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Thanks @Islam Soliman for the wonderful drive , it was a quite long convoy to drive in . @munkybizness there is no better way to describe the drive, very detailed and artistic . and as always i grasp the opportunity to learn from your experience my friend . everyone drove amazingly well, I was pleased to meet some new faces as well as our old friends. I was tremendously happy to see @Mohamad Anwer in the sand again ( i knew it buddy that nothing will stop you from coming back) thanks again for everyone who joined the drive looking forward to seeing you all again soon

That's actually a great idea @munkybizness. Last time some of the guys including Kailas and GauravSoni camped nearby the meeting point around here: https://goo.gl/maps/E2qk5uCEPngPjZgC9 I might camp too as it's indeed a bit of drive to get there, but a perfect excuse to get the tent out from the storage. Good morning Carnitenders ! Attendees Amr Aydin @Amr Aydin Mahmoud Taha @Mahmoud Taha Salim Akhtar @Salim Akhtar Warren Flay @Warren Flay Manage Frederic @Frederic Looper @Looper munkybizness @munkybizness Waitlisted Attendees Joseph Raju @Joseph Raju Ashutosh Garg @Ashutosh Garg Jessica Lambert @Jessica Lambert Jona @Jona Great to see you all signing up for this drive ! We will be transitioning from reddish sand to almost powder white "Qudra" sand as we make our way from the East to West. This area is usually spotless and very scenic, but nevertheless the pace will be brisk As a small spoiler, i have put some waypoints here below to identify the areas that we will be visiting: Area 1: https://goo.gl/maps/WGn4N4PHek9q9LBZ8 Area 2: https://goo.gl/maps/4cAymKmaVvErZ9fe6 Area 3: https://goo.gl/maps/crLSRU45Q6NQUZ7s7 Area 4: https://goo.gl/maps/mJWAY9wyDKqDks9A8

@munkybizness your drive posts always inspired me to write better. I imagine one day there will be published book of your posts called “Driving in the Deserts of UAE and other collected works by Munkybizness” with an introduction by @Carnity.

Last petrol stations nearby the meeting point: Coming from the East (Dubai-Al Ain Road): https://goo.gl/maps/ysmC3A8pqkrTvSbB9 https://goo.gl/maps/Pv5MtMCp78CouQUZ8 Coming from the West (E22 Khatam): https://goo.gl/maps/ZwayqyVB6y71kqEB8

There's a certain amount of mystery in the air every time @Islam Soliman takes to the sands. And no doubt, on this hazy Saturday morning, as my Patrol pierced rammed through the fog settled in Faqa hopping over every hump in my way, I could feel the unknown getting bigger and bigger still. After all, when Islam takes you to Faqa, you know there's going to be lots of sideys. Lots and lots of it I arrived late to the meeting point so without any pleasantries, I jumped right away into setting up my flag and deflating my wheels. To the left, a duotone classic caught my eye. I assumed it was a mirage (or the fact that I was still waking up). It's only when I was all done, did I realize that what I'd assumed was a mirage was just that - a cool blue sight with a shimmering white top in the form of a classic Land Cruiser 70. There's only two people I know who look after these with this much care. And from the roster, I knew it was @Mohamad Anwer. What I didn't know was everything that had transpired in the past month and same to bring this blue bird rather than his usual supercharged box. After hearing the story, I was and am just so glad to see him on his feet, smiling away as a beautiful sun peeked across the horizon. He, of course, came back to the desert not just with a classic, but one with "balloon" tyres. If ever you needed a greater sense of how to conquer your fear, it was on this morning with Mohamed piloting a car with tyres designed only for the most courageous. With seventeen cars on the roster, this was no small convoy and definitely one that I hadn't witnessed in many months. Ahead of me lay some fresh newbies and with it came the responsibility to also not push too hard. To make matters even more interesting, the foggy and humid night before had seeped moisture into the sands making them clump up after every passing car. So, by the time it came to car #4, the tracks were already deep and compacted. The fact that nobody had a severe popout, save the partial one, is a testament to how well the convoy drove in these conditions. If you drive long enough with Islam, you begin to recognize that he has a unique skill in positioning his behemoth of a car, in the middle of a dune face. I am going to call him the Dunesurfer from now on for this exact reason. And behind him, a very competent and supportive @Benjamin kept up. This is exactly why Islam pushed the pace as much as he did in this newbie drive. Between Benjamin and I, was a team of newbies all coming to terms with their machines and it reminded me of my early drives and both the lack and exuberance of throttle I too would put in then. Keeping the right gap also seemed hard for each driver. But all I will say to each one of you is that you don't need to think so hard. Practice makes better, and you will get better at this. The more important thing to focus on is throttle management. And it is a skill I am still learning to this very day. Over time, you'll know what is just enough as you get closer to what your machine is telling you. @Frans M, driving a manual LC70 is no easy feat. And if you ever need the guidance, there is no better voice than @Mohamad Anwer. Please do connect with him. Not only is he one of the most amazing human beings, but his knowledge of the platform will also give you tremendous insight into how to better yourself. The going away of the fear and the understanding of which line to take, will come with time. @Stan, whether your car is green or black or sparkly is a debate that will rage on for some time to come. But what you should know is that you have a very capable machine, but it too has its limitations, apart from the restrictions that the desert will throw at you. You already have a good grasp on how to read the lines of the desert. For now, in your newbie drives, err more on the side of caution and exit out rather than trying to fight gravity and muscle your way up. With time, you'll find exactly how to surf the dune face while managing your fishtailing effortlessly like Islam does. We have an unwritten rule that we don't enforce this early on about "leaving the lightest of tracks". This comes when your car is using just the right amount of momentum that it floats over dunes rather than digging in and churning up the track. @Bashar Beasha, it's always nice to see another Y61 on the convoy roster. And yours is a stunner. It also has oodles of power that you will get better at managing as the drives go by. Trust me, I've been in your exact seat. Where you were good at climbing up the dune, you continued to throttle too hard through the dune face even when your car was slipping down in the wake of tracks left behind. In situations like these, it's always better to exit out rather than trying to pitch your nose up again and try to climb up. Towards the end of the drive, I could see you exiting out early and taking a loop to re-attempt. This is the right way to do it. There is no shame in re-attempting a climb. One of my early issues was that I would always worry what people would think about how terribly I was driving such a legendary car, so much so that it got into my head and for many drives and I couldn't shake it off. That may not be an issue for you but almost all new off-roaders are significantly worse than what their car is capable of. This is why even the most experienced off-roaders still do Newbie drives when they get a new car because no two cars are the same. Through practice, they inch up and closer to what their machine can truly do in their hands and with their feet. And to @Gary F behind me, all I can say is that apart from that crest which gave our shovels and your arms quite the workout, you drove really well. I especially liked seeing how you chose the line and height that you were most comfortable with. You do have a long long-wheelbase motor so it will require even more attention when crossing ridges and doing narrow twisties, but on long range open dunes, you were up to the mark. And I loved seeing the smile that was constantly plastered on your passenger's face. It's moments like these that really instill the awe of adventure and motoring into the young ones. Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't call out my favorite security detail (@Simon Dawood) who would be by my side in every refusal and recovery. Having you shoulder to shoulder is a real pleasure and thank you for your input. In bouncing ideas off of you, I learn so much. In the back, thank you @Gaurav Soni for playing an excellent shepherd running up and down the ranks and sniffing out the tracks. It saved me a couple of times. And since we left none of the seventeen behind, thank you @ASAD. for sweeping us up and depositing us ever so gently back where we started. See you all out on the sands soon. [ 🐵 ]

Running 5 min late, sorry

removing myself @Ale Vallecchi, got dragged into a work meeting , and may not reach on time. not risking it, and holding the convoy, if i show up late

Amazing pics in the Gallery Thank you @Looper @Brette @Jaro Tuzinsky @Joji varghese !

From red to white sounds interesting route Fred 👍 … on your foot prints my friend following 😄

Also, for all the SWB Pajeros... ADNOC Service Station | Abu Samra (864) - Google Maps There is a rumour that this one opens at 0600. I cannot confirm this. Regards

@Mohammed Osamathank you for the update. You would also require the safety flag for the drive along with the radio. You should be able to get the flag at ACE or Dragon Mart if in Dubai. @Vijay Cowlagiglad to have you join. Not seen you in ages.

Dear Desertnauts a quick memo for tomorrow's Speed King drive. Meeting Point - Just at the end of the tarmac road in front of the National Guard's barracks. We'll cross a construction area to enter the sabkha just beyond. Kindly reach in time to make sure we leave as close to 3:00 PM as possible. Please notice that the last bit of road to reach the meeting point is in Abu Dhabi, where speed limits are monitored differently than Dubai. Watch out (only start speeding once on the sand! 😅) Planned itinerary - After a short detour north-west, toward the Oryx farms, we'll double back toward the fenced in shooting range, which we'll coast along its fence to reach Little Sweihan. We plan to cross this higher and tighter area of dune going east, to reach the sabkhas and technical dunes that separate it from Faqa's plateau. If we'll have time left on the 2-hour clock, with enough sunlight ahead of us, we'll look to exit at Faqa. If not, we'll head up to Solar Park. The goal is a high-speed drive, so we'll not spend time looping around dunes, but we'll just cut through them, as quickly as possible. Convoy order - We'll line up as follows @Ignacio Quindós in Second Lead @Ashutosh Garg at #3 @Jessica Lambert at #4 @Fabien Monleau in the Center @Senthil Kumar in #6 @Sunil Mathew at #7 @Beide Worku #8, and @Pacific in Sweep Radio frequency - to be chosen before setting off. See you all tomorrow, with your stereos ready to crank some gool old school hard rock!

Drive Plan From the Tilal Resort in Remah, we will be lounging at the pool....... NOT we will be heading out to find the so-called Race-Track Dunes, which are located north of the Remah camel racetrack. This area is usually very virgin and consists of large bowls and dunes. Once we had our fill in that area we will head North-West towards the nice white open dunes of Fayah. Expect a fast-paced and fun-filled rollercoaster drive ! Fill up your gas tanks to the brim ! We request every member that joins this drive to go through the below information and strictly follow these guidelines, etiquettes and responsibilities. MUST READ AND COMPLY Offroad Flag Guideline Two Way Radio Guideline Off road Driving Etiquette's Emergency details for all off-roaders Off Road Driving - Roles & Responsibilities DRIVE DETAILS Level: Fewbie Plus and above When: 6 November 2022, Sunday Meeting time: 6:30 AM - Sharp (Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: https://goo.gl/maps/ikmcqzLpSEVdHWNT7 Approximate finish time: 10:30 AM 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, enthusiasm and willingness to learn. Mandatory off-road gears: Tire deflator, tire pressure gauge, compressor, walkie-talkie radio, off-road flag, shovel, first-aid kit and fire extinguisher. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE This drive is limited to 10 cars only. If the RSVP is full, you can add your name to the waitlist, once anyone drops, you will be moved to the RSVP list. RSVP will close a day prior to preparing a convoy 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 CALENDAR

Thanks for the fueling stations @Frederic Also, given the 2-hour drive time from Dubai, I'm considering camping out at the meeting point, the night before. If anybody would like to join, do let me know.

Congratulations @Lucas 👍

The US Inlet male connector is used by ARB. If it does not work on yours - may be the japanese type could work. In the picture below it has the clip on Air Cuck installed on the Air Gun, But as i mentioned earlier I used the Threaded type inflatable nozzel shown below and added an extra nozzle on top of it.

Agreed @JeromeFJ and thanks again for one of the most enjoyable drives to date. That being said, I think it is best not to promote the AD drives too much to keep the convoys at a smaller scale for future drives From my side, it’s an automatic opt-in moving forward! Also, thanks for being a Pajero fan Have a good one!

Thank you brother @ASAD. seeing my desert buddies again offroading felt great 👍