Ale Vallecchi

"Looking up gives light, although at first it makes you dizzy" (Rumi) - Ridge Riding Bonanza Report Before diving into the trip's report, I'd like to start a new way to introduce my reports, with the words of the great Master Rumi, inspired by some of the things that the drive allowed us to do, seek, or overcome. Looking up we did, to the top of the dune, looking for the right line to reach the ridge, during this "premiere" Ridge Riding Bonanza drive. And perhaps, it made some of us dizzy, while riding the taller dunes we encountered, trying to stay on top, yet looking for a safe exit down. From the very beginning, at the outskirts of Al Aweer, almost to the very end, near Mahafiz's mosque, the landscape gave us an endless set of extremely long range dunes, a true paradise for ridge riding lovers, which we tried to exploit to its maximum. I have counted 50 ridges driven, on the drive's recorded track, some of which very, very long, As announced, the main difficulties in riding the top of these dunes were twofold: first, the vegetation, sparse enough not to be a nuisance, but sufficiently omnipresent, all the way to the top of the dunes, to present obstacles that needed constant navigation, and second the wavy, curvy nature of the ridges, which needed actual driving, and not just powering through. These two characteristics, required a very careful choice of approach to reach the ridges, the ability of exiting the dunes, when necessary, avoiding the small sappy trees dotting their slopes, and most of all an absolute concentration, and control of the car, while on top of the ridges. Continuous accelerations, or decelerations were necessary to make sure one didn't overshoot a curve, lost momentum on an upturn of the dune, or veered out of control on a downturn of the next line. At times, the cars came almost to a standstill on a bumpy spot, just to power out and regain momentum on the following straight line. An additional safety requirement was added to the drive, which called for every car to exit the ridges whenever a car driving in front, anywhere in the convoy, got stuck or had problems. This made sure that we avoided multiple stucks on the ridges, and also functioned as a training exercise on choosing the right side, and line, to safely exit a ridge. Considering all these challenges, it was amazing that, in the end, we finished the drive with only 2 stucks on ridges, both self recovered (with the help of a bit of shoveling), and a few refusals, coming mostly from climbing steep slopes at an angle, or reaching a ridge from the slip-face. My great thanks go to @Niki Patel, who managed to follow all instructions, and making a few significant re-routings imposed by the treacherous terrain, to @MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ, who has now become one of my most trusted Center Forwards, and to @Nabil Bishara, who calmly and expertly swept the convoy to safety (not an easy task from a very heavily marked trail). Hats off to @sheri and @soumyasaklani for debuting at Fewbies in such a tricky drive, to @Hossam Anwar, @Trekado, and @Ahmad Shaker, for driving with poise and control, and to @Thomas Varghese, @Ranjan Das and @Mario Cornejo for skillfully, and safely, navigating the back of the convoy on a well trodden, and unstable, path. At the end of the day, we all retired with another long and fin drive under our belts, having driven for 67.7 Km, in 3:58 hours (of which an abundant 3:10 moving), at an average speed of 17 Km/h (of which a brisk 21 Km/h while moving, considering we were often on ridges, or snaking between trees). Enjoy the rest of the weekend, have a great week, and see you soon in the sand.

My beloved Desertnauts, in preparation for tomorrow's drive, just a few more info. First remember that this will be a "premiere" drive, with the possibility of some re-routing, and some change of course along the itinerary. In particular, the greatest uncertainty will be the amount of vegetation in the area: not too dense, but made of small trees and bushes, most often not too close together to make the drive too complex, but located on the slopes and even close to the ridges, so that we may have to exit the dunes prematurely, to find another way across, or around. The dunes' ridges, also, tend to be very "wavy" rather than straight, which will require expert handling of the car while riding them, with the ability to steer on the ridges, and control the momentum, at all times. Concentration and quickness in reacting will be required to overcome both of these obstacles. The convoy order tomorrow will be as follows: @Niki Patel in Second Lead @sheri in place #3 @soumyasaklani at #4 @Hossam Anwar in position #5 @Trekado at #6 @MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ will anchor the middle of the convoy @Ahmad Shaker in place #8 @Thomas Varghese will take position #9 @Ranjan Das at #10 @Mario Cornejo will be #11, and @Nabil Bishara will Sweep the convoy. Please come with a full tank, at 6:00 AM sharp, at the meeting point, just at the outskirts of Al Aweer farming village (follow Google Maps from the pin posted on the drive's announcement). As you reach the meeting point, please tune into Carnity channel #3 (446.056). Enjoy your end of the week, and see you tomorrow.

Hi @Thomas Varghese. No point going to tomorrow's starting point, as it's at the end of a road, just before the sand starts. It would be risky for you to venture in alone. We'll see tomorrow. You can drive on tarmac and see of the car overheats anyways.

Thanks @Thomas Varghese. Please let me know as soon as the trial has been done.

Copy that @Antony Calvin. Thanks for confirming Hello @Thomas Varghese. If you confirm your car is desert ready I can add you back to the drive. Please let me know. Thanks

Good to hear that @Thomas Varghese. As per club's policy, I will reinstate you in the drive by tomorrow morning, if I do not receive any response from Antony, who preceeds you in the WL. Thanks.

Hello @Antony Calvin. Can you please confirm if you are still interested in joining this drive? Thanks a lot.

Dear @yunus Kazi, you did well. Make sure to continue driving with convoys, now at Newbie level, to further practice and improve the basic skills we learned last Friday. Enjoy.

Copy that @Thomas Varghese. You will now be #2 on the WL. Thanks a lot.

Hello @Antony Calvin. I have one spot also for you in the drive. Can you please confirm? Thanks

Sorry to hear that @Thomas Varghese. I hope your car gets better soon.

Well done @varunmehndiratta

Hello @sheri. If you are still interested in this drive, I have an open spot for you. Please confirm. Thanks

Dear Desertnauts, here is a small taste of this Friday's drive. First of all, it will be another "premier" drive for Carnity. The itinerary is a mix of two tracks, first from Al Aweer to S149, then, after crossing the tarmac, from the eastern outskirts of Lahbab (where the first segment ends) to the Mahafiz Mosque. Both tracks have been tested once, the first half during an Advisors' recce drive, the second part with a week-day drive convoy. Even this second segment will partly be on an unexplored track, that will first point south-west toward Nazwa, then will revert to the east, in the direction of Mahafiz. The terrain is mostly of very long range dunes, with large humpback ridges, which at times become sharper, but always showing two degrees of difficulty: first, there are bushes and small trees on most of their slopes, which may force early exits, and second, they tend to be meandering, rather then being straight, forcing the driver to follow their curves, and manage to stay on the ridge while steering and controlling the car's progression with a steady momentum. The first part of the drive will also be across quite a few older tracks, left most likely by locals, who seem to favor this area close to Al Aweer for sunset viewing and picnics. The same seems to be the case for the initial part of the second half of the drive (locals' tracks, slowly disappearing as we drive deeper into the desert.). Given the novelty of the itinerary, and some degree of difficulty of the ridges we'll be looking to ride. this time more than ever, be sure to come as fresh and concentrated as possible, and ready to experience some adjustments to the route. In the meantime, @Hossam Anwar, @Ahmad Shaker, @Niki Patel, @Ranjan Das, @Trekado, @MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ, @Thomas Varghese, @Mario Cornejo, @soumyasaklani, enjoy your week.

Well noted @varunmehndiratta. Enjoy the party 🤪! Hello @asifk. You have a spot in this drive. Please confirm your interest, and I'll sign you in. Thanks

Responding to the challenge - Absolute Newbie Trip Report Dear @JeromeFJ, @yunus Kazi, @Chris Wing, @Richard Franks and @Kareem El Fouly, congratulations for completing your first Carnity drive. You earned your first stripe, and are ready to tackle the next Newbie challenges. As I mentioned at the end of the day, they may be easier than last Friday's drive, when the quality of the convoy prompted me to push beyond the limits of an average introductory day in the desert. I am very proud of how each of you managed to face increasingly difficult terrains and obstacles, learning to straight-crossing low and medium dunes, side sloping on higher and higher inclines, and finally, approaching and riding smooth ridges, and finally the first rudiments of criss-crossing, on safe long and open dunes. The last two of thus skills will not be testes again until your first Fewbie drives, which is a testament to your quality of driving, and coolness under pressure. Also, well done on a few self recoveries, under the skilled guidance of @Jeepie. We all hope that @RajaSekhar Kodali, who unfortunately had to exit quite early on, due to the damage to its front bumper and radiator, is doing OK, and hopefully will get his car back soon. May this incident serve as a hard learned lesson on how to manage an approach to the crossing of dunes, that is initially with not more than 30% of the car's full power, and in complete control of the momentum, to avoid jumping off the crest, and landing on your nose. Well done everybody for completing quite a long drive, lasted 4:07 hours, of which 2:37 moving, covering 59.2 Km, at an average speed of 14 Km/h, and 23 Km/h while moving. I hope to see you soon again in the sand. In the meantime, I wish you a good week.

Hello @sheri. You will be #2 on the WL. Thanks Hello @Antony Calvin. You are #3 on the WL. Thanks

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

Unstoppable - Ganthoot Blitz (The Sequel) Report At the time of my writing, the news of the eventful day has already become public, and everybody in the Club knows two facts: 1) even very skilled drivers as @Ilya Golubinsky may incur in a chain of events (missing the line to the ridge, and instinctively steer against gravity to regain that line) that can eventually lead to the unexpected (a flip, with the car ending on its side, just across the ridge); 2) perhaps the incident was well studied (considering it left the car unharmed and the passengers just a little shaken) to discourage Ilya's In-Laws from visiting Dubai too often 😈 🤪😜 Jokes aside, it truly was a thrill filled drive: an early departure, driving into the sunrise, quite a fast pace across technical areas and long range dunes, criss-crossings, ridge-riding, high speeds on sabkhas, small and big groups of oryx, and beautiful palm-trees half buried in the sand. The great team effort and coordination during the recovery, with each driver contributing knowledge, ideas, or simply encouragement, was the living proof of Carnity's commitment to its members safety and well-being. Everybody came together, calmly and cool headed, to assist the upended passengers first, assess the situation, providing ropes, shackles, and all the other necessary tools to sort out the flip, and the consequent pop-out. @Ahab Shamaa was the winch-man, @Islam Soliman the anchor (not only of the convoy), @MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ, @Mohamed Seidam, @Ashok chaturvedi, @Tero Vallas and @Gregory Perkin provided their tools and ideas, @Archibald Jurdi and @Junaid120120, the more junior drivers, assisted and learned the handling of one of the most challenging recoveries they will ever encounter. Many thanks also to @Foxtrot Oscar Angela for supporting my own assessments, and providing her guidance with the recovery of the flipped car from the crest. The "flip' itself, was very much textbook of what NOT TO DO, so in a way (thanks to the fact that nobody was hurt, and all ended well) it provided a great learning moment for the whole convoy. As seen from my rearview mirror, I can say that Ilya's approach to the crest was a bit too low, just below the ridge line. When the crest was about to end, he tried to climb to the ridge, fishtailing his Jeep to the right. The car turned sideways until it was perpendicular to the slope, and almost in slow motion it slowly rolled to its right flank, and stopped, elegantly balanced on the ridge. The Second Lead's tracks were visible, both just short of the ridge, which in hindsight should have called for an exit to the right, and for a second attempt at the criss-crossing. The momentum the Jeep had gained and kept on the slope was probably enough to make it through, but the line was not. As soon as the car tried to steer up the dune to reach the ridge it visibly lost speed (hence momentum, slowed by the sand building up against its right side's tires), and started to fishtail decisively toward the lower part of the dune (gravity pulling it down). Prolonging the steering up, while not choosing immediately to exit down, led finally to the flip. Having said this, I commend Ilya for keeping a cool head, listening to instructions and turning the car's engine off as soon as advised to do so, and for his clear presence of mind during the recovery, as well as for continuing, unaffected, the drive until the end. With a final thanks to all the drivers for joining this drive, I am very proud of all of them for managing to conclude a very long and taxing trek, which lasted 5:22 hours (but only 2:56 moving), and covered 77.5KM, at an average moving speed of 26 Km/h (a little slower than the usual 30 Km/h of an Intermediate drive, due to the slower driving of the half an hour following the flip's recovery, to allow everybody to readjust to the drive, with confidence). See you all soon in the sand for more adventures, and safe fun.

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 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: Fewbie and above (All Level) Meeting time: 6:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/QpQXy1bXzZ6a4qKM7 Action Plan: This is another "premiere" Carnity drive. We will enter from the outskirts of the farming town of Al Aweer, encountering from the beginning an endless field of very long and open dunes. These will reach all the way to the other side of S149 (which we'll cross), almost all the way to Mahafiz. These dunes' ridges are quite long and smooth, and can be ridden, with care, for most of their length. Besides ridge-riding, we'll practice side-sloping, and will hone our abilities to climb, as well as exit and descend with care from the dunes' tops. 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: 10:30 AM P.S. Only join if you have a compressor to inflate your tires after the drive. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE: Limited to 10 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

@GauravSoni copy that. I am sorry. See you soon.

@Mohamed Seidam Done https://maps.app.goo.gl/7uYyVhr76LNfcN4VA

Dear Desertnauts, just a quick brief about this coming Saturday's drive. Please remember that the meeting time is set at 6:00 AM sharp, which is half an hour earlier than last week. We'll be meeting at the so-called "Bab al Shams" point, along the road to the eponymous resort, past the bike track and the road works, a couple of Km down the dirt track leading from the opening in the fence. The drive will take us down the sand track, into the first open dunes of Bab al Shams, across the pylons, then south-west through a technical area, until we'll reach the long range dunes and bowls that will accompany us almost all the way to Ganthoot's outskirts. After riding some ridges, crossing a couple of sabkhas and reaching the fenced off military enclosure, we'll decide whether to loop back toward Bab al Shams, or to cross over to the "Middle Earth", to ride a few more dunes, before exiting toward Solar Park. The convoy order will be the following: @Ilya Golubinsky in Second Lead @Archibald Jurdi at #3 @Junaid120120 in place #4 @Ahab Shamaa with spot #5 @Tero Vallas in #6 @Islam Soliman will Center the convoy @GauravSoni will follow at #8 @Mohamed Seidam will take #9 @Gregory Perkin at #10 @MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ to follow at #11 @Ashok chaturvedi will be #12, and @Foxtrot Oscar will Sweep the convoy. Once arrived at the meeting point, please tune into Carnity Channel #5 (462.887). Enjoy your end of the week, and see you on Saturday.

Dear desert people. Time to send the last 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 @Jeepie (with a green Jeep) 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 Marjan (Jeepie) 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. This will be the convoy order which you will have to follow, once we'll have departed from the meeting and deflation point: @JeromeFJ will be #2 @RajaSekhar Kodali is #3 @yunus Kazi #4 @Chris Wing will take place #5 @Richard Franks is #6 @Kareem El Fouly will drive in place #7, and @Jeepie will close 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 6:00AM sharp.