Almost4x4

Posted: **Sat Mar 15, 2025 3:44 pm**

Before i start off with today's Trip report I must say, i got Wrangler recently about 20 days back and the first person i called was @alshamsi_m nearly after 12-13 years and he gracefully welcomed me back to join the drives and restart. I wanted to take it easy, test my car, understand my car, see the response time, speed, power, acceleration, everything, but, i knew i had to do a few drives to understand and did couple of newbie drives as Sweep.. yet, still couldn't feel the delivarables. Thats when, i saw the drive posted in sweihan for Intermediates and I told myself this is it!! I want to do this and called @alshamsi_m again to seek his permission, and then spoke to the organizer @Agalon, registered myself and decided to take part. All that i was waiting for was delivered 100% today. I could feel every inch of my car and what it can do!! While, I need to step up and bring back my muscle memory.

So, starts the day. Wake up at 4am - started driving to meeting point at 5am. Extremely dense fog on the way and reminded me of LIWA days. Came across couple of Almosters too on the way driving. Reached meeting point at 7am.
We all meet up - Safety and Briefing as always by today's Marshal @Agalon. Now, unexpectedly, The drive started off real fast and was not expecting that. Took me few minutes to get adjusted to the drive pattern. But, it was all good at the later part. Fantastic feeling from inside while unsure too as I am still to understand my car - remember. After few minutes, i started feeling comfortable and better and happy. Sincere Thanks to @Solmaz. She was just watching me at all times and being my guardian angel from behind, felt secured and comfortable seeing the floating crew around. Safety first - as always!!

Drive was fast and smooth until we had the 1st popout. We had 2 pop outs and 2nd one was mine, overly pushed my car which was unnecessary :). Anyways, both the pop outs were a quick Fix with all the help from members - Team work always faster yea.. Thanks to everyone who helped me out. Am unsure of everyone's names yet. Please excuse me on that

. We further continued the drive and had the 2nd Marshal leading the convoy for 2nd part of the drive. Drive was again fast, did climbs, cresting, side crests, slopes everything. Was definitely a great great drive for me. Gave a better understanding of my car. I feel proud and confident of my performance, for a restart!

In between, for everyone reading this, I mus say - The best feeling and experience that almost 4x4 always has to offer is that, all members of any level are always made to feel Safe, secured, supported and this is a BIG thing which helps to get off all or any type of fear, nervousness, unsurity, etc which any new drivers or drivers at newere levels would have!!

So, as we finished the drive - came on to tarmac with a sense of pride and extremely happy tapping my own back saying, i could redo it!!

Thanks to everyone joined, crew, Marshals. Definitely was a good one! Looking forward to see you all soon or probably next season now :))

Posted: **Sun Mar 16, 2025 2:21 pm**

Hello all

It was my first drive after my surgery so I wanted to test the endurance of the shoulder.
We started driving from Dubai Carlos, Mgoheim and myself. Quick stop for petrol and coffeee and slow drive due to the fog until the meeting point.
Agalon did a short briefing and there we go. Fast from the beginning.
I was feeling great and no sense of any paint or discomfort in my shoulder.
The drive was more or less flowing with 2 pop outs and a couple of stucks.
This are has a lot of potential and it is always nice to remember the basics
The weather is nice but getting hot super fast I guess.

Thanks to all the marshals and advance

Until next drive.

Posted: **Mon Mar 17, 2025 5:47 pm**

Hi everyone!

First of all, thanks a lot to @Agalon for organizing and leading this drive (half of it)…don’t even remember the last time I drove with him…maybe 2 years ago!

. And same for @Solmaz looking after the convoy and @Daggerfall , who took the lead in the second half.

Agalon called this one “Drive through Fire” which seems to be a premonition…however, I would rather call it “Drive through Smoke” to be more precise

Jokes apart, I should say that the drive was very fun in a well-known area but attacked from a different entry point…another visit seems mandatory to me to keep on exploring that. Surprisingly, bushes were not as abundant as in other areas and sand quality was superb for conquering medium side dunes and a big one.

I played at the back of the convoy keeping an eye on the last car & supporting the marshals mainly on reconnecting a couple of lost drivers and assisting on the few pop-outs we got. Weather was good, so I was also supporting the convoy on the latter…but once heat comes, forget! I will see my dear interm doing that while I entertain the “cold” FJ a/c.

Convoy was a bit heterogenous which did not allow our Marshals to provide a continuous flow and whenever we were getting there, we needed to stop for one reason or another. But all in all, it went well with no major issues.

Both Agalon and Daggerfall did a fantastic job and I am really jealous about the way the read the dunes and draft the lines

Finally, we finished on time with everybody safe and happy so I am not sure about you but for me, there is no better way to start the weekend! And now, I cannot wait for the next one.

See you then.
Carlos

Posted: **Tue Mar 18, 2025 3:03 pm**

Hi,

I left home with a bit of a foggy morning, which then got heavier until reaching the Al Fayah Rd. Then once I reached to Al Taf Road, I saw lots of jeeps stopped there since the intersection was closed. They did not know what was going on and no one was moving. I messaged the group and joined @Solmaz, @Agalon and @Daggerfall also @Lenny joining the group. The roadworks made only that intersection, specific to that turn was closed since only one lane was being repaired.

The drive started half an hour late after waiting the fog to clear out. I started to feel the rust on me shortly after we started as my last intermediate drive was over five months ago. The first pop-out of the day come from me before reaching the first hour then getting crested after the first hour. Clearly, the feeling and the muscle memory deteriorates if I am away from the sand for long time.

The marshals re-emphasized the ABCs of the side cresting after the second pop-out was fixed. Thanks for safety first approach with watchful eyes and passing the experiences.

Overall the drive was very enjoyable with some stops for pop-outs, pulls, reconnections for lost souls which did not help the flow to be continuous and smooth from beginning to the end. Thanks again to @Agalon for organizing the drive and the lead, @Daggerfall for leading the second part and @Solmaz for being everywhere and Advanced friends @orlantsev, @Carlos and @dorudoru. Hoping to see you all again on the sand soon.

Posted: **Wed Mar 19, 2025 12:00 pm**

Hello,

I have not had many drives during winter, which is a disappointment, so I was glad when @Agalon posted a drive during the weekend when I was around and free.

Driving to the meeting point took a bit longer due to fog, but I was in no rush knowing that the start would be delayed anyway since the fog was not getting clearer.

It was a diverse group of Intermediates. Advance were allowed to float and keep an eye on the convoy from the back. The flow of the convoy was not steady with many interruptions due to pop-out, recoveries and lost tracks.

For the benefit of those who did not drive I would repeat what Marshals said during the mid-briefing.

In bigger climbs you need to keep higher distance from the car in front. I witnessed it myself. The car in front does not make the cross and goes into the arch. The next car is immediately behind and continues on a slightly lower trajectory. Then the two paths may cross.

This is specially true when you deal with slow climbers like my Nissan.

I hope everyone will have a great but safe Solo Bats and will see you after Eid.

Posted: **Sun Mar 23, 2025 12:08 pm**

Drive Through Fire – A Ride to Remember!

This drive lived up to every bit of the hype! We’ve all heard the legends of @Agalon and his epic drives, but I had only experienced it once before—back when I was just a 10+ newbie.

The adventure began with a battle against dense fog as I made my way to the meeting point just in time (a small victory in itself!). Lining up behind @Mghoneim, the radio crackled to life with news of second tries… within the first five minutes! Yep, the name Drive Through Fire started making a lot more sense.

With @Agalon leading the first half and @Daggerfall taking charge in the second, the drive was an absolute thrill. Big shoutout to @Solmaz for keeping an eye on everyone and to our amazing advance drivers who ensured the convoy stayed connected.

A perfect mix of adrenaline, skill, and adventure—can’t wait for the next one!

See you all on sand soon.

~BR
Paddy

Posted: **Mon Mar 24, 2025 7:49 pm**

Hello Almosters,

A little bit over due but better late than never.

This marks my second drive organized by @Agalon , who I true believe have a unique marshal gene :)

navigated to the meeting point with my fellow neighbors @galindakis and @Carlos, which was my first time enter Sweihan from this point. We waited for the fog to clear and then kicked off the briefing which was short and to the point. I was assigned my favorite position in the convoy (2nd lead), and we kicked off the drive warming up in medium to small duens of sweihan till we reached Solo Bats area, then continued driving towards Nahil park.

Unfortunately @Agalon car had a technical issue, but lucky me because the lead now moved to @Daggerfall which is as interesting. As far as I could hear on the radio, there was some issues in the back of the convoy that are all part of learning to keep a safe distance and not to make sharp turns whether on the crests or on the flats.

Thankfully nothing major took place , it was all second tries and a few pop outs.

Already looking to the next one @Agalon

Thanks @Solmaz & @Daggerfall, and the advanced drives for the support.

Posted: **Wed Apr 16, 2025 4:49 pm**

bobpavan wrote: Sat Mar 15, 2025 3:44 pm Before i start off with today's Trip report I must say, i got Wrangler recently about 20 days back and the first person i called was @alshamsi_m nearly after 12-13 years and he gracefully welcomed me back to join the drives and restart. I wanted to take it easy, test my car, understand my car, see the response time, speed, power, acceleration, everything, but, i knew i had to do a few drives to understand and did couple of newbie drives as Sweep.. yet, still couldn't feel the delivarables. Thats when, i saw the drive posted in sweihan for Intermediates and I told myself this is it!! I want to do this and called @alshamsi_m again to seek his permission, and then spoke to the organizer @Agalon, registered myself and decided to take part. All that i was waiting for was delivered 100% today. I could feel every inch of my car and what it can do!! While, I need to step up and bring back my muscle memory.

So, starts the day. Wake up at 4am - started driving to meeting point at 5am. Extremely dense fog on the way and reminded me of LIWA days. Came across couple of Almosters too on the way driving. Reached meeting point at 7am.
We all meet up - Safety and Briefing as always by today's Marshal @Agalon. Now, unexpectedly, The drive started off real fast and was not expecting that. Took me few minutes to get adjusted to the drive pattern. But, it was all good at the later part. Fantastic feeling from inside while unsure too as I am still to understand my car - remember. After few minutes, i started feeling comfortable and better and happy. Sincere Thanks to @Solmaz. She was just watching me at all times and being my guardian angel from behind, felt secured and comfortable seeing the floating crew around. Safety first - as always!!

Drive was fast and smooth until we had the 1st popout. We had 2 pop outs and 2nd one was mine, overly pushed my car which was unnecessary :). Anyways, both the pop outs were a quick Fix with all the help from members - Team work always faster yea.. Thanks to everyone who helped me out. Am unsure of everyone's names yet. Please excuse me on that . We further continued the drive and had the 2nd Marshal leading the convoy for 2nd part of the drive. Drive was again fast, did climbs, cresting, side crests, slopes everything. Was definitely a great great drive for me. Gave a better understanding of my car. I feel proud and confident of my performance, for a restart!

In between, for everyone reading this, I mus say - The best feeling and experience that almost 4x4 always has to offer is that, all members of any level are always made to feel Safe, secured, supported and this is a BIG thing which helps to get off all or any type of fear, nervousness, unsurity, etc which any new drivers or drivers at newere levels would have!!

So, as we finished the drive - came on to tarmac with a sense of pride and extremely happy tapping my own back saying, i could redo it!!

Thanks to everyone joined, crew, Marshals. Definitely was a good one! Looking forward to see you all soon or probably next season now :))

Almost4x4

Drive Through Fire - 15Mar2025

Drive Through Fire - 15Mar2025

Re: Drive Through Fire - 15Mar2025

Re: Drive Through Fire - 15Mar2025

Re: Drive Through Fire - 15Mar2025

Re: Drive Through Fire - 15Mar2025

Re: Drive Through Fire - 15Mar2025

Re: Drive Through Fire - 15Mar2025

Re: Drive Through Fire - 15Mar2025