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Drive Report : Convoy 1: It was a slightly warmer day compared to other weekends in last few months - and by 7.15 we had all 21 members of the convoy, most of them already deflated and ready for briefing. We gathered had a nice short meet and greet chat and some of members expressing how the drive duration influenced their decision of joining their drive. Quickly after a joint briefing, where it was highlighted the drive duration will be aimed to be 2 hours, hence we wont take break unless requested , both convoy's were on the move at 7.38 and the plan was - Either to exit back to entry point or Murquab or Qudra - all leaving to what convoy movements offer. It was a different terrain as @Sunil Mathew highlighted - Thanks to Rain, some tricky ridge formations. We had initial easy warm up movements, with the convoy slowly picking up the pace, and levelling up on the track that was taken and towards the end, handling those ridges and short technical patch just before exit to the track leading all the way upto camel track. @Faraz94 Well done as a Second lead and your show with Haval power ! Overall a great show where we had 2 first time FBs - @Rohit Deginal & @Premjit Vappala - I am sure you had your take aways on those few refusals and am happy with the way you dealt with those with inputs from Support team. Well done. @Andrew John Melvill & @JohanE - Impressive the way you guys were moving all through ! Been first time with you guys as well and great to connect ! Thanks to @Rajiv Sam who was anchoring the convoy in centre, and handling those couple of refusals . With another 30 minutes of drive time on hand, we realised @JERINE_B's Flag was missing and thanks to the guys with camera on video recording, I was informed it was 7 minutes ago the flag was lost , so I and @Rajiv Sam back tracked with rest of convoy on stand-by which was the only break taken. It was successful back track and we quickly got back and convoy was on the move with another attempt of the best ridge that we were offered today. @Mohammad Sayawoush Azad, @Rk ram - I dint hear anything from you and that was deftly a confirmation you were having your share of fun at the back ! Thanks @Sunil Mathew for keeping an eye on the convoy while dealing with those 1-2 refusals at the back ! Please see below the drive stats - which I personally feel is very impressive and we managed to make the most of it, despite having to use Rope 3 times - I Would like to highlight again which I mentioned during one of rope recoveries - Ideally the best way to handle those 3 rope recoveries would have been shovel, It was only in the interest of time, we resorted to Rope. ! Overall a great drive for me, I hope for everyone else too, with our exit at Camel track by 9.35am. See you all again soon in sand ! Drive time : 2 hours , Moving time 1.56 hours - I guess rope recoveries are part of moving time

The marshal @Davie Chase Thank you for amazing drive, amazing pace and tracks. I enjoyed a lot. Thanks to the support marshal @Gaurav Soni @Ale Vallecchi

Thank You @DP1011 for offering such a wonderful drive. It was quick and smooth & I enjoyed both being a second lead as well as the smart duration of the drive. Also, everybody drove really well. Thank You @Rajiv Sam for help with the recoveries 😊 I’m looking forward to the Ridge riding video you recorded 😁 @Premjit Vappala & @Rohit Deginal very well done with the first FB drive guys, hope to see you soon again! @DP1011 I believe we should continue this Smart Drive (2-Hour) series even after Ramadan. 🔥🔥

Dear Desert Wanders @frederic demolder, @Ale Vallecchi, @GauravSoni, @Ishak, @Frans M and @Robk, firstly thank you all for being on time this morning and being ready to go at the start time. The drive was amazing, and you guys all drove exceptionally well, so well in fact that we had zero stucks and only a handful of refusals, so well done to each and everyone of you. The drive pretty much had everything in it, with some half decent climbs, some cross overs and some ridge riding. we did encounter a little shrubbery along the way but for the most part we had some virgin sand to play on. @Ishak great S/L, good distance, attentive and followed my instructions well, you were able to react when needed so great job in smoothing out the lines for me, well done. @frederic demolder, amazing drive given it was your first Fb+ i hope you enjoyed it and your father also enjoyed the drive. Just be mindful of lines and getting fully onto ridges before crossing. @Frans M you drove extremely well, also be mindful of getting on the ridge and keeping both wheels either side, remember to wiggle the steering (not violent turns just gentle wiggling), this helps to keep you on the ridge as it moves the sand away from the front tires, just be mindful to be smooth. @Robk great drive, we chatted about fish tailing at the inflation point, just remember you have a longer wheel base and the back is really light compared to the front on the gladiator, so really important to keep a high line and be super smooth with the throttle and steering. @GauravSoni, great to have you along my friend, i think that is the first one since you support one of my 6 new leader drives, always a pleasure to have you in the convoy, thanks for all the tips you gave the guys as we were meandering through the dunes, invaluable lessons form a guru. @Ale Vallecchi Thanks so much for joining, having you at the back made the lead so much easier as i did not have to worry too much what was going on behind me, great advise to the team as we travelled through Nahil and Sweihan. thanks again really appreciated. Hope you get the suspension set up to make the ride feel more secure. Added some pics to the gallery and drive stats below Check out Fb+ 17 mar 24 Nahil on Relive! https://www.relive.cc/view/vKv2nXEep4v Have a great rest of your weekend and see you all again real soon in the sand

Where is the Flag hunt party?

thanks @Marek_was003 for that shot...yes, it really looks like i'm close to lift off 🙃 thanks to @Ale Vallecchi for posting this drive...returning to badayer and the 2 popular bowls, once in a while after driving in sweihan etc will really put things into perspective ...we covered all the interesting sections in the area to end up at shuwaib 👏👍 and the afternoon was not that busy , allowing us to visit most of the dune summits thanks to jeeps in the convoy @Gurcharan Mehta and @Cristian , showing off their low end torque and executing climbs as if they were in a morning walk , forcing @Marek_was003 and @Hugo to always drive with utmost respect elongating the convoy in the process , we ended up breaking the convoy at times causing some confusion to re-group. nevertheless, i believe we got our fair share of adrenaline filled enjoyment in the dunes see you all soon !!

@sophiedana @Nivi @Rasna @Xandi @Giovana @Gráinne @Emma @EVGENIYA @Juanita Thank you all for joining yesterday's Ladies Only - Absolute Newbie drive. It was great to see you all in great spirit and action with your 4x4 on your very first desert drive. A free 1 month subscription has been activated for all of those who participated. Hope you all continue to grace the Ladies team under @Vanessa8580 (Lady Marshal) and get inspired by her adventurous spirit. You all are most welcome to join any Newbie drive, as well, and experience the same thrill with complete safety, respect and adventure. Thanks @Frederic for great pictures: https://carnity.com/gallery/category/1989-international-womens-day-absolute-newbie-lisaili-dubai-16-mar-2024/ Thanks @Nivi and @EVGENIYA for your motivating feedback and experience.

Hi everyone, this Saturday was amazing and the most unusual International Women’s Day ever! It was so interesting, incredible and useful for everyday driving. Guys from this club are so helpful, careful and friendly, Im really recommend this club for beginners!!!

Thanks a lot to all the carnity experts for yesterday's drive. It was an amazing experience and I have discovered that a car can do so much more. I love to drive though I have zero knowledge of cars. Now, I seem to have found what I have been looking for... adventure and amazing people to share it with. I was quite unsure when I came yesterday but I too seem to have been bitten by the sand bug! Time will tell! Looking forward to many more exciting drives! Special thanks to @Vanessa8580 for inviting me on this drive and to @Gaurav's wife for the wonderful idea of this women's day drive.

A quickly put together short video from a couple recordings made by my wife: Thanks for the drive @Davie Chase @Gary F @Mark B - always great to ride by night !

nice short smooth drive @DP1011... the 2 hours duration was the USP of the drive for me ....you succeeded in making the most of those 2 hours , taking us through lot of fewbie level challenges in terms of climbs, drops and ridge rides.... good to meet @Rohit Deginal @JohanE and @JERINE_B for the first time and drive again with @Faraz94 @Andrew John Melvill @Premjit Vappala @Mohammad Sayawoush Azad - thanks for the insta tips, and @Rk ram... Looking at comments above, i believe everyone got a real feel of how your cars behave on top of churned ridges and in the process learned to keep right momentum and not zipping through ,giving correct steering inputs according to the ridge lines, adjusting your car "sway", holding your car steady and square on the broad ridges...etc...keep practising and as you progress, the dunes get taller, ridges get sharper and are very rarely flat - you either go up or come down ...so tune your minds !!! Everyone drove really well leaving myself and @Rajiv Sam very little to deal with , 👌👌👍👍👏 see you all , probably on the next Ramadan series from @DP1011 🙃

Video of the full drive

Edited

Hi Simon Today's drive will brilliant. Full of adrenaline! Could you move me from waitlist to manage so the drive is counted please. ? Thanks

While offroading, we cross dunes by using different methods, based on how the dune is formed and what the drive level is. Once you have spent some time in the desert, you will slowly start to pay more attention to the dune formations and how we cross them. Once you reach Intermediate and Advance level, you'll need to start learning how to read these dunes in order to navigate and create your planned routes in the desert. As a rule of thumb, the prevailing wind in UAE is blowing from a North-Western direction to South-East direction from 10AM onwards. At night and in early morning it will be reversed and blow from the South-East to North-West. This is something you should remember and you will notice when you zoom into certain areas with your navigation app (Google Maps, Gaia, MotionX, Mytrails,...) you will notice that the wind from that side has caused the dunes to take on their shape. This is a general rule and will not always apply, as you will see that in certain areas where wind is coming from different directions, you will see for example "star" dunes appearing. There are different types of dunes which are separately described below. As you can see in below picture, a dune is formed when the prevailing wind blows on a mound of sand, where the grain will move into the wind direction and create a ridge. The sand which falls on the other side of the ridge, creates a slipface, and this sand is not compacted by the wind. This is the main reason why we generally drive on the prevailing wind side or the convex side of the dunes on the Newbie level. "A dune is a curiously dynamic creature," wrote Farouk El-Baz in National Geographic. “Once formed, a dune can grow. It can change shape and move with the wind. It can even breed new dunes. Some of these offspring may be carried on the back of the mother dune. Others are born and race downwind, outpacing their parents. [Source: Farouk El-Baz, National Geographic, February 1982] The shape of dunes is affected by things like the strength, direction and consistency of the winds; the consistency and amount of sand; the hardness of the terrain and the amount of vegetation. Below we will describe the most common dunes found in the UAE. Different Dunes Crescent or Barchan Dune This is the most common dune. It forms the shape of a crescent moon when the wind blows from one direction. We generally use the words concave and convex to describe both sides of the dune: * Concave is a shape that curves inwards. * Convex is a shape that curves outwards. Crescent-shaped mounds generally are wider than long. On the concave side you will have the slipface. These dunes form under winds that blow from one direction, and they also are known as barchans. Parabolic Dune A parabolic dune is similar in shape to a barchan, but it is just the opposite. The tips of this dune point into the wind, and its main body migrates with the wind, forming a depression between the tips. Because of this formation, parabolic dunes are also known as blowout dunes. These dunes often occur when vegetation stabilizes sediments and a U-shaped blowout forms between clumps of plants. Example of Parabolic dunes near Faya: https://goo.gl/maps/ob8xu3y8VJJvF6hk8 Longitudinal or "Seif" Dunes They are also often referred to to as "sand ridges" or "seifs". Their length can range from a few meters to many kilometers and their height from a couple meters high to a couple hundred meters high. Wind pushes the sand and forms ridges parallel to the prevailing wind direction with slip faces either side of the crest. Linear dunes are straight or slightly sinuous sand ridges typically much longer than they are wide. They may be more than 160 kilometers long. Linear dunes may occur as isolated ridges, but they generally form sets of parallel ridges separated by miles of sand, gravel, or rocky interdune corridors. Some linear dunes merge to form Y-shaped compound dunes. Many form in bidirectional wind regimes. The long axes of these dunes extend in the resultant direction of sand movement. Barchanoid Dunes These ridges are similar to Barchan dunes. They are connected in long crescentic waves as the sand supply is much greater than that which forms a Barchan Dune. Star Dunes These dunes are formed when there are several prevailing wind directions - there is a complex wind regime. Typically there are three or more slip faces, whilst the dunes do not migrate they grow in height. Star dunes are radially-symmetrical, spyramidal sand mounds with slipfaces on three or more arms that radiate from the high center of the mound. They are created when the winds blow equally from every direction, causing the sand dune to grow many extensions and resemble a star. They are rare and are fairly stable and remain in the same place. Some are landmarks with names. Example of a Star dune: https://goo.gl/maps/jRnYghQc8ACzVz6T7 With this knowledge, the next time you step into the desert, you can start looking at the different dune formations, and this will give you lots of knowledge that you'll be able to apply in the future when leading and navigating off-road drives.

thanks @DP1011 for the short & sweet drive.. it was good learning & fun drive too.. special regards to @Rajiv Sam@Sunil Mathew for the support & help🫡

@Premjit VappalaYou were just cruising through 😄😄

Hi @Davie Chase. I was thinking of joining your drive in Nahil tomorrow morning. I have signed up last minute, if you don't mind. Thanks

Hello Davie, I just rsvped to the drive 😁

Welcome to the Off-Road Hall of Fame, a place where we celebrate the fearless, daring, and ingenious legends of the off-road world. This is the home of the trendsetters who have pushed the limits of off-road driving, supporting, and inspiring all types of adventurers. Off-road driving is not just a hobby, it's a way of life. It requires a rare combination of skill, bravery, and respect for the great outdoors. From conquering the tallest dune to racing through the sands, and wadis to traversing long distances, off-roading comes in various forms that demand unique skills, patience and above all - great teamwork. Only a few have gone above and beyond, leaving their mark on the off-road universe, and inspiring others to follow in their footsteps. These heroes have not just driven off-road but have really defined the true meaning of off-road community while taking the sport to new heights. Whether you are an experienced off-roader or just starting, we invite you to join us as we explore the stories and legacies of the off-road greats who have earned their rightful place in the Off-Road Hall of Fame. This is a place where we take pride in their achievements and honor their spirit of adventure. So, fasten your seatbelts, hold tight, and let's embark on a journey of exhilaration, inspiration, and honor in the Off-Road Hall of Fame. Period: Jul - Sept 2023 Drive in the spotlight "Catch Me If You Can" series of drives on Fewbie Plus and IM Level Congrats @M.Seidamfor being our winner in the "Drive in the spotlight" category! You have managed, together with your convoy, to completely take in "Big Red" from all possible directions and design a thrilling drive experience! Member in the spotlight While most of us are staying inside during this scorching summer, some people decide to crawl underneath the car and work on them. This hands-on approach has won @Stumpy Paj our "Car Guru Of The Quarter" award !! From dropping sub-frames, to replacing radiators, and spare wheel cover delete work, with the help of @Bravoechohe has turned his Pajero into a real Offroad Beast ! Well done Nathan ! Stucks of the Quarter Usually quite mindful of the terrain and its surroundings, @Fredericmanaged to park his Patrol in front of a big bush, and on top of that was seen smiling and waving, while @Naveen Rajwas actually solving the problem for him . Another noteworthy stuck was @Gauravon the Razeen exploration. Thanks to the great teamwork of @Zed@Rajiv Sam@DP1011and @Stumpy Paj they were able to clear the sand enough to get the car out of this scary angle. Lead Champion Congratulations to @Looperfor leading a whopping 11 drives this quarter! Your passion for off-roading is immense! Support Champion Congratulations @DP1011 for having supported 15 drives this quarter! Climbing multiple dunes on foot even made you part of the HATT, or "High-Altitude-Trek-Team"! Hats off to you ! Message to all our champions: Your dedication is an admirable quality that is truly valued and appreciated. Your unwavering passion for off-roading has not gone unnoticed, and it is an inspiration to those around you today. We thank you and look forward to seeing the many great things you will achieve in the future.

In the UAE, we have a myriad of terrains to choose from when it comes to desert driving. For many new members who might be asking themselves what the differences actually are, I wanted to compile the most known areas we drive in, and give some information about the area and what you can expect when you join a drive with us in that area. We will be focusing on the sand driving. Northern Emirates (UAQ and RAK) Umm Al Quwain and Ras Al Khaimah have some very nice areas that we often explore, with plenty of vegetation, wildlife, and the mountains are never far away. On these drives, the emphasis is more on exploration than on the typical dune bashing. Scenic Score: 95% Excitement Score: 70% Versatility Score: 95% Fossil Rock - Faya - Sharjah From the moment you drive on the Sharjah - Kalba road, you'll see the majestic Fossil Rock mountain on the right hand side. It has got its name due to the ancient fossils that you can find on the rocks, and the surrounding red dunes are a delight to drive. Usually starting from Batayeh-Faya road, the dunes gradually go from small and bushy until you reach the nice open areas with "The Long Lady" as one of the most popular dunes to showcase and practice your sidesloping skills. The cherry on top is the climb on Fossil Rock itself which provides an amazing scenic view on the area and Mleiha town below. A must for every beginner level driver ! To even up the challenge you can take on the nice bowls behind Fossil Rock, or head out to Faya which is also called "The Saddle". Scenic Score: 90% Excitement Score: 70% Versatility Score: 90% Pink Rock - Big Red - Sharjah Nearby Fossil Rock, you will find Pink Rock, which got its name from the pinkish hue the rocks have. This very popular off-road area is known for the smooth gentle dunes at the start that gradually move to challenging bowls nearby the base of Pink Rock. Climbing Pink Rock is the ideal challenge for beginners and provides a fantastic view as well. From Pink Rock you can head out to Big Red which will up the challenge and entice every level of off-roader. The Big Red area is an off-roader hotspot during the season. Scenic Score: 80% Excitement Score: 70% Versatility Score: 75% Bidayer / Area 53 / Schuwaib - Sharjah This area is not for the faint of heart, and the big dunes will demand you to keep momentum at all times, while the massive hills such as Iftar Bowl and Super Bowl are ultimate play areas one can find in Sharjah. This area tends to be extremely busy during the offroad season. Scenic Score: 60% Excitement Score: 80% Versatility Score: 65% Margham / Lahbab - Dubai A little less known area, but very versatile with nice technical areas, playable bowls, and overall a terrain where any level offroader can practice and hone their skills without encountering too many cross tracks. Scenic Score: 70% Excitement Score: 70% Versatility Score: 75% Murquab - Lisaili - Faqa - Dubai This area is located on the Dubai-Al Ain road and offers so much. From technical terrain, to the arboretum in Faqa, long range dunes in both Faqa and some areas of Lisaili, and the most amazing creamy dunes below the Maktoum Solar Park which we have now called "Little Sweihan". This area never disappoints and there is a reason we have it on our weekly drives schedules ! Scenic Score: 85% Excitement Score: 80% Versatility Score: 95% Al Qudra - Dubai Al Qudra has become one of the most well known Offroad areas in Dubai, mainly due to the close vicinity to the city, but also because of its versatility, nearby facilities (Last Exit, Love Lakes), and the wildlife than can be spotted while off-roading (gazelles, oryx). This area stretches out to Murquab in the East via Al Hathmah area, on to Faqa going South below the Solar Park, and up to the Bab al Shams resort in the West. Scenic Score: 85% Excitement Score: 75% Versatility Score: 95% Sweihan - Abu Dhabi / Al Ain The Sweihan area in Abu Dhabi has to be experienced, and the proximity to Dubai brings lots of Dubai residents to Sweihan to explore the massive long range dunes and versatile area that has something in store for every off-roader. Sweihan never disappoints and the Nagrah area which alternates between monstrous dunes and deserted sabkhas will leave you hungry for more every single time. Scenic Score: 80% Excitement Score: 90% Versatility Score: 95% Al Khatim - Abu Dhabi A very popular and versatile offroader destination for Abu Dhabi residents with exhilarating dunes and technical areas that will challenge any offroader. Scenic Score: 80% Excitement Score: 90% Versatility Score: 80% Wagan / Umm Al Oash / Bu Tais - Abu Dhabi / Al Ain In search for monstruous dunes where momentum and pace are critical and where your vehicle will be pushed to its limit ? You have come to the right place as this area is spoiled with massive dunes, alternated by long flat sabkhas where you can get your bearings back before heading in again, and again ! Scenic Score: 95% Excitement Score: 100% Versatility Score: 80% Liwa Madinat Zayed - Abu Dhabi The Madinat Zayed area is famous for its Yellow Water Truck, which was left behind many years back, but no-one really knows how it got there. This area is consisting of massive dunes, and you can easily scale the level up or down in this area based on the convoy you bring there. From this place onwards and further down south into Liwa Crescent you will feel like you are on a different planet. Scenic Score: 90% Excitement Score: 100% Versatility Score: 90% Liwa Crescent - Abu Dhabi Seeing LIWA for the first time will leave you astonished, baffled, and beyond comprehension. From Himeem in the East, to Khanoor in the West, this whole area is filled with some of the biggest dunes on this planet, massive slipfaces that will make you shiver when descending, and extremely technical dunes that will require your utmost focus. This area is unforgettable and every off-roader should have this on his bucket list ! Scenic Score: 100% Excitement Score: 100% Versatility Score: 100%