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That afternoon drive is probably the best send off for me back to my studies. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with this group, looking forward to the drives every weekend. Even though I am leaving at the end of this week, this is not the last you've seen of the green H3. *Terminator Voice* "I'll be baack". See you guys soon!!

Firstly I would like to congratulate you on attaining the Intermediate level. Surely Fewbie level is where you learn the most and hone in your skills. You have taken little time to learn the important lessons and read between the lines. You've impressed us with your patience, smile, willingness to learn but most importantly to put your skills to good use. This includes helping out when required with a smile and passing on the message of being an offroader in true spirit. Your writing skills and trip reports just amaze us and we wait for your verbal bouquets at the end of every drive. Well deserved Sir.

Thanks @Wrangeld for giving me the opportunity to ride the trip with you guys with the help of your trip report. Amazing as always and some very good points raised. Definitely we will be looking to make things better in near future by taking appropriate actions.

OK. I am properly shocked by this, delighted, giddy with excitement but shocked and grateful and humbled and ... I hope you get the message. What a fantastic way to start a new week. Your support @Gaurav @Frederic @Rahimdad @Srikumar @Emmanuel has been immense. Thank you, thank you. (Hope there is not someone else in the seniors I missed). See you soon in the sand ...

Friday’s Fun in the Sand I think it’s fair to say, after the winter rains, the sand is getting drier. The ‘hero’ drives, after the rain, when 4x4 was easy are well and truly over. Quite a few of us spent much of Friday knee (and in some cases, thigh) deep in sand digging out our friends who just a short few weeks ago had thought – what’s all the fuss about? Well … this! Friday was a mammoth day. 34 drivers in three Newbie convoys in the morning and 12 on an afternoon Fewbie drive. Before any details, I’m gonna get something off my chest. The pre-drive briefing is not optional. It’s not OK to arrive late. Or deflate while it’s going on. Or make it look obvious you ‘heard-it-all-before’. A safety briefing is given every time you fly, and they don’t let you ignore it for some of the same reasons these briefings are not optional. When the *&it hits the fan, you might just remember enough to help you follow those instructions to save your life. @Xaf (back me up here?). In your 4x4 it’s no different. The stuff you hear in the briefing might just sink in enough so that when you are being calmly instructed to turn or reverse or do nothing, that you follow the instruction instead of turning ‘the other left’ or digging yourself into an axle deep hole in the sand. Oh. And it’s simply polite. If 30 odd people can get up early and get to the meeting point on time … OK. Rant over. I imagine that while we are tucked up in bed on Thursday nights dreaming about the dunes (or whatever else you may be dreaming about [please, this is not a request to share]), @Srikumar, @Gaurav @Emmanueland @Frederic are looking at the list of probable attendees at the drives and trying to work out who goes in which convoy and where. Why? Because, by the time we all turn up its organized and all we have to do is take our place in line and off we go. [Perhaps, sometimes it does not feel quite as immediate as that, but convoy placement is not just a case of sticking a line of cars in the sand.] And off we go, we did. The three radio channels no longer interfere with each other, the convoys are not too long and with (in my case) @Frederic in the lead we know that the challenges will be, well, challenging while staying in the bounds of the capabilities of the drivers. Having been on a few newbie drives, I am pleased to say this one was quite ‘standard’. We had our share of refusals, and challenges and found ourselves digging from time to time, and pretty much, in our convoy everyone acquitted themselves extremely well. @Colin Jordan 'allowed' Cara to take the wheel of her car in the same way that @Jeepie allows me to drive from time to time As ever, the Wranglers in the crew motored on almost without incident @bunty_and_pops @Febin Frederic well done. You keep up the reputation beautifully. As ever we learned a thing or two about the sand and about recoveries. Thank you to everyone who conveniently got stuck. Without these opportunities to try recovery techniques they stay theoretical. As ever, we also had our fair share of laughs. Highlight of the day of course was the battle of the Pajeros. Actually, before I do that, the true highlight of the day was @Vanessa8580. The original plan for this drive was that she would take the wheel of the Pajero and Frederic would be her passenger. For other reasons, Frederic ended up leading so Vanessa could not drive. However, having cleared the stuck you’ll read about below, @Vanessa8580 took the wheel of the car and with a gleeful smile as wide as the horizon launched little Pajero flying over the same dune that had defeated @md sarfaraz . I am sure I heard a scream of ‘Yeehaa’ through the window and over the considerable engine noise, but cannot be 100% sure. Back to the battle of the Pajeros. To set the scene, big Pajero (crested on a dune) would not succumb to the best efforts of our spades and shovels so it was decided Frederic would recover with the kinetic ropes. So far so good. Everything was set up perfectly. Soft shackles attached, everyone out of the way, drivers in their seats, radio communications correctly made. Like David vs. Goliath the battle line was drawn as the tiny Pajero took up its stance to pull back its big brother. All checks had been made: 4 low, reverse, parking brake off. One, two, three and … nothing. Undeterred our brave champion set up for another go. One, two, three. Give it some gas. Again nothing. Approaching the stuck vehicle I decided to make sure all the instructions were understood. Reverse, handbrake off, 4 low, straighten the wheels … hmmmm your engine sounds rather quiet, are you sure you turned on the ignition and the engine is actually running? The rest, as they say is history (and will probably go down in Carnity history, as apparently this has not been an issue before). After that, the newbie drive was quite uneventful. The fewbie drive could be called plain sailing. Sailing into sand that is. Acting as second lead to @Emmanuel was a fantastic opportunity to exercise restraint and care for those coming behind. These technical dunes are an excellent playgound for the Jeep of myself and Jeepie. It has to be said, however, the technical dunes of Solar Park were quite a challenge for the long wheel bases of many of the following pack just about everyone had a challenging moment (my own, cresting a dune as Emannuel asked me to take a different line while I was already commited to a dune!). Notwithstanding the whole crew @Jeffrey Osito Pilgreen @Lucky sAm @Joe Biju Joseph @Mahmoud Hamzawy @bony raphi @Rizwanm2 had their moment(s). I think it’s best to leave it that @Brette had a chance to not only test but to perfect his recovery skills with the rope, while the rest of us had enough time to prepare all the Instagram images (@Michael sammy @Joe Biju Joseph), we might want of our vehicles in the desert. I was truly delighted that we took advantage of every last moment of the light before sunset before exiting, re-inflating and driving back to the city. Apologies if I missed out any names. Thanks one and all. Special call out to @Joe Biju Joseph whi is back off to Australia now the summer vacation is over. We are going to miss your green Hummer on the dunes mate. See you soon in the sand

Congratulations @Wrangeld for reaching the Intermediate level with Carnity Offroad club. As per your recent drives, you have shown tremendous progress and well deserve this new offroad rank. Looking forward to seeing you growing further and helping others to learn the art of offroading in a safe environment. Keep up your great contribution on the forum and get socially involved in the newbie and fewbie drives to impart your knowledge. Once you have all the gear required, you are most welcome to join the intermediate level drives with Carnity offroad club. Intermediate: Number of drives 10 (26 regular drives) Level of drives Willingness to learn + Enthusiasm + Basic dune & sand reading Off-road gear Flag, deflator, tire gauge, shovel, fire extinguisher, medical kit, radio, compressor, tool kit, tow rope Drive teamwork Help in recoveries under Marshal / Crew supervision Drive posting/joining Join newbie, fewbie & intermediate level of drives only Forum participation Active participation on forum. Share drive experience + feedback on forum and pictures in gallery + drive and route suggestions Social media sharing & inviting friends & family to join offroad club is recommended for faster upgrades at all levels.

Congratulations @Mostafa Taha for reaching the fewbie level with Carnity Offroad club. Based on your regular newbie drives you have demonstrated skills required deserving this new offroad rank. Looking forward to seeing you growing further and helping others to learn the art of offroading in a safe environment. Fewbie: Number of drives 10 (16 Newbie + Fewbie drives) Level of drives Willingness to learn + Enthusiasm + Basic dune reading Off-road gear Flag, deflator, tire gauge, shovel, fire extinguisher, medical kit, radio, compressor. Drive teamwork Observe recovery from a safe distance and offer help when needed Drive posting/joining Join newbie and fewbie level of drives only Forum participation Active participation on forum. Share drive experience + feedback on forum and pictures in gallery Social media sharing & inviting friends & family to join offroad club is recommended for faster upgrades at all levels.

Congrats @Wrangeld. This is a well deserved promotion indeed. I think @Rahimdadbhai and @Frederic have already beaten me to whatever i wanted to say 😁 but nevertheless, i must still say that it is an absolute pleasure having you and @Jeepie as a part of our club.

Congrats..

!!!congratulations

Something is cooking up with lot of intermediate upgrades... excited 😍😍😍 congrats everyone.

Congrats Marjan. Well deserved.👍

Thanks Wrangled! Congratulations for your intermediate level as well, you both are really nice company with great sense of humor, looking forward to ride alone Thanks Emad, wish you all the best

I am happy to see you as Fewbie. You wanted it

I would avoid the 4.5 and you'll know why I said that once you test drive a 4.8 VTC engined patrol. It's like night and day. The 4.8 is like a Thoroughbred while the 4.5 is like a lathargic mule. Other than that if the price is right car is well maintained you know the owner blah blah 355k is high but doesn't mean it's about to croak. You can easily stretch them to 6-700k if you look after them well. But only if the price is right. I wouldn't pay a dime over 20 for it in pristine condition, preferably 15. Walk away if it was some shababs joyride who like to hit the limiter just to buzz the neighborhood and drive on two wheels over the weekend or was a weekly contestant at the pissing contest held at big red, fayha etc etc. Ideal case a buddy one expat owner from new who spent huge amount of $$$$$$ on the car regularly so on and so forth.

Congratulations @Jeepie. Very well deserved. You presence in a convoy is always an asset.

Wow, thank you so much. I wasn't expecting to be promoted so soon. Feeling quite proud and a little scared.

Congratulations @Jeepie

Dear Marjan, Richard, I was lucky to have you seen joining us, and since the start i understood that you both commit yourselves Seriously for anything you do. That commitment has brought you to this level and you both deserve that. If I can speak for all the seniors, we’re proud to have you both with us and look forward to many more adventures and drives !

Liwa - An Unforgettable Experience For the intermediate and above level offroaders, who have missed the chance to experience Liwa on 14 Feb, here comes another golden opportunity to embrace Liwa with its open buffet of some of the best dunes in the UAE. As much as Liwa is fun, thrilling and mind boggling with humongous dunes and vast desert, it is indeed very tricky, scary and challenging to test all your off-road skills in one drive. More than the skills and your vehicle capabilities, you need to be very sharp, calculative and attentive to understand the convoy movement with patience and level head at all times. As it's a 3+ hour drive from Dubai so ideally well rested body will enjoy this whole day drive without fatigue, so reaching a night before and camping or sleeping in the car at meeting point would be ideal, but completely optional for everyone. When: 28 February January 2020, Friday Drive start: 7:45 AM, the convoy will move at sharp 8:00 AM Where: Maraba Al Dhafra Petrol Station, Zayed City, Abu Dhabi Meeting point: https://goo.gl/maps/3TNYZFbBztR93Yo76 Level: Intermediate and above - STRICTLY. Type of Car: Proper 4x4 with front and back tow hooks and 10 inches of ground clearance. Well serviced and thoroughly checked to be in pristine condition without any flaws, warning light, mechanical or electrical malfunction. Plan: Explore and drive till about 05:00 PM What to bring along: Loads of water, snacks, smiles, stories, enthusiasm and willingness to learn. Extra fuel jerry can - at least 20 liter, more the better. Spare tire should be in good working condition. Drinks & ready to cook food for lunch and dinner Snacks or nuts to munch while driving All spare fluids for your car Firewood (20 kg) / Car - If you are camping Optional items if you have them bring them with you (no special purchase needed) Binoculars Sand track/mat Tie-down straps Tool kit, Ratchet, socket set Essential spare parts for your car Axe, Saw, Heavy duty Hammer etc. Approximate finish time: 5:00 PM Camping and bonfire: 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM - (Optional) Sleep over: 10:00 PM - 6:00 AM - 29 Feb 2020- (Optional) MUST READ: First off-road drive checklist Off Road Driving - Roles & Responsibilities Off road Driving Etiquette's Off-road Convoy Rules Off roading - Everything you need to know Please RSVP on the below calendar.

Congratulations @Jeepie for reaching the Intermediate level with Carnity Offroad club. As per your recent drives, you have shown tremendous progress and well deserve this new offroad rank. Looking forward to seeing you growing further and helping others to learn the art of offroading in a safe environment. Keep up your great contribution on the forum and get socially involved in the newbie and fewbie drives to impart your knowledge. Once you have all the gear required, you are most welcome to join the intermediate level drives with Carnity offroad club. Intermediate: Number of drives 10 (26 regular drives) Level of drives Willingness to learn + Enthusiasm + Basic dune & sand reading Off-road gear Flag, deflator, tire gauge, shovel, fire extinguisher, medical kit, radio, compressor, tool kit, tow rope Drive teamwork Help in recoveries under Marshal / Crew supervision Drive posting/joining Join newbie, fewbie & intermediate level of drives only Forum participation Active participation on forum. Share drive experience + feedback on forum and pictures in gallery + drive and route suggestions Social media sharing & inviting friends & family to join offroad club is recommended for faster upgrades at all levels.

Congratulations @bunty_and_pops for reaching the fewbie level with Carnity Offroad club. Based on your regular newbie drives you have demonstrated skills required deserving this new offroad rank. Looking forward to seeing you growing further and helping others to learn the art of offroading in a safe environment. Fewbie: Number of drives 10 (16 Newbie + Fewbie drives) Level of drives Willingness to learn + Enthusiasm + Basic dune reading Off-road gear Flag, deflator, tire gauge, shovel, fire extinguisher, medical kit, radio, compressor. Drive teamwork Observe recovery from a safe distance and offer help when needed Drive posting/joining Join newbie and fewbie level of drives only Forum participation Active participation on forum. Share drive experience + feedback on forum and pictures in gallery Social media sharing & inviting friends & family to join offroad club is recommended for faster upgrades at all levels.

Thanks Rizwanm2, wish you all the best Thanks AKR, wish you all the best

@Frederic This promotion is in no small part thanks to you. Like you say you've been there since the start, like @Rahimdad and @Srikumar Thanks for the support, the coaching and the friendship. We are looking forward to lots more adventures - and the chance to continue to support newbies and fewbies

Thanks Mahmoud, wish you all the best Thanks Chirag, wish you all the best

congrats..

this was my first fewbie drive and i enjoyed to the max. counting my days for the next drive. 😋

congratulations @Jeepie. I clearly remember a few months ago when we were driving in maliha and when i saw you tackling a rather tricky dune climb, and i was like - "Man she knows how to drive", because i was expecting a refusal at that point. You truly deserve this promotion and it is great to have you and @Wrangeld in our club. Congrats once again.

Congratulations 👍🏼

Congrats @Wrangeld.. 👍🏻

Yeahh, party!!!!

Congrats @Jeepie .. looking forward driving in your convoy.

Congratulations @Jeepie. Well deserved. But keep that scare, as it's a reality check which will always insure you won't end yourself in trouble. I wouldn't mind seeing our first lady marshal in a few months, you're on the right track. Thank you for all your help and assistance as and when required.

Congratulations @Mostafa Taha. It really is not difficult to pay forward. It's a spirit that binds us and makes us strong. Welcome to the Fewbie level, enjoy it while it lasts.

Congratulations @bunty_and_pops. Well done, welcome to the Fewbie bunch.

Hi, have just been to view a 1999 Super Safari. 4.5L, auto. The car seems to have been very well maintained and there were no obvious issues, exhaust smoke or rattly engine. The engine was smooth, transmission seemed v smooth, 4x4 engaging was slick. The km is hi, 355,000. Assuming the car has been well looked after should milage be a huge concern. From experience, Pajero go bad around 250k as did my Trooper. Is the Super Safari engine good to run forever, or have owners found there is a magic number where problems become too frequent. Thanking in advance, Any/all advice hugely appreciated. The seller doesn't mind if I take a mechanic to check the engine before buying, which seems like a good sign.

Congratulations @bunty_and_pops

It was a great lead from @Emmanuel And amazing support from the second lead @Wrangeld You guys made it a great day with a safe drive full of support and new learning tips for everyone And i would like to thank everyone who participated in yesterday drive and made it fun drive. It was nice meeting new members. See you soon in the next drives

Congrats to you. Onwards and upwards from here.

Congrats Nivin

Shj industrial for the proper shit otherwise same as others Speeded Also golden tools in DIP sometimes have really good shit on sale for very reasonable prices .

Thanks Frederic, you guys are the role models of "Pay it Forward" and all of us should be doing the same to others off-road and in our daily road of life

Like I said to Wrangled it's great to have the both of you on our drives and your enthusiasm and contribution is exactly what the next set of Newbies and Fewbies can look up to. Congrats

Dear Richard and Marjan, I was lucky to have you seen joining us, and since the start i understood that you both commit yourselves Seriously for anything you do. That commitment has brought you to this level and you both deserve that. If I can speak for all the seniors, we’re proud to have you both with us and look forward to many more adventures and drives !

We are glad to see that many real enthusiasts here notice and think alike on respecting each other time and attending brief is must for everyone. If you are a newbie, you still need to learn, if you are at fewbie or intermediate then you have to help and teach others like you have been helped few weeks back. It's called - "Pay it forward" (Google it, for people who aren't familiar with this). Get engaged in the morning briefing, meet and get to know new faces with whom you will be sharing your rest of the day, helping them or getting their help when you are stuck. If you have 3-4 hours for driving then spare some time for briefing and debriefing as those few minutes of investment, will help you enjoy your 3-4 hours of driving without breaking bumpers or bones.

Fantastic report that has become our weekly journal we all look forward too. Fully agree on the drive briefing: Coming on time and attending the briefing is something we keep asking everyone and that comes naturally if you respect each other’s time. Considering the fact that you’ll remember maybe 25% of the briefing on your first drive means that you’ll need to attend at least 4 full sized briefings before things slowly start to creep into your mind, let alone using these tactics in action. It’s also disappointing to see that although we have so many MUST READ articles on the forum, but seeing people showing up without having anything read. Ok rant over 😉. Again we had experiences, stories, laughter, Newbies who did great and were enthusiast, and our dose of healthy sun. And that makes it all worthwhile ! PS I heard that Yihaah too when my little blue one flew over the dune 😅

Friday’s Fun in the Sand I think it’s fair to say, after the winter rains, the sand is getting drier. The ‘hero’ drives, after the rain, when 4x4 was easy are well and truly over. Quite a few of us spent much of Friday knee (and in some cases, thigh) deep in sand digging out our friends who just a short few weeks ago had thought – what’s all the fuss about? Well … this! Friday was a mammoth day. 34 drivers in three Newbie convoys in the morning and 12 on an afternoon Fewbie drive. Before any details, I’m gonna get something off my chest. The pre-drive briefing is not optional. It’s not OK to arrive late. Or deflate while it’s going on. Or make it look obvious you ‘heard-it-all-before’. A safety briefing is given every time you fly, and they don’t let you ignore it for some of the same reasons these briefings are not optional. When the *&it hits the fan, you might just remember enough to help you follow those instructions to save your life. @Xaf (back me up here?). In your 4x4 it’s no different. The stuff you hear in the briefing might just sink in enough so that when you are being calmly instructed to turn or reverse or do nothing, that you follow the instruction instead of turning ‘the other left’ or digging yourself into an axle deep hole in the sand. Oh. And it’s simply polite. If 30 odd people can get up early and get to the meeting point on time … OK. Rant over. I imagine that while we are tucked up in bed on Thursday nights dreaming about the dunes (or whatever else you may be dreaming about [please, this is not a request to share]), @Srikumar, @Gaurav @Emmanueland @Frederic are looking at the list of probable attendees at the drives and trying to work out who goes in which convoy and where. Why? Because, by the time we all turn up its organized and all we have to do is take our place in line and off we go. [Perhaps, sometimes it does not feel quite as immediate as that, but convoy placement is not just a case of sticking a line of cars in the sand.] And off we go, we did. The three radio channels no longer interfere with each other, the convoys are not too long and with (in my case) @Frederic in the lead we know that the challenges will be, well, challenging while staying in the bounds of the capabilities of the drivers. Having been on a few newbie drives, I am pleased to say this one was quite ‘standard’. We had our share of refusals, and challenges and found ourselves digging from time to time, and pretty much, in our convoy everyone acquitted themselves extremely well. @Colin Jordan 'allowed' Cara to take the wheel of her car in the same way that @Jeepie allows me to drive from time to time As ever, the Wranglers in the crew motored on almost without incident @bunty_and_pops @Febin Frederic well done. You keep up the reputation beautifully. As ever we learned a thing or two about the sand and about recoveries. Thank you to everyone who conveniently got stuck. Without these opportunities to try recovery techniques they stay theoretical. As ever, we also had our fair share of laughs. Highlight of the day of course was the battle of the Pajeros. Actually, before I do that, the true highlight of the day was @Vanessa8580. The original plan for this drive was that she would take the wheel of the Pajero and Frederic would be her passenger. For other reasons, Frederic ended up leading so Vanessa could not drive. However, having cleared the stuck you’ll read about below, @Vanessa8580 took the wheel of the car and with a gleeful smile as wide as the horizon launched little Pajero flying over the same dune that had defeated @md sarfaraz . I am sure I heard a scream of ‘Yeehaa’ through the window and over the considerable engine noise, but cannot be 100% sure. Back to the battle of the Pajeros. To set the scene, big Pajero (crested on a dune) would not succumb to the best efforts of our spades and shovels so it was decided Frederic would recover with the kinetic ropes. So far so good. Everything was set up perfectly. Soft shackles attached, everyone out of the way, drivers in their seats, radio communications correctly made. Like David vs. Goliath the battle line was drawn as the tiny Pajero took up its stance to pull back its big brother. All checks had been made: 4 low, reverse, parking brake off. One, two, three and … nothing. Undeterred our brave champion set up for another go. One, two, three. Give it some gas. Again nothing. Approaching the stuck vehicle I decided to make sure all the instructions were understood. Reverse, handbrake off, 4 low, straighten the wheels … hmmmm your engine sounds rather quiet, are you sure you turned on the ignition and the engine is actually running? The rest, as they say is history (and will probably go down in Carnity history, as apparently this has not been an issue before). After that, the newbie drive was quite uneventful. The fewbie drive could be called plain sailing. Sailing into sand that is. Acting as second lead to @Emmanuel was a fantastic opportunity to exercise restraint and care for those coming behind. These technical dunes are an excellent playgound for the Jeep of myself and Jeepie. It has to be said, however, the technical dunes of Solar Park were quite a challenge for the long wheel bases of many of the following pack just about everyone had a challenging moment (my own, cresting a dune as Emannuel asked me to take a different line while I was already commited to a dune!). Notwithstanding the whole crew @Jeffrey Osito Pilgreen @Lucky sAm @Joe Biju Joseph @Mahmoud Hamzawy @bony raphi @Rizwanm2 had their moment(s). I think it’s best to leave it that @Brette had a chance to not only test but to perfect his recovery skills with the rope, while the rest of us had enough time to prepare all the Instagram images (@Michael sammy @Joe Biju Joseph), we might want of our vehicles in the desert. I was truly delighted that we took advantage of every last moment of the light before sunset before exiting, re-inflating and driving back to the city. Apologies if I missed out any names. Thanks one and all. Special call out to @Joe Biju Joseph whi is back off to Australia now the summer vacation is over. We are going to miss your green Hummer on the dunes mate. See you soon in the sand

Hi . i would like to thank TJ and everyone in our convoy who helped me out when i got stuck. and Srikumar for leading us to another level of slopes that made our ride more thrilling. Looking forward for more challenging dunes but hopefully not with my Murano unless you guys have more shovels. see you guys on our next event.

Isn't that we all are using this naturally.....? Haven't seen anyone communicating on radio while doing sidey.....! Golden words, wish I can show this to those %$%#@$%$%^%^^$$^%&^&