Ale Vallecchi

😁😎😀😉....I felt it coming!! Well done. You and your "killer whale" are now true icons. 👍

@Ahab Shamaa, will post it again soon. 👍

Sand to Mountains: Mission accomplished - Trip Report What a pleasure to drive in a little known area, where the only tracks on the sand are those of local farmers (with their un-plated, left-side driving, miniature vehicles), and camels. Everything in this area, yet to be named (to which we refer as E611 to Al Ghail), is different from the usual off-roading spots in the rest of the UAE. The red sand provides the growing environment for bushes, creeping plants, lone trees and vegetables (as found in one large farm along the way), as well as being the stomping ground for big camel herds, and occasionally, goats. This is also an area where endless longitudinal (Saif) dunes can be found, separated from each other by thin sabkhas, and by at least 3 huge pans of absolutely flat, black soil, dotted with a few tall trees (perfect campgrounds). The final surprise of the drive is the small plateau of powdery red sand, nested between the Al Ghail Industrial Area and the abrupt beginning of the Hajar Mountains. Red sand meeting, finally, black rock. A beautiful sight. This is the terrain which we drove and explored, with a very strong Fewbie group, which behaved and performed like a more advanced group. In fact, this drive is deceitfully easy: a great deal of ground can be covered driving on existing tracks, which, however, lead to apparently simple, yet treacherous obstacles, where soft bowls, deep ruts, molasses-like dune tops, sudden drops and invisible steps, hide behind low small dunes, or innocent looking turns. The sense of complacency that the presence of abundant tracks and the beauty of the landscape breed, can easily turn into refusals, stucks and long delays. So, I must say, this group performed extremely well. Congratulations to all, @Rizwan Waheed, @Dagdag Sofiane, @Senthil Kumar, @Tero Vallas, @Tamas Hoffmann, @Rizwanm2, @Ilya Golubinsky, @Biju Abdul with particular thanks to @Islam Soliman for providing a sure-footed and well executed Second Lead, @asifk for anchoring and assisting the convoy, and @Wrangeld for lending his experience and knowledge in the Sweep position. Great thanks for working well together, while respecting Covid rules, at recovering the only stuck of the day, on that crest with mountain views, in the last stretch of the drive. Good team work. The drive ended after covering 61.7 Km in 4:24 hours (of which 3:02 moving), at a total average speed of 14 Km/h (20 Km/h while moving), and a cumulative climb of almost 1 Km (from the lowest altitude of -37m) See you all out there, 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: Newbie and Above When: 31 October 2020, Saturday Meeting time: 6:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Action Plan: We will drive through the lesser known part of Qudra, on long range dunes, occasionally separated by small stretches of technical dunes, where we will practice finesse driving, side sloping, principles of ridge riding and crossing (low-medium dunes), at a leisurely pace. Meeting Point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/57DUAziL3dQBs7VG6 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: 10:00 AM 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 12 Newbie 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

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: 29 October 2020, Thursday Meeting time: 2:30 PM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Action Plan: IMPORTANT NOTICE - This is the second leg of a "marathon" drive, from Lahbab to Qudra. The first part will have taken us as close as possible to Dubai Skydive. The second leg will depart from nearby Murqaab (just across the Dubai/Al Ain Road), from where we plan to reach the Qudra area, through Lisaili's long range dunes. This second segment will cover another little visited area, through a mix of long range and technical dunes first, then on a sand track crossing a more technical area, finally through Lisaili's dunes to the Qudra basin, in the area of Solar Park. Finesse driving, side-sloping and dune crossing will be practiced throughout the drive. Meeting Point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/RNxcH4tWExJoLUJ66 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: 6:30 PM 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

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: 29 October 2020, Thursday Meeting time: 6:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Action Plan: IMPORTANT NOTICE - This is the first leg of a "marathon" drive, from Lahbab to Qudra. This first part will take us as close as possible to Dubai Skydive. The second leg will take place in the afternoon, departing from nearby Murqaab (just across the Dubai/Al Ain Road), from where we plan to reach the Qudra area, through Lisaili's long range dunes. This first part of the drive will cover a little visited area, from Lahbab, through some low, more technical dunes, to large, very enjoyable string of red sand bowls, then down to either Margham or Skydive, depending on hoe the drives evolves. Finesse driving, side-sloping and some dune crossing will be practiced throughout the drive. Meeting Point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/xd5Zhkx4EP9UtM567 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

ATTENTION: To reach the meeting point please take the exit immediately after the detour ends. There is a Ritz Carlton sign to follow there.

Hello @Mukundan Nair. You're welcome to join. Sorry for waiting so long to confirm. Please let me know if you're coming. Thanks a lot.

Hi @Tamas Hoffmann. Sure, you can join back. See you tomorrow.

Thanks for confirming @Abu Muhammad. I hope it's nothing serious. Have a good weekend. Dear @Ilya Golubinsky. A spot has opened up in tomorrow's drive in RAK. Can you confirm if you are able to join? Thanks a lot.

@Abu Muhammad I hope all is well. I heard you had troubles with your car this morning. When possible, can you please let me know if you can take part to tomorrow's drive? If not I'd like to let the next waitlisted member in. Thanks a lot for the news (and really hope all is good)..

Meeting and deflation point are the same. The link is correct and confirmed. Thanks.

Dear Desertnauts. Ready to explore an area rarely seen before!? Do not forget to wear your adventurer's hat, as we still know very little about what we'll find in this "Sand to Mountain" drive. There are numerous trails that we'll try to follow, with occasional detours in the open terrain. Occasionally, I may have to stop the convoy and exit the car to evaluate the best route. We may either be satisfied with what we find, or disappointed, and never think of driving here again. In any case, a certain degree of uncertainty awaits us. We are planning to exit around 10:30/11:00. Our convoy order will be the following: @Islam Solimanwill take Second Lead position @Syed Raza Hussain will start at #3 @Rizwan Waheed will start at #4 @Abu Muhammad will be #5 @Senthil Kumar will drive at #6 @asifk will be Center Forward @Dagdag Sofiane will be #8 @Tero Vallas is going to be #9 @Rizwanm2 will take #10 @Biju Abdul is driving at #11, and @Chaitanya D will Sweep the convoy. The meeting and deflation point is just off a small tarmac road, to the right of the main highway, leading from E611 toward Al Ghail. As there have been road works in the area, make sure you follow the signs to the new Ritz Carlton Al Wadi Desert Resort (the meeting point is on the road leading to it) Upon arrival please tune in to Carnity Channel 2 (446.031). Make sure you arrive with as full a tank as possible, and with all the necessary gear for this driving level. Besides the compressor, this means having at least a good shovel, and possibly a kinetic recovery rope (not yet mandatory as Fewbies, but recommended) Looking forward to seeing you Saturday morning, I wish you a nice start of the weekend.

Hello @Abu Muhammad. You are IN the drive. Can you please confirm that you will be joining? Thanks

Thanks for trying @Tamas Hoffmann. Hope to see you another time.

Hi @Mukundan Nair. You would be #3 on the WL. Thanks a lot.

Very well earned @Chaitanya D. Your love for off-roading is unequivocal, and totally worthy of this recognition. Congrats!!

Well done @Nabil Bishara. Enjoy the promotion.

Good job @Ilya Golubinsky. You are ready for it. Enjoy.

Dear Desertnauts, A few words about this exploration drive planned for next Saturday. Few words is all that I can use, since we have only visited this area once. The idea to develop a "Sea to Mountain" route came to me after driving the first portion of this itinerary (before joining Carnity). That drive seemed nice at the time, and indeed it still is extremely interesting, even though the vegetation in the area has exploded since more than 1 year ago, changing the look and feel of the area. That first route was then tested a few weeks ago, and driven by an Intermediate convoy less than a month ago. We managed to go from the seaside (next to Barracuda Resort) to almost E611 (even though the access has been sealed off since 2019, and we had to exit back on E311). Hence, the second leg of the "Sea to Mountain" route, renamed "Sand to Mountain", starts at the end of E611, heading in an easterly direction, toward the foothills of the Ajar Mountains. The area we wish to explore, roughly from the entrance of the new Ritz-Carlton Resort to the industrial outskirts of Al Ghail town, is relatively large, and is criss-crossed by several tracks, leading in and out of it, connecting several farms with the major tarmac roads surrounding the area. After last week's first Intermediate drive, we have chosen to open the drive to Fewbie drivers as well. This is to give all of you the opportunity to experience the double-edged sword of an "absolute first" drive, where the excitement of the exploration may be balanced by the challenge of driving in an unusual surrounding, completely different than our usual, purely sand based, stomping grounds. Free ranging camels, wild donkeys, longitudinal (Seif) dunes that suck your car down into their molasses-like sand, and, most amazingly, wide open plain areas with the look and feel of a savannah. This are some of the amazing situations and sights we will find and see during this exploration drive. All off-roading skills will be tested (finesse and control in particular), and at the end of the drive each should have gained a little more experience and knowledge about themselves, their relationship with their car, and the nature in which we'll be driving. @Syed Raza Hussain, @Tero Vallas, @asifk, @Rizwanm2, @Senthil Kumar, @Dagdag Sofiane, @Rizwan Waheed, @Biju Abdul, @Islam Soliman, @Tamas Hoffmann and @Chaitanya D, you will receive more info on Friday. In the meantime, have a great week.

Dear @Abu Muhammad, thanks for asking. You will be #1 on the WL. Hello @Ilya Golubinsky. You are #2 on the WL. Thanks for asking.

Thanks @Lorenzo Candelpergher. It was great fun being part of the drone shooting, and can't wait to see the final result. For me and the rest of the convoy the footage will be stunning, no matter what. Of course, I do look forward to more opportunities to perfect your work, so feel free to ask, any time you wish to fly the drone. I also appreciate your point of view on the over-driven segments we visited on Saturday. Heavily marked sand certainly tests your driving, in terms of use of power and control of the car. Better to get used to it, and know how to handle these conditions. Nonetheless, I will continue to look for less visited, and yet challenging areas, to bring a smoother and more unspoiled flavor to our drives. Thanks a lot for your enthusiasm and passion.