Foxtrot Oscar

Fantastic news , well done @Melenany

If at first you don’t succeed, try try again.

I don’t think a convoy has ever departed so close to the meet time, it was 2:05pm and we were ready to roll and roll we did straight into the dunes  which resembled a skate park! They’re low and curved, with ample opportunity to get a feel for the sand. During the gentle phase we had a couple of refusals, the dunes are scarred with tracks and the sand can be soft. However, this is Badayer, and we were lucky to not have too many 4x4s alongside us.

We swept, sloped and turned, building ourselves up for the more challenging dunes that lay ahead. As we attempted the first challenge, we had a couple more refusals and @Athula Dharmadada's battery disconnected. That didn’t take long to fix and we continued on our way, but not before I had to remind the convoy of off-road etiquette in my best ‘Teacher’s Voice’ 😉 safety is paramount guys thus why we have strict convoy discipline we adhere to.

As we headed to even more challenging dunes, we had to reroute a couple of times as some of the convoy struggled with the soft sands and steep climbs. I did say we would either rattle the throttle or we would head step by step. It became apparent that step by step would be the way to the top of Area 53. With one more refusal and with tyre pressure checked we headed off in a different direction. We finally started to build some momentum as we neared the top of the dunes. There was some really nice small bowls to sweep around and it was all going so well. I was even contemplating carrying on with my planned route, at the risk of some night driving, when it was my car’s turn to ‘clunk’. It was all the sign I needed to say we should exit. Reluctantly, I limped along to the nearest exit. We actually covered around 35km in 3 and a half hours, more than I had initially thought.  

@Mohamed Abo ElKomsan you learned a lot today, not least the art of self recovery. It’s Sod’s Law that just as you started motoring we had to exit. @RaYan E you had a good drive, that was a great pocket you found  (always follow the track my friend), and you managed to get yourself out of that sticky patch earlier in the drive when you had to slow down for the refusal ahead of you. @topgear you handled everything well and followed instructions to self recover when you too got stuck because of a refusal in front of you. Nice driving. @Hisham Masaad I don’t think you had any issues the entire drive, well done! Likewise @Jon M . Great drive guys, you all showed great patience too. I know it can be frustrating when you are farther back, but this is the joy of desert driving. @Athula Dharmadada and @Yasas Dharmadasa you weren’t without your moments today, some nice self-recovery skills from you.

A massive thanks to @Ashok chaturvedi who did a great job as 2^nd lead, also @Islam Soliman who  was always on hand to help with the multiple refusals at the front of the convoy and likewise @Melenany who kept the back of the convoy moving and once again did fantastic job as sweep.

It was one of those drives, but we got there. Until our next adventure! 😊

Hey, @Ashok chaturvedi @Mohamed Abo ElKomsan @RaYan E @Hisham Masaad @Islam Soliman @topgear @Yasas Dharmadasa @Athula Dharmadada @Melenany @Jon M

Make sure you park up at a distance from one another, don't gather and for the love of all that is good, wear a mask. 

Thanks  

11 minutes ago, Melenany said:

@Foxtrot Oscar when we will be able to start booking on the 20th drive 

When the drives are announced. Sunday evening @7pm. You can choose it as your first drive of the week or ask to be waitlisted for your second drive of the week. The waitlist will open on Wednesday. 

So many choices  hee hee 

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 (no newbies , sorry) 

When: 16th Feb  2021, Tuesday.

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

Meeting Point: https://goo.gl/maps/LfySm2ZcS3vrj9FZ6

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: 6 PM

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 Monday - 3:30pm
  • 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 

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 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 Off-roader 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: Intermediate and above

When:  20 Feb 2021, Saturday pm 

Meeting time: 2.00 PM (SHARP - Without any exceptions)

Meeting Point:  https://goo.gl/maps/QqKCEXjXRzGvTCCZ7

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: 6:00 PM

THIS IS A COMPRESSOR ONLY DRIVE. PLEASE DO NOT SIGN UP FOR THIS DRIVE UNLESS YOU HAVE A COMPRESSOR. ANYONE ARRIVING AT THE DRIVE WITHOUT A COMPRESSOR, FLAG, PROPER SHOVEL AND DEFLATION KIT WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO JOIN THE DRIVE. ALL TOW POINTS WILL BE CHECKED BEFORE DEPARTURE. 

LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE:

• Limited to 10 cars only. RSVP will close on Thursday - 9 AM.
  • 1 Lead + 1 Marshal + 1-2 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.
• 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 

@Islam Soliman I know it is short notice but I have had one drop out for today. Can you make it?

Good morning fellow adventurers !

Today's drive will see us enter the mighty dunes of Sharjah! Area 53 can be done in one or two ways, we can climb step by step or we can rattle our throttles. The route will be entirely dependent on the convoy. We have a lot of big cars with us today and the objective is for everyone to have maximum fun will maintaining our cars' mechanically and of course our selves physically.

We'll see how we do, but no matter what, Saturday afternoons are always fun afternoons. Make sure you pack your wits as well as plenty of fluids  

We shall be using radio channel 2 (two) 

My proposed convoy is as follows:
 

20 minutes ago, syed salman raza said:

@Foxtrot Oscar  add me to waiting list

It's a lengthy list my friend. If 5 drop out I'll be sure to let you know 

2 minutes ago, Junaid120120 said:

Hi @Foxtrot Oscar any chance for me to join please ?? Need some excitement for Saturday.

Unfortunately not my friend, I have 5 on the waitlist already and the drive is at capacity. You also need a couple of more fewbie drives under your belt before you can join a Fewbie plus drive.

I'm sure I will see you on a Saturday afternoon soon enough  

@Mohamed Abo ElKomsan are you ready to take a spot on tomorrow’s drive? 

1 minute ago, Joe Biju Joseph said:

@Foxtrot Oscar sorry but I've gotta remove myself from this drive. I'm having car issues, including from my drive today in a backup car. Sorry for the inconvenience.

 

No worries @Joe Biju Joseph hope you get your car sorted soon 

Foggity Drive Report

Well that was an altogether different type of challenge.

I asked the convoy if they would rather wait or meander through the fog. The response was a resounding yes. Visibility was around 100m and we could all safely see the car in front. We set out at around 8:30 as the sun tried its best to burn the blanket of fog that enshrouded us.

Tentatively we headed out, fog lights on! We followed the track for a little while and then broke into the gentle dunes. As we pottered around cautiously allowing our eyes to adjust @rajeshkumar rathod found his tyre had deflated. A quick stop to inflate and we were back to meandering through small dunes. This was exhalating enough for me, with no lights to follow and the fog playing tricks with the dunes, the number 1 priority was to safely have fun.

As the sun began to win the battle with the fog, so too did the challenge level, we entered an area where we could do some side sloping, everyone handled this challenge well and all followed the protocol of steering down when the car and sand told them to do so. At this point @Abdul Rahman Abdul Kader 's Pajero decided to have a pop out. We spent some time fixing that, and by the time we were done the sun claimed victory and we were free to explore uninhibited  by poor visibility.

We climbed some great dunes, with @Nathan Evans ' Jimmy showing us all that power to weight ratio really does matter. @Baskaran P.R and @Abdul Rahman Abdul Kader squeezed the power out of their LWB Pajeros too and @Melenany was not to be outdone and showed what his F150 could do.

As we passed into Solar Park we managed to get on top of some ridges, I have to say I was surprised by how well you all coped, Kudos to @Michael Glavanis on his first Fewbie drive and handled everything. Well done also to @rajeshkumar rathod who had a fine drive and also found himself stuck mid crest. You did great to follow instructions and self recover from that position. @Junaid120120 and @Thomas Varghese both had another excellent drive and continue to hone their off-road skills.

Many thanks to @Archibald Jurdi for being my second lead and rerouting when necessary, it was great to have you behind me. Also thanks to @Melenany who did a fantastic job as sweep, keeping me up to date with all that was going on and also helping with refusals when needed.

Here’s hoping the sun remains the victor for our next adventure, 😊

13 minutes ago, Thomas Varghese said:

I believe 1 slot is available as @Danish Mohammad dropped out.

Yes sure , Juno in 

FOG ALERT!!! 

The forecast predicts heavy fog tomorrow morning , as such the drive start time has changed to 8am

Our proposed convoy is as follows:

 

56 minutes ago, Melenany said:

dear @Foxtrot Oscar please add me to waiting list for this morning fewbie drive 

 

it will be great as i was booked earlier 😢

 

Hey @Melenany feel free to add yourself, the drive is open for 2nd drives.

7 hours ago, Ilya Golubinsky said:

Installed these Fast Deflation tire vales - absolutely love it. In Formula Tires got them at 550AED with the installation

Deflating the tire in 15 sec (I normally do 2 meausures to catch the correct pressure, but in any case it takes another 5 sec per tire)

I've been toying with getting these bad boys @Ilya Golubinsky

I've tried it all, from safe deflator tool, to the stem removal. I now use JT Brooks, Pro. I like that I can leave them to deflate as I do other things. 

Deflating and inflating is, for me, the worst part of the drive so I like anything that makes it more convenient. 

22 hours ago, RaYan E said:

@Foxtrot Oscar Can you add me in the waitinglist 1st drive.

You're in  

22 hours ago, Mohamed Abo ElKomsan said:

Morning @Foxtrot Oscar pls add me to this SATURDAY drive 😂😂😂 it’ll be my 1st drive for this week, thanks 😉

You are now first in line  

On 2/7/2021 at 9:27 PM, Foxtrot Oscar said:

Waitlist order.

 @Mohamed Abo ElKomsan                            1st drive
@Islam Soliman                                                2^nd drive
 @AlexPol                                                          2^nd drive
@David Ortells                                                   2nd drive
@Ilya Golubinsky                                                2nd drive

Updated waitlist ☝️

9 hours ago, siddharth maheshwari said:

Hi Angela @Foxtrot Oscar due to some urgent commitment i will not be able to attend the drive . Hope my place can be taken by someone. Have a great drive everyone ,surely gonna be fun .

Thanks for letting me know @siddharth maheshwari hope to see you soon.  

1 minute ago, Thomas Varghese said:

@Foxtrot Oscar the night drive with my stock halogen lights finally encouraged & pushed me to try the new adventure day night drive with @Wrangeld and @Chaitanya D. The lights were not that powerful but not that inadequate. I could manage. 

Good for you, it's a different type of challenge but I'm confident you will do well  

Drive report
 

As we gathered around the dirt track everyone deflated promptly and we headed out into the dunes following the little track for part of the way and finding our desert wheels. As we reached the dunes, we had an opportunity to do some gentle side sloping and we also had the chance to discuss the nuances of ridge riding and side sloping.

With everyone coping well I decided to up the ante and we found some nice dunes that challenged everyone. We also had @Junaid120120 join us after arriving a little late he had the gumption to find his way to us.. The convoy was all coping well @Jack Thomas handled his F150 extremely well as did @Jon M in his Montero. @AlexPol powered his wrangler up everything with no issues and @Hisham Masaad and @Thomas Varghese were not to be outdone and followed suit. Well done all of you, some really nice driving on display. We had a couple of refusals during this part of the drive but nothing major.

As we crossed the sabka to Solar Park we were treated to the sight of locals training their falcons. I’m always mesmerised by this no matter how often I see it. We took the track for a little while before heading into to the pristine sands of Solar Park. There were some lovely low and carved ridges which were the ideal training ground for ridge riding. One by one the convoy came across, two wheels at either side, controlling their momentum and steering. It was great to see. Well done guys.

As the sun was setting the wide-open dunes of Solar Park called us on to them, and so we continued. @Ammar Naji had a couple of cracking crests which we managed to dig him out of and we got the rope out too. This was a great learning experience; the art of self-recovery is very very important when we drive in the desert. You took a little convincing Ammar  but with a few helpers digging in the correct place we managed to get you down off that crest.

The delays meant we lost the light and our convoy had the pleasure of a little night drive, we weren’t far from the sabka , but we still had some dunes to get through.  When driving at night it is very important to stay close to the car in front so that you don’t lose the track. You’ll remember next time 😉

Thanks to @Tamas Hoffmann for the second lead. @Lucky sAm I’m glad your son got to experience an OR drive and of course to @Chaitanya D for his support.

These evening drives are proving to be very popular. We must do it again 😉 Until our next adventure.

Good evening fellow adventurers. I am delighted to be able to offer a short, late afternoon/evening drive in the wonderful dunes of Murquab. The hope is to head towards Solar Park. However that target is highly dependent on the convoy. We only have a few hours of light so...

It would be great if we could be ready to enter the sands as close to 3:30 as possible for maximum drive time but I understand if you can't. 

We will be using radio channel 1 (one) 

My proposed convoy is as follows :
 

See you all tomorrow  

1 hour ago, Hisham Masaad said:

Good evening @Foxtrot Oscar will the exit point be the same as meeting point, or close to?

I was going to aim for Solar Park but we could do a loop. It all depends 

Waitlist order.

 @Mohamed Abo ElKomsan                            1st drive
@Islam Soliman                                                2^nd drive
 @AlexPol                                                          2^nd drive
@David Ortells                                                   2nd drive
@Ilya Golubinsky                                                2nd drive

Hi @Melenany you have signed up for both this drive and the Saturday Fewbie + drive. Please select one drive only (either this or Saturday) as per our policy. You can select a second drive from Wednesday onwards.

Thank you