ABSOLUTE NEWBIE Morning Desert Drive - Al Qudra - Dubai - 26 Mar 2021

[Wrangeld]

Join us to explore Al Qudra Desert to find what's beyond Qudra lakes

And learn the art of offroading in a versatile playground for your first off-road adventure.

You will learn to self-drive your vehicle from experts having decades of off-roading experience in the UAE. This area offers a good mix of playable long set of dunes and broad ridges to practice your off-road skills slowly but surely.

 

Drive is open for all 4x4/4WD/SUV/AWD vehicles having

• 8-10 inches of ground clearance and (MANDATORY)
• Front and rear tow hooks (MANDATORY)

What you'll learn:

• Introduction to off-roading.
• Desert driving basics and etiquette.
• Desert driving tips, techniques, myth and best practices.
• Off-road and safety gear familiarization and recovery procedures.
• Vehicle orientation, risk analysis, deflation and outdoor safety advice.

First time with Carnity Off-road Club:

• Please share your vehicle details - Make, Model, Year.
• Do you have any prior off-road experience?
• Confirm your vehicle has front and rear tow hooks / eyelets.

Why should I join?

• We will teach you how to self-drive off-road safely and learn the best offroad driving and recovery techniques.
• If you have already driven in sand before then you can learn more from experts having decades of offroading experience in the UAE.
• This area offers a good mix of playable long set of dunes and broad ridge to test your off-road control.

Can my vehicle do this ?

• This drive is open for all 4x4/4WD/SUV/AWD vehicle having 8-10 inches of ground clearance and front and rear tow hooks. If in doubt please first announce your questions on the drive thread so we can advise you further.
• Any stock 4x4/4WD are most welcome, you don't need any vehicle modifications.

Can I bring passengers ?

• Yes of course, but if you are absolute new to offroading it is better to drive alone first to avoid any distractions.

 

Learn More About: Carnity Off-road Club

 

 

STRICTLY: For ABSOLUTE NEWBIE who are driving for the first time with Carnity.

 

MUST READ AND CLICK TOTALLY AGREE ON THE BELOW COVID19 PRECAUTIONS TOPIC

 

 

MUST WATCH: NEWBIE VIDEO BRIEFING

 

 

Drive Details

Level:  Only for "ABSOLUTE NEWBIES" or first timer with Carnity Off-Road Club

When:  26 March 2021, Friday.

Meeting time: 06:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions)

Meeting  Point: https://goo.gl/maps/esxXscREBGSn1dZ16

Type of Car: Any 4x4/4WD/SUV/AWD with front and back tow hooks and 8-10 inches of ground clearance.

What to bring along: Tire deflator, pressure gauge and compressor, Loads of water, snacks (for yourself), face mask, rubber gloves, enthusiasm and willingness to learn.

Approximate finish time: 10:00 AM

End Point: Qudra Parking

 

LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE:

• Limited to 12 new members only. RSVP will close on Thursday - 5PM.
  • If the RSVP is full and you wish to join, please mention your name on the drive thread to add on the waiting list
• Latecomers or members who are not on the RSVP will be returned back - without ANY EXCEPTIONS.
• Please cancel you RSVP if you cannot make it, so your spot can be taken by others.
   

 

 

PLEASE RSVP ON BELOW EVENT IN THE EVENT CALENDAR 

 

[Wrangeld]

@Roda Kum and @samamara - great that you signed up for the Absolute Newbie at Al Qudra on Friday.

It would be really great if you can tell us a little about yourself so we know what sort of experience you have in off roading - if any. 

Can you please share the following information: 

• Vehicle (and if modified in any way). 
• Experience off road (if any)
• What it is that you want to be able to do with your off road car (e.g. climb moreeb, go on family picnics, a bit if fun and excitement)

It is important before you arrive that you check your car has the right ground clearance and has good and accessible tow hooks at the front and the rear of the car. If the tow points are not accessible, we may not be able to let you drive. Also, some cars are fitted with air dams/spoilers that massively reduce the entry angles for cars in the sand. You might want to think about removing these in advance to avoid the possibility of damage. 

Any questions, please feel free to post them here. 

[samamara]

Hi @Wrangeld - thanks for this post 😁. I'm super excited to get started so hopefully my vehicle and I will be able to join. Let me answer you questions here: 

Vehicle: 2011, 5-door Mitsubishi Pajero, automatic transmission, not modified as far as I know but I am not the first owner and wouldn't know what to look for in terms of modification. I've had it for five years, though, so I'd probably have noticed something out of the ordinary. I know there are the normal gears of 2WD, 4WD, 4LLC and 4HLC, centre diff lock. I'm sorry, I don't know the clearance and I've not checked the tow hooks 🤔 ; I'm not really sure what to look for. Perhaps you can help me look when I arrive for the drive or I can send you pics ahead of time if that will help.

Experience: I'm quite comfortable driving in rocky wadi areas and more worn desert roads and do so often. I've driven off road in the desert many times in such tracks, even if they were fairly sandy, using 4WD. I've done this in Al Qudra desert, UAQ desert (near Fulaj al Muallah) and in Rub al Khali. I've not tried to drive up dunes but I have near the bottoms. I've been stuck three times; twice needed help getting out when I knew absolutely nothing, but got myself unstuck this past weekend in Al Qudra, though I'm sure I didn't do it correctly since I still don't know much 😂.. 

What is it I want to be able to do: I'm not sure that I plan on climbing Moreeb any time soon, though perhaps one day! I would for now like to be able to have more confidence driving in deeper desert areas and helping myself and/or others getting recovered. I am an avid hobbyist photographer and enjoy exploring and camping in UAE's natural world and photographing the wildlife, particularly the desert. I'd like to extend my off-road driving skills to enjoy the country even more in this way. Since I got stuck that first time I've done a lot of reading and whatnot about off-roading and I've gotten some equipment to keep in the car including a compressor (attach to battery kind), a tire deflation kit, a recovery strap (not tow rope), soft shackles and hard rubber tracks to lay under stuck tires. I would also like to learn how to use these items safely.  

So there you have it. Let me know if you need any other information from me. 

[Gregory]

Hello Wrangeld - have just signed up for this drive on Friday morning...

I have a LWB, 5-door auto Mitsubishi Pajero 2011, White - not modified in any way. Vehicle has tow hooks and required clearance, and I'm also aware of the disadvantage that the Pajero has in terms of the rear plastic bumper acting as a sand scoop on certain angles of dunes. 

My off-road experience is limited, perhaps 2 - 3 drives (sand/dune driving) over the last years. I completed the MC with Richard last month (Feb 21), in preparation for driving and improving my skills. I have my offroad equipment, with the exception of sand boards.

I'm basically looking to have a bit of fun, improve my skill and confidence in terms of offroad driving in my own 4wd. 

Looking forward to Friday morning! 

[Wrangeld]

4 minutes ago, samamara said:

Hi @Wrangeld - thanks for this post 😁. I'm super excited to get started so hopefully my vehicle and I will be able to join. Let me answer you questions here: 

Vehicle: 2011, 5-door Mitsubishi Pajero, automatic transmission, not modified as far as I know but I am not the first owner and wouldn't know what to look for in terms of modification. I've had it for five years, though, so I'd probably have noticed something out of the ordinary. I know there are the normal gears of 2WD, 4WD, 4LLC and 4HLC, centre diff lock. I'm sorry, I don't know the clearance and I've not checked the tow hooks 🤔 ; I'm not really sure what to look for. Perhaps you can help me look when I arrive for the drive or I can send you pics ahead of time if that will help.

Experience: I'm quite comfortable driving in rocky wadi areas and more worn desert roads and do so often. I've driven off road in the desert many times in such tracks, even if they were fairly sandy, using 4WD. I've done this in Al Qudra desert, UAQ desert (near Fulaj al Muallah) and in Rub al Khali. I've not tried to drive up dunes but I have near the bottoms. I've been stuck three times; twice needed help getting out when I knew absolutely nothing, but got myself unstuck this past weekend in Al Qudra, though I'm sure I didn't do it correctly since I still don't know much 😂.. 

What is it I want to be able to do: I'm not sure that I plan on climbing Moreeb any time soon, though perhaps one day! I would for now like to be able to have more confidence driving in deeper desert areas and helping myself and/or others getting recovered. I am an avid hobbyist photographer and enjoy exploring and camping in UAE's natural world and photographing the wildlife, particularly the desert. I'd like to extend my off-road driving skills to enjoy the country even more in this way. Since I got stuck that first time I've done a lot of reading and whatnot about off-roading and I've gotten some equipment to keep in the car including a compressor (attach to battery kind), a tire deflation kit, a recovery strap (not tow rope), soft shackles and hard rubber tracks to lay under stuck tires. I would also like to learn how to use these items safely.  

So there you have it. Let me know if you need any other information from me. 

Wow - thanks so much for all that information. Amazing @samamara. Really looking forward to meeting you. 

The car sounds perfect. I drive a Pajero as well. It's more or less unmodified. Pajeros have tow kooks as standard. I will explain when we meet the potential pain points in the Pajero long term. 

You have some amazing experience on which we can build so that you can get deeper into the desert and take your photography hobby to a completely different level - or join some of the other avid photography enthusiasts in the club. 

The equipment is perfect for the first drive. What you are missing at the moment is an off road flag and a radio - neither of these is needed for Absolute Newbie, but it needed for any drive after that. 

Please make sure you view the video tutorial before the drive. It will help you understand a lot of what is going to be shown to you on Friday

[Wrangeld]

4 minutes ago, Gregory said:

Hello Wrangeld - have just signed up for this drive on Friday morning...

I have a LWB, 5-door auto Mitsubishi Pajero 2011, White - not modified in any way. Vehicle has tow hooks and required clearance, and I'm also aware of the disadvantage that the Pajero has in terms of the rear plastic bumper acting as a sand scoop on certain angles of dunes. 

My off-road experience is limited, perhaps 2 - 3 drives (sand/dune driving) over the last years. I completed the MC with Richard last month (Feb 21), in preparation for driving and improving my skills. I have my offroad equipment, with the exception of sand boards.

I'm basically looking to have a bit of fun, improve my skill and confidence in terms of offroad driving in my own 4wd. 

Looking forward to Friday morning! 

Hi Gregory, 

The great news is that Wrangeld is my Carnity alias!! 

[samamara]

28 minutes ago, Wrangeld said:

Wow - thanks so much for all that information. Amazing @samamara. Really looking forward to meeting you. 

The car sounds perfect. I drive a Pajero as well. It's more or less unmodified. Pajeros have tow kooks as standard. I will explain when we meet the potential pain points in the Pajero long term. 

You have some amazing experience on which we can build so that you can get deeper into the desert and take your photography hobby to a completely different level - or join some of the other avid photography enthusiasts in the club. 

The equipment is perfect for the first drive. What you are missing at the moment is an off road flag and a radio - neither of these is needed for Absolute Newbie, but it needed for any drive after that. 

Please make sure you view the video tutorial before the drive. It will help you understand a lot of what is going to be shown to you on Friday

Thanks @Wrangeld for that feedback! Really looking forward to joining. I was going to bemoan the fact that I didn't have a flag; I will look for one after the first drive, though each place I've checked seems to be out. Also, please advise (assuming I make it through the Absolute Newbie drive 😂😂😂) where to get a radio. Thanks...I can't wait!!

[Varun Mehndiratta]

Oh I thought we were going to have a colorful Holi drive over this weekend..or is it the next weekend...😃😃 @Gaurav @Rahimdad bhai any thoughts 

[Wrangeld]

2 hours ago, samamara said:

Thanks @Wrangeld for that feedback! Really looking forward to joining. I was going to bemoan the fact that I didn't have a flag; I will look for one after the first drive, though each place I've checked seems to be out. Also, please advise (assuming I make it through the Absolute Newbie drive 😂😂😂) where to get a radio. Thanks...I can't wait!!

Radio ... Dragon Mart. Section AE.

[samamara]

Ok, I’ll have a look at what they look like when I meet you and I’ll go from there. Do they have flags there too 🤔?