This morning, Madam Desert greeted us with wind howling like a banshee on a mission. With gritty eyes and sandy smiles, we kicked off our adventure at dawn, one man down (he was running late, of course). We promised to scoop him up at the halfway mark.

Each dune we climbed felt like a victory, and with the fresh sand erasing all previous tracks, our drive was as smooth as it gets—except for that pesky, brush-riddled technical section that kept us on our toes.

We reached the halfway point and picked up our tardy friend, ready to conquer the rest of the desert. I’d love to say everything went off without a hitch, but the desert has a way of keeping you humble. Today’s surprise? My 4-wheel drive decided to take a day off.

Despite that little hiccup, we navigated the rest of the journey with some extra momentum and discipline, safely making it to our exit a bit ahead of schedule.

Big thanks for a morning adventure with a twist! And a shoutout to Malcolm for sweeper duty. Can’t wait to return—next time, with all wheels engaged and ready to conquer more slopes.