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Good afternoon desert wanderers, @Pajy McPajface - luke, @Abdullah N, @Nizar Shawwa, @Andrew John Melvill, @Ahmed Farouk, @essam ibrahim, @Imteeaz, @Hani Howeedy, @Jeevan Koshy, @Vijay Cowlagi, @Arravind, @Andrei S, @frederic demolder and @Islam Soliman. I hope you are all looking forward to the drive as much as I am, please be at the meeting point (the gate will open automatically), deflated with Flag up and ready for the briefing at 07:00 sharp in the morning. Please also ensure you have a full tank of fuel (or as full as possible). We will be using Ch4 (446.081) for the drive, however please ensure your radio is preprogrammed to all 9 Carnity channels today so if we have a need to change channels mid drive it is a seamless process. I have added the how to below if you are unsure of how to preprogram your radios. Convoy order will be as below, see you all in the morning

It was a wonderful and lovely drive Thanks @Kailas @Sunil Mathew and @Davie Chase

@Gertjan, thank you for joining this morning. That IM drive turned to a private drive 😅! We had the liberty of choosing our itinerary, and the conditions were perfect. A cold morning, very clear view, the sand starting to dry and become softer, and a totally empty desert! We crossed Sweihan, Nagra, Nahel areas without crossing a single other car. Did everyone go to Liwa ??? Thank you for being my drive partner today, it was a great morning !

Dear Desertnauts, preparing for tomorrow's drive, find the meeting point in the drive's post. We will meet under the pylons, on the road between Qudra's Last Exit and Solar Park. You can reach the meeting point driving around the roundabout and back toward Qudra, just a few meters before the pylon line, on the right. Prepare for a long-range drive, moving east toward the Solar Tower, down toward Faqa, back west along the field of solar mirrors, across Little Sweihan, and back up toward the Innovation Center (this last part may be the most tedious, due to heavy vegetation). The convoy order at the moment is the following: @Faraz94 in Second Lead @Emanuel at #3 @Sreenath G at #4 @Mahmoud Taha at the Center position @Mahesh_ at #6 @george charbel at #7, and @Charbel in Sweep. Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow. Have a nice Saturday evening.

Thanks @JeromeFJ for going ahead with the private tour! I thouroughly enjoyed the trip! Thanks for the willingness to explore 'my' area. See you soon on the sand.

@Mahesh_, @Sreenath G & @Abdullah N I have added you all, if you are able to come the please join. I was travelling so I was a bit late to revert.

Thoroughly enjoyed today’s drive. Loved the dunes, the pace and the technical parts. Special Thanks to @Kailas@Sunil Mathew and @Davie Chase for your guidance, support and recoveries during this drive. Looking forward to the next one.

Hi everyone, regrettably, I won't be able to make it for tomorrow's drive due to unforeseen commitments. Apologies for any inconvenience caused. Have a fantastic time, and I'll catch up with you all soon!

Thanks for the opportunity @Ale Vallecchi but I’m afraid I’ll have to drop 😔. See you in the next drive ✌️ Have a blast tomorrow everyone. 😊

I missed that information. Looking forward to the next..

@Looper, I apologize for missing the confirmation note on time. I'm looking forward to joining the next one.

@LooperI am so sorry. I just saw the notification of being added and wont be able to join. I am afraid I wont be able to reach on time. Really excited to join future drives with you 😀

This is the tentative convoy order.

@Looper I haven’t received any further updates and confirmation on my rsvp regarding this drive and don’t see the convoy order published yet. Is that me alone or same for everyone ?

Dear all, Please find the convoy list below: 1. @Kailas-L 2. @Premjit Vappala-SL 3. @Pramod B 4. @khlief 5. @Sunil Mathew- CF 6. @rroker 7. @EbrahimZAF 8. @TIMMY 9. @Deepak Eswar- CF 10. @Frederic118 11. @Abdul Hanaan 12. @Sameer D. 13. @Tatsiana Chase SWEEP We will be on channel 1 ( CH1-446006). Please set up the Radio to channel 1. See you all at 7AM tomorrow. Cheers!

New also to the whole 4x4 and desert riding - this seems to be a great place to find info on UAE specific stuff! I have a background of motorcycle adventure riding and camping in Europe and looking forward to see what UAE and Oman has to offer. Looking into getting my first offroad capable car that should also double as a daily driver(no long distance mileage commute), i'm mainly looking at an older Pajero LWB 3.8 or a Nissan XTerra right now - for the offroad part i'm more inclined in exploring mountain roads and wadis but i never tasted the desert driving (except for some crazy dune riding with a tour company few years ago) so i would like to have that option available. My main focus is on enjoying quiet places and taking photos, i will add some from my camping trips back home. One question i have is posting into the Advice forum seems to be unavailable, is that restricted for new members? Some camping trip photos from back home:

Excited to go on this drive! One of my favourite spots 😍😍

When FJC and Xterra launched in 2008 for the first 3-4 years till 2012 we still use to see old 4x4 in the desert - Wranglers, Cherokee (which used to be super hit in winters), LR discovery, Prado, LC and Patrols. After 2012, FJC and Xterra slowly prove their real worth and become popular. Also, earlier models of FJC has a fender bender reputation, that Toyota tried to ignore but soon they realize it was better to address and fix than play hide and seek. I also rem when Y62 launched and it also took about 3-5 years to fail completely for desert no matter how hard Nissan tried to influence buyers. The bottom line, any new 4x4 platform will need at least 3-5 years to show its true worth (good or bad).

The Carnity off-road club grading structure provides you with a clear road map for your off-road journey, recognizing offroaders based on their Capabilities, Skills and Performance. This lets you navigate your own path as you gain experience while keeping you, other drivers and your vehicle safe. Driving with graded routes maximizes the fun for everyone without causing any delays or pushing yourself or your vehicle beyond limits. With an aim of continuous improvement, we have clarified, improved and developed this new grading structure version 3.0. Club Member Subscribe to off-road enthusiast subscription. Joins the Off road Club. Introduce yourself in Absolute Newbie Drive. Share your off-road experience (if any) Share your vehicle details Share your off-road gears. Absolute Newbie Attend and successfully complete the first "Absolute Newbie" off road drive. Minimum Requirements: Any 4x4/SUV/AWD with 8 - 10 inches of ground clearance. Front and rear tow hooks (stock tow hooks/eyelet are acceptable). Tire deflator, tire pressure gauge and air compressor. You can transfer your existing off-road experience by self-declaring on the absolute newbie drive topic, so that trip lead can access your capabilities and promote you to the respective rank. OFF-ROAD PROMOTIONS ARE BASED ON THESE FOUR MAJOR CRITERIAS. Car Worthiness 25% Weightage Mechanically able and sound to take off-road stress Better approach and departure angles with safe center of gravity Reliable and capable vehicle with better power to weight ratio Driving Skills 25% Weightage Drives safe and responsibly without damaging any vehicle Drives reasonably well at par with others in the same rank Able to modulate driving as per terrain and convoy response Teamwork 25% Weightage Help and support others as per off-road rank and capacity Being respectful, considerate and tolerant even under stress Support in recoveries and share off-road gears, when needed Tactical Skills 25% Weightage Capable to self-recover from most common off-road situations Split second decision making with an ability to retreat Ability to sense and avert from imminent dangers NEWBIE Drive Attended Desert Driving Masterclass or previous off-road experience. What you'll learn Introduction to off-roading Desert driving techniques Advance vehicle handling Precise tire deflation and inflation Use of HI/LO gearing and differential lock Basic side sloping and crossing sand dunes safely Basic self-recovery techniques Basic radio communication skills Skills required Attentive and cautious Patience and tolerance towards others Clear communication and listening skills Car Worthiness Any 4x4/SUV/AWD with 8 - 10 inches of ground clearance Front and rear tow hooks (stock tow hooks/eyelet are acceptable) Off-road gear required Safety flag, tire deflator, tire pressure gauge, shovel, fire extinguisher, medical kit, radio (walkie-talkie), air compressor. Drive teamwork Follow the briefing and Trip Lead instructions Follow Off road Driving Etiquette's at all times No dangerous maneuver and stunts Drive Joining Join Newbie drives only Forum participation Active participation on the forum Share drive experience + feedback Share drive pictures in the gallery Update Emergency Contact Details under Carnity user profile Apply for Fewbie Promotion, once you complete a minimum of 5 Carnity Newbie Drives. FEWBIE Drives Attended (Indicative) Minimum 5 Newbie drives are required within the last 3 months for Fewbie promotion. After a long gap of 3 months of not off-roading with Carnity or a change of vehicle, you should join at least one Newbie drive, before resuming at Fewbie level drives. What you'll learn Basic dune and sand reading Self-recovery techniques Shoveling at right place Crawling out of difficult situations Blip Blip - Coordinate steering and gas control Basic side sloping and hill climb Basic ridge riding and criss crossing Basic control over technical dunes Slightly faster pace desert driving Ability to manage stuck/refusals with radio Learn to control and avoid fishtailing Never fight or challenge gravity Skills required Enthusiastic and positive attitude Willingness to learn and help others Presence of mind and attention to detail Car Worthiness Any 4x4 vehicle with low range gearing Suitable approach and departure angle Off-road gear required Safety flag, tire deflator, tire pressure gauge, shovel, fire extinguisher, medical kit, radio (walkie-talkie), air compressor. Drive teamwork Manage second lead and sweep positions upon request Intuitive and proactive to support Trip Lead Observe recoveries and offer help, when needed Drive Joining Join Newbie and Fewbie drives Forum participation Active participation on the forum Share drive experience + feedback Share drive pictures in the gallery Post trip report after the drive Duration: 3-7 days, to gather your feedback from all trip leads. Apply for Fewbie Plus Promotion, once you complete a minimum of 10 Carnity Fewbie Drives. FEWBIE PLUS Drives Attended (Indicative) Minimum 10 Fewbie drives are required within the last 6 months for Fewbie Plus promotion. After a long gap of 3 months of not off-roading with Carnity or a change of vehicle, you should join at least one Fewbie drive, before resuming at Fewbie Plus level drives. What you'll learn Advance dune and sand reading Advance recovery techniques Rocking and crawling to make path Learn to flatten/compact soft sand patch Self recovery from crest Advance side sloping and long hill climb Advance ridge riding and criss crossing Advance control over technical dunes Slightly faster pace desert driving FULLY control and avoid fishtailing Never fight or challenge gravity Skills required Enthusiastic and positive attitude Willingness to learn and help others Extremely attentive and focused while driving Car Worthiness Any 4x4 vehicle with low range gearing Suitable approach and departure angle Bash plate and skid plate protected Off-road gear required Safety flag, tire deflator, tire pressure gauge, shovel, fire extinguisher, medical kit, radio (walkie-talkie), air compressor. Drive teamwork Manage second lead and sweep positions upon request Intuitive and proactive to support Trip Lead Observe recoveries and offer help, when needed Drive Joining Join Newbie, Fewbie and Fewbie Plus drives Forum participation Active participation on the forum Share drive experience + feedback Share drive pictures in the gallery Post trip report after the drive Duration: 3-7 days, to gather your feedback from all trip leads. Apply for Intermediate Promotion, once you complete a minimum of 10 Carnity Fewbie Plus Drives. INTERMEDIATE Drives Attended (Indicative) Minimum 10 Fewbie Plus drives are required within last 6 months for Intermediate promotion. After a long gap of 3 months of not off-roading with Carnity or a change of vehicle, you should join at least one Fewbie Plus drive, before resuming at Intermediate level drives. What you'll learn Basic GPS and navigational skills Basic tow rope and winch recoveries Extreme side sloping and long hill climb Tall dunes ridge riding and criss crossing Precise control over technical dunes Fast pace desert driving Clear radio communication skills Advance recovery skills Self recover from dune crest Soft sand recovery Pop-out fixing Skills required Adventurous and thrill seeker but in a safe manner Level headed under stressful situations Responsible, dependable and accountable Car Worthiness Capable 4x4 vehicle with low range gearing Suitable approach and departure angle High profile tires Off-road gear required Safety flag, tire deflator, tire pressure gauge, shovel, fire extinguisher, medical kit, radio (walkie-talkie), air compressor, tool kit, rated recovery rope and 2 rated shackles, GPS. Drive teamwork Manage center forward position with Trip Lead’s permission Learn/assist recoveries under Trip Lead’s supervision Re-route convoy and coordination, when needed Drive Joining Join Newbie, Fewbie, Fewbie Plus and Intermediate drives. Forum participation Active participation on the forum Share drive experience + feedback Share drive pictures in the gallery Post trip report after the drive Duration: 3-7 days, to gather your feedback from all trip leads.

The post 2007 year models (esp LWB) of Pajero have a design flaw which makes their rear bumper (aluminium part) act like a sand scooper. On many of the offroad drives, I personally have recommended to the the Pajero owners to remove the rear aluminium lip which is a 10 mins job. However, it does look quite ugly once removed. Hence, I highly recommend that all Pajero owners get the following plate fixed to protect their rear bumper. Its better to make it atleast with a 4 inch plate and it can be fabricated in any workshop.

sorry for the last minute notice, i am unable to join due to health issues

Removing myself from the drive, 😢