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After meeting right on time with 15 cars together, we smoothly started our drives in two convoys keeping different tracks. I had driven in this area some time ago, a fewbie plus again, and it was clear from everything but just sand and wonderful dunes & bowls to play. Now, like the part at northern Sweihan, it is full of those bulldozer tracks, solar panels, cables, plugs and poles... We couldn't keep enough pace for a Fwb+ due to numerous cross tracks killing more than half of all playable dunes so caused 30 min overtime at the end. We had to keep it slow because it was risky to attempt on the dunes as many of them were suddenly broken with those tracks. It was really sad to see the dunes which I have previously ride on were completely non-approachable... Anyhow, we managed to exploit some dunes and bowls in between them and had our play time enough to make us laugh. It seems we will have to wait some months to visit that area again, as @Warren Flay pointed, until the Mother Nature has recovered her wounds by blowing winds. Sorry to hear @Srikumar had a broken suspension and the second convoy had to exit early, but no worries, you didn't miss too much... Drive report for convoy 1: The performance of the first convoy was outstanding, excellent long hill climbs, wider sideys and criss-crossings worth to record. Adrenalin pumped for @Zed today; flying over the bump and "teleporting" from the top of the dune... breathtaking experience buddy! Thank you for your excellent 2nd lead as well! @Pacific had his standard mood in being extremely boring with effortless reaching up to the tops, except the last bowl close to be crested (that was my Pajero's turn to smile in watching 😉) . Center support fulfilled bro 💪 @JeromeFJ, thank you for your great support today my friend. Especially the last bowl couldn't be beaten without your perfect guiding. You lifted each car one by one and set the convoy back! @Karthikeyan Govindarajan, couldn't count how many "minus" points you got today, all to be considered in your next promotion 😁. Good to see you in plus buddy, keep it up! (but do not think I missed that fishtailing 😉) Other boring guys; @Josh T. ; really enjoyed watching your amazing control on that heavy truck! Huge progress you have made in very near past bro. Well done! @Hasan Wahlan ; flawless ride buddy! let's have more on a clearer route next time @Farouq Owdeh ; didn't know you are in competition with @Pacific as I got bored in waiting you to fail... Let's try something "technical" next time 😉 Keep it up friend 💪 Lessons learnt for today; I think we need to mention some events of today; @Zed unwanted dune crossing close to roll over; as I explained on the radio, you all need to consider "centrifugal force" impact while climbing and looping on bowls/dunes. When you follow a looping track in a circle, additional force pushes you out, meaning that the momentum is bigger than the one in straight climbs. This may pull you on a higher track, and even over the top if there is no path to move up there. So keep this in your mind on the "rounded tracks" and lower your speed accordingly. @Karthikeyan Govindarajan's fishtailing and @Farouq Owdeh's over speed during their return from climbing... The risk with fishtailing is again to roll over, in Karthik's case, he was a bit late to slow down + changed his track with making a sharp turn instead of keeping straight. Farouq's was a straight down coming, but again a bit fast bringing damage risk by hitting his bumper at the bottom. The main reason in such is that speedy climbs reaching at tops creates some satisfaction on the drivers' mood and this may lead disruption of your attention while returning back. To avoid all above, it is always safer to make your first attempt on an easy and slower way in order to check the conditions, understand the track, see the bumps and other obstacles and then make your second attempt with a speed adjusted accordingly... Thank you all for another lovely day. I love driving with you. See you next time on the sand!

Convoy 2 Trip Report Firstly, I want to thank the patience of the entire convoy for exiting out twice well ahead of time. To say that the drive was difficult would be an understatement. The entire area of Sweihan has still not recovered from the bulldozers that have ravaged this beautiful terrain 2 months ago. In fact it seemed like fresh tracks were made with no virgin dunes available. All of this contributed to a sick passenger. It's good to know @munkybizness that he is feeling better. For a brief moment after we exited the first time, we had some small stretch of virgin dunes were we could do a bit of side slopping and criss crossing. But that's when I heard a loud sound from my rear axle after a crisscross to only realise that my both side rear leaf suspensions were toast and the shocks just holding up the car. With no possibility of continuing the drive we quickly exited out. Sorry guys, as this was not what I had in mind when we started this morning. To add to an even more frustrating day, the recovery took the dirt track instead of the tarmac to reach my car, resulting in him getting stuck in the sand. Such days makes one realize that in offroading, you are venturing into the unknown and there are always the possibility of things not going as per plan. But it's important to keep a calm mind and with an excellent team things can get resolved. I look forward to driving with this group another time in a better terrain. Till then take care.

What a day! Full credit to the management team for hearing our pleas and organising a second lead to take half the kean Sweihanites and make a second convoy @Mehmet Volgaand @Srikumaryou are both legends in my eyes. Poor old Sweihan is in a shocking state, its rutted, littered and crisscrossed by awful ruinous bulldozer tracks and countless kilometres of electrical cable, it breaks my heart to see this vandalism. Our little team on the second convoy set off and had some bouncy old travelling along with some lovely side slope and ridge riding action and then... Oopsies, we suffered a mechanical failure and had to limp out early. It happens and it is ineveitable that when it does that the team will swing into action and do the needful to ensure safety and support for those in need. Well done guys, there was no complaining and a very competent effort by all. Looking forward to mother nature restoring Sweihan in her own good time:-(

Hello @Zixuan Huang - Charlie, @Gregory, @MMansoor, @JamesThorn, @Matt.T, @Daniel Yang, @munkybizness, @Ehab, @Chris Wing and @Thomas Varghese. Thank you for signing up and I welcome you all. Here is our convoy order for tomorrow and we will be using carnity channel 2 ( 44603125). See you guys 👍

Dear Friends @topgear, @Faisal Alhashimi, @Marcin Wronowski, @Morshedi, @Simon Claes, @Tom V, @Imteeaz Goolamhossenand @Peter Hager Thank you for joining this Drive my self I am looking forward to see you all and enjoy together gliding in Alqudra desert 🌵 This time we will drive till almost the end of the “run way “ and by the ☀️ rise time we will vanish inside the desert exploring what was untold about Qudra in Reverse direction safely till Last exit which is the intended End point … the untold is pretty simple and will be explained in the morning brief so please be on time deflated with flags on and wear jacket as it’s quite cool nowadays in the morning . Any recovery or what ever issue we encounter will be strictly dealt with by my Self , @Looper and @JeromeFJ so please don’t hesitate to clearly communicate so you will be assisted promptly on radio channel 2 in case of emergency my cell is 0554045278 Drive RSVP is closed now convoy numbering, here we go

@Zed to support anyone is the spirit of Carnity 😊. Thanks bro ,hope to see you more on dunes . Very great observation @Mehmet Volga of the entire convoy . I would love to technical ,hope we get one day. Thank you for wonderful drive.

@Kailas, @Jeepie and all the convoy members, thanks for the lovely drive today. Look forward to the next one!

About the XJ, me too i wanted one, had a look at more than 15 cars all over the UAE, but could not find a clean and well maintained one. They were all pretty run down. If you you are lucky and find a good one i think its a great car. not a lot of electronics to fail, easy to repair, plus they are cheap so even if you have to repair something you have budget left for that. (I am talking from my experience as I always drove pretty old cars. Cant talk about the XJs offroad capabilities as i never had one and also newbie in that field)

Good morning guys and gals. Please find the convoy for tomorrow posted below: We will be using Channel 1: 446.00625 Mhz. Please make to bring your Offroad gears (radio, flag, shovel, pressure gauge, deflator, compressor). Looking forward to meeting you all tomorrow ! Have a nice weekend ! @John Vanderbleek @Andrew McCarthy @Amro Aydin @Anna Dillon @Imran Kashif @Mohammed Yazir Thattarathil@takeshi sobue @Adnan Halepota@Melenany

As informed earlier, we will be having 2 convoys for this drive. Please note that there are 2 different meeting points which are not far from each other. Please make sure you meet at the correct meeting point depending on which convoy you are in. Find the details about each convoy below. CONVOY 1 @Anish S @Rsjiv Samuel @Alexanderrr @Arshad Roojee @Joji varghese @Sinol @Damien Ranjit @Russ Radio Channel 1 (44600625) Meeting Point: https://goo.gl/maps/A71sZciR69edGyfR6 CONVOY 2 @Kailas @Looper @Davie Chase @Marwan Haddad @Waqas Parvez @Fabien Monleau @Alain Canivet-Abikhalil Radio Channel 2 (44603125) Meeting Point: https://goo.gl/maps/SiQ5JyCW1Pg4fNQ86

💯 % Totally agree . 🤞Sri

Thank you @Mehmet Volga for leading today's drive and bringing us all safely to the starting point 👍🏻 Well-noted on the advice captain, I had a look at the video and realized my mistake was because I didn't want to crash into the 2 trees, I overspeeded and missed turning down (from where i was sitting it looked like there is still more sand in front, didn't know it belonged to the other side 😂). Alhamdulillah we are all safe 🙏🏻 Great support from @JeromeFJ he was shepherding those "lost sheeps" back into the main track. @Pacific great to have another Banter Buddy in the convoy, you lifted up the spirits from the Middle of the Convoy, supporting very well everytime an unnamed driver blame the 2nd lead for churning out the sand 😅 Thank you Sweihan Boys @Hasan Wahlan @Farouq Owdeh @Josh T. @Karthikeyan Govindarajan for driving today, great camaraderie & reunion after some time 👍🏻

Dear @Mohamad Anwer @Danish Mohammad @Belal Aldaour @kiranshinde @AlexM @Reggie Landicho @Shaaz Sha @KAMALIO @salah2u @siddharth maheshwari @Pacific Look forward to meet you tomorrow, discovering Area 53. Convoy list and Radio channel is as below. Pleased to have @Shaaz Sha supporting and looking after us tomorrow.

sorry to hear that @Warren Flay, I thought you'll be getting more fun than us, but seems no matter where we go in Sweihan, the bulldozers have "cut" the play areas living room for only short & small side-slopings...

Thank you @Lawrence_Chehimi Thank you @M.Seidam looking forward meeting you 😊 Thank you @Anish S

@Anish S any possibility of me joining convey 2? I have a Saturday drive which seems difficult to attend.

Congratulations @Morshedi

Dear Gok , no issue bro and thanks for letting me know . Safety always comes first and hope you get your jeep sorted soon , till next time take care . Cheers 🤞

Congratulations @Marcin Wronowski

Congratulations @Russ for reaching the Advisor 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. ADVISOR This level is the cornerstone of Team Carnity Structure as you will always remain an "Advisor" first even when you attain a Marshal rank. As an advisor, you will, constructively help, support, and advise other advisors with "respect" being part of this big multi-cultural family. You will be learning the basics of leading the convoy in the desert in three Leaders Lead Sessions: Advance sand reading, planning your lead, terrain, level, and emergency exits. Lead with navigational software to systematically scale the lead for all the cars in the convoy. Ability to lead, recover and manage the convoy in the most extreme desert available in the UAE. Carnity Contribution Committed to driving with Carnity off-road club only Lead/Support: 3 drives per month at least Forum contribution to earn Carnity points Skills required Meticulous planning and preparation Ready for new challenges or unexpected situations Leadership skills to always put the team before yourself 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 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

Congratulations @Rsjiv Samuel 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

For the trenches crossing the dunes, and the cables and sensors, you can have a look at this previous post. it does not make them better, but at least we understand the purpose !

@Shaaz Shaapologies, i am not feeling well and will not be able to join, i do not want to risk it

Dear Mehmet , You hit it to the cor point 💯👍

Hi hisham? unfortunately i wnt be able to attend this drive as well, i tried to leave the event but its not working for me. I guess some brower issue You can give my spot to the next waitlist thanks

@Brette thanks again for great drive. As always learnt lots. Have posted some pics in the gallery.

Thank you @Srikumar for running our convoy today. This was my second drive with you post the Absolute Newbie but I wish it lasted longer. My passenger is feeling better now. It seems it was a bad case of nasty chicken from KFC wreaking havoc on him. Thank you all for your patience. I truly appreciate all of your kindness 🙏🏽✨

Congratulations @Morshedi 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

@Anish Sthanks. Convoy 2 meeting point I will join

Congratulations @Zed for reaching the Intermediate 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. INTERMEDIATE Drives Attended (Indicative) Minimum 10 Fewbie Plus drives are required within last 6 months for Intermediate promotion. What you'll learn Basic GPS and navigational skills Basic tow rope and winch recoveries Extreme side sloping and long hill climb Tall dunes ridge riding and criss crossing Precise control over technical dunes Fast pace desert driving Clear radio communication skills Advance recovery skills Self recover from dune crest Soft sand recovery Pop-out fixing Skills required Adventurous and thrill seeker but in a safe manner Level headed under stressful situations Responsible, dependable and accountable Car Worthiness Capable 4x4 vehicle with 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. Drive teamwork Manage center forward position with Trip Lead’s permission Learn/assist recoveries under Trip Lead’s supervision Re-route convoy and coordination, when needed Learn to lead small portion of Intermediate drive under Marshal supervision Drive Joining Join Newbie, Fewbie, Intermediate and Exploration drives only Forum participation Active participation on the forum Share drive experience + feedback Share drive pictures in the gallery Post trip report after the drive

Congratulations @Shaaz Sha for reaching the Expert 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. EXPERT - Carnity Exclusivity Carnity Benefits Off-road Certification with rank and skills achieved Full access to Carnity without any paid subscription Join any drive in “Manage” tab even when drive is full Carnity Contribution Committed to drive with Carnity off-road club only Lead/Support: 3 drives or more per month at least Forum contribution to earn Carnity points Drives Attended (Indicative) Minimum 10 drives are required for Expert promotion along with mandatory attendance to leaders lead drives. (Promotion will be based on Marshal / Crew feedback.) What you'll learn Navigating with or without GPS on the fly Trip planning, safety exits and recce skills Basic firefighting and first aid techniques Basic knowledge of car and overheating issues Minimal response to vehicle breakdown and accidents Skills required Resilient, calculative and rational thinker Self-reliance, positive attitude and forward thinking Kind, selfless and considerate to other’s concerns Car Worthiness Capable 4x4 vehicle with 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, tool box, tie-down straps, fluids. Drive teamwork Lead Fewbie or Intermediate drive with Marshal permission Inspect vehicle for safety before the off-road drive Support Marshal to learn 1:1 Desert Driving Course 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

Congratulations @Marcin Wronowski 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

Congratulations @Russ , well done buddy

thank you very much , this is great news I am already looking forward for my first feewbie ride

@Anish S Thanks for asking but I made other plans. See you again on a next drive.

Congrats @Marcin Wronowski

Congrats @Marcin Wronowski!

HI anish, Thanks for adding me. I prefer to join morning drive, which still shows as waitlisted. If nothing confirmed will join this. Till that i will remove RSVP, if anyone wants join this.

thanks. added you 😊 @JamesThorn

I confirm

Congratulations @Marcin Wronowski

@Marcin Wronowski congratulations

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Hi @ShereenMK I drive on the the same brand and same size you do 275/70/16 from day one with Carnity. I realised how super amazing these rubbers are in sand and also on road maybe not the best but as for all terrain trim they are fantastic in terms of noise ( smooth ) regarding tire pressure I totally agree with @Srikumar I started on 12 PSI since my AN and now I always drive on 10 be it summer or winter and rarely ( maybe in summer times ) I needed to re deflate during half way trip back to 10 pop out , definitely and mainly it’s related to some one style even in 15 psi this may happen with aggressive sudden twist after crossing ( to avoid bumper hitting ) or full steering ( if you see we always take large u turns to minimise the sheer force on the rubber ) my recommendation start on 12 or 11 ( it’s winter now ) and while driving keep it on mind how to minimise the risk of pop out to zero and by time you will see that your approach will be totally different , agile ( even with heavy truck ) smooth and just like a glider 😎

After one and a half year driving in desert with or without Carnity I became convinced to remain on my stock suspension or at least the factory height level of my Xterra as till this moment I never had the need to increase the ground clearance or stiffens or adjust my suspension as I adopted long time the method of Carnity : choose a different path which is less bumpy 😅( this is is only me )

I have come across this helpful article about self recovery. Just sharing it again incase you have nt seen it yet. https://carnity.com/advice/offroad/self-recovery-guide-how-to-get-unstuck-in-sand-r80 Self recovery guide: how to get unstuck in sand? - Off-road - Carnity.com