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The Ultimate Off-Road Challenge Carnity Desert Champions Trophy Prepare to be awestruck as we push the boundaries of off-road prowess, recovery expertise, and teamwork to new heights. The Carnity Desert Champions Trophy promises an adrenaline-fueled adventure that will ignite your passion for off-roading like never before. In the heart of the most rugged terrains, where grit meets glory, off-roaders will unite, relying on every ounce of their skills to secure the prestigious title of Carnity Desert Champions. It's a test that will demand nothing less than perfection from each team member, pushing you to your limits and beyond. WHAT'S NEW: Open for all off-roaders WHEN: 19 November 2023, Sunday WHERE: Somewhere in the Desert At Carnity, we live by the belief that off-roading knows no boundaries. Whether you're driving a stock or modified vehicle, a new or vintage model, a powerhouse, or an underdog, you are welcome to participate in the Carnity Desert Champions Trophy. It's an exclusive once-in-a-year opportunity, for truly capable off-roaders in the UAE. Get ready to conquer the untamed, unite with fellow enthusiasts, and embrace the spirit of adventure. The Carnity Desert Champions Trophy is your chance to etch your name in off-road history, and we invite you to be a part of this exhilarating journey. Join us, to write a new chapter in off-roading excellence together. "To elevate the anticipation and ensure an exciting experience, the Carnity Desert Champions Trophy is meticulously designed to strike a perfect balance between various key elements, ensuring excitement, mental and physical challenge, and fairness at every turn." Terrain Diversity: Our competition thrives on the dynamic range of terrains that test your skills. From daunting dunes to treacherous super-soft sand, we've handpicked diverse landscapes that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Vehicle Equality: In the spirit of fairness, we celebrate the inclusivity of off-roading. No matter if your vehicle is a beast of power or a humble underdog, every participant has an equal opportunity to shine. Your vehicle is your ally in this exhilarating journey, stock or modified, old or new. Technical Challenges: Brace yourself for a series of technical challenges that will demand precision and strategy. We've curated a series of obstacles that will push your off-road skills to the limit, ensuring that only the most skilled teams emerge victorious. Teamwork Emphasis: The Carnity Desert Champions Trophy places a premium on teamwork. In this rugged arena, every team member's contribution is vital. You'll need to synchronize your efforts, communicate seamlessly, and rely on each other's expertise to conquer the challenges that lie ahead as a team. Safety Measures: Safety is paramount in this challenge. Rigorous safety measures and guidelines are in place to ensure that all participants can indulge in the thrill of off-roading with complete peace of mind. Fair Judging: Our judging panel consists of experienced off-roaders who will objectively assess each team's performance. We've taken every measure to ensure that scoring is transparent and equitable, guaranteeing that the most deserving team emerges victorious. At Carnity Desert Champions Trophy, we've meticulously crafted an off-road spectacle that promises to be the highlight of your off-roading journey. Get ready to embrace the thrill, face the unknown, and forge unforgettable memories as you navigate through this extraordinary terrain and challenge. WEATHER VEHICLE, GEARS & COMMUNICATION You don't need any special vehicle to participate, your stock or modified 4X4 should be in desert drive-worthy, top-notch and reliable condition. Any 4X4 with Low range gear with a minimum of 9-10 inches of ground clearance. Front and rear tow hooks/eyelets/bolt-on hooks. Off-road gear as per Carnity off-road Structure. Same-size spare tire in working condition. Bash plate and AT tires (Recommended). Winch (good to have, but not mandatory). Cars with standard fuel tanks of 60 liters, will need to carry extra 40 liters of fuel. All Jerry cans should be secured safely with ratchet straps. Etisalat sim are preferred, if you don’t have one, download the offline maps. Everyone should have the ability to record tracks & waypoints. If you use an in-built GPS, you can install Gaia on your phone to record and share. WHO CAN PARTICIPATE Carnity Team Lead – Expert, Marshal and Crew. No participation fees apply. Other Club / Independent Lead – 20+ drive-leading experience is required. No participation fees apply. Team Participation – Carnity Fewbie, Fewbie Plus, Intermediate, Support and Above level are entitled to participate. Standard participation fees apply. Other Club members – Can participate based on self-declaration of their existing off-road experience. Standard participation fees apply. 6 – 15 off-road drive experience = Fewbie 16 – 25 off-road drive experience = Fewbie Plus 26 – 35 off-road drive experience = Intermediate 35 and above off-road drive experience = Support TEAM FORMATION 1 Team Lead + 4 Participants (at any level above Newbie) is a must for all teams. All Team leads are entitled to pick and select their own team participants, “mutually”. Carnity Team Lead: They can invite any Carnity or non-Carnity members based on their drive experience and capabilities. Or they can create a post on Carnity to invite interest. Other Club / Independent Lead: They can bring their own team from their existing club or friends and drive with their club/team name/flag. Or they can create a post on Carnity to invite interest after they fill out the registration form below. All Participants: Are free to choose and agree mutually with the Team Lead they are comfortable driving, trusting, and following through with this rigorous challenge. All teams can brand their vehicle or clothing with their club/team/sponsor name. Once teams are formed, the team lead has to submit the Team Name within 2 days. THE REAL CHALLENGE This is no ordinary race, and it certainly isn't a race against the clock. We're not here to see who can wreck their car the fastest – that's not our style. What you're about to experience is the ultimate team sport, a test that will push your off-road skills, recovery prowess, and teamwork to the next level. Forget about speed, because in this challenge, faster doesn't always mean better. Racing ahead might just land you in a world of trouble, stuck in the unforgiving terrain. Instead, we encourage you to slow down, tap into your creativity, and break free from the constraints of conventional thinking. Navigate the maze of dunes with your team, all while having the time of your lives. We welcome you to a one-of-a-kind tactical desert challenge, where every participant is put to the test. It's a showdown of true off-road capabilities, a showcase of your skills, grit, and unwavering perseverance. Above all, it's a celebration of teamwork, where together, you'll conquer the untamed desert and emerge as true desert champions. Area Covered: 300+ km² All single-use waypoints will be scattered in 300+ km² area and all teams need to bring home the maximum points within 6 hours to win the challenge. Weightage: Green Waypoints (5 points), Yellow Waypoints (10 points), Red Waypoints (15 points). Green: Easiest to reach waypoint but scattered among outer perimeter or near sabhka, making it difficult to cover all green waypoints before the end of the challenge. Yellow: Moderate difficulty waypoint, scatter randomly at mid-perimeter level or at moderate-size dunes surrounded with super-soft sand patches. Red: The most difficult-to-reach waypoints, placed on top of the tallest dunes surrounded by tall dunes. In some waypoints, you have to climb on foot to reach. Tactical Approach: Based on your team capability (Car + Fuel + Physical Strength) you should plot your route wisely factoring in the end time to gather maximum points with the least distance covered within 6 hours. If you aim for Yellow Waypoints, make sure you and your team are ready to traverse through super-soft sand and know how to use fuel efficiently. Tip: Deflate at 7-8 PSI to move through super-soft sand patches without hard steering to avoid tire pop-out. If you aim for Red Waypoints, make sure you have at least one fittest person to climb a tall dune on foot with the whole team's GPS device to mark it. Most Red Waypoints are on top of tall dunes, without much scope to scale with cars due to the limited area available below to gain momentum. WINNING CRITERIA Any team that returns to the starting point within 6 hours with maximum points covered through their whole team GPS track will have the honor to lift the Trophy with the most distinguished title of The Desert Champions for the next full year. In case of a tie, the team with the least kilometer clocked will win. The average of whole team kilometers clocked per odometer reading will be used. US spec car miles will be converted to Kilometers. 1 mile = 1.609 km. All teams will start with 3 or 5 minute intervals to avoid crowding near the first few waypoints. The same duration will be adjusted from their total track time in the end. RULES AND REGULATIONS All team leaders will receive the waypoints in advance. Each waypoint weightage will be counted once. Each team member must store those waypoints before the start line. All team members should use a GPS app/device to record track and waypoints. One person per car - no passengers allowed. Everything in your car should be securely fastened. Strictly no drones are allowed. CONDITIONS APPLY Any tampering with GPS recording and data will disqualify the whole team. Any tampering with the Odometer will disqualify the whole team. Any accident requiring a police report will disqualify the whole team. So don’t break your car. And don’t let your teammate break their car. Any minor to moderate damage will cause 20 points penalty. Missing a waypoint by more than 10-15 meter variance, will not be counted. Any vehicle breakdown will require immediate reporting to the control team. Once the support team arrives on the site, based on their fair evaluation you can leave the broken-down car and driver to be taken care of by the support team. You can continue with 1 less car. As the support team may arrive within 30 min - 1 hour, you will lose that time without any consideration of the vehicle breakdown. Tire pop-out, use of spare tire, and minor bumper damage will not be counted as part of the vehicle breakdown. TIMINGS Registration opening: 6 Oct 2023, Friday Registration closing: Till slots available...! EVENT TIMINGS Event Date: 19 Nov 2023, Sunday. Meet-up & Line-up: 8:00 AM First Team Dispatch: 9:00 AM Last Team Dispatch: 10:00 AM First Team last cut-off time: 3 PM Last Team last cut-off time: 4 PM Moving to Campsite: 5 PM Snacks & Entertainment: 6 PM BBQ Dinner (Veg & Non-Veg): 7 PM Winner Announcement: 8 PM Wrap up & leave: 9 PM PARTICIPATION CHARGES As Convoy Member: 1,000 AED per person. As Convoy Lead: No participation charges apply. WINNING TEAM PRIZES Carnity Desert Champions Trophy - Pride for life. 10,000 AED Cash Prize for the winning team. Carnity's Winning Certificate for each team member. Part of the "Desert Champions" User group on the site with a trophy icon. Carnity Weatherproof Safety Flag. Carnity Metallic Weatherproof Sticker. Be part of the Carnity Desert Champions Trophy today with your name in the winner's circle! Unleash your inner off-road champion now by filling out this Registration form (Mandatory for all). Team Lead Registration Form Participant Registration Form Please use and follow the Desert Champions Trophy forum For all Announcements, Rules, Planning, Prizes and Discussions.

Dear Friends RSVP IS CLOSED NOW Please Note the following for tomorrow drive : Please be on time sharp by 06:00 at the designated meeting point as mentioned above in the drive topic . make sure you have the mandatory gear as per your rank, ( programmed radio to carnity channels , deflator , sefety flag , compressor , first aid kit ). No Radio or No Flag = NO DRIVE once you reach the meeting point immediately start deflating your tires to 12 PSI regardless the type of your tire. erect your flag please adher to the instructions and i advise you to watch the introductory video above if not done yet . we will be on radio channel 2 ( 446031 ) Please find the convoy order below M.Seidam @Issam Atra @Mostafa Nasef @Dan S @Josh S @S.Mahesh @Rajiv Sam @Rafey Hashmi @Ali Al Moumar @Ishak @Abhilash Kottakkal @Sreenath G @Joji varghese wish you pleasant day

@Naveen Raj@Frans M@PETELCZYC PAJERO - luke@Rk ram@Ahmad Nerat@Patrick van der Loo@Gary F@Jona@Zulfikhar Naiyar@Karthik_LC200@Anoop Nair@Mus_hus78@Zed Good morning all ! Please find the convoy list for tomorrow morning attached here. We will be using Channel 4 - 446.081Mhz. I would recommend not to bring any passengers along as this will be a fast-paced rollercoaster style of drive if all goes to plan. See you all tomorrow

Please see below the convoy order: we will be on channel 2 tomorrow.

Dear @Bashar Beasha @Jaro Tuzinsky @Joseph Raju @Benjamin @Amir Amiri @Stumpy Paj @Bjoern @Simon D @Looper Hope all had good week, and looking to have a relaxing weekend. Was excited to have this exploration drive, till i started feeling down yesterday, with cold and fever. Was waiting to see how it goes today, but didn't want to take a risk, incase I still need to take rest. Pleased to inform you @Looper decided to take over and lead you guys tomorrow. Wish you enjoyable safe drive.

@Johnno unfortunately you will have to start at a Newbie drive for your first time at @Carnity however you can apply for previous offroad experience which will help you get a jump-start if you perform well in your Newbie drive. This structure is used throughout all of Carnity to help keep all offroader's safe including yourself as a driver and your car. I hope this helps

one more find from r/dubaipetrolheads

Rollercoaster ready:

Thanks everyone, clearly understood and I’ll follow this path. Appreciate the intel.

Good morning @Johnno and welcome to Carnity ! We have a fast-track procedure for members like yourself, which will allow you to request a promotion to Fewbie level after doing one Newbie level drive first here in the club. We highly emphasize on safety and hence don't make exceptions on this. You can find the structure below: Once you have completed a Newbie level drive, you can request your promotion to Fewbie level here: Request your offroad promotion See you soon in the sand !

@Mohit Gurnani, @Sreenath G, @Emanuel, @Issam Atra, @Ben Lee, @Mahmoud Taha, @Nadeem Ansari, @DanielN, @Ignacio Quindós, @Arun Menon Waitlisted: @Mohammad Sayawoush Azad & @Abhilash Kottakkal This is the mid-week reminder to all attending. Request you all not to be a No-Show and instead rest well and arrive on time. In case you think there are going to be any issues withdraw from the drive as there is a waiting list. I will be publishing the convoy order on Saturday evening. Please note the meeting point is changed from the time I published the drive post. A little history: This will be my 10th drive in this general area and in the past, I have driven with 7 different leads, the last one being in June 2022. This area has become less driven these days due to all the shrubs that have come up here as well as because the Fossil Rock has been barricaded. I did my first Newbie Drive at this place. In this drive 61% of the time was spent not moving and attending refusals. I was still a newbie so all that i did was just sit in the car and take photos. It was also the shortest drive i have even done with just 11.9 kms driven. Those days Fossil Rock was open and obviously we did not go there and moved to exit after reaching the bottom of the hill.

Please find the convoy numbering below. We will use Radio Channel 4. @Cristian @Mohammad Sayawoush Azad @Shiju Raju @Gautam Banka @Sunil Mathew @Xavi Moyano @Johannes Roux @GauravSoni Gaurav Silver Pajero Cristian 2019 Jeep Wrangler JL - White Mohammad Azad Nissan Patrol Platinum LE V8 Shiju Raju 2008,Toyota, FJ, Blue Gautam Banka 2022 Prado GXR 4.0 - Blue Sunil Mathew 2014 Toyota Fortuner White Xavi Moyano 2023 Blue Rubicon Johannes Roux 2014 Toyota FJ Cruiser - White GauravSoni Tuned 2014 pajero 3.8

Flag and radio secured 👍

Indeed! Get well soon! Very much looking forward to driving with you when you are well again!

@Hisham Masaad I hope you begin to feel better soon take rest this weekend I will see you soon

@Hisham MasaadI wish you get better soon

Strange it's Friday and no one dropped off yet from the list. Sincerely, the WaitListed One 😅

Thank you @Looper it was one of the best drive for me so far really enjoyed every moment, it was so nice to see moving the convoy from beginning till the end except few refusals before we exit. I was more careful to avoid pope-out after the Saturday’s drive, hitting a bush while slipping off from a dune and was so scared of the bushes and took extra care on sharp turning too. This is why sometimes I got more distance from the car in front of me, but learned a lot from last two drives thank again @Looper and everyone. Off-roading is my life as you said I take all possible chances to join almost all drives ☺️ Currently I’m on vacation for few days will join again once I’m back hopefully we will drive again together.

Hi Rizwanm, Thank you for your message! it was an incredible drive and absolutely lived up to the title. As it was my first FB+ drive, I want to thank you, Ahmed, Chris, Jona, and Krishna, for the unwavering support and assistance. Your quick response when I faced those popouts and understanding when I had to exit around 09:20 due to a personal emergency made a significant difference. It's great to be part of such a supportive team! look forward to meeting you for future drives.

HI Krishna, It was my first Fewbee Plus drive, and thank you for your incredible support during the drive by giving me confidence. It was ready enjoyable. Looking forward to many more drives like this in the future!

@Hisham Masaad get well

@Frederic noted with your suggestions. I had been busy with overseas travel these two months and no opportunity to join offroad drives. Will remove myself from this list. Thanks.

Any time buddy, @Imteeaz i will do anything to keep my jack in the seal wrapped box.

@Looper thanks mate

@Looper Hi Looper, i am keen to support @Ranjan Das with the pop-outs and shovelling. If not too late, could you please add me to the drive? thanks

Seasoned co-pilots will be fine

thanks @Looper happy to support though i voted to 'just chill'

Morning Hisham, I’ve joined but am not a newbie. I’ve been out with Big Boys 30+ times and UAE off-roaders several times. Happy to join Newbies if that’s the way you work but would prefer this drive if possible?

Thank you, Ahmed, it was nice meeting you, and driving together; yes, indeed it was truly a pleasure and without a doubt an enlightening experience.

Looks like Gaia is also scared of your data collection task.

Reminiscing on the Drive The objective of the drive was to take the convoy to some large dunes at the south of the Faqa'a which were going to be fun place to play. The intention was to start at dawn, approx. 6.15-ish and reach there quickly so that we can play in those dunes more than I did last time there. I started to record track at 6:25 and did not move till 6:33. 10 min into the drive when we tried to ride the first dune, @Mohammad Sayawoush Azad slipped off it and entered into a pocket and had his front passenger side tire had a pop-out. It was in a pocket so instead of trying to get it out we fixed the popout at the pocket itself so that he could move out of it. When we fixed the popout we also realized that the tire wasn't holding any pressure and leaking air. After it came out of the bowl, we replaced the tire and without any spare unfortunately it was the end of the drive for the mighty Patrol. At 7:50 the drive started again. You could see so many tall dunes but when you go near them, they are covered with vegetation. Anyways our aim was to reach the big bowls as soon as we could and, in the process, we navigate though some nice large dunes. On the way at about 8:30 we took a quick break and when we started again, we had another pop-out of the remaining Patrol at the same place. Well, we have already become a team expert in fixing popouts already, so it was dealt with in no time. The Sun was rising, temperatures were getting high, and we were nowhere near the dunes that we wanted to be. The tire pressure was increasing and without checking it led to a couple of refusals. When we started to move @Haneef Thayyil found the only pocket he could and promptly entered it. There was no place to do any self-recovery, so we winched him out of there. At this time, we learnt some sad news, but we could not delve into it there, so we kept moving. Finally at 10;10 am we reached where we wanted to come all along. A quick stuck by @Ishak led us to the bowl. But it was getting late, so we restricted the play time in this place and kept moving towards the exit. Finally, we finished the drive at 11 at Solar Park, but not without finding the misplaced convoy once again. Remarks There were a couple of teachable moments during the drive. We do start with a briefing at every drive with these points, but it became evident why those seemingly unimportant items could become critical. One of those points is to keep an adequate distance between one's car and the car in front. If it is too far away, then one could lose track completely. Another aspect is radio communication, where we need to hear and respond adequately. I also want to touch up an important aspect of driving in the desert. One cannot zone out in the desert; it requires uninterrupted and complete focus. It is a conscious decision-making process where you must look at the car in front and try to replicate what it has done which requires you to make A LOT of decisions on how to tackle that patch till you go to the next. It is like solving a puzzle with your vehicle. That's the game if you ask me. End Credits @Cha I must thank you for all the effort you put into this drive. Fixing the popouts, helping with stucks and refusals, you had quite an engaging day. @Ishak Thank you once again for a brilliant second lead and thanks for helping with the pop-outs and tire change. Final Thoughts Some days are more difficult than others and it is a part of life. For anyone who joined the next day, it was one of those better days.

Thank you @Mostafa Nasef for your response . I believe the stock Xterra 2014 has one right front recovery point and left rear one . However please double check as without them we can’t let you in . regarding the safety flag and radio please make sure to have them if at all possible . thank you . You can get the later two items from Dragon mart . Please reference to the above mentioned two way radio guide line in red to help you program the radio to carnity channels

Introduction I'm a little late to write about the drive as I had back-to-back drives last week (4 in all Friday through Sunday) and afterwards I edited a couple videos on Sunday and Monday evenings. But here I am with the drive report for the Fwbie Drive on Sunday Morning. Unfortunately, @Joji varghese who was going to support the drive had a battery issue. The briefing was short since three out of four of you drove the previous morning with me and the brief was clear that no fighting Gravity, because we don't want pop-outs similar to the ones we had the previous morning. (PS: I have kept my jack in the factory seal till now and I was not ready to break it. 😜) Drive Report We started slowly getting acquainted with the terrain which is ravaged by preexisting tracks. For the first 22kms we trained mild ridge riding and side sloping with the aim to climb the tall dunes to the north of where we started. We continued to drive without any stoppages for refusals. We did however have to stop a couple of times to adjust the action cam of @Mohammad Sayawoush Azad and a further couple of times to deal with his bumper. Then the real action began as we drove towards camel rock. While we did not drive at FB+ speeds, we saw our companion convoy driving; yet we moved at a brisk pace navigating though the winding dunes giving a roller coaster ride feeling. We stopped at Camel Rock to take a break and enjoy some breathtaking views. The weather was still not hot, and we could gather our thoughts. Next, we climbed the Pink Rock from the back side, because why not? Frankly, it looked like another place altogether, not recognizable at all. After that we practiced few sidees on the side of Pink Rock climb. It was almost 8 am already so it was time to head out. The message was clear, no distraction and we also need a lot of attention as the drive will take us through some of the tallest and windiest dunes in this part of the Sharjah desert. We drove like a row of ants, following the track lay in front of us going up some steep hills without any qualms and, the radio silence only being broken by @Lalaji declaring everything is okay at the back. For convoy, the adrenaline rush it was feeling did not let it know but, finally, at about 8:50 a.m.; When we were on the top of Big Red, we started to feel the strain that this drive had put upon us. We did a couple of more sidees on the side of Big Red and exited at 9:00 a.m. half an hour later than what I declared at the start of the drive but, the delay was only because we were having so much fun driving. Credits @Mohammad Sayawoush Azad, I am glad that you and your companions had a fun drive, after an excruciating previous morning. You did well as a second lead, keeping adequate distance as well as keeping up with me throughout the drive climbing every hill that lay in front of you without any issues. You could have easily realized the potential of your ride. It sure needs some modifications to be suitable for more intense off-roading but soon you will have a lot more fun in it. As we both realized at the end of the drive, this hobby can be quite addictive. @Haneef Thayyil, you cannot have just one and call it enough driving a week, can you? Nice to see you again, in what paraphs third drive with me on the trot. However, as I pointed out during as well as on the previous post, you were keeping a lot more distance between you and the car in front, which can result in you losing track, especially in a place like Tawi Nazwa where there are millions of them. @Lalaji, you kept pace with the Y62s in front of you, matching their speed as well as hill climbing prowess. I also appreciated your announcements for everyone to know that we are doing well at the back. You also made it up by coming for the Sunday as promised the previous morning. @Issam Atra, I have previously heard about a lot of your ride. At Carnity, we adore XJs and you showed us why. You were at the sweep of a very short convoy and obviously had ample fun. See you all in the next instalment of Looper's loops.

Hi. I am glad to have joined the club. Please share your vehicle details - Make, Model, Color, and Year. I have a Nissan Xterra 2014. No mods. Do you have any prior off-road experience? If yes, pls share details. Minor experience a couple of years ago. Confirm your vehicle has front and rear tow hooks/eyelets. I am not sure if Xterra 2014 stock comes with any of that or not. I will check it. Advise if you don’t have a programable radio and safety flag. I didn't get a radio nor a safety flag yet. I will try to secure them in the next few days. I have a compressor and deflator. I confirm that i watched the video.

Dear@Mostafa Nasef welcom to Carnity offroad club . Please answer the following queries : Please share your vehicle details - Make, Model, Color, and Year. Do you have any prior off-road experience? If yes, pls share details. Confirm your vehicle has front and rear tow hooks/eyelets. Advise if you don’t have a programable radio and safety flag. MUST WATCH: NEWBIE VIDEO BRIEFING above

@M.SeidamMany thanks for your reply, well noted. Looking forward to the ride than.

@Dan S welcome to carnity offroad club and thank you for the information above appreciate your response , regarding technical dunes it’s everywhere but don’t worry usually we get to technical that is doable for the given level . Don’t worry

Please share your vehicle details - Make, Model, Color, and Year. GMC Sierra AT4X, Silver, 2022 Do you have any prior off-road experience? If yes, pls share details. None, only the desert masterclass made with Gaurav Confirm your vehicle has front and rear tow hooks/eyelets. I confirm Advise if you don’t have a programable radio and safety flag. I do have all required items MUST WATCH: NEWBIE VIDEO BRIEFING I confirm, video briefing completed Quick kind question, since I do not know the pink rock, does this location have technical dunes since my car will not be the best for this scenario, at least at my level, as per my understanding?