munkybizness

Congratulations @takeshi sobue!

Well done, fellow Patroler @Jonny90! Vee-Tee-Cee, Super Eazee

Congratulations @Joseph Sebastian! So glad to see out on drives again. Love that beautiful green TJ 😍

And the legend of the White Rhino gets emboldened... congratulations @Mike M. 😎

This weekend, a return to the "Newbies" for me, was such a revelation. It was also a run down memory lane to almost a year ago when I too was first learning to calm my nerves as we set off from the first dune in Muquab, or the first time I saw the sun peek over the horizon in Mahafiz. Rising up the ranks, you realize how much of the banter just disappears. As I hit Fewbie+, I would quickly hop out, setup the flag, do some lunges deflating tyres, and apart from the cursory greetings of the morning, just ask around for which frequency we're on. Then come the warnings of not fighting gravity, and the convoy order, and we're off. Somewhere along the way, a wayward gazelle or a clumsy camel will catch our eye, become the butt of jokes for drivers in the back (just like backbenchers in school), and the radio will be silent once again. "Bio breaks" will become moments to air down the tyres once again. If the Newbies are a space of dialogue, the ranks higher up are a place of quiet contemplation. But the truth is, that in rising up to the highest levels, the magic of the desert, the supreme landscape, and our place in it, gets shrouded from view. We rarely take a moment to take stock of where we are, how we got there, and what this all means. In joining @Brette & @Gaurav's drives in the red sands of Sharjah, I found once again, the magic that had pulled me deep into these sands. On the second morning, I arrived fashionably early at the famous tree shade in Mahafiz, aired down, setup my flag, and then just pulled out my camping chair, popped open a store-bought bowl of watermelon, poured myself a steaming cup of coffee, and just leaned back... There, across the horizon, a blue tinge with golden underlines was beginning to put on its daily show. Except today, I was here to look at it with awe & wonder. Calmer and with my bearings now in place, I was ready to drive out. Except, Mahafiz and its lush desert forest had other plans. Shrubs peppered the dunes far and wide. And with every turn, the root balls of these shrubs made their jarring presence in the soft sands felt even more. These shrubs also created unenviable harsh pockets of sand. We could have just as easily taken the flat ground, but the marshal in @Gaurav wanted us to navigate as offroaders do, turning on a dime, to find our path through. As we finally emerged out of the first clearing, and circled in from the right, we saw a wall of slopes emerging. In the early morning light, their slopes shone even brighter against the foreground of the green shrubbery. Behind him, @Senthil Kumar, our second lead for the day, who's not afraid of heights anymore after scaling Liwa with @Frederic, was happy to throw his hat into the ring multiple times. In both the long side slope riding, the straight climb up Al Faya, and the line that he laid for the convoy behind him, he showed just how confident and disciplined a driver he is. There was no showboating. It was crisp, efficient and clean - all the qualities you want in a good driver. Here, on these long side slopes, and the might Al Faya Bowl, @Looper, @imranaasghar81 & @Dodi Syahdar put on a show that I'm in complete awe of. Dodi marked new lines at the highest points of these long slopes, rode the ridges of Al Faya like no car has done before, and conquered every line with elan. It is clear why you are the driver you are. Elsewhere, I saw first hand yesterday what @Looper looks like in "attack mode". From being the first to sail up Al Faya down the middle slope to laying down the gauntlet for everybody else, I want to see more of this side of you. I absolutely love it! Gone was the smooth Wrangler, and in its place, a lean war machine was racing, climbing and flying off the sides. In the FJ with fresh new air intakes sucking in the cool morning air, Imran and his checkered flag called the games to a start. But this isn't an Intermediate drive. And some of our more enthusiastic drivers were not going to be left behind. It was clear that in watching the different cars make their run across the long slope, @george charbel had trained his eyes to find a much cleaner and smoother gradient up the slope. Combined with the right amount of throttle, he sailed up the side. It was such a treat to watch, that I too could not hold myself back from trying the same line. George, it was absolutely sublime. You have a great eye. Behind me, @Yogesh Chaudhary, was equally doing his best to negotiate the gaps and get over soft sand pockets. For the one refusal you had, it was purely a matter of choosing a cleaner line and being more thrifty with your throttle. Your tire pressure was also too high for the softer sands in Sharjah. I would recommend starting with 14 psi in the future on your H/T treads in Sharjah, and 15 psi if you're in Qudra. With deflation done, the same sections immediately became so much more pliable. @takeshi sobue, your daughter is the reason we encourage drivers to bring their kids out to drives. And I'm so glad you did. She's a superstar in the making, and these memories will only go on to become the highlights of her childhood. It was also amazing to see how she wanted to get involved with shoveling. Let this be a lesson to all drivers who don't like shoveling, that if "Loon" (I hope I've spelled that correctly) can do it this well and with this much enthusiasm, you're not excused 😛 For me, the most redeeming part of the drive was to see @Stan Hassett and @Theo09's drives. Theo, you have excellent command on that Fortuner. With your choice on whether to get a Prado or something more meaty, I am certain that you will make it do the same wonders you did with the Fortuner. You were also the most compliant "left-to-right, and back" operator I've seen on a Newbie drive putting those guns to great use . Stan, apart from little hesitation which is totally warranted as you start out on this journey, you were great too. I particularly liked how when you ran out of momentum on crests, you didn't force your way through. Most drivers do this and dig themselves in. You stopped right there, and this made reversing out and trying it all over again so much easier - not to mention quicker. All in all, I understand now even more clearly why @Frederic (in Liwa, on the second morning - I have good memory) and @Gaurav insist that drivers come back and participate in newbie drives. This weekend in Sharjah has given me a renewed interest into what matters even more than the driving - which is to pass the bug on to the others. And I hope we did that, because I hope to see all of you return and continue driving. The seeds of great skill have already been embedded. Let it germinate and flourish, much like the lush forests of Mahafiz See you all out on the sands again soon [ 🐵 ]

No worries, will bring spares

@Gaurav, @imranaasghar81, @Senthil Kumar, @KKIRAN: I will have your Liwa Crossing stickers on me tomorrow AM

It's tough to follow @Thomas Varghese's recount of the drive this morning, so I'll try my best to fill in or express how I felt by the end of it all. My last newbie drive, just about a month ago, was the opposite showing of today. There, our convoy was bogged down refusal after refusal in the soft sands of Faqa and then Little Sweihan. I have also not driven with @Brette since he joined @Gaurav's convoy in Iftar Bowl in September last year, where he gave me some of the best tips and advice on how to climb. Thank you for those lessons, Brette. They've come in handy every single time after that, and with enough practice using that advice, I've learnt a lot more about how far I can push this car. So any success in scaling the climbs today, first begin with @Brette and other members offering critical notes to me. Sweeping at the back, I had little visibility on the front end of the convoy until we came to individual climbs. But, since we were always on the move, with almost no radio chatter, it was evident that every single driver today was clued in and in complete control of their machines. @Sunny84, you played the role of the second lead with elan. The drive from Tawi Nazwa to Pink Rock is usually a tight and twisty section where drivers not paying attention can often find themselves getting stuck. As Thomas has commented, we made the run to Pink Rock in record time, flying through this section. This is really a testament to the SL staying true to @Brette's beautiful line, and the convoy responding with pace and vigour. In the middle, @Pacific, and his experienced self just constantly pushed the boundary further and higher still. It gave Thomas and myself, quite a nice stretch to go after. In the latter half of the convoy, @Sita Sharma sitting with I'm sure a pretty vocal "back-seat" driver in @Looper was choosing excellent lines, plenty of throttle and even powering through sticky crests. Great job. One of the things I recognized and realized today, was exactly how other more experienced drivers would have felt when I was a Newbie. They too would have wanted to step in and show me the way. And the best ones did. I learned so much from then, just like Brette gave my first real advice on how to climb Iftar Bowl. Back then, as a Newbie, I too showed immense trepidation and hesitation when trying to climb, or criss-cross across dunes, or ride a ridge. These all seem so much easier now, because it took 50 odd drives to get here. But 45 drives ago, I too was a nervous wreck. I would hold off on the throttle when approaching a bump and proceed to lose all momentum and wonder why heavier cars can make it. It's very rarely the machine. The longer you do this, the harder you push yourself, and the more comfortable you get, will all lead you to get here. @Super Safari Girl, you'll lose the hesitation with time. And do a night drive. You'll lose it even faster 😛 . Your lines throughout the drive were cleaner, you gave yourself adequate distance to judge and see how the car in front of you was negotiating the terrain, and you were elegantly gentle through sections where there was no need to be brutish. There is already great foundations in the way you drive. Take some more of the hesitation out, and that SWB Super Safari will be screaming up the hill @Mike M. & @Jaro Tuzinsky, I was positively surprised to see the way both you pushed your cars. You were both not lacking in momentum, your lines were clean, and you had excellent follow-through going through side slopes. It was a treat to watch. White Rhinos don't see many hills in the savannas, but today, in the red sands of Sharjah, our homegrown white rhino was showing that even it can scale the highest hills. As mentioned above, it was a real treat for us. @Jad Moussalli, I haven't had the opportunity to see the new Defender in action in these sands before. And it was a nice surprise. There was clearly plenty of power at your disposal especially in the climbs where it showed no signs of relenting. @Anirudh Dayma & @Jonny90, I didn't get very good visuals on you until we got to the climbs, and there you both piloted your machines with absolute ease. Important to note is how well you exited when you lost momentum ensuring that you weren't fishtailing through the slopes. And finally, @Thomas Varghese, with more than double the number of drives, your experience is evident in spaces beyond just the driving, from clearing live codes with electronics, to getting a limping car to leap to the top of hills. You made it look super easy. And of course, I'm looking forward to what you caught in your frame. Thank you @Brette, for leading a great drive through this area. I learned so much today on why I got into offroading, and it brought up again the early feelings I had as a newbie. See you all out on the sands again soon [ 🐵 ]

Beautiful silhouetting!

@Frederic, these are stunning! And after speaking with you last night, your voice really speaks through it. I especially love the grades of shades on the monochromatic Trooper photo, especially the shadows.

I've only been able to look at the photos on my phone so far. Here's the one that I think was the least shaky one.

I wish you hadn't left this message... Now knowing that you're not driving, you will be counted upon for shovelling duty 😛

Congratulations @Tareq Al Turq! Enjoy the change in pace that comes with FB+

Congratulations @RiaanJH - enjoy the new level, and continue to give us amazing photography from the drives to help (re)live them.

Sorry @Frederic, I'm afraid work won't allow me to make it to the meeting point before 8pm. As such, please accept my sincere apologies for bowing out. All my camera gear is ready and packed, and I now have a Fuji Bro in Simon too. I feel so disappointed right now 😖 😠

It's taken me 10 months from my first Absolute Newbie drive to get back into a drive with @Srikumar. To say that he's the first person responsible for me wanting to be a part of @Carnity would be an understatement. On that humid morning in mid-July last year, I arrived at the meeting point in Qudra, 10mins late, and never having deflated a tire before with those quick-release gauges I'd bought the day before. Sri was the perfect host, welcoming me in, calming my nerves (from being late), and sending help with a support team member to help me get down to the right pressure. And before we could leave, we had a Pathfinder whose tire was leaking air. Unlike most other clubs, which would have sent that driver back, Sri rolled up his sleeves, got under the car, pulled out the spare, and then helped the driver swap his tyre. The entire ordeal set us back by 40mins, which in the summer would have been brutal. But he did that nonetheless, and I've never respected and admired an individual as much as I did him on that warm morning. And then, on this Absolute Newbie drive, he also made me his second lead which heightened my nerves to no end. Fast forward, ten months to yesterday, when I finally again found myself on his drive, he walked up to me and asked me to repeat that role all over again. The serendipity wasn't lost on me. And it helped cap my 49th off-road drive, bringing the journey a full circle. To say that our drive was eventful, too would be an understatement. With two pop-outs - one on my car, and the other on @Waqas Parvez, and a sensor failure on @Vanessa8580's "Big Blue", we ensured that much of the time that Sri wanted us to fight off through an early start and sleepy eyes, was lost to fixing them. Much was remarked about how Old Lady may not have given her all of her blessings, but I believe these were just the sacrificial rituals she warranted for a lot of new faces traversing these slopes. Of course, it doesn't take away from the error I made climbing up where I should have exited 20 seconds sooner. With the steep gorge at the top, I then landed my right wheel smack into the middle of a little wall where Vanessa and I both heard the air escaping as the bead unsettled itself. About an hour into the drive, and having just left Old Lady in our rear view, I had the good fortune to also bring @Vanessa8580 into my cabin. This came off the back of her misfortune, but it gave me the opportunity to really get to know her, the Marshal she is, and gain access to a second pair of trained and experienced eyes. For this experience alone, thank you Vanessa. I learned so much from hearing about your story, and for the advice that I intend to carry on with me in drives to come. I also hope that the "Big Blue" is back in its natural habitat soon, putting to test, those lovely new riveted flared fenders. With the Pajero parked on the track, we continued back inwards into the dunes, and this is where I saw Srikumar's penchant for not looking back. I also was witness to where he sees a path emerging. And it is quite unique to many of the marshals I've been out with. With every marshal, this close up front, it's a special treat to see where they are seeing a path through. It gives you a view into how they plan a track and then lay it down - in the moment. At some points, I did lose sight of him because he is like a child with endless wonder darting from corner to post and back again, but as long as I kept my eye on the little red flag bobbing in the wind, and the deep tracks of the Cherokee, I knew where I needed to head. The virgin, almost untouched sands, ensured that his were the only ones there. But most of all, seeing Sri lead, and being in the second seat right behind gave me a newfound perspective on some of the angles I would have previously thought I should not attempt. I learned first hand yesterday, how a marshal also uses every passing car including his/her own to force into compliance a step that will eventually disappear when car #6 gets there. Sand, unlike tarmac compresses. And good marshals will use that knowledge to create paths where you may not see them at first. A fantastic lesson for me. Sitting at the top of the hill, I think @Salim Akhtar, you really deserve the most honors for not giving up. With @Vanessa8580's tested advice from years driving the Pajero, the 4HLC unlocked a new avenue of power delivery for you. And you put it to great use. Well done in your first Fewbie Plus drive, and also for being the first at the meeting point. Your eagerness to participate and fly through the hills was felt by all. To everybody else in the back, including some of my favorite people, thank you for making this such a great day out. And @Srikumar, the spell is broken, and I hope to return to see Sweihan or wherever you call us to go, much sooner than this last one. See you all out on the sands soon. [ 🐵 ]

The Y62 Patrol (2019) is 5165mm in length, 1995mm wide, with a 3080mm wheelbase. Unladen weight is 2800 kg. The Prado (2018) is 4995mm in length, 1885mm wide, with a 2790mm wheelbase. Unladen weight is 2240 kg. Hence, in almost every component, the Prado is narrower, shorter, with a lower breakover angle. And it is lighter. For use in the mountains, if you ever find yourself in tight spots, with the addition of flares and side bull-bars, the Prado will still give you some clearance that a Y62 just wont. With a lift kit when you're ready to upgrade your mountain skills, and shorter wheelbase, the Prado also has a lower probability of getting belly rubs. And in the sand, the lighter profile with a nimbler footing will make the Prado easier to maneuver.