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Members' Grading System

Posted: Fri Aug 20, 2010 12:15 am
by admin
Dear Members

After our study for the best grading system, the Almost4x4 management decided to have 6 levels of grading

1.Club Member (No Stars)
2.Newbie (*)
3.Intermediate (**)
4.Advanced (***)
5.Explorer (****)
6.Marshal (*****)

The stars are there to show, what category of trip you are most comfortable driving in. The Marshals are constantly watching and assessing the members, nothing escapes them and they will only recommend for upgrade, when they feel the member is 100% ready to be upgraded.
All upgrades should be strictly as per the final approved categories and should be nominated by three Marshals (except for Marshals, which should be approved by the Club Committee).

Please take your time, to familiarize yourself with our system. These levels have been made to benefit everyone in Almost4x4 Club and to help you, or the other members, to enjoy your trips safely.

Club Member

Any member registered to the Club and didn't attend any club activity

- Generally has little/no experience of off road driving, especially sand/desert driving

- Generally is not equipped with recovery/safety equipment

The Club Member trip will introduce to the member the club and it's philosophy; it has detailed pre-drive instruction conducted by a Marshal, who will demonstrate and explain the necessary recovery & safety equipment for off-road driving. There will be also basic hints and tips on how to handle the car: e.g., engage 4WD, explain difference between 4H & 4L gears, why & how to deflate the tyres, etc.


Newbie

- The member who has attended one Club Member trip at least
- The member who has decided to take his/her off-road driving one step further
- MUST HAVE THE FOLLOWING TOOLS TO BE UPGRADED TO NEWBIE

The typical Newbie trip will be a morning or an afternoon drive with of easy style driving. Members will have the opportunity to get stuck and watch how recoveries are safely undertaken. There will be some cresting, to get the feel of the car approaching, crossing and descending a dune.

Minimum Recovery Equipment:


- Rated (approved) snatch strap
- 2 Rated Shackles
- Rated Hook
- Car jack
- Tyre deflator
- Shovel
- Spare tyre in good shape
- Front & rear towing points
- Air compressor
- Base plate for jacking vehicle
- Mechanical tools


Minimum Safety Equipment :


- First aid kit
- Fire extinguisher (Dry Powder)
- Flag pole including flag
- Communication device (Walkie-talkie)

Intermediate

Demonstrating confident, competent and safe driving at Newbie level showing that they are capable of entering Intermediate trips
A typical Intermediate trip will be faster paced and include slightly more challenging routes. Being able to drive against the dunes, side-slope (not for play), where side-crest are generally driven on these trips.

Required:
- Active role on our Forum website

Minimum Recovery Equipment

All The NEWBIE recovery equipment mentioned above

- Wrench Tools
- Spark plug wrench
- Minimum Safety Equipment
- All The NEWBIE safety equipment mentioned above
- Jerrycan


Advance


Demonstrating confident, competent and safe driving at Intermediate level, showing that they are capable of entering Advanced trips.Advanced trips are fast, long and highly challenging for the driver and the car. Generally they are all day or (sometimes) night drives. The terrain on these trips can be extreme and all the skills of cresting, side-cresting, side-sloping around deep bowls, and driving with the highly advanced skills.

Required:
- Active role on our Forum website

Minimum Recovery Equipment :

- All The INTERMEDIATE recovery equipment mentioned above

Minimum Safety Equipment :

- All The INTERMEDIATE safety equipment mentioned above
- GPS

Advance members will not be permitted to post trips on the Forum, but may be encouraged to lead during a trip by the Marshalfor any level


Explorer

Demonstrating confident, competent and safe driving at Advanced level, showing that they are capable of entering Explorer trips.Exploring trips are just what it says - exploring. Using all their driving skills and knowledge of the dunes and desert, Explorers are encouraged to take the initiative, to post and lead a trip, to explore a new territory

Required:

- Active role on our Forum website
- At least 6 months to be a member in the Club
- Be dedicated to Almost4x4 and the club philosophy
- Active on the website
- Has good experience in off-road driving, safety and recovery requirements
- Knows how to read the dunes, select the most suitable route and explore new territories


Minimum Recovery Equipment

- All The ADVANCE safety equipment mentioned above

Marshal

Marshal is the dedicated member of Almost4x4 Club and one of the pillars.

To be upgraded from Explorer to Marshal, more activities than member's driving skills, will be assessed by the Marshals and the decision to upgrade will ultimately be based upon a decision by the Club Committee.

Required:

- Active role on our Forum website
- At least 12 months to be a member in the Club- He/she must be an active member who has enough experience to plan, lead, sweep, rescue, any kind of off-roading trips with the club
- Contributes regularly on the website
- Is a calm and mature person with demonstrated leadership
- Is capable to make sound decisions under stress
- Has demonstrated full control over rescue/recovery situations
- Has fair mechanical knowledge about cars
- Has a good knowledge of the Middle East desert formation
- All required equipment always to be available (Explorer level)


***All upgrades from Newbie level to Marshal require Test Drive, which will be organized by existing Marshals, for each level upgrade

Have fun & see you all in the sand
The Management