Stars Track XIX

[brett]

Dear Almosters

As is customary after a CM drive the next drive for our newly promoted Newbies, this time it was held in Al Qudra area with the start and end point near to the location of the Meat & Greet event to be held later in the evening.

Unfortuneatly the General @Barish who arranges the Star Track drives was unable to attend however we had @rapailo step up to take the role of lead marshal, with the ever present @alshamsi_m in attendance to float around and mentor the new drivers.

After attendance and predrive briefing - to explain to the new drivers what to expect and a reminder of some of the basics required to safely enjoy the desert, we set off with @rapailo leading, myself as 2nd lead (again). We had @galindakis positioned mid convoy and @Mghoneim sweeping to ensure we didnt loose anyone.

The drive concentrated on lots of moderate climbs, straight crosses and decents, for the drivers to practice - following distance, radio communication, approach speed and the proper technique for decent. there were quiet a few lessons learned during the course of the dirve with crested cars, stucks, 2nd tries and one instance where the driver made the mistake of turning to avoid a bush on the descent and ending up side ways to the dune - fortuneately on this occasion he avoided the worst case senario for such an action - rollover. A mid drive briefing was held where @alshamsi_m and @rapailo reiterated some of the basics - most importantly - dont fight gravity, dont turn on the decent, dont brake hard on the decent !.

Towards the end of the drive @rapailo threw in some more interesting challenges including a climb in extremely soft sand with a small ledge (bump) just before the crest ! I watched from my 2nd lead postion as his FJ bounced over the ledge and then crossed the crest, not wanting to fly over the ledge before the crest, I found myself with a lack of the required momentum to make the cross over - (better than flying over the crest) so I backed up, adjusted my approach speed and sucessfully crossed over the crest, as it turned out we spent quite a long time at that particular dune as almost all of the drivers required a 2nd try to get the correct speed and line to cross the dune.

The Area was particulary busy with a lot of other convoys in the area, making it a challenge for our lead and supporting car to ensure the area was safe for the convoy, at one point @alshamsi_m was playing chicken with a pesky Jeep ! who wanted to disrupt his line - that Jeep picked the wrong guy to mess with in the sand - @alshamsi_m held his line forcing the hapless Jeep to change his line, he headed off in the other direction never to be seen again .

Just on 530pm the convoy of tired Newbies arrived at the Meat and Greet location after a very memorable afternoon

welcome to our 1st star Newbies @AhmedFJ @Feras85 @LuisFlavio @mac @massaleh @OmarShams @Rafal @siddharthsai @Warrior
We look forward to reading your trip reports as you continue your journey developing your offroading skills with Almost4x4.
Your trip reports are invaluable to the marshals to get feed back on the drives allowing them to plan drives that will develop your skills,

[massaleh]

Saturday, November 16, 2024

This marked my second day with the “Alomosters” after earning my first star with CM Drive. Excitement and anticipation filled my week as I wondered what challenges this drive would bring.

Arriving 15 minutes early, I was surprised to find the team already present and fully prepared. After greetings, I began deflating my tyres, that’s when @brett stepped in, assisting with my tools and teaching me the correct technique a small but impactful lesson that set the tone for the day.@brett also handed me a flag and sticker for the “Alomosters” it was a simple gesture, but it deepened my sense of belonging and gave me an extra boost of confidence before the adventure began.

As the lucky members and crew arrived, the drive officially started with a briefing, given clear instructions, how to approach dunes, maintain momentum, stop safely, and land without overdoing it (no flying!) the main objective to have direct straight cross.

For Newbies like me, there was also a focus on recovery techniques and getting familiar with our tools.

The convoy was expertly organized lead by @rapailo, second lead @brett , mid Convoy by @galindakis and our sweeper was @Mghoneim and an Eagle Eye of @alshamsi_m , who seemed to be everywhere, even spotting braking mistakes inside our cars!

The first challenge came quickly a direct dune crossing. I got crested on my first attempt, and @alshamsi_m guided me through what went wrong. When it was time to recover, I proudly brought out my “fancy” red rope from Dragon Mart, boasting its supposed 30% elasticity. unfortunately, as the team quickly discovered, it had zero elasticity! Lesson learned .. don’t waste your money and get reliable tools .. Viking is the king.

The trip progressed, I gained confidence with smoother crossings, better approaches, and safer landings. However, the most exciting challenge was saved for last a double dune crossing at the top. Most of us needed a second attempt, including me. On my second try, I crossed successfully. I made a poor decision while landing to avoid some bushes. Instead of keeping the steering wheel straight, I turned slightly, causing my car to turn side away. Thankfully, it happened at the end of the landing, and there was no major issue, but the hard way of learning.

This experience taught me that some lessons are best kept theoretical than being experienced in the drive. Following instructions isn’t just important it’s crucial ( GO UP STRAIGHT COME DOWN STRAIGHT)

During the mid drive gathering, the team shared feedback and insights from the drive. At first, I felt the laser focus was on me, but I quickly realized it wasn’t personal. The entire crew @alshamsi_m , @rapailo , and @brett were focused on ensuring everyone’s safety and helping each of us improve. Their directions and guidance were valuable.


In summary, the drive was excellent. Every instruction, whether before, during, or after the drive, added value and came at the perfect time. The crew worked seamlessly as a team, creating a successful and memorable experience for everyone involved.

A big thank you to the entire team and the members who joined the trip ..

Mohmmad Assaleh (عسـالــة)
Silver Prado

[siddharthsai]

The drive I always wanted.

It's been a while since I was waiting to complete my 5 drives and @alshamsi_m and team set up the perfect Saturday.

My brother was visiting this time and it was his first time in the desert. I reached first with @brett at 1:42pm. We had a quick chat and was ready and deflated by 1:55.

Drive started off at the right time, and we were off climbing some tall dunes in a matter of no time. Radio communication was something heavily focused on this drive along with some basic techniques like what to do and what not to do while straight cresting. The route was challenging but I had fun at the same time. My brother especially had a great time. He even said the whole thing was so professionally done. He did not expect a car to drop down that much.

We had multiple refusals but a lot of people left the sand with some strong knowledge on what not to do. @rapailo was really friendly and I think he really likes SWB Pajero's. Good to see another Pajero fan. He told me he completed his intermediate drive with a Pajero which boosted my confidence a lot.

Looking forward to LIWA. :)

[alshamsi_m]

Hello everyone

Although I had another event after the drive, I decided to join since @rapailo made easy for the people to join both events without any trouble.

Our leading marshal made clear " It's cresting training day " and we are going to continue what we finished in our last Club Member drive.

We had a very good flow and expected second tries but nothing serious so well done .

We finished on time to chill and enjoy the beautiful sunset.

Thanks everyone and looking forward to see you soon.

Cheers
Shamsi

[Warrior12]

This was my 3rd drive after the CM.

My car had few technical issues since the CM drive. So I had to be careful with it.

I was the third car after the second lead @brett

The training was on medium climbs and straight crosses of the dunes. This training helped me with over coming the fear of crossing the dune straight and controlling the car while its dropping down. Got stuck few times, @alshamsi_m instructed me how to accelerate while the car was pulled to assist the driver who is pulling.

After the training we headed towards the "Meet and Great" location. Had a lot of fun meeting the members, chatting and watching them challenge each other in cooking food.

The food was amazing and the Atmosphere.

Also I learned that @alshamsi_m and I had the same birthday date it was exciting to celebrate together that night XD. Happy birthday to us

Thank you @rapailo for the great lead.

looking forward to more drives with almost4x4