Ale Vallecchi

Dear Desertnauts: @Jaro Tuzinsky, @Gary F, @Sunil Mathew, @Abdul Basit Khan, @Stumpy Paj, @Ishak, @Frans M, @Adam James, @Bravoecho, @Stan, @Ahmad Nerat @FARAZ MOHAMMED, @Andrei S @DanielN, @Sebb, @Krishna R, @Murtaza Bhuria @Naim Aoun, @Shahid Mehmood , @Yaseen87, @Vanessa8580 and @Lawrence_Chehimi For those wondering about the weather conditions, YES THE DRIVE IS ON, rain or shine. The clouds will move East from later this evening. I will post the forecast for the Dubai area below. See you all tomorrow.

Sorry @Senthil Kumar. I mistakenly listed you in the drive 🤓...my bad. Enjoy your weekend.

Dear Desertnauts, latest info in preparation for the drive. MEETING POINT - Will be just past Murqab's mosque, right off the exit on the Dubai-Al Ain Road. Considering the number of drivers, we'll have Convoy 1 lining up on the RIGHTside of the road, and Convoy 2 (@Vanessa8580's) on the LEFT side of the road. As soon as you reach, please start deflating and mount your flags. RADIO CHANNELS - Please set your radios as follows: CONVOY 1 on Channel #2 (446.031), and CONVOY 2 on Channel #3 (446.056). CONVOY ORDER The following are the members signed up with CONVOY 1, who will line up as follows: @Jaro Tuzinsky in Second Lead @Ishak at #3 @Stan at #4 @Bravoecho #5 @Gary F at #6 @Sunil Mathew will be drive as Center @Frans M at #8 @Abdul Basit Khan at #9 @Adam James #10 @Stumpy Paj at #11, and @Dodi Syahdar will take the Sweep's position CONVOY 2, lead by @Vanessa8580, with the support of @Lawrence_Chehimi, will line up according to the order that the Lead will establish, and will communicate on site, prior to departure. The members in Convoy 2 are the following: @FARAZ MOHAMMED, @Andrei S, @Sebb, @Krishna R, @Murtaza Bhuria, @Naim Aoun, @Shahid Mehmood, @Yaseen87, @DanielN and @Ahmad Nerat. It looks like it will be an interesting drive, on an unusual terrain, heavily soaked with the current rains, even though the day is forecasted to be sunny and pleasant. Looking forward to seeing all of you at Murqab. Have a nice end of the week.

@Lawrence_Chehimi you have been added as support to Vanessa's Convoy 2. Thanks for joining.

Dear Desertnauts. A few info about this drive, its spirit, and the possibility of accommodating as many members as possible. After many excursions in the area between Murqab, Lisaili and Solar Park, having acquired (hopefully) enough experience with the characteristics of these terrains, and having driven by a few recognizable landmarks (sabkhas, tracks, groups of trees, camel farms or feeding stations), I thought it may be time to add the element of orienteering to the drive, and proceed to manage the drive "blind", that is without the use of GPS maps. This will mean mostly that we may arrive at some dead ends, and loop back somewhere along the trail, or find obstacles that will need more careful navigation, and in any case, adjust the track according to whatever we'll face, on uncharted territory. Considering the great number of waitlisted members, we'll also do our best to allow as many members as possible to join the drive. With this in mind, I wish to thank @Vanessa8580, who has offered to lead a second convoy, along a similar route, leaving from the same starting point as Convoy #1. Thanks to this possibility, at the moment I will be leading the 10 members who will be signed up for the drive on Friday evening (considering the possibility of some drop-outs from the current list, and the automatic signing up of those waitlisted). At the moment Convoy #1 includes @Jaro Tuzinsky, @Gary F, @Sunil Mathew, @Abdul Basit Khan, @Stumpy Paj, @Ishak, @Frans M, @Adam James, @Bravoecho and @Stan (I will be supported by @Dodi Syahdar). Also at the moment, considering the first 10 members on the current waiting list (signed up for their 1st drive), Convoy #2 includes @Ahmed Wagdy, @FARAZ MOHAMMED, @Andrei S, @Thejas Uthran, @Sebb, @Krishna R, @Murtaza Bhuria and @Naim Aoun, @Shahid Mehmood and @Yaseen87 Givne the above, the updated waitlist includes, from #1 onward, @Rashid Alseeni, @Zubair @DanielN, @Ahmad Nerat, @Dimitrios Kalogirou and @Claudio C. More updates on the drive's details, and the convoys final composition and order in the next couple of days. Looking forward to see you all soon.

Dear @Bjoern, I am not sure what may have happened. Perhaps you may have been accepted into the other drive you had wait listed yourself. I am sorry about this inconvenience.

Hi @Dodi Syahdar. I will. Thank you

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: 28 January 2023, Saturday Meeting time: 7:30 AM - Sharp (Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: Dropped pin https://maps.app.goo.gl/DPkCWQ1reKNqa8aL9 Action Plan: The plan is simple. an orienteering drive, moving "blindly" (without the use of maps or previous tracks) between Lisaili, Murqab and Solar Park. We'll be helped only by visual landmarks (there are a few, besides the obvious pylons). This will solicit the use of whatever skills the uncharted terrain will present us with, from long range dunes to tighter cordons and bushy bowls, to technical areas. A new challenge, both for me and the members who wish to drive a bit by the seat of their pants, improvising, redirecting, and adjusting to unforeseen obstacles. Approximate finish time: 11:30 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

Dear @GeorgeFJ, of course you are welcome to sign up for any drive you wish. Carnity's spirit is to train any desert lover, with any car (only 4x4 🤓of course), and not leave anyone behind. Just practice building your own relationships with your car, as if it was your horse to ride and command! You have a very strong ride.

Camel Trophy - Lisaili Drift: Drive Report "Run from what's comfortable. Forget safety. Live where you fear to live" - Rumi One thing perhaps members didn't know when they joined this outing was that I usually like to scale my drives up a notch, based on the convoy's performance. The fact that I made the above quote from Rumi's my own and ran from what could have been a comfortable drive, should be a testament to the convoy's behavior during the first part of the drive. In fact, after a slightly longer briefing, designed to bring the Absolute Newbies up to speed with the required skills and safety elements (and as a reminder to the Newbie members), the first hour or so of the drive went very smoothly, with minimal issues, all quickly solved by the support team of @Simon D and @Patrick van der Loo. Streight crossing of dunes, side sloping, and convoy discipline were excellent, which inspired me to push to convoy to practice ridge riding, and eventually criss-crossing. Both skills were applied at first to very low and humpy dunes, of which Lisaili is well endowed, especially in the area between the pylons and the tight technical stretch heading toward the Solar Tower plant. Clearly, a few refusals and stucks occurred, but nothing that couldn't be used as a learning exercise by the whole convoy. The only moment of apprehension was when a refusal on a ridge very close to the exit was tackled a bit hastily by @Siby, who reversed down the somewhat steep slope at too fast a speed. Surely the mistake was due to the impression the driver had of being deeply stuck (which was not the case), and the lesson learned by the whole convoy was that 1) one exits the car to evaluate the situation, before attempting a self-recovery, and 2) backing down a slope should be done with minimal throttle, and carefully moving perpendicularly, and/or always toward gravity. With this in mind, I congratulate the Absolute Newbies @Misha Puskar, @GeorgeFJ, @Siby for completing an overall well executed first Carnity drive. My only suggestion, in particular to the FJer's (including @Georges Kazan), understandably shy with engine power, would be to familiarize themselves with the car, which is a powerful and relatively light vehicle, capable of sudden accelerations that will be very useful to tackle climbs, exit soft bowls, and sustaining side sloping and ridge riding, provided the right amount of throttle, and the right choice of gears are practiced, to become second nature with your driving style. All drivers, including @Klaus Pedersen, @Sajan.S, @Rashid Alseeni, @Ron.P and @rohit kumar, did great, navigating the total of 50.6 Km driven, in 2:11 hours of moving time, at a 23 Km/h average moving speed (in 4:13 total hours and 12 Km/h overall average speed). Hoping to see you soon again on the sand, I wish you all a great week.

Hi @Simon D. I will. you will take Center duties. Thanks a lot.

Dear Desertnauts, some points of interest, in preparation for tomorrow's drive. For those drivers ( @Misha Puskar, @GeorgeFJ and @Siby) who will do their first drive with Carnity, once again, please review all the videos linked at the top of the post, as well as the Absolute Newbie Briefing, attached to a couple of posts just above). Secondly, the meeting point is located on the road between Qudra and Solar Park. To reach it based on Google Maps directions, you do NOT have to go to Solar Park and then get back to the meeting point. It'll be enough to turn around at the roundabout located just past the meeting point (to head back toward Qudra) and reach it through the gaps in the guard rail that are visible just next to the pylons. You should find my car already waiting there. Please, try to reach the meeting point a bit earlier than 7:30 AM, so that you may already start deflating for the drive. I will give a technical briefing before, or immediately after, the start of the drive. This is intended to bring the "newest" Newbies up to speed with the necessary skills required for the drive, and as a reminder to the more experienced drivers of some of the convoy formalities we'll have to follow. The drive will take us into Lisaili's area, from the proximity with Solar Park hopefully to the actual Lisaili village. We'll navigate mostly long-range dunes, crossing a couple of technical areas (with closer, lower but tighter dunes). If all goes well, we may escalate the drive to a bit more difficult level, but in general we plan to enjoy our Camel Trophy day, looking for camel tracks and camel trains, until we reach the camel racing tracks close to Lisaili. The convoy order at the moment is the following: @Sinol in Second Lead @GeorgeFJ at #3 @Siby #4 @Misha Puskar at #5 @Klaus Pedersen at #6 @Sajan.S #7 @Quresh. will Center the convoy @Georges Kazan at #9 @Rashid Alseeni at #10 @Ron.P #11 @rohit kumar at #12, and @Patrick van der Loo will Sweep the group. We'll be communicating through Carnity radio channel #3 (446.056). Looking forward to seeing you all tomorrow morning.

Dear @Siby, since I've noticed this would be your very first drive with Carnity, I'd like to ask if you have had other previous experiences in desert driving in particular, or off-roading in general. Also, make sure your car has proper tow points both front and back, to allow any potential recovery to take place in a safe manner. Finally, kindly make sure you are carrying a flag and a radio. In preparation for Saturday's outing, please make sure to watch the 5 videos linked at the top of the drive's post, and review the following link: Let me know of any questions you may have regarding the drive and/or your car, etc. I'll be giving a technical briefing prior to our departure on Saturday, so that everyone in the convoy will be up to speed with the necessary skills and safety procedure that will ensure a successful drive. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Dear @GeorgeFJ, since I've noticed this would be your first full drive with Carnity (after the New Year's celebration), I'd like to ask if you have also had other previous experiences in desert driving. Kindly make sure you are carrying a flag and a radio. In preparation for Saturday's outing, please make sure to watch the 5 videos linked at the top of the drive's post, and review the following link: Let me know of any questions you may have regarding the drive and/or your car, etc. I'll be giving a technical briefing prior to our departure on Saturday, so that everyone in the convoy will be up to speed with the necessary skills and safety procedure that will ensure a successful drive. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thanks @Misha Puskar. Will be nice to have you join. Also, please viee this link: See you in Saturday.

Dear @Misha Puskar, as I've noticed this would be your first drive with Carnity, I'd like to ask if you have any previous experience in desert driving in particular, or off-roading in general. Also, kindly make sure your car is equipped with sturdy tow point or eyelets, and that you are carrying a flag (a radio is also recommended). In preparation for Saturday's outing, please make sure to watch the 5 videos linked at the top of the drive's post. Let me know of any questions you may have regarding the drive and/or your car, etc. I'll be giving a technical briefing prior to our departure on Saturday, so that everyone in the convoy will be up to speed with the necessary skills and safety procedure that will ensure a successful drive. Looking forward to hearing from you.

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: Newbie and above When: 21 January 2023, Saturday Meeting time: 7:30 AM - Sharp (Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: Dropped pin https://maps.app.goo.gl/3QWYGUMdyn6WG2Lz8 Action Plan: Lisaili is the home of Dubai's race camel farms, as well as the place where they train, on the circuit track, or the straight track. All along most of the Lisaili's plateau one can easily find camel tracks or run into herds or trains of these lanky animals. Inspired by a famous off-road race (The Camel Trophy), we'll exploit this wonderful area of camel farming and training to do our own training and racing across the dunes. As camels do, we'll move along, up, and over the yellow/white dunes of Lisaili, steadily and patiently overcoming all obstacles, until we'll be satisfied that we've had our fair share of "pasture". After two previous "Trophy" editions, with higher ranks, this session will be dedicated to challenging Newbies with exploring the deeper reaches of Lisaili. Approximate finish time: 11:30 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 12 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

Dear Desertnauts let's prepare for Saturday's orbit in our Solar Park "system" of dunes, sabkhas and mixed terrain. We will leave from the outskirts of Solar Park's Innovation Center (the iconic glass spire visible from a most parts of Qudra and Lisaili), launching the convoy in a southern direction, across the so-called "Middle Earth", spinning off at Little Sweihan, slinging eastward toward Lisaili. Once there, upon reaching the furthest point from the "sun", we'll revert our course, heading first north to the boundary between Murqab and Lisaili, and finally, racing through Lisaili itself, we'll travel southward, all the way back to the Solar Park tarmac road. The drive will maintain a relatively fast pace, all things considered, but since the goal is to complete the relatively long counter revolution, and not to beat any speed record, we may reduce the speed, to insure a safer and smoother progress along our orbit. The convoy has been built keeping in mind the power of each driver's car, together with their current rank and previous experience, and will line up as follows: @Chris Wing in Second Lead @Paolo Pellegrini at #3 @Mike M. at #4 @Jaro Tuzinsky will be #5 @Jona #6 @Mehmet Volga will Center the convoy @Daniel Rodas at #8 @Gerrit Bus #9 @Ashutosh Garg will take #10 @Charbel #11, and @Mohamad Anwer will Sweep the convoy. The radio channel has not yet been decided and will be confirmed upon reaching the meeting point. Come ready for a lengthy drive, bringing along your love for the desert. See you all on Saturday morning.

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: 14 January 2023, Saturday Meeting time: 7:30 AM - Sharp (Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: Dropped pin https://maps.app.goo.gl/NLCdQFT3mfmmC21HA Action Plan: Orbiting Solar Park returns on our drives' menu, bringing with it two new factors: it will be the first attempt at this route with a Fewbie Plus convoy, and will proceed in a counterclockwise direction, compared to previous 2 editions (both Intermediate and clockwise drives). We'll start at the "perihelion", or the closest point to our "sun" (which is Solar Park's Innovation Center), and we'll reach our "aphelion", or furthest point to the "sun" at the entry to Faqa's Plateau, close to E44, on AD's border. This means that we'll cross all areas within the Dubai emirate's desert, including Little Sweihan, Faqa, Murqab and Lisaili, crossing the dunes' slip-faces on our way back to SP. Luckily, we are not expecting the day to become too hot, as we progress closer and closer to our planned exit, at the Three Trees area. Regardless of the challenges we'll face, we are planning a smooth, rhythmic drive, with a meditative feel to what will be my first drive of 2023. Approximate finish time: 11:30 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. 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

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.