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A little different than the signature @Hisham Masaad “yalla push” drive today, but fantastic scenery, changing terrain and some very soft patches to challenge us all! Thanks @Hisham Masaad! great job to @DP1011 , Deepak wrangler in SL and @Mohamad Anwer looking after everyone from the back! Limited number of few refusals and very good self recovery, especially from @salah2u. The perfect balance and combination of throttle and steering. as everyone said over the radio at the end, fantastic morning with a really great group of people! week off for me next week, so hope to see you all in a couple of weeks time!

After more than six months, meeting again with my favorite terrain Sweihan Ocean, fully cleared from all dirty dozer tracks and ready for welcoming me back with its huge dunes, deep bowls and with two very sound drivers! Despite extremely hot weather and very soft sand at some parts, today's drive was an amazing challenge to satisfy everything with offroading! Knowing that we are only three, I had already decided to push it higher to IM - and even more! ... and I did it!.. But what? No announcing from my radio screaming "Hold on... I am stuck... have refusal... heeeelp!" ... then I pushed it even more... still nothing but only a few re-attempting where I thought some as stuck, then amazed with excellent self-recoveries... We drove for 75 km in three hours and reached to Nahel right on time. I visited all my old way points and found that some are even better and more gorgeous than before! Cannot be any better return to Sweihan! @Salim Akhtar @VipinShetty, first of all, thank you for not abandoning this drive and being on sand today. Secondly of course for your excellent performance allowing us to fly on those great sand waves and to play pretty much in those deep bowls. You both made a great step toward your IM promotions, where you have already achieved in my eye today 😉 See you again on the next!

Thanks @Hisham Masaad for an amazing scenic drive this morning, and thanks to @DP1011 , Deepak wrangler @Rob S and @Mohamad Anwer for supporting. Some tight technical areas, some extremely soft sand, some wildlife, a great sunrise and a group of experienced drivers all made it a fun morning out! See you all soon 🦖

@JeromeFJ what a beautiful drive. I really loved the scenery as well as the challenges served up. A very well executed drive under your leadership, thank you. @Richard Franks happy to see your winch is not just a fashion accessory, it came in very handy indeed 😁. Thanks to both you and @Frederic for your very able support on this drive. Fred certainly knows how to swing a spade 🤣. For my fellow dune bashers @Suresh K @Alfred Alinazar @Jose Thomas @Haitham Khattab @topgear @Adam James @Amr Aydin, below a link to some Gladiator POV videos as well as some photos. https://photos.app.goo.gl/J29HGzwaLbQzpQwJA

Still trying....!

Sold, Im getting everything for my wife.

Thank you all for the full attendance. I was extremely satisfied with the pace we were able to keep. I could keep on increase the pace and the convoy had no trouble catching up. Thanks to the all-stars support team @Joji varghese @Looper @Anish S @Charbel @Rajiv Sam @GauravSonifor guiding the FB's. And well done to @Andrei S @Rajat Verma @Waqar Sarwar @Jessica Lambert @Andrew McCarthy @DP1011 , Deepak wrangler @AlexM for handling the fast paced drive so well. Couple of refusals sorted out quickly and a pop-out fixed in 10 minutes We had completed the main planned drive 30 minutes before finish time which gave idea to extend the drive to those who wanted to stay back. The next part was led by @GauravSoni. Well done & congrats on your first night drive lead. We drove for another 1.5 hrs and ended the drive at Qudra area. Thumbs up to all!! see you all soon.

Does this mean that you have passed the sand bug to home finally 🤣 @Enrico Biscaro I still remember your first ride with @Carnity .. wish you the best where ever you land on . Take care 🙏

Desert Drivers… I think today we embraced the complete meaning of these words. The Desert was there, in its full variety of sceneries, full of sand, but also full of life. Drivers we were, with all the skills required to navigate into this environment. One surprise was announced in the briefing before the drive, we had a few. The beautiful environment, for those discovering this area, virgin dunes, trees, a lot of different vegetation, the sand, very fine and soft, the desert life, with all these farms and different animals, camels of course, but goats, sheeps, gooses, and cows, yes cows! Human infrastructures also, from the watch tower of Falaj Al Mualla, to the small town of Al Rafee, and the railway works, like a scar in the desert. Still driving required full attention and skills, to avoid being lured by the quiet apparence of the dunes, hiding super soft patches. In some occasions, I had really the feeling to « swimm » out of a soft pocket (thank you FJ engineers). The convoy did very well managing climbs and keeping the momentum when needed, diving straight down into the slip faces. A few stucks were inevitable, and were rapidly sorted out with team work, shovels, and the support of @Frederic for one pull, and @Richard Franks and his hoist in another case. Thank you @Richard Franks for the SL, you were always ready to anticipate difficult situations, and holding the convoy when needed. Big thank you @Frederic for the guidance during the preparation, and the assistance for recoveries during the drive. Special thanks also to my friend @Chris Wing who came with me scouting the area the day before. It helped me to fine tune the route for today. @Suresh K @Alfred Alinazar continue to be focused on the car in front of you to anticipate difficult situations, and be very attentive to the instructions during recoveries. @Jose Thomas, very well driven today, @Haitham Khattab you enjoyed your new mount, and you made the best of it, @Adam James @Amr Aydin @Gerrit Bus very well driven. It was a pleasure to have you all today, see you soon !

This drive is organized in full compliance with the COVID19 guidelines. We expect every member that joins this drive to go through below information and strictly follow these guidelines. MUST READ AND TOTALLY AGREE: COVID19 Precautions Mandatory Safety Requirements Ban from Carnity Off-road Club Two Way Radio Guidelines Drive Details Level: Intermediate and above Meeting time: 3:30 PM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: 24°33'02.8"N 55°34'32.0"E https://goo.gl/maps/yJ1wqhSgQ8PKY1vs5 Action Plan: The Rush Hour saga has a sequel: "Il Sorpasso" means "to pass another car" in Italian, and is the title of a movie released in 1962, in which the protagonist drives a Lancia Aurelia Cabriolet, oblivious to traffic, cops, people and other cars, passing them with gusto...honking and making gestures 🤘... And so will we (sort of....), except off-road. From Al Ain District, more precisely Al Hayer to Faqa, to Lisaili (Inshallah). We'll drive longer than the Rush Hour series, adding an extra hour, and hopefully an extra 30 Km, to cover, if all goes well, 90 Kms in 3 hours. Departure is scheduled exactly at 3:30 PM (meeting time will be from 3:00 PM onward, so that we'll be all ready to start precisely at 3:30PM). The drive will end, wherever we'll be (with exit points planned nearby our route), at exactly 6:30 PM, or upon covering 30+30+30 Km, whichever comes first. The goal is to drive at a minimum average moving speed of 30Km/h. Type of Car: Any proper 4x4 with front and back tow hooks and 8-10 inches of ground clearance. What to bring along: Loads of water, snacks (for yourself), smiles, face mask, rubber gloves, enthusiasm and willingness to learn. Approximate finish time: 7:00 PM (including the possibility of a 30 minute extension to reach the exit) P.S. Only join if you have a compressor to inflate your tires after the drive. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE: Limited to 8 cars maximum. RSVP will close on Monday - 12 PM. If the RSVP is full and you wish to join, please mention your name on the drive thread to add on the waiting list Latecomers will be returned back - without ANY EXCEPTIONS. Members without RSVP will be returned back - without ANY EXCEPTIONS. Members that do not confirm the terms of the COVID requirements will be removed from the RSVP list. Please withdraw your RSVP, if you aren't joining, so your spot can be taken by others. Repeated no-show members after RSVP will have their account suspended for a month. PLEASE RSVP ON THE CALENDAR

Hi @Ale Vallecchi I noticed the drive topic intermediate but under drive detail it’s Fb+ level 😄j

I was very excited about this drive since it was just 3 cars . No way was going to miss this opportunity to meet and get to know @Mehmet Volga @Salim Akhtar as it’s Easier to talk and learn from each other in such short convoy. @mehmet, great route. I had never driven the car in such deep bowls before… as much as it was scary it was exciting as well… After that jump was a bit more cautious towards the end though😊. look forward to the pictures and videos… my phone doesn’t have a camera so couldn’t capture any of the actions !! thanks again and see you in sand soon !!

Really it was another lovely drive in magnificent Sweihan area after very long time. Looked like we were venturing into all new terrain as no tire marks were seen. Thank you @Mehmet Volgaand @VipinShettyfor making this possible. Simple enjoyed deep bowls and higher dunes with pace set by @Mehmet Volga especially the last deep dunes before exiting to Nahel. see you again next time. Pls post the pictures. I have only videos, but I guess it cannot be uploaded here.

@Enrico Biscaro all the best with your future endeavors and take care!

As mentioned by Frederic, you did very well in this difficult terrain. Keep driving and when stuck (it happen to all of us) take the time to understand the situation and you will continue to improve !

2 min

Dear desert wonderers, @Imteeaz @Michel Van Woudenberg @Joseph Raju @Gregory @Mark D @Simon Dawood @salah2u @Tareq Al Turq @Alexanderrr @Tom B @DP1011 , Deepak wrangler @Rob S @Mohamad Anwer Hope you are enjoying your weekend and hoping will have good drive tomorrow. We will be on channel 4 on the radio, and looking forward to meet you at 5:00 am. In case of requirement my mobile is 0506318834. Below is convoy order.

Thank you so much @JeromeFJ for the spectacular drive today. It was such a diverse environment of trees, bushes, soft sand & animals in one place making the scenery so beautiful. Thanks @Frederic for the support & patience and clear instructions for fellow team members. welcome back @Richard Franks & Thanks for the Second lead, well done. shout out to all convoy team, you made it fun today. Added some photos to the gallery

Having been in this area a few times before, I know very well how difficult it is to lead a convoy in those tight spots, where often it’s sheer luck to cross a dune and land just inbetween a tree and a bush. It’s the kind of area that’s mesmerizing, scenic, and as @JeromeFJrightly pointed out it brings a holistic experience to the word “desert driving”. Kudos to you buddy for taking on this challenge and guiding us through this terrain marvelously. I was driving in the back with a wide smile all the time because usually I’m a bit more focused when I’m leading while this time I could snooze and enjoy the scenery 😀 The whole group did very well, and @Alfred Alinazar if anyone knows how hard it is to take a stock long wheel base Pajero in the dunes it’s me, after stealing @Vanessa8580 her car a few times and getting stuck countless times. It’s a car that allows zero error for mistake due to the big weight and low clearance. So don’t worry about it. Once the HT tyres are due for replacement get yourself some AT tyres so you can do 11-12 psi, that will really help a lot. The sand was like powder today in some places so every psi will help. @Richard Franksgreat to see you back in the sand, the last time we met was in Liwa where your Gentlemens BBQ was on display 😜 @Suresh K Nice little Pajero you have there buddy ! That will take you everywhere! @Gerrit Bus @Amr Aydin @Haitham Khattab you guys rocked today with the Wranglers ! @Jose Thomas you navigated that X brilliantly ! Very well done ! @Adam James it’s never a bad thing driving behind an FJ Extreme, as i got to see how capable both driver and car really was today ! see you all in the sands soon ! Let’s make Batayeh a more regular desert venue for the club !

thanks you @Rob S , i had one of the coolant hoses cracked. but now its fixed, but i feel bad for missing a great drive.

Thank you @JeromeFJ for the good drive today and @Richard Franks for the SL and the legendary @Frederic for the sweep/assist. thank you all @Suresh K @Alfred Alinazar @Jose Thomas @Haitham Khattab @Adam James @Gerrit Bus (waiting desperately for the feed from your camera 😅), good to meet old friends and make new ones on this drive. see you all soon on the sand.

@eismail @Alfie Argana and @sophiedana Looking forward to meet you all tomorrow . Because it’s just a small convoy, I will decide on the convoy positions tomorrow morning 😊 See you bright and early !

Here's the idea 😅🤘

I am so hoping you are not ..was just behind you at almost the same speed, at least till the limit rose above 120 which i usually in any case don't exceed....keeping fingers crossed..i realized we are in AD however totally forgot about the no cushion thing

I had one last week😕😕, realised only after flast that the exit was from Abu Dhabi, Only good part is discount offered, making it 195😂😂

Thanks @JeromeFJ, it was a wonderful drive. I still need to learn how to handle my Pajero to handle this terrain

Morning @Mehmet Volga& @VipinShetty. Hope you guys are coming 😊. I arrived here

Hi sorry for late info of withdrawal from tomorrow’s drive. Hope to see you all next time.

No worries, will bring spares

Hi @varunmehndiratta, apologies I will drop out from this drive. I'm not yet fully recovered from a cold. Have a great drive! See you on the sand soon!

Do you have spare? I did not stick it my car because it was dirty when you gave and might have kept at home, but misplaced it.

Hi enrico, whatsapp me on 050 318 0363

@Simon Dawood we missed you today! Hope the car is sorted soon! Thanks again @Islam Soliman for great drive today! And for a small shovel workout as always! Thanks to @Hisham Masaad for sweeping and @marksand @Zixuan Huang - Charlie for support! Some photos in the gallery! See you all soon!

It's tough to follow @Thomas Varghese's recount of the drive this morning, so I'll try my best to fill in or express how I felt by the end of it all. My last newbie drive, just about a month ago, was the opposite showing of today. There, our convoy was bogged down refusal after refusal in the soft sands of Faqa and then Little Sweihan. I have also not driven with @Brette since he joined @Gaurav's convoy in Iftar Bowl in September last year, where he gave me some of the best tips and advice on how to climb. Thank you for those lessons, Brette. They've come in handy every single time after that, and with enough practice using that advice, I've learnt a lot more about how far I can push this car. So any success in scaling the climbs today, first begin with @Brette and other members offering critical notes to me. Sweeping at the back, I had little visibility on the front end of the convoy until we came to individual climbs. But, since we were always on the move, with almost no radio chatter, it was evident that every single driver today was clued in and in complete control of their machines. @Sunny84, you played the role of the second lead with elan. The drive from Tawi Nazwa to Pink Rock is usually a tight and twisty section where drivers not paying attention can often find themselves getting stuck. As Thomas has commented, we made the run to Pink Rock in record time, flying through this section. This is really a testament to the SL staying true to @Brette's beautiful line, and the convoy responding with pace and vigour. In the middle, @Pacific, and his experienced self just constantly pushed the boundary further and higher still. It gave Thomas and myself, quite a nice stretch to go after. In the latter half of the convoy, @Sita Sharma sitting with I'm sure a pretty vocal "back-seat" driver in @Looper was choosing excellent lines, plenty of throttle and even powering through sticky crests. Great job. One of the things I recognized and realized today, was exactly how other more experienced drivers would have felt when I was a Newbie. They too would have wanted to step in and show me the way. And the best ones did. I learned so much from then, just like Brette gave my first real advice on how to climb Iftar Bowl. Back then, as a Newbie, I too showed immense trepidation and hesitation when trying to climb, or criss-cross across dunes, or ride a ridge. These all seem so much easier now, because it took 50 odd drives to get here. But 45 drives ago, I too was a nervous wreck. I would hold off on the throttle when approaching a bump and proceed to lose all momentum and wonder why heavier cars can make it. It's very rarely the machine. The longer you do this, the harder you push yourself, and the more comfortable you get, will all lead you to get here. @Super Safari Girl, you'll lose the hesitation with time. And do a night drive. You'll lose it even faster 😛 . Your lines throughout the drive were cleaner, you gave yourself adequate distance to judge and see how the car in front of you was negotiating the terrain, and you were elegantly gentle through sections where there was no need to be brutish. There is already great foundations in the way you drive. Take some more of the hesitation out, and that SWB Super Safari will be screaming up the hill @Mike M. & @Jaro Tuzinsky, I was positively surprised to see the way both you pushed your cars. You were both not lacking in momentum, your lines were clean, and you had excellent follow-through going through side slopes. It was a treat to watch. White Rhinos don't see many hills in the savannas, but today, in the red sands of Sharjah, our homegrown white rhino was showing that even it can scale the highest hills. As mentioned above, it was a real treat for us. @Jad Moussalli, I haven't had the opportunity to see the new Defender in action in these sands before. And it was a nice surprise. There was clearly plenty of power at your disposal especially in the climbs where it showed no signs of relenting. @Anirudh Dayma & @Jonny90, I didn't get very good visuals on you until we got to the climbs, and there you both piloted your machines with absolute ease. Important to note is how well you exited when you lost momentum ensuring that you weren't fishtailing through the slopes. And finally, @Thomas Varghese, with more than double the number of drives, your experience is evident in spaces beyond just the driving, from clearing live codes with electronics, to getting a limping car to leap to the top of hills. You made it look super easy. And of course, I'm looking forward to what you caught in your frame. Thank you @Brette, for leading a great drive through this area. I learned so much today on why I got into offroading, and it brought up again the early feelings I had as a newbie. See you all out on the sands again soon [ 🐵 ]

All fine with me

It is always easier and more fun with small convoys normally but needed min 3 cars. As you both confirmed, we are still in the game @Salim Akhtar @VipinShetty 👍 Just check if everything is alright with your cars until tomorrow morning

Great @VipinShettysee you tmrow then

Hi @Mehmet Volgathis time we will continue with smaller convoy if @VipinShetty continues.

Morning guys, have to pull out from this one. Enjoy the drive, will see you next time!

Yes @Salim Akhtar it is still on as long as we have at least three cars, including me. Seems we have four so far...

@Mehmet Volga drive is still on right ?

@Mehmet Volgasorry man i am also leaving due to personal commitments. see you in the next drive.

Updated convoy order

Sorry @JeromeFJ, i have to drop as my car is in maintenance and they claim there are too many things to be done it has to stay till tomorrow.

Hi @JeromeFJ I will withdraw, already with @Brette b,ecause of busy schedule forgot to do it. Thanks, drive safe.

Hi @varunmehndiratta, yes and thank you. Looking forward for the drive.

Dear Desert Drivers, @Richard Franks @Suresh K @Alfred Alinazar @Jose Thomas @Haitham Khattab @Pacific @Ahmed Wagdy @Adam James @topgear @Amr Aydin @Gerrit Bus @Tareck @Frederic You will find the convoy order for tomorrow morning The meeting is at 5:15 am at - https://goo.gl/maps/WYMWCc7JmWVz3gm39 We will use radio Channel 2. As usual, try to get as much sleep as you can before the drive, and come with a full tank. See you all tomorrow morning !

Thank @takeshi sobue for letting us know.. hope to see u soon