Salem asked the question – do you want me to take you back to the road or do you want to continue? Continue we did and 2 minutes into the drive the pace and the track changed drastically. As the coffee started kicking in, Bu Salem took us on mix of safari style drive with fast and short climbs and arcs, steady climbs and drops and then ripping through the sabkas – it was fun. All that tiredness was gone and it felt like a race! Finally, after the final drop Bu Salem pointed to a tower across the sabka and confirmed that is our exit point.
On the way back home after refueling I had mixed feelings. I was still excited from the drive and kept going over it, thankful to have been in such a beautiful place and relieved to finish the drive without any cars having any issues. Thanks [mention]alshamsi_m[/mention] for gifting us this New Year present and thanks to [mention]Scorpio[/mention], [mention]Johanna[/mention] and [mention]Bu Zayed[/mention] for the support and everyone else for the wonderful company.
See you in the sand another time…
Jithin AKA Dust'nGlory
Drives an FJ = Silver Surfer =
Drives an FJ = Silver Surfer =
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Rooies
- Intermediate
- Posts: 102
- Joined: Sat Mar 10, 2018 3:50 pm
- Has thanked: 51 times
- Been thanked: 142 times
I had to get up at crazy o'clock as [mention]Kris_K[/mention] puts it, but for Liwa I will do almost everything grin .
I got at the camp & it was still fairly quite, Liwa greeted with a beautiful sunrise as always. The camp started waking & I went through the usual drills & getting ready. [mention]alshamsi_m[/mention] went for a quick drive running up & down the dunes then returned to give us the briefing. The briefing was done & we headed out, I was behind [mention]Serkan[/mention] , he was second lead.
Few minute into the drive I had my first second try, why? Not sticking to basics. I sorted it quickly & continued, but some of the other drives had similar fate as me. One by one they crossed the dune & stopped where we parked & waited. [mention]optimus[/mention] showed us some arial maneuvers, but all worked out well. We had a quick chat regarding following distance & the usual basics that I think we all sometimes forget due to having to much fun in the sand thumbsup .
We continued on our way again, the route had something of everything & did not disappoint. We did a few drops & I must say I am getting at doing drops. I got stuck in a bowl, because I lost the track, eventually got lost & the lost it all, the track the dune. I stopped & [mention]alshamsi_m[/mention] & [mention]Serkan[/mention] cam back for me. Somebody had a pop out in the bowl that I got stuck in, we moved back & after a while the pop out was sorted & we continued on our way. Eventually we saw the radio mast that meant that the drive was over & no more fun in the sand TT TT .
Thank you [mention]alshamsi_m[/mention] for letting me come on the drive. If the year started this nicely it can only get better.
Till we meet in the sand again, take care all.
Greetings
Rooies
I got at the camp & it was still fairly quite, Liwa greeted with a beautiful sunrise as always. The camp started waking & I went through the usual drills & getting ready. [mention]alshamsi_m[/mention] went for a quick drive running up & down the dunes then returned to give us the briefing. The briefing was done & we headed out, I was behind [mention]Serkan[/mention] , he was second lead.
Few minute into the drive I had my first second try, why? Not sticking to basics. I sorted it quickly & continued, but some of the other drives had similar fate as me. One by one they crossed the dune & stopped where we parked & waited. [mention]optimus[/mention] showed us some arial maneuvers, but all worked out well. We had a quick chat regarding following distance & the usual basics that I think we all sometimes forget due to having to much fun in the sand thumbsup .
We continued on our way again, the route had something of everything & did not disappoint. We did a few drops & I must say I am getting at doing drops. I got stuck in a bowl, because I lost the track, eventually got lost & the lost it all, the track the dune. I stopped & [mention]alshamsi_m[/mention] & [mention]Serkan[/mention] cam back for me. Somebody had a pop out in the bowl that I got stuck in, we moved back & after a while the pop out was sorted & we continued on our way. Eventually we saw the radio mast that meant that the drive was over & no more fun in the sand TT TT .
Thank you [mention]alshamsi_m[/mention] for letting me come on the drive. If the year started this nicely it can only get better.
Till we meet in the sand again, take care all.
Greetings
Rooies
Nobody Gets Left Behind
-
Chris Rothmann
- Newbie
- Posts: 29
- Joined: Fri Mar 09, 2018 10:55 pm
- Location: Dubai
It was my 1st time to venture into the Liwa desert and it surely did not disappoint. The vastness of it all is impressive and very difficult to explain in words.
I arrived on the Friday evening. It was surprisingly not as cold as expected and I had a relatively good rest. We all were up early and once the other team members joined, we moved.
I personally really enjoyed the “drops” and listening to the humming sound
of the dunes as you descent. It was Great fun. This was a first for me, but applying the advice/tips form [mention]Shamsi[/mention] it all went smooth. (I believe in listening to experience and it again paid off).
Overall, it was a fantastic experience, beautiful scenery and a great group to share it with. Thanks to [mention]Shamsi[/mention] for organizing the trip and those who supported. Hope to do it again soon.
Chris
I arrived on the Friday evening. It was surprisingly not as cold as expected and I had a relatively good rest. We all were up early and once the other team members joined, we moved.
I personally really enjoyed the “drops” and listening to the humming sound
of the dunes as you descent. It was Great fun. This was a first for me, but applying the advice/tips form [mention]Shamsi[/mention] it all went smooth. (I believe in listening to experience and it again paid off).Overall, it was a fantastic experience, beautiful scenery and a great group to share it with. Thanks to [mention]Shamsi[/mention] for organizing the trip and those who supported. Hope to do it again soon.
Chris
-
Bu Zayed
- Intermediate
- Posts: 68
- Joined: Mon Nov 07, 2016 4:46 am
- Location: Sharjah
LIWA the endless waves of golden sands
This is my 2nd time in Liwa and 1st time as intermediate so I was excited to see how my new skills will help me here. I remember my first Liwa with the club as a newbie was so scary for me as it was the first time I see such huge dunes. But in this drive I was completely relaxed. Thanks to the Marshals for their advice's and support to get me to that level of confidence.
This was also my first camp with the club and I was exciting to try my new camping gears since the last time I camped in the desert was years ago maybe more than 10 years.
So I started my drive to AD with a quick stop at GNFD office to pickup my package. Had to stop for gas two times and just before going to Moreeb Dune I thought of making a final stop to get extra gas just in case as I know my car is thirsty, although I brought with me 20L jerrycan, but to my surprise that last petrol station was super busy. Then I had to take the dark road to Moreeb Dune with many many many cars lights coming towards me with their shiny lights I thought of putting on my sunglasses lol. Many of the cars were over taking in a dangerous way I almost hit a number of them face to face .
I finally reached Moreeb Dune and was excited as it is my first time in Moreeb. Parked my car and followed [mention]alshamsi_m[/mention] location to find him and [mention]Scorpio[/mention] . When I reached, Shamsi said let’s go to the camp and I was like "wait I just arrived" lol. But I managed to see one V8 car go up the dune in an amazing view, I saw the fire works and finally I managed to see one car doing the Moreeb challenge and caught on fire. After that, I walked around checked the shops in Moreeb area which they had interesting camping gears. [mention]Scorpio[/mention] bought me a sticker as well thanks [mention]Scorpio[/mention] .
I started to make a move to the camp but my Garmin GPS was giving me a wrong entry point for the offroad road. So tried to call the other guys but they were out of coverage. Then I was lucky to call [mention]Johanna[/mention] and she picked up and managed to guide me to the camp entry point.
We reached the camp, setup fire, some of us started to make BBQ and after a bit of chitchat I felt asleep. I went away setup my tent and slept.
Next morning we woke up to an amazing view of Liwa fascinating view. The briefing was done by [mention]alshamsi_m[/mention] and He was leading, I was sweeping and Scorpio was floating. Right from the first dune climb, the drivers struggled and 2nd tries were announced. I guess thats when everyone knew that Liwa is not that easy. The drive continued with a number of 2nd tries and a number of rescues involving a pop-out. Shamsi was trying to find easier routes for the drivers but again its Liwa so some areas the sand was so soft that if you don't keep on moving you will get stuck.
We finished the drive and I started my 4 hours drive back which is so exhausting especially after a drive in Liwa. Managed to get home safely with great memories of Liwa and I was mentally ready for next week GNFD and my first Intermediate drive in Liwa as this week was like a warm up for next week drive.
Thank you [mention]alshamsi_m[/mention] for organising the trip and leading it. Thanks , [mention]Scorpio[/mention] and [mention]Johanna[/mention] for the support.
This is my 2nd time in Liwa and 1st time as intermediate so I was excited to see how my new skills will help me here. I remember my first Liwa with the club as a newbie was so scary for me as it was the first time I see such huge dunes. But in this drive I was completely relaxed. Thanks to the Marshals for their advice's and support to get me to that level of confidence.
This was also my first camp with the club and I was exciting to try my new camping gears since the last time I camped in the desert was years ago maybe more than 10 years.
So I started my drive to AD with a quick stop at GNFD office to pickup my package. Had to stop for gas two times and just before going to Moreeb Dune I thought of making a final stop to get extra gas just in case as I know my car is thirsty, although I brought with me 20L jerrycan, but to my surprise that last petrol station was super busy. Then I had to take the dark road to Moreeb Dune with many many many cars lights coming towards me with their shiny lights I thought of putting on my sunglasses lol. Many of the cars were over taking in a dangerous way I almost hit a number of them face to face .
I finally reached Moreeb Dune and was excited as it is my first time in Moreeb. Parked my car and followed [mention]alshamsi_m[/mention] location to find him and [mention]Scorpio[/mention] . When I reached, Shamsi said let’s go to the camp and I was like "wait I just arrived" lol. But I managed to see one V8 car go up the dune in an amazing view, I saw the fire works and finally I managed to see one car doing the Moreeb challenge and caught on fire. After that, I walked around checked the shops in Moreeb area which they had interesting camping gears. [mention]Scorpio[/mention] bought me a sticker as well thanks [mention]Scorpio[/mention] .
I started to make a move to the camp but my Garmin GPS was giving me a wrong entry point for the offroad road. So tried to call the other guys but they were out of coverage. Then I was lucky to call [mention]Johanna[/mention] and she picked up and managed to guide me to the camp entry point.
We reached the camp, setup fire, some of us started to make BBQ and after a bit of chitchat I felt asleep. I went away setup my tent and slept.
Next morning we woke up to an amazing view of Liwa fascinating view. The briefing was done by [mention]alshamsi_m[/mention] and He was leading, I was sweeping and Scorpio was floating. Right from the first dune climb, the drivers struggled and 2nd tries were announced. I guess thats when everyone knew that Liwa is not that easy. The drive continued with a number of 2nd tries and a number of rescues involving a pop-out. Shamsi was trying to find easier routes for the drivers but again its Liwa so some areas the sand was so soft that if you don't keep on moving you will get stuck.
We finished the drive and I started my 4 hours drive back which is so exhausting especially after a drive in Liwa. Managed to get home safely with great memories of Liwa and I was mentally ready for next week GNFD and my first Intermediate drive in Liwa as this week was like a warm up for next week drive.
Thank you [mention]alshamsi_m[/mention] for organising the trip and leading it. Thanks , [mention]Scorpio[/mention] and [mention]Johanna[/mention] for the support.
