Ale Vallecchi

Dear @Rajesh NG, I just realized that your rank is Newbie. Unfortunately, this will be a Fewbie drive, hence I will not be able to accept you on Saturday morning. Sorry for this. Hope to see you soon in another drive. Thanks for understanding.

Dear @Jona, @Amr Aydin, @Fabien Monleau, @Naveen Raj@Bashar Beasha and hopefully @DP1011, the briefing will be short. Enter the dunes east of the track, follow them West, then North, reach Nagrah, loop around its star dunes, cross the sabkha, re-enter the dunes, aim North once again, cross more dunes, taller and taller, reach the exit. Convoy order: @Fabien Monleau in Second Lead @Bashar Beasha at #3 @Jona at #4 @Amr Aydin at #5 @Naveen Raj in Sweep. Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow. Have a nice evening.

Yes @PETELCZYC PAJERO - luke. The meeting time will be 7:00 PM, for us lazy bums, who like it hot. Sorry for the confusion.

Hello @FERNANDO SYRIO. I have just posted the meeting and deflation point Dropped pin https://maps.app.goo.gl/aeqCoTn97u8ZbjZv7 Thanks for asking.

Dear @Jona, @Amr Aydin, @Fabien Monleau, @Bashar Beasha and hopefully @DP1011, this is the "classic" Nahil deflation point: Nahil Deflation Point https://maps.app.goo.gl/etEMS1sU4Y9y3Cvi6 Short drive's briefing to follow. Thanks

Yes @DP1011. We'll meet just off the tarmac. Will poWill he meeting point ASAP. Hope to see you.

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 (all levels) Meeting time: 7:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: Dropped pin https://maps.app.goo.gl/aeqCoTn97u8ZbjZv7 Action Plan: As summer approaches, most drives are moved up earlier and earlier in the morning, to make sure that drivers and (most of all) cars avoid the summer heat. Personally, I have always been fascinated, and loved, the desert's extreme conditions, heat being one of them. I truly feel like I am in the desert when it is windy, dusty, and most of all HOT. For those of you who share the love for extreme conditions, this will be the perfect drive. Temperature at 6:00 AM, on average, are presently around 28 degrees, rising to 38-39 around 11:00 AM, with a gradient that should still allow a reasonably normal drive. Of course, we'll have to manage our driving style to fit the conditions of the sand and avoid overheating. The area where we'll be driving is quite mixed, with nice bowls, long range dunes, some technical patches, and very few sabkhas. Not always, in the course of explorations or expeditions one can drive in the comfort of cool weather, so this drive may be a good challenge and opportunity for those who may be thinking of experiencing long-range drives. If you like it hot, you should be joining. 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

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 (all levels) Meeting time: 3:00 PM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: Nahil Deflation Point https://maps.app.goo.gl/etEMS1sU4Y9y3Cvi6 Action Plan: Last month I had found the deserts in and around Dubai and Sharjah transformed into gardens, or even jungles, covered with grass and bushes that made driving quite challenging, in a non-fun way. So, I set up a weekday drive to explore and find real sand in the Sweihan area., And indeed, fresh, clean, sand we found. This time, the goal will be to trace back the track driven the last time, from Nahil to Nagrah Dune, and beyond all the way to our planned exit along E16. Once more, as with most of my drives, the goal will be to cross as much terrain as possible, aiming for famous off-roading landmarks, but mostly searching for clean tracks, less travelled sets of dunes, and cover as much ground as possible. The previous drive saw a short 3-car convoy take the sand, while this time hopefully a longer convoy will make the drive more challenging. 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: 7:00 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

Dear @Pavel Pashkovskiy, dear @Ahmad Nerat, thank you for your kind gesture to let @Rk ram in the drive. Upon reflecting about it, I prefer to keep the convoy at its present size, since I only have 1 Support Team member to assist, and 14 cars would make it a bit too long, in my opinion, to insure a smooth and seamless management of the drive. So, @Rk ram, you're in, taking the spot generously left open by Pavel (and Ahmad, after Pavel). I look forward to driving with all 3 of you guys together at the next available opportunity.

Dear Desertnauts couple more things about the drive tomorrow. Please reach the meeting point a little before 3:00 PM, so we can enjoy a timely start. You may refuel at Qudra Last Exit's ADNOC station. Carry some refreshments, as you please, as we'll try to have a last stop just before sunset, somewhere around the last traces of our Zarzora "lost oasis". The convoy order will be as follows: @Senthil Kumar in Second Lead @Gautam Banka at #3 @Cristian at #4 @Marketa Dobesova in place #5 @Pavel Pashkovskiy at #6 @Pacific in the Center @PETELCZYC PAJERO - luke at #8 @Juan R #9 @Zubair at #10 @george charbel #11, and @Amr Aydin in Sweep. We'll be communicating on Carnity Channel #2 (446.031). Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow afternoon.

MORE ABOUT ZARZORA Possible location of Zarzora, in Egypt's Gilf el Kebir plateau, as identified by Count Almazy and the Long Range Desert Patrol's explorations Dropped pin https://maps.app.goo.gl/yggikaYoqQofZyd96

Dear Desertnauts @Senthil Kumar @Gautam Banka @Cristian @Marketa Dobesova @Pavel Pashkovskiy @Pacific @PETELCZYC PAJERO - luke @Juan R @Zubair @george charbel @Amr Aydin The meeting and deflation point has been posted, as below: Dropped pin https://maps.app.goo.gl/WPggnLH2weo54A637 Worthy of note is the fact that there is a Lake of rainwater obstructing the usual entrance to the track. Do not attempt to cross it: just stop at the posted position and start deflating. Some of you know it from last week. Do not think the drive will be the same: we'll reach the pylon track (as last week) and then we'll divert in search of Zarzora !! Final drive's briefing to follow ASAP. MORE ABOUT ZARZORA There are myths and legends about a lost ancient oasis hidden in the Sahara Desert. Its name is Zerzura and it's supposed to be located somewhere deep in the desert west of the Nile River in Egypt or Libya. An anonymous 15th-century Arabic treasure seekers guide, "Kitab al Kdnuz" (The Book of Hidden Pearls) describes Zerzura as..... see below https://www.ancientpages.com/2020/06/10/zerzura-lost-ancient-sahara-oasis-guarded-black-giants/ Could it be looking like this? (Mandara Lakes, in the Libyan Fezzan region)

Yes @Jona, for @Krishna R's benefit, I confirm that one is the gas station where you may refuel. See you later.

Dear @Jona dear @Krishna R, just a few words, first to confirm that the drive is still on, even with a super short convoy. It should be quite a fast paced one. Please note that you may refuel at Sweihan's ADNOC station, opposite the wedding hall. The meeting point is on the other side of the road from Sweihan, so be careful to take the right turn-off. We'll decide the convoy order on the spot, with plenty of opportunities to switch positions. See you all tomorrow. Have a great night.

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 (all levels) Meeting time: 3.00 PM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: Dropped pin https://maps.app.goo.gl/WPggnLH2weo54A637 Action Plan: Zarzora was long rumored to have existed deep in the desert west of the Nile River between Egypt and Libya. In writings dating back to the 13th century, the authors spoke of a city which was "white as a dove" and called it "The Oasis of Little Birds" (the meaning of Zarzora). The first European reference to Zarzora is in an 1835 account: the Oasis called "Wadee Zarzoora" abounded "in palms, with springs, and some ruins of uncertain date". The legend persists still to this date: just before WW2 several European explorers, such as the legendary Bagnold, Almazy and Clayton, made forays into the desert in search of Zarzora, but never succeeded in finding it. We will keep looking for it, although in a different part of the desert. Who says we will not be able to run into the fabled remnants of date plantations and ruins of uncertain date? 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: 7:00 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

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 (all levels) Meeting time: 3:00 PM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: Dropped pin https://maps.app.goo.gl/wwXtQPfQGK8hDd776 Action Plan: With great personal surprise, after a couple of weeks of absence, I have found the deserts in and around Dunai and Sharjah incredibly rich with vegetation. Sometimes jungle, sometimes gardens and lawns, most of the sand seems to have recently been covered by greenery. So, it seems appropriate to go searching for some sand, hoping to find it in the Sweihan area, The goal will be to meet along E16, head toward Nagra, drive past it and on to Nahil, to hopefully reach, if all goes well, an exit somewhere either on E95 and E20. Once more, as with most of my drives, the goal will be to cross as much terrain as possible, aiming for famous off-roading landmarks, but mostly searching for clean tracks, less travelled sets of dunes, and cover as much ground as possible. 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: 7:00 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

Day 8 - Tabuk - Tayma via The Red Sea at Al Humidah (673 Km) Excited and energized by the exhilarating off roading of the day, over dinner we started toying with the idea of extending the trip to the ultimate arrival point: a small village on the Red Sea, just a few kilometers south of the Jordanian border. This would materialize a true "coast to coast", from the shores of the Arabian Gulf to the beaches of the Gulf of Aqaba. Unplanned, thus even more satisfying. It would take a detour of around 150 Km round trip, on Road 394, after a couple more hours of off-roading needed to reach the tarmac from our campsite, inside the Tabuk red sands. After waking up at the entrance of the canyon where we slept, we took a short trip to explore its depths. The gorge got tighter and tighter, with the red walls closing in above our head. About halfway through its length a bottleneck blocked the passage of the car, but a few steps beyond the gap the tunnel fanned out, ending up in a small oasis, full of trees and flowers, reachable by car from an entrance on the opposite side. After less than an hour enjoying the coolness of this miniature paradise, we finally decided to head to the coast. Off we went, to the Red Sea. A long climb took us to the top of the plateau on which, further to the south, one of the Neom project's landmarks will soon be developed (Trojena, on the slopes of Jabel al Lawz). From there a gentle descent took us to the rim of the mountainous area, and as soon as the road begun to descend more steeply, it revealed, firstly through the haze, then clearer and clearer the blue stripe of the waters of the Gulf of Aqaba, and the dark cliffs of the Sinai Peninsula, just a few kilometers beyond. At the end of the road laid the small village of Al Humidah: going right we would reach the Jordan border (just 38 Km away), while going left we would follow the coast, all the way to the southern tip of the gulf. Left we went, to reach a rocky and sandy beach, where we enjoyed a quick lunch, feet in the water. The stop was more symbolic than anything else, but it really gave us a sense of accomplishment. Going back home would entail driving a direct distance of 2,485 kilometers. With this daunting task in mind, we started to head back to the initially intended rest area for the night, in the town of Tayma, which we would reach just after dusk. As memories of this so far fantastic trip started to flood back, we happily turned around, heading for the center of the Arab peninsula, and to our final destination, back home.

Dear Desertnauts in preparation for tomorrow's drive, please notice the meeting point, posted here ( https://maps.app.goo.gl/SmfJjJBJSjvqWtHK6 ) and in the drive's main post. So, be careful, as I have decided to start the drive in the Qudra area, and not quite in Solar Park, as initially thought. The difference is minimal, since you still need to reach Qudra's ADNOC and The Last Exit area, before moving on to the meeting point. You can reach it, after having refueled at Qudra's ADNOC station, by taking the road to Bab al Shams, passing 2 roundabouts, continuing straight, and turning back toward Qudra at the third roundabout (where you'll see an ambulance parking spot to the right, and a mosque just beyond the roundabout). Shortly after the U-turn at the roundabout, make a right across the open barrier, and pass the bike track, again toward the right. From here we'll head down to a sand track that will take us to the first "sabkha", where we'll begin our search for water !! The convoy order will be the following: @Ahmed Wagdy in Second Lead @Emmanuelle Ifrah in place #3 @Pavel Pashkovskiy at #4 @Sami Sleiman at #5 @Marketa Dobesova at #6 and @DP1011 in Sweep. I'll give a more detailed briefing (especially for the benefit of the Newbie drivers) just before leaving. As soon as we arrive. we can start deflating, so we can guarantee a timely departure. The Carnity radio channel to be used will be #2 (446.031). Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow afternoon.

Dear @Emmanuelle Ifrah thanks for the info. We can look into the deflation issue together, based on the type of tires you mount. Don't worry. I am going to post the last drive's info next. See you tomorrow.