Desert Driving

We were keen to get out into the sand, since there is quite a bit of it out there and we had a brand new second hand Tonka toy to play with. We joined UAE Offroaders, a club that takes trips out into the dunes where you can have a go, make friends, see some great desert scenery and know someone will help tow/dig you out when the sand wins. They're also well structured for teaching the basics of desert driving.

Trip One - Family Day

We met up with the group at Al Faha gas station, 45 minutes towards Abu Dhabi at around 1pm. The group was a mix with Arabs, Indians and Europeans all present with many kids. After the organisers failed to turn up on time we formed a convoy and made our way to the deflation area, ten minutes away. We'd done a bit in the sand in Doha so we were geared up to let the tyres down to 15 PSI, increasing the surface area on the sand and giving more traction. We also raised the flag - we'd read the SHOULD HAVE list on the website and purchased a two cup suction plate, a telescopic fishing rod and a princess pillow case (Matija's choice). Attach the rod to the suction plate, stick the flag on top, erect the flag and suction it onto the side of your Tonka Toy. Instant desert flag - useful when you get bogged at the bottom of a drop - the next guy can see you before he parks on your roof!

We gathered for a quick briefing - follow the car in front, stop if the car behind you stops and leave room for the car in front to tackle obstacles without driving into them. A few radios were handed around and we were into it!

We set of down a rutty road in convoy then branched into the desert, following the other 4WD's. After 5 minutes of relatively easy driving on firm sand we started to get into some decent slopes. It was a lot of fun to sit around and watch vehicles attempt the slope first, applauding when they made it and chuckling when they didn't. There was a lot of radio chatter early on, then a female English voice piped up. "It's really hard to understand you on the radio!"

"That's because we're talking Arabic," was the instant reply. We all cracked up.

Quite a number of vehicles got stuck on the first few obstacles, but the XTonka performed admirably and with plenty of throttle it steamed up the dunes, no worries. We continued through the desert and a couple of times some of the newbies had to be towed out by the Marshals, experienced off-roaders with good vehicles and all the gear. The Jeep Wranglers were popular and capable in the desert, Nissan Patrols were going hard and a few Toyota F1 Cruisers. The Jeep Cherokees were about the smallest vehicles out there with a Jeep Grand Cherokee, a few Toyota Prado's, a Chevy Trailblazer and a few other anonymous American 4WD's.

Had a few stops as it was a family trip. On one of them some Arabic kids pulled out their pet snake, a bit over a metre long, and it was passed around. Just before we left one of the guys picked it up and dropped it on the lap of another guy in a car. Apparently he has a phobia about snakes. He screamed very loud and ran from the vehicle very quickly. The Arabic kids just cracked up!

We followed quite a few cool snaky tracks through some low dunes, tackling them reasonably quickly, which was fun. Matija and Ande had a difference of opinion, Matija was yelling "Go faster Daddy," while Ande was crying, "Be careful, slow down!".

One of the highlights of the afternoon was the drop-offs. The Marshalls led us to some very steep downhills, one guy lines you up at the top and you basically tip over the things and try to keep it nice and slow going down. You need a little momentum so you don't get bellied on the top, but you don't want to get out of control going down either. The scary part is that you can't see over the bonnet until you're actually going down them. Had a bit of fun on one, when we got a bit quick and had a bump over a tuft of grasses at the bottom when we couldn't steer around it.

Later in the evening we got onto a road then branched off for a few drops before a BBQ tea. We had moved closer to the front by then and hit very soft sand coming out of a hollow. Full power, but we bogged down. Luckily there was a slope beside us and with a bit of a push we managed to get the car onto it and drove out of trouble.

There was a bit of a mishap behind us. One vehicle stopped at the bottom of a drop as the car in front was stuck. Another vehicle stopped on the top of a slope looking down on them. Unfortunately it went too far, had to keep going and when it turned on the slope it rolled over and parked on top of the other vehicle. Everyone was belted in, but it made a bit of a mess of the car that rolled and damaged the other vehicle.

We had a bit of dinner while everyone tried to sort it out - lots of talking, gesturing, shouting in Arabic and eventually some action. By the time we had tea and headed home they had both vehicles running and later drove them out. There were supposed to be games and things for the kids but these were cancelled as everyone tried to sort out the wee accident.

We followed a convoy out to the gas station to re-inflate the tyres. Had to wait 45 minutes as we were the last in line. Have since brought an air compressor.

Checked our insurance again and we are definitely covered off-road. Praise Allah!

Trip Two - Sunny afternoon in Al Ain.

This was another family event, starting at the airport, just ten minutes from our door. We deflated and headed out with about 7 other vehicles. Marina was the boss, in a Short Wheel Base 2 door Nissan Patrol. Followed a rutted dirt road where they were installing a gas pipeline and after 14km we diverted onto the dunes. Had a good blast then hit one uphill where heaps of people got stuck and a few needed towing. We were last in line and the sand was completely ploughed up when we got to have a go. Unfortunately we got stuck, backed out, got stuck again, backed down, pioneered another route, nearly made it, then got bellied on top of the dune. We had one wheel in the air and had to be towed back off. Had another crack on virgin sand and make it without a problem. (A tip for sand driving is to wiggle the steering wheel left and right when you're getting bogged, it can save you getting completely stuck).

One of the Marshalls had a big Toyota Tundra ute and while playing at one of the stops he managed to pop a wheel off it's rim (reasonably common problem). He had to jack it up and use a compressor to pop it back on. He had a big high-lift jack but the vehicle slipped sideways in the sand as he jacked it and left a big dent in the side of the vehicle. He also had to visit a tyre shop later and get them to pull the tyre off and empty the sand out.

We had some lovely little snaky dunes, then one of the guys got a rattly CV joint and another had some overheating problems on his week-old second had 4WD (he wasn't impressed). They headed back with a couple of others then the five remaining vehicles (including us) had a go at some pretty big dunes in a fast convoy. It was exhilarating to power around the side of a dune with the tail end stepping out a bit, then burst onto level sand and tackle another slope. We had some great uphills followed by long steep dowhills where you had to get on the gas at the bottom to be able to climb up the next slope. The XTonka is an automatic and as I drive around town I've been manually changing down to 1st or 2nd at lights and speed humps so that I can quickly slip it up a cog or two as we drive off- practice for getting out of the bottom of sand dunes. Great fun and Matija loves to hear the growl of the big V6 as we head off.

Anyway, we finished off and got to the road just as it was getting dark. Missed the All Black Scotland game, but I think it was better to be having some fun ourselves than watching someone else doing it.

PS.

Got stuck in the sand today. I picked up some scrap wood off the side of the road for a bonfire and thought the sand looked okay beside the house and it would be quicker to drop it around the back with the Tonka. It wasn't. A little stony mound was actually a little sandy mound covered in a few stones. I got the Tonka bogged up to the diff and underside and spent the next hour digging sand and deflating tyres. Self-rescued before Ande got home or I had to pick up Matija from school. Hmmm. Silly old me.