Al Wagan Free Styler

[David]

I can not remember why but last year I could not go to Al Wagan so I was very much looking forward to it this time.

2 convoys, one lead by the organising Marshall Rashid with the more experienced interms and the other one lead by Shamsi with the fresher and less regular ones. I was assigned alongside Carlos (2nd lead) and Ehab to Shamsi's convoy.

The morning was, as expected, difficult for some of the drivers that required adaptation to this kind of terrain and level, not an easy jump to make so 2nd tries and corrections were expected. We also suffered a mechanical problem in one of the cars that required a double FJ pulling job to the tarmac, once resolved we moved back to our track. After lunch at the Almost stadium one of the remaining members left for personal reasons leaving a very small compact convoy of only 3 interms.

The afternoon session was fantastic, I really enjoyed, with drivers fully adapted to the terrain and their cars, small convoy, good dunes and amazing lead so we went for very long stretches of no radio communication or issues, just pleasure drive.

I believe this drive was a massive learning curve for some of the members, not only about themselves but also about their cars, full day drives in these conditions require a lot both from car and driver, both need to work well and in tune, if you achieve this the pleasure is immense.

Big big congratulations to all of the members, massive improving through the drive and, most importantly, they always played it safe, every single one of them, any egos were clearly left at home as it should be, which resulted in a very very safe drive.

First time ever I have been to Al Wagan and no pop outs or cuts tires, this is not easy to achieve, so very well done once again to all of the drivers for staying safe and specially to the leading car Shamsi for finding a safe but fun track in those tricky conditions.

Thank you everyone that attended the drive, members, Marshalls Rashid, Scorpio & Optimus as well as founder Shamsi and my fellow explorers Carlos and Ehab. Another drive in Al Wagan Q1 2026???, I am IN!!!

See you on the sand soon!!!

[ahmed77moharem]

Al Wagan Intermediate Trip My First Experience 🏜
I'd been hearing a lot about Al Wagan and the challenging in this area, so the moment registration opened, I didn t hesitate.
This was my first intermediate trip in Al Wagan wow!
We gathered the night before at the camp point. Matching the new level was a bit tricky, but the excitement was high. In the morning, our organized Marshals @Rashidjass and @alshamsi_m divided us into two convoys.
I took my spot as the 4th car in the second convoy, led by @alshamsi_m with @Carlos as 2nd lead, and @Ehab and @David floating.
The track chosen by @alshamsi_m was incredible fresh, sharp crests that gave us a completely different experience.
Everyone performed amazingly, and the day was full of energy. Unfortunately, by the end of the first half, I heard a bad sound from my engine bad luck, I lost it.
But I didn t let that stop me I joined as a passenger and continued to enjoy the rest of the trip. Despite the setback, it was an unforgettable day filled with great memories and learning.
Looking forward to seeing you all soon on the sand!

[nidal78]

Hello dear Almosters
My day started very early, woke up at 3:45am started to move from Sharjah at 4:30am to catch up with the team at 8am
Every thing was going great on the way till I crossed Al Ain city, I faced a very heavy fog which forced me to drop my speed to 40 km in some areas
Finally I reached the camping spot at 8:20am finding everyone almost ready to go
Although I was registered in +10 convoy, but Abu Salim asked me to join his convoy of the new fresh intermediate as sweeper along with our explorers Carlos as second lead, Ehab and David floating around to keep an eye on everyone and off we went
The drive started with warming up in technical areas and some smooth side cresting till we reached the first bowl or we call it stadium in this area and this was the first shock for the new intermediate how we drive in this level
Of course some second tries are needed in this case but this is the most important part in the drive leave your ego outside and do as many as you want second tries because safety comes first
After that the convoy started to adopt with the base which was amazingly chosen by our leader Abu Salim, we did some nice climbs, riding ridges and side cresting, but unfortunately one car had an engine problem which required towing out by our explorers David & Carlos
After that the fun continued, in one of the bowls Abu Salim showed us how is the technique of using the 4L gear to climb from the ridge side and it was really amazing experience
The bad thing from my point of view in this area that it was full of bumps and bushes, the time you spend moving from bowl to bowl through the bushes killed the momentum of joy, despite that the stadiums were amazing and it was really worth the effort to play there
Around 1:30 we stopped for lunch break on an amazing balcony overlooking a beautiful stadium so we enjoyed the lunch break and enjoyed playing in that stadium full throttle from side to side
Sadly my time ended after the lunch break because I had to leave due to family reasons, so I had to goodbye everyone and navigate out lonely through the dunes which was also another dose of adrenaline
Finally I want to thank our leader Abu Salim for his amazing lead, our explorers David, Carlos & Ehab for their incredible efforts in keeping everyone safe , and of course to organizer of this drive Rashidjass and supporting marshals Optimus and Scorpio
Last but not least to my fellow intermediate who played very safe well done guys
Till next adventure stay safe and see you all soon on sand

[CARLOSS]

Hi Everyone,

Regardless bushes and some boring transitions between bowls jumping like kangaroos, Al Wagan was, is and will be an amazing place to have fun and to learn a lot. In the past it used to be much cleaner but still Al Wagan’s essence remains.

Most has been said in the previous trip reports so I wont bother readers saying the same things thus I will come up with something new…

Convoy performed very well but mainly due to the careful selection of tracks and momentum provided by @alshamsi_m who knows like nobody else what the convoy is capable of and the way the terrain needs to be managed. Sorry guys, but not less than 50% of the merits belong to our founder.

Members did their part as well, and despite his short experience everybody played safe, and I believe enjoyed a lot.

Explorers members also did their job keeping the convoy under control and making sure that nobody was left behind. Thanks to @Ehab & @David ….me, I was learning from the master as second lead and making small corrections for avoiding ditches and too much complicated manoeuvres for our members.

I said to myself: Should I have led this convoy not less than 50% of member would not have been survived…reason why is simple, in this extremely complicated area is very easy to let yourself go some time to time and do things that our interm members are not ready to do. That’s the reason I will never lead a baby interm convoy in such places with my very limited experience leading. I wont be allowed either.

All in all, it was an incredible day and we all finished sound and safe with a few victims (cars) but only due to mechanical problems.

I missed your convoy @Rashidjass , but hopefully next time.

See you soon in the big dunes.
Carlos

[Lapsis]

Al Wagan — my first proper drive since the upgrade, and one I won’t forget anytime soon.

I first saw the drive posted in the app and was certain it was for Intermediate 10+, not for those of us still blinking after the upgrade exam. My plan was to beg for a passenger seat just to learn by watching. Then, on registration day, I got a message from @ahmed77moharem confirming it was open to 10-, and I rushed to register. Relief came first, quickly followed by the usual “what have I signed up for?” feeling.

The plan was simple: camp the night before, drive the full next day. I packed up, double-checked everything, and aimed to arrive 30 minutes before sunset. Naturally, I arrived an hour late.

One expectation at Intermediate is navigating alone to more remote waypoints, so when I left the road and crossed the flats, I expected clear tracks from the earlier arrivals. Instead: nothing. I rechecked the coordinates, checked the maps for any hidden access — still nothing. So there I was, at the base of some big dunes, after dark, realising I’d just have to go and see what I could find. I aired down, raised the flag, switched on the off-road lights, and started exploring. A climb here, a traverse there, and eventually I reached a flat clearing with no one in sight.

I checked the waypoint again — I was exactly on it. Which meant I was the first. So I began scouting for spots to pitch my tent. Thirty or forty minutes later I heard voices on the convoy frequency, and the first group reached me soon after.

Camp was perfect: a fire, stories, jokes, then bed.

Waking up to that sunrise and seeing the surrounding dunes properly, I knew the day would be something special.

After the main briefing we split into two convoys. @alshamsi_m took “the fresh meat” with a handful of experienced Almosters supporting. He explained what to expect and thankfully said we’d warm up gently.

But Intermediate is another world. Things happen quickly. Still, I felt rested, ready, and keen to learn.

Following the lines set by @alshamsi_m and @Carlos in second lead, the challenges steadily increased. I was calling for second, third, even sixth tries on some of the climbs and bowls, managing inertia and energy as best I could. But something felt off — I was running out of power far too early. The support team were great; @David gave line adjustments (which would have helped sooner had I not instinctively stayed left when told “right”…) and they got me closer, but still not quite enough. Twice I was centimetres from cresting — close enough to feel the ridge — but the one lesson drilled into my mind is not to force the last bit. I didn’t have the energy and forcing it can end badly.

Later, while playing along another large ridge, I tried a few more climbs with no luck. @Ehab offered to jump in and try. I gladly swapped seats. The first run in 4H/1st gear died the same way — sudden loss of power. He explained it was the engine limiter cutting everything off, and suggested a tune like others have done. We tried 4L next and he sailed up, showing that Betty is capable, and technique matters enormously. Watching him “feel” for those last scraps of traction was eye-opening.

From then on, I used the 4L trick when needed and things started to click. The only frustration was trying to guess when to be in 4H or 4L, often needing to stop and switch. Still, progress.

Unfortunately @ahmed77moharem had to bow out with mechanical issues, but seeing how seamlessly the Almost4x4 team recovered his car back to the road was impressive and reassuring.

We continued toward the lunch rendezvous with the 10+ group. Just as the rhythm was settling, we arrived at The Stadium — the first truly enormous dune I’d ever seen, a near-perfect 360° bowl towering maybe 100m above the flats. Before I knew it, Shamsi went for it, then Carlos, then the next car. I called to confirm whether to go in 4H or 4L; Shamsi gave clear instructions on gear choices for each phase of the dune, and off I went. That climb will stay with me for a long time — a proper milestone moment where everything connected and I finally felt I could do this, provided I stayed humble.

Lunch was great: the two convoys reunited, the veterans showed how The Stadium should be driven, and Shamsi unveiled his wind-powered sunshade (you need to see it to believe it). After that, I felt fresh and ready.

And then the afternoon… something clicked. The morning’s lessons settled. The nerves faded. We climbed, crossed crests, looped around bowls, dropped into technical sections — pure flow. Time disappeared. Eventually we paused in a quiet, scenic corner, the sun getting lower, and everyone commented on how dynamic and smooth the run had become.

As daylight faded, we aired up under a beautiful sunset and headed back to reality.

So what more can I say? Huge thanks to those who scouted the routes, supported us throughout the day, and offered calm, practical advice that gave me the confidence to find my rhythm. The fact that this Intermediate 10- drive came so soon after the upgrade — and was a full-day event — made all the difference.

My three takeaways:

• I can find my way to a remote waypoint alone, in the dark, safely — but good off-road lighting is essential.

• Never force that last momentum-driven metre. A second or third attempt is always safer than pushing a dying climb.

• The club is full of incredibly skilled drivers who are generous with their guidance. Ask questions.

Until next time, Al Wagan.

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