Dune bashing/off-roading/
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Like most sports or activities, dune bashing has die-hards who go every weekend and we were introduced to this group of guys with their souped-up Jeeps and Land Rovers. Our normal Jeep Liberty wouldn’t fare well – it’s necessary to have a lift kit for your vehicle so the important enginey stuff doesn’t drag in the sand. 😆 So we rode in our friend’s car.
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The time to go is in the afternoon – after the main heat of the day but before the sun sets.
To prepare for the desert ride, they deflate their tires in order to get better traction. And everyone carries ropes because inevitably someone will stall out or get stuck in the sand. A group of about 10 or so vehicles roughly stuck together and from an aerial view I can imagine it looked like a line of ants winding up and down the mounds of sand.
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We spent a couple hours maneuvering onto and over the dunes. The shifting sand provided some adrenaline-pumping moments as the car casually careened on two wheels, and when we accelerated to crest the top of dune, not knowing what kind of drop was on the other side.
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When the sun dips below the horizon, they park their SUVs in a flat patch of sand and pull out rugs, thermoses of Arabic coffee, and bags of sunflower seeds. Maybe a hookah pipe or two. Then when the conversation dwindles, they pack up underneath the light of the moon and stars, and follow a brave leader through the mounds of sand back to the highway… 🏜
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