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DRIVE REPORT Dear Desert Wanderers, What a drive, what a day!! It all started with some disappointment, as we made our way to Fossil Dunes at sunrise, ready to frame in some nice photo shots these incredible rock formations, but found that the whole area (visited just 3 weeks ago when I did my recce to prepare this drive) had been fenced and was no longer accessible. Luckily, the disappointment was meant to last for just a minutes: as we entered the sand on the south side of Wathba Canal, we immediately revved up our engines with a 15' fast paced warm-up around a wonderful set of large round and swooping dunes in a shining bright sand. The warm-up took us to the east end of Wathba Canal, from where we could admire the imposing size of the man-made excavation: As we moved away from the canal, we headed south-east across a long stretch of mid-sized dunes offering large and round ridges combined with sharp crests and long slip faces, totally virgin everywhere, with no tracks anywhere to be seen. As we kept moving south-east, we found ourselves in a progressively narrower strip of dunes, with two sabkhas on both sides (north and south). The fact that the strip was less than 500m wide didn't make it any less fun, as we roamed around poised for leaving our tyre marks on as many ridges as we could see: This first session of the drive was very fast and enjoyable, as the dunes were not too big, the ridges were often fat and round and thus easy to approach and the spacing allowed to roam around with some speed. The sand was humid on the surface but dry and soft just a couple of centimeters below which made it at the same time compact to drive on but also tricky when churned up. When we were about to exit to cross the sabkha on the south side, @Lawrence_Chehimi's back-seat passenger asked for a recess as she was struggling with motion sickness.. Unfortunately, this kind of drives are really not advisable for back-seat passengers, and in the future, also based on this experience, I'll make it clearer to avoid other uncomfortable situations, which are a pain as much for the passenger as they are for the driver who, as happened today, ends up quitting the drive earlier. In light of the situation, we made a quick 5km detour crossing the sabkha on the north side to let @Lawrence_Chehimi reach the nearest tarmac road. We then backtracked and moved to the south sabkha to continue our journey. Again to my surprise, the passage I had marked to enter the sabkha through a gate in the fence had been blocked by some huge piles of sand clearly moved there with escavators to block the way, but luckily @Looper noticed a Y62 crossing a bit more to the west side, so we followed through. We crossed the sabkha and headed south, in the 2nd great area of the day, where we found big dunes to climb and giant slip faces calling for endless slideslopes: We indulged in the area for quite a while: it was very difficult to drive away from those dunes which were as enchanting as singing syrens: When we eventually had enough, we started heading south-east, moving fast across a fairly easy and relatively flatter section of approx 12km, which eventually led us to the big dunes of Razeen. Having managed well our time, we were blessed with a full 90' mins non-stop, supercharged, fast-paced, high-adrenaline stint around Razeen. This image doesn't give justice to the amazing lines we followed all over the place: Endless climbs to the very top of super tall dunes were most of the time culminating in daring criss-crossings and dives down equally endless slip faces, in a totally addictive sequence that the convoy interpreted with an incredible performance with almost no stucks and refusals. As time was flying, the time came for us to exit. After almost 4h spent at top levels of focus and adrenaline, as soon as we had close visual on Razeen Road, the convoy started to relax and had a series of last minute stucks, among which a nice cresting by @Ranjan Das, definitely worth a shot: By 11:00am we were eventually out on the tarmac after 4h 13' of total drive duration, of which only 46' were actual stopped time, with an average moving speed of 27.4km/h across 99.2km of total distance, with an ascent of over +/-1000m. The convoy was stratospheric today: @Christian Andras, great second lead, @Ranjan Das, @Lawrence_Chehimi (for as long as it lasted), @Rawad, @JeromeFJ, @Looper, @Mario Cornejo and @Dodi Syahdar, perfect Sweep at the back, were all brilliant, capable of maintaining peak performance focus for the best part of 4h, resulting in minimal stucks and refusals. It was a memorable drive, too bad @Arman, @Thomas Varghese, @varunmehndiratta and @Mus_hus78 couldn't make it. They all missed a great one! Kudos to all, thanks to @Christian Andras and @Dodi Syahdar for the support and see you soon again!

@Lorenzo Candelpergher, this drive was amazing and for sure to keep in the records ! Every thing was there. Beautiful empty spaces, endless climbing and side sloping, breathtaking crest crossing, deep narrow bowls, steep slip face descents ... it was a real festival ! The sand was compact at the beginning, and became rapidly softer with the sun rising (and the 2 Patrols making their ways ;)) and it was real pleasure to drive through these almost virgin areas, with no tracks, and no sight of any other convoy. The short and compact convoy was in perfect configuration, focused on your lines, and following the intense pace with no hesitation. @Christian Andras, @Ranjan Das, @Lawrence_Chehimi, @Rawad, @Looper, @Mario Cornejo, @Dodi Syahdar, it was a pleasure driving with you all. Thanks again @Lorenzo Candelpergher for taking us full throttle through this beautiful itinerary !

Shaaz and Ale Explore Bab al Mutawha - Drive Report "If you are irritated by every rub, how will you be polished?" - Rumi I used (and mostly still am) irritated by technical areas. Even though, on one hand, they are less nerve wreaking than adrenaline packed long climbs, fast ridge-riding, or steep side sloping, on the other hand they break the flow of the drive, bring along a lot of bumping around, hide pop-outs and stucks behind every dune, and seem to go on endlessly. Nonetheless, as I had promised myself after the DCT, I would need to have my "desert wolf" fur rubbed the wrong way, if I wanted to polish my arsenal of off-roading skills to as much perfection as possible. Hence this drive, in a seemingly innocent, yet extremely technical, area of Abu Dhabi: a thin string of dunes, never more than 3 or 4 cordons deep and around 15 Km long, sandwiched between Sweihan Road and Bab al Mutawah Road, just before the intersection with E75. From a relatively hidden entry point, through an automatic gate, driving around a camel farm, and through a small gap in a kilometers ling fence, one is thrown into a heap of tall and extremely soft dunes, at first built in steps, where each ridge hides a short drop into a pocket, then a climb onto the next ridge, and so on, until from the dunes' top the flat sabkha and farms on the other side (the ones parallel to Bab al Mutawah Rd.) become visible, and it's time to revert and snake your way back toward Sweihan Rd.. While climbing the first of these "zigurrat-like" dunes we knew we were in for a slow and challenging drive. There would be a lot of rubbing, hence a lot of polishing to go through. It couldn't have been a more challenging location for @Shaaz Sha's first lead. We had planned to switch drives after having found the right entry, and having reached the furthest point along the corridor, Abu Dhabi's side. Having done so, Shaaz started his lead without batting an eye, undeterred by the couple of stucks we had in the first 5 minutes of the drive, and unfazed by the difficulty of the terrain. With calm and assertiveness, he led through the complex terrain, choosing routes that certainly pushed the drive to a Fewbie Plus (at times even Intermediate). Other members of the convoy have already testified to the difficulties that the area offered; I will only add that, contrarily to most of my drives, yet according to plan, it took us 2:50 hours to drive a little over 20 Km, at an average moving speed of 19KM/h, but with a total average speed of just below 7Km/h. Sometimes, even Long Range Desert Patrols have to crawl through enemy lines, and grit it out. A very resilient drive by @Santoso Marjuki, the only Fewbie in the convoy, who was forced to up his game, with only minor errors due to distraction, rather than lack of skills. Very nicely driven by all the others, in particular @Adhir Saxena, with the less powerful, yet very maneuverable car, and @Zed, facing Adhir's exact opposite situation (great power, and less agility), as well as @Looper exploring his car's new functionality, @Sunil Mathew perfecting his Intermediate skills, @Thomas Varghese, facing the churned, soft sands of the convoy's rear, and @Tbone, elegantly driving with ease as our Sweep (BTW, how's the car now?). Thank you very much to all the Desertnauts, and hope to see you soon in another drive.

@PaoloMaraziti, @Ruan van den Heever, @JeromeFJ, @Arman, @Thomas Varghese, @Rawad, @Alain Canivet-Abikhalil, @Mus_hus78, @Ranjan Das, @varunmehndiratta, @Mario Cornejo, @Shaaz Sha Welcome to the Carnity Annual Liwa Expedition. Few key pointers (MUST READ) Every car should have 100 liters of fuel in the fuel tank or with additional jerry cans. If you show up at the meeting point and looking for a fuel station, that means you've missed the initial post to read and will also miss this drive, as we won't hold the convoy for 30-45 minutes. This is an Intermediate level drive so expect a fast-paced and action-oriented drive filled with adrenal pumping fun. So make sure everything in your car - boot and passenger seat is secured, fastened, or strapped. Get enough sleep in advance, to stay focused especially after 3-4 hours of drive. This is not Qudra, Bidayer or Faya, so respect nature and be super cautious at all times. Leave your ego at home, or you cannot enjoy LIWA. Lighter is better for IM fun. IM drives are best enjoyed alone, so you can climb and negotiate higher No risk of passenger sickness or busy schedule. No early exit for 1 car. So be yourself fully ready for an 8+ hour drive and also make sure your passenger (if you still bringing) understands that in this route there is no early exit. So 1 car, 1 driver, 1 passenger may cost the fun for the whole convoy if it's that serious. DRIVE PREPARATION To ensure that everyone has a fun and safe Liwa trip it's important that you go through the below checklist : 1. Please ensure that you are there at the meeting point at 7:30 AM sharp. Latecomers would be sent back. 2. Firstly, get lots and lots of rest the previous day. The more the better as Liwa will not only challenge your vehicle but your mind as well. We would need your complete focus and fatigue due to less rest is the last thing that is needed on such a terrain. For those who prefer camping the previous night, you can do so at the starting point as it's a nice spaced-out area. Bring some firewood in case if you wish to have a bonfire to keep you warm. Cleaning up after the bonfire is mandatory. 3. Ensure that your 4x4 is well serviced recently and all the lubes and fluids are topped up. 4. 20 Liter / 40-liter fuel jerry can is needed depending on your vehicle. If you have any doubts, please post your query on the drive post and we will assist. 5. A full fuel tank at the meeting point. 6. Spare tire should be in good working condition. If not been used recently, ensure that you take it out and check the condition properly. Also, ensure that you have the wrench that can be used to remove your tire (if needed). In the past, we have seen that people upgrade their tires but still keep the original wrench which is of no use to remove the upgraded tire. So please ensure that your car has the right tool to remove your car tires (if needed). 7. Bring along your breakfast, lunch, snacks, etc in easy-to-eat packing. We shall be having breaks in between the drive. 8. Dry food, energy bar, cookies, nuts, crisp to munch while driving. 9. Bring garbage bags along to carry your trash. Littering in the desert is strictly prohibited. Keep checking this list, as it might grow further in the coming days. All the above points are Mandatory and your participation on the drive would be refused on the drive day by the trip lead if you fail to comply with the above.

A Marshal with determination!

Good morning everyone. What an amazing afternoon drive. As scheduled all were almost on time at the meeting point, despite Google maps trying to push us for short cuts, which were illegal. Eventually all reached, and apologies, will change the meeting point to one of the interchanges, instead in between. Waited some time for @Chris Wingbeing the sweep, and decided to surprise @Peter Hager to be in sweep position, who never did before. @Jeepie explained what is required from the sweep, and the excitement started. In the beginning didn't want to start with the big dunes of Big Red. being close to the meeting point, till I and every one warm up, and check how every one is doing with low hight dunes. Crossed Big Red, and found all are doing well and thirsty for more challenges. Went back to the Big Red, and every one had his chance to climb on both sides, and was great job by all. After that we started heading towards pink rock, which we usually climb, but unfortunately, with the new roles, we could not climb. When I found, reaching pink rock was fast, easy and without any issue, and there was plenty of time, had to make a turn and go back, trying to scan all dunes. Below how the track looked like. Completed in 3 hours about 50 km, which is really amazing. We did not need to have any shovel or tug. Thank you @Jeepie for being second lead, @Sunil Mathew for your support in the centre, amazing. And thank you very much @Peter Hager being the good news sweep. All over the drive, I was hearing always "all good and moving" which was encouraging me to more forward with more confidence that all are enjoying and managing. Thank you @KAMALIO @AlexM @Davie Chase @Waqas Parvez @Vaibhav @Reggie Landicho for joining, you were all amazing and happy to meet you. Look forward for another drive. Nice week ahead all Take care Hisham

What a fabulous drive! Even more exciting than what Lorenzo had billed it to be while posting. If I was (a bit) tired after a 90 mins drive to the meeting point following a long Friday escapade, there wasn't any hint of it left by the time we reached the Wathba Lake - the short ride was thoroughly refreshing and promising a even more fantastic drive that lay ahead. Fantastic it was. A few refusals and stucks actually gave the much needed breather from the continuous fast paced, adranaline filled drive. Didn't realise how fast the time flew-by with us covering 95 KMs - incredible! Thanks @Lorenzo Candelpergher for curating yet another gem of a drive - will remember it for a long time. thanks @Christian Andras and @Dodi Syahdarfor the support. @Rawad, @JeromeFJ, @Looper, @Mario Cornejo, @Lawrence_Chehimi was an absolute pleasure meeting and driving with you gentlemen. Thank you and hope to see you soon.

@Shaaz Sha @Sudhanva Sonawane @Pierre de Maigret @Alexander Holodny @thomasvarghese @Gregory @Prakash Anoop @Daniel Yang @imranaasghar81 @Salim Akhtar pictures in the gallery

@Hisham Masaad I repeat it has been my best drive so far with Carnity!! The combination of speed, challenge, weather and sunset just made it awesome. It is a drive to remember for me. @Jeepie Chapeau to you for your skills and experience. It was a lot of pressure being behind you and to keep up and learnt a lot on how to keep that momentum constant and just enough to overcome the resistance of the softsand. @Sunil Mathew@Peter Hager Great having you cover our back and ensuring that we kept moving at the challenging pace. Thank you both. @AlexMAt first I kept looking back to see if you were behind as part of the responsibility of being in the convoy, 30 mins later I know I did not have to bother and was always great to look back and see you close behind. It allowed me to enjoy the beautiful views in front. I just was conscious that with your top down I did not end of blowing up too much sand from the rear. Apologies if that happened Great drive rest of the team and with the challenge that @Hisham Masaadput us was good to see that everyone keep the convoy moving smoothly and honoured to drive with all you skilled drivers.

@Salman Farooq is this is your first drive with Carnity?? I see you don’t have any drives mentioned in your profile which means you have to join a absolute newbie drive first - mandatory in Carnity off road club. Important check list for all members signed up on this drive please read thoroughly and acknowledge by clicking totally agree Vishal Nair @Vishal Nair Sudhanva Sonawane @Sudhanva Sonawane Dinesh Kumar A @Dinesh Kumar A khurram.k @khurram.k kiranshinde @kiranshinde Muhammad Qasim @Muhammad Qasim Rob Soughton @Rob Soughton Manish Kashyap @Manish Kashyap Julian Patterson @Julian Patterson Adnan Halepota @Adnan Halepota 1. Please ensure that you are there at the meeting point on 7:30 AM sharp. Late comers would be sent back. 2. Firstly, get lots and lots of rest the previous day. The more the better as Liwa will not only challenge your vehicle but your mind as well. We would need your complete focus and fatigue due to less rest is the last thing that is needed on such a terrain. For those who prefer camping the previous night, you can do so at the starting point as its a nice spaced out area. Bring some firewood incase if you wish to have a bonfire to keep you warm. Cleaning up after the bonfire is mandatory. 3. Ensure that your 4x4 is well serviced recently and all the lubes and fluids are topped up. 4. 20 Liter / 40 litre fuel jerry can is needed depending on your vehicle. If you have any doubts, please post your query on the drive post and we will assist. 5. A full fuel tank at the meeting point. 6. Spare tyre should be in good working condition. If not been used recently, ensure that you take it out and check the condition properly. Also ensure that you have the wrench that can be used to remove your tyre (if needed). In the past we have seen that people upgrade their tyres but still keep the the original wrench which is of no use to remove the upgraded tyre. So please ensure that your car has the right tool to remove the tyres (if needed). 7. Air compressor, proper shovel, flag, fire extinguisher, first aid kit, 8. Fully charged radio (tuned to all Carnity Frequencies) with spare battery / radio. If you have a car charger for your radio, please bring it along. 9. Please ensure that you know how to switch off traction control (turning off Air bags is not mandatory for this drive). If it requires pulling the fuse, please research before the drive or better still, post your queries on this drive post and we would assist. 10. Car charger / battery pack for your mobile. 11. Plenty of water, approx 5 litre per person per day. 12. Bring along your breakfast, lunch, snacks, etc in easy to eat packing. We shall be having breaks in between the drive. 13. Dry food, energy bar, cookies, nuts, crisp to munch while driving 14. Bring garbage bags along to carry your trash. Littering in the desert is strictly prohibited.

Finally the master video is released today. @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

@Foxtrot Oscar @Larry Cadden @Suresh K @Omar ElGamal @Dinesh Kumar A @Simon Claes @Ahmad Shaker @Belal Aldaour @Patrick van der Loo @khurram.k @Super Safari Girl @Morshedi @Pieter Potgieter Pictures in the gallery

Thanks @Lorenzo Candelpergherand everybody for the amazing drive, the first hour was definitely one of the best drives I've ever had. It has been so long since I red lined my Patrol, and the mix of Intermediate, Abu Dhabi and @Lorenzo Candelpergher made it the perfect combination. I'm really sorry I had to exit out early, I guess at a certain point we got used to Intermediate drives and didn't expect it will be that thrilling especially for my passengers. I hope we have such drives with super large dunes and endless side sloping and criss crossing more often. @Christian Andrasthanks for the dramamine pill you gave to my passenger (not sure if this is the correct name).

@AlexM I had the same challenge to maintain that same distance from @Jeepie my only worry was just to make sure your are not being bothered by the dust trail. Hope to see you on more drives!

It was a really amazing and excellent drive @Hisham Masaad, and never felt like it was only your 3rd drive in lead. The last time i joined you and @Jeepie was back in July during my Fewbie days , same area around pink rock where i had 2 longitudinal stucks ...so returning here with the same combination, had a different and nostalgic feeling. Thank you for entrusting me with the CF role, it was a bit humbling, i should say , because i could feel the weight of the responsibility you guys were bearing while in support previously , and also learnt that there is a long way to go to emulate the stalwarts at Carnity !!. Good to meet everyone @KAMALIO @AlexM @Davie Chase @Waqas Parvez @Vaibhav @Reggie Landicho , all new faces for me, and congrats to @Peter Hager on his debut sweep role, good job !! All of you drove really well , keep perfecting your skills and improving the sync with your car . See you all soon !!

@Hisham Masaadthanks for a great drive was super amazing and the climbs were great really enjoyed it looking forward to more. Great second lead from @Jeepiealways a pleasure to follow. @Peter Hagergreat job as sweep. Great to meet all the other team members some old and some new.

@Hisham MasaadLoved the drive. @Waqas Parvezhad informed me about his previous experience on your drive. Wanted to try it and loved every single minute of the drive. Thank you and looking forward to many more drives with you.

1. Please ensure that you are there at the meeting point on 7:30 AM sharp. Late comers would be sent back. 2. Firstly, get lots and lots of rest the previous day. The more the better as Liwa will not only challenge your vehicle but your mind as well. We would need your complete focus and fatigue due to less rest is the last thing that is needed on such a terrain. For those who prefer camping the previous night, you can do so at the starting point as its a nice spaced out area. Bring some firewood incase if you wish to have a bonfire to keep you warm. Cleaning up after the bonfire is mandatory. 3. Ensure that your 4x4 is well serviced recently and all the lubes and fluids are topped up. 4. 20 Liter / 40 litre fuel jerry can is needed depending on your vehicle. If you have any doubts, please post your query on the drive post and we will assist. 5. A full fuel tank at the meeting point. 6. Spare tyre should be in good working condition. If not been used recently, ensure that you take it out and check the condition properly. Also ensure that you have the wrench that can be used to remove your tyre (if needed). In the past we have seen that people upgrade their tyres but still keep the the original wrench which is of no use to remove the upgraded tyre. So please ensure that your car has the right tool to remove the tyres (if needed). 7. Air compressor, proper shovel, flag, fire extinguisher, first aid kit, 8. Fully charged radio (tuned to all Carnity Frequencies) with spare battery / radio. If you have a car charger for your radio, please bring it along. 9. Please ensure that you know how to switch off traction control (turning off Air bags is not mandatory for this drive). If it requires pulling the fuse, please research before the drive or better still, post your queries on this drive post and we would assist. 10. Car charger / battery pack for your mobile. 11. Plenty of water, approx 5 litre per person per day. 12. Bring along your breakfast, lunch, snacks, etc in easy to eat packing. We shall be having breaks in between the drive. 13. Dry food, energy bar, cookies, nuts, crisp to munch while driving 14. Bring garbage bags along to carry your trash. Littering in the desert is strictly prohibited. My advice is that for safety, it's not the best idea to drive up, then drive 10 hours in the desert, then drive home. Your choice entirely, but I would not do that. I will be camping.

Drive Report We met promptly at 2pm at the Fort in Lisailli , everyone deflated, fixed their flags and after a short briefing we were headed along the track that would lead us to the dunes. The beginning of the drive was a fairly tame route and it allowed everyone to get used to their desert wheels as we made our way to a small technical patch. Once at the technical patch we had a couple of stucks, which were easily handled with some digging. I have to say I was very impressed by how the convoy handled the technical dunes, it is a different type of challenge but a very worthwhile one. As we exited the technical area the wide open long range dunes of Lisailli opened out in front of us. As is always the case with Carnity drives we try to push you as much as you will allow us at each level. We had a small slide sloping tutorial and I watched avidly as each member of the convoy completed the side slope with aplomb . I pushed the side slop level a little more, and again watched as our newbies tackled the fresh challenge. Once again, you all coped admirably, with not a fish tail in sight. That was my green light, YALLA! We had so much fun on those great dunes, side sloping our way through to Solar Park, we even managed a mini criss cross, which again, each driver again handled brilliantly. I was very very impressed. We should treat our cars gently, if we’re kind to them they in turn will be kind to us, and you all did, you followed the instruction perfectly, and smoothly criss-crossed that small dune. We had some steep up and overs to deal with too, and everyone coped brilliantly , in fact I think the only time we had to get the rope out was when I drove into a pocket, haha! Aside from that everyone had great drives. As the sun began to set we gathered on the dunes and the last photo op was taken advantage of. The temptation to drive back in was high, but for once I was able to resist and we headed from the dunes towards the track and gathered to re inflate Special mentions to the Newbie Newbies at the front of the convoy @Suresh K @Omar ElGamal @Dinesh Kumar A @Simon Claes – I thought you all drove really well, some great self recoveries too. Well done all of you. Just a couple of pointers, and you know who you are, stay on the tracks I create, I do this for a reason, I know where you can go safely; try to keep up; if you are losing sight of the car in front, announce it on the radio, there’s no issue with that, I’ll wait. To the more experienced drivers, and by that I mean you have had a couple of more drives, @Belal Aldaour @Patrick van der Loo @khurram.k @Super Safari Girl @Pieter Potgieter @Morshedi, you all had a really good day out there. I know it’s more difficult as the sand gets churned up, so well done for handling that as well as the slight increase in level, ‘Newbie with added vitamins’. This doesn’t apply to you all but it is worth reminding everyone at this level that, if you are losing momentum and fishtailing for whatever reason, be it the car in front or the sand being too churned and soft, please please please don’t fight gravity and steer down immediately. To the entire convoy, comms are vital on a drive, it's good to talk, never be embarrassed, just shout out, especially if you have a refusal at the bottom of a steep up and over 😜 Many thanks to my great support today, to @Larry Cadden , who was fantastic as my 2nd lead , following my instruction and holding when I needed him to. He saved us on a few occasions when I drove into an area that would have required intermediate level of skills to get out of. Thanks @Ahmad Shaker for holding it down in the middle .Also huge thanks to the ever present @Jeepie who was there to guide us all, when we were stuck or reattempting. Thank you all for indulging me, for listening to and following my instruction and for making it such a fun afternoon in the sand. Until our next adventure. 😎

@KAMALIO @AlexM @Davie Chase @Waqas Parvez @Sunil Mathew @Peter Hager @Vaibhav @Reggie Landicho @Hisham Masaad pictures in the gallery

Thank you @Reggie Landicho @Sunil Mathew @Peter Hager @AlexM @Vaibhav @KAMALIO @Waqas Parvez @Davie Chase and @Jeepie , it also you guys made the difference and helped to enjoy

That’s fine. Channels 9 and 10 are not used very often, but try to get a spare radio anyways. A simple Baofeng UV5R is only 75dhs and you can use it as a backup in the event when any of these frequencies are needed.

Thank you so much @Hisham Masaad!🙏🙏🙏. You’re an amazing lead👋👋👋 👋👋👋👋👋👋👋👋👋👋👋 WELL DONE! (see full line of claps) I consider this as one of my big achievements since started off-roading. And you help us made it happen! Amazing pace, tracks, obstacles, dunes climb and sceneries. Thanks to the support team: @JeepieMajan, @Sunil Mathew& @Peter Hager, Excellent job team!🙏 Very well drive by the whole team! @KAMALIO, @Davie Chase, @AlexM, @Waqas Parvez, @Vaibhav Thanks to all of you! See you all soon!

Personally, my pajero transmission didnt heat up during my drives. But in general pajeros tend to heat up so i installed i fan for 225 AED in sharja. Better safe than sorry I guess.

Just sand, that had been piled up by escavators to block the passage through the gate, as some grading works were being done on the opposite side. I tried to see if we could make it through (a bit ambitious 😂😂) but then we realized there was another opening 500m away

Thanks a lot @Foxtrot Oscar and @Jeepie for the wonderful drive and fun. I gained lot of confidence & knowing my car better…looking forward to joining for more adventure rides. Well noted your comments..

I never thought that you'd be able to keep track of each participant's effort and performance all the whilst managing and leading a lengthy and relatively inexperienced convoy like ours. @Lorenzo CandelpergherYou sir are a work of art! The combination of instructing, sarcasm, cheerfulness and lightheartedness. @Russ Of course your spectacular efforts and recovery skills were almost life-saving that day as well. On a side-note, that's a very mean machine you've got there!

@Lorenzo Candelpergher @Russthanks a lot for a great fun and great ride. Lorenzo it was a pleausre to be your student in a fishtailing and dune crossing school !

@Ale Vallecchi please do make these "tea in the desert" trips a regular - would love to have joined had it not been for the Liwa adventures the next day. look forward to the pics.

@Brette@JeromeFJ Much thanks for the guidance & support

Thank @Foxtrot Oscar for a great drive. Despite being a newbie drive it was fast paced and nicely challenging in places. Also much appreciated for stopping to enjoy one of the best sunsets I've seen in Dubai. Thanks @Jeepie and @Ahmad Shaker for the support. Looking forward to the next drive already.

1. Please ensure that you are there at the meeting point on 7:30 AM sharp. Late comers would be sent back. 2. Firstly, get lots and lots of rest the previous day. The more the better as Liwa will not only challenge your vehicle but your mind as well. We would need your complete focus and fatigue due to less rest is the last thing that is needed on such a terrain. For those who prefer camping the previous night, you can do so at the starting point as its a nice spaced out area. Bring some firewood incase if you wish to have a bonfire to keep you warm. Cleaning up after the bonfire is mandatory. 3. Ensure that your 4x4 is well serviced recently and all the lubes and fluids are topped up. 4. 20 Liter / 40 litre fuel jerry can is needed depending on your vehicle. If you have any doubts, please post your query on the drive post and we will assist. 5. A full fuel tank at the meeting point. 6. Spare tyre should be in good working condition. If not been used recently, ensure that you take it out and check the condition properly. Also ensure that you have the wrench that can be used to remove your tyre (if needed). In the past we have seen that people upgrade their tyres but still keep the the original wrench which is of no use to remove the upgraded tyre. So please ensure that your car has the right tool to remove the tyres (if needed). 7. Air compressor, proper shovel, flag, fire extinguisher, first aid kit, 8. Fully charged radio (tuned to all Carnity Frequencies) with spare battery / radio. If you have a car charger for your radio, please bring it along. 9. Please ensure that you know how to switch off traction control (turning off Air bags is not mandatory for this drive). If it requires pulling the fuse, please research before the drive or better still, post your queries on this drive post and we would assist. 10. Car charger / battery pack for your mobile. 11. Plenty of water, approx 5 litre per person per day. 12. Bring along your breakfast, lunch, snacks, etc in easy to eat packing. We shall be having breaks in between the drive. 13. Dry food, energy bar, cookies, nuts, crisp to munch while driving 14. Bring garbage bags along to carry your trash. Littering in the desert is strictly prohibited.

@varunmehndiratta Go and have a look at Ace, they have Red AOR style off brand 20l jerry cans for 200 dirhams. Thy are made tough. They also sell 2x10l cans that can be split into two. They are green in color.

This drive under @Janarthanleadership was excellent, there is always something new to learn and discover about the Qudra desert. Thanks! And what a priviledge to have @Wrangeld"desert champion" as a sweep driving near you, not something you experience everyday. Thanks for the great afternoon team! See you soon.

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....!

@Vishal Nairafter all the checks and oil change just add an extra fan as pajero’s need them for sure especially if your in @Lorenzo Candelpergherdrive and that too intermediate drive i suggest you get “propeller plane ✈️ fan” 🤣😂……

DRIVE REPORT Dear Desert Wanderers, It was a nice and chilling dawn when the convoy met yesterday at 6:30am. Everyone made it to the meeting point quite on time and after an extensive briefing we were ready to move by 7:05am. We warmed up crossing a long sabkha heading north east, then entered an area of nice long range dunes, where we spent quite some time roaming around and practicing some fun sidesloping. The sand in the area was very churned up and with many tracks, which made the exercise way more complex, but worth it. To the surprise of most in the convoy, we encountered several rock formations, which made the landscape, in the sunrise light, even more fascinating. As we moved further deep into the desert, we managed to get some distance between our convoy and the other two that were roaming in the area, one of which led by @M.Seidam. Quite early in the drive @Vishal Nair's Pajero, if I am not mistaken, showed some transmission overheating problems, so we stopped to address the issue. As discussed, most Pajeros suffer from transmission overheating which is often solved by installing a small additional fan in front of the dedicated radiator. Many Senior members in the club will be able to help on this. Our Marshal @Vanessa8580our Expert @Mehmet Volga or@GauravSonifrom the Support Team will be surely able to give you some advice. As the convoy was doing very well, I decided to raise the bar a little and to throw in some more fun stuff, including a few straight-up / straight-down dune crossing. It was approaching a high crest, followed by a long and steep descent, that @Asem Rashwan got crested in a moment of hesitation, giving Russ the chance to demonstrate to the whole convoy how a proper rope recovery is done. The stop and regrouping came handy to review some basic concepts about sidesloping, dune crossing and fishtailing, after which we were again on the move. With a few more refusals here and there we made our way further North, approaching the area of the Mighty Lisaili Dunes, maintaining a nice and fluid pace. Too good to be true, me and @Russ were thinking.. Then it happened: @Asem Rashwan's Ford Explorer, after a severe overheating caused by repeated attempts to recover from a stuck situation in supersoft and churned up sand, totally lost power, with no chance to get the engine running. Given the situation, as @Carnity's motto is that we never leave anyone behind, it was decided that we would attempt to tow the Ford Explorer out on the tarmac using my winch first, to get him on the flat, and then the endless horsepower of @Russ' beast. Winching uphill a dead load was hard but it worked out, so the towing was next, but probably the tow point (a bolted one) had been taxed enough and it collapsed as soon as @Russ started to pull. Luckily no one was injured and nothing was damaged by the steel projectile and we are all here adding this story to the many adventures of our off-road memoirs. Having explored in advance the best route out, the convoy had an easy exit to the Sabkha and eventually to the tarmac on D63 Seeh Al Salam Road, where we reached at 11:05am, exactly 4h after our departure. Everyone in the convoy did extremely well @Marcin Wronowski was an excellent 2nd lead. Always responsive to my instructions for small deviations. @Premjit Vappala did very well with his Pajero. With time you'll learn to be less shy on your throttle and get addicted to flooring it 😂 @Mawy followed in a very disciplined and focused way, with a brilliant performance. I also appreciated his many smart comments and useful suggestions on the radio. Well done! @Simon DawoodDawood had sometimes the temptation to fight gravity while sidesloping. Practice will help you control your fishtailing with the right combination of gas + countersteering , which will ultimately lead you to sustain longer sideslopes without challenging the unbeatable gravity. @Vishal Nair proved to be more efficient with manual shift than his automatic gearbox when it comes to preventing transmission overheating 😉. Other than that, some refusals here and there were all part of the game, especially in non trivial terrain as the one we drove through yesterday. @Asem Rashwan drove overall very well and had his good share of Desert Adventure for the day, but all is well what ends well. As @Russ recommended, please do not join any other drive before replacing both front tow points with proper ones, adequately strong and rated to withstand harsh tugs as happen off-road. @Usman Basit had a moment of concern when he heard some weird noise from his front left wheel, but it disappeared as suddenly as it appeared, so he could continue the drive and get a full blast of fun with the rest of the convoy. His hesitations here and there will fade away with time and practice. I had less visual on the cars at the back, but both @Rouaj and @Muhammad Qasim leveraged well their capable FJ Cruisers, struggling here and there in churned up sand, which was however quite unavoidable yesterday. @Sergio Big Dawg certainly showed he has a few more drives outside @Carnity under his belly. Also, his legendary Y61 is, by definition, almost unstoppable.. @Tom B at the back led his capable Land Cruiser, a great (but heavy and thus not easy) off-roader. Coming to terms with counter-steering to control fishtailing will take time and practice, but is particularly important on a heavy long wheel base ride like his. @Mohamad Ziad Alhennawi was comfortably at the back with his giant Hummer. As he noticed, the heavy weight of his beast requires a lot of ability in never losing momentum, as gravity won't make any discounts on an H3 😂😂. Overall we covered 43.6km in 4h net, moving for 2h 33' and stopping for 1h 27'. While in movement, we kept an average speed of 17.1km/h, which means it was a fairly fast paced drive as most of the terrain allowed for a fast ride. Congratulations to all, very well done but, most importantly, special thanks to @Russ who was all over the place, tugging, shoveling, giving instructions, providing valuable guidance, making my life way easier. Look at him at the top of a long slip face descent, guiding the whole lot down: A perfect support and an excellent towing exercise at the end. Bravo! See you soon in the sand!

Love your report with admiration @Zed 💙. Great to have you for the enthusiasm, energy and laughter you bring on the drives . Mean while I caught you doing a lot of shoveling 😜when I was stuck Yes we are 👍🏼, well driven even at the back . Good to have you buddy

If you are planning to put inside the vehicle, i would recommend the plastic ones. The metal ones are more suitable for putting in a pickup truck or mounting on the outside. Try to get at least 20l, either in 1 jerrycan or two smaller ones. Strap them safely so they don't fly around. The ones from the gas station are fine, have a look at Speedex as they have different models as well. Don't forget to buy a spout as well. In some cars it might work by cutting a plastic water bottle, but in some cars it hardly works. On the small plastic ones the spout is included i think (the black hose).

Appreciate that @KAMALIO, I know I was following up a bit too close, need to work on that)