Wrangeld

@tjsingh would be my absolute pleasure - something I do for a number of people!!

Thanks for adding the wall of fame Gaurav. I really could not remember everyone!

The Desert is a Fickle Mistress Where to start? OK – firstly, an apology because not everyone on our drives will get an honorable mention in this message. Please (please) excuse me for that – for a start, I am unsure that the Carnity server has enough room for names of all the people with whom we enjoyed another spectacular day out in Al Qudra, secondly, this was such an epic group of drivers that I may have lost track of one or two. Fortunately, Carnity never loses track of a driver, so we all made it home safely. For a Petrol Head like me, before we even got out of the parking lot to the deflation point, it was clear this was going to be a special drive. Not one, but three Hummers. A Range Rover (Sport) and the beast of beasts, a GMC Sierra AT4. Surrounded by assorted, Patrols, Land Cruisers, Jeeps, Pajeros and Trailblazers it looked more like the forecourt of a very spectacular 4x4 specialist than a troop ready to face the challenges of the sand. From a housekeeping perspective, with such a large group, everyone really appreciated and respected the need to be at the meeting point on time. Yes, it’s an early start, but that applies to everyone and waiting around in the cold is no fun when all you want to do is get into the dunes. After our briefing, because of the large number of vehicles we were split into 2 groups. My experiences from the Newbie drive are limited to the excellent leadership of @Gaurav, with whom we had yet to have the pleasure of a drive. @Srikumar led the other group, and could be heard from time to time over the radios, including one perfect moment when the instructions he was giving were the perfect guidance for the person who had refused on our drive! In general, due to the large amount of rain that fell recently the dunes in Al Qudra were quite benign early in the morning. The hard packed top layer meant that all the drivers felt like masters of the desert. On one side, that’s a fantastic entry point to the whole experience of off-roading – and is just as legitimate a ride as any other we might face, because hey, it’s gonna rain some time! On the other, this might give you just a little too much confidence in the dunes, and that would be a dangerous thing. With @Jeepie at the wheel it was smooth going as she managed to restrain what might have been my playful tendencies and drive excellently at the back of the pack. Conditions might have been benign for most of the ride but it was not without incident. As is ever the case, we had the chance to learn some new techniques. Thanks go to @Obaid.Sultan.1987 for cresting his car. Gaurav was able to show is how to remove the crest from the car rather than the other way round … or would have, had the sand not been so incredibly wet deep down and refusing to play ball! In the end, we got two recoveries for the price of one as we also go to see the kinetic ropes in action and even a winched recovery – not bad for a benign day out in the dunes! Reassembled, refreshed (thanks to all who brought and contributed to the tasty food and drinks) and debriefed it was clear that all the Newbies had had a great experience, enjoyed their day and mainly departed from the desert with their vehicles intact. @lucky appears to have not been so, again! As a recent Fewbie, and watching the drive from the passenger seat, I really enjoyed seeing how I must have looked/reacted but a few weeks ago and to see the confidence with which @Jeepie handled the drive. Hopefully we will see many of the first timers back again soon. It was great to meet everyone. To my great advantage and pleasure it was decided to return out into the desert for a Fewbie drive after lunch and prayers. Our numbers slimmed to 8 vehicles this drive showed once again that no matter how easy conditions might look going in a straight line over the dunes, side slipping, crest driving and cross axle moments completely change the nature of the experience. The ‘confidence’ from the morning drive dissipated and was quickly transformed into the concentration needed for the afternoon. We moved fast, we drove high up the ridges, we crested, we crossed and then we did it again and again and again, moving from one phenomenally beautiful location to another, eventually being led by @Frederic to the area around Solar park which was in equal measure, fun, technical and terrifying. This was big grin, at times sphincter tightening stuff. For this Fewbie there were more than enough challenges and challenging moments to satisfy any potential frustration from sitting through the Newbie drive. Did we get stuck? Yes, of course (in my case anyhow) – but truth is that something that might have been a challenging refusal a few weeks ago was managed with more ease and calm thanks once again to the excellent coaching we received since we joined this incredible organization. And, hey! If you’re not getting stuck, you’re not trying hard enough. A big thanks to @Jeepie who left me in the driving seat for the whole of the Fewbie drive. For me that was important because my big takeaway from this week was that a little more skill and care changes the driving experience massively. Engine power can get you out of a lot of trouble, but a bit more skill and a bit less power means you have a lot more control and meet and match the challenges much more effectively. Five weeks ago, could I have imagined driving round the lip of a bowl and successfully coming out the other side? Five weeks ago, I would have been either too terrified to try or too stupid to realize that trying was complete idiocy. I truly hope someone has the video because that was an even more ‘yeehah’ moment from what was a fantastic ride. @Gaurav, thanks for taking up places we did not expect to be this early in the 4x4 career. @Frederic, thanks for leading us to your back yard. @Srikumar @Xaf your advice on how to improve is/was always appreciated and taken on board (after all you were looking at my tail pipes most of the day! @AKR keeping the faith with Jeeps with you is a pleasure. @Tbone, first time out as a Fewbie, impressive. Am I looking forward to the next outing? Of course. Where else can we learn in such a safe environment with such professional and friendly people. Thanks, once again for being allowed to join this family.

Looks like there might be competition on marshalling seats - wanted to let Jeepie have the car to herself a bit this time round! We like Wranglers (or at least some of us!)

Looking forward to this one. Last few days in Dubai reminded me of being back home .... lots of water with no idea how deep or what's waiting beneath. Been quite scary seeing the speed people have been ploughing into the puddles (and wondering why someone driving a Ferrarri thinks it has the ground clearance to get through knee high water). Will be happy to be back on dry land/sand.

😢 but better safe than sorry and stuck. Sri, thanks for calling before we headed out.

As it looks like I will find it increasingly difficult to get the keys to the Wrangler, a SWB Pajero or Pathfinder.

If being given a car counts, I was given my first ever car - a Triumph Dolomite. I bought a Renault 5 TL for UKP25, which ran perfectly without any maintenance for 6 months until a passing lorry somewhat too close decided to treat the front wing as if it was a can opener. The cost of the new wing was more than it was worth to repair.

AWesome. Thanks for the advice. Hoping to have the chance to put this into practice tomorrow.

That's great to know. We are looking forward to a bit of mud!

As battery tech improves its inevitable that there will be more 'innovation' but in the end what I think we need to think about is the impact on power delivery and how it's managed. Instant torque ... sounds to me like a recipe for digging in to the sand if we are not careful. Is next development likely after that hydrogen engines?

Hi @Srikumar Just wanted to confirm the we go rain or shine? Not at all worried about a bit of rain personally... just wanted to be sure we go to enjoy another new challenge.

'You never stop learning' has got to be the theme of this Newbie drive, expertly led once again by the inestimable Srikumar. You never stop learning because every time you step into the desert in your vehicle there will be a new challenge that you did not face before - and no matter you have been to Pink Rock before, this drive will be a new challenge. And we had a refusal even before we got moving. Freddie (who had graciously given up his seat to his better half) had to leave us early - hope the little one is feeling better. Once we got moving, after a detailed briefing as we had three new, newbies ... our first challenge (and the gift of watching a new technical recovery) quite early on was delivered when the 4x4 bit of Rizwanm2's Mitsubishi unexpectedly converted to a 2x4 and dug itself majestically into the top of a dune. It's not until you see a car that looks every inch the capable off roader digging itself into the sand and unable to move that you realise just how unforgiving the terrain can be - and why all the lessons we learn need to be taken, stored away and hopefully recalled for use in the future. It was to be the only recovery of the day. Newbie or not, knowing that the vehicle is doing what it should cannot be taken for granted: Note to self - check those levels before you leave like it says in the briefing [and which, had it not been for the fact that the car had just come back from a service, I might have forgotten to do.] Under way again, with my Wranglerette at the wheel initially, it was impossible not to feel gratitude for the newbie learning sessions of previous weeks. The guidance granted in previous weeks as we graduated from Newbie to Fewbie offers a little more (but hopefully not too much) confidence in driving the terrain [more on that later] and more importantly, a start to reading the sand much better: Important, with Wranglerette at the wheel feeling the same trepidation to press the 'loud' pedal as we had felt a few rides ago. 'You never stop learning'. In most skills I have learned, there has been a simple theme. Keep going back to the basics and learn them once again, and again. There's always room for improvement, better understanding, gaining valuable experience. At the risk of upsetting readers, any one who thinks that just because they have 'graduated' to a higher level in anything, that returning to the basics is boring, is missing the point. The basics are the foundation on which all our skills develop and build. That's what gives us the confidence and capability to experiment. On our drive through the dunes, once again patiently and expertly led by Srikumar, ably supported by AKR, experienced its fair share of refusals, guided or otherwise. Gijo and Lucky, both looked to be having great fun and Jeepie had the privelege of sitting at the side of Rahimdad watching all the action all the way up to the drive up Pink Rock. After taking a brief moment to watch the fun and games, it was our turn to conquer the hill. We all made it up on the first time of asking, Jeepie taking the wheel and banishing the memory of her Newbie attempt when the car was underpowered. Then it was up to Rahimdad to guide us to the shade where we had the chance to refresh and review the day. Again, a special mention for Rahimdad who not only gave up the opportunity of an intermediate drive to support the Newbies, and managed to complete an emergency Aloo Paratha run so that the intermediate run would not go hungry (truth is, no-one is actually interested in driving - we are all just using the drive as an excuse to eat Rahimdad's Aloo Paratha at the end), he also gave us all valuable feedback on how we can get more and more out of the experience and enjoyment of driving off road. As mentioned, confidence without skill mormally ends badly. 'You never stop learning' and just the little bit of learning gained in our initial drives allowed me to push the boundaries just a little further. Perhaps a tiny bit too enthusiasitcally from time to time but always using the valuable lessons aready learned and applying those rules time and time again. Practice does not make perfect, the sand is too fickle a dame for that to be the case, but it does mean you learn to avoid trouble from time to time. Thank you once again the Carnity for giving us the opportunity to join in this amazing family, and this forum to share the experiences.

Would be great if there is a drive out to see.

Indeed, we never stop learning.

Hi Srikumar I hope that we are Newbie enough still to join this drive! Look forward to seeing you tomorrow morning. Wrangeld & Jeepie (and bringing my daughter along for the ride tomorrow...)

I already did. Too enthusiastic to sign up and made a mistake. Will check I am officially signed out of the drive. Newbie drive will be fun. Confirmed now that we are not signed up for the intermediate drive. Enjoy. Only 30 drives or so to go until we can join you there 😂

Confirmed. We will join the absolute newbie drive.

Hopefully next time, with a few more drives under the belt..

Rahim bhai. Your talent for writing is exceptional and means if I intend to write anything in the future I shall have to 'up my game' 😏 This was truly a magnificent run, expertly led and even more expertly recorded. Looking forward very much to the next installment. Written and mobile.

Today, with a whole lot of other important lessons we found out that 'popping out' to the desert and 'popping out' in the desert are two completely different things. Our intrepid crew was not prepared to give up without a fight, however when it comes to popping, there are just some things that won't however hard you try. Roshan, thanks for giving us the chance to see an unusual and very technical recovery. The other key note of the day us that while there might only be one letter difference between newbie and fewbie the promotion to more complex, technical challenges brought a whole new world of fun and a few frustrations. Once again, excellent (and truly restrained) leadership from Rahimdad. I am sure Srikumar enjoyed sweeping up today ... allowing him to be a little less restrained than usual. Emmanuel, ably assisted by maman, kept us on track and very healthily fed. An asset to any drive. Shamil, it's a real shame you make all your passengers feel sick . I'll be your passenger any time. Jeepie ... thanks for returning the favour of last week and allowing us to dig you out this week. (Photos attached). Bottom line, this little club is simply the most supportive encouraging and effective way to learn how to navigate the dunes, while having fun and meeting wonderful warm welcoming people. Thanks once again.

Congrats Bony.

Congrats TJ. Love watching that majestic orange gold beast crest the dunes with you at the wheel. Maybe some day we will join you on two wheels.

Congrats Adil. Looking forward to many more drives with you.

Congrats Adam. If I can learn to handle my Wrangler half as well ... I'll be mighty happy.