This was my first ever high speed sand experience. I had done some dune-ing, in my hay day when I was still in my teens back in the Gulf, but I was curious to figure out what all the fuss was about from my rally-is-the-holy-grail buddies.
I $hit you not! It really is the holy grail of all motor sport! Behold, I am a believer. After now trying nearly every form of off road activities, I have to say that none offer the adrenaline rush that high speed sand runs do.
I grossly underestimated the skill needed by our rally friends, and it is impossible to judge the complexity of these rally type runs from the outside, or even from watching videos taken in tracks.
So a huge amount of lessons learned from my end, and this was perhaps the most fruitful trip for me.
1- Never underestimate the correct tire pressure setting! I started off with my road tire pressure, which is always kept at 35 psi. Soon found out that 35 psi is just plain not driveable in sand. Its difficult to explain, but you have literally no control over your vehicle. So, when I aired down to 24 psi front, and 26 psi rear, the difference was night and day. Couldn't believe I was driving the same 4x4! In hindsight, I should have probably gone down 2 more psi at the front and back.
2- Keeping your steering straight works only on the road! This was odd, and I still don't quite know why it happens, but if you keep your steering straight, and other cars have already marked a track, you will follow the track and not be able to keep your line. I found that rocking your steering right and left helped tremendously, and kept my vehicle on the line that I was trying to keep. More experienced Rally Kings can comment on this.
3- Drifting is not for the faint hearted! So it looks pretty easy from the outside, but its not so easy when you want to do at will, its only easy when it happens itself. It took me a long time to figure out how to go into and exit a turn and when to turn the power up. When I finally got an idea, I could not stop trying to do it! This $hit is addictive!
4- Regular shocks for daily driving don't work in the desert! But are so much more fun than bazillion dollar shocks some of these guys have on their ride. I guess my perspective is slightly less serious
5- A powerful vehicle is your friend. All other powerful vehicles on full throttle and drifting like maniacs very close to you are not your friends in the desert!
Kashif and I were awake for more than 36 hours when we left Islamabad, so we were very zombie-like the whole trip. That all faded when we hit the sand runs. I have to thank profusely, Asad, who was the one who got me to go on the trip. Kashif is my life partner (Oooops, beans being spilt), so I don't owe him any thanks, just the usual great company that he keeps. It was great meeting Ali, Adnan and their friends, all great guys. Also great to meet Jeepaholic after having heard so much of him, but never had the chance of meeting in the past.
Too many people to mention were missed, you all know who you are. I really didn't notice anyone taking any pictures, so I am surprised we got any at all! So those that have pictures better wake up!
Rao.