Sweihan Soft Sand

[massaleh]

February 8, 2025 – Sweihan

I arrived at the gathering spot at 8 am and found Berit already there, getting ready. We had a quick tech chat before I started preparing myself as the rest of the team gathered.

Bu Salem gave us general instructions, and then we were off.

During this drive, we truly experienced the soft sand, as our leader, Bu Salem was keen to give us a variety of sand conditions, so we faced different challenges one by one, gradually building up our momentum.

I had two unforgettable experiences during this drive.

The first was when I got crested at the top of a dune because I braked on the top. I had to step out to attach my Viking, and it was incredibly windy that day. The sand was everywhere, but @Barish , our marshal, stood firm next to the climbing spot. I could barely open my eyes because of the sand. I asked Baresh how he managed to withstand it, and he simply said, "This is my job." His dedication and professionalism, even in a sport meant for fun, left me thinking throughout the drive of such a man.

The second experience was a bit of a mixed blessing. In the middle of the drive I redeflated my tyres to 10 psi to tackle the soft sand, but a sharp turn caused a pop out. When I reported it, the team was in front of my car within seconds, giving instructions and working together. In just ten minutes, we were back on the move. They always tell you to have your own tools, but with such a supportive team, you hardly need them.

I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to @Barish , @Ehab , @Mostafa , Swiper (sorry, I forgot the name), and of course, Bu Salem. They all contributed to the perfect blend of teamwork and personal touch.



Mohammad Assaleh (عسالة)

[brett]

Sweihan Soft Sand AM and PM Aventures

Dear Almosters
I arrived at the meeting point rather early; the weather was very chilly. I was soon met by others, with @massaleh the first to arrive together with his 3 kids in the car. That is the sign of a very brave man to have 3 kids to deal with during a drive!
@alshamsi_m completed the attendance, gave the briefing on what to expect from the drive and set the convoy order. I was positioned as 2nd Lead with the General @Barish as floating marshal, @Ehab as advanced driver also floating, we had @AhmadHasan @Aljamhi , @Moustafa as support within the convoy and @piotr sweeping up at the rear.

The conditions were windy, and this adds another you dimension for our new drivers with the blowing sand making it hard to read the terrain ahead. The convoy did well consider the weather conditions and the soft sand, with some 2nd tries to clear straight crests and a couple of recoveries. There was even an opportunity for some of the convoy to learn first hand how to resolve a Popout. We only managed to cover 39km over a 4hr time period. But it was certainly a valuable learning experience for the Newbies.
At the end of the drive I headed to the petrol station for a coffee before heading back to the start point for round 2 – the afternoon drive. Upon arrival we encountered several police vehicles and ambulances – unfortunately it appeared a quad bike had the misfortune of a nasty accident – this set a sombre mood, those quad bikes are lethal weapons and deserve the upmost respect by riders.

For the afternoon adventure we had a new batch of drivers and support again I was positioned as 2nd Lead meaning I was able to follow @alshamsi_m at a relaxed pace. We had only a small support team for the afternoon with @mpodroid , @orlantsev and @Hisham as sweeper. @presa was our floating marshal
The Afternoon drive although in the same Tilal area was very different from the morning track. The was an interesting challenge for the drivers with soft sand and some very technical areas with high climbs and challenging drops. The drivers did really well and by the end of the afternoon we had manage 57Km in 3hrs arriving back at the inflation point just on 5pm. So, a faster pace in the afternoon compared to the morning drive.
At the inflation point there smiles all around as everyone headed home. We look forward to seeing all the Newbies again soon to continue their journey

[alshamsi_m]

Hello Everyone

The drive on the app looks like a single drive but in fact it was a mega drive. Since we had a very high demand from our new members, the marshals decided to extend the drive and give two convoys on two periods. I had to lead both drives so I made 3 plans to execute according the convoy performance and time schedule .

The morning convoy got the challenge of the soft sand and wind So we finished 50% of the track for their planned timing. On the other hand , the afternoon convoy had a liter version but it included high dunes with longer track.

At the end of the day we had so many happy members with accomplishments for surviving the day .

Special thanks for @barish & @pressa & @brett for the support

Till next time, keep the sand flying

Cheers
Shamsi

[nomi4x4]

Hello Everyone,

First of all I would like to thank the whole ALMOST4X4 team for letting me part of the team and special thanks to @alshamsi_m for being the team lead and let us drive on the afternoon batch.

It was a very nice experience for me, learned some of the moves on the soft sand as we did some of the steep climbs and drops. As well as we did the safari track drive as well which was smooth as it could get.

Also I would like to thank @presa for being the floating marshal and his assistance at some of the challenging places.

We completed the full track of almost 57km in less than 3 hours I guess. Weather was good as well although it was little windy that day.

At the end of the drive everyone was happy and loved the track.

[Medmax]

Hi Everyone,

I recently joined the Almost4x4 and it was my second drive as a Newbie. A special one because I decided to bring some family members as passengers as they are visiting the country. From father to son, 3 generations in a row to enjoy the drive :-). Special thanks to the Almost4x4 team and @alshamsi_m for arranging for 2 sessions on the same day, it was great to be able to join!

We arrived on site tight on time, just the time to deflate and join the briefing. Rules are always very clear, the day is a bit windy and trucks always at the back of the convoy (I drive a pick-up :-) )
The mission was clear , enjoy the afternoon and not being afraid to get stuck to learn how to manage soft sand driving.

It was a great experience and we managed to get stuck once. Despite the briefing from @alshamsi_m who clearly stated don't put to much distance with the car in front of you because if you can't see it you will be confused with all the tracks.
Exactly what happened, I was a bit far from the car ahead and missed the right track and got stuck in soft sand. Excellent excuse to practice the car options. With the great advices form the Marshall (from the back of the convoy, sorry I missed your name), 4L + DiffLock = Successfull escape.

Then after 2 hours driving, an unexpected event forced us to stop the experience, my 10 years old son sitting at the back of the car got sick. So we had to leave earlier but the full family had time to really enjoy the session.

I would like to sincerely thank all the marshalls and leads for their kindness and continuous support. Only a couple of drives but it is a pleasure to join such a great group of passionates with this family spirit.

Mehdi

[Arsalan1987]

I arrived at the meeting point early, excited for another amazing drive with the Almost4x4 team. The energy was high as everyone prepped their vehicles, shared a few laughs, and geared up for the adventure ahead.

After a clear and detailed briefing from @Bu Salem , we hit the dunes, tackling a mix of soft sand, steep climbs, and thrilling drops. The convoy worked together seamlessly, making the drive both challenging and rewarding.

A huge thanks to the entire Almost4x4 crew for organizing such an incredible experience. Every drive is a new adventure, filled with learning, adrenaline, and great company.

Already looking forward to the next one!

[Bkhrais]

Hello Almost4x4, this is my third drive with you and in every drive a new things I learned. I really appreciate your time and effort and the way you keep us safe and enjoying the drive at the same time.

I wish to have more drive

[Warrior12]

I have arrived with Alshamsi at 8:30 since we were camping the night before in the same area since I didn’t want to drive early morning. Alshamsi took attendance and we started the drive.

The convoy was ready by Bu Salem and ss usual my position is 2nd or 3rd car, this time i was the third car Brett was the second lead. The benefit of being at he beginning of the convoy you can see and watch how the 1st lead adjust the tracks based on the level of the convoy. If there was an obstacles you can watch the lead how he takes over it a you learn from him.

Before 2 weeks I joined Bu Salem in scouting the area and editing the track for the drive day, it was easy and nice track with some technical areas. However, on the day of the drive the we were shocked that the topography/terrain of the area have changed and it was windy.

I got crested in one area then Bu Salem decided to change the track, I the reason I was not able to club the dune was due to the air in the tires as well as I did not give enough speed going up.


The difficulty of the track was a bit hard but the same time I enjoyed it since I could see that I am developing skills in different areas with different level of difficulties.

I want to go back to the same area again

[Barish]

Hi everyone,

It was a morning for another training day in the desert, this time it was on a soft sand, windy and sandy in beautiful Sweihan.

It is always my pleasure to be ready for any support for our members with excitement and eager to learn in their eyes, willing to improve and contribute in our club's achievement on the way to create independant offroaders.

Priceless training session from our founder @alshamsi_m and successful drive from our members despite of several surprises throughout the drive.

Dont forget: change is nothing without improvement.

See you next time

Barish

[Med]

Almost4x4 Traditional Training Series – Drive Report - 08/02/2025

I arrived at the meeting point around 8.15am, started deflating my tires and having some breakfast (important to start the day). At 8.45 @alshamsi started with the attendance check list and the briefing for the soft sand drive. The convoy was long and organised very well, with every 2/3 cars, a marshal member was positioned to guide the convoy.

We successfully completed another session of the Almost4x4 Traditional Training Series, focusing not only on driving but also on adapting to different terrains, understanding our vehicles, and maintaining convoy discipline. The training covered various elements, including straight crests, arches, and technical sections, where we tackled different obstacles—not to conquer them but to learn from our mistakes and improve our skills.

The windy conditions added an extra challenge, especially for new drivers, as blowing sand made it difficult to read the terrain ahead. Despite this, the convoy performed well given the soft sand and weather conditions. Some participants needed second attempts to clear straight crests, and a few recoveries were required along the way.

I personally got stuck a couple of times and attempted self-recovery, successfully freeing my vehicle with guidance from the marshals, @barish and @ehab. On another occasion, I found myself crest-stuck, and the marshals assisted me to use my recovery kit. Thanks to the efforts of @moustafa and @barish, I was safely pulled out, and on my second attempt—following the marshals’ advice—I cleared the obstacle successfully.

A big thank you to @alshamsi for organising the drive, and to all the marshal support.

Appreciation also goes to the entire support teams and drivers who contributed to making this training session a success.