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DRIVE REPORT Dear Desert Wanderers, The fact that this was going to be a complicated drive was evident already at 4:30am, when I realized my phone had not been charging and had died overnight so I had missed my 4:00am wakeup alarm . I managed to reach the meeting point by 5:30, finding a fully lined up convoy with everyone diligently ready and deflated. By 5:44, after the briefing, we were on the move. Apologies for the delay, guys! We immediately headed East, towards Fossil Rock, but just 1km into the drive we had the first two stucks / refusals by @Lakshmi Narasimhan and @Ranjan Das, the first sliding down the slip face and the latter crested before they even knew they had actually started the drive 😂. To make them more comfortable in such an embarrassment (I'm joking, of course.. 😂😂) I felt it appropriate to get crested myself while backtracking to have a look at what was going on. Thanks to multiple zelant shovelers, I was out in no time. As we headed west, we pinpointed back-to-back all the play areas marked on my navigator between Mahafiz and Fossil Rock, enjoying long sidesloping and bowl riding. We did have fun, but we also collected a few more refusals and we also had a couple of stops to fix @Francois Germishuys's flag: he must really be fond of his flag as he ignored my advice to put it away and drive without flag, given his position as Sweep.. But better safe than sorry, so with the flag somehow fixed, we were good to go again. It was at this point that @Abdul Rahman AK announced his front right wheel was making a strange noise during climbs. It was initially decided that he would try to continue, but once we made it to Fossil Rock we concurred it wasn't a good idea to stress the car more, so we opted for an exit. Unfortunately the exit towards Maleha, the most obvious one, turned out not to be as obvious after all, given that the newly built fence forced us to reach the tarmac more on the east side. After greeting our friend, we entered the sand again, made it back to Camel Rock, then looped around the Sphynx, while progressively increasing the pace in the attempt to catch up on the accumulated delay. As we started our approach Faya, along a sustained long climb the convoy suddenly split: @Lakshmi Narasimhan had a refusal on a tricky S-shaped climb, which forced @M.Seidam and @Ashok chaturvedi to loop around and hold. Apparently the rest of the convoy, probably too much enthralled by the on-going climbing effort towards the coveted Faya hills, ignored the fellow drivers in trouble and kept going for another 400m, where I had stopped the convoy upon the realization that we had two missing cars. It is important to stress here, once again (as I did on last week's Drive Report) that, while it is OK for the one driver immediately following a car having a sudden stuck/refusal (or aborting a climb) to safely overtake and continue the climb not to lose momentum, it is generally considered correct convoy procedure for all the cars following to hold, allow the car in trouble to reattempt as many times as needed and only then follow. This is, of course, unless specific circumstances do not allow, which should clearly communicated on the radio. Furthermore, it must be reminded that the sweeping position in a convoy is meant to ensure that no car is left behind at any time. The two cars who had been lost today had not gone out of track (I found them back-tracking along my own route) but had simply stalled at a difficult point and were left behind without assistance. Last but not least, it is also important to notice that too many times, especially at the back, I could see the convoy overstretched, with too much distance between cars. I understand everyone wants to have a clean line but if you leave so much space that you can't see where the car in front has gone, you are most likely going to get lost..especially in a place with so many tracks as today. Once the convoy was again orderly reassembled, we tackled the final ascent to Faya from the north side, which is one of my absolute favourites and always gives me a great sense of accomplishment. @Danish Mohammad drove as if he was on steroids... Following my tail no matter what, actually doing even better than me when he crisscrossed correctly at the exit of the last big bowl behind Faya while I had made a mistaken and fallen back inside the bowl. @Ranjan Das is slowly but steadily coming to know his Rubicon and I could see today that the few stucks incurred were mostly because of a moment of hesitation while deciding what to do or because of an unexpected response of the car. @Lakshmi Narasimhan is still occasionally fighting to come to terms with his car. Maybe @M.Seidam, who could closely watch him today, will be able to give some more insight. We then made it to the bottom of Faya Big Dune, where everyone had a chance to make an attempt climbing from both the right and from the center. The big power loaded truck guys at the back, @Shehab Alawadhi, @Dodi Syahdar, @Abu Muhammad and @Francois Germishuys had their chance to let their engines roar... But surprisingly, no one managed to join me at the top and only @varunmehndiratta reached quite high even if not at the top. Cearly it wasn't meant to be: too soft and churned up sand. As time was shortening and temperatures rising we didn't indulge and promptly made our way to Suweidan, after crossing S153 Road at Mahafiz Roundabout, where unfortunately @Shehab Alawadhi had to quit as his passenger was feeling some motion sickness. We then entered the Suweidan stretch of desert, which was meant to be more a straight transfer to 2nd December Road than anything else. It was a boring bushy sabkha area which we crossed rather quickly with a couple of short detours on appealing nearby dunes, until we reached the last group of dunes North of 2nd December road.. These dunes are beautiful but very tricky. In fact, after a very shot ride at the top, @Danish Mohammad made his only serious (but very unlucky) mistake of the day, ending up with a crested car, one wheel in the air and the other deep in sand with a pop-out and the back completely sitting in a pocket. Quite a combination! It wasn't an easy stuck, and it took two winching attempts to move the car out, after which we fixed the pop-out. By the time we were done, we were also drained by the extreme heat and it seemed the only reasonable decision that of cutting the drive short, leaving the 2nd December Cafeteria - Pink Rock - Big Red stint for another day. It was a though drive, challenging, beautiful and probably a bit frustrating for some because of the many stops, even though we always restarted quickly with the exception of the popout recovery. We drove for 70.5km in exactly 4h, at an average moving speed of 22km/h, with approx 1h 5' of stopped time (my GPS recorded me moving back and forth to help, but the convoy was certainly idle for longer time) and a total ascent of + 1378/-1326m. Everyone drove well and hopefully enjoyed the experience. Kudos to all those at the back who made it through churned sand: I had only occasional views on @Ashok chaturvedi, @varunmehndiratta and the trucks gang behind, but my overall impression is that you all handled well, with little problems except maybe in some more technical stretches with tiny manouvering spaces in Suweidan. Thanks to @M.Seidamfor his fantastic support and to @Francois Germishuys for holding the fort as Sweep. When temperatures will go down, rest assured we will reattempt the full itinerary to Big Red! See you soon in the sand!

Thanks @Lorenzo Candelpergher for the amazing drive. Had everything to keep us always on the edge. Full of fun and enjoyed ridge riding, nice bowls, tall dunes, criss cross and the marathon run along the tarmac. Hope every one enjoyed the drive except for the hot scotching sun!!!! More pics in the gallery.

Dear @Abdul Rahman AK @Srikumar @Lorenzo Candelpergher @Frederic @Islam Soliman @M.Seidam thank you so much for your feedback. I am so proud and feel safe to be with Carnity where such a caring members are with me. All your feedback's are noted.... sure I will try to work on my week points and improve myself. Stay safe, (Insha'Allah will see you tomorrow) Good Night

it’s great of you Danish to be sensitive to fellow drivers experience in the convoy and you don’t want to slow it down for them .. this is great sportsmanship.. but this is a team sport and you shouldn’t be over sensitive.. anything is expected on the sand and can happen to anyone.. in a team sport such as this everyone is required to raise their tolerance and learn more to work as a team and move as a team.. it’s not an individual sport or a competition.. the success and achievement comes from how the overall convoy performs and exists safely. Plus you are not taking anyone’s place.. you are driving at the right level and you have earned it, we have all been there and and I don’t think at whatever level or after countless no of drives any of us will stop having a refusal, stuck, or popout.. enjoy man and don’t feel guilty or pressured.

Dear @Danish Mohammad, first of all, I definitely think you should join tomorrow's drive with your current tires. You are a capable Intermediate Driver and you have all the skills that are required to perform well in tomorrow's terrain, even more so because tomorrow won't be a drive about "shear climbing", but rather a drive about "continuously flowing": we will cover a lot of distance, moving across various and different terrains, with the aim of moving fast and smoothly, keeping a good rhythm, cruising from ridge to ridge, criss crossing, circling bowls and climbing gently and easily for the vast majority of the drive rather than doing straight bottom-to-top climbs, which will probably be only the case at Faya Big Dune. Second, you really have to get rid of this concern about slowing down the convoy. You are at your 3rd Intermediate Drive and you compare yourself with guys in the convoy who have done 10+, 15+, 20+ intermediate drives. Obviously they drive better, but I can absolutely guarantee that a) at their 3rd Intermediate they were struggling as much as you may be and b) after 10+ and even more after 20+ Intermediate drives you'll be flying as much as they do. You will make mistakes, you may occasionally slow down the convoy, as everyone of us has done and this is totally OK, as it is what it takes to turn you (and us all) into a great offroader. Third, I totally agree with @Frederic's comment and share with you a little story. When I reached the number of drives that fueled my ambition and applied to be promoted to Intermediate, I was still driving my Nissan Patrol Y62 with 275/60R20 H/T tires and I was still having frequent pop-outs. @Carnity seniors at the time, introduced a new requirement (which later became a standard in the grading structure) that all cars participating in Intermediate Drives should have high profile tires. Hungry for more off-road adventures, I sold my 20" stock rims + tires and got 18" rims with 285/70R18 A/T tires: so smaller rims, higher profile tires, stronger side walls, all terrain thread. It changed my car completely: no more pop-outs, way more traction, more deflation and, above all, tons of additional confidence. It was the best modification I ever implemented and it allowed me to become, in time, a better off-roader. In a nutshell: come tomorrow and have fun with your current wheels without concerns about slowing the convoy (total nonsense) but if you are seriously aiming at improving your driving capabilities and your car's performance even more, consider moving to 17", having said - however - that many are brilliantly driving Pajeros on 18" tires, so eventually if you just allow yourself to slowly improve by driving more and more you can get better even without emptying your pockets for new wheels.

Disclaimer: My knowledge on the off-roading is quite limited and one must take advice from more experienced members before attempting such activities. Yesterday I drove through the mountain road of Wadi Sena. It is a paved dirt road (kuchha road) through the mountains. I came across just one car during the cross which came from the opposite side, but I presume in winter it would be quite busy. AWD car could cross it, but I think 4x4 would be recommended preferably on a AT tyres since the path is littered with rocks. The temperature hovered around 43 degrees C and I put my car in 4WD Auto and began my drive. I crossed the trail less than hour and easily. When I planned the trip, I was not aware of the altitude gain, but was in for a big surprise at the beginning of the trail itself. This is the Link to my path I took

Thanks @Lorenzo Candelpergher for fun drive..lovely terrain and comvoy. Was my first long awaited visit to Faya dune so a good way to start the day and put a tick to another beautiful location.. Thanks all for the nice morning drive .See you all soon.

Such an amazing drive @Lorenzo Candelpergher, unfortunately missed most of the fun... hope to join you again soon. Thank you!

Fantastic drive by @Lorenzo Candelpergherand good Perfermance by drivers. We enjoyed it and Thank you all so much. My driver’s of the day @Dodi Syahdarand @Francois Germishuys Well done guys. see you 🔜 on the Sands.

My second night drive and I can safely say I'm falling more in love with night driving than the day. The calm in the desert at night combined with the simple hum of our engine as the only sound crackling through makes me feel like I'm on an exploratory adventure - for both the mind and the body. In @Brian Dev's words, it's a "trance" indeed. As I settled into the drive, I cued Tchaikovsky and let the orchestral scores announce our grand entrance every time our lights opened a dark area, a feat occuring every other second. But what good is an orchestra if not for the conductor guiding the symphony. @Gauravand his light bar opened up new expressions of the desert sand, sometimes even a distant planet. Halfway back @Tbone kept the string of the halfway quartet connected. Waving and dancing on slopes, he gave fervent new expressions for the score we were crafting. And in the back, the calm and soft @Janarthangiving the resolute affirmation that our score was strong. On a serious - and less poetic note - @Gaurav Soni, I must apologize if I was unable to find the right spacing. I could see in my mirror that I was sometimes forcing you to stop in uncomfortable spots. Thank you all for a splendid drive. And let's go see Mars next time.

@Danish Mohammad even after refusals you were able to do all maneuver second time, which means you and your car both are capable. 3.8 SWB has lot more power and better power to weight ratio than my LWB. Definitely change of tyre should boost your confidence and performance, but if you are opting for higher tyre profile make sure its not touching the fenders, if so you have to cut your bumpers. I am wondering why you have to be too concerned while driving with carnity convoy. We all have both good days and bad days, these all are experiences. If you leave the thought of refusals behind, be relaxed with more concentration and try to push a little more if you see churned up sand or steep incline you will be able to avoid refusals. See the amazing support from every one and you should not give up easily, I hope to see you tomorrow as usual and focus only on enjoying the drive!!!!

Dear @Francois Germishuys, the one on your flag was a joke.. I guess you didn't get it.. 😂😂. Usually all those who have a falling flag ask for permission to remove it, whereas you asked for permission to fix it.. So I made a joke saying you "ignored" my instructions to just put the flag away, concluding that it was anyway better to be safe than sorry and you had it fixed in no time.. I see no reason for you to get upset! Keeping the flag up can only be commended. Regarding my comments about the sweeping position, I have no reason not to believe, as you say, that you plainly had no chance to realize we had lost two cars. @varunmehndiratta's explanation further supports it. This is not the point, however, and you seem to have missed the context of my comments, which were meant to address the overall issue that I keep on seeing in recent Intermediate Drives among big dunes, ie the fact that, when someone in some mid-convoy position has a stuck or a refusal during a climb, convoy order keeps on being lost beyond reason, with chaos as a consequence: cars from behind overtaking and continuing the climb, with no or delayed announcing of the problem or simply ignoring it. This leads to split convoys, lost tracks, etc, exactly the same dynamics we witnessed today. I invite you to read my comment again and to realize that it wasn't written as a specific critique to YOU as such, but as a general comment about the problems that originate with poor convoy discipline and the fundamental function of sweeping in these circumstances. I was indeed taking today's case as an example to make my point: convoy discipline in the specific case was not followed, and the result was that two cars in trouble were left behind. Neither the car in front, ie @Lakshmi Narasimhan nor the car behind, ie @varunmehndirattarealized and announced the problem nor stopped to wait for the troubled cars to recover. In fact, @Lakshmi Narasimhanhad just climbed up behind my tail as I had come back to help him overcome the difficult spot. When I came back, before leading @Lakshmi Narasimhanup, I had made sure the convoy was all toghether, Sweep included. What happened next is that apparently @M.Seidam followed but had a refusal on his way up, circled around and reattempted multiple times, while the rest of the convoy, five cars, inexplicably, must have inadvertently climbed up along a different route, thus leaving the two cars behind with all five drivers not realising what had just happened. As improbable as it may sound, this may have happened and I don't question it. @varunmehndiratta is probably right when he says there was a bit of delay when the convoy restarted while he was on a bio break: I remember joking about it while circling around to check the situation. All of this, however, again proves the point that excessive distance, poor or no radio communication, no visual checks on the car behind and in front, overtaking or unintentional rerouting caused a split convoy. @Francois, you are right when you say nobody asked you to intervene. In fact you are an Extreme driver, not an Advisor and it was probably my mistake to even give you the responsibility to be Sweep, as supporting roles are meant to be for Advisors, who have been specifically selected and have experience in undertaking the role. Having said this, you did your part as Sweep today, communicating well and frequently whenever required. If you want me to be specific on a feedback about YOU today, I'll say that I felt you were often driving too far back behind @Abu Muhammad roaming around (a temptation that comes to all when in sweep), but I'll say also that you were often helpful and present, for which I even thanked you in my post (you must have missed that). In the past you have been always very open and vocal in sharing your comments and criticism (often quite direct, not to say harsh) towards your fellow drivers. I'd expect you to be equally open to receive some comments and potentially even criticism from the Drive Lead, as the purpose is never name shaming but always, and only, giving all participants opportunity to reflect on what happened and learn from it. I am sad to read you were upset by my comments, but I stand by them, even more now that I had the chance to explain better what they meant. I'm equally sad by your decision to leave Carnity and wish you best of luck and fun in your future Desert adventures.

Thank you @Islam Soliman for the drive. The terrain was challenging due to the soft sand but it was a good occasion to handle our cars in these technical conditions. Also liked to wander in this area - not commonly visited - and enjoyed the long dunes with the sun rising. It was a smooth convoy all along thanks to the support of @Hisham Masaad and @Chinthaka Ruwan and every body's positive energy ! @Matt.T hope your car will be fixed soon and have a safe trip.

Thanks @Islam Soliman for the wonderful drive today. This area is totally new for me and it was a great experience. Sand is super soft and challenging terrain but we all maintained a nice phase. Thanks @Alain Canivet-Abikhalil and @Hisham Masaad for the support. @Matt.T hope your beautiful wrangler will be back on sand very soon. Thanks all. See you all soon.

Great drive today @Islam Soliman with good work from @Chinthaka Ruwan @Alain Canivet-Abikhalil and @Hisham Masaad Special thanks to Islam who insisted on waiting with me until recovery truck arrived and also driving me to the garage. It was unnecessary but well received. With my brake pipe sheared off sadly there was no choice but to exit. Thanks all

Happy that you are chasing your passion, at the same time sad to see you leaving the club!!! Wish you all the best!!!

@Lorenzo CandelpergherI had refusal on other 2 spots where you came back to lead me. Since Dr. @M.Seidam had refusal and while reattempting unfortunately convoy behind split and took another track. Yes, I had my bad day today. Same like Gaurav soni’s car I also had rich fuel smell from car and slowing down suddenly. As mentioned, I will have to focus more as well. Thx to Dr @M.Seidam as he already gave me tips!!!

Great to see all support..just to add @Danish Mohammad surely A/T vis-a-vis H/T will be better and going down to 17 from 18 will make it even better..however my personal experience over last 6-7 months has proven repeatedly that these machines in as is form have a lot to offer..much beyond we are using them at our present level. Me and @Lorenzo Candelpergher both drive JLU, while going down to 11/10 psi makes me cautious he regularly drives at 9/10 psi, perhaps even lower at times I wonder... And does it with elan (surely Rubicon at 17 has adv but it's more to.do with driving skills than anything). So don't get bogged down with refusals and tech issues from vehicle, learn from each drive ... We have many here who handle Pajeros, grand Cherokees and even Montero's at much tougher terrains and in much smoother way. . so let the learning as a driver continue and be the focus. See you tomo...and let's ensure we make our next refusal better than the last one..😃😃

I agree totally with @Lorenzo Candelpergherand @Frederic as well as @Srikumar Before going to bed just commenting regarding the tire size issue . today I completed 50 drives on 275/70/17 A/T Geo I never popped out , not saying it that something to be proud off no maybe tomorrow I will or at any time , I am saying it just to confirm how changing it to high profile ones makes huge difference and by all means , it’s an aid , not substitute per se to the drive skills … control , perpendicular point contact on descend , avoiding sudden sharp and aggressive turns all theses are measures to avoid the issue of getting your rubber off your rim . On my last drive with @Lorenzo Candelpergher I thought I had a pop-out but it turned its over deflated rear measured 5psi @Danish Mohammad come tomorrow and we got your back

I haven’t laughed this much in a drive, or for that matter, in my 10years in Dubai… ! For the guy ( @Wrangeld) who came up with the idea of themes for a drive, I salute you! 🙌🏽 …… on the other hand, to the guy who invented zero, thanks for nothing. thanks everyone for such a memorable morning …

Dear @Abu Muhammad, I took the freedom to do some fact checking, and I think @Lakshmi Narasimhannailed it in his last comment. I was able to check from the video taken from @M.Seidam that, in fact, @M.Seidam clearly announced on the radio "I'm trying again, Lorenzo" and I responded "I'm holding". However, no one behind apparently acknowledged this exchange nor reacted about it, furthermore failing to realize (and therefore to announce on the radio) they had taken the wrong track, not being in visual distance with @Ashok chaturvedi, who as well hadn't noticed that nobody was following him. In the meantime, in fact, the last 5 cars where already on another track, because in the video when @Ashok chaturvedi held his position behind the struggling XTerra he had no one behind him. Find the video here (shared with @M.Seidam's permission): I hope this closes this chapter: two cars were in trouble, it was announced, the lead stopped (it was just me and @Lakshmi Narasimhan, whom I was leading up to the 1st part of the convoy), but the last 5 cars, who were a bit too far behind, probably, failed to acknowledge the situation, went along a different track without realising it and reached the first part of the convoy soon after, following a different path, having missed the fact that two cars, who had announced having issues, were not to be seen around. In the end, convoy discipline wasn't applied properly and we ended with two lost cars to be found. It's nobody's fault and everyone's fault. These things happen and will happen many times again. The point is not to blame this or that driver or to discuss "if only they had done or not done this or that", but to jointly understand what went wrong, why it happened and, possibly, to learn, all of us from lead to sweep, how to avoid such situations in the future. Possibly without taking any of this as something personal.

I have done camping at Wadi Sena few times. Morning view is awesome. Most beautiful sunrise I have ever seen.

Brilliant drive, with a small convoy who allowed us to maintain a good technical level and a good pace, while discovering an area completely unknown to me. Thanks @Fredericfor the opportunity and kudos to @Hasan Wahlan and @Naveen Raj for an excellent drive. It was a pleasure being in support.

It was an amazing drive and not only @Naveen Rajimpressed me but also @Hasan Wahlan who was the perfect second lead always keeping a cool head and displaying a fantastic self recovery ! Thanks for the support @Lorenzo Candelpergher ! See you all soon in the sand again !

@Danish Mohammad don’t go below 12.5 psi on HT tyres risking a popout.

True @Lorenzo Candelpergher ..let's learn and move on... btw guys if not for @Shehab Alawadhi you guys would have left me alone in desert while I was trying to grow some plants there.....will think 10 times before the next bio break request....😭😭😭😭 Thanks @Shehab Alawadhi you are my saviour....👍👍👍🙂

@Abu MuhammadI crossed the s track and immediately few seconds later Dr @M.Seidamdid announced his refusal and his reattempt, it was very clear on the radio, even @Lorenzo Candelpergher was checking if they recovered, Somehow it was missed in the back. Definitely @Francois Germishuys would not be able to see what happened in the middle as he was behind cross dune. When some one announced refusal, it would be better for car behind immediately to reconfirm over radio if they are clear before starting again (specifically when there’s no visual), which would have avoided today’s situation. Definitely cars in the back missed the right track (as there were so many tracks, easy to pick different one), if so you would have been behind Dr. @M.Seidam and @Ashok chaturvedi. If car in the behind was not sure of the track, could have asked @Lorenzo Candelpergher who specifically mentioned that and was always happy to come back and lead to rejoin the convoy again (he did that multiple times) Anyways, I would say there’s nothing to be taken personally, this is all learning to be more alert and to be more safe in future drives!!!

@Francois Germishuys just noted that it's your last drive...if the reason is something like what happened on the drive --- seriously dude,.you kidding us? Such thing happens in all team sport.. If something else, wish you all the best and surely will miss you at the end of convoys - I guess all drives we did together you have always been at the end with your lovely ride..looking after us all. Hope to see you sometime on sand, cheers..

@Lorenzo Candelpergher being in middle of that chaos I agree with what @Francois Germishuys mentioned... In the maze of tech dune was actually impractical for Sweep to see through the whole convoy ..The whole chaos happened when convoy started to move while I was on an informed break (First mistake). Me and all driver behind me were a couple of min late however i could see tracks and followed and actually through the dunes could see you and couple of cars (not always feasible to see the immediate next car if distance is more in tech dunes, but gave assurance we are on right line). While following you and others, at the fag end I took a wrong track and detoured a bit (second error) which I missed to note but @Shehab Alawadhi corrected and we all were back with convoy. Somehow two left out cars perhaps had a refusal or something and informed a bit late leading to the third error. Perhaps their refusal happened around the same point we detoured so we didn't see them and crossed from other side. Same thing was repeated again when while realigning after a refusal of someone in front I had a minor refusal (informed over radio and acknowledged by convoy as I am not sure who but someone guided me about no hurdles behind me while I reversed), cars in front of me continued, leading to the increased gap you mentioned. A bit verbose however I think needed to be clarified. If I couldn't see the car in front of me, I am sure wasn't practical for Sweep to note at all about what has happened. Anyways an important lesson for all - don't miss the basics learnt on Absolute Newbie drive - look out for car in front as well as behind oneself. Plus wait for those on break...😃 In middle.of all this, few min of lead experience that I had added to confidence more than the whole drive (not that drive was any less experience)...😃😃

@Wrangeld and all thanks for a great drive yesterday I thoroughly enjoyed it and experienced the whole 75 km, a lot of lol and grimacing throughout.

@Lorenzo Candelpergher an accurate piece of writing as if u had a drone on top of the convoy recording every bit. thank you. There were occasional stucks which are expected in such drives actually it may consume time but also enhance experience and improve skills of driver those stuck, recovery participants and even those watching it. Non incidental drives can become pleasantly boring..😅. I was a bit dissapointed to see that fossil rock is going to be closed and was been totally fenced but if they have found some ancient history buried than it will be worth it for coming tourist and generations. I alwasy felt some sections specially east side of the rock looked like some sort of man made structures protruding from the sand. I am also dismayed to see trash that people dump in the beautiful desert... like we divers (scuba) do form groups to collect under water trash from the shores of Dubai perhaps one day all the hundred of drivers including other club put togather can be persuaded to have a desert clean up day. Returning to morning [email protected] I enjoyed driving behind u, yes at one spot the it got tricky coming out for u it was just a matter of few more minutes and you would have climbed out. I agree with our trip lead 100% that drivers in the back should short cut/ re route without announcing on radio. Everyone did their best appreciate their enthusiam. With some saddness, I wish to announce that soon I shall be leaving the Carnity club and resume my real passion of Boat sailing and Scuba Diving. I will not abandon the dunes but will come on drives occasionaly.. surely the free one 😉. Thank you@Carnity

Thanks for sharing this. Will definitely attempt it on an early AM next week. If you're keen to do a steep ascent, check out the Jebel Yibir climb too. It's a paved road so most cars can take it but my brakes were screaming for help coming down. There is a military checkpost at the top (EID, DL & Registration) which was easy to get through. You can return back down and route through Wadi Shrayeb.

Talking about distant planet….I love the poetry of your post @munkybizness

@Tareck It was great to meet another hardcore Y62 driver. Looking forward to seeing you soon.

@Danish Mohammad 265/60/18 is a rather low profile tyre which will be more prone to pop outs, but not so very common on a SWB vehicle, so I suspect it’s more to do with fighting gravity or counter steering. Make sure to check your tyre pressure with a second pressure gauge just to make sure it’s accurate. On Vanessas car we changed the rims to 17inch and put 265/70/17 Tyres on it, which has more sidewall and should reduce the risk for pop outs.

Dear @Hisham Masaad @Alain Canivet-Abikhalil Pre-drive details below: 1- It is already hot and we want to have an early start hoping to cover majority of the track by 8:30am before heading to the exit to inflate by 9:00am before we get roasted. 2- This requires prompt presence at the meeting point by 4:30am and be ready to move max by 5:00am (deflated, flag erected, 4H on, radio on and set, airbags/traction/abs all set....) 3- Please ensure your radio is on, fully charged, and set to the right frequency: channel 1 (446,006.25) upon arrival to do a quick radio check 4. when you arrive, pls try to take your position (if possible) based on the below convoy order 5- briefing will be done on the radio as we start moving 6- please ensure you come with a full tank (as much as possible) in addition to all necessary gear for this drive level Meeting Point: By Dubai SkyDive Parking (take the underpass to cross the other side of Alain Road then go right till the end of the road, then left before you enter the parking area, another left you should find the convoy ahead of you) https://goo.gl/maps/S4PT8a8WYg8ENs1d6 See you all on the sand 😎 Convoy order:

I am coming On way

darren thompson @darren thompson Russ @Russ Sunil Mathew @Sunil Mathew GauravSoni @Gaurav Soni Nithin Vaidir @Nithin Vaidir Niki @Niki Watteau @Watteau Matt.T @Matt.T Ahab Shamaa @Ahab Shamaa MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ @MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ We came, we drove, we told jokes and oh! how we laughed. Thank you, thank you guys. A Fewbie Plus with a few added plusses. Pitched at the right level, fluid, challenging in all the right places and with a fantastic team ethic throughout. I hope you all enjoyed it as much as me. Highlights? Repairing my petrol tank cover [seems some people did not hear the radio messages - sorry] Condescending The convoy tackling everything we approached with aplomb Did I mention the good humour? Soft sand was everywhere, and in lots of unexpected places (thanks @Niki & @Gaurav Soni) And in the end, we completed two full four hour drives in the 4 hours we were on the move and taking into account that we have been through some really complex dune formations every driver can be immensely proud of themselves [both for the drive and the patience showed when people did get stuck]. Thanks @Watteau and @Niki for sorting out all the refusals and sticks - great job. It was truly a pleasure. See you soon in the sand

@Lorenzo Candelpergher another frustrating drive it seems. I have a few comments on your report; Firstly with regards to you reporting that i ignored your instructions? It comes as a surprise as I did request over the radio to fix it quickly as its not a good idea to drive without it especially in the big dunes where we could possibly be crossing other convoys, it was fixed in 1 minute, but its up to you to interpret that as you wish. Secondly your comments on the sweep, the center forward (senior) and the car following him did not communicate that they got lost, neither did the car following them radio in that he cant see them as he was able to see the rest of the convoy in front of them as we all followed along, I was 5 cars behind them and as a result was in no position to see them or even try to find them in those big dunes, in addition no one said anything over the radio for me to act on, only when we all passed them hundreds of meters on did they radio in that they are lost, this was then i then ask where are they and i got out to look for them, this was told to you at the time but it seems like you ignored what was told to you and still are of the opinion that I was not able to carry out my responsibility for the drive, your frustration noted and as you were not at the back and did not see what was taking place I informed you of what was happening. Lastly I want to thanks everyone I’ve driven with over the past 1+ years while being part of the carnity team, i learned a lot from you guys, its been fun, this was my last drive with Carnity. I wish you all the best. Thanks and take care.

Sure bro @Zed.. still a long way to go to handle the bowls but eventually I hope will be able to handle it.

I would suggest you give it a try in tomorrow's drive setting the tire at a slightly higher PSI and reduce later if you feel it's required. You need to control your throttle while making sharp turns and allow your vehicle move along the terrain. I feel control on gas while turning is the key to success over pop-outs. @Frederic please put some light on the above concern, as I feel changing tire not the right solution (Though it may help with slightly better traction).

Hi @Lorenzo Candelpergher Good evening As per previous drive i felt that my car has some tire issue even keeping 13 psi (less than 13 psi it gets pop-out) its not enough for an intermediate drive and in result most of the time it forced me to take a turn and rejoin the convoy with new route. This turning and rejoining breaks the full convoy's movement and lost track. Currently I am using Bridgestone H/T size 265/60/R18. Please advise as i am confuse to join tomorrow's drive, if these tires again make an issue then everyone will be effected at the back which I don't want too. Shall I join tomorrow OR should I change and then join in next week "if yes" which tires/brand would you recommend ? Please.... will be happy to hear some feed back from Pajero owners also before making final selection of tire depending on brand/model and cost. Regards...

Sorry guys , my kids had put car keys in the car when we r leaving for drive, and no second keys ,we are stuck, try to open ,if in 15 minutes open, I will join. Sorry for last moment inconvenience.

Dear @Lorenzo Candelpergher Thank you so much for this lovely night drive, It was really a good learning with enjoyment. Appreciate your patience, support and guidance (loved it.) Also thanks to our support team @Lakshmi Narasimhan & @Gaurav Soni very well managed and nice coordination. As a part of learning some refusals and stuck were well guided by our Marshal and supported by support team to recover as early as it can. Thanks to entire Convoy for your help and support during this drive. Stay safe... See you in next drive

Well guys it was fun today with all ERRY's We had Sri, Sherin, Jerry, Erik, Shery

Looking forward for another exiting and challenging drive. So you all soon in sand

Thanks @Ale Vallecchi for organising a mid-week drive, I know we all appreciate the opportunity to break up the week and reduce the time between drives! Thank you also for the opportunity to sweep, the quality of the drivers ahead kept me fairly quiet but I still had fun! Well done to the Fewbie Plus ‘newbies’ @Zixuan Huang - Charlie and @Sunil Mathew, everyone else who attended, supported and @GauravSonifor the chats and kind words. See you all soon 🌵

Well done👏, congratulations to the top 10 hot shot photographers, keep it up...

I started my off-road adventures with a couple of Gulf News Fun Drives, the first in 2013 at Liwa and the second in 2014 at Lisalli. While the first one was reasonably enjoyable as it was the first time we were in the sand, the second was a complete torture with the more compact dunes. A group of us got lost in the desert and when we tried to contact the gulf news coordinators we were told to call the cops to help find our way out of the desert. Fast forward to Jan 2017, and I was looking for an outlet away from my work related stress. I was a member of Carnity since 2012, but was never active and had probably logged in just a few times. There was a newsletter of an Absolute Newbie Drive at Fossil Rock on 27 Jan 2017. Later I got to know, that this was the first of a series of 3-5 experimental drives started by Gaurav and team to start the Carnity off-road club. From being an introvert who would not be much of a risk taker, I have personally come a long way over the past 4.5 years to becoming more adventurous and willing to push my boundaries of comfort. The journey from an Absolute Newbie in this community club to being a senior member has been truly a life changing experience. Offroading gets me away from all the worries of the city and let's me spend a good 4-5 hours every week enjoying the passion with fellow off-roaders. Along the way made some wonderful friends for life. The icing on the cake was when my son started joining my off-road escapades and who also has started enjoying the outdoors. I owe a lot to this Club. Cheers !!