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Driving after heavy rain… new experience for sure. First of all apologies for being late, and was really kind of you guys to wait, till I dropped Abdelghani back home. In the beginning and seeing the rain, thought will have good time driving after rain, or during rain. After receiving comments from previous drives leads, and challenges of driving after rain, was not sure how it will look like. And yes, found it not much fun. Heavy rain, made it good for first desert drivers. For followers (like us) was not much fun, specially if you can not avoid existing tracks, which were really hard. Started moving towards big red, and then on the way to pink rock, we found areas not visited after the rain, which was good and fun. Reached pink rock, and it was really cultivated, and looked horrible, made a round, stop at the top of next dune for some sometime, and back to the area where was better to spend in, which is next to Tawi Nazwa. Had good time, and exited from Tawi Nazwa. In summary: - total drive 2 hrs 30 min - moving 2 hrs (most of it silence, on @munkybizness assurance all good) - total 55 km - No ropes, no shovel, no winch 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 Amazing support @Lawrence_Chehimi @munkybizness and @Fabien Monleau. Well done @MMansoor @Mohamad Anwer @Naveen Raj. Summary of drive screen shots below

Thanks @Wrangeld for a great drive. Different conditions, but still challenging and enjoyable. @Alex Raptor - almost dried off now! 😉 Happy new year to everyone!

Happy New Year All. The first drive of the New Year really did start with a Bang! Thank you for the amazing drive @Wrangeld and @Alex Raptor and safely Navigating us through the terrain. It felt very different riding on the hard surface - thoroughly enjoyed riding the slopes and ridges. Special Thanks to the wonderful convoy and helping me to get setup on an F1 style pitstop.

Thank you @Ale Vallecchifor yet another amazing drive and playlist I had just returned from Pakistan and was planning on joining a drive next weekend when I saw that I just maybe able to get a spot in Ale's convoy. I got lucky and was able to join. I really liked how the convoy kept moving like a tight pack. I also enjoyed the sweep position. Looking forward to more drives with all of you!

During the drives, I put my radio in the cup holder and sometimes it's distracting to look down to pick it up. I still haven't managed to find a suitable solution to secure it on the dashboard. Any suggestions?(I tried using a phone magnetic mount but the radio is too heavy for it) and also use a handsfree system (which actually works 😀) pls?

Congratulations @Marwan Haddad 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

Congrats @Marwan Haddad. Well done

Congratulations @Marwan Haddad..see you soon on drives!!

Hi @Karthik Raptor I am using the below clip on mike / speaker and it works quite will as it has 2 buttons on it and you can use either of it. Just clip it on your collar and very easy to use without fumbling with the radio unit. Radioddity RS22 Remote Speaker Mic with Clear Sound, Compatible with Baofeng UV-5R UV-5RX3 BF-888S BF-F8HP H-777 Radioddity GA-2S GA-510 TYT Kenwood Two Way Radio Walkie Talkie (Single PTT): Buy Online at Best Price in UAE - Amazon.ae

Congratulations @Marwan Haddad

I listen to loud music while driving with my windows down so I want the radio as close to me as possible. After trying a mount and an earpiece, I settled on a lanyard as the simplest and most effective setup. This way it's always on my person - whether I'm in the car or out. In recovery situations, I don't have to switch between a belt buckle or a wristlet both of which would impede if I was doing any shovelling. I am now getting more comfortable at "one-handing" it too but that only works when @M.Seidamis not leading me through technical dunes ~ what I call the "twisties" 🤣

You have a few options: 1) Go for a full rebuilt if you are planning to keep the car. Yes it's more expensive but its only a one time job that will give you satisfaction for the coming years. (expect 10-12kAED cost) 2) Try to find a good scrapyard engine in Sharjah. This is tricky and you will need to have good connections with people that know their way around these places, otherwise you will drown inside the bottomless pit and wander around for days without a lead. A 3.8 Pajero engine of the 3rd generation Pajero might not be easy to find. Chances are that you will need to source 2-3 engines, built them in, and test them properly before deciding which ones runs best. This is a hassle for the mechanic as well. If you have time and don't need the car urgently this is however an option you can go for.

Thanks for a great drive at Al Fayah @Vanessa8580, I enjoyed a lot in the passenger seat with @Desert Wrangler (Sita) and also the couple of recoveries. The weather was great and I loved zoning out in the long uninterrupted drive segments - it was tranquil. Hope @Melenany car gets sorted out soon, I am pretty sure he had a great time in the sweep. It was @Desert Wrangler's first drive after the absolute newbie drive with you and I happy to see that she drives a lot better than that I did at the same level. I had a couple of problems with air this morning. Two Apex Valves decided it they don't want to work, as I could not pull them at all. And after the drive the ARB hose would not work air up my tires. Thanks to @Osama M who lent me his hose and waited for me to fill up.

We are all hoping that your wife appreciated you taking the kids out of her way to mop up after the flood Great to see you and the kids again.

Thank you @Ale Vallecchi for the fascinating terrain and exiting drive today. Was able to see the dreaded chimney close up (with a bit of help from the hardened sand from rain I guess) for the first time.😏. Around 100Km is covered which is comparable to the full day drives !... thanks @Werno @Archibald Jurdi @Zed @Humayun Ghias for the execllent company in this lovely weather... See you soon on sand..

I have been to Tawi Nazwa several times. I like the soft sand and the dunes allow for a very nice flow. I must say that today is very different which was still a great experience. The weather was fantastic too. Good learning experience for all when dealing with the pop outs. thanks @Jeepiefor leading and to the rest me the convoy members, hope to see you all next time.

Thanks @Shaaz Sha for this lovely first drive of the year. weird surface condition which we enjoyed. muds caused some extra oversteering which was fun to do 😆.

Dear Desert Wanderers, this drive was a nice conclusion of our 2021 off-roading year! With a clear sky and a wet, mostly virgin sand after the rainfalls the drive was bound to be special, and indeed it was... We started our day deflating in a chilling 16°C air, but welcomed by a wonderful sunrise by the nearby pond at the start of Bab Al Shams road: The convoy was a bit slow in getting ready for the drive, and it was only 7:40 when we were really able to enter the sand, after our briefing. The first stint of the drive was across beautiful virgin dunes with literally no tracks. We soon had a couple of stucks with @haridas kt and @Mohammed Sirajuddin, our newest joiners both at their very 1st Newbie Drive. We've all gone through those first drives where everything seems overwhelming and complicated, instructions sound always unclear and handling the radio while acting on the steering wheel and the gear stick seems just too much to do at once... but don't worry, you'll get used to it and, for a first time, you both did incredibly well!! As we moved further north-east, we entered an area of nice long-range dunes where we could practice sustained side-sloping over and over again, getting practical demonstration why "do not fight gravity" is such an important recommendation for both new inexperienced drivers and seasoned, sometimes, overconfident ones. Meanwhile, the sun had shown up and we could enjoy a fantastic blue sky with a light refreshing breeze. As we proceeded south, we entered an area of way more complex and large dunes that required one-by-one guiding in order to get the convoy through some of the most challenging passages which, I'm sure, at first sight seemed totally beyond most drivers' own capabilities. In the end, everyone got a bit beyond their comfort zone, discovering that they (and their cars) could do way more than expected! Kudos to all, as the most complex passage was undoubtedly not far from a Fewbie drive level!! As time went by, the sky started to get covered again with heavy clouds, cumulating from the west side, in stark contrast with the bright sunlight we were still blessed with.. By the time we reached the area of the rocky formations on the south side of Moon Lake, the looks of it were quite a spectacle: Moon lake itself is always a nice stop to take a breathe of fresh air after a couple of challenging driving hours across demanding dunes and to enjoy some family time, as @Gregory did with a nice smile behind the masks: Before exiting, we had the chance for a quick detour back in the dunes to reach the last spring of the day, actually the one I always find most fascinating in Al Qudra: As our time was over, we quickly headed out across the sabkha, where we could see a couple of oryxes, then reached the dirt track that eventually took us back to our starting point next to Bab Al Shams, where we reached at approx 11:10am. Everyone did very well: @Gregory was an excellent 2nd lead, as always when I've had him in my drives: cautious, responsive and diligently following my instructions to reroute here or there. @haridas kt and @Mohammed Sirajuddin had quite an experience in their first Newbie drive, but I'm sure they learned a lot, especially about not being shy on the throttle when it comes to maintain momentum and speed along side-slopes and, most importantly, about not fighting gravity under any circumstance and steering down whenever momentum is lost!! They both improved as the drive proceeded and were eventually able to go successfully through some very tricky passages towards the end. Kudos to both!! @Ammar Naji and @Kolin were admittedly back in the sand after a long absence: well, if it was the case, we couldn't notice, as they both drove very well, handling their beasts without hesitation, even across the most difficult spots. Well done!! @Waqar Sarwar followed very effectively, showing great improvement since the last newbie we had toghether. Quite impressive! @Pacific enjoyed drawing nice lines along side-slopes, collecting awe-filled radio comments by the convoy. It was a pleasure to watch you go through! @Anoop Nair was a great Center Forward for the day, always ready to help, be it shoveling, handing over a rope or giving radio instructions or updates from the center of the convoy. Great support! @Tom V and @Claudio C cruised very well at the back, despite the churned up sand they had to go through. @Claudio C, in particular, had a fully loaded car with lots of passengers, who hopefully enjoyed the ride too! Last but not least was @Melenany, who was great support at the back, always present and responsive, ready to come over and help whenever needed. As the guys in the 2nd half of the convoy were all very good and had very little issues, he was more often in the front than at the back whenever a stuck or refusal happened!! Great job! Overall we drove 50.6km over a total time of 3h 34', of which 2h 24' spent actually moving and 1h 09' stopped for recoveries or short breaks. our average moving speed was 21km/h (a bit doped by the final stint along the dirt track), a very good average for a Newbie Drive. Thank you everyone for you company and see you soon in the sand. I wish you a wonderful new year 2022, full of dunes to ride on!!