Thomas Varghese

Thanks for the kind words and appreciation @Lorenzo Candelpergher. As my 1st drive as a 2nd lead that too in a fewbie plus drive it was very challenging. I was in a dilemma. As per your instruction to follow you at some distance I tried for sometime but its not easy as you disappear very fast in those never ending dunes. As it was a busy place with so many convoys and tracks it was easy to lose your trail. Moreover I could see even your car was struggling sometimes in the soft sands when we side slope or criss cross. The best strategy was Vodaphone's old advert - The puppy which follows wherever his master goes. Forget everything about leaving some distance and follow @Lorenzo Candelpergher wherever he goes before he vanishes out of sight. I suppose I did good in that aspect. The drive was very exciting except for some glitches from my car and me. Thanks for the support extended to me by @Lorenzo Candelpergher, @Aus Alzubaidi, @Junaid120120, @Arda Yagcioglu & @Shamil for helping in shovelling and winching the car out. The rest of the drivers showed very much patience and waited for the recovery as per Covid protocols. See all of you in sand soon.

It will only take an hour to clean the sensors and throttle body at my garage. Got another fewbie plus drive with @Foxtrot Oscar Angela tomorrow afternoon. Its better to check and be safe than get hopelessly stuck in the middle of the desert. The dunes which the Xterra had some difficulty in climbing up today was surprising to me as its never shied off any dune.

The Xterra was behaving little sluggish from the start of the drive and credited me with some refusals and stucks. Thanks to the team overcame all the difficulties. Fortunately after @Shamil's trick of disconnecting the battery to reset the ECU and restarting from the flat area at iftar bowl the Xterra found its sprint back. The drive back home was very exciting as the machine was responding instantaneously to every small thrust of the throttle. After couple of refusals I was thinking what happened to its power. Thankfully everything returned to normal after the ECU reset but got to check with garage if the MAF sensor or throttle body is dirty as @Shamil suggested. Overall I am very happy to own the beast as it proved its very sturdy and down to earth technology employed by the manufacturer. The nasty ditches and bumps the Xterra took it like piece of cake. I was afraid after the nose hit the sand very hard so many times that the machine will fall apart or maybe the suspension will crack. Next moment the Xterra sprints like nothing happened. Wow. Kudos to Nissan for bringing out such a sturdy 4 X 4. Built like a ROCK. Sad they discontinued it. Will check tomorrow if any sand has gone inside the MAF sensor or throttle body which made the engine run at safe rpm's. Its been more than 10 drives in the sand after the last clean up.

@Arman

The Marshal @Lorenzo Candelpergher

Thank you Doctor. Its not serious but a muscular pain in my middle backside. Its not there in the morning but when I sit for sometime. Will consult you when we meet. The sun peeping out early morning to see the Desert Wanderers

@Foxtrot Oscar I have signed up for this drive - second drive for the weekend. In case there is a last minute rush to join with others waiting for their 1st drive you can drop me.

Thanks for putting me right behind you @Lorenzo Candelpergher as the 2nd lead. Other than following your tracks faithfully will there be any other role I have to fulfil? Please let me know so that I can come prepared.

Best wishes @luis mantecon. Carnity is the place to hone your desert driving skills and practice some patience in convoy's.

See tomorrow afternoon, ready to go (i.e. already deflated and flagged) by no later 7:00am (sharp).🤔 The time is mentioned 7am sharp but @Lorenzo Candelpergher says see us at tomorrow afternoon.

What I meant is that I have a pain at my back middle portion. Nothing to be worried about. I can drive. Thank you Doctor. Its not serious but a muscular pain in my middle backside. Its not there in the morning but when I sit for sometime. Will consult you when we meet.

All the drives I did with Carnity didn't do much damage to the car but since a week I am walking around like my alignment is out and have to go for realignment. @Mohamed Seidam should definitely take a look when we meet for the drive and suggest some realignment measures. By the way I'm not dropping out from the drive.

There is something very important I have to communicate to fellow desert wanderers. In the drive announcement the Marshal's encourage us to bring loads of water for each drive. I also used to bring loads of water but have never used much as frequency for bio breaks increases proportionately. My fellow wanderers please don't feel shy to take bio breaks in between. Drink lots of water. I don't want to elaborate what happened to me but whatever happened was not pleasant. The suffering I had for almost 3 days is beyond description. Couldn't sleep for all this time as my stomach was feeling like a football inside. Its important to take care of us during the drive as we take care of the machines. The effects of dehydration is not at all pleasant.

same here @Junaid120120. The family thinks I have gone mad.

Me too

By the way I have driven with @Hisham Masaad & @Junaid120120 probably 4 or 5 times in fewbie drives and they drive well. I hope the intermediate will not be a problem if @Lorenzo Candelpergher wish to up the drive after checking out our skills. We are all confident we can keep up the pace safely with the seniors.

If the drive is downgraded to fewbie plus then it will be my 2nd fewbie plus drive which makes me eligible for the promotion as all the other required number of drives in fewbie for the promotion to intermediate has been exceeded and are over.

Hi @Hisham Masaad I noticed too and got encouraged to join. But as @Lorenzo Candelpergher advised I have applied for the promotion even though I'm 1 fewbie plus drive short but have done 19 drives with Carnity till date (6 newbies, 12 fewbies and 1 fewbie plus). Upto the club management and the Marshal's decision. Till then I will wait with crossed fingers.

More than the additional 1 fewbie plus drive I require for the promotion I believe I should have the necessary gear to apply. Waiting for getting my kinetic tow rope & soft shackles.