Ale Vallecchi

Good job @Rajeevan Vickneswaran. Looking forward to driving with you again.

Well done @Rizwanm2. See you soon at the next level.

Veni, Blitzi, Vici (We came, we blitzed, we won) 😉 - Ganthoot Blitz Drive Report Dear Desertnauts, thank you all very much for giving me the opportunity to lead of then most fun drives I had lately. Everything worked perfectly on this drive. The early start, with the first light barely breaking the horizon, the brisk and safe crossing of the technical entry area just as the sun came up, navigating an alternation of virgin long range dunes and tighter technical dunes, the impromptu decision to extend the drive to the south-west, toward an inviting succession of playable dunes (with plenty of ridge-riding, criss-crossing, and side-sloping opportunities), and finally the trip back up toward Bab al Shams, with a bonus ride toward Solar Park's exit. The most tangible sign that all drivers were doing great, and fully enjoying the drive (or so I wish to believe), was a very conspicuous radio silence, which persisted almost until we reached our turning point, on the border with Ganthoot's laborers' camps. Virtually no refusals, and only one stuck toward the end, testify the drivers' brilliant performance. And what a pleasure driving in a virtually untouched territory, where the few tracks visible on the ground, in places, were the ones left from our previous recce drive, just a week back, and those of some campers' close to Solar Park. As usual in these type of intermediate drives, we drove without a convoy's Center Forward, so that all members may be responsible for supporting the car either in front or behind. This insured that the few refusals were speedily overcome, and virtually all drivers were involved in the each other's recoveries (and the single tug). A collective "bravo" to @Luca Palanca Falsini (thank you for the precise Second Lead), @Mehmet Volga, @Tero Vallas, @Nabil Bishara, @marks, @Heisem, @Kailas, @Alexander Alcala and @Pancho (provider of a clean Sweep): the Blitz covered 83Km, in 3 hours of driving (3:43 including stops), at an average speed of 22Km/h (and 28Km/h while in moving), with a cumulative climb of 603 meters (going from a minimum altitude of 30m to a maximum of 81m). Looking forward to seeing you soon in the sand, I wish you a great, super short, week.

Dear Desertnauts. Let's gear up for this interesting Premiere of the Ganthoot Blitz. As mentioned in the drive's description, we'll be aiming to reach the outskirts of Ganthoot, and the border with Abu Dhabi. We'll be facing different challenges in terms of terrain, from technical dunes to open cordons, from hard smooth surfaces to gluey, soft sand, from controlled "finesse' driving, to faster more exciting pace. We'll be required to adopt several driving styles, with the more difficult parts of the itinerary being on technical dunes, at the beginning and toward the end of the drive. Here, even in this time of the year, the sand can turn very soft, with these stickier patches becoming treacherously invisible, as they are generated by wind accumulation which wipes the dunes clear of most signs. This mix of driving styles, and the possibility of having to patiently and skillfully find our way around some difficult areas, make this drive an Intermediate one, with plenty of opportunities to exploit your acquired skills, and test more advanced ones. Convoy order will be as follows: @Luca Palanca Falsini will be the Second Lead @Mehmet Volga will drive in 3rd place @Tero Vallas at #4 @Nabil Bishara in the #5 position @marks at #6 @Heisem will be #7 @Kailas #8 @Alexander Alcala will take #9, and @Pancho will Sweep the convoy Please reach the meeting place, a couple of Kms along the dirt track off the road to Bab al Shams, as close to 6AM as possible, so that we may start promptly, even if we'll drive the first few minutes in the low light preceding the sunrise. Tune into Carnity Channel #1 (446.006), and be ready to enjoy a new, interesting and diverse track. Have a great Friday, and see you Saturday morning.

Dear Desertnauts. Blitz = A fast intensive nonmilitary campaign. Ganthoot = An off-plan development located between the emirate of Abu Dhabi and Dubai Hence, this week's Saturday drives aims to be a fast, intense drive toward the border between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and back. Determined, speedy, well coordinated, we'll drive through an area that has been overlooked lately, due to its proximity to the border's checkpoints. We'll "lift-off" from the Bab al Shams entry point in Al Qudra's area, cross a technical area that preludes to a sector of almost virgin long range cordons, zig-zag through another area of taller, more playable technical dunes, to reach the sabkha next to the E14, and several of Ganthoot's laborers' camps. From here, undetected 😜... we'll decide if we should proceed toward Little Sweihan, or double back toward Solar Park. Enough said. Part of the drive will be an "exploration", so come ready for anything the desert may throw at us. More news on Friday. In the meantime, @Heisem, @Kailas, @Mehmet Volga, @Tero Vallas, @marks, @Alexander Alcala, @Luca Palanca Falsini, @Nabil Bishara and @Pancho, enjoy your week, and get well rested for this adventure.

Well done @Janarthan!!!

Congrats @Jeandre Bezuidenhout. See you soon.

Hello @Islam Soliman. Good to hear from you. You're #1 on the WL. Thanks Hi @Jorge Stepniak Felippe. You're #2 on the WL. Thanks for asking. Hi @Kailas, yes the drive is on Saturday. Thanks for noticing.

Hi @Ahab Shamaa. It deactivates the traction control and ABS. Not the airbags, which however, can be deactivated (only the lateral one, which are the ones likely to go off while off-roading) with the RSCA button, on the left side of the steering wheel.

Hi @Niki Patel. Sorry for my late reply, but I have been taken by a few working issues. Regarding your comments, first of all do NOT worry too much about pop-outs. They happen, and yes, they often can be avoided, but off-roading, especially on sand, is a sport with a lot of variables in play, many of them not in the control of the driver, so pop-outs (and other small incidents) DO happen. Their likelihood may be reduced: 1) with the choice of tires that minimize them (see @Gaurav and others' comments),2) with being careful not to slide sideways toward a flat (and hard) surface, and in general avoiding "angles" between tires and ground which may bee too sharp, 3) with avoiding sharp turns at high speed (ex. you can even have pop-outs on tarmac, if you drive deflated and take roundabouts too fast). So don't beat yourself too hard for what happened. Also, 4) deflation is an issue in controlling pop-outs. It was your first drive on sand with a new car/set of tires. Being familiar with my own FJ, and my own Michelin tires, I suggested you go down to about 13psi: that may have been a bit too much, but then again, I am aware of the possibility of pop-outs, and I weight it out against the opportunity to enjoy a smoother, more efficient, drive on sand (if deflated to 15-16 psi, the performance of my FJ would suffer a bit), even at the cost of having to be a more careful about pop-outs (see paragraph above). So, as you will find out for yourself, it just takes you to get more familiar and "in tune" with your car, its potential Vs. your own driving style, and things will come together for you, and balance out, eventually. About the car's electronics, I just put in a kill-switch right away, and got done with all the headaches of dealing with the fuses, switches, etc. You can do that in due time, but at a certain point, if you persist in off-roading, and rise in rank, you'll have to do it. Anyways, the fact you are so interested and keen to learn speaks a lot about your potential. Keep it up, be patient, learn how to perfect your driving skills Vs. your car's characteristics and potential (even as close to stock as it comes), and you'll enjoy your new hobby. See you soon out there.

Hi @Kailas it's Saturday. I corrected the mistake. Thank you.

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 and strictly follow these guidelines in order not to jeopardize someone's health, and to ensure we can keep organizing these drives safely. MUST READ AND TOTALLY AGREE: COVID19 Precautions MUST READ AND TOTALLY AGREE: BAN POST Two Way Radio Guidelines Every Offroader brings his own radio, programmed to the frequencies described in below advice topic. We will not share spare radios or program your radio on the drive. If you need assistance in programming the radio, post a topic on the Carnity website with your questions and we will help you out. Make sure your radio is fully charged. It will be your only way of communication while driving. Before buying, please carefully read below advice so you are informed properly on which model / cost / shops... No radio = No drive. It is an essential tool and you should make sure you bring it on every drive and learn/practice how to use it. Drive Details Level: Intermediate and above When: 28 November 2020, Friday Meeting time: 6:00 AM (Sharp - without any exceptions) Action Plan: exploring a new location, from Bab al Shams toward Ganthoot, reaching the outskirts of Abu Dhabi's emirate, and possibly driving east toward Little Sweihan before turning back north to Solar Park. Meeting Point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/P1B95eDGgNM61v5y7 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), face mask, rubber gloves, enthusiasm and willingness to learn. Approximate finish time: 10:30 AM End Point: Solar Park THIS IS A COMPRESSOR ONLY DRIVE. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A COMPRESSOR, PLEASE DO NOT SIGN UP FOR THIS DRIVE. IF YOU ARRIVE AND HAVE NO COMPRESSOR YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO JOIN THE DRIVE. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE: Limited to 8 Members only. RSVP will close on Thursday - 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. 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 BELOW CALENDAR

Hi @Heisem. I have the same tank as yours, and I usually consume half a tank every 100Km of desert driving, Consider that this is on less challenging terrain than Liwa, so it may turn out to be actually less than 200Km for a full tank. If Emmanuel can advise how many Kms he's planning to drive (roughly) + distance to nearest refueling station from entry/exit point, you can figure out how many cans you'll need. I would carry 2 of 20lt each, if I were you.

Dear desert loving friends. Let's get ready for tomorrow first drive with Carnity. To start with the right foot, please make sure all of you have watched the video briefing, and read the Covid's warnings and rules, linked to the drive's post. You will be asked again tomorrow if you have done as requested, and in case you hadn't, you will be asked to do it before you are allowed to join the drive. Secondly, make sure your car is equipped with the minimum requirements, also indicated in the drive's post. The most important of which, is the presence of tow points (either hooks or eyelets) both at the front and back of your cars. Lacking these, we will be forced to send you back, as the tow points are essential in recovering your car, in case the need arises. With these things having been taken care of, you'll be all set to start your off-roading experience with Carnity. One of our goals, and something we are proud of, is the desire to show you all different aspects of the UAE's deserts, always searching for new locations to visit. This drive will be conducted in one of such locations: the Bab al Shams sector of the Qudra basin (which is part of the Al Marmoon Conservation area). While most clubs focus their drives in the area closest to Al Qudra Parking, and the Qudra Lakes, we have chosen to drive a less visited area, to the south-west of the much used (and abused) entry point. We hope you'll appreciate the effort we make to offer you a different and less crowded desert experience. This area is also ideal for a first, Absolute Newbie, drive: it's characterized mostly by long range and relatively low dunes, with very few, far apart areas of tighter, more challenging, dunes. Here you can safely start learning how to conduct your car on a sand surface, the first notions of how dunes are "made", the basics of straight crossing them, and basic skills on how to ride slopes. The most important take-aways from this introductory drive should be; 1) NOT fighting gravity, and 2) building and using momentum, while driving on sand. I am looking forward to seeing all of you - @Niki Patel, @Shehab Alawadhi, @Mike Kraher, @Umar Kamal, @Aus Alzubaidi, @Ali Zaidi, @Santhosh kumar Rajasekaran, @Jose Tity, @Michael Gazi, @Danish Mohammad, @Sreenath Giridharan and @patrick noack - tomorrow morning at 6:00AM sharp. I will be waiting for you just past the bike track, as soon as you'll have turned off the tarmac road (follow the Google Maps's directions to the meeting point). Those of you who already have a radio, please make sure to tune it into Channel 1 (446.006), as soon as you reach the meeting point. Also, make sure you'll have refueled at the ADNOC's gas station at Qudra's Last Exit location. See you tomorrow.