Ale Vallecchi

..... THE LONG RANGE PARTOLS The Indian Long Range Squadron or ILRS was a unit of the British Indian Army during World War II. It was formed by asking for volunteers from the 2nd Lancers, 11th Cavalry and the 18th Cavalry all part of the 3rd Indian Motor Brigade.[1] It was originally formed to patrol the borders between the Soviet Union and Persia and Afghanistan. The ILRS was trained by and performed some missions with, The Long Range Desert Group (LRDG). With this little introduction, let's welcome the newest member of the Group who will join us for the drive: @Alphin Aloor - Captain Travers John Durrant Birdwood, Combat Unit P See you on Saturday.

..... THE LONG RANGE PATROLS (Continued) The LRDG vehicles were mainly two-wheel drive, chosen because they were lighter and used less fuel than four-wheel drive. They were stripped of all non-essentials, including doors, windscreens and roofs. They were fitted with a bigger radiator, a condenser system, built up leaf springs for the harsh terrain, wide, low pressure desert tires, sand mats and channels, plus map containers and a sun compass devised by Bagnold. Having recapped a bit of the LRDG's origin and organization, we'll proceed to create expectation, and a playful atmosphere for the drive, by assigning to each participant a name and a Unit that belonged to this original group of desert experts and explorers. Hence, we'll be riding as: Yours truly - Major Ralph Alger Bagnold @PETELCZYC PAJERO - luke - Major Vladimir 'Popski' Peniakoff - Demolition Team @Faraz94 - Captain Michael Crichton-Stuart, Combat Unit G @Ben Lee - Captain Edward 'Teddy' Cecil Mitford, Combat Unit W @Ahmed Wagdy - Captain P. J. D. McCraith, Combat Unit Y @Richard Franks - Captain Patrick Clayton, Combat Unit T @Bjoern - Captain Donald Gavin Steele, Support Unit R More to be discovered about the LRDG actions and paraphernalia in the next few days. Prepare yourselves to go back a few decades, and re-enact the heroic gestures of the glorious LRDG.

ABOUT THE LONG RANGE PATROLS The unit, initially known as the No.1 Long Range Patrol Unit (LRP), was founded on 3 July 1940. Bagnold wanted men who were energetic, innovative, self-reliant, physically and mentally tough, and able to live and fight in seclusion in the Libyan desert. The Long Range Patrol comprised a 15-man headquarters with Bagnold in command. Initially there were three sub-units: 'R' Patrol commanded by Captain Donald Gavin Steele, 'T' Patrol commanded by Captain Patrick Clayton and 'W' Patrol commanded by Captain Edward 'Teddy' Cecil Mitford. 'T' and 'W' Patrols were combat units while 'R' Patrol was intended to be a support unit. In November 1940 it was expanded to six Patrols: 'T', 'W' and 'R' Patrols were joined by 'G', 'S' and 'Y' Patrols. in December 1941 the group was joined by the Indian Long Range Squadron. The Indian Squadron was organized with the first two patrols originally known as 'J' (Jats) and 'R' (Rajput) Patrols. In October 1942 two further Indian patrols were formed: 'M' (Muslim) and 'S' (Sikh) Patrols. A Demolition Squadron, nicknamed "Popski's Private Army" and commanded by Major Vladimir 'Popski' Peniakoff, was briefly attached to the LRDG beginning in December 1942. .........

AAAA. We Want You. Looking for speed loving, stealth driving, adventure seeking desert wanderers, to execute this long-range expedition along the Dubai-Abu Dhabi border.

We request every member that joins this drive to 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 Etiquette's Emergency details for all off-roaders Off Road Driving - Roles & Responsibilities Drive Details Level: Fewbie and above (all levels) Meeting time: 7:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/BmX6exFCP6U3iQoF7 Action Plan: The Long Range Desert Patrols are back!! Reviving the 100 Km Challenge tradition, this will be the fourth drive of this kind, aimed at covering the longest possible distance, within the 4 allocated hours. No frills, no play areas, no driving around, this will have to be a fast-paced drive (with a total average speed of 25Km/h, and a much higher moving average), useful to practice overland driving, where concentration, control, stamina and precision will be the skills on which we will rely. Note: The Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) was a reconnaissance and raiding unit of the British Army during the Second World War. Originally called the Long Range Patrol (LRP), the unit was founded in Egypt in June 1940. The LRDG was formed specifically to carry out deep penetration, covert reconnaissance patrols and intelligence missions from behind enemy lines, although they sometimes engaged in combat operations. Because the LRDG were experts in desert navigation, they were sometimes assigned to guide other units, including the Special Air Service and secret agents across the desert. 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, face mask, rubber gloves, enthusiasm and willingness to learn. Approximate finish time: 11:00 AM P.S. Only join if you have a compressor to inflate your tires after the drive. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE: Limited to 10 cars maximum. RSVP will close on Wednesday - 5 PM. 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. Members that do not confirm the terms of the COVID requirements will be removed from the RSVP list. 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 below calendar

Dear Desertnauts in preparation for tomorrow's drive, here are the latest info. As for our meeting point, please reach the third roundabout on the road between Qudra's Last Exit and Solar Park's Innovation Center, drive around it, head back toward Qudra, and exit between the guard rails, onto the sand and gravel track below the pylon line. Google Maps needlessly sends you all the way to the Innovation Center and back. From the meeting point, once deflated, we'll reach a place just before the dunes where we'll hold a technical briefing, to go over the basic principles of off-roading, before we start the actual drive. While we'll enter close to Solar Park, we plan to exit at Lisaili. The convoy order will be the following: @Xavi Moyano in Second Lead @AnasArif at #3 @Issam Atra at #4 @Srilakshman Karthikeyan #5 @DTG at #6 @essam ibrahim at #7 @DP1011 at Center Forward @Shiju Raju at #9 @Jeevan Koshy #10 @Faraz94 at #11 @Ben Williams at #12, and @Mark B in Sweep. We'll pick the appropriate radio channel at the meeting point. Please make sure you can program the channel also manually. Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow

Dear @AnasArif, as I believe tomorrow's drive will be your first with Carnity, make sure you watch the video link below. Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow.

Dear @AnasArif. Sure you can bring your brother. The meeting point is the following: https://maps.app.goo.gl/3RCPsjFero7NdGqG6 See you tomorrow.

Hi @Mark B. Sure will. I'll add you to Manage. Thanks

We request every member that joins this drive to 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 Etiquette's Emergency details for all off-roaders Off Road Driving - Roles & Responsibilities First time with Carnity Off-road Club: Please share your vehicle details - Make, Model, Color, and Year. Do you have any prior off-road experience? If yes, pls share details. Confirm your vehicle has front and rear tow hooks/eyelets. Advise if you don’t have a programable radio and safety flag. MUST WATCH: NEWBIE VIDEO BRIEFING Drive Details Level: Newbie and above (all levels) Meeting time: 7:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/3RCPsjFero7NdGqG6 Action Plan: A drive planned to bring back the necessary off-roading skills, brushing off the rust accumulated with a few weeks of summer holidays. Three hours of "class", divided into three parts: the first hour dedicated to bringing back one's feeling with the sandy surface, practice convoy discipline plus some straight crossings, the second hour focused on more technical driving, re-acquiring the finesse needed to navigate some tighter spots, and the third hour to practice side sloping and eventually safe criss-crossing. Before departing, we'll spend some time going over the basic notions of desert driving, with a detailed technical briefing. 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, face mask, rubber gloves, enthusiasm and willingness to learn. Approximate finish time: 11:00 AM P.S. Only join if you have a compressor to inflate your tires after the drive. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE: Limited to 12 cars maximum. RSVP will close on Wednesday - 5 PM. 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. Members that do not confirm the terms of the COVID requirements will be removed from the RSVP list. 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 below calendar

Congratulations to @Fabien Monleau, @Bashar Beasha and @salah2u for completing the most technical drive I ever managed to lead. From start to finish, all 40 kilometers, except perhaps the last few hundred meters prior to the exit, nothing else but tight dunes and very soft, powdery sand. Great concentration throughout the two toughest stretches. Just a couple of tricky spots produced a total of 4 tugs, twice with double ropes to allow pulling from the most advantages place. One key take away has been the need to find the optimal, most effective deflation point, to suite the warm hours and the super soft surface (somewhere around 10 PSI or a bit below, based on your type of tires). One more footnote: in the end, the track, navigated mostly without maps, using visual landmarks, ended up matching the drawing of Isengard posted with the drive (The Eye of Sauron marked by the white Waypoint).

Dear Desertnauts, a few updates about tomorrow's drive. The meeting point has been published. Unfortunately, I have not found the shred of a shady spot in the area, so we'll have to arrive, deflate, and wait to leave in the comfort of our cars. Let's try to be timely, and quick in setting up. We plan to take a shortcut while driving up, away from Faqa, and around Isengard, staying as close as possible to the Eye of Sauron. Once we reach the northern border of its enclosure, we'll head west, across an endless field of technical dunes, across the "forest" of Ghaf trees that lies just to the right of our path. We plan to exit the treacherous area in time to enjoy the sunset. The short convoy will line up as follows: @Fabien Monleau in Second Lead @Stumpy Paj at #3 @Bashar Beasha at #4 @salah2u in Sweep. As usual, the radio channel will be chosen on the spot. Get ready to start the weekend in the desert. Enjoy the end of the week.

Dear @BIBIN THOMAS. Thanks a lot for signing up, and congrats on your promotion. Unfortunately, this drive is actually a Fewbie Plus drive, which is one level above yours. So, I regret to have to sign you off of this drive. I hope you can find a spot in another drive this weekend. Thanks for understanding.

Great adventurous trip @Frederic. Well done. Hope to follow in your footstep soon. Waiting for the rain to stop and for the sun not to be too hot 😁

Hello @Bashar Beasha. As you have seen from the drive's page, you are the only member to have signed up for this drive. In consideration of this, in conformity with Carnity's safety guidelines (min. 3 drivers) I will have to cancel the drive. I would not want to find ourselves in any tricky situation and not be able to rely on at least another driver's support. Sorry for the inconvenience. I hope you'll be able to rearrange your afternoon accordingly. Hope to see you soon again.

Hi @Pavel Pashkovskiy. I guess you are right. I was just looking to execute a more advanced route, so I went for the higher level (and a smaller convoy). I have always had a good turnout at FB+ or IM during midweek drives as at that rank there seem to be more motivated drivers, but clearly (perhaps also due to the summertime) this time I was wrong. Too late to correct now I will be sure to follow your advice next time and plan a route that may be escalated during the drive. Thanks again for your input.

We request every member that joins this drive to 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 Etiquette's Emergency details for all off-roaders Off Road Driving - Roles & Responsibilities Drive Details Level: Fewbie Plus and above (all levels) Meeting time: 3:00 PM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: Action Plan: Planning an enjoyable midweek drive, tracing the setting sun's route, from Bezhad Ranch (Area 53) to Badayer, and perhaps beyond that, climbing a few star dunes throughout the area, looking for the best spot for a scenic picture, or to enjoy the sun as it falls below the horizon. 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, face mask, rubber gloves, enthusiasm and willingness to learn. Approximate finish time: 07:00 PM P.S. Only join if you have a compressor to inflate your tires after the drive. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE: Limited to 8 cars maximum. RSVP will close on Wednesday - 5 PM. 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. Members that do not confirm the terms of the COVID requirements will be removed from the RSVP list. 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 below calendar

As we drove to Isengard via the gap between the "forest" and the "mountains", we will drive out of Isengard keeping further east, through the "forest" of Ghaf trees. 😉 Sauron will keep a watchful eye on us from the top of its Solar Tower.

We request every member that joins this drive to 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 Etiquette's Emergency details for all off-roaders Off Road Driving - Roles & Responsibilities Drive Details Level: Fewbie Plus and above (all levels) Meeting time: 3:30 PM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/cRDSWUBTXBGPQ5wv9 Action Plan: Continuing in the tradition of Tolkien inspired drives, after last week's excursion through the gap between Fangorn Forest (of Ghaf trees) and the Misty Mountain (of solar mirrors), and around Isengard (the solar tower's Eye of Sauron), this time we will enter the depths of the forest, to trace our way back, entering from the Gap of Rohan (Faqa's northern sabkha, just south of the solar tower) and taking the path leading back to safety, in the vicinity of the Innovation Center. If possible, an even more challenging technical route, with soft sand everywhere, including the ridges and bottom of the low but very close and complex array of dunes and bowls, which we'll cross from the slip-face, throughout the drive. We'll be aallowing ourselves not more than 3 hours to escape Isengard through the forest of Ghaf trees, or else...... 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, face mask, rubber gloves, enthusiasm and willingness to learn. Approximate finish time: 06:30 PM P.S. Only join if you have a compressor to inflate your tires after the drive. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE: Limited to 10 cars maximum. RSVP will close on Wednesday - 5 PM. 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. Members that do not confirm the terms of the COVID requirements will be removed from the RSVP list. 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 below calendar

Here's Sunday morning meeting point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/A1wurNAnHckBAxCLA See you then.

Dear Desertnauts a few info about the drive, while I am about to fly back to the Gulf's shores. We plan to execute quite a technical drive, likely in an area that will not see the challenge augmented by too much vegetation, other than the Ghaf trees that dot the northern border of the Solar Park area, under the watchful, sometimes menacing, eye of Sauron (AKA the Solar Tower). In fact, we plan to navigate almost by sight alone, following the line of trees that are visible from the very entry into the Lisaili plateau, from the Solar Park side. As for our meeting point, which I will post ASAP, please reach the third roundabout on the road between Qudra's Last Exit and Solar Park's Innovation Center, drive around it, head back toward Qudra, and exit between the guard rails, onto the sand and gravel track below the pylon line. At the moment, this will be the convoy order: @Imran Kashif in Second Lead @Mohit Gurnani at #3 @Brett Eicher at #4 @Bravoecho at #5 @Zulfikhar Naiyar at #6 @Salim Akhtar at Center @Stumpy Paj at #8 @Pierre de Maigret at #9 @Mark B at #10 @Bjoern at #11, and @Naveen Raj in Sweep We'll choose the radio channel on the spot. Looking forward to seeing you all at 7:00 AM on Sunday. Enjoy the end of the week.