.. scusate mi per scrivere in inglese:
SillyWalks (mio figlio), Io e Tweety
Tweeties Wrangler
the Discovery
... this was great. A unique adventure and experience. Following the crazy people through the sand. People who don't know anything about the real risk of the terrain. People who believe that the organisation has everything under control but was not true! And knowing that each time they see our cars they feel save.... great feeling.
While the softies slept in the Hotel, Tweety and I headed to the Camp1 lead by Antrax and accompanying the 4 cars of the french TV-Team. We slept (at least we tried) in the noisy camp area (Generators running the whole night).
04:00h! That was the rising time.
At 05:00h we where dressed up and ready to go.... But no move in the rest of thr camp. Due to the tough Kajaking and long transfer from the coast to Liwa, the organisation has changed schedule and postponed the start to 07:30h. Good for us, because for some strange reason the Disco refused to start. Only whith G-mans help we could charge the batteries and wake up the engine... At the arrival of the AD4x4 Gang we devided in three goups (Press, TV and Medic). We (Iguana, SillyWalks and us) accompanied the medical team. 4Speed, T_almagboul and AlSharaan where assigned for the medicalt team II.
07:30h, the contestants started the section B, accompanied by our trucks for the Press/Photographer and TV-Crews.
Yes, we had the longest waiting time. More than 1 1/2h after the start we left the B section while med-II headed for the B+. Having the heaviest car, Iguana decided to give me the lead. A very intense experience. Yes, up to a certain extentd you can follow existing tracks, but you also see the dificulties and you try to avoid them leading the gang into other problems... We made it to the checkpoints. For the meds we had to wait mostly until closing of the checkpoints (boaring!!!) and continued to the next. The day passed and we recognised that we can never make it to the Camp2 in daylight. Iguana decided to take the Wranglers to the Camp2 (thats another adventure) while the thickships (our Disco and AlSharaans Prado) stay back in Checkpoint B5. Well, we had a wonderfull night in the desert. Tea, campfire, stars, stories and silence.... (Thank you Waled for your great company).
06:00h the alarmclock!!!! We packed up, put the meds in the trucks and headed towards B6. This was a fantastic drive through the calm morninglighted Liwa dunes. Following the Wrangler tracks. Trying to avoid the bowls. Fantastic views and great descends.....
No, B6 was out of reach. Closest we could get with the heavy loaded cars was 800m! The short, steep dunes stopped us. We decided to change plan and go to B7. Rushing through saltflats, climbing dunes, sloping around bowls... the whole book of Liwa..
We reunited with the Wranglers in B7 hearing theire story, beeing stuck overnight on top of a high dune, not possible to move and the recovery team not possible to reach...(thanks Iguana for taking care of SillyWalks).
Again we left late from the Camp. This time both teams following the contestants struggeling with theire camels in direction C2 where we split up in the C and C+ again. This time Iguana lead for C4 and I took over later. we met the med II team again, than following BlackEvils tracks to the checkpoint where we met him and Uristier (Thanks for hiding some Gingerbread for me ).
16:00h After shaking hands with Bulldozer, one short recovery trip and hours of waiting, we left finaly to Camp3 (C4). Our biggest concern was reaching there with daylight since the 4 Wranglers had hardly slept in the last 36h. Half way through, we got the emergency call from the organisers to return to C3 for recovering the TV-Team left behind without propper care by the helicopter. We decided to continue for not risking the night in the cars again... But thanks to Uristier and BlackEvil volunteering, the TV team was recovered (another story...).
Yes, we reached the camp before nightfall. Meeting the rest of the gang and feeling like having not seen for ages. everybody had to tella different story....
We refilled and inflated the tires and left the camp arount 19:30h. AlSharaan, SillyWalks and me drove back to Abu Dhabi/Dubai and arrived all dead tired but save.
I learned a lot out of this:
1. never let amateurs plan a desert adventure. From my point of view the organisers where only lucky nothing serious happens. Waiting for the helicopter for hours in case of need... Planning all during a newmoon-period...Lucky, lucky, lucky!
2. never hand over animals to people not used to them. The Camel roll over could have ended lethal for contestants and Camels
3. never believe in an organisation. We have been told that food and drink would be taken care off... Negative! Yes, Water was plenty, food was null!
..one word to the drivers: With you guys and gals... anytime again!!!!!!
.. last one to the Disco: Heavy loaded, including roof top tent. Looking like a Mule but performing like a race horse...
We have not been allowed to take pictures of the contestants. For those who are interested check the following site: http://checkpointzero.smugmug.com/gallery/3971197
.. and information about the event: http://www.abudhabi-adventure.com/
(no offense habibi 
).
e guidare altra gente in un territorio sconoscuto.. puh!
.... 
HDJ 100 - KZJ95