Ale Vallecchi

Hello @Jamil Abou Assali. You will be #3 on the WL. Thanks a lot.

Dear Desertnauts, @Tero Vallas, @Thomas Varghese, @GauravSoni, @Hisham Masaad, @Amir Amiri, @Rob H and @Abu Muhammad, to update you on the stalling FJ, I should inform you that, after taking the car in for a more thorough check, they found error messages concerning the sparkplugs, injectors and throttle areas, which were checked, cleaned or replaced, when necessary, so things should hopefully be OK now. Furthermore, they detected a leak in the water pump, which they replaced. This is why the repairs took more time than expected, and I was not able to post our "repeat" drive on time for this week. Nonetheless, I will post the drive for next week. I trust that Wednesday afternoon would still be the day and time of your choice: if so, please acknowledge, or suggest otherwise. This time the drive may be in a different area than Faqa. This is due to some controversy currently being played out regarding an incident which took place with the AD police, and which resulted in heavy fines being levied on one of our convoys. As a consequence, it has been decided to stay clear of this particular area, until the situation has become clearer, and brushes with the AD border will no longer be an issue. I will still choose a challenging and entertaining location for the drive, which will be disclosed when the "repeat" drive will be posted. In the meantime, I wish you all a great week.

Hi @Ivan Pironi. I will add you to the drive. No worries.

Hi @Richard Franks. Thanks for informing me. See you next time. Yes @Ivan Pironi, you are now in the drive. See you on Friday.

Dear Desertnauts. To update you on the upcoming drive, this Friday morning, I wish to share with you why this is one of my favorite itineraries. It will cover quite an extensive area, with different features, presenting diverse and (potentially) incremental challenges. Murqaab is a borderline location, where the sand turns from the red hues, typical of Badayer/Tazi Nazwa, toward the white blinding tones of Qudra's dunes, becoming progressively lighter in color as we move in a East-West direction (being chased by the sun). The vegetation will also go from quite abundant, near the start, to almost absent toward the middle of the drive (on Lisaili's plateau), then denser, again, getting closer to Solar Park. There may be encounters with camels, almost throughout the drive, often grazing freely, but occasionally walking in a caravan, while being taken out to pasture. The drive can be technically challenging, offering a degree of dune's types, ranging from tall and open, to tall but closed (lined up in canyons that we'll have to drive along), as well as low and technical (packed together in unorganized clusters) or long and more easily ridable. Given the abundance of Fewbie and Intermediate members having joined the drive, and with the great support provided by our Seniors managing the drive with me, I am playing with the idea of organizing the convoy in an unconventional way: either alternating each higher rank driver with a Newbie (making it almost a 1-on-1 tutoring drive), or creating small convoys within the convoy, each group of cars led by a Senior member, and 3 to 5 junior drivers following the more experienced off-roader. Of course we will all drive together, but we'll surely find a way of making the drive interesting and educational. At this point, I welcome @Paolo Pellegrini, @Alain Canivet-Abikhalil, @Pierre de Maigret, @varunmehndiratta, @Adhir Saxena, @Naim Aoun, @Gregory, @Alfred Alinazar, @Abdul Rafay-S, @Joseph Sebastian, @Luc Khaldoun, @Richard Franks, @Veedooshee, @Mukundan Nair and @Yousef Alimadadi to the drive. Looking forward to seeing you on Friday, I'll share more news by Thursday evening. Have a great week. Hello @shu yang. You will be #3 on the WL. Thanks a lot.

Copy that @Adhir Saxena. Looking forward to seeing you on Friday.

Good morning @Adhir Saxena. I have seen that you have signed up for both this drive and @Islam Soliman's drive on Saturday morning. As you may know, according to Club's policy, until Wednesday morning members are only allowed to sign up for 1 drive (second drives will be permitted from Wednesday, to allow all members to find a slot). Can you please choose either drive as your preferred first drive, so that we can confirm you, and waitlist you for the second choice? You will then be able to access the second drive of your choice from this Wednesday. Thanks a lot for letting us know.

Hi @Mukundan Nair. Will do. Looking forward to it. Thanks

Hi @Veedooshee. I will add you to manage the drive with me. It will be a pleasure. Hi @Thomas Varghese. You will be #2 on the WL. Thanks

Hello @Ivan Pironi. You will be #1 on the WL. Thanks.

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 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 MUST READ AND TOTALLY AGREE: BAN POST Two Way Radio Guidelines Every Offroader brings his own radio, programmed to the frequencies described in below advice topic. We will not share spare radios or program your radio on the drive. If you need assistance in programming the radio, post a topic on the Carnity website with your questions and we will help you out. Make sure your radio is fully charged. It will be your only way of communication while driving. Before buying, please carefully read below advice so you are informed properly on which model / cost / shops... No radio = No drive. It is an essential tool and you should make sure you bring it on every drive and learn/practice how to use it. MUST WATCH: NEWBIE VIDEO BRIEFING Drive Details Level: Newbie and above (All Level) Meeting time: 5:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: Next to Murqaab's Mosque https://maps.app.goo.gl/Q6UskoSE7r5b84EJ9 Action Plan: We'll start with the sun at our back, just after sunrise, and we'll continue driving, propelled on by the sun's warmer and warmer rays, directed to Solar Park. We'll face nice yellow long dunes at first, then we'll race on a "highway" of a sand track, carved among a set of very technical dunes, that will allow us to reach the heart of the Lisaili plateau's white color dunes, and on toward the natural conclusion of our sun-inspired drive, at Solar Park. 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 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

@Hisham Masaad a very deserved promotion for a very passionate, capable and kind person. Congrats.

Hi @Hisham Masaad. I have never used that particular meeting point since pre-Covid times, being aware that it's impossible to reach. No worries 😅. We'll meet in the sabkha north of Faqa (make sure you take the exit before Faqa town), and move from there, away from AD's border.

Dear Desertnauts. Last update before this afternoon's drive. It will be Faqa (north/central side, to avoid unpleasant border encounters), it will be fast (as much as the terrain will allow), and it will be long (as far as the daylight will allow). The general plan, as mentioned, is to push westward, following the sun, looking for different terrains as we go, alternating open with tighter areas, taller and longer with lower and smaller dunes., At meeting time it will be warm, so please deflate according to what we expect to be soft sand conditions. We'll choose the radio channel on the spot, based on the less occupied frequency. The convoy order will be as follows: @Tero Vallas in Second Lead @Thomas Varghese at #3 @GauravSoni at #4 @Hisham Masaad in #5 @Amir Amiri at #6 @Rob H at #7, and @Abu Muhammad will Sweep As usual, with Intermediate drives, there will not be rigid convoy responsibility, other than SL, with the task of perfecting the lead's tracks, and Sweep, tasked with making sure the convoy is driving together. Everybody else, including SL and SW will be involved in assisting recoveries, of the cars in front or behind, based on opportunity and need. Looking forward to seeing you in the afternoon.

CONGRATULAZIONI, COMPLIMENTI, BRAVI, to the new Extreme Team, @Ahab Shamaa @Francois Germishuys @Ilya @Christian Andras @Craig Finlayson @Jorge Stepniak Felippe @Kalahari @Shaaz Sha and @Tero Vallas. I have had the pleasure of driving with all of you, at one time or another, and it's been great seeing you constantly improving, rising to the challenges along the way, and going beyond what your minds and cars may have been telling were your limits, always overcoming, to become the cool and collected drivers you all are. Well done.

BRAVO @Islam Soliman. I am very proud of having driven with you so many times, seeing you constantly grow, and having had the pleasure of your company.

Dear Desertnauts as usual, a quick rundown of the upcoming drive. This time we will have a mixed focus. First we'll indulge in covering as much ground as possible in and around Faqa, starting from its north-west side, driving through its Ghaf-tree dotted long range dunes, across to the its southern reaches, with taller long range dunes rich in more bushy vegetation, then up the plateau of clean golden sand, through some of its bowls, until we'll reach the end of the Faqa area, to the west. Second, we will cross a couple of sabkhas and more technical area, following the sun in its westerly direction, to reach as far as we may, until sundown. These part may take us through Little Sweihan, slightly more south toward Ganthoot (Dubai side, of course), or more to the north, through the Middle Earth, with several exit points at our disposal. We'll try to keep the fastest pace possible, while at the same time, enjoying our maneuvers on and through the dunes, in a safe manner for both drivers and cars (Inshallah). @Tero Vallas, @Rob H, @GauravSoni, @Thomas Varghese, @Hisham Masaad and @Amir Amiri, welcome to the drive, and see you on Wednesday at 3:00 PM sharp, for an early afternoon departure.

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 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 MUST READ AND TOTALLY AGREE: BAN POST Two Way Radio Guidelines Every Off-roader brings his own radio, programmed to the frequencies described in below advice topic. We will not share spare radios or program your radio on the drive. If you need assistance in programming the radio, post a topic on the Carnity website with your questions and we will help you out. Make sure your radio is fully charged. It will be your only way of communication while driving. Before buying, please carefully read below advice so you are informed properly on which model / cost / shops... No radio = No drive. It is an essential tool and you should make sure you bring it on every drive and learn/practice how to use it. Drive Details Level: Intermediate Level and Above When: 2 June 2021, Wednesday. Meeting time: 3:00 PM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Action Plan: A fast paced drive, exploring the different facets of Faqa (from the arboretum to the tall and bushy long rage dunes, to its yellow sand plateau, and some stunning bowls), then on in a westerly direction, as far as the daylight will allow us. A hot and dusty itinerary, to test our all-around driving skills. Meeting Point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/9xyUJBq33B666r4E8 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), face mask, rubber gloves, enthusiasm and willingness to learn. Approximate finish time: 7:00PM THIS IS A COMPRESSOR ONLY DRIVE. WE WILL STARTING AND ENDING THE DRIVE AT THE SAME POINT, WHICH IS NOT CLOSE TO AN AIR LINE. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A COMPRESSOR, PLEASE DO NOT SIGN UP FOR THIS DRIVE. IF YOU ARRIVE AND HAVE NO COMPRESSOR YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO JOIN THE DRIVE. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE: Limited to 10 Intermediates and above drivers. 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. 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 BELOW CALENDAR

Hi @Zixuan Huang. You can rejoin if you want. No problem. Just let me know here. Thanks

Dear Desertnauts, without further ado, let's unveil the drive's meeting and deflation point: it will be at https://maps.app.goo.gl/V1SQwxnUEXJLGh4X6 just passed the mosque located near one of the Lisaili exits off E66 and the camel drome. The drive will retain an element of mystery, once entered the Lisaili plateau, as we may direct ourselves east toward Margham, keeping the sun at our back, or west toward Solar Park and beyond, following the sun's path. With the shorter convoy, we'll try to push the drive up one notch: we'll drive with the following revised order: @Thomas Varghese in SL @Marky B will be #3 @Shaaz Sha at #4 @Sunil Mathew will be #5 @MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ in #6, and @Jeepie will close the convoy No hurry to reach the meeting point before the established time. Arriving at 3:00 PM (not earlier) will be more than enough. We'll deflate at the meeting point, with the intent of driving down the pylon track for a while, and enter Lisaili's dunes around 3:30 PM. Without running unnecessary risks, I think that a desert drive must feel somewhat hot and dusty, so I don't mind getting ready to move around 3:30PM, considering also that temperatures will start to slowly drop toward the mid-afternoon. The Carnity channel that has been selected for this drive is Channel 4 (446.031). See you tomorrow afternoon, well rested and ready to go. Have a nice Friday evening.

Copy that @jeetu sharma. Hope to see you another time. No worries @shu yang. We'll see you next time. Enjoy your drives. My dear Desertnauts, as we just had a couple of dropouts, and since the remaining drivers are all higher ranked than Newbie, I am now pushing up the drive up to Fewbie level. We'll practice more skills and have more fun!!! See you on Saturday.

Dear Desertanuts, as promised, here's the convoy order for the drive. In spite of a few dropouts the convoy actually works out quite nicely. It will allow all the participating Intermediate drivers to tutor, almost 1 on 1, the less experienced members. Given a level of difficulty that, in places, may be challenging at this level, it is a blessing to have quite a few higher ranked drivers, who will take care to show the car immediately following them all the necessary tricks (approach lines, amount of gas, etc.). Each Intermediate member will also be responsible, with the Seniors' supervision, for the recoveries of the car following them. We will drive as follows: @Sunil Mathew at Second Lead @Thomas Varghese in #3 place, tutoring @jeetu sharma at #4 @Shaaz Sha at #5, tutoring @shu yang driving at #6 @MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ will sweep the convoy, and @Jeepie, who we hope will join us with either her Jeep or Richard's Pajero, will be Flying Sweep. Now the only thing that remains to be uncovered is the meeting point's location, and the drive's itinerary. You may have guessed, or you many not. Nonetheless, it will be a challenging and interesting Newbie drive, where the Intermediates' experience and knowledge will help the rest of the convoy to face all obstacles. Will be in touch tomorrow at 5:00 PM with the final tips. Have a great end of the week.

No worries Marjan @Jeepie. Just keep me informed. Thanks.