Leaderboard

It was an amazing day in a beautiful terrain, compassionate weather and with excellent drivers! My sole and last drive in Abu Dhabi was long ago and I am amazed finding such a hospitality by club friends and giant dunes of AD welcoming me together! Thank you very much to you all for this unforgettable experience! We completed approx 60 km in a very good pace. Even started a bit late due to dense fog in the beginning, we completed a track longer than the planned and were able to finish even before the end time! To do this, you need a "good convoy" rather than some "good individual drivers". And to have a "good convoy" as a whole, each single member needs to be "good" as we had yesterday. There was no any single weak ring in our chain; had no stuck, no rope, no tugs... I did not have to clean sands from my shoes after a very long time. Well done friends! @Naveen Raj even with the weakest engine in our convoy, his good-looking Pajero was always showing up on my mirror and took him up everywhere we climbed! Very good example proving that off-roading is all about "the driver" and not "horse power" which can be bought with money! Excellent performance and excellent second-leading with quick re-routing responded just on time. Very tough and stubborn determination by @John Vanderbleek, as he is fully familiar with all attitudes of his FJ , perfectly followed the track without hesitation. Thanks to him also for his care of me; after inflating, I ate something in the car and was having coffee and cigarette before heading up to my long way back to Dubai. He saw me alone from far, came back to check weather everything is fine. This is something about our club friendship, we are good fellas. Thank you John! @ShereenMK made a good decision by taking his LC. Our track was right up your LC's alley yesterday! Outstanding performance on straight climbs, long side-slopes, continuous climbing with lower speed and bowl circling. That is everything and you made it all - even some flying at that deep bowl Our big guy with his big monster, @Josh T. chewed the giant dunes like a grader! He injected us a lot of energy with his laughter and enthusiastic cheers. Well done bro, keep it up! @Santoso Marjuki knows exactly what means having a Rubicon! The trick is not speed but momentum, as you already showed yesterday in high climbs where acceleration is not possible. And thank you for your special "Rubicon show" in the bowl at the end @Karthikeyan Govindarajan ; it was amazing seeing how you have improved since our last drive many months ago (it was one of your early newbies I think). Now you are driving your rhino just like using your own body parts, caught a perfect combination of a driver and a car to off-road! It was nice to see you again my friend. Well done! @S Jacob showed us the capabilities of a Pajero SWB if whipped by the right hands! As a Pajero driver, I exactly know what it requires to perform such actions and what it tells about its driver performing those Congrats! @Hasan Wahlan it was very nice to see you in action again! Very sound driving and sweeping as always you do. Thanks also for your "closing show" by doing the biggest 8 around us in that bowl. Bravo my friend 💪 ... and my old friend @marks; thank you buddy for excellent support. It was really relaxing to hear your voice on my radio, made us feeling safe. Thank you for your drone shot in the bowl as well. I liked this Abu Dhabi drive! We definitely should organize more of these! Thank you all for your performance, support and friendship. See you soon again!👍

Well deserved @Kailas ! You might be our youngest Marshal, but you have amazed everyone with your attitude and skills. You possess and radiate all the traits of a Leader, and I am looking forward to witnessing your future growth ! Don’t forget that Marshal level is not the end station, but rather the beginning of further exploration within yourself and how you can keep developing your skills and keep the satisfaction alive. See you soon in the sand !!

DRIVE REPORT Dear Desert Wanderers, I have seldom seen in almost 15 years in Dubai fog as thick as the one we had today. As per plans the convoy was ready to move by 6am but the visibility was so limited that we had nowhere to go.. We took advantage of the waiting for a more extended briefing and for a bit of chit-chatting, until, by 6:20am we decided to make our move and to start crossing the sabkha in the hope that the fog would slowly fade away with the rising sun. Well, it wasn't the case.. After reaching the far end of the sabkha we had no other option than to stop again waiting for better conditions: As we stood out of our cars we were all literally wet because of the humidity. At around 7:15am the fog was starting to reduce a bit, so it was decided we'd give it a try and see whether we could go ahead. The first stuck happened almost immediately, with @Felix Obst's Wrangler crested and requiring a tug, as did, a couple of minutes later another car at the back, not sure who it was. After these initial stucks, the convoy picked up the rythm and got accostumed to driving in the fog, as we started playing around the first group of long range dunes, where we had plenty of chances to practice sidesloping and learn how to control fishtailing and how to avoid fighting gravity when momentum is lost. We spent a good half hour playing around the area, passing by multiple rock formations. I must say I was a bit disappointed: this is usually a very scenic route with all those rocks in view, but the fog really made them look much less spectacular. Our spaghetti-styled route, in any case, took full advantage of the area, as you can see from the map below: We then continued our route further north-east, with progressively increasing visibility, until the sun started shining for real, allowing us to use the terrain to our full advantage. The drive was smooth and we had very few refusals and, as far as I can remember, no stucks for quite a while. Everyone was doing great and having fun. We drove through three different areas with large dune formations of increasing height and complexity. At the end of the 1st of the three areas @Algin Varghese's Pajero started having transmission overheating issues, so we had to stop and let it cool down a bit. As discussed in many forums in @Carnity website, transmission overheating is a very common issue with Pajero, as is the fragility of the rear plastic bumper, prone to easy damaging due to scooping if not protected with a skid plate, as Algin experienced today. As we moved further north, after a couple more stops due to transmission overheating, this time affecting also @Alexanderrr, we eventually made it to the area of "Lisaili Mighty Dunes", our intended destination for the day. In the attempt to make it easier for @Algin Varghese to control his overheating issues, the convoy order was changed moving his silver Patrol in position no. 2, as 2nd lead behind me, so that he could drive though less churned upstand and along cleaner lines. These majestic dunes offer amazing opportunities for long climbs and swooping rides on often completely virgin sand, all combined with great views which well justify the adjective "mighty" to describe them. We spent some good time roaming around, occasionally reaching good levels of technical complexity for a Newbie Drive, as witnessed by @Algin Varghese, who had to be tugged once after getting stuck in a nasty pocket and then performed a brilliant self recovery from a tricky crest. We certainly didn't miss a sense of adventure and challenge among those impressive dunes.. We even had a thrilling passage descending one by one straight into the bottom of a bowl packed with nearby rocks, but everyone did extremely well in all circumstances. As we were preparing to move to the sabkha on the west side, the very last climb of the day turned a simple refusal by @Algin Varghese into a tricky recovery from a patch of very soft sand requiring a two staged winching. Once the recovery was over it was 10:20am, therefore time to make our exit. Having lost a good hour due to the fog, we couldn't reach as far north as planned, so it was decided to head west along a dirt track to the nearest tarmac road near Lisaili Fort. The whole convoy was excellent today: @Fabien Monleau, you were a perfect 2nd lead, careful and responsive, always acknowledging my directions on the radio and helping me deal with a couple of much needed small reroutings. Bravo! @Algin Varghese, you had a hard time today, pushing yourself and your Pajero to the limits. What's good to know is those limits are only temporary: with practice, hesitation on long climbs and sideslopes will fade away, using power a bit more will become more natural and a small skid plate will give you peace of mind when scooping with the back bumper. Also, you'll learn not to rush into action when you are stuck and to take your time to carefully process the instructions received via radio. Overall, very very well done today: you didn't spare yourself for a single second! @Waqar.S, coming fresh out of @Brette's Absolute Newbie yesterday, you did very well in 4th position. As with Algin, with experience you'll learn to better control your fishtailing on long slideslopes and to avail to its full potential your capable Wrangler. Congratulations! @Felix Obst admittedly found himself often overspeeding on long slideslopes, which took him very close to the car ahead. Maybe leaving some more space will help you overcome this issue. As with most of today's drivers, you'll have to work on your fishtailing refining countersterring and throttle usage. For the rest, great drive! @Serafino, you surfed today's dunes super smoothly. I know you were hoping for more action and more dunes, but this was a Newbie Drive and pushing it more than we did would have meant asking too much. I had limited visibility of the rear part of the convoy, so I'll let @Jeepieadd more comments about what she could see from the back abour @jeetu sharma, @Mohammed Mansoor, @Alexanderrr and @Sanjay Malik I however noticed a lot of fishtailing (certainly made more difficult to control due to the churned up sand) and convoy distancing not always sufficient, especially during long slideslopes. Apart from that everyone did very well, congrats! @Adhir Saxena, second last in today's convoy, you quietly but effectively led your Pajero through all challenges. Very well done: I know it was a piece of cake for you, as you are way more experienced than this, but the churned sand at the back didn't make it any easier. Overall we spent 4h 15' on the sand, of which 2h 38' moving and and 1h 38' stopped. Considering we held for almost 50' due to the fog, this means we really lost minimal time throughout the drive thereof. We covered 50.8km, with an average moving speed of 19.3km. Congratulations to everyone for a brilliant drive and special thanks to @Jeepie for her precious support. Knowing I had you at the back made me feel way more relaxed. See you again in the sand!

Thanks @Mehmet Volga for giving us the opportunity to bash those big dunes in sweihan, it was a thrilling roller coaster experience, the drive level though was fewbie, the long sideys , bowls and hill climbs reminded me of the fewbie plus drive in dubai. thanks for your kind words on my Pajero, the only reason I still keep the car is that it is turning me into a good off-roader, and I don’t want to part with this old Dakar champion despite its weakest engine. Looking forward to do more drives with you in Abudhabi.

A special message for @Gaurav 1. Immediate and clear instructions as soon as he heard of the issue. Probably saved my car from damage and myself from injury or worse 2. Calm troubleshooting to figure out the best way to resolve the multiple issues with minimum disruption 3. Full preparedness with equipment and provisions for all eventualities 4. Masterclass to stuck newbies as well as support teams on setting up the bridle, tow rope and technique of towing /being towed 5. On top of it all keeping calm and a sense of humor always Hats off to you sir... learnt a lot from that experience 🙌

Congratulations @Kailas for reaching the Marshal level with Carnity Off-road Club. Proud to welcome our "Youngest Marshal" to Carnity off-road club. Kailas has Joined Carnity last year in July with beautiful Red Wrangler Sport with the aim to learn off-roading to enjoy his weekends outdoor. His passion for off-roading and willingness to learn and advance at an exceptional pace really impressed everyone around. His positive, calm, sensible and humble approach towards off-roading and helping everyone around makes him a perfect choice for Carnity Marshal. Since his early days, he has amazed everyone with a coolheaded approach, fantastic control over his car, and eagerness to learn. Kailas further advancements to Advisor level have also proved that he consistently plans and executes perfectly. His dedicated contributions and timely support behind the drives, planning and great teamwork were always been highly appreciated. MARSHAL is one of the most prestigious and sought-after titles that comes after a lot of hard work, patience, tolerance, and dedication. Just like all the levels in Carnity offroad club is "NOT" only based on driving skills but instead based on the combination of your personality + intelligence + team spirit + adventure. This Marshal title is an epitome for all levels in the offroad grading structure. So if anyone wants to grow, they can set any of Carnity Offroad Club Marshal as a PERFECT example for not only following the driving skills and style but also observing their behavior, teamwork, presence of mind, calculative approach, patience and tolerance to teach and support new offroaders. Carnity Benefits Earn reward and recognition from 1:1 Desert Driving Course Off-road Certification with rank and skills achieved Full access to Carnity without any paid subscription Join any drive in the “Manage” tab even when the drive is full Carnity Contribution Committed to driving with Carnity off-road club only Lead/Support drives as per Carnity drive planning Carnity off-road club betterment and advancement Drives Attended (Indicative) Minimum 20 drives are required for Marshal promotion along with mandatory attendance to leaders lead drives. (Promotion will be based on Marshal / Crew feedback.) What you'll learn Trip route planning as per convoy’s response Drive topic and calendar posting and management Deal with different cultures, mindsets and nationalities Explore new areas and conduct recce trips independently Basic car technical and electronic management skills Skills required A humble, approachable and social person Matured, pro-active, calm and composed Mentor-ship skills to train off-roaders at all levels Car Worthiness Capable 4x4 vehicle with a 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, toolbox, tie-down straps, fluids. Drive teamwork Lead ALL LEVEL drives independently Assign and manage second lead, center forward and sweep Support and supervise senior offroaders at all levels 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

That @John Vanderbleek FJ boot was serving proper English Breakfast in one of the earlier Sweihan drive that I couldn't join but reminded me of our pre-covid love and socializing by sharing food and stories together. All of Abu Dhabi boys are always excited and humble to welcome Carnity family home.

Congratulations @Kailas well deserved and well done 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎊🎊🎊🎊👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

@Noel Garcia @Rajat Verma @Gertjan @Wendee Hill @Vaibhav Walavalkar @Malcolm Harrison @Waqar.S @Jona @Manoj Soman @SHARATCHANDRA NAMBIAR@Ankit Jain Thank you for joining Friday Absolute Newbie drive, it was a pleasure to drive with you all. Being an absolute newbie you all did great and learned really well. Moving forward you all will be joining the Newbie drives and not an Absolute Newbie drive anymore. Drives are announced every Sunday at 11 am, and they go live on Sunday at 7:00 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, compressor 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 and gals soon on the sand again. Take care.

Congratulations to the top 10 HOT SHOT Photographers, based on Facebook reach. @M.Seidam @Jeepie @Niki @TT_Dubai @Chinthaka Ruwan @Lakshmi Narasimhan @Tareck @Josh T. @Gaurav @Rawad

Congratulations Kailas , it’s just the beginning in this endless passion , well done my friend 👍👏

@Kailas Congratulations. Well deserved.

Well deserved 👍, congrats @Kailas

Congrats @Kailas, looking forward for more drives together.

Congrats @Kailas - looking forward to more drives with you

Congratulations @Kailas, I really enjoyed our one and only drive together so far, and look forward to many more!

Congrats @Kailas🤙🤙

Congratulations @Kailas!

Congrats @Kailas . Well deserved. Looking forward more exhilarating drives from you.👌

Congratulations @Kailas 👏👏👏

Shout out to @Brette @Lorenzo Candelpegher @Anish S for sharing your expertise in offroading & patience. We do have a great day yesterday! I'm looking forward to my next drive in the desert.... salute to you guys....

Hi everyone, First of all, thank you to everybody for joining yesterday’s trip. I was amazed by the enthusiasm and the patience that everybody showed during our trip. We started with a froggy morning and from the starting point we went directly to Big Red. Had fun with some really nice climbs even if @Enrico Biscaro had some strange beeps on the car then had to switch the car off and on multiple times. We played all around the big dune until I decided to continue to the next one. The drive was not smooth (two nasty stuk, a poput between the others) but I enjoyed it a lot watching everybody happy. The main issue we had was during the climb on the dune just next to BR, @Damien Ranjit damaged the car. During the impact the front skid plate got deformed and broke the radiator. In the meanwhile Shaaz led the rest of the convoy down to the dune, I pulled the Pathfinder out with @Aisha S support. Assured that everything was fine I reached the convoy. At that time it was really too late to continue with the original plan. We decided, then, to keep playing around Big Red and exit from the same place we went. In 15 minutes @Damien Ranjit assured us that everything was fine. I Wanna thank @Aisha S for the great support (next time it will be harder I promise ), @Shaaz Sha for our super sweep, @Archibald Jurdi for the SL and all of you! Thank you for joining the drive and I hope to see you very soon on the sand!

lovely afternoon @Anish S, always a pleasure driving with you. big thanks go to the support team, though they had nothing much to do 😀 considering all drivers did incredibly well. i don't remember i ever had a drive with just 14 minutes stoppage time. see you in the next one 🤘

Thanks @Wrangeldfor the positive feedback ,happy I could be of use and thanks for leading us so well again. Also thanks to @Jeepieand@Alex Raptorfor the great support, as always a pleasure seeing you both in action. Was a different drive to recent for me as has been a while since I did a newbie. I won’t lie seeing the fewbies in the distant and the lines they took in Sweihan had me a little envious to say the least but I also thoroughly enjoyed the pace in the new area , assessing the desert and different shape of the dunes with its steep slopes and high wind banks something to be careful of in the future. Was a personal exploration drive in a way for me while taking part in a newbie convoy. Also enjoyed watching and learning the support team guide newbies through refusals and how advice was given to new comers in handling their 4x4’s in tricky situations . Something I hope to be able to assist with more in the distant future after completing my needed drives towards intermediate and beyond. We we’re lucky in the morning with mist and how it firmed up the sand but once it dried up and the sun came out I appreciated just how super soft the sand can be in the area , more so then Badayer I think, also how beautiful it is! I am absolutely gagging to get back out there. @mikaeel shaik great drive from you I heard that you are a capable driver and I also was very impressed with your handling of the MG in that super soft sand. @Nabeel Abdul Rahmani kept my eye on you the whole time and you handled your patrol really well today. Just remember to be careful in the rear of the convoy in the churned up sand , always requires a little more thought and attention when driving to where you are putting your vehicle. Also too, get your radiator protected soon but really nice drive from you . @Walter Palkfirst time I have seen A track in action! Brilliant, once you learn how to use that tool properly will be fantastic for you never seen or appreciated it before myself. Really impressed with it. Lovely morning all round thanks to everyone. Enjoy the rest of the weekend! Safe driving all. Oh and I saw my first black camel, I didn’t even know the existed! 😍😁

Get ready for exciting winter off-road drives with outdoor fun. We have used the Summer to create, plan prepare an exciting, new and challenging program of drives for everyone to enjoy through the Winter season. Make sure to look out for the callouts (below) in the drive calendar and posts to let you know the drive is different, when deciding to sign up. Take a good read and decide if these are made ‘just for you’. We can promise, each of these drives delivers something special, out of the ordinary, and designed to meet your demands. Lookalike - make, shape, colour or region specific vehicles Nature-lover – discover, fauna, flora, wadis and wildlife Passion play – join like-minded hobbyists R&R – family and fun times Skill Development (SDD) – crests, criss-cross, technical, climbs, recoveries Team Sport – drive hard, play harder Pet Drives – Fun for all the family Fitness – drive & thrive (run, ride, hike, stretch)

Calling all passionate photographers to join - Action Photography Drive. The plan is to position all photographers at various creative angles to capture each car's "action shots" while doing side sloping, long hill climb, car poses with or without drivers. Feel free to carry all your photography gears and lenses you like, as the drive is going to be super easy track-based newbie level drive, but action shot drivers have to be fewbie and above for safety reasons. We may split the convoy in half to have an equal share of photographers and drivers on every side slope, long hill climb or scenic spot. This Action Photography Drive RSVP is slightly flexible to create a balanced group and support. Who should join? Professional or Passionate Photographers. People who love their vehicle and like to get their action shots. People who love to explore and test their go-pro, insta360 settings. Social media enthusiast looking for next great reel, dp or hero shot. P.S. No drone allowed in this drive for safety reasons and better control. Look out for a Drone drive shortly. What to expect? Learn about your camera and photography from others. Test your action photography skills and settings. Sample Shots from Nov 2018, similar drive. 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 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 Mandatory Safety Requirements Ban from Carnity Off-road Club Two Way Radio Guidelines Drive Details Level: Fewbie and above When: 08 Oct 2021, Friday Meeting time: 6:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Starting Point: Big Red https://goo.gl/maps/31fZ8MXh5YzbYF3K8 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), face mask, rubber gloves, enthusiasm and willingness to learn. Approximate finish time: 10:00 AM THIS IS A COMPRESSOR ONLY DRIVE. WE WILL END THE DRIVE AT A POINT WHICH IS NOT CLOSE TO AN AIR LINE. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A COMPRESSOR, PLEASE DO NOT SIGN UP FOR THIS DRIVE. IF YOU ARRIVE AND HAVE NO COMPRESSOR YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO JOIN THE DRIVE. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE: Limited to 10 Fewbies and above drivers. 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 below Calendar

I don't think I've ever seen such a beautiful sunrise in the desert. Amazing views and fantastic drive!

Congrats @Kailas..👏🏻

Congrats @Kailas!

Indeed it was a great drive today. Even with the delay caused by the fog, I must accept it was fun and a great learning opportunity. Thanks for the fantastic lead @Lorenzo Candelpergher and giving us those fab instructions and occasional viewing of the rock formations Thanks a lot to @Jeepie to the superb guidance you provided in the small refusals. Helped me get out in a jiffy. A special thanks to the rest of the convoy for being such amazing team! I’ll update the gallery with the pictures I got.

Thank you @Ale Vallecchi for taking the time to prepare new itineraries and giving us the opportunity to discover new areas. Reaching the meeting point in the fog was part of the challenge, and the same prevented the convoy to take the full measure of the first portion, but for sure it will be worth going back. Then we could fully enjoy the nice mix of rollercoaster, ridge riding, and crisscrossing ! Thank you @Wrangeldand @Alex Raptor for the support, and to all the friends and new faces in the convoy. Sharing experience on previous drives and car mods is also part of the pleasure !

Thanks @Mehmet Volga for leading us yesterday and it was yet another great drive. Finishing 42 kms in first 2 hours is just amazing. And the last bowl - speechless. Looking forward to many more drives with you.

Thanks @Christopher Assal for the advice. Definitely, I will fix my bumper soon.

Awesome drive this morning! Excellent decision to pause and let the fog get out of the way. Would like any drone picks of us all in the pocket!

Well deserved @Kailas👏👏👏

Congratulations @Kailas welldone.

It was such smooth and flowing ride, till the last moment. At least the mechanical issues with my car happened towards the end of the ride - my apologies nonetheless to all... Huge thanks to @Kailas, @Gaurav, @Gaurav Soni and @Mukundan Nair for getting me and @Sara EL FANIDI out to the tarmac but also for the excellent support and guidance in the rest of the ride. Thanks @Sara EL FANIDI for being hawkeyed and prompt to warn me to stop and prevent further damage. Looks like the smoke may have been coolant spilling from a broken hose and vaporizing (I am hoping its this and not the other options- will know better tomorrow - BTW I recovered the vehicle and its at the garage now - thanks guys!) Special thanks to @Kailas no one would have guessed you were leading your first newbie drive if it hadnt been announced - perfect job! (and thanks for the lift home 😀) Fellow newbies as well, it was great to get to know you a little better, hope to continue with many more drives. Cheers!