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  1. Thank you @Gaurav for the training, I am so happy I was able to make it. I did quite some recoveries in the last few weeks when I was supporting the absolute newbie en newbie drives and I learned a lot already but I was extremely impressed with the crest recovery we did yesterday. I knew about the V-track but to see it being done was wonderful ! Also the drive before the training, I really enjoyed. I was a bit worried about it because everyone in the convoy did loads more intermediate drives than I did but I think I managed quite well and I had a lot of fun ! Thanks to @Chaitanya D for the perfect crest and I cannot wait for the next training. See you all again soon 😊
    9 points
  2. An excellent evening, which was a nice refresher and also taught some great new information too. It was so nice to be sitting around (socially distanced of course) and listening to the Professor @Gaurav impart his incredible knowledge. It reminded me of the old days when we would all gather and eat together to share our drive experiences, that was pre covid. Inhsallah it will return soon. Special thanks to @Chaitanya D for getting crested in the prefect spot for us all to gather. Big boooos to @Desert Dweller who did crest earlier in the drive but then demonstrated the 'art' of self recovery and getting unstuck on a crest. Well done that girl, but we wanted you stuck. More events like this in the future would be great. Where is the Guru @Rahimdad ? We miss you out there!
    9 points
  3. Yes you can by digging from below the center of the car to create a similar V between front and rear wheels. I remember we did that once as a car was stuck on a ridge on an upward hill climb
    8 points
  4. Same, Same but Different Today was a day of firsts. The first time ever that a (married) couple led a drive together and the first time out, solo, leading in my new wheels. Having massively enjoyed the rugged, uncompromising effectiveness of the Jeep for almost a year we welcomed a 2nd off road vehicle into the family this week and today was the first time out leading in my Pajero. With the 'rivalry' in Carnity between Jeep, Mitsubishi and Nissan it felt a little disloyal to buy a Pajero but I am an SWB sort of guy, and with the other preferred options [Prado and Partol for those interested] out of reach, and as rare as hen's teeth, I was lucky to find a 3.8L SWB Pajero that had never seen the sand and had a full service history. I had supported two drives and been on two scouting drives before this afternoon, so it's not as if I just jumped in and decided to lead the drive, however, the conclusion from the day is Same, Same but Different. This was an exciting convoy. @Jeandre Bezuidenhout at 2nd lead, @Pancho at centre Forward for his second drive of the day with the Pajeepo (or is is Jeepero?) couple. @Mukundan Nair was also out with us for the 2nd drive of the day. Knowing that @Jun Zamora was going to be there with his Wrangler and @asifk was on the way brought a smile to my face. I have been lucky enough to see the enormous development of both drivers over the last months. When we added @Frederik Bisbjerg and @Tamas Hoffmann and @Jeepie as sweep, I knew this was a day when, my vehicle willing, we could push the boundaries a little. Had I been behind the wheel of the Wrangler, there would have been zero concern about the drive ... and yet, sitting behind the wheel of the Pajero despite being one of the most capable vehicles around, i was apprehensive: so apprehensive that I drove off without disabling all the electronic driving aids. This became apparent quite quickly so a quick stop to remove the relays and we were off. When my navigation software logged me out of my account after 10 minutes of the drive, I really began to think this might not be my or the car's day. I should not have worried. Driving the Pajero is really Same, Same But Different. The key differences: Comfort and Quiet: Having banged and clattered my way round in the Jeep for months, driving a car with suspension that travels further, leather seats, airco that works and elelctric windows is quite a change. The car feels a little less direct to begin with, but that's just a more sophisticated set up because this car is as easy and almost as nimble as the Jeep. Power and performance: Comparing the 3.8L V6 with the straight 6 4.0L Jeep is not really the measure of the cars. There is a diffference in the BHP, and frankly, the Pajero has a few more horses than the Jeep. The Pajero is currently running Bridgestone H/T tires, vs. Yokahoma A/T-S on the Jeep and yet, the Pajero seems slightly to have the edge. We did a lot of climbing today and I never felt worried by the legendary cut out at 5000 revs I had been wanred about. Capability and Care: It's strange. The utilitarianism of the Jeep means that you feel you can literally throw it about and it will survive. The metal bumpers, the exposed wheels, the removable doors and screen all make it feel more sturdy. For the first time, I am driving a car and worried about if the bodywork gets hit. I understand the trepidation of the drivers I have seen over the months nursing their cars round the drives. Don't get me wrong, the capability of the Pajero surprised me but I did find myself taking a few different routes thinking about if the angles at the front would mean that the bodywork might get damaged. Our drive today took us from 2nd December cafe on a circuitous route to Pink Rock. At this time of the day it was just too chrned and soft to even think about climbing. Instead, we circled round and came to the top of the rock so that the convoy could appreciate the beautiful nature and view with which we are blessed. We descended on the back side of Pink Rock and spent some time navigating the wonderful long dunes and climbs on this side, punctuated by stops to let @asifk's car cool down heading all the time for Big Red. A few climbs round the big dune before Big Red tested the convoy again. A popout (in my car!) on the way to Big Red was quickly sorted, but did mean that we had to exit the drive in the dark and exit to reinflate. Wee really had very few stucks and the buddy system worked really well for the refusals we had. Everyone drove very well and conntrolled. Driving a new vehicle. It's the same thing, but different. You need to learn the nuances of the car, the way it steers or slides or delivers power. Thanks to erveryone for maing today such fun and a great way to learn a lot lot more about what the car can do. I am not, by any means deserting the Jeep: it's far far too much fun to give up. Like I said, Same Same but Different. See you soon in the sand.
    8 points
  5. Thanks @Gaurav for an exciting first part where we drove fast , crisscrossing, climbing without much momentum and pushing ourselves. So many bushes scare me even more now , thinking when the tyres will pop out. The drive ended with a perfect crest at a shaded area where we had a fantastic brushing up of all that we know and learn more. Really appreciate that you had to speak non stop for quite a long time, teaching us all the off road recovery details. https://www.relive.cc/view/vDqgDrxJJVv One question was lingering in my mind , which I forgot to ask yesterday. Can we recover a car which is crested front to back ( in the center from front end to back while ridge riding) without a tug and only using a shovel. ? Some pictures uploaded in the gallery. Special thanks to the kids (Junior @Vanessa8580 & @Frederic with Junior @Matti Brockman)for making noodles or whatever they call in the whole area where we were sitting.( picture in the gallery and video below, 20200904_200937.mp4 it looks beautiful!).
    6 points
  6. Well done @Mukundan Nair for finding a working solution and coming back to post a copy here for everyone's future reference. THIS IS THE TRUE COMMUNITY SPIRIT. 👏 Rather than just sitting and complaining Xterra forum is not informative here as not many BOTHER to come back and contribute with the working solution, once their problem is resolved.
    5 points
  7. TRIP REPORT As I reached the meeting point, it was good to see that most of the cars had already reached and started deflating. There were a few new faces for me and after a quick introduction, followed by the Newbie briefing we started our drive towards the medium range dunes at the back side of Qudra. After getting around some of the small but which can be annoying semi - technical dunes we reached to the nice dunes where everyone had plenty of opportunity for side slopping, broad ridge crossing. Everyone managed the terrain extremely well, as I was bumping up the level bit by bit. Except for a couple of stucks which was easily managed by @Frederic and @Nacho (under the guidance of Frederic), there were hardly any stoppages in the convoy and a decent pace was maintained throughout the drive. With sun setting early these days, it gives us all a chance to try out a bit of night driving which posses it's own unique set of challenges. @Hennie Schoeman was my second lead and had a perfect drive through out except for the last stuck 10 m away from the road where he got himself caught in a nasty pocket with powder soft sand.. And we can probably say it was the case of 'One Man's mistake was another Man's opportunity', as Freddy got his chance to inaugurate his new winch for which he was waiting throughout the evening. Well done everyone for managing a Newbie+ drive so well. Special mention to @Frederic for supporting the drive. I was able to push the level, knowing you were there in sweep. Thanks buddy. See you guys next week. Take care.
    5 points
  8. This was my first Fewbie drive and the first time I have driven Bab al Shams. The briefing we got before attempting the criss-crossing of dunes was very helpful. It didn't, however, prepare me for how it feels when the vehicle crosses over after riding the crest and that moment of wondering if you're going to flip. It took me a while to figure out what was normal action and how my Pajero responded. This was probably the most technical drive I have done, and I'm still finding it difficult to get height on those sideys and bowls with my Pajero. I find even when I'm dropping down to 1st she feels really heavy and sluggish and I'm not reaching the height of other drivers. I came out of that first bowl thinking I was going straight over a dune only to come out too fast and have to take a sharp right to avoid going over into the unknown off track. I managed to bend the front tow hook towards the front bumper here and I think this is where my rear bumper turned sand scoop and tried to liberate itself from the body of my vehicle. I went around a few shops today looking for someone to fabricate a fix (link to forum topic below) but being in RAK I'm blazing a trail on my own atm with most forum recommendations centering around Dubai and a mention for Ajman. Hopefully I can get the modifications done before the next weekend's drive. As usual I'm learning something new each week and this drive was eventful with wildlife rescue attempts and poor @Islam Soliman having a stroke of bad luck with those airbags - thanks for your feedback on my dune crossings btw - always helpful to have someone else's perspective on what I'm doing.
    4 points
  9. @Ale Vallecchi thank you for your excellent leading and very detailed teaching during the drive. It was very fun with high tempo again. @Brette as always, recovered all stucks quickly and saved our fun times. Thanks to @Biju Abdul for good sweeping and all the other drivers for such a smooth drive. Pity to hear that wounded baby gazelle could not survive. @Ale Vallecchi @Heisem @Islam Soliman and other drivers did everything possible to save it. But this is the unfortunate rule in wild life. That bird (or other predator) attacked on it was also trying to survive... Anyway, it was another valuable experience. @Ale Vallecchi @Heisem maybe you can post a topic in the forum advising the drivers in such situations about injured wild animals...what to do, who to call...etc @Heisem nice to hear you enjoyed. It must not easy to climb on a messy track churned by my flooring I witnessed that you did it perfect with zero refusal since you were always in my mirror
    4 points
  10. Thanks@Ale Vallecchi, @Brette for another fantastic drive with you guys. It was different experience with being second lead in the convoy. Sorry for that we couldn't save the little Gazelle.
    4 points
  11. A very eventful drive yesterday, with a lot of practice of crisscrossing, thanks @Ale Vallecchi for explaining in detail how crisscrossing should be done properly and safely with confidence, riding the ridge and then crossing to the other side. Unfortunately we were not able to save the gazelle, this was because we were instructed to leave the gazelle by DM inspector and that it would be collected by wildlife services. However as we found out later they could not find the marker as they did not have a proper 4x4 to enter the desert and we were requested to return to the location we left the gazelle and give it to wildlife services. This meant that we had to drive quickly and @Ale Vallecchi @Brette @Jolly Abraham really picked up the pace, we were on a mission and I soon found myself crossing some technical dunes at much quicker pace than earlier in the drive. Knowledge and experience gained in Carnity drives helped here. We were too late unfortunately, but we did as much as we could, gave it water, put it in shade and clearly marked on GPS and with a flag its exact location for pick up. I want to thank the group for a very interesting drive. @Mehmet Volga I enjoyed driving behind you, could hear your engine as you floored it on some climbs 😄. It was also reassuring to have @Biju Abdul as our sweep😎 Excited for our next drive.
    4 points
  12. Thanks @Gaurav for the session and the first part of the drive ! Lot of things learned and I am sure we will learn more down the way through experience as well . The weather was beautiful too and a perfect spot for the training. Some pics in the gallery ! P.S. Happy Teachers day to all the Carnity Marshals / Experts out here
    4 points
  13. The Carnity club is all about 'Stock cars' and learning with each other. Intermediate level not only tests your car's ability but also the driver's skills. Some prefer to have a pissing contest to see how high they can climb, others prefer the challenge of technical dunes, criss crossing and ridge riding. The drives generally accommodate all As for refusals, they are part and parcel of off-roading, it happens to everyone, no matter their expertise and what we do as a club is wait and support, The driver will learn from it and at intermediate level (where no one is an expert) you should be more than capable of re routing to avoid the churn,
    4 points
  14. EVENTFUL DAY IN QUDRA BASIN - Bab al Shams' Loop Report Nice drive today in the so called "Bab al Shams" sector of the Qudra Basin. Punctual members, incremental levels of difficulty along the route, and a few adventurous moments. Actually, a couple of these unexpected situations have taken center stage, and have pushed in the background an overall impressive performance by all the drivers. To be specific, and give dues where dues are owed, @Jolly Abraham carried out an impeccable Second Lead, always correcting properly, and communicating smoothly. @Islam Soliman confirmed his skills at maneuvering such an extra-large car. @Lisa Pemberton delivered an impressive performance (extra kudos for making it all the way from RAK). @luwaimncontinued his progress, building up his confidence on the slopes (which will grow exponentially as soon as he'll understand his car's full potential). Likewise @Yousef Alimadadi progressed nicely throughout the day, overcoming some initial hesitance to show very good command and control. @Mehmet Volga and @Heisem handled their backward position, and the sometimes churned sand, without batting an eyelid. Finally @Biju Abdul swept the convoy with precision and flair (as he managed his FJ). Special mention for @Brette, who anchored the convoy and assisted on refusals and stucks, with patience and competence. Now, back to the adventurous moments. In chronological order, the first was the encounter with a very young wounded gazelle. It appeared in front of my car as I was coming down a side slope, hiding in the shade of a small bush. The fact that it didn't move made me suspicious, and decided to take a break from the drive to check it out. Unfortunately, the little one had some wounds on its back (maybe from a vulture?). The convoy agreed to see if we could tend to the gazelle, which we did by providing it with some water, and by calling the Municipality (all animal rescue places were closed). Contrarily to our instinct, to take it out of the desert to Qudra Parkimg, we were told that we should not move it: the area is part of Al Marmoon Conservation Area, and the information we got was that nothing can be taken from it, under no circumstances. The Municipality informed us that someone will be sent to pick the gazelle up, so we left it under some shade, on a straw mat provided by Islam, extra water care of Yousef, and a flag, care of @Srikumar (who had come to aid us from his nearby Newbie convoy) to identify the bush where the little animal was resting. Fast forward to the end of the drive, the Municipality had contacted Heisem (who had called them in the first place) and informing us that they could not locate the gazelle, asked us if we could go back and take it out. After leaving the rest of the convoy at the exit point, we went back, with Jolly, Heisem and Brette, hell bent on our rescue mission (upping the drive from Fewbie to Intermediate 😅). Unfortunately, upon reaching the flag-marked bush we could not do anything else but confirm to the Municipality that very sadly the little gazelle had died from its wounds. Nonetheless we did our best, and learned a lesson in how the conservation area is managed, rightly so, by the laws of wild nature. As for the second surprise of the day, it was certainly one that Islam would have done without. Fact is that most cars are programmed to be driven on flat surfaces, and their computers don't understand their driver's crave for off-roading. It so happened that, coming down from a small slope, just after crossing a low ridge, the big Yukon's electronic brain must have thought it was rolling to one side, and decided to save Islam by exploding its lateral air-bags. A stark, and unfortunate, reminder that all electronics should be switched off (or manually disabled) before going into the desert, so that a rather simple obstacle (Islam didn't seem to have any difficulty at all, navigating the ridge and the descent) doesn't transform itself in a dire problem. Wish Islam will be able to have his car back ASAP. As for the drive itself, after a technical briefing on riding ridges and crossing dunes, and a couple of practices (one driver at the time), it was clear that the whole convoy was able to manage such skills. We progressed from the western part of Qudra (closest to Bab al Shams) in a northerly direction, through a couple of sabkhas, so that we could then travel southward, and back west, and cross the mostly compact, wind-swept side of the longer open dunes, which in this area also offer abundant possibilities of side sloping, as well as some "bowl" areas. In the end, we traveled for 4 hours, including the stops for the briefing, the attempted rescue and the air-bags incident, for a total of 50 Km, at an average speed of 12 Kms/h (and moving average speed of 24 Kms/h). Splendid video @Islam Soliman. Well done!
    4 points
  15. @Chaitanya D @J J @Rinelle Sanaani @Febin Frederic @Matti Brockman @Mels Wolf @Najeeb Mohammed @Vanessa8580 @Foxtrot Oscar @Desert Dweller @Kalahari Thanks everyone for welcoming these training session, yes indeed some of the stuff you intermediate boys/girl knew already but its good to refresh again to know everything in a proper structured manner. I have driven with few of you and notice that few recovery steps get skipped like a Chinese whisper loss of message. For the first part, I was truly impressed with all of you and actually I wanted to get first 5 cars crested next to each other where chaitnaya got crested but as we were short on time, so I thought will live with one Xterra only. As per new structure everyone will get Recovery training - Intermediate level Leading a drive - Advance level Extreme and Technical recoveries - Advance level Basic Firefight and First Aid - Expert level Once you think you are ready or the next level, please apply for your promotion.
    3 points
  16. Another great drive, Thanks @Frederic and @Rahimdad. This was a great learning experience for me being 2nd lead. In my previous drives, I could watch the vehicles in front of me how they tackle each pass. In this drive, I had to be more alert and instantaneous especially driving right behind @Frederic. So much more to learn. Looking forward to more and more drives with Carnity.
    3 points
  17. 10 cars is perfectly normal for Intermediate level drives as we assume that the drivers have enough driving skills to reroute a bit to avoid cross tracks, and if still not possible to be able to plough through the churned track. And in the event if the area is a complete soup, at Intermediate level you can inform the trip lead and do a complete reroute or if you need the trip lead to come back and help in rerouting the same can be announced over the radio.
    3 points
  18. Hi @Chaitanya D great job , I read your question regarding self recovery on ridge stuck by self recovery with no shoveling , yes it’s possible and I have seen it . But I leave the detailed answer to @Gaurav as I am still learning as we all do 😊 Is the car doing the “ shoveling “ ? Diff lock ?🤔
    3 points
  19. Thank you @Ale Vallecchi, it was a great day will a lot of joy, fun and opportunity to learn many technical tip and tricks. thank you everyone🙏🙏🙏
    3 points
  20. Thanks a lot @Ale Vallecchi for another wonderful drive today. Being at the sweep position was a different experience to me, though not sure if I did justice to it’s responsibility 😀. Thanks to @Brette for managing all refusals and recoveries 👏🏻👏🏻 so well, I had no stress at the back. @Ale Vallecchi you have showed your kindness so well today by spending so much energy and time on trying to save the Gazelle, despite the fact that what happened to it was a normal survival fights within wildlife. Special thanks to @Heisem for finding an option to report this to Dubai Muncipality. All of us could practice ridge crossing quite well today and I am sure that all of us could step up our skills on this very important skill today. Excited to hit the dune next week for more such challenges. I am uploading some pictures and the trip track video similar to what @Islam Soliman did.
    3 points
  21. @Rahimdad Thanks , u and @Frederic really made it easy and hope to see u soon on the sand .
    3 points
  22. Great drive! Thank you @Srikumarand @Frederic. I thoroughly enjoyed and felt that not getting towed showed progression on my part 😂 . Glad the 4Lo behaved on my only refusal. Overall great fun and looking forward to the next one !
    3 points
  23. Hi @Lisa Pemberton and @Islam Soliman. I will be getting more stock within this week and can hand it over. Will let you know once I have them ready. @Islam Soliman Really sorry to hear about your air bags deploying. Really sad that these cars have the off road gear, but programming is for an on-road vehicle.
    3 points
  24. Hi , Seems it was a stuck relay, did the self diagnose. In the engine bay on left side you can find the relay box. It was relays No:7 &9. removed them cleaned and gave a tap. Reinstalled them and the issue is resolved. Not sure though what has caused it in the first place and hoping it wont repeat. Thanks for the inputs @Gaurav @Mohamed Seidam & ABS kill switch not yet installed, is it really necessary? Below are steps on how to do the self diagnose (without a tool) and the flash code chart, might help someone out later.. " If the engine starts when there is something wrong with the 4WD system, the 4WD warning lamp turns ON or flickers in the combination meter. When the system functions properly, the warning lamp turns ON when the ignition switch is turned to “ON”, and it turns OFF after engine starts. To locate the cause of a problem, start the self-diagnosis function. The 4WD warning lamp in the combination meter will indicate the problem area by flickering according to the self-diagnostic results. Refer to DLN-59, "DTC Index". Diagnostic Procedure (A/T models) 1. Warm up engine. 2. Turn ignition switch “ON” and “OFF” at least twice, and then turn ignition switch “OFF”. 3. Move A/T selector lever to “P” position. 4. Turn 4WD shift switch to “2WD” position. 5. Turn ignition switch “ON”. (Do not start engine.) 6. 4WD warning lamp should turn ON. If 4WD warning lamp does not turn ON, refer to DLN-72, "Diagnosis Procedure". 7. Move A/T selector lever to “R” position. 8. Turn 4WD shift switch to “2WD”, “4H” and “2WD” in order. 9. Move A/T selector lever to “P” position. 10. Turn 4WD shift switch to “4H”, “2WD” and “4H” in order. 11. Move A/T selector lever to “N” position. 12. Turn 4WD shift switch to “2WD” position. 13. Move A/T selector lever to “P” position. 14. Read the flickering of 4WD warning lamp.
    3 points
  25. 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.
    2 points
  26. Hi Richard, There are quite a few options: 1) Suction cup with a light dune buggy flag from DM. Breaks off easily, but if you duct-tape the flag to that suction cup it will last. 2) A bracket that you can get fabricated that is mounted on the rear spare wheel, and where you can screw an AOR flag on. (the big red flags that you see in the gas stations). 3) If you have roof rails, a pipe clamp works as well. Most hardware shops have these. Vanessa has an aluminum tube as a flag, and is able to stick that into a small space inbetween the spare tyre cover. Never fell out. I am sure our Pajero team @RohanH @Shiju Manuel @Mels Wolf @Sinol @Lisa Pemberton and lots of others can share their experiences.
    2 points
  27. @Srikumar @Frederic thanks guys for a memorable drive (yet again). What an experience getting stuck like NEVER before and seeing you guys operate (with obvious experience) getting me out of there! Was a pleasure being the test dummy for the new winch! Looking forward to many more drives with you gents!
    2 points
  28. Thanks @Biju Abdul. You have shown great improvement, both in your technical skills, as well as in managing your car's potential. Very well done. See you soon again.
    2 points
  29. Recovery from a crest without tug Car is crested like below Recovery with a shovel only ? One has to start shoveling in the front of the car at the center between two tyres ( as in videos below) . The V channel will displace the sand from the crest hitting the belly . Once u see clearly all sand has come off the belly all the way to back of the car and infact see the horizon/sky under the car , put car in 4L , low rpm and u will come out! Caution: Do not remove any sand under the wheels and do not remove any sand from the side @Mohamed Seidam
    2 points
  30. It was indeed the best drive I had so far with a perfect mix of speed and complexity.. couldn’t ask for more!! Congratulations @Jeepie and @Wrangeld for making a mark in Carnity history. Keep going!! @Shiju Manuel @Pancho kudos to both of you for today’s job well done 👍 Seeing my 6yr old daughter literally having big smiles everytime we were negotiating those tricky tall dunes was super satisfying! Thanks to each and everyone for managing the whole drive really well. You were all amazing today!!
    2 points
  31. @Rahimdad Thankyou very much for the kind words. It was my 3rd drive and learned alot from every single driver. And thank you for your advices and tips which helps us alot. @Frederic you are a rockstar. Making us love every bit of it. Looking forward for more rides.. see you when i see you..
    2 points
  32. Thanks a lot @Desert Dweller. Long time no see 😄 I am looking forward to drive together soon.
    2 points
  33. Thank you @Tbone. Your passion is great, and your progresses are undeniable and well deserved. Looking forward to our next drive together. Thank you @Shamil. I hope you can sort out your car's problems soon, and you can pick up your climb up the ladder where you left off. See you soon out there.
    2 points
  34. No worries buddy, better have it looked at. See you next time ! Nothing to add to this wonderful drive report from @Rahimdad ! A truly lovely morning with a group or passionate off-roaders who all did so amazingly well. I would have gladly extended it another 30 minutes but didn’t want to jinx it, and like all great artists we should go out on a high 😜 See you guys soon in the sand !
    2 points
  35. TRAINING RSVP IS CLOSED NOW Here is the final convoy list Gaurav Pajero Chaitanya D Xterra J J Jeep Wrangler Rinelle Sanaani Jeep Wrangler Febin Frederic Jeep Wrangler Matti Brockman Jeep Wrangler Mels Wolf Pajero Najeeb Mohammed FJ Cruiser Vanessa8580 Pajero Foxtrot Oscar / Desert Dweller Xterra Kalahari Xterra @Chaitanya D @J J @Rinelle Sanaani @Febin Frederic @Matti Brockman @Mels Wolf @Najeeb Mohammed @Vanessa8580 @Foxtrot Oscar @Desert Dweller @Kalahari Get ready for some fast pace intermediate level fun driving to start the session, as we need few real cars stuck Please be on time, sharp at 5:00 PM, little early is always better. Please tune to Carnity Channel 1 - 446.006'25 freq. Deflate your tires to 12 PSI as soon as you reach to the meeting point. Be inside your car - AT ALL TIMES - after the deflation.
    2 points
  36. It is minor damage but its not a good feeling to see the car damaged
    2 points
  37. Small Yet Perfectly Formed Some drives just work, and that was the case for this morning's Fewbie drive to Fossil Rock. Having scouted the route with @Jeepie earlier in the week (more to test drive my new wheels than anything else), I knew that the route for this drive took the Fossil Rock experience to a new level. As the smaller than usual number of drivers found out, this was a drive full of unexpected gems. @Shiju Manuel was given his first chance to play secnd lead, and newly promoted @Pancho was centre forward. This all meant that at sweep, I had only to make sure I did not embarass myself, feeling like I did like a Newbie getting to grips with the new car. What @Lorenzo Candelpergher, @Mukundan Nair and @Sreejith Sreenivasan did not realise is that for other reasons, this drive made Carnity history. To my knowledge, this is the first time that there has been a (married) couple managing a drive [top and tail at least] as the seniors on the drive. @Rahimdad - we know that it's been a dream of yours to have a first woman leader in the Carnity community: Today was that day. Not just with aplomb, but consummate confidence and capability this drive took us through the technical dunes to the first play area, up to the top of Fossil Rock and then on to Faya through the soft sandy dunes that cover the route and catch the unaware. We even got to see the Newbie convoy arriving at the play area as we were about to leave to continue the fun (clearly that crested Ford was eventually tugged off!) The level was excellent, a great balance between speed and complexity, evidenced by the limited number of hold ups for the odd tug or dig or reroute. Small but perfectly formed - two of our drivers made it to the top of Faya the hard way. Small but perfectly formed - the rest of the convoy performed very well despite the soft sand benefitting from less cars churning up the sand. Small but perfectly formed - we exited on time with everyone having big smiles and a look of satisfaction. Excellent lead @Jeepie you make it look easy.
    1 point
  38. @Srikumar an evening well spend on dessert !! Great lead and I had a great time @Frederic as always there to help in any topic . Will see you next week !! Keep safe everyone 👏👏
    1 point
  39. Congratulations @Ale Vallecchi. This is a very well deserved title. Your contributions to the group are invaluable and I look forward to many more adventurous drives with you.
    1 point
  40. Hi @Gaurav@Vanessa8580 and all other wonderful guys for today's drive . It was a superb drive and cud learn much about controlling the vehicle at speed and much more. It was thanks to gaurav and Vanessa for the support and effort comments and directions while tackling the pink rock. You guys are doing aa superb job @Gaurav@Vanessa8580 and all other wonderful guys for today's drive . It was a superb drive and cud learn much about controlling the vehicle at speed and much more. It was thanks to gaurav and Vanessa for the support and effort comments and directions while tackling the pink rock. You guys are doing aa superb job
    1 point
  41. Congratulations @Ale Vallecchi! I'm very happy on your promotion, you absolutely deserve it. I have learnt a lot from and would love to learn even more.
    1 point
  42. Agreed. And the training is to help recover other vehicles 😜
    1 point
  43. Thank you @Gaurav and @Frederic for the valuable comments and paying attention to the smallest detail regarding any rope recovery is very important in order to avoid or minimize the risk to the minimum and if occurs God forbidden to ensure damage is almost zero.
    1 point
  44. We started using additional rope support on every soft/medium/hard tugs. It cost additional 30 seconds but safeguard everyone life and expensive damage.
    1 point
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