Andrew John Melvill has been promoted to Expert Level

[Emanuel]

Very happy for you and well deserved. 

[Piotr.]

@Andrew John Melvill Well done! Congratulations!

 

[Sebastian Nohse]

On 8/30/2026 at 2:07 PM, _luke_ said:

 

We got off to an early start with everyone there, ready and good to go before the official start time — thank you.

 

Within about five minutes, I had already managed to plant the nose of the car into a bush and needed @Sebastian Nohse on the winch to get moving again.

 

From there, we found some excellent terrain with plenty of long sidies and ridge lines. I then got stuck again, this time needing a proper team effort with @Chema @Krinesh and Sebastian digging to get the car free.

 

We then picked up the pace and took the faster route toward the technical zone. One more stuck followed which probably could have been solved with a bit more shovelling, but with the heat and wind building, Sebastian made short work of it with another quick winch pull.

 

Once we reached the technical section, the whole drive changed character. The faster flowing lines gave way to slow, precise and controlled movements, with everyone adapting well to the more demanding terrain.

 

As we entered the final big bowl, my passengers decided they had experienced quite enough dune bashing for one morning and introduced a little car sickness into the mix. After a quick cleanup, we called it and headed for the exit.

 

We made it out right on time at 09:30.

 

Thanks everyone for a fun morning, solid teamwork and some really good driving.

 

 

On 8/30/2026 at 4:34 PM, Frederic said:

Congratulations @Khalid Sharaf for reaching Fewbie Level with Carnity Offroad Club!

Looking forward to seeing you growing further and helping others to learn the art of offroading in a safe environment.

Please make sure your Carnity user profile is always updated with all the latest Emergency contact details, and you have your required offroad gears as per your level. 

FEWBIE

Drives Attended (Indicative)	Minimum 5 Newbie drives are required within last 3 months for Fewbie promotion.
What you'll learn	Basic dune and sand reading Self-recovery techniques Shoveling at right place Crawling out of difficult situations Blip Blip - Coordinate steering and gas control Basic side sloping and hill climb Basic ridge riding and criss crossing Basic control over technical dunes Slightly faster pace desert driving Ability to manage stuck/refusals with radio Learn to control and avoid fishtailing Never fight or challenge gravity
Skills required	Enthusiastic and positive attitude Willingness to learn and help others Presence of mind and attention to detail
Car Worthiness	Any 4x4 vehicle with low range gearing Suitable approach and departure angle
Off-road gear required	Safety flag, tire deflator, tire pressure gauge, shovel, fire extinguisher, medical kit, radio (walkie-talkie), air compressor.
Drive teamwork	Manage second lead and sweep positions upon request Intuitive and proactive to support Trip Lead Observe recoveries and offer help, when needed
Drive Joining	Join Newbie and Fewbie drives
Forum participation	Active participation on the forum Share drive experience + feedback Share drive pictures in the gallery Post trip report after the drive

Congratulations @Andrew John Melvill

[Rasna]

Congratulations @Andrew John Melvill!!

[Khalid Sharaf]

On 9/8/2026 at 3:35 PM, Frederic said:

Congratulations @Andrew John Melvill for reaching the Expert Level with Carnity Offroad Club.

We have all been amazed with the progress you made. It was clear early on that you were enthusiastic about your new off-roading hobby, but you've been such a consistent part of our off-roading family now, and a fantastic mentor to our members. Your calm demeanour and quick wit is a blessing to have as a lead, and we all feel so well looked after whenever we are on your drives. You absolutely deserve this !

 

EXPERT

This level will be the most essential in your off-road development as you will start leading and managing drives independently with the support of other senior advisors. And also, you will help in developing new advisors to pass on the knowledge, experience, and skills for managing adventurous yet safer off-road drives.

The expert level will offer you continuous improvement in your overall development by alternating between leading and supporting once in a while. This way, you will still learn and advance your knowledge by supporting other trip leads in different terrain to understand the complexity and challenges involved and practicing independent lead and convoy management.

Carnity Benefits	Full access to Carnity without any paid subscription. Join any drive in the “Manage” tab.
Carnity Contribution	Committed to driving with Carnity off-road club exclusively.
What you'll learn	Navigating with or without GPS on the fly. Trip planning, safety exits, and recce skills. Response to vehicle breakdown and accidents.
Skills required	A resilient, calculative, and rational thinker. Self-reliance, positive attitude, and forward-thinking. Kind, selfless, and considerate of others’ concerns.
Car Worthiness	Capable 4x4 vehicle with a low range gearing. Suitable approach and departure angle. High profile tires.
Off-road gear required	Safety flag, tire deflator, tire pressure gauge, shovel, fire extinguisher, medical kit, radio (walkie-talkie), air compressor, tool kit, rated recovery rope and 2 rated shackles, GPS, Floor jack and jack board, tire repair kit, toolbox, tie-down straps, fluids.
Drive teamwork	Lead Newbie, Fewbie, Fewbie Plus, Intermediate drives. Inspect the vehicle for safety before the off-road drive. Support all other level drives, proactively.
Drive Joining	All Levels.
Forum participation	Active participation in the forum. Share drive experience + feedback. Share drive pictures in the gallery. Post trip report after the drive.

 

Congrats @Andrew John Melvill, happy to join your first drive as an expert 👏🏼