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  1. For safer off-roading, we request every off-roader to follow these mandatory safety requirements. Failing to abide by these mandatory safety requirements = NOT ALLOWED TO DRIVE. Your safety is our top priority but ultimately it is YOUR responsibility. Seat Belt: is the most important safety feature in every car. It is illegal not to wear and is of paramount importance when off-roading. Seat belts constantly protect you from bumps and jumps during the drive. Everyone in your car should be wearing a seat belt at all times - without any exception, excuse or reasoning. Driver, passengers, guests, family, friends, kids everyone should wear a seat belt at all times. It's the driver's ultimate responsibility to make sure everyone is wearing a seat belt at all times. Failing to abide - even once - you will be banned forever from Carnity off-road club. All children should be sitting on age-specific child/kids/booster seats with the seat belt fastened. Nobody should lean outside the windows or sunroof from a moving vehicle for any reason. You can only accommodate maximum passengers, as much as the seat belts available in your vehicle. If you walk across to help to recover a car and then jump in another offroader car for reaching back to your car, please wear a seat belt even if your car is one dune away. If your car breaks down or is stuck and you join another offroader car, please wear a seatbelt at all times. Secure loose objects: Everything should be strapped and secured in your vehicle before you start the off-road drive. All off-road gear- Shovel, Jack, Board, Compressor, Fire extinguishers etc. should be either fully strapped with strong tie-down ratchet (no bungee cords and no spider net) or a boot partition should be installed with molle panels, dog guard, boot divider mesh or flexible straps. This is to prevent any off-road gear from freely moving in the cabin space and potentially causing a fatal injury during off-road bumps or any unforeseen accident. No camping gear, chairs, boxes or wood should be kept loose in your car boot. Clear Visibility and Focus: While off-roading, driver should have clear visibility and focus. Anything that blocks the clear visibility should be removed immediately from your car e.g. excessive front wind-shield tinting, loose sun-visor, etc. You should immediately stop driving off-road during sandstorms, foggy conditions, or any other natural conditions that hamper visibility to continue. Check and/or replace your wiper blades every month, as rubber degrades with time and if your wiper is not cleaning the windshield properly it may block your visibility. All distractions from passengers, music, phone calls, etc. should be avoided while off-roading.
    61 points
  2. Get ready for exciting winter off-road drives with outdoor fun. We have used the Summer to create, plan prepare an exciting, new and challenging program of drives for everyone to enjoy through the Winter season. Make sure to look out for the callouts (below) in the drive calendar and posts to let you know the drive is different, when deciding to sign up. Take a good read and decide if these are made ‘just for you’. We can promise, each of these drives delivers something special, out of the ordinary, and designed to meet your demands. Lookalike - make, shape, colour or region specific vehicles Nature-lover – discover, fauna, flora, wadis and wildlife Passion play – join like-minded hobbyists R&R – family and fun times Skill Development (SDD) – crests, criss-cross, technical, climbs, recoveries Team Sport – drive hard, play harder Pet Drives – Fun for all the family Fitness – drive & thrive (run, ride, hike, stretch)
    56 points
  3. While offroading, we cross dunes by using different methods, based on how the dune is formed and what the drive level is. Once you have spent some time in the desert, you will slowly start to pay more attention to the dune formations and how we cross them. Once you reach Intermediate and Advance level, you'll need to start learning how to read these dunes in order to navigate and create your planned routes in the desert. As a rule of thumb, the prevailing wind in UAE is blowing from a North-Western direction to South-East direction from 10AM onwards. At night and in early morning it will be reversed and blow from the South-East to North-West. This is something you should remember and you will notice when you zoom into certain areas with your navigation app (Google Maps, Gaia, MotionX, Mytrails,...) you will notice that the wind from that side has caused the dunes to take on their shape. This is a general rule and will not always apply, as you will see that in certain areas where wind is coming from different directions, you will see for example "star" dunes appearing. There are different types of dunes which are separately described below. As you can see in below picture, a dune is formed when the prevailing wind blows on a mound of sand, where the grain will move into the wind direction and create a ridge. The sand which falls on the other side of the ridge, creates a slipface, and this sand is not compacted by the wind. This is the main reason why we generally drive on the prevailing wind side or the convex side of the dunes on the Newbie level. "A dune is a curiously dynamic creature," wrote Farouk El-Baz in National Geographic. “Once formed, a dune can grow. It can change shape and move with the wind. It can even breed new dunes. Some of these offspring may be carried on the back of the mother dune. Others are born and race downwind, outpacing their parents. [Source: Farouk El-Baz, National Geographic, February 1982] The shape of dunes is affected by things like the strength, direction and consistency of the winds; the consistency and amount of sand; the hardness of the terrain and the amount of vegetation. Below we will describe the most common dunes found in the UAE. Different Dunes Crescent or Barchan Dune This is the most common dune. It forms the shape of a crescent moon when the wind blows from one direction. We generally use the words concave and convex to describe both sides of the dune: * Concave is a shape that curves inwards. * Convex is a shape that curves outwards. Crescent-shaped mounds generally are wider than long. On the concave side you will have the slipface. These dunes form under winds that blow from one direction, and they also are known as barchans. Parabolic Dune A parabolic dune is similar in shape to a barchan, but it is just the opposite. The tips of this dune point into the wind, and its main body migrates with the wind, forming a depression between the tips. Because of this formation, parabolic dunes are also known as blowout dunes. These dunes often occur when vegetation stabilizes sediments and a U-shaped blowout forms between clumps of plants. Example of Parabolic dunes near Faya: https://goo.gl/maps/ob8xu3y8VJJvF6hk8 Longitudinal or "Seif" Dunes They are also often referred to to as "sand ridges" or "seifs". Their length can range from a few meters to many kilometers and their height from a couple meters high to a couple hundred meters high. Wind pushes the sand and forms ridges parallel to the prevailing wind direction with slip faces either side of the crest. Linear dunes are straight or slightly sinuous sand ridges typically much longer than they are wide. They may be more than 160 kilometers long. Linear dunes may occur as isolated ridges, but they generally form sets of parallel ridges separated by miles of sand, gravel, or rocky interdune corridors. Some linear dunes merge to form Y-shaped compound dunes. Many form in bidirectional wind regimes. The long axes of these dunes extend in the resultant direction of sand movement. Barchanoid Dunes These ridges are similar to Barchan dunes. They are connected in long crescentic waves as the sand supply is much greater than that which forms a Barchan Dune. Star Dunes These dunes are formed when there are several prevailing wind directions - there is a complex wind regime. Typically there are three or more slip faces, whilst the dunes do not migrate they grow in height. Star dunes are radially-symmetrical, spyramidal sand mounds with slipfaces on three or more arms that radiate from the high center of the mound. They are created when the winds blow equally from every direction, causing the sand dune to grow many extensions and resemble a star. They are rare and are fairly stable and remain in the same place. Some are landmarks with names. Example of a Star dune: https://goo.gl/maps/jRnYghQc8ACzVz6T7 With this knowledge, the next time you step into the desert, you can start looking at the different dune formations, and this will give you lots of knowledge that you'll be able to apply in the future when leading and navigating off-road drives.
    52 points
  4. Last updated: 7 June 2022 In line with the UAE new resolution to change the work timing from Monday to Friday, please follow the below changes to carnity off-road drives and announcements effective from 1 Jan 2022. All Carnity drives will be announced now every Monday (instead of Sunday). WhatsApp Announcement at 11 AM - Every Monday. All Weekend Drives will go live at 7 PM - Every Monday. Weekend Drives will be scheduled for Friday (New Change), Saturday and Sunday. Single Drive restriction starts from Monday 7:00 PM till Wednesday 11:59 PM. From Thursday 00:00 hrs onwards - RSVP on multiple drives will be open. Week Day Drives will be posted from Monday to Thursday. Weekday drives will be counted as an experience for your promotion. Weekday drives will not be counted as "one drive per weekend" restriction.
    45 points
  5. Congratulations to all the Superstars of Team Carnity Based on continuous support, dedication, teamwork and creativity. For Leading Maximum Drives During the month of Sep 2021 @Ale Vallecchi @Lorenzo Candelpergher and @Wrangeld For Supporting Maximum Drives During the month of Sep 2021 * @Hisham Masaad @Alex Raptor @Jeepie and @MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ *Limited to AN, Newbie, and Fewbie drives only For Leading Best Creative Drive During the month of Sep 2021 @Islam Soliman Above and Beyond - Drive Support During the month of Sep 2021 @Brette @Chaitanya D and @Anish S Recovery and assistance of Renault Koleos that went into limp mode and was overheating. Recovery and assistance of Jeep Commander that had numerous issues. Helping the Prado owner remove the front bumper after the impact.
    41 points
  6. Offroading in the UAE desert requires you to deflate your tires. If you are lucky to be exiting nearby a petrol station, you can make use of their compressor to inflate your tires before going back on the tarmac, but that is not always an option. For that reason, having your own compressor will be a necessity and this should be a piece of your off-road kit that you know won't leave you stranded. Depending on the size of your tires, or the type of compressor you are using, inflating can be a task that will take you anywhere between 2-4 minutes and sometimes up to 25minutes. With the hot blazing sun shining down on us most of the time, we want to get this job done as quickly as possible. In below article we will be going through some of the technical issues related to using a compressor, and what to look out for when purchasing one. Hot, Hotter, Hottest The main problem with all compressors is that they run hot. The friction that occurs when air molecules are squeezed together generates heat. This heat can be felt at the piston head, but also on the hose itself. That is also the reason why most compressors have cooling fins and a piece of metal pipe at the outlet to allow the heat to dissipate and to avoid the hose from getting too hot. You should always be careful in handling a compressor after inflation, as it might burn your hands. It is normal for parts of the air compressor to get hot sometimes, especially if you are running the compressor for an extended period or if it is particularly hot outside. The best thing is to keep the compressor in the shade, run it for a limited amount of time, and not to exceed the duty cycle that is mentioned in the technical details. What to look after when buying a compressor ? 1) Warranty. A premium brand should provide 4-5 years warranty which will make the higher price worthwhile. This is hard to find nowadays. 2) Output in liters per minute (lpm). The more the better of course. Everything from 50lpm upwards should be fine. Some will show a rating in cfm (cubic feet per minute). 2.3 cfm = 65lpm. Unfortunately these values are not always very accurate, as manufacturers can put whatever they want on the box, and on top of that, some manufacturers will give a flow rate at 0psi (free air delivery), while others will give the flowrate at 40psi (which is quite demanding for the compressor). 3) Duty Cycle: Air compressors heat up when running so most have a limited consistent output before they need to stop and cool off. This run time in-between cycles is called a duty cycle. Manufacturers typically represent run time with a number, such as “20”, which means you can run the compressor for 20 minutes every hour. sometimes they show a percentage. 20 minutes would indicate a 33% duty cycle. Keep this in mind when you are using the compressor every week. Avoid exceeding the duty cycle time as in a short period of time it would overheat / destroy the compressor. 4) Quality of the coiled hose, pressure gauge, and clip-on chuck. 5) Automatic pressure shut-off function. This makes the compressor stop automatically when you are not engaging the trigger. 6) inline fuse and thermal overload protection. Will come standard with premium models. Below a typical specs example of a Bushranger Black Max: Duty cycle is 30 minutes @40psi at 24°C ambient temperature. Obviously the ambient temperature will be much higher for us here in the UAE, so you will need to take that into account. Keep the compressor in the shade while using (or even on the inside of the car if possible) and keep your engine running. These compressors are rated to work most efficiently at 13.8 Volts, so your alternator should be running. Below i will be going through most of the brands we have encountered in the club, and how we can rate them: Premium Brands (****) Brands like ARB, Bushranger, TJM, Dobinsons, and Mean Mother, are the most famous premium brands that will be providing a quality unit that should last years. ARB and Bushranger/Viair have the advantage that you will find spare parts for them, so if you are interested and savvy, you can rebuild your compressor later on. Price range of these compressor is from 750 AED upwards up to 2500+AED. The main reason why they cost more is due to the quality of materials used, higher duty cycle of their compressor, and of course marketing as well. ARB ARB has the single cylinder unit for about 1000AED, while its big brother will be around 2,700AED. They have by far the best quality of hoses and gauges. MeanMother The Mean Mother Adventurer is the only brand/model we know of in the UAE that offers 5year warranty, hence this model has become very popular in our off-roading community. You will find the Adventurer III model for around 750AED (150lpm), but now there is also the Adventurer IV which is having slightly better performance (180lpm) and costs about 999AED. We have heard about a few models failing but were replaced within warranty. Bushranger / Viair Bushranger/Viair has a range of different models with output ratings from 52lpm up to 72lpm. (Black Max for 800AED and Max Air III for 1120AED). The Max Air III has an automatic pressure shut-off. Their compressors are extremely reliable, but i have never been impressed with their yellow plastic coiled hoses and clip-on, except for the black hoses they use on the old SuperMax and the newer Max Air III model. Their smallest model (RV Air for 599AED) is the minimum in terms of output flow (52lpm) and will take quite some time to inflate your tires, but should work fine. Dobinsons Dobinsons have the Zenith model (170 lpm) that is being sold for 999AED. Quality looks top notch with good set of accessories and backed by a premium quality brand. Midrange Brands (***) Golden Camel The "Golden Camel" brand with its red compressors, sold in single cylinder and double cylinder models are fantastic performers for the price (200 AED for the single big cylinder 160lpm, and 280AED for the double cylinder compressor (300 lpm). Yes the hoses break, the electrics fail sometimes, and it won't be the most reliable compressor, but for that price it's worth a try if you want it. You will find the hoses also separarely in DM, and if you are a bit handy with a soldering gun you might make an attempt to replace the switches or solder a wire back on. They now even have a mighty big 4-cylinder unit, but we have not been able to get feedback of these units for a longer period of time in use. The problem nowadays is that you have even "fake" Golden Camel compressors, who look 100% identical, but their quality is even more of a question mark. I recently bought one and it started overheating and shutting off after only two tyres. The vibration coming from the compressor makes me wonder about the tolerances used in the manufacturing process. On the other hand i also have a single cylinder Golden Camel that has been going strong for 3 years now and never failed. Vitaly Vitaly is a brand that basically re-labels these Chinese compressors and sells them at a higher price in hardware stores like ACE and Speedex. Again they are a bit of a gamble and the only advantage you will have is you will get at least 1year warranty through these stores. T-Max These compressors are looking very similar to the DM Single big cylinder compressors and the Mean Mother Adventurer. There is a smaller 72lpm unit and a big 150lpm unit. Prices are similar to Vitaly, and T-Max seems to be a reputable Australian brand, so perhaps the build quality will be a slight notch above the DM compressors. Volcano I recently stumbled upon this brand via a shop in Ajman. They are manufactured in Taiwan and the K100 twin cylinder model costs about 350AED, is very small, and serves great as backup compressor (flow rate of 60lpm). Their biggest compressor model is the B850 which is being sold for about 650AED. Have seen them on sale in DM as well. They come in a sturdy box, with decent hose (like the Bushranger top model) and have a pressure gauge with automatic cut-off. Flow rate is 98lpm. Brands/ Models to avoid: -The smaller "Golden Camel" Compressor. Absolutely worthless. Also sold under the "X-Cessories" brand name. -Mini compressors to connect to the cigarette lighter: Will last only a few drives. Not made to inflate weekly from 15 to 35psi, unless you want to wait for 25mins or longer. Will overheat easily because of this. These are made for sedans and bicycles. The Black and Decker and Michelin models seem to work better, but it will take you upwards of 25 minutes to inflate your tires. If you happen to have one of those, i strongly recommend to only inflate to about 25psi you can then drive to the nearest petrol station and use their compressor. If you are in the market of buying a new compressor, i hope this article can shed some light and useful information that will guide you in the right direction. As you can clearly see, inflating tyres on a 4x4 in the summer heat requires a big powerful compressor that can quickly inflate your tyres before overheating or shutting down.
    37 points
  7. Welcome to the Off-Road Hall of Fame, a place where we celebrate the fearless, daring, and ingenious legends of the off-road world. This is the home of the trendsetters who have pushed the limits of off-road driving, supporting, and inspiring all types of adventurers. Off-road driving is not just a hobby, it's a way of life. It requires a rare combination of skill, bravery, and respect for the great outdoors. From conquering the tallest dune to racing through the sands, and wadis to traversing long distances, off-roading comes in various forms that demand unique skills, patience and above all - great teamwork. Only a few have gone above and beyond, leaving their mark on the off-road universe, and inspiring others to follow in their footsteps. These heroes have not just driven off-road but have really defined the true meaning of off-road community while taking the sport to new heights. Whether you are an experienced off-roader or just starting, we invite you to join us as we explore the stories and legacies of the off-road greats who have earned their rightful place in the Off-Road Hall of Fame. This is a place where we take pride in their achievements and honor their spirit of adventure. So, fasten your seatbelts, hold tight, and let's embark on a journey of exhilaration, inspiration, and honor in the Off-Road Hall of Fame. Period: Jan - March 2023 Drives in the spotlight Our Master of Innovation, @Ale Vallecchi again surprised us with a perfect themed drive! Starting with a relaxing Newbie level drive, and ending with a professional Yoga session in Al Qudra, guided by Paola ! https://www.instagram.com/invites/contact/?i=1x87v6muqc25j&utm_content=i0iff Keep innovating Ale! Members in the spotlight @Ishak @Bjoern @Tharun Kumar V and @Santoso Marjuki The support shown by these individuals during the broken-down car recovery in Liwa crossing has been nothing short of incredible. Their tireless efforts and unwavering commitment to helping their fellow off-roaders are truly inspiring. Their selflessness and willingness to go above and beyond did not go unnoticed. In fact, they even sacrificed their own plans for the day to ensure that their fellow off-roaders were taken care of. This level of camaraderie and support is what makes this off-roading community so special. We are all grateful for their presence and the invaluable support they have provided. Well done Ishak, Bjoern, Tharun and Santoso! @Benjamin It is truly remarkable to see how Benjamin has flourished as a passionate offroader with our club. Despite being one of the youngest members of our family, he has demonstrated a level of maturity and teamwork that is truly impressive. Benjamin's teamwork skills are beyond his years, and he consistently demonstrates a willingness to help and support his fellow offroaders in any way he can. We are fortunate to have Benjamin as a member of our offroading family. Keep it up, Benjamin! Lead Champions Congratulations @Ale Vallecchi for having organized 11 drives this quarter! 3 Newbie Drives 4 Fewbie Drives 4 Fewbie Plus Drives Congratulations @JeromeFJ for having organized 9 drives this quarter! 5 Fewbie Drives 2 Fewbie Plus Drives 2 Intermediate Drives Support Champions Congratulations @Davie Chasefor having supported 11 drives in this quarter! Congratulations @DP1011 , Deepak wrangler for having supported 8 drives this quarter! Your dedication is an admirable quality that is truly valued and appreciated. Your unwavering passion for off-roading has not gone unnoticed, and it is an inspiration to those around you today. We thank you and look forward to seeing the many great things you will achieve in the future.
    33 points
  8. Dear friends, We are deeply grateful and humbled to celebrate Carnity's 13th birthday today. From our modest beginnings in 2010, when we set out to serve car enthusiasts, to our transition in 2017 to cater to off-road enthusiasts, Carnity has been on an incredible journey. Throughout these years, we have been incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to touch the hearts of many. We've strived to provide solutions, bring joy, and offer a therapeutic escape for those seeking adventure on weekends. None of this would have been possible without the unwavering support of our amazing members, the dedication of our exceptional team at Carnity, and the encouragement from our external supporters. Your belief in us and your continued trust has been the driving force behind our growth and success. As we celebrate this milestone, we extend our deepest gratitude to each and every one of you. We look forward to continuing this beautiful journey together, knowing that it is your support that makes it all possible. With heartfelt thanks, The Carnity Team
    30 points
  9. Fantastic morning with the most fantastic team members who came to push the envelope on their cars, focus, and skills. @Gaurav you have knocked it out of the park. From the meticulous planning, setup, merchandise, and covering all possible loopholes, you checked all the boxes. @Srikumar, @Asif Hussain as always present and up to any challenge xx A special thanks to @Hisham Masaad and his son for the help behind the screens, really appreciated all your efforts and help ! Also to @Lawrence_Chehimi who was willing to shift from his support role on the DCT, to supporting the Absolute Newbie drive the same morning, so @Vanessa8580 could focus on leading again after her hiatus and needed recovery. All of you are winners, i only saw smiling faces, camaraderie, and teamwork. All made it back safely out of this treacherous terrain and i salute all of you ! To ALL the trip leads, i can only imagine the pressure and adrenaline going through your minds, trying to find the sweetest/shortest/fastest track all while having hands on the wheel in this unforgiving terrain. Inbetween the morning breakfast and other tasks i was able to quickly launch the mini drone and capture some basic shots. Next time i should prepare more on the proper angles and footage. Will need to get some practice coming winter. See you all soon in the sand !
    30 points
  10. After over 13 years in Dubai, it was only in early 2020 that I eventually discovered off-roading. Having been a hopeless workaholic for most of my adult life, until then I had never had a hobby nor any free time to practice one. I even used to say my work was my hobby.. If I think of it now I can hardly believe it. In February 2020 I had just bought a new Nissan Patrol, the Platinum City model, definitely not meant for off-roading and definitely meant to be a quiet Business / Family car. Then, a newly met acquaintance, who then became a dear and close friend, @Luca Palanca Falsini, persuaded me to join him on a family drive organized by one of the famous off-road garages in Dubai. I joined the drive with wife, children and even mother-in-law (no I wasn't planning to drop her in the middle of the desert.. 😂😂). I didn't know what to expect, I had made no preparations and nobody had given me any briefing.. I just drove into the desert and returned home with crashed front and back bumpers. Luca was afraid I'd never talk to him again, but quite on the opposite, I walked out of the car smiling from ear to ear and thanked him for the opportunity. That was the start of what was meant to become the very first and only real hobby that I consistently practiced in my life. More than I hobby, I'd say it became a passion. After driving a few times with other clubs, my engineering mindset urged me to seek for a more structured approach and, in my search, I discovered @Carnity. I was intrigued by almost everything about it and decided to give it a try. My first drive with @Carnity was on 20.03.2020, at Pink Rock, with @Rahimdad leading and @Wrangeld in support. I loved that drive, which I still remember as incredibly inspiring and exciting as we first approached and then climbed the Rock. With Covid-19 pushing stress levels through the roof, off-roading became not only a passion, but also a powerful stress reliever, allowing a weekly mind reset that kept me functioning across one of the most difficult times of my entrepreneurial career. Drive after drive, stuck after stuck and pop-out after pop-out (many, many pop-outs 😂😂) I learned how to handle my Y62. From Newbie to Fewbie to Intermediate, it was a great learning process, in a great environment, where I felt welcomed, supported, challenged to go a bit beyond my comfort zone, but always safe in doing so. I received precious feedback before, during and after every drive, I was congratulated on my achievements and cheered up on my mistakes, I was always overwhelmed with help whenever needed and felt compelled to help back, in a contagious, addictive team spirit, whenever others were in trouble. For months I've had my alarm set at 6:59 pm on Sundays to make sure I'd be able to respond to the RSVP of my favorite drive, feeling as excited as a child, for the first time in my life taking some time for myself and with a new goal to achieve: I wanted to master my off-roading driving skills. Moving to the Advisors team was a great amplifier of the whole experience, making me aware of the great deal of work that goes on behind the scenes to make @Carnity function as a Swiss clock and growing even more my appreciation for this great club and the wonderful people who come together in it. I kept on polishing my driving skills, but also learned about recoveries, and progressively shifted my focus from my own driving to that of all the others around me, as the whole purpose was, at that point, enabling others to live the same wonderful experience as I was experimenting. A whole new world of opportunities came with the Leaders Lead course brilliantly delivered by @Gaurav to @Luca Palanca Falsini, @Janarthan and myself and with the subsequent possibility to lead convoys. To my surprise, I discovered that the pleasure of leading and, in so doing, making people enjoying themselves while following my lines, by far exceeds the pleasure of driving for the sake of driving... The possibility to choose where to go, when to go, which level to drive, the fine line between pushing the convoy to do a bit more without doing anything unsafe, the challenge to set the level so that everyone has fun but the weakest driver can make it through, the pleasure of planning a route to unveil a scenic sunrise driving east in the morning or west in a burning sunset in the afternoon, the satisfaction to see your convoy conquering a mighty dune, a giant bowl, or tricky technical terrain, the sense of adventure exploring new territories... are pure magic. I felt blessed and honored in every drive I led and enthralled by the feedback from those who followed my tail. In less than one year I made it to Expert level in my Y62 until, in February this year, a distraction reminded me the hard way how still inexperienced I was in reality.. I paid my toll, grounded for six endless weeks with an outlook to have my Y62 back only after 6 months 😭😭). As a real desert addict, I couldn't bear the waiting, so I finally came back on a new Jeep Wrangler, with my glorious Patrol returning to more important family duties just a few weeks ago. I know I disappointed many, including @Islam Soliman, opting to leave on the tarmac my white whale for an easier off-road ride... but those 12 months on a Y62 made all the difference of the world and I'm glad Marshals and Crew never discouraged me despite my heavyweight Nissan. Thanks to the Crew, @Gaurav, @Srikumar, @Frederic, who believed in me and gave me the chance to grow at my own pace and in my own way, coming to terms, from time to time, with my impatience to do always more, to count, to measure and to ALWAYS speak my mind (😂😂).. Thanks to the Marshals and Experts, @Ale Vallecchi, @Brette, @Chaitanya D, @Vanessa8580, @Jeepie, @sertac, @Anish S, @Luca Palanca Falsini and especially @Wrangeld, my off-roading mentor, who all took me on their convoys and later entrusted me in supporting roles setting the example of what a convoy leader should be. I regret I never had the chance to join @Emmanuel in a drive, but who knows what the future may reserve for us... Thanks to the Advisors, @Hisham Masaad, @M.Seidam, @marks, @Yousef Alimadadi, @MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ, @Alexander Alcala, @Nivin, @Rizwanm2, @Shaaz Sha and the Support Team, @Alex Raptor, @Dodi Syahdar, @GauravSoni, @Veedooshee who joined my drives in support making my leads always easy and relaxed. Thanks to all those who joined my drives, too many to name one by one, except for @Danish Mohammad, who, this last summer, gifted me with the best present a lead could ever receive, i.e. the chance to watch an off-roader blossom in confidence and skills drive after drive, following my lines. And thanks to all those others who patiently tolerated my endless early pop-outs and stucks, to those who drove in the churned up sand left behind by my Y62, who shoveled under my belly, who tugged me out.. What a fantastic experience all this has been and what a fantastic experience it is going to be! I'm proud and honored to have, even more so now as a Marshal, the chance to give back what I have received from this wonderful team sport and within this amazing club. I guess I'll never give back as much as I really received, but I'll do my best, of that you can be sure.. as much as you can be sure about my fast pace in the next drive!!
    30 points
  11. Welcome to the Off-Road Hall of Fame, a place where we celebrate the fearless, daring, and ingenious legends of the off-road world. This is the home of the trendsetters who have pushed the limits of off-road driving, supporting, and inspiring all types of adventurers. Off-road driving is not just a hobby, it's a way of life. It requires a rare combination of skill, bravery, and respect for the great outdoors. From conquering the tallest dune to racing through the sands, and wadis to traversing long distances, off-roading comes in various forms that demand unique skills, patience and above all - great teamwork. Only a few have gone above and beyond, leaving their mark on the off-road universe, and inspiring others to follow in their footsteps. These heroes have not just driven off-road but have really defined the true meaning of off-road community while taking the sport to new heights. Whether you are an experienced off-roader or just starting, we invite you to join us as we explore the stories and legacies of the off-road greats who have earned their rightful place in the Off-Road Hall of Fame. This is a place where we take pride in their achievements and honor their spirit of adventure. So, fasten your seatbelts, hold tight, and let's embark on a journey of exhilaration, inspiration, and honor in the Off-Road Hall of Fame. Period: Jul - Sept 2023 Drive in the spotlight "Catch Me If You Can" series of drives on Fewbie Plus and IM Level Congrats @M.Seidamfor being our winner in the "Drive in the spotlight" category! You have managed, together with your convoy, to completely take in "Big Red" from all possible directions and design a thrilling drive experience! Member in the spotlight While most of us are staying inside during this scorching summer, some people decide to crawl underneath the car and work on them. This hands-on approach has won @Stumpy Paj our "Car Guru Of The Quarter" award !! From dropping sub-frames, to replacing radiators, and spare wheel cover delete work, with the help of @Bravoechohe has turned his Pajero into a real Offroad Beast ! Well done Nathan ! Stucks of the Quarter Usually quite mindful of the terrain and its surroundings, @Fredericmanaged to park his Patrol in front of a big bush, and on top of that was seen smiling and waving, while @Naveen Rajwas actually solving the problem for him . Another noteworthy stuck was @Gauravon the Razeen exploration. Thanks to the great teamwork of @Zed@Rajiv Sam@DP1011and @Stumpy Paj they were able to clear the sand enough to get the car out of this scary angle. Lead Champion Congratulations to @Looperfor leading a whopping 11 drives this quarter! Your passion for off-roading is immense! Support Champion Congratulations @DP1011 for having supported 15 drives this quarter! Climbing multiple dunes on foot even made you part of the HATT, or "High-Altitude-Trek-Team"! Hats off to you ! Message to all our champions: Your dedication is an admirable quality that is truly valued and appreciated. Your unwavering passion for off-roading has not gone unnoticed, and it is an inspiration to those around you today. We thank you and look forward to seeing the many great things you will achieve in the future.
    29 points
  12. Dear Desertnauts, as if I didn't have enough business trips (which have lately taken a little away from my off-roading), I have just finished preparing for another trip, this time for pleasure, which will bring me away from Dubai for the next 10 days. It's going to be a bit of a trip down memory lane, like the long overland adventures I used to enjoy, once or twice a year, while taking groups of travelers, mostly to North Africa's Sahara. This one is going to be an exploration drive to Saudi Arabia, from Dubai to Tabuk, via many hopefully amazing sites, and back. I have just finished to load up the FJ, which I have decided not to equip with a roof rack, or any other loading and storage gimmick, in the spirit of keeping the car as stock as possible and manage its cargo accordingly. The boot is organized with two layers of 2 boxes each, with a row of stripped-down recovery tools crammed at the back of the booth, secured against the backseats (shovel, kinetic rope and soft shackles, hard wood board, hydraulic jack, a mixed toolbox, and the compressor). The boxes contain the dry food pantry, cooking equipment, mixed items (mostly kitchen tools, and an ice chiller. Between the two rows of boxes there has remained enough space to put the tent and 2 foldable chairs. The suitcases (soft bags, stuffed inside a loose and large outer cover accommodating also an inflatable air mattress, toilet paper, a spray bottle, and a pillow) will be placed on the back seat, separated by a small ice box containing some munchies for the trip. The space between the front and back seats is packed with a picnic table, and a supply of water. I have planned not to take any extra gasoline, since it'll be possible to find gas stations quite regularly along the planned route. The availability of gas stations will also allow to manage the water supply, which will be limited to 8 lt. per person every 2 days (4 lt. each day, sufficient for drinking and cooking). Washing will be done by spraying any unused fresh water, but mostly with wet towels. Of course, in case of purely off-road long trips, an adequate supply of water (no less than 3lt/person/day) and gasoline (for an extra autonomy of at least 5/600 km) would have forced me to mount a roof rack to carry these critical goods. While looking to minimize the upgrades to the car, I have also chosen not to bring an electrically charged chiller and no extra battery pack. Charging of phone, PC, lamps, or air pumps will be done with a converter (700 W capacity) charged through the car's lighter (with the option to accommodate 4 USB's and a regular socket). To complete the preparations, travelers to Saudi need to get a Tourist Certificate from RTA (provided upon presentation of a Carnet de Passage from Emirates Motorsport Organization), a visa (1-year validity, multi entry), and a car insurance, obtainable at customs. So, now that all is ready, I'll update you on the trip one day at the time, with a few notes on the areas visited, a picture of the day, and the track completed each day. Looking forward to showing you what I find, with the goal, eventually, to organize an overland sometimes next winter. Let the adventure begin!
    29 points
  13. Sweihan Drives drive report : eventful Dear Friends For yesterday’s drive i feel great gratitude and gratefulness for each one of you for standing still till the last moment in an incident I believe was one of the most difficult one in Carnity club , at least for me . toward the end of the drive around 9:30 we took one last bowl before exiting as it was just next to the track leading to exit. by the time I finished my turn and reached Hisham at the tail almost every one has done his turn . every one reached except @Mohamad Anwer who crossed to the other side and when didn’t acknowledge on the radio I immediately steered down ( from the second round tailing Hisham ) to climb ascending the ridge and by the time I reached the crest to cross to the other side I sow the LC70 on its right side flipped. ( later on mohamed Anwar said I heard on the radio roll over , switch off the engine .. but couldn’t reach the radio off course as he was trapped in the cabin but he did switch the engine even before hearing that on the radio , and this is another sign he was aware of what just had happened ). I run to the car to have a quick inspection to the surroundings ( clear ) and I had an eye contact with M.Anwar and he shown movement and that was initial reassuring sign. Within seconds every one buzzed for help and we got Anwar from the rear boot after I exchanged with him few sentences to calm him down. He gathered his courage and managed to get him out and was attended properly to calm him down. At this point and after Looking at the gross damage of the vehicle and presence of a small cut wound in the head as well the stress impact on all of us . I took a quick chat with my wingman and the true man of the day @Hisham Masaad and we decided to split in two teams not doubting a second for their competence or judgment. Being Mohamed in @Karthik Raptor in semi horizontal inclined conformable position we run on the track to exit where in same time the informed police and ambulance were in their way and by the time we reached maybe a minute or two the ambulance arrived. The paramedics did their job so quick and I exchanged info and pict with the police who truly showed true professional attitude and great help. In this time @Hisham Masaad , @Abdelghani @Waqas Parvez and @ASAD. On the other side managed to bring the flipped car on its foot and even they drag it as mush as they could toward the track. the ambulance left carrying @Mohamad Anwer to the hospital and policeman helped to call the recovery and to open the gate for a segment that made the track continuous. I thanked every one for their great help and concerns and I advised them not to worry as Mohamed now is in safe hands . It started to get hot and I wanted every one to reach safe home. I and @Karthik Raptor returned back to Hisham while @Imran Kashif, @Zed and @Zixuan Huang - Charlie willingly decided to stay waiting for the recovery guy along with the policeman . I already thanked @Amr Aydinand @Daniel Yangfor their help and concerns and wished them safe trip back home. I got a call from the policeman and later kashif that the recovery truck arrived but was hesitant to go further. @Hisham Masaadand @ASAD. managed to convince him while I managed with help of @Karthik Raptor and @Waqas Parvez to drag the car further down hill ( small one ) but then there was no way than to winch it or leave it . Hisham called that we are coming as the guy agreed and with little push from @Zed might LC eventually we could manage to winch the remaining distance by Hisham’s winch and the recovery winch thereafter . It looked like we were determined that we should leave nothing behind us 😅. The recovery truck with the car on top fastened made the wheels to sink further even in the little sand . I came in front of zedy car and hooked my rope to his however we still needed the “yallah push “ power of the grand master @Hisham Masaad and here we go Well it was a vey eventful day from the start when we had to exit @Sunil Mathew after he got a hard hit to front right suspension . Hope to be sorted out followed by @Karthik Raptor tricky crest at the edge of the death bowl ( sorted brilliantly by @Waqas Parvez and team instructions ) and lastly the unfortunate roll over of @Mohamad Anwer . However fortunately and with God Grace and all team with us has shown the real courage and real man stand still in such hard time , mohamad anwar got out alive from this and we could manage to recover the dead car despite all challenges. Special thanks to @Hisham Masaadfor personally checking at Mohamad at tawam hospital and informing me that he is alright 🙏 Apology if I made it long . Seidam
    29 points
  14. A heartfelt congratulations to Team Icon Auto for their outstanding achievement in WINNING the Desert Champions Trophy 2023! Abu Fatih @Moh Qar @s.qaruoty @mohammedqaruoty Fadi Bala'awi @fadijoin @4wheelife Said Al Akraby @Icon Auto @phatboyadventures Thomas Eibu @eibuthomas @thom4run Stuwart Fernandes @stuwart fernandes @phantom_offroad21 Your hard work, dedication, and exceptional teamwork have truly paid off, and you have emerged as the well-deserved champions of this prestigious challenge. The resilience and skill demonstrated by each member of your team throughout the competition were nothing short of remarkable. In the face of fierce off-road competition in Razeen Desert, Team Icon Auto showcased not only their off-road prowess but also their strategic brilliance, sportsmanship, and unwavering determination. Team Icon Auto, you have etched your name in the annals of off-road history, and your journey to this championship will undoubtedly be remembered as a shining example of excellence in off-roading. Once again, congratulations on this remarkable victory in the Desert Champions Trophy 2023! Thank you, Said Al Akraby, for putting together the team of REAL ICONS.
    28 points
  15. I had a center diff lock issue few weeks back: after self-recovery the center diff lock remained locked and would not unlock, causing heavy steering when driving home. My mechanic was trying to solve the center diff problem by isolation: whether it was mechanical (possible fix: change center diff lock actuator), or was it electrical (possible fix: clean dirty connections). While he was doing that, I was reading the materials from my Land Cruiser Repair Manuals and some other sources. Thought I'd share my "differential enlightenment" here, and try to explain it as non-technical as possible 🙂 FYI, I've arranged it so that everyone knows the context and working background of a diff before using this knowledge to our offroad driving, so read from 1-2-3-4, but if you wanna go straight to how we use diff locks, go ahead to point #4 below: 1. The Minimum 3 Diffs required for most cars Forget if you have 3 buttons with labels: RR/Rear Lock, Center Lock, FF/Front Lock. Forget the IFS vs Solid Axle debate for front drive. Turn your 4WD car upside-down (or easier to look at the underbody diagram in your manual 😁 ), it better have 3 differentials: Rear Diff (Red Sphere), Center Diff hidden in what's known as Transfer Case that also holds the 4LO low-gearing (Purple Sphere) and Front Diff (Blue Sphere). What's that, you don't like this 3D illustration? Let's show a real example with an old Toyota Fake Jeep #whoops I meant FJ 😂 You can see I circled the 3 "pumpkins" casing showing the 3 differentials location 👇 2. Why do we need those spheres/pumpkins/diffs ? The picture below shows 2 tyres on an axle with NO DIFF. Do you think it will turn nicely without slipping? Do we want this kind of horse carriage in our modern 4WD systems? 😅 So there you go, we need Diffs to make smooth turnings without stressing the driveline. In the illustration below, when we turn the Red Curve is longer (travel more distance) than the Blue Curve (travel less distance), so how can they turn at different rates when the engine gives the same power of 1,000 rpm? The answer: the magical mechanical device called a differential 😊 General Motors made this video long long time back, even though it's in Black & White, it explains how the concept of Differential came about (also explained how the Spider Gears work!). The video is optional, only for the technically-inclined and curious ones... 3. Why do we need that Center Diff? So from point #2 above, we know Diffs are used for turning the car, so front & rear diffs make sense, but what does a center diff do? Tilt the car? Refer to sketch drawing below: The car is turning left. Each wheel follows a different curve path: the inside wheels don't need to turn so fast, so in this diagram the front inside wheel needs 50 rpm and the rear inside wheel needs 48 rpm. BUT in order to turn, the front wheels need to turn faster than the rear wheels: thus the outer front wheel needs 54 rpm and the inner outer front wheel needs 50 rpm. Both front wheels are rotating faster than the rear wheels. If you add all the power required, Total Front Drive Power Needed = 54 + 50 = 104 rpm and Total Front Rear Power Needed = 52 + 48 = 100 rpm. WITHOUT CENTER DIFF, the transmission outputs 100 rpm to both Front and Rear drive shafts. So what? Well, that 104 rpm needed to turn wheels is greater than then 100 rpm, so extra stress is created... if continous stress is accumulated, this may lead to the image below, kablooi! So the Center Diff is similar to point #2 above, but instead of allowing inside wheel & outside wheel turn at different rates, the Center Diff allows the front axle and the rear axle to get different power output. Refer to diagram below now: So by having that Sphere/Pumpkin/Diff in the middle, the front drive shaft gets more power to accelerate faster than the rear drive shaft which move slower. Don't believe this paper drawings and theories? Well let's watch how the World Rally Championship uses Center Diffs to make turnings smoother and then lock the Center Diff to distribute power in a straight-line driving: 4. Press that Center Diff Lock! Finally we can use all that theories to use. Refer to below illustration: Red Axle is the rear and Blue Axle is the front. The Front-Right wheel is slipping while the rest of 3 tyres got some traction. Why won't the car move? Here's a little secret: Diffs are great for helping to turn, but the side-effect of a diff is that the output power from transmission will go to the wheel with the least traction. In the diagram above, that means the Front-Left Blue tyre will not turn at all! BUT we still have the 2 Rear Red tyres with traction, don't we? Yes, but from Point #3 we know an open Center Diff allows front & back axles to turn at different rates, so in this case more power is given to the Front Blue Axle because of that spinning wheel that has the least traction... thus the rear tyres spin r.e.a.l.l.y s.l.o.w.l.y , making the driver frustrated and leaving him sweating 😂 Now we hear those famous words from the radio: "Engage 4LO and (Center) Diff Lock" We'll talk about 4LO some other time, but the effect of pressing the Center Diff Lock is now this illustration: No it's not the same image... ok yes, but watch the rotational arrows at the back. You see that Front-Right Blue slipping wheel? That one is stealing all the drive power. BUT because of Center Diff Lock, we now forced the Front & Rear axles to turn at the same rate. So if the Front-Right Blue is stealing 100 rpm slipping, then now the Rear Tyres are also spinning 100 rpm, with probably 50:50, so Rear-Right is 50 rpm and Rear-Left is 50 rpm. Because the Rear Tyres have traction (those brown balls), then the rear tyres move the car forward... or down-right depending on the angle you wanna recover. 5. Press that Rear Diff Lock! So you think Center Diff Lock is enough and no need for a rope tug? Well check the illustration below: Now we have 2 wheels spinning: one in the front (Front-Right Blue) and one in the back (Rear-Left Red). You press Center Diff: nothing is moving. Why? Well the Center Diff allows front & back axles to turn the same, that bit is right... BUT because power is lost to the least wheel with traction, the transmission output will just spin both wheels (Front-Right Blue & Rear-Left Red). Calculatively: Front-Right: 50 rpm spinning Front-Left: Zero rpm not spinning (refer to disadvantage of diff in Point #4) Rear-Right: Zero rpm not spinning (refer to disadvantage of diff in Point #4) Rear-Left: 50 rpm spinning (same speed as Front-Right due to Center Diff locked) Here's what's gonna happen if your 4WD is lucky enought to have a Rear Diff Lock button: It's the same image again? Yessirree but look at the rotational arrows, especially at the rear red axle. So now Rear Differential is locked, splitting 50:50 drive power to the Rear-Right Red tyre and the Rear-Left Red tyre. Now instead of Zero RPM, that Rear-Left tyre will get 25rpm and might just nudge the car forward a bit... slowly but steadily, you might self-recover! Calculatively: Front-Right: 50 rpm spinning Front-Left: Zero rpm not spinning (refer to disadvantage of diff in Point #4) Rear-Right: 25 rpm (due to Rear Diff Lock) Rear-Left: 25 rpm spinning (due to Rear Diff Lock + Center Diff Lock) Yes you have to do Double-Locking: press Center Diff Lock first, then Rear Diff Lock. 6. Press that Front Diff Lock! That situation in Point #5? Well you have a higher chance of self-recovery if your beloved 4WD also has a Front Diff Lock. Refer to illustration below: Calculatively: Front-Right: 25 rpm spinning Front-Left: 25 rpm (due to Front Diff Lock) Rear-Right: 25 rpm (due to Rear Diff Lock) Rear-Left: 25 rpm spinning (due to Rear Diff Lock + Center Diff Lock) You can now do Triple Locking: get out of the car, assess the situation, then press the magic 3 buttons: Center Diff Lock On, Rear Diff Lock On, and Front Diff Lock On. 7. Cars with Triple Locking from Factory If you made it to this point, then you may want to now look for second-hand 4WDs that have triple-locking from the factory 😊 Here are 3 that I know of (please add if you know more): 7.1. Land Cruiser 80 Series: just look at the diff lock indicators on that dashboard. No custom aftermarket buttons to show if your car is triple-locked 😁 7.2 Mercedes Benz G-Wagon. Do you know why I said the order is Center Diff Lock then Rear Diff Lock then last is Front Diff Lock? It's because Mercedes Benz labelled it in that order too! 7.3 Land Cruiser 300: well, this one you have to wait, and there's no second-hand market yet, so this is the most expensive triple-locked currently 😅 Sources: The nice 3D Illustrations are from the Land Cruiser Cool Project.
    27 points
  16. Scorpion Sting Despite this subject is well explained in many of the posts in our carnity forum, I wanted to create an awareness based on my personal experience. On Saturday night, we, 4 families along with kids were camping and star gazing in Al Quoa Milky Way spot. On this night, my spouse became an innocent victim to a scorpion sting when we were sitting on the sands. Before the incident happened, unfortunately she removed her shoes to clean up the sand and sat for some time with bare foot - which caused all this. Thanks to guidance from carnity, we had clicked a foto of that tiny thing, in order to show to doctor for proper diagnosis. Within the span of five minutes her entire left leg turned numb with deep burning sensation and she couldn’t walk or place her leg on the floor (sting happened on her left leg foot, below the thumb finger). I immediately called the ambulance using 999 service, who rushed to the spot in less than 45 minutes and checked all her vitals including BP, pulse rate, blood oxygen etc. and confirmed that everything is normal. We went to the nearest seha hospital in the ambulance which is in Al Wagan area and the doctors treated her with pain killers and anti allergy injections. The pain (severe to moderate) lasted for 24 to 36 hours, post which she was able to walk comfortably. Pain still continues to exist (slight level) in the respective area, which should go off completely in next 24 hours. Key Takeaways: Do not panic and keep your hopes high and blood pressure at normal levels. If there is no giddiness after 15 or 30 mins, there is no problem at all. In case of giddiness, then this requires some quick treatment along with antidodes. Numbness and pain are quite normal in this case. As per Seha, none of the species in UAE desert are venomous and thus there is no antidode required. (They haven’t given any antidode to my spouse). The hospital staffs said they see more than 5 cases in a day with such instances. Dont rush to hospital yourself, as this needs some specialises practical experience to treat such incidents. City Hospitals may lack that speciality. 999 ambulance is the right option. We visited NMC Urgent Care, the next day morning, due to severe pain - they reviewed the treatments provided by Seha and informed that there is no further treatment can be provided there. Time is the only heal for this pain with few pain killer medications. Be ready to withstand the pain for 48 hours. Lastly, never remove shoes. Special thanks to @Gaurav and @M.Seidam for your care and advice over the phone. Tons and Tons of Thanks to @Asif Hussain, who drove all the way during such late hours, to help my friends in removing the car from sand while I am attending my spouse in the hospital. Asif Bhai, you always hold a special place in our heart for your kindness and support. Our respects for you is on highest levels. Here is the photo of that black sheep.
    27 points
  17. WOW!! What an event!! Congratulations to the entire club for coming together to pull off such an event with such precision. Major credit has to be given to @Gaurav for conceptualizing, planning and executing every single detail. Salute to you buddy, I have learnt a lot just by being there this morning. Also thank you to Sohini Bhabhi for arranging all the food and refreshments. Big Shout out to @Frederic @Asif Hussain @Hisham Masaad and his son (Abdul Ghani) to start the preparation at the unearthly hour of 4 AM. Fantastic support and contributions by @Tbone @Anish S @Rizwanm2 for helping in every possible way. An equal mention to @Vanessa8580 @Lawrence_Chehimi @Brette for coming to help after just concluding their Absolute Newbie drive. At Carnity, we have always built a team spirit and helping attitude to one another. Today along with that we got to see a fantastic competitive spirit between the teams, starting from the Leads all through the team members. Standing at the finish line, with all the team rushing in to try and clock the fastest speed, one could feel the adrenaline pumping. I personally loved the strong competitive spirit displayed with the right sportsmanship, as that is what this Desert Champion Trophy was all about. Congratulations to all the drive participants, you were all winners today. But ofcourse we can have only One CHAMPION for this year, the Team of Arabian Red Fox comprised of @Ruan van den Heever @M.Seidam @Bernard Kalaani @Mario Cornejobrilliantly led by the Tech King Richard @Wrangeld to complete the course in 1 hour 32 mins. ALL HAIL THE CHAMPIONS !!
    27 points
  18. Welcome to the Off-Road Hall of Fame, a place where we celebrate the fearless, daring, and ingenious legends of the off-road world. This is the home of the trendsetters who have pushed the limits of off-road driving, supporting, and inspiring all types of adventurers. Off-road driving is not just a hobby, it's a way of life. It requires a rare combination of skill, bravery, and respect for the great outdoors. From conquering the tallest dune to racing through the sands, and wadis to traversing long distances, off-roading comes in various forms that demand unique skills, patience and above all - great teamwork. Only a few have gone above and beyond, leaving their mark on the off-road universe, and inspiring others to follow in their footsteps. These heroes have not just driven off-road but have really defined the true meaning of off-road community while taking the sport to new heights. Whether you are an experienced off-roader or just starting, we invite you to join us as we explore the stories and legacies of the off-road greats who have earned their rightful place in the Off-Road Hall of Fame. This is a place where we take pride in their achievements and honor their spirit of adventure. So, fasten your seatbelts, hold tight, and let's embark on a journey of exhilaration, inspiration, and honor in the Off-Road Hall of Fame. Period: April - June 2023 Drives in the spotlight Leading and successfully executing a high-level offroad drive is always a challenge. Finding that delicate balance of pushing our best off-roaders to the limit while still keeping things safe is very difficult and mentally tiring. When @Asif Hussainposted this drive, the expectations were high, knowing that the terrain had fantastic bowls and that the thrill seekers would be present. Asif laid out a buffet of monster bowls and kept the blistering pace throughout the drive, and the feedback after the drive was uniform: "It was unforgettable"... Keep up these fantastic drives @Asif Hussain !! Member in the spotlight Most of you have driven in Abu Dhabi, and if you did, chances were extremely high to come across @Zed who is always around and carries the biggest smile and positive attitude. You'll spot him either in his fully restored black LC100 or his Grand Cherokee 5.7 roaring monster. Always ready to help out and extremely knowledgeable about offroad vehicles, coding, and food (so we've heard )... Keep infecting us with that positive attitude @Zed !! Lead Champion Big congratulations to @M.Seidam for being our lead champion this quarter with a massive 10 drives ! Your dedication shines bright and your passion for off-roading is unmatched ! Support Champions Big congratulations to @Looper and @DP1011 for being our support champions this quarter with a whopping 17 and 16 supports this quarter ! Special Mention A special mention goes out to our marshal @GauravSoni who has kickstarted our sustainability campaign by showing the right example straight away! Let's all do our part in keeping the deserts clean ! Message to all our champions: Your dedication is an admirable quality that is truly valued and appreciated. Your unwavering passion for off-roading has not gone unnoticed, and it is an inspiration to those around you today. We thank you and look forward to seeing the many great things you will achieve in the future.
    26 points
  19. Thank you very much everyone for the whole-hearted participation to make this first-ever - Desert Champions Trophy so successful, entertaining, and thrilling for all of us. It was an AWESOME feeling to see everyone completing the entire course of an event without any breakdown, damage, or injury. And this is exactly what is going to motivate us to plan such events in the future. Secondly, we were also impressed with all team's patience and faith in us to respect the true Desert Champion, without any disputes, arguments or sad faces. This truly tells us that all team members and lead have taken this as a fair sporting event and understood that winning or losing is beyond any "Champion" title. Special thanks to all crew, marshals, experts, advisors and support team to help conceive this whole event with utmost dedication, creativity, and meticulous planning. And help us manage and deliver this event flawlessly.
    26 points
  20. 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.
    25 points
  21. Thanks @Carnity for this one ! Fantastic , and feels good to have made it to Podium in first one, and lookin forward to many ! Congratulations to you all of you tooo ! @Ale Vallecchi @Davie Chase @Benjamin @JeromeFJ @Ishak @Bjoern @Tharun Kumar V and @Santoso Marjuki @Frederic when and where is the presentation ceremony , I am ready in my tuxedo
    25 points
  22. The Ultimate Test of Off-road Skills, Recovery and Teamwork. Carnity Desert Champions Trophy will bring the best out of each off-roader in the most grueling terrain to rely on each team member for aim to secure this most prestigious title. Following Carnity ethos that off-roading is open to all stock and modified cars, new and old, powerful and underpowered cars, strongest and the weakest cars, this Desert Champions Trophy will be open to all Carnity off-road club members exclusively. WHEN: 19 November 2021 WHERE: Somewhere in Dubai Desert Meeting Point: https://goo.gl/maps/SCJYQgPb6VH2iSqq6 To make everything more exciting, challenging and fair there will be a good mix of these key elements: Car: Any 4X4 with low range gearing and 8 - 10 Inches of ground clearance. Drivers: Fewbie, Fewbie Plus, Intermediate, Extreme, Support Team and Advisor. Lead: Expert, Marshal and Crew. Luck: Raffle draws will be held to decide the team lead, team names and members (at assigned levels). The first raffle draw - decides who has first pick, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and so on. The second raffle draw - decides the team names as picked up by the Team lead. The third raffle draw- decides the team members as picked up by the Team Lead. TEAM FORMATION Lead: Any Expert, Marshal / Crew Second Lead: Any Extreme / Advisor Third: Fewbie Fourth: Fewbie / Fewbie Plus Fifth: Fewbie Plus / Intermediate Sixth: Any Intermediate / Support Team TEAM NAMES (MAX 10 TEAMS) Arabian Camel Arabian Falcon Arabian Horse Arabian Leopard Arabian Oryx Arabian Red Fox Arabian Saluki Arabian Sand Cat Arabian Sand Gazelle Arabian Wolf TIMINGS Pre-opening: 25 Oct 2021, Monday Registration opening: 1 Nov 2021, Monday - 9:00 AM Registration closing: 14 Nov 2021, Sunday - 9:00 PM OR once we reach the limit of 10 Participants at each level. A maximum of 10 teams will be allowed. Team Formation: On or before 15 Nov 2021, Monday. Event Date: 19 Nov 2021, Friday. Meet-up: 6:00 AM Waypoints Distribution: 6:30 AM First Team Dispatch: 7:00 AM REGISTRATION CRITERIA Express your interest by filling Registration form - CLOSED NOW You will receive the pre-qualification response within 1-2 days. Selection will be based on the trip lead feedback you've driven in the past. The newbie can also express their interest, but they have to become Fewbie before 13 Nov 2021. Once you are selected, you will receive the link to Pay and confirm your participation. Upon completion of payment, you will be added to the events calendar. WEATHER 19 - 30 Degrees 😊 64% Cloud Cover - ☁️ No rain - 🌂 PARTICIPATION CHARGES AND CONDITIONS All Participating Members: 500 AED (Non-Refundable). Team Lead: Only for Carnity Expert, Marshal & Crew. Expert, Marshal & Crew: Not allowed to join as support. Open to all Carnity off-road club members ONLY. The newbie should become Fewbie before 13 Nov 2021. Experienced Newbie can transfer their off-road experience. RULES AND REGULATIONS All teams will receive the set waypoints on the day of the event. Each team member needs to store those waypoints prior to 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. GAME ON Each team will require to cross through the desert consisting of small, medium and tall dunes. All waypoints will be placed in an area, which will be completely doable by stock cars. So instead of focusing on maximizing power and modifications, you really need to focus hard on your off-roading skills, creativity and wisdom - which makes the REAL DESERT CHAMPIONS - and not just the cars. Moderate GPS navigation skills are required to choose the fastest or the easiest path through the sabka, tall dunes or technical patches to get the whole team moving. You will not require any additional fuel, as a standard fuel tank will be sufficient for the whole event. Each team member needs to make a small circle at every waypoint to mark on its GPS track. All teams will start with 5-10 minute intervals to avoid crowding near the first few waypoints. The same duration will be subtracted from their total track time in the end. The team to cover all required waypoints and finish first in a minimum amount of time 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 and lift the Trophy. SECRET Real off-roading is a lot more than just a full-throttle blast. And the off-roaders who know this secret will win this prestigious title. Keep the fluid momentum to get going with minimal disruptions. As a lead you need to find a track to accommodate all levels of cars and drivers. As a second lead, you need to fix the pitfalls and make it more smooth and doable for everyone behind. As a fewbie, you need to follow the track as close as possible to avoid getting stuck and refusals. As a fewbie plus and Intermediate, get ready to guide, dig and recover stuck cars as fast as you can. Go as slow as possible, and as fast as necessary. Have fun and drive safe. KEEP IT SIMPLE This is not a straight-line solo race or a challenge. It is a team sport to test your off-road skills, recovery skills and teamwork. The faster you will go, the slower you might get with continuous stucks and refusal. So instead, take it easy, be creative to think outside the box and maze of dunes with your complete team while having fun, taking pictures and making new friends. VEHICLE AND GEARS As you don't need any special vehicle to participate, your 4X4 should be in desert drive-worthy condition. Any 4X4 with Low range gearing. With a minimum of 8 - 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). CONDITIONS APPLY Any vehicle breakdown will require immediate reporting to the control team. Once the control team arrives on the site, based on their fair evaluation you can leave the broken down car and driver to be rescued out by the support team to the nearest exit. As the control team may arrive within 15 min - 2 hours, so you will lose that time without any consideration of the vehicle breakdown. Including trip lead vehicle breakdown will be replaced with backup leads within 15 min - 2 hours, without any consideration of the vehicle breakdown. Tire pop-out, minor bumper damage, will not be counted as part of vehicle breakdown. Any accident requiring a police report will disqualify the whole team. Any tampering with GPS recording and data will disqualify the whole team. Any minor to moderate damage to any vehicle will give chance to the second or third team with no damage (if any). If all first 3 team comes with minor to moderate damage then the trophy will go back to the first team. WINNING TEAM PRIZES Desert Champions Trophy - Pride for life. 500 AED - Carnity Account Credit for each participant. Carnity's Winning Certificate for each team member. Social Media campaign for winning team with pictures. Part of "Desert Champions" User group on the site. Entitle to use: Winner of Desert Champions Trophy 2021 in signature. Carnity Weatherproof Safety Flag Carnity Metallic Weatherproof Sticker Carnity Cap Carnity T-Shirt So now, let's get started by expressing your interest to participate by filling this Registration form - CLOSED NOW. Based on trip lead, Marshal and Crew feedback, if you are selected, you will receive the web link to pay 500 AED to secure your participation. Once you complete the payment process you will be added to the events calendar.
    25 points
  23. Hello all of my fellow Liwa Crescent Explorers. To commemorate the successful completion of our drive, I am getting stickers printed. You can use the stickers on the rear windshield. Here is the sticker: Key Details about the Sticker Measures 7 cm / 2.75 in in diameter The sticker calls out the days and date of the crossing We had a beautiful moonrise night on the 19th which has been captured in the design A red line marks the final route that was covered from Gaia I have the following drivers from the three drive posts: Fewbie / 12 drivers: @Frederic + @JeromeFJ + @Karthik Raptor @AlexM @KKIRAN @Ahmad Shaker @Simon Dawood @Richard Franks @Trekado @salah2u @Salim Akhtar @Senthil Kumar Fewbie Plus / 9 drivers: @Gaurav + @Alphin Aloor @Looper @Zixuan Huang - Charlie @Waqas Parvez @Ashok chaturvedi @imranaasghar81 @Fabien Monleau Intermediate / 8 drivers: @Srikumar + @Mario Cornejo @Amir Amiri @Ranjan Das @Jorge Stepniak Felippe @Xavier Treasurer @varunmehndiratta @Ahab Shamaa Collecting the sticker There is NO COST to you for a sticker, but I will have to limit one sticker per driver. Also, I won't be able to ship a sticker out to you if you don't live in Dubai or have it delivered to you. If any of you would like the sticker, you can either collect them from me on an upcoming drive we are in together, or I will release some locations I will be available at in the following week of the 21st.
    24 points
  24. Thank you everyone for amazing participation, fun and thrilling action during the first-ever Desert Champions Trophy. Congratulations to all the participating team members and lead for successfully, safely, and creatively completing the whole course of 5 waypoints spread across the Lisaili and Solar Park area. YOU ALL ARE TRUE DESERT CHAMPIONS. Congratulations to Team Red Fox for winning the trophy for completing the whole course in the shortest amount of time. Team Lead: Richard Kohn @Wrangeld Second Lead: @M.Seidam Third: @Bernard Kalaani Fourth: @Ruan van den Heever Sweep: @Mario Cornejo Winning Team Arabian Red Fox GPS Track Download: DXB-DCT-Richard.gpx All Team Timings: Team Arabian Red Fox - 1:32:05 Team Arabian Saluki - 1:43:50 Team Arabian Sand Gazelle - 1:44:02 Team Arabian Wolf - 1:55:22 Team Arabian Leopard - 2:13:49 Team Arabian Camel - 2:31:41 WINNING TEAM CELEBRATION All images have been uploaded to the gallery: https://carnity.com/gallery/category/1076-desert-champions-trophy-2021 All Hi-Res Images you can download from here: https://carnity.com/dct/dct_folder_1.zip https://carnity.com/dct/dct_folder_2.zip https://carnity.com/dct/dct_folder_3.zip Master video @Daniel Rodas @Werno @Javier Lucero @Zed @Alexander Alcala @Mario Cornejo @M.Seidam @Humayun Ghias @varunmehndiratta @Hisham Masaad @Anoop Nair @Niki @JamesThorn @Ruan van den Heever @Chaitanya D @Lorenzo Candelpergher @Jeepie @Kailas @JeromeFJ @Bernard Kalaani @Looper @Alexanderrr @Mus_hus78 @Daniel Yang @Wrangeld @GauravSoni @Matt.T @Warren Flay @Ale Vallecchi @Mohamad Anwer @Jorge Stepniak Felippe Requesting everyone to please share their valuable feedback Desert Champions Trophy -2021 Feedback Look forward to welcoming new "Desert Champions" in 2022....!
    24 points
  25. Post (Winning!) Drive Report: Arabian Red Fox When you are not the fastest (Leopard), Apex Predator (Wolves) or desert train (Camel) planning for the Desert Challenge depended on and excellent team effort, thinking through key focus areas and our strengths and potential weaknesses. How can I explain a drive which resulted in our arriving 11 minutes faster than the exceptionally close 2nd & 3rd teams on what I think was officially my 80th lead in Carnity? While still somewhat surprised (and undoubtedly delighted) us that we came in first, I think it's down to this: Teamwork: I may have 'led' the drive but without the agreements in the team that other drivers direct me if I was going off track, that we would deal with all recoveries through assigned team members and the trust we managed to build up over a few days of WhatsApp discussions, this would never have happened. From start to finish, the team operated like a perfectly oiled machine. Everyone looked out for everyone else. Everyone supported the decisions we made and everyone played an essential role in getting us across the line - especially once we knew we were ahead of other teams that left before us. There was a massive amount of trust in each other because we knew that we had each other's backs. Pancho Buitenhuis: I was channeling the Pancho in me yesterday. I can see the smile on the face of anyone that had the pleasure of driving with Pancho as I write this. I think our route map shows, the route that we navigated in the end was Route 1. The number of crests I broke over 90 minutes was incalculable. More importantly, and because in so doing I also had in mind that the team needed to follow me where ever I went, the team trusted me when I said that they could follow. And they did. We were not particularly fast across the sabkahs or through the long range dunes. We did not need to be because we had made up all our time through the 54321 route and making some creative choices through the technical dunes. Letting Go: In the week leading up to the challenge I was personally not in a great headspace. This was exacerbated by something that happened literally minutes before the start of the event. By the time we finally lined up, the briefing was completed, the team had agreed that we would follow the agreed route, and I had made my way into the driving seat despite a troubling bad back, I was so grateful for the team that had got me there; the result became unimportant. We were just going to have fun. After all, it's just driving in the desert and we do that every week. I checked in with the team that they were all OK and that all we wanted was to have a good time and get back safely. It all worked because @M.Seidam followed me like a hawk (or fox) and made any corrections needed without hesitation, @Bernard Kalaani was outstanding in following the lead and jumping out without hesitation if needed [total stopped time was less than 7 minutes], @Ruan van den Heever and @Mario Cornejo were course correcting from the rear of the convoy throughout, so we were almost pinpoint in our accuracy as we got to the waypoints. What were the highlights? The incredible banter going on on our radios throughout. When Marion and Ruan were not telling me where to go, they were reminding me in turn @Mario Cornejo that I had kept him in the desert 7 hours on one of my epic technical drives and requesting that I did not do the same again @Ruan van den Heever that the only other drives on which we had seen me were a night drive (so had not seen me) and coming with a group to recover a rolled over Jeep on a drive I was leading. @Ruan van den Heever comments and joy on telling @Mario Cornejo what a beautiful sight it was to see his car in the air after Mario had 'got some air' over one of the crests. While the referees were holding us in suspense, @M.Seidam concerned that his crest might have cost us the win and the look of pleasure and relief when it was announced that he did not need to worry about that 25 seconds. You had nothing about which to worry brother. @Bernard Kalaani imploring Ruan and Mario to go local with a recovery (definitely not regulation Carnity) instead of using a rope or digging - it worked. @Gauravthe organization was impeccable. @Frederic @Srikumar wonderful support. @Hisham Masaad you're my hero! And thanks to everyone that participated. By far the best part of the day was the face to face interaction, the chats over breakfast an while waiting for the other teams and the awards. This is what Carnity was always about: welcome back. See you soon in the sand.
    24 points
  26. Thanks to everyone for attending the DCT - Team Formation. Here is the final list and good luck to everyone. Team 1: Arabian Sand Gazelle Kailas Daniel Yang Werno Looper Alexander Alcala Team 2: Arabian Wolf Ale Vallecchi Mohamed Anwer James Thorn Jorge Jerome FJ Team 3: Arabian Saluki Chaitanya Anoop Nair Warren Flay Matt.T Hisham Masaad Team 4: Arabian Camel Marjan (Jeepie) Zed Alexanderrr Javier Lucero Varun Mehdiratta Gaurav Soni (Spare to replace any no-show) Team 5: Arabian Leopard Lorenzo Daniel Rodas Mustafa Humayun Niki Team 6: Arabian Red Fox Richard Bernard Ruan Mario M.Seidam
    24 points
  27. Welcome to the Off-Road Hall of Fame, a place where we celebrate the fearless, daring, and ingenious legends of the off-road world. This is the home of the trendsetters who have pushed the limits of off-road driving, supporting, and inspiring all types of adventurers. Off-road driving is not just a hobby, it's a way of life. It requires a rare combination of skill, bravery, and respect for the great outdoors. From conquering the tallest dune to racing through the sands, and wadis to traversing long distances, off-roading comes in various forms that demand unique skills, patience and above all - great teamwork. Only a few have gone above and beyond, leaving their mark on the off-road universe, and inspiring others to follow in their footsteps. These heroes have not just driven off-road but have really defined the true meaning of off-road community while taking the sport to new heights. Whether you are an experienced off-roader or just starting, we invite you to join us as we explore the stories and legacies of the off-road greats who have earned their rightful place in the Off-Road Hall of Fame. This is a place where we take pride in their achievements and honor their spirit of adventure. So, fasten your seatbelts, hold tight, and let's embark on a journey of exhilaration, inspiration, and honor in the Off-Road Hall of Fame. Period: Oct - Dec 2023 Drives in the spotlight This quarter we have been blessed with multiple themed drives to be remembered: 1. Halloween Drive , 29 October 2023 - led by @Ale Vallecchi Newbie - Al Madam - Sharjah - 29 Oct 2023 - Carnity.com 2. 7 Emirates Offroad Drive, December 2nd 2023 - led by @Frederic Overlanding - 7 Emirates - 2 and 3 Dec 2023 - Carnity.com 3. Jingle Jungle Bells Drive, December 23rd 2023 - led by @DP1011 Fewbie - Murquab - Qudra - Dubai - 23 Dec 2023 - Carnity.com Additionally, the DCT event was an epic challenge and adventure, which will definitely be repeated in the future ! Member in the spotlight @Rafey Hashmi might be driving the smallest 4x4 of our club, but he boasts the biggest smile and can-do attitude! In below photo you can see him navigating a dune, while @Gary F is explaining how momentum is being created Lead Champions Congratulations @Davie Chase and @Looper for being our Lead Champions this quarter, with both 13 Leads! Amazing achievement guys! Support Champion Congratulations to @Imran Asghar for being our support champion of this quarter with 6 supported NB/FB drives! Your positive attitude and friendly approach is a true gamechanger for members who are joining us for the first couple of drives. Keep it up ! Message to all our champions: Your dedication is an admirable quality that is truly valued and appreciated. Your unwavering passion for off-roading has not gone unnoticed, and it is an inspiration to those around you today. We thank you and look forward to seeing the many great things you will achieve in the future.
    23 points
  28. We are thrilled to congratulate @Ale Vallecchi for reaching the coveted Senior Marshal with Carnity Offroad Club! This is a momentous achievement that speaks volumes about Ale's skills, dedication, and passion for off-roading. This is not just a recognition of his driving skills, but also a testament to his true character, passion and spirit. As a Senior Marshal, Ale is now one of the most respected and admired members of the Carnity Offroad Club. He has earned the admiration and respect of his fellow off-roaders, who look up to him as a mentor, friend, and leader. His off-road drives offer an exciting and unique experience that elevates the overall off-roading spirit. His achievement is a reminder that with the right attitude and approach, anything is possible, and that the world of off-roading is full of endless possibilities and adventures. Once again, congratulations Ale on reaching the Senior Marshal level with Carnity Offroad Club. You are an inspiration to all off-roaders, and we look forward to seeing you continue to blaze new trails and push the limits of what is possible in the world of off-roading! SENIOR MARSHAL The Senior Marshal rank is the ultimate badge of honor for off-roaders who have achieved unparalleled heights of passion, creativity, and dedication toward off-roading. This rank is not solely based on the number of drives but also on the quality and innovative concepts utilized during those drives. A Senior Marshal reflects exceptional maturity, tenacity, and courage even under the most challenging circumstances. As a Senior Marshal, you should be able to go above and beyond regular commitments and earn immense respect and admiration from all levels of off-roaders. Your knowledge and expertise in off-roading techniques, skills, recoveries and safety protocols should inspire others to improve their skills and knowledge. Your passion and dedication to off-roading should result in a strong bond with other off-roaders, to leave remarkable memories for a lifetime. You should be a true inspiration to others, and your contributions to the sport of off-roading should be remembered for years to come. As a Senior Marshal, you are not just a skilled off-roader; you are a beacon of inspiration and leadership to the entire off-roading community.
    23 points
  29. DRIVE REPORT Still a little bit dazed and tired from this adventure, i wanted to write-up some of our experiences in order to save them and to optimize our TOC challenge for next year (yes this should become a yearly event i think). DAY 1 We started in the early morning at the Ghayati prayer hall with a briefing, and after devouring some tiramisu cake Gaurav served us for breakfast. We needed some sugar boost and it did the trick ! One local fellow passed by to welcome us in his city. Soon he asked what we were doing there and when we told him about our plan to drive to the Oman border he started laughing and waved goodbye to that bunch of crazy convoy 😁 Soon we headed out towards Beda Al Matawa, one of the last towns before reaching the military zone that border Saudi Arabia. From there we deflated and headed into the dunes. We decided to steer clear from the actual Saudi border in order not to wake them up with a 15 car convoy and to avoid being in shooting range None of us really knew what to expect in those first hours of crossing that first part of the desert, but what we found was hard to describe, from flat areas to tight technical dunes, and everything in between. At one portion we had spent approx 1.5-2hrs driving on super soft treacherous sand that felt like i was not deflated at all (i was at 9psi). The entire convoy pushed its way through it but we were burning up fuel like crazy from constant revving and keeping the momentum. By the time we reached the first highway crossing at the E15, some were already on their min level of fuel. We had jerrycans but we knew we could not enter the Yellow truck area anymore with such little fuel, so we inflated and quickly made our way to the nearest ADNOC. @Mus_hus78and @salah2u decided to call it a day and headed back home. You guys have missed so much and it's a bit disappointing so see people leaving early. From that ADNOC, going back to the TOC line proved a bit tricky. I was able to find a gatch track further on the highway that brought us back into the desert and ran parallel with the E15 so we could keep heading south and connect back to the TOC line. There we found AMAZING dunes, both big and technical, and with the sun setting it was a sight to behold ! Once it got dark, we set up camp a little bit north of Waypoint 22 and had a great evening by the fire. @KAMALIOwas perhaps new into this camping thing, but was found to be a master chef and shared fantastic food from the BBQ. DAY 2 The next morning, we set out again and headed south to get back on the TOC line. A couple of dunes away we spotted a beautiful play area so we all had some good fun and it gave a good morning boost and adrenaline to keep us going. Around Waypoint 23 we had to cross several pipes from the oil fields. None of us were 100% comfortable in this area so close to the oil rigging stations so we quickly dashed through the area. We used the available gatch tracks a much as possible. The part from Waypoint 24 to 31 is where we usually drive on our yearly visit to the Yellow Truck. As this area is spacious with nice open dunes we really picked up the pace and flew through it in a matter of 90mins. We reached the Yellow Truck entry point by noon time and make a quick run to the ADNOC Maraba Al Dhafra which was only 15-20mins up north. After refueling, and stocking up our coolers with fresh drinks and snacks, we now needed to cross the E45. The initial point i marked seemed blocked due to the Etihad rail, so we had to make a quick detour and enter a bit further down. The next part proved to be a nice open area with vegetation, farms, and the views here were really scenic. I could have put my chair and sat there for the rest of the day, but we needed to keep moving and soon we were driving parallel to a fence for about 1.5hrs. The going became tough when on this track we had probably more than a hundred straight crests to conquer. This part was probably for many among us the part where we started to feel the intensity of the drive. We made it to the E65 crossing (Himeem Road) around 4pm and now had to make a choice. Until now everyone was performing absolutely brilliantly and the whole convoy was perfectly in tune with each other. We knew due to the needed detours to ADNOC it would now be impossible to reach the Oman border before dark but our spirits were high and we all decided to give one last final sprint that took us through technical areas where the flow of the drive was virtually un-interrupted. We had fuel, and were hungry to see how far we could get. I communicated that the next exit was at Razeen road where we have the well-known Al Quoa milkyway spot. Our focus was on that and it was the only way out. TARGET SET...GO ! We gave it our last push and had to navigate through steep technical bowls in the dark. It was here that Ashutosh had a near miss when he flew over a crest, nosedived, but by the grace of God, ended up sideways without rolling. After getting our bearings, we anchored the car from the other side as he had one wheel up in the air. With some shoveling we got him down and dealt with the popout and one tyre that kept leaking (sand between the rim but no pop-out). The techniques that @Gauravand @Srikumar applied cannot be found in a rulebook or library, you need to see it to be able to grasp it 🤣 As Ashutosh his front drive axle was getting louder and louder, we had to cross the last 7km very slowly and with minimal challenges. We finally made it to the dirt track where we found a lonely soul in a small sedan stuck in the sand. We quickly pulled him out and sent him on his way. Seeing all this above, and considering we took a 15 car convoy through some of the most challenging areas i have experienced, i had my own doubts prior to the drive. But as sometimes seen in famous sport games, sometimes the entire team rises above all expectations and the group becomes like one. For the very first time i felt this was the case and all of you drove so extremely well, kept your patience, resilience, and worked together in unison to make this challenge worthwhile ! I THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THAT ! @KAMALIO your initial impression was that we would leave the traction control on for two days and drive only on sabkhas. I saw your face lighting up when i told we were going to drive in the dunes the entire weekend and you drove superb and always kept a smile ! @Ashutosh Garg you drove fantastic the entire weekend. The mishap was a miscalculation from your side and we are all human and it could have happened to anyone. Keep driving and learning to find the perfect throttle until you are one with your car ! Well done buddy ! @AlexM you are a coolheaded guy who looked like he could exit in Al Quoa and then deflate and go back to the Saudi border where we started ! Amazing driver ! Hope you had a good weekend out ! @Ranjan Dasi so love your spirit and smile ! You came next my car at 4pm as we were discussing the plan and you were adament to keep going. Fantastic !! @munkybizness your creative brain must have been working overtime and i hope the scenic views gave you lots of stuff to ponder on. Thanks for the superb playlist, i played it on the way home on Razeen road and it kept me awake @Amr Aydin and Sophie, you both are true desert troopers ! Always great to be around you guys ! @Naveen Raj absolutely TOP NOTCH driving and attitude !!! @Foxtrot Oscar I hope you had a blast. Whatever doubt you had in your skill level was quickly thrown out the door and your rocked the black X fantastically !! @JeromeFJ i could never wish for a better sweep / support / inflator / spray-washer supplier / caterpillar / hardcore camper ! Thank you so much for joining. Finally, my two fellow seniors who taught me so much over the years, @Gauravand @Srikumar ALWAYS tirelessly managing situations, guiding and helping, rerouting, and giving me the chance to post a drive like this and allowing me to plan such a mad plan 😆 THANK YOU Day 1 we covered 256kms. Day 2 we covered 297kms. 553kms of pure fun, even if that included two ADNOC trips ! For next edition there are definitely things we can learn, and we will optimize it so perhaps we can get that group photo at the TOC signpost next time !
    23 points
  30. Liwa crossing is always an exciting chapter for any offroader, but this year IM drive has seen a lot more challenging situations that I have not yet witnessed in my decades of experience. We all learn new things every day. In case of any mechanical failure, we always try to rescue the car as much as we can. If we cannot manage the recovery of the vehicle, car owners have to rely on a more professional approach of calling the tow truck or returning back with a mechanic to fix the issue on-site. Yes, we never leave any driver behind, but on some occasions, we have left the car inside the desert as per our roles and responsibilities to keep everyone safe. Thanks to @Dodi Syahdar Raptor's presence whose beast mode is able to drag the dead car through Liwa's enormous dunes. However, luck ended too fast when we were unable to swing past the soft sand patch after multiple failed attempts. Without a rolling momentum, Raptor's beast mode wasn't able to activate again due to extra soft sand all around. Hence we left with a winching option for the last leg and that went in for good 12+ hours, simply because the angle of the dead car was against all physics, and pulling through slip face + wedge pocket made it our worst nightmare. Thanks to @Ranjan Das winch we were able to drag the dead car a little bit uphill, but when the car started to slip into the pocket at night, we left the recovery to restart again with more winches and energy. Thanks @Hisham Masaad and @Bjoern for supporting this extreme recovery with your powerful winches, patience and determination. Without so many winches at hand and 10-15 ropes, this recovery wouldn't have been possible. After the previous night's challenge, we straight away launched the heavy-duty idea to introduce a snatch block with a Hisham winch to 1.5X the winching power at 90 degrees angled pull, through Raptor heavyweight to anchor. It did its magic and failed when the car started to tip off on two wheels, so we secured the B pillar with @Bjoern winch on the right side steep climb. Then after a little while 1.5X winch also failed as the car was getting into the wedge with an even steeper angle to deal with. Now we double down the winch by adding Ranjan's winch to the equation and finally saw the "Yellow Jeep" crawling up the hellhole. It was an unforgettable experience of my life. Thanks @Srikumar, @Asif Hussain and @GauravSoni for all the tactical support, critical thinking and impeccable leadership to deal with this EPIC extreme recovery through Liwa's enormous dunes. Thanks to @Waqas Parvez @Vaibhav @ASAD. @Pacific and @munkybizness for being there at the backend. Big thanks and shout out to @Ishak @Santoso Marjuki @Tharun Kumar V and Asif bhai's friend - Asif for offering EXEMPLARY SUPPORT by handling the most grueling and physically taxing need of attaching and detaching 10's of tow rope multiple times on huge Liwa dunes slip face with soft sand. Without your all great teamwork, this extreme recovery wouldn't have been possible.
    23 points
  31. My drives journey has hit a milestone. I have scored half century this past Friday. While my drive count shows 51 on the forum - I was absent on one afternoon drive, which was my 2nd drive of the day. These are a snapshots of my drives till date. Looking forward to many many more. Any and all criticisms are welcome.
    23 points
  32. Fantastic achievement, @JeromeFJ 🌟 You've conquered new heights and earned the esteemed title of Marshal with Carnity Offroad Club! In March 2021, Jerome Piens roared onto the scene with his stunning FJ Cruiser and an insatiable appetite for off-road knowledge. Jerome's maturity and dedication to both off-roading and teamwork were unmistakable right from the start. Since joining Team Carnity, his selflessness and passion for mentoring have swiftly made him a cornerstone of our off-road family. With over 180+ drive experience and skills, he has taken on new challenges and tasted the maximum adrenaline offered at a higher level and pace of drive. His extreme passion for sand driving, leading and supporting off-road drives made him rise through the ranks to become a vital part of Carnity off-road club. His contribution and intelligent support behind the drives, planning and great teamwork were always been highly appreciated. MARSHAL is one of the most prestigious and sought-after titles that comes after a lot of hard work, patience, tolerance, and dedication. Just like all the levels in Carnity offroad club is "NOT" only based on driving skills but instead based on the combination of your personality + intelligence + team spirit + adventure. This Marshal title is an epitome for all levels in the offroad grading structure. So if anyone wants to grow, they can set any of Carnity Offroad Club Marshal as a PERFECT example for not only following the driving skills and style but also observing their behavior, teamwork, presence of mind, calculative approach, patience and tolerance to teach and support new offroaders.
    22 points
  33. Desert Champion Trophy - Arabian Wolves Report "Strip away your pride, and put on humble clothes" - Rumi Dear Desertanuts, after a couple of busy days, spent both on working matters and reflecting on the lessons learned last Friday, here's what I came away with, from the great event which has crowned the first Carnity Desert Champion. Speaking of crowning, before I get on with my report, I want to congratulate myself with King Richard @Wrangeld, to whom I wish to convey my greatest joy, and utmost respect, for his astounding achievement. It was truly a masterful and magic drive, which, I am very glad to say, must have repaid him of the many drives he has done in technical areas, some of which must have been tiring and frustrating. They have all paid off with this great and extremely deserved win. Sincere thanks also go to the other Leads ( @Chaitanya D, @Kailas, @Lorenzo Candelpergher, @Jeepie) and the Teams' members: they all provided an incredible incentive to bring out our best, pushing each other to the limits, especially during those exciting couple of times when 2 or more convoys came together in the proximity of the waypoints, challenging one another to choose better and faster routes. As for my analysis, the essence of the drive, and the final effect it has had on me, are captured by the words of the great Rumi, stated in the report's title. The challenge was, for me, a true eye-opener, and a humbling experience. After the initial disappointment of my final placement, I am actually welcoming the humbling aspect of the race. While during the past months I have been very successful with my drives, with almost always full, or overbooked houses. At the same time, I now understand that this "success" had made me overconfident. My post trophy self-criticism has made me realize that I have not been training enough in technical areas, while invariably going for the very long treks, favoring speed over finesse (at least in part), and preferring cleaner routes over more complex ones. Those who choose my drives know that I go to great lengths to minimize the technical areas, to the advantage of cleaner routes, with greater potential for longer and smoother treks. The fact that as a Carnity Lead I have, eventually, developed my own flavor of drives, may actually have ended up in my getting "stuck" in a rut, repeating what I had become better at, and neglecting the skills needed to become a thoroughly complete Lead. The greatest takeaway from the DCT, for me, has been the need to break out of the mould I have built for myself, and engage in more diverse locations, drives, and terrains. Having said this, I'll get back to my team's routing strategy. As previously reported by @Lorenzo Candelpergher, I had also chosen a 5-4-5-3-2-1 route as my Plan A. This would have allowed me to get back from WP#4, surrounded by the most technical dunes, to the area of long range cordons that I know better, and where I was confident the speeds I could reach would allow me to move very fast toward WP#3. Unluckily, 2 time-consuming incidents took place just after reaching WP#4, on the way back up to WP#5, and took away all the advantage we had on the other teams, as first starters. At that point, I did not feel like risking to go for Plan B, which I had marked on my map, and was quite similar to Richard's, but (in my opinion) entailed many more technical dunes. The fact that I have preferred to give my team as much a break as possible from technical dunes, with hindsight, was not the right decision in terms of winning strategy, yet may have been a good decision in terms of letting them get their confidence back, and ensuring the safety of the drive. The other reason why I did not feel we would have gained much advantage going for Plan B (in @Gaurav's words "as the crow flies") was because the distance between WP#4 and #3, going either my way or what resulted to be Richard's way, seemed to be almost equal. Hence I stuck to my faster speed approach, Vs. the mix of straight lines and technical dunes. Lesson taught by the Master of technical drives, and learned by the Long Range guy. As far as Team Wolves' performance, I must say I can only praise @JeromeFJ, @Mohamad Anwer, @James Thorn and @Jorge Stepniak Felippe, all equally, for a great drive - one that was probably my fastest ever, with non-stop "bat out of hell" speeds. Special kudos should go to their impeccable team work, in the occasion of the pop-out and the nasty stuck we had to solve. The pop out was sorted out in record breaking 6 minutes, while a troublesome double stuck (front and back, into a small V-shaped bowl), with no room to tug, was dug away in 8 minutes of shoveling and blip-blip self-recovery. I am very proud of how they responded after the two incidents, and how confident they were in driving at very high speeds, covering from half-way between Waypoints 4 and 5 to the finish line in 1 hour and 2 minutes of uninterrupted, impeccable driving. Lastly, thanks to @Gaurav, @Srikumar and @Frederic for the perfect organization, and thanks to @Asif Hussain, @Tbone, and @Rizwanm2 for their assistance and support. Could not have asked for a greater family feeling, and fun environment, where in the end we all came out as winners, and better off-roaders.
    22 points
  34. Time to find out the best combination of "4X4 + Driver" With the weather being nice now, it's soon gonna be time to have full-day drives. Number one in my wish list is to show the real off-roaders ULTIMATE testing ground, we have seen in the UAE. We have discovered this place by chance during Al Quaa and Wagan Drive back in 2018. I was deceived by a tire track on the top perimeter of this monstrous bowl. Went inside to try the same and failed within a few meters and sucked inside that humongous bowl that I have never seen before in my life. I tried my level best and failed several times to get out. Finally, we used my winch line (30 meters) and 2 or 3 tow ropes to pull me uphill. So we named it a "Pajero Bowl". A nice memory of defeat. Recently, we have seen some Insta videos of a few cars conquering that Pajero bowl, maybe by power (which my Pajero lacked) or some topography changes (we don't know), I wish to re-visit this area again with a full-day drive plan. So that all you Intermediate, extreme and above drivers with powerful 4x4 have a chance to test your "ride + skills". Trust me it's no joke, and only for serious, brave-heart YET sensible off-roaders - STRICTLY. Running a poll here before posting a drive, to see how many of you are actually up for experiencing such a place in UAE sand. Tentative Date: 26 Nov 2021. Due to technical difficulty in reaching this area plus limited space to park cars at the top, only spectators with a winch will be allowed. As we need all the winch power we have in the club to help people exit out safely. @Lawrence_Chehimi @Niki @Shaaz Sha @Ahab Shamaa @Hisham Masaad @Ilya @Christian Andras @Lorenzo Candelpergher Tag others who you might think would be interested in this. Bowl.mp4 Pajero Bowl Recovery.mp4 Thank you @Asif Hussain for digging this modified FJC climbing out that bowl. Hope this video gives better dimensions of what is really needed to get out. Mod FJC climb.mp4
    22 points
  35. All vehicle stickers just arrived with the team name and numbers...
    22 points
  36. Thanks a lot @Gaurav for the nice words and all Team Carnity for this trust you have placed in me. I still remember my AN drive with @Srikumar in July last year just after the lockdown started to ease out and I never though this will take me here.. countless number of stucks and refusals and car parts that were flying left and right on the sand and we just kept piling them up in the trunk 😂 it’s only due to the leadership and coaching of every leads and support teams in these drives, the patience from all fellow drivers, and the friendships made on the sand that I got here and didn’t give up. I had my first pop out with @Srikumar on my 3rd NB drive and I still remember my feeling then.. once he told me you have a pop out! , I thought I am dead.. had no clue what that means and what happens now.. then I stood their mouth opened astonished watching him and @Vanessa8580 getting on their knees and working it out to fix it. I remember my first drive with @Gaurav.. I think was my 4th.. and I was 3rd place next to a Duster and I saw how he carefully picked the path to match the tiny underpowered Duster and the behemoth Yukon behind it until he had to step him self into the Duster to bring it up on top of Fossil rock. I remember my fewbie drives with Richard @Wrangeld who got me hooked into technical drivers and how patient he was to help me out through these tiny pockets.. I miss these briefings of yours Richie. @Emmanuel who was the first to take me on top of Faya. I think this was the time when together with @Chaitanya D we spent an hour trying to fix a pop out on an X (not sure who was it).. and then in Dec was also my first time to Liwa with him. my first night drive led by @Frederic and then the first drive I led and my first NB drive led was also with @Frederic. i remember @Ale Vallecchi’s look at my car and I can see all the question marks in his head wondering what this car is doing here 😂 but never said a word other than encouragement and fully embraced the challenges I brought to his drives. @Chaitanya D I can’t count how many drives I had with you 😂 I definitely won’t forget the one in Sweihan. Can’t forget my first driver behind Angela @Foxtrot Oscar and I became a permanent RSVP on every drive afterwords to Area 53 and Faqaa which were both dominated by her black X and Yalla Yalla. @Lorenzo Candelpergher whom I loved how he managed fast paced drives with his mighty Y62 (sorry still prefer it over your Rubicon).. @Brette whom I never had the pleasure of joining his drives yet but still remember when he was supporting my 2nd NB drive where I kept trying for 30mins to get out of a bowl and he never gave up on helping me with advise and directions. @Kailas @Mehmet Volga @Anish S @Janarthan @Tbone @marksWhom I always loved being on drives or being together in the same drive. I can go on and on and will never have enough words to thank everyone in Team Carnity and all club members for the wonderful experience I had over the past year and how much change this brought to my life.. The journey continues and looking forward for more fun and more friends in the Carnity Family..
    22 points
  37. Congratulations to the top 10 HOT SHOT Photographers, based on Facebook reach. @TT_Dubai @Veedooshee @Charbel @JeromeFJ @Jeepie @Chinthaka Ruwan @M.Seidam @Mario Cornejo @Looper @Lakshmi Narasimhan
    22 points
  38. DCT RESULTS We are proud to announce the winners of this year's Desert Champion Trophy!💪 With ALL teams arriving back at the starting point before their cut-off time, and with no incidents, we are thankful for the responsible leads @Icon Auto@Wissam@GauravSoni@Looper@Davie Chase@Asif Hussain@Zed@Rizwanm2 for taking on this challenge and for leading their teams safe and well throughout the treacherous dunes of Razeen. This adventure was not just for the fastest or the most aggressive drivers; It was a tactical game where teamwork, resilience, and mental focus was crucial. Hats off to the entire teams for rising up to the challenge!👏 I want to thank the entire support team as well for helping out with the various duties and tasks which made this event a success! @Cha@Sunil Mathew@Simon D@Islam Soliman@DP1011 We hope you all enjoyed the event! You can find the screenshots of each team's track attached in the PDF. DCT 2023.pdf
    21 points
  39. I've been approved by @Gaurav to post this, just in case many eyes are rolling and looking at me virtually 🙄😅 In December 2022, I led a trip to Liwa Yellow Truck with a convoy of: Nissan Y62 stock suspension (newbie) + Mitsubishi Pajero 3.5L stock (newbie) + Chevrolet Trailblazer Z (fewbie) + 2 Jeep JL (intermediate). You can see the video here https://www.instagram.com/reel/CmZoWFxj5on/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== In March 2022, I led a trip to cross from Hameem to Al Quaa, you can see the YouTube highlights here https://youtu.be/SWJbKLMMHt8?si=rkqJYMGgalI6P0ng During Covid, I led a weekly drive called "The Path Finders - learning how to use GAIA app" mainly in Al Khatim Area (Abu Dhabi) and Al Faya Area (Abu Dhabi) initially leading 3 drives, then after that I ask each participant to "pick a waypoint and you lead us there" to practice their sense of direction and reading of both sand and GPS. Yes I have had a rollover, but that was purely my own fault. I will try my best not to let all the bad things that happened to me to my convoy members. If you've been re-routed by me when I was Center or Sweeper (mostly in Fred's drives), you will realize I always pick the easiest route for you when re-routing 😊 Who else can teach you how to avoid stuff other than a person who already went through all those stuff? 😂 What I'm looking for: 1 or 2 more candidates to join my Team Phoenix. From the name you can tell I'm a Harry Potter fan and Marvel's X-Men 😅 Ideally you should have driven with me, so you know my driving style. Ideally you drive Toyota or Jeep. This is not discrimination, if you follow my Instagram, I like fixing cars. Since I have both Toyota and Jeep, I only know these cars when it comes to how the parts orchestrate with each other. I don't like a car to break down and me as a lead not knowing how to fix it. I will subsidize 500dhs from all my Convoy Members. I don't like paying nothing while my team pays all, so as a lead, I feel financially responsible for my convoy to register without any hindrance Please WhatsApp my mobile +971-56-724-2156 if you're interested, no need to reply so you can be anonymous and keep the element of surprise! 😊 We will have Team Practice every Sunday morning, initially in Sweihan, from there we will try other places so you feel the different sands of Abu Dhabi. My Convoy so far: Toyota Land Cruiser V8 Jeep JL Jeep Rubicon Jeep Rubicon ? (ideally a Toyota here, FJ would be nice 😁 ) Kind regards, The 1st Non-Carnity Lead to try and win DCT Trophy 😅
    21 points
  40. 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%
    21 points
  41. Liwa adventure 2023: This had been one of most awaited drive for the year and brings along the excitement of just being surrounded by the majestic dunes and the ever gasping views of endless desert. The drive had all the elements one could expect.. from a slow delayed start due to fog , to long climbs and difficult technical bowls to sweeping slopes to cherish. it was all going well until the fateful moment when we heard the radio call of the clutch failure on Anoop’s Jeep at around 2 pm just after the lunch break. (Near waypoint 12) it was then the drive became a recovery drive led by the legends @Gaurav and @Srikumar…the entire convoy including myself and@Asif Hussain moving to the support team following step by step instructions.. after a carefully selected exit route was recced, the Jeep was attached to the ever powerful Raptor and the two started the tango to get out of the tight bowls area…. It was a couple of dunes later, just before the final dune before the exit, the raptor and jeep got stuck climbing a slip face with two steep bowls on either side. multiple attempts were made to reposition the cars to have one last go at that stretch but all in vain. The area was just too soft and steep angles. With every attempt, The Jeep started to slipping more into the bowl and after about 5 hours of attempts , it was decided to leave the car and head to the camping spot. we reached the waypoint 18 around 9.45 pm and the convoy members were finally able to relax and unwind after the long had day. The next day, We all gathered our thoughts and decided to take support from the other convoy members who had winches. we made our way back to the recovery point around 11:45 am and with renewed spirit and new tools ( extra winches of @Hisham Masaad and @Bjoern) under the watchful eyes and leadership of @Gaurav, began the next phase of recovering what now was being called the “yellow Jeep”. With car about to rollover while winching, to setting up anchor , to pulling against all physics , the recovery was like a masterclass for all members present. After multiple changes in strategies based on what’s working and what’s not, the yellow jeep finally emerged from the bottom of the hellhole and onto the flat patch at around 3:30 pm. kudos to the entire convoy, @Gaurav and @Srikumar for leading the recovery, @Dodi Syahdar for the never give up attitude and going thru the sheer physical stress, @Ranjan Das for the winching on day 1 and day 2. Your machine took a heavy toll for sure.. shoveling boys @Waqas Parvez @ASAD. @Pacific @munkybizness @Vaibhav @Ishak @Santoso Marjuki @Tharun Kumar Vyou guys were special without whom the recovery would not have been possible. Special thanks to @Srikumar for leaving the fb convoy and going through all the pain on day 1 while we attempted the recovery. C @Tharun Kumar V @Bjoern for showing amazing team spirit and courage to leave your designated drives and join us for the recovery, knowing that it may very well delay them getting back home. special thanks again to @Hisham Masaad for being instrumental with your contribution in the recovery both physically and mentally. thankyou @Sunil Mathew and @Mario Cornejo for being part of this epic drive and I am sure you would have also stayed back on day 2 with the IM convoy had it not been for personal reasons and the car issue. thankyou all for the brilliant support and m sure this drive will be talked about for not only the tenacity of the team, the complexity of recovery, the leadership, but also for the carmaradire of the convoy and the heartfelt laughter that resonated at the campsite until late night!! see you all soon in sand.
    21 points
  42. Normally my trip reports are delayed, but such was the kind of drive today that even though it's almost 5 hours since the drive ended the emotions are running pretty high. So here it goes: The day started with everyone making it on time. After a couple of laughs and briefing we got on our way. It took me a while to get a feel of the sand and the wierd dune formation didn't help much as well. Just as the dunes started getting spaced out and the drive flow improving we had the first unfortunate incident. Such incidents does bring the morale of the entire convoy down especially so early in the drive, but such was the maturity of all the drive participants that everyone chipped in to help sort the issue. By the time we were able to return to the desert it was close to 1 pm, so we decided to head to the famous Pajero bowl by taking the dirt track. Such kind of bowls are always nested deep within the desert surrounded by technical patch. As we glided through the narrow corridors available we had our first good run of the day. Pajero bowl was a shadow of what it was 5 years ago, when the name was invented. The difficulty level has all but gone, but still one needs to be fully focussed and committed to get in and get out. Everyone took their turns with some setting a record pace within the bowl. 😂 After having a couple of attempts and with just 2.5 hours of time available we decided to head to the other bowls of the area. What we instead found was a jungle full of bushes and hard bumps that didn't allow for a smooth ride. As we dodged our way out of the big dune area we arrived at a stretch of medium size dunes. Medium is a relative word, as these dunes were probably taller than the ones in Sweihan. And this is where we had one of the best nonstop runs that I have had the privilege of being a part of. To say that the convoy maintained a brisk pace would be a gross understatement. I wish to thank all the drive participants for putting their faith and following the route being chartered. We drove for close to 40 mins before finally I had to stop to catch my breath and so did the rest of the convoy. A break always causes a couple of refusals and so we had it as well. But once the convoy again started moving we were flying through the dunes criss crossing at the highest points and at will. That's when we heard that @ASAD. car started over heating. On closer inspection we found that the radiator fan was completely shredded and was not there. After letting the car cool off, we had the huge challenge of getting his car from the huge patch of dunes into the sabkha. As the sun was about to set in 30 minutes we had a narrow window to get the convoy out. With some excellent coordination by @Waqas Parvez @Rob S and tugging by @Tom B we were able to get the car out to the sabkha. Also a big appreciation to everyone for chipping in and helping get Asad's car ready to handle atleast some sections where he needed to drive out by himself. The excellent teamwork ensured that we recovered the car and safely reached the tarmac by 6 PM. Thank you everyone for joining the drive and for your excellent participation to help overcome each obstacle that we faced today. And thanks once again for the one hour run that we had, that was truly special.
    21 points
  43. Well, these are the days that you are not mentally prepared for, but as our elders say, it's part of life. We were all very thrilled to explore the new terrain with big bowl, but sadly, on the first bowl itself, @Sunil Mathew heard an odd noise from his suspension, and we had to exit him from the drive, the terrain was mix of technical bowl and high dunes As @M.Seidam has described in full the recovery and what occurred to @Mohamad Anwer i wish you a swift recovery Driving with the @Carnity is advantageous because you have faith in the marshal's judgment. @Hisham Masaad and @M.Seidam beautifully demonstrated this when the incident was reported and how the recovery was handled; it was a morale-booster and a terrific learning opportunity. I can't thank @Karthik Raptor, @Abdelghani,@ASAD., @Imran Kashif, and @Zed enough personally for their assistance with the recovery; all of the other members @Amr Aydin@Zixuan Huang - Charlie @Daniel Yangshown excellent attitudes and stood by one another at difficult times. I'm pleased to be a part of you guys and am looking forward to driving in future.
    21 points
  44. Fantastic teamwork here by all involved ! Unfortunately in this sport there is always a risk involved, and at the same time this type of events brings people closer together and no doubt this challenge will strengthen the bond amongst all of you. Wishing all the best to @Mohammad Anwar and hope for a quick recovery and seeing him back in the saddle soon.
    21 points
  45. Drive report ( enjoyable eventful night drive ) Dear Friends I am so glad that no one has missed the little surprise 😄 eventually as @Ashutosh Garg exit came just past midnight ! By 21:30 🕤 I looked around and realised that the 13 cars including my self are ready so I took the lead after ensuring that every one is aware what is it like to drive in the night. Starting to move at 21:48 on the short dirt track passing Abdallah’s dune looping around it to encounter our first stuck as @Ashutosh Garg by a foot slipped in and awkward like position with the rear of his X wedged almost in the V like pocket. with proper shovelling by the team and coordinated instructions from both sides ( by @munkybizness and myself ) he managed to get through amazingly. Proceeding forward to side sloping and crisscrossing with a period of pause on the radio indicating every one was enjoying their time till we reached Richie’s bar where we had our official coffe break under the 3/4 “red moon “ now The next event of the night came when our friend @Ashutosh Garg had a nasty pop-out for his right front wheel while in oblique super soft incline upon descent along with it we realised that the rubber around the stem got torn which made a gap that couldn’t be sealed and we had no choice than to replace the tyre which turned not same size which meant an exit for obvious safety reason. Thanks to all team for engaging in sorting out that issue. It took us a while ! the nearest exit was to run along the track to bab shams entry/exit known point to us and there the time already passed 12 by 15 minutes. the moon now becoming more glowing through the mild misty surroundings with a rainbow hallo around it or how my 27 year old eyes could see it 🤣 . Thank you guys for your sincere wishes. 🙏 it’s too early to finish early and with agreement of every one we vanished once more in the desert in a relatively faster pace than ever enjoying what was remaining. The third event came when @Tareq Al Turq managed to get his prado stuck as he lost momentum after criss cross and the car was hanged belly Free in between the two dunes. The only way is to pull from front after clearing the sand from the front bumper. The best would be to winch it the little uphill and luckily our sweep saviour @Ranjan Das did that like a pro after we cleared the recovery zone. the 4th event had to be mine and no one else as usual “ the swimmer 🏊‍♀️ sunk in the shallow water “ as we say it 😅as we were approaching to exit. With little patience on the gas and fine steering and effective feedback communication from the outside team our ropes kept safe always 😄 The time pointed at 02:20 when we were on the new dirt track leading to our same point from where we started . I thanked every one for the lovely night for their tolerance patience and sincere wishes and forgive me for the time stretch in this report as well as the drive itself 🙏 @Gregory you never missed a step in the drive nor an acknowledgment on the radio you gave the warnings even before my hand could grasp the radio . I hope your wife enjoyed the drive and wasn’t late ending for her. Thank you my friend for being my second lead . @Dinesh Kumar A despite for being away for a while ( in carnity at least ) you managed your prado very well with good self recovery here and there. Nice meeting you for first time. @Tareq Al Turq you drove very good no doubt and you gave us the spice of winching you tonight . As you see the more easy on the gas with little patience will keep your vehicle easy on you too 😉 @Ashutosh Garg nice to meet you too for first time . You have got a powerful machine for the desert . The more you know about it and it’s spare parts the less trouble you will be in . Wish you best and please don’t forget to replace the damaged tyre. @Joseph Raju second time we meet . I don’t recall any issue maybe reattempt once or so . Hope you enjoyed the night drive and thanks for the hydraulic jack 🙏. @topgear thanks for the company along with the others. Didn’t hear you on the radio which explains enjoying the tranquility of the night drive. @Simon Dawood happy to see you bro . Driving no question. Thanks for the share and help. Do I really look like a 27 year old ? I thought younger 🤣 @Haitham Khattab pleasure meeting for first time . I wasn’t wrong when I kept you with the wrangler pack behind . I am sure you enjoyed it a lot . Flawless and thanks for your stepping forward whenever the situation arise for help🙏 @Amr Aydin I hope the distance you crossed from far was worth the night drive . Thanks a lot for actively helping in the pop out and unscrewing the bolts . You gave me the lever to lift up the convoy my dear 😅 @munkybizness your presence especially behind the first part of the convoy was crucial . You are the true playmaker in any drive and you have always been so . Thank you 🙏 @Zixuan Huang - Charlie I hope this drive could let you catch up from the last time in pink rock and for this one I am pretty sure you have got what you wished for 😉 thanks buddy for everything @Ranjan Das it has been for a while really since we drove together what a pleasure and peace of mind to know that you are at the rear of the convoy not letting any one to slip away in the dark .🙏 Till we meet next time in another night drive take care drive safe and be good cheers Seidam
    21 points
  46. I finished my first fifty (50) drives in July 2021, 9 months after I joined, and in another 9 months I did a further fifty (50) drives. My First Drive was obviously an Absolute Newbie Drive - my 101st drive was also an Absolute Newbie Drive. Important Note: These are my driving statistics and are highly influenced by my bias and my decisions on which drives I choose and are not at all indicative of how the average drive in the club would be. Some more stats: Ale Plans some of the long-distance Drives (other than Liwa): Ale also plans some of the fastest drives - see moving speed: Liwa Drives tend to have the most moving time spent unless one planned by Ale: Some of the drives with least stoppage time- see Ratio (OT70 is the DCT Time) and again Ale's tops the count. Maximum drives at each drive level with another driver:
    21 points
  47. TEAM LEOPARD - DRIVE REPORT Dear Desert Wanderers, What a day! First of all, it was a fantastic event and @Carnity Crew, @Gaurav, @Srikumar and @Frederic and the whole Support Team cannot be congratulated and thanked enough for the amazing and impeccable organization. Equally thanked and congratulated must be all the Leads, @Wrangeld (aka The Desert Champion) @Chaitanya D, @Kailas, @Ale Vallecchi and @Jeepie for their great spirit of fair and safe competition, and all participants for their fearless passion displayed today. As far as the Arabian Leopard Team is concerned, it was a memorable experience, regardless of the outcome: of course, deep inside, I'm sure we were all aspiring to be higher up in the final ranking, but reality gave us a great lesson about our limits today, from Lead to Sweep, all included, but a lesson spiced up with great fun. As known, one of my features as a lead is that I lead fast, ie at high pace. That is, of course in those terrains that allow for such possibility. For this reason, when planning the route for today, we opted, unlike all other teams, for a Start-5-4-5-1-2-3-End route instead of going for the Start-5-4-3-2-1-End most obvious sequence. The rationale behind this choice was that, by adding only approx 3 linear km (say 5 or 6 real km) to our route, we would have kept it for almost 90% on fast terrains, ie sabkhas, flat tracks or long range dunes, where very very high speeds (2x, 3x, 4x) could have been achieved, thus gaining us valuable time and avoiding extended technical terrain with less risks. The idea, on the face of it, was intriguing and had its merit, so we all agreed on it, but it greatly underestimated how challenging those "only" 2 x 2.5 linear km in technical dunes from waypoint 5 to 4 and back could have been.. Was this tech stint too early in the drive, before the convoy could warm up? Possible. Were my lines as a Lead wrong and/or too ambitious for a convoy whose members I hardly knew? Very likely true. Was the choice to head back towards waypoint 5 from 4 against slip faces a gamble? Yes, for sure, but the potential upside was massive.. Or not.. Had this gamble worked, ie had we spent say 30-40' to go from 5 to 4 and back, which in theory seemed easily doable, we would have closed the drive in record time, considering that after getting back to waypoint 5, it took us only 47' to cover 30km through waypoints 1, 2 and 3 and get back to the starting point, at the astronomical average speed of 37.9km/h, with only 1 min stop when my car, 200m from the end, started overheating due to a malfunctioning radiator fan. Unfortunately... the gamble didn't work, as we totally underperformed on that first technical part across waypoints 5-4-5.. Those "only" 2 x 2.5 linear km caused 12 (!!!) consecutive stucks and corresponding recoveries and multiple, uncounted, refusals!! The fact that 9 out of 12 stucks occurred going south, ie against windfaces, stands to prove that the idea of going back to waypoint 5 from 4, ie against slip faces, wasn't totally crazy, but crossing that stretch of dunes both ways turned out to be a way bigger and time.-consuming challenge for all drivers than expected: despite our best team efforts in performing quick recoveries (mostly done winching, to be faster), we lost a hell of a time in those technical dunes! It indeed took us 1h 26' to get from waypoint 5 to 4 and back to 5. At that point our race was already doomed no matter how fast we could do the rest of the drive.. 😭😭.. OK. We messed up big time over there, and clearly I proved to be no @Wrangeldwhen it comes to leading in small technical dunes, but... oh boy!, what followed was pure adrenalinic fun... We were literally flying across dirt tracks, sabkhas and long range dunes, reaching amazing peak speeds going from waypoint 5 through 1, 2 and 3 and then heading back across the Lisaili long range dunes and again on sabkhas and flat tracks. Overall, it was an excellent learning opportunity: @Mus_hus78, an outstanding 2nd lead, I believe the only one who neve got stuck if I'm not wrong, today discovered that drives in Dubai can be as fast and exciting as those in Sweihan 😂😂, especially when literally flying over the sand.. For @Daniel Rodas, today's drive proved that he and his Pajero can do far more than he thought and the (many and tricky) stucks today were part of an accelerated learning curve towards Intermediate ranking... @Humayun Ghias realized the hard way how Y62s and technical dunes can be a difficult match, especially when crossing crests, but he also learned that his 2.8 tons car can fly as a fighter jet. @Niki, always quiet and conservative, experienced today a whole new driving world, achieving speeds he had never even dared to imagine, while maintaining an admirable perfect Sweep role, calm, precise, reassuring, clear with instructions and comms over the radio. Despite the 12 stucks, the whole convoy was magnificent today. Fast, responsive, careful, supportive, focused. And always smiling. Thanks to all, you were the best convoy I could have desired for this race. Proud of you all. For me.. well for me it was immense fun and a great lesson. Let me try to summarize my takeaways: - First, I could have leveraged better the wisdom and experience of the team, asking for more help in navigation (as @Wrangelddid brilliantly) instead of doing most of it on my own except for the initial route planning, done toghether. - Second, quite evidently, I still have a lot to learn as leader in technical dunes, even more so now that my off-roading mentor, @Wrangeld, is a Desert Champion.. 😉 -Third, I realized I'm not used to drive against time: some know I'm a maniac about ending on time my drives, but rushing against time isn't yet fully my thing, as it requires a different type of approach to route planning and navigation management (for example, I always navigate with North-Up display with very indicative bearings on my Gaia to set my route, whereas when following a route very closely and precisely as today, navigating with Direction-Up display probably works better). - last, no matter how well or smart you think you can plan, desert drives can be unpredictable and that's the beauty of it. In the end.. It was different than usual. It was hexilarating fun. No matter how we ended, we had a great time and we had an amazing day, feeling part of the wonderful @Carnity family. As @Jeepie rightly said, we were all champions today, it's only that @Wrangeld's team was faster. Kudos to all!
    21 points
  48. Thank you everyone for making this winter welcome drive so successful and beautifully graced with your friends and family. As our families support our passion every week, so we also need to treat them with an outing in nature to meet our extended carnity family. Spending time with loved ones and chill with friends to see each other faces than just names on the convoy list was an amazing feeling. I'm sure many of you must have seen each other for the first time. Thank you all advisors to make this WWD a great success with your brilliant planning, ideas, support, and responsibilities, without each one of your crucial roles this wouldn't have been possible. My wife has uploaded her pictures to the gallery. Looking forward to seeing your clicks soon. https://carnity.com/gallery/category/1013-winter-welcome-drive-qudra-dubai-15-oct-2021 @Usman Basit @Joseph Sebastian @Muhammed Saeed @Super Safari Girl @Zed @Savio Fernandes @Stav @Danish Mohammad @Ahmed Wagdy @Tom V @WaYan @Enrico Biscaro @Paul Zeitoun @Rsjiv Samuel @Joji varghese @topgear @Alain Canivet-Abikhalil @Christopher Assal @Raman_Dbx @Senthil Kumar @Richard Franks @Junaid Iqbal @Adnan Halepota @Hitham mohamed @Premjit Vappala @Jerry Han @Sudhanva Sonawane @Trekado @hasan hamadeh @qaiser ijaz @Ahmed Abdelsalam @Morshedi @jodha singh shekhawat @Lawrence_Chehimi @AlexM @Kishore S @Wrangeld @Srikumar @Chaitanya D @Alex Raptor @Tbone @Lorenzo Candelpergher @GauravSoni @Frederic @Asif Hussain @M.Seidam @Mehmet Volga @Jeepie @Janarthan @Luca Palanca Falsini @Yousef Alimadadi
    21 points
  49. As we have been respecting authorities guidance & Carnity COVID guidelines to resume desert drives with caution by keeping social distance and wearing mask at all times outside the vehicle Unfortunately few off-roaders have difficulty in understanding and abiding these guidelines. As published in the national newspaper of UAE, everyone need to understand that still there are no gatherings allowed and authorities are issuing fine for 10,000 AED for host and 5,000 AED for attendees. https://gulfnews.com/uae/health/people-caught-violating-covid-19-safety-instructions-prosecuted-1.1591381059748 If you spot anyone stepping out of the car not wearing a mask, please remind them on the radio immediately. As we all are in this together, so we all have to help each other to remind. Failing to abide below list of restriction will result in an immediate ban from Carnity Off-road Club: FIRST WARNING Minimum 1 month ban from joining any Carnity off-road Club drives. Written warning will be issued on your Carnity profile. SECOND WARNING Minimum 6 month ban from joining any Carnity off-road Club drives. Written warning will be issued on your Carnity profile. If you do not like these restrictions, please stay at home and do not join for any off-road drives. Every Carnity Off-road Club Member has to COMPLY WITH THESE COVID19 GUIDELINES FACE MASK IS MANDATORY, WHENEVER YOU STEP OUT - NO EXCUSES. LEARN TO CONFIGURE YOUR RADIO, before the drive. Nobody will teach you or exchange radios like before. Read the detailed instructions posted here - to configure. If you still cannot configure, ask on forum ahead of time. Click "TOTALLY AGREE" Emoji here before RSVP any drive or else trip lead will remove your name.
    21 points
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