For over 20+ years, hundreds of experienced dunes offroaders has benefited from this pioneering training course.
This is not a half an hour lecture with few tricky obstacles on a fancy track. This a real-world offroading training specialized in Sand Dunes and desert.
It draws from SCUBA Diving and Pilots training philosophy, that when you adventure-travel in a hostile environment, you need all the knowledge and skills that keeps you safe and in control.
If roads dictates few types of driving, off-roads driving is a vast and complex subject, with large variety of vehicles to suit different types of missions. This course attempts many of them. However, it covers only 4-wheel-drive cars.
The course cover a wide range of essential topics, from basic vehicle preparation and driving techniques to more advanced skills like recovery and navigating in any terrain, specially vast deserts.
Here's a breakdown of this course in 7 simple sections.
1. Foundational Knowledge
Vehicle Anatomy and Systems
Understanding how your 4x4 vehicle works, including its drivetrain, differentials, vehicle's off-roading geometry, loading, power to weight ratio, and other features, is crucial for safe and effective off-road driving. And how customization could perfect this.
Even old petrolheads with deep knowledge of cars, will be impressed with how every inch matters. But absolute beginners will enjoy how it all makes sense when applied in the desert.
Terrain Awareness
Learning to assess different types of off-road terrain, such as sand, mud, rocks, and water, and how to adapt your driving accordingly even if your vehicle is not optimized for this terrain. You'll understand the 18 sand dunes forms in the Universe (even on other planets), their names, and their micro-features names.
Safety Procedures
Understanding the importance of safety checks, vehicle preparation, and emergency procedures, including recovery techniques. Also, some about group leadership and how to structure for safety and performance.
Obstacle Navigation
Learning how to approach and overcome obstacles like slopes, ruts, and uneven terrain. Then progressing to the ultimate terrain of Sand Dunes, that is the most testing terrain, and its related skills. You will be using all the Terrain awareness for effective communication and collaboration in this section.
Desert Navigation
On emergencies, lost in the vast Sahara desert? Don't worry. There are always ways when you're ready with your own mobile downloading the right tools just for backup. You'll learn that too.
2. Practical Driving Skills
Basic Driving Techniques
Mastering essential skills like throttle control, steering, and braking in off-road conditions.
Terrain-Specific Driving
Gaining experience driving on different surfaces and adapting your driving style to the challenges they present.
Vehicle Recovery
Learning how to use recovery equipment and techniques to get your vehicle out from challenging situations. Being bogged down has never been so enjoyable.
Convoy Protocol
Nobody goes offroading alone. Depending on your mission and planned range from roads, you'll need to learn about how to collaborate in a team and make a formation, and its communication.
Advanced Techniques
For more experienced drivers, this course may cover advanced techniques like winch operations, steep ascents and descents, and driving in challenging conditions. All known fixed or mobile equipment of recovery and logistics will be explained. We'll also explode some myths about visbility and strengthen advanced communication between you as a driver and rest of Convoy.
3. Benefits of Training
Increased Confidence
Off-road training builds confidence in your ability to handle your 4x4 vehicle in various situations.
Enhanced Safety
Learning proper techniques and safety procedures minimizes the risk of accidents and vehicle damage. Even in a tourists safari with an emergency. You'll be amazingly ready.
Reduced Vehicle Wear and Tear
Proper off-road driving techniques can help reduce wear and tear on your vehicle.
Improved Driving Skills
Off-road training sharpens your driving skills and expands your ability to handle challenging terrain. You fancied exotic car driving experience? 😊 Offroading is a more enjoyable experience. Far more!
Fun and Adventure
Enjoying the thrill of off-roading while being prepared and confident adds to the overall experience.
4. The Course Structure, Duration, Venue and Costs
Split to two segments:
- Lectures (2 days) in Cairo
- Practice: 3 days in dunes of Ghoroud Samuel (Fayoum desert, Egypt)
For cost, please call (see section 7 below)
5. About This Course
It is Basic/Introductory
Focuses on foundational knowledge and skills for new 4x4 owners, or those who are new to Desert specially Dunes and their techniques. It also brings up veterans of offroading from other terrain to the Sand Dunes basic techniques.
It is Also Advanced
Builds upon basic skills, covering more challenging terrain and advanced techniques. Utilizes repetitions under controlled conditions until the perfect balance between human and vehicle is achieved to overcome obstacles, and complete the mission.
Customizable to Commercial Corporate/Fleet
Although mainly for recreational purposes. It is designed to cater also for professionals who operate 4x4 vehicles in their work, emphasizing safety and efficiency.
Specialized
Focuses on specific types of terrain in the Practicing part, such as sand dunes driving, open deserts, or tracks. In the lectures, it elaborates on many types of vehicles (eg, UTV, ATV, SUV, etc.) in lectures, general rules to customize them for different missions.
6. About The Instructor
Mohamed Mabrouk is a father, an explorer, and a guide with a deep passion for adventure. He has spent decades navigating both the corporate world and the world's wilder places.
His career has taken him through the Corporate top management, giving him a unique perspective on leadership and communication (ENTJ personality type). He holds a master's degree in environmental science from England and Engineering BSc from Cairo, making him well-versed in the interaction between the landscape and and the mission (recreational or else) and getting things done.
Adventure is his calling. For over 30 years, he has been an active off-roading and hiking guide and instructor, with a passion for writing, photography, diving, flying, cycling, motorbiking, and exploration. His deep knowledge of history, technology, desert cultures of middle-east, and geography deepening the context of every course he's delivering, and makes his connection effective with all levels of beginners and advanced riders.
His claim to be the pioneer that first developed the 4x4 and mountains hiking communities in Egypt as mass sports, have been recognized by many. He still consults for Adventure Tourism in Egypt and middle-east.
7. How to Contact for Booking
Currently the course is conducted in Egypt only. Booking is for groups only (at least 5) who each own their 4x4s (SUVs or UTVs). For queries and bookings, please send a message to whatsapp on +201012061266 with the following information:
- Your Name, and age
- The count of the group and the models of their 4x4s
- Your questions
For special customizations in duration, location, etc. Please call.