Back in the saddle was upgraded from a Junior drive to an “easy off-roader” drive since all the drivers in today’s convoy had completed Desert Fellas advanced training.

We were hardly 500 meters from the meeting point when we came upon an area with spectacular low crests that were perfect for this level of drive. The convoy showed superb form on these long winding crests that could only be navigated at low speed and with lots of control.

From this point onwards, cresting was the flavor of the day. Even the most technical section of the route from Al Faqaa to Al Qudra was traversed, almost entirely, by cresting the small and extremely tight dunes.

As we approached the higher dunes in Al Qudra the wind had picked up and was making it rather challenging to read the sand formations. In some instances, the sand was being whipped over the dunes in such a way that it was near impossible to discern the outline of the crests. Nevertheless, the convoy was properly warmed up by this time, and maintained a fierce pace cresting and see sawing through a gauntlet created by adjacent rows of high dunes.

During a short break, close to the end of the drive, we were visited by a camel herder who let us take a photo with the camel that he was riding. It was an apt prop for a drive that was named “Back in the saddle”.

Our sweepers (Hussam and Zoubeir) had fun floating around the convoy while the main convoy had a blast taking on challenges that were easy but truly exhilarating. What a great way to end the week.