Day four of the Abu Dhabi Adventure Challenge sent teams on a punsihing trek through sand dunes the size of small mountains. Team Salomon/Crested Butte's strategy of marching through checkpoints looked great on paper, but the reality of the massive undertaking slowly unraveled the plan.

"We went out with everybody at the front of the pack from the very start," team member Jon Brown said. "At the first checkpoint, we just blew right through to stay in front of the pack. Some teams stopped for 15 minutes to rest and drink water. They ended up making a smarter decision."

The revised strategy? Rest wherever they find water and shade.