Drive Report

 

Tuesdays are all about breaking the hump of the working week by getting out into the sand and letting off some steam. We covered just under 69km in 4.5 hours

We had a very experienced convoy for a Fewbie Level drive and all that expertise didn’t go to waste. I had decided it was time to pass the baton of responsibility to our Fewbie driver who is very keen to learn the ropes. Under the instruction of @Craig Finlayson and my watchful eye @Shehab Alawadhi was ready to get his gear out. Thankfully as we were negotiating the technical patch the opportunity presented itself as @Thomas Varghese got stuck. @Shehab Alawadhihandled the recovery very well.

We headed out of the technical patch and into the wide-open long-range dunes we had lots of opportunity to side slope and cross some ridges. This didn’t present anyone with any issues and the fewbies at the front of the convoy were all handling their vehicles very well.

I think we were about 1 hour into the drive when @Thomas Varghese had some severe overheating issues. We brought the temperature of the car down by spraying cold water on the transmission cooler and turning the heating on full blast to take the heat out of the engine. When the digital reader was at 92o it was safe to start moving the car again however for Thomas that was the end of the desert drive. The car had shot up to 110o by the time we reached the track. I do hope the repair is economical Thomas, , its such a shame you had overheating issues as you were having a good drive

No sooner had we started motoring again when @GauravSoni car started to have some issues, well an unfamiliar sound, It was better to exit the car then and there as opposed to risking damage so off we headed back to the track.

We headed back into the long range dunes, as we did so we were lucky enough to see the local training their falcons, I couldn’t hide my excitement when I saw the drone with ‘prey’ attached and the young bird swoop in to grab it with its mighty talons. What a treat that was!

Once more to the fore we headed back in again and had a good time continuing with or side sloping and getting atop some ridges. I was keeping a watchful eye on our two remaining Fewbies and both were coping admirably. Then a call came for me to add some spice. I checked with the convoy and it was agreed everyone wanted to get into it more. Huzzah! I’m always up for that! I upped the pace as we headed nearer to Solar Park and we had some great dunes to tackle en route to the Sabka

With light fading and being nowhere near our proposed end point I asked the convoy what they wanted to do and if they were up for a little night driving, My question was met with a resounding yes, @Ashok chaturvedi wanted to flash his new lights and @Ahab Shamaa lit up the skies with his trillion luminer set up. We slowed the pace but still tackled some good dunes. Night drives are thrilling without the need for speed !

As I made my way into another dune I caught sight of a cluster of rocks, it was unfortunate that I had just asked everyone to stay close as in the very same breath I asked for no one to follow, it was too late for @Veedooshee and @Lawrence_Chehimi. and it led to @Veedooshee being stuck on the side. I tried digging but the sand was so soft and deep that it became a thankless task. Given the angle and the precarious positioning of the rocks I asked Shehab  to step aside and allow @Craig Finlayson to recover @Veedoosheewith the rope, three gentle tugs and she was out . That was the signal to end our night adventure.

@Lawrence_Chehimi you handle your car very well,  I don’t recall you having any refusals, you had great control for the ridge riding and crossover. You coped extremely well when I raised the level on what was only your 2^nd fewbie drive Likewise @Shehab Alawadhi, you too had a great drive and I was pleased to see you learning how to recover, , I was delighted to be able to give you the learning opportunity and to see you develop as a driver since our first drive together back in Faqa. I know some of the tight dunes can be difficult, but you handle them well for the most part and you are adding self-recovery to your repertoire.

Every drive is a learning opportunity and it doesn’t matter if you are a newbie, fewbie , IM , advanced or expert. Every time we head into the sand we learn.
@Melenanyand @Hisham Masaad- I could heat Islam providing help when you had some refusals. I know its tough at the back of a convoy as the sand gets churned. Use stucks and refusals as learning opportunities to develop your self-recovery skills. You will get a better understanding of your car and how it handles in various situations we find yourself in with the sand if you try to get out on your own.
‘Tell me and I forget; Teach me and I may remember; Involve me and I learn.’ Benjamin Franklin. 
@Ahab Shamaa, it was great to drive with you again, Thanks for keeping an eye on the cars in front and highlighting fishtailing. We all know the dangers of that. I appreciated that. Another flawless drive from you too. @Ashok chaturvedi – a great drive from you, well done.

Many thanks to @Veedoosheefor being my 2^nd lead, to @Craig Finlayson for anchoring the convoy and helping guide @Shehab Alawadhi, and of course to @Islam Soliman for sweeping up everything at the back.
Until our next adventure. 

 

11 minutes ago, Ahab Shamaa said:

Good eye @Shehab Alawadhi! I thought @Foxtrot Oscar would find it funny, and that’s why I wrote it 😀

If you also notice, the Fewbies are a minority on this drive as it’s mostly IMs 🤣

11 minutes ago, Ahab Shamaa said:

Good eye @Shehab Alawadhi! I thought @Foxtrot Oscar would find it funny, and that’s why I wrote it 😀

If you also notice, the Fewbies are a minority on this drive as it’s mostly IMs 🤣

Fewbies may be the minority but they’re the priority 😛

poet and I kinda know it 🤣

Welcome aboard @Ahab Shamaa and @Asif Hussain

Good morning all,

Due to the cancelation of @Luca Palanca Falsini's Extreme Drive we have decided to split this drive into two convoys in order to accommodate those drivers who had signed up for the Extreme Drive.

As such I have increased the RSVP limit to 20. The RSVP will close on Thursday pm as per usual and convoy numbering etc announced shortly thereafter.

2 minutes ago, Francois Germishuys said:

Hi @Foxtrot Oscar  please add me to this drive wait list, first drive. 

Hi, you're in.

@Tero Vallas please feel free to join this drive.

 

1 minute ago, Shehab Alawadhi said:

oooooo a mostly intermediate drivers, this should be a very fun and challenging drive

It's a Fewbie drive and we have all levels of Fewbies on the drive too. So we shall see how everyone is feeling, of course it will be challenging.....how challenging is down to all of you 

Good morning fellow adventurers,

What a beautiful day for a leisurely jaunt into the desert. Lisaili is a very beautiful area, the plan is to navigate a very small patch of technical dunes and head into wide open dunes which will give us plenty of opportunities to side slope and cross over. We will head towards Solar Park with the sun setting on the horizon, which for the avid photographers amongst us will present a dream photo shoot. 

We will be using Radio Channel 2 (two)

My proposed convoy is as follows:
 

See you all soon  

52 minutes ago, Thomas Varghese said:

Angela @Foxtrot Oscar I have a doubt. I was contemplating getting a COVID 19 Vaccine. Should I keep myself away from the drives after vaccination? If so for how many days? I didn't book an appointment yet but please clarify this for the information to all. Didn't see any thread regarding this. 

There's no protocol in place re the vaccine @Thomas Varghese each individual has a unique reaction and you won't know until you've had it. My advice is to see how it goes and let us know if you feel under the weather and can't make a drive. 

Waitlist for 2nd drive of the week

1, @varunmehndiratta

2. @Thomas Varghese

3. @Ashok chaturvedi

4, @AlexPol

5, @Mohamed Seidam

Hi @Fabien Monleau thanks for signing up to the drive ; however I understand you are still at Newbie level. This drive is for Fewbie drives with 5 or more fewbie drives therefore I will have to remove you. I hope to drive with you soon 😊

2 hours ago, Mohamed Seidam said:

Good morning Angela @Foxtrot Oscar 

I would prefer the intermediate as first drive  . If I can be added here then I will leave the wait list spot on Saturday. appreciate 🙏
 

Yes of course

Hi @Batuhan Kulac same applies for this drive too I'm afraid.

Transfer your previous off road experience via the link below

https://carnity.com/forums/topic/15974-transfer-your-previous-off-road-experience


Sign up for just one Absolute Newbie drive via the link below

Hi @Batuhan Kulac , thank you so much for signing up to this drive. However, as it is your very first drive with Carnity we ask you to complete an Absolute Newbie drive in the first instance. Once you have completed the Absolute Newbie drive you are more than welcome to apply to transfer your existing off -road experience. You can do so here https://carnity.com/forums/topic/15974-transfer-your-previous-off-road-experience

There is an Absolute Newbie available here 

I look forward to driving with you on more advanced drives soon  

Waitlist as of 7:55pm 21st March 

1, @varunmehndiratta

2. @Thomas Varghese

3. @Ashok chaturvedi

46 minutes ago, Paul Zeitoun said:

@Foxtrot Oscar my first drive with you, looking forward 😀 

me too!! 😊

2 hours ago, Kalahari said:

I have a connected (but slightly different!) issue with my X.  The kill switch worked like a charm, but over the last 2 or 3 drives, while the lights are on to say ABS and traction control has been disabled, it is clear that both are still very active - and resulted in my having zero power / no down-gearing in tricky situations (on an extreme drive!!).  Does anybody have any clue what can be wrong? I need to replace my clock spring as well - and was wondering whether this is confusing the TC?

@Emmanuel @Foxtrot Oscar @Chaitanya D @Mohamed Seidam @Frederic

Sorry @Kalahari I have no idea what could be causing that

12 hours ago, Islam Soliman said:

Very happy @Ilya Golubinsky that the car didn’t suffer any issues other than the broken side mirror but even happier that you and your in-laws are all safe and I am more than impressed that they didn’t mind continuing the drive till we exited.. great spirit.

I will second what Angela @Foxtrot Oscar shared over the radio about how good of an off-roader you are.. I always enjoyed driving with you and you are definitely an excellent driver.. no doubt.. however no one is safe from that split-second mistake hence the need for extreme and sharp focus for the full drive.. actually I committed that mistake twice today, the first one when I flew over that ridge to get on the other side and the second time while trying to recover @Mohamed Seidam X and miscalculated the power I need to give to get it out resulting in having both our cars with a stretched recovery rope in the middle.. thankfully I had the D-Shackle which saved the rope from being sacrificed... 

so as you correctly said, we all go into the desert with a clear understanding of the associated risks and we keep building our skills to continue avoid these unfortunate events from happening.

 

as @Ale Vallecchi said it goes to the first thing we are all told and keep reminded of every time, no matter how good the driver is or mighty and powerful the car is, gravity always wins!

 

finally, today was another heartwarming testimony for @Carnity ethics and values exemplified in how the recovery was orchestrated by@Ale Vallecchi and executed by everyone teaming together not sparing any effort or tool leading to safe and zero-damage recovery of the car.. wonderful team work... thanks all.

Did you get your door fixed @Islam Soliman was it just the impact from your attempt to fly?

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:  Intermediate and above

When:  26th March  2021, Friday

Meeting time: 6:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions).

Meeting Point: https://goo.gl/maps/jtZXG4XXN56exRBU6

Action Plan: 

Faqa is without doubt one of the most scenic areas that we can venture off road. It has everything, stunning dunes, beautiful greenery and of course, sunsets to die for. But don’t pay too much attention to that as this area also has difficult terrain that will test your off-road skills. We have great technical dunes and the other side of Faqa offers razor sharp long rage dunes that scream out for us to bash them down with our skid plates as we ride atop of them.

How far we go and how fast we see it will, as always, depends on you and the convoy.

Are you with me? Yalla!!

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: 10:00 AM

P.S. Only join if you have a compressor to inflate your tires after the drive.

LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE:

• Limited to 10 cars only. RSVP will close on Thursday - 3:00pm
  • 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 below Calendar 

Well that was all kinds of fabulous!! Thank you @Emmanuel for the outstanding drive in the incredible dunes of Sweihan.

We gave a collective laugh when you pointed to the dunes and said you'd try to start gently, try being the operative word. We tackled those first dunes at some pace and the sheer skills required to navigate them resulted in radio silence. No jolly bants on this drive. Everyone was so focused, and lets be honest, you had to be. It set the tone for the whole afternoon.

It wasn't just the pace, or the size of the dunes, it was the angle, the approach, the maneuvering, the crazy sand that seemed to have a crisp shell and then like quicksand underneath and the lead with his je ne sais quoi demonstrating the kind of driving we all aspire to. Chapeau! 

@Emmanuel it is always an absolute pleasure and honour to be your second lead, It had been quite some time since I had been anyone's 2nd lead and I committed a basic error  for the first 20 mins or so of watching the tracks instead of the dunes. I shook that off and got into my comfort zone.

Thanks @Ilya Golubinsky @Francois Germishuys and @Kalahari for being great convoy buddies. The less said about @Craig Finlayson the better. Ach the Ginga Ninja did alright I suppose 😝

 

12 minutes ago, Mohamed Seidam said:

As long as the cables hold I would assume the rubber in between the “ metal blades “ would last. Once the cables ruptured the rubber will crunch like a biscuit in between but at least the sound would be different than the irritating classical squeak 🤣

believe it or not I don’t squeak but I weekly squeeze the sand from in between the leaves by hot steam 😆

Only time will tell my friend , most X drivers use one or the other . I opted for both . We’ll see 

36 minutes ago, Emmanuel said:

RSVP is now closed.

@Craig Finlayson, @Francois Germishuys, @Ilya Golubinsky, @Foxtrot Oscar

Happy to see you tomorrow morning at 6 AM (sharp) at our meeting/deflation point. The closest gas station is ADNOC Sweihan: 
https://goo.gl/maps/HdzPqZdATyDM49mWA
We will be using Carnity Radio channel n°1. Convoy will be announced tomorrow at deflation.

 

Excellent ! 
 

PCR done and negative test result returned .

see you all tomorrow . @Craig Finlayson I’ll bring some adult pampers for you 😅

Yet another possible solution for the dreaded Leaves Squeak

Solution: Placing a combination of heavy duty cable ties and rubber between the leaves. (I have used an old inner tube donated by a friendly tyre shop.)

Theory, sand won’t get trapped thus no squeak .

Reality : time will tell 

Possible fails: The rubber and cable ties will become worn and be displaced from between the leaves when driving off-road. Cable ties should stay in place, issue is re wear n tear.

Process:
Wash the leaves to remove sand.
Mount rear wheels on a kerbstone or jack up to create gaps between the leaves
Place rubber, (fold as many times as you can and push through with a screwdriver.) and cable ties in-between the leaves at both ends. Cut excess from Cable ties.

Drive....

So far so silent. However, I will report back after this weekend's driving in the dunes. 
 

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:  Fewbie and above

When:  23rd March  2021, Tuesday.

Meeting time: 3:30pm (SHARP - Without any exceptions).

Meeting Point: https://goo.gl/maps/g1Mj6sdptqhiK9Pk7

Action Plan:  Blow away the strains and stresses of the working week with a refreshing, relaxing and rehabilitating midweek jaunt in the desert. 

This week will see us meander through the wonderful white sands of Lisaili. This area offers some nice medium range dunes that would offer plenty of opportunity for side slo0ping and ridge crossing as well as many other desert driving skills.

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: 6PM

P.S. Only join if you have a compressor to inflate your tires after the drive.

LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE:

• Limited to 10 cars only. RSVP will close on Thursday - 3:00pm
  • 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 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:  Fewbie Plus and above (Must have at least FIVE drives at Fewbie Level)

When:  27th March  2021, Saturday

Meeting time: 2 PM (SHARP - Without any exceptions).

Meeting Point: https://goo.gl/maps/uhfU4J2mXoDPgnhR7

Action Plan:  Starting off at Nazwa we shall tackle some nice low range dunes which will get us ready for the larger dunes that wait us. The aim is to climb Camel Rock and then head East towards Big Red, as we do so we will encounter more massive dunes which have an abundance of bowls, ridges and curves before finally reaching Big Red from the back. Again we will be faced with a dune of mighty proportions with a labyrinth of bowls. The aim is to have built enough confidence and honed our off-roading skills to be able to take these dunes with the pace required to sweep around their bowls.
You will use everything you have learned so far with Carnity, ridge riding, criss crossing, climbing, and controlling descent. This area is incredibly popular, however it is usually quiet on a Saturday. The sands might be soft, they may be scarred and they will test you.

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: 6PM

P.S. Only join if you have a compressor to inflate your tires after the drive.

LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE:

• Limited to 10 cars only. RSVP will close on Thursday - 3:00pm
  • 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 below Calendar 

Well done @Arda Yagcioglu

Drive Report

Sharjah’s bowls never ever disappoint! But to take maximum advantage requires a strong convoy, and today’s Carnity convoy was most definitely up to the challenge.

We started off cautiously as the wind swept across the dunes, playing tricks with the eyes and causing illusions. It was difficult for me to see where the ridge ended and fresh air began , this only added to the excitement factor for me and the guys at the front of the convoy.

I have never seen these bowls look so fresh, there were literally no tracks, it was like we were pioneers venturing into untouched lands. Where’s a flag when you need one (Copyright Eddy Izzard….Do you have a flag?)

It didn’t take us long to leave our mark as we raced up the first mighty dune, we had some refusals as drivers got used to the conditions but nothing major. We continued to plot our path, sweeping up and down in and around with the entire convoy in sync. And then we did it again, and again, and again and again.

We flew around the smaller dunes as we made our way to yet another bowl. Suddenly we had company as the tourists made their way to the tops of the dunes to catch the setting sun. This did not deter us from our mission, everyone gave signal and we cautiously made our way around the aliens playing in our patch (How very dare they! 😉)

By now the convoy was really motoring , at the beginning of the afternoon we had our fair share of refusals and the ropes were brought out twice, but these were just learning opportunities for the convoy. Confident that the drivers were well prepared I sounded the clarion call! YALLA!!!! And the pace was raised a nought or 10. We flew around Area 53 with it’s rabbit warren of bowls , not once but twice. I nearly went in again but it was the witching hour, and sometimes its best to end things when everyone has accomplished the goal.

Many many thanks to my support team today @GauravSoni and @Islam Soliman. @GauravSoniyou were excellent as my second lead, you followed my instructions perfectly in some very difficult situations. Thank you for that. @Islam Soliman swept up everything at the back and helped with all the refusals when it was needed. It makes such a huge difference to the lead knowing you have support like that. Thank you.

Special recognition goes to @Veedooshee on her first intermediate drive, it was a bit sticky for you at the start but by goodness you stepped up to the plate towards the end of the drive. Well done!

@Shaz Shah had a very good drive, your only issue was when you slowed down at that critical moment. @Tero Vallas you drove very well, likewise @Archibald Jurdi in that fabulous jeep of yours. Great drives! @Hisham Masaad also had a great drive. I know you said the wind was clearing the tracks at the start of the day which made it extra difficult at the back. @Jack Thomas well done for getting that big truck of yours up and around those dunes.

Once again, thank you to all of you for listening to instructions and following my lead perfectly making for a great drive!

Until our next adventure! 😊