Afternoon Fewbie Plus Desert Drive - Gandalf's Escape: Lisaili to Faqa - Dubai - 3 Mar 2023

Ale Vallecchi · February 27, 2023

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

DRIVE DETAILS

Level: Fewbie Plus and above

When: 3 March 2023, Friday

Meeting time: 2:30 PM - Sharp (Without any exceptions)

Meeting Point: Dropped pin
https://maps.app.goo.gl/yUbKrqCVD8X83XXXA

Action Plan: The "Eye of Sauron" has become a well-known feature of Dubai's desert. We'll use the recently built solar tower as the landmark for the drive, circling it as close as possible from Lisaili's side all the way to Faqa. Most of the drive will take place on quite treacherous terrain. The quadrant just above the Eye of Sauron has become infamous during Carnity's Leaders Lead training sessions, as "the" place to test a leader (and his/her followers) ability to navigate tight dunes, plunging into soft bowls and emerging from them with a combination of finesse driving and engine power, requiring excellent control of one's car, and good skills in ridge riding and criss-crossing. This will be the place where the Gandalfs in our convoy will try to escape the "Eye of Sauron" 's magnetic attraction. Somehow, we'll manage to escape its grasp.

Approximate finish time: 6:30 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 10 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 · March 1, 2023

Dear @MohamedSherif, thanks a lot for signing up for the drive. Unfortunately, it's ranked as a Fewbie Plus drive, so I cannot accept your participation. Sorry for the inconvenience. I look forward to see you in another drive soon.

Ale Vallecchi · March 2, 2023

Dear Desertnauts,

due to work commitments, I don't have much time to prepare the briefing. All the more reason to go out there tomorrow afternoon, and let out the pressure.

It will be a precision driving adventure, with mostly, if not exclusively, tight technical dunes, all the way around te "Eye of Sauron" (AKA as Dubai's Solar Tower). The new desert landmark will be always lurking from the convoy's right flank, and our goal will be, even more than in previous drives through this treacherous area (i.e. the "infamous" Leaders' Leads, and the Eye of Sauron's inaugural drive last month) to navigate the crests, twisting and turning along their lines, with utmost engine control, limiting the bursts of power perhaps to exiting a few sand bowl.

Please note that the meeting point will be around the roundabout midway toward Solar Park from Qudra's gas station. There will be a break in the guard-rail, from which we can access the starting point, just next to the pylon track.

The convoy order will be the following:

@Fabien Monleau in Second Lead

@Mahmoud Taha at #3

@Ali Abas at #4

@Pacific at Center

@Senthil Kumar at #6

@Chris Wing at #7, and

@Rob S in Sweep.

The radio channel will be chosen on the spot.

Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow. Have a great evening.