Jeep Jamboree 2013
Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2013 3:27 pm
Just returned from a one-day trip abroad, got some time to write this out…
I was really looking forward to the Jeep Jamboree 2013. I had first heard about it in January 2010 when I took Roxanne for servicing to Trading Enterprises. Unfortunately, I had to travel to South Africa, hence wasn’t able to go. 2011 and 2012 just whizzed by, and finally, through the almost4x4 website, I came to know about the 2013 version of the event. With confidence boosters of almost4x4m, I decided to join the band wagon.
I was excited, oh boy, was I excited. Khatib organised the show, we met at the Enoc station at RTA. The dude in the white Wrangler pointed out that I had a power steering leak (thanks for letting me know, sorry I didn’t get your name). In a while, we all set out towards the Al Badia Golf Course where a continental breakfast awaited. After registration and a small briefing by the Trading Enterprises organisers, we were off to our vehicles.
And the disappointment began… the Jamboree organisers didnt follow a ‘first in first out’ methodology to begin the event. Whilst we were amongst the first to arrive at Al Badia, we were the last to get going. When we finally reached the venue, the mountain trek began… at times at crawling speed… not very flattering with a manual transmission. I think some of us (including myself) got bored… I remember someone asking Strawb over the walkie talkie “how many more kilometres of this do we have to drive”..haha. After the rocks, there was gravel driving at a better speed but with a lot of flying dust… at least it was better than the rocks.
Finally, from the gravel, there was a dash for the sand (and a whole lot of dust). In the process, I think, a lot of people got lost.. us as well as other participants. I just played safe.. I followed Miss D’s brother while he navigated his way and was able to regroup with the rest of the almosters near fossil rock. After waiting at the base of the HUGE dune for a bit, the almost4x4 group decided to head back… somewhere…! In the ensuing one hour or so, while trying to figure out which way is ‘home’… that in my opinion, was the best part of the Jamboree… we actually drove in the dunes. Yaaaayyyyy!!! That was time well spent J
My wife and I didn’t return to Al Badia for the bbq dinner. I had to catch a flight early next morning, was tired and covered in dust. We went home.
In the end, the Jeep Jamboree 2013, for me, wasn’t all that exciting as I had imagined. The only good thing that came out of it was the wonderful people I met on the way (I was trying to put faces to names I had come to know from the almost4x4 website) and the one hour of almost4x4 dune driving at the end that made the event worth it. Well this is my personal experience, anyone else with happier memories?
I was really looking forward to the Jeep Jamboree 2013. I had first heard about it in January 2010 when I took Roxanne for servicing to Trading Enterprises. Unfortunately, I had to travel to South Africa, hence wasn’t able to go. 2011 and 2012 just whizzed by, and finally, through the almost4x4 website, I came to know about the 2013 version of the event. With confidence boosters of almost4x4m, I decided to join the band wagon.
I was excited, oh boy, was I excited. Khatib organised the show, we met at the Enoc station at RTA. The dude in the white Wrangler pointed out that I had a power steering leak (thanks for letting me know, sorry I didn’t get your name). In a while, we all set out towards the Al Badia Golf Course where a continental breakfast awaited. After registration and a small briefing by the Trading Enterprises organisers, we were off to our vehicles.
And the disappointment began… the Jamboree organisers didnt follow a ‘first in first out’ methodology to begin the event. Whilst we were amongst the first to arrive at Al Badia, we were the last to get going. When we finally reached the venue, the mountain trek began… at times at crawling speed… not very flattering with a manual transmission. I think some of us (including myself) got bored… I remember someone asking Strawb over the walkie talkie “how many more kilometres of this do we have to drive”..haha. After the rocks, there was gravel driving at a better speed but with a lot of flying dust… at least it was better than the rocks.
Finally, from the gravel, there was a dash for the sand (and a whole lot of dust). In the process, I think, a lot of people got lost.. us as well as other participants. I just played safe.. I followed Miss D’s brother while he navigated his way and was able to regroup with the rest of the almosters near fossil rock. After waiting at the base of the HUGE dune for a bit, the almost4x4 group decided to head back… somewhere…! In the ensuing one hour or so, while trying to figure out which way is ‘home’… that in my opinion, was the best part of the Jamboree… we actually drove in the dunes. Yaaaayyyyy!!! That was time well spent J
My wife and I didn’t return to Al Badia for the bbq dinner. I had to catch a flight early next morning, was tired and covered in dust. We went home.
In the end, the Jeep Jamboree 2013, for me, wasn’t all that exciting as I had imagined. The only good thing that came out of it was the wonderful people I met on the way (I was trying to put faces to names I had come to know from the almost4x4 website) and the one hour of almost4x4 dune driving at the end that made the event worth it. Well this is my personal experience, anyone else with happier memories?