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: 6:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/5nVsM5gJRN6EYMWP8 Action Plan: We know we plan to start from Solar Park. This time, however, 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

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 Ban from Carnity Off-road Club Two Way Radio Guidelines Drive Details Level: Fewbie plus and above Meeting time: 2:30 PM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/VbRSo14QDmzDqFDt7 Action Plan: Still searching to mix and match different routes, this time we'll start with the red sand bowls near Margham, and we'll end (Inshallah) with the golden sand dunes of Murqab. In between, the technical route leading toward Sky Dive, the long range dunes and sabkhas of Lisaili's, and another bit of technical dunes before reaching our planned exit point. Faster speed will be what we are looking to maintain throughout the drive, weather we'll be snaking through tight dunes, or criss-crossing taller ridges. 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: 6:30 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 Monday - 9 AM. 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

Well done @Naim Aoun!!

Well earned @Matt.T 👏

Great to see you join the group @Rizwanm2. It's been grear driving with you, and I look forward to your contribution as Advisor. Congrats!!

Very well deserved promotion @MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ. You got it the old fashioned way: you earned it!! Well done.

Dear Desertnauts. Here's tomorrow convoy order, for our afternoon drive: @Lakshmi Narasimhan will be Second Lead @Chinthaka Ruwan at #3 @PaoloMaraziti at #4 @topgear is #5 @Nihal17 will be #6 @GauravSoni at #7 @Alain Canivet-Abikhalil will take #8 @Sunil Mathew #9 @Matt.T will be #10 @Darren Brooke at #11, and @Mario Cornejo will Sweep the convoy. We will choose the radio channel tomorrow afternoon. See you all for a timely departure, as close to 3:00PM as possible, so that we'll have as close to 4 hours as possible of driving time. Have a nice Friday evening.

Sure @GauravSoni. I added you. Thanks

Dear Desertnauts. As agreed, here is tomorrow's convoy order: @Joseph Sebastian will be Second Lead @eldose baby at #3 @Mohamad Anwer is #4 @Mahesh Khatry at #5 @Enrico Biscaro will be #6 @Nibu Venu at #7 @Naim Aoun is going to be #8 @Damien Ranjit at #9 @Joji varghese is #10 @Ramandbx #11 @Rsjiv Samuel will be #12 @Hilal Sharafudeen #13, and @Alexander Alcala will Sweep the convoy to safety. Once reached the meeting point, next to Murqab's mosque, please start deflating and tune into Carnity Channel #3 (446056). Meeting time is at 5:30 AM, but please try to arrive a little earlier, as we have quite a long convoy to order. See you tomorrow morning.

Dear Desertnauts, welcome to this Saturday's PM drive. As usual, I wish to give you a preview of what's to come. Tomorrow I'll complete the drive plan by providing the final convoy numbering, and radio frequency. The idea, as often with Carnity, is to explore new locations, open up new routes, at first with higher ranked convoys, and later, once better tested, to open them to all members. This particular itinerary will take us from Murqab to Faqa and beyond. This area will require some attention, both on my part as leader, and on yours as drivers. The first segment of the drive (Murqab to Faqa) will be at first characterized by tall, open dunes, with some limited amount of vegetation (small bushes), then it will slowly present more tight cordons, lower in height, with still some vegetation. The most complex element will be represented by some very tight, technical dunes (low, very close to each other, with sharp ridges and extremely soft bowls), which we will do our best to avoid, navigating within a more accessible corridor, until we'll reach northern Faqa's sabkha. I will have to patiently find appropriate places to cross the dunes and advance through this first segment of the itinerary. You will have to remain as concentrated as possible, and show the utmost respect for discipline, respecting convoy distancing and safety protocols to minimize refusals and stucks. Once reached northern Faqa, we will proceed through the area well away from AD's border, in the direction of Little Sweihan, with the goal of reaching as far as the sunlight will allow us to. Wherever we will be at sunset, there will be sufficient exit tracks to lead us toward Solar Park, which will be our final exit point. @Chinthaka Ruwan, @PaoloMaraziti, @Nihal17, @Alain Canivet-Abikhalil, @Sunil Mathew, @Darren Brooke, @Mario Cornejo and @Matt.T, I am looking forward to seeing you on Saturday afternoon. In the meantime, have a nice weekend.

Dear Desertnauts, welcome to this Friday's AM drive. As usual, I wish to give you a preview of what's to come. Tomorrow I'll complete the drive plan by providing the final convoy numbering, and radio frequency. This drive has been designed to take us into a more challenging area than usually chosen for Newbie drives. The idea, as often with Carnity, is to explore new locations, open up new routes, at first with higher ranked convoys, and later, once better tested, also to less experienced drivers. This particular itinerary, from Murqab to Faqa, has been driven twice before, once with Intermediates, and later with Fewbie Pluses. Bringing Newbies in this area will require some attention, both on my part as leader, and on yours as drivers. I will have to adapt the track to the Newbie level, patiently finding appropriate places to cross the dunes and advance, perhaps taking some time to groom the members to face more complex obstacles, and upgrade your off-roading skills. You will have to remain as concentrated as possible, and show the utmost respect for discipline, respecting convoy distancing and safety protocols to minimize refusals and stucks. There will be enough time to complete the drive, considering the cooler temperatures at dawn (which will give the opportunity of prolonging the drive, if necessary, into the morning), and the relatively short distance to cover (even though on complex terrain). The area will be at first characterized by tall, open dunes, with some limited amount of vegetation (small bushes), then it will slowly present more tight cordons, lower in height, with still some vegetation. The most complex element will be represented by some very tight, technical dunes (low, close to each other, with sharp ridges and soft bowls), which we will do our best to avoid, navigating within a more accessible corridor, until we'll reach northern Faqa's sabkha. Having said this, I'd like to welcome @Joseph Sebastian, @eldose baby, @Mohamad Anwer, @Mahesh Khatry, @Enrico Biscaro, @Nibu Venu, @Damien Ranjit, @Joji varghese, @Ramandbx, @Rsjiv Samuel, @Naim Aoun, @Hilal Sharafudeen, and @Alexander Alcala to the drive. The last update is due tomorrow evening. In the meantime, have a great end of the week.

Dear @hasan hamadeh. Thanks for your kind reply. I understand your point. Nonetheless, in order do advance in the ranks you should either complete the required drives (10 drives at Fewbie level to get promoted) or, if you have previous experience, you can request access to a specific rank, through the link and you will receive a feedback from @Gaurav or another member of the Crew. As it's not my decision to make, please follow the procedure above, and when promoted to the new rank I will be happy to sign you up for the drive. Thanks a lot for your understanding, and hope to see you soon.

Dear @hasan hamadeh, thank you for signing up with this drive. I have seen, however, that you are driving still at Fewbie Level, while this drive is designed for Fewbie Plus and above. I will have to sign yo out of the drive (I have seen you already have another drive during the weekend, so I hope you will still have enough fun). Thanks a lot for understanding. Have a great week. Good morning @Nihal17. Can you please confirm if you are still interested in joining Saturday afternoon's drive? Thanks a lot.

Hi @Nihal17. You can join the drive, as there have been 2 dropouts, and this would be your 1st drive. Thanks.

Well done @Russ. I have enjoyed seeing you progressing from your very first drive. Have fun at your new rank.

The Long Trek - Drive Report "Although the road is never ending, take a step and keep walking. Do not look fearfully into the distance" - Rumi We set off from Northern Qudra with the notion that our road would be long, would be hard, and that there would be no going back (to paraphrase W.Churchill 😅). The first half of the drive was on well known ground, from "the big farm off the roundabout on Bab al Shams road" all the way to the long range dunes beyond the bike track, and from there eastward to cross the tarmac close to Solar Park. The driving was smooth, in varied terrain (from long range dunes to technical area, deep bowls, then the lower red dunes between the bike track and the pylons). Virtually no issues slowed us down, and we managed to complete the first segment in 1:27 hours. The second segment of the drive took us, once again, through a different part of Lisaili, and eventually in the direction of Murqab, where we exited. All my latest drives in Lisaili have been on different tracks, always looking for new locations, progressively going more and more east, farther and farther away from the pylons. This is where the terrain keeps offering long range dune, with the addition of small sabkhas, tighter, newer formations, and several areas with groups of trees. It was certainly the more challenging part of the drive. Nonetheless, save a few stucks (as I reminded, sometimes it's better to exit a ridge - carefully - rather than trying to over-power it, as this may not always work, leading do getting crested), we managed to reach our ultimate goal, Murqab's tall dunes, just in time to see the sun dipping below the haze, on the horizon. Not only we arrived just in time, but we also reached the goal of this Long Trek drive - to equal or better the longest Fewbie drive I had done in the past (with the mark placed at 82 Km). Indeed, we covered 83.2 Km, in exactly 3 hours of driving (3:54 hours including the stops), at an average moving speed of 28 Km/h (21 Km/h total). I have to admit that the drive proved to be more complex and full of diversity than I expected. The convoy proved to be great, managing all possible situations, solving the stucks and few refusals with speed and competence, and keeping the concentration for the whole drive (as testified by the many spells of silence that indicated a convoy enthralled with the driving). In fact, this time the whole convoy's attention and concentration was the greatest asset on display. Great job by @Lakshmi Narasimhan in Second Lead, tireless support by @MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ at Center Forward, and a vigilant Sweep by @Christian Andras (your new tire set up, finally giving you peace of mind). the rest of the convoy - @Alain Canivet-Abikhalil, @Sunil Mathew, @Chinthaka Ruwan, @Ashok chaturvedi, @Humayun Ghias, @Russ and @Darren Brooke - went through the drive without a hic-up, completing it with great poise and perfect driving. Thanks a lot to all for the great afternoon. Enjoy the rest of the week, and hope to see you soon again.

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 Ban from Carnity Off-road Club Two Way Radio Guidelines Drive Details Level: Fewbie Plus and above Meeting time: 3:00 PM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZZLZV5xcjEXpwsp9 Action Plan: There is a stretch of desert, running parallel to E66, from Murqab to Faqa, which offers a challenging terrain, with all kinds of dune formations and occasional sabkhas. We'll make our own way along this route, our own Desert 66, with the goal of reaching Faqa's northern sabkha (no....it won't be close to AD's border 😁). From here on, the sky will be the limit, as we plan to drive westward as far as the sunlight will allow us to. 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 Thursday - 9 AM. 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

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: 5.30 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZZLZV5xcjEXpwsp9 Action Plan: There is a stretch of desert, running parallel to E66, from Murqab to Faqa, which offers a challenging terrain, with all kinds of dune formations and occasional sabkhas. We'll make our own way along this route, our own Desert 66, where members' technical skills will be tested, alongside with the need for patience, concentration, and resilience. It will be first time, at Newbie level, on this track. 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: 9:30 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

Dear Desertnauts, I'll fill you in on tomorrow's PM drive in the same way I'd like to manage our long trek: fast !! Meeting point - see below, as well as in the drive's post: https://maps.app.goo.gl/JmktsxXrpfie3SgLA WARNING: the meeting point is a bit tricky to find, when following Google Maps. I'll try to explain better. From Qudra's Last Exit, please take the road to Bab al Shams Resort (first right at the Qudra roundabout, coming from Dubai). Upon reaching the first roundabout, take the second exit, to reach this point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/oeXzNh6zySDJZ7Hf9 Once passed the bike track, please reach the meeting point by taking a right dirt track through the sabkha, until you reach a construction camp, where I will be parked. In case of need, please text me on +971.522163122. Planned itinerary - entering from northern Qudra and exiting at Murqab (Inshallah) Meeting time - 3:00PM (not later, please, as we are hoping to cover as much ground as possible, racing against the sunset) Convoy Order - as below: @Lakshmi Narasimhan will be in SL @Nihal17 at #3 @Alain Canivet-Abikhalil #4 @Sunil Mathew at #5 @MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ will be Center Forward @Chinthaka Ruwan will follow at #7 @Ashok chaturvedi at #8 @Humayun Ghias will be #9 @Russ #10 @Darren Brooke at #11 @Christian Andras will Sweep the convoy. See you tomorrow, at 3:00 PM. Have a great Friday.

Searching for Water - Drive Report "We can't help being thirsty, walking toward the voice of water" - Rumi Water must be in high demand during this hot and dry summer, as what was expected to be a 12 car convoy, driving around Qudra "Searching for Water", eventually became a 26 car affair. First and foremost, thank you very much @Gaurav, for taking the lead of the second half of the convoy, which made it possible to open the drive to all the many and enthusiastic waitlisted members. It was a pleasure to see @kiranshinde, @Joji varghese, @Savio Fernandes, @Adam James, @Damien Ranjit, @Gilbert Khalil, @Naim Aoun, @munkybizness, @Hilal Sharafudeen, @Richard Franks, @topgear and @varunmehndiratta, and I hope you enjoyed the drive as much as I did. As planned, we launched the drive along the bike track, cutting across central Qudra, exploring first the long range white dunes between the bike track and the pylons, where a great deal of slip faces end on flat surfaces, studded with mud rock formations, remnants of old sedimentary deposits of silt and clay, and testimony of a relatively recent past when surface water was available in this area. Water can still be found at 3 different locations, just north of the bike track: one is a natural set of fresh water pools, fed by a spring just above, the other is a small stream originating from the sand just below a tall dune, and the third is a the "famous" man made crescent shape lake that has recently seen headlines in the local press. North-west of here, just beyond a set of tall dunes and deep sand bowls, and past an area of technical dunes, the presence of water can first be guessed by the presence of numerous trees, feeding themselves with subterranean humidity, and then it becomes manifest with the appearance of a large lake, surrounded by a palm tree plantation. From here on, the terrain is made of the well known and navigated northern Qudra long range dunes, where the 2 more small bodies of water that we found, also in their still natural state, are the preview of the much bigger and landscaped Qudra Lakes. In all we managed to find and drive by 7 lakes or springs, and at the same time managed to quench our thirst for desert driving and exploration. A very well executed drive by all members. @Zixuan Huang - Charlie at SL, @Islam Soliman at CF and @MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ executed with precision and care their respective roles, providing an extra feeling of safety and control to a relatively inexperienced convoy. @Mahesh Khatry, @Alexanderrr, @Nibu Venu, @Ferl Brown, @Tom V, @Pieter Potgieter, @Ajit John, @Ramandbx and @Rsjiv Samuel, all drove very well and smoothly, certainly exceeding my expectations, responding with ease to the increased level of difficulty that the drive presented, especially toward the end. The couple of stucks and refusals that occurred in the final part of the itinerary, were likely the product of fatigue and loss of concentration, which is understandable considering the length of the drive. We ended up covering 63.3 Km, in 3:59 hours (including two long stops for briefing and relaxation), at the fast average moving speed of 28 Km/h (16 Km/h total). Thank you all again, from both convoys, for joining our search for water in Qudra's desert. See you all soon out there.

Dear @salah2u, I see you have signed up for this Saturday's afternoon drive. I cannot see your current rank, so I kindly ask you to confirm it, please. As this drive is marked for Fewbie Plus and above, I am afraid you may not be able to join, if you are not Fewbie Plus Thanks for your prompt reply.