Almost4x4

Camp:
Another awesome event.

Started with camp, with loads of great food to share, don't know who got them but thanks to Geni, Khatib, Lamboo and Omar for preparing it.

and lets not forget the new legendary Karak, made by Oxana, I have to say, you made it taste like karak, somehow even with not putting loads of ginger in it.

Awesome live music by Strawb, next time we want back dancers too.. and next time we should make our own Almost penguin dance.

Challenge:

even though I was in observer area where we get to chill and wait for drivers to pass by to get checked, we still had awesome time. Thanks to sleeping beauty and Umbrella man in my group. I have to say I had the pleasure to be with Sridhar, Amazing Gentleman. I will observe with you at any time any place. And Geni, of course we all know she was all awake the whole time making sure everyone get there YELLOW Sticker.

ended up with giving a prize to 1,2 and 3 place in race. but lets not forget this even is not about who is winning, its about friends getting together and having awesome time, and learn from experience in different styles. at the end, we are all winners in this event since we all felt joy of spending time with each other.

I know I missed a lot of info, I'm sure others will add what I missed.

But thanks to All marshals for making this event happen. and all friends for joining to make it possible.

till next time, see you on top of next crest :P

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... =1&theater

Another great weekend genuinely provided by the club and a new challenge that you don’t want to miss. The Egg Basket Challenge 2014 Newbie Category.

I got the 10^th place which is the last position (the photo below will explain to you why… this happens on my way to second waypoint). To be honest I am still very proud, first to be part of this event, second to finish and reach the endpoint safely and the last I proved to myself that whatever happens I will never give up easily.

When I grabbed my shovel to apply self-recovery and start digging I knew that I will fall on the last position but this never bothers me. What bothers me is my wife’s (audience) worried face looking at me while I am shoveling as if she wanted to help me dig our stuck car. After more than 10 minutes of self-recovering I finally got freed, I looked at my wife and finally saw a smile in her face and shouted “Go baby go!” And I started driving again happily and motivated.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]1860[/ATTACH]

I headed to the second waypoint and so on with no issues up to the end point. Meet all the participating members in the awarding ceremony area by the tree.

The lessons I learned from this drive is to navigate properly by reaching the waypoint safely (photo above is an exemption LOL) and the best of all is to never lose hope, never give up easily. Put your heart in everything you do to reach your goal.

Once again big thanks to Founders, Marshals, Crew, Members who made this event possible. To my fellow challengers a big CONGRATULATIONS to all!

This is one of the most awaited event in Almost4x4 group and i know i cannot miss this one so i have pulled every excuses just to be on this event and thank God i pulled through and participated finally...

This is my report:

We join the camp on thursday night lead by Abu jimmy... chit chat a bit and took a rest early to prepare for the big challenge the next day...

The Big Day:

Everyone gathered in the meeting point as Abu Salem and Abu Jimmy provided instructions to the Challengers, Observers, time keepers and audience...after the briefing we were told to line up as per the number given to us by Abu Salem, i am on 3rd slot...the anticipation started when the 2nd car has been called to starting point....so i waited with full of intense and excitement then my turn came, Abu Salem told me to go up to the starting point so i did .. And this is the Story of my long embarrassing Day begins.. as i head up to starting point i did not consider that the crest would be that soft so i approached it slowly and stopped on the crest, i tried to adjust the my car and i started to sink and end up on my belly (this is part of wrong approached on the crest and my stupidness i guess) i have given 2 minutes to recover but just to deep to do self recovery so i got pulled out and Automatically disqualified, but this is the lesson i will never forget and i not take it for granted thats for sure...i was so embarrassed that day as i got stuck on starting point:TT TT:

My steam is very low after that but thanks to Abu Salem:045: he gave me a chance to try again however my time will not be counted so after the 15th car i got a chance to redeem myself so this time i approached the starting point noting my mistake on the first try and it goes well i have made it to all of each 5 points with no stuck however about 180 meters to the end point my car nose dive on a small ditch and eventually got my second stuck of the day.. Thanks to Strawb for pulling me out...

So finally everyone reached to the end point safe and sound.... I would like to congratulate the winners of this event...:applouse:

Lesson learned is proper approached on the dunes and its not how fast you reached each points but how you reached each points using the skills you learned from the past drives you made with the group... reading the dunes and finding the best way without damaging you car of being danger to other car in front or behind you...

Well done to all Challengers and Observers and Time keepers... A huge thanks to the founders and marshals for this event... looking forward to see you all in the sands...

Can somebody from the Marshals post official results, like last year?

Having heard so much about the infamous ''Egg Basket'' challenge and then seeing it posted on the Newbie Trip I was really excited about signing up. Got my name onto the wait list and as the weekend approached was considering financial bribes to get moved into the confirmed group but luckily a money exchange was unnecessary and I was one of the lucky 15 to partake in the challenge.

Next step was a quick search on Youtube to see what exactly I had signed up for. 2012's Egg Basket Challenge was at the same location and the video's posted showed many 4x4's stuck in a network of sharp but small technical dunes which resembled a large egg basket, hence the name! Even one of our founders in his white FJ was caught out (no names mentioned!) so I realised a large shovel should be at the top of my recovery equipment list!

Friday morning started with a scenic drive along the Al Quadra road and around Sheikh Hamdan's horse farm to the meeting point. I arrived around 7.30am to find Green Giants bonnet open revealing a faulty water pump. Unfortunately we were one challenger down before the event even began. A brief was given by Al Shamsi to all the time keepers, marshals and observers followed by a brief to the remaining 14 challengers. The rules were straight forward. Line up at the start point and when your allotted time arrives set off and pass the five colour coded check points in a set order, getting out of the 4x4 to shake hands with the time keeper at each, pick up your colour sticker to prove you cleared that gate, and then proceed to the end point. The duration will be timed and fastest to finish wins. If you do manage to get stuck, only self recovery is allowed otherwise you will be disqualified. If you drive crazy enough to damage your car you will be disqualified. Sounds easy...until you then drive the course!

Mubz was ''volunteered'' to start first and I was allocated last position. There would be a 3 minute gap between 4x4's. The route was only 1.7km long and each check point was approximately 300m apart. So off we went, one by one. Eric Hummer was the first to become undone as the start point was on a sharp hill. This course was best suited to SWB 4x4's so the 4 door Hummer H3 managed to belly out lining up and as the gate needed to be cleared by the 3 minute gap for the next starter he was pulled clear leading to disqualification. Unlucky start. After about 40 minutes it was my turn. From chat on the radio I sensed most cars were making it through.

I lined up, engaged low ratio and planned on 3rd gear as the less gear changes the better. The plan was slow and steady and straight line point to point. After 100m it became apparent I would struggle. I had set my Montana GPS to compass mode but within 200m of each check point it said ''arriving at check point'' and the pointer jumped to the following check point! As it really was an Egg Basket of dunes you needed to be much closer than 200m to see the time keepers! So guess work and luck played heavily and a good few wrong turns but I managed to find all 5 gates in the correct order.

A couple of traps were the observers heavily disguised as time keepers with their large collection of umbrella's sitting high on the dunes leading you falsely in their direction. The time keepers themselves were hidden between the dunes and their location made it difficult to stop for the required hand shake! The last check point was the hardest to reach. When I arrived Drifter was reversing for a second run at the dune. He was kind enough to pause and let me pass. Half way up the dune I realised if I bogged down now we would have 2 4x4's stuck in this little bowl so my ''steady'' approach went out the window and I just worked my VTC engine for all it was worth. I cleared the dune, picked up my last coloured stamp and went on to eventually find the end point hidden behind a Land Cruiser in the car park. These marshals are sneaky!

We all headed to a near by tree for shelter to await the results. A few cars were still to finish. I had to admire the ''do or die'' attitude of a couple of fellow Newbies. Kovo and FrancisJK would not stop digging and submit to a recovery. It was around 40 degrees C in the desert sun! Someone else lost his colour sticker so had to return to the gate to receive another. Others also had GPS ''user'' issues so most of us covered more than the 1.7km required! At the end of the challenge 10 drivers remained.

A large crowd gathered for the results. The quickest 3 received a ''Happy Egg'', chocolate (yum yum!) and shampoo! Almost4x4 is on a budget for 2014 so no Halal Champagne. I suggest a small collection of Dirhams for next years event to bring back the Champagne!

So a great day was had by most. (Sorry Jeremy, hope Green Giant is good to go again soon for the next challenge) As always a few things taken from the event by all. For me, a little more reading of my GPS manual. Well done to Oxana and Bambam who both seemed to drive the most direct track as commented by the marshals. Maybe next time I will follow you rather than read my manual!

A big thank you to everyone involved for yet another professionally organised event. It is the friendliness of the group that makes this club so special. If it wasn't for the coloured shirts it would be hard to tell the founders from the new club members. Everyone is treated alike and no one there wants to better anyone else. I guess that's why its the best off road club in the UAE!

Already looking forward to our next meet. See you all in the sand.

Another wonderful weekend organized perfectly by the Almost Team.:victorious:

Thank you to the organizers for allowing us newbies to participate in this event which was really fun and filled with knowledge even tho we were not driving.

It was a pleasure to meet many of the BIG boys who we LITTLE ones had not met before.

I was assigned as an observer accompanied by Suhail at check point # 2 (Orange).

As planned the event started on time as per the briefing. Once we heard the first egg has entered basket we were just waiting it and the others to go through our gate.

The tension was building within the drivers as the reached the starting point and we waiting to hear the word "GO".

The tracks selected for this drive was really technical but I was really happy to see everyone go through all the check points and complete the game successfully and most importantly with all the cars in 1 piece

There was a particular moment where Suhail and me were just laughing at a conversation that took place in the radio between Sham and Bu Salem... No offence intended

Observer: Bu Salem... Sham is at my check point but missing the yellow sticker...
Bu Salem: He has to go back and get it
Sham: Bu salem I had my sticker but it flew off
Bu Salem: Sorry Sham u have to go back and get the yellow sticker.
Sham: Bu Salem... I really had the sticker and it flew off...
Bu Salem: Sham please keep the channel clear and go get ur sticker... any more conversation will get u disqualified
Sham: So Bu Salem I have to go back and get my sticker?
Bu Salem: Sham u r disqualified
Sham: :OSMILEY:

It was hot in there.. but this conversation made us forget the heat... and we were still in the midst of the action... as the cars passed by our check point we could just see the eagerness and confidence in every driver striving to go ahead with the challenge.

And suddenly Sham appears at our checkpoint once again to collect his orange sticker.

Suhail: Can I see your yellow sticker?
Sham: I lost my paper
Suhail: :OSMILEY:

It was a bad day for Sham... but we all laughed over it (including him) talking about the incidents that took place with him.

As the game came to an end... we all gathered under the tree to get some shade :you're kidding, rig while Zico and Abu Jimmy were calculating the timings for the final result...

Finally Abu Jimmy and Zico were out of the car holding the results in their hands.... Every challengers heart beats raced thinking of the results...

Bu Salem gave a short explanation for the reason of holding such games/challenges.

Finally the results were declared... Congrats to the challengers in positions 1,2 and 3.... but sincerely.. congrats to all the challengers who finished and race and those who were disqualified (Even tho i guess all disqualified drivers drove around the points and completed the assigned track).

All in all it was a great event... winning or losing was shared by all as we are a BIG happy FAMILY...

Green Giant.. Hope ur machine gets well soon... hope to see it in action this weekend ;)

Hope to see you all soon.

Tc and stay safe till then.

Enjoy the pics... https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 31dd135847

Dear All,
I don't know what to say here, or how to describe the feeling and enjoyment that we had this weekend, but I am hopping to deliver a bit of that by looking to the below pictures.
When I was heading to the meeting point, I start questioning my self after the outside temperature indicator show 43 degree, how can we camp in this hot weather, but after we met, and reached the camping area, the temperature dropped down to 29 degree. also the next noon when we finished the temperature became 50 degree (see the pictures)
the camping was so nice, and the weather was very nice and cool, I could't believe a full moon night would be so wonderful. and here i want to express my regret to all those camping nights that i missed.
we had a little time to sleep, and woke up before sun rise to pray Fajir time, the silence sound were unbelievable, the weather is very cool, it was one of the best sunrise that I've every experienced.
the next day game i was one of the audience, my place was the final point where we were receiving the challengers. (pictures of the hand check is included in the link)
Last but not least, without the efforts of the organizer and marshals we would not succeeded that far, especial thanks to Abu Salem, Abu Jimmy, and looking forward to meeting you for another events.

Note: I will report the "Initial D" in the other thread....

Camping:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152442056433694.1073741838.754498693&type=1&l=0d402e49d4

Eggs'n'basket:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152442159903694.1073741839.754498693&type=1&l=d58cbf1e92


Note: these are only photos, videos shall be uploaded to YouTube soon.

Its a Jeep thing guys and girls - I had been looking forward to the Challenge for many months and was so keen I left home early to prepare at the meeting point. 2.2km from the start point, My "Check Gauges" warning came on, the temperature gauge off the scale! I stopped and checked underneath and saw the telltale signs of water dripping from the end of the sump pan. I let GG cool down a bit, added some water to the radiator and drove the last couple of clicks slowly to see Red Shark there deflating. No Egg Basket drive for me - however I did get to see the action from a high vantage point and was very well entertained, especially by those who thought we were a checkpoint! Francis got well and truly stuck, and after a bit of backwards and forwards, digging and more digging, he made a great self recovery. I am really sad that I missed the game, well done to all those that competed and completed the course. I thought me being disqualified was a bit harsh - retired hurt would have been better! Congratulations to the Winners, but I think everyone was a winner in the end, as all returned safe and sound with no damage. I look forward now to next years event, or even Egg Basket 2 this year? Marshalls?

The good news is that I have just finished replacing the water pump so GG is back and ready to fight once more. See you all soon in the sand.