Down Shifting

[King]

Down Shifting: A Mountain Adventure

A yearly trip to Salalah, Oman, is one of the signature adventures for the ALMOST Club. It’s a multi-day overland journey blending different terrains, convoy formations, and driving styles—all carried out in true club spirit. Under the leadership of our Club Founder@alshamsi_m , each trip becomes a memorable, story-worthy experience.

As this route requires skills beyond what we typically use while driving over sand dunes, the idea was to make this journey a learning session—specifically focused on mountain and gravel road driving. Members learned how to utilize gear shifting to manage inertia, control speed on steep downhills, and reduce reliance on brakes.

Giveaway for All
At the meeting point, excitement filled the air as club members gathered between the mountains despite the high temperatures. There was initial confusion about the exact location, but eventually, we settled at the agreed spot. Abu Salim @alshamsi_m arrived a bit late—but as always, brought joy, laughter, and giveaways for everyone. He also shared nostalgic stories from previous Salalah trips, bringing back fond memories.

Time to Learn from the Best
Once everyone had gathered around Abu Salim, we kicked off one of the best hands-on learning sessions. He explained different driving scenarios in detail, adjusting his advice based on car brands and the differences in gear shifting systems. It was a masterclass in technical off-roading.

Train Hard, Enjoy Harder
We began our journey with a challenging climb to the peaks of Jabal Yanas and Jebel Yibir. Along the way, we passed by the Mountain Olive Farm—a unique project aimed at enriching the mountain experience with the beauty of olive trees.

Beat the Heat
While ascending, I made a mistake in shifting—engaging 4L gear—which pushed my RPMs to a constant 7. This caused my car to overheat, building up pressure in the coolant reservoir. We took a much-needed break at the top to let vehicles cool-down, and it also gave another member@Ahmedalabassi time for a quick repair.

We Never Leave a Brother Behind
We had planned to end the day with a bonus trip to the Icelandic Lake for a refreshing splash in Masafi’s pure waters. When our car needed more time to cool-down, we asked the convoy to move on. But Abu Salim @alshamsi_m refused to leave us behind. He escorted the convoy to the main road, then returned with Abu Abdul Ghani @Hisham to ensure our safety—true brotherhood in action.

Rewarding Watermelon
Once our vehicles were back in shape, we rejoined the convoy at Al Hamri Downhill Track. There, we all regrouped and enjoyed a refreshing treat—chilled watermelon by @Mostafa and laban by @Hisham , generously shared among us. It was the perfect reward after enduring the heat and mechanical struggles.

Navigation at Night
As we descended out of the mountains in the dark, we realized just how critical navigation skills are—reading terrain, remembering landmarks, and maintaining orientation. A big shoutout and deep appreciation go to our Club Founder@alshamsi_m for guiding us safely out of the mountain maze and back to the main road.

[KingQ]

Dear All

The trip was amazing, @S.ALSHAMSI explained the route in the briefing in detail and the execution was flawless with all the instructions given throughout the drive.

Unfortunately due to some car issues the trip was aborted and the final destination was not reached, but it was a different experience driving on the mountain and the wadi.

Thank you to the rescue and support team for all the assistance given.

[alshamsi_m]

Hello Everyone

We had another successful drive in the mountain area, the idea of the drive is to practice using the low gear instead of the break for mountain drives.

We had road mountain and gravel mountain to complete the practice. Although we finished our training day successfully, we couldn't do the bounce sites in our program due to cars overheating.

The plan was as follows :
1. Practice using 4L & gear down shifting
2. Practice convoy style on the road even without radio communication
3. Find out if your car has overheating issues

We were lucky and found two

Since safety is our priority, I decided to call off for the day and take the convoy out to road before the dark. Then go back to get the remaining members. Please be aware that mountain routes are very deceiving and you can get lost easily, your data apps might fail you and even a proper GPS if it doesn't have the tracks.

At the end of the day everyone were safe and sound and ready for the next adventure.

Till next time take care and see you after Salalah Adventure 2025

Cheers
Shamsi

[Ahmedalabassi]

it different experience driving on the mountain and the wadi and i enjoyed.

it was good practice to know if your car will beat heat or no, unfortunately my car didn't

every time i am learning new thing from Abu Salim @S.ALSHAMSI how to be leader and responsible for every one who join in this trip.

@S.ALSHAMSI refused to leave us behind. He escorted the convoy to the main road, then returned with @Hisham to ensure we can go down to road again me @King.



moreover, Abu Salim @S.ALSHAMSI give me medal as Giveaway i will give to my son will love it .

Special thanks to @Mostafa and @Hisham @ahmed77moharem @bobpavan and every one who support me to go out with my car to main road.

[siddharthsai]

First mountain drive with ALMOST!!

Great to be a part of this rare mountain drive from Almost. We had a lot of fun navigating through the dust; some areas felt like they were right out of a Mad Max movie. I don't remember the exact area we were in, but it was a good climb and a good descent.

We did not reach the final destination, as some cars had issues that needed to be sorted before nightfall. @alshamsi_m took a call to not proceed. I was a little dissapointed but it was a leadership call and I fully support why Shamsi took that decision. By the time we reached the road it was already 6:30 and 1 hour to the lake, so even if we did go, it would have been just 10 mins with daylight.

My CV joints held up well but it was making some weird sounds while climibing so that definitely needs to be replaced.

Thank you Almost for the goodies and the amazing mountain experience.
Looking forward to complete the lake visit soon!

Regards,
Sid

[ahmed77moharem]

Hi Almosters

Seriously, @King, there's nothing left for us to say after his trip report.

We had a new experience with our guardian angel Abu Salim @alshamsi_m.

His positive vibes and how he looked after everyone on the convoy, along with his directions, helped us get through the tough route and see what our cars could do.

The most important thing is that we all made it back safe.

Thanks @Mostafa & @Hisham for your support.

Catch you all on the next awesome trip soon.

[Minhaj]

Hello Guys

Right after finishing the thrilling morning drive, I grabbed a quick bite and headed straight to the Ras Al Khaimah meeting point for my second drive of the day. I reached about 30 minutes early—and to my surprise, being early came with a reward! When Mr. Shamshi arrived, he handed me a small gift for being the first person to reach the meeting point. That set a great tone for the rest of the drive.

Before we began, Mr. Shamshi conducted a detailed briefing focused on convoy discipline, especially highway driving techniques valuable insights that will be extremely useful for the upcoming Salalah trip.

The drive started with a mountain climb in 4H gear, gaining over 1,200 meters in elevation. Once we reached the top, we turned around and switched to 4L gear 3 for the descent. This was my first time using 4L in my car, and I was genuinely excited to experience this kind of terrain. The route took us up a gravel trail and then all the way down, testing both driver and vehicle.

It turned out to be a perfect practice session to understand my car better before the Salalah trip. I discovered a rattling noise from the rear that I’ll need to sort out soon, but thankfully, no overheating or performance issues. It was a solid learning experience with just the right mix of adventure and insight.

Big thanks to @Mr.Shamshi for organizing the drive, and special thanks to @bobpavan, @Germain, @Hisam, @Moustafa, and @mpodroid for all the support and guidance throughout the session. Looking forward to many more drives

[Moustafa]

Hello Everyone

I don’t have much to say as most of the trip has been covered in the above reports

After this time in off road , I can say it os totally deferent experience and new learning for car control and less use of you breaks

Also in desert if any car need help it is much easier to do , in mountains the road is very narrow and sharp turns .

I can say in general everything was good , the cars wasn’t in good condition or ready send us big alert but luckily and with the big support of everyone specially @alshamsi_m and @Hisham we have managed to take them back to the road and they have driven home/ workshop safely

We just lost the time to go and swim, but I am sure will go again soon

Finally I will strongly request our Marshals to post Wadi trip once climate will be good , as it is really beautiful time and landscaping

See you all soon

[mpodroid]

After a very long time, my second drive on the mountain.

A great opportunity to practice before going to Salalah. I wish I had it before Salalah 2022: great chance @alshamsi_m for the Salalah 2025 members.

I was hoping for the final swim in the lake, unfortunately we had multiple overheating issues with some cars and we had to closed the drive early, to save enough time to recover the car left to down.

Very different driving style compared to the dune bashing: that's nice from time to time, but I definitely prefer the sand.

[massaleh]

July 27, 2025
Today was a unique experience, as it was my first solo drive, since my family is away on vacation. From the beginning, the day felt different

Driving through the mountains, the GPS suddenly instructed me to take a right turn. That was the meeting point, set for 2:30 PM. This time, there were no flags, no tire deflations just radio and pure driving.

Abu Salam arrived, bringing gift bags and spreading happiness and energy. After that, we had a briefing about today’s drive and the upcoming Salalah trip.

Engines roared to life, and off we went. The mountain we tackled was unlike Jebel Jais or Jebel Hafeet. The curves and climbs were intense. During the ascent, we were instructed to engage 4H and shift between 2nd and 3rd gear. Once we reached the top, the real thrill began.

Bu Salem gave the next instruction, engage 4L low gear. As soon as I did, the car felt heavier, gripping the road firmly. I thought something was wrong and reported it on the radio. Bu Salem reassured me that this was exactly how 4L is supposed to feel. The goal was to descend without using the brakes, relying solely on the gear between 2nd and 3rd, using brakes only when absolutely necessary and thus we have to have bigger distances to manage.

Wow. What an incredible experience! All my life, I’ve climbed mountains without engaging 4WD, and going downhill always meant the smell of burning brakes. This was a game changer.

Later, we headed to another gravel mountain with a tight road. We climbed to the top, where the view was beautiful, though unfortunately not clear enough to see the ocean.
At the top, Mustafa as always had the chill, but this time with Clementine, since watermelon has become the desert’s trademark refreshment. (But from the reports above, we noted that it is NOT, it became as a rewarding, and I believe well deserved for all of them)

We also encountered two cars overheating for different reasons, which turned into a learning moment. Everyone took note of what essentials to carry for emergencies.

We all agreed to wrap up the day at that point, as this is the leader's call. But in this moment you feel very proud of having such a leader that do cares for all, and it is all for one and one for all. The rule of thumb, “No one is left behind, we go in and out together”

At the final point, Hisham was ready with laban to straighten our lines and refresh us .

Thank you all for this amazing drive ..

In short: the learning never stops in this club.