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I've always believed that sharing stories is a great way to connect and make new friends. After all, we humans evolved around campfires all around the world. The Desert is a story in itself and I can imagine thousands of place I'd love to set camp and start a fire followed by YOUR stories and adventures. A good meal and a drink also always help to overcome the little differences that makes each of us unique and special. In the link below my 1st Story. Thanks @Frederic for sharing your expertise with me. P.S. Trust me, I am geologist.

Do we really plan to start at 7am?...justva check .though surely don't mind 2 more hrs of sleep...😃😃 It was undoubtedly the best drive I did...so my fingers weren't going to miss the chnace to explore again..

My Wrangler JK is still in Trading Ent. Believe me, @Lorenzo Candelpergherand Area 53 will be a cracker .... What altitude you are planning to log this time....last time we went upto 1,500 m I recall.....Pls post videos

It's 5am, but since I posted while in Italy the calendar got the time wrong. Will fix it. Thx

Hi Lorenzo @Lorenzo Candelpergher, this would be my first one at IM level; much looking forward to the drive.

Damn. Not even a minute and the drive was full. @Lorenzo Candelpergher seems like the last 1km ascent was really good. Can’t wait for the next one 💪🏽

Excellent idea. Made me think of how i got the offroad driving bug. I moved to Saudi Arabia in 2012 and wanted to explore the deserts a bit, but had absolutely no clue on how/where to start. I fell in love with a big blue 2007 FJ Cruiser which i found secondhand in Dammam, and was imported from the US. It looked immaculate, and i was even able to trace back the original US owner. On a lonely weekend, i deflated my tyres a bit and went offroad. Soon i found myself stuck and was approached by a friendly Saudi national who came camping with this family. His two young kids who were perhaps only 6-7 years old started to deflate my tyres further to try to help the self recovery, but nothing worked. He called up a friend that arrived 20 mins later with a heavy modified Chevy Blazer. He pulled me out of the sand and as we were talking the guy kept asking "Did you engage the 4x4 ?" To which i replied "i assumed the FJ is an all time 4x4" ? and a few moments later we realized this was actually a 4x2 model from US. (two wheel driven only). I felt super embarassed but we had a good laugh about it. I decided not to give up, and to practice a bit more before selling the FJ. At 10psi i was actually able to reach some nice camping spots and enjoy my weekend outings. But by then i realized if this is so much fun in 2WD how much fun 4WD would be Eventually i ended up selling the FJ, and ended up meeting the wonderful Carnity family which taught me everything about offroading and so much more.

Brilliant idea guys, and thanks @munkybizness for bringing this forward. I have the following idea, consisting out of two parts 1) We organize a Carnity Offroad Drive in Mahafiz-Fossil Rock area (Newbie Level) for Thursday night, where any Carnity member can join. This would be from 08 till 11:30, and we would be exiting near Maliha Archeological Center. 2) At the exit, once inflated, we head out with the Lens Lover Club members who have signed up towards Wadi Shawka Dam, which is not far away from Maliha (20-25 kms). Other Lens Lovers Club members can also join us directly at the Wadi Shawka meeting point. I will post the Stargazing/Meteor shower Session separately. Wadi Shawka is one of the darkest spots, and would be ideal as our meeting point. @Zed @Gaurav @munkybizness @Niki What you say ?

Beautiful video @Enrico Biscaro and a good way to connect with stories, always work wonder. Lemme start with my favorite story of how I started off-roading, as many might not know this hilarious bit. My girlfriend (wife now) company invited us to a gathering in the desert on a safari tour. Saw how my wife enjoyed and scream during that ride motivated me to sell my Lexus GS430 (I used to be a sports car guy, before off-roader) and changed to Land Cruiser. She joined me for three drives and got bored, and I got this offroad bug for my life.

The Perseids Meteor Showers began on July 17th and will continue until they peak on the nights of August 12th and 13th with up to 60 trails per hour. https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/meteor-shower/perseid.html https://www.travelawaits.com/2683734/perseid-meteor-shower-august-2021/ The plan is to have a meetup with max. 15 members to practice and enjoy the art of Night photography and learn from each other. Bring whatever camera you have and have a look at the advisable settings in your camera's manual or ask in the forum. After the event you can publish your photos in our gallery ! Meetup Location: Buraq Dam Parking https://goo.gl/maps/KJDj5dukheWD5ArT7 Photography Location: https://goo.gl/maps/icqfVZmoV7T9kwbv7 What to bring: Red headlamp and/or flashlight, camping chair, Camera or Smartphone, tripod, film/memory cards, extra battery, Recommended Lens(es). A tripod is recommended for night photography. Note: This meetup session is COVID19 Compliant, hence we strictly ask all members to wear their masks, keep social distance, and not to share any food. This is not an Offroad drive, there will no need to deflate. For the members who are joining us for the first time, please let us know which camera/lenses you are using and in which category you would put yourself: 1- Absolute Newbie. (Interested in Photography, but mostly use the Automatic settings, and things like aperture, iso, and f-stops are a mystery to me). 2- Enthusiast. (Is not afraid of experimenting with the manual settings, and knows his way around his camera a bit). 3- Jedi Master. (Is mastering not only his own equipment, but can help out or other members during the session).

Congratulations @Aisha S 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 Self-recovery techniques Shoveling at right place Crawling out of difficult situations Blip Blip - Coordinate steering and gas control Basic side sloping and hill climb Basic ridge riding and criss crossing Basic control over technical dunes Slightly faster pace desert driving Ability to manage stuck/refusals with radio Learn to control and avoid fishtailing Never fight or challenge gravity 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 Forum participation Active participation on the forum Share drive experience + feedback Share drive pictures in the gallery Post trip report after the drive

You know what's cool? On the night of the 12th we're only four days off a new moon which, I believe, is going to set fairly early which means the skies will be quite dark; could be a great opportunity to shoot a bit of the Milky Way depending on the time we'll be there. I'm more than happy to help if anyone is interested 😊.

Yea I was afraid my data would mess up and I’d miss it 😂 Exactly!!! I’m so hyped up!!!

Yes definitely it was good so no joke on missing a place for this one 😂

Looking forward...👍👍👍😎

fantastic one @Enrico Biscaro 👍 My dad was a senior petroleum engineer and many times took me while I was child along his work trips. But I never knew that the desert bug has bitten me already till last year when I was totally inspired by a friend … and here we go almost every week sailing with the best community in offroad .

@Gaurav oh I'm in for this - thanks @munkybizness for the post and suggestion! .. Frederic has created a photography club and we have had a few Astrophotography session close to Murquab Mosque - a super site i suspect for the meteor show also. @Zed time to bring your low-light camera skills into play again! we just need to take @Frederic passport off him so he doesn't travel! I suggest August 12th (Thursday) evening - would need some more experienced folks to advise on timing of the meteor shower that day. for our Astro shots we usually meet around 6:30 and are leaving the desert by 9pm - i suspect those times would not work for this event.

Found a better illustration on the side-effect / disadvantage of differential: the point that the power will always go to the least traction wheel, shown below: If your car specs says "Limited-Slip Differential", then you're a bit better, as some power are distributed to the wheel with traction. However note it's not an "Anti-Slip" Differential, just limited, so the arrow to the left is smaller (less power / limited) than the green arrow on the right wheel (more power / slipping). To achieve 50% left : 50% right power distribution, you still need to Lock the Diff.

Congratulations @Zixuan Huang - Charlie for reaching the Fewbie Plus 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 PLUS Drives Attended (Indicative) Minimum 10 Fewbie drives are required within last 6 months for Fewbie Plus promotion. What you'll learn Advance dune and sand reading Advance recovery techniques Rocking and crawling to make path Learn to flatten/compact soft sand patch Self recovery from crest Advance side sloping and long hill climb Advance ridge riding and criss crossing Advance control over technical dunes Slightly faster pace desert driving FULLY control and avoid fishtailing Never fight or challenge gravity Skills required Enthusiastic and positive attitude Willingness to learn and help others Extremely attentive and focused while driving Car Worthiness Any 4x4 vehicle with low range gearing Suitable approach and departure angle Bash plate and skid plate protected 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, Fewbie and Fewbie Plus drives Forum participation Active participation on the forum Share drive experience + feedback Share drive pictures in the gallery Post trip report after the drive

Hello everyone, the Perseids Meteor Showers began on July 17th and will continue until they peak on the nights of August 12th and 13th with up to 60 trails per hour. https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/meteor-shower/perseid.html https://www.travelawaits.com/2683734/perseid-meteor-shower-august-2021/ The starting point for the newbie drive into Suwaydan by @Frederic seemed pretty dark out to make a great backdrop. The Mleiha Center usually does some stargazing nights but I don’t see one on their events list for now. Wondering if you folks know if that’s worth a point to start from?

@Hisham Masaad @GauravSoni @Zed @Chinthaka Ruwan @TT_Dubai @Ranjan Das @Frederic @Russ @Abdul Rahman AK @PaoloMaraziti Thank you friends, and its always my pleasure to drive and learn from you all !! Iook forward to seeing you all on the sands.

Thank you @Lorenzo Candelpergher for reloading this drive . It’s an action I want to share it with you guys 🙏

@Lorenzo Candelpergher can you pls add me to wait list for my second drive

Yessss 😍 I would love to join! And of course, I'm always down for a trip to Shawka ❤️!

i'm in, spoken like a true Director, keeping the option open for only-driving, only-meteorhunting and whoever wants both 😁👍🏻

That’s a great plan @Frederic … I am in! 🍻

@Zed I’d be open to a newbie style night drive Wednesday with the midnight pause for the shower .. we could even consider an evening drive 8pm-midnight … so we are close to the exit and watch the shower at the end of a drive vs in the middle? Either way … open to options and only ask is to consider ‘newbie’ level to ensure @munkybizness as the originator can join (plus I am still scared of driving in the dark 🤦🏽‍♂️)

@Gaurav PCR has never stopped me from coming to Dubai, if this thing's on I'll spend my Marriott points to stay overnight in Dubai 😅

@Zed are you coming to Dubai, as in Abu Dhabi due to night restriction you can only stargaze from your balcony.

Requesting Mr. @Frederic the great chairman of lens club, director general of photography to plan some star gazing drive for this meteor shower, please. @Mikhail Lukichev @Niki and all other astro heroes to find the best suited time to get our maximum wish come true.

You deserve it. All trip lead gave 👍

Thanks boss! Super excited to try out fewbie drives!

@Anish S thanks for another great drive, this one being one of my favourite routes that I have now completed twice with yourself. The combination of the large open dunes giving space to play whilst the tighter, more technical dunes really challenging us big boys at the back made for a fun and enjoyable trip. Thanks @Vanessa8580 for making any drive extremely entertaining and to @Alain Canivet-Abikhalil and @Russ for the additional support roles throughout the drive. Finally thanks to everyone else on the drive, the momentum was great, with so few refusals that we made great time across the sand and with the exception of camels and random farmers we didn't really have to stop.

In addition to your list and Rubicon, lc70 series also have the option with part time 4wd and F&R locks, for part time 4WDs, when 4H/4L engaged, power to F&R is locked at 50:50 already hence no central diff lock is needed LC70 series In China, people are so obsessed with locks, they consider more locks = better offroadability, hence there are several options in China with part time 4wd and F&R locks, the costs from 130k AED Great Wall Haval H9, positioned against Prado Great Wall Tank 300 BAIC BJ40, BAIC used to own Jeep's factory in China🙃 They all proper 4x4s with frame and low range gear, but only 2.0T/2.3T engines with power to weight ratio more or less around 100, which is considered as underpowered in desert driving. All those cars indeed beat their competitors (originals) in most of offroad scenaries just because of the locks. Tank 300 is a recent product and I think the engineers probably thought about desert driving under extreme heat: Central display setting to keep engine fan rev high all the time Thermostat can be taken out without removing any parts, just like removing a fuse from fuse box Havel H9 & BAIC BJ40 are also available in UAE, without lockers sadly 0-0 (I didnt see the car but neither of dealers marketed diff locks as selling point)

Drive Brief The famous Area 53, the pyramid-like dune formation belonging to the portion of Al Badayer situated on the south-west side of the E44 Dubai - Hatta Road, offers a great deal of opportunities for off-roaders willing to put their dune climbing skills to the test. With this in mind, this particular drive is aimed at attempting to reach a specific goal, i.e. recording an overall ascent (i.e. the total elevation gain/loss) in excess of +1000/-1000m, which will require a great deal of climbs and descents for the large part of the drive. In fact, as this is the the 2nd edition of this particular kind of drive, the actual ascent we will be aiming for will be in excess of 1'570 m, the previous record. This first ascent will be straight forward from the north side of Area 53, after a rapid approach through a few small dunes to warm up. This climb will set the tone and the level for the rest of the drive, which will take us, as we will progressively move south, through a dozen of different areas with high and complex dunes, where we will perform steep ascents, audacious criss-crossings, crest/ridge ridings and side slopes at vertiginous heights, always with an eye on our total ascent count. In between, we will have to crunch a few kilometers across medium small technical dunes characterized by the complete absence of any specific alignment or repetitive pattern, which will require careful navigation and undivided attention by all drivers. This drive is the epitome of off-roading on the high red sand dunes of Sharjah, an adrenaline and action packed time for those who really want to discover where their limits as Intermediate off-road climbers are. General Infos This drive is organized in full compliance with the COVID19 guidelines. We expect every member that joins this drive to go through below information and and strictly follow these guidelines in order not to jeopardize someone's health, and to ensure we can keep organizing these drives safely. MUST READ AND TOTALLY AGREE: COVID19 Precautions Ban from Carnity Off-road Club Two Way Radio Guidelines Drive Details Level: Intermediate and Above (All Levels) When: 31 Jul 2021, Saturday. Meeting time: 5:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: Al Badayer Exit - E44 Dubai - Hatta Road - https://goo.gl/maps/JkhE9hDwve8mkkU99 Type of Car: Any proper 4x4 with front and back tow hooks and 8-10 inches of ground clearance. What to bring along: Loads of water, snacks (for yourself), smiles, face mask, rubber gloves, enthusiasm, willingness to learn and your own compressor for tire inflation. Approximate finish time: 9:00 AM End Point: Tawi Ghadaya (Shabiyat Al Rafadeh Mosque) Limited Spots Available: Limited to 10 cars only. RSVP will close on Thursday - 9 AM. If the RSVP is full and you wish to join, please mention your name on the drive thread to add on the waiting list. Latecomers will be returned back - without ANY EXCEPTIONS. Members without RSVP will be returned back - without ANY EXCEPTIONS. Please withdraw your RSVP, if you aren't joining, so your spot can be taken by others. Repeated no-show members after RSVP will have their account suspended for a month. PLEASE RSVP ON THE BELOW CALENDAR EVENT

Congratulations @darren thompson for reaching the Fewbie Plus 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 PLUS Drives Attended (Indicative) Minimum 10 Fewbie drives are required within last 6 months for Fewbie Plus promotion. What you'll learn Advance dune and sand reading Advance recovery techniques Rocking and crawling to make path Learn to flatten/compact soft sand patch Self recovery from crest Advance side sloping and long hill climb Advance ridge riding and criss crossing Advance control over technical dunes Slightly faster pace desert driving FULLY control and avoid fishtailing Never fight or challenge gravity Skills required Enthusiastic and positive attitude Willingness to learn and help others Extremely attentive and focused while driving Car Worthiness Any 4x4 vehicle with low range gearing Suitable approach and departure angle Bash plate and skid plate protected 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, Fewbie and Fewbie Plus drives Forum participation Active participation on the forum Share drive experience + feedback Share drive pictures in the gallery Post trip report after the drive

@munkybizness, @samamara, @Niki Join fast

IM ONLINE and WAITING, any exact time Mr. Director....?

Congrats @Aisha S!

I'm totally in! You're all such amazing folks 🙌 🤩

@Aisha S you have the warrior spirit ! Nothing or no-one will stop you Congrats on your promotion !!

That’s a good one thanks for sharing it with us, hopefully more people will share theirs thanks, it’s easy when the landscape is so beautiful.

Heartiest congratulation @Aisha S

Coincidentally, 12th August is declared UAE Public Holiday for a good long weekend https://gulfnews.com/going-out/uaes-next-public-holiday-when-is-hijri-new-year-1.1627193460855 But according to @munkybizness's links, it will only be visible from 22:00 until 04:00, so the right plan would be: 1. Night drive à-la Srikumar starting at 9pm night on Wed 11th Aug or Thu 12th Aug. 2. Stop for stargazing at 12 midnight 3. Those who want to go home, exit. Those who want to stargaze more, do camping 😅

I drove with you only once at Margham, when you had a pop-out. I was doing sweep duty that day and I could see that you were quite comfortable behind the wheels in the desert. Congratulations @Aisha S! Well deserved promotion, now the drives will become a ever so slightly intense and the desert driving passion becomes intense. PS: seems that was your latest drive as a newbie as well.

Thanks for confirming @Mario Cornejo! I’ll get back some sleep I’ve lost over this now 😅

Hi everyone, yes, my Y61 (2017) has one reverse light only and I've been told the story about compliance with regulations of governments in European Union and Australia. Compliance was also the reason why tail, signal and brake lights were moved to the rear bumper, but I am not sure from which year onward. Fog lights are located along with the reverse light.

@munkybizness if they did, it's probably to save cost to make similar features for both Europe & Middle East. According to European Union Law Regulation No 48 of the Economic Commission for Europe of the United Nations (UNECE) — Uniform provisions concerning the approval of vehicles with regard to the installation of lighting and light-signalling devices [2019/ 57] (europa.eu) : 5.1.5 Reversing Lamp color is White and Rear Fog Lamp is Red 6.4 Minimum 1 Reversing Lamp mandatory 6.11 Minimum 1 Rear Fog Lamp mandatory So to fullfil above requirements, they probably make 1 Reversing Lamp White on the Left + 1 Rear Fog Lamp Red on the Right. Below photo is Honda (Japanese) and it only has 1 Bright Red Rear Fog Lamp. Test your Y61 rear fog lamp and post pics please 🙂

This is an amazing effort @Zed to enlighten everyone with your recent differential enlightenment. Just a small add-on on few points for better clarity. Point 4: Center differential engagement comes standard when you switch to LO gear. Second, you can use center differential in high using HLC (Hi Lock Center diff), hence in most cars, there is no button labeled as center diff, one can use center diff either in HLC or in LLC 4X4 gearing. Point 5: Rear diff-lock will only help to get unstuck if any one of the rear wheels still has traction. If both rear wheels are in the air or deep inside the sand then the rear diff-lock won't be able to help much. Point 7: Jeep Rubicon has all three diff and plus sway bar disconnect option with a flick of a button, that can work wonder even when the vehicle is crested with all 4 wheels in the air. Sway bar disconnect will drop the front wheel lower by a couple of inches and increase the chance of self-recovery if cresting is not on razor-sharp blade.

Wonderful article @Zed !