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EXPLORATION DRIVE "SEA TO MOUNTAIN" COMPLETED - Trip Report Fog, crispy wet sand, un-scalable dunes, free ranging camels, wild donkeys, longitudinal (Seif) dunes that suck your car down into their molasses-like sand, and, most amazingly, wide open plain areas with the look and feel of a savannah. This are some of the amazing situations and sights we found and saw during this first ever exploration of this un-named area, between the new Ritz-Carlton Al Wadi Desert Resort and the farming/industrial village of Al Ghail. Fog was the protagonist of the first hour of the drive. It hung on the whole area like a blanket, with visibility of less than 20 meters. Tired of waiting for it to clear, we ventured off the marked track, only to be bounced back on that same track by an un-scalable sand wall, made very slippery by the thin layer of wet sand on top, and at the same time very sticky by the soft sand underneath. Hence, we followed the marked track around the first group of dunes, very careful not to lose ourselves, having to venture out of the car at times, to take a better look at the many pockets and unseen drops that suddenly materialized in front of the lead. With only a stuck and a few refusals, and having to re-route only a couple of times, we finally found our way out of the fog, to emerge in an area inhabited by free ranging camels and wild donkeys, and characterized by stunning longitudinal dunes (or Seif), a few kilometers long and separated from each other by vegetation-rich stretches of flat land. The first and second sets of these amazing dune formations were divided by the greatest surprise of the whole drive: two huge sabkha areas with a completely flat and smooth surface made of an almost black hard soil, dotted with lonely acacia trees. Beautiful places for camping, in fact one of these "savannahs" was occupied by a small group of locals training their falcons. Here we rounded up our cars in a circle around a giant tree, for a quick stretch and to allow Najeeb to play with his drone, (which was luckily spared by the falcons 😅). From here we progressed toward the tarmac road which separates the industrial area of Al Ghail from its farming district. After crossing the tarmac we proceeded into the last stretch of the drive: a small but interesting plateau, full of intricate and very soft yellow dunes (some of which with hugely tall, Liwa-like, slip faces), which ends abruptly where the desert literally slams into the dark foothills of the Hajar Mountains. We could finally say: Mission accomplished. Thanks to all the Explorers who joined this "blindfolded" drive: @Wrangeld and @Jeepie, for advising me on a couple of tricky re-directions, which surely saved us a lot of headaches and precious time, @Yousef Alimadadi and @Jun Zamora for showing excellent control and continuing to show impressive progress in their driving skills, @Pancho for relaying all radio information to the back side of the convoy (even adding some personal touches and interpretations to the messages, that kept the whole convoy entertained), @Desert Dweller for managing to drive extremely well even at that horrific hour (it must have felt like sleep-walking) and @Foxtrot Oscar for sharing the ride and drive with Jamy, bringing her enthusiasm and energy along, @Najeeb Mohammed for documenting his first Advance trip from the sky, and finally @Kalahari, who took the sweep's position in great stride, and perhaps felt at home on a terrain which, in places, greatly reminds of some parts of South Africa, Namibia and Botswana. At the end, we drove for 60.3 Km, in 3:44 hours, at an average speed of 16 Km/h (22 Km/h while moving), and reaching from a lowest altitude of -63 m under the sea level to 230 meters (with almost 1 Km of total climb). Looking forward to the next Exploration drive (somewhere out there there are still little visited stretches of desert waiting for us), I wish you all a great week. No worries. It's very much appreciated. We'll soon post this drive again, as we now know that it can be adjusted also to a Fewbie level. In the meantime, I am looking forward to driving with you (and to your promotion, soon),

Congratulations @RaYan E for reaching the 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. P.S. Trip lead might deny your participation if you don't have required off-road gear. 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 Basic self-recovery techniques Advance side sloping and hill climb Basic ridge riding and criss crossing Basic control over technical dunes Slightly faster pace desert driving 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 And Fewbie Plus, after 5 drives at Fewbie level only Forum participation Active participation on the forum Share drive experience + feedback Share drive pictures in the gallery Post trip report after the drive

Congratulations @Abu Muhammad for reaching the 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. P.S. Trip lead might deny your participation if you don't have required off-road gear. 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 Basic self-recovery techniques Advance side sloping and hill climb Basic ridge riding and criss crossing Basic control over technical dunes Slightly faster pace desert driving 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 And Fewbie Plus, after 5 drives at Fewbie level only Forum participation Active participation on the forum Share drive experience + feedback Share drive pictures in the gallery Post trip report after the drive

Congratulations @Nitin Mohan for reaching the 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. P.S. Trip lead might deny your participation if you don't have required off-road gear. 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 Basic self-recovery techniques Advance side sloping and hill climb Basic ridge riding and criss crossing Basic control over technical dunes Slightly faster pace desert driving 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 And Fewbie Plus, after 5 drives at Fewbie level only Forum participation Active participation on the forum Share drive experience + feedback Share drive pictures in the gallery Post trip report after the drive

Congrats @RaYan E.

Congratulations @RaYan E

Congrats @RaYan E!

Congrats @RaYan E !!

Well deserved @Abu Muhammad !!

@Ale Vallecchi I would say it was perfect scenic drive and different terrain, perfect place for me to try my drone as well I have saved few videos in gallery hope you guys will enjoy.

@Abu Muhammad waitlist please

Congratulations @RaYan E!!

@RaYan E congratulations!!

congrats @Abu Muhammad!

Congrats @Nitin Mohan!

@Abu Muhammad congrats and well done.

@Nitin Mohan congrats !

Congratulation @Abu Muhammad

Thank you @Frederic I am happy because I have more chance to drive with you 😂.

Congrats @Nitin Mohan!

Congratulations @Asif Hussain for reaching the Marshal level with Carnity Offroad Club. Asif has Joined Carnity early 2017 and he has been an integral part of Carnity off-road club since beginning. His passion for off-road, excellence in navigational planning, scouting and exploring new areas, supporting the development of carnity offroad club structure, was just a few major contribution to mention apart from multiple weekly drives. After intense hard work, dedication and commitment to Carnity he has reached to the Expert level by end of 2018 and unfortunately he has to pause his off-roading for some time due to personal reasons. He resumed off-roading early this year and we all are delighted to offer his "Well-deserved" and "long awaited" Marshal promotion. He has successfully mastered the art of off-roading, leading, exploration and recovering by enjoying different drives through out the UAE. His exceptional writing and reporting skills, practical and well-planned approach along with amazing sense of humor is an asset to any drive. 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

Congrats

Thank you @Gaurav for giving me the chance to progress.

Congrats @Nitin Mohan !!

Congrats @Asif Hussain . Met you just a couple of times on my first few drives and looking forward to meet and drive with you soon. Congrats again and truly well deserved.

Congrats @Asif Hussain bhai!

Congrats @Asif Hussain

Congrats @Asif Hussain bhai !!

This drive is organized in full compliance with the COVID19 guidelines. We expect every member that joins this drive to go through below information and and strictly follow these guidelines in order not to jeopardize someone's health, and to ensure we can keep organizing these drives safely. MUST READ AND TOTALLY AGREE: COVID19 Precautions MUST READ AND TOTALLY AGREE: BAN POST Two Way Radio Guidelines Every Offroader brings his own radio, programmed to the frequencies described in below advice topic. We will not share spare radios or program your radio on the drive. If you need assistance in programming the radio, post a topic on the Carnity website with your questions and we will help you out. Make sure your radio is fully charged. It will be your only way of communication while driving. Before buying, please carefully read below advice so you are informed properly on which model / cost / shops... No radio = No drive. It is an essential tool and you should make sure you bring it on every drive and learn/practice how to use it. MUST WATCH: NEWBIE VIDEO BRIEFING Drive Details Level: Fewbie and Above (No Newbies) When: 16 Oct 2020, Friday. Meeting time: 6.00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: South Qudra Entrance - https://goo.gl/maps/YLUXK8PfEmShhjc86 Type of Car: Any proper 4x4 with front and back tow hooks and 8-10 inches of ground clearance. What to bring along: Loads of water, snacks (for yourself), smiles, face mask, rubber gloves, enthusiasm and willingness to learn. Approximate finish time: 10.00 AM End Point: (Depending on convoy performance) Solar Park or Last Exit THIS IS A COMPRESSOR ONLY DRIVE. PLEASE DO NOT SIGN UP FOR THIS DRIVE UNLESS YOU HAVE A COMPRESSOR. ANYONE ARRIVING AT THE DRIVE WITHOUT A COMPRESSOR, FLAG, PROPER SHOVEL AND DEFLATION KIT WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO JOIN THE DRIVE. ALL TOW POINTS WILL BE CHECKED BEFORE DEPARTURE. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE: Limited to 10 cars only. RSVP will close on Thursday - 9 AM. 1 Lead Marshall + 1-2 Senior Members + 10 Members. If the RSVP is full and you wish to join, please mention your name on the drive thread to add on the waiting list. Latecomers will be returned back - without ANY EXCEPTIONS. Members without RSVP will be returned back - without ANY EXCEPTIONS. Please withdraw your RSVP, if you aren't joining, so your spot can be taken by others. Repeated no-show members after RSVP will have their account suspended for a month. Please RSVP on the below calendar:

Join us to explore Al Khatim Desert in Abu Dhabi And learn the art of offroading in a versatile playground for your first off-road adventure. You will learn to self-drive your vehicle from experts having decades of off-roading experience in the UAE. This area offers a good mix of playable long set of dunes and broad ridges to test your off-road control. Drive is open for all 4x4/4WD/SUV/AWD vehicles having 8-10 inches of ground clearance and (MANDATORY) Front and rear tow hooks (MANDATORY) What you'll learn: Introduction to off-roading. Desert driving basics and etiquette. Desert driving tips, techniques, myth and best practices. Off-road and safety gear familiarization and recovery procedures. Vehicle orientation, risk analysis, deflation and outdoor safety advice. First time with Carnity Off-road Club: Please share your vehicle details - Make, Model, Year. Do you have any prior off-road experience? Confirm your vehicle has front and rear tow hooks / eyelets. Why should i join? We will teach you how to self-drive off-road safely and learn the best offroad driving and recovery techniques. If you have already driven in sand before then you can learn more from experts having decades of offroading experience in the UAE. This area offers a good mix of playable long set of dunes and broad ridge to test your off-road control. Can my vehicle do this ? This drive is open for all 4x4/4WD/SUV/AWD vehicle having 8-10 inches of ground clearance and front and rear tow hooks. If in doubt please first announce your questions on the drive thread so we can advise you further. Any stock 4x4/4WD are most welcome, you don't need any vehicle modifications. Can i bring passengers ? Yes of course, but if you are absolute new to offroading it is better to drive alone first to avoid any distractions. Learn More About: Carnity Off-road Club This drive is organized in full compliance with the COVID19 guidelines. We expect every member that joins this drive to go through below information and and strictly follow these guidelines in order not to jeopardize someone's health, and to ensure we can keep organizing these drives safely. MUST READ AND TOTALLY AGREE: COVID19 Precautions MUST READ AND TOTALLY AGREE: BAN POST Two Way Radio Guidelines Every Offroader brings his own radio, programmed to the frequencies described in below advice topic. We will not share spare radios or program your radio on the drive. If you need assistance in programming the radio, post a topic on the Carnity website with your questions and we will help you out. Make sure your radio is fully charged. It will be your only way of communication while driving. Before buying, please carefully read below advice so you are informed properly on which model / cost / shops... No radio = No drive. It is an essential tool and you should make sure you bring it on every drive and learn/practice how to use it. MUST WATCH: NEWBIE VIDEO BRIEFING Drive Details Level: Newbie and Above (All Levels) When: 16 Oct 2020, Friday. Meeting time: 6:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: - Khatim - https://goo.gl/maps/rz5sMB76Ui2JhNhE8 Type of Car: Any proper 4x4 with front and back tow hooks and 8-10 inches of ground clearance. What to bring along: Loads of water, snacks (for yourself), smiles, face mask, rubber gloves, enthusiasm and willingness to learn. Approximate finish time: 10:00 AM End Point: Khatim P.S. Only join if you have a compressor to inflate your tires after the drive. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE: Limited to 15 cars only. RSVP will close on Thursday - 9 AM. 1 Lead Marshal + 1-2 Senior Members + 12 Members. If the RSVP is full and you wish to join, please mention your name on the drive thread to add on the waiting list. Latecomers will be returned back - without ANY EXCEPTIONS. Members without RSVP will be returned back - without ANY EXCEPTIONS. Please withdraw your RSVP, if you aren't joining, so your spot can be taken by others. Repeated no-show members after RSVP will have their account suspended for a month. PLEASE RSVP ON THE BELOW CALENDAR EVENT

Please add me to the waiting list

Congrats @RaYan E

Congratulations @RaYan E. Enjoy learning off-roading at the new level.

Please add me on the waiting list. Thanks

please add me to waiting list

@Abu Muhammad Congratulations!!

Congratulations @Abu Muhammad

Thank you for your kind message. I certainly understand, and the last thing I want to do is to break the rules. There will be other opportunities. Kind regards,

Congratulations @Asif Hussain. well deserved. Look forward to drive more in Abu Dhabi with you

Congratulazioni @Asif Hussain, Master of Sweihan. Can't wait to drive with you soon.

Congratulaions Mr. @Asif Hussain. Hoping to drive with once as soon as thing get back to normal.

@Asif Hussain you were part of the original team of 5 Carnity Members with whom we used to off-road every weekend. From 5 members we have grown to more than active 120+ members who drive every weekend and you have played a key role quietly in the background. You opened up so may new routes and tracks in Abu Dhabi that we could only dream. You taught us what is Sweihan and ofcourse the Infamous Naqrah dunes as well (I felt the effect this morning as well). 😜 You learned your skills on the most difficult car amongst us, but still took it to such amazing places. All of the above is a testament of your capabilities. Extremely happy and privileged that I was part of your first Newbie lead. Congrats Marshal Asif

congratulations @Asif Hussain i never had a chance to drive with you. hope to join with you soon, cheers..

Oh @Asif Hussain i thought you were already a marshal ! Nevertheless from the good reputation around in here you are probably not less than one of the Carnity’s Legends . Hearty congratulations and hope to meet you and drive together soon . cheers 👍🚙🙏🏻

Fantastic news @Asif Hussain !! You’ve been an integral part of Carnity from the beginning and you totally deserve this. See you soon in the sands !!

@Asif Hussain congrats for probably the most deserved promotion in Carnity. I hope to join one of your drives soon.

Thank you Mr @Rahimdad and @luwaimn for helping me to get out of stack I had a lot of fun. new experience and skills is getting added to my desert driving hobby I was disappointed that I couldn’t climb the hill. I have had engaged my hand brake on the top of the hill and I forgot to release it I think that’s why I couldn’t climb the hill I noticed the hand brake in the inflating area.

Thanks a lot for a wonderful drive! It was my first time in Sweihan an I loved it! Those dunes are very impressive, so much fun! An, of course, thanks a lot to the leading team: @Asif Hussain and @Srikumar! The whole convoy drove very well, we had only a few stucks at the end of the drive. It helped to keep high pace and cover a great distance! I took several pictures, more is available in the gallery.