Frederic

DRIVE REPORT As soon as the RSVP list was rolling in, I was glad to see that I knew most members already, and was looking forward to meeting new ones as well. It was my first drive in Khatim, and it will defininitely not be the last ! We started around 05:30 and headed out into the dunes, which looked harmless, but a little bit deceiving. The sun was slowly rising and the first hour we had some refusals as all of us were still slowly waking up. Once we past the farm track, the dunes changed into a more technical terrain, but nevertheless it was nice exploring and I was glad to be in the company of a group of Carnitees that were cheerful, positive, and helping each other whenever there was a stuck or refusal. @keyvan yasini as we had driven together before, I knew I could totally rely on you to take the second lead in our convoy. You are a calm mature driver and amazed me again with the perfect balance of finesse and power driving. @Naveen Raj the last time we met, we were taping your front bumper together of your Lexus. You quickly realized in order to have a bit more fun in the sand, a dedicated and reliable desert toy was a good option. The 2008 Pajero with the 3.0 engine is known as being a bit underpowered but as I mentioned it's all about the driver and you totally rocked today, using tiptronic and smart use of momentum brought you everywhere without much hassle. Superb ! @Aravind Sidhardhan brought a Fortuner to the game today, and even a manual gear. Driving a manual gear in the desert requires a bit more practice and getting used to, which is totally normal. You drove very well today ! See you soon again (please bring a flag next time). @Ahmed MATAR always comes to every drive with a big smile, and it's clear you enjoy this morning out. You drove very well today. The ideal balance of giving enough and not too much throttle is something that will come after a few more drives. If you are not sure, its better to give less gas instead of too much gas. Well done ! @Karl Dela Cruz was only on his second drive, and you did really well considering you were towards the back of the convoy. Never feel bad whenever you have a refusal or stuck, we are all here to learn and even the most senior offroaders including myself still get stuck. It's all about the team spirit experience and helping each other out, that's what we are here for. See you soon again ! @Luc Khaldoun decided to do a russian roulette RSVP this week and ended up in my drive 🤣 Just kidding. You really drove amazing today and it was nice meeting you ! My hero at the back today was @Kalahari. It's been a while since we last met and I was extremely happy to see you signing up this week and offering your support. Massive thanks for that. All in all, we shoveled a bit, pulled out a few cars, but came out with a tan and no stress I was very delighted to see the camaraderie amongst you. From stepping out with the shovel, to just have a friendly chat and getting to know each other better. It's the group experience that makes offroading fun, and I will gladly drive with you guys again ! See you soon in the sand !

Well deserved @Hasan Wahlan !

Totally deserved @M.Seidam !

Well deserved @Shaaz Sha ! Keep up your excellent support !

Well done @Luc Khaldoun ! See you very soon in the sand !

i agree. So far i did all my tests in Al Futtaim Health-hub and never had an issue.

@Lakshmi Narasimhan faced a similar issue a few weeks back. I think you'll need to check with the private clinic. They should be instructing DHA to update the app.

I am glad to be spending another Friday in Abu Dhabi, which gets me hooked every time i go there. There is really no end to the variety this Emirate has to offer ! Khatim, with its white sand, and nice combination of medium sized dunes and technical area, offers a perfect learning experience to all. I noticed all signups are Newbies coming weekend (No absolute Newbies). So please bring your Offroad gear as per your level (flag, radio, shovel, pressure gauge/deflator). Myself and @Kalahari (thanks for stepping in with your support) will be helping you out on the drive whenever needed. You can find the convoy setup below: 1) Frederic - Pajero Blue - Crew @Frederic 2) Keyvan Yasini Chevy Tahoe - Newbie @keyvan yasini 3) Naveen Raj - Mitsubishi Pajero LWB - Newbie @Naveen Raj 4) Aravind Sidhardan - Fortuner - Newbie @Aravind Sidhardhan 5) Ahmed Matar - Mitsubishi Pajero SWB - Newbie @Ahmed MATAR 6) Karl Dela Cruz - Toyota FJ Cruiser - Newbie @Karl Dela Cruz 7)Luc Khaldoun - Nissan Patrol - Newbie @Luc Khaldoun 8( Kalahari - Maroon Xterra - Advance @Kalahari We will be using Channel 2: 446.03125 Mhz I am keeping the RSVP open till later this afternoon, we might have some more people joining us. See you guys tomorrow !

Welcome back @Damiru Dharmadasa !

Good morning @mikaeel shaik. I noticed you have added your name in the manage tab. Are you joining this drive ? Or did you RSVP by accident ?

Isn't there like a kind of tipping point, such as from 32-33psi onwards that the tyre shape will not change anymore ?

I would do the following: 1) Purchase a tarpaulin that allows you to cover the car entirely. That will keep away the dust, animals, etc.. 2) Disconnect the battery. If you have a relative or friend that is able to start the car or go for a small tour every couple of weeks that would really help.

Is the car parked outside or inside ?

Congrats @Craig Finlayson !!

Very well documented point @Warren Flay. Honestly as i am leading most of the times i never noticed any difference because i am driving on virgin sand. It's definitely worth and a nice experiment. For the LWB Pajeros it might be less noticable.

Congrats @Yawa !!

Congrats @Alain Canivet-Abikhalil !!

Wishing you all the best @Tero Vallas ! Take care and keep flying safe !

Join us to explore Al Khatim Desert in Abu Dhabi and learn the art of offroading in a versatile playground for your first off-road adventure. You will learn to self-drive your vehicle from experts having decades of off-roading experience in the UAE. This area offers a good mix of playable long set of dunes and broad ridges to test your off-road control. Drive is open for all 4x4/4WD/SUV/AWD vehicles having 8-10 inches of ground clearance and (MANDATORY) Front and rear tow hooks (MANDATORY) What you'll learn: Introduction to off-roading. Desert driving basics and etiquette. Desert driving tips, techniques, myth and best practices. Off-road and safety gear familiarization and recovery procedures. Vehicle orientation, risk analysis, deflation and outdoor safety advice. First time with Carnity Off-road Club: Please share your vehicle details - Make, Model, Year. Do you have any prior off-road experience? Confirm your vehicle has front and rear tow hooks / eyelets. Why should i join? We will teach you how to self-drive off-road safely and learn the best offroad driving and recovery techniques. If you have already driven in sand before then you can learn more from experts having decades of offroading experience in the UAE. This area offers a good mix of playable long set of dunes and broad ridge to test your off-road control. Can my vehicle do this ? This drive is open for all 4x4/4WD/SUV/AWD vehicle having 8-10 inches of ground clearance and front and rear tow hooks. If in doubt please first announce your questions on the drive thread so we can advise you further. Any stock 4x4/4WD are most welcome, you don't need any vehicle modifications. Can i bring passengers ? Yes of course, but if you are absolute new to offroading it is better to drive alone first to avoid any distractions. Learn More About: Carnity Off-road Club 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. MUST WATCH: NEWBIE VIDEO BRIEFING Drive Details Level: Newbie and Above (All Levels) When: 25 June 2021, Friday. Meeting time: 5:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: - https://goo.gl/maps/5eX8y6C8yoD9LEGF8 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: 9:00 AM End Point: ADNOC AL HAFFAR LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE: Limited to 15 cars only. RSVP will close on Thursday - 9 AM. 1 Lead Marshal + 1-2 Senior Members + 12 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. 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 BELOW CALENDAR EVENT

@Roy Armale my experience is limited to driving manual with my Pajero. From what I am reading, i come to the following points: 1) every recovery should be in 4lo. Switch to low gear as soon as you find yourself stuck. Don’t even attempt in high gear as you’ll be burning your clutch very quickly. 2) 33 inch tyres are not gonna help you, that’s a fact. While they are still in good condition maybe consider selling them second hand. 3) Driving manual gear in the desert requires you to think about your momentum at all times. Mostly you’ll be driving in second gear and sometimes first. The trick is to know when to upshift or downshift. This will come with practice and practice and practice. To me it feels like you’re overthinking too much especially since you don’t have sand off-roading experience yet. 4) Don’t drive in low gear. You might get away with it for a while, but soon your transfer case internals will be overheating. Low gear is meant to recover and off-road very slowly (like rock crawling). Not for anything faster than 20kmh.

UPDATE Due to a technical issue with my car, I won’t be able to lead this drive, so unfortunately it will have to be cancelled. @Melenany @Arman @Aisha S @Thomas Varghese @hasan hamadeh My apologies.

Thanks for informing @Aisha S