Ale Vallecchi

Dear Desertnauts not much time to plan and get ready for this drive. The impulse has come from the thought that perhaps the Badayer/Shuwaib area, after the congested cooler months, may have started to return to a more pristine state. As most of you know, I don't enjoy driving through dunes that bear too many scars from an excess of off-roading, hence my avoiding some of the most crowded areas. Nonetheless, Badayer, Shuwaib and indeed Sweihan are so sought after for a good reason: they are characterized by beautiful dune formations, which truly challenge anyone's off-roading skills and spirit. Therefore, I have thought it may be time to venture back into these locations, with the first of a new "Star (Dunes) Trek" series. This session has been nicknamed "First Contact" (after one of the big-screen Star Trek series), because it will be my way to get reacquainted with tall dunes and deep bowls. Bear with me for any possible imperfections. We'll navigate mostly by sight, moving from star dune to star dune, across the desert between Badayer and Madam. We plan to start as close to 4:00PM as possible (hence the 3:30 PM meeting). The convoy, being quite a short one, will start in the order indicated below, but will switch positions throughout the drive: every 30 minutes the car driving in Sweep will take Second Lead, with the rest of the convoy moving back 1 position (the original SL in 3rd place, and so on). We'll start in the following order: @Ashok chaturvedi in Second Lead @Zixuan Huang - Charlie at #3 @Fabien Monleau at #4 @Mohamad Anwer at #5 @Pacific at #6, and @Thomas Varghese in Sweep. See you tomorrow at Badayer, near the quads' rental shops. Have a nice evening.

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 strictly follow these guidelines. MUST READ AND TOTALLY AGREE: COVID19 Precautions Mandatory Safety Requirements Ban from Carnity Off-road Club Two Way Radio Guidelines Drive Details Level: Intermediate and above Meeting time: 3:30 PM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: Badayer https://maps.app.goo.gl/aL2id8hHdbeCZ8Wk8 Action Plan: "STAR": referred to dunes, are pyramidal sand mounds with slipfaces on three or more arms that radiate from the high center of the mound. They tend to accumulate in areas with multidirectional wind regimes. Star dunes grow upward rather than laterally. "TREK": a trip or movement involving difficulties or complex organization So, Star Trek: First Contact is my return trip after a very long time to an area - Badayer and Shuwaib - where star dunes dominate the desert landscape. I prefer not to drive in this area at the height of the off-roading season, due to the excess of clubs driving there, and the abundance of cross-tracks, ruining the landscape and making the drive less than smooth. With the summer heat decimating the less adventurous drivers, and some recent winds restoring the sand to a cleaner state, it's time to move back in these fun and beautiful terrain. This will be the first of a series of "Star Trek" drives. The next one will continue from Madam (our planned exit area, and next entry point) to Bezhad Ranch (in the Shuwaib region). After these, it will come the time to go to AD, for more star dunes and their beautiful bowls. 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 (with the possibility of a 30 minute extension to reach the exit) 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 Monday - 12 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 THE CALENDAR

Dear Desertnauts getting ready for tomorrow's drive, let's state the obvious: it will be hot....the weather, and hopefully the speed at which we'll do our best to drive. Our main goals will be two: 1) make sure we handle criss-crossing at our best:; 2) once that'll be established, drive with stealth through mostly long range dunes, a few sabkhas, and occasional technical areas. Our target, will be first to reach Solar Park, and second, hopefully, carry on all the way to Qudra. The meeting and deflation point has been added to the drive's post: please come with a full tank, and deflate to as low as your tires' set up will allow, considering the height and thickness of their walls (low tires needing less deflation), but always not more than 13 PSI. The convoy order will be as follows: @Andrew McCarthy in Second Lead @Joseph Sebastian at #3 @Imran Kashif #4 @Paolo Pellegrini at #5 @Sunil Mathew at Center Forward @Sam K at #7 @Federico Galbieri #8 @Gurcharan Mehta at #9 @Gerrit Bus #10, and @TT_Dubai will close in Sweep. Please tune into Carnity Channel #3 (446.056). See you tomorrow, with the goal of leaving as early as possible, after 6:00 AM. Have a nice Friday evening.

Amici Miei: La Zingarata - Drive Report "Wherever you go, go with all your heart" - Rumi What a joy to re-discover, at least for myself, portions of Qudra that I had visited during my first drives with Carnity, but had avoided for quite some time, due to traffic congestion. It was impressive to see how the warm season (keeping drivers away) and some strong winds (remodeling the dunes' surfaces) have managed to restore this well beaten terrain to an almost virgin state. It was great to take the 12 gypsies who showed up for the "Zingarata" - the unplanned, wandering drive - around the newly chiseled dunes, following a series of visual markers: the pylons, always looming to the south, the antenna marking the Endurance Farm next to Bab al Shams, a group of trees growing in the technical dunes between Qudra North and Qudra South, and finally the glass pyramid marking of Solar Park's Innovation Center. A meandering track covered in leaps and bounds, with bursts of fast driving, mixed with refusals and stucks, that signaled the mix of a relaxed attitude by the convoy (occasionally underestimating the terrain's apparent easy features), and the actual degree of difficulty posed by some slopes, crests and bowls (especially for the back of the convoy). No matter how downplayed Qudra may be by the off-roaders' community, which considers it an easy ground for more advanced drivers, it still manages to hide some nice ridges and bowls that, if taken at good speed, can offer a higher degree of difficulty, as well as some pleasant technical areas, where each car's maneuverability and responsiveness can be put to the test. In the middle, the sighting of a group of oryx climbing dunes, as well as large and small herds of gazelles, as well as a couple of moments dedicated to some stretching and chit-chatting. The full itinerary, from Qudra's Last Exit to Solar Park's Innovation Center, covered 58 Kms, driven in 2:04 hours (plus 48 minutes of stops), at an average moving speed of 28 Km./h. Well driven by all members, with @Ashok chaturvedi taking Second Lead's (and First Photographer's) responsibilities, and @Trekado, @RiaanJH (nicely executed first FB+ track), @Santoso Marjuki, @Senthil Kumar, @Alexanderrr (assisting from the middle of the convoy), @DP1011 , Deepak wrangler, @Lucky sAm (looking forward to see you in your new vehicle) and @Shaker safely shepherded by @JeromeFJ in Sweep. Looking forward to the next installment of the movie-themed midweek drives, soon to come on these sands!

@munkybizness I though of Donna Summer's Hot Stuff 😈

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 strictly follow these guidelines. MUST READ AND TOTALLY AGREE: COVID19 Precautions Mandatory Safety Requirements Ban from Carnity Off-road Club Two Way Radio Guidelines Drive Details Level: Fewbie and above Meeting time: 6:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: Dropped pin https://maps.app.goo.gl/fduqYeVmWgDWxzFm8 Action Plan: There comes a time when most off-roaders start feeling the heat, and begin to withdraw to the cool and safety of their A/C'd homes. That is the time when I prefer driving in the desert. Not only there are fewer tracks, but it's also the season that really makes you feel like you are in the desert, the type we had always imagined, and seen in movies: hot, dusty, extreme, worth the challenge of crossing and taming. After all, as President Truman said, "If you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen". So, if you accept the challenge, and choose to "step into the kitchen", get ready for a hot and fast drive (speed tends to keeps your cars cooler, and allows them to "float" better on burning, liquefying, sand), where all skills will be tested, in particular technical driving as well as faster criss-crossing. 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: 10:00 AM (including the possibility of a 30 minute extension to reach the exit) 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 Friday - 12 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 THE CALENDAR

Hi @Morshedi. Are you able to conform your presence this afternoon? Thanks

Hello @Santoso Marjuki, of course you can join. See you later. Thanks

@DP1011 , Deepak wrangler we should be out a few minutes before (have done that once already), or will stop accordingly (I'll set an alarm for 18:55). Should all work out 🍀

Dear Desertnauts Few updates for tomorrow's drive. The MEETING POINT should be in the area just past the ADNOC gas station, where the Thai restaurant Spicy Village is located. Please, arrive at Qudra Last Exit's ADNOC gas station, enter it (top up your tank, as you are at it), and proceed through its exit. As soon as you have left the gas station's perimeter, you will find the meeting point to your left, on a dirt patch near a bike shop and the Thai restaurant. As you will see, the convoy has been extended to 10 cars (2 more "gipsies" will only make the drive more unpredictable and fun). The lune up will be as follows: @Ashok chaturvedi in Second Lead @Trekado at #3 @RiaanJH at #4 @Tareq Al Turq #5 @Senthil Kumar #6 @Anoop Nair as Center Forward @Alexanderrr at #8 @DP1011 , Deepak wrangler #9 @Lucky sAm #10 @Shaker as #11, and @JeromeFJ in Sweep No more needs to be said, other then we'll know where we start but won't know where we end. Most likely in the Emirate of Dubai.... but who knows ?!

Sorry to hear that @Tom B. @Alexanderrr I have added you to the drive, if you will confirm. Thanks

Hi @Lucky sAm. You are already in the drive 👍

Dear @Anoop Nair, @Ashok chaturvedi and @Senthil Kumar I have decided to extend the convoy to 10 cars, so have moved @JeromeFJ to the Manage slot, and let you 3 in the convoy. Please confirm this is OK. See you on Monday.

Hi @Tom B. It will Qudra Last Exit ADNOC station (will update soon). That gives us the most options to wander around between Qudra, Solar Park, Lisaili, Bab Al Shams or Ghantoot.

It's usually last minute business appointments if you are at home, and family emergencies if you are at work 😅

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 strictly follow these guidelines. MUST READ AND TOTALLY AGREE: COVID19 Precautions Mandatory Safety Requirements Ban from Carnity Off-road Club Two Way Radio Guidelines Drive Details Level: Fewbie Plus and above Meeting time: 3:30 PM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: Dropped pin https://maps.app.goo.gl/rP6MaKTmGXZci4EL8 Action Plan: After the Rush Hour saga, and its sequel "Il Sorpasso", we'll continue with the Italian movies' theme, to propose a drive inspired by the comedy "Amici Miei". In this '70 and '80's series, one of the main sketches was called "La Zingarata", or an "aimless, wandering road trip" (the name taken from the word "zingaro", or gipsy). In the movies, one in a group of Florentine friends would show up unannounced at each friend's doorstep, to call for a "zingarata", an improvised road-trip to no specific place, in the middle of the working week, to which all friends had to participate, coming up with all kinds of excuses to leave jobs, wives, commitments, etc., going on to make pranks, and have good old fun! So, here we go. A Zingarata somewhere in the desert, no goals, other than have fun, no clocks on, other than from start to sundown, no set tracks, other than exploring around, looking for random features, like a group of trees, or a set of dunes to reach. 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 (including the possibility of a 30 minute extension to reach the exit) 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 Monday - 12 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 THE CALENDAR

Il Sorpasso: Al Ain District to Dubai - Drive Report "Whether one moves slowly or with speed, the one who is a seeker will be the finder" - Rumi While the goal of the drive was to cover at least 90 kms in 3 hours, which we almost did, the spirit of the drive was to both carefree and adventurous, which we certainly were. From Al Hayer to Murqaab, we went through an interesting and exciting first part (before reaching Al Jabib) , on torrid reddish sand, across an interesting terrain, with few lonely trees and some long range cordons. This was the most carefree section of the drive. A second fun-filled stretch was the crossing of Faqa long range dunes, all the way to the sabkha separating this area from Murqaab. The two more "adventurous" parts of the drive where that crossing of the technical dunes between Al Jabib and E14 (a section only explored once before, hence not too familiar to me), and the navigation of similarly (although lower) technical dunes before arriving in Murqaab. At that point, with almost 45 minutes of daylight, we tried to prolong the track to reach Lisaili, but a few repeated stucks, refusals, and minor incidents, led to the decision to trace our way back to Murqaab's mosque, to end the drive. In the end, a bit of frustration that I felt, as a leader, in struggling to find a clean path through the technical areas, turned in an opportunity to explore a not-so-driven area, and challenged the convoy to keep the drive "stuck-free", which for the most part we did, always moving at a good pace, very close to the fast one we had set ourselves as a goal. The final statistics spoke of an almost accomplished objective, with 91 Kms covered in 3:39 hours, of which 3:12 moving, at an average speed of 28 Km/h. The whole convoy executed the drive with accomplished skills and great concentration, keeping up the pace even on particularly bumpy and tight terrain. The tremendous heat, probably the highest of the season so far (recording temperatures between 47 and 50 degrees during the first hour), only added to the pleasure and excitement of the drive.... a hot and dusty one, as planned. Well done to @Anoop Nair in Second Lead, @Joji varghese, @ASAD., @Rob S, @Tom B, @Waqas Parvez, @Charbel, @munkybizness and @Christian Andras in Sweep. See you soon for the next installment of our weekdays fast and furious drives.

@Gaurav Sonithat's one of the most technical areas, with some of the tightest dunes I have seen. Especially the beginning. Get ready for a lot of bouncing around 😅😎

Learning to Fly - Newbie Drive Report "You have escaped the cage. Your wings are stretched out. Now fly." - Rumi The cage was the immaterial one represented by one's insecurity in oneself and in his mechanical mean's full potential, as well as by the command of one's yet undeveloped skills to face different desert challenges. The wings were those stretched out through learning about both the theory, but most of all the practice, of overcoming straight climbs, side slopes, approaching ridges, and crossing dunes, in a safe, secure, and effective manner. And flying we did, after the initial schooling, not devoid of stucks, recoveries, pop-outs, redirections, throughout an uninterrupted rush back to the starting point, from the southernmost reaches of drive. To me, this last part of the drive, when the element of speed was added to all the challenges the terrain would throw at the convoy, was the most satisfying. I did not hear any communication over the radio, and did not see any hesitation throughout the convoy. The driving was smooth, accomplished, and devoid of any mistakes or hesitancy. Clear indication that drivers had safely taken off from their Newbie's nest, and had not fallen to the ground. The drive's statistics are the telling tale of the learning process, and successful implementation, that was necessary to accomplish the goal - 61.3 Kms were covered in 4:26 hours, of which however, "only" 2:11 were actually driven. Almost 2 hours were spent on a detailed briefing, guiding drivers through a number of well done self-recoveries (where both @Brette and @munkybizness showed their calm and competence), some rope recoveries, and fixing a pop-out. All the proper off-roading recovery equipment was displayed and used. Thanks to the planned, and unplanned, learning moments, the last stretch of the drive, flawlessly executed, allowed the convoy to clock a moving average speed of 27 Km/h, one of the fastest I have recorded with Newbie drives. Very well done to the whole convoy, with the Fewbies ( @Mike., @george charbel and @Nitin Mohan ) aided by with the invaluable @Brette and @munkybizness, further tutoring the Newbies ( @Yogesh Chaudhary - very good Second Lead - @Anirudh Dayma, @Zubair, @Jaro Tuzinsky, @Azam V2.0 and @Jad Moussalli ) in finding the right lines, patches of clean sand, and showing the proper momentum. Looking forward to flying with you all again in the desert.

Hi @JERINE_B. After Wednesdays if the system lets you in a drive, even if it's your second drive, it means that you can do multiple drives, without depriving other members of theirs. So if you want to join this one it's OK, unless there are date and time conflicts. Up to you. Just let me know. Thanks

Dear Desertnauts. In preparation for Saturday's drive, having said as much as possible in the drive's briefing, the most important information at the moment is how to reach the meeting point. Google map will send you on a long and windong route: to avoid it, please, arrive at Qudra Last Exit's ADNOC gas station, enter it (and top up your tank, as you are at it), and proceed through its exit. As soon as you have left the gas station's perimeter, you will find the meeting point to your left, on a dirt patch near a bike shop and a Thai restaurant. Park and deflate, as close to 13 (not more) or less, based on the type of tires you are mounting. We'll enter the desert from a nearby track, and we'll have a technical briefing as soon as we reach the first dunes. Then we'll put theory to the test, practicing first straight crossings, then side sloping, and eventually smooth ridge riding and criss crossing. The convoy order will be the following (with Fewbies and above alternating to lead each Newbie, and tutor them through the training exercises and the drive): @Adhir Saxena in Second Lead @Yogesh Chaudhary at 3 @Nitin Mohan at #4 @Anirudh Dayma #5 @Mike. at #6 @Sunny84 #7 @Brette at Center Forward @Jaro Tuzinsky at #9 @george charbel #10 @Azam V2.0 #11 @JERINE_B #12 @Jad Moussalli #13 and @munkybizness in Sweep. Radio frequencies will be announced on the spot. Thanks a lot and see you on Saturday. Enjoy the end of the week.

Dear Desertnauts quick update about tomorrow's drive. First, contemplating his predicament with attempting to sign up to the drive, and the newly implemented regulations about Friday's drive, I have added @Waqas Parvez to the list, making it a still manageable 10 car convoy. Secondly, let's not worry too much about the forecasted heat. These are my preferred conditions, when driving in the desert: hot and dusty air, burning and soft sands. slowly cooling themselves down as the drive progresses toward the sunset, when we'll be able to savor the balmy environment and dusky colors at the end of the drive. True desert conditions for a well motivated convoy. If memory serves me well (not having been in this area for a few months), to access the meeting point across the farms and fields of the Al Hayer area, costing E20, we'll have to drive through one of those self-opening gates. Get as close to the gate as possible to activate the automatic system, then proceed on the dirt track to the meeting point. The drive's difficulty coefficient will be increased by the fact that we'll be always moving across the slip-faces, hence we'll have to find suitable places to cross the soft sand, especially at the beginning of the drive, in the hottest hours. We plan to reach at least Murqaab, with the possibility of extending to Lisaili. At the moment, the convoy order will be as follows: @Anoop Nair in Second Lead @Joji varghese at #3 @ASAD. #4 @Rob S at #5 @Tom B #6 @Waqas Parvez at #7 @Charbel #8 @munkybizness at #9, and @Christian Andras in Sweep. Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow. Have a nice Thursday.