Ale Vallecchi

Dear Desertnauts. Last info for tomorrow's PM drive. Meeting point: the actual meeting and deflation point is, strangely, marked wrongly on Google Maps. That's why you should follow Google Map's directions to reach the first link posted, which is just off the first roundabout after Qudra's Last Exit, on the road to Bab al Shams. Only after exiting the roundabout you can reach the actual meeting point (second map's link), through a dirt track just to the right of the track leading to the "villa"'s guarded gate. Deflation: please deflate between 10 and 11 PSI's, or as much as your tires will allow, as the hot PM's temperatures will make the sand quite soft and shifty, especially early on in the drive. Convoy order: @Thomas Varghese in SL @imranaasghar81 at #3 @Arda Yagcioglu will be #4 @N@ved #5 @Yousef Alimadadi will be Center Forward @GauravSoni at #7 @amir amiri in place #8 @varunmehndiratta at #9, and @Mario Cornejo will Sweep. As mentioned, at this IM and above level, I'd like each driver to be responsible for assisting in recoveries the car either immediately in front or behind (depending on which driver will be better positioned). This will ensure that everybody is exposed to recovery techniques. Bring a full tank, water to drink, snacks to enjoy, and your determination to safely practice criss-crossing. See you tomorrow, and Eid Mubarak to all.

Hello @FARAZ MOHAMMED. Yes it is. Make sure it has tow hooks for possible recoveries in the front and back of the car.

Dear Desertnauts. @Thomas Varghese, @imranaasghar81, @GauravSoni, @Mario Cornejo, @varunmehndiratta, @amir amiri, @Arda Yagcioglu and @N@ved, welcome to this drive. This Wednesday we'll be joining two itineraries - Western Qudra's long range dunes, and the Ganthoot drive - to create an almost seamless playing field, where criss-crossing will be the main dish on the menu. Conditions will vary slightly between the two segments, with longer, wider cordons during most of the first one, and closer, more bowl-like dunes in the second half of the drive. In between, a couple of technical dune fields, including one close to the planned exit point. The convoy is expected to move as smoothly as possible, concentrating on choosing the right angles to approach the crests, ride them as permitted by their length and smoothness (or lack of), and exit safely on the other side. Most of the approaches will be from the hard-face, as we'll progress following the wind's prevailing direction. Convoy order will be out tomorrow, but, as already done before in the case of IM drives, each driver will be responsible for supporting the recoveries of the car just in front or behind his own. Last minute info tomorrow. Have a great day.

Hi @Mario Cornejo. Likely on the road that will lead back to Qudra, west of the pylons, close to Ganthoot.

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: 12 May 2021, Wednesday. Meeting time: 3:00 PM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Action Plan: The western side of Qudra, running along the Saya as Salm Road (joining Qudra's Last Exit to the E75, is an almost uninterrupted field of long range dunes, lined up generally in a West to East direction. This area, starting from close to the Last Exit, through the usually driven part of Qudra (to the Solar Park's pylons, and beyond, all the way to the outskirts of Ganthoot, offers an endless criss-crossing paradise. While we have driven these tracks before (more the former, and much less the latter) in a few exploration drives (at different levels), this time we'll look to combine them in a long exercise in crossing ridges. Instead of returning to Qudra, this time we'll exit at the western-most side of the Saya as Salm Road, through a final area of technical dunes. Meeting Point: FOLLOW GOOGLE MAPS TO THIS FIRST LINK: https://maps.app.goo.gl/iNVP9yN1g4ZAwdyq5 This is where you need to exit the roundabout to proceed on the dirt track to your right, to reach the deflation point, located at: https://maps.app.goo.gl/pQQcfvkjFGkVFyEH8 (click this link after reaching the roundabout to access the meeting point). 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 8 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

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) What you'll learn: Introduction to off-roading. Desert driving basics and etiquette. Desert driving tips, techniques, myth and best practices. Off-road and safety gear familiarization and recovery procedures. Vehicle orientation, risk analysis, deflation and outdoor safety advice. 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. Why should I join? We will teach you how to self-drive off-road safely and learn the best offroad driving and recovery techniques. If you have already driven in sand before then you can learn more from experts having decades of offroading experience in the UAE. This area offers a good mix of playable long set of dunes and broad ridge to test your off-road control. Can my vehicle do this ? This drive is open for all 4x4/4WD/SUV/AWD vehicle having 8-10 inches of ground clearance and front and rear tow hooks. If in doubt please first announce your questions on the drive thread so we can advise you further. Any stock 4x4/4WD are most welcome, you don't need any vehicle modifications. Can I bring passengers ? Yes of course, but if you are absolute new to offroading it is better to drive alone first to avoid any distractions. Learn More About: Carnity Off-road Club STRICTLY: For ABSOLUTE NEWBIE who are driving for the first time with Carnity. MUST READ AND CLICK TOTALLY AGREE ON THE BELOW COVID19 PRECAUTIONS TOPIC MUST WATCH: NEWBIE VIDEO BRIEFING Drive Details Level: Only for "ABSOLUTE NEWBIES" or first timer with Carnity Off-Road Club When: 14 May 2021, Friday. Meeting time: 05:30 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/DHk1oMFT6PPAwFej8 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: 10:00 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 EVENT IN THE EVENT CALENDAR

Al Aweer to As far as we can go - Drive Report "Let me, O let me bathe my soul in colors; let me swallow the sunset and drink the rainbow.' - Khalil Gibran What I had in mind was a drive in true desert conditions: torrid and dusty, with soft, shifty and blinding sand. What we got was almost a miracle: a drive into dark clouds, under torrential rain, followed, just as quickly as it came, by a full rainbow, and beaten, wet, cakey sand. Words should leave their place to images, which I hope the better equipped members could capture with their Go Pros or mounted cameras. What I can say, climatic conditions aside, is that the main skill of the day - ridge riding - was practiced with great precision by the whole convoy, even though the uncommon terrain (wet and beaten on top, but soft and gluey just below the surface) provided an easier ground than usual when climbing, but a more reluctant surface when riding the ridges, with muddy sand quickly building under the cars, and forcing more than one exit from the crests. The main takeaway from the day, besides nature's wild beauty, hopefully was that it's possible to ride ridges without ploughing them down, driving along their curvy contours with just as much finesse as that required to tackle technical dunes, building and adapting momentum (as generated by the speed extracted from the engine, times the weight of the car), depending on the ridge length, curvature, steepness, and on the eventual exit point (weather forced or willingly chosen). I believe the experiment of alternating Intermediates with Fewbie Plus drivers gave good fruits, resulting in an overall sustained drive, during which there was never a moment of clear and present danger (in the case of this area, even more likely, due to the length and curviness of the cordons, and the omni-presence of bushes and small trees). Great support by @Craig Finlayson at CF, and @Shehab Alawadhi in SW, with @Lakshmi Narasimhan executing a clean Second Lead, and @Gaurav Soni and @Ali Abas promptly coming to assist when needed. Great job by @Pacific, @Batuhan Kulac, @Gok Krish, and @Ranjan Das. A special mention for @Probir Mukherjee, who came into the drive after a long absence from the desert, and overcame with patience and perseverance all the obstacles that the terrain, combined with his rustiness, threw at him, steadily improving his driving throughout the afternoon, all the way to executing a great self-recovery from the last ridge before exiting. Well done Probir, for persisting and getting your mojo back. At end of this eventful day, we fulfilled the goal of the drive, and went "as far as we could", driving 59 Km, in a total of 3:43 hours, of which 2:39 moving, at an average moving speed of 22 Km/h (16Km/h total average). Thank you all for joining, and see you soon again.

Hi @Lakshmi Narasimhan. No worries. Can you provide an ETA? Thanks

Copy that @Thomas Varghese. Sorry to hear this. Thanks for informing.

Hi @Probir Mukherjee. I cannot demote you, and you have nothing to worry about your position in the convoy. Just try to have fun and to drive safely. That's it 👍

Dear Desertnauts. A quick follow up about tomorrow's PM drive: the first objective will be to complete the crossing of the first 2 areas - Al Aweer to Lahbab, and Lahbab to Nazwa (via Mahafiz) the major skill we will practice in these areas will be ridge-riding, in a very controlled situation (not quite in a straight line, but rather steering along curvy ridges) the second objective, if time will allow, will be to extend the drive in the Pink Rock/Big Red area the skills we'll practice here, given that we'll likely reach the area later in the afternoon, will be fast pace and criss-crossing the convoy composition is studied to allow the tutoring of each Fewbie Plus driver by one Intermediate member, the former following the latter, alternating each driver in the convoy; The convoy numbering will be the following, with the letter V indicating "veteran" IM drivers, and the letter J indicating the more "junior" FB+ members: @GauravSoni in SL (V) @Lakshmi Narasimhan at #3 (J) @Thomas Varghese in place #4 (V) @Batuhan Kulac at #5 (J) @Craig Finlayson, will center the convoy (V) @Pacific will follow at #7 (J) @Probir Mukherjee at #8 (V) @Gok Krish in place #9 (J) @Ali Abas at #10 (V) @Ranjan Das will be #11 (J), and @Shehab Alawadhisweeping the convoy to safety. Please reach the meeting point, just at the outskirts of Al Aweer, in time (considering Ramada's traffic at that hour), and start deflating, taking into account the high temperature of the early afternoon. In reaching the meeting point, pay attention to road works, and a detour to reach Al Aweer, which is taking place on E611. The road works, combined with heavy traffic, may cause delays in reaching the location. We'll choose the radio channel on the spot. Looking forward to seeing you all tomorrow. Have a great evening.

Hello @Ali Abas. You can join the drive, if you wish. Can you confirm? Thanks

Qudra Scenic Site: Photo Hunt - Trip Report "A warm rainy day: this is how it feels when friends get together" - Rumi Angela (@Foxtrot Oscar) and Jamy are some of the oldest Carnity friends I have. I first met Jamy when she joined her first drive as a passenger of one of the Marshals, then her and Angela joined drives sharing the same car, as Newbies, while I was just promoted to Fewbie. And as good friends they signed up for this drive, which will eventually prove to be Angela's moment of truth and achievement. As often happens within the Carnity community, each drive becomes an opportunity to see old acquaintances, perhaps meet fellow country-men, certainly make new friends, and bring the family out for a leisurely morning together. This drive was no different, with the bonus of being orchestrated to be both Carnity's first Photo Hunt (an experiment that will soon be repeated, and may become a staple in our menu), and most of all, Angela's maiden drive as Marshal. Both ends were met with success, with the rain as a welcome, if uninvited, guest, providing a stunning scenography, of brooding clouds, wet tracks, windshields covered in diamond-like droplets, and a much cooler morning than expected (in all meanings of the word). Although the usual herds of gazelles that populate the first part of the drive did not materialize (except for a few, detected running up the dunes in the distance), we reached all the waypoints we had marked as scenic locations: the oasis with date palms, clay-rock outcrops, the 2 natural springs, the gnarly Ghaf trees at the beginning of a huge dune canyon, stunning views of Dubai on the horizon, and, last but not least, the oryx trotting in front of a low cordon of dunes, just while the sun was coming out. To insure that all selected locations were reached, Angela engaged in a perfect lead, mixing long range dunes, small technical areas, a string of roller-coasting sand bowls, and sabkha crossings. @Niki managed an impeccable Center Forward role, assisting in all recoveries, and Jamy @Desert Dweller enjoyed herself 100% from her Sweep position. Even though the convoy was composed of several first time Newbies, the number of refusals was minimum (with only one significant stuck, requiring a tug), and due mostly to the unusual nature of the terrain, crusty wet on top, but extremely soft and powdery once the surface was broken. My compliments to all drivers - @samamara, @aaron kamall, @Anoop Nair, @Sunil Mathew, @tarek, @Lucas Neo, @TT_Dubai and @Russ: great driving, with good control and well managed skills. Thanks for joining, providing great company, as well as giving Angela the opportunity to shine in her first Newbie lead. See you soon in the sand. Enjoy your week.

AUGURI di Buon Compleanno Sri !!

Hi @Ali Abas. Yes I will. You are the #1 in the WL. Thanks

Thanks @Lakshmi Narasimhan. I was missing your Wednesday AM drive. With that you have done the required 5 FB drives, so no worries. Thanks for clarifying, and see you on Tuesday.

Good morning @Lakshmi Narasimhan. Just a question. Considering this drive is a Fewbie Plus, with minimum 5 Fewbie drives already completed, can you confirm to me the number of Fewbie drives you have done? According to the latest version of our drive sheet (dated April 25th) you had completed 2 Fewbie drives. I can see you have surely also done at least 2 more drives this weekend, which would add to the total of 4 so far. Have you completed a 3rd drive since April 25th? Just trying to sort this out before I can confirm your participation to this Tuesday's PM drive (just following a rule we apply to all members). Thanks a lot for updating me.

Hi @darren thompson. Nice meeting you. The drive is aimed at Fewbie Plus members, who are drivers with 5 or more Fewbie drives. Even if hopefully you will achieve the upgrade to Fewbie, you would still require to take the minimum number if drives to qualify as Fewbie Plus. This applies to all members. Thanks for wishing to join, and hope to see you soon.

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: Fewbie PLUS Level and Above (Fewbies with minimum 5 Fewbie drives completed) When: 4 May 2021, Tuesday. Meeting time: 3:00 PM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Action Plan: This drive is a mix of the first 2 visits to this area, which were focused on exploring it and on ridge-riding. It will add an element of speed, since we'll be looking to extend it through Mahafiz and Nazwa's villages, possibly on toward Pink Rock, or even Big Red. Ridge riding will remain the main skill to be trained in this drive, while the element of exploration will apply mainly to the drive's possible extension beyond Nazwa. Time will be our main constraints, as in all afternoon drives, so there is no exactly planned exit point. We'll go as far as we can. Meeting Point: https://goo.gl/maps/jwbqdW28NvuP239v5 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 Fewbie Plus 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

Brava @Foxtrot Oscar Angela!!! Very glad to have seen you progress from your first drives, and proud to have been at your baptism of fire.

Dear Desertnauts. Here are the last minute's info and recommendations for tomorrow's drive. First, about the meeting point, it can be reached, as indicated by Google Maps, by driving from Qudra's Last Exit toward the Bab al Shams Resort, and entering the drive's area after circling the third roundabout (you'll see an ambulance stand and a mosque): cross the first opening in the guard-rail, the bike track (watch out for bikers, and for the road works), and drive though the gate until you should see my car waiting for the convoy on top of a very small hill. Please arrive at 6:00 AM sharp (or earlier). As soon as you arrive you can start deflating, and tune into Carnity Channel #3 (446.056). We will leave as soon as possible, but while the convoy is deflating you'll likely be able to start warming up to the photo hunt theme, by shooting the sunrise, on the left of the sand track, due to happen at 5:45am (hence, perhaps, you'd better reach the meeting point earlier). As mentioned in the drive's presentation, we'll be able to take pictures of the most scenic sights, ONLY 1) from inside the car, or 2) just standing next to your car (not in groups), and 3) taking portraits one at the time, while the rest will be waiting their turn, in the same order as the convoy's. The convoy will line up as follows: @Foxtrot Oscar (Angela) in SL @samamara in place #3 @aaron kamall at #4 @Anoop Nair #5 @Sunil Mathew in the #6 spot @tarek at #7 @Niki will anchor the convoy (Center Forward) @Lucas Neo in #9 place @TT_Dubai with jersey #10 @Russ in the #11 spot, and @Desert Dweller (Jamy) closing the convoy at Sweep. Get ready for the drive with a restorative rest, and to enjoy a picturesque drive. See you tomorrow.

Murqaab to Solar Park (and beyond): Long Range Patrols - Drive Report "Respond to every call that excites your spirit" - Rumi A small and experienced group of drivers met between the green Margham farms and the red sand plateau that separates this village from Nazwa. The goal of the day was to climb the bowls of this plateau, and use it as a launching pad to zoom across the technical dunes just to its west/south-west, reaching the Dubai-Al Ain Road, cross it, then entering the long range, white sand, Lisaili dunes, to exit at Solar Park. As it often happens with small groups, the going was fast, unimpeded by stucks (a few refusals were sorted out very quickly), which allowed to cover the various stages of the drive in the bat of an eye. It took 1:30 hr to reach the tarmac at Lisaili (which for a normal FB drive, in a 12 car convoy, would take up to 3 hours), and another fast 1:30 hr to drive from Lisaili's camel-drome to the 3 Trees, near Solar Park's road. Given there was still 40 minutes left of daylight, as recommended by the poet Rumi, we did "respond to the call that exited our spirit", and extended the drive in the general direction of Bab al Shams' exit. Half an hour later (31 minutes to be precise) we recorded the first stuck, on a perfect crest, overlooking the sun setting on the horizon just beyond our exit track. Also thanks to the short length of the convoy, we managed to experiment with shifting all drivers in all positions. We started with @GauravSoni in SL and @Shehab Alawadhi in SW, then moved Shehab to SL, to test and train his finesse driving on the technical dunes between Margham and Lisaili, and let Gaurav Soni take the sweep's place, moved on to have @Thomas Varghese in SL and @Arda Yagcioglu at sweep, and finished with Arda in SL and Thomas sweeping the convoy. I hope this gave all drivers the opportunity to share the responsibilities of the key positions of any convoy, and make hood use of this experience in the future. In the end, the drive managed to get included in the Long Range Patrol's series of drives, with a length of 102.2 Km, covered in 3:55 hours, of which only 38 minutes not moving, for a final average speed of 26Km/h (and 30Km/h while moving). Thanks to the members for joining, and hope to see you (and more) for the next edition of Long Range Patrols. Enjoy the weekend.