Ale Vallecchi

@Chris Wingcopy that. Thank you. See you tomorrow.

Hello @Chris Wing. I have just realized that you are signed up in 2 drives tomorrow morning: this one, and @marks drive in Lisaili. Can you please confirm which drive will you join? Thanks for your prompt response.

Dear Desertnauts last info about tomorrow's drive. Please follow Google Maps to reach the meeting and deflation point, which will be just off the small tarmac road leading to the Ritz-Carlton Desert Resort (you may find signs indicating the resort on the motorways). This small road will be off to the right on the Al Shohadaa Road, shortly after crossing (or turning from) E611, just a short while beyond the Sheikh Khalifa Specialty Hospital. Once reached the meeting point, please park either on the right side of the tarmac road, or in the gravel space to the left of the tarmac. We will be using Carnity Channel 1 (446.006). As already mentioned, the nature of the drive will be easy relatively easy from the technical point of view. Due to the nature of the terrain, with a great deal of vegetation (grass, shrubs and trees), and the presence of many locals' tracks, we'll drive at a leisurely pace, occasionally facing soft sand, some sharp drops or climbs (both short), and looking to practice some ridge riding on the very soft tops of longitudinal dunes. Together with the very different, almost savannah-like nature, these will be the major attraction of the drive. We'll divert from the tracks I have already driven in this area, to go looking for a couple of fields of these longitudinal dunes, while we are sure to find them toward the end of the drive. The convoy order reflects, once again in my drives, the composite nature of the drivers, equally split between Intermediates and Fewbie (or FB+). Therefore, I'd like to alternate Intermediates (our "veterans") with Fewbies and Fewbies Plus (or "juniors", relatively speaking), as follows: @Anvar Sadath Bekal (V) at Second Lead) @PaoloMaraziti (J) at #3 @imranaasghar81 (V) at #4 @Chris Wing (J) at #5 @Rizwanm2 (V) at #6 @Nithin Vaidir (J) at #7 @MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ (V) will be Center Forward @Niki (V) at #9 @JeromeFJ (J) at #10 @Goutam(V) at #11 @Pacific (J) at #12 @Watteau (V) at #13, and @Foxtrot Oscar Sweeping the convoy. @Niki (V) at #11 @JeromeFJ (J) at I have also tried to pair Intermediate "tutors" with Fewbie members according to their cars' make, so that the former may provide guidance, and the latter may follow the example of a more experienced driver, with the same car, on the same terrain. Looking forward to seeing you ready to go at 5:30AM (please, sharp, considering the longer drive for those coming from Dubai). Have a great end of the week.

Thanks @Ehab for advising.

Hi @andy_macdxb. Would you like me to confirm your presence? Thanks

Copy that @Goutam. Thanks

Dear @andy_macdxb, dear @Goutam, I have decided to increase the final number of drivers to 14, so if you wish to still join this drive, please send me your confirmation, and I will add you to the convoy list. Thanks a lot.

Thanks @Goutam. I asked you because I had forgotten to close the drive after it reached its maximum RSVP, so when one member withdrew, signing was still open, even though there was already a waiting list, on which your name was not registered. To be fair to those who waitlisted yesterday evening, I will have to remove you from the drive, and place you on the waitlist, at #2. I will do my best to reopen the drive to include at least yourself and the #1 waitlisted. Just give me some time to see if it'll be possible. Thanks for understanding.

@Goutam may I ask if you joined the drive today? It was full yesterday, then one member withdrew, which opened up the waiting list, but I don't recall your name on it. Can you please clarify? Thanks a lot.

Dear Desertnauts a few info to prepare for next Friday drive. The area we will visit is not the usual sand box where we drive every weekend, but an inhabited area, although sparsely, where local farmers raise camels and goats, and grow fodder and vegetables. There is an abundance of tracks, that we'll follow most of the times, except when we'll choose to cross or ride some cordons of dunes (also quite rich in vegetation). The beauty of this area is in its diversity, with plenty of trees, and scenic spots, overlooking stretches of sabkhas dotted with acacia trees, which make them look like like African savannahs. The most stunning feature of this region are the longitudinal dunes, which cover most of the western and southern perimeter: we will drive along them, across them, and on top of their soft sand ridges. The last part if the drive, time and heat permitting, may be a small plateau of soft red sand, ending abruptly in steep slip-faces, right at the foothills of the Ajari Mountains. Red sand against black rock. It will be a scenic drive, with several photo opportunities, so feel free to bring your family, if you so desire. The driving will not be fast, and will not be extreme. Also, considering the quality of the convoy, with a great deal of Intermediates and Fewbie Plus drivers, I would like to extend the RSVP to 12 members. Therefore, the convoy will be composed of @Watteau, @Niki, @MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ, @imranaasghar81, @Anvar Sadath Bekal, @JeromeFJ, @Ehab, @Rizwanm2, @Nithin Vaidir, @Pacific, as well the 2 additions of @Chris Wing and @PaoloMaraziti. More info, and the final convoy order will be provided on Thursday evening. Have a great week. @Chris Wing, I have opened up the convoy to 12 members, so you are IN. Please confirm. Thanks @PaoloMaraziti, I have opened up the convoy to 12 members, so you are IN. Please confirm. Thanks @andy_macdxb you are now #1 on the WL.

Hi @varunmehndiratta. Thanks for advising. @Pacific you have a spot in this drive. Please confirm that you will join. Thanks a lot.

Hi @andy_macdxb. Will list you at #4. Thanks.

Congrats @TT_Dubai. Great going!

Excellent @Anish S. Very well done!!

Hi @Chris Wing. Will place you at #2 in the WL. Thanks Ciao @PaoloMaraziti. You are #3 in the WL. Thanks

Qudra to Ganthoot: Criss-Crossing Heaven - Trip Report "On a day when the wind is perfect, the sail just needs to open, and the world is full of beauty. Today is such a day" - Rumi Sun, sand, heat and wind. The essence of deserts, manifesting itself at its utmost during afternoon drives, like this one. While the heat was undeniable, with 41 degrees at starting time, and the sand as soft as expected, the sun played its role majestically, chasing us to the end of the drive, when it offered us a blazing sunset below the Ganthoot horizon. The wind, however, was the absolute star of the drive, blowing torrid in Qudra, ruffling the crests and making them very hard to read, as well as sweeping all traces of tracks in the Ganthoot stretch, where we drove on virgin sand. The wind also forced the convoy to approach the majority of the slopes, and making most criss-crossing attempts, from the north-east, the side from which it was blowing. This forced us to snake up and down the cordons, rather than attacking them from all sides. Still, a good exercise in this primary skill, which was well executed by all in the convoy (no stuck on crests, which on such a day, is a great testimonial to the drivers' ability). Differently from other drives, the experience of the members prompted me to create a rotation among them, switching Second Leads with Sweeps, progressively bringing the back of the convoy forward. Due to some time spent on fixing a pop-out, solving some refusals, and sorting a couple of technical areas, not all members managed to take both SL and SW positions, although all managed to try at least one of these key position. I feel this is an experiment that is worthwhile repeating, to offer more chances to all drivers in a highly skilled convoy to switch positions, and play key supporting roles. Therefore, no particular mention goes to single drivers for covering the Second and Last position in the convoy. The whole group did just great, providing well executed Second Leads, and Sweeps: @Thomas Varghese, @N@ved, @Gaurav Soni, @varunmehndiratta, @Mario Cornejo, @amir amiri, @Francois Germishuys and @marks, very well done. The only Desertnaut who got "stuck" with his position was @Yousef Alimadadi, on whose experience I counted to anchor the convoy, and support most refusals: thank you for your work. At the end of the day, the wind blew on our sails for 79.6 Km, driven in 3:07 hours of moving time (4:02 total), at an average moving speed of 26Km/h (20Km/h total average). Hoping to see you soon again, I wish you all a great week.

Hi @Pacific You are #1 on the WL. Thanks

Bravo @Russ. 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 and above When: 21 May 2021, Friday Meeting time: 5:30 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Action Plan: A drive in a little travelled area for off-roaders, in rather technical, but accessible, terrain. The pace may be slow, and the skills required will include finesse and control, due to the need to pick the right path through an environment with abundant vegetation (shrubs first, then trees), with sporadic animal farms, sets of soft sand dunes with little room to maneuver, and open sabkhas. This drive will test the complete set of off-roading skills, providing a good opportunity to make you a more complete desert driver. Part of the drive will explore an area of longitudinal dunes where we'll practice ridge riding on very soft tops. Meeting Point: https://goo.gl/maps/UsVoyEaC9YdZdJbG8 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: 10:30 AM THIS IS A COMPRESSOR ONLY DRIVE. WE WILL END THE DRIVE AT A 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 Fewbies and above drivers. 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. 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

@Midhun Ravindranath you can reach me at 0522163122, but you should not worry about not reaching the meeting point. You can easily follow Google Maps. See you tomorrow.

Dear @Suhaib Shaikh, @FARAZ MOHAMMED and @Midhun Ravindranath. Time to receive more information about tomorrow's Absolute Newbie drive. First of all, thanks for sending me the info regarding your past experiences, and available equipment. I will check the tow points when you reach the meeting point, just to make sure they are in good conditions. Those who have flags, please mount them, while I will assist you with deflating. Please, remember to come with a full tank. Regarding the meeting point, I have chosen a spot which is a bit out of the way from the tarmac road, as in the proximity of the turn-off there are a lot of road works, and we may not have enough space. As advised, please follow the Google Map directions. Once you turn off the tarmac (after circling 360 degrees around a roundabout) you will pass through an opening in the roadworks, and head toward an opening in the fence you'll see in front of you. One between myself (with a grey FJ) and @Chaitanya D (with a black Xterra) will be waiting there, to point you in the right direction. Please take that gravel road into the area, and drive for less than 3 Km before finding the meeting point. Either myself or Chaitanya will be already parked there: stop in a line on the side of the track, and wait to receive further instructions. Those of you with radios, please tune into Carnity Channel #1 (446.006). It would be best if you manage to have this frequency pre-programmed, or activate the dial-in function of your radio, so you may manually tune into it. After deflating I will announce the order in which each car will be driving in the convoy. Everything else you'll have to know we'll discuss and introduce you to, just before and during the drive. Looking forward to seeing you all tomorrow morning at 5:30AM sharp.

Hi @imranaasghar81. Thanks for advising.

Dear Desertnauts. One last info. Due to the addition of 2 Carnity Advisor Team members, I have restructured the convoy as follows: @Thomas Varghese #2 @imranaasghar81 #3 @N@ved #4 @GauravSoni #5 @Yousef Alimadadi at Center Forward @varunmehndiratta #7 @Mario Cornejo #8 @amir amiri #9 @Francois Germishuys #10 @marks in Sweep See you in time for a punctual departure.

Thanks @Arda Yagcioglu. Eid Mubarak to you.