Rescue The Marshals
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Sridhar
- Newbie
- Posts: 0
- Joined: Mon Dec 23, 2013 12:54 pm
Sincere thanks to the Marshals and Organizers of the lovely newbie 5+ trip, so mischievously named “Rescue The Marshals” :devilish:. Cheerful Amosters :cheerful: gathered as always, on time, at Nazwa shops. After the briefing, convoy left in a single file of 20 cars. Purely from my experience of today, I would divide the drive into 2 phases; the first being the rescue lessons and the second, the drive back to Al Badayer shops. The first part was extremely informative and fun; we had the opportunity to see pop out fixed and got a fun demo on the rescue techniques. We then formed pairs, with one car encouraged to get stuck and the other car to rescue. My partner was Fat Rabbit and together we tried out a few stucks and rescues between us, under the watchful eye of Majaaz, who gave us useful tips (I thought getting stuck comes naturally to me; but it took a few attempts to get deliberately stuck). Looking around, I reckoned everyone had their share of fun in the exercises.
For me, the fun ended right there; for what followed thereafter in the second phase was a very humbling experience to say the least. The convoy took off at a very fast pace and we were very soon side cresting, balancing perilously on top of precarious dunes and rapidly ascending and descending dunes, some of which seemed like Mt. Everest to me. "I realized my car was driving me". I summoned courage, took grip of myself and somehow managed to take control over the car in the last 15 minutes of the drive and crossed the finish line without major issues.
All in all, it was a wonderful experience, be it the rescue lessons, drive or the mini sandstorm that filled sand in my trouser pockets, which I realized only upon reaching home. On hindsight, although I feel proud to have driven with more experienced persons, I was clearly found wanting in skill levels expected of the 5+ drivers today. As Bu Salem mentioned on a couple of occasions, including today, "number of drives do not matter as much as the confidence / skills / patience of the driver".
Once again, heartfelt thanks to all fellow drivers / passengers for the fun in the sand and the marshals / organizers for their fantastic guidance and taking care of us.
Sorry for the long report. In short “Keep learning”.
Cheers,
For me, the fun ended right there; for what followed thereafter in the second phase was a very humbling experience to say the least. The convoy took off at a very fast pace and we were very soon side cresting, balancing perilously on top of precarious dunes and rapidly ascending and descending dunes, some of which seemed like Mt. Everest to me. "I realized my car was driving me". I summoned courage, took grip of myself and somehow managed to take control over the car in the last 15 minutes of the drive and crossed the finish line without major issues.
All in all, it was a wonderful experience, be it the rescue lessons, drive or the mini sandstorm that filled sand in my trouser pockets, which I realized only upon reaching home. On hindsight, although I feel proud to have driven with more experienced persons, I was clearly found wanting in skill levels expected of the 5+ drivers today. As Bu Salem mentioned on a couple of occasions, including today, "number of drives do not matter as much as the confidence / skills / patience of the driver".
Once again, heartfelt thanks to all fellow drivers / passengers for the fun in the sand and the marshals / organizers for their fantastic guidance and taking care of us.
Sorry for the long report. In short “Keep learning”.
Cheers,
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Fat Rabbit
- Newbie
- Posts: 35
- Joined: Wed Nov 07, 2012 12:22 pm
Yup yup as Sridhar pointed out, this was a really fun filled experience... right from the sandstorm (there is still sand in my hair despite shampooing twice), to the getting stuck, rescue etc. Also got the opportunity to get pulled for the first time.... somewhere along the way I got stuck and Armine was at hand to help under the watchful eye of Bu Salem. I was a bit tense cuz of the jerk I was expecting on the Viking rope when getting pulled, but all went well. Learnt some valuable lessons.
Also got to witness fixing a popout. Great instructions given by Bu Salem and Strawb. Without the almost4x4 family, I'm sure it would have been impossible to recover from that. After the popout was fixed by Bu Salem, Al Khatib manouvered the vehicle superbly out of the ditch. Getting stuck and unstuck with Sridhar was a good experience, picked up a lot of pointers from Mazaaj, also found out that my TJ needs to be fixed up with better towing points. Will do that sometime next week. Thank your Mazaaj for your help and guidance throughout. Much appreciated.
The way back was great...yaaaayyyyyy... fast paced, great dunes, ho ho ho... what fun :D. Also got the chance to try out my new tires... the BFG T/A All Terrain.. interesting, a change from my Nitto Dune Grappler, but fun anyhow. Didnt get the air pressure right (12 PSI), I felt the TJ was struggling a bit. I think I will go lower next time. Mazaaj also pointed it out during the getting stuck/rescue session.
I liked Abu Jimmy's introduction at the begining... when a marshal gets stuck, no taking pictures... hahaha. Thanks everybody for the great trip, and thank you Abu Jimmy and Bu Salem for letting me drive today having completed only 4 trips. Thank you for the confidence.
See you guys soon
Also got to witness fixing a popout. Great instructions given by Bu Salem and Strawb. Without the almost4x4 family, I'm sure it would have been impossible to recover from that. After the popout was fixed by Bu Salem, Al Khatib manouvered the vehicle superbly out of the ditch. Getting stuck and unstuck with Sridhar was a good experience, picked up a lot of pointers from Mazaaj, also found out that my TJ needs to be fixed up with better towing points. Will do that sometime next week. Thank your Mazaaj for your help and guidance throughout. Much appreciated.
The way back was great...yaaaayyyyyy... fast paced, great dunes, ho ho ho... what fun :D. Also got the chance to try out my new tires... the BFG T/A All Terrain.. interesting, a change from my Nitto Dune Grappler, but fun anyhow. Didnt get the air pressure right (12 PSI), I felt the TJ was struggling a bit. I think I will go lower next time. Mazaaj also pointed it out during the getting stuck/rescue session.
I liked Abu Jimmy's introduction at the begining... when a marshal gets stuck, no taking pictures... hahaha. Thanks everybody for the great trip, and thank you Abu Jimmy and Bu Salem for letting me drive today having completed only 4 trips. Thank you for the confidence.
See you guys soon
Where the road ends, the enjoyment begins..
With Natalie, a 2-door beige Nissan Patrol Safari
With Natalie, a 2-door beige Nissan Patrol Safari
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Fat Rabbit
- Newbie
- Posts: 35
- Joined: Wed Nov 07, 2012 12:22 pm
Oh and also got to meet Tornado today... WOW what a machine..!!!
Where the road ends, the enjoyment begins..
With Natalie, a 2-door beige Nissan Patrol Safari
With Natalie, a 2-door beige Nissan Patrol Safari
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desert_jellyfish
- Newbie
- Posts: 0
- Joined: Wed Oct 10, 2012 12:49 am
Hi all, unfortunately i have only completed 4 drives and could not attend...but i did anyways! Mwahahaha, just kidding....luckily enough i found a passenger seat with Strawb, thanks again buddy....for everything! (On a little side note, Strawb has been very patient and friendly with me and my car, explaining different aspects and giving me insights and advice on equipment and mods, i am forever grateful brother)
I arrived at Nizwa shops a half hour early; which i will do more often because of the great pre-drive sitting with the marshals! Met everyone there, hopped into the back of Strawb's JK and we headed out. Got to watch Bu Salem's demonstration on pop-out recovery as well as a quick reminder on tools and equipment and ALKHATIB working his whispering magic to recover from a ditch without beimg towed.
Then the journey continued to where everyone teamed up in pairs and deliberately got stuck in order to get rescued, each under the watchful eye of a marshal. That's where i switched to being a passenger with Mazaaj...mashallah! I kept my eyes (as much as i could with all the sand around) and ears open as this was a lesson for me too though i was not driving. We watched over two sets of partners rescuing each other and i learned from both. Then we started heading to Badayer shops and i saw the great importance of a sweeper and how beautifully syncronized the marshals are. Thank you Mazaaj!
Just a small note: Being a newbie as a passenger with a marshal is something truly amazing! You get to watch from a marshal "brain and eyes" perspective and its something really great. Always focused and attentive to detail with every driver specifically and the convoy as a whole...i applaud you all. I hope i'm not out line when saying this, but a small peice of advice to all newbies (including myself)...make mistakes and learn from them, it really is ok; and when we make a mistake and a marshall is helping us, we shouldn't get worried about being embarassed or holding up the rest...breathe and follow instructions.
Thank you for a great drive and a great club!
I arrived at Nizwa shops a half hour early; which i will do more often because of the great pre-drive sitting with the marshals! Met everyone there, hopped into the back of Strawb's JK and we headed out. Got to watch Bu Salem's demonstration on pop-out recovery as well as a quick reminder on tools and equipment and ALKHATIB working his whispering magic to recover from a ditch without beimg towed.
Then the journey continued to where everyone teamed up in pairs and deliberately got stuck in order to get rescued, each under the watchful eye of a marshal. That's where i switched to being a passenger with Mazaaj...mashallah! I kept my eyes (as much as i could with all the sand around) and ears open as this was a lesson for me too though i was not driving. We watched over two sets of partners rescuing each other and i learned from both. Then we started heading to Badayer shops and i saw the great importance of a sweeper and how beautifully syncronized the marshals are. Thank you Mazaaj!
Just a small note: Being a newbie as a passenger with a marshal is something truly amazing! You get to watch from a marshal "brain and eyes" perspective and its something really great. Always focused and attentive to detail with every driver specifically and the convoy as a whole...i applaud you all. I hope i'm not out line when saying this, but a small peice of advice to all newbies (including myself)...make mistakes and learn from them, it really is ok; and when we make a mistake and a marshall is helping us, we shouldn't get worried about being embarassed or holding up the rest...breathe and follow instructions.
Thank you for a great drive and a great club!
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Fat Rabbit
- Newbie
- Posts: 35
- Joined: Wed Nov 07, 2012 12:22 pm
[quote=M0K11;33908] ... and when we make a mistake and a marshall is helping us, we shouldn't get worried about being embarassed or holding up the rest...breathe and follow instructions ... [/quote]
Its funny that M0K11 mentions this... I can relate to this and it was exactly my first feeling in a deflated tire incident I had last year on my second drive with the club. Not a popout but the front tire just deflated completely. Oh gosh, I was embarassed to the core and sweating profusely, I decided in an instant that this is my last drive with the club, I'm not returning here again. BUT I was amazed that everybody was so helpful and supportive. Holding up the rest wasnt even on the Marshals' mind, they took it as a teaching opportunity. Bu Salem, Al Khatib and Camel gathered up everybody and made the situation into a recovery demonstration. Here at almost4x4 everybody says 'family'... and in situations like these, its really a great feeling to know that we can depend on the family.
By the way, havent seen Camel for a while. Anyone know hows he doing?
Its funny that M0K11 mentions this... I can relate to this and it was exactly my first feeling in a deflated tire incident I had last year on my second drive with the club. Not a popout but the front tire just deflated completely. Oh gosh, I was embarassed to the core and sweating profusely, I decided in an instant that this is my last drive with the club, I'm not returning here again. BUT I was amazed that everybody was so helpful and supportive. Holding up the rest wasnt even on the Marshals' mind, they took it as a teaching opportunity. Bu Salem, Al Khatib and Camel gathered up everybody and made the situation into a recovery demonstration. Here at almost4x4 everybody says 'family'... and in situations like these, its really a great feeling to know that we can depend on the family.
By the way, havent seen Camel for a while. Anyone know hows he doing?
Where the road ends, the enjoyment begins..
With Natalie, a 2-door beige Nissan Patrol Safari
With Natalie, a 2-door beige Nissan Patrol Safari
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Duli
- Newbie
- Posts: 0
- Joined: Fri Dec 20, 2013 10:04 pm
An Amazing trip just as mentioned by Sridhar, M0K11, Fat Rabbit.
I couldn't make it into the convoy due to the number of drives I have had... but I would like to really thank Bu Salem for offering to take me as his passenger on this drive. I must say 'it was an honor' being in a car driven by him. The experience he has was just amazing as we were discussing driving techniques during the drive, and thanks to him again for answering my questions by practically driving and showing me what the answer is
.
Even tho I could not bring in my car for the drive, this really gave me an experience on how to recover just by watching. I am sure Bambam was just waiting to hear the words "Bambam come and rescue Tornado" :grin: but luckily or unluckily he didnt hear that..
It was a drive with excellent sandy weather. The marshals shared their experiences with us and just kept building our confidence.
It was really fun watching people 'Trying to get stuck' which was like 'no matter how you try, you wont get stuck' :011:
On the way out, there was a family (Husband, wife and 2 young kids) who were stuck in 'No Mans Land' and thats where the almost4x4 family took care of the situation and rescued them safely and they were back on their way.
The best part: He had an Almost4x4 sticker on his car which he 'did not know where he got it from' :grin:
Overall I must say it was a very good session which I am sure we all present took alot of knowledge back home with us. Thank you to Bu-Salem, marshals and participants for a great session.
Till next week.... Stay and drive safe..
I couldn't make it into the convoy due to the number of drives I have had... but I would like to really thank Bu Salem for offering to take me as his passenger on this drive. I must say 'it was an honor' being in a car driven by him. The experience he has was just amazing as we were discussing driving techniques during the drive, and thanks to him again for answering my questions by practically driving and showing me what the answer is
.Even tho I could not bring in my car for the drive, this really gave me an experience on how to recover just by watching. I am sure Bambam was just waiting to hear the words "Bambam come and rescue Tornado" :grin: but luckily or unluckily he didnt hear that..
It was a drive with excellent sandy weather. The marshals shared their experiences with us and just kept building our confidence.
It was really fun watching people 'Trying to get stuck' which was like 'no matter how you try, you wont get stuck' :011:
On the way out, there was a family (Husband, wife and 2 young kids) who were stuck in 'No Mans Land' and thats where the almost4x4 family took care of the situation and rescued them safely and they were back on their way.
The best part: He had an Almost4x4 sticker on his car which he 'did not know where he got it from' :grin:
Overall I must say it was a very good session which I am sure we all present took alot of knowledge back home with us. Thank you to Bu-Salem, marshals and participants for a great session.
Till next week.... Stay and drive safe..
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Eric Hummer
- Intermediate
- Posts: 0
- Joined: Sun Sep 08, 2013 9:30 pm
Thank you Abu Jimmy for organising the Trip and the Marshals....Great lesson on how to fix Pop out and Do's and Dont's while fixing it shown by Abu Salem and Good points provided by Abu Jimmy on how to recover stuck cars... This is the only time that we were given a chance to get stuck so everyone instructed to find a partner and pull them out safely following the guidelines given by the marshals....
Great ride going back to Badayer to finish the day... it was very informative and fun day.. thanks you all for this one....Cheers...
Great ride going back to Badayer to finish the day... it was very informative and fun day.. thanks you all for this one....Cheers...
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Arminjune
- Advance
- Posts: 8
- Joined: Sun Jun 26, 2011 8:18 pm
- Has thanked: 1 time
- Been thanked: 20 times
great event. learnt zoo much.
V shape of the rope,
proper way of pulling on some crests,
the click click sound when shoveling.
one thing I noticed twice at least was some leave the shackle on the rope when the rope is attached to the car thru a ball shaped hook. remove the shackle, chances are the rope brakes and the shackle will fly hitting the other car.
Thanks to all the marshals and friends
V shape of the rope,
proper way of pulling on some crests,
the click click sound when shoveling.
one thing I noticed twice at least was some leave the shackle on the rope when the rope is attached to the car thru a ball shaped hook. remove the shackle, chances are the rope brakes and the shackle will fly hitting the other car.
Thanks to all the marshals and friends
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ginger
- Intermediate
- Posts: 0
- Joined: Fri Oct 26, 2012 10:16 am
Normal 0 false false false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 A really useful trip from which I learnt a huge amount.
For me the biggest lessons were around the assessment of a ‘stuck’, how to place the towing car in the best position (whilst not getting it stuck) and the correct angle to perform the tow itself.
There do seem to be so many ‘variables’ to consider, which makes ‘recovery’ very much a question of experience, and a vital skill that we all have to practice.
As a Newbie it’s all too easy to expect others to simply recover us from any situation, without really understanding what skills are needed to do this safely.
One interesting thing I found when we were paired-up to recover each other, was how difficult it seemed to actually get stuck- so all that training must be working!
Sorry I had to miss the drive back from Pink Rock to Al Badayer, but I needed to rush back to watch my boss playing polo!
Many thanks to all the organisers; and I would definitely like to see more of these ‘recovery courses’ please.
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For me the biggest lessons were around the assessment of a ‘stuck’, how to place the towing car in the best position (whilst not getting it stuck) and the correct angle to perform the tow itself.
There do seem to be so many ‘variables’ to consider, which makes ‘recovery’ very much a question of experience, and a vital skill that we all have to practice.
As a Newbie it’s all too easy to expect others to simply recover us from any situation, without really understanding what skills are needed to do this safely.
One interesting thing I found when we were paired-up to recover each other, was how difficult it seemed to actually get stuck- so all that training must be working!
Sorry I had to miss the drive back from Pink Rock to Al Badayer, but I needed to rush back to watch my boss playing polo!
Many thanks to all the organisers; and I would definitely like to see more of these ‘recovery courses’ please.
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Duli
- Newbie
- Posts: 0
- Joined: Fri Dec 20, 2013 10:04 pm
some pics clicked for Rescue The Marshals are uploaded https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... c7987f55c9
