Drive Hard 4.0

[BettyPo]

Days before Day 0:
Being Off-Road Car less is a real pain especially when it's the season and you do not love anything more than desert sand and great trips!
Now what is family for? Without asking I was offered a 4WD vehicle to take for Liwa:056: and it took me some days to think of taking this outstanding offer considering "Mini Me"! Some guys making fun of this full stock little engine and knowing the big bowls, climbs and dropps of Liwa it honestly scared me not having my own ride. However, decision was done! I take it!! Packing and shopping started day by day....

Day 0:
Working late delayed my departure from Dubai and flying over the highways with 110 km/h did not make me join in time at the meeting point, but was able to catch up at deflation coords given. It is a long and dark way to Hameem, but only the thought of magestic Liwa kept me going.
Camp, the regular chit chat, food, drinks, shisha and of course Hamdan's Karak....as an advise, who ever likes to sleep open air, don't in Liwa! By 4am the wind starting blowing and covered me in sand and make sure also that the tent is stable, it may kind of break over your head! I slept further away and I was spared the Snorring Choir Symphony instead guide by a Solo of Bu Tarek:059:

Day 1:
GOOD MORNING LIWA! Bring it on! Clean up, breakfast, briefing, splitting into two convoys followed by leaving camp into nowhere. Some 100 something kilometres to cover were to conquer in "Mini Me"! Yes, me the "Crazy" person was a wee bit scared who usually bangs Betty up and down the dunes and I asked myself if I would make it knowing what Liwa has to offer, but then what shall happen if I am with the big boys! Power of thought....Yes I can! Woohoo!
I was crested once in this drive caused by always being nosy of what was going on behind the dune and it is so much more easy to drive closer than walk! Don't! So I was sitting (pictures available by Rashid Jazz) and I wipped front and back and literally needed just a little push from Rashid & Rami to keep going as the front tires gave some good traction on wet sand! So easy! Oh yes, that cloudy day gave some rain too. More details of the route shall be displayed by Capri in his report. From time to time we met the second convoy before we all were reunited at Moreeb Dune.
Refill was on the To Do list and we drove up to the pump. Ate some junk food, some refreshed with the toilet hose and some went to the Liwa Guest House, some departed back home.
Off to the next camp spot.....Miss D and I had hilarious fun! Uhm, nothing kinky! That night I got a Choir Symphony:055:

Day 2:
Some hot coffee and Soup cooked by Bu Salem warmed up after another cold night. We left into the dunes from Moreeb, well and came back to the same place.
In between though, we drove and drove and stopped and drove.....and there it was! Egg basket in "Mini Me" inside:013:
I came over the crest and a right turn was just too late and seeing the soft messed up sand below where all others went through before confirmed my thought of not making it out myself! Well, I tried .... unsuccessfully and seeked help. Bu Salem added some additional weight (around 5.3 kg of sand) to the car by making huge beautiful sand fountains with open window! Big boy Momo Alkhatib brought the baby boy out of that ditch, front reverse and again and again, and from that moment on I thought "Mini Me" likes it tough! (the clutch is a little harder now:011:)
We reached some nice stretches of dunes to build up speed and I have loved those especially.
We rested on a dune before heading back after another good drive for inflation.
When reaching the pump the thought of spending a third night came up, but disappeared fairly fast and I had to wave good bye Amazing Play Ground.:012:

My very special Thanks goes to Bu Salem because without you I would not have been able to join this drive and to experience the challenges to face with "Mini Me". You ROCK! He is an amazing boy not to be underestimated by no one and I remain faithful of believing in full stock cars!! (Can I buy him?:027:)

I also would like to thank all other Founders and Marshals for making this trip happening and taking the responsibility watching over all your sheeps within the desert and beyond.

Thank you to all members who were able to join Drive Hard, I have enjoyed your company. Please share your experience!

Now, when is the next??

[caprihorse]

[TABLE="width: 900, align: left"]
[TR]
[TD]Statistics Day 1

Summary
Distance: 126 km
Area: 720 sq km

Time
Elapsed Time: 7:04:39
Moving Time: 3:47:12
Stopped Time: 3:17:27

Speed
Avg: 18 km/h
Avg Moving: 33 km/h
Max: 101 km/h

Elevation
Min: 73 m
Max: 186 m
Ascent: 3041 m
Descent: 3081 m
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[TD][IMG]http://www.drivingindubai.com/various/track11.jpg[/IMG]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

[caprihorse]

[TABLE="width: 900, align: left"]
[TR]
[TD]Statistics Day 2

Summary
Distance: 35.3 km
Area: 8.6 sq km

Time
Elapsed Time: 4:42:40
Moving Time: 1:30:56
Stopped Time: 3:11:44

Speed
Avg: 7 km/h
Avg Moving: 23 km/h
Max: 94 km/h

Elevation
Min: 76 m
Max: 219 m
Ascent: 1323 m
Descent: 1328 m
[/TD]
[TD][IMG]http://www.drivingindubai.com/various/track12.jpg[/IMG]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

[Rayat Al Bar]

LIWA the name makes my heart beat fast I don't know the day started off road driving I took Liwa as a chanllange I don't know why but I always heard myself saying I am not off road driver until I drive in Liwa . I have been to Liwa four times but I will really shy if I will share that track with you. That was like 25 km of dunes and 100 km of road and ground areas and some of high drops . As comparison with our track may be you can give 15% of this track . Saying I will do it and standing I can do it and then after doing believing I did it it's amazing feeling . The good thing was I said I will do it and then I said I can't do it and then I said I really did it ? I don't believe it . I always blame my Jeep whenever I failed doing but I kiss my Jeep and saying yes my love I am proud of you . My love and passion made me crazy for Liwa even my eyes were wet when I left Liwa I don't know when I can come back to Liwa. B. Shamsi A big bundle of thanks for this trip off course he was the one who really made it possible after Allah one year before I said to him shamsi if you will go to Liwa without me I will come behind you And he laughed and said inshAllah we will see then last Eid he informed me about Liwa but offered me as a passenger I didn't agree then actually it's long story how many steps I took and then I reached to this stage where I was finally participating in hard drive Liwa my second drive was with capri which helped me correct my lot of mistake but bu salm's lead I was very comfortable. Fida thank you so much for providing me safe trak some times you were amazing ! Thank you so much all of almost members specially miss D Lambo aime KHatib and Fida I love almost group Finally my life found the way to go on...

[strawb]

Majestic Liwa

I wasnt there for Day 0 and Day 1 due to some technical issues with my rig ....... believe me i could have pushed for it but i opted not to because i didnt want to risk anything 400kms away from dubai .....

basically i was bored to death at home when i saw our Melfi post something in facebook on Friday (Dec 30) and it seemed she was in Dubai as well ..... I gave her a ring to ask if she was going to follow the guys in Liwa ..... i said that if she wanted to i can drive for her or i can ride shotgun in her FJ to where the guys were camping out ..... a few minutes and we agreed to meet in Jumeirah Residences .... the gentleman that i am .... i offered to drive her FJ so that she can have a calm peaceful drive as she just came off a flight from italy the day before .....

with Melfi navigating ... it didnt take long for us to get to liwa ...... with the power of the FJ it took us a little bit less than 3 hours to get to the deflation point ...... we were ripping the roads of abudhabi at 180kph @ 3000RPM (no flash) ...... i definitely enjoyed the horsepower of the FJ on tarmac .... thanks melfi for taking me to Liwa

we finally got to the campsite wherein a few of the brave offroaders were sitting down and enjoying the cold breeze of the liwa desert ...... it felt so good to see them welcome us that evening ..... we sat down ... enjoyed the bonfire and went to bed early to get ready for the adventure the next day .....

Day 2

woke up with the very cold morning breeze ........ everyone cleaned up and we headed to the Tal Mireb dune ...... i was passenger with our marshal Hamdan ..... i felt so at home in the cherokee ....... we managed a few dunes and then after a few minutes of offroad....... i was given a chance to drive Melfi's FJ for the rest of the drive ....... this got my blood pumping as i was going to get a chance to play in the gigantic dunes in Liwa ...... and so i did ...... but with utmost care as it was not my car ...... the power of the FJ definitely impressed me but it did take some time to feel comfortable with it ......

on the way home ...... our Pwood gave me a chance to drive his pentastar JK and i was a very happy camper .........thanks buddy

and at the end of the day .... thankyou almost4x4 for this event ......

i got me a shot at majestic liwa ......
i got to be with my almost family
i got a chance to drive the FJ at 180kph
i got a chance to play with an FJ
and i got a chance to drive the pentastar JK back to dubai



thank you founders, marshals and explorers!!!!

see ya next week

[Paul]

Hi guys

Liwa..... I finally got there..... And safely back, thanks to Almost4x4.

It lived up to and beyond the pre-Liwa hype.

Yes, the dunes are big.
Yes, the dunes are steep.
Yes, the dunes are soft.
Yes, the dunes beautiful.
Yes the driving is super challenging.
and
Yes, I want to go back.

Thank you to the entire Almost4x4 team. A trip like this needs careful planning and much dedication. You guys did a fantastic job.

I would never have had the courage to tackel Liwa without the professional training, guidance and support of Almost4x4.

Thank you.

Regards
Paul