Morning Intermediate Desert Drive - Big Dunes Challenge - Area 53 - Sharjah - 29 Oct 2021

[Humayun Ghias]

Even though I was not able to be part of the drive; after reading your experiences, I felt as if I was there. @Russ, it seems your first day as official sweep tested your limits. However, it seems it was a walk in the park for you. Look forward to driving with you guys soon! 

[Thomas Varghese]

3 hours ago, Humayun Ghias said:

Even though I was not able to be part of the drive; after reading your experiences, I felt as if I was there. @Russ, it seems your first day as official sweep tested your limits. However, it seems it was a walk in the park for you. Look forward to driving with you guys soon! 

@Russ was perfect in his 1st drive after being selected into the support team. 

[Russ]

What an eventful morning we had!

I had the unexpected pleasure of @Chinthaka Ruwanand his friend after Chinthaka’s car failed to start before we entered the sand - good to hear it’s an easy/cheap fix!

@Shaz Shah it was a great first lead from you in difficult circumstances, as well as the technical issues with a couple of cars, you also had to lead in an area where drivers from other clubs and convoys seem to have little regard for themselves, their vehicles or anyone else around them. I for one was thinking how good it was to be part of @Carnityoff-road club who take those things seriously and where we can all be assured of a safe exit at the end of a good drive!

@Luca Palanca Falsini thanks for arranging this drive and always good to chat with you.

@Thomas Varghese what a morning we had together! So pleased we managed to recover your vehicle to the roadside and was very glad to be able to assist you, it sounds like there is a diagnosis and fix imminent 👍🏼

@Abu Muhammad nice to meet you and hope you get your awesome ride fixed soon.

@Javier Lucero @Alain Canivet-Abikhalil @JeromeFJ @Amir Amiri @Ranjan Das and @Rawad great driving and company as always.

See you all soon 🌵

[Thomas Varghese]

48 minutes ago, Russ said:

What an eventful morning we had!

I had the unexpected pleasure of @Chinthaka Ruwanand his friend after Chinthaka’s car failed to start before we entered the sand - good to hear it’s an easy/cheap fix!

@Shaz Shah it was a great first lead from you in difficult circumstances, as well as the technical issues with a couple of cars, you also had to lead in an area where drivers from other clubs and convoys seem to have little regard for themselves, their vehicles or anyone else around them. I for one was thinking how good it was to be part of @Carnityoff-road club who take those things seriously and where we can all be assured of a safe exit at the end of a good drive!

@Luca Palanca Falsini thanks for arranging this drive and always good to chat with you.

@Thomas Varghese what a morning we had together! So pleased we managed to recover your vehicle to the roadside and was very glad to be able to assist you, it sounds like there is a diagnosis and fix imminent 👍🏼

@Abu Muhammad nice to meet you and hope you get your awesome ride fixed soon.

@Javier Lucero @Alain Canivet-Abikhalil @JeromeFJ @Amir Amiri @Ranjan Das and @Rawad great driving and company as always.

See you all soon 🌵

The relief is mine @Russ. I was worried if I could take the car out. Knew it was do able but wanted the perfect driver and the car to do it. Well you were the handyman. Thanks for your help in tugging it out. I think we pulled it out almost 3.6km as per my odometer and please its no small feat. The driver of the pulling car and the driver of the pulled car has to think alike and match each others moves like a dance. There was only 1 fear I had, sometimes your pull was little more hard and I was afraid one of our tow hooks may tear off. I think very soon you will master this art too. Its no small feat that we achieved. 

Regarding safety features of @Carnity drives I agree with you 100%. I have never seen any other club follow safety from the 1st line to the last line like our club. Sometimes I feel whole carnity is about driving in the desert safely which I like. That's why I didn't give in to other club temptations and stayed back. 

Once again thank you @Shaaz Sha, @Luca Palanca Falsini, @Russ and @Abu Muhammad for the wonderful experience you gave all of us.  

Edited October 30, 2021 by Thomas Varghese

[Shaaz Sha]

Hello guys. Thanks to @Thomas Varghese, @Chinthaka Ruwan, @Russand @Rawad @Ranjan Dasfor your reports and feed backs. I believe you all had a wonderful day in the desert. we were all at the meeting point in time, all set and ready to hit the sand. Just before the start @Chinthaka Ruwancar was reluctant to start and we did our best to make it alive..finally had no choice other than parking it safely at the entry point itself. @Chinthaka Ruwanjoined @Russand we started our drive delayed by few minutes. At the debut we had some refusals,.. as the cars and the drivers needed a warm up and in our third attempt to climb the preliminary dunes at Badayer area all cars made it to the top. For me it was a different level of feel as a lead for the first time and thank you guys for all the positive vibes and for making my day. The area was too crowded and cross tracks all over, it was a difficult task to make our way through but with such strong convoy and super lead at the second lead position we could cover most of the areas and make it back to the exit. On our way back to the exit @Abu Muhammadcar had an electric failure with his cooling fans and started over heating. @Luca Palanca Falsiniand @JeromeFJexited him safely to the nearest exit. After a few minutes of drive @Thomas Varghesexterra had its check engine light on and the car came to limp mode. It was difficult to make it to the exit with his car and we had to leave the car at the spot and head to the exit with rest of the convoy.

Thank you @Luca Palanca Falsinifor your TRUST/ADVICES/TRICKS AND TIPS and for providing me an opportunity to lead the convoy, (which every off roader  wish for).. Thanks for making it my day sir. Hope i made it up to your expectation. Thanks to @Abu Muhammadand @Ranjan Dasfor your well executed CF roles and hats off to @Russ for your great work as the sweep. You did an amazing job at the back , controlling the convoy, assisting the recoveries and your updates from behind helped me soo much buddy.Thank you for your help after the drive in recovering the limp car to the exit. did an excellent job which was not all easy. It was your best day to start off as support team and all the best ahead. Thanks to @Thomas Varghese, @Javier Lucero, @JeromeFJ, @Alain Canivet-Abikhalil, @Amir Amiriand @Rawadfor making it a wonderful drive and you guys were amazing. Really sad for @Chinthaka Ruwanas he was there all the way, but couldn't make it.. hope you sorted out the issue with your X. @Abu Muhammad and @Thomas Varghese...guys wish a speedy recovery for your desert comrades. Thanks you all once again and see you soon. Few more images in the gallery..

Edited October 30, 2021 by Shaaz Sha

[JeromeFJ]

Thank you @Shaaz Sha and @Luca Palanca Falsini for the exciting drive yesterday. @Shaaz Sha for your first lead you have immediately set a serious level with no compromise. Very enjoyable to follow your line through the challenging terrain! You managed to make the maximum use of the possibilities considering the other convoys and cars circling around. 

For us it required our full concentration to navigate through the bowls and ridges, and avoiding the soft patches, every thing you would expect from an IM drive !

Thank you @Abu Muhammad for the support and @Russ for the sweep and assistance, if it was a test for your new role, you passed brilliantly !

@Luca Palanca Falsini, @Abu Muhammad, it was a pleasure meeting you for the first time, @Thomas Varghese, @Javier Lucero @Alain Canivet-Abikhalil @Rawad @Amir @Ranjan Das @Chinthaka Ruwan , alway nice to drive in your company, see you next week, for the ones who manage to click Sunday evening before 7:01 pm !!

 

[Alain Canivet-Abikhalil]

Hello friends ! Well I think you said it all

Congrats @Shaaz Sha it was a very challenging, eventful and exciting drive ! I am happy to be one of the firsts to drive in your lead and I hope we were up to your expectations !

Same for @Russ congrats on your first "official" support, even though you've been successfully supporting for a while already.

Thank you @Luca Palanca Falsini and @Abu Muhammad for support and advices, @Javier Lucero for second lead and well done everyone. As someone said above, when we pass across other off roaders, I feel privileged to be part of @Carnity !

 

[Luca Palanca Falsini]

Hi everyone, 

I am adding the 'plain' summary of what happened during the yesterday's drive after the wonderful work done by @Shaaz Sha.

I wanna thank you everybody who came to yesterday's drive, after some time I was again in one of my favorite places, Area 53!  and quite excited to let @Shaaz Sha lead for the first time.

Everybody was on time and we were ready to move as soon as the light was enough.

 
Despite my high expectations, our wonderful drive could start in a better way.
@Chinthaka Ruwan's car, when we were about to start,  was unable to turn on and we had to leave the car to the starting point.

The convoy was responding very well to the @Shaaz Sha challenges. Both the Iftar and Super  Bowl were  very busy. A lot of noise and cars that were crossing each other then decided to leave the area quite soon.

Despite some refusals the drive was progressing well. Very good lead from @Shaaz Shaas lead and @Russas sweep.  Near iftar bowl (on the way back) @Abu Muhammad found the engine was getting hot.

I decided to bring him to the nearest exit to avoid adding more stress on his car. In the meanwhile @Shaaz Sha and @Russ were leading the group to the planned exit.
 
Everything was easy with @Abu Muhammad.  Thank you to @JeromeFJ for being  the sweep in our small convoy.

When I was coming back to meet @Shaaz ShaI saw his message. Was telling me that @Thomas Varghese’s car was broken. He was anyway reaching the exit point with the rest of the convoy so I went there to meet him. After leaving everybody we went to recover @Thomas Varghese’s Car with the help of @Russ.

Reached back the car that was  quite far to the exit. We spent some time finding an easy way out and decided to tug the car with @Russ’s F150.

The way that @Russ and his  Raptor was handling Varghese’s car was impressive, no issue in crossing the small dune that we were unable to skip and safely reached the exit.

I wanna congratulate @Shaaz Shafor being able to handle a not-at-all easy drive. Very good start! For sure you bring with you an incredible experience in terms of learning how to handle such situations.

A big  Thank you to @Russ.  Your driving skills are impressive, your attitude is the perfect mix of enthusiasm and discipline.

Thank you again for coming and hope to see you soon! 
 

[Thomas Varghese]

Dear All,

My drive description was just humorous. Actually it was one of the best drives I had till now in Carnity. It was fun, safe and quite adventurous. Cars getting mechanical troubles into a drive is not unusual. This is not a drive on the tarmac but inside one of the harshest environments on the planet. The most important aspect of the drive was it was executed with total safety in consideration when crazy drivers in ones and convoys were driving like mad men all over the place. Everytime we encountered a rash convoy we stopped at a safe place and allowed them to pass. In terms of level it was a notch above IM drive scaling each and every dune in Badayer area. The convoy responded very well by doing what was asked of them. Looking forward to more drives like this which will make me understand my car and its abilities more.