COVID19 Compliant - Thursday Night Fewbie Desert Drive - Sweihan - Abu Dhabi - 22 Apr 2021

[Srikumar]

Join us to explore Sweihan Desert in Abu Dhabi

And learn the art of off-roading 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 test your off-road control.

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 off-roading 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 off-roading it is better to drive alone first to avoid any distractions.

Learn More About: Carnity Off-road Club

This drive is organized in full compliance with the COVID19 guidelines. We expect every member that joins this drive to go through below information and and strictly follow these guidelines in order not to jeopardize someone's health, and to ensure we can keep organizing these drives safely.

MUST READ AND TOTALLY AGREE: COVID19 Precautions

MUST READ AND TOTALLY AGREE: BAN POST

 

 

Two Way Radio Guidelines

• Every Off-roader brings his own radio, programmed to the frequencies described in below advice topic.
• We will not share spare radios or program your radio on the drive. If you need assistance in programming the radio, post a topic on the Carnity website with your questions and we will help you out. 
• Make sure your radio is fully charged. It will be your only way of communication while driving.
• Before buying, please carefully read below advice so you are informed properly on which model / cost / shops...
• No radio = No drive. It is an essential tool and you should make sure you bring it on every drive and learn/practice how to use it.

 

MUST WATCH: NEWBIE VIDEO BRIEFING

 

 

 

 

Drive Details

Level:  Fewbie and Above (All Levels) - Absolute Newbies are not allowed

When:  22 April 2021, Thursday

Meeting time: 09:30 PM (SHARP - Without any exceptions)

Meeting Point: - https://goo.gl/maps/Tod7LMn7tAhr5JK58

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

What to bring along: Loads of water, snacks (for yourself), smiles, face mask, rubber gloves, enthusiasm and willingness to learn.

Approximate finish time: 1:00 AM Friday Morning

End Point:  TBA

 

Please RSVP on below calendar

 

[Srikumar]

Good afternoon. Looks like we have a fantastic line of quite capable Fewbie drivers and so I have thought that we would head in a more easterly direction and exit out closer to Nahel. So pull up your socks, as we roar our engine through the tranquility of the desert in pursuit of the unknown.

 

Convoy Numbering 

1. Srikumar - XJ

2. Hasan - LC  @Hasan Wahlan

3. Kamal - Infinity @Kamal Fayad

4. Mustafa - Pajero @Mus_hus78

5. Ruan - Wrangler @Ruan van den Heever

6. Farooq - JGC @Farouq Owdeh

7. Vinod - Xterra @Tbone

 

We shall be using Carnity Channel 3.

 

Meeting Point has been updated on the drive post. See you there tonight at 9:30 PM sharp.

[Ruan van den Heever]

I hope we will be taking it at the same "slower pase" we did last Thursday.....😁

...and the wounded Wrangler has been to ICU. Suspension fixed.

[Gaurav]

Slight change in plan, again.

Sri PCR test result came negative just now, so drive is on but with little delay.

Drive will start at 10:15 PM

Convoy Numbering 

1. Srikumar - XJ

2. Hasan - LC  @Hasan Wahlan

3. Kamal - Infinity @Kamal Fayad

4. Mustafa - Pajero @Mus_hus78

5. Ruan - Wrangler @Ruan van den Heever

6. Farooq - JGC @Farouq Owdeh

7. Vinod - Xterra @Tbone

[Not interested]

thanks to all for making perfect and challenging drive today. 

@Srikumar

 

[Srikumar]

TRIP REPORT

Now, that's what I call an eventful evening but in a good way. As I was leaving from work in the afternoon,  I noticed that my steering pump was leaking badly. A quick dash to my mechanic and an hour later I was all set for the drive. Appreciate the mechanic who was willing to do the work even though he was fasting. I had done my PCR on Wednesday and unfortunately the result had not come out till I needed to leave for AD, causing a bit of confusion at the border as my DPI mentioned that I need a Swab test. So I had to call off the drive with a heavy heart and just a few minutes after informing everyone, I received an SMS that my PCR result that came Negative. With a big relief we informed all the drive particpants that the drive was on but the start would be a bit delayed. I considered this as a positive sign, that this drive was meant to happen and that we are going to have a great evening.

It was wonderful to see all the drive partipantants at the meeting point. After a quick deflation and briefing, we headed into the might dunes of Sweihan.

It's a fact that in night drives with limited visibility sometimes the size of the dunes, which can be quite  daunting in daylight, don't seem so intimidating at night till the time you do the descent. I can safely say that we scaled some of the biggest dunes of Sweihan and criss crossed on some amazing rolling dunes. The reason was the fantastic convoy that we had plus the trust they placed in each other, that if the car in front can do it so can we if we follow the tracks precisely.

We did have our fair share of popouts due to the nature of the terrain and pace of the convoy, but nothing that couldnt be easily fixed.

Congratulations to the entire team of drivers yesterday, @Hasan Wahlan @Kamal Fayad @Mus_hus78 @Ruan van den Heever @Farouq Owdeh and ofcourse our very capable Sweep @Tbone who was always there to help when needed. I personally had an extremely satisfying feeling of the drive that we pulled off yesterday night as a team. Bravo !! For sure, I will be planning to come down next Thursday as well, when we go discover another side of Sweihan. Till then take care and have a wonderful week ahead.

[Ruan van den Heever]

Thank you Sri,

We all and I for one had totally new experiences last night. A first pop out for me too. With the help of T-bone all fixed quickly. The pace was fast and daring and allowed for much experience and faith gained. These drives give us confidence in the vehicle capabilities and our own daring personalities.

 

Thank you very much for all your effort and willingness to lead the drive even after all your difficulties yesterday.

 

Awesome lead!

[Hasan Wahlan]

Amazing drive and it will be safe to say best ever for me. The weather, the drive and all the convoy members were all perfect. As you mentioned we all were a team and tackled these intimidating dunes like they were nothing.

Have a great week guys @Srikumar @Tbone @Farouq Owdeh @Ruan van den Heever @Mus_hus78 @Kamal Fayad and can't wait to see ya all in our next drive.

Edited April 23, 2021 by Hasan Wahlan

[MUSTAFA hussain]

Amazing drive and amazing dunes .....can’t wait for the next drive .... thanks everyone ....