Ale Vallecchi

Dear Desertnauts. Quick briefing about tomorrow's drive. The goal is to drive for 4 hours and 21 minutes, from Khatim dunes north-eastward toward Sweihan. We 'll do our best to drive fast, with little detours, with the objective to cover as much distance as possible. Preparatory for overlanding, or any other long-range drive, we'll look to flow smoothly and with as few interruptions as possible. The convoy order will be the following: @Sam Selim in Secobd Lead @Wayne Momsen at #3 @Krinesh at #4 @ChrisW at Center @Giacomo at #6 @Glenn W at #7 and @J-P L in Sweep. See you all tomorrow morning.

We request that every member joining this drive go through the information below and strictly follow these guidelines, etiquette, and responsibilities. MUST READ AND COMPLY Environmental Policy 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 Meeting time: 08:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/8L7RbSG5KNMM8zVa9 Action Plan: Following a previous exploration drive in the area and combining it with one of the "West of Africa" series (the area of desert to the south-west of Sweihan), comes the idea of this Marathon drive. What makes a marathon so unique is that it is impossible to run without the right level of preparation and training. Clearly a "long-range" drive, this one will need the stamina, concentration and the will to persist that characterizes marathon runners, as well as the skills to drive at a fast pace, and keep the convoy flowing smoothly through the dunes. To make this a proper marathon, since the average time required to complete a marathon amounts to 4 hours and 21 minutes, we plan to drive for this much time. Once achieved this goal, we'll proceed to the nearest exit point, wherever it may be, in the vicinity of Sweihan. 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: 18:00 PM P.S. Only join if you have a compressor to inflate your tires after the drive. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE This drive is limited to 10 cars only. RSVP will close on Friday - 1 PM. If the RSVP is full, you can add your name to the waitlist, once anyone drops, you will be moved to the RSVP list. RSVP will close a day prior to preparing a convoy 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 RSVP HERE BELOW

Dear Desertnauts, After a few last minutes cancellations, we finally should have a compact, qualified, and possibly fast paced convoy, to tackle with the same ease and skill the technical areas at the beginning of Faya's track, as well as the longer-range dunes more to the south, or closer to Sweihan. The goal is actually to cover around 70 Kms, from Faya Truck Road to the proximity of Sweihan proper, on mixed terrain, at a good pace. The convoy order will be: @Myrko in Second Lead @Abdullah A. at #3 @saumik1989 at #4 @JohanE at #5 and @Dan S in Sweep. Please note the revised meeting time is at 8:00 AM, tomorrow morning, with the goal to leave as soon as possible after that. Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow. Have a great evening.

Hello @Myrko@Dan S@Theo Prado@saumik1989@Chrismayer@Abdullah A.@Shary@Kashx2@JohanE@Amr J First of all, all my best wishes to @Frederic for a swift recovery. Get well! I'll do my best to follow in the footsteps laid by Fred. At the same time, I'll bring a little bit of my own style to the drive, by trying to make it a longer range track: while still focusing on the more technical side of Faya, we'll look to end it as close to Sweihan as possible, by speeding up the pace in the longer range dunes to the south-east of the technical area. See you on Sunday morning.

Sorry @ChrisW and @Sam Selim I will arrive 10 min late. Thanks for waiting

Dear Desertnauts a last-minute brief due do work constraint. But, also, there is not much to brief with this drive. It's an exploration, in an area which I visited well pre-Covid, and never went back to. I recall there was a lake of sorts, which we'll look for, and a nice long cordon of soft dunes. Apparently, a challenging track, even if a bit short. If we'll make good time, we can cross into the Al Faya area toward Sweihan, to prolong the drive. The convoy order is very simple: @ChrisW in Second Lead @lucas amat at #3 and @Sam Selim in Sweep. I may reach the deflation point just around 2:30. Looking forward to seeing you there.

Good morning @ChrisW. Yes that is the meeting point. I had updated the post's main page, but not the post's thread. See you there this afternoon. I may be a few minutes lates due to work. Thanks for reaching out.

We request that every member joining this drive go through the information below and strictly follow these guidelines, etiquette, and responsibilities. MUST READ AND COMPLY Environmental Policy 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 Meeting time: 14:30 (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/2mnLichkN98iLkvp9 Action Plan: A new exploration drive, west of Sweihan, we'll move from an entry pointy along E20 in the direction of Faya Truck Road, along a long and thin cordon of dunes, with the possibility of crossing Faya Truck Road into the cordons closer to Sweihan itself. It's kind of "in the middle of nowhere", with the name Al Adlah referring to a road just south of our entry point, crossing a stretch of virtually nothing, except a couple of what looks like farm areas. Another possible track for future drives. 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: 18:00 PM P.S. Only join if you have a compressor to inflate your tires after the drive. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE This drive is limited to 10 cars only. RSVP will close on Friday - 1 PM. If the RSVP is full, you can add your name to the waitlist, once anyone drops, you will be moved to the RSVP list. RSVP will close a day prior to preparing a convoy 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 RSVP HERE BELOW

Hello @J-P L. Posted as below: https://maps.app.goo.gl/rMZTLTByTvAgN6Be8

Dear Desrtnauts belated briefing for tomorrow's weekend drive, due to last minute preparations for my first trip of the fall. Luckily, as mentioned, the drive plan is straightforward: proceeding in a line from Lisaili (see meeting and deflation point) to Solar Tower, through almost entirely technical fields of dunes (interrupted by a couple of small sabkhas). The "way to the Chimney", as the Solar Tower was called during its constructions. Not too complicated in terms of navigation, with the landmark always clearly in sight. Get ready to ride lots of ridges, with the intent to follow their lines, and avoid as much as possible going up and down into small but treacherous bowls of soft sand. If all goes well, once reached the Solar Tower we can try to exit through Lisaili's field of long-range dunes, to reach the exit point at The Three Trees, just by the Qudra to Solar Park roundabout. The convoy order will see the Intermediate and Support Team mixed in with the other drivers at regular intervals, with the task of each assisting the couple of cars directly in front of, or behind, them: @Glenn W in Second Lead @Warbs at #3 @Martin M at #4 @J-P L at #5 (Center) @B.K. at #6 @Sherry Jacob at #7 @Sunstreaker at #8 and @Giacomo in Sweep. Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow afternoon, here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/rMZTLTByTvAgN6Be8

We request that every member joining this drive go through the information below and strictly follow these guidelines, etiquette, and responsibilities. MUST READ AND COMPLY Environmental Policy Offroad Flag Guideline Two Way Radio Guideline Off road Driving Etiquettes Emergency details for all off roaders Off Road Driving - Roles & Responsibilities Drive Details Level: Fewbie Plus and above Meeting time: 02:30 PM Meeting Point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/rMZTLTByTvAgN6Be8 Action Plan: As the theme suggests, this will be a straightforward drive plan: from Lisaili in a straight line to Solar Park's Solar Tower, through one of the most complex, and large, technical dune fields. This is where Carnity conducts one of its sessions of "Leaders Lead" training sessions for future leaders. The infamous and feared " way to the Chimney". A place that tests true driving skills (relying much less on one's car power or upgrades), as well as control, patience and stamina. Yet a truly beautiful area of Dubai's deserts, dotted with small sabkhas, groups of Ghaf trees, and the occasional camel train. What to bring along: Loads of water, snacks (for yourself), smiles, 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. RECOMMENDED OFF-ROAD GEAR: Tire deflator & Tire pressure gauge Compressor (MANDATORY) Walkie-talkie radio (MANDATORY) Off-road flag (MANDATORY) Shovel, Tow Rope & 2 Shackles First-aid kit Fire extinguisher. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE This drive is limited to 10 cars only. RSVP will close on Friday - 12 PM. If the RSVP is full, you can add your name to the waitlist, once anyone drops, you will be moved to the RSVP list. RSVP will close a day prior to preparing a convoy list. Latecomers will be returned - Without any exceptions. Members without RSVP will be returned - 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 CALENDAR

Hello everyone. I am running a few minutes late. Sorry.

Sure @Diego. Please come. See you this afternoon. Thanks

Dear Desertnauts, a few words about tomorrow's drive. As it'll truly be a premier and exploration drive, we'll have to rely on connecting waypoints marked on paper, that hopefully take into consideration at least a couple of openings through fenced in areas, in order to achieve our goal of going from Khatim to Faya. This would allow us to establish a suitable route to be added "as is" to our Carnity's menu of drives, or to be used in a possible "overland", multiple emirates drive, to be planned during the cooler season (ex. Faqa to Kathim via Nahil, and Sweihan). It may also as well be that we'll end up circling back and simply exploring a smaller area, if luck won't smile upon us. The convoy order will have higher ranked members alternating with, and tutoring, lower ranked ones: @Aser in Second Lead @Soap at #3 @Glenn W at #4 @ChrisW at Center @Herman G a5 #6 @Sam Selim at #7 @Warbs at #8 and @Andrew John Melvill at #9 See you tomorrow (with as full a tank as possible) with the goal of leaving as close to 3:00 PM as possible.

We request that every member joining this drive go through the information below and strictly follow these guidelines, etiquette, and responsibilities. MUST READ AND COMPLY Environmental Policy Offroad Flag Guideline Two Way Radio Guideline Off road Driving Etiquettes Emergency details for all off roaders Off Road Driving - Roles & Responsibilities Drive Details Level: Fewbie and above Meeting time: 03:00 PM Meeting Point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/8L7RbSG5KNMM8zVa9 Action Plan: Another exploration coming up, this time a drive not preceded by a scouting trip, as sometimes previously done in order to prepare the track. We'll venture from Al Kathim (off of E22) in search of a passage to take the convoy all the way to Faya (along Faya Truck Road). This could be a seamless drive on nice sandy dunes, or one where we may need to find passages across sand roads and farmsteads. Let's the spirit of adventure prevail and help s come up with a new itinerary to be added to our menu of drives. What to bring along: Loads of water, snacks (for yourself), smiles, 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. RECOMMENDED OFF-ROAD GEAR: Tire deflator & Tire pressure gauge Compressor (MANDATORY) Walkie-talkie radio (MANDATORY) Off-road flag (MANDATORY) Shovel, Tow Rope & 2 Shackles First-aid kit Fire extinguisher. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE This drive is limited to 10 cars only. RSVP will close on Friday - 12 PM. If the RSVP is full, you can add your name to the waitlist, once anyone drops, you will be moved to the RSVP list. RSVP will close a day prior to preparing a convoy list. Latecomers will be returned - Without any exceptions. Members without RSVP will be returned - 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 CALENDAR

Hi @Sandeep N. I already counted you in. Please come. I have modified the convoy accordingly. Thanks and see you later.

Hi @Kashx2. Just published. See you tomorrow. Thanks

Dear Desertnauts ready to ball at the rhythm of Country Music, with a medium range drive (50 plus Km) that will take us from the Sweihan Ramlat area (big bowls and long-range dunes) through Sweihan's Pond, in a loop that will bring us back to Sweihan town. Medium level difficulties that we'll navigate at a pace that will depend mainly on the conditions of the sand, and how the slopes and ridges have transformed in a period of high winds such as this past few days. The well mixed convoy will line up as follow: @Giacomo in Second Lead @Bhaskaran Ramaswamy at #3 @Warbs at #4 @Myrko at #5 @Steve Farmer at #6 @ChrisW at Center @Shary at #8 @Kashx2 at #9 @Glenn W at #10 @Krinesh at #11 and @Aser in Sweep. See you tomorrow ready to go at 3:00 PM. Have a nice end of the week.

https://open.spotify.com/track/1fEZauQrdJi6S6Xzvd9dMn?si=gCWJKP_HTAO4Z0rLexqhcg

We request that every member joining this drive go through the information below and strictly follow these guidelines, etiquette, and responsibilities. MUST READ AND COMPLY Environmental Policy Offroad Flag Guideline Two Way Radio Guideline Off road Driving Etiquettes Emergency details for all off roaders Off Road Driving - Roles & Responsibilities Drive Details Level: Fewbie and above Meeting time: 03:00 PM Meeting Point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/zHTU54Dek3K5hpZH7 Action Plan: First of a new series of drives dedicated to Country Music. Even though it is distinct American genre, it blends the folk music traditions of English, Scottish, and Irish immigrants with elements of African American blues, gospel, and other musical styles. Invariably, the stories told through Country music are based on everyone's most human and truest feelings - love, family, the rewards of one's work and the pleasures of one's leisure time - infused with fascination for being on the frontier of exploration and at the forefront of cultural innovation and exchange (what was once the feeling of living in America, and is now what feels like living in the UAE). Hence, each installment of this series will pick a song that will embody the spirit of the drive. This time it will be "Country Boy's World", by Jason Aldean. It tells the story of a "country boy" and his world, contrasting it with the experiences of someone unfamiliar with that lifestyle, a little bit "unfamiliar" like most of us must have felt faced for the first time with life in the UAE, and most of all facing its deserts and raw nature. What better area than Sweihan Ramlat to embody this feeling of frontier, wilderness and adventure.... What to bring along: Loads of water, snacks (for yourself), smiles, 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. RECOMMENDED OFF-ROAD GEAR: Tire deflator & Tire pressure gauge Compressor (MANDATORY) Walkie-talkie radio (MANDATORY) Off-road flag (MANDATORY) Shovel, Tow Rope & 2 Shackles First-aid kit Fire extinguisher. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE This drive is limited to 10 cars only. RSVP will close on Friday - 12 PM. If the RSVP is full, you can add your name to the waitlist, once anyone drops, you will be moved to the RSVP list. RSVP will close a day prior to preparing a convoy list. Latecomers will be returned - Without any exceptions. Members without RSVP will be returned - 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 CALENDAR