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Thanks to @Anish S and @Gaurav Soni for leading and supporting the drive, and our permanent 2L @Alain Canivet-Abikhalil . Not to forget the ever present @Veedooshee and her guidance for the recovery we had. We had a short convoy of 7 cars, and we rode in radio silence for most of the drive, except for the occasional admiration of the scenery around by @Gaurav Soni and some very minor refusals/re-attempts. And then came the game changer towards the end of the drive with a stuck by @Anoop Nair, which took some time with couple of cycles of shovelling and tugging. For me it was an afternoon and evening well spent , away from work midweek 1. I got to use my shovel for the first time 😀👍, and see from close quarters, a how @Carnity leads handle recoveries, 2. We got an unexpected 1.5 hrs of night drive as a bonus 👍👍 3. I was experimenting with the idea of "2500 rpm challenge/concept" put forward by Richard @Wrangeld on one of the coming weekend drives in my own way keeping an eye on the tacho, which was a real eye opener for me. Come to think of it, i realized that all these days i was unnecessarily pushing the car through long side slopes and was unable to sustain/control the car for longer distances. As the route chosen by Anish was a blend of technical and longer sideys , i got to practise this aspect and got a feel of slower and controlled riding as well, instead of just dashing through dune sides and hurtling down uncontrollaby when exiting the side slope. More fine tuning required here, but i expect to get it right with practise. At one point, while getting on the ridge and exiting , i lost my judgement due to the wind blowing on top of the crest making it difficult to see the shape of the crest and see the ridge exit point taken by the cars in front, This caused some fishtailing and slow down , which resulted in a refusal for @Ben84. Reminiscing the chit chat sessions with Ben regarding the Terraflex shocks and lift kits he had installed. @Marwan Haddad was driving in front of me without any issues. 👍👍 Here is a video i created, tinkering with the iMovie in the Iphone, not something great but just a fun activity during some free time i got using some standard trailer templates. Excuse the quality and focus ..planning to install a dashcam later

Such a fantastic evening yesterday,Thank you @Anish Sfor the selection of the terrain and leading all the way.. Your self recovery/ exit from the tricky soft patch made my jaws drop ,,,,,Extra spice was added with the bit of rain and sand storm. Drive was flawless at the start but was halted due to the tricky stuck and culprit being me 😬It was a moment of indecision caused the same. thank you all whom jumped out and did the leg work while I was inside the car with a convoluted spine 🙄. I owe you all you all a treat when Covid is over.. Thanks @Gaurav Sonias I made you do extra work, hope fully you don't have another drive to attend on the same day like the last time we were together 🤣. thank you @Marwan Haddad@Sunil Mathew@Ben84 for being there supporting.. I guess this is the Carnity spirit....Last but not least thanks @Alain Canivet-Abikhalilbeing cool and patient as a second lead. I am following you now second time in a row, and see you in 2 weeks buddy. Good day all.

My first experience with @Carnity was for a masterclass. @Wrangeld was my instructor and after a few hours we were taken by surprise by a sandstorm. Richard asked me on the radio if I wanted to exit or continue - we continued. We drove 45 minutes in the sand clouds and this encounter with the desert made me respect it even more. Today, while following @Anish S and when we came across the sandstorm, I had a throwback and this time it was a bliss. As usual, Anish you took us through challenging dunes, criss crossing and ridge riding at a surprising pace given the conditions but that the whole convoy kept up with. We almost never stopped... until one big refusal that had us all dig. That refusal was a very good case study on how to get out from a very tricky situation. Thank you again @Anish S, thank you @Gaurav for the support and advices, thank you @Anoop Nair @Marwan Haddad @Sunil Mathew @Ben84 and see you in 2 weeks

not sure if @Darren Howe enjoyed the drive but I know @Darren Brookedid 🤣

Specially after all the abusing it received from me... surprised its still in one piece 😅 A huge makeover is on the way.... stay tuned @Lawrence_Chehimigot urs done alrwady?

I’m in 😀

@Ahmed Wagdy have a read here and it kind of confirm my doubt that flat spotting is more prone in colder countries as rubber reacts dramatically to sub-zero temp as opposed to 30 v 50 degrees here. I have had many cars and sometime had a gap to not to drive some car for a month or two without any additional care required. As mentioned in continental link, initially felt little strange and after 5-10 km drive tires were fine. So just inflate to 35-40 and leave it so that even if looses pressure a bit, it will be fine. For two months surely, I suggest to remove the battery to be on the safe side and cover with good quality car cover to avoid paint damage. For the business side, there are many options are already there for storing high-end cars google - "car storage" but expensive like 1000 dhs per month to store your car in AC shed and clean on daily basis and start the car regularly and drive within the shed for few minutes. They offer different packages depending on your pocket depth and love for your car. If you can find a carnity member closer to your area, through member map (I know its not accurately filled by many), and check with few who can help start and move the car for little drive.

@RooRzOntomorrow😃.

Thanks Rawad @RooRzOn for letting me know.. it's important to pamper the bumper 🤣

You are the third @M.Seidam of first drive WL, so chances are there

It sounds like (( feed me more )) epic . I already like it and don’t wana miss it . Although as 5th on wait list my chances are scarce here especially with good Bunch ( I love them ) 🤣already RSVPs

Hi @Lorenzo Candelpergher wait list me please as First drive 🙏

Dear Desertnauts. Last minute info about tomorrow's drive. We'll meet a short distance after the Solar Park "glass pyramid", pointing in a westerly direction, parallel to the bike track, which we'll follow as much as possible, until we reach a sand track that will take us to Little Sweihan. Here we'll explore its length, multiple times, each one moving further south, until we'll reach the sabkha that separates this area from the northern reaches of Abu Dhabi (without ever coming close to the border). There'll be plenty to practice, from finesse driving in tight dunes, to faster pace, roller-coaster bowl riding, and criss-crossing sharp dunes, often ruffled by the string winds that sweeps the area. Our convoy order will be as follows: @Lakshmi Narasimhan in Second Lead @Ashok chaturvedi will follow at #3 @Humayun Ghias at #4 @Russ will be #5 @Darren Brooke at #6 @Ranjan Das will take spot #7, and @Gok Krish will Sweep. No Center Forward, as each driver will take care of the cars in front and behind, with my assistance. We'll pick the Carnity Channel at the meeting point. Come ready to drive, as punctual as possible, so we may depart as close to 4:00PM as possible. See you tomorrow.

Regret the typo @Darren Brooke, guess as long as you enjoyed the joyride, it’s fine.

Hi Ale @Ale Vallecchi, thank you for the wonderful afternoon drive. If the soaring mercury wasn’t challenging enough, the dunes of little Sweihan made it even more exiting. @Shaz Shah thank you for leading the way for me, was amazing following your tracks at the back. @Lakshmi Narasimhan, @Ashok chaturvedi, @Humayun Ghias, @Gok Krish, @Russ, @Gaurav Soni and @Darren Howe it was an absolute pleasure driving with you . Hope to see you guys soon

Hi Rizwan, good to have you onboard. Will assign the convoy numbers in the morning.

Congratulations @Craig Finlayson @Lorenzo Candelpergher. I’ll be joining ✌🏼

Nice video...uploaded the pictures in the gallery... Managed to capture some action 😉

Haha...all standard templates and music from iMovie...nothing deliberate

wow @Sunil Mathew its like a horror movie music ...i see a hidden there ..i got the chills

I missed to thank @Veedoosheeinstructing with her cool head

Thank you @Ale Vallecchifor this challenging drive. Even before the drive began, I had this feeling it would be a different one. The variety of things that we got to do kept me on my toes and I remembered how Ale had mentioned prior to the drive that it would require our constant concentration. I was bummed and embarrassed with my pop out early in the drive but I was reassured by @Lakshmi Narasimhan''s encouraging words over the radio. Thank you Lakshmi, Ale and everyone with your patience and help with the pop out. It was a pleasure driving behind @Ashok chaturvedi and seeing @Gok Krishin the rear view mirror. @Darren Brookeglad to hear the new axle is working fine. Good to see you all on the drive and see you soon!

@Ale Vallecchi it was wonderful mid week drive in the “Little Sweihan”. Hot and dusty weather and white sand made it really challenging today. What ever it was following your tracks made it easy and very interesting. Mix of technical area, nice ride riding and criss cross and long range dunes were highlights of todays drive. I enjoyed the drive every minute following you. @Ashok chaturvedi, @Humayun Ghias, @Gok Krish, @Russ, @Gaurav Soni, @Darren Brooke, @Shaaz Sha and @Ranjan Das hope all of you enjoyed the drive and thanks for joining the drive. See you soon!!!

Hi @Lorenzo Candelpergher! I will not be able to join this drive😔 Saturday is all set to be a family fun day out!!!

I confirm

Dear Desert Wanderers, Thanks to the generous availability of @Islam Soliman we are considering the possibility, given the long waitlist, to split the drive in two convoys. I would appreciate if all those who requested to be waitlisted could confirm their interest. @GauravSoni, @Shaaz Sha, @Thomas Varghese, @Ahab Shamaa, let me pls know. @M.SeidamI'll consider your last message as a confirmed no. Thanks

Hello @Damiru Dharmadasa. Indeed your name sounded familiar. Good to see you again. Looking forward to Friday's drive.

yes, travelling...

Hey @Ale Vallecchi, this is gonna be my first drive with Carnity, although I do have second hand experience in the desert as I’ve accompanied my dad and uncle @Yasas Dharmadasaand @Athula Dharmadada in the past six months, and I recall us joining around 3-4 drives with you as marshal. I got the following gear on me: • Deflator • Pressure gauge • Shovel • First Aid Kit/Extinguisher • WalkIe Talkie • Flag with suction cup • Compressor • Kinetic rope and soft shackel • Front and rear tow hook points • Skid Plate Looking forward to the drive!

@Ashok chaturvedi I can now add you for the second drive of the week. Please confirm.

@Ahmed Wagdy great discussion you started and rather than a 'rent a friend' service to drive the cars (you may end up with a friend like @PaoloMaraziti who will not drive, but test drive ) - we could stock pile these ramps and covers and offer a long term storage prep service (i am not a gifted businessman so feel free to shake your head). I am no longer travelling but put in a lot of research on how best to store our 2 cars and as we were in an apartment access for friends to drive it was a hassle/difficult. the below video is also great - explains the benefits/cons of the oil change, raising on a ramp, sealing exhaust, why to avoid soft outdoor surfaces to park etc (plus the guy has one of those authoritative American accents that makes him sounds like you are stupid to doubt his guidance)

😱🤦🏽‍♂️ I am not qualified beyond Amazon search! I do know very high end vehicle storage places that use the ‘flat stoppers’ for classics and modern hyper cars etc. not that this is proof enough however is an option I guess. A friend to drive the car on occasions is always the best choice - that I do agree

Ok @GauravSoni. See you at 4pm. Thanks

I would do the following: 1) Purchase a tarpaulin that allows you to cover the car entirely. That will keep away the dust, animals, etc.. 2) Disconnect the battery. If you have a relative or friend that is able to start the car or go for a small tour every couple of weeks that would really help.

I don't know about more recent models, but for my jeep I disconnect the battery to prevent battery depletion, and raise the jeep on 4 jacks to avoid tires deformation. I also cover the jeep to protect the painting.

Gents, it was amazing indeed and that bit of technical drive in the dark was worth the stuck. I just need to figure out why these big dunes keep on defeating me. I will try @Gaurav Soni advise to clean the air filter. Many thanks to @Anish S and @Gaurav Soni for tackling every challenge with confidence.

Sure @GauravSoni. Let me know. Thanks

Honestly , loved reading this thread and all the thoughts. Been thinking non stop about the drive, how it’s going to be , how each member and their car will react to each situation. How my heavy LWB car will control at these revs and conditions compared to other member SWB with good power to weight ratio 4wd. My conclusion is over thinking it will not help and there is no real preparation for the situation unless you have done this sort of drive before , except careful, intuitive driving and being instinctive and listening to and feeling out your car and the sand beneath you. Don’t be tempted to floor it but moreover feel your way into and out of the tricky situation. I remember my father her as a kid driving his 83’ SWB Pajero in what was is now Mushriff park, never getting stuck and rarely in 4wd and that I guess that was pure control. His car certainly wasn’t as advanced as ours now. I never knew hippy off roaders existed till I just wrote this 😂

Hey @Lorenzo Candelpergher, please waitlist me 2nd drive 🙏🏻

Hi, Any recommendations to what to do when leaving the car parked for a long duration (2 months) so as not to jeopardize any elements of the car, mainly tyres, battery.....?

Isn't there like a kind of tipping point, such as from 32-33psi onwards that the tyre shape will not change anymore ?

Another thought. Why don't you inflate the tyre to approx 45-50 psi. That might avoid flat spots. For older cars I would not recommend not running it for such long periods as they will create problems when you return. I would prefer the option that Fred has given to let someone start the car and run it once a week.

Dear @Abdul Hannan, @Gilbert Khalil, @hasan hamadeh and @Damiru Dharmadasa, welcome to this week's Absolute Newbie drive. In order to plan the best convoy order and route, would you be so kind to please inform me if: you have previous off-roading experience on any kind, on sand, other terrains, with other clubs, etc. you have any kind of equipment already available in your car you carry a radio with programmable channels your car is equipped with recovery points (hooks, eyelets, hitch points, etc.), at the front and back Looking forward to hearing from you.

Hi Angela - Apologies but kindly remove from the waitlist. I will try and join another drive next week. Thanks.

I have a spare set of dice from my backgammon set , I’ll bring them! 😂

Waitlist 1. @Simon Ducos 2. @Farook Veettil 3. @Savio Fernandes

Looking forward, see you all tomorrow!!!

Also would be nice to note. Be careful of fire ants, centipedes, spiders specifically the camel spider (their venom doesn’t do anything to us but will leave a nasty infection) I found a website which actually has which explains the wilderness of the UAE (plants, animals and insects. The mentioned instructs can be found there and explained in more detail) https://www.ddcr.org/en/index.aspx @Gregory I think your son would enjoy reading on this website.

OK. I am glad that this topic has surfaced. I have avoided it because I don't want to go against every advice that has been given here. But for the Wrangler we have two versions: The rubicon and the others. I don't know which version do you have, but the Rubicon transfer reduces the gearing 4.0:1 and the other (named sport, Sahara, etc) reduces 2.7:1. Also the gear ratio that comes from factory usually are 3.71 or 4.10. In my experience in Chile, running the Atacama Raid for days (and talking with my many sand offroaders friends in the north of Chile. They have Wranglers JK with 3.71 that they use on 4LO all the time when off-roading without any issues. (and we drove all day long for days). That with 33" tires. I don't know about the other brands of vehicles, but the Wrangler you can drive on LO for several hours (if it is a sport model) with no issues (I have done it many times). They recommend that you don't drive faster than 40 MPH when on low, and I hardly go that fast on the dunes. For the Rubicon it is a different story. The fact that the transfer reduces 4.0:1 in LOW seriously limits the speed when in low. Again, I don't know about the other brands, but the wrangler I know can handle the 4 LO with no issues. And if your gears are 3.21 even more. P.S. You will have to be very careful with your temperature. When you increase the revs for long periods, engine temp goes up. When you go on 4 LO engine revs go up. On the other hand, your gearbox can overheat when off-roading on HI, because the oil doesn't circulate fast enough (this is for the wranglers, again) P.S.2 Ohh but your car is manual, so you don't have the gear box temperature issue.

I can’t make this Friday - new arrival in the family and I’m still adjusting to sleepless nights! It’s painful.