_luke_

UPDATE 20251014: The Dune Apparition As part of my pre-reconnaissance, I’ve been analysing the latest satellite overlays of the Khatim Anomaly. The data set is at first glance unremarkable, yet the more I refine the imagery, the stranger it becomes. For days now, I have studied one particular segment — around coordinates N24° 12' 43.1" E54° 57' 00.1". At first, the dunes appear unremarkable — a natural interplay of wind and time. But under high contrast and multi-band filtering, a pattern emerges from the ridgelines. A symmetry too deliberate to dismiss. A visage. Subtle. Vast. Buried in the sand. The formation resembles the outline of a human face — blurred, eroded, yet undeniably present. It could be an illusion of light and shadow, a trick of erosion… or something older, intentionally carved and reclaimed by the desert. I cannot decide which possibility is more unsettling. The team has mixed reactions. The CARNITY Support Team refuses to discuss it, saying the dunes are “looking back.” Others insist it’s coincidence — an alignment of ridges and iron-rich deposits. Yet when I cross-referenced historical satellite imagery, the face was not there two years ago. If the desert is shaping this itself, then it is a process we do not yet understand. If someone — or something — made it, then we are standing on the edge of a secret meant to stay buried. The desert keeps changing. And now, it seems to be watching us.

i feel like he also panics from the fishtailing and hits the brakes.... need to just go with gravity and ride it down rather than panic. @M.Seidam

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPEZM7KEd-i H/T @ChrisW

UPDATE 20251013: THE EASTWARD DRIFT An eager team has raised their hands, and pledged their enthusiasm and engines to peering past Khatim’s dark edge. I have mapped the existing routes, only to find every historical trail bending directly eastward — an unnatural convergence, as if the desert itself were drawing us away from something. To the south of these tracks lies a blank — a data void, a digital black hole. None of the recovered coordinates or trails lead into it. The telemetry simply collapses, as though that region refuses to be recorded. One of the CARNITY Support team joked that perhaps the sand there doesn’t cast shadows. No one laughed. To the region further south of our path — a cluster of domes and steel towers half-buried in the dunes. The old google maps records suggest it was a lunar observation outpost — a facility built for moon sighting, seemingly long abandoned. Rumors claim it still transmits, though I have met none that have received any signal. The recovered tracks end abruptly near coordinates (24.23625, 54.96446) — my system refuses to render any trails beyond that point. Two waypoints survive in the corrupted map files. The first, marked in crimson, bears a single name: “NO-GO.” The second, untitled — its label scrambled into static — glows black on GAIA-GPS. I’ve never seen a black marker before. It isn’t supposed to exist in our waypoint schema. If the desert meant to warn us, its whisper reached us too late. The course is fixed, and the sands will decide the rest.

DRIVE DESCRIPTION LOG ENTRY 104: Deep within the CARNITY waypoint vaults, I have uncovered fragments of an abandoned dataset — distorted tracks winding through Khatim, their coordinates half-buried in corrupted files and broken telemetry. The archives were supposed to be complete. They are not. Sections have been erased, deliberately — a digital void where the old routes should have been. The more I restore, the stranger it becomes: paths that loop into themselves, waypoints that shift when cross-referenced, and drive reports from past explorers abruptly ending mid-sentence. It has become clear that I cannot face this alone. I will assemble a small team — veterans of the dunes, mechanics, navigators, and will try recruit an old desert scout who swears he’s seen lights move across Khatim at night, to support us. Each carries their own reason for coming, but perhaps none can quite explain why they feel so compelled to explore this mysterious zone. Sunday, we set out at dawn. Our aim: to retrace the ghost routes, to test the limits of what the CARNITY archive conceals. The risks are obvious — terrain instability, magnetic interference, communications dead zones — but the true danger may lie in what waits beyond the last recorded coordinates. The desert is patient. It watches. Khatim will not give up its secrets willingly. 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 DRIVE DETAILS Level: Fewbie PLUS and above Meeting time: 06:00 (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/SNsWUpYdcx8eCUL56 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: 10:00 P.S. Only join if you have a compressor to inflate your tires after the drive. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE This drive is limited to 10 cars only. RSVP will close on SATURDAY - 13:00 PM. If the RSVP is full, you can add your name to the waitlist, once someone 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 RSVP HERE BELOW

Thanks for coming today @ChrisW @JC_E @J-P L @Sam Selim @Andrew John Melvill We made great pace on today's drive and had a lots of exciting terrain to cover. Sidies, ridge riding, crosses, climbs, steep descents, bowl riding... a bit of everything! @JC_E first FB+ drive you absolutely killed it! Perfect drive given the terrain, pace and objectives 💪 I'm looking forward to seeing and pics and videos you have.. Here is my videos of people doing bowl riding https://photos.app.goo.gl/hMf1dGpCLjEW6eaT6 Enjoy the rest of your weekend

Convoy below. See you in the morning 🙏

Next time @Cesar Chacon!!!

Next time mate! @Beide Worku. Hope it's an easy fix Hello Salamat Explorers. Drive RSVP is now closed. See you bright and early with a full tank of petrol at 06:30, deflated and ready for briefing. We will use channel 8 446.181 I will post convoy order tonight. @JC_E @Diego @Sam Selim @J-P L @Andrew John Melvill @ChrisW @Zak_

Awesome @Frans M. Cant wait to see you step up into this role! See you on a drive soon.

Some big bowls waiting for us on sunday 😎

cheers mate! will catch you very soon! @Amr J

Hi @Amr J good to see you again. I noticed that you haven't attended a carnity drive in around 5 months. I strongly recommend joining a fewbie drive first to get back in the rhythm before jumping straight into a FB+ (esp in salamat) Carnity recommends doing at least 1 drive at a lower level before resuming. I will be posting plenty more of these drives around al ain in the coming weeks so there will be lots more chances to join. 😁 I see Freddy is doing a FB drive in Fayah at the same time on Sunday.

DRIVE DESCRIPTION Carve your way through towering dunes in a fast-paced desert drive that blends technical finesse with raw thrill. The route features linking bowls and criss-cross tracks that challenge your line and reward precision. As you crest the high ridges, panoramic views of Al Ain Airport unfold beneath you. Recommend leaving passengers at home unless they have done a number of drives with you; these dunes are high and we will be running them at a quick pace. 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 DRIVE DETAILS Level: Fewbie PLUS and above Meeting time: 06:30 (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: https://goo.gl/maps/bcebYC6xC51VmHtH7 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: 10:30 P.S. Only join if you have a compressor to inflate your tires after the drive. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE This drive is limited to 10 cars only. RSVP will close on SATURDAY - 13:00 PM. If the RSVP is full, you can add your name to the waitlist, once someone 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 RSVP HERE BELOW

Drive is cancelled from no attendees .

Desert wind whispers, the moon not yet at its peak, night holds its breath still. Oct 3rd!