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The Sun and its games of lights and shadows, before yesterday's Newbie trip at Solar Park. Thanks to all Marshals, and fellow desert-goers. See you all at the next drive

Please give this man 1000 Carnity points... Fantastic write-up Richard.

It is not often we get to see a master is his/her trade close up, but that was my privilege today. More of that later. Here's a question. Can something be a victim of its own success? Valid, because since the start of this year, numbers at the Carnity newbie drives continue to grow. Today, it was close to 40! Could that dilute the enjoyment of the experience? Would a fleet of vehicles in the desert feel less like a challenge and more like a procession? I am not even going to try to name everyone (you know who you are 😁) as I lost count of the numbers driving. @Srikumar how? Simply how ... did you just not bother going to sleep as you caught up with sorting out and leading the drive. Incredibly, or perhaps not, because of the way this great club works @Gaurav @Frederic and @Rahimdad each led a convoy into virgin dunes, which was unique, challenging and exciting and never felt like we were encroaching on each other [yes, we heard some instruction from other drives on the radio from time to time, but nothjng too intrusive] ... and I say that, having experienced the whole thing from the passenger seat! Sand conditioins remain somewhat benign at the moment: a result of a combination of the recent rains and colder weather. This means that the sand is a great training ground. Sufficiently forgiving to help newbies gain confidence, while offering enough of a challenge should the drive leader determine that the group are ready for something more complex. The drives today were 'boring, in that there were a limited number of refusals and the convoys moved on without difficult recoveries. Probably, the only real incident of the day was the shredded tyre of our trusty Wrangler ... for which apologies to all for denying you the chance to watch the repair because the tyre self destructed 600 metres from the deflation point and was replaced quickly before the briefing. (thanks @Srikumar and @Frederic for getting us going again). Effective though this technique might be in quickly deflating the tyre it seems reinflation is not an option afterwards. But boring is good. That towering dune which you felt you would never cross has been crossed. You've learned that the terrifying vertical slip face on the other side is no longer insurmountable and that slip sliding you did across the lower part of the dune was actually great fun. In most cases that happened without your pride (and joy) being damaged and once again, we all made it home. @tjsingh @Tbone honourable mention as number 2 for the first time. @Jeepie first time as sweep. That might not seem much to many of you, until you think, a few weeks ago all three were newbies. Today, I experienced all that in the presence of an artist. Believe me friends, today was a massive learning experience that is going to benefit my capabilities and capacity to learn this skill, and I never even touched the controls. Watching @Gaurav navigate virgin dunes, to plough a safe and fun route for our convoy reminded me once again how this hobby is not all about adrenalin and power (and believe me, I am in no doubt that were he so to desire, Gaurav could conquer just about anything the sand could offer), but about careful considered control of the vehicle. I learned today that leading a newbie drive is substantially more difficult than any of us could imagine. I witnessed today 4 leaders who were all committed to safely taking us into and then back out of the desert, four leaders for whom the challenge is not feeding their ego by demonstrating that they can, but by guiding all of us to believe that WE can. Perhaps the briefing bores you, perhaps it is too long. Maybe, like being on a plane, you think you heard it all before if this was not your first drive. There is no doubt, however, that the next time you go out on the sand, you can put what you learned today into practice ... time and time again. Testament to how successful this formula is are the higher numbers joining and returning each each week. I know, aloo paratha is compelling, however, if many more join, @Rahimdad may need to consider giving up the day job and starting a restaurant. Have a safe week until we meet together again in the sand.

Prime suspect with given your explanation, seems shock absorber as they aren't doing their job to absorb the shocks. Springs do sag, but quiet rarely and you can fully identify that point after changing the shock absorber. If you suspect that ride height has lower than before then springs must have sagged. I had a 2012 Mustang GT with stock setup and it was pretty reasonably setup at stock suspension for normal road usage and daily driving. If I really wanted to push the car for corners I would have upgraded the suspension, so choice is yours again to stick to OEM (if its daily driver) or upgrade if you like to do roundabout and hairpin bend at high speed.

The Offroading season is in full swing, and the Carnity Team wants to deliver you an exciting morning of desert fun! This drive is suited to all first time desert drivers. Our group of trained seniors will guide you in making this a day you won't forget. Also people who have prior offroad experience will definitely continue to learn and embrace our Carnity Culture ! The famous red dunes of the Mahafiz - Fossil Rock area are a sight to behold, and easily adaptable to any level. The drive will start with a detailed briefing where we emphasize on safety aspects, explain the best practices, and make sure you enter the dunes well prepared. After deflating, we will drive 2-3 hours in sand dunes and then take a break for some refreshments over a feedback and assessment session for each offroader. We kindly advise all Absolute Newbies to provide a small introduction on this thread with basic information about themselves, which type of 4x4, prior offroad experience if any, and confirmation that the tow points are in good condition. When: 7 Feb 2020, Friday Meeting time: 6:45 AM, Briefing will start 7:00 AM sharp Where: Al Batayeh - Al Faya Road MEETING POINT GPS Coordinate: https://goo.gl/maps/uwFxCHGBWB37pPNi6 Level: All levels (Absolute Newbie and Newbie). Type of Car: Any proper 4x4 with front and back tow hooks and 10 inches of ground clearance. Plan: Drive, train and enjoy till about 11:30 AM What to bring along: Loads of water, snacks, smiles, stories, enthusiasm and willingness to learn. Approximate finish time: 12:00 PM - (much before Friday prayer) Friday Prayer Mosque 1: Shabiyat Bin Suhail Mosque Maliha - https://goo.gl/maps/t5W3uphN423z2QFJA Friday Prayer Mosque 2: Maliha Mosque - https://goo.gl/maps/UVtab2zBJTkwAS497 MUST READ: First off-road drive checklist Off Road Driving - Roles & Responsibilities Off road Driving Etiquette's Off-road Convoy Rules Off roading - Everything you need to know PLEASE RSVP ON BELOW CALENDAR:

Quick way to check if your shocks have gone the way of the dodo is push the trunk down and try to bounce the car like a basketball. If it bounces easily that means shocks are toast. Vice versa to check fronts

1 day - 10 Million views Pontiac Fiero with rocket engine, magnetic stealth plane and hope for justice. This seems more promising than the last one, that fail to check many boxes for car enthusiasts.