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Hi Frederic, Hi Carnity Team, I'm Thomas from Munich, Germany, living in Dubai since 2023 with my wife and daughter. Before that we stayed and worked in Ghana and Nigeria (West Africa). Here off-roading was a given with potholes bigger than my Landcruiser 😁 I'm super exited to join and looking forward to learn more, beign in the nature and have fun. My Car: Jeep Wrangler JK 2017 (white) Off road experiance: not in the Desert And yes I have a front and rear hook, radio and flag Cu on Sunday 👊

Thank you very much , it was a fantastic drive from the beginning till the end. Everyone was enjoying the drive with great spirit. thank you for all the detail explanation and support.

In the UAE, we have a myriad of terrains to choose from when it comes to desert driving. For many new members who might be asking themselves what the differences actually are, I wanted to compile the most known areas we drive in, and give some information about the area and what you can expect when you join a drive with us in that area. We will be focusing on the sand driving. Northern Emirates (UAQ and RAK) Umm Al Quwain and Ras Al Khaimah have some very nice areas that we often explore, with plenty of vegetation, wildlife, and the mountains are never far away. On these drives, the emphasis is more on exploration than on the typical dune bashing. Scenic Score: 95% Excitement Score: 70% Versatility Score: 95% Fossil Rock - Faya - Sharjah From the moment you drive on the Sharjah - Kalba road, you'll see the majestic Fossil Rock mountain on the right hand side. It has got its name due to the ancient fossils that you can find on the rocks, and the surrounding red dunes are a delight to drive. Usually starting from Batayeh-Faya road, the dunes gradually go from small and bushy until you reach the nice open areas with "The Long Lady" as one of the most popular dunes to showcase and practice your sidesloping skills. The cherry on top is the climb on Fossil Rock itself which provides an amazing scenic view on the area and Mleiha town below. A must for every beginner level driver ! To even up the challenge you can take on the nice bowls behind Fossil Rock, or head out to Faya which is also called "The Saddle". Scenic Score: 90% Excitement Score: 70% Versatility Score: 90% Pink Rock - Big Red - Sharjah Nearby Fossil Rock, you will find Pink Rock, which got its name from the pinkish hue the rocks have. This very popular off-road area is known for the smooth gentle dunes at the start that gradually move to challenging bowls nearby the base of Pink Rock. Climbing Pink Rock is the ideal challenge for beginners and provides a fantastic view as well. From Pink Rock you can head out to Big Red which will up the challenge and entice every level of off-roader. The Big Red area is an off-roader hotspot during the season. Scenic Score: 80% Excitement Score: 70% Versatility Score: 75% Bidayer / Area 53 / Schuwaib - Sharjah This area is not for the faint of heart, and the big dunes will demand you to keep momentum at all times, while the massive hills such as Iftar Bowl and Super Bowl are ultimate play areas one can find in Sharjah. This area tends to be extremely busy during the offroad season. Scenic Score: 60% Excitement Score: 80% Versatility Score: 65% Margham / Lahbab - Dubai A little less known area, but very versatile with nice technical areas, playable bowls, and overall a terrain where any level offroader can practice and hone their skills without encountering too many cross tracks. Scenic Score: 70% Excitement Score: 70% Versatility Score: 75% Murquab - Lisaili - Faqa - Dubai This area is located on the Dubai-Al Ain road and offers so much. From technical terrain, to the arboretum in Faqa, long range dunes in both Faqa and some areas of Lisaili, and the most amazing creamy dunes below the Maktoum Solar Park which we have now called "Little Sweihan". This area never disappoints and there is a reason we have it on our weekly drives schedules ! Scenic Score: 85% Excitement Score: 80% Versatility Score: 95% Al Qudra - Dubai Al Qudra has become one of the most well known Offroad areas in Dubai, mainly due to the close vicinity to the city, but also because of its versatility, nearby facilities (Last Exit, Love Lakes), and the wildlife than can be spotted while off-roading (gazelles, oryx). This area stretches out to Murquab in the East via Al Hathmah area, on to Faqa going South below the Solar Park, and up to the Bab al Shams resort in the West. Scenic Score: 85% Excitement Score: 75% Versatility Score: 95% Sweihan - Abu Dhabi / Al Ain The Sweihan area in Abu Dhabi has to be experienced, and the proximity to Dubai brings lots of Dubai residents to Sweihan to explore the massive long range dunes and versatile area that has something in store for every off-roader. Sweihan never disappoints and the Nagrah area which alternates between monstrous dunes and deserted sabkhas will leave you hungry for more every single time. Scenic Score: 80% Excitement Score: 90% Versatility Score: 95% Al Khatim - Abu Dhabi A very popular and versatile offroader destination for Abu Dhabi residents with exhilarating dunes and technical areas that will challenge any offroader. Scenic Score: 80% Excitement Score: 90% Versatility Score: 80% Wagan / Umm Al Oash / Bu Tais - Abu Dhabi / Al Ain In search for monstruous dunes where momentum and pace are critical and where your vehicle will be pushed to its limit ? You have come to the right place as this area is spoiled with massive dunes, alternated by long flat sabkhas where you can get your bearings back before heading in again, and again ! Scenic Score: 95% Excitement Score: 100% Versatility Score: 80% Liwa Madinat Zayed - Abu Dhabi The Madinat Zayed area is famous for its Yellow Water Truck, which was left behind many years back, but no-one really knows how it got there. This area is consisting of massive dunes, and you can easily scale the level up or down in this area based on the convoy you bring there. From this place onwards and further down south into Liwa Crescent you will feel like you are on a different planet. Scenic Score: 90% Excitement Score: 100% Versatility Score: 90% Liwa Crescent - Abu Dhabi Seeing LIWA for the first time will leave you astonished, baffled, and beyond comprehension. From Himeem in the East, to Khanoor in the West, this whole area is filled with some of the biggest dunes on this planet, massive slipfaces that will make you shiver when descending, and extremely technical dunes that will require your utmost focus. This area is unforgettable and every off-roader should have this on his bucket list ! Scenic Score: 100% Excitement Score: 100% Versatility Score: 100%

Nice one, Diego! Congrats!

😃 Congratulations @Diego 👏👏. Enjoy the new level.

Thank you souch @Ishak!

Congratulations @vinayak n 👏👏. Enjoy the new level.

Great work @Diego, hope you enjoy the continuing journey of gaining experience and having fun!

Great news @Diego ! Well done !

Congratulations @Diego. Keep the blue Raptor roaring

Thanks @vinayak n and the very same to you!! Thanks also @Gaurav, @Andrew John Melvill, @Frederic, @Luke K P. Looking forward to playing in the sand at newfound levels: steeper climbs, deeper descends, higher sides and longer ridges!! OFC they will probably come with a fair share of other challenges, but who doesn't like to shovel sand or manage pop-outs in the sun should probably look for another hobby 😄 You'll see more of the green Defender in the habitat it was supposedly designed for, unlike most of her poor siblings enlisted in morning school runs or mall excursions...

It was an absolute pleasure to participate in this drive! A beautiful place with clean dunes, some technical, some big, beautiful lines. But what I liked most was your focus on teaching and improving our skills in crisscrossing. Your attention to everyone, your corrections and coments in almost each manouver we did, the technical explanations with different scenarios, that part was the best part of the drive. You told everyone exactly what to do and how to improve in each dune we crossed. Really enjoyable drive and precious lessons learned. Thank you all the convoy for the amazing support to everyone. Hope to see you all soon, and I'm waiting for the next skill drive of @GauravSoni!

Trip Report – SDS : Criss Cross Country @B.K. @nithish468 @Jose Luis Campos @Zulfikhar Naiyar @Sam Selim @Cesar Chacon We kicked off the drive sharp at 6:00 a.m. under perfect desert weather. Having camped the night before, I got to enjoy the cool late-night breeze at the starting point – a refreshing way to begin the day. After a quick pre-drive briefing to explain the theme and objectives, we set off with a short warm-up session. The dunes had no existing tracks, and the ridges were sharp, so we started small, practicing ridge approaches and getting a feel for the terrain. About 45 minutes in, we paused for a quick review session. Here, we revisited the basics of ridge crossing: analyzing the ridge, planning the approach, maintaining the right speed, and executing the crisscross. This helped align everyone before we moved on to the more demanding sections. Soon after, we found a perfect practice area with beautifully curved ridges, ideal for multiple crisscross attempts. we experimented with different speeds and entry points, and while there were a few refusals and mis attempts, everyone eventually got it right. This was the highlight of the drive – watching confidence build with every successful crossing. From there, we advanced to higher ridges for more challenging ridge riding. The convoy handled it well, and once we had our fill of ridge play, we faced a choice: head towards Nagra Dunes or take a straight-line route back. With about an hour left, we opted for the direct return path through the least resistance, making steady progress back to our starting point. A big thanks to @Zulfikhar Naiyar for his support, Rock solid in the sweep, and to @Cesar Chacon for holding the convoy strong at the back, stepping in with guidance during a few refusals and keeping the line intact. Congratulations to @Jose Luis Campos for an excellent second lead – following tracks precisely, maintaining perfect distance, and handling the role impressively. There were a couple of moments where both Luis and I got stuck, but quick and effective self-recoveries got us moving again. Impressively, we never had to use a rope or shovel at all for the entire drive. Very well driven by @Sam Selim and @B.K.with no hesitations and smooth lines. it was pleasure to watch you guys make those moves! Kudos to @nithish468 for keeping his spirits and confidence up. He deserves a special mention. In previous drives, he was hesitant with the throttle, but today we saw him really push himself. At first, there were some fishtails and re-attempts, but with strong support from the convoy and his own determination, he managed clean ridge crossings. It was great to see his confidence grow – an important step towards handling higher-paced intermediate drives where these maneuvers become second nature. All in all, it was a brilliant crisscrossing session – a balance of learning, fun, and teamwork. Ridge crossing is one of the most essential skills for progressing into higher-level drives, and today’s practice was a solid foundation for that journey. Proud of the entire convoy and looking forward to the next Skill Drive!!

Due to the growth of our club, we have recently released 5 more Carnity Radio Frequencies. This will make it easier to select channels and avoid interference from other Carnity convoys. Below is the updated list: Please take note that Channels 1 till 4 remain unchanged. Channels 5 until 10 are new. Programming instructions can be found in below advice: