Leaderboard

In my opinion, if you follow the rules, then you don't get in trouble ! I know Gaurav for a long time and he is not going to give you a warning for nothing. He makes sure we can all drive every weekend, even under the circumstances we are in so be respectful and listen !!! If you want to be treated like adults, then behave like adults !

🌷💐🌹🌸🌺, these I had to send you from Kate, and these you get from me> 🍷🥂🍺🍻🥃🍾🍸 😆

Super deserved @Ale Vallecchi !! You have the exploring desire of Caboto, the finesse of Michelangelo, and the super personality of Alessandro ! Your promotion to Marshal will bring the entire club so much value, and I am so delighted to have another marshal family member. Enjoy it !!

Wow @Ale Vallecchi this is so well deserved...the patience and calmness that you impose on each drives is impeccable . Your meticulous planning for each drive is truly a learning experience . Kudos for this recognition

Fantastic Fantastic News. Well done Ale. You are someone that the entire off-road club looks upto and you have demonstrated the right set of leadership qualities befitting a Marshal. Well done buddy.

Well its not as modular like the Jeep , but definitely I am "supercharged" because I missed the drives last week.

Agree 100%. The one thing I like about the Carnity community is the extra effort from the experts to mentor the rest of us, on many things. I will certainly enjoy many more drives with the whole team, and accept their guidance as just that.

Now that's a challenge being thrown. C'mon Jeepers

Dear Carnity Desarnauts. Thank you for signing up in record time for the drive (1 minute it's all it took). Allow me to reward your trust by previewing the drive's main characteristics. The Bab al Shams area (nicknamed because of its proximity to the well known resort) loosely refers to the South-Western section of the Qudra basin. The terrain here is made of fine white sand dunes, rather long and apart from each other. They are mostly lined up in a North to South direction, and are gathered in groups separated by either sabkhas or tighter technical dunes. We will be looking to make a loop that will take us to the more northern, higher and closer dunes, where we may also encounter also a bit of low vegetation, then in a southern direction, toward an area where the sand is sometimes dotted with low, crooked mud formations, and lonely acacia trees. Sabkhas will be our way in and out of these dunes, with some technical areas also to be crossed. As Fewbies, you'll be expected to execute higher side sloping, easier ridge riding and ridge crossing, show good control of your car in tighter technical dunes, and to conduct the drive at a faster pace (while keeping full control of your vehicle), compared to the Newbie excursions. We will have the opportunity to practice all of the above skills, following a detailed briefing toward the beginning of the drive, and under supervision, so that each off-roader will have the opportunity to feel more comfortable, and improve throughout the day. @Biju Abdul, @Jolly Abraham, @luwaimn, @Tero Vallas, @Heisem, @Lisa Pemberton, @David Ortells, @Mehmet Volga, @Islam Soliman, @Yousef Alimadadi thanks again for joining (and @Brette, thank you for managing). Please remember to read and acknowledge the information regarding the Covid-19 rules we have put in place to insure a drive which is compliant with the current (and still valid) legal requirements. Not acknowledging these guidelines by clicking on the "Totally Agree" emoticon will lead to the driver's exclusion from the drive. We'll be in touch toward the end of the week, for more information and instructions.

Dear passionate off roaders When I had my first absolute newbie couple weeks ago it was short cut by bad nose landing ( was entirely my fault and I know it ) . Thank God zero human injury and the Iron was repaired as brand new. Actually from that point the real story begins and I realized how important to see the things from different angles to analyse and to learn how to avoid various problems in the setting of off road dives .I searched the various resources online and I found what I was looking for in this respectful community. and now with all the support of all of you, especially @Gaurav who was the first who drove me to safety at the very beginning and to @Gaurav @Rahimdad and @Frederic whom I had the honour to drive under their leads where I got all support and help, I can proudly say that I got my first zero refusal/stuck after 4 drives in a row as a newbie including the absolute newbie. Special Thanks to @Chaitanya D my friend and colleague who spared no effort helping me find my current off road vehicle Xterra and all the tips along. I personally believe that off road drive has a unique learning curve climbing it requires time, patience, determination , awareness of the known common risks and problems and above all that sharing and transmitting what is available from knowledge in the scene either directly by witnessing it if possible ( situation might not allow at the scene like terrain condition , weather , and now covid19 time ) as safety comes on top of the list or indirectly by capturing pictures , clips ..etc for the stuck or refusal and how we deal with it . in carnity discussion I found about what went wrong in terms of off road accident or refusal or stuck and even wrong recovery techniques and discussion about it which is good to see mistakes of others or even own to learn and not to repeat. here I put the initiative and from our own drives how recovery either self or assisted is done by our expert leaders directly or under their direct supervision and I request every one if at all possible when we are not in motion to try take the chance to take some videos ( one hand cant clap ) from another angle so after each drive the one who didn't have the chance to see it live can at least see it here. discussion is open and I would appreciate the feedback from our leaders as always. Cheers and Drive Safe

Bravo Ale!!! 1000% deserved.

If there was a more deserving promotion than @Ale Vallecchi I would find it hard to believe. Completely deserved promotion for a real MVP within Carnity. You have set the example and the bar very high. Your value within the team is immense and I am fortunate to be in your slipstream. Well done MARSHAL.

He is planning to upgrade it from a 'X' to a 'XJ'

This topic has diverted from a compliance with COVID19 regulations to how a person communicates. It's to avoid such misunderstandings that all the COVID19 regulations are given in clear writing and are pasted on every drive thread when you join. Unfortunately, from the above discussion it seems that no one has even taken the effort to read it through. So as responsible and educated adults you can either comply with the regulations that are imposed by the UAE authorities or have a choice of not attending the drives. It's strange that no one would dare step into a govt office without a face mask (even by mistake) but when it comes to a club the rules are expected to be relaxed.

@Andrei I was there when you had this so called discussion . Its fair to say the same person actually saved your vehicle from catching fire , hence saving you loads of money and he actually explained you in a calm way. Sometimes it is good to take experienced advices in a way that is for your own benefit and safety. My two cents.

Welcome Pink Rockers @Jeandre Bezuidenhout @Nivin @AnishS @asifk @Chaitanya D @Jun Zamora @David Ortells @Tero Vallas @Desert Dweller @Pancho (and reservists @Mukundan Nair @Frederik Bisbjerg) and well done for signing up for this drive from Pink Rock. Some of us have been in this area before (and found ourselves in the middle of some craziness from other convoys buzzing our drive) so know what to expect from the amazing red sand around this area. Driving from Pink Rock to Big Red offers opportunities to navigate technical dunes, wide sandy banks and some nice bowls and we will try to satisfy all needs in this drive as we move from one high point to Big Red, which is the biggest dune in the Sharjah/Dubai area. There are what we call playable dunes on this route - but please don't pin your hopes on your being able to stay and pla for too long - there's so much more to experience from this area. As ever, how far and fast we ride will be dependent on the convoy response - and the amount of traffic we find en route. Expect to be challenged. Looking at the convoy at the moment, it's a quite experienced group, so I am hopeful we can take advantage of that. As a head's up - the intermediates on the drive: please make sure you have your kit with you. You'll be handling most of the recoveries, under supervision. If anyone else drops out, please advise. As you see, we have a few waitlisted drivers waiting patiently in case anyone is not able to attend, so better let them know early than late. See you sooon in the sand. @Pancho I alrady added you to the drive.

As we have seen a serious rise in COVID cases in countries all around us over the last couple of weeks, let us all remain alert and keep the precautions in place which we have outlined in order to protect our members and the club. UAE has been doing their very best to safeguard all of us, and it is up to us to support their actions and do our own part. For the members who have not done this yet, PLEASE acknowledge our COVID-19 Precautions we have put in place by reading the entire post, and confirm you have read and agreed by clicking on the "Totally Agree" Emoticon on down right white heart icon - 3rd option from right is "Totally Agree" when you hoover over (on desktop) or click (mobile) on white heart icon. The entire Carnity team who leads the drives are fully behind this and will take appropriate action to members who fail to take this seriously or think rules do not apply to them. @Gaurav @Rahimdad @Emmanuel @Srikumar @Asif Hussain @Wrangeld @Jeepie @Ale Vallecchi and myself who are organizing drives on a weekly basis will keep these precautions in place and will do whatever we can to safeguard our members. Let us all support each other and i hope to get the support of all Carnity members to actively participate and join in keeping this precautions in place for now, until the day comes we can happily share our foods, hugs, and shoulder pats again.

With the tremendous increase in the number of COVID cases in the UAE, we all have to be responsible while off-roading. Failing to abide by any single precaution at any time during the drive, will result in an immediate ban from Carnity Off-road Club. ZERO TOLERANCE First offender - 1 Month Ban. Second offender - 3 Month Ban. Third offender - lifetime ban and report to authorities. COVID19 PRECAUTIONS 2.0 All Carnity off-road drives will be LIMITED to driving only: No Socializing and gathering allowed at any time. No break for taking photos, breakfast, smoking, etc. No exchanging of off-road or recovery gears. Wear a mask at all times, while outside your vehicle. For passengers restrictions, follow RTA or NCEMA guidelines. All passengers should be inside the car, at all times. Maintain a minimum of 2-meter social distance at all times. Sanitize your hands and recovery gear after use. PS1. If you and your passenger cannot sit inside your vehicle for 3-4 hours please DO NOT JOIN CARNITY DRIVES. PS2. A Member who has RSVP the drive is RESPONSIBLE and LIABLE for their passenger's compliance. PS3. The above precautions apply to everyone irrespective of their vaccination status or schedule. PS4. You can confidentially submit the photo of any offender by sending an email to [email protected]. How to comply Read the drive post before arriving at the meeting point, so that you know your convoy numbering and radio channel. Arrive at the meeting point and switch on your radio to the pre-set frequency of the drive. Stop your vehicle at least 10-20 meters away from each other. Deflate your tires, while wearing a mask, and then go back inside your car. All briefings will be done on the radio now, so pay full attention to a briefing for your own safety. After the briefing, fall in your convoy position just before the drive starts. While driving if you get stuck, announce on the radio and be inside your car at all times. Trip lead and/or support will guide you on the radio for self-recovery or tow-rope recovery. While there is a stuck or a refusal, everyone else supposed to be inside their car at all times. You can only take a bio-break during the drive, by requesting trip lead permission. Once the drive is over exit out to inflate by maintaining 10-20 meters distance from each other. While inflating, only the driver supposed to be out and with the face mask at all times. After the drive, you can talk on the radio for any feedback, suggestions or help you need.

While offroading, we cross dunes by using different methods, based on how the dune is formed and what the drive level is. Once you have spent some time in the desert, you will slowly start to pay more attention to the dune formations and how we cross them. Once you reach Intermediate and Advance level, you'll need to start learning how to read these dunes in order to navigate and create your planned routes in the desert. As a rule of thumb, the prevailing wind in UAE is blowing from a North-Western direction to South-East direction from 10AM onwards. At night and in early morning it will be reversed and blow from the South-East to North-West. This is something you should remember and you will notice when you zoom into certain areas with your navigation app (Google Maps, Gaia, MotionX, Mytrails,...) you will notice that the wind from that side has caused the dunes to take on their shape. This is a general rule and will not always apply, as you will see that in certain areas where wind is coming from different directions, you will see for example "star" dunes appearing. There are different types of dunes which are separately described below. As you can see in below picture, a dune is formed when the prevailing wind blows on a mound of sand, where the grain will move into the wind direction and create a ridge. The sand which falls on the other side of the ridge, creates a slipface, and this sand is not compacted by the wind. This is the main reason why we generally drive on the prevailing wind side or the convex side of the dunes on the Newbie level. "A dune is a curiously dynamic creature," wrote Farouk El-Baz in National Geographic. “Once formed, a dune can grow. It can change shape and move with the wind. It can even breed new dunes. Some of these offspring may be carried on the back of the mother dune. Others are born and race downwind, outpacing their parents. [Source: Farouk El-Baz, National Geographic, February 1982] The shape of dunes is affected by things like the strength, direction and consistency of the winds; the consistency and amount of sand; the hardness of the terrain and the amount of vegetation. Below we will describe the most common dunes found in the UAE. Different Dunes Crescent or Barchan Dune This is the most common dune. It forms the shape of a crescent moon when the wind blows from one direction. We generally use the words concave and convex to describe both sides of the dune: * Concave is a shape that curves inwards. * Convex is a shape that curves outwards. Crescent-shaped mounds generally are wider than long. On the concave side you will have the slipface. These dunes form under winds that blow from one direction, and they also are known as barchans. Parabolic Dune A parabolic dune is similar in shape to a barchan, but it is just the opposite. The tips of this dune point into the wind, and its main body migrates with the wind, forming a depression between the tips. Because of this formation, parabolic dunes are also known as blowout dunes. These dunes often occur when vegetation stabilizes sediments and a U-shaped blowout forms between clumps of plants. Example of Parabolic dunes near Faya: https://goo.gl/maps/ob8xu3y8VJJvF6hk8 Longitudinal or "Seif" Dunes They are also often referred to to as "sand ridges" or "seifs". Their length can range from a few meters to many kilometers and their height from a couple meters high to a couple hundred meters high. Wind pushes the sand and forms ridges parallel to the prevailing wind direction with slip faces either side of the crest. Linear dunes are straight or slightly sinuous sand ridges typically much longer than they are wide. They may be more than 160 kilometers long. Linear dunes may occur as isolated ridges, but they generally form sets of parallel ridges separated by miles of sand, gravel, or rocky interdune corridors. Some linear dunes merge to form Y-shaped compound dunes. Many form in bidirectional wind regimes. The long axes of these dunes extend in the resultant direction of sand movement. Barchanoid Dunes These ridges are similar to Barchan dunes. They are connected in long crescentic waves as the sand supply is much greater than that which forms a Barchan Dune. Star Dunes These dunes are formed when there are several prevailing wind directions - there is a complex wind regime. Typically there are three or more slip faces, whilst the dunes do not migrate they grow in height. Star dunes are radially-symmetrical, spyramidal sand mounds with slipfaces on three or more arms that radiate from the high center of the mound. They are created when the winds blow equally from every direction, causing the sand dune to grow many extensions and resemble a star. They are rare and are fairly stable and remain in the same place. Some are landmarks with names. Example of a Star dune: https://goo.gl/maps/jRnYghQc8ACzVz6T7 With this knowledge, the next time you step into the desert, you can start looking at the different dune formations, and this will give you lots of knowledge that you'll be able to apply in the future when leading and navigating off-road drives.

Well done Dunemaster @Ale Vallecchi!! Looking forward to many more drives with you.

We started using additional rope support on every soft/medium/hard tugs. It cost additional 30 seconds but safeguard everyone life and expensive damage.

yea climb only halfway through and halt 😆😆😆 ..kiddin..

Yes Jeeps will try all tricks but X's just climb😉🤣

Just try your tricks far away from us - and wear masks

Everyone please try to understand that if you cannot follow the COVID precautions, PLEASE DO NOT JOIN ANY DRIVES. NO MATTER You have seen thousands are partying in the desert You have seen people without mask everywhere You don't wear mask at work or neighborhood BUT, everyone supposed to wear a face mask at Carnity Off-road drives without any exceptions. If your passenger gets out without a face mask, it's your responsibility and you will be banned from Carnity off-road club. When it comes to COVID precaution, we are just following the law of land without any excuses or leniency to safeguard everyone. @Wael Mounier @Khaled Abdalla and @Dagdag Sofiane you have been given verbal warning and next time if any trip lead spot you or your passenger out of the car without a face mask, you will be banned from Carnity off-road club. PS. Including while at deflation and inflation points.

Congratulations @Ale Vallecchi for reaching the Marshal level with Carnity Offroad Club. Alessandro has Joined Carnity late last year and since beginning his passion for off-road, contribution and intelligent support on multiple weekly drives were highly appreciated. He has successfully mastered the art of off-roading, leading, exploration and recovering by enjoying different drives through out the UAE. His exceptional leadership skills, practical and well-planned approach are creating a new benchmark among Carnity trip leads. MARSHAL is one of the most prestigious and sought after title that comes after a lot of hard work, patience, tolerance, and dedication. Just like all the levels in Carnity offroad club is "NOT" only based on driving skills but instead based on the combination of your personality + intelligence + team spirit + adventure. This Marshal title is an epitome for all levels in the offroad grading structure. So if anyone wants to grow, they can set any of Carnity Offroad Club Marshal as a PERFECT example for not only following the driving skills and style but also observing their behavior, teamwork, presence of mind, calculative approach, patience and tolerance to teach and support new offroaders. Carnity Benefits Earn reward and recognition from 1:1 Desert Driving Course Off-road Certification with rank and skills achieved Full access to Carnity without any paid subscription Join any drive in “Manage” tab even when drive is full Carnity Contribution Committed to drive with Carnity off-road club only Lead 3 drives or more per month with 1 Newbie drive at least Carnity off-road club betterment and advancement Drives Attended (Indicative) Minimum 20 drives are required for Marshal promotion along with mandatory attendance to leaders lead drives. (Promotion will be based on Marshal / Crew feedback.) What you'll learn Trip route planning as per convoy’s response Drive topic and calendar posting and management Deal with different cultures, mind sets and nationalities Explore new areas and conduct recce trips independently Basic car technical and electronic management skills Skills required Humble, approachable and social person Matured, pro-active, calm and composed Mentor-ship skills to train off roaders at all levels Car Worthiness Capable 4x4 vehicle with 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, tool box, tie-down straps, fluids. Drive teamwork Lead ALL LEVEL drives independently Assign and manage second lead, center forward and sweep Support and supervise senior offroaders at all levels Drive Joining All Levels Forum participation Active participation on the forum Share drive experience + feedback Share drive pictures in the gallery Post trip report after the drive

Super @Ale Vallecchi... Many congratulations 🎉

Well deserved, congratulations @Ale Vallecchi 👍

We all have seen the incidents and how bad it can go wrong if recoveries are not done in a proper (safe) way. There are a multitude of reasons for that: 1) Tugging too hard 2) rusted tow points 3) using poor quality shackles 4) using poor quality tow ropes instead of recovery ropes 5) Wrong angle etc... etc... etc.. HENCE we take recoveries very serious and educate others as much as possible about the potential dangers.

did you supercharge your 'X'? bdw, wish you a happy onam too.

Wait for Friday my friend...🤣. Meanwhile Happy Onam 💐

Lol it's on:)

Just to clarify to all members on this drive. Leaders have been instructed by Carnity to request that ALL DRIVERS ACKNOWLEDGE, ON ALL DRIVES, THE COVID-19 RULES, ONCE AGAIN. This is due to few, but regretful, situations, where members ignored the safety rules put in place by the Club to comply with the Government's laws still being enforced with matters of congregations, social distancing, etc. These incidents put Carnity, as event organizer, in the potential position to be prosecuted, and heavily fined, for breaching such laws. This may happen not only in the unfortunate case that one member, or guest, be found positive following a drive, but also through monitoring of the internet, in case pictures were posted on the Club's or personal social media, showing the disrespect of current laws (keeping the distance of 2 meters, wearing masks, gathering of not more than 10 people, etc.). It will be the care of leaders to allow drivers and passengers outside the cars, when possible or needed, according to current laws. So please, refresh your acknowledgment of Covid rules before 9:00 PM this Thursday, by clicking once again on the "Totally Agree" icon. The latest date of the acknowledgment will appear next to your name and the "Totally Agree" icon. Failing to do so will imply the removal of the non-compliant member from this drive. Thank you very much for understanding the situation, and complying with our simple request.

I understand, so please take in to consideration the feedback I gave. In this troubled times, lets all respect each other, share, learn and enjoy the off road of life

Ace sells soft shackles, as well as kinetic rope. Adventure shop at Times Square also has them.

I have 2 tricks I want to try first

Il share you a trick 😃

Congrats @Ale Vallecchi. I never got a chance to drive with you but i always feel my presence in your ride while reading your trip report. You achieved this level in very short time.. hat of to you Ale..

RSVP is full. Please add my name in case there is a drop out. Many thanks, tariq.

Hi Ashok, I tend to think that if work is done, and if it is under gaurantee by the garage unless they told me not to do something a desert drive is the perfect shakedown to see if the work was done well. I presume that you had the gearbox and torque converter done. The parts should not need to be 'run in' like used to be the case with old engines. Just take it a bit easy to start with, a nice newbie drive and build up from there. Don't start with Faya.

Please add me to waiting list

That was Quick!!!!!

Covid 19 is dangerous and lethal. We should not wear mask just because it is the rule but we should wear it for our own safety and to protect ourselves. We humans tends to become complacent with time but please let's be cautious, the danger is still out there and is still claiming life around us. Stay safe people and protect our loved ones.

I suppose this was bound to happen that some names had to be taken , to make sure others fall in line. (This includes me too).Unfortunately they were of the persons mentioned in this discussion...and I strongly believe it was to deter others, and urge the respective people to take it sportively.There was a newspaper article too mentioning whoever had defaulted on following the covid precautions!! Of course rules and precautions advised need to be followed, and when names are taken its upto oneself to make sure it's not repeated , it is for your own safety and for everyone's safety. Most importantly it is to make everyone else fall in line! Please do not get me wrong here, I am not taking anyone's side. Just wonder if feasible you guys have a chat verbally, pick the phone and talk...to keep everything in the right spirit! Sometimes misunderstanding happen when words are interpreted differently ( as we come from different places with different languages ). We all dont want to lose this opportunity to enjoy our weekends safely.

No it was the first time! Again I’m not challenging the law here. Laws and rules are the element of our collective well be. I desagree on how you are communicating. You got my point take it in to consideration or not is up to you.

The first showers got us into the muddy drive... As you rightly mentioned @Frederic, it was really weird to find so many people around in that area, some with family whilst the rest are hitting the dunes like totally crazy to watch.. It was definitely a different terrain, could say a bit forgiving however for me initially i was still trying to understand how exactly to tackle them and how much momentum will be required or gas to give when needed. And that's when i got crested thinking that i had enough momentum as it seems harder sand that usual..but desert keeps teaching us..Thank to you @Mels Wolf for guiding me there and to Freddie for that quick tug.. Moving on, it was great to see how the FJ cruiser @Biju Abdul uses the diff lock to smoothly get out of a steep kind of stuck and then makes me think well which one, the blue Rubicon @Jeandre Bezuidenhout or FJ 🤣.. The Suwaydan part of the drive was absolutely fantastic with the great pace and enjoying the scenic route. And it had its own technicalities as Freddie mentioned "he didn't say easy😆". I have been driving mostly in the summer but i can feel winter might have its own challenges as well but with the cooler breeze..☺️ We then drove towards Faya where i actually bumped on my left tyre 😒 since it was dark and i was unable to judge the steepness on the left and i lost the inner cover part above the wheel. I did manage to go all the way uphill in one go 👍🤪 where we checked and i found out that the part was missing😔. The tyre was also starting to loose pressure and it got me anxious. Finally on the way down @Mels Wolf went to that same spot to find that part and i highly appreciate this kind gesture brother...desert will definitely miss you.. thank you.. and also for keeping a check on my tyres while i was driving really slow towards the deflation point.. All ends well, as after inflating tyre and reaching home, the tyre appears to be good..though some fixes to be done. Thank you everyone for a great drive and special thanks to @Jeepie and @Febin Frederic. Cheers to our carnity spirit 🥰 TOTALLY! Few drives where i was there and we lost parts we found them actually ! 👍

Being too humble to mention it, @Frederic was the perfect leader, taking “one for the team” and sacrificing parts of his car in the process, to find the perfect route 😀 It seems however the motto of this bunch is “we leave no one behind, nor do we leave any (car)parts behind”😂😂😂

@Emmanuel I'm you biggest fan and with this thread you have won my heart and sure to win many more. Rightfully no shame and good to learn from such videos. @WiLfY spot on, sometimes we should leave little extra space in such situations as we cannot be sure how the car in front will react. Once we drive together in a few drives we pick up on drive habits and judgement gets better.