Frederic

The Big Grunter was also my first compressor. They should change the name to Big disappointment.

DRIVE REPORT On my way to Second December Cafeteria I came across hundreds of cars that were parked next to the road, awaiting the predicted rain showers. As soon as the rains set in, it was funny to see all of them running outside their cars, splashing in the water and enjoying the rain. For me, coming from a country where it rains a lot more I must say it made me laugh quite hard while I was passing them by. Upon arrival, where I found @Febin Frederic also had an itch to hit the sand early, we saw the cafeteria area already was a muddy pool, with locals arriving with buggy's and Landcruisers and Batrols hitting the sand and revving without deflating. We quickly set out by crossing the road and heading towards direction Faya. The Suwaydan area we went into is mostly left behind by other clubs because the terrain is more technical and quite bushy, with even a forest in the middle of it (we will come to that later). I have driven in that area before and although it is not the most exciting area, it does offer scenic views and for this drive I wanted to let the convoy digest some technical areas as it's important to learn them, and also the scenic views on this cloudy afternoon is something we should enjoy as this is super rare in UAE. We had a strong convoy that day, and no-one really struggled, and even @Tero Vallas who was a little bit stuck in the mud at the back of the convoy managed to get himself out eventually by deflating a bit more and giving the mighty Prado a good kickin' Well done ! We arrived at Sharjah Forest (don't laugh this is how I named that waypoint in my gps), and parked the cars next to each other and made some shots, which will be the perfect Insta and FB material I hope). It was quickly getting more dark, even earlier as expected maybe due to the cloudy weather, so that meant we had pick up the pace and head over to Faya, where I was expecting to see hundreds of cars but fortunately the area was quite calm and all of us had our chance to climb from our so-called cheat route. Attacking from the front was simply impossible with all the muddy cross tracks, and I was sure we were all able to reach the top via that cheat route. As the dark set in, I was contemplating if we would play around in the Faya a little bit more, but it was getting quite dark and felt it was the right time to head out towards the exit as it had been a lovely day and sometimes my gut feeling tells me not to jinx it. We inflated at the dune buggy shops and I hope everyone appreciated the different type of drive this was today. We will just call it "Insta-Drive" from now The whole convoy was super-cooperative, helpful, and all of you drove really well. @Veedooshee who lost a bit of the inside of her Pajero eventually found it back thanks to @Mels Wolf, and this event amongst others showed how much we try to look after each other, which is THE main reason why I gladly keep doing these drives. It is all about the community spirit, helping out each other, and having a good day in the sand. @Jun Zamora which I have not seen a while, has become a confident off-roader that easily digests whatever terrain is being thrown at him. Fantastic growth in a short time ! @Christian Andras as my second lead, and with the family safely strapped in (LOL), drove also very confident and did not break a sweat. Maybe it helped that we were driving in Tawi Swedan 😅 @Biju Abdul gave us the perfect excuse to have a difflock on board and used it on the PERFECT moment. Super ! @Edgar you drove really well today, and you went on Faya like you drove on Sheikh Zayed. Mighty impressive ! @David Ortells it was nice meeting your wife, and it will be great to see her joining the club too very soon ! @Yousef Alimadadi and friends, hope you had a good time ! @Jeepie as always the calm supportive sweep, a pleasure to have you in the convoy. Absolutely well done, and a big thanks also to @Febin Frederic for helping out with the recoveries. See you guys soon in the sand !

DRIVE REPORT When all those pieces fall into place.... The morning came with a bit of a breeze, and a lot of good company. I was supported by @Rahimdad today which is always a blessing, and seeing that he enjoyed himself in the back all morning, even if there was some shoveling to be done, made me realize that these drives are sometimes rare and when they occur you have to count your blessings. With @Lisa Pemberton as my second lead, we started off the morning by climbing Pink Rock, and venturing a bit on the back side to go all around it. It might be hard to tell but I am not sure if this drive went well because Lisa was in second lead, or if Kieran was next to her 🤣.. Just kidding. You never struggled anywhere, gave me enough space to find clean tracks, and was the perfect sidekick to this drive. @Sajit Modiyil you are finding your way in the Xterra, and together with @Mohamed Seidam those Xterras are proving their worth in this terrain ! @SureshVNair you drive very well, and the few cases where you had small refusals you remained calm and got yourself out of the situation easily. Very well done ! @Kailas and @Andrei who always bring some color to the convoy drove really well too, and slide through the terrain with much hiccups. @Mohamed Seidam your communication and relaying the information towards the back of the convoy is wonderful. Keep it up ! And you were the first on scene together with Kieran to help out @Lisa Pemberton on her valve core, glad to see that kind of attitude ! @Ammar Naji you managed the terrain really well in this terrain, and the self recoveries I saw you doing were always with utmost calm approach and gentle throttle which is perfect for any self recovery, but especially when having a heavy powerful vehicle. Really impressed ! @Tamas Hoffmann and @Rizwan Waheed I have put your vehicles together in the convoy as they are resembling each other. That is a trick I sometimes use to help the driver imitate the same driving style of the vehicle in front which can make it easier to get through the terrain, but at no point did I feel you guys were struggling and you both drove super smooth ! Keep those Gen3 Pajero coming ! @Dagdag Sofiane and @andy_macdxb both with the bigger Pajeros were doing just totally fine in the back of the convoy, digesting whatever terrain I took them through. Really impressive guys ! @Hennie Schoeman your Willy's and you were also sliding through the terrain, and carrying a big smile all morning. Keep it up ! @Abu Muhammad with your Sequoia being a gentle driver who took the car over every terrain, you really impressed me today, but since I know you had your first personal training from our Guru @Rahimdad there is no doubt you had the perfect introduction and we will be seeing you more often ! Take care and see you soon again ! We have drives every week. All of them are different, all of them carry a signature. Today thanks to this amazing convoy we covered almost 30km with 15 vehicles, which is pretty good I'd say ! See you guys soon in the sand ! PS @Rizwan Waheed below some information on the radios and the models we use and recommend. The Crony/Motorola MT777 or the Baofeng UV5-R is a perfect choice and these can be easily programmed with below tutorial.

Hi Christian no worries, as long as they wear seatbelts 😜

@Tero Vallas as one spot became available and you are first one on the waitlist, I’ve added your name to the RSVP list. See you tomorrow! Sorry @Pancho, Tero was higher on the waitlist and has confirmed his attendance for tomorrow.

DRIVE RSVP IS NOW CLOSED @Christian Andras will be my second lead tomorrow, slightly altering the tracks upon my instructions, and communicating to the rest of the convoy to inform them of any bumps, tricky parts, bowls. @Mels Wolf will be our center forward, keeping the convoy together, and being the first at the scene to initiate recoveries and help out over the radio. @Jeepie will be our sweep, keeping the convoy moving and help out with recoveries where needed. The drive plan is to start off at the 2nd december cafeteria and take a left towards direction Faya. This track takes us through strange terrain with lots of trees and black sand. This area is not the most difficult terrain but will be PERFECT for taking some scenic shots. Once we pass this terrain, we will take the roundabout the cross the road and head towards Faya. The plan is to approach Faya from a less used side, and enjoy the bowls that are surrounding Faya, also known as "The Saddle". Please make sure to bring all your gear as per Fewbie level, and set your radio to Channel 2 (446.03125Mhz). Looking really forward to this one ! See you !

RSVP IS NOW CLOSED: Please find the convoy list above. @Lisa Pemberton will be my second lead, which means she will slightly alter the track upon my instructions and keep in close communication with me over the radio. Our center forward will be @Mohamed Seidam This positions requires good communication to keep an eye on the convoy, and help the other newbies over the radio with some basic instructions. I have no doubt he will do perfectly fine. I will have the brilliant support from @Rahimdad and he will be able to take on different positions within the convoy when needed, so to fully support all of you and keep the convoy moving. Please make sure you all have your gears as per Newbie Level, otherwise you will not be allowed on the drive. This means: - Deflator and Pressure gauge - Compressor (will be needed). - Shovel - Radio - Flag Please arrive on time or well before time if you still struggle with deflation. The plan is to be deflated and ready to go by 05:20 as soon as the sun rises. We will be using Carnity Channel #2 (446.03125 Mhz). See you guys tomorrow !

Congrats to @Ali Abas Ali for being Nationality number 40 in our Club ! Same for @Abu Muhammad !

Hi @Rizwan Waheed there is one spot that came free so I have added your name. Please confirm if you can make it.

hi @Syed Raza Hussain as you are an Absolute Newbie, i would like to ask you to signup for our Absolute Newbie drive coming Friday in Al Qudra. There are still some available spots and this will be a much better introduction for your first offroad drive.

After using the Protec Extreme 5W40 over the last year, I’ve switched to Mobile one 5W40 and noticed the valve lifter ticking disappeared.

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 When: 28 Aug 2020, Friday. Meeting time: 5:00 PM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Action Plan: Evening drive till about 09:00 PM Meeting Point: 2nd December Cafeteria: https://goo.gl/maps/s5Hci1EvcDi53Z4Z6 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: 09:00 PM End Point: Faya Dune Buggy Rentals PLEASE RSVP ON THE BELOW CALENDAR

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, Absolute Newbie and Above (All Levels) When: 28 Aug 2020, Friday. Meeting time: 5:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: 2nd Dec Cafeteria - https://goo.gl/maps/MxnMF2fHeGnKZ4vf7 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: 09:00 AM End Point: Tawi Nazwa P.S. Only join if you have a compressor to inflate your tires after the drive. 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 THE BELOW CALENDAR EVENT

Hi @Bhaskar the X3 is probably happier on the road, but if the car has 8inch ground clearance (definitely to be verified as the M plus package might come with lower bumpers), and has tow points at the front and the back, he can be allowed on the drive. Please be aware and the same goes for Discovery Sport and other luxury SUV’s that any damage incurred on the car will likely result in hefty bills, and these cars have lots and lots of electronics holding back the vehicle from unleashing it’s full power in the desert. Traction controls and airbag definitely need to be disabled when coming to the drive.

DRIVE REPORT Some days go better than other days, and today was a day where the going got a bit tough... I was glad to see everyone meeting on time, and most brought deflation tools and pressure gauge and were self-reliant in the deflating process. @Derek Fernandes I am sorry to hear you ended up at the wrong deflation point (for evening drive). In the future I will leave my mobile number on the pre-drive briefing drive topic so you can call in case there are any issues. Please always double check which drive topic you open as we have many drives every weekend, and maybe this caused the confusion. @Bhaskar as a proud new owner of this Montero Sport was my second lead today, and did really well. My apologies for the long waiting times. I hope you got to enjoy the scenery at least a bit @Athula Dharmadada your Pathfinder was a bit stubborn today, but you kept a smile and shovel handy, and your son took amazing photos. Near the end we had to dismantle the bumper but I am glad to see the shop was able to put it back on. Please do some trials with the traction control settings, as I am sure they were switched off, yet the car refused to rev beyond 1500 rpm which eventually led to pulling you back up to the dirt track. @Ameen Ahmed your Landrover Discovery Sport is a fantastic vehicle and you really drove well today. As we spoke about please bear in mind that these vehicles are very expensive to fix in case you'd ever lose a bumper or more. We have seen other members joining with same car, and most of them left the car home eventually and bought a cheaper dedicated offroad-toy for ease of mind. @izzumonv Your Jeep Liberty was not feeling it today, after first having smoke from underneath the hood because of the expansion bottle cap that fell off / flew off, and then refused to go in Reverse, and I felt sometimes the 4low gear was also disengaging without any reason. I would highly advise you to bring it to a competent mechanic and get these things sorted before coming back on your next offroad drive. As you have seen a 4x4 is being stressed to the limits during summer in the sand. Hope you can get things sorted and the recovery truck brought you back home safely. @Shaaz Sha congrats with being the first member with an Omani License plate You handled the terrain really well today and never heard or seen you struggle. Super done ! @Dineth Kalukapuge your Xterra is a very powerful car, and I am sure in a couple of weeks you will get the trick on how to use the momentum and steering a little bit better. But overall well done ! @Rizwan Waheed with the Pajero never broke a sweat and handled the terrain like he has done it before. Very impressive for a first drive ! @Vanessa8580 was my trusty sweep and we both burned quite a few calories. Having your life partner on your drive to help out is truly a blessing as we understand each other without words. As I have mentioned during the de-briefing this is really a team-sport and we never leave anyone behind in the desert. I am thankful for your patience and this drive was an example on how unforgiving the desert can be sometimes. But at the same time we keep learning week after week and I hope your next drive will be more "smooth sailing" For your next drives at Newbie level, please have a look at below topic which describes the tools needed for every level: You can also join the Carnity Whatsapp Drive Notification to get the latest updates on the drives and so that you can RSVP on time for the next weekend's drive. See you guys soon in the sand !

The location is just further down Al Qudra road direction Solar Park. It’s a few kilometer before the solar park itself.

Hi @Athula Dharmadada glad to see your bumper back on 😉. I remember checking if the traction aid was really off when driving your car. So I am not really sure if this was the culprit. Nice photos ! You can also post them in the drive gallery (choose gallery in the main screen). Every drive has its own photo gallery.

Hi @Derek Fernandes it looks indeed as if you have opened the Newbie evening drive topic and navigated to that location instead of the Absolute Newbie morning drive. Our location was a few miles earlier on the same road so you’ve probably passed us by. I usually keep an eye out on the drive topic in case anyone has an issue, but as you’ve posted it in the wrong drive topic it was not noticed.

RSVP IS NOW CLOSED @Bhaskar @Athula Dharmadada @Ameen Ahmed @izzumonv @Derek Fernandes @Shaaz Sha @Dineth Kalukapuge @Rizwan Waheed Please find your convoy numbering in above list. Some pointers: 1) Please be on time, and if you have no experience with deflation please arrive 15-20 mins earlier so we can assist you with that. 2) Please watch the Absolute Newbie briefing video with undivided attention to be prepared. 3) Be aware of the COVID-19 precautions clearly outlined in the video. Those who fail to abide will be banned from joining future drives. 4) Try to bring as a minimum a tyre deflator and pressure gauge so you can deflate your tyres. We will assist you if you have never done this before. We will be deflating to 15psi which is perfect for beginner level drives. Looking forward to meeting you guys tomorrow !

Hi @Ameen Ahmed Welcome to Carnity Offroad Club ! I will be posting the convoy numbering in a few minutes. Please go through the Absolute Newbie Briefing Video with undivided attention so you arrive prepared. - Please bring a tyre deflator and pressure gauge to deflate your tyres. If you don't have these tools we can give you a hand. See you tomorrow !