Cool Breeze

[Yoghybear]

It has been a great afternoon with awesome people, a BIG thanks to you guys, you rock!
More than 4 hours trip, we hit all kind of dunes and different type of sand, in some area so soft to sink up to the knee, in some other area so white that was impossible to read the terrain, everything looked like a flat white spot....so difficult but in the same time so challenging and fun!!
All of you did an amazing job, well done guys, and special thanks to @Arminjune for the endless support and [MENTION=8536]Sacha[/MENTION], without your winch we would still be in the middle of nowhere :059:
Hope to see you soon.
Take care and drive always safely.

[Sacha]

Thanks Yoghie, Armin, Dave, Jeremy, Ginger and Ron! Perfect weather, awesome lead and a great bunch of guys to spend an afternoon with. Drive had a bit of everything on it. Fast and furious in some high dunes at the beginning moving into some VERY challenging technical dunes with very soft sand. Definately happy I decided to buy my winch:)

[Dave]

[URL="http://[IMG]http://i1383.photobucket.com/albums/ah301/Davidmhoran/imagejpg3_zpscd536a99.jpg[/IMG]"]http://[/URL][IMG]http://i1383.photobucket.com/albums/ah301/Davidmhoran/imagejpg3_zpscd536a99.jpg[/IMG]

[Dave]

Yesterday's play ground.......

[Dave]

[URL]http://[IMG]http://i1383.photobucket.com/albums/ah301/Davidmhoran/imagejpg3_zpscd536a99.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

[Dave]

[URL="http://[IMG]http://i1383.photobucket.com/albums/ah301/Davidmhoran/imagejpg1_zps81e4bdc4.jpg[/IMG]"]http://[/URL][IMG]http://i1383.photobucket.com/albums/ah301/Davidmhoran/imagejpg1_zps81e4bdc4.jpg[/IMG]

[ginger]

Cool Breeze was an amazing 4.0+ hours of technical driving in the superb Al Faqa desert. We had virtually no tracks in our way, had sightings of gazelle and a real feeling of being ‘away from it all’!

It’s been too long since the last Intermediate drive so I was really pleased to get out again, and out with a nice small convoy of similar-level drivers. We had a whole afternoon of Yoghy-style ‘smooth and technical’ driving across the very soft sand-mix of medium-sized dune and numerous ‘egg basket’ challenges. I’m sure some of the photos will emerge (despite calls for no photos please!) showing a few incidents of MDG!

I was also pleased we ended up driving in the dark, and my enhanced lights really made it easier to see.

Many thanks as always to all the organisers>

[Dave]

Well, almost 5 weeks after gratefully receiving my second star I finally got the opportunity to put it to use. I must confess my patience had grown weak after a month of watching for a post. I took it upon myself to sign up for a drive ''elsewhere'' and ironically just hours later Yoghybear placed a post giving me the chance to finally put my new star to use! As luck would have it, my first commitment was a morning drive in Al Faqa'a and Yoghybear arranged for an afternoon drive in Al Faqa'a!! Great!

So after a very tame 'club member' level drive to start the day the pace was soon to really pick up once behind Yoghybears convoy. We set off from Al Faqa'a service station which is about 60km South East of Dubai on the E66 Al Ain highway. The area is known to be almost 75% technical with a mix of small to medium sharp dunes. For the drive the weather could not have been more perfect. A cool breeze was an aptly named title for the drive. However, it was anything but cool behind the wheel as the pace was fast from the onset.

Having squeezed in a ''private'' drive in the area with two friends just hours before our Almost meet and having being ''volunteered'' to lead it was immediately clear how hard it was up front. It was such a bright sunny day there was a layer of white sunlight bouncing off every dune making the reading of the crests almost impossible to map! To compound this the sand on the leeward side of the crests was softer than normal due the recent winds in the area. As the area is relatively remote there is also the absence of tracks to guide you around a safe route. You really are on your own!

Shortly into the drive there were one or two ''second attempts'' called out on the radio. At intermediate level the convoy does not need to stop. At this level guys can catch up. Armin was kind enough to support Yoghybear and do the sweep as other marshals were busy elsewhere at a Jeep Jamboree. Not long later we started to have a 4x4 stuck, followed by another and at one point less than 200m were covered without someone suffering. A pop out compounded with a stuck was thrown in for good measure at one stage! This was a tough technical day. The mighty Tornado needed ''assistance'' on at least 3 occasions. To sympathize Armin, our trusty sweep also ''parked up'' in a sandy hole! As the terrain was very much ''egg basket'' in shape the old fashioned snatch recovery was not as easy as usual. Fortunately for most drivers, Sacha, having been a good boy all year had Santa deliver every modification and accessory possible for a Jeep which included a winch! This was put to great use!

Darkness set upon us, and those lucky enough to have extra lighting were undeterred and those without put flood lights on their upcoming Christmas list! So now it was both dark and technical but the exit point thankfully was close. After leaving the dunes I almost wanted to kiss the road. It was a hard drive. For sure the most technical yet. But as always I arrived home with a big smile after another fantastic Almost4x4 adventure.

Huge thanks to Yoghy for posting a drive at this level, and Armin for his wonderful humour and professional support. Also, my fellow Intermediates and friends, Jeremy, Ron, Ginger and Sacha. I had a real blast. Lets do it again sooner rather than later!!

[alshamsi_m]

[MENTION=8472]Dave[/MENTION]

25th & 26th is Liwa .....


Get Ready

[Green Giant]

As has already been said, it has been a while since the last Intermediate outing, and I sadly missed the Strawb Um Al Oush trip due to being 'between vehicles'. Anyway, The Phoenix has risen from the ashes and was certainly put to the test by Yoghybear and Cool Breeze. I started in second lead and it was fast and furious from the outset. I suffered first, as a deceptive double drop/ditch combination stopped Yoghybear in his tracks, which he recovered easily from, but I had already committed for the first descent, stopped to allow Yoghy to clear then misjudged the soft sand in the ditch. After the recovery it went smoothly from then, for me anyway! Apart from Dave and Sacha, everyone had troubles and Sacha's winch came into action at least 5 or 6 times. As darkness was falling, we had a double X-Terra stuck on the same spot. My new ride doesn't yet have additional lights so had to follow closely behind someone who did. As Dave and Yoghy has indicated, it was touch and go at one point as Yoghy struggled to pick a route through the egg basket, which he did, admirably, and we reached Tarmac pretty tired.

A fantastic drive with fantastic friends, can't wait for the next opportunity. I will add the Facebook photos separately, and a video clip of events as well.

Shamsi, great that you are planning a Liwa trip soon, but for me Xmas is first family time! Please consider a different slot?? See you in the sand soon.