NEWBIE-Explore N20 - E of 75 Feb9

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Drivers Ahmed M, Darren, Sunet, Derek, Shaju, Praveen, Tom
Met at first traffic circle north of E20 on E75.
First time for me and all drivers in this set of dunes. 40 min to deflation point from al Raha. Entered desert through a driveway inbetween livestock pens. Hit the dunes quick. Was immediately surprised to find no tracks and clean sand. Tom was second lead and Derek was sweeper. Excellent job. Really a great drive, i was very pleased with the area and the drivers skills. All handled their vehicles very well. Couple learning opportunities, some stucks, good participation on recoveries. I would say many on this trip are ready for intermediate. In open dune areas we picked up the pace. And all kept up well. Technical areas handled pretty good too. Spacing was good, some learned to follow not so close.
As trip was winding down we took a good break and discussed the area. We all agreed any level can go here. ANITs have nice wide open areas with easy inclines and descents. Plenty of straightcresting opportunities for newbies. Smooth transitions between slopes and flat to make great side sloping. Advanced drivers have the choice of varying levels dune height depending on skill level. Side cresting can be done with a reasonable amount of safety due to mostly predictable dune shape. For the most part the area is free of danger traps, sneaky ditches and random formations that lurk in more numbers elsewhere.
Bottom line is it’s pretty close to Abu Dhabi, one hour to al ain, good for any level, free from use and abuse, lots of entry and exit points to E20, and in general a fairly safe place to play.
We ended up at the Tilal Sweihan traffic circle convenient to head in either direction. We inflated and enjoyed reflecting on such a great trip. Haha. I had fun. The drivers did great and I think they liked it as well. Smiles. Thanks to all. See you next time
Marshal Mark

[Dazza]

Thanks Mark & everyone else for making this a great trip. My fastest pace drive so far. It was nice to use some higher gears and I think the Pajero appreciated it too
Darren.