Stars Track XVII

[Suman]

Today we had an opportunity to embark on new chapter of off-roading with fellow Almosters.

Thank you to all the lead and Marshalls for making us believe, the other side of dune is safe. As a newbie, this is probably the most scarry part of going up the dune.

And learnt a new lingo today - "floor it". It works like a charm!

I felt like little bushes on sand were one of the key obstacle. This is my observation as newbie, I would love to hear from others.

Looking forward to meet fellow Almosters again.

Thank you to Marshall Baris for organizing this drive for newbies, Marshall Rapailo who was our lead and the presence of our founder and all other senior members.

Thanks.

[Mghoneim]

Hello Almosters,

I arrived to the meeting point at 7:45am to find many new faces and the usual suspects. The drive was dedicated to Newbies 5+ and 5-, and the plan was to drive from Murraqab to Qudra. After the recent heavy rains the track turned into lushy green with bushes everywhere. It got a little better towards Qudra.

I was assigned to support the 5- convoy led by @rapailo , floating @Solmaz and our founder @alshamsi_m . The supporting intermediates were @Rooies @Bu Touma (Sweeper).

We had a couple of recovery situations in the back of the convoy, however the front was flowing most of the time. Members would need to always keep in mind the 15-20 meters distance between them nad the car in front.

Arrived to the finish point to find @Barish who is the mastermind behind this drive series.

Many thanks to @alshamsi_m @Solmaz @rapailo , @Agalon and my fellow intermediates for their support.


Till the next drive
Mghoneim

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Don't Speculate , Calculate !

[Chris69]

Another fun filled morning on the sand with almost4x4. Marshall Barish assigned optimus to lead the convoy I was in navigating our way through the sands now covered with lots of fresh bumpy grass growth safely.

Very well organised and controlled drive with a few recoveries dealt with swiftly by the intermediates as recovery team.

Always a pleasure to drive with this club and very grateful for the training, advice and coffee from organising Marshall Barish.

My fourth drive as a newbie and putting into practice what I have been taught over the previous drives. Maintaining the correct amount of momentum to straight crest without flying, getting crested or taking a brake. No longer do I fear the other side of the dune which you cannot see, confidence to commit has grown by the sound advice the Marshalls have given over my previous drives .

Had one second try on a small soft climb, rookie error just didn't have quite enough speed. My bad should have stopped let the 2nd lead get slightly further ahead so I could have took more momentum without fear of getting too close to the car infront .

Looking forward to the next drive as always, see you on the sand soon!

[alshamsi_m]

Hello everyone

First of all , I would say hat off for @rapailo ot was not an easy navigation to find the best track for our newly joined members.

I would say " survival of the fittest "
in everyone CM batch the number of members decrease to finest and who are serious about this hobby. We had around 10 members today and they did a great job by surviving the terrain .

It was slow drive because of the green fields nevertheless, @rapailo managed to pull a very good training day.

Our Marshals @Solmaz @Agalon did a magnificent job taking care of the convoy and lending help where is needed.

At the end I would say , it was nice to see all again in the sand and we are looking for more adventures.

Thanks @Barish for organising our trip this morning

Till next time, stay safe

Cheers
Shamsi

[brett]

Stars Track XVII
Dear Almosters
It had been some time since I was able to join a drive due to travelling and other issues, so it was nice to finally get the opportunity to join Stars Track XVII arranged by “The General” @Barish .
I woke up early and headed off to the meeting point – arriving almost an hour before the meeting time. I was joined not long after by @Bu Touma . Soon more eager -5 Newbies started arriving, although there was some confusion regarding the meeting time and event start – eventually everyone gathered for the briefing by Barish. With the group being split into 2 convoys -5 and 5+
The 5+ was to be led by @rapailo with our founder @alshamsi_m and @Solmaz as floating marshals for support.
The -5 convoy was led by @optimus with “The General” as floating marshal. I was positioned mid convoy for recovery support with fellow intermediate @Petr .
I have been in this area so many times over the past 2 – 3 years and from what was before open dunes devoid of vegetation, it is now a challenge for the leading marshal to find a smooth track as there are bushes and vegetation in every direction.
@optimus did an amazing job carving a track through the obstacles and finding challenges for our Newbies some nice climbs and drops that in the most part were completed by them as they develop and understanding of their car ability and their confidence grows, of course there were a few 2nd tries and crested (stuck) attempts but these were quickly resolved with the trusty Viking robe dislodging the stubborn vehicle from the crest. No shame in getting stuck or needing a 2nd try, it means we are learning.
The pace of the drive was a bit disjointed caused by the 2nd tries and drivers not maintaining the correct distance so a few times we needed to “reconnect” the convoy, due to lost track. But by the end of the drive, we had many smiling faces and I look forward to seeing the new drivers develop as they continue their journey with our Almost4x4 family.
See you all again next weekend as the journey continues to becoming confident and safe off-roaders.

[Barish]

Hello everyone,

These drives right after the CM are an Almost tradition usually to focus on the start of your adaptation to the desert, club and integrity with other members in your rank. We usually try as much terrains as possible such as straight crests, arches, technical areas; our lead @optimus did an amazing job in between bushes for our members to practice these. Drivers did second tries, got stuck..all are part of the game and support team was there to guide and coach them.

Welcome all again to Almost 4x4. Now its time to experience different things in your new level and enjoy your journey in Almost4x4.

Thanks to our Founder Bu Salem, Marshals and rescue team of both convoys for the support and great efforts.

Dont forget; change never starts if improvement is not there.

See you next time.

Barish

[rbarbier19]

good evening everyone,
after struggling to get the last few necessary tools to be upgraded as a Newbie, I was finally onboard or my ride #1, and managed to convince wife, 3 kids and visiting parents to come along.
3 hours of dunes was 2h45' too many for my wife, but parents and kids loved it.
First time deflating and pumping back air in my car - very feeling.
lesson #1: Hard to remain focused on the car in front & behind as well as on the walkie-talkie with 6 passengers ..
lesson #2: much more efficient to use manual gears (I only used the D mode the previous w-e).
Proud to be part of this adventure, orange sticker on the boot of the fat Patrol.. thanks to the marshals and rescuers for their valuable help & inputs.
See you all again soon
Romain

[Rooies]

First time in a long time I was able to drive with the club & was looking forward to it.

Had some issues getting the meeting point, think I need a new phone .

We met at the meeting point, went through the normal drills, chatted & waited for the briefing. Saw @Agalon for the first time in a very long time.

The briefing was done, @rapailo was leading the convoy with @alshamsi_m & @Solmaz /@Agalon floating. I placed myself just infront of the big cars . The going was good overall with not to many issues. The big car behind me had a few issues & lotsa ductape & cable ties repairs, but at the end of the drive, he said he will be back because we helped him & ensured he got out, told him that's what the club is about, we make sure nobody gets left behind.

Thank you @Barish for organizing the drive, the masrhall floating & the other inters helping with the drive.

Till we meet in the sand again, stay safe.

Greetings
Rooies