COVID19 Compliant - Morning Newbie Desert Drive - Highway to the Sun: Murqaab to Solar Park - Dubai - 16 Apr 2021

[Ale Vallecchi]

Dear Desertanuts.

A few more info on tomorrow's drive.

We will be meeting next to one of Murqaab's mosques, very near the exit from the highway. As you reach the meeting point, you may start deflating (my suggestion, due to the increasing heat, is to go for 12 PSI), and tune into Carnity Channel #3 (446.056). There are a few gas stations on the way to Murqaab, after the turnoff from E311, where you may top up your tank.

The drive is essentially broken into 2 parts:. The first will be on Murqaab's tall yellow sand dunes, with plenty of space between the cordons, some long drops on either sides, and occasional patches of soft sand. We will roam this area to enjoy its high dunes, using our climbing skills, some straight crossing, but mostly looking for a gentle way around the cordons. We'll eventually reach a sabkha (broad, flat, hard. surface) which will lead us to The Highway. This is a sand track often beaten flat, and marked by metal poles, which crosses the more difficult technical area separating Murquaab from Margham and Lisaili.

Having driven on the Highway to the Sun, we'll enter the white sand dunes of Lisaili. These are somewhat lower, as individual dunes, yet may be sharper on the crests, more difficult to read (due to refraction of the sun light), and a little tighter between the cordons, which occasionally form strings of sand bowls that we'll have to navigate, with good pace and convoy discipline. Out aim is to reach as close as possible to Solar Park, before exiting.

The convoy order will be the following:

@Lakshmi Narasimhan in Second Lead

@Gregory at #3

@ARAGON as #4

@Ranjan Pattanaik will be #5

@Pmaraziti at #6

@Russ is going to be #7

@Mehmet Volga will anchor the convoy's center

@Warren Flay in the #9 place

@JeromeFJ as #10

@Roger K is going to wear #11

@WaYan at #12

@Chris Wing #13

@TT_Dubai will be #14, and 

@Shaaz Sha will Sweep the group to safety.

Bring all your skills, concentration, and explorer's spirit to the drive. We'll drive with the sun warming our back, to enjoy this first Friday of Ramadan. Have a great end of the week.

[Chris Wing]

Nice big group for tomorrow! Can’t wait👍🏼😬

[Lakshmi Narasimhan]

Great leads, long convoy, more fun, more challenge, more thrill, more to learn! what else to ask for!!!

[Sunil Mathew]

Thank you @Ale Vallecchi for the drive description with convoy positioning.... and a shout of "hi" to all other fellow riders.

Looking forward to the drive as this is going to be my second ride after the absolute newbie ride last week with @Wrangeld

hope i can tackle the "technical" areas detailed by @Ale Vallecchi fingers crossed 🙂🤞🤞

[Russ]

Hi @Ale Vallecchi will you post a google maps link for the meet point or advise what to put in the search so I don’t get lost! Thanks and looking forward to the drive!

[Wrangeld]

Just now, ARAGON said:

hope i can tackle the "technical" areas detailed by @Ale Vallecchi fingers crossed 🙂🤞🤞

Hi Aragon, @ARAGON

We delved into some technical dunes last week in our drive, so don't worry. You'll be fine and @Ale Vallecchi is a brilliant lead who will guide you through the dunes superbly, giving you great advice on the best way to approach this type of challenge. 

[Ale Vallecchi]

1 minute ago, Russ said:

Hi @Ale Vallecchi will you post a google maps link for the meet point or advise what to put in the search so I don’t get lost! Thanks and looking forward to the drive!

Thanks @Russ for reminding me. Find below, and in the drive's announcements. 

https://maps.app.goo.gl/Q6UskoSE7r5b84EJ9

 

[Lakshmi Narasimhan]

13 minutes ago, ARAGON said:

hope i can tackle the "technical" areas detailed by @Ale Vallecchi fingers crossed 🙂🤞🤞

@ARAGON as @Wrangeldmentioned theres nothing to worry if we follow the instruction/guidance provided during brief and every now and then during the drive by @Ale Vallecchiand with your full concentration and following the tracks of the person in the front. Sure you will enjoy the drive!!!

[Sunil Mathew]

18 minutes ago, Wrangeld said:

Hi Aragon, @ARAGON

We delved into some technical dunes last week in our drive, so don't worry. You'll be fine and @Ale Vallecchi is a brilliant lead who will guide you through the dunes superbly, giving you great advice on the best way to approach this type of challenge. 

Thanks @Wrangeld, that gives me some confidence 🙂

Although i keep seeing the word "technical" in lot of posts here at Carnity (trying to read as much as posts, drive reports etc to gain more insights and to learn from others' experiences) , i was not exactly sure what it means, and i am still not ...

Looking forward to learn from the senior stalwarts joining us newbies

[Sunil Mathew]

15 minutes ago, Lakshmi Narasimhan said:

@ARAGON as @Wrangeldmentioned theres nothing to worry if we follow the instruction/guidance provided during brief and every now and then during the drive by @Ale Vallecchiand with your full concentration and following the tracks of the person in the front. Sure you will enjoy the drive!!!

thank you @Lakshmi Narasimhan and will surely follow guidelines and instructions,