Today’s trip was supposed to give our new Junior Level drivers ample opportunity to brush up on their side sloping skills,  but it was ultimately the terrain, that dictated what lesson should be learnt.

As we headed off into an intensely technical section of the Al Faqaa desert it became blatantly clear that a lot had changed since my last visit to this area, over a year ago.  New fences had been erected everywhere, to demarcate property boundaries, which resulted in the convoy being unsuspectingly herded towards an egg box area that demanded every ounce of focus to maintain continuous forward momentum.

With our route coursing in a direction that was opposite to the prevailing winds, the convoy had to scale a series of leeward slopes before we could break for coffee and pastries. Our Juniors  attempted the first few crossings a little awkwardly. But it didn’t take long before they were  in the zone and straight cresting a series of  high, steep slopes with perfect control.

Further along our route, we hit a patch of freshly deposited, powdery sand. Generally, this soft sand would only be deposited in the downwind flat spots on the leeward side of the dunes. In this particular area, however, the slopes themselves were supersoft. Hesitation was clearly not an option, and judging from the complete absence of recoveries  in this area, I would say that our Junior drivers did an exemplary job of mastering safe following distance and momentum.

Just when the convoy was starting to feel the burn from the arm work out they were getting courtesy of all the tight turns they had to make while maneuvering around the multitude of small dunes, they were finally rewarded by an onslaught of long rows of dunes with gentle slopes. This was side sloping territory. With pedals to the metal, Slip Sliding 2 convoy side sloped it’s way at full throttle, all the way to the exit.

It was one hell of a drive through some of the most technical terrain the Dubai desert has to offer, and our Juniors level drivers surprised us by completing the full length of the planned route within the scheduled time.

Well done to our Junior drivers on this trip, Steven and Marcin. Thanks for the courteous and eager support provided by Anders, Martin, Sven and Hayssam. Sara you’re starting to really connect with your machine, and it seemed like you enjoyed that connection throughout the drive.

Looking forward to our next weekend adventure.