Morning Intermediate Desert Drive - Mystery Drive - Dubai - 6 Feb 2022

[Ale Vallecchi]

This drive is organized in full compliance with the COVID19 guidelines. We expect every member that joins this drive to go through below information and strictly follow these guidelines.

 

MUST READ AND TOTALLY AGREE: 

• COVID19 Precautions
• Mandatory Safety Requirements
• Ban from Carnity Off-road Club
• Two Way Radio Guidelines

 

Drive Details

Level:  Intermediate and above 

Meeting time: 7:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions)

Meeting Point: Dropped pin
https://maps.app.goo.gl/HxCgwXds3QHjDSdR8

Action Plan: We will surely start within Dubai, and will surely not enter AD. We'll meet all terrains, from technical dunes and sabkhas, to long range dunes and sand bowls. We'll snake around low bushes, zip past tall Ghaf trees, or draw lines on pristine slope. We'll plan a warm up phase, to reach our main area of interest, and we'll extend the drive in the direction we'll find more interesting,  for as long as we see fit. We may loop back to our original starting point....or not. We'll also enjoy a major break during the drive, for which you may want to bring refreshments, and most of all, you should bring your good spirit. 

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: 11:00 AM

P.S. Only join if you have a compressor to inflate your tires after the drive.

LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE:

• Limited to 10 cars maximum. RSVP will close on Friday - 9 AM.
  • If the RSVP is full and you wish to join, please mention your name on the drive thread to add on the waiting list
• Latecomers will be returned back - without ANY EXCEPTIONS.
• Members without RSVP will be returned back - without ANY EXCEPTIONS.
• Members that do not confirm the terms of the COVID requirements will be removed from the RSVP list.
• 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.

 

PLEASE RSVP ON THE CALENDAR

 

[Ale Vallecchi]

Dear Desertnauts

"Mystery is defined as something that is secret".... and a mystery the drive will be. No information as to where we are going, where we are exiting, or when. No info about the convoy order (which is ready, but will be announced tomorrow morning). 

Just a meeting and deflation point, to be reached as close to 7:00 am as possible:

Dropped pin
https://maps.app.goo.gl/HxCgwXds3QHjDSdR8

We'll be heading to the main area of the drive, through a novel route, which will lead us to enter it from a new angle. From there on, we'll keep improvising.

The Carnity Radio Channel of choice will be #4 (446.081)

@Thomas Varghese, @Rawad, @Charbel, @Pacific, @Zixuan Huang - Charlie, @Chris Wing, @Xavier Treasurer, @Anoop Nair, @Jorge Stepniak Felippe, and @Dodi Syahdar, see you all tomorrow morning

[Thomas Varghese]

1 hour ago, Ale Vallecchi said:

Dear Desertnauts

"Mystery is defined as something that is secret".... and a mystery the drive will be. No information as to where we are going, where we are exiting, or when. No info about the convoy order (which is ready, but will be announced tomorrow morning). 

Just a meeting and deflation point, to be reached as close to 7:00 am as possible:

Dropped pin
https://maps.app.goo.gl/HxCgwXds3QHjDSdR8

We'll be heading to the main area of the drive, through a novel route, which will lead us to enter it from a new angle. From there on, we'll keep improvising.

The Carnity Radio Channel of choice will be #4 (446.081)

@Thomas Varghese, @Rawad, @Charbel, @Pacific, @Zixuan Huang - Charlie, @Chris Wing, @Xavier Treasurer, @Anoop Nair, @Jorge Stepniak Felippe, and @Dodi Syahdar, see you all tomorrow morning

Exciting. 

Edited February 5, 2022 by Thomas Varghese

[Thomas Varghese]

The drive doesn't have a gallery section to post images. 

[Thomas Varghese]

An excellent early morning drive on a weekend by @Ale Vallecchi. Had all the hallmarks of an Ale drive. From Point A to Point B with a convoy who doesn't shy of the route or challenges. Of course its an IM level drive and this is what is expected. The radio was silent 99% of the time except Ale transmitting about the unexpected bumps in between or about the encounters with camels and oryx's. 
All the drivers showed up on time and we started the drive with Ale giving the convoy order just before the drive as expected of a Mystery Drive. I was expecting to be the 2nd lead as I had been his 2nd lead in number of drives now and yes he recruited me to be his 2nd lead. Thank you Ale for the confidence in me. Hope I had fulfilled your expectations. @Dodi Syahdar got his only chance for pulling out a car today when @Anoop Nair got his Jeep crested. The rest of the time he could just enjoy his drive while sweeping the convoy. I believe this speaks about the expertise of all the drivers who participated in the drive. 
Some pictures are posted in the gallery. 
Thank you all for joining the drive and see you soon again in the sands. 

[Looper]

On 2/6/2022 at 5:44 PM, Thomas Varghese said:

The radio was silent 99% of the time except Ale transmitting about the unexpected bumps in between or about the encounters with camels and oryx's. 

Every one is so immersed in the driving, no one got anytime chitchat and look elsewhere and comment on stuff. Everyone is needed to have 100% concentration on the drive. That’s what an @Ale Vallecchi drive is. Love every second of it, it is like meditation, devoid of any thoughts just the plan of next few seconds of drive - how to clear that dune.  To think of it, @Ale Vallecchi’s drive are not difficult but are just pure meditation. I don’t think I am able to express myself correctly, but you know what I am saying. 

[Ale Vallecchi]

Mystery Drive - Report

"Listen to silence. It has much to say" - Rumi

A much delayed report, due to work commitments, where the fun of the mystery drive can finally be recounted. 

In fact, silence spoke very loudly throughout the drive. It indicated that all were concentrated, and most of all, that nothing warranting support, digging work, or a tugging job, was in demand. After all, my definition of a fun drive, includes seamlessly driving through diverse terrains, at the fastest possible speed that security allows, taking one's mind off any other daily matters, to thoroughly enjoy the landscape, the technical challenges, and the achievement of covering as much "unfriendly" ground as possible, in the most efficient way.

The itinerary took us through a new sector of the so called "Middle Earth" (the sand cordons sandwiched between Solar Park and the E14), to a middle entry into Little Sweihan's tall and sinewy dune canyons, which we drove through three times, in all directions, prior to reaching the sabkha that connects this area to Faqa, and the AD border. It was decided to extend the drive to reach the Dubai-Al Ain road, through the yellow sand dunes next to the newest Solar Park development (yes, #4 reaches all the way to Faqa), rather than the more usually travelled Faqa district itself. The extra challenge in choosing this little travelled areas came from the fact that we had to make progress mostly from the slip face sides of the dunes, except the very last 10 minutes of the drive. These slip faces were even more difficult to cross, due to a strata of soft, powdery sand, that had deposited itself onto the ridges, following the windy weeks that preceded the drive. That actually didn't stop the convoy from moving, but made me come down from a few ridges, being "rejected" by the soft sand, back down the slope, to look for a more approachable crossing point. 

Great driving by the whole convoy, with a well executed Second Lead by @Thomas Varghese, an efficient anchoring by @Jorge Stepniak Felippe, a clean sweep by @Dodi Syahdar, and a very proficient performance by @Charbel, @Zixuan Huang - Charlie, @Anoop Nair, @Chris Wing, @Pacific and @Rawad.

Thank you all so much for joining me in my 100th Carnity lead, and for making it a silent, yet very eloquent, virtually perfect drive. See you soon out there.

[Frederic]

9 minutes ago, Ale Vallecchi said:

Mystery Drive - Report

"Listen to silence. It has much to say" - Rumi

A much delayed report, due to work commitments, where the fun of the mystery drive can finally be recounted. 

In fact, silence spoke very loudly throughout the drive. It indicated that all were concentrated, and most of all, that nothing warranting support, digging work, or a tugging job, was in demand. After all, my definition of a fun drive, includes seamlessly driving through diverse terrains, at the fastest possible speed that security allows, taking one's mind off any other daily matters, to thoroughly enjoy the landscape, the technical challenges, and the achievement of covering as much "unfriendly" ground as possible, in the most efficient way.

The itinerary took us through a new sector of the so called "Middle Earth" (the sand cordons sandwiched between Solar Park and the E14), to a middle entry into Little Sweihan's tall and sinewy dune canyons, which we drove through three times, in all directions, prior to reaching the sabkha that connects this area to Faqa, and the AD border. It was decided to extend the drive to reach the Dubai-Al Ain road, through the yellow sand dunes next to the newest Solar Park development (yes, #4 reaches all the way to Faqa), rather than the more usually travelled Faqa district itself. The extra challenge in choosing this little travelled areas came from the fact that we had to make progress mostly from the slip face sides of the dunes, except the very last 10 minutes of the drive. These slip faces were even more difficult to cross, due to a strata of soft, powdery sand, that had deposited itself onto the ridges, following the windy weeks that preceded the drive. That actually didn't stop the convoy from moving, but made me come down from a few ridges, being "rejected" by the soft sand, back down the slope, to look for a more approachable crossing point. 

Great driving by the whole convoy, with a well executed Second Lead by @Thomas Varghese, an efficient anchoring by @Jorge Stepniak Felippe, a clean sweep by @Dodi Syahdar, and a very proficient performance by @Charbel, @Zixuan Huang - Charlie, @Anoop Nair, @Chris Wing, @Pacific and @Rawad.

Thank you all so much for joining me in my 100th Carnity lead, and for making it a silent, yet very eloquent, virtually perfect drive. See you soon out there.

Many congrats on your 100th lead @Ale Vallecchi! You’ve consistently led in all sorts of terrains and always came out with a convoy full of smiles. Keep it up !!

[Cha]

6 hours ago, Ale Vallecchi said:

Mystery Drive - Report

"Listen to silence. It has much to say" - Rumi

A much delayed report, due to work commitments, where the fun of the mystery drive can finally be recounted. 

In fact, silence spoke very loudly throughout the drive. It indicated that all were concentrated, and most of all, that nothing warranting support, digging work, or a tugging job, was in demand. After all, my definition of a fun drive, includes seamlessly driving through diverse terrains, at the fastest possible speed that security allows, taking one's mind off any other daily matters, to thoroughly enjoy the landscape, the technical challenges, and the achievement of covering as much "unfriendly" ground as possible, in the most efficient way.

The itinerary took us through a new sector of the so called "Middle Earth" (the sand cordons sandwiched between Solar Park and the E14), to a middle entry into Little Sweihan's tall and sinewy dune canyons, which we drove through three times, in all directions, prior to reaching the sabkha that connects this area to Faqa, and the AD border. It was decided to extend the drive to reach the Dubai-Al Ain road, through the yellow sand dunes next to the newest Solar Park development (yes, #4 reaches all the way to Faqa), rather than the more usually travelled Faqa district itself. The extra challenge in choosing this little travelled areas came from the fact that we had to make progress mostly from the slip face sides of the dunes, except the very last 10 minutes of the drive. These slip faces were even more difficult to cross, due to a strata of soft, powdery sand, that had deposited itself onto the ridges, following the windy weeks that preceded the drive. That actually didn't stop the convoy from moving, but made me come down from a few ridges, being "rejected" by the soft sand, back down the slope, to look for a more approachable crossing point. 

Great driving by the whole convoy, with a well executed Second Lead by @Thomas Varghese, an efficient anchoring by @Jorge Stepniak Felippe, a clean sweep by @Dodi Syahdar, and a very proficient performance by @Charbel, @Zixuan Huang - Charlie, @Anoop Nair, @Chris Wing, @Pacific and @Rawad.

Thank you all so much for joining me in my 100th Carnity lead, and for making it a silent, yet very eloquent, virtually perfect drive. See you soon out there.

Congrats on the 100th lead @Ale Vallecchi !!!

[Thomas Varghese]

Congrats @Ale Vallecchi for the incredible achievement. Always enjoyed your drives