Leaderboard

INTRO There are extraordinary places that, once visited, leave a lifelong mark on a person's life. Some people catch a "bug" for cities (using myself as an example, that would be Bangkok, or Buenos Aires), for countries (India), even for a continent (Africa). More rarely, it's a natural feature that leaves a lifelong mark on someone's mind, urging her/him to return to it, time and time again. For some, it's being out at sea, for others being up in the mountains. I am sure all of you, Carnity Desernauts, can sympathize with me for being unable to resist the call of the desert. Most people would find this inexplicable, and, bewildered, will say "but there is nothing in a desert", or "what can you do in a desert, don't you get bored with its emptiness?". I surely don't need to give you the answers to those questions (or you wouldn't be reading this post at all). Hence, I would like to take the "opportunity" of my FJ being momentarily "out of action", to spend some time reminiscing those very places which stole my heart and mind, from the very beginning of my desert-going years. In fact, there was a time when I moonlighted as an organizer, and guide, of adventure travels, specialized in desert locations. It was a magic period, when terrorism had not yet taken a hold of most of Northern Africa and other parts of the continent, and extensive travelling was possible, even to the most remote and wild locations. To most people, the sandy stretch covering the north of Africa is simply known as the Sahara. The word itself is self-explanatory, meaning "deserts" in Arabic (in the plural), but also "moon", "wilderness", and "dawn" or "before dawn", with similar variations in different languages. Seven million years old, and with an area of 9,200,000 Km2, it is the largest hot desert in the world. Concentrating on its plural form, "The Sahara" is an assembly of many, fabulous, sometimes mythical, individual deserts: the Adrar, the Ténéré, the Air, the Ennedi, the Tibesti, the Hoggar, the Tassili, the Fezzan, the Nubian Desert, the Gilf el Kebir, the Great Sand Sea, the White Desert, the Danakil, and more to the east, the Sahara's natural extension, The Arabic Desert, with The Rub al Khali. Amidst these legendary deserts, rise cities and oasis just as fabulous, with origins lost in the mist of time: Chinquetti, Ouadane, Mopti, Timbuctu, Gao, Agadez, Arlit, Fachi, Bilma, Djado, Tamanrasset, Djanet, Ghat, Kufra, Dakhla, Dallol, and (why not?) Liwa. These are the magical places I was lucky enough to visit before politics and terrorism closed most of these locations to travelers. I'd like to take this forced period of absence from our UAE deserts, to look back on those times, and share with you some memories, and stories from the campfire. Before getting into the thick of these travels, a few reminders of what The Sahara is, and how it is unique. Contrarily to common belief, only 15% of the Sahara's deserts are made of sand. Inhabited by only 2.5 million people, covering 1/3 of all of Africa's surface, the majority of its landscape is made of "Hamada", or rocky plateau, such as the Algerian Tassili, depicted below. The flat desert pavement, called "Reg", is the second most prominent feature of this region. while the dune fields most associated with the Sahara are known as "Erg". Other geological formations that may be encountered in the Sahara, are the Wadi (dry river), Oued (dry lake), and the Chott (salt flats). Mudflats, usually known as “Sabkha”, are more typical of the coastal deserts of the Arabian Peninsula (as in the UAE), and are not found in the Saharan landscape. Going back to our most favorite feature, the Erg – i.e., the familiar sand dunes we are used to driving on - these associate their names to fantastic Saharan locations. Some of the better-known ones to motorsports lovers have provided a stunning backdrop to the original Paris-Dakar rally: The Grand Erg Oriental, the Erg Issaouane, the Erg de Bilma, these are endless dune fields, which take days to cross, and are only rivaled by our own Rub al Khali, in terms of sheer size and remoteness. Having said all this and sending you to read Fred’s essay on dune formations, for more information on the matter, I’ll get on with lighting the first campfire, and share with you some memories from the Sahara. I will start, on my next post, with perhaps the most legendary of these deserts: The Ténéré. In the language of the Tuaregs who inhabit it, the word means…”desert”. While this repetitive calling deserts by their own common names may seem to reveal a lack of fantasy, to me it implies an utmost respect for their absoluteness: to the Arabs, as well as to the Tuaregs, these locations are THE one and only Desert. Most of the Ténéré is a flat basin, once the bed of the prehistoric Lake Chad. In the north, the Ténéré is a vast sand sheet (a Reg) - the true, featureless “Ténéré” of legend reaching up to the low hills of the Tassili du Hoggar along the Algerian border. In the center, the Bilma Erg forms rows of easily navigable low dunes whose corridors make regular byways for the azelai, or salt caravans. To the west, the black basaltic feature of the Aïr Mountains rise up. To the southeast, the Ténéré is bordered by the Kaouar cliffs running 100 km north to south. At the base, lies a string of oases including the famous Bilma. Periodic outcrops, such as the unusual marble Blue Mountains in the northwest near Adrar Chiriet, or the Agram hills near the oasis of Fachi and Adrar Madet to the north, are rare but notable landmarks. The entry point to the Ténéré is the Tuareg village of Agadez. This city built with mud can be reached after an exhausting 16-hour drive from Niamey, the capital of Niger. Along the way one can meet some of the local tribes, the most stunning of which is the Bororo tribe. The best time to visit this tribe would be during the Gerewol Festival. This is an annual courtship ritual competition among where eligible youths dress up in elaborate ornamentation and, made up in traditional face painting, gather in lines to dance and sing, vying for the attentions of marriageable young women. The feature which wins the lady’s hearts is the whiteness of the eyes and teeth, hence the young men’s grinning and wide open, seemingly psychotic, yet love filled eyes. Back to Agadez, one usually arrives in this mud-built city late in the evening or at night. Nothing better, at this time, then paying a visit to Vittorio, at his hotel, restaurant, camping ground, entertainment venue. Built by this Italian expat (legends say fugitive from the law), who moved to this remote outpost decades ago, the Hotel Telit, and its Le Plier Restaurant, are now local institutions, where Vittorio and his Tuareg wife never fail to welcome the wary travelers, on their way south to the capital, or further north, to the Ténéré, and onward to Algeria. Time to go to bed now, resting for the last time within the safe mud wall of Agadez, before venturing into the endless openness of the Ténéré. Stay tuned for the next installment of “Deserts of the World”, when the adventure begins.

Many many thanks for the recognition @Gaurav It has been a huge learning curve and will continue to be so. As a teacher every day is a school day and this is so true of drives in the desert. You just never stop learning. I honestly have a great time in the sand, its so much fun and it is with thanks to @Srikumar @Ale Vallecchi @Emmanuel @Frederic @Wrangeld @Rahimdad and of course @Gaurav all of whom have taken the time and effort to explain, instruct, demonstrate and guide me from an Absolute Newbie, who had never driven on a beach let alone in the desert, to this.(I can't bring myself to say expert haha). Also thanks to the rest of the Carnity Advisor team @Jeepie @Chaitanya @Brette @topgear @sertac @Vanessa8580 @Janarthan @Lorenzo Candelpergher @Shamil @TboneThe camaraderie, team spirit and selflessness shown by these guys is extraordinary. You know you're never alone and that they always have your back. Special thanks to @Pancho, who, despite trying to sabotage my progress, by forever stealing my shovel, has been tremendous support, especially when we tackled leaders lead. Of course my side kick, without whom I would never have joined this club, @Desert Dweller always encouraging me to take on more and supporting me in the most selfless way, she lets me use her car haha . Finally, the Carnity Family, you guys are such a buzz. I love meeting you all on the drives and sharing in your desert driving experience, except for @Craig Finlayson, the less said there the better. Until the next adventure....

DRIVE REPORT Thanks everyone for yesterday's drive, it's been very fun ! We entered at the extreme west side of little Sweihan next to the fence. This presented us with very nice untouched and high dunes. We started off at a fast pace and it is a credit to the drivers, @Abu Muhammad, @Rizwanm2, @Shaaz Sha, @Jorge Stepniak Felippe, @Tero Vallas, that we managed to keep going at this pace till Faqaa. Credit also goes to my fantastic support team : @Craig Finlayson, second lead, who managed perfectly in this technical area, @Kailas, center forward, who helped with recoveries under the supervision of @Desert Dweller, who handled sweep duties. Little Sweihan area is incredible but challenging at some points. We were blessed to have no heavy tracks or routed paths, but that presented us with super soft sands. The aforementioned sands created some refusals, but there were no major stucks and we only had to use the rope once, close to our exit point in Faqa, for a quite epic stuck, "wheel in the air" style, from @Abu Muhammad. Thanks @Rizwanm2 for the video. And very well done @Kailas for the recovery. The convoy, including our newly promoted intermediate @Abu Muhammad, all coped very well in the terrain and the fact that we managed to rack up plenty of kilometres is testament to their driving.

Murquab maruaders, Another great drive this weekend - even through it was yesterday it seems like it was weeks ago! After the Fewbies had assembled in our midst (and then disappeared to their staging post) it was a great start to the day with an outside [socally distanced] briefing and departrure for our drive a few minutes after the Fewbies had disappeared. The dunes that follow are a great opportunity for Newbies to test the basic skills as they are neither too hgih or too simple to cross and have all the challenges of larger dunes with out the danger of failign and falling. And, to boot, there are plenty technical dunes we can enter where the challenge is completely different and while not having the adrenalin of fast paced crossing and rises, have the chance to develop essential dune driving skills for later stages in a 4x4 journey. The Sheikh Zayid Sandway is always fun - but the soft sand at the Solar Park/Qudra area was too soft for our troop so we had to redirect a little and because of the number of recoveries we did not make it all the way to last exit. Having said that, we also got to work on an unusual 'pop out', as the shredded tire from Rakesh necessitated a wheel change and there were soem interesting opportunities to dig people out or help them out of trouble. Specific feedback: @Luca Bregni: excellent job as 2nd lead. Impeccable control and care. You really know how to make your jeep sing how it should. @pramod: You need to use the power better in the car. I know it was your first drive as a newbie and so a struggle ebcause it's all still new, but you need to use the power better (i.e. don't be scared of it) and you'll fly through all the sort of places where you got stuck. @Arun Mathew: I am delighted fo you that the car worked out and passed this shaledown - get back to Fewbie drives. they are just waiting for you. @Nihal17: A good drive for you, but a few times you need to be in better control of the power delivery, espceially when climbing hills and getting enough momentum. @Aus Alzubaidi: I am glad you made if from the reserve list to get on the drive as you did a great job and followed up your previous drives with a good controlled drive showing that youa re learning every time you get behind the wheel into the sand. @Sai Baskaran: I think that the fact that I really did not notice you on the drive (that's a good thing) says just about all I need to know in your development. You really are in control of the Pajero and using the power well. Your control improves each time I see you on a drive so keep it up. @Explored Dubai: I feel a bit guilty Rakesh that it seems your car always comes out a bit worse for wear on these drives. The 2014 tire, was probably due for renewal as it really should not shred the way it did on the drive. In some ways, better to blow out in the sand than on the highway. Apart from that, great to see you are not getting stopped in the palces where you were before and much more controlled drive than the last time we were in this area. @Niki Patel: I really think that you under estimate your and your car's capabilities. Yes, there were a few times that you failed and tried again, but that's how you learn and how you understand that things you thought impossible or scary are all acheivable. I am looking forward to the next time we get to drive together because then I can give special focus to the one ot two things in a drive that will transform your experience just that little bit more. @ALI ALMOUMAR: I really like the way that you are driving the prado - you use the power when you need to, you are not scared to push you are managing the challenges really well and I can see you are enjoying the drives more and more each time, as we are enjoying your company more and more each time. @patrick noack: Brilliant - I simply love that Defender and the family adventurers inside made the day super fun for us all. You seem to use the torque at your disposal to float on the sand in ways that the raw power of the petrol engines cannot match. I especially like how you redirect to find the route that makes sense for the vehicle instead of trying to match the way that some of the other cares perform. Really admirable. @Ken Hüüdma: Firstly, I hope that you got the compressor sorted. What I have seen in the drives Ken is that the practice youa re doing with us and in friend drives is really paying off. You are great in the technical dunes because that is a challenge you set yourself and decided you would conquer. For the rest, I have to admit, I love seeing the Y62 out in the convoy because it shows just what that vehicel was actually designed for. Next time out - I propose you are a 2nd lead. So you can show just how controlled you can be rather than ploughing and playing and leaving a large wake in your path. @Janarthan and @Jeepie thanks for both keepoing everything moving, sorting out the problems, supporting in your brilliant and effective way and making sure that everyone, as ever, got out safely and having had great fun. @Rahimdad and @Foxtrot Oscar thanks from coming by to check everythign was alright in our drive especially after you guys had had your own challenges earlier in the day. It's always great to see other Carnity convoys in the area and for the different levels to see what awaits them. See you soon in the sand. @Arman - your apologies noted. It's a great shame when this happens because, yes, it denies another club member the chance to join. On drives like this where extending the convoy is not possible (because of the risk of more stucks in soft sand) and then in the morning having to wait and wonder if people will arrive, absences really do impact other people.

Congratulations Angela @Foxtrot Oscar for reaching the Expert 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. EXPERT - Carnity Exclusivity Carnity Benefits 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/Support: 3 drives or more per month at least Forum contribution to earn Carnity points Drives Attended (Indicative) Minimum 10 drives are required for Expert promotion along with mandatory attendance to leaders lead drives. (Promotion will be based on Marshal / Crew feedback.) What you'll learn Navigating with or without GPS on the fly Trip planning, safety exits and recce skills Basic firefighting and first aid techniques Basic knowledge of car and overheating issues Minimal response to vehicle breakdown and accidents Skills required Resilient, calculative and rational thinker Self-reliance, positive attitude and forward thinking Kind, selfless and considerate to other’s concerns 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 Fewbie or Intermediate drive with Marshal permission Inspect vehicle for safety before the off-road drive Support Marshal to learn 1:1 Desert Driving Course 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

TRIP REPORT Absolute Newbie drive has a different charm from other level drives, as it always reminds me of the day when I started offroading as an Absolute Newbie. At that stage I completely moved away from my comfort zone having never pushed my car beyond 3000 rpm and always worrying about what is on the other side of the dune (it took a wise man to tell me that there is only sand on the other side, so do take a leap of faith esp if the car in front has done it). While some might feel its one of the easiest drives to lead, it can become extremely challenging very quickly. Yesterday was one such drive which was quite challenging in a different manner and this is despite no use of a rope or shovel. All the participants did the first perfect thing of arriving at the meeting point on time which is much appreciated. After a proper briefing we headed out towards the long range dunes at the back side of Qudra. We started with small sideys and U-turns so that everyone would start getting a feel of steering as well as how much gas is needed. As the level of confidence increased so did the pace of the entire convoy, with longer side slopes on the long range dunes of Qudra. As we ventured deeper into the desert, we cam across a group of locals that called us out for help. It seems they had a pop-out and didn't have a proper compressor to reinflate their tyre and plus a leaking clutch oil resulting in difficulty for them to engage the gear. So it took us a while to help them fix the pop out and after giving them a can of clutch fluid we were off on our way. As we were approaching one dune we noticed that @Juan Carlos Elizalde Reyes had a flat tyre as a result of worn out tyres. Sadly we had to exit him on to the road and return back to the rest of the convoy. As the desert can be quite unforgiving, tyre conditions are extremely important and hope you get them replaced soon and join us for a drive. With more than expected few breaks and delays we started moving towards the flat track to get an exit. Unfortunately what stood between us and the flat track was some semi technical dunes. Many of our other members would be aware of how nasty some of the technical dunes in Qudra can be, and for Absolute Newbies to listen the instructions carefully and go through them with the minimum of delays, was a brilliant achievement. Well done everyone. Few mentions about all the drive participants: @Harold Roberts was my second lead in his mighty FJC and did the necessary rerouting as and when needed. And once we reached the flat track towards the end of the drive he also managed to have a conference video call from the desert. Overall well driven. @jayachandran joined us with his Prado. While a powerful beast you need to keep practicing on how much gas to give and also listen to the instructions more attentively. This will come with a few more drives, but still overall you had a good drive. @Juan Carlos Elizalde Reyes It was good to see you back after the last AN where you had to exit out as soon as the drive started. Your Cherokee felt and sounded much more healthier than a few months ago. Just put on some good tyres of the same size (235/75R16) but preferably ATs like Geolandars (which are among the lightest AT tyres in the market). If you are at stock height, this would be the largest size that would fit your car without causing rubbing. @Sanjay Malik joined with his family in a nice 2005 Land Cruiser and let his daughter Tanvi drive throughout the day. She managed the might LC pretty well and overall was quite impressive. As mentioned during the debriefing, moving forward please make a separate ID for her, so that we can track the progress of each driver. @Michael Glavanis brought the all powerful LR3 which performed very well during the entire course of the drive. Ofcourse, with these cars at times the electronics can play mischief, so it would be better you can get the air suspension checked once if its at fault. Rest, you and your car seemed to be at home in the desert. @Alphin Aloor brought a beautiful Xterra and the power of the Xterra helped him push through some of the churned up sand left by the cars in the front. As mentioned, just get a proper bash plate and a kill switch installed for the traction control and ABS. We have a lot of proud Xterrians in our group and I am tagging a few of them to give you some advice @Emmanuel @Chaitanya D @sertac @Foxtrot Oscar. At the moment there is no need to spend a lot of money on other modifications unless you really want to. All these senior members I have mentioned do Advance level drives in stock Xterras. @AlexPol had a nice Wrangler and with some prior offroading experience hardly set a foot wrong as he went through the entire truck with the minimum of fuss. Well done. @Saneesh Thomas was with the second wrangler in the convoy and through he struggle in the initial phase his confidence grew along the duration of the drive. As mentioned in the debriefing you might have better results by driving it at 10 psi especially since you have heavy thick walled side tyres. @N@ved had a nice clean (which is kinda rare) TJ at the back end of the convoy and it was wonderful to hear the roar of your 4.0 through the dunes. Nicely done. Finally a bit shout out of appreciation to @Vanessa8580 who has been supporting quite a few of my Newbie drives and is always a constant source of motivation and energy for all the drive participants throughout the day. Moving forward you all will be joining the Newbie drives and not an Absolute Newbie drive. Drives are announced every Sunday at 11 am, and they go live on Sunday at 7:10 pm. Due to the high demand, these drives get full in about 10 minutes, so please be online at 7 pm to book your spot. If you miss a spot, put your name on the waitlist asap. Generally, by Thursday with dropouts everyone does get a spot if they have waitlisted. For the next drives, please bring along a deflator, pressure gauge, 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 guys soon in the sand again !

It was a great drive! It’s not easy to find virgin sands in the Qudra / Solar park area.... but @Emmanuel did. Superb.

It was very technical terrain and fast drive. We were able to drive over 40 km if i don't remember wrong. Really good action ! 👍 Thank you @Emmanuel and @Desert Dweller for active & safe convoy management, once again !!! Few photos added to the gallery. Enjoy your weekend, friends !!

@Shehab Alawadhi great question. When I learn I will let you know. Seriously, getting a refusal or getting stuck is part of your learning process. I've been out in the dunes for over 12 years and I'm still learning. Main thing in a stuck or refusal is to stay calm, you think better when your mind is at peace. The key to not getting stuck is momentum, the right speed at the right time. You have to perfect the knowledge of when to accelerate and when to let the throttle go. You will only learn this with time as your vehicle and you become one. Remember when Ironman first wore his suit, he destroyed everything in his lab. With time he learned how to control his suit, with nobody to guide him. You're lucky you have excellent people around you to teach and guide you so you don't have to destroy your lab. Enjoy, look closely how the vehicle in front of you is managing the situation and learn and replicate their actions. Happy learning bro. Looking forward to catching up with you on one of the drives.

Congratulations @Mohamed Seidam 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

@Shehab Alawadhi I was watching you climb up the dune and slowing down near the top. I think you lost the momentum because you were unsure of the incline on the other side. Seeing you getting stuck made me increase the speed and I was prepared for the dive down in case it was really steep. I was sure it was safe to increase the momentum as the Marshall @Gaurav & @Jeepie will not let us do an unsafe drive and cause a casualty and I saw others safely negotiating the dune and you getting stuck as you lost the momentum. Taught me a valuable lesson - TRUST THE MARSHAL and just drive as he instructs.

Thank you again for yesterday perfectly executed .... we had cars in trees...... cars with sand up to the door handles..... cars with basic refusals that there drivers were able to recover themselves down to you guys educating us the easy way.... also a huge round of applause to @Frederic for getting Chris back going after his Jeep just decided to not want to go much further! The beast did some climbs yesterday i didn't think possible video link attached being at the back of the pack I was concerned about all the churned up soft sand in front of me but it just kept battering through....! A few cars also surprised me yesterday @Nathan Evans with Jimny bouncing all over the place with it not even recognising its on the dunes it just needs that extra little bit of power! The Discovery Sport, normally we see the Land Rover brand not so capable and lighting up with many faults but that car yesterday showed that they are still capable making real light work of what it came up against, the 4.7 Cherokee proving old is Gold that thing was awesome light and seriously powerful! Well done to all it was a smooth day with many lessons learnt!

Dear @Emmanuel it was nice meeting you and Thank you for the fun drive. Enjoy the rest of your weekends everybody. See you 🔜 on Sand

Another well spent Friday morning with Carnity! My third drive of this year was as exciting as the first two. I am fortunate enough to reconnect with my friends again and so far have had the pleasure to drive with @Frederic, @Rahimdad and @Srikumar. Looking forward to meeting the remaining legends of CARNITY this winter season. I have kept myself to newbie drives as there is a lot to learn at this level from the various challenges faced by the newbie drivers and how they handle their cars. Helping others is a big motivation for me as I am sure it is for most in the Carnity team and newbie drive provides a good opportunity to do that. Also it is important to ensure that one starts at this level if coming out of a long hibernation to off-road driving. The Carnity spirit continues to shine in all its members and hope it continues in the future too.

Thanks all for a nice afternoon experience, specially to @Gaurav and @Jeepie, I think we as a newbie group tested well your recovery skills and learnt a lot from you both through the ride. Surface was very soft through the course and that meant we had it all - someone stuck every 5 min, pop outs, regular tow recoveries to winch recovery. Personally with around 5-6 rides done (3 with Carnity) and couple previously I have really started to relate much better to my vehicles and njoied every bit of it. Especially the high slopes we did in the end was real highlight for me. Thanks again looking forward to see you guys over next weekend(s). Cheers

Thanks everybody for participating and having fun in the desert. Looking forward to see you all in the next drive. @Gaurav & @Jeepie gave us good support. Thanks to the valuable lessons learned from @Frederic & @sertac during my 1st drive as an Absolute Newbie I managed to complete the course without getting stuck once. So happy to slowly start unleashing the potential of the XTERRA. I really enjoyed the afternoon.

Drive report After supporting the AN drive in the morning, I decided to stay in the area because I selected the exact same meeting point for my drive in the afternoon. I had a quick sandwich, a drink and some rest at the last exit and I didn't even inflate my tyres again. When I reached the meeting point, I was happy to see I was not the first one. Everybody was very well on time and after a quick briefing, we started driving at 2.15 pm. @Veedooshee was my second lead, girl power in the front. @Tamas Hoffmann was covering the center and @Janarthan was my trusty sweep with his lovely copilot Mira. We went through some technical dunes first before we reached the long range dunes. I kept a quite high pace and that meant we could cover about 60 km in a little over three and a half hours. Everyone did amazingly well and we had a minimum of refusals and stucks. I saw that everyone had a big smile on their face after the drives and enjoyed theirselves. I know I did !! I hope to see you all again very soon.

Congrats Angela. Truly well deserved. Your positive energy and wicked sense of humor is good to have in a Lead. Hope to be as a support on one of your drives very soon (though you officially don't need it anymore).

Its always a good idea to keep your car clean. This coming from someone who only gets his car washed on special occasions like annual passing. However washing is not going to keep your tire rods or rubbers clean and thus damage proof. Your tire rods will only bend if there are a few hard bumps and not because there was sand from the last drive. Similarly rubber will become hard and crack with time and change in temperature, not because of sand from a few drives back. Cleaning from the underside helps you to get down and visually inspect if there is anything that looks put of place. Although its not a good idea to leave your throttle when you are climbing up a dune, but its not the greatest idea to keep the accelerator pressed to warrant a jump. That is why we encourage people to observe the car ahead and try to repeat the exercise. Once you feel that the front wheels of your car are through, let the accelerator go. The car's momentum will take it through. My opinion is better to get stuck than have an incident, and I'm sure no senior member in Carnity will encourage you to jump instead of getting stuck. Even our tutorial video clearly states try at lower RPM if you fail, reverse and try at slightly higher RPM and so on and so forth until you get it right. Repeat the exercise on each dune and do not go at higher RPM on next dune as each dune is built differently although they might look the same. With experience and repeating this exercise you'll learn the right throttle at the right time. Momentum doesn't mean speed, it means the right speed at the right time. Hope you continue to learn safely and with the patience of all the convoys all around, we don't mind you taking longer the learn as long as you do it safely.

Dear friends Below is the convoy numbering for tomorrow's drive. We will use Channel 1 for Radio coms. You will not be allowed to drive with out a flag, Shovel and a radio (tuned to Channels).I dont carry spare radios with me, so please bring one for yourself. We will enjoy the cool weekday morning in a lovely area amidst some greenery, gazelles and great dunes perfect for playing and improving at Fewbie level. 1. Chaitanya 2. @Goutam - 2nd lead 3. @bassel el rafei 4. @Archibald Jurdi 5. @Tamas Hoffmann - CF 6. @Anvar Sadath Bekal 7. @MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ 8. @Gaurav Soni 9. @Vanessa8580 - Sweep See you tomorrow!

Congrats Angela ! Well deserved !

Many Congratulations Angela

@Wrangeld Driving in your leadership is always fun. Morning briefing in a circle really give a chance to know each other. All thanks to your guidance that I am getting little more control on my Pajero. I believe my car really want to check my determination by giving me such hurdles😀😀. Sometimes even I feel ashamed that because of me the whole convoy had to stop and wait. @Wrangeld please do not feel guilty as the tyre were due for renewal. @Janarthan I really appreciate and thankfully to your help in my car tyre replacement. Your Guidance whenever someone got stuck were really amazing. Your Performance were really outstanding. @Jeepie your support was amazing, you always have an eye on us and supported by giving guidance on refusals, re routed us on some of the bad dunes. Thanks for the support in tyre replacement. @Rahimdad it was really nice to see you and thankfull for stopping by and helping to remove the Jack from underframe. @Ken Hüüdma thanks a lot buddy for coming out and helping me. I really feel lucky that I am learning my offloading with such an amazing guys. Once again I will like to thank everyone for showing patience with my unusual tyre pop out. You guys are amazing. See you soon in the sand.

Great write up @Ale Vallecchi. You are not only a perfect dune master but a master when it comes to describing those dunes too!! Fantastic ✌️

What a fantastic write-up, it says a lot about your passion for the desert and the life changing experiences that can be had when exploring these places. Definitely looking forward to more of this !

Fossil rockers on Carnity’s way I have been several times to fossil rock with @Carnity and Each one of them had different story and never a replica ! The beautiful sunrise and the burning golden sand and the charming reflection gives this place a magnetizing effect that makes some one to return back and leave with vivid imagination. This is my second time driving with @sertac as F+ and in fossil rock and Feya and I must say it was such a fantastic trip. Being behind 11 vehicles in the terrain of this area was slightly challenging. However having an expert lead and excellent sweep as well as responsible drivers who drives on the @Carnity ‘s way gave it a sense of blessing. Thank you @sertac for the amazing lead truly outstanding your calmness and attention to every one. @Nivin nice to see you stretching “ without ropes “ to help in the center whenever need. @Shamil I liked the trim of your X . Pleasure meeting you for the first time. Your sweep was relieving. Special mention to @Tariq Carrimjee thank you for the nice pict and clips 😉 thank you all guys and really every one “rocked” it amazingly today. Drive safe and cheers 🚙🌷👍

I just remembered @Frederic instructing us during our Absolute Newbie drive that if you are afraid to scratch your car then offroading is not for you. Its a natural instinct to slow down and be cautious when there is uncertainty ahead. I was one when I got stuck and found myself in an awkward position same like @Shehab Alawadhi in my Absolute Newbie drive. I was not sure whether the car will topple head down if I go at that speed and jump over the dune. I let go off the momentum and hoped the car will carry through but gravity always overtakes you especially when driving on sand. To tell you the truth I also sped up and didn't let go off the momentum this time bcoz I trusted @Gaurav & @Jeepie not to put us in a serious crash and didn't want myself to be perched on top of the dune like the one before me. Of course the car jumped and hit the downward slope with a slightly downward angle with the momentum but I knew instantly me, my passengers & car was safe and all of us in the car enjoyed the jump. I want to know if after this offroading drive isn't it necessary to give the car for an underside wash to wash off all the sand so that all my bushes and tie roads are clean again and will not cause any unnecessary wear and tear to the suspension. Can anybody help me with their suggestions? Thanks for the support.

Congratulations @Tariq Carrimjee 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

Congrats @Mohamed Seidam !!

Congrats @Mohamed Seidam you are a very good contributor to the Carnity community in addition to being a very good offroader. Well done.

Congratulations @Mohamed Seidam. Well deserved habibi

Congratulations @Foxtrot Oscar

Finally the day has come to hear what is behind Ale's real off-roading spirit. Since we know each other from almost a year and I always use to wonder about your extra humble and accommodative personality when it comes to supporting drives. I strongly remember when you use to join in newbie drives with so much of passion, enthusiasm and "PATIENCE" I really used to wonder whether you are actually a newbie or just new to the UAE desert....? Your attention to detail, catching the right lines from beginning, and finesse with your trail without destroying the path were the significant traits that we all used to notice, but never got a chance to sit on campfire stories. Thank you for taking time to share these beautiful stories about African landscape and Sahara desert variations. I can't wait to hear more stories from your experience with different places, cultures and type of terrains.

Every time I wash my car myself , I save the same amount enough to fuel for the next drive. Rather than the saving what I enjoy the most is one gets to know their cars better, learn and improvise on their regular checks themselves ( like oil / coolant check, air filter cleaning, examining tires for any cracks , leaks from differentials, know which part is where , organize and strap all recovery gear securely etc). This saves you both time and money, allowing you to know your car much better than just driving. You spend a lot of energy enough for a days workout 😂

@Foxtrot Oscar Congratulations

Congratulations @Foxtrot Oscar. I have been lucky to support 2 of your drives and I was pleased to see how passionate you are about the sport. Your positive energy gives a boost to the whole convoy. Your calm and calculated approach is wonderful to keep the convoy moving safely. The challenges you put the convoy through are met with calmness and with fun due to your positive attitude. I'm so proud that you're associated with Carnity and heading to be one of the first few lady Marshals in our community. Well done lass.

@Foxtrot Oscar Angela congratulations...! 🏆

Very well said and it’s true

Congrats Angela

Congratulations Angela @Foxtrot Oscar. Fantastic 👍

Great Drive super lead @Vanessa8580 great mid field @Tamas Hoffmann clean sweeps @Janarthan great radio comms @Veedoosheeand @anesh you played your part too .Drive was pacy , good long dunes and one nice recovery ( tug ) from a crested ridge position was witnessed at close quarters .Look forward to more drives with the team. Meanwhile enjoy the Metor shower views if you at Al qudra tomm estimated from 10 pm tomm .

@Wrangeld appreciate the way you managed such a technical route with a large and long convoy of us newbies!! Appreciate the opportunity to use the ATrac on the car and the trust you gave me to allow self recovery from the many refusals! Excited to learn more and build that confidence ... in car and myself! Thankyou! @Rahimdad was great to meet you in person as I tried to self promote to fewbie look forward to an adventure under you lead soon. Have you flying in as Superman when we had the torn tire caught in the gallery. @Janarthan @Jeepie what super patient calm and reassuring support you have to us near the back half of the convoy! other pics are in the galary of the adventure and look forward to the next one!

@Ale Vallecchi this is extraordinary and for this Agree hundred percent very true ! Can’t Wait for the next to come @Rahimdad your guess is right regarding VW Touareg !

This is my second Abu Dhabi drive and it was even more exciting and challenging than the last. I loved being in sweep I learned more on how to traverse very badly disturbed sand and how to make my way around sticky situations furthermore I learned how to help others either climb a dune, come down from a dune safely or help someone get unstuck. Overall it was a very well balanced ride of fun, learning and adrenalin. Thank you @Asif Hussain for the help and guidance. hope to see everyone soon. Sadly I couldn't take many pictures or videos most of my time was spent concentrating or helping., 🤣😅

Thank you everyone for the amazing fun and the great learning experience. Thank you @Gaurav and @Jeepie for your guidance on how to get out of a sticky situation. I learned a lot. Hope to see everyone next time! P.S. I posted the video of the Ram getting stuck because I want to know how to avoid that since I drive an F150. Any advice?

Drive Report Everyone who had RSVP'd to drive showed at meeting point except @Omar Al-khoori. I reached to the meeting point on time and saw almost everyone had reached before me and some cars were ready with deflated tyres and flags raised. After 20min of briefing we moved in to desert to explore Al Khatim area. We had two Absolute Newbies in our convoy @muzrma and @Simon Temple both of you drove super and followed the instruction precisely all the time. @mikaeel shaik you really impressed me with your MG RX8. @Ruan van den Heeverwas my second lead and he was perfectly re-routing the convoy to safety as per my radio instruction whenever required. @Shehab Alawadhi was in sweep with his mighty F150 and you handled your beast perfectly specially in those technical dunes and thanks for not leaving anyone behind. @Kamal Fayad with Infinity QX56 was climbing dunes like a piece of cake, your only obstacle is low hanging bumpers which you should think of if you are joining drives above newbie level. @Anoop joseph @ashique rahimanthanks for your support and willingness to learn. Once again i thank everyone for joining the drive and i wish to see you all again soon. I had taken only 4 pictures which i had shared in gallery.

@@Arman 🤐, Thanks for great offer , it was not deliberate from your side so Okay ,infact I admired your confession telling us the truth not faking or giving some lame excuse, hope to see you in some drive next time

looking at the wait list i believe i owe you and @Wrangeld a beer, or whatever equivalent you prefer.

With all these trip reports I'm just going to tell it as I saw it through my eyes. First thing I noted was a mix up and we ended up with some Newbies from @Wrangeld drive and once I went around some of our team were at the other convoy. So after announcing and sorting out the confusion I started deflating. First thing I noticed was a water tanker which was stuck. I ended up cheering for the driver as he created a track with patience moving forward and back. Finally he was able to get himself put of the situation. My attentin was all @Foxtrot Oscar as she delivered the short briefing. As we started to move i was pleased to see so many hot air balloons up in the sky. What a beautiful sight. This is my second time I was supporting @Foxtrot Oscar drive and besides a good chemistry I'm always impressed with the way she leads. She does take everyone through challenges without which we would not have an opportunity to learn. After over 12 years of having seen the desert what gets me up and going is the people in the convoy. I feel really sorry for @Arda Yagcioglu & @Ranjan Das to have to exit early. But its always better to be safe than sorry. It was a pleasure watching @Tamas Hoffmann, @MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ, @Rizwan Waheed, @Ahab Shamaa, @Hennie Schoeman & @Franco Swart with their improved techniques. Special thanks goes out to @Ahab Shamaa not only for his endearing smile but a bag of Olive bread which i enjoyed with my family. What an amazing bunch, they made my Friday morning as beautiful as it could be. Love you all and catch you soon. Enjoy whats left of this weekend.

The same thing happened to me in my Absolute Newbie drive with @Frederic & @sertac. My car was in the same situation as yours. It was perched on top of the dune. I was afraid I may damage the underside of my car and slowed down when I neared the top. Unfortunately mine was the last car to negotiate the dune and the sand was already churned up. Once I got unstuck with the help of @sertac I understood these types of maneuvers has to be done with absolute confidence on the Marshalls and let go off your fear and don't let go off the momentum.