Ale Vallecchi

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. MUST READ AND TOTALLY AGREE: COVID19 Precautions Ban from Carnity Off-road Club Two Way Radio Guidelines Drive Details Level: Newbie and above (all levels) Meeting time: 7:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/5nVsM5gJRN6EYMWP8 Action Plan: We know we plan to start from Solar Park. As done already once before, however, this time we don't know whether we'll take a right (western) direction toward Qudra, on an "easier" track, or head left (to the east) toward Lisaili, on a more challenging track, will depend on the composition of the convoy. It will be you, who sign up, to determine the composition, and experience, of the convoy. A more experienced convoy will be led toward Lisaili, a more junior one will head toward Qudra. In both cases, the drive will be tailored to provide the proper challenge for all. 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 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

General Info This drive is organized in full compliance with the COVID19 guidelines. We expect every member that joins this drive to go through the below information 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 Mandatory Safety Requirements Ban from Carnity Off-road Club Two Way Radio Guidelines Drive Details Level: Fewbie and above Meeting time: 2:00 PM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/FiKAB7nNCJceMHmr5 Action Plan: "Il Te' nel Deserto" is the original title of "The Sheltering Sky", a movie by Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci, adapted from a novel by Paul Bowles. Inspired by its locations and story (between Morocco and Niger) we'll caravan from north to south, from Qudra to Ganthoot, in search of water, date palms and oryx herds. Come prepared with solid Fewbie skills (side sloping, criss-crossing, and some faster driving) and your favorite blend of fine tea (coffee would do). 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: 6:00 PM P.S. Only join if you have a compressor to inflate your tires after the drive. PLEASE RSVP ON THE CALENDAR

Dear Desertnauts. A quick note on tomorrow's drive. It'll be nice to get back around Sweihan area after a while. Let's just hope there aren't many (if at all) of those tracks and wires left by O&G research machines in the dunes between Sweihan and Al Ain. This drive will be mostly Shaaz's to run with. Together we'll explore around this old track of mine, with the goal of moving west to east, in the direction of Faya. If we make good time, perhaps we'll venture in Faya proper as well. The convoy order will be the following: @Shaaz Sha will start at Second Lead, until we'll switch leads, and I'll fall into SL @Santoso Marjuki will be in place #3 @Adhir Saxena at #4 @Sunil Mathew will drive in #5 @Looper at #6 @Zed will be #7, and @Thomas Varghese will Sweep. Considering that the meeting point is quite far away from Dubai, from where most drivers are coming, let's stay in touch through this thread to announce any possible delay. We'll still try to leave as close to 2PM as possible. Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow. Enjoy the evening.

General Info This drive is organized in full compliance with the COVID19 guidelines. We expect every member that joins this drive to go through the below information 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 Mandatory Safety Requirements Ban from Carnity Off-road Club Two Way Radio Guidelines Drive Details Level: Fewbie and above Meeting time: 2PM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: https://goo.gl/maps/iWtzB7vjE16GWSNE8 Action Plan: A "four-hands" drive, where Shaaz Sha and myself will exchange leads, while exploring an old track I drove a few years back, between the areas of Bab al Mutawha and Faya Roads, running along E20 (or Sweihan Road). There will be plenty of tall and open dunes, some vegetation, a lake or two, and plenty of opportunities to practice side loping, criss-crossing, and some climbing around sand 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: 6:00 PM P.S. Only join if you have a compressor to inflate your tires after the drive. PLEASE RSVP ON THE CALENDAR

Desert Champion Trophy - Arabian Wolves Report "Strip away your pride, and put on humble clothes" - Rumi Dear Desertanuts, after a couple of busy days, spent both on working matters and reflecting on the lessons learned last Friday, here's what I came away with, from the great event which has crowned the first Carnity Desert Champion. Speaking of crowning, before I get on with my report, I want to congratulate myself with King Richard @Wrangeld, to whom I wish to convey my greatest joy, and utmost respect, for his astounding achievement. It was truly a masterful and magic drive, which, I am very glad to say, must have repaid him of the many drives he has done in technical areas, some of which must have been tiring and frustrating. They have all paid off with this great and extremely deserved win. Sincere thanks also go to the other Leads ( @Chaitanya D, @Kailas, @Lorenzo Candelpergher, @Jeepie) and the Teams' members: they all provided an incredible incentive to bring out our best, pushing each other to the limits, especially during those exciting couple of times when 2 or more convoys came together in the proximity of the waypoints, challenging one another to choose better and faster routes. As for my analysis, the essence of the drive, and the final effect it has had on me, are captured by the words of the great Rumi, stated in the report's title. The challenge was, for me, a true eye-opener, and a humbling experience. After the initial disappointment of my final placement, I am actually welcoming the humbling aspect of the race. While during the past months I have been very successful with my drives, with almost always full, or overbooked houses. At the same time, I now understand that this "success" had made me overconfident. My post trophy self-criticism has made me realize that I have not been training enough in technical areas, while invariably going for the very long treks, favoring speed over finesse (at least in part), and preferring cleaner routes over more complex ones. Those who choose my drives know that I go to great lengths to minimize the technical areas, to the advantage of cleaner routes, with greater potential for longer and smoother treks. The fact that as a Carnity Lead I have, eventually, developed my own flavor of drives, may actually have ended up in my getting "stuck" in a rut, repeating what I had become better at, and neglecting the skills needed to become a thoroughly complete Lead. The greatest takeaway from the DCT, for me, has been the need to break out of the mould I have built for myself, and engage in more diverse locations, drives, and terrains. Having said this, I'll get back to my team's routing strategy. As previously reported by @Lorenzo Candelpergher, I had also chosen a 5-4-5-3-2-1 route as my Plan A. This would have allowed me to get back from WP#4, surrounded by the most technical dunes, to the area of long range cordons that I know better, and where I was confident the speeds I could reach would allow me to move very fast toward WP#3. Unluckily, 2 time-consuming incidents took place just after reaching WP#4, on the way back up to WP#5, and took away all the advantage we had on the other teams, as first starters. At that point, I did not feel like risking to go for Plan B, which I had marked on my map, and was quite similar to Richard's, but (in my opinion) entailed many more technical dunes. The fact that I have preferred to give my team as much a break as possible from technical dunes, with hindsight, was not the right decision in terms of winning strategy, yet may have been a good decision in terms of letting them get their confidence back, and ensuring the safety of the drive. The other reason why I did not feel we would have gained much advantage going for Plan B (in @Gaurav's words "as the crow flies") was because the distance between WP#4 and #3, going either my way or what resulted to be Richard's way, seemed to be almost equal. Hence I stuck to my faster speed approach, Vs. the mix of straight lines and technical dunes. Lesson taught by the Master of technical drives, and learned by the Long Range guy. As far as Team Wolves' performance, I must say I can only praise @JeromeFJ, @Mohamad Anwer, @James Thorn and @Jorge Stepniak Felippe, all equally, for a great drive - one that was probably my fastest ever, with non-stop "bat out of hell" speeds. Special kudos should go to their impeccable team work, in the occasion of the pop-out and the nasty stuck we had to solve. The pop out was sorted out in record breaking 6 minutes, while a troublesome double stuck (front and back, into a small V-shaped bowl), with no room to tug, was dug away in 8 minutes of shoveling and blip-blip self-recovery. I am very proud of how they responded after the two incidents, and how confident they were in driving at very high speeds, covering from half-way between Waypoints 4 and 5 to the finish line in 1 hour and 2 minutes of uninterrupted, impeccable driving. Lastly, thanks to @Gaurav, @Srikumar and @Frederic for the perfect organization, and thanks to @Asif Hussain, @Tbone, and @Rizwanm2 for their assistance and support. Could not have asked for a greater family feeling, and fun environment, where in the end we all came out as winners, and better off-roaders.

TEAM ARABIAN WOLVES, I almost forgot. Here is your link to the Carnity Desert Wolves compilation: As mentioned earlier, a mix of aptly rithmic tunes, from Rock to County, from Disco to Lounge, to accompany and motivate us during our quest tomorrow. @JeromeFJ, @Mohamad Anwer, @James Thorn and @Jorge Stepniak Felippe, remember: It's not the destination, it's the journey that matters!!!

TEAM ARABIAN WOLF Alert Find below the final convoy order: @JeromeFJ in Second Lead @Mohamad Anwer at #3 @James Thorn will be #4, and @Jorge Stepniak Felippe will Sweep. We'll line up in this order once arrived at the starting point, first row, TO THE RIGHT of the flag poles. Our confirmed Carnity radio channel will be #2 (446.031). See you all tomorrow. Have a nice evening.

Question 1 - Meeting and starting points being different, the line up as indicated (next to the flag poles) will not be necessary at the meeting point? Question 2 - can we indicate the team's chosen radio channel here? If yes, I'd like to pick channel 2. Thanks

A link to the first song of the Desert Wolves compilation, in the works for Friday's drive: Dedicated to all the teams, of course!! Final link to Spotify will follow. As usual, a combo of music from the 70's onward, and from all places: Italian sounds, Disco hits, "lone wolf" Country ballads, pissed-off Rock (hopefully not needed, other then while chasing "prey"), Eastern sounds to soothe, etc.

Very well done @Alain Canivet-Abikhalil. Looking forward to your further growth and contributions.

Great progress @JeromeFJ. Wonderful news.

Full Day Cross Border Caravan - Drive report "Not all those who wander are lost" - J.R.R. Tolkien" After a week of lots of work and little sleep, it's finally time to recount the fun we had during our Full Day drive late last week. Thankfully, a lot about it has been said already by the members who joined. Companionship, great experiences and memories, endurance, fatigue, satisfaction, breaking ones' limits, are some of the impressions and feelings with which we all came home after this long awaited, day-long, caravan across the border of Dubai and Abu Dhabi's emirates. I'll just add a few words about the itinerary and the overall performance of all the drivers. From dawn to dusk, we left from Qudra's Last Exit with the sun rising at our back, and reached Al Hayer's farming compounds with the sun setting just to our right. In between, we crossed the less travelled area of Al Qudra (the one coasting the Bab al Shams road), crossed the Solar Park pylons' track aiming for Ghanthoot, cut across the sabkhas and along the sand-track circling the military training ground, zipped through Little Sweihan, and roller-coasted our way along Faqa' plateau, before taking our picnic lunch break. By the time we took the midday break, we had travelled for 3:35 hours of moving time (4:49 hrs total time, including much needed R&R breaks every hour or so), and had covered 109.5 Km at an average moving speed of 30Km/h. A very pleasant lunch under a copse of Ghaf trees, in the middle of tall yellow dunes, was perhaps the highlight of the trip, allowing all members to joke and banter, and live those moments of companionship that often are lacking while driving (radio communication is not enough), and which were further impeded by the past Covid situation. Yet, these moments of camaraderie and ease are what Carnity has been based upon, and what had attracted all of us members in the past. As soon as the cars had cooled off, and our stomachs had been filled, we moved again to exit Faqa's plateau, crossed into Al Ain's territory, overcame the ever increasing deep tracks left by O&G exploration companies around Al Jabib, and finished gloriously, criss-crossing our way through the long range, red dunes of Al Hayer, all the way to the boundaries with the local camel and produce farms. At the time of our exit, we had driven for a total of 6:27 hours (9:55 hrs total), and covered 166.5 Km at an average moving speed of 26Km/h (both the kilometeres and speed of this second half testify to the more technical nature of this area). As far as the total driving time is concerned, it's just pure chance that the Carnity Desert Caravan Compilation (which I shared with the members before the drive) lasted just 1 extra minute. Perfectly lucky timing 😅. As for the convoy itself, I cannot single anyone out, for either good or bad things. Everybody drove extremely well, and, as hoped, each Intermediate led a Fewbie Plus member in an impeccable manner. Great tutoring by @varunmehndiratta, @Looper, @GauravSoni (who added an extra layer to his performance with great Center Forwarding), and @Mario Cornejo. Perfect following by @Mus_hus78, @Anoop Nair, @munkybizness (what a first FB+ day), @Zed and @PaoloMaraziti. Tremendous support by @Jeepie while also sweeping all to safety. So in the end, we did wander, we did not get lost, and we all grew together, both in our off-roading and personal experiences. Thanks to all, and see you soon out there.

Bravo @Ferl Brown!!

As the Pope would say "È cosa buona e giusta". Grande @PaoloMaraziti. Andiamo!!!

Dear @Mohammed Ismail, @Asem Rashwan, @Mohammed El-Dakamawy, @Azeem M, @Shanky Ochani, @Arijit Bhattacharyya, @Mo Moharam and @Jean Jarjoura, a few last minute recommendations for tomorrow's drive. Please make sure to have filled your tank before reaching the meeting point. Kindly try to arrive a few minutes earlier, so you can start deflating ASAP, allowing us to leave shortly after the meeting time Try to have learned how to use the deflator you have purchased, so you can proceed with deflation without further delay If you have a radio with you, make sure you can input the channel manually, or have the following frequency memorized: 446.006 No further information is needed. Have a nice evening and a restful night. Myself and @marks will be waiting for you at the meeting point. See you all tomorrow morning.

Hi @Azeem M. Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow. Thanks

Dear soon to be Desertnauts @Suresh K, @Asem Rashwan, @Mohammed Ismail, @Azeem M, @Jean Jarjoura, @Arijit Bhattacharyya, @Mo Moharam - Welcome to Carnity! As you are aware of, this is a drive strictly for who has never been off road with Carnity. In preparation for it, it is important that you inform us if: you have any prior off-road experience; your vehicle has front and rear tow hooks / eyelets; if your car has the required ground clearance of min. 8 inches (21 cm) between the ground and its bumpers/undercar. Before joining the drive on Friday morning, you will need to have viewed the introductory videos (links above). Please also make sure you are equipped with a tire deflator and a tire pressure gauge (sometimes they are all in one tool). You will need these. If you have an off-road flag as well that would he great. In case you do not have a flag mount on your car, you may look for a flag with suction cups, which can be easily placed on one of the rear windows. Even if the drive should end near a gas station, where they have an air compressor, if you have your own please bring it along, as it may be quicker than waiting in line. So, to recap, useful tools to carry would be: tire deflator (must) tire pressure gauge (must) radio (recommended) off-road flag (recommended) air compressor All these items should be available at any ACE or Speedex store, as well as at Dragon Mart (at this latter location you can find especially the radios, where I advise you ask to set on manual inputs - you can memorize the channels later, as Carnity uses channels which are different from the ones that are usually memorized at Dragon Mart's outlets). Regarding the area of the drive, we will access the desert from an entry point along the road going from Qudra Parking (where you can use the ADNOC gas station to fill up your tank), toward the Bab al Shams Resort. Follow carefully the Google Maps directions: once you turn off the tarmac road (after circling a roundabout next to a mosque), you will cross through the bike track, and an opening between roadworks being done along the bike track. Myself and @marks will be waiting for you. Once arrived at the meeting point, we'll conduct a final inspection of your cars (sufficient clearance and accessible tow points are a must, without which you'll be turned back). Following a detailed technical briefing, we'll be ready to enter the dunes, and start your off-roading adventure. This area is rarely used by other clubs, and the sand is much cleaner ad smoother, so this is an ideal ground to move your first steps in the desert. Any new member who's planning to join this introductory drive, please contact me on this thread for any preparatory question. In the meantime have a great rest of the week.

Dear @takeshi sobue. Thanks for signing up for this drive. Since you have already joined an Absolute Newbie drive already, I ask you to please sign up for any Newbie drive you wish to join. You can see the drive's announcements on the Carnity WhatsApp group, and you will find them posted online on the website at 7:00PM this evening. Thanks a lot.

Join us to explore Al Qudra Desert to find what's beyond Qudra lakes And learn the art of offroading in a versatile playground for your first off-road adventure. You will learn to self-drive your vehicle from experts having decades of off-roading experience in the UAE. This area offers a good mix of playable long set of dunes and broad ridges to practice your off-road skills slowly but surely. Drive is open for all 4x4/4WD/SUV/AWD vehicles having 8-10 inches of ground clearance and (MANDATORY) Front and rear tow hooks (MANDATORY) This is an off-road drive for beginners where you'll drive and learn at your own pace: This is not a training session. This is not a 1:1 teaching class. This is not a Desert Driving Course. If you are interested in comprehensive 1:1 training sessions, please check Desert Driving Courses. Desert Driving Masterclass Desert Recovery Champion Advance Desert Driving Course First time with Carnity Off-road Club: Please share your vehicle details - Make, Model, Year. Do you have any prior off-road experience? Confirm your vehicle has front and rear tow hooks / eyelets. Learn More About: Carnity Off-road Club STRICTLY: For ABSOLUTE NEWBIE who are driving for the first time with Carnity. MUST WATCH: NEWBIE VIDEO BRIEFING Important links to read: Off road Club Grading Structure V.3.0 Frequently Asked Questions - Click and scroll down. How do I join? Is my car fit for off-roading Many more FAQ's - ANSWERED. Mandatory Safety Requirements Essential Off-road Gear Ultimate Compressor Review Transfer your previous off-road experience Drive Details Level: Only for "ABSOLUTE NEWBIES" or first timer with Carnity Off-Road Club When: 12 Nov 2021, Friday. Meeting time: 7:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: https://maps.google.com/?q=24.818832,55.255631 Type of Car: Any 4x4/4WD/SUV/AWD with front and back tow hooks and 8-10 inches of ground clearance. What to bring along: Tire deflator, pressure gauge and compressor, Loads of water, snacks (for yourself), face mask, rubber gloves, enthusiasm and willingness to learn. Approximate finish time: 11:00 AM LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE: Limited to 12 new members only. RSVP will close on Thursday - 5PM. 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 or members who are not on the RSVP will be returned back - without ANY EXCEPTIONS. Please cancel you RSVP if you cannot make it, so your spot can be taken by others. Please RSVP on below Calendar

Hi Zed. The meeting point is just a few meters after exiting the ADNOC gas station in Qudra's Last exit. Before you even reach the roundabout. There is restaurant called Spicy Village. Sorry for the confusion

Dear Desertnauts. Last instructions for tomorrow's looooooong full day drive. The meeting point has been set (see drive's published post) just beyond Qudra's Last Exit ADNOC station, in order to avoid the tricky entry from the private villa mentioned in my previous message. As soon as you reach Qudra, please refill to the brim, and proceed to the meeting point, on the track just past the gas station. Kindly deflate, and get ready to start the drive by way of the sand/dirt track running parallel to the tarmac road, in the direction of said villa, from where we'll enter the dunes. We'll be using Carnity Radio Channel #2 (446.031). The convoy order will see, as done in the past, each Fewbie Plus member following a more senior driver, to receive an informal higher level training during the drive: @Mus_hus78 will be in Second Lead @varunmehndiratta in place #3 @Anoop Nair #4 @Looper will drive at #5 @munkybizness will take #6 @GauravSoni will take care of the Center @Zed will be #8 @Mario Cornejo will occupy place #9 @PaoloMaraziti will be #10, and @Jeepie will Sweep the group. Please, check my previous post for all matters concerning the itinerary, the resting place, food and drinks, fuel supply, etc. BONUS SOUND TRACK One more thing: being this a Caravan, I have thought of accompanying it with its own dedicated music. I have prepared a Spotify compilation, which you'll find below. Throughout this collection you'll find mostly lounge music, with rhythms that remind of the steady and relaxed pace of a caravan, plus a sprinkle of a few tunes that relate to my personal experiences: country for my growing up in California, disco for the most care-free period in my life (70's and 80's), a few Italian songs to celebrate my birthplace. Load it up on your player, if you wish (downloading the songs while at home), activate the random play mode as soon as we start the drive, and move on to the next song if some of the music doesn't appeal to you. It'll be another way to connect us through the drive. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0vUxwvcIVQ487uGwcyp49c?si=QuFvzkBHRwGAEiKHjjIUsw&utm_source=native-share-menu Enjoy !!

Hi @Zixuan Huang - Charlie. Unfortunately we do not plan to take the brake anywhere near an exit point. There will be exit points available, but only in case of emergency, involving detours. You are welcome to take the full day drive, if you may. Thanks a lot for understanding.