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COVID 19 Compliant - Saturday Afternoon Intermediate Desert Drive - Shuwaib - Iftar Bowl - Sharjah - 20 Feb 2021


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2 hours ago, Ilya Golubinsky said:

Thanks @Srikumar and team, it was one of the best intermediate drive. A short video is on youtube

 

Waw this is the best footage I have seen till now @Ilya Golubinsky well done buddy . Please bring the toy with you tomorrow please in @Lorenzo Candelpergher drive 🙏🏻

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On 2/21/2021 at 12:01 PM, Srikumar said:

Unfortunately the drive did have it's fair share of casualties with @Yasas Dharmadasa radiator pipe coming loose and his car overheating in one bowl, followed by a busted radiator for @Athula Dharmadada at Super bowl. It again stresses the importance of having well maintained cars (probably more maintenance than what you do with a road driven car) while doing fast paced IM drives.

Sorry to hear about duo tragedy with @Yasas Dharmadasa and @Athula Dharmadada, hope they get their cars back soon.

Such repetitive incidents really emphasize on changing the mechanic or the cars or testing the cars limit at IM level. Leaving the cars behind inside the desert is a big inconvenience and expensive plus tedious affair to arrange a mechanic with parts to do on-site repairing. Or hire an expensive desert recoveries to retrieve the dead vehicle from the dunes. 

  1. 20 Feb - Srikumar - Intermediate
  2. 13 Feb - Angela - Fewbie Plus
  3. 06 Feb - Lorenzo - Fewbie
  4. 15 Jan - Ale - Fewbie
  5. 25 Dec - Sertac - Fewbie Plus

While off-road drives any smallest imperfection, negligence or flaw in the timely maintenance really multiple the damages, and not worth taking any chances with such unforgiving terrain.

Wishing both the brothers real good luck in finding a decent mechanic or replacement desert-worthy ride soon.

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Let's root for each other & watch each other grow.

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We set off for the dunes early morning on Sunday once we arranged a recovery team; me driving my 2015 Pathfinder, my brother in a Land Rover Discovery that we borrowed and a mechanic. Once we entered the dunes, we removed the front bumper off the Pathfinder to avoid any potential collisions due to its low-clearance. Thereafter, using the tracks from our previous drives on Gaia Maps, I was able to direct myself and find a safe route towards the Superbowl where my Jeep Grand Cherokee was stranded. Once we got to the vehicle, our mechanic was able to seal the burst radiator well enough for it to be driven out of the dunes. On the journey back to the road from Superbowl, I drove my Pathfinder and Jeep across a couple of back-to-back bowls and gave the recovered Cherokee to my nephew Damiru to drive as he was the only other guy in our group with some desert experience. Subsequently, we were able to drive out of the dunes safely as we found our way out in a 3 vehicle convoy with me in the front with my Pathfinder, my nephew in the middle with the Jeep and my brother Yasas at the back with the Discovery.

Once we got the Grand Cherokee out, we decided not to go back into the dunes on our own to get the Cherokee as the the uncertainties that came with the drive to the location where it was stranded(3x the distance of Superbowl) overweighed the certainties, not to mention the fact that we were unsure whether the Cherokee’s engine would start to begin with. As a result, without taking unnecessary risks, we called a desert recovery team. Long story short, the recovery Land Cruiser was able to reach the location with ease. Much to our relief, we were lucky enough to get the Cherokee’s engine to start working well enough for it to be driven out of the dunes without it having to be tugged; an absolute miracle.

In conclusion, this recovery was undoubtedly challenging and mentally taxing but we were able to manage the situation genuinely without any fear or second guessing which would not have been possible if it wasn’t for the 6 months of consistent and progressive training we went through with our Carnity family. I want to personally thank all the marshals(@Frederic @Srikumar @Rahimdad @Gaurav @Ale Vallecchi @Vanessa8580 @Foxtrot Oscar @Brette @Wrangeld @Lorenzo Candelpergher @sertac @Jeepie) that taught me the ins and outs of desert driving, I couldn’t have asked for better. Needless to say, since my vehicle in its current condition has proved its incapability to handle future desert drives, I have no choice but to bid my farewell to our Carnity family until I get a new vehicle. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of this amazing experience!

 

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@Yasas Dharmadasa and @Athula Dharmadada a mixture of emotions, Happy that you were able to recover the cars and sad that you have decided to take a break. But I believe you have made the right decision at the moment, and we look forward to seeing you and your family in the near future with a new ride. Take care.

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@Rahimdad, miss you brother 😘 When are you gonna take us on an IM drive? Yalla, we’re all waiting 😀

Question: @Yasas Dharmadasa and @Athula Dharmadada, which one of you has his last name spelled correctly? Are you guys the Dharmadada or Dharmadasa Brothers? I’m easily confused 🤪

@Srikumar, thanks for accommodating us on this wonderful drive. The route you took, your driving style and your relaxed and chilled attitude are contagious. This was my first drive with you, and I have to say, it’s gotta be one of the best drives I’ve ever been on. I was smiling the whole time, and I was truly happy during the few hours we spent on the sand. The pace was brisk, the dunes high and long, and the adrenaline levels were at an all time high. Thanks again, and I look forward to driving the same route with you, and covering even more terrain 🙏🏻
 

Moving along, my hat’s off to our second lead, @MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ 😀 Wow! Long are gone the days of refusals, incomplete climbs, and reroutes 😂 You were a champ and a trooper. Even though the pace was fast, you kept up with Srikumar, and you lead us in a calculated manner. Pretty soon you’ll be leading your own convoys with Carnity. Of course all the credit goes to your handsome co-pilot, your capable beast, and your new off-road lights (nothing to do with your driving skills) 😂

@Rizwan Waheed, you drove superbly bro. You were gracious on the sand, and you were in tune with your car. You exited and charted your own tracks to rejoin the convoy, which was an amazing feat. You saved us time and kept it safe. Kudos to you brother. With a more capable vehicle, you’ll be leading convoys too 😀

@Yasas Dharmadasa, you’re a superman of a driver, but your kitten of a car doesn’t help you now on these much more challenging and demanding drives. You gave it your best, but the car had enough and decided to quit. I hope you’re able to get this sorted, because I’m sure the lack of power and mechanical issues are robbing you of the thrills these drives provide. Plus sitting out from the drive stinks to high hell 🤣
 

@Athula Dharmadada, tough luck bro! Your car is capable and you’re a great driver, but your Jeep is plagued with mechanical issues. The last three drives I was with you on, your car broke down. You should seriously make an assessment on wether it’s the car or the mechanic. I hope you and Yasas were able to sort out the repairs and recoveries.

@Abu Muhammad, after the drive, my FJ told me that when she grows up, she wants to be like Abu Muhammad’s Sequndra 😂 Fantastic driving and control of your beast as usual 😀 Also, great lessons for both of us when it comes to underestimating the terrain. I almost got stuck and you actually did get stuck, in the most unlikely flat and unimpressive surface 😀 

@Ilya Golubinsky, beautiful car and beautiful driving brother. I’m not sure how you do it all. Drive like a champ, create your own tracks at times to avoid churned up ones, and take amazing pictures and videos 😀 Speaking of  videos, thank you so much for the footage! It was awesome and everyone I showed it to, loved it 👏🏻

@Ashok chaturvedi, welcome to the FJC club Ashok the sailor, dive master 😀 You’re a great driver and you handled your new car superbly! What a difference between Liwa Pajero and Super Bowl FJC 💪🏻 Things will only get better for you as you get to know your car better. Keep it up brother.

@siddharth maheshwari, you drive beautifully. Calm, collected and in sync with your capable car.  I felt for you when the migraine struck. It can’t be easy driving a challenging terrain with a massive headache. At the end of the day you managed it well and made it safely. Good job!

@Jack Thomas, dude, you’ve got heart! You managed your behemoth with grace yet with firmness. You demanded performance from your car, and it responded! Some of the small, technical, tight dunes were certainly no place for your big car, yet you two were a great team and pulled it off nicely. Some of the maneuvers you performed were flat out jaw dropping, and I could only pray for a safe outcome🤣 I guess the Desert Gods were smiling at us and all turned out well 😀

Finally, thank you all for a fantastic time, for driving so well, and for teaching me a thing or two. See you all soon on the sand! 

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On 2/23/2021 at 12:37 AM, Athula Dharmadada said:

We set off for the dunes early morning on Sunday once we arranged a recovery team; me driving my 2015 Pathfinder, my brother in a Land Rover Discovery that we borrowed and a mechanic. Once we entered the dunes, we removed the front bumper off the Pathfinder to avoid any potential collisions due to its low-clearance. Thereafter, using the tracks from our previous drives on Gaia Maps, I was able to direct myself and find a safe route towards the Superbowl where my Jeep Grand Cherokee was stranded. Once we got to the vehicle, our mechanic was able to seal the burst radiator well enough for it to be driven out of the dunes. On the journey back to the road from Superbowl, I drove my Pathfinder and Jeep across a couple of back-to-back bowls and gave the recovered Cherokee to my nephew Damiru to drive as he was the only other guy in our group with some desert experience. Subsequently, we were able to drive out of the dunes safely as we found our way out in a 3 vehicle convoy with me in the front with my Pathfinder, my nephew in the middle with the Jeep and my brother Yasas at the back with the Discovery.

Once we got the Grand Cherokee out, we decided not to go back into the dunes on our own to get the Cherokee as the the uncertainties that came with the drive to the location where it was stranded(3x the distance of Superbowl) overweighed the certainties, not to mention the fact that we were unsure whether the Cherokee’s engine would start to begin with. As a result, without taking unnecessary risks, we called a desert recovery team. Long story short, the recovery Land Cruiser was able to reach the location with ease. Much to our relief, we were lucky enough to get the Cherokee’s engine to start working well enough for it to be driven out of the dunes without it having to be tugged; an absolute miracle.

In conclusion, this recovery was undoubtedly challenging and mentally taxing but we were able to manage the situation genuinely without any fear or second guessing which would not have been possible if it wasn’t for the 6 months of consistent and progressive training we went through with our Carnity family. I want to personally thank all the marshals(@Frederic @Srikumar @Rahimdad @Gaurav @Ale Vallecchi @Vanessa8580 @Foxtrot Oscar @Brette @Wrangeld @Lorenzo Candelpergher @sertac @Jeepie) that taught me the ins and outs of desert driving, I couldn’t have asked for better. Needless to say, since my vehicle in its current condition has proved its incapability to handle future desert drives, I have no choice but to bid my farewell to our Carnity family until I get a new vehicle. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of this amazing experience!

 

@Athula Dharmadada and @Yasas Dharmadasa, I’m glad to read that you guys were able to recover the cars safely. You guys made wise choices, and understandable decisions. Like everyone who has driven with you guys, I’ll be anxiously waiting for you two to join the ranks again 😀

Good luck with your plans for getting new cars; I hope it doesn’t take too long 😀

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@Ahab Shamaa I miss you too my brother. The positive energy you have is more contagious than any virus. I have settled in to a role of guiding new joiners and showing them the ways with and occasional Fewbie drive to guide them further. If I get the urge to do an intermediate drive, I know I will have plenty of my brothers and sister wanting to join me. Until then I humbly invite you to revisit the newbie or fewbie drive where newer members will truly appreciate any support you can offer.

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