The ominously dense fog that enveloped a large part of the UAE this morning made the drive to the meeting point quite challenging.

After we had all safely gathered,  albeit a little later than planned, we disposed of the usual pre-drive formalities and headed off into the dunes. Since the meeting was in close proximity to a cluster of large dunes, the drive started with some pretty serious climbs, switches and long crests.

After an hour of pushing our vehicles and our own physical limits, the Boarder Patrollers stopped for a much needed coffee break and a little socializing on the sand. Thereafter, we picked up exactly where we left off just before the coffee break. The pace remained unchanged, but the challenges got bigger. Clearly, none of these challenges fazed our experienced Offroader convoy, which made the flow of the drive truly blissful.

After another hour of slaying a series of reverse switches and flattening long winding crests, the convoy arrived at Nagara. Here, we set ourselves the challenge of finding the least bumpy approach to the leeward face of this popular land mark. We succeeded in having an absolute blast making lines across the entire face of the leeward slope, but failed to find an approach that was not bumpy. Since there were barely any other convoys around, we spent a little extra time exploring some crests and climbs in this location at full throttle.

By this time the sun was beating down with full intensity and giving us a warm reminder that we should start heading out. The drive to the exit was relaxing and almost hypnotic.

It’s been an awful long time since I’ve led an Offroader level drive in this area, and it was definitely worth the wait. Anders and Malcolm, you guys drove remarkably today. Thanks for the support Marshall Marc and Marko.