Afternoon Fewbie Plus Desert Drive - The Southern Star Express - Dubai - 29 Dec 2022

[Ale Vallecchi]

We request every member that joins this drive to go through the below information and strictly follow these guidelines, etiquettes and responsibilities.

MUST READ AND COMPLY

• Offroad Flag Guideline
• Two Way Radio Guideline
• Off road Driving Etiquette's
• Emergency details for all off-roaders
• Off Road Driving - Roles & Responsibilities
   

DRIVE DETAILS

Level:  Fewbie Plus and above

When:  29 December 2022, Thursday

Meeting time:  2:00 PM - Sharp (Without any exceptions)

Meeting Point: Dropped pin
https://maps.app.goo.gl/JMKPesNGTsyERSa66

Action Plan:  Two segments of 2 hours each, from Lisaili to Solar Park, and from Solar Park to Ghantoot, will allow us to move, almost in a straight line, from North to South. Complex and diverse terrains should nonetheless give us the possibility to keep a high average speed and allow us to cover as close to 100 Km as possible within the allocated time (considering that darkness will descend around 6PM). A nice and fast drive to end this exciting year of desert wandering and exploration, searching for the first stars to appear on the southern horizon.

Approximate finish time: 6:00 PM

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, enthusiasm and willingness to learn.

Mandatory off-road gears: Tire deflator, tire pressure gauge, compressor, walkie-talkie radio, off-road flag, shovel, first-aid kit and fire extinguisher.
 

LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE

• This drive is limited to 8 cars only. RSVP will close on Thursday - 12 PM.
• If the RSVP is full, you can add your name to the waitlist, once anyone drops, you will be moved to the RSVP list.
• RSVP will close a day prior to preparing a convoy list.
• Latecomers will be returned back - Without any exceptions.
• Members without RSVP will be returned back - Without any exceptions.
• 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]

The Southern Cross (or Crux constellation) was an important symbol for the Egyptians, as it represented the place where Horus, the Sun-goddess, was crucified, marking the passage of winter.

European voyagers in the late 15th century took the Southern Star as a divine blessing for their conquests.

What better omens for the approaching new-year, riding on the Southern Star Express......

[Ale Vallecchi]

Dear @DP1011 , Deepak wrangler I will move you to manage the drive, and let @Gertjanin as part of the convoy (in consideration that Gertjan had signed up before the official publication of the drive, due to my mistake of forgetting to hide the post). Thanks to all.

[M.Seidam]

Hi @Ale Vallecchi apology dear I need to pull out from the drive on 29 . Next time inshallah 🙏

[Ale Vallecchi]

Dear Desertnauts,

on my way back to the UAE, I am looking forward to this weekday drive, to keep myself in shape with my desert driving, and to celebrate together a nice end to quite an intense year.

As the drive's name suggests, it aims to be an Express drive, from Lisaili to Ganthoot. We will cut an almost straight line through the dunes, keeping the pylon track almost constantly in our sight, off to the right of the planned track. We'll cross a tarmac road once, upon reaching the outskirts of Solar Park, before continuing south to our final destination, chasing the Southern Star.

We may encounter some unusual wet weather, but we'll not be deterred by it, and will adapt to any possible rainy spells by managing our convoy distances and speed. I actually have found my few drives in the middle of rainstorms to be truly exhilarating. Also, I am confident that we'll find a nice sunset at the end of our drive.

The convoy will line up as follows:

@Gertjan in Second Lead

@Gregory at #3

@Senthil Kumar at #4

@Gerrit Bus #5

@Mohamad Anwer at the Center position

@KAMALIO at #7

@Archibald Jurdi #8

@topgear at #9, and 

@DP1011 , Deepak wrangler will be Sweeping.

We'll pick a suitable radio channel at the starting point.

In the meantime, I wish you all a very nice evening and a pleasant Wednesday. See you on Thursday, in time for a speedy 2PM departure.

[topgear]

@Ale Vallecchi apologies. I need to pull out due to something that came up. Will join you next time. 

[Gregory]

@Ale Vallecchi need to remove myself due to other commitments. Enjoy the drive! 

[Gertjan]

@Ale Vallecchi Thanks for a great trip! I enjoyed it very much. As always many learning opportunities.

Thanks to the whole team with who I could share the afternoon adventure. The driving was so intense that I only managed to capture a few shots. Still a few memmories in the gallery.