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Hey guys, At what level will we be able to drive like this? 1610988361905.mp4

This is a fast paced Intermediate level drive where you have a bunch of experienced drivers willing to push the pace. Having said that, some of the overtaking manuevours were outright dangerous.

Well it looks great in the videos to share 🤣 - proper dune bashing. We all do fast paced drives regularly as feasible ( generally at FB+/IM and above), but we prefer safety than be sorry. I would say this is a hobby to energize us without doing anything crazy which would risk anyone. As long as you are doing it safely , do whatever but without crossing that thin line which can end up in a nasty situation.

with so much anticipation and, i think i'll kidnap @Shehab Alawadhi on Thursday and just camp till the next morning at the spot 🤣 Excited to show you what i've learned about the TJ since our last drive @Wrangeld

Mahmoud Asar @Mahmoud Asar Mohamed Abo ElKomsan @Mohamed Abo ElKomsan Thomas Varghese @Thomas Varghese Shehab Alawadhi @Shehab Alawadhi Mohamed Seidam @Mohamed Seidam Szymon Stankiewicz @Szymon Stankiewicz Arman @Arman Alphin Aloor @Alphin Aloor Aus Alzubaidi @Aus Alzubaidi Harold Roberts @Harold Roberts What a fantastic convoy we have already for this drive. Qudra has so much to offer for all levels of drives. There are long range dunes where we can slide slope to our heart's content, swooping valleys and pockets where the soft sand is so deceptive that a 1 meter mistake will drag you in and there are sections of technical dunes that challenge the best of us. There are even high pyramid dunes which are normally reserved and of course, some lovely low and safe dunes where we can practice both ridge riding a criss crossing whicha re skills every driver needs to move up to the more adrenalin fuelled advanced drives. It's got the lot. My plan for the drive on Friday is simple. From our start point a few km from Last Exit naviagte through sand that is often untouched by convoys because it's more difficult to get through, find our way to some long rang dunes in the direction of Bab al Shams, scre the gazelle and Oryx as we move out further West and then double back East (once the sun is high enough) towards Solar Park and in the direction of Lisali covering both technical and swooping dunes through and off the Sabkas. How far we can take the challenge will be totally down to how this amazing convoy handles the challenges. Anyone who knows my drives knows I am not afraid to take the convoy through technical sections, sometimes avoided by other drives, because I think that the technical dunes are where we really learn the skills of control of car, acelleration, steering and sand. We will be climbing and crossing dunes the whole time as well and hopefully see some parts of teh Qudra complex that are less visited - why? Because Qurda is so well travelled that finding the pristine clear sand tracks is not easy. If we cover a lot of kilometers that's OK - but not the aim of this drive. The aim of this drive is to throw as many different challenges to you as possible and get everyone safely and happily out with a big grin on their face. More to follow during the week. See you soon in the sand.

@Mario Cornejo nice photos! Love your colors! It is tempting to bump the saturation and clarity on the post but you nailed it! Colors are very natural and clear!

@Wrangeld with every post you make explaining the drive I get more and more excited. I wish I could sleep for a couple of days just to skip to Friday 7AM as @Thomas Varghese said 🤣

Wow it looks so exciting. I'm impatient to be 7am Friday. Maybe with my level of expertise I should be requiring lots of assistance.

Please see this link by Fred @Hisham Masaad @Shehab Alawadhi

During self recovery, giving little bursts of gas up to 1500rpm (blip blip). This while turning the steering wheel full left and full right

@Arman that’s actually not a bad idea to be honest 😂

Hi .. @sertac, I would like to be in any volunteering position if there is any slots left. Plz consider

Good morning, Was going through requirements of other levels, found one of them is GPS, can I have more details of this? Nice day

The free version works fine but lacks good satellite imagery.

This is actually a good question, I would also like to know more details.

Congratulations @Probir Mukherjee!!

@Nitin Mohan if you're going for the Pathfinder please try for 2005 model. The 2002 - 2004 model comes with a plastic part in the MAF sensor which is prone to breaking. 2005 model came with the same part in metal which lasts much longer.

Mahmoud Asar @Mahmoud Asar Mohamed Abo ElKomsan @Mohamed Abo ElKomsan Thomas Varghese @Thomas Varghese Shehab Alawadhi @Shehab Alawadhi Mohamed Seidam @Mohamed Seidam Szymon Stankiewicz @Szymon Stankiewicz Arman @Arman Alphin Aloor @Alphin Aloor Aus Alzubaidi @Aus Alzubaidi Harold Roberts @Harold Roberts You're all confirmed for the drive. Congrats. More details during the week. I have an ambitious plan for this drive. It will be an incredible white sand drive.

Hi there, The opportunity to roam around and record moments in photos is wonderful. I use two cameras, a Nikon D850 (two lenses a 24-70mm f2.8G and a 70-300mm VR f/4-5.6G) and a Fuji X100T (fixed lens and perfect for street and travel photography). If there is an opportunity to meet for a photography drive count me in! Best regards to all!

@Aus Alzubaidi I hope you'll never drive like these senseless reckless people. But the high pace drive is possible at Intermediate level when everyone is just as capable and has confidence in one another. I think the biggest criteria to stay safe would be you've driven before with these drivers and know each other like hand and glove. One small mistake can result in disaster. Last but not the least you need wide open dunes in which to enjoy such high speed drives. Stephan, Wagan, Liwa, Umm Al Oush, Bu TaiTais come to mind. @Emmanuel is our Velociraptor for these terrains.

@Thomas Varghese inshallah Friday!

@Shehab Alawadhi to tell you the truth I'm not a photographer. Its like calling me an offroader bcoz I have an offroader. It would be lovely to meet a fellow offroader who likes to take pictures. Looking forward to meet you, your friend and @Arman

@Thomas Varghese I may have a passenger coming with me and he is also a photographer. thought you guys would get along well!

@Arman you have again elevated my excitement. I can't believe myself why I'm excited for a drive. Only 1 answer. The passion to drive and learn new techniques on every terrain. @Wrangeld will surely elevate the passion.

@Niki Patel I will totally go with what @Thomas Varghese is stating: it’s all about using what you have and making the best of it, and most of all having fun while learning new techniques and never being afraid of showcasing your photos or asking for help. The 50mm prime lens with fast aperture is indeed THE BEST BUY you can do to start getting fantastic portraits. The IPhone 12 is an amazing piece of technology, and I followed the iPhone photography online classes that taught me a lot of getting the maximum out of it. Is it a replacement for a DSLR? maybe it is, as we always have it ready in our pocket and the software that got incorporated makes it now so easy to take stunning shots. It’s not a replacement for me but a welcome addition to my gear. At one point when you become a daily user you’ll come to understand what your camera lacks to get you to your next level, but until that day comes just enjoy your gear and get the best out of it.

@Niki Patel my objective is not to become a professional photographer and sell the pictures I capture but shoot something I like. I went through your gear description and why are you sad that you don't have the latest equipment. To tell you the truth this gear you have is more than enough to shoot what you like. The Nikon you have is the same as my Canon 700D and I have the same lenses. More than enough to shoot family pictures or some landscapes. Please understand you are shooting pictures to capture the essence of moments and any upgrade you do will not improve your pictures or your skills as a photographer unless you yourself start to like the pictures you shoot. Upgrading the gear is just like saying I cannot be a better painter if I don't have this and that brush and colors.

@Frederic you mentioned you have the iPhone 12 (as do i) - its a superb camera and the videos with HDR are a dream (for novices like me anyhow). Do you (and the others on this thread) feel the option of the Apple Pro Raw will bring a significant benefit vs the 25MB per pic tax? PS i am in awe of the purists that started this thread ( @Ale Vallecchi @Frederic @sertac) and the pro's and enthusiats (too many to name/remember), film has such a charm! i like other on this thread am an hobbyist/enthusiast photographers, with myself cancelling an upgrade to a full frame due to the lock down (didn't feel i would get much use of it back in Feb/March last year) and the savings was redirected to my new hobby with me buying my offroad car instead! NOW this thread popped up and i have the itch to start again. With the quality of modern phones, i went back to old habits of 'pointing and shooting' (trigger happy) however which a recent drive, reading the earlier comments here and seeing some of the stunning shots - i started to go back to the basics and focus on composition and framing! it is amazing how much of difference it made to think like a film photographer and consider each shot before triggering! Thank you all for bringing back this care! my kit (very old and ready for an upgrade): Sony RX100 2012 model (bought with the birth of my son and to get better pics with a pocket friendly (size not price sadly) Nikon 3300 kit lenses 18-55 + 55-200 50mm Prime Lens I received advice to quickly buy a prime lens (affordable also) and use your feet to zoom, frame and focus on the composition. The lens was a 1.8 so decent speed allowed for my first true bokeh experience and i loved it... best lens to learn on and was what got me hooked. what made me pause this hobby: a combination of covid lock downs AND the realization that the 'art' in photography was far more critical for a stunning shot than always the tech (my wife just always had a better eye for an angle, composition, etc...) i accepted that i am not a natural photographer BUT after this thread have decided i want back in and to at the least, keep learning. i LOVE astro so am keen to learn there... i am terrible at sports/motion photography so keen to learn there and i love landscapes more than portraits so want to continue my journey learning. @Thomas Varghese - your comment earlier hit a real nerve (in a positive sense). too often i took photos and was keen to see others reaction, often sad when they critiqued or didn't share the joy i had... your point about the pictures are for myself/personal has me snapping out of this need for 'validation/assurance/etc'- THANK YOU. i do plan to spend on a dedicated camera and upgrade the Nikon however am not in a rush ( @Gaurav saved me a small fortune by having me delay the upgrade to suspension and i am fighting myself not to throw that at a camera and lenses...) i look forward to the photography themed drives in the near future and please do keep these discussions/forums active - i would love to hear more from the 'film' photographers and the pro's on their tips for composition ... i tried to apply the rule of thirds, foreground interest, lines to follow and filling the frame in my last drive - keen to hear some pro tips! The care per each picture is something that doesn't come natural so am trying to create it as a habit.

As I don’t have a wide angle lens with fast aperture in my bag (yet), I’ll give it a try with the IPhone 12 Pro Max. The Night mode in combination with the wide angle lens is apparently quite impressive but I need to do some testing.

@Hisham Masaad Congratulations!

Hi Brette looking forward for the drive... C u all on Friday.

Hi, really looking forward to this! Car: Pajero 2018, 3.8L Prior off-road experience: No Vehicle has front and rear tow hooks / eyelets: Yes Tire deflator: Yes Tire pressure gauge: Yes Off-road flag: Yes Air compressor: Yes

Hey Fred looking forward to getting out again upper arms changed on the Tank .... see you Friday at a more sociable time

Heartiest congratulation @Probir Mukherjee

You have Yokohama Geolander ATS, the extra traction deflating by an extra 2PSI gives is quite telling. As Sri said, you will learn how best to build momentum with practice and understanding your car's response. As for losing momentum at the top of a climb, it is very much situation dependent , you can always wiggle the wheel to keep it going or drop down the gears.(if you aren't already in first) Practice is key and you'll get plenty more of it this coming Saturday

Thankyou for your guidance @Foxtrot Oscar

Dear @Fredericappreciate the effort you have put to introduce this app. Many thanks, will work on using it.

Congrats @Probir Mukherjee your drive skills have grown since your first Newbie drive and you mange the LC extremely well. You ought now start playing with tyre pressures (ofcourse depending on thread pattern and brand). Also on long hill climbs, while the central diff lock might help an extra 10%, the main trick is how you build the momentum prior to the climb. Never give it full gas on the first attempt, as many times you have some unseen bumps and you dont want your car to fly. Start with an initial trial run, and in the second attempt you can go full throttle. Have fun and drive safe.

@Alex Sidorov, pls refer to https://fuse-box.info/jeep/jeep-grand-cherokee-wk2-2011-present-fuses and check the details related to your model year. Mine is 2019 model, the F85 & F86 are for airbags and are 1 assembly(yellow coloured) with an inbuilt arrangement to pull them off. F76 is for ESP and would need a nose plier to pull out. There are more fuses which can disable the ABS and ESP like F6, F26 ... i havent tried them yet though... you can also look at the underside of the fuse box cover for your car specific data. WK2 Fuse box diagram 2019.pdf

Well done @Probir Mukherjee

Congratulations @Harold Roberts !

@sertac Please put me in the waitlist for now. I will sure come for a weekend full of Shuwaib sand in my Jeep. @Foxtrot Oscar

@Christian Andras please pick one drive between mine and Sertac’s, and, if you want, add your name on the other drive’s WL, as requested on WhatsApp notification: *NEW CHANGE/REQUEST* To prevent all drives getting full on Sunday by multiple RSVP, we would like to request everyone to please RSVP ONE DRIVE (for the weekend: Friday OR Saturday) initially and then book your second or third drive from Wednesday onward. Sun - Tuesday - Limiting one drive per member (for the weekend: Friday OR Saturday) Wednesday onward - RSVP on multiple drives *P.S. You can waitlist your name anytime for multiple drives too, like below.* Example: Gaurav - Second drive waitlist.” Done @Mohamed Seidam. I also hope to meet you!

@Emmanuel please put me on wait list as second drive . Just for info my first drive is with Richard same day morning . If I am lucky I will have the pleasure meeting you for the first time live 🙏🏻

Waitlist 1, @Tamas Hoffmann 2. @Ranjan Das 3. @MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ 4. @Anvar Sadath Bekal

22k for a 3.0 V6 is really steep, unless it would be in top notch condition with rebuilt engine and transmission but I highly doubt that. Don’t expect to find one for 9000kaed that will be off-road-ready as well. Most are poorly maintained and 20 years old at least. The 2003 Pathfinder is an amazing off-roader, try to find a clean 3.5 model as they are more powerful than the earlier 3.3 models. But finding a clean one will take time and lots of patience.

I have been driving without the roof since last few drives in my Jeep Wrangler and have a lot of Sand in my car obviously. I have been looking for easier ways to get rid of the Sand from the car. I came across this nifty trick. If you have more ideas please do share.

Congratulations @Probir Mukherjee well done bro 👍

Congrats @Probir Mukherjee!

I think the Prado guy was distracted by his girlfriend trying to feed him grapes.

Well done @Harold Roberts !! It was a pleasure driving with you, and look forward to more challenging treks together.