ABSOLUTE NEWBIE Morning Desert Drive - Al Qudra - Dubai - 2 Apr 2021

[Ale Vallecchi]

9 minutes ago, Russ said:

 

Hi @Ale Vallecchi I have zero off-road experience. So far I have a deflator with guage and a compressor. Front and rear Hooks come standard on the car but I have no eyelets and as yet I also have no flag. Are these show stoppers for Friday as I’m not sure I will have a chance to visit a shop between now and then! Cheers, Russ

No worries @Russ. You can come to the drive. See you Friday. 

 

[Russ]

Hi @Ale Vallecchi great thanks! Re: eyelets are these also known as Shackles? If so how many are required and what size please?

[Ale Vallecchi]

3 minutes ago, Russ said:

Hi @Ale Vallecchi great thanks! Re: eyelets are these also known as Shackles? If so how many are required and what size please?

Hi @Russ. Eyelets are usually mounted on Jeeps, and take the place of tow points. It's normally either one or the other. Shackles are the tools used to tie the recovery rope to the tow points. We'll discuss all these items during Friday's briefing. Thanks a lot for asking.

[Pierre Jan]

Hi everyone,

I am a total newbie and definitely look forward to getting a first experience off-road.

I have just joined the club and grabbed a pressure gauge & tyre deflator online.

I have a Pajero (I will remove the rear bumper before coming).

See you on Friday!

[Ale Vallecchi]

6 hours ago, Pierre Jan said:

Hi everyone,

I am a total newbie and definitely look forward to getting a first experience off-road.

I have just joined the club and grabbed a pressure gauge & tyre deflator online.

I have a Pajero (I will remove the rear bumper before coming).

See you on Friday!

Welcome @Pierre Jan. See you on Friday. 

[Nitin Thomas]

18 hours ago, Ale Vallecchi said:

Dear soon to be Desertnauts. Welcome to Carnity!

As you are aware of, this is a drive strictly for who has never been off road with Carnity. In preparation for it, it is important that you inform us if:

• you have any prior off-road experience;
• your vehicle has front and rear tow hooks / eyelets.

Before joining the drive on Friday morning, you will need to have viewed the introductory videos (links above). Please also make sure you are equipped with you a tire deflator and a tire pressure gauge (sometimes they are all in one tool). You will need these. If you have an off-road flag as well that would he great. In case you do not have a flag mount on your car, you may look for a flag with suction cups, which can be easily placed on one of the rear windows. Even if the drive should end near a gas station, where they have an air compressor, if you have your own please bring it along, as it may be quicker than waiting in line. So, to recap, useful tools to carry would be:

• tire deflator
• tire pressure gauge
• off-road flag
• air compressor

All these items should be available at any ACE or Speedex store, as well as at Dragon Mart. 

Regarding the area of the drive, we will access the desert from a less used entry point, along the road going from Qudra Parking (where you can use the ADNOC gas station to fill up your tank), toward the Bab al Shams Resort. Follow carefully the Google Maps directions: once you turn off the tarmac road (after circling a roundabout next to a mosque), you will cross an opening through roadworks being done along the bike track. Still following Google Maps' directions, you will go through an open fence, on a dirt track, for a few kilometers, until you'll reach the meeting and deflation point. I will also ask the other Senior member driving with the group to wait at the turn-off from the tarmac, just next to the bike track, and direct you in the proper direction.

Once arrived at the meeting point, we'll conduct a final inspection of your cars (sufficient clearance and accessible tow points are a must, without which you'll be turned back). Following a detailed technical briefing, we'll be ready to enter the dunes, and start your off-roading adventure. This area is rarely used by other clubs, and the sand is much cleaner ad smoother, so this is an ideal ground to move your first steps in the desert.

@Arun Nair, @ARAGON, @Russ, @Chinthaka Ruwan, and any other enthusiast willing to join the Carnity family, please contact me on this thread for any preparatory question. In the meantime, have a great week.

Hi, i am an absolute newbie and will get the reqd gear for tomorrow. My car is a Pajero 3.8, 2014 and i have made no modifications or removed bumper etc. which i hope is fine @Ale Vallecchi can you please confirm.

looking forward to the drive.

[Arun Nair]

Hi

I am an absolute newbie and  very much thrilled and excited (a bit nervous too 😀) about my first off road drive.

looking forward to having a great time @Ale Vallecchi

 

Arun 

Edited April 1, 2021 by Arun Nair

[Ale Vallecchi]

1 hour ago, Arun Nair said:

Hi

I am an absolute newbie and  very much thrilled and excited (a bit nervous too 😀) about my first off road drive.

looking forward to having a great time @Ale Vallecchi

 

Arun 

See you tomorrow @Arun Nair

3 hours ago, Nitin Thomas said:

Hi, i am an absolute newbie and will get the reqd gear for tomorrow. My car is a Pajero 3.8, 2014 and i have made no modifications or removed bumper etc. which i hope is fine @Ale Vallecchi can you please confirm.

looking forward to the drive.

Hello @Nitin Thomas. Come as you are 😃.... no worries. See you tomorrow

[Lakshmi Narasimhan]

1 hour ago, Arun Nair said:

Hi

I am an absolute newbie and  very much thrilled and excited (a bit nervous too 😀) about my first off road drive.

looking forward to having a great time @Ale Vallecchi

 

Arun 

Little bit of nervous is good to have so that you feel the adrenaline rush and throughly enjoy the fun, once you are done with one drive you will want more!!!

[Ale Vallecchi]

Dear @Arun Nair, @ARAGON, @Russ, @Chinthaka Ruwan, @Pierre Jan and @Nitin Thomas.

Time to receive more information about tomorrow's Absolute Newbie drive.

First of all, thanks for sending me the info regarding your past experiences, and available equipment. I will check the tow points when you reach the meeting point, just to make sure they are in good conditions. Those who have flags, please mount them, while I will assist you with deflating. Please, remember to come with a full tank.

Regarding the meeting point, I have chosen a spot which is a bit out of the way from the tarmac road, as in the proximity of the turn-off there are a lot of road works, and we may not have enough space. As advised, please follow the Google Map directions. Once you turn off the tarmac (after circling 360 degrees around a roundabout) you will pass through an opening in the roadworks, and head toward an opening in the fence you'll see in front of you. One between myself (with a grey FJ) and @Shamil (with a black Xterra) will be waiting there, to point you in the right direction. Please take that gravel road into the area, and drive for less than 3 Km before finding the meeting point. Either myself or Shamil will be already parked there: stop in a line on the side of the track, and wait to receive further instructions. Those of you with radios, please tune into Carnity Channel #1 (446.006). It would be best if you manage to have this frequency pre-programmed, or activate the dial-in function of your radio, so you may manually tune into it.

After deflating I will announce the order in which each car will be driving in the convoy.

Everything else you'll have to know we'll discuss and introduce you to, just before and during the drive. Looking forward to seeing you all tomorrow morning at 6:00AM sharp. 

20 minutes ago, Ale Vallecchi said:

See you tomorrow @Arun Nair

Hello @Nitin Thomas. Come as you are 😃.... no worries. See you tomorrow

Hello @Nitin Thomas. I don't have your name as signed up anymore. Did you just withdraw from the drive, or is it a mistake? Thanks for updating.