Boys camping in the desert

Just when you think it too late in the year to go camping in the desert, you have this urge for 'one last' trip before it gets too hot. Well it must surely be boiling before I catch a wake-up!? I shall explain....I am part of a local off roaders club called ME4x4 who are largely Dubai based but have members from all over UAE. They group is made up of local enthusiasts who charge a nominal membership fee,which just covers the web site http://www.me4x4.com/ and a few sundries. The marshals basically volunteer their time.


One of the regular but fabulous camel crossings :


Anyway, 'like mad dogs and Englismen' we headed into the midday sun (well me and the two boys - girls ducked out, wisely!). After two hours driving to the meeting point and then a further four hours, in 48 deg C heat, we finally reached the camp site. Our group of six gas guzzling 4x4's must have got stuck at least 15 times (I added my fair share to that tally - photo of silver prado crested for third time!). The boys were, despite the AC, hot and tired and desperate to get out, so when we got to the camp site they had great fun with other kids collecting firewood and finding 'dune creatures'.


Crested and needing recovery for the third time!

Well after a quick few ice cool pints we set up our new tent got the fires going and as the sun set we started the awards. Since this was the 'final' (there are even really mad folk who dune bash through the summer) trip of the year, awards, including the Golden Spade (worst stuck, thus plenty of shovelling) plus upgrades were handed out.


My upgrade...after a few cool pints!


We ended up in our open tent (still 35 deg C), under the stars with the smells of camp fires and boerewors still lingering. A worth while trip after all.

Camp site - can just see the top of our tent behind third vehicle