COVID 19 Compliant - Morning Intermediate Desert Drive - Al Lisaili to Bab al Shams: Dubai Crossing - 28 Aug 2020

[Kalahari]

@Ale Vallecchi just a head’s up: I found my one tyre completely deflated today  Will inflate and check tomorrow morning - if issue, I will not pitch up but will fix during the day. Hopefully all good tomorrow morning. 

[Ale Vallecchi]

@Kalahari thanks for the information. Hope all is good tomorrow🍀

[Ale Vallecchi]

12 minutes ago, Ale Vallecchi said:

@Kalahari thanks for the information. Hope all is good tomorrow🍀

PS. Please @Kalahari let me know, anyways, if you'll have to cancel or if you have any delay. Thanks again. 

[Ale Vallecchi]

@Kalahari, @J J, @Rinelle Sanaani

I am having problems accessing the meeting point through the link posted on the drive's announcement. 

Just to make sure, it is the following link:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/LZQR4QNpx6hmjRTE8

This is at  Lisaili camel track.

See you tomorrow. 

Edited August 27, 2020 by Ale Vallecchi

[Rinelle Sanaani]

@Ale Vallecchi m really sorry for the short notice.. i wont be able to join todays drive. I wont be able to make it on time .. i hav and early morning patient emergency.. 

Thank u.. see u all soon in the next drive

[Ale Vallecchi]

18 minutes ago, Rinelle Sanaani said:

@Ale Vallecchi m really sorry for the short notice.. i wont be able to join todays drive. I wont be able to make it on time .. i hav and early morning patient emergency.. 

Thank u.. see u all soon in the next drive

Noted @Rinelle Sanaani. Thanks for advising. See you next time. 

[J J]

Fantastic drive today and high level at that ..from @Ale Vallecchi . The first half started off as a teaser to tight and technical dunes , but the second half was such a joy with a Friday brunch consisting of only criss crossing and long range ridge riding Easily my best carnity drive till date. Thanks for the second lead post in the second half Ale . @Kalahari always a fun personality to drive with and @Javier M good to meet you - that's a mean machine you have there . Some pics in the gallery . See you all next time 

[Kalahari]

Agree - great drive with about 500 ridges and criss-crossing. Thanks @Ale Vallecchi and @Javier M for the winching!

[Ale Vallecchi]

DUBAI CROSSING - THE LONGEST DRIVE

It was designed to be a long drive, and long it was. A streamlined convoy of 4, with @Kalahari starting as Second Lead, with @J J following (ready to take up second place throughout the drive) and @Javier M sweeping, started at 5:11, passed the camel track (and the training camels), followed the pylons until the entry point, and after a short technical area broke free into the long range dunes of Al Lisaili, at the break of dawn.

We started calmly, warming up for the first half hour, then picked up the pace, targeting the longer and more open dunes of the southern part of Lisaili (avoiding the tighter technical area to its west), before heading back toward Solar Park, which we reached after 1 and half hour (and one stuck in a soft bowl, resolved by Javier's precious winch). From there we proceeded crossing the tarmac and the bike track, reached the heart of Qudra, then turned south toward the Bab al Shams area, and its white sand dunes, dotted with clay formations at their bottom. Upon reaching the exit track, the convoy's thirst for driving had not been quenched, yet, so that it didn't take much convincing to agree to the drive's extension, and gingerly headed back north-east, toward Qudra Lakes' exit.

With only one stuck, and perhaps a couple of refusals, we completed the crossing by 9:20am, after 4:09 hrs of driving, covering 92.1Km, at an average speed of 22Km/h (27 Km/h while moving). Well done to all the drivers.

See you soon somewhere on the sand.

Edited August 28, 2020 by Ale Vallecchi

[J J]

Quick crude video