JeromeFJ

Good morning all, In preparation for the drive on Saturday, please make sure your vehicle will be ready. For your own preparation, get familiar with your radio if it is not already the case. Please make sure you program in advance the 10 Carnity frequencies. It is much easier to do it quietly at home than in a rush in the desert. The post below is very helpful.

Great, thank you !

Dear @Sviatoslav, you were on the wait list and have been added to the drive. Can you please confirm you still have it in your schedule for Saturday morning. Also, as it will be your first drive with us, can you please indicate your previous off road experience, if any check and confirm the presence of tow hooks front and back of your car confirm you have a flag, radio, and shovel watch the video mentioned above, before the drive Looking forward to meeting you for this first drive.

We request every member who joins this drive to go through the information below and strictly follow these guidelines, etiquette, and responsibilities. MUST READ AND COMPLY Environmental Policy Offroad Flag Guideline Two Way Radio Guideline Off road Driving Etiquette's Emergency details for all off-roaders Off Road Driving - Roles & Responsibilities First time with Carnity Off-road Club: Please share your vehicle details - Make, Model, Color, and Year. Do you have any prior off-road experience? If yes, pls share details. Confirm your vehicle has front and rear tow hooks/eyelets. Advise if you don’t have a programable radio and safety flag. MUST WATCH: NEWBIE VIDEO BRIEFING Drive Details Level: Newbie and above (all levels) Meeting time: 7:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/LHbFHb1WQUtA55kV7 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: 11:00 AM P.S. Only join if you have a compressor to inflate your tires after the drive. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE: This drive is limited to 12 cars only. RSVP will close on Friday - 6 PM. If the RSVP is full, you can add your name to the waitlist, once anyone drops, you will be moved to the RSVP list. RSVP will close a day prior to preparing a convoy 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

Sincere congratulations @Simon D, yes it is an all new start, and I'm sure you will do great and enjoy !

Dear Friends, great morning out in the sand today ! We managed to build a fluid convoy, flowing from one set of big dunes to another, riding the ridges, circling the bowls, climbing the big faces. We had a few challenges, starting by facing the rising sun, exactly in our eyes in the first hour, but also the beautiful contrast of climbing from a dark side in the shade, switching on a ridge to a bright sunny sand slope. Many cross tracks in some areas, but we could tick the big climbs of the Sweihan area. After the first hour, the sun was not a problem anymore, but the wind was rising, blowing sand everywhere, blurring the view for the crossings. At the summit of the Old Lady dune, it was impossible to see the actual ground, covered by the flying sand, and we dived directly into the steep descend. Unfortunately @Joji varghese had to leave us, his car deciding to go 2H only. In the last portion by Al Ain Airport, the big bowls were abused by cross tracks, and a motorbike/ buggy rally was in the way, but we managed to find nice virgin portions, steady climbs, before a fluid finish to reach the exit track. More than 70 km, average moving speed above 25 km/h, barely a few refusals, this is proof of the skills and focus of each driver, but also the cohesion we managed to build within the group. @Joji varghese @Mark B @Jaro Tuzinsky @Jona @Zed @Joseph Raju @Naveen Raj @Rajiv Sam @Amr Aydin, thanks again for joining today ! Enjoy the rest of the weekend

Hi Davie @Davie Chase, please check this post https://carnity.com/forums/topic/18895-morning-intermediate-desert-drive-sweihan-abu-dhabi-27-jan-2024/?do=findComment&comment=133152 as you will be in the area tomorrow . It might be more busy than usual.

Thanks @Zed for the heads up. As it is already late we will keep the same meeting time and location, and will advise tomorrow morning Meeting at 7:00 am at https://maps.app.goo.gl/6Ggs62b9yGEzyZi26 Convoy Order Take a good rest and see you tomorrow morning !

Thank you @Mohit Gurnani. Yes indeed it is a reasonable decision to start with 1 or 2 drives at lower level until you get used to the new tires. I hope you will enjoy the improvement !

Dear Desert Drivers, Thank you for signing up to the drive on Saturday Morning. I have updated the meeting point. The intent is to avoid spending too much time in the crowded area close to the road, move East in the direction of the Old Lady Dune, and from there, if we have sufficient time and good conditions, cross to the Al Ain Airport area and exit South on the E22. I will issue the convoy order tomorrow by the end of the afternoon. Let me know before that in case you changed your plans

Sorry to miss you @Ranjan Das. See you soon hopefully

We request every member that joins this drive to go through the information below and strictly follow these guidelines, etiquette and responsibilities. MUST READ AND COMPLY Environmental Policy Offroad Flag Guideline Two Way Radio Guideline Off road Driving Etiquettes Emergency details for all off roaders Off Road Driving - Roles & Responsibilities, DRIVE DETAILS Level: Intermediate and above When: 27 January 2024, Saturday Meeting time: 7:00 AM - Sharp Meeting Point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/6Ggs62b9yGEzyZi26 Approximate finish time: 11:00 AM 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, enthusiasm, and willingness to learn. RECOMENDED OFF-ROAD GEAR: Tire deflator & Tire pressure gauge Compressor (MANDATORY) Walkie-talkie radio (MANDATORY) Off-road flag (MANDATORY) Shovel, Tow Rope & 2 Shackles First-aid kit Fire extinguisher LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE This drive is limited to 10 cars only. RSVP will close on Friday - 12 PM. If the RSVP is full, you can add your name to the waitlist, once anyone drops, you will be moved to the RSVP list. RSVP will close a day prior to preparing a convoy list. Latecomers will be returned - Without any exceptions. Members without RSVP will be returned - 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 CALENDAR

Great achievement Deepak @DP1011 ! Totally deserved 👏 Congratulations and big Bravo !!!

Thank you all for joining the drive this morning. This area is never disappointing, even with a few convoys around, there is largely enough space to enjoy. And this is what we did ! From one bowl to the other, crossing ridges, climbing high dunes step by step, building up momentum to reach the high points, and going gown steep slopes with rolling sand. And these beautiful views over the dunes and sabkhas with the morning light... The sand was a bit wet at the beginning, soft and heavy in some places, but we maintained a fluid flow, each of you keeping the pace with barely a few refusals. Still a few points to remain vigilant for some of you, steer down and come straight in the slope when your car is loosing momentum and start fishtailing, avoid sharp turns, especially in steep descends, keep your car straight in the descents (giving a bit of gas will put it back in line). Last but not least, in a steep descent keep your wheels straight until you reach the bottom. We had 2 pop-outs at the same location, where the directions of the wheels and the car were not aligned, resulting in excessive effort on the sidewall of the tyre. Thank you all for the team effort during these recoveries. @Emanuel thank you for the SL, excellent drive, @Lala G, very well done also, and thank you for your support in fixing the pops, watch your fishtailing in some occasions, @Deepak Eswar, you can have excellent focus and control in some occasions (last bowl), try to have the same during the complete drive (a bit of fishtailing and refusals could be avoided), @Rk ram, no issue today, stay in control of your speed, especially in the descends, @Gertjan, very reliable drive, always in control, thank you for the pics, @Alphin Aloor keep driving, you will become more in sync with your car, and get the best out of it, @Pascal, @george charbel, very well done, always in control, @Hugo, thank you for watching the back, always a pleasure to see that Last Edition FJ in the sands ! Enjoy the rest of the weekend and see you soon !

@Emanuel @Lala G @Deepak Eswar @Rk ram @Gertjan @Pascal @Alphin Aloor @george charbel @Hugo Last updates for tomorrow morning. Meeting at 7:00 am at https://maps.app.goo.gl/eTX8wtibrfhsXS6D6 The convoy order will be We will use Carnity radio Channel 4. It will be cold in the morning, take a jacket if you don't want to freeze during the briefing and car preparation. Enjoy the evening, take a good rest, and see you tomorrow morning !

Dear Desert Drivers, Thank you for signing-up for the drive on Saturday morning. Just let me know during the day tomorrow in case you changed your plan. I will give you last updates and convoy order by the end of the afternoon. Please check your car if needed to avoid last minute disappointment.

Dear Friends, thank you so much for the recognition and the trust you put in me. It has been a long journey since that Master Class with Emmanuel who gave me the first flavour of what a desert drive could be. I had been in the desert before, by foot, with camels, but never really with a car. I always liked the outdoors and the exploration of remote places, but had practiced more in the mountainous areas. I always liked driving, and I had purchased that beautiful FJ a few months before, and believe it or not, it is the first car I own in my life. I always liked the team practice, especially when the challenges bring the team together, and when each individual will contribute to the success of the team. I like the surfing, gliding, skiing, snowboarding sensations. With this desert drive activity, I could find a combination of all this, with the benefit to explore the country where we live. And @Carnity with their values of learning, step by step progression, safety, respect, and enjoyment was for me the perfect framework to practice and discover. I learned progressively, exploring the capabilities of my car, my own capabilities, learning so much about cars, about the desert, the sand texture, soft, hard, brittle, fine, heavy, wet, dry..., the sand behaviour, holding, supporting, sliding, sticky..., the effect of weather conditions, the heat, the humidity, the rain, the fog..., the wind, pushing the sand, continuously reshaping the dunes. I learned to control the momentum of the car, to use it to cross, to climb, to have an efficient use of that energy, to avoid sharp turns, brakes, accelerations, to adjust the entry point, the angle, to merge smoothly with the ridge, to anticipate the effect of that little step, that bump, to control the descends... Starting to support drives, I learned to recover stuck cars, evaluate the balance of the weight, the angle, the holding capability of the sand, using the slope and gravity as an aid, using shovel, ropes, winch, using the team, the resources available, at that location, at that time, looking for ideas, imagination... Starting to lead drives, a complete new chapter opened, I learned reading the shape of a dune, finding the best line, the smooth line, the line enabling to cross, to climb, the line suitable for the other cars, I learned to consider that the conditions will change, each cars having its own effect on the terrain, making it more more difficult, or easier for the next one. I learned to watch other drivers, is he/she comfortable, hesitant, confident, overconfident, is he/she at risk, is he aware... I learned to advise, to guide, to explain, trying to be clear, to be understandable, giving confidence, safely, with awareness. I learned to compose a drive, organise a convoy, study the maps, select a route, propose a adequate mix of difficulties, nice view points, considering the direction of the sun, the light, the temperature rise during the day, and once all this is prepared, be ready to change and adjust, according to the participants, the terrain, the incidents... The best rewards, beside my own enjoyment, is seeing the big smiles at the top of a high climb, feeling the silent concentration of each driver on a long ridge with a view wide open on the desert, having happy faces at the end of the drive, creating happy moments to be shared with friends. Big thank you @Gaurav @Frederic @Srikumar for creating, maintaining, supporting all this environment, once again, thank you for your trust and guidance. @Ale Vallecchi @Islam Soliman @Chaitanya D @Vanessa8580 @Hisham Masaad @M.Seidam @Asif Hussain @GauravSoni, you are a continuous source of inspiration, thank you for all the things I learn from you. And thank you to my co-drivers @Looper @Varun Mehndiratta @Rizwanm2 @Anish S @Davie Chase @Mehmet Volga @DP1011 @Simon D and all the participants to my drives (185 members have done at least 1 drive under my lead), you all make it happen, and we all learn with each others. Looking forward to many more drives together ! Pic tribute to @Gertjan

We request every member that joins this drive to go through the information below and strictly follow these guidelines, etiquette and responsibilities. MUST READ AND COMPLY Environmental Policy Offroad Flag Guideline Two Way Radio Guideline Off road Driving Etiquettes Emergency details for all off roaders Off Road Driving - Roles & Responsibilities DRIVE DETAILS Level: Fewbie Plus and above When: 20 January 2024, Saturday Meeting time: 7:00 AM - Sharp Meeting Point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/eTX8wtibrfhsXS6D6 Approximate finish time: 11:00 AM 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, enthusiasm, and willingness to learn. RECOMENDED OFF-ROAD GEAR: Tire deflator & Tire pressure gauge Compressor (MANDATORY) Walkie-talkie radio (MANDATORY) Off-road flag (MANDATORY) Shovel, Tow Rope & 2 Shackles First-aid kit Fire extinguisher LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE This drive is limited to 10 cars only. RSVP will close on Friday - 12 PM. If the RSVP is full, you can add your name to the waitlist, once anyone drops, you will be moved to the RSVP list. RSVP will close a day prior to preparing a convoy list. Latecomers will be returned - Without any exceptions. Members without RSVP will be returned - 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 CALENDAR

Thank you Deepak @DP1011 for an excellent drive this morning ! Nice location and itinerary, good mix of technical and wider dunes, perfect pace, a few challenges here and there, excellent management of the convoy.. Beautiful selection of lines, keeping the level on the high side, but always within the convoy capabilities. It was a pleasure to drive under your lead ! (and I was about to forget an amazing self recovery from a deep pocket hidden on top of a dune!) Excellent drive from every participant, the sand was very soft, and Deepak kept throwing in more climbs, ridge riding and crossing! It was above Fewbie level on many occasions, and you managed very well, always under control. Well done @Ahmed Farouk, @Aser, @Robk, @frederic demolder. Thank you for the support and more experienced members @Pascal, @munkybizness, @Bjoern, @Naveen Raj @Amr Aydin for joining also, it was nice to see you after a long time! Enjoy the rest of the weekend and see you soon.

Dear Desert Drivers, Happy to drive with you tomorrow. Thank you Deepak for preparing the drive and the convoy order. Arriving to the meeting point, you will need to cross the line to the left. Even if there is little traffic, ensure you signal and cross safely. Then you will see a gate, just drive in slowly and it will open. Last but not least, you will see another Carnity convoy getting assembled (Newbie, with @Davie Chase) pass them with care and our meeting point will be after them. Last recommendation, it will be cold early morning !

Thank four for informing early Johan, see you next time

See you next time Ben