Moreeb Dune Challenge 2024

[Paddy]

LIWA!!! Paradise for an off-roader.

It's not just a saying it's a reality. One needs to be in LIWA to experience it.

This was a 2 nights camp drive, but I had other commitments so could only join for one day.

Day went by as usual with back to back meetings, but excitement of visiting LIWA for the first time with my fellow Almosters that to when Moreeb festival is on, was endless.

Later I found Almosters from Dubai were also starting around same time, so I joined them on the way and formed a convey of 5 cars (@Rashidjass , @Scorpio , @ahmadtodxb , @Moustafa19 , @AZK89 driving together on road with Almost4x4 stickers/emblem, on the way to LIWA another Almoster @Germain joined near Madinat Zayed making it a convoy of 6 cars.

Upon reaching LIWA we directly went to the infamous Moreeb dune. Witnessed some challenges and fireworks, had dinner from the on the wheels restaurants.

Finally headed to the camp site where our founder @alshamsi_m was waiting with rest of the Almosters. We had a round of chitchat, stories and tea. Finally at 1:30 we went for setting up the tent.

Woke up early at 5 am and came out of tent to enjoy the mesmerizing beauty of nature.

After breakfast, we waited for fog to clear and around 10:30 we started the drive in mighty dunes of LIWA.

@Scorpio and @Rashidjass provided support and @alshamsi_m led the convoy. We did couple of nice drops off course newbie level and drive ended with only few recoveries.

It was my first time driving experience in LIWA and it couldn't have been better than this.

Thank you to all supporting Almosters, @Rashidjass , @Scorpio and our beloved founder @alshamsi_m for arranging this drive and giving me an opportunity to be a part of this.

See you all on sand soon.

~BR
Paddy

[Aljamhi]

Liwa Adventure: Dunes, Thrills, and Good Company

This year, I finally revisited Liwa after years and tries! It was for the Moreeb Dunes Challenges, and let me tell you, I'm completely hooked on this place now. It's truly one of the most amazing places to visit.

The bird told that Alshamsi is planning a trip from Wednesday to Sunday, and I jumped at the chance to join him. We set up camp on Thursday night, had a delicious Kabsa with friend of alshmsi, and got ready for the adventures ahead.

The next morning, we headed to the event for some off-road driving. Let's just say things got a little exciting (I won't say too much, but I learned a valuable lesson!).

On Friday night, I decided to find my way back to the camp alone. My sense of direction wasn't the best that night, and I ended up stuck on a huge dune! Luckily, I managed to use my "crawling system" resourcefulness to get out of there.

Saturday brought the main event: the big drive! It was challenging, with some steep dunes that got my adrenaline pumping. But to my surprise, I conquered them all, and it was even more fun than I expected.

After the drive, some of the members headed home, but 7 of us stayed for another amazing night. We shared stories around the campfire, enjoyed the early nights under the stars, and just soaked in the good vibes.

Sunday morning arrived, shrouded in fog, and it was time to say goodbye to the dunes. But before we left, we had one last breakfast with Ahmed and the two Moustafs, where we talked about cars and everything else among the fogs.

Even though the fog cut our drive short, the whole trip was an unforgettable experience. I made new friends, conquered some fears, and rediscovered the magic of Liwa. It was a perfect mix of adventure, good company, and stunning scenery. I can't wait to go back again soon!

[Ely]

Dear fellow Almosters !

Wishing you all a happy new year, full of sand, funny dunes and beautiful drives, with health and safety !

I must say… I had an incredible year, and I was very privileged to end 2023 with my first drive in Liwa (on the driver seat). Aaah Liwaaaa…. It’s truly gorgeous ! The majesty of the setting makes you feel like a tiny little thing: a grain of sand in an ocean of dunes. By night, it can be scary… you really don’t want to get lost out there! By day, you might feel intimidated maybe… especially if you pass by Shah drop and venture deep inside. What makes it so special is it typography… it’s a mix of mountain/dune chains and flat hard areas that used to be lakes and which are now dry. The sand is different there… extremely soft… even when you don’t expect it ! You get fooled easily at first !

I reached the camp on Friday eve around 8/9pm to find that Abdulelah was cooking with Martin some delicious meat ! I was too famished to wait for the rest of the crew who went to watch the show at Moreeb… so I also started to cook and eat. To be frank, out of the 2 nights I only stayed at the camp… I am not a big fan of crazy crowded places… I will probably give it a try next year inshallah. Being at the camp was such a relaxing experience, I really loved it there, chilling, cooking, chatting and sharing your good company, it’s more than enough!

(Also loved getting a late VIP shower in the desert…)

In regards to… the drive itself… what to say… couldn’t get enough of the landscape !!! It was so impressive… and I didn’t think it could be possible for newbies to drive in that area so a huge thanks to Bu Salem, RashidJass and Scorpio to make it happen for us !
I was worried of my driving skills with this new car… but since it’s still a cheating car (OMG I still can’t believe it… so scandalous!!!) it went well. I finally got “stuck” in a “newbie obstacle” (if I was driving my smaller car I would have done it, but with this new gigantic machine I truly miscalculated my shot!). It was a chance to admire Bu Salem sending me off and using my crawling system to get me out… a new skill I need to learn ASAP !!! I was so to leave the area this morning that I decided to bring a piece of the dunes with me and took a sand shower with my car while reaching the camp… I can confirm that the sand of Liwa is extremely thin and gets everywhere. An unforgettable experience!

Ps: self-reminder, do not get off track early morning before coffee just to try to take a short cut…

With all my best regards and wishes for the new year ahead !

Love yaaa all
Ely

[Moustafa19]

Unforgettable End For 2023

I am sure whatever we will mention in this trip report will be nothing compared to the actual

We have decided to enjoy the trip from the very beginning, so Friday I have joined Rashid, Scorpio, Ahmed to move all together from Dubai , we met Paddy also in Abu Dhabi to have nice food .
And before reaching Liwa Germain has join us, was very nice to see such Almost convoy on the road

When we have reached Moreeb area was very crowded so Rashid and Scorpio advised us to deflate and go off road to the Moreeb park area

It was latterly amazing specially that is my 1st time in Moreeb

We have seen the challengers from close distance, beautiful fireworks, toooo much of restaurants and cafeterias with nice lighting decoration

After that we went to the camp to meet all the other members and of course our founder Bu Salem
Was nice gathering around the fire pit and with nice Kunafa from Ely

In n Saturday morning we have enjoyed our breakfast and waiting the fog to go to start the real fun

Bu Salem give us the trip information and instructions as usual and we have started unforgettable trip
It was new experience and I have learned many things and skills that not used before
Time to time we was getting advice from Bu Salem the required action including what is the best gear to use

After amazing trip we have to say good bye to the members that couldn’t stay.

And we had night trip to go our camp off road , it was Waw

Again we stayed around the fire taking and laughing in beautiful night

On Sunday morning after breakfast and before going home we had one more morning trip to say good bay Liwa and thank you , It was light trip but I can’t describe how beautiful it was

Unfortunately after that we have to say thank you and good bye to everyone,
I was drive home with ALJAMHI and Ahmed and keep talking in our Radio
In AUH we said bye to AlJamhi and continue with Ahmed to reach home after a lot of fun and positive energy

Sorry for the long report but I did short as much as I can

Thanks for everyone and for our Marshals Rashid and Scorpio to keep supporting us and our intermediate

@alshamsi_m can't find any words to thank you for your priceless efforts and time to organise and lead all this

[Martin]

I think I would need a full novel to write all that happened during this epic weekend adventure but here are just some highlights.

I left Dubai as early as possible with my passenger, @AbedAlilahHusseini,who was my copilot and tent companion for the event. The idea was to arrive at the campsite in daylight so we could then head down to the Moreeb Dune to see the craziness. We did not account for the amount of traffic getting into the area, so I recommend leaving even more time than you think.

When through the traffic we found the entry point for the track to the campsite and followed the route set by our guide for the next couple of days, our inimitable founder @alshamsi_m. There was only one challenging climb, made even more fun by the darkness that we now found ourselves in. Once clear of that we then moved on to search for the campsite itself. I was sure there would be a good group of Almosters already there so was looking for the fire so we drove around in circles for a while before we eventually found a flashing light that we discovered was the marker for camp area for the @almost4x4 crew. We were then joined by @Msharhan who set a good fire going. After some time the rest of members joined us around the fire, after they finished watching the challengers at Moreeb Dune.

We had some "fun" trying to find @AbedAlilahHusseini phone that had been lost while we were looking for the camp. It turned into a bit of a treasure hunt while we were guided by @Aljamhi who used Google tracking data to pin point where the phone was. We called the phone and eventually heard the very faint ring tone almost a foot under the sand! With the phone found we returned to the camp fire and had some delicious food and the traditional good chats with the other members. Thanks to @Ely, @Giovanni.

The morning was a slower than normal as we had to wait a few hours for the fog to lift. But eventually we lift as a convoy to make our way around to the main event for me, which is driving in the Liwa area.

From the camp we took a sneaky desert route to avoid having to go back into the Moreeb Dune chaos. We dropped the garbage from the previous night and then headed out to the desert.

Once the drive was in full swing my heart was truly full. This area is really something that every desert driver should experience. The scenery is breathtaking. The endurance style drive was challenging but fun. We drove over many different types of terrain and faced some really good challenges that included climbs with technical elements to them, sweeping large dunes, technical smaller dunes, drop that were not the biggest Liwa has to offer but still epic none the less (The singing Dunes are a real treat).

We covered more that 120km of ground that day, just in the desert. The convoy did very well and we had only a few second tries and a small number of stuck situations. Which was amazing for the distance we travelled. The main drive was complete just before sunset.

We said goodbye to the Almosters who were not staying and the rest of us planned to do a short night drive that would take us back to the area . I’m afraid I was confused with the directions given on where to fill up with fuel and ended up almost back to Zayed City . Lucklily @alshamsi_m kindly waited at the deflation area for me so we could all drive in together. After a short drive over small dunes and a rough track in the darkness we arrived back at the same spot from the previous night where we again had good chats.

The next morning @alshamsi_m took us out of the desert with a short, 18km morning drive, that avoided driving through the Moreeb Dune area and gave us a lovely way to finish the weekend.

Thanks, as always, to @alshamsi_m for organising an amazing event and for this support & guidance of @rashid & @Scorpio.

[Germain]

Wow ! What an amazing way to end 2023 !

As I look back at the last weekend, I cannot but smile silly , reminiscing on the tiring yet refreshing experience on the fringes of the Rub al Khali, a trip to our very own “Disney Land”.

The Liwa Challenge was designed to thrill rather than challenge man and machine, and we had a blast on all 84 cylinders (14 x FJs)

For me this trip involved 48hrs of pure dope, meeting with friends old and new, sharing stories and jokes, cooking and sharing food for the gut, and juice for the soul. There were just too many happy experiences during this trip, thank to the watchful guidance of experienced marshalls @Scorpio and @Rashidjass and @alshamsi_m. Thanks for setting this trip up, and ensuring it was safe and comfortable for all of us.

I was so glad to meet the newbies, many of whom I was meeting for the first time @Msharhan @Aljamhi @Ely @Moustafa19 @Paddy @Martin , Ahmed @AbedAlilahHusseini (passenger), and once again rub shoulder with my fellow intermediates @Giovanni , @Mghoneim and @KIMOz . Did I miss a couple of names

We had a wonderful camp spot, relatively quiet other than for the occassional ROTOTOTOTOTO that punctured the dead silence of the night.

Did I mention that by Sunday morning we all got out of the sand, no causalities, and only smiles on everyone's faces.

The round trip involved approximately 750km on black top + soft top, and there was never a boring moment.

Wishing all of you a Happy New Year, blessed with good health, a lot of adventure, fewer trips to the garages, and off-course a lot of sand in the crack .

[ahmadtodxb]

ليوا دوا النفس الحزينه
ليوا النسيم وهبت النود
جنة فيافيها جميلة دار الريوم

The end of 2023 was unforgettable!! I started the review in emarati songs lyrics because it summerise what I felt in LIWA, though it's hard to put the trip event into words.

My copilot in the trip was Ahmad Mafia, I picked him and went to team up with @Rashidjass , and @Moustafa19.. We started late and changed the plans for @Rashidjass .. So Sryyy @Rashidjass

Later on mafraq road we meet up with @Scorpio and @Paddy .. We had a very nice lunch together.. Then we headed to LIWA.. Arrived around 9:00pm and it was crazy traffic and crowded. Never seen a such before... @Scorpio and @Rashidjass took us to the fistival area and mureeb dune.. And WoooW what an amazing place for 4x4 lovers.. Modified cars every where climbing the dunes in craziness... It was my first time in LIWA moreeb and It won't be the last...after nice Harees dinner we went to the camp.
@alshamsi_m designed a very precise track to the camp through GPS points.. Many thx to @alshamsi_m and most importantly the last climb to the camp floor it....

At campfire we enjoyed my special tea and @Elly Kunafa...@Aljamhi was there waiting for us.. I think we went to sleep around 3:00am that day.

الله يفتحها عليكم
loool!!!
It was foggy night till the morning.. Plus cold weather.. Next day morning around 11:00am
Once the fog lifted, @alshamsi_m led us on an incredible trip... Soft sand.. High dunes ditchs almost everywhere .. LIWA driving experience is different from other places I drove in.. Daylight finish so quickly drivers were doing amazingly well.. I was in last of newbies convoy enjoying the driving and chatting with my copilot.. Enjoying every seconds of the trip watching the dunes, the Marshals, the intermediates floating.. Words not enough to express LIWA...

At the same day night @alshamsi_m decided to drive us to the camp.. Night offroading in LIWA... The same track we follow back in the daylight the next following day exiting the camp.. In day light I never thought that we did it in night..

Many thanks to everyone, especially the founder @alshamsi_m and the Marshals @Scorpio and @Rashidjass plus all the intermediates for their dedication in organizing this unforgettable drive..

again in Arabic as I always said

الله يفتحها عليكم

[alshamsi_m]

Hello everyone

The last week of 2023 I lived in Liwa so I was camping in our spot even before the event starts .

The 2 nights camping with our members was full of joy and good vibes. I couldn't ask for more .

We had no compulsory program during the evening so the members had the freedom to take whatever they like from Liwa festival 2024 but the next we had our complimentary drive from morning till late noon.

The track I chose is one of the closest to the UAE border which was one chain away. Also this track was designed in 2012 with our former chief marshal @caprihorse RIP and I have not done it for emotional reasons but life has to go on.

We had great group who did more than 100 kms with no major issues. Thanks @Rashidjass & @Scorpio for making sure that we all came out safe.

Till next time, Stay Safe and be tuned for one more Liwa drive before Ramadan.

Cheers
Shamsi