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Dear Desertnauts, as if I didn't have enough business trips (which have lately taken a little away from my off-roading), I have just finished preparing for another trip, this time for pleasure, which will bring me away from Dubai for the next 10 days. It's going to be a bit of a trip down memory lane, like the long overland adventures I used to enjoy, once or twice a year, while taking groups of travelers, mostly to North Africa's Sahara. This one is going to be an exploration drive to Saudi Arabia, from Dubai to Tabuk, via many hopefully amazing sites, and back. I have just finished to load up the FJ, which I have decided not to equip with a roof rack, or any other loading and storage gimmick, in the spirit of keeping the car as stock as possible and manage its cargo accordingly. The boot is organized with two layers of 2 boxes each, with a row of stripped-down recovery tools crammed at the back of the booth, secured against the backseats (shovel, kinetic rope and soft shackles, hard wood board, hydraulic jack, a mixed toolbox, and the compressor). The boxes contain the dry food pantry, cooking equipment, mixed items (mostly kitchen tools, and an ice chiller. Between the two rows of boxes there has remained enough space to put the tent and 2 foldable chairs. The suitcases (soft bags, stuffed inside a loose and large outer cover accommodating also an inflatable air mattress, toilet paper, a spray bottle, and a pillow) will be placed on the back seat, separated by a small ice box containing some munchies for the trip. The space between the front and back seats is packed with a picnic table, and a supply of water. I have planned not to take any extra gasoline, since it'll be possible to find gas stations quite regularly along the planned route. The availability of gas stations will also allow to manage the water supply, which will be limited to 8 lt. per person every 2 days (4 lt. each day, sufficient for drinking and cooking). Washing will be done by spraying any unused fresh water, but mostly with wet towels. Of course, in case of purely off-road long trips, an adequate supply of water (no less than 3lt/person/day) and gasoline (for an extra autonomy of at least 5/600 km) would have forced me to mount a roof rack to carry these critical goods. While looking to minimize the upgrades to the car, I have also chosen not to bring an electrically charged chiller and no extra battery pack. Charging of phone, PC, lamps, or air pumps will be done with a converter (700 W capacity) charged through the car's lighter (with the option to accommodate 4 USB's and a regular socket). To complete the preparations, travelers to Saudi need to get a Tourist Certificate from RTA (provided upon presentation of a Carnet de Passage from Emirates Motorsport Organization), a visa (1-year validity, multi entry), and a car insurance, obtainable at customs. So, now that all is ready, I'll update you on the trip one day at the time, with a few notes on the areas visited, a picture of the day, and the track completed each day. Looking forward to showing you what I find, with the goal, eventually, to organize an overland sometimes next winter. Let the adventure begin!

We are thrilled to congratulate @Ale Vallecchi for reaching the coveted Senior Marshal with Carnity Offroad Club! This is a momentous achievement that speaks volumes about Ale's skills, dedication, and passion for off-roading. This is not just a recognition of his driving skills, but also a testament to his true character, passion and spirit. As a Senior Marshal, Ale is now one of the most respected and admired members of the Carnity Offroad Club. He has earned the admiration and respect of his fellow off-roaders, who look up to him as a mentor, friend, and leader. His off-road drives offer an exciting and unique experience that elevates the overall off-roading spirit. His achievement is a reminder that with the right attitude and approach, anything is possible, and that the world of off-roading is full of endless possibilities and adventures. Once again, congratulations Ale on reaching the Senior Marshal level with Carnity Offroad Club. You are an inspiration to all off-roaders, and we look forward to seeing you continue to blaze new trails and push the limits of what is possible in the world of off-roading! SENIOR MARSHAL The Senior Marshal rank is the ultimate badge of honor for off-roaders who have achieved unparalleled heights of passion, creativity, and dedication toward off-roading. This rank is not solely based on the number of drives but also on the quality and innovative concepts utilized during those drives. A Senior Marshal reflects exceptional maturity, tenacity, and courage even under the most challenging circumstances. As a Senior Marshal, you should be able to go above and beyond regular commitments and earn immense respect and admiration from all levels of off-roaders. Your knowledge and expertise in off-roading techniques, skills, recoveries and safety protocols should inspire others to improve their skills and knowledge. Your passion and dedication to off-roading should result in a strong bond with other off-roaders, to leave remarkable memories for a lifetime. You should be a true inspiration to others, and your contributions to the sport of off-roading should be remembered for years to come. As a Senior Marshal, you are not just a skilled off-roader; you are a beacon of inspiration and leadership to the entire off-roading community.

RSVP IS NOW CLOSED Good morning ! @Chris Wing@Patrick van der Loo@Gary F@Benjamin@Stumpy Paj@Krishna R@Joji varghese@Joseph Raju@Mario Cornejo@Mohamad Anwer@Gurcharan Mehta With the temps slowly rising every day, it will be important to reach on time and get briefed swiftly so we can take max advantage of the terrain ahead of us. This is a very well-known area among off-roaders, so let's hope we won't be hindered by too many cross tracks (might be calmer now with Ramadan). From our meeting point, we will head North and pass by the larger dunes on our way. Superbowl might be on our list (not sure) and from there we can head East and pay a visit to Ghost Village Al Madam. Throughout the drive tomorrow, keep an eye on the temperature gauge and do let us know if you spot potential overheating issues. The coming months this will be a critical topic for many cars, so let's start paying attention rather sooner than later. We will be using Channel 3 - 446.056 Mhz. See you all tomorrow morning!

Dear Ale @Ale Vallecchi my hearty congratulations 🎉 you have been always inspiring off-roaders through your immense passion and dedication to this unique motor sport . I will never forget how you took my hand and drove in front of me with patience when I did my first criss cross in my first Fb drive. 🎩 off and respect .

Very sincere congratulations @Ale Vallecchi. Your drives are always a source of inspiration and you are a true LRDG leader !

This indeed sounds very exciting and looking fwd to reading about your daily progress. Just see if you find @Melenany somewhere in Saudi sands, he is a frequent traveler. Have fun, enjoy and take enough rest to drive safely for long hours.

Please find your convoy numbering below We will use Radio Channel 2: 446.031 The meeting point has been slightly changed today morning and updated on the above drive post and calendar, so use the current link please: https://goo.gl/maps/XzLRzZbEctYAL9F88 @Bjoern @FERNANDO SYRIO @Patrick @PETELCZYC PAJERO - luke @Rk ram @Bashar Beasha @Mark B @Pieter Pot @Felix Obst @Jaro Tuzinsky Gaurav Silver Pajero Bjoern Silver Wrangler FERNANDO SYRIO White Fortuner Patrick Beige FJC PETELCZYC - luke Pajero Rk ram Xterra Bashar Beasha Black Patrol Mark B Black Gladiator Pieter Pot Wrangler Felix Obst White Wrangler Jaro Tuzinsky White FJ

Ahoy Sailors Hope all of you have had a nice week and are looking forward to start the weekend with a early morning drive in dunes of Faqa. Key info for our drive tomo. Channel : 4 Meeting Time : 6am Convoy Order : Varun on Maroon Wrangler. @Looper will be SL @Sebb On white safari @Juan R on white wrangler @Mehmet Volga will be Cf @premindra rajaram on his Xterra @george charbel @Sunil Mathew Will be sweeping the convoy. I believe most of you have been to Faqa and know the terrain. Still for those not been there - located on other side of Solar Park (opp of Qudra) and border of Dubai/Abu Dhabi, Faqa offers some of the most beautiful long range dunes in Dubai with never ending avenues to enjoy some nice climbs and criss crossing through those sharp ridges. Explored mainly by experienced off roaders, it’s one place with clean and cross track free dunes - that’s becoming a luxury in Dubai desert. There are multiple watering holes and farms around the place - so rendezvous with some nice wild life is surely always on cards in this area. It’s undoubtedly my fav place to visit in Dubai, whenever looking for that shot of adrenaline rush. See you all on Saturday.

Congratulations @Ale Vallecchi, what an amazing achievement indeed!

Great project ! Thank you for sharing it with us. Drive safe and enjoy !

Outstanding news.. congratulations @Ale Vallecchi.. you have been a beacon and true coach throughout my off-road journey since the start and am sure this applies to many others who had the privilege of following you on the sand.. thanks for being such an amazing Offroader and leader.

Dear Carnity Family, in particular the Seniors - @Gaurav@Srikumarand @Frederic- I am honored by this unexpected, yet very gratifying promotion. I have enjoyed learning from each of the members with whom I have driven throughout my years with the Club. Every drive has given me something, and has pushed me to always improve, and thinking about different and new approaches. I count to always come up with new ideas, and most of all, to enjoy every moment in the sand with this wonderful group of friends. Thanks to all for your support.

Congratulations @Ale Vallecchi. Your innovative drives and passion towards offroading as a pure sport is something we all admire. Hope that you keep blazing away with the finesse and precision that you can only deliver.

What amazing news @Ale Vallecchi ! You’ve been a trailblazer and inspiration for many of us in the club and deserve this entirely ! Keep surfing the dunes in your smooth flowing style as only you can do !

Good evening everyone ! Below you can find our convoy list for tomorrow's drive. Position Driver Car Rank 1 Vanessa Nissan X-terra Marshal 2 Emanuel Mitsubishi Pajero Fewbie 3 Arvind Jeep Wrangler Absolute Newbie 4 Wile E FJ Cruiser Yellow Absolute Newbie 5 Tatsiana Jeep Wrangler Red Absolute Newbie 6 Gautam Toyota Prado Blue Newbie 7 Jeevan FJ Cruiser Black Newbie 8 Mohit FJ Cruiser Blue Newbie 9 Ale Jeep Wrangler Newbie 10 Deepak Jeep Wrangler Support team 11 Sohini Trailblazer Newbie 12 Cristian Jeep Wrangler Newbie 13 Saverio Jeep Wrangler Newbie 14 Michael Jeep Wrangler Green Newbie 15 James Jeep Wrangler Silver Newbie 16 Paul Zietsman Dodge RAM Fewbie We will be using radio channel 3 (446 056) Hope to see you all tomorrow at 7 am sharp ! @Arvind Uchil, @Tatsiana Chase and @Wile E Because it will be your first drive with Carnity, please make sure you have watched the Absolute newbie video please ...

@Frederic how are you doing? I just noticed you are now driving a Patrol! Let’s plan a theme drive, Patrols only, maybe also request a Cafu tanker wait for us at the exit 😆 Welcome to the club of proud Y61 owners and shrinking wallets! Looking forward to tomorrow’s drive.

Wow @DP1011, grazie mille, anche per l'Italiano 👏👏👏

Congratulazioni @Ale Vallecchi ! Ottime notizie e sono sempre stato un grande ammiratore della tua passione, mi è sempre piaciuta l'esperienza di apprendimento con te e non vedo l'ora di conoscere la tua esplorazione saudita! Ti auguro il meglio !

@Ale Vallecchi congrats Ale on this milestone achievement. Your drives are simply amazing and you have the skills to keep pushing all of us. Congrats🥳🥳🥳

Heartiest congratulations @Ale Vallecchi. You were and remain an inspiration; keep surfing!

Congratulations @Ale Vallecchi. A great achievement indeed. Well done and the most hearty congratulations.

Hahaha now I realize why they call it Nissan Petrol ⛽️ We can perhaps take that Cafu tanker with us in the sand. PS I’m the unlucky one with Automatic Transmission and LWB, but alas it came with the Sub tank 😅

Congratulations @Ale Vallecchi. You are an inspiration to all of us and I cherish driving with you. Your drives are special whether the Rush Hour Series or the whole day picnic drives I remember by heart most of your drives.

Safe travels to the mystical Saudi Arabia, where i've lived for 2.5 years around 10 years back but never found the time to explore properly. The fact my FJ was a 2WD model didnt help either 😁 Keep us posted on your adventures ! There some interesting landmarks and places to visit:

congrats @Ale Vallecchi. Well deserved.. u r a coach, mentor and a friend who always welling to give and teach offroaders regardless there ranks. I have learned a lot from u and looking to learn more.. see u soon on sand after Ramadan 🫡 Ahmad

@Ale Vallecchi Congratulations ..I have learn a lot from you specially Ridge Riding. 👍👍

DRIVE PLAN 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 and above When: 16 April 2023, Sunday Meeting time: 6:30 AM - Sharp (Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: https://goo.gl/maps/PXcRwegWaX8dienE7 Approximate finish time: 10:00 AM 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. Recommended off-road gears: Walkie-talkie radio and off-road flag (MANDATORY), plus 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 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 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

Yes I'll be there Thanks a lot

Yes, I can make it. Thank you!

@Wile E and @Cristian I have added you both to tomorrow's drive, could you please confirm if you can make it or not ?

Congratulations @Ale Vallecchi you deserve this new title.

Oops sorry to hear that buddy, keep us posted on the root cause. We can all learn from it.

@Ale Vallecchi looks like its gonna be an exciting experience. Have a safe and enjoyable journey. Cant wait to see the pictures 😁

Congratulations @Ale Vallecchi there is always something special about your drives. Looking forward to drive with you more. Well done and well deserved 👏 👍

@Davie Chaseconfirmed my availability. Thank you.

Thank Doc @M.Seidam, always Pleasure to Drive with you, it was a Sweet & Short convoy, Great SL by @Krishna R and great driving by @Benjamin. See you again soon!

Thanks a ton for the wonderful drive @M.Seidam Doc. Today's drive surprised me in many ways. from the starting point to the convoy size to the amazing pace and lines. 2 xterras and 2 jeeps blasting the desert in darkness. It was too good. Thanks for the SL position, I loved every bit of it. TBH I was a bit tired and thought of bailing out, even after reaching the starting point. But now I am not able to sleep Such was the intensity of the drive. The convoy drove very well today keeping up with Doc @M.Seidam Thank you @Haitham Khattab for the sweep and the lights Great drive again @Benjamin. I saw you made slight corrections when i went off track a bit. Good thinking there. Looking forward to driving with you guys soon. Until then, Stay safe and Ramadan Kareem!

@Krishna R @Benjamin and @Haitham Khattab really appreciate being punctual and on time . I am sorry @KAMALIO you have missed it . Next time inshallah. what a lovely short convoy and what a lovely drive I enjoyed it very much and I am sure you did as much as I did . Take care and see you in the next one .

Confirmed @Davie Chase thank you

DRIVE PLAN 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 and above When: 15 April 2023, Saturday Meeting time: 7:00 AM - Sharp (Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: https://goo.gl/maps/XzLRzZbEctYAL9F88 Approximate finish time: 11:00 AM 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. 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

Congratulations @Andrei S on your promotion

confirm

Great adventure Ale, keep us posted and have a safe and enjoyable trip. it will be great if you have pictures of the setup in the car, i will try to mimic in my FJ.

Both times I got leaks were when I did an extreme wash. I stopped doing extreme wash with water on the engine side and no more leaks. I think the sand actually helped me in sticking and containing the leaks. I simply use my ARB air blower for cleaning.

confirmed @Davie Chase

Looks like the valve covers were also replaced, engine looks and runs like new. proper test will be tonight’s drive @Benjamin

Oh we have some additional stakeholders as well ofcourse story couldn’t have been complete without @Mehmet Volga and @Looper - I don’t want to say who is who 🤪🤪

@Bjoern I want to know the secret of ability to do 2 drives same day, same time please - very curious

@Varun Mehndirattamy pleasure see you on Saturday!