The first time I twisted the throttle on a quad bike in the Dubai desert landscape, the city behind me collapsed into a thin, shimmering line, a punctuation mark on a horizon that felt impossibly wide. The skyscrapers and glass and polished roads gave way to a geography of motion: dunes that rose and pitched like ocean swells, sand breathing under the sun, wind unraveling the edges of everything. Quad bike Dubai couples ride It took seconds to realize that this place, so often photographed in perfect amber light, is not simply scenery. It's a living, shifting puzzle, and the quad bike-loud, eager, almost puppy-like with its hunger for the climb-becomes your partner in learning how to solve it.
Morning is the most forgiving time. The heat is a rumor rather than a verdict, and the light lays long, soft fingers on the ridges. The sand here isn't one color but many: apricots and rusts in Al Badayer's “Big Red,” bleached gold on the windward faces, umber tucked in shaded seams. The quad's wide tires don't so much grip as float; the engine's vibration climbs from the handlebars into your forearms and settles there, a friendly buzz that tells you you're awake, really awake, and part of something larger than your own breath. You learn quickly to steer with your whole body-hips guiding the frame, shoulders reading the slope, eyes measuring the lip of each dune where the sand curls outward like a question mark.
Guides here are both instructors and translators. Before we set out, mine checked my helmet's buckle, tugged at my gloves, and described the desert's etiquette. Keep your distance. Crest dunes at an angle, never directly. Trust momentum on the climb and humility on the descent. Quad bike Dubai leisure activity . There's an unspoken choreography to a convoy of riders, and when it works, it feels like a string of commas moving across the wilderness, each mark acknowledging the others, all of us punctuating the same sentence written on sand.
The first time I reached the top of a high ridge and saw the slip face-a steep, untouched slope falling away into hollows-it felt like standing at the lip of a cathedral. The wind whispered, and then, with a breath and a small prayer to balance, I eased off the brake and let gravity take me. There was the gentle skid and swallow of tires, a suspended second when the front end seemed to float, and then the satisfying bite as the quad found purchase. It's a rhythm you want to bottle: the approach, the hinge of decision, the release. Around us, a falcon cut a clean arc against the sky, and in the distance a caravan of camels tilted across the dunes with the slow certainty of clocks.
What photographs skip-and what a quad bike makes impossible to ignore-is the desert's detail. There are the calligraphic tracks of beetles and lizards that stitch smaller stories between the mountains of sand. There are pale tufts of grass clinging to the leeward side of a slope, the stubborn green of a ghaf tree anchoring its roots in a logic older than our engines. In the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, where access is controlled, the dunes are more than playgrounds; they are home.
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Arabian oryx ghost the horizon, their horns like parentheses against the sky, and the occasional hare breaks from stillness in a burst of improbable speed. Respect here isn't a rule so much as an instinct.
Still, the desert welcomes celebrations of motion. There's a clean honesty to riding a quad: the machine answers exactly what you ask of it. Tilt wrong, and sand teaches consequence.
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Lean right, and the dune reads you back with a smooth, singing descent. It's tempting to romanticize all this, but the truth is more grounded. Your mouth tastes of dust and peppermint gum. Sweat collects in the padding of your helmet. Your ankles complain after an hour of standing on the pegs. And then you crest a ridge at sunset, and language falls behind.
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The light pours sideways, turning every ripple into a golden contour line. The city's outline appears again, far off, like a mirage of ambition at the edge of an ancient, indifferent sea.
Between rides, people talk. At a Bedouin-style camp, over cardamom coffee and dates, stories unfurl about the old caravans and the new highways, about how the desert used to be navigated by stars and now by GPS pings. The quad bike, that compact geometry of engine and frame, seems like a symbol for the modern relationship to this landscape: a way to touch it with both reverence and audacity. You cannot own the desert. You can only visit, learn its moods, and leave as lightly as you can. The best operators mark their routes carefully, avoid sensitive areas, and remind you that the thrill doesn't need to come at the expense of the dunes' quiet tenants.
There's a time just after sunset when the temperature drops as if a curtain has been pulled. The wind carries a faint salt memory from the Gulf. If you stay late, away from the blaze of city lights, the sky vaults open. Stars don't scatter so much as gather-clusters and rivers that draw their own maps above the empty places. The quad's engine goes silent, ticking with leftover heat, and the desert makes its soft sounds: grains shifting, a distant call, your own breath finding a calmer pace. In that quiet, it's easy to understand why people return here, again and again, to tilt themselves against the dunes and be corrected by them.
On the way back, the sand that once felt endless begins to trail away in familiar curves. The road reappears, black and certain. In the mirror, the dunes hold their secrets, already reshaping. Quad bike Dubai off road activity You peel off your gloves, shake sand from your sleeves, and taste dust again, now edged with sweetness. The city folds you in-its lights, its traffic, its climate-controlled logic-and you carry a residue that isn't visible but persists all the same. It lives in your muscles, which remember how to lean into a slope without needing to see the bottom. It lives in the way you look at any horizon, measuring not just distance, but possibility.
Quad bike. Dubai. Desert. Landscape. Four words that, taken together, describe both a destination and a dialogue. The machine will give you speed and laughter and a rush that rattles pleasantly in your bones. The desert will give you perspective-also speed, also laughter-but wrapped in something older and quieter, a lesson in how to move through a world that keeps shifting and still invites you forward. You arrive as a rider.
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Quad bike Dubai off road activity
If you're lucky, you leave as a listener.
About Arabian Desert
Desert located in Western Asia
This article is about the desert in the Arabian Peninsula. For the Red Sea Hills/Arabian Desert in Northeast Africa, see Eastern Desert. For the desert in Syria, Jordan and northern Saudi Arabia, see Syrian Desert.
Arabian Desert ٱلصَّحْرَاء ٱلْعَرَبِيَّة
Desert near Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Map of the Arabian Desert ecoregion
Ecology
Realm
Palearctic
Biome
deserts and xeric shrublands
Borders
List
Gulf of Oman desert and semi-desert
Mesopotamian shrub desert
Middle East steppe
North Saharan steppe and woodlands
Persian Gulf desert and semi-desert
Red Sea Nubo-Sindian tropical desert and semi-desert
Tigris-Euphrates alluvial salt marsh
Geography
Area
1,855,470[1] km2 (716,400 mi2)
Countries
List
Saudi Arabia
Iraq
Jordan
Kuwait
Oman
Qatar
United Arab Emirates
Iran (khuzestan)
Yemen
Egypt (Sinai)
Conservation
Conservation status
critical/endangered[2]
Protected
4.368%[1]
The Arabian Desert (Arabic: ٱلصَّحْرَاء ٱلْعَرَبِيَّة) is a vast desert wilderness in West Asia that occupies almost the entire Arabian Peninsula with an area of 2,330,000 square kilometers (900,000 sq mi).[3] It stretches from Yemen to the Persian Gulf and Oman to Jordan and Iraq. It is the fourth largest desert in the world and the largest in Asia. At its center is Ar-Rub' al-Khali (The Empty Quarter), one of the largest continuous bodies of sand in the world. It is an extension of the Sahara Desert.[4]
Gazelles, oryx, sand cats, and spiny-tailed lizards are just some of the desert-adapted species that survive in this extreme environment, which features everything from red dunes to deadly quicksand. The climate is mostly dry (the major part receives around 100 mm (3.9 in) of rain per year, but some very rare places receive as little as 50 mm), and temperatures oscillate between very high heat and seasonal night time freezes. It is part of the deserts and xeric shrublands biome and lie in biogeographical realms of the Palearctic (northern part) and Afrotropical (southern part).
The Arabian Desert ecoregion has little biodiversity, although a few endemic plants grow here. Many species, such as the striped hyena, jackal and honey badger, have died out as a result of hunting, habitat destruction, overgrazing by livestock, off-road driving, and human encroachment on their habitat. Other species, such as the Arabian sand gazelle, have been successfully re-introduced and are protected at reserves.
Geography
[edit]
A satellite image of the Arabian Desert by NASA World Wind
The desert lies mostly in Saudi Arabia and covers most of the country. It extends into neighboring southern Iraq, southern Jordan, central Qatar, most of the Abu Dhabi emirate in the United Arab Emirates, western Oman, and northeastern Yemen. The ecoregion also includes most of the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt and the adjacent Negev desert in southern Israel.[1]
The Rub' al-Khali desert is a sedimentary basin stretching along a south-west to north-east axis across the Arabian Shelf.[5] At an altitude of 1,000 metres (3,300 ft), rock landscapes yield to the Rub' al-Khali, a vast stretch of sand whose extreme southern point crosses the center of Yemen. The sand overlies gravel or gypsum plains and the dunes reach maximum heights of up to 250 m (820 ft). The sands are predominantly silicates, composed of 80 to 90% quartz and the remainder feldspar, whose iron oxide-coated grains color the sands orange, purple, and red.
A corridor of sandy terrain known as the Ad-Dahna desert connects the An-Nafud desert (65,000 km2 or 40,389 square miles) in the north of Saudi Arabia to the Rub' al-Khali in the south-east.[citation needed] The Tuwaiq escarpment is an 800 km (500 mi) arc that includes limestone cliffs, plateaus, and canyons.[citation needed] There are brackish salt flats, including the quicksands of Umm al Samim.[2] The Sharqiya Sands, formerly known as Wahiba Sands of Oman are an isolated sand sea bordering the east coast.[6][7]
Climate
[edit]
The Arabian Desert has a subtropical, hot desert climate, similar to the climate of the Sahara Desert (the world's largest hot desert). The Arabian Desert is actually an extension of the Sahara Desert over the Arabian peninsula.
The climate is mainly dry. Most areas get around 100 mm (3.9 in) of rain per year. Unlike the Sahara Desert—more than half of which is hyperarid (having rainfall of less than 50 mm (2.0 in) per year)—the Arabian Desert has only a few hyperarid areas. These rare driest areas may get only 30 to 40 mm (1.6 in) of rain per year.
The Arabian Desert’s sunshine duration index is very high by global standards: between 2,900 hours (66.2% of daylight hours) and 3,600 hours (82.1% of daylight hours), but typically around 3,400 hours (77.6% of daylight hours). Thus clear-sky conditions with plenty of sunshine prevail over the region throughout the year, and cloudy periods are infrequent. Visibility at ground level is relatively low, despite the brightness of the sun and moon, because of dust and humidity.
Temperatures remain high year round. In the summer, in low-lying areas, average high temperatures are generally over 40 °C (104 °F). In extremely low-lying areas, especially along the Persian Gulf (near sea level), summer temperatures can reach 48 °C (118 °F). Average low temperatures in summer are typically over 20 °C (68 °F) and in the south can sometimes exceed 30 °C (86 °F). Record high temperatures above 50 °C (122 °F) have been reached in many areas of the desert, partly because its overall elevation is relatively low. [citation needed]
Flora and fauna
[edit]
The Arabian Desert ecoregion has about 900 species of plants.[8] The Rub'al-Khali has very limited floristic diversity. There are only 37 plant species, 20 recorded in the main body of the sands and 17 around the outer margins. Of these 37 species, one or two are endemic. Vegetation is very diffuse but fairly evenly distributed, with some interruptions of near sterile dunes.[2] Some typical plants are Calligonum crinitum on dune slopes, Cornulaca arabica (saltbush), Salsola stocksii (saltbush), and Cyperus conglomeratus. Other widespread species are Dipterygium glaucum, Limeum arabicum, and Zygophyllum mandavillei. Very few trees are found except at the outer margin (typically Acacia ehrenbergiana and Prosopis cineraria). Other species are a woody perennial Calligonum comosum, and annual herbs such as Danthonia forskallii.[2]
There are 102 native species of mammals.[8] Native mammals include the Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx), sand gazelle (Gazella marica), mountain gazelle (G. gazella), Nubian ibex (Capra nubiana), Arabian wolf (Canis lupus arabs), striped hyaena (Hyaena hyaena), caracal (Caracal caracal), sand cat (Felis margarita), red fox (Vulpes vulpes), and Cape hare (Lepus capensis).[2] The Asiatic cheetah[9] and Asiatic lion[10] used to live in the Arabian Desert. The ecoregion is home to 310 bird species.[8]
People
[edit]
The area is home to several different cultures, languages, and peoples, with Islam as the predominant faith. The major ethnic group in the region is the Arabs, whose primary language is Arabic.
In the center of the desert lies Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, with more than 7 million inhabitants.[11] Other large cities, such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, or Kuwait City, lie on the coast of the Persian Gulf.
Natural resources
[edit]
Natural resources available in the Arabian Desert include oil, natural gas, phosphates, and sulfur.[citation needed]
Conservation and threats
[edit]
Threats to the ecoregion include overgrazing by livestock and feral camels and goats, wildlife poaching, and damage to vegetation by off-road driving.[2]
The conservation status of the desert is critical/endangered. In the UAE, the sand gazelle and Arabian oryx are threatened, and honey badgers, jackals, and striped hyaenas already extirpated.[2]
Protected areas
[edit]
4.37% of the ecoregion is in protected areas.[1]
Saudi Arabia has established a system of reserves overseen by the National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development (NCWCD).[2]
Harrat al-Harrah Reserve (12,150 km2), established in 1987, is on the border with Jordan and Iraq, and protects a portion of the stony basaltic Harrat al-Sham desert. The reserve includes rough terrain of black basaltic boulders and extinct volcanic cones from the middle Miocene. It provides habitat to over 250 species of plants, 50 species of birds, and 22 mammal species.[2]
'Uruq Bani Ma'arid Reserve (12,000 km2) is on the western edge of the Rub’ al-Khali. Arabian oryx and sand gazelle were reintroduced to the reserve in 1995.
Ibex Reserve (200 km2) is south of Riyadh. It protects Nubian ibex and a reintroduced population of mountain gazelle.[2]
Al-Tabayq Special Nature Reserve is in northern Saudi Arabia, and protects a population of Nubian ibex.[2]
Protected areas in the United Arab Emirates include Al Houbara Protected Area (2492.0 km2), Al Ghadha Protected Area (1087.51 km2), Arabian Oryx Protected Area (5974.47 km2), Ramlah Protected Area (544.44 km2), and Al Beda'a Protected Area (417.0 km2).[12]
See also
[edit]
Saudi Arabia portal
ʿĀd
Iram of the Pillars
References
[edit]
^ abcd"Arabian Desert and East Sahero-Arabian xeric shrublands". Digital Observatory of Protected Areas. Accessed 19 December 2022. [1]
^ abcdefghijk
"Arabian Desert". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
^"Sharqiya (Wahiba) Sands, Oman - Travel Guide, Info & Bookings – Lonely Planet". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 2013-06-09.
^ abcHoekstra JM, Molnar JL, Jennings M, Revenga C, Spalding MD, Boucher TM, Robertson JC, Heibel TJ, Ellison K (2010) The Atlas of Global Conservation: Changes, Challenges, and Opportunities to Make a Difference (ed. Molnar JL). Berkeley: University of California Press.
^Harrison, D. L. (1968). "Genus Acinonyx Brookes, 1828" (PDF). The mammals of Arabia. Volume II: Carnivora, Artiodactyla, Hyracoidea. London: Ernest Benn Limited. pp. 308–313.
^Heptner, V. G.; Sludskii, A. A. (1992) [1972]. "Lion". Mlekopitajuščie Sovetskogo Soiuza. Moskva: Vysšaia Škola [Mammals of the Soviet Union, Volume II, Part 2]. Washington DC: Smithsonian Institution and the National Science Foundation. pp. 83–95. ISBN 978-90-04-08876-4.
^"هيئة تطوير مدينة الرياض توافق على طلبات مطورين لإنشاء 4 مشاريع سياحية وترفيهية" (in Arabic). April 4, 2019. Archived from the original on April 4, 2019. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
^UNEP-WCMC (2020). Protected Area Profile for United Arab Emirates from the World Database of Protected Areas, November 2020. Available at: www.protectedplanet.net
External links
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Arabian Desert.
"Arabian Desert". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
Arabian Desert (DOPA)
[2][permanent dead link]
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About Off-roading
Activity of driving on unsurfaced roads or tracks
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A Land Rover Defender 90 off-roadingA Unimog U1600 off-roading4WDs at Fraser Island beach, Australia
Off-roading is the act of driving or riding in a vehicle on unpaved surfaces such as sand, dirt, gravel, riverbeds, mud, snow, rocks, or other natural terrain. Off-roading ranges from casual drives with regular vehicles to competitive events with customized vehicles and skilled drivers.[1]
Off-road vehicle
[edit]
Main article: Off-road vehicle
Off-roading in Dubai, UAE.
Off-road vehicles are either capable of or specifically developed for off-road driving. These vehicles often have features designed specifically for use in off-road conditions such as suspension lifts, off-road tires, skid plates, snorkels, roll cages, or strengthened drivetrains.[2][3]
Tools
[edit]
Recovery board
High lift jack
Snatch strap
Types of recreational off-roading
[edit]
Dune bashing
[edit]
A 5th-generation Ford Bronco dune bashing
Dune bashing is a specific form of off-roading performed on sand dunes.[4]
Dune Buggies, Sport-utility vehicles, and ATVs are often used.[5] Vehicles driven on sand dunes are often equipped with a roll cage for safety in the case of an overturn. The tire pressure is often reduced to gain more traction by increasing the footprint of the tire and lowering the ground pressure of the vehicle on the sand, comparable to a person wearing snowshoes to walk on snow without sinking.[6] Some cars are equipped with beadlock wheels, which allow tire pressure to be lowered even further without risking separation of the tire and rim.
Upon entering the desert, it is customary for drivers to meet with a pack of other vehicles and a group leader before proceeding. The group leader then leads the pack through the stunts in a single file line. The rationale for this technique is to prevent drivers from becoming disoriented and getting lost.[6]
Off-road racing
[edit]
Main article: Off-road racing
Desert racing
[edit]
High-speed racing in the desert includes chases and racing at maximum speed through rough desert terrain with numerous pots and bumps. Drivers often use rear-wheel drive and 4-wheel drive trucks with long-travel suspension and wide stance between the front enlarged tires, which maintains optimal stability at high speed. These types of trucks are often called Trophy trucks or PreRunners.[7]
Rock racing
[edit]
Rock racing involves driving over rocks, but unlike rock crawling, does not specify penalties for striking cones, backing up, or winching.[8] In addition, rock racing incorporates a level of high-speed racing that is not characteristic of rock crawling.
Rallying
[edit]
See article: Rally
This section is an excerpt from Rallying.[edit]
Petter Solberg driving a Subaru Impreza WRC on gravel at the 2006 Cyprus Rally, a World Rally Championship event
Rallying is a wide-ranging form of motorsport with various competitive motoring elements such as speed tests (sometimes called "rally racing" in United States), navigation tests, or the ability to reach waypoints or a destination at a prescribed time or average speed. Rallies may be short in the form of trials at a single venue, or several thousand miles long in an extreme endurance rally.
Depending on the format, rallies may be organised on private or public roads, open or closed to traffic, or off-road in the form of cross country or rally-raid. Competitors can use production vehicles which must be road-legal if being used on open roads or specially built competition vehicles suited to crossing specific terrain.
In most cases rallying distinguishes itself from other forms of motorsport by not running directly against other competitors over laps of a circuit, but instead in a point-to-point format in which participants leave at regular intervals from one or more start points.
Mudding and mud plugging
[edit]
See also: Mud bogging
Land Rover Series III mud plugging
Mudding is off-roading through an area of wet mud or clay, leading to extremely low traction and problems with moving forward.[9] The goal is to drive as far as possible without getting stuck.[10] There are many types of tires that are often used for this activity, including balloon tires, mud-terrain tires and paddle tires. The activity is popular in the United States, although it is illegal on public land due to the environmental impact.[11]
Mud plugging, as practiced in the United Kingdom, refers to the motorsport of classic trials, where the main objective is to complete a challenging course of (mostly unpaved) roads and (often muddy, and frequently uphill) off-road terrain.[12]
This form of motorsport is one of the oldest to survive to this day, dating back at least to the 1920s.[13]
Jeep Rubicon rock crawling
Rock crawling
[edit]
Rock crawling involves driving over rocky terrain, with the goal of getting as far as possible with the fewest penalties. Penalties are received for striking cones, using a winch to get unstuck, going out of bounds, and going in reverse. These rules lead to the sport being technical, with drivers having to plan ahead to reduce the penalties they receive. Vehicles used for rock crawling are usually modified with different tires, suspension components that allow greater axle articulation, and changes in the differential[14] gear ratio to obtain characteristics suitable for low-speed operation for traversing obstacles. Commonly, rock crawlers have a "spotter", who is an assistant on foot by the vehicle to provide information about areas out of the driver's field of view.[15]
Competitive trials
[edit]
All progress is made at low speed and the emphasis is on skill rather than on finishing first, although trialing can be highly competitive. There are three traditional forms of off-road trialing. During some competitive events, such as the Turkey Run in Idaho and other events around the United States, point systems may be used to determine rewards.
RTV trialing
[edit]
RTV (Road Taxed Vehicle) trialing is the most common form of trialing. As the name suggests, it is for vehicles that are road-legal (and thus required to pay road tax). This excludes vehicles that are highly modified or specially built. RTV-class vehicles can carry a wide range of suspension modifications, as well as off-road tires (provided they are road-legal), recovery winches, raised air intakes, etc. Vehicles on RTV trials are usually best described as "modified from standard"—they use the standard chassis, drive-train, and body that the vehicle was built with, but are fitted with a wide array of modifications to assist in the trailing. Whilst modification is not necessarily required for an RTV trial, at the very least the vehicle would be expected to have some underbody and over-the-body protection such as skid plates or roll cages, often made from durable stainless steel, aluminium or mild steel. RTV courses are intended to be non-damaging and driven at little more than a walking pace and a course properly laid out would be drivable without damage. However, the terrain usually includes steep slopes, water, side slopes, deep ruts, and other obstacles that could potentially damage a vehicle if mistakes are made or poor driving techniques are used. As such, the use of modifications can increase the chances of success.[16]
RTV trials usually take place on farmland, a quarry site, or at a dedicated off-road driving center and are usually organized by a dedicated trialing body (such as the All-Wheel Drive Club or the Association of Land Rover clubs in the UK, or by a vehicle owner's club. The course consists of 10 to 12 "gates" marked by two garden canes (sticks) and are vertically placed. The gates are just wide enough to get a standard vehicle through. Vehicles start in a stagger, proceeding one by one, and are deemed to have cleared a gate if at least one of the front wheel hubs passes between the canes. The vehicle's attempt ends when it comes to a stop (depending on the exact level of skill the trial is aimed at any stopping may end the attempt, or a few seconds may be allowed). Long-wheelbase vehicles are usually allowed to perform a three-point turn if needed, providing the driver declares where the turn is going to be made before they attempt the course (this puts a strong emphasis on ground-reading ability). This can also be called a "shunt", where the driver has to attempt a gate and then shout "shunt". They are then allowed a space of one and a half car lengths to reverse and line the car better to enter through the gate[17]
The course between the gates is a "section": between the start line and the first gate is "Section 1", the part between the first and second gates is "Section 2" and so on. An RTV course is often laid out so that each section is progressively more difficult, although this is not always the case. If a driver fails to complete Section 1 they are given 10 points. If the attempt ends in Section 2, 9 points are awarded, etc. A clear round results in gaining only 1 point. A day's event will consist of many different courses and the driver with the lowest score is the winner.
Since the terrain covered in RTV trials should be well within the capabilities of any reasonably capable vehicle (even in standard form), these trials emphasize driver skill and ground-reading abilities. Skill and experience have a larger bearing on success than having a well-equipped and modified car.
CCV trialing
[edit]
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Non-legal Cross-Country Vehicle
Cross Country Vehicle (CCV) trialing is the next step up from RTV trialing and is open to non-road-legal vehicles, which greatly increases the scope for modification. The terrain covered will be of greater difficulty than that found on an RTV trial. Since there is a risk of touching rocks and trees with the bodywork,[18] CCV trialing will usually require more careful use of speed to get the vehicle across certain obstacles will attempting to mitigate the risk of vehicle damage. Whilst no trial is intended to be vehicle-damaging, mistakes and accidents are inevitable. A standard-specification vehicle would not be expected to be able to complete a CCV course, but it would still be possible.
The event is run along the same lines as RTV, with a course made up of cane-marked gates.
Suzuki SJ based trial car, showing an external roll-cage
CCV trialing differs greatly from RTV trials in the vehicles used. Since CCV judges adopt an "anything goes" attitude, CCV trials rely on having the correct vehicle to a much greater extent than in an RTV trial. Competitors can design and build vehicles that are much more optimized for off-road use, than in the lower ranks of trialing. CCV vehicles have powerful engines, high ground clearance, light, minimalist bodywork, and good approach and departure angles. For many years, in the UK, the ultimate CCV vehicle could be built by taking the chassis of a Range Rover, removing the body, cutting the chassis down to an 80-inch wheelbase, and attaching it to the body of a Series I Land Rover, retaining the Range Rover's V8 engine and coil-spring suspension in a light, maneuverable body. In recent years, the value of early Land Rovers and Range Rovers has risen to the extent that this is no longer practical. CCV trailers now usually base their vehicles around Land Rover Defenders or a standard 100-inch chassis from a Range Rover or Series I Discovery. The Suzuki SJ series of vehicles also make good bases for CCV-spec vehicles. Some vehicles are specially built, taking the form of light "buggies" with tractor tires and "fiddle" brakes (fiddle brakes give the ability to lock a wheel, which enables much better turning, better control descending hills, traction control by slowing or locking the spinning wheel) for the best performance.
Vehicles are required to meet certain safety regulations. Roll-cages must be fitted and be built to a suitable standard, recovery points must be fitted front and rear and fuel tanks must meet certain standards. A 4-point harness for all occupants is required and a fire extinguisher is recommended.
Off-roading events
[edit]
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Driving a Triumph Bonneville during an offroad event
In some countries off-road activities are strictly regulated, while others promote cross-country off-road endurance events like the Dakar Rally, Spanish Baja, Africa Eco Race, Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, Russian Baja Northern Forest, King of the Hammers, San Felipe 250 and Baja 500 & 1000, which are a test of navigation skills and machine durability. Off-road parks and motocross tracks also host several events and may be the only legal place to off-road in the area.
Criticism of ORV use
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Environmental impact
[edit]
Off-road vehicle impact in SW Utah
Off-road vehicle use on public land has been criticized by some members of the U.S. government[19] and environmental organizations including the Sierra Club and The Wilderness Society.[20][21] They have noted several consequences of illegal ORV use such as pollution,[22] trail damage, erosion, land degradation, possible species extinction,[23] and habitat destruction[24][25] which can leave hiking trails impassable.[26] ORV proponents argue that legal use taking place under planned access along with the multiple environment and trail conservation efforts by ORV groups will mitigate these issues.[27] Groups such as the BlueRibbon Coalition advocate for the responsible use of public lands for off-road activities.[28]
Noise pollution is also a concern[29] and several studies conducted by Montana State University, California State University, University of Florida and others have cited possible negative behavioral changes in wildlife as the result of some ORV use.[30]
Some U.S. states have laws to reduce noise generated by off-road and non-highway vehicles. Washington is one example: "State law requires off-road and other non-highway vehicles to use specified noise-muffling devices (RCW 46.09.120(1) (e) maximum limits and test procedures). State agencies and local governments may adopt regulations governing the operation of non-highway vehicles on property, streets, or highways within their jurisdiction, provided they are not less stringent than state law (RCW 46.09.180 regulation by local political subdivisions)".[31]
Mojave desert controversy
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The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) supervises several large off-road vehicle areas in California's Mojave Desert.
In 2009, U.S. District Judge Susan Illston ruled against the BLM's proposed designation of additional off-road use on designated open routes on public land. According to the ruling, the BLM violated its regulations[32] when it designated approximately 5,000 miles (8,000 km) of off-road vehicle routes in 2006.[33] According to Judge Illston the BLM's designation was "flawed because it does not contain a reasonable range of alternatives" to limit damage to sensitive habitat, as required under the National Environmental Policy Act.[34] Illston found that the Bureau had inadequately analyzed the route's impact on air quality, soils, plant communities and sensitive species, such as the endangered Mojave fringe-toed lizard, pointing out that the United States Congress has declared that the California Desert and its resources are "extremely fragile, easily scarred, and slowly healed".[34]
The court also found that the BLM failed to follow route restrictions established in the agency's conservation plan, resulting in the establishment of hundreds of illegal OHV routes during the previous three decades.[32] The plan violated the BLM's regulations, specifically the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA) and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA).[33] The ruling was considered a success for a coalition of conservation groups including the Friends of Juniper Flats, Community Off-road Vehicle Watch, California Native Plant Society, The Center for Biological Diversity, The Sierra Club, and The Wilderness Society who initiated the legal challenge in late 2006.[34]
Roadless area conservation
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Many U.S. national parks have discussed or enacted roadless rules and partial or total bans on ORVs. To accommodate enthusiasts, some parks like Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida, were created specifically for ORVs and related purposes. However, such designations have not prevented damage or abuse of the policy.[35]
Public statements
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In 2004, several environmental organizations sent a letter to Dale Bosworth, Chief of the United States Forest Service, and described the extent of damage caused by ORV use, including health threats to other people:
It is well-established that the proliferation of off-road vehicles and snowmobile use places soil, vegetation, air and water quality, and wildlife at risk through pollution, erosion, sedimentation of streams, habitat fragmentation and disturbance, and other adverse impacts to resources. These impacts cause severe and lasting damage to the natural environment on which human-powered and equestrian recreation depends and alter the remote and wild character of the backcountry. Motorized recreation monopolizes forest areas by denying other users the quiet, pristine, backcountry experience they seek. It also presents safety and health threats to other re-creationists.[36]
In 2004 the Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia listed several problems that result from ORV use in natural areas. From the Environmental News Service article:
Scalia noted that off-road vehicle use on federal land has "negative environmental consequences including soil disruption and compaction, harassment of animals, and annoyance of wilderness lovers.[37]
Several environmental organizations, including the Rangers for Responsible Recreation, are campaigning to draw attention to a growing threat posed by off-road vehicle misuse and to assist overmatched land managers in addressing ORV use impacts.[38] These campaigns in part have prompted congressional hearings about the growing impact of unmanaged off-road vehicle use.
The House Natural Resources Committee Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands held an oversight hearing on "The Impacts of Unmanaged Off-Road Vehicles on Federal Land" on March 13, 2008.[39] A second hearing on off-highway vehicle (OHV) management on public lands was held by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on June 5, 2008.[40] The Senate committee hearing was convened to find out why the agencies are failing to grapple with the negative impacts of off-road vehicle use on US public lands and what the agencies might need to start doing differently. For the first time in perhaps a decade, members of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee grilled leaders of the Forest Service and the BLM about why off-road vehicle use is being allowed to damage America's national treasures.
Taking center stage in the discussion was the "travel planning process", a complex analysis and decision-making procedure to designate appropriate roads and trails. Both the Forest Service and BLM have been engaged in somewhat similar travel planning processes now for years, but some of the committee members didn't seem to think those processes were going along so well. "The BLM has identified travel management on its lands as ‘one of the greatest management challenges’ it faces," stated committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman, D-NM. "Likewise, the Forest Service has identified unmanaged recreation — including ORV use — as one of the top four threats to the management and health of the National Forest System. Despite these statements, it seems to me that neither agency has been able to successfully manage off-road use."
"Existing rules for managing off-road vehicles are not being enforced," Bingaman added, and the agencies are ignoring unregulated use "with significant consequences for the health of our public lands and communities, and adverse effects on other authorized public land uses."
Off-Road Vehicle Damage
Negative environmental effects caused by a motorcycle to a portion of the Los Padres National Forest
Damage that occurred when vehicles left the posted trail in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
In gaming
[edit]
Main page: Category:Off-road racing video games
Video games that allow users to off-road include Forza Horizon, Dirt Series, MudRunner, Grand Theft Auto V, Dakar Desert Rally, and the MotorStorm series.
See also
[edit]
All-terrain vehicle
Amphibious vehicle
Approach and departure angles
Baja Bug
Breakover angle
Dirt Bike
Dual-sport motorcycle
Game viewer vehicle
Mountain bike
Mud bogging
Overlanding
Ramp travel index
Ride height
Side-by-side
Trophy truck
Further reading
[edit]
Environmental Hazards of Dune Bashing
References
[edit]
Notes
[edit]
^International Organization of Professional Drivers(PDF).
^The Jeep Guru. "Why Are Jeep Rubicons So Expensive?". Rig Rebel. Archived from the original on 2023-10-01. Retrieved 2021-10-20.
^"15 of the Best Off-Road Vehicles You Can Buy". MotorTrend. 2021-06-09. Retrieved 2021-10-20.
^Thompson, Macaulay (2022-04-04). "All You Need to Know about Dune Bashing in Dubai - Travel Dudes". Retrieved 2023-09-24.
^"Sand Duning and Off-roading in the Desert - Surf The Sand". sand-boarding.com. 5 September 2020. Retrieved 2022-06-08.
^"Prerunner Building 101". Off Road Xtreme. 2018-06-20. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
^"When Rock Crawling Turned Rock Racing". DrivingLine. 2015-04-30. Retrieved 2023-09-24.
^United States Forestry Service. "Willamette National Forest". Retrieved 19 May 2013.
^"Muddy Run Raceway Rules". muddyrunraceway.com. Archived from the original on 11 January 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
^US Gov't. "USFS". Retrieved 19 May 2013.
^Nulty, Leo (2015-02-04). "Sporting Trials (Mudplugging)". Motorsport.ie. Retrieved 2025-04-10.
^"History of Trials". Stroud and District Motor Club. 2018-03-08. Retrieved 2025-04-10.
^Deysel, A. J. (2019-11-11). "Differential Gear Ratio to Tire Size Guide | Modifind.com - Off Road". Retrieved 2020-02-17.
^"Off-Road Spotting Basics: "Left. No, no your other left!"". RoverGuide. 2011-12-29. Archived from the original on 2016-04-02. Retrieved 2018-01-19.
^"Come Ride With Me! Daily Life with a Lifted Jeep Wrangler JK (Video) - The Fast Lane Truck". tfltruck.com. 11 January 2018. Retrieved 2018-01-19.
^Gambino, Joe (2020-12-13). "Off-Roading 101 - Driving Tips and Equipment". Rogue Fabrication. Retrieved 2022-02-19.
^"CCV - Cross Country Vehicle". nero.org.uk. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
^"USDA Forest Service - Caring for the land and serving people" (PDF). fs.fed.us. Archived from the original on November 19, 2004.
^"Sierra Club Conservation Policies". Archived from the original on December 1, 2006.
^"Off-Road Vehicles and Public Lands: A National Problem". Archived from the original on December 14, 2006.
^Wolfe, Christopher; Buck, Brenda; Miller, Aubrey; Lockey, James; Weis, Christopher; Weissman, David; Jonesi, Alexander; Ryan, Patrick (November 2017). "Exposure to naturally occurring mineral fibers due to off-road vehicle use: A review". International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health. 220 (8): 1230–1241. Bibcode:2017IJHEH.220.1230W. doi:10.1016/j.ijheh.2017.07.003. PMID 28778427.
^Rice, Kathleen C. "National Collection of Imperiled Plants - Pholisma sonorae". Center for Plant Conservation. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
^"Mojave lizard may get protection; off-road vehicles are cited as threat". Los Angeles Times. 12 January 2008. Archived from the original on December 4, 2008.
^"Officials seek to protect desert reptile". Las Vegas Review-Journal. January 11, 2008. Archived from the original on December 5, 2008.
^"Recent questions and answers". CarrierAdda QnA. Archived from the original on July 11, 2015.
^Rogers, Jedediah S. (2013). Roads in the Wilderness: Conflict in Canyon Country. University of Utah Press. doi:10.1353/book41428. ISBN 978-1-60781-312-5.
^"Addressing the Ecological Effects of Off-Road Vehicles | the Wilderness Society". Archived from the original on 2008-11-28. Retrieved 2009-01-19.
^"The Impacts of Off-Road Vehicle Noise on Wildlife". Archived from the original on 2010-12-25.
^"Frequently Asked Questions about Noise Pollution -- for Local Government" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-02-07. Retrieved 2006-10-27.
^ ab"Off-road Routes in Mojave Desert Found Illegal". wilderness.org. Archived from the original on 2012-04-15. Retrieved 2009-10-09.
^ ab"Judge rejects federal plan for SoCal desert routes". mercurynews.com.
^ abcSahagun, Louis (September 30, 2009). "Judge rejects U.S. management plan for California desert". Los Angeles Times.
^"Caribbean-Florida Water Science Center (CFWSC)". Archived from the original on 2006-09-22. Retrieved 2006-10-18.
^"Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility: Off-Road Wreckreation - Home". Archived from the original on 2008-05-09. Retrieved 2010-01-09.
^"Committee on Natural Resources". Archived from the original on 2008-03-26.
^"U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources". www.energy.senate.gov.
Bibliography
[edit]
Allen, Jim; Weber, James J. (2021). The Four-Wheeler's Bible: The Complete Guide to Off-Road and Overland Adventure Driving (3rd ed.). Beverly, MA, USA: Motorbooks. ISBN 9780760368053.
External links
[edit]
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Offroad driving.
Media related to Off-roading at Wikimedia Commons
Man-made erosion, The National Trust (UK)
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PowerNation
About Desert Safari Dubai - Dune Buggy & Quad Biking Dubai - Al Marsa Street - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Amazing experience.. Dune bashing on Land Rover was just too thrilling and good.. But the worst part of the desert Safari was food.. Quality and taste wasn't that good.. Though they make good arrangements for the tourist for the entertainment.. Apart from.the food everything else was good.
A must visit place if you've a time in Dubai. We had a great time during our trip. We bought a package for desert safari 140AED per person (exclude Motor bike) including Buffet Dinner at Net Tour Camp. Amazing experience while driving at Desert. Worth a visit!
A must for everyone who is visiting Dubai.Desert safari in the surrounding sandy desert is a thrilling and electrifying experience. It provides about 20 minutes of exciting dune bashing along with electrifying camp journey where you can enjoy quad biking, camel ride and sand skiing.
Desert Safari Dubai - Dune Buggy & Quad Biking Dubai - Al Marsa Street - Dubai - United Arab Emirates, Cascades Tower - Al Marsa St - Marsa Dubai - Dubai Marina - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Desert Safari Dubai - Dune Buggy & Quad Biking Dubai - Al Marsa Street - Dubai - United Arab Emirates, Cascades Tower - Al Marsa St - Marsa Dubai - Dubai Marina - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Desert Safari Dubai - Dune Buggy & Quad Biking Dubai - Al Marsa Street - Dubai - United Arab Emirates, Cascades Tower - Al Marsa St - Marsa Dubai - Dubai Marina - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Desert Safari Dubai - Dune Buggy & Quad Biking Dubai - Al Marsa Street - Dubai - United Arab Emirates, Cascades Tower - Al Marsa St - Marsa Dubai - Dubai Marina - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Desert Safari Dubai - Dune Buggy & Quad Biking Dubai - Al Marsa Street - Dubai - United Arab Emirates, Cascades Tower - Al Marsa St - Marsa Dubai - Dubai Marina - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Desert Safari Dubai - Dune Buggy & Quad Biking Dubai - Al Marsa Street - Dubai - United Arab Emirates, Cascades Tower - Al Marsa St - Marsa Dubai - Dubai Marina - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Desert Safari Dubai - Dune Buggy & Quad Biking Dubai - Al Marsa Street - Dubai - United Arab Emirates, Cascades Tower - Al Marsa St - Marsa Dubai - Dubai Marina - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Desert Safari Dubai - Dune Buggy & Quad Biking Dubai - Al Marsa Street - Dubai - United Arab Emirates, Cascades Tower - Al Marsa St - Marsa Dubai - Dubai Marina - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Desert Safari Dubai - Dune Buggy & Quad Biking Dubai - Al Marsa Street - Dubai - United Arab Emirates, Cascades Tower - Al Marsa St - Marsa Dubai - Dubai Marina - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
Desert Safari Dubai - Dune Buggy & Quad Biking Dubai - Al Marsa Street - Dubai - United Arab Emirates, Cascades Tower - Al Marsa St - Marsa Dubai - Dubai Marina - Dubai - United Arab Emirates
