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I know its late to introduce myself since I have been off-roading with Carnity since 2017. However, I must be the most inconsistent member of Carnity in terms of joining weekend drives. My last two drives were this month ( Nov. 2020) after a gap of one year! In no way does this represent my high regards for Carnity and my inconsistency is totally due to personal struggles in life. Surprisingly, my introduction to Carnity was when I was looking for cheap bonfire wood😃 and I ended up viewing the advice posted by @Gaurav Bhai under Advice section and coincidently I picked up a solution for mounting my flag from a photo under that advice. After that introduction to Carnity website in Jan 2017, I only ventured on my first drive with them in Sept 2017. Prior to this my desert experience was a few drives as a passenger in the 90’s with some family members. My path to Carnity off-road club happened only after two other clubs I accompanied earlier for a few drives gave me an ineffective experience in off-road desert driving. I don’t have any negatives for the first club as it gave me an idea of the basic equipment required but it was more about drives than dune bashing i.e. mostly a simple drive in the desert for a picnic/ bbq. When I did try to go for a real off-road session with them they refused , as it was not for newbies and they did not organize any on a regular basis for the newbies. The second club was more structured in drive levels but they gave me the worst piece of advice i.e. for the entire drive they wanted absolute newbies to drive in 2nd gear! Yes it suited them as it meant very few refusals due to insufficient power but for me it was a disaster as it took many drives with Carnity before I learnt to rely on the automatic gear change control using the gas pedal. Till that time I would be constantly be playing around with the steptronic rather than concentrating on the speed and momentum. I now truly admire the drivers of manual 4x4s in the desert. My main reason for writing this introduction is totally and sincerely to thank the original leadership team of Carnity who were patient with me and gave customized guidance that has had tremendous impact on my confidence and love for off-roading. For this I will mention @Gaurav @Rahimdad, @Srikumar and @Asif Hussain. I must add that @Gaurav Bhai and @Rahimdad Bhai complement each other extremely well with @Gaurav being safety conscious and @Rahimdad who can get one out of most difficult sticky situations with Superman driving skills. Of course I still fondly remember the company of @Frederic, @Emmanueland @Brette with whom I shared some earlier drives, Karak Tea and Rahim Bhai's Aloo Parathas 😁. Now for my actual introduction : My second life partner is a 2014 Toyota Prado , 4 door, 4.0 VXR that I bought brand new but took into the desert for the first time in 2016 . It is a very good vehicle for on and off-road but I recommend that, whomsoever drives one off-road regularly, to modify the front bumper. I have had mine repaired twice and will only be comfortable once I get to reduce its size or replace it with one that is higher from the ground level. All are advised to have a stronger bash-plate installed to protect the radiator and the front components from bottom damage and never leave the sunroof open during the drives, mine is no longer operational after sand entered the compartment .It costs over 4K AED to repair if motor is faulty. Prado has been a good mix of a family vehicle as a 7 seater, offering quality, comfort, weight-to-power ratio, luggage capacity and two fuel tanks with 150 litre capacity. Yes, I wouldn’t mind a Raptor but then I would rather learn how to manage a dune than go through it 😆 ( Disclaimer - Raptor appears to be an excellent vehicle and my joke is not to offend any of the Raptor lovers). Finally, I strongly recommend Carnity from my personal experince and the fact that from a few years only they progressed from arranging single drive to ten drives on weekends; making each weekend very special for more than 150 off-road enthusiasts.

What a fantastic introduction @Atif ! I remember joining the club and cafeteria Atif at the end of each drive with wonderful Karak Chai from either you or Rahim Bhai. Probably none of us thought that two years later Carnity has become the fastest growing, hardest working, and most amazing off-road club of the UAE and that the community spirit has groomed people of all backgrounds to become seniors who contribute on a weekly basis by supporting or leading drives. I for one feel blessed to be able to be a part of this big family and if I can speak for all the other seniors we are delighted to see you back in the sands. The dynamics of Carnity might have changed but the values of being your second family will remain the same. See you soon in the sandbox !

@Abilash Madhavan Hi Abilash, you might have not noticed that we are going to LIWA with 5 convoys on coming Wednesday and Thursday, which is an event that needs a lot of planning and hence there will be no Newbie drives next Friday. This is a once in a year event that will exhaust us all so would appreciate your understanding.

Sorry to hear about your incident. But on the other hand its good to analyze what went wrong and how one can avoid such incidents in the future. Few observations: 1. Your loss of speed was mainly due to the fact that the rear of the car was fishtailing towards the left. For you to safely ride the ridge and crossed it over your speed should have kept increasing. 2. Once you lost the momentum, you should have steered down , i.e, towards the left side 3. More distance ought to have been kept in such fast pace drives so that in the event that the car in front has a refusal, the car behind has sufficient time and space to exit out safely. 4. Also if one cannot make the ridge its important to not force the car over and to exit out. Once exited you can try to avoid an incident by braking hard (not preferred but would be a lesser evil) 5. Regarding the popouts on the left side, since you drive a Patrol Y62 which is a heavy beast, when the roll was about to take place the entire weight of the car would have been on the left wheels causing it to pop out. Thankfully there was no physical injury and you are safe. A question, what was the level of the drive that you were participating in?

Trip Report: Thank you everyone for arriving on time inspite of heavy patrolling and temporary blocking of the Bab al Shams exit from Adnoc round about. No one who signed up missed the drive which is very satisfying for all the effort we are putting in the backend to accommodate as many Carnity members to get on to a drive every weekend in a very transparent way, Well done all of you. Writing this report reminds me of the cool wind buzzing through our cars riding on some "Buttery" dunes which Qudra had to offer from the entry point right till then end owing to a cloudy day which made the weather awesome for an outing like this. We squeezed most of the long range dunes on offer doing our bit of long slopes, sides, ridge rides and criss crossing. All of you drove really well in all areas , which is indeed commendable for a fewbie drive. Some of the drivers I was riding with were first timers , and after initial few minutes realized that you were well acquainted with the basics which are advised to you all on newbie drives by our more experienced Mar$hals. With sun setting and the sight getting more enjoyable we started heading to our exit , towards the tarmac beside Hamari well. The last technical dunes before the exit tested your drivability in tight spots where we did have some refusals but everyone were able to self recover and exit out well on time. Of course as it was dark, we did enjoy few min of night drive which is a different challenge and experience. @Pancho lead the almost all of the drive , and I was his second lead. It was a delight to be behind him and the way he calmly took us around the "Buttery" dunes was simply remarkable. Thank you very much for a great drive Pancho, which made our evening memorable. @Probir Mukherjee in the mighty Land Cruiser was a different driver from what I knew about him. Fantastic control on ridges, exiting out when you dont have the momentum perfectly and great improvement in communicating on the Radio. I hope your friend enjoyed the drive as much as everyone did.Self recovery from a tight soft deep pocket was a treat to watch ( pictures in the Gallery) @Jon M driving the montero was seen enjoying the moment. Some nice self recovery from a incline when he was side stuck on a dune, well done and great driving buddy @Mikhail Lukichev surfed his Prado on the sand as good as it can be, hardly any refusal and calls on the Radio which is testament for some fantastic driving done by you. Thank you for some nice snaps, appreciated. @Janarthan was our center forward , executing his role to perfection and always ready to help in any situation. Having you on any drive is a comfort for the lead and all in the convoy as one is rest assured that help is available when needed anytime. Thank you so much Jana @Mahmoud Hamzawy driving a Prado behind Jana was remarkable. Very well controlled and well driven, getting out of refusals from some tight situation was a delight tot watch from distance. Great control when you reversed and recovered your self , well done! @Goutam drove the Yellow wrangler really well. Absolutely unheard on the radio and hardly any issues, perfect driving . Well done @Tariq Carrimjee with an open top wrangler and all the gizmos for offroad is a delight to have on any drive. Great to see you enjoy the driving , especially on this day as the weather was simply perfect to enjoy what you have. @Islam Soliman our late addition to this drive and always a treat to see how well you drive a massive beast. Very well controlled driving , even in some tight spots and some great advise in situations where we needed. Well done Habibi @Anish S was our sweep and helped in situation which were tricky at times. Great to have a conversation with you when we had a break and know more about you and how you, yourself need and feel what you have to improve. This is what will make everyone a better off road driver in the long run. Thank you so much for all the assistance, and thanks to your copilot @Veedooshee for some great pictures We drove close to 52 Km, in about 3hrs 30 min with an approx stop time of 25 min, some stats to share. Of course these are not needed and do not convey the quality /sense of enjoyment we had during the drive. See you all again soon , while you enjoy a short week at work.

Congratulations @Rizwanm2 for reaching the Intermediate 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. INTERMEDIATE Drives Attended (Indicative) Minimum 10 drives are required within last 6 months for Intermediate promotion. (Drives can be a mix of Newbie, Fewbie (50%) and Fewbie plus, depending on your adaptability, learning progress and Marshal’s feedback) What you'll learn Basic GPS and navigational skills Basic tow rope and winch recoveries Extreme side sloping and long hill climb Tall dunes ridge riding and criss crossing Precise control over technical dunes Fast pace desert driving Skills required Adventurous and thrill seeker but in a safe manner Level headed under stressful situations Responsible, dependable and accountable 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. Drive teamwork Manage center forward position with Trip Lead’s permission Learn/assist recoveries under Trip Lead’s supervision Re-route convoy and coordination, when needed Learn to lead small portion of Intermediate drive under Marshal supervision Drive Joining Join Newbie, Fewbie, Intermediate and Exploration drives only Forum participation Active participation on the forum Share drive experience + feedback Share drive pictures in the gallery Post trip report after the drive

Merci bien @Frederic! God help us on this drive! My medical records and insurance have been updated 😂

Trip Report : Thank you everyone who was on the final convoy list and making it in time, for a slightly far away starting point than the usual drives every week. We deflated hearing the music from animals and birds waking up in the farms around Behzad Ranch. It was a beautiful cool morning and the countryside atmosphere was refreshing , while we had a socially distanced debrief and chat. It was great to see all drivers enthusiasm of what was coming. We headed quickly towards our first play area which this area filled with bowls had to offer. The wired shape of dunes made my task of leading a bit tricky as sometimes I totally missed reading a super soft pocket which was literally invisible. Owing to this the first stuck of the day was myself and had to be pulled out so that all were driving again quickly. More on this master rescuer of the day as you read along. We were at the first set of huge dunes exactly at sunrise .The red sand with the sunrise was a visual delight, and the music of cars revving while climbing was magical. Everyone of you did extremely well on the steep climbs we did and perfectly exited out .We played as much and then off to the next area. We had to negotiate a bit of technical dunes some of which were literally soft sand traps , and yet again everyone drove well except few refusals which was fantastic. As we came to the nest set of huge bowl, it was quite amazing to see how everyone of you were eager to get on with the climb. We did take turns on our first attempt here considering some of you were doing your first Fewbie plus and hence to make sure all was safe this was done. On the next round we all did the climbs and exit in unison which was a treat to watch. With the mood set for more we started heading to our next area of play and this needed us to climb in and out of some tricky bowls, some of which were tight with churned up sand. While doing this , we started to have the first of the few incidents which were lined up ahead. Two pop outs at same time on two different cars meant we would be stopping for a bit of time until things were set right. As one of the car with a pop out was on top of a smallish bowl, fixing it was very tricky as there was hardly any space to get it horizontal for lifting it on a floor jack. We did fix it though in as quick a time as possible considering safety of all involved in the process. Thanks to @Jeandre Bezuidenhout for coming out with a innovative idea to tie a strap and ratchet to lock the tire and inflate , which indeed fixed the pop out. We then climbed down the bowl and went to the next car and fixed the pop out in record time as @Anish S and @Islam Soliman had already made everything ready which was great to see. This team work is what brings all of us back every week , inspite of all the difficulties we faced on this day. The tire that was fixed was still leaking air , and had to be undone by deflating fully and cleaning it again, which fixed it. Just to make sure all was set in place we drove the car for a while and then set again towards out next set. As we drove along this patch somewhere behind Shabiyat in Sharjah we all encountered some really technical terrain which bought the best out of everyone of us, not just in terms of driving but also in terms of patience, team work, exercise and some decisions I had to make considering the safety of all. Many of us including myself were crested, stuck in soft patch and had many refusals here which slowed the pace of the drive considerably. Finally as I started heading towards the exit, and following a path which was as easy as possible we had our situation where one car was literally wedged in a pocket with no space to maneuver and no space for any other car to pull it out quickly. I had to make a decision that we all took turns to shovel as much as possible, and with some great wiggling under controlled RPM by @Anish S we could get the cars nose down from where it was safe enough to pull the car from the front. @Jeandre Bezuidenhout with his Rubicon was kept busy rescuing literally every one on the drive, and he tugged this one out to perfection ( videos in the recoveries topic by @Mohamed Seidam. We came across two cars with a broken Upper control arm and the drive getting clunky for them. We offered help to get them out but , after checking with their mechanic who advised not to move the car and fix it there. I hope they did not wait for too long as it was not very far from exit. Just to convey to you all this car had the best of suspension and gadgets, with some top brand. What it goes to say is that anything and everything can break in the desert with the kind of abuse our cars are put to with off-roading.Please get them checked regularly and do some basic check ups by yourself which will save you a lot of hassle in the middle of the desert. All these situations meant that we extended out intended exit by close to 2 hours exiting after an action packed day. We all learnt some great recoveries here, got out of some refusals which otherwise seemed impossible, got stuck in baby dunes and most importantly we all came out safely to exit on tarmac. @Jeandre Bezuidenhout was 2nd lead and defacto lead as everyone of you followed his track. He was our master rescuer of the day. Some great advises, help and assistance whenever needed. Loved your enthusiasm and energy. Thank you for all the tugs from difficult situations and great to have you on the drive buddy. @Ashok chaturvedi drove well, and did very well on the climbs and bowls. Some refusals managed very well by following instructions given by the CF/Sweep. You have a great attitude to learn and improve which is really a blessing to have, and I am sure you will get better with each drive. Well done sir @Piotr Kolodziej was enjoying his FJC and driving really well even in technical terrain. Hardly any issues and refusals which was great to see . Well done @Mohamed Seidam managed his X really well, driving with a lot of caution and great communication on radio. Your enthusiasm to learn and record some of the recoveries in difficult situations is really appreciated. Thanks for some great videos and pictures. @Anish S was our Center Forward and was kept busy for a long time considering the amount of situations we were in. Fantastic to see how you have literally mastered driving a Pajero , and getting out a wedged car to slide down soft sand by controlled gas and steering was simply amazing. You did spend a lot of energy there and I hope you had some good rest post drive. Thank you buddy , and having your copilot @Veedooshee who is always filled with enthusiasm is awesome. @Nizam Deen drove well in the play areas and in technical terrains too. I feel for you that even after changing your tires to AT, you still have the issue with pop outs. I wonder you can try setting different pressures from 15 PSI and go down each drive until you find that sweet spot where in you can drive safely without any pop outs. Having said that we all have been through that and you will get that PSI setting sooner than later.Well driven my friend @David Ortells managed his FJC well against all the challenges this terrain threw at him. Hardly any issues, perfect in and out of bowls and some great control on larger bowls showed bow well you are driving. Fantastico! @Jorge Stepniak Felippe with his wrangler SWB was as nimble as it gets in tight spots, even on churned up sand being at the end of the convoy. Your calm demeanor is a blessing to have on any drive.Well done buddy. @Islam Soliman was our sweep and in charge of keeping the whole convoy together. He was great acknowledging on radio and encouraging drivers out of tight spots. Always a team man, when it comes to fixing pop outs or getting out of some tricky situation. Thank you for all the help habibi. I literally feel the aches in my body after a action packed Saturday morning, but for all the learning and experience it offered it feels worthwhile. I really appreciate the whole team to stand by each other in some testing circumstances. Thank you once again for all the help @Jeandre Bezuidenhout, @Anish S and @Islam Soliman. Enjoy your short week at work and see you sometime soon on the sand again.

@Frederic Thanks Fred for the response! We were waiting @7.00PM to see if something opens up for newbies. Thats fine we will join u guys next week! Will find some solace in a couple of beers, this week!🤪 Thanks and best wishes for the event!

It is an absolute pleasure to have you back @Atif, not only for karak (as much as Sri want it) but for your infectious smile, humble and supportive attitude that we all are in love with and always look forward to drive with you. Thank you for coming back to your second family. Hope and pray your life struggle settle down soon, so we can see you more often in sand and look forward to share more stories of your beautiful last designation of - Students Affair oops Student Affairs.

It was great to see you back in action @Atif bhai. We sorely miss your cafeteria from the pre COVID days. You are one of the most thorough gentlemen in our club and some one that I have very high regards. Look forward to seeing you more often over the weekends.

Crescendo vs decresendo knowing that my trip to start point would take about one hour plus stoping for fueling up made me get up from my bed about half an hour before my set alarm 🙂 ( I admire those who has to come from another Emirates like RAK or Abudhabi ). so I enjoyed driving in moderate speed drinking my home made espresso all along the way looking forward for a beautiful day and it was beautiful. Arriving 20 minutes before 6 am I already sow @Jeandre Bezuidenhout and @Ashok chaturvedi already deflating. Immediately as I started deflating a familiar car just passed me .it was Dr @Chaitanya D , when I turned his black X already parked in front of mine. In 5 minutes almost every one arrived. Concise friendly brief done by the lead and we took off immediately. In the first half of the drive we enjoyed up hill/ side sloping in three or 4 different bowels and it was really beautiful. Followed in the second half by more technicality with variable notes in crescendo decrescendo fashion.In each half every one had the opportunity to test his skills and vehicle more and more. we had few refusals , two pop out and couple stuck which was dealt with in smooth professional way. Till @Ashok chaturvedi was wedged in a nasty soft pocket with awkward angle to recover neither self nor assessed.when I sow @Veedooshee waving calling us , we all knew it’s exercise time 😆. Keeping the Covid precautions and with advice from our lead heavy shoveling in two teams to relieve one another.clear sand . After which rope recovery by redirecting the vehicle was bravely and nicely executed by @Jeandre Bezuidenhout and his blue rubicon ( while I was taking the clip it looked to me like a beautiful blue toy car with its roof off pulling a giant LWB Pagero in comparison , and that was the story of this blue that day ) ( please refer to the thread of the greatest of recoveries for more details ) For me driving in technical terrain is like swimming in shallow water ( not allowed to touch the ground by feet or knees ) and in my opinion once mastering the shallow water then floating on the ocean will piece of cake! I liked this trip a lot because it showed every one how much he/she is in love with this sport and yet brought the best out of us. thank you dear friend @Chaitanya D for the superb lead and flawless decisions whenever was needed and also your obvious care for all the drivers along and your curtesy when you stoped for help if can be given to two drivers one of their vehicles stalled. @Jeandre Bezuidenhout your second lead was amazing and for me you were the key of our day toward the end recovering bravely @Ashok chaturvedi. Thank you @Anish S for pulling me back when I was crested , so gentle like a butter and bread.thank you for @Veedooshee ( your copilot ) for the amazing pictures and her concerns about the whole team. Well done both. Yet a word of warm thanks to @Islam Soliman for his flawless sweep and his efforts in the pop out and recovery as well . thank you all dear friends for your enthusiasm and efforts and it was indeed a beautiful day for me. take care drive safe till next round cheers 🚙🌷🙏🏻

Thank you so much @Frederic . Hope to meet you soon too. Downside of the expanded Carnity is not having all you Leaders together on one drive 😀. I will need to be more regular.

Congratulations @Rajeevan Vickneswaran for reaching the Intermediate 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. INTERMEDIATE Drives Attended (Indicative) Minimum 10 drives are required within last 6 months for Intermediate promotion. (Drives can be a mix of Newbie, Fewbie (50%) and Fewbie plus, depending on your adaptability, learning progress and Marshal’s feedback) What you'll learn Basic GPS and navigational skills Basic tow rope and winch recoveries Extreme side sloping and long hill climb Tall dunes ridge riding and criss crossing Precise control over technical dunes Fast pace desert driving Skills required Adventurous and thrill seeker but in a safe manner Level headed under stressful situations Responsible, dependable and accountable 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. Drive teamwork Manage center forward position with Trip Lead’s permission Learn/assist recoveries under Trip Lead’s supervision Re-route convoy and coordination, when needed Learn to lead small portion of Intermediate drive under Marshal supervision Drive Joining Join Newbie, Fewbie, Intermediate and Exploration drives 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 @GauravSoni 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

Thanks @Gaurav, I guess its finally time to step things up a notch and really put my car to test. I learnt a lot from these past newbie drives, especially under the lead of @Wrangeld, as most of my drives were under him. I also had the privilege to drive with @Rahimdad bhai a couple of times, really a down to Earth personality and superb leading skills. @Gaurav bhai’s depth of knowledge in this field helped me identify the problems that were limiting the full potential of my car, thanks again for the advices. Honorable mentions: @Frederic : Thanks for leading us in our first ever drive and really getting us kick started for the thrill that lies ahead. @Ale Vallecchi : Thanks for leading one of the most trilling drives to the date. @Jeepie: Thanks for recovering the Ford; countless times. Lastly, @Lorenzo Candelpergher @Foxtrot Oscar @Chaitanya D, thanks for assisting us out of troubles. One milestone achieved, now aiming for the next.

Can you share the video 30 - 60 secs prior to this footage?

Thanks a lot @Chaitanya D learnt a lot from the drive to Solarpark when you were sweeping. Thank you @Nivin

@AtifNice to see some nostalgia in the forum. I am sure all of you had good fun on the sand and post the drives at cafes or restaurants . Hoping tO join for such sessions hopefully once Covid is no More. Just a small question on the baseplate. I drive a land cruiser 4.0 2014. I repaired my front bumper grill once, and now I have removed it completely. Requesting your recommendation on the bashplate material and also any garage name they will do it for a reasonable price. looking forward to many drives with the Carnity family .

Nice to see you again Atif bhai

Important Update: As we are getting closer to Liwa It seems that due to the national Day holiday, a huge rush is expected at the Ghantoot testing center especially during the day time and probably till late in the evening. And so, if you dont have an appointment there will most likely not let you in. Hence, I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND, everyone to do the DPI test in advance through the SEHA app at the National Screening Centers. There are no slots anymore in Dubai before few days, but you can still find some at Sharjah Shooting Club tomorrow. I am sure that none of you would want to miss the opportunity of Liwa just because of the DPI test.

TRIP REPORT The wide spaced out dunes of Sweihan is week after week proving to be the perfect playground for Newbies to learn the basics of offroading. Almost everyone reached the meeting point on time and for those who did, we do very much appreciate the same. After a proper briefing we entered the dunes through an easy track, but I guess everyone was just warming up. A couple of stucks and a few refusals was the order of the day. However, once everyone got their bearing right, the pace they all matched the pace which was fantastic for a Newbie level drive. We played all along the roller coaster dunes that Sweihan can offer with speeds exceed 60 kmph in some areas. As we reached near the exit point, we needed to cross some massive dunes with the exit point at the top. The only way to cross over was by doing the roller coaster to build the momentum and reach the exit point. And everyone listened to the instructions and achieved it in the first attempt. Fantastically well done by the entire convoy. @Ruan van den Heever was my second lead and was extremely comfortable driving in his wrangler. Well driven and hope you had a good time. @Ramprakash was our AN in his Jeep Grand Cherokee. Though initially reluctant and few doubts on how his his JGC would manage with the proper offroaders, by the end of the drive I am sure he was very much surprised with the capabilites of his JGC. Like I mentioned you can contact @Brette who is a senior member on the basic mods that he has done with his JGC. You drove exceedingly well for an AN. Well done. @eidooo was our second AN for the day in his FJ, but I guess he had some prior experience of offroading as he rarely put a foot wrong through out the drive. Well driven. Regarding the bash plate or basic modifications you can check with our Marshal @Ale Vallecchi who drives a stock FJ but takes it to all the possible places. @samir83 was driving with his nicely lifted GMC Sierra a powerful beast. As you get used to the car start learning on the approach lines to scale a dune as then you would put less load on your truck. Also in future drives start off with 13 psi as that would give you better flotation. But overall nicely done. @Willie in his nice maroon SWB Pajero 3.8, managed the route extremely well as its not easy following on the tracks of a heavy truck that is churning up the sand. @Anoop joseph for me should us the highlight of the day as he crawled himself out of an extremely soft patch with soft good throttle and steering control. That was a pleasure to see. @Aamir Siddiqui who pulled off a last minute sign up on to the drive thanks to @Srijith Gangadharan did quite well through the drive with the minimum of fuss. Well done. @ashique rahiman was the 3rd AN with a 2008 Xterra and he like most of the guys hardly made any mistakes. Regarding the traction control, as in the 2008 model there is no button you can check with @Chaitanya D and @Desert Dweller on how they manage to turn it off. @Omar Al-khoori joined us with his long truck, but unfortunately due to low side steps he had to exit out after a few dunes. We look forward to seeing you in Liwa with your Wrangler. Meanwhile, @Jaap was quietly conquering all the churned up tracks with his Xterra which just again showed that Xterra is an extremely capable offroader in stock condition. Well done. And at the back of the convoy we had @Shehab Alawadhi and @Arman who not only had a good time, but also kept the convoy entertained with their friendly banter. It was really wonderful driving with a fantastic bunch of offroaders in the right spirit which makes the experience even more wonderful. Finally a big shout out to @Xavier Treasurer for helping everyone throughout the drive. He was probably the busiest person and had also the opportunity to help recover the few vehicles that were stuck. Well done my friend. For the next drives, please bring along a deflator, pressure gauge, shovel, flag and radio as a minimum. Learn to deflate your tires and checking them precisely Learn to fix a flag on your car Learn to program and fully charge your radio Also like I mentioned during the debriefing, join the Carnity Whatsapp Drive Notification to get the latest updates on the drives, so that you can RSVP on time for the next weekend's drive. Please have a look at below topic which describes the tools needed for every level. There is a separate tutorial inside which explains which radio we recommend and how to program them: (Please do not buy the Baofeng 888S spare radio we gave you, as these cannot be programmed without a special cable and software). Please have a look at below grading structure that explains various off-road levels: See you soon on the sands.

thank you!

PCR test done at any private hospitals with negative result is also accepted to enter Abu Dhabi. The results are valid for 48hours and you should enter before that. PCR test usually takes 24 to 48hrs to get the report, so plan your test accordingly.

@Piotr Kolodziej and @Nizam Deen, I am not sure if you are already aware so informing you. Please get your wheels with pop out cleaned properly to remove all sand and balanced again. This will prevent the vibrations which can occur otherwise while driving at high speed. Thanks

Dear @Ashok chaturvedi , I am not up there yet. Need to learn a lot before I reach what you have mentioned. We go in as a team and get out as a team, sometimes one has to raise his tolerance in tight areas as one or many cars might need help or assistance. Until all is manageable and we get out safely, its a sense of accomplishment once we hit tarmac.

Some dune surfing from today. 😁 Captured for as long as the battery lasted. @Ale Vallecchi it was a great drive with some interesting criss-crossing and some really soft patches of sand to test our skills. Especially at the beginning in the tight technical area. See you guys in Liwa!

Congratulations @Srijith Gangadharan 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 @bassel el rafei 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 @Nithin Vaidir 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 @MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ 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

@Zed sorry to hear , and great to know you are safe. From the footage it definitely looks like there was fishtailing (between 2 to 5 s on the video) and you should have steered down instead of fighting gravity when you don't have the momentum to get on a ridge and ride it like the are in front on the video (first car). Second car exited out as soon as there wasn't any momentum, which you should have followed. We all learn from these mistakes and I hope what matters at the end of the day is that you are unhurt and safe. I hope the car had off road insurance and repairs are covered. Take care

Congrats @Nithin Vaidir !

@Zed sorry for your rollover. Is the vehicle damaged badly? Alhumdulillah that you didn’t get injured. I too felt that the speed was quite reduced before the fish-tailing started. If you did turn your stearing downwards it was already too late as there was no momentum to carry the front in the downward direction. Your point of concentration is quite valid, it only takes a few milliseconds of lapse in it for things to change. However, you are doing the right thing to evaluate what happened. The above is my point of view only so please rely on the Carnity senior member advice.

Totally understand - see you on Saturday!

You’re most welcome @Chaitanya D that’s understandable & your hard work is much appreciated. See you 🔜 on sand.

Dr @Chaitanya D, kindly waitlist me plz as @Anish S had mentioned... thank u...

Welcome back @Atif. Amazing intro and brings back alot of memories from the pre covid times, hopefully we can get back to that soon. Carnity has become a second family to a lot of us and yeah, its been an awesome journey from just a few of us meeting up for 1 drive to see 10 or 12 drives get filled up in a few seconds. Look forward to seeing more of you on the drives.

Correction done @Abu Muhammad. Thanks for bringing it to my notice, as I had no time to review the post due to a long Sunday at work

Welcome back @Atif, great to read your experiences. We all wish to have "Karak chai" and Aloo Parathas soon🙏

Well done @Rizwanm2. See you soon at the next level.

Hi Niki, Regarding the FJ sound system, as an audiophile myself I found it to be terrible in the 2013 FJ Cruiser that I have. First thing I did was to replace the stock head unit with a Pioneer head unit with touchscreen display. I immediately felt a noticeable difference in bass because it has a small amp in itself. About 50W. Compared to the 15W headunit from before (Im sure the one you have is much better than the old school radio knob one). The next thing I did was to replace the front dash speakers with Kenwood 4''. Slightly better sound than before, I recommend you get the Harman Kardon ones with build in tweeter as they sound better than Kenwood. As for the door speakers I replaced the stock units with 150Watt RMS (650W Max) Pioneer speakers. Now if you want to save yourself a lot of work, don't do it because when you change the door speakers in the FJ you need to carryout sound proofing which I did not do at first. It sounded like a rattling mess with bass. I ordered sound dampening Killmat from US, removed the door panels and installed it on the metal door frame as well as the plastic door panel on the inside. About 6 hours of work. As for the AMP i have a 1500Watt Pioneer under the passenger seat which is plugged to the car battery directly through the engine firewall. All the cabling was done by a professional and they are well hidden, not noticeable. For the Subwoofer I have the slim line Pioneer 400Watt RMS in the trunk. Its a small sealed Subwoofer that takes up very little space and is very powerful. That was my recommendation for audiophile and been dune bashing with this setup but if you just want more bass than you can get a subwoofer with a built in amp. That is the easiest option.

I can feel your sincere feelings reflected by the sincere replies. I am new here but it feels like i know those ppl from ages . It will be pleasure to meet you soon Mr Atef @Atif . Welcome back brother in your second family

Nithin the garage I went to stocked FJ bashplates that fit in exactly on my Prado. I believe they were 8 mm steel ones but frankly I cant recall the specs now. Also I understand that we cannot share names of garages on Carnity but you may contact me on [email protected] .

Good Morning, I'm trying to book an appointment at Ghantoot Screening Center; there are no available slots until Dec 10! Tried SEHA App for test centers in Dubai, no appointments available until Dec 04. Does any one know if negative test results from Private hospitals/testing centers are acceptable to enter Abu Dhabi?

Hi @Chaitanya DD thanks alot champ. I did it straight after the drive.

@Lucky sAm and @Xavier Treasurer I understand you would like to join the Fewbie level although you have both secured a spot in the Newbie drive. Rest assured the level difference will be very minimal and the Liwa experience won’t be less on a Newbie level drive. For now we take first priority for waitlisted members who don’t have any seat yet.

From what I can make out, the speed on the way back was way too much. Couple that with a short base and high lift, the CG of the car is expected to be high. Fishtailing and not applying counter steering. Recipe for “rollover raita”....

Unfortunately my roster for December is to unstable, so I don’t think is fare to the rest of Liwa eager off-roaders to make a last minute cancellation in case of a last minute change. Please Frederic remove me from the drive to Liwa and give my space to the next on the waiting list. I will take my chances at the last minute in any of the drives if I manage to be available and there is a space available at that time .

Recovery nicely done by @Anish S for @Ashok chaturvedi Another recovery nicely executed by @Jeandre Bezuidenhout excellent communication between the lead @Chaitanya D and the second lead @Jeandre Bezuidenhout