Sergio del Rio

At 15:30, under conditions that most sensible human beings would describe as completely inappropriate for outdoor activity, thirteen brave souls gathered once again at the edge of the desert. The temperature was somewhere between “unpleasant” and “surface of Mercury”. There was no morning breeze. No golden sunrise. No gentle introduction. Just heat. A lot of heat. Leading the expedition was Ale, with JP riding second in command. Giacomo held the centre of the convoy, while Yarem took the noble responsibility of sweeping from the rear, making sure that no man, woman, vehicle or miscellaneous bumper was abandoned to the desert. Before departure, we managed to locate what could very generously be described as a tree. It was small. Very small. Nevertheless, thirteen grown adults immediately gathered underneath it, desperately negotiating for approximately four square metres of shade. There, beneath our heroic shrub, Ale began the briefing. And then he produced… a tiny toy car. With the seriousness of a military commander planning the Normandy landings, he used this miniature vehicle to demonstrate cresting and recovery techniques. Considering the temperature, I spent most of the briefing wondering whether the little car would survive the explanation, melt into the sand, or simply turn into a fried egg. Against all odds, it survived. And so did we. Then came the dunes. Crests. More crests. Side dune riding. More side dune riding. And, naturally, a healthy number of stucks. The desert appeared particularly affectionate today, repeatedly embracing members of the convoy from underneath and refusing to let go. Radios came alive. “Stuck.” “Second refusal.” “Need recovery.” “Copy.” At certain moments it felt less like an off-road drive and more like a very organised excavation project. Then the sky changed. What had already been an intense afternoon suddenly became something far more dramatic. A sandstorm swept across the desert. Within minutes, everything turned brown. The sky was brown. The dunes were brown. The cars were brown. Probably we were brown too. Visibility dropped dramatically and following the vehicle ahead became an exercise in faith, concentration and desperately staring at two faint red lights disappearing into a wall of dust. For a few moments, the desert completely swallowed the convoy. And naturally, because timing is everything, this was precisely when one vehicle decided to get properly stuck. Out came the shovels. In the middle of the sandstorm, several of us began digging sand from underneath the belly of a very black vehicle. We dug. And dug. And dug some more. The sand kept coming back. The wind kept blowing. Visibility remained terrible. And throughout this heroic collective effort, the driver of the aforementioned very black vehicle remained comfortably inside. Presumably supervising. Possibly adjusting the air conditioning. Perhaps selecting music. History may never know. Eventually, man, machine and shovel defeated the desert once again and the convoy continued. By the end of the afternoon, we had experienced extreme heat, crests, side slopes, recoveries, digging, almost nonexistent shade and a spectacular sandstorm. In other words: A perfectly normal Carnity drive. Ale led us safely through the chaos, JP supported from the front, Giacomo kept the middle together, Yarem swept behind us, and thirteen overheated humans somehow emerged from the desert still smiling. The little toy car survived. The black vehicle survived. We survived. And somewhere out there, one tiny tree is probably still recovering from having thirteen people underneath it. Until the next expedition.

In the year of our Lord, at the ungodly hour of 5:45 a.m., a brave band of explorers assembled at the edge of the Arabian wilderness. Sleepy eyes, steaming coffee cups, deflators in hand, and the unwavering conviction that nothing could possibly go wrong. We were wrong. After what historians will undoubtedly remember as Fred’s Great Briefing of 2026, we finally departed at 6:30 a.m. Rumour has it that Fred had intended to continue speaking for another hour, but the sun, the dunes and perhaps even nature itself urged us onward. The desert welcomed us with breathtaking views. Golden light stretched across the horizon as our convoy marched into the unknown like an armoured caravan setting out to conquer an endless sea of sand. Leading us was Fred, whose wisdom was rivalled only by his love of lengthy explanations. Close behind was JC, our fearless support lead, who repeatedly demonstrated that experience is what prevents enthusiasm from becoming an expensive repair bill. On more than one occasion, he tactfully adjusted Fred’s chosen route in the interest of keeping the entire convoy alive and reasonably intact. Then fate turned its gaze towards Jakob. Positioned fifth in the convoy, Jakob displayed extraordinary courage and an unwavering determination to investigate every possible method of becoming stuck. Again and again, the desert embraced him as one of its own. At one dramatic moment, the dunes demanded a sacrifice, and a portion of Jakob’s front bumper was offered to the desert gods. Yet the man refused to surrender. The vehicle endured. The convoy persevered. Lessons were learned. Meanwhile, Glen stood beside him like a loyal brother in arms, displaying the patience, commitment and good humour of a man who had accepted that this was going to be a very long morning. Yarem and Arthur, his young son, attacked the drive with tremendous energy. Arthur, in particular, spent much of the morning filling my rear-view mirror, following so closely and so relentlessly that I began to wonder whether he intended to overtake me, challenge me to a duel or simply remind me that youth fears nothing. Esteban, Diego and I proudly carried the banner of the Latin contingent, bringing warmth, enthusiasm, laughter and, from time to time, a somewhat flexible interpretation of radio communications. Then there was Vanessa, our marshal. To say that she enjoyed the drive would be an understatement. The truth is that she longed for greater challenges. Bigger dunes. Steeper climbs. Greater danger. Her Wrangler, meanwhile, seemed determined to remind everyone of its legendary status. And, naturally, so did Vanessa. The final section of the route was magnificent. Technical, demanding and utterly beautiful. Sharp ridges rose before us like the walls of ancient fortresses, while the convoy twisted and turned through the sands with elegance, courage and the occasional cry of, “Careful!” At last, we reached the break point. There was no shade. Not a tree. Not a cloud. Not even the faintest suggestion of mercy. The stop was therefore kept to the absolute minimum required to prevent us from being transformed into perfectly seasoned barbecues beneath the relentless Arabian sun. As the expedition finally came to an end, exhausted adventurers emerged from their vehicles. Faces were covered in sand, radios were falling silent and everyone wore the unmistakable smile of people who had once again shared something extraordinary. The desert had tested our skill, our courage and our patience. It had strengthened friendships. It had humbled egos. And it had claimed a bumper. A fair exchange, perhaps. Until the next adventure.

Just woke up to see I'm in! Let's find out if my car or myself survive a second adventure, just maybe, the first one was just pure fluke! See you all tomorrow! Sergio del Rio

I am still thrilled about todays ride! I just learned basics (how low pressure can go....) and was really worth it!!! calling it offroading bug goes well short! probably the newbie excited guy but as I see it as a very challenging full of technique and experience hobbie and im thrilled to learn more. Thanks to everyone who was there today, not only fun but you made everyone feel welcomed and sheltered! See you soon in the duuuuuuune!

Hi Frederic! Here are the photos! front and rear. i cant really see how the welding is done in the front but rear one looks solid! Managed to get the radio and ill give a try to the suction cup for the flag. Thanks for the reply!

Good afternoon Frederic and Carnity comunity! This will be my first run with you! Previous experience off roading didn/t involve sand and dust so i will not count on it! Did plenty of routes at the Pirinees but that was long ago! Took the car to Al Rowaiyah to test different pressures and modes. managed not to get stucked or blow any airbag. Vehicle is a BAIC BJ40Pro 2026. I have previous off road experience but i don't think it applies to sand and dunes. Hooks are confirmed but still waiting to get the specs form the manufacturer. Happy to pull but probably will wait for the data before attempting a 10m kinetic youtube style recovery. Equipment im waiting for the Radio and the Flag. any particular store or online store on where to find them? is the spare wheel rod a good enough point to attach it? Looking forward for Sunday drive! Sergio