For offroad enthusiasts living in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, driving in Abu Dhabi is always a treat. The thrill of “where eagles dare” was heightened by the fact that none of the Juniors on this trip had ever driven in this area before.

The cool and somewhat overcast weather created very unpredictable sand conditions. Sun facing slopes had dry and firm sand while the shaded areas had moist sand. This made tire pressure selection a little more complicated than it needed to be.

The first few minutes of the drive got off to a good start, with the convoy climbing and side sloping any feature that wasn’t parallel to the ground. But all that momentum  came to a grinding halt when we encountered three pop outs in fairly quick succession. Suddenly “Where eagles dare” was looking more like a trip that should have been called “Where lizards sunbathe”.

Nevertheless, we were determined to not let these minor setbacks ruin the dune bashing festival that the convoy had anticipated. So after a short break to refocus our energies and get ourselves into the right headspace, we set off to take command this splendid yet imposing desert landscape.

Our fortune  changed  midway through the drive when the convoy claimed victory after slaying their second big challenge. Thereafter, nothing was off limits.

The dunes got taller, the bowls got bigger and crossings got more challenging, but nothing could stop the forward progression of this group. OK, there were instances when following distance was not perfect; so perhaps a few more drives at this level is just the right prescription for mastering that skill.

Overall, this trip was a load of fun and a great learning opportunity for our Juniors who got to drive at heights where only eagles dare.

Thanks for a great second lead Martin, you’re really getting the hang it. And of course, the only reason we didn’t leave anyone behind was because Malcolm did an excellent job of keeping a keen eye on the group from behind. Great teamwork! Let’s do it again soon.