Morning Newbie Desert Drive - Tawi Nazwa - Sharjah - 4 Jun 2022

[Thomas Varghese]

THE DRIVE. 

I called it the drive because it was the drive. Absolute entertainer from @Brette. Being driving with @Carnity for almost 1 1/2 years and gradually raising my level to Intermediate, I was little apprehensive about joining a newbie drive considering it to be boring and slow paced with all sorts of refusals and stucks. Well I was wrong. Minimal refusals - (3 or 4?) and 1 stuck speaks volumes about the driving abilities of the convoy. Kudos to the Marshal @Brette for correctly judging the strengths and weaknesses of the convoy and setting a track and pace corresponding to the convoy. 1st time driving with @Brette and I regret having not joining his drives before. Don't get me wrong that @Brette set a very easy track for us. The 1st phase of the drive was very tricky and challenging on extra soft sand until reaching Pink Rock. I couldn't believe when everybody climbed Pink Rock in the 1st attempt itself with very minimal inputs from the Marshal and support team. Wow. When Brette asked me to climb after him and direct the cars coming in to park at a safe place avoiding the rocks I was counting I would have to wait in the sun for a long time considering it was a newbie convoy. In no time everybody was up and parked and driving again. Amazing skills in offroading by this convoy. 

The pajeros and the super safari's didn't disappoint today. The 1st 3 pajero's at the front followed wherever Brette led without any flaws. Congrats @Sunny84 for being a good 2nd lead and @Anirudh Dayma & @Jaro Tuzinsky for keeping up the pace. @Jonny90 in his Y 61 followed all of them like a walk in the park. @Jad Moussalli & his incredible machine the DEFENDER was top notch in performance. Couldn't get a chance to see the DEFENDER self recovering with all the gizmos it has as Jad never got refusals or stucks anywhere. The 2 ladies @Sita Sharma & @Super Safari Girl were driving perfectly in front of me. @Sita Sharma has the potential to become the upgraded @Looper. Waiting for the day when she will start talking on the radio I got to loop again. @Super Safari Girl knows the potential of her car and knows how to tame its power. The surprise car today was the aptly named White Rhino aka Pajero of @Mike M.. Who said Pajero's are underpowered. That car can climb anywhere without any issues and better than any car in the convoy. A tuned 2014 Pajero 3.8 grey LWB is soon going to have a serious competitor in dune bashing. @GauravSoni are you listening? As @Brette, @Pacific, @munkybizness put it, its 90% driver and 10% car and today @Mike M. proved that. Climbing Big Red like it was its daily routine amazed me. 

No comments about friend's @Pacific & @munkybizness. Both of them gave a live tutorial to the rest of the convoy how to climb dunes and it was fun watching them. 

Will be joining @Gaurav's newbie drive tomorrow and who knows that convoy will be even better. My 110th drive with @Carnity.

Till next time we meet again in the sands bye. 

[Mike M.]

Thanks @Thomas Varghese for your humbling words. I am looking forward to seeing how The White Rhino will behave once I switch from H/T to All Terrains. Thanks again and it was a great drive today! Great going by everyone!

[munkybizness]

It's tough to follow @Thomas Varghese's recount of the drive this morning, so I'll try my best to fill in or express how I felt by the end of it all. My last newbie drive, just about a month ago, was the opposite showing of today. There, our convoy was bogged down refusal after refusal in the soft sands of Faqa and then Little Sweihan. I have also not driven with @Brette since he joined @Gaurav's convoy in Iftar Bowl in September last year, where he gave me some of the best tips and advice on how to climb. Thank you for those lessons, Brette. They've come in handy every single time after that, and with enough practice using that advice, I've learnt a lot more about how far I can push this car. So any success in scaling the climbs today, first begin with @Brette and other members offering critical notes to me.

Sweeping at the back, I had little visibility on the front end of the convoy until we came to individual climbs. But, since we were always on the move, with almost no radio chatter, it was evident that every single driver today was clued in and in complete control of their machines.

@Sunny84, you played the role of the second lead with elan. The drive from Tawi Nazwa to Pink Rock is usually a tight and twisty section where drivers not paying attention can often find themselves getting stuck. As Thomas has commented, we made the run to Pink Rock in record time, flying through this section. This is really a testament to the SL staying true to @Brette's beautiful line, and the convoy responding with pace and vigour.

In the middle, @Pacific, and his experienced self just constantly pushed the boundary further and higher still. It gave Thomas and myself, quite a nice stretch to go after.

In the latter half of the convoy, @Sita Sharma sitting with I'm sure a pretty vocal "back-seat" driver in @Looper was choosing excellent lines, plenty of throttle and even powering through sticky crests. Great job.

One of the things I recognized and realized today, was exactly how other more experienced drivers would have felt when I was a Newbie. They too would have wanted to step in and show me the way. And the best ones did. I learned so much from then, just like Brette gave my first real advice on how to climb Iftar Bowl. Back then, as a Newbie, I too showed immense trepidation and hesitation when trying to climb, or criss-cross across dunes, or ride a ridge. These all seem so much easier now, because it took 50 odd drives to get here. But 45 drives ago, I too was a nervous wreck. I would hold off on the throttle when approaching a bump and proceed to lose all momentum and wonder why heavier cars can make it. It's very rarely the machine. The longer you do this, the harder you push yourself, and the more comfortable you get, will all lead you to get here.

@Super Safari Girl, you'll lose the hesitation with time. And do a night drive. You'll lose it even faster 😛 . Your lines throughout the drive were cleaner, you gave yourself adequate distance to judge and see how the car in front of you was negotiating the terrain, and you were elegantly gentle through sections where there was no need to be brutish. There is already great foundations in the way you drive. Take some more of the hesitation out, and that SWB Super Safari will be screaming up the hill

@Mike M. & @Jaro Tuzinsky, I was positively surprised to see the way both you pushed your cars. You were both not lacking in momentum, your lines were clean, and you had excellent follow-through going through side slopes. It was a treat to watch. White Rhinos don't see many hills in the savannas, but today, in the red sands of Sharjah, our homegrown white rhino was showing that even it can scale the highest hills. As mentioned above, it was a real treat for us.

@Jad Moussalli, I haven't had the opportunity to see the new Defender in action in these sands before. And it was a nice surprise. There was clearly plenty of power at your disposal especially in the climbs where it showed no signs of relenting.

@Anirudh Dayma & @Jonny90, I didn't get very good visuals on you until we got to the climbs, and there you both piloted your machines with absolute ease. Important to note is how well you exited when you lost momentum ensuring that you weren't fishtailing through the slopes. 

And finally, @Thomas Varghese, with more than double the number of drives, your experience is evident in spaces beyond just the driving, from clearing live codes with electronics, to getting a limping car to leap to the top of hills. You made it look super easy. And of course, I'm looking forward to what you caught in your frame.

Thank you @Brette, for leading a great drive through this area. I learned so much today on why I got into offroading, and it brought up again the early feelings I had as a newbie.

See you all out on the sands again soon

[ 🐵  ]

[Thomas Varghese]

For me all the basis of offroading came from @Frederic in my Absolute Newbie drive. Every time I do slide slopes or climbs his words ring in my ears. Gain higher ground initially and you will be able to negotiate the slopes and climbs much easier. Even if I sometimes deviate a little from the laid tracks its always to gain higher ground so that I can control the fishtailing and control my exit easily. Plus a little left right motion of the steering will help the car to climb more. You already saw that today. 

[Jonny90]

This morning was superb! Great convoy and great area to drive in! It’s was my first visit to Pink Rock, but certainly won’t be my last!

@Brette brilliant leadership as always, well planned, safe and extremely enjoyable!

@Thomas Varghese, @munkybizness fantastic drive reports - very kind words!

Great to meet you all again!

@Brette until the next drive!

[Mike M.]

2 hours ago, Thomas Varghese said:

For me all the basis of offroading came from @Frederic in my Absolute Newbie drive. Every time I do slide slopes or climbs his words ring in my ears. Gain higher ground initially and you will be able to negotiate the slopes and climbs much easier. Even if I sometimes deviate a little from the laid tracks its always to gain higher ground so that I can control the fishtailing and control my exit easily. Plus a little left right motion of the steering will help the car to climb more. You already saw that today. 

Agreed with you. Passing on the experience is vital for starters as it will make the difference between having off-roading as a one-off or a real passion. 
What you saw today from the White Rhino with the ability to climb Big Red to the top every single time with ease with H/T is thanks to all the tips, tricks and feedback of coach @Brette  

[Mike M.]

2 hours ago, munkybizness said:

It's tough to follow @Thomas Varghese's recount of the drive this morning, so I'll try my best to fill in or express how I felt by the end of it all. My last newbie drive, just about a month ago, was the opposite showing of today. There, our convoy was bogged down refusal after refusal in the soft sands of Faqa and then Little Sweihan. I have also not driven with @Brette since he joined @Gaurav's convoy in Iftar Bowl in September last year, where he gave me some of the best tips and advice on how to climb. Thank you for those lessons, Brette. They've come in handy every single time after that, and with enough practice using that advice, I've learnt a lot more about how far I can push this car. So any success in scaling the climbs today, first begin with @Brette and other members offering critical notes to me.

Sweeping at the back, I had little visibility on the front end of the convoy until we came to individual climbs. But, since we were always on the move, with almost no radio chatter, it was evident that every single driver today was clued in and in complete control of their machines.

@Sunny84, you played the role of the second lead with elan. The drive from Tawi Nazwa to Pink Rock is usually a tight and twisty section where drivers not paying attention can often find themselves getting stuck. As Thomas has commented, we made the run to Pink Rock in record time, flying through this section. This is really a testament to the SL staying true to @Brette's beautiful line, and the convoy responding with pace and vigour.

In the middle, @Pacific, and his experienced self just constantly pushed the boundary further and higher still. It gave Thomas and myself, quite a nice stretch to go after.

In the latter half of the convoy, @Sita Sharma sitting with I'm sure a pretty vocal "back-seat" driver in @Looper was choosing excellent lines, plenty of throttle and even powering through sticky crests. Great job.

One of the things I recognized and realized today, was exactly how other more experienced drivers would have felt when I was a Newbie. They too would have wanted to step in and show me the way. And the best ones did. I learned so much from then, just like Brette gave my first real advice on how to climb Iftar Bowl. Back then, as a Newbie, I too showed immense trepidation and hesitation when trying to climb, or criss-cross across dunes, or ride a ridge. These all seem so much easier now, because it took 50 odd drives to get here. But 45 drives ago, I too was a nervous wreck. I would hold off on the throttle when approaching a bump and proceed to lose all momentum and wonder why heavier cars can make it. It's very rarely the machine. The longer you do this, the harder you push yourself, and the more comfortable you get, will all lead you to get here.

@Super Safari Girl, you'll lose the hesitation with time. And do a night drive. You'll lose it even faster 😛 . Your lines throughout the drive were cleaner, you gave yourself adequate distance to judge and see how the car in front of you was negotiating the terrain, and you were elegantly gentle through sections where there was no need to be brutish. There is already great foundations in the way you drive. Take some more of the hesitation out, and that SWB Super Safari will be screaming up the hill

@Mike M. & @Jaro Tuzinsky, I was positively surprised to see the way both you pushed your cars. You were both not lacking in momentum, your lines were clean, and you had excellent follow-through going through side slopes. It was a treat to watch. White Rhinos don't see many hills in the savannas, but today, in the red sands of Sharjah, our homegrown white rhino was showing that even it can scale the highest hills. As mentioned above, it was a real treat for us.

@Jad Moussalli, I haven't had the opportunity to see the new Defender in action in these sands before. And it was a nice surprise. There was clearly plenty of power at your disposal especially in the climbs where it showed no signs of relenting.

@Anirudh Dayma & @Jonny90, I didn't get very good visuals on you until we got to the climbs, and there you both piloted your machines with absolute ease. Important to note is how well you exited when you lost momentum ensuring that you weren't fishtailing through the slopes. 

And finally, @Thomas Varghese, with more than double the number of drives, your experience is evident in spaces beyond just the driving, from clearing live codes with electronics, to getting a limping car to leap to the top of hills. You made it look super easy. And of course, I'm looking forward to what you caught in your frame.

Thank you @Brette, for leading a great drive through this area. I learned so much today on why I got into offroading, and it brought up again the early feelings I had as a newbie.

See you all out on the sands again soon

[ 🐵  ]

Thanks @munkybizness for the kind words. It was a pleasure driving with you! Appreciate the tips you were continuously sharing. Did my best not to further churn the plowed sands in front of the both of us  

[Thomas Varghese]

3 hours ago, munkybizness said:

 

And finally, @Thomas Varghese, with more than double the number of drives, your experience is evident in spaces beyond just the driving, from clearing live codes with electronics, to getting a limping car to leap to the top of hills. You made it look super easy. And of course, I'm looking forward to what you caught in your frame.

 

[ 🐵  ]

Dear Mayank, I got fed up of all the lies the garages thrust upon me to make money. The guys who know the job lie a lot and the guys who don't lie don't know how to operate an OBD scan tool to diagnose. The fact is when you find your car is underperforming you take it to a garage to solve it. The max they do is scan your car for fault codes and clear them if its a minor fault and the car comes back to normal operation. This the maximum a garage does to repair your car as they also don't have time to observe the car readings in live view while driving. I got fed up of this and the amount of money I kept spending to scan the car and repair it. Most of the times the car throws a code to the ECM when something upsets the electrical connections. The mechanic reads the code and asks you to replace that sensor, this connector. 90% of the time this solves the problem temporarily but the problem comes back. I decided to take matters into my own hands by having a professional scanner as I got extremely fed up. Bought an Autel Maxicheck MX808Ts for 1800 AED from a shop in Sharjah with 2 years update subscription. My car has been seen at a different perspective from day 1 I bought this scanner. Started viewing the live data from the ECM and understood many things which I was not aware of before. Most of the times we do offroading, the ECM throws a code and it remains in the system affecting all other parameters of the ECM software. Especially the old vehicles like my XTERRA 2008. You saw how my car climbed all the way to the top of the Big Red without much effort and was ready to do a criss cross over Big Red. It was not possible before I bought the scanner and the car was struggling to even climb 3/4 of what I did today. I understood it was because the earlier fault codes are stored in the ECM as past codes and the ECM cuts power when the same situation arises to protect the components of the car from breaking apart. 

Now a days after a drive I clean the air filter, reinflate tires and scan the car immediately for fault codes, clear the codes and drive back home. It gives me better fuel consumption and acceleration. Yesterday the Autel scanner had a major update which enabled my scanner to even code which means some functions became bi directional and I can set values for fuel systems like adjust the injector pulse, advance or retard the ignition timing, play with the VVT system etc. I still didn't alter any values as I need more research into the values to be set. I will eventually learn it. 

An OBD scanner is an essential tool to be in the tool box of an offroader as anything can happen inside the desert. If I didn't have the scanner with me today most probably all of you would have been cursing me as my car was in a weird angle and went into limp mode. Someone would have had to tow me out. The moment I located the code and cleared it the car started to perform normally. After towing me out I could have taken the car back to a garage in only a recovery. The scan tool saved me from all this. Maybe the code would have cleared if I disconnect and reconnect the battery but please understand its only a hack which may or maynot work.