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@Aser @Sviatoslav @RiadJL @Zak_ @Andrew John Melvill @Batuhan Kulac @Johannes Roux @Julien Recan @Hani Howeedy and @Luke K P (even though you already know the story), for more info about the legendary Long Range Desert Group (formerly Long Range Desert Patrols), please visit Long Range Desert Group - Wikipedia A few notes: Major Bagnold (Ralph Bagnold - Wikipedia) their founder, is also known for studying the dynamic of sand, which explains how dunes and deserts form and "move", as well as he's the "inventor" of tire deflation and dune crossing, discovering the key role of momentum in desert driving. Seems obvious now, but try managing desert crossing in the early 1930's, driving heavy 2-wheel drive cars!! Major Bagnold is also referenced in the movie "The English Patient", as one of the companions of another great desert explorer, Lazlo Almazy. From 1925 to 1935, Bagnold had explored the Great Libyan Desert, 1,100 miles east to west, 1,000 miles north to south, as part of an international group that included the future central character of the novel and film The English Patient, Hungarian Count Laszlo Almasy. “Never in our peacetime travels had we imagined that war could ever reach the enormous empty solitudes of the inner desert, wailed off by sheer distance, lack of water and impassable seas of sand dunes,” Bagnold remembered. “Little did we dream that any of the special equipment and techniques we had evolved for very long distance travel, and for navigation, would ever be put to serious use.” For more, read Nomads of War: The Long Range Desert Group - Warfare History Network

throwback to the last known photo of LRDG back in 1943,,, i mean 2023 😆 hope to see you all for some further lomg distance patrols soon. 💪

Thanks Aser, grandad received a medal for his service with the LRDG as a navigator during the lead up to the battle of El Alamein. He surveyed the artillery positions amongst other information gathering.

Thanks Ale, he passed away in 1986 but I remember his stories well and am super proud of him. He was a man of strong convictions and lived by his own rules, even to the point of living in exile due to his liberal political beliefs in 1950's South Africa. Left to settle in Swaziland.

@Ale Vallecchi always a pleasure and fun driving with your lead, the pace was great with the mix of different terrains. Mission very well accomplished and thank you for LRDG sticker. @Batuhan Kulac thank you for all the support you gave the convoy today wether front or back, while driving with no a/c real champion.

Alright @Islam Soliman. Thank you. Looking at it again, I’ve been there multiple times before 😄 in a first look saw a road so I thought as Deepak mentioned *meetup is near highway* 😁

Thank you @Gaurav @Looper I hope I can catch up in Fewbie drives 😅

We request every member who joins this drive to go through the information below and strictly follow these guidelines, etiquette, and responsibilities. MUST READ AND COMPLY Environmental Policy Offroad Flag Guideline Two Way Radio Guideline Off road Driving Etiquette's Emergency details for all off-roaders Off Road Driving - Roles & Responsibilities First time with Carnity Off-road Club: Please share your vehicle details - Make, Model, Color, and Year. Do you have any prior off-road experience? If yes, pls share details. Confirm your vehicle has front and rear tow hooks/eyelets. Advise if you don’t have a programable radio and safety flag. MUST WATCH: NEWBIE VIDEO BRIEFING Drive Details Level: Newbie and above (all levels) Meeting time: 3:00 PM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: TBC Action Plan: A leisurely drive in a perfect location to familiarize oneself with the rudiments of off-roading, or to perfect the skills already acquired. A place usually abundant with wildlife, will give us the opportunity of searching for the oryx herds that inhabit this area. Type of Car: Any proper 4x4 with front and back tow hooks and 8-10 inches of ground clearance. What to bring along: Loads of water, snacks (for yourself), smiles, face mask, rubber gloves, enthusiasm and willingness to learn. Approximate finish time: 7:00 PM P.S. Only join if you have a compressor to inflate your tires after the drive. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE: This drive is limited to 12 cars only. RSVP will close on Friday - 9AM. If the RSVP is full, you can add your name to the waitlist, once anyone drops, you will be moved to the RSVP list. RSVP will close a day prior to preparing a convoy list. Latecomers will be returned back - Without any exceptions. Members without RSVP will be returned back - Without any exceptions. 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 below calendar

Thanks, done! thanks a lot!

Hi @Zubail, you can click on the calendar again, and remove yourself from the going list, Then you can click 'going' on the Dubai twilight newbie drive

We request every member that joins this drive to go through the information below and strictly follow these guidelines, etiquette and responsibilities. MUST READ AND COMPLY Environmental Policy Offroad Flag Guideline Two Way Radio Guideline Off road Driving Etiquettes Emergency details for all off roaders Off Road Driving - Roles & Responsibilities Drive Details Level: Fewbie and above (all levels) Meeting time: 3:00 PM (departure time) Meeting Point: TBC Action Plan: Another long (but this time not too long) trek from a location between Nahil and Al Ain (known for its livestock farms), to Sweihan (exit TBC) definitely through Nagra and a couple other scenic spots. Looking to enjoy the drive and the sunset on this very diverse area. What to bring along: Loads of water, snacks (for yourself), smiles, face mask, rubber gloves, enthusiasm, and willingness to learn. Approximate finish time: 07:00 PM P.S. Only join if you have a compressor to inflate your tires after the drive. RECOMMENDED OFF-ROAD GEAR: Tire deflator & Tire pressure gauge Compressor (MANDATORY) Walkie-talkie radio (MANDATORY) Off-road flag (MANDATORY) Shovel, Tow Rope & 2 Shackles First-aid kit Fire extinguisher. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE This drive is limited to 10 cars only. RSVP will close on Friday - 12 PM. If the RSVP is full, you can add your name to the waitlist, once anyone drops, you will be moved to the RSVP list. RSVP will close a day prior to preparing a convoy list. Latecomers will be returned - Without any exceptions. Members without RSVP will be returned - Without any exceptions. 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

@Luke K P I need to give you the coveted (😉) LRDG sticker. Next drive

Amazing @Andrew John Melvill !! There were never more than 350 LRDG commands. You must have had a super grandpa!!

Thanks @Ale Vallecchi, I love the exploration drives!

@Ale Vallecchi thanks for a fantastic drive this morning, that we all managed the complete over 100km through the technical terrain covered is testament to your navigation skills. Proud of the LRDG sticker, my grandfather was a navigator in the LRDG during WW2 in North Africa.

Thank you @Looper for an epic first drive in the Intermediate Level. The first time I was up here was with you leading a FB+ drive, which was extremely memorable and one of my best videos of our drives to date. No video today from me because I wanted to focus on this first IM drive and being S/L. It was a faster drive than FB+ which meant more laser focused concentration. It was exhilarating. Nice to meet you @Amir Amiri. Great driving with you again @Mahmoud Taha, @Zulfikhar Naiyar and @Anoop Nair. A very dynamic elevation profile below and other interesting stats. See you on the sand next time.

A very intense drive. Thank you all who could manage to join this drive. My initial idea was to go to Shuwaib and turn back so that we could end the drive at Badayer Shops. But I got so engrossed looping at the dunes before we reached Iftar Bowl that, this plan was not executable anymore. I did however wanted to go all the way and reach Shuwaib, exactly what we did. We started on the dot at 7:00 am which seemed a bit late due to the temperatures and finished exactly at 9:30 as planned. @Emanuel & @Zulfikhar Naiyar you drive very well, kept up with the pace. Behind you were the experienced lot, @Anoop Nair, @Amir Amiri and @Mahmoud Taha - the last two have been on every Badayer drive I have done till now Thank you all for one more exciting drive today. See you soon in the next one.

Thank you all for joining the drive today. The sand was still very compact from the rain in the previous days, so the conditions were generally favourable for the climbs and the ridge riding. the drawback was that the dunes were becoming slippery after a few cars, making the track a bit more difficult for the back of the convoy. The first portion offered high dunes with long ridges, perfect terrain to practice ridge riding, sometimes a bit impressive with the deep void on one side or the other. Concentration and precise steering were key, as a wrong line was immediately inducing fishtailing. Crossing the sabkha, we climbed that massive dune, with a succession of small bowls, step by step until the top. Everyone was focused, getting the required momentum for the next climb, and the 12 cars reached without refusal, a nice performance! The rest of the drive was a long run going West, crossing a large portion of desert staying high on the dunes as much as possible to avoid the bushes. with open dunes and white sands, until we reached the exit on the E75. No stuck, a few refusals, great driving for all of you, including the 1st FB+ drive for @Stan and @Mahmut. Still we could see a lot of fishtailing and uncontrolled ridge riding. We have discussed this on the sand, so you where to improve. It will come with practice. Thank you @Mohit Gurnani for the SL, correcting my lines, @Mark B for anchoring the convoy from the middle, and @Zulfikhar Naiyar for watching the back, @Shaun J @Stan @Mahmut @Julien Recan @Rk ram @Deepak Eswar @Cristian @Ishak thank you for excellent spirit and participation. We can program the same drive at the end of June, to add heat and soft sand for a more complete desert experience !

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%