CANCELLED / Afternoon Fewbie Desert Drive - The Desert Books' Series: "The Sheltering Sky" (Pink Rock to Bezhad Ranch) - Sharjah - 20 Jun 2025

[Ale Vallecchi]

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

MUST READ AND COMPLY

• Environmental Policy
• Offroad Flag Guideline
• Two Way Radio Guideline
• Off road Driving Etiquettes
• Emergency details for all off roaders
• Off Road Driving - Roles & Responsibilities

Drive Details

Level:  Fewbie and above

Meeting time:  CANCELLED

Meeting Point:

Action Plan:  Third installment of the desert books' series, dedicated to a book turned into Golden Globe and BAFTA's winning movie, directed by Bernardo Bertolucci. In the Sheltering Sky, bohemian American couple Port and Kit Moresby, in the hopes of rekindling their marriage, set off for North Africa in 1947, intending to travel through Algeria in search of renewal and personal inspiration. They are instead tested to their limits by the emptiness and impassive cruelty of the desert.

The chosen track, although far from the north-western Sahara's movie locations, will take us through some rocky outcrops that symbolize the great Plateaus of Niger, as well tall star dunes, reminiscent of the vast expanses of the Malian and Nigerian deserts. 

Still trying to distil the best of the book, and to build up to the day of the drive, I'll post a book's quote each day. 

Let's try to find inspiration in this Desert Books' Series to truly appreciate our interaction with our favorite element of nature. 

What to bring along: Loads of water, snacks (for yourself), smiles, face masks, rubber gloves, enthusiasm, and willingness to learn.

Approximate finish time: 7:30 PM

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

RECOMMENDED OFF-ROAD GEAR:

• Tire deflator & Tire pressure gauge
• Compressor (MANDATORY)
• Walkie-talkie radio (MANDATORY)
• Off-road flag (MANDATORY)
• Shovel, Tow Rope & 2 Shackles
• First-aid kit
• Fire extinguisher.

LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE

• This drive is limited to 10 cars only. RSVP will close on Friday - 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 - Without any exceptions.
• Members without RSVP will be returned - 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 sky here's very strange. I often have the sensation when I look at it that it's a solid thing up there, protecting us from what's behind . . . "

[Ale Vallecchi]

" The desert landscape is always at its best in the half-light of dawn or dusk. The sense of distance lacks: a ridge nearby can be a far-off mountain range, each small detail can take on the importance of a major variant on the countryside's repetitious theme. "

[Ale Vallecchi]

" A tourist is someone who thinks about going home the moment they arrive, whereas a traveler might not come back at all. "

[Ale Vallecchi]

Dear Desertnauts

preparing for tomorrow's PM drive, we'll start the weekend with what I hope turns out to be a nice mix of climbs, and technical areas. From Pink Rock to Big Red, on to Iftar and Super Bowl, we'll try to reach the furthest star dune in the area, next to Bezhad Ranch (Ericcson Tower), in Al Madam.

Get ready for the heat and the sun: "That was what he wanted, to be baked dry and hard, to feel the vaporous worries evaporating one by one, to know finally that all the damp little doubts and hesitations that covered the floor of his being were curling up and expiring in the great furnace-blast of the sun."

The convoy will line up as follows:

@vinayak n in Second Lead

@Jason M at #3

@Mei ling at Center

@Paul Eldho at #5

@Shary at #6 and

@Aser in Sweep.

The meeting and deflation point, at 2 December Cafeteria, is available on the drive's main post. The sooner we arrive close to the planned departure time of 3:30 PM the better. Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow. 

[Aser]

@Ale Vallecchi sadly after tonight mini-drive my 4H/4L is really dead, no more offroad for me for a while 😭😭😭

[Ale Vallecchi]

Dear @vinayak n@Jason M @Mei ling @Paul Eldho and @Shary, just to inform you that yesterday evening I hurt my knee, and I am still trying to assess the situation with its conditions. There is a possibility I may have to cancel the drive. I will be able to make a decision in the next couple of hours. In the meantime, please stay tuned. Sorry for the inconvenience.

[Jason M]

Oh no @Ale Vallecchi! Hope it is not too serious and you recover quickly. So sorry to hear about your knee!

[vinayak n]

@Ale Vallecchi take care &wishing you a quick recovery 

[Mei Ling]

@Ale Vallecchitake care, Praying for your fast recovery.