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hahaha....Thanks Fred for introducing me to Spotify. I love the soft rocks of 70s and 80s like Bee Gees, Dire Straits and yes, I absolutely love the Eagles with one of my favorites being The Last Resort. But with the Indian music collection improving on Spotify, my current playlist are old Hindi songs from the Black and White Days of the 50s and 60s, where poetry, lyrics and the singer's voice were given more importance than the music. That was a time when you would have singers going through an entire song in a single take with a live orchestra. In Hindi songs, my all time favorite singers are Mohd. Rafi, Mukesh and Manna Dey. In Instruments, one of my favorite Indian instruments is the Santoor. Try listening to the music of Shiv Kumar Sharma's Spirit of Kashmir in the early hours of the day. It transports you to another world. The sound of the running water at the start is so amazing. https://open.spotify.com/track/4IlPJeZ7wWAb7uIy9dblYN?si=wKlCeeHjQhamChW3pAFsbw&utm_source=copy-link&dl_branch=1

I had the good fortune to see Shiv Kumar Sharma perform in Delhi about five years ago. Absolutely transcendental... Adding a couple of Ragas by Ustad Ali Akbar Khan to this mix too: Rag Manj Khammaj - Ustad Ali Akbar Khan Rag Misra Mand - Ustad Ali Akbar Khan Rag Alam Bhairav - Ustad Ali Akbar Khan Awesome! I'm going to steal quite a few tracks from here

With so many nationalities in the club, we’d love to hear your favorite song that you’d recommend us to hear on our way from or to the desert. Be creative and share your top song and add it to our very own Carnity Spotify Playlist ! Of you don’t have a Spotify account you can add to your song in the drive topic so we can add it for you. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7KRp9Xub5g3sXB5dW2D9DX?si=mO2aLdeeR52Qta4MC4i_nA&dl_branch=1

Congrats @Russ!!!

Amazing ! I do have a DESERT playlist going on :

@Charbel I was going to surprise u on the Friday drive😅

@Islam Soliman it was a wonderful drive on that Saturday morning. We had to deliberately jinx it to get some refusals otherwise everyone were drive so very well without any refusals. The technical sections at the beginning and at the end were just awesome and I thoroughly enjoyed them. The starting point was new for me and almost missed the exit. I had driven in this area and have enjoyed driving here as well. Was there about 15 min before 5 and @JeromeFJ was already deflated for company. @Zixuan Huang - Charlie as a second lead did quite a good job. @JeromeFJ and @Sunil Mathew had a flawless drive that morning. @Adhir Saxena in his first Fewbei+ drive did very well in the technical sections. Looking forward to next week! The map of our drive and this is the GaiaGPS link to the drive.

OMG - you can tell Fred is off on holiday: means he can spend the vacation curating the Carnity drive playlist ... 2, 4, 6, 8 challenge accepted.

@Brette @Enrico Biscaro glad to see you guys dig Bruce “The Boss” as well. From Thunder Road, Born to run, to The River, he is truly one of the most remarkable artists that changed my life and listening experience Brings me to “Eagles”.. there’s a certain fellow with a green manual gear 4x4 that loves cruising to Sweihan blasting them through his speakers 😃 @Srikumar

The Long Trek - Drive Report "Although the road is never ending, take a step and keep walking. Do not look fearfully into the distance" - Rumi We set off from Northern Qudra with the notion that our road would be long, would be hard, and that there would be no going back (to paraphrase W.Churchill 😅). The first half of the drive was on well known ground, from "the big farm off the roundabout on Bab al Shams road" all the way to the long range dunes beyond the bike track, and from there eastward to cross the tarmac close to Solar Park. The driving was smooth, in varied terrain (from long range dunes to technical area, deep bowls, then the lower red dunes between the bike track and the pylons). Virtually no issues slowed us down, and we managed to complete the first segment in 1:27 hours. The second segment of the drive took us, once again, through a different part of Lisaili, and eventually in the direction of Murqab, where we exited. All my latest drives in Lisaili have been on different tracks, always looking for new locations, progressively going more and more east, farther and farther away from the pylons. This is where the terrain keeps offering long range dune, with the addition of small sabkhas, tighter, newer formations, and several areas with groups of trees. It was certainly the more challenging part of the drive. Nonetheless, save a few stucks (as I reminded, sometimes it's better to exit a ridge - carefully - rather than trying to over-power it, as this may not always work, leading do getting crested), we managed to reach our ultimate goal, Murqab's tall dunes, just in time to see the sun dipping below the haze, on the horizon. Not only we arrived just in time, but we also reached the goal of this Long Trek drive - to equal or better the longest Fewbie drive I had done in the past (with the mark placed at 82 Km). Indeed, we covered 83.2 Km, in exactly 3 hours of driving (3:54 hours including the stops), at an average moving speed of 28 Km/h (21 Km/h total). I have to admit that the drive proved to be more complex and full of diversity than I expected. The convoy proved to be great, managing all possible situations, solving the stucks and few refusals with speed and competence, and keeping the concentration for the whole drive (as testified by the many spells of silence that indicated a convoy enthralled with the driving). In fact, this time the whole convoy's attention and concentration was the greatest asset on display. Great job by @Lakshmi Narasimhan in Second Lead, tireless support by @MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ at Center Forward, and a vigilant Sweep by @Christian Andras (your new tire set up, finally giving you peace of mind). the rest of the convoy - @Alain Canivet-Abikhalil, @Sunil Mathew, @Chinthaka Ruwan, @Ashok chaturvedi, @Humayun Ghias, @Russ and @Darren Brooke - went through the drive without a hic-up, completing it with great poise and perfect driving. Thanks a lot to all for the great afternoon. Enjoy the rest of the week, and hope to see you soon again.

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 strictly follow these guidelines. MUST READ AND TOTALLY AGREE: COVID19 Precautions Ban from Carnity Off-road Club Two Way Radio Guidelines Drive Details Level: Fewbie and above Meeting time: 05:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: https://goo.gl/maps/JgtoZTC5Sg43g1Va6 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 and willingness to learn. Approximate finish time: 09:00 AM P.S. Only join if you have a compressor to inflate your tires after the drive. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE: Limited to 10 cars maximum. 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. Members that do not confirm the terms of the COVID requirements will be removed from the RSVP list. 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 CALENDAR

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. MUST READ AND TOTALLY AGREE: COVID19 Precautions Ban from Carnity Off-road Club Two Way Radio Guidelines Drive Details Level: Newbie and above (all levels) Meeting time: 5.30 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZZLZV5xcjEXpwsp9 Action Plan: There is a stretch of desert, running parallel to E66, from Murqab to Faqa, which offers a challenging terrain, with all kinds of dune formations and occasional sabkhas. We'll make our own way along this route, our own Desert 66, where members' technical skills will be tested, alongside with the need for patience, concentration, and resilience. It will be first time, at Newbie level, on this track. 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 and willingness to learn. Approximate finish time: 9:30 AM P.S. Only join if you have a compressor to inflate your tires after the drive. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE: Limited to 12 cars maximum. RSVP will close on Wednesday - 5 PM. 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. Members that do not confirm the terms of the COVID requirements will be removed from the RSVP list. 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 below calendar

Hi @Ale Vallecchi, sorry I will have to exit the drive as I'm making a quick trip home to Pakistan. Hope to join again soon!

@salah2uI see you have already done your absolute newbie drive and will need to join any of the newbie drives now. Since both the newbie drives are full, you can request to add your name to the waitlist on the drive thread and if a spot becomes available, you will be added. I have attached the link to both drives below.

You did very well , especially your recovery of Islam was awesome 👍

Love this idea and thanks for starting the playlist @Frederic. My current music taste is inspired by my 10yo daughter (Korean pop) and my 9yo son (dude perfect YouTube backing music!). As such I will just consume and not contributes at this stage! I like the playlist evolving into a more eclectic catalog with @Srikumar addition! I’ll get myself back into Spotify and hopefully share some of my desert cruising favorites… be warned I like mellow tunes so no judgement if it’s a different style of driving music

I love Tinariwen, you might like the Belgian band called "Zita Swoon" as well The singer called "Stef Kamil Carlens" makes different kinds of music, but under "Zita Swoon Group" you will find lots of his world music.

That's indeed a great and mesmerizing song. I added it to the Spotify list.

You're added. Let's see if all the sign ups stay signed up.

Great initiative. By the looks of it our musical taste seem aligned as well and because there are a few Italians maybe someone will appreciate Ligabue

Love your list @Frederic. I don't use Spotify but a few of my favourites are: Sultans of swing / Dire Straits Winds of change / scorpions Coming back to life / Pink Floyd Hysteria / Def Leppard I'm on fire / Bruce Springsteen You never can tell / Bruce Springsteen

Welcome @Christopher Mitch Fuerzasand @jack.simmoniteand thanks for joining this Absolute newbie drive, we will have a relaxing fun desert drive coming Friday and I look forward to seeing you all. Please share your vehicle details - Make, Model, Year. Do you have any prior off-road experience? Confirm your vehicle has front and rear tow hooks / eyelets. Confirm your vehicle has minimum of 8 inches of ground clearance.

@M.Seidam, @Brian Dev- our recruitment opportunity has arrived...😎

I've joined the party too. Although still trying to figure out at what point will I be good enough to play these tunes "during the drive" 🤔

Thank you everyone! Looking forward to the next level. Hope to see you all soon. @Ale Vallecchi thanks for making my AN drive something that led and inspired me to continue with this awesome pastime!

Just added a few of my faves

Yep been hectic traveling back to the UK etc now back and rearing for action!

Hi, please add me to the waitlist!

@Gilbert Khalilcongrats Gil !! good to know you are in Carnity

Congrats @Gilbert Khalil!

Waiting list for 2nd drive 1. @Alain Canivet-Abikhalil 2. @Anoop Nair 3. @munkybizness 4. @JeromeFJ

@Tbone yes, for second drive

Hi @Alain Canivet-Abikhalil, is this for your second drive? Noted. @Anoop Nair #1 on the waitlist for 2nd drive. @munkybizness you are #2 Sure. You are #3

Dear @Tbone, can you please add me to the WL for 2nd drive? Thank you

Please waitlist me, as a second drive.

Can you pls waitlist me, second drive for weekend

Please WL for second drive.

Thanks Ale for an amazing drive, have attached few pics from this drive.

Back in Dubai! Doing parking garage installations before I move to my new parking spot. New spot will have no secret basement mechanic work allowed. Haha Lights mounted , need wiring finished. Covers fit well and should help with inspection and protection. Maintenance items (oil, air filter, front diff oil and bushing change, new prop shafts, and a couple seals for leaks and I should be ready for the desert by the time jetlag wears off in a week.

You are right, while Kashif was stuck 50 meters away from my car, he suggested the same lets call airlift for my car, lol. Winching out was 10% job and positioning the car and exiting was 90% task, due to tricky situation at the top that I have never seen so many craters on top of big red.

Many thanks to @M.Seidam, @MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ, and @Ashok chaturvedi for great teamwork, patience, and calm approach to managing such extreme recovery. Last night after the newbie drive, we ended up at Big red and in an attempt to make few climbs I went up to check the Big Red climb, and after 70% climb, that area has recently transformed with endless shallow dips, soft sand pockets, and unexpected slip face all around. After reaching a 70% climb, I continued upwards and was greeted with a dangerous dip in the soft pocket. I stopped my car on the ridge for few seconds before going in with LO gear and escape from the first hurdle. The next ridge greeted me with a similar and tighter soft sand pocket that I manage to dodge but the third one left no space inside the bowl to maneuver and we have to rest our case in front of mother nature. We spent more than 3 hours of impeccable coordination mobilizing help on top of big red by dodging all pockets. @MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ was really brave and courageous to drive in a blind state (sandstorm) with just radio instructions to climb while dodging all pockets and slip faces. After a few attempts, refusals, and stuck he finally positioned his wrangler in right place to inaugurate his 12 ton WARN winch, which he installed last week. After my car was out we still struggled a lot to escape the second bowl as now we have two cars with little to no hard patch to drive out. I deflated to 6 PSI, to make that track as solid as we can and manage to reverse out at 6K rpm with precise guidance from @M.Seidam before I dive into another pocket behind the reverse climb. We even get to try out @M.Seidam sand track when @MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ wrangler was dancing with 2 wheels in the air on a soft pocket. Surprisingly sand tracks worked for the first time in the dunes, as we have tried and failed on more than 10 instances in the past with sand track which works wonders on beach sand due to solid ground underneath. A real good memorable night with insane challenges and a big achievement to remember forever.

I was recently sweeping a convoy and witnessed first hand the importance of keeping “enough” distance between the cars.. getting stuck or losing the track is the least of my concerns compared to what I witnessed getting my heart almost out of my chest. the convoy was smoothly moving through nice dunes and approaching a ridge that we had to ride and cross, slightly challenging but perfectly doable for F. Three cars on the backend of the convoy took part on this incident and I am thankful to the mercy of ALLAH that all walked out of it without any injuries or damage to their cars. the first car approached with a lower angel and less momentum than required so took the right decision to safely exist to reattempt. the next car was obviously too close and got distracted with the first car losing momentum and then existing, didn’t have enough time to react so slipped and got stuck close to the top of the ridge. third car followed without paying attention what happened to the 2 cars ahead and while midway to ride the ridge noticed the car infront of him stuck at the top so slowed down (too late) and car started to free slide stopping less than 1 meter from the stuck car almost bumping into it. While the 2nd and 3rd car were going through this the 1st car was already halfway accelerating going for another attempt which would for sure led to an unfortunate incident by then I arrived and had clear visibility and started shouting like crazy at the 1st car to stop! p.s. all 3 drivers are experienced drivers who I have seen in many drives drive extremely good. So in my opinion what went wrong: - situation awareness: all drivers should have full and undivided attention on what’s happening around them and respond; - radio comms: any car that has a refusal should or stuck should immediately announce to alert others are who may not be paying attention (all 3 cars failed to do so) - safety is everyone’s job: anyone on a drive (even if not a senior or support member) who observes a situation that can escalate to a problem should speak up and alert the convoy and not rely on seniors only to take action as sometimes those can be far from off or not having enough visibility of the situation - safe distance: occasionally missing the track is far accepted than being too close with the probability of a collision. Remember simple mistakes most times will not harm any one and can go unnoticed, but adding multiple small mishaps on top of each other can lead to large unfortunate incidents specially in extreme sports like offroading. Wish everyone safe, enjoyable, and full of fun drives