The dunes around Nahel looked deceptively dry and soft considering that the area had receive a fair amount of rainfall prior to our arrival and during tire deflation.

Warm up was loads of fun.  The dunes near the starting point which are usually powder soft had a completely different character today. Heavy rains had created a firm top layer which allowed the convoy to climb higher than usual with less momentum and throttle input than that this area usually demands.  The trade off was that the crests which could otherwise be easily broken and flattened by the weight of our cars were obstinately unyielding,  which severely limited our  cresting  and switching opportunities. Nevertheless, there was an unlimited supply of thrills to be had along the way.

After a rather meandering first leg, where the convoy made light work of side sloping a myriad of medium size dunes, the heavens opened up with a steady downpour. At his stage the convoy looked like they could do with a dose of caffeine, so we stopped for a short break in the shelter of our cars and enjoyed some hot coffee and a snack.  Thereafter, the convoy entered the Danger Zone.

The second leg of the drive comprised of some seriously high climbs that seemed  to go nowhere (well that wasn’t entirely true, or we’d still be out there trying to find our way back home) and bowls that would have been a nightmare to climb out off if the sand was dry. Despite the firm sand texture, some of the high walls took everything we had, and could only be traversed if approached at speeds in excess of 70 km/h in low range. Strangely, these higher dunes appeared to have more rounded crests, so they were ideal for switching once we made it to the top.

Although Danger Zone convoy covered a lot of ground during the trip, we were unable to complete the planned route, and the tail end of the trip was cut short in favor of a timely exit.

All in all, Danger Zone was a wonderful introduction to some new and very satisfying challenges , and was highlighted by some full on off-road driving in the pouring rain.

Thanks Rathica for the great second lead, Johann and Hussam for the brilliant team work, and Malcolm for the pleasant company. Let’s go back sometime soon and finish the entire route.