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MUST READ: Not following these rules and precautions = Not allowed to drive. No Gathering | No Briefing | No BBQ | No Eating Together | No Touching | No Hugging We are only allowed to drive through the desert, as we are driving on the road now. So we will only do the desert driving just by sitting inside our cars at all the times and leave the drive without socializing or coming close to each other. Just like before we like to continue our desert drives through out the year, but this time we need your immense support to understand the strict control and to help everyone follow them all the time. How to maintain "STRICT" Social Distancing Meeting point will be set slightly (100m - 200m) inside the desert track. You individually deflate your tires on the tarmac before reaching the meeting point. While deflating tires, stop cars 10 meters away from any other car. Drive signup on calendar will be closed on Thursday morning by 9 AM. Convoy numbering and briefing will be posted here on this drive post before 6 PM on Thursday. All participants need to read & acknowledge the briefing by clicking "Totally Agree" reaction. Switch on your radio when you reach the meeting point on the set frequency advised by the trip lead in the critical briefing here. Once everyone reaches to the meeting point, everyone stay inside the car at all the times. Trip lead will do the roll call, convoy numbering recap, critical briefing over the radio. Any suggestions or issues will be discussed over the radio too. You can also speak to other members through the radio only. So please make sure that your radio battery is fully charged. Once all set, trip lead will start the drive as before. Refusal and Recoveries with Social Distancing Every drive will have 1 lead Marshal and 1 or 2 supporting senior members/crew. Whenever there is a stuck or refusal, only a Marshal / Senior Member / Crew is allowed to handle the situation. Everyone else including the stuck car driver, stay inside the car - AT ALL TIMES. Marshal / Senior Member / Crew is only allowed to step out to access the situation and do the recoveries: They will wear mask and gloves at all times when they are outside their car. They will try to help self recover through the radio guidance. If not they will use required recovery gear and do the needful (shovel, tug or winch, as required). If at any time Marshal require help, then only you are allowed to step out by wearing face mask and gloves at all times. Drive completion and inflation There will not be any gathering or sitting down together for food-break like before. Once drive is finished, after reaching the tarmac, everyone is requested to move away 10-20 meters before starting their inflation. For drivers having no compressor, can head to the near by fuel station. If drive is ending at a place where there is no fuel station near by, then trip lead will inform in advance so that drivers having their own compressor can join only. Strictly no sharing of compressors, radio, shovel or any recovery gear, at any times. Mandatory things you require to attend the drive Face mask - at least TWO face mask is needed in case one get damage or fly away. Disposable rubber gloves - at least two sets are needed. Wear face mask and gloves at all the times, when you are out of your car. Carry plenty of hand sanitizer and object sanitizer (spray). Use your sanitizers generously, whenever you step out to help or recover. Sanitize your hands before getting back into your car. Sanitize your recovery gears, if you have used them. Fully charged and programmed radio - without any excuse - No radio = No drive. Shovel - Must for every car, to do little self recovery Safety flag - Must for every car, like before Compressor - If joining the drives that is ending far from the fuel station. Mandatory precaution that you need to take at all times Do not step out of your car UNLESS/OTHERWISE advised by Marshal / Senior Member / Crew. No shaking hands, hugs or touching each other. No sharing of food, drinks or recovery tools. If you are not feeling well, please stay at home and take a lot of rest. If you have travel in last 14 days, then please do not attend this drive. If you feel unwell during the drive, please let trip lead know so he can plan an early exit. Not more than 3 pax in a car and if all 3 aren't living together, then they should wear the mask inside the car too.

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: 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. Example in Al Qudra area: https://goo.gl/maps/RXHFzR3GW6iFr16C7 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.

On a regular basis, we get requests from the more "modern" SUV owners if their car is suitable for offroading in the desert dunes. There have been many new vehicles introduced in the market that are sold as All Wheel Drive vehicles, and the showroom will be filled with banners showing this car drifting through the Arabian deserts, enticing the potential owners and making them believe they can take on any terrain. Within Carnity, we are openminded about accepting SUV's as long as they have sufficient ground clearance, and have proper tow hooks so we can recover the vehicle safely. But after a few drives, some owners might come to realize that this vehicle is not the right match for offroading, and that those banners in the showroom didn't tell the complete story. Below i will highlight a few main factors that might help in new potential offroad vehicle owners make the right decision based on their wishes of type of terrain they'd like to concquer. Ground clearance Ground clearance describes the distance from the ground to the lowest point of the car. In offroading this is important, as a vehicle with ground clearance below 8inch (200mm) might get stuck on boulders, or bushes, or other things you might come across once you go offroad. Approach and Departure Angles For dune driving/bashing, the approach and departure angles are essential to know and understand. If you approach a dune, you might hit the front bumper if you have insufficient approach angles, and when descending, a too low departure angle will scoop up the sand and might break your rear bumper. Most stock offroad vehicles will have an approach angle of 30-40° and a departure angle of 25-35° - Toyota Landcruiser Prado LWB: Approach angle 30.4°, Departure angle 23.5° - Mitsubishi Pajero LWB: Approach angle 36.6°, Departure angle 25° - Jeep Wrangler SWB: Approach angle 44°, Departure angle 37° - Jeep Wrangler Unlimited: Approach angle 42.2°, Departure angle 32° - Landrover Discovery Sport: Approach angle 25.°, Departure angle 31° - Nissan Xtrail: Approach angle 17.2.°, Departure angle 25° As you can see in above specs, certain SUV's will have issues with low approach and departure angles, with the resulting risk of damaging or breaking the bumpers. Fitting bigger wheels or a lift kit / suspension kit will improve the ground clearance and also the approach and departure angles. Overall Performance The Hp/Ton ratio will help to understand how the vehicle will be able to get through the terrain. For light offroading, most vehicles should be fine as long as your expectations are realistic. Anything below 80hp/Ton will most likely struggle on soft sand, crosstracks, but again it will also depend on the skills of the driver. Types of Offroading in the UAE Hard gravel, desert farm tracks (LIGHT OFFROADING) Any vehicle with AWD or 4x4 should be able to deal with this terrain. You can deflate to 25psi on desert tracks to increase flotation, but be careful with low proflle tyres and the fact that deflation will decrease your ground clearance. Wadi driving, Rocky Roads, Mountains (MEDIUM OFFROADING) In this type of offroading, your ground clearance definitely comes into play, and the approach and departure angles will also make the difference between succesfully crawling over a boulder, or hitting it with your bumper. Low profile tyres are definitely to be avoid in this terrain, as it might puncture or damage the sidewalls and/or rims. Dune driving, Dune Bashing (EXTREME OFFROADING) The most thrilling of the three types , where all above factors such as ground clearance, angles, and performance all play important roles. This is where SUV's will just manage on Newbie levels, but from Fewbie level onwards one or more of the mentioned factors will become a major hurdle (power, angles, or clearance). So whenever you look at changing your vehicle, or when someone asks you "Is my vehicle suitable for offroading ?" you might want to look at above factors and clearly ask him if he wants to drive on farm tracks, or wants to go dunebashing.

Congratulations @Srikumar for reaching the CREW level with Carnity Offroad club. It is the highest position in Carnity Off-road Club, that anyone can ever attain. We (@Rahimdad - Club founder and I) are absolutely delighted to welcome you to the off-road CREW level and looking forward to sharing our off-road passion and vision together. Your continuous contribution and great efforts to improve the Carnity off-road club, plan to develop new off-roaders and a keen eye on safety regulations have resulted in great progress and well deserve this new off-road rank. Your off-road knowledge, vast experience, great teamwork, and critical observations have always helped everyone around in a very positive manner on the off-road drives and on the forum. Extract from Srikumar Marshal Promotion: + Absolute Club Ownership + Truly Dedicated + Humble & Selfless + Open & Approachable Keep it up and its time for you to help other aspiring offroaders to demonstrate your skills, knowledge and above all the true passion for off-road with community spirit. Crew: Number of drives 80+ drives and Committee Decision Level of drives Routing and leading in unknown terrain for exploration drives Off-road gear All of the above Drive teamwork All of the above + coordinate with Marshal on route, convoy, numbering, etc. Drive posting/joining Post drive on Carnity and share it on Carnity social media Forum participation Post trip report + share route + track and waypoints

Wow, that's indeed a very pleasant and unexpected surprise. I am truly humbled and a very nice way to kick start the weekend. Thank you to everyone at the Carnity Off-road Club for your support and friendship. It truly means a lot to drive with you guys every weekend. I have made so many dear friends here and for me this is really my extended family. The learning never stops and I look forward to more adventures with everyone. @Asif Hussain @Emmanuel @Frederic driving with you and time spent chatting after the drives when the club was in the initial stages are some of my best takeaways of the past few years. To all the new leaders : @Wrangeld @Jeepie @Ale Vallecchi @Javier M @Shamil @Brette @Xaf you have all brought in new thoughts and dimensions to the way our drives are being conducted and organized. Thank you. Finally a very special mention to @Rahimdad and @Gaurav for not only starting this wonderful Club, but for teaching me the beautiful art of off-roading from an absolute newbie. Thank you guys. You are the real Superman (men) of this club. I will end with an image that I once received and it's something that is so true.

Solar Park, Soft Sand and So Much Vegetation This morning could have started better, as I had managed to confuse Ms. Google a little with the start point. Well done everyone, because in spite of this, we were under way by around 5.15am. It had been a while since I had driven Solar Park and I was surprised by the amount of vegetation. Cloud seeding is all well and good ... but it seems they forget that cloud seeding begets plant seeding and the whole terrain is far greener than we would like. With @AKR as second lead we headed cross couuyerntry to the technical dunes that we needed to cross to get onto the wider, higher dunes. @Gaurav deserves a medal for rescuing just about everyone in the convoy, including me at one point or another. @Mehmet Volga you did great after that first crest, I just wish we had known that would be the start of a series of problems for @Chaitanya D, and eventually even @Brette. Once moving again and with a few more refusals, we got going until a pop out for @Lorenzo Candelpergher needed attention. I really commend everyone for the patience of the first hour of the drive where we covered around 1.5 km and we were waiting around for multiple recoveries. And then, the dunes opened out a little and we were able to start moving through, up and down, side sloping where safe and possible and enjoying some uninterrupted cruising through the desert. Amazingly, it was the Pajero club that started overheating so we stoped to take a look at cars from @Anish S @RohanH and @Mehmet Volga to get them cooled down enough to continue. By that stage it was time to turn back in the direction of the amazing architecture of the beautiful Solar Park headquarters 😉 to find an exit. The stand out moment (as we will ignore the stucks as we navigated back) was that @Rajeevan Vickneswaran found his lost rear number plate [chocolates should be delivered 😂 to you know who. Clue @Veedooshee] in the desert after it fell off. For @Magellan and @siddharth maheshwari at the back of this convoy, you did a great job navigating heavily churned up sand. The technical dunes were less tricky on the way out, but still had their claws into us, even though we could not only smell, but see the flat ground. However, we all made it out deflated and made our way home. Big thanks to @Jeepiefor your calm input throughout the drive (and your redirects ...) and helping out as ever with the recoveries. As a learning leader, it was a great experience and I thank everyone for their support and patience. See you soon in the sand.

DRIVE REPORT As Al Qudra is in in my backyard, I arrived around 4:40 and saw during deflation @Gaurav passing by on his way to the Solar Park. I was really happy to see everyone coming on time, and starting deflation by themselves. After having appointed @marks as my second lead, which he did great, and @Mels Wolf as my trusty sweep, we headed out around 5:30 and the first initial reactions I heard on the first two or three dunes was "I am stuck" from a few guys, as they suddenly came to realize that driving on sand feels totally different than driving on the road. Just to clarify again, a Stuck is only called a Stuck if we need to recover you with a rope or shovel you out. A Refusal is when you're able to recover yourself. Which most of our drivers have did amazingly well today. The first 40 minutes I took the convoy to some small technical dunes, which was actually not my intention but alas on some drives I follow my instincts, and realized that even in this area hardly anyone struggled. Later on, we headed deeper into Al Qudra where the long "Seif" dunes allow for mini side-sloping, which we kept on practicing until everyone was confident and I saw huge smiles on their faces from mastering this essential technique where momentum and steering control is what it's all about. Very nicely done by all ! We covered about 39 kilometers in 3 hours, which is a good average speed and thanks to @Mels Wolf who kept an eye on the entire convoy and deflated some of the vehicles a bit further, we were able to manage this distance by having almost no stucks or refusals. @Nabil Bishara @Incognitoes @h1fny were all driving very capable Jeep Wranglers. @Jeandre Bezuidenhout his Wrangler Rubicon finally felt at home doing what it's meant to do. Serious Offroading. Well done guys ! @Taha Elghuel had a bit of a nose dive coming over a dune, no serious damages, but let's say the bumper is now baptized for Desert driving. @Sreejith Sreenivasan drove very well with the Landrover LR2. The low profile types meant we could not deflate very low but nevertheless he managed without too much effort today. Great work ! @Melenany is the PERFECT example that it's all about technique. He drives the F-150 with so much finesse that again you have amazed me today. @Adam Koster never broke a sweat as his Landcruiser Diesel easily pushed his way through the dunes. @Christian Andras you were the only FJ cruiser today, so you had to prove yourself against the Wrangler, Pajero, and Xterra army. But you drove great ! @Ahmed Farghaly and @Mukundan Nair with the Black and White Xterra was providing the Yin and Yang on the drive. Both drove very well too ! We ended the drive from where we started and said goodbye to the people who went to inflate at the Last Exit gas station. @Mels Wolf called me 10 minutes later that he was doing a recovery at the lakes as two guys were standing at the road looking exhausted and in need for help as their sedan got stuck in the soft sand. I am glad to see the Carnity values being carried forward: we never leave anyone behind, and if a person is in need we will always help out. Proud of you Mels !! Like I always say: Al Qudra never disappoints and the new members I take there never disappoint too: always fun to be had, and always stuff to learn. We will be back !

Dear Carnity friends. I am sure all of you have safely reached home and are now enjoying the nice buzz from today’s ride. Thank you very much for taking part in this almost exploratory drive, in a lesser known part of Dubai’s desert. Here are the key words of today’s trip: Punctuality – I reached the meeting point at 4:04PM, and to my surprise I found already 3 drivers working on deflating their tires. With the last driver arriving at 4:25PM, we managed to leave in record time. Discovery – It was my second time in this area, and probably the first time for most of the drivers. We entered it after a short drive along the pylons (to avoid an extremely long came track hidden in the dunes), crossing a small technical area. The focus of the drive were the cordons of long-range dunes which make up most of this area, between Al Lisaili’s camel track and Solar Park. While we did encounter some bushes (which this year seem to resist the summer heat and drought like never before), we managed to drive mostly unhindered by vegetation, on surprisingly firm and hard sand. We also enjoyed great views, saw magnificent sandstone formations, and glimpsed at camels, gazelles and oryxes. Speed – The convoy managed to cover 72.9 Km in 3 hours and 17 minutes, at an average speed of 22 Km/h. So that casual readers may not think that we just drove on flat terrain, I should add that we climbed a total of 531 meters, having started from an altitude of 1 meter, reaching a maximum altitude of 97 meters. So we did quite a bit of ups and downs, with the climbing mostly done to criss-cross the long range dunes, and to ride their ridges. Smoothness – Considering the tricky technical dunes, with soft pockets of sand, at the beginning of the drive, and the novelty of the itinerary, where quite a bit of dune crossing is required, I had expected a few stuck and refusals, and planned accordingly, to reach Solar Park at sundown. Instead, apart for a stuck at the beginning, and one at the end by two unnamed drivers (as we say in Italy, mention the sin not the sinner), we proceeded so smoothly, with nobody experiencing any kind of problems, that after 1 hour of uninterrupted and silent driving I stopped to check that everybody’s radios were still on, and to enjoy a drink of water, which I had been unable to have due to the absolutely riveting drive. So, we ended up reaching Solar Park well before sundown, and decided to proceed through the lower part of Qudra, until we reached the exit point west of Qudra Parking Lot. I’d like to end the report mentioning the convoy order: @Kalahari as a precise and cool Second Lead, @Najeeb Mohammed in third, managing his FJ as well as I have ever seen him, @Chaitanya D following in fourth without batting an eye (commendable considering this was his second drive of the day) @Colin Jordan at Center Forward, whose task of practicing recoveries was denied, @Rinelle Sanaani and @Febin Fredericcompleting the Wrangler contingent, in complete control of their drive, @Mels Wolfsweeping an all too clean convoy, and, last but not least, our new Crew member @Srikumarsavoring his well deserved top rank in a relaxing Flying Sweep position. Thanks to all for another very enjoyable adventure, and see you soon out there.

Thank you everybody for the nice and fun drive. I was glad to be part of this challenge, it was a great opportunity for me to learn more. Today, i had the absolute privilege to drive behind the Legend and i did not lose any chance to observe how @Gaurav was manoeuvering. I kept a close eye on his move, how he was tackling, negotiating and re-routing and i was also trying to understand the reasons behind his decisions made. @Gaurav worked really hard since there was difficult stucks to recover especially the last one before we exit. We also had a tire popped out, which was successfully and swiftly handled by our management team @Wrangeld, @Jeepie, @Gaurav, @Brette...We had some technical issues as well with our Pajeros, the usual transmission over-heating which was solved quickly. Bravo to my co-pilot @Veedooshee for using her investigative skills to find the most probable spot where the number plate of @Rajeevan Vickneswaran got lost, and luckily Rajeevan found his number plate and was spared from the hassle of reporting it to the police and spending money in getting a new plate. I highly appreciate the collaboration and understanding of @Lorenzo Candelpergher for giving space on few occasion where i needed to reroute and to reverse to get more momentum.

Thanks unfortunately the Superman T-shirt is something that can't be even earned. You need to be born with it, like our dear Rahimdad

Great @Srikumar now you may also buy a Superman T-shirt?

@AKR @Rajeevan Vickneswaran @RohanH @Janarthan @Anish S @Mehmet Volga @Lorenzo Candelpergher @Jorge Stepniak Felippe @Foxtrot Oscar @Chaitanya D @Magellan(@Brette) Briefing #2 - SOLAR PARK The move, change in pace and different types of obstacles faced when moving from Newbie to Fewbie is sometimes under estimated. At Newbie you learn the basics of how to get over a dune safely, how to behave in the sand and the start of how to control your vehicle. At Fewbie, the expectation is that mind and vehicle will be stretched - challenging you as a driver into situations you might not have been before, situations where you feel more uncomfortable and helping you understand the characteristics and potential of your vehicle. To put it more succinctly: fewbie is not about using more power, it's about using the power you have more effectively. Solar Park includes some technical dunes: Small dunes, closely packed where you need to take care not only to avoid getting stuck but also avoid the hard sharp bumps in them - and longer range dunes, which provide plenty of opportunities for sideys. As well as sideys, the hope is that we can start to learn the techniques for and get some practice with ridge riding and criss-crossing. For many Fewbies this is quite scary. To make the day more fun for everyone, here's a few thoughts on what you can do to make your time in the sand more fun: IF THIS IS YOUR FIRST OR SECOND FEWBIE DRIVE- You'll need all your wits about you and need to concentrate. Think carefully if this really is the ride on which you want to bring the whole family. We want to give everyone the chance to drive as much as possible and good focus usually means less potential for refusals, stucks, and other incidents. IF YOU ARE A MORE EXPERIENCED FEWBIE - These drives are a chance to hone your skills, control your entry and exit points better, make sure you use enouch, and not too much power. DON'T FORGET YOUR EQUIPMENT - Please see my previous post COMMUNICATION - The rules are clear, bring a fully charged, audible device with you. If your radio is not working, you are not driving. The second rule is slightly less clear. Use the radio. It is the only way you can tell a lead that there is a problem: whether that is a refusal a stuck or 'can you please help me get through this obstacle. Do not be afraid or ashamed to inform the convoy leader that you need some assistance. Seniors are on the drive to assist. If we hear nothing, we assume everything is OK. Why bring these up? The sand is incredibly soft in the summer. Recoveries are part of the game, we all know that, but we all also know that we really want to be moving more of the time than recovering. These little points should help us all keep moving. See you soon in the sand.

The One For Newbies Second trip out of the day, and a change of position and perspective. As I had led the Fewbie drive in the morning @Jeepie took driving resposibility. We intended to switch at some stage ... but that's another story. With an Absolute Newbie drive, it takes longer to get going. For people who have never ventured off road before, understanding all the informaiton, buying all the kit, understadning what needs to be done once you arrive can add to the excitement. So, having helped @Lisa Pemberton and @Siobhan to deflate and remove the necessary switches and fuses, a good briefing by @Gaurav and a welcome back to the sand for @tjsingh, we were under way. I have said it before that we still remember our first day out in the sand, and the terror/excitement/fun of that first drive, taking the car to places that we could not imagine. Seeing/hearing first timers, absolute newbies on this first drive brings back all those memories. While new to Carnity, it was clear that @Heisem has driven before. With @Yousef Alimadadi as 2nd lead for the first time and @tjsingh sweeping we set off as centre forward for the drive hoping for more benign conditions than we faced in the morning. I find it interesting that the sand in two deserts 50km maximum apart can be so different. Everything went swimmingly well until TJ started having overheating problems with the car. @Gaurav asked if we could lead the convoy for as long as it took to get TJ safely exited from the sand and return - to which we glady agreed. I really like team work and here was another great example. @Jeepie taking on the challenge, @Veedooshee giving up the driving seat to let Fewbie @Anish S take up sweep and the rest of the convoy, @VipinShetty and @Biju Abdul slipping into place to make the change easier and safer to handle. Once Gaurav returned (and @Veedooshee sweeping with Anish assisting by her side), we continued on our way until, with the light fading, we exited. For some, this might not have been the most exciting or challenging of drives ever - for the absolute newbies, it probably was: and that's how it should be. No matter how much experience you have, there's always something you can learn from being on a drive - and sometime more on a drive you think will be 'easy' than one you know will be more of a challenge. See you soon in the sand.

Fantastic drive @Ale Vallecchi. And this drive was made perfect mainly due to your detailed planning of the route. I also liked how you gradually increased the level and pace as the drive went along. Also kudos to the entire convoy for keeping up and maintaining the pace. It was the perfect relaxed evening drive enjoying the beautiful sunset with not having to get the tow rope or shovel out.

More than my Pajero, I absolutely love recovering as it gives me special satisfaction to help and also transfer bit of offroad knowledge and burn some extra calories for my Friday Gym. I did this center fwd after ages and Richard, made sure that I get good pay back after a long time gap. Btw, my Pajero was indeed running hot after 9 AM, so switched off the AC and enjoyed little baking. It was nice seeing you after a long time and sadly due to COVID we are now almost forgetting to see each other face.

As we have been respecting authorities guidance & Carnity COVID guidelines to resume desert drives with caution by staying inside our car at all times. Unfortunately few off-roaders have difficulty in understanding and abiding these guidelines. As published in the national newspaper of UAE, everyone need to understand that still there are no gatherings allowed and authorities are issuing fine for 10,000 AED for host and 5,000 AED for attendees. https://gulfnews.com/uae/health/people-caught-violating-covid-19-safety-instructions-prosecuted-1.1591381059748 If we really like these offroad drives to continue, then everyone need to police each other at all times and remind everyone to be inside their cars at all times. If you spot anyone stepping out of the car after deflation and before inflation, please remind them on the radio to go back inside their cars, immediately. As we all are in this together, so we all have to help each other to remind and stop socializing during any stuck or at play area. Failing to abide below list of restriction will result in ban from Carnity Off-road Club: FIRST WARNING Minimum 1 month ban from driving with Carnity off-road Club. Written warning will be issued by the trip lead. SECOND WARNING Minimum 6 month ban from driving with Carnity off-road Club. Written warning will be issued by the trip lead. If you do not like these restrictions, please stay at home and do not join for any off-road drives. Every Carnity Off-road Club Member has to COMPLY WITH THESE COVID19 GUIDELINES Stay inside the car - AT ALL TIMES - Except for inflating or deflating tires. For inflation and deflation - ONLY ONE PERSON IS ALLOWED TO BE OUTSIDE. FACE MASK IS MANDATORY, WHENEVER YOU STEP OUT - NO EXCUSES. No one is allowed to step out of the car for any reason: Not for stretching back and legs Not for taking videos and photos Not for socializing and chatting Not for smoking or drinking No kids playing/running If you cannot stay in your car for 3+ hours, please do not join the drives. LEARN TO CONFIGURE YOUR RADIO, before the drive. Nobody will teach you or exchange radios like before. Read the detailed instructions posted here - to configure. If you still cannot configure, ask on forum ahead of time. Only in case of EXTREME EMERGENCIES - You are allowed to step out By taking trip lead / seniors permission. By wearing face mask - Properly. By maintaining 2-5 meter social distancing. And go back in the car, immediately thereafter. Click "TOTALLY AGREE" Emoji here before RSVP any drive or else trip lead will remove your name.

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 and strictly follow these guidelines in order not to jeopardize someone's health, and to ensure we can keep organizing these drives safely. MUST READ AND TOTALLY AGREE: COVID19 Precautions MUST READ AND TOTALLY AGREE: BAN POST Two Way Radio Guidelines Every Offroader brings his own radio, programmed to the frequencies described in below advice topic. We will not share spare radios or program your radio on the drive. If you need assistance in programming the radio, post a topic on the Carnity website with your questions and we will help you out. Make sure your radio is fully charged. It will be your only way of communication while driving. Before buying, please carefully read below advice so you are informed properly on which model / cost / shops... No radio = No drive. It is an essential tool and you should make sure you bring it on every drive and learn/practice how to use it. Drive Details Level: Fewbie and above - (No Newbie Allowed) When: 17 Jul 2020, Friday. Meeting time: 5:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: Tawi Nazwa Farm - https://goo.gl/maps/LjPWf8DebrAuNSWg9 Action Plan: Morning drive till about 08:30 – 09:00 AM 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), face mask, rubber gloves, enthusiasm and willingness to learn. Please also make sure you have all the equipment required on board as a Fewbie. THIS IS A COMPRESSOR ONLY DRIVE. WE WILL END THE DRIVE AT A POINT WHICH IS NOT CLOSE TO AN AIR LINE. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A COMPRESSOR, PLEASE DO NOT SIGN UP FOR THIS DRIVE. IF YOU ARRIVE AND HAVE NO COMPRESSOR YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO JOIN THE DRIVE. Approximate finish time: 08:30 – 09.00 AM End Point: 2nd Dec Cafeteria - https://goo.gl/maps/MxnMF2fHeGnKZ4vf7 LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE: Limited to 12 cars maximum. RSVP will close on Thursday - 9 AM. 1 Lead Marshal + 2 or 1 Senior Members + 10 Members. 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

Thank you to @Wrangeld @Gaurav @Brette and everyone else for a wonderful drive as always. Really grateful to @Anish S and @Veedooshee for the help and saving me from a lot of hassle with the number plate 👍 Looking forward to next Friday's drive and have a great week all!

A quartet of leaders, friends and people who have set the high bar to which I aspire saying such kind, supportive and caring words is truly humbling. To live up to your example, to follow in your road tracks and to be able to play a small part of the leadership team casting such a benevolent shadow over everyone within this club is where I aspire to be. @Frederic I still remember on our first or second drive you gave us a shovel as we had none in the car. A simple act of selfless kindness that exemplifies everything about what you bring to this club. @Rahimdad You have a nice way to show your feelings too! COVID has denied all of us the warmth and comforting feeling of an early morning Rahimdad hug and I think we all miss it - because our Superman has the capability to help us all feel better, more confident, more capable and experience the joy and grace you bring to everything you touched. @Ale Vallecchi Indeed. I think I was looking quite enviously that day thinking ... wow, these guys are amazing. I was correct. You set an incredibly high bar to follow and I learn from you at every turn and twist: be it following on your tracks in the sand, or how you meticulously plan your drives and breifings. @Xaf yes, I share my opinions, possibly more vocally than others. On the other hand, your professionalism and strive for more knowledge and skill constantly reminds me that this game is much more than getting into the vehicle and hoping to plough through what ever obstacle we might face. To coin a phrase, I will happily be your wingman any time. I am not going to pretend that I am anything but delighted to be given the trust of this rank. @Jeepie I said it before, and I will say it loud and proud out here again. Thanks for not only joining me on this journey but grasping it with two hands and showing us all your incredbile potential. We are a pretty good team (and when I get a car of my own being in your convoy will be the greatest pleasure I could have) and are both individually growing in this game. But I am not going to forget that you really are a trailblazer in the club. First ever Woman at Expert level, and as Rahimdad said, setting an example to all the other women (and men) that you are just as competent, just as capable as everyone else - it will nonetheless be amazing to see when you post your first all women drive! There are a lot of members in your wake looking up to the amazing example you set.

@Srikumar you were there on our very first drive and have been a constant source of inspiration and guidance since. It was you who told me to drive higher on the dunes to find that place where the momentum carries you, it was you who told me to use less power and better lines, it was you who totally understood that being in the sand was as much about clearing my head as having fun. You are so incredibly generous with your advice, your support, your friendship and this promotion is so deserved because you embody the DNA of this club. Thank you for everything you bring to this club that makes it such a special place to belong.

@Srikumar Awesome news ! Congratulations buddy. And 1000% deserved. If I was asked to make a negative critic, even in a constructive manner, about your many contributions to Carnity, I trully don’t know what I could say. Absolutely no clue. You are a great source of inspiration for all members - for off-roading and for life in general.

My car has feelings you know

Dear fellow Desert Wanderers, Friday's group is virtually completed (one more spot remaining, for the last Fewbie PLUS to join). So far it will be made of @Rinelle Sanaani, @Febin Frederic, @asifk, @Kalahari,@Colin Jordan, @Najeeb Mohammed, @Chaitanya D, @Desert Dweller and @Jolly Abraham. Looks like it's a solid group, including 3 Intermediate members. As mentioned, the drive will be taking place in what I expect to be, for most drivers, a lesser known part of Dubai. Al Lisaili includes some technical dunes, which will require great finesse and care (especially to avoid hard nose butts), and mostly long range dunes, which will provide plenty of opportunities for some sideys, as well as ridge riding and criss-crossing. Because of this abundance of diverse situation, I would like to make a few recommendations. MENTAL READINESS AND CONCENTRATION - to make sure that all our energies and focus go to the characteristics of the terrain, our driving skills, and the security of the convoy, please be ready to concentrate yourselves on the drive alone. Kindly try to reduce all possible distractions, including bringing along too many passengers (certainly 3 passengers on board, event though allowed by the Covid rules, may be a source of distraction). If you bring along somebody, please explain that it will not be possible to converse while driving, or distract the driver from her/his duties. This recommendation aims to reduce the potential for refusals, stucks, and any other type of incident that a new type of terrain may cause to distracted drivers. AVAILABILITY OF PROPER EQUIPMENT - being at Fewbie Plus and above level means to have fully understood the need to carry the proper equipment in the car. This MUST include to say the least 1) a good shovel, 2) a kinetic tow rope (preferably with soft shackles), and a 3) compressor. Proper equipment also incudes a very important car accessory: tested, robust, tow hooks in good conditions. I will take care to verify the availability of all of the above equipment for all attendees, and will be forced to refuse participation for those who do not carry these essential items. COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS - there are two elements to our ability to communicate in the desert. The technical aspect demands that 1) your radios are fully charged, 2) that each driver always identifies her/himself when speaking, so to allow the convoy to react speedily to any predicament, and 3) that all respond when questions or instructions are directed at them, in order to acknowledge that all is clear and understood. The psychological aspect has to do with the willingness to communicate. Please, do not be afraid or ashamed to inform the convoy leader that one may not feel like making some maneuver, taking a seemingly risky approach, or doing anything beyond one's perceived skills, or physical conditions. When no communication of this kind takes place, the leader and the rest of the convoy will assume that all is well, and will not be able to address any concern of second-thoughts a driver may have. I have chosen to underline the above 3 issues as there have been recent events during other Fewbie drives, due to a combination of these 3 factors, which have created a great deal of complications to the convoys, unnecessary risks, and in one case damage to another driver's cars (any reference to weak tow points is not casual). Kindly acknowledge the above information, so that we may look forward to a challenging, yet pleasant drive. See you all Friday (convoy order and radio channel will be published on Thursday evening).

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 and strictly follow these guidelines in order not to jeopardize someone's health, and to ensure we can keep organizing these drives safely. MUST READ AND TOTALLY AGREE: COVID19 Precautions MUST READ AND TOTALLY AGREE: BAN POST Two Way Radio Guidelines Every Offroader brings his own radio, programmed to the frequencies described in below advice topic. We will not share spare radios or program your radio on the drive. If you need assistance in programming the radio, post a topic on the Carnity website with your questions and we will help you out. Make sure your radio is fully charged. It will be your only way of communication while driving. Before buying, please carefully read below advice so you are informed properly on which model / cost / shops... No radio = No drive. It is an essential tool and you should make sure you bring it on every drive and learn/practice how to use it. Drive Details Level: Fewbie and above - (Min 5 Fewbie Drives with Carnity) When: 17 Jul 2020, Friday. Meeting time: 5:00 PM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: 2nd December Cafateria - https://goo.gl/maps/vGCC6yzhhdpqedmG7 Action Plan: Evening drive till about 08:00 – 08:30 PM 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), face mask, rubber gloves, enthusiasm and willingness to learn. Please also make sure you have all the equipment required on board as a Fewbie. THIS IS A COMPRESSOR ONLY DRIVE. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A COMPRESSOR, PLEASE DO NOT SIGN UP FOR THIS DRIVE. IF YOU ARRIVE AND HAVE NO COMPRESSOR YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO JOIN THE DRIVE. Approximate finish time: 08:00 – 08.30 PM End Point: Near Big Red https://goo.gl/maps/BLSDDqSpA7P7MLBq7 LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE: Limited to 12 cars maximum. RSVP will close on Thursday - 9 AM. 1 Lead Marshal + 2 or 1 Senior Members + 10 Members. 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 @Lorenzo Candelpergher. I am not an expert but I was driving the same model y62 as yours , top spec with hydraulic suspension (HMBC), for may be some fewbie drives. I have been through all that has been going in your mind about changing tyres and rims, and once that happens you will think about suspension as the hydraulic is too comfort oriented and not performance oriented for the desert. To change the suspension to a performance oriented one , the hydraulic has to be disassembled at the agency and then you do the upgrade or changes in suspension. I would say please do check if changing rim size will void your warranty , as I felt your car was the 2020 new model.( mine is 2015 model , with the same specs - LE platinum). Why I am telling you this is I have already broken my UCA which was replaced under warranty and done a front axle overhaul .Just in case down the line you have to get something replaced under warranty then you have to be sure you dont do anything that voids it, parts and service for the Y62 are expensive. Some things I observed from being exactly behind your car were - you were pushing it very hard relying on the V8 (it is a vow feeling driving it!) , rather than using the momentum - especially at the time of pop out.I have made these mistakes and i realised it once I was getting to know how to handle it better. - I always kept the tyre pressure 15 or above considering the weight, not anything less . And I never had a pop out , probably i was lucky . I still miss riding my y62 in desert , may be some more drives and you will get to know how to ride it better.As I said earlier, I am not an expert but have given you a straightforward opinion from my little experience.I still drive and absolutely love it .Cheers !

Congratulations @Wrangeld for reaching the Expert Level with Carnity Offroad Club. Based on your last fewbie drive independent lead and managing the drive with endless challenges to continuously tweak the level to the fit the convoy response under Marshal supervision deserving this new off-road rank. Your love for systematic planning, off-road knowledge, experience, teamwork, suggestions, and feedback has always helped everyone around in a very positive manner on the off-road drives and on the forum. Keep it up and its time for you to work on your independent lead and polish your planning skills and scouting appropriate area to demonstrate your skills, knowledge, and passion. Looking forward to seeing you growing further and helping others to learn the art of offroading in a safe environment. Expert: Number of drives 10 (46 Newbie + Fewbie + Intermediate drives) Level of drives Willingness to learn + Enthusiasm + Basic dune & sand reading + map reading & basic navigational skills + strategic convoy driving Off-road gear Flag, deflator, tire gauge, shovel, fire extinguisher, medical kit, radio, compressor, tool kit, rated recovery rope and 2 shackles, floor jack, jack board & GPS trackback Drive teamwork Capable of diverting the convoy to safe spot + part of sweep team Drive posting/joining Join any drive and lead fewbie & intermediate drives with Marshal / Crew permission Forum participation Share experience + feedback on forum and pictures in gallery + drive and route suggestions + post trip report + share route + track and waypoints + Help Marshal / Crew for alternate routing + marking safe exit Forum participation and helping with community spirit is recommended for faster upgrades at all levels. Please make sure your Carnity user profile is always updated with all the Emergency contact details.

Congratulations @Jeepie for reaching the Expert Level with Carnity Offroad Club. Based on your last fewbie drive lead and managing the drive perfectly well without any planning (surprise lead) to implementation stage under Marshal supervision deserving this new off-road rank. Your love for off-road knowledge, experience, teamwork, suggestions, and feedback has always helped everyone around in a very positive manner on the off-road drives and on the forum. Keep it up and its time for you to work on your independent lead and optimizing off-road planning to demonstrate your skills, knowledge, and passion. Looking forward to seeing you growing further and helping others to learn the art of offroading in a safe environment. Expert: Number of drives 10 (46 Newbie + Fewbie + Intermediate drives) Level of drives Willingness to learn + Enthusiasm + Basic dune & sand reading + map reading & basic navigational skills + strategic convoy driving Off-road gear Flag, deflator, tire gauge, shovel, fire extinguisher, medical kit, radio, compressor, tool kit, rated recovery rope and 2 shackles, floor jack, jack board & GPS trackback Drive teamwork Capable of diverting the convoy to safe spot + part of sweep team Drive posting/joining Join any drive and lead fewbie & intermediate drives with Marshal / Crew permission Forum participation Share experience + feedback on forum and pictures in gallery + drive and route suggestions + post trip report + share route + track and waypoints + Help Marshal / Crew for alternate routing + marking safe exit Forum participation and helping with community spirit is recommended for faster upgrades at all levels. Please make sure your Carnity user profile is always updated with all the Emergency contact details.

Congratulations @Jeepie. I admire the child in you. Still remember the time when at Maliha Adnoc pump a bunch of Enfield bikers arrived. You ran over wearing the Enfield T-shirt to share your enthusiasm with them. You bring the same child like enthusiasm to our community. Not only we see you as one of the first Carnity Lady Marshal, but also the first couple to achieve the Marshal status in the Carnity offroad club. @Gaurav rightly put, it has been my long time dream to have a ladies only drive, now with upcoming talents like @Vanessa8580, @Desert Dweller, @Foxtrot Oscar, @Incognitoes, @Veedooshee and the likes we can truly arrange for a drive for ladies only.

Great job @Wrangeld and much deserved promotion. I remember you finishing a Newbie drive at Badayer, just before I was to begin my first Fewbie drive: you had a giant smile of satisfaction on your face. You have kept that smile on all through every step of this offroading journey, and surely will continue to smile all the way to the top. Congratulazioni!!

Congrats @Wrangeld and @Jeepie !! I still see you on the first drive with Marjan staring at the Pink Rock ascent, and the TJ did not feel like it wanted to go up. Slowly but surely like Herbie, the TJ has accepted you and Marjan, and now shines brilliantly and with a blush and takes you both from Dubai downtown to all corners of the UAE ! Fast forward less than a year and both of you reached this level and there is no knowing who’s gonna be able to hold you guys back. Absolutely hard work you’ve both put in and for people driving in the desert in this time of year you perfectly know it has to be a passion, otherwise we could all stay in bed and on the couch with the AC on. Enjoy it and on to the next one !

This drive was a challenging start of my Fewbie, but I think difficult starts teaches more and quicker... The first shock for me was the sand; at the beginning I couldn't see high dunes like the ones in Pink Rock or Fossil Rock but it was like driving in the deep water! I experienced that even maximum power & speed doesn't work in such a soft ground so I felt my pajero much weaker than ever. Other than the drive, it is also strange to me how the desert is different in its each parcel. Pink rock, fossil rock, al qudra, solar park, ... they are all close to each other but very different in many aspects like plants, dune topography, geology, ... It is because wind regime maybe... Many thanks to leaders @Wrangeld @AKR @Jeepie @Brette ; this was very instructive drive for me to enter Fewbie under your great coordination. And of course @Gaurav, I believe you should also have a "superman" t-shirt like @Rahimdad ; Front towing, back towing, pop-out solution, cooling down pajeros, self-recovery directions, rerouting, face-mask warnings and desert jokes - this is too much for a natural person doing all at the same time! ... and I hope this is more enjoyable than gym saloons to lose calories. I am sure you have lost 2-3 kg in a couple of hours and are much more "fit" now...

Thanks @Brette,yes actually it clicked my mind that since @Rajeevan Vickneswaran was ahead of us, the few pictures i took still had the number plate, i zoomed it and yes indeed that's how it was tracked, i am happy he found it...and i could be of some help!

@siddharth maheshwari Thank you so much. That's what teamwork is about! oh ya about the pictures it is as much as we can manage, i did upload some in the gallery however not too many, as the soft sand required us to keep moving. See you on the next drive..if you are ahead of us, get ready to be clicked😉!

Dear @Wrangeld, dear @Gaurav, This was my 3rd Carnity Fewbie drive, 1st time at Solar Park. I was quite disappointed when I got crested at the very beginning of the ride: I still have to figure out why my diff lock didn't engage while trying to self-recover. I tried later multiple times and it always kicked in. When we eventually managed to drive a bit for real without stopping for some time it was quite enjoyable, until a moment of distraction made me lose control while sliding on a big dune, with the rear of my car literally falling downhill all of a sudden, causing a pop-out on my rear right wheel. My son, a pop-out freak, was excited as usual.., this time I really didn't feel the same way! After the 5th pop-out I am starting to consider shifting to 18" rims with a high profile tyres 265/70, slightly thinner than my current 275/60 but surely better when deflated off-road. I was told there are tyres with a particular shape of the inner edges of the shoulders which may help prevent pop-outs: recommendations would be appreciated. The biggest challenge of the day, for me, more than the soft sand, was the difficulty I experienced in reading the bright sand, despite polarized sunglasses. My latest drives were all in Mahafiz, Pink Rock, Fossil Rock, Area 53, Al Badayer, etc were the sand is much darker and much simpler to read. @Gaurav was amazingly relentless and patient in an abnormous number of recoveries and has all my gratitude for helping me out in the two instances above. I was also amused how he could ride all over the place while everyone else was getting stuck... The path was interesting and, when we had the chance to ride without stops, fast enough to have fun. @Wrangeld and @Jeepie did a great job in leading and routing, thank you both. Find today's track details below. Thanks to the whole convoy for the nice time spent toghether today.

Thanks @Wrangeld for the wonderful drive, first one for me with you as lead and you did a great job of mixing it up, kept everyone on their toes. @Gaurav thanks for being all over to assist with recoveries, not driven with you in a while and brought back a lot of memories of the time when I first started to see the little pajero all over the place zoomin to help where required. For everyone else in the convoy today, well done. It was challenging but you all kept your cool and drove pretty well given the technicality and number of stucks we started of with. Like @Wrangeld rightly pointed out in the briefing, the sand was extremely soft and by the time the second half of the convoy crossed certain patches, it seemed like we were driving through a ton of powder where even slowing down a bit would end up with you being stuck. This won't be the last of it and over the next couple of months we can expect a lot more of this happenning. Good overall learning experience for everyone. Thanks to Sherlock @Veedooshee for her investigative skills in helping find @Rajeevan Vickneswaran number plate. Would never have thought of tracking back pics to see when you last saw it on the car. Simply brilliant. Thanks again guys n gals for a fun morning. See you'll next weekend.

Maybe your Pajero is trying to tell you something?

Thank you @Anish S for praising my investigative skills... at least I could help in a way as a co-pilot😉 @Wrangeld thank you for suggesting chocolates, the appreciation was already received in this nice drive...I really enjoyed it😊... Getting ready for my drive nw...😳

Wonderful news @Srikumar. You are a true leader, never showing off, but always showing the way how to get better, and improve oneself. I feel honored to have you watching over my drive tomorrow. It will be yet another opportunity to learn from you. Congrats!!

O would have 2 concerns, American spec and topless in an Islamic country.

Good Morning @Rinelle Sanaani @Lucky sAm @Febin Frederic @Chaitanya D @Jolly Abraham @asifk @Najeeb Mohammed @Kalahari and thank you for signing up for the Fewbie Plus drive on Friday. We are already almost half way through the week so hopefully (for you) your plans will not change, because Friday promises to be an interesting, challenging and exciting drive. The plan is to start at the 2nd December Cafe and make our way to Camel Rock & Pink Rock. If it's not too busy we will get a chance to play on the dunes, but we do need to keep in mind that these are some of the most visited spots by 4x4 enthusiasts in Dubai/Sharjah and they are often crowded. For that reason our plan is to continue, across the dunes to reach Big Red in Badayer. It's quite a distance to cover. The objective is to have sunset around Big Red and then use the last of the light to find our way to exit, enjoying a short night drive so that you can get used to that experience before night drives start in earnest. What to expect during this week's drive? It's Fewbie PLUS - so we will look to ratchet up the pace as well as starting to develop criss crossing techniques now that all of you have proven yourselves well capable of mastering the up and over technique without cresting (most of the time). As ever, we will be flexible and if the soft sand starts to cause problems we will look for alternative options. No question that around Big Red, the sand is soft at the moment. Last weekend, we lost time on drives because of some car problems so please make sure that your vehicle is in good condition, that all the fluids are topped up and most importantly that your tow points are in good condition and appropriate for the type of strain they might be under in the desert. Also a reminder - this is planned as a compressor only drive. Please make sure you have a compressor with you. Re routing because someone does not have a copressor seriously limits the exit options which is why, if you don't have a compressor, you won't be driving. Big thanks in advance to @Srikumar and @Ale Vallecchi , the additional seniors on the drive. If you have any questions or queries about what to expect, please add them here in this thread. Have a great day. See you soon in the sand.

Goede morgen Jeepie, Congratulations with your promotion, let you be an example for all other drivers; a well balance between skills, interest, talent and communication. See you soon!

Congrats Richard, wonderful news. You guys are growing at an amazing pace and are a very good inspiration to the ever growing group of new off-roaders. You have brought so many positives to this club interms of active participation, commitment, mentorship and ofcourse your trip reports (which I am sure everyone in the offroad club eagerly waits once your drive is done). You have also added a new dimension to drive posting by starting the trend of a pre-trip report which I have also started doing since the last drive. Look forward to driving under your lead in the very near future.

It was certainly exciting for myself and @Lisa Pemberton can't wait to go again! Thanks to all for their patience and encouragement.

Firstly big thanks to @Gaurav for your leadership skills and patience. It was a tough start for you today as most of us called you back to back for help despite you were just one call away . Thank you @Wrangeld @Jeepie for the well coordinated lead and @Brette for backing me up. You all are amazing how you all get on knees in the heat to help in any situation. @Lorenzo Candelpergher tyre popped out today at a sidey at the top of the dune and it was really risky for such big machine but he controlled it very well. It was my first febie drive and i learned a lot. Kudos to those who didnt stuck at all today despite of soft patches . @Rajeevan Vickneswaran you were smartly saved by @Veedooshee . I remember one drive when i was driving in front of @Anish S and they always capture nice pictures 👍. Somehow i felt my jeep was less responsive at times today on loose sand when i needed some quick acceleration or it is an isssue with traction of my stock tyres . Was looking for the thread of pedal commander but couldnt get much out of it. Looking for some suggestions from other fellow jeepers and our leaders . I drive Jeep JL Sahara long wheel base. Would love to share some experiences or advise.

@Anish S I use a crony and have similar issues. Does not happen all the time but noticed when I keep it in the cup holder and the antenna touches anything metal it starts. Have since started keeping it on the passenger seat and it's been a lot better.

@Anish S I'm glad that my driving was of some help and this is exactly how I personally learn driving behind seasoned offroaders to learn to perfect the line (track entry /exit) instead of fighting with gravity, cross tracks and using excessive rpm. @Veedooshee your contribution with your common sense and attentiveness is beyond anyone's imagination, as I never expected that Rajeevan can find his number plate back in the desert, once lost. I was super impressed with your photo searching and connecting the dots skills to help him. Really well done to be so cautious while off-roading, and im sure with time you will become a very good off-roader. Big thanks and well done to @AKR @Rajeevan Vickneswaran @Magellan for not getting stuck in such a tricky area. Last but least, thanks and VERY well done to our new leader @Wrangeld for leading an excellent and super challenging drive at solar park and kept on playing with drive level based on convoy response. It is not an easy task for new leaders to tweak the level and find a perfect balance between enjoyment and not getting stuck or scaring people.

😜 Must be an undiscovered feature of Pajero...I will try to decode the message 🤣...I hope she does not spills any secrets...

Well done @Srikumar. Completely dedicating yourself week after week. Looking forward to many more disbelievers like you growing under your strong wings to be like you one day.

Super @Srikumar. You are always so cool minded and methodical 👍