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Last Friday when we were almost finishing the drive at Murqquab we saw a huge pile of waste in the sand seems like a party left over and it was very sad to see. The climate is getting better and it attracts more people to the desert for off-roading and camping and sometimes they don’t take the waste back. Desert is fragile environment which are home to various creatures from reptiles to camels and we must be attentive in how we treat the areas that we visit. These animals depend on land to survive. Land that is untainted by plastic wastes or human wastes. Muncipalities are giving fines to residents who are not following the rules, not putting fire or fire pits and leaving the thrash behind. If this goes bad slowly we will find places getting more restrictions and even closure. All of us can better the desert’s ecosystem by playing our part in keeping the desert clean. The process is simple, easy, and a great lesson for everyone! How can you keep the desert clean? Along with the barbecue, firewood and food, always bring along garbage bags to keep our trash in. This way you know where our trash is going and it is easier to keep track of. When we are doing barbecue or putting a camp fire always put the fire off with water and take the coal (make sure the fire is completely killed) in the garbage bags. If we are having food in the desert take the waste back and put those at the garbage bins near the exit points and prevent anything from scattering across the sand. If you find someone else's trash on the desert, be kind and pick it up. I would wish for someone to do the same if I forgot about the trash left behind. Have herd from seniors @Rahimdad @Gaurav @Srikumar the garbage and dead animals they had seen in desert which was worse than what we saw last week. Is it possible for us to organize a Covid 19 Compliant Desert Cleanup Drive.

I use both the roof top LED bar as well as the one near the headlights, and both serve two different purpose. 1. The LED bar at the top is curved which is more of a spread light which helps see a bit on the left and right of the car especially when you are crisscrossing a dune, however the straight line visibility is limited. 2. The one in front of the headlight is a powerful spot LED bar which gives good straight visibility. If I had to choose one between the two, I would choose the spot LED bar any day because of the light intensity and the clear visibility of the track in front of you. I would recommend installing it near the headlights or just below as that is the best place to install without any reflections and you can direct the light in the right angle. Now, if you are installing near the front headlights, depending on the space availability you should look to install the most powerful spot LED light bar. Mine is a 32 inch spot LED light bar of 480W and my night vision has improved so significantly that I am no longer called a Day time Marshal (the old timers in the club would know what I mean) 😁. You can put smaller LED light bar beam as per the below image on the two sides (near your windscreen) that would give you a peripheral vision. This would be my recommended setup.

@Alexander Alcala we have always run all our desert cleanup campaigns with the help of Dubai and Sharjah Muncipality. Without their help we would not be able to clean up tonnes of rubbish in 2 - 3 hours. But at this point in time the safety of our community is at stake. I even remember @Ale Vallecchi family picking up plastic and dirt from a portion of the desert pre-Covid times, but I do not see this as something to do with the current situation. We will however monitor the situation from time to time and put forward a proposal to Dubai Muncipality as soon as the situation gets better.

I also thought about that, because it is horrible to find plastic and bottles at such an extent in these beautiful areas. But we also have to think in our own safety. What we can do, maybe, is document the piles of garbage in the desert and promote a cleaner culture. And perhaps the government will join us in a cleaning / conscious creation campaign. In the end, the desert is one of the touristic attractions of the UAE and it should be in the government's interest to preserve it.

Thank you @Nivin for a very beautiful and heartfelt column on this never ending problem. We have arranged for several Desert Clean up drives in the past and would love to continue such efforts. However at this time due to Covid19 being rampant, there is no safe way of carrying out such exercise. Remember even on our normal drives we are following Covid19 precautions and not allowing anyone to step out of their cars if not really necessary. What we understand from the experts point of view is the PPE we need for 99% safety is very expensive. Even after spending so much there is still a 1% chance you might not be safe. Over the years we have realized that we could run Desert Clean up drives every week and never have enough drives for this purpose. The only way we can make things better is not by picking up someone's garbage, but to spread the awareness by speaking to people about the mess they create and the consequences. My humble request is not to get emotionally carried away and start picking up behind people. As seen not everybody follows Covid19 precautions and gather around in what can only be a Covid19 spreader event. You have no idea if the garbage left behind has any Covid19 traces and I'm sure even if you can survive it, there must be some children or elderly at your place who might not be able to fight the virus. Protect yourselves and your loved ones and spread the word on cleanliness not the virus.

Bumped up one of the old post.

Dear Desertnauts. It's time to build the expectation for this Thursday's drive. Better yet, drives. In fact, as mentioned in the post, this has been conceived as a marathon, to be executed in one whole day. Considering the diversity of the terrains, however, it has been divided into 2 parts: the first one from Lahbab to as close to Skydive as possible, and the second part, from Murqaab, across the Dubai-Al Ain highway, to the Qudra area (with Solar park as the minimum objective, and Qudra Parking the ideal finish point. The first part of this marathon will take us from the low, yellow dunes of Lahbab, through a technical area, to a string of red sand low bowls (very playable), and, time permitting, through a second technical area, all the way to the very nice open dunes stretching between Margham and Skydive. This area presents a couple of tricky, no-go, points, where driving it's forbidden, as marked by some "skull and bones" signs, near an oil and gas installation, and impeded by the endless metal fence surrounding one of the Royal Villas. These same "no-go" areas make this drive not so common among any other off-roading club, which is a plus for us at Carnity. We may share this terrain, if at all, only with locals, engaging in the art of falconeering, or herding camels. The second half of the drive, will see a change of terrain, starting on a yellow sand mix of technical and open dunes, then across a small sabkha leading to a sand track cutting across a very treacherous area of technical dunes, eventually ending at Lisaili's white sand long range dunes, stretching all the way to Solar Park, and to Qudra proper beyond. Given the variety of terrains, the driving skills required will be practically all inclusive: finesse driving, controlled straight crossing, side sloping, both low and high, as well as criss-crossing and occasional ridge riding (especially in Qudra). With this, I welcome to the drive @Javier Lucero, @Athula Dharmadada, @Anand Nataraj, @Abu Muhammad, @Senthil Kumar, @Yasas Dharmadasa, @RaYan E, @Alexander Alcala, @Tamas Hoffmann, @Sinol and @Foxtrot Oscar. More details to follow on Wednesday evening. Enjoy your short week.

Terrific this is! More adventure

Dear friends @Janarthan, @Christian Andras, @Jorge Stepniak Felippe, @Mehmet Volga, @Ilya Golubinsky and @Lorenzo Candelpergher Thank you for signing up on this intermediate drive starting at Lisaili.As you are aware , since this is an intermediate level drive we will try to drive through terrains which is a mix of long range playable dunes and some tight technical areas which will make you a better sand driver. Always remember to get to play areas one has to cross these technical areas at most places and hence one needs to practise and master on these "baby dunes" which literally suck your car in even if you lose concentration for a second. We will try to start as sharp on time as possible and head on the camel track to the technical areas , where we will take a slightly difficult path for you all to be prepared as you progress in your off road levels. Once this part is clear we will be doing most of the playable long range "honeymoon" dunes in Lisaili, Murquab and onto Faqa. Hence the name "troika" as we will be playing on three areas of white sand. Remember there will be technical dunes separating each of these areas . We will try to reduce them as time progresses and head towards areas which are closer to the exit on to Al Ain Road. Be prepared for repeated sideys, longer ridge rides and higher criss crosses which will keep you engrossed. We will keep good pace and try to cover all of these , albeit if there are some issues beyond anyone's control. Rest assured we will be doing it in as safe a manner as possible.Please check your cars are in the as best of conditions as possible and all fluids topped up well in time. More updates on final members joining soon. Enjoy your week for a fun and adventure filled long weekend!!

Sand to Mountains: Mission accomplished - Trip Report What a pleasure to drive in a little known area, where the only tracks on the sand are those of local farmers (with their un-plated, left-side driving, miniature vehicles), and camels. Everything in this area, yet to be named (to which we refer as E611 to Al Ghail), is different from the usual off-roading spots in the rest of the UAE. The red sand provides the growing environment for bushes, creeping plants, lone trees and vegetables (as found in one large farm along the way), as well as being the stomping ground for big camel herds, and occasionally, goats. This is also an area where endless longitudinal (Saif) dunes can be found, separated from each other by thin sabkhas, and by at least 3 huge pans of absolutely flat, black soil, dotted with a few tall trees (perfect campgrounds). The final surprise of the drive is the small plateau of powdery red sand, nested between the Al Ghail Industrial Area and the abrupt beginning of the Hajar Mountains. Red sand meeting, finally, black rock. A beautiful sight. This is the terrain which we drove and explored, with a very strong Fewbie group, which behaved and performed like a more advanced group. In fact, this drive is deceitfully easy: a great deal of ground can be covered driving on existing tracks, which, however, lead to apparently simple, yet treacherous obstacles, where soft bowls, deep ruts, molasses-like dune tops, sudden drops and invisible steps, hide behind low small dunes, or innocent looking turns. The sense of complacency that the presence of abundant tracks and the beauty of the landscape breed, can easily turn into refusals, stucks and long delays. So, I must say, this group performed extremely well. Congratulations to all, @Rizwan Waheed, @Dagdag Sofiane, @Senthil Kumar, @Tero Vallas, @Tamas Hoffmann, @Rizwanm2, @Ilya Golubinsky, @Biju Abdul with particular thanks to @Islam Soliman for providing a sure-footed and well executed Second Lead, @asifk for anchoring and assisting the convoy, and @Wrangeld for lending his experience and knowledge in the Sweep position. Great thanks for working well together, while respecting Covid rules, at recovering the only stuck of the day, on that crest with mountain views, in the last stretch of the drive. Good team work. The drive ended after covering 61.7 Km in 4:24 hours (of which 3:02 moving), at a total average speed of 14 Km/h (20 Km/h while moving), and a cumulative climb of almost 1 Km (from the lowest altitude of -37m) See you all out there, soon.

To stop the hood reflection. You can always Matt black foil the top of your hood like the Camel Trophy Land Rover Discovery Series I

I would suggest to add one at a time and see how it performs. Start with the spot powerful LED bar near the headlights, then depending on how your visibility is in the night you can add more. First check where is the place to install this LED light bar. Then measure the width and buy the LED light bar. Toby's is a very good Chinese brand and they have a shop in Dragon mart. Both my LED light bars are from Toby and they are quite competitively priced compared to other bigger brands (which are also assembled in China).

@Frederic Thanks for your inputs. I guess both reflection and noise is somewhat dependent on car type, size and mounting. I had another car before with roof lights, and the reflection was really a bad problem. I am just speculating that the FJ might be better in that sense, since the windsheild is more erect, and the bonet short. But then again, it's just me speculating, it would be good to hear from someone who has it... Same goes for noise - before buying the FJ, I was told the noise with the original roof rack on is very bad, but when I bought it, the previous owner removed the most front transverse bar, and there is no problematic noise... I also was thinking of a ledbar at the grill, but I have limited experience of driving off-road at night, is it not better to have the light higher up on the car?? What's your opinion?

Hi @Christian Andras your points and concerns are completely valid. I used to have a double led bar mounted on the roof, but the wind noise was quite horrible and the reflection on the hood was also there but by pointing them a little bit upwards i was able to minimize that. From my opinion i have seen better results from a slightly smaller bar with latest LED technology mounted on the front grille.

@Sandi88 @syed salman raza Thanks for signing up for the Newbie drive on Thursday afternoon. As you probably saw in the WhatsApp notification, we want to make sure as many people can drive as possible with Carnity and limit the sign up to one drive per weekend from Sunday to Wednesday. It looks like you signed up for this drive and also the other Qudra Newbie drive with @Ale Vallecchi on 31 Oct AM. For the moment, we need you to make a choice of one or the other and sign out of either this drive or sign out of the Saturday morning drive. On Tuesday evening, we will know if there are spaces available for members that want to drive two times or have multiple sign up for drives and the lists will open again with any open spots. Thanks in advance for your cooperation. We know that everyone wants to get as much experience as possible. See you soon in the sand.

Congrats @Athula Dharmadada

Congrats @Piotr Kolodziej

well done @Arda Yagcioglu

Great news, well done and well deserved @Yusuf Esaf

The man with the bright smile in the FJ 😁 Congrats buddy, well deserved !

Congrats @Yusuf Esaf ! see you soon in the sand !

@Piotr Kolodziej well done on the promotion. Was well deserved.

Congratulations @Yusuf Esaf, well done

Great news @Yusuf Esaf looking forward to multiple drives with you in this new level.

@Piotr Kolodziej congratulations 👍

@Gaurav Thank you so much. Thanks to @Srikumar @Wrangeld @Foxtrot Oscar

@Piotr Kolodziej congratulations buddy

Congratulations @Piotr Kolodziej 👍🏼

@Piotr Kolodziej Congratulations

@Piotr Kolodziej Congratulations!

Thanks @Ale Vallecchi for another wonderful drive.. as I always tell you after every drive, one can never get bored driving with you as everyone is different full of surprises, new scenery, and loads of information and experiences. to be honest you make second lead looks very easy with all the clear instructions and advises .. really enjoyed it ..thx a lot Great group of drivers @Rizwan Waheed, @Dagdag Sofiane, @Senthil Kumar, @Tero Vallas, @Tamas Hoffmann, @Rizwanm2, @Ilya Golubinsky, @Biju Abdul with passion and drive for exploring new territories with excellent teaming and always looking up for each other.. big thank you to the shoveling heros who worked together relentlessly to get the Black Beast off the crest .. Thanks @Wrangeld and @asifk for your support to this drive Again thanks everyone, can’t wait for the next adventure

Congratulations @Piotr Kolodziej 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

Hi @Alexander Alcala. You will be #1 on the WL. Will open up the drive again on Wednesday. Thanks a lot. Hello @Islam Soliman. You are #2 on the WL, waiting for the drive to reopen on Wednesday. Thanks Dear @Mohamed Seidam, you will be #3 on the WL, pending the reopening of the drive on Wednesday. Thanks Dear Desertnauts. It's time to build the expectation for this Thursday's drive. Better yet, drives. In fact, as mentioned in the post, this has been conceived as a marathon, to be executed in one whole day. Considering the diversity of the terrains, however, it has been divided into 2 parts: the first one from Lahbab to as close to Skydive as possible, and the second part, from Murqaab, across the Dubai-Al Ain highway, to the Qudra area (with Solar park as the minimum objective, and Qudra Parking the ideal finish point. The first part of this marathon will take us from the low, yellow dunes of Lahbab, through a technical area, to a string of red sand low bowls (very playable), and, time permitting, through a second technical area, all the way to the very nice open dunes stretching between Margham and Skydive. This area presents a couple of tricky, no-go, points, where driving it's forbidden, as marked by some "skull and bones" signs, near an oil and gas installation, and impeded by the endless metal fence surrounding one of the Royal Villas. These same "no-go" areas make this drive not so common among any other off-roading club, which is a plus for us at Carnity. We may share this terrain, if at all, only with locals, engaging in the art of falconeering, or herding camels. The second half of the drive, will see a change of terrain, starting on a yellow sand mix of technical and open dunes, then across a small sabkha leading to a sand track cutting across a very treacherous area of technical dunes, eventually ending at Lisaili's white sand long range dunes, stretching all the way to Solar Park, and to Qudra proper beyond. Given the variety of terrains, the driving skills required will be practically all inclusive: finesse driving, controlled straight crossing, side sloping, both low and high, as well as criss-crossing and occasional ridge riding (especially in Qudra). With this, I welcome to the drive @Kailas, @Gok Krish, @Hatim Patharia, @Piotr Kolodziej, @asifk, @VipinShetty, @topgear, @Pancho and @Foxtrot Oscar. More details to follow on Wednesday evening. Enjoy your short week.

Merci bien @Frederic! I have joined the WA group. I was wondering how ALL the newbies were beating me to sign up for the rides 😂 Now I just need two more cancellations and I'm all set 😊

This was one of the most fun drives with gorgeous scenery and great group of drivers. Thanks @Ale Vallecchi for the opportunity to be your centre forward- my first time in that position which gives a unique perspective on the convoy. As always @Wrangeld provided a great anchor to the convoy in the sweep position. Look forward to seeing you all again soon !

😁😎😀😉....I felt it coming!! Well done. You and your "killer whale" are now true icons. 👍

Congratulations @Islam Soliman You were behind me when I drove for the very first time

Congrats @Athula Dharmadada so happy to see you growing with us, as you have left the Pathfinder days behind See you soon in the sand !

@Islam Soliman you've tamed the GMC like noone before you and now it's going to face intermediate chalelnges with you. Great news.

@SureshVNair great news. Big congratulations on the promotion.

@Suresh Nair congratulations and good job 👍

Congratulation @Athula Dharmadada👍 prepare for the gradual thrill coming up . Be safe 🙏🏻

Congratulations @Arda Yagcioglu 👍

@Yusuf Esaf congratulations , prepare for another up level now 👍

@Athula Dharmadada congratulations

Congratulations @SureshVNair 👍🏼

Congratulations @Athula Dharmadada👍🏼

Congratulations @Arda Yagciogluon your promotion 👍🏼

Congratulations @Yusuf Esaf👍🏼

@SureshVNair Congratulations!