Leaderboard

Quite the drive, @Luke K P! Never before had I seen a bash plate folded backwards like a sardine tin lid, or found 2 recovery points in the desert sand. Never before had I done the circus-style bowl escape, which my passenger and I enjoyed very much indeed. Never before had I realized that two FJ drivers at the bottom of a bowl really see less of the world around them than a two drunk monkeys in a bank vault. Thanks @Luke K P, @Aser, @Cristian and @Ash S.! Hope you are back in action again soon, @Luke K P!

Well well well,... What started as a beautiful crisp morning in the dunes turned into one of those drives we’ll probably be talking about for a while 😅 We kicked things off with the briefing at 06:35, going through the game plan for the morning and revisiting some of the finer details that make Intermediate drives such a step up — momentum, commitment, quick reactions, and always being ready for what the car in front might do. To warm everyone up, we started with some flowing ridges and a handful of bigger climbs to get everyone into the rhythm early. The recent wind has really sharpened the dunes lately, making the terrain feel fresh and technical in all the right ways. A little later we found ourselves playing around a bowl area where we had a few small refusals. Nothing dramatic, but it gave us the perfect opportunity for a quick refresher discussion: IM level driving leaves very little room for hesitation. The convoy needs to stay alert, decisive, and ready to react smoothly and confidently. With that reset done, we carried on deeper into the area, collecting a few more “summits” on some of the taller dunes before linking into a really enjoyable ridge ride that eventually guided us back toward the main road. And then came the unexpected ending to the morning… Right near the exit, I completely misjudged the flat ground transition and planted the nose of my car hard enough to trigger the airbags and immediately end the drive for me. Definitely not the graceful finish I had planned 😅 Massive thanks to the whole team who immediately stepped in to help. From figuring out the safest recovery plan to improvising a tow solution after discovering my tow points had effectively disappeared, everyone stayed calm, practical, and supportive throughout. Not the ending we expected, but still a morning full of learning, good teamwork, and a reminder that the desert always keeps us humble. @Aser @Ash S. @Cristian @_Herman_ this is the great team effort that I love in this club. From grabbing tools, recovering bashplates, hooking up ropes, doing translation for Saeed, it was a masterclass in how to work as a team and get the unfortunate work done quickly and efficiently. See you all again once I get my car back from the shop!

Thank you all for coming today, was a great drive really eventful, but was great to see the whole convoy come together as a team, supporting each other and me, couldn’t have asked for a better crew today. special mention to @Giacomo for a fantastic Second lead with his beast of a 392. @Bjoern and @Rob S for brilliant support in the middle you were busy today and of course the white rhino @Emanuel for keeping everything safe at the back. lots of learnings today for us all I think for me definitely take more water 😂 and if anyone has any pictures please do post! thanks again all for joining my drive and really hope to see you all again soon

Just out curiosity I decided to check into Carnity which I do once or twice a year to see what was happening and literally the floor beneath my feet fell away. I saw pics of a tribute drive to Gaurav. After a day of frantic calls and msgs I finally found out the worst. I only found out a few days a ago and I didn't have permission to post then. SO this is going to my way of paying respect and saying goodbye. Some friendships are forged in offices or classrooms. Ours was forged in sand. I knew Gaurav long before Carnity existed, back in the days of Dubai 4x4, two desert mad people found each other on a forum and realized they'd found their tribe. That's where I first met Gaurav Paa ji, used to drive a silver Land Cruiser GXR 100 series then. I think this was 2009 maybe. And from the very first drive, I knew he was one of those rare people, the kind who doesn't just love the desert, but understands it. Always willing to learn, asking questions non stop, Paa ji how does this work, Paa ji how would you attempt this dune, many days and evenings spent in the desert and garages. Most of you might know him as a seasoned off roader but I met when he was starting this journey and just a sponge soaking up every word, every action, observing closely and learning. I had the privilege of introducing him to Lisaili, and watching someone fall in love with a place you already love is one of life's quiet joys. He took to it like he was born for it. Knowing Gaurav Paa Ji, maybe he was. Even though our first drive there was free from trouble. My sheep had to go home on the back of a recovery and me and the Mrs had to hitch a ride back with Gaurav Paaji and Soni Bhaabi. Dubai 4x4 came and went, then Emarat 4x4 came and went and then Paa Ji started his own. Carnity. When he told me he was starting Carnity and would like me join and create some activity I gladly agreed and these were pre ChatGPT days and since I was good with filling up pages with useless information it was a good fit. I think the first few posts in the advice section are also written by yours truly. I believed in his vision because I believed in him. Life, as it does, pulled us in different directions and I drifted away from the community he built. But I never stopped being proud of what he created here. He built something that outlasted forum threads and fleeting trends . He built belonging and now more obvious than ever a legacy. Gaurav Paa Ji and I have so many miles of sand between us, dunes we climbed, tracks we conquered, Pops up we repaired, recoveries we did, moments that needed no words because the desert said everything for us. I carry every one of them. I'm gutted I won't get to drive with you again. I'm devastated I didn't get to say goodbye properly. But you'll always be Gaurav Paa Ji to me. And somewhere out there, there's a perfect dune with your name on it. Drive safe on the other side, brother. Good Bye for now.

Thanks for the beautiful message @desertdude. I only joined the Carnity family in 2017 and started driving with the club in 2018, and felt at home from the first drive. Gaurav played a massive part in that. Every drive I would ask for his feedback and i was in awe of what he could do with that Pajero, all the while I was having the same Pajero but hardly could make it up to Pink Rock. His passion for the desert was there from the start, but the concept of building a community around it was developed by him and we still bear the fruits from it every day, and everyone who drives with us understands that what we do in Carnity is not just off-roading, but trying to provide a platform and space where people can be just themselves, form bonds and friendships, and enjoy the wonderful nature that’s so close to our doorstep. His trust in others and in myself brought me here, and the values we learned from him will be the same values we will keep instilling in every person we meet or drive with. This and this alone makes Carnity unique, and we have Gaurav to thank for that.

Position Name Car Rank Drives 1 Vanessa8580 Nissan Pathfinder 2012 white Marshal 172 2 nithish468 2011 Toyota fj cruiser - 2 door - white Intermediate 72 3 Chris Redmond BAIC BJ40 2020 black Newbie 0 4 Rasna 2022 Jeep Wrangler-4door-Grey Newbie 3 5 Pramod Sathyaseelan 2017 Toyota Fortuner, Silver Grey Newbie 5 6 Ishak Pajero - LWB - Black/White Expert 130 7 Sheho Bronco wildtrak 4 doors- 2022 - light blue Fewbie 10 8 CY Bong 2024 Toyota Prado 4 door White Fewbie 12 9 Thomas54675 2017 Jeep Wrangler JK, 2 Door, white Fewbie Plus 29 Hi Everyone! @Vanessa8580@nithish468@Chris Redmond@Rasna@Pramod Sathyaseelan@Ishak@Sheho@CY Bong@Thomas54675 I'm happy to report i will be able to lead the drive tomorrow! After taking it easy the last two days, it seems the strained muscle settled down Please find the convoy list for tomorrow attached here. We will be using Channel 10: 446.231Mhz on our walkie talkies. If this is your first drive with us don't worry, we can help to set the frequency in your radio, and also have some spare radios with us just in case. Please try to arrive 10-15mins earlier if possible so you can deflate to 15psi and install your offroad flag. If you need help just reach out to any of us. Welcome to the club @Chris Redmond i am sure you'll like your first Northern adventure See you all in the morning!

@_Herman_ Funniest comment of 2026 so far And with the help of ChatGPT we can now visualize it: All kidding aside, it's amazing to see the teamwork on this eventful drive of @Luke K Pand @Mark B Not only are the two of you fantastic leaders who took the challenges today with a smile, it goes to show what we can achieve if we have the help of others with us, and no doubt these kinds of drives will offer good memories later to be shared around a campfire.

Thannks @Mark B and the carnity team! Enjoyed the drive! A special thanks to the whole team who helped to get me out of my precarious position! Hope to see you all soon on the sand again!

Good afternoon, all. Thank you for joining this drive. We will follow the convoy order as follows. We will be cruising the dunes on ch 2.

Vanessa! So glad that you’re feeling better 😊 I can’t wait. Looking forward to meeting everyone and will make sure I’m there early. Chris

Hi @Looper, last minute addition, hope it’s ok for you?

Congratulations @Ash S.!!!

Great pics, that was a very sketchy angle to be stuck at, but very glad we had a great team and got it done safely and with a smile 😊😊

Thank you @Mark B for the lead and the support team! @Bjoern @Rob S @Emanuel @Giacomo Had an amazing drive! The save/recover was the best! Great job by everyone for handling everything safely! Posting a few pics of it.

Unfortunately my car broke today. i will not be able to attend tomorrows drive. have fun!

Thx. Yup Aser just dropped me back now

@Luke K P you made it home?

Hi @Looper, I have to drop out this drive due to changes on work schedule. This is supposed to be my first Fewbie drive🙁 See you on the next one!

Congratulations @Ash S.

Congrats @Ash S. 🎉🎉🎉

Dear Doc @M.Seidam I very sorry I’m not able to go to the desert today 🥺I’m not feeling well. Hope you guys have an excellent drive and already looking forward to see you out there again! 🙏 ps. I do t know how to take myself from the list. If I need to do something else please let me know

What a way to be back @Looper ! Atleast looking at your numbers, this will be the 300th !! Whoa !! #Respect