Almost4x4

WOW...What a DRIVE!!

But will begin with the night!!

We all met as usual at the given meeting point!!! But this time managed to be not only on time but before time..With the family and all the necessary supplies, And believe me we have enough to last the whole week!!! But never the less...Met with all our fellow alomosters, Chatted for a while and then moved to our deflating poit..... Deflated for about 15 mins...and then started to our camping point, and no sooner we started.....we Reached!!!

Got our camping gear out...settled the kids, then joined the gang by the fire....Thanks strwb for the lovely music!!

As usual get talking all about 4x4's and the desert and got to absorb a lot from the experienced marshals of ALMOST!! We were later joined by Shamsi and as usual, he has so mnay tiny tips but critical ones.....just gr8 to hear them from him...Got a lot of information regarding the Jeep Cherokee from Abu Jimmy....and of course Capri, my Nissan Buddy....Really a fan of your skills!!

In the morning, got all the FAMILY PACK together and after a briefing from the marshals got on the drive.....Thanks Yogibear for the lead...was a amazing track!!!! until a part of the convoy strayed a bit and got onto the tracks of the intermediate's ....and WOW got a taste of the challenge, But Shamsi was quick to notice and put us back to where we belonged.....on the newbee track. From there on we were enjoin the drive without any major incidents!!

Loved the drive....cresting the dunes, I had done this before but this time was different....there were so many, one after the other....So much funn!!! Loved it, Thanks to the marshal and the organizers for taking a newbee through these planed drives and teaching us from step to step....Amazing!!

Then was turn of Abu Jimmy to lead....he continued the fast paced track and gave us a equally fun drive on the second leg.... until we reached the Magnificent Nagra Dune!!! was a lovely sight to see the seniors challenging the dune....Got my chance to be a passenger in the LEGENDARY PATHFINDER with the LEGENDARY Capri on the dune....was a great feeling....Thanks Capri, for all your inputs!!!

Then we were packed off and led by Shamsi to go back to civilization.... until there was a traffic jam in the desert!!!! We were then led by Strwb till we got back to tarmac and Shamsi and Abu Jimmy was quick behind us with the other cars.....

Thanks, Organizers, Marshals and fellow off roaders for the great time and Drive!!!


With Regards.... Until the next DRIVE!!!

It was an excellent drive far beyond expectations and a new place Swehian as we usually drive in Badayar or Kalba. The drive was one of the best drives first led by Yogybear and then Abu Jimmy and like aways a angel following us Al Shamsi. everyone had a chance to know about how to fix a popout as I had a popout and it was my ever first popout since I joined Almost4x4. The tricky track,soft sand , side crests and dune drive was one of the memorable drive with the Almost family. Thanks to Fida as we were about to reach the tarmac after the drive I was running short of fuel and Fida helped with his fuel in the jerry can , Thanks Fida.
Thanks to Caprihorse,AlShamsi,Yogybear and Abu Jimmy for the wonderful day out in the desert.

Yesterday was a very special day for me...exactly one year since I joined Almost4x4 :059:
I still remember my first trip.... wrong air pressure, two times stuck :021:, Bu Salem looking at me and probably thinking ....what is doing this man with this long, heavy and &%@$? truck :032:......since that moment a lot of things happened, I ate a lot of sand but I learned so much from Almost4x4, many thanks to all, but very big special thanks to Bu Salem, Caprihorse and.....Zorro that introduced me to the club.
Love you all, love Almost4x4
Oke....coming back to the trip.....first of all thanks to Strawb for having graced the evening with his music during chit chat around the fire!
The day started as usual with the briefing, and to be honest, I was surprise when Bu Salem announced Yoghy as leader and in the meantime Capri was looking at me laughing and telling me: "surprise :011:!!"..... mhmmmmm....I don't know where I am, never been in this area, no idea where to go.....but yesterday I realized that this is not really important!
I received from Almost4x4 the foundamentals to drive in the desert, now is time to use them, just before starting I received a quick but complete briefing from Bu Salem, oke, that's it, let's go :028:
The drive was nice, a lot of side crests, some minor stuck but nothing really serious, then Bu Salem, that was following us like a guardian angel, (thanks a lot for your essential support) told me via radio "Roberto, they are doing well, go to the high dune, keep it at 12 and climb"
This was the second surprise of the day, but if Bu Salem think that they can do it, let's do it :005:, I tried to find an easy way to climb and crest that big dune...and we did it :008: I stopped at the opposite side waiting for all, someone of you guys had a so big smile stamped on his face.....from one ear to the other, this was something a bit more than newbie level :045:
When everyone reached the point, we spent a few minutes with friends of AD4x4
then the trip started again, this time with Abu Jimmy leading the convoy and I as sweeper. After a fast paced track we reached Nagra Dune where we met our intermediate friends and someone of the big boys was trying to challenge it.
Another beautiful day with Almost Family was at the end, but we are already waiting for the next one.

- I would like to thanks all the drivers, you did a great job,
- Thanks to Abu Jimmy, for the great job as sweeper first and for leading the second part of the trip
- Special thanks to Bu Salem, your presence as guardian angel gives us great confidence
- Again special thanks to Bu Salem and Capri for the opportunity you are giving me

Take care and see you soon

Such a wonderful trip, all started at swaihan adnok petrol station , moving to camp and having a nice entertainment by Strawb singing and playing his guitar. had a chit chat with others discussing lots of subjects. i spent the night out in the open and really enjoyed the chilling breez around dawn . ( people will never believe that such nice weather can be found in the desert in june ) , thanks to Bu Salim for the morning breakfast and the trip started. Yoghy in the lead , I am sweeping and Bu Salim spervising the whole convoy. I personally enjoyed the lead of Yoghy as he took us through a well selected route with multiple dune size and formations , picking up a fast pace track and nice crests. reaching to al nagra dune where we were supposed to meet our intermediate group , but they were not there yet as we reached early because all the drivers did well and we didnt have any pop outs and very minor stucks. Bu Salim asked if we want to sit there in the heat diong nothing and wait for them ,or we can drive for another ruond . ( who wants to wait in the heat ?!! ) , then Bu Salim said " ok Abu Jimmy, you have one hour , take us to play around " . the next thing i know , I was leading , Yoghy sweeping and Bu Salim supervising. we did about 10 K.m. starting from Al Nagra , making a round and ending in the same place. all the drivers did a very good job with no stucks and a single pop out. we reached back to Al Nagra and joined the intermediate boys , watching them challenging the mighty dune and enjoying their time. a while later Bu Salim took us to exit point for inflating.

Well done all drivers , you did a great job.
Thank you Yoghy , for the amaizing track and the perfect lead & sweep.
Many thanks to Bu Salim for his supervising role ( floating Marshal , control Marshal and rescue Marshal ) not mentioning the huge support and assistance to leading and sweeping Marshals.

It was a nice day indeed in Sweihan, and what made it nicer is meeting you guys out there, thanks for the welcoming gesture, especially Bu Salim.

We had a nice chat during the joint break, and hope we do it more often, may be not only the breaks ;)

Till next time, drive safe

Mo