Ale Vallecchi

Hello @Craig Finlayson. I will let you know, Thanks a lot.

Hello @Rizwan Waheed. You are #1 on the WL. Thanks @Islam Soliman, should I add you to manage the drive? Hello @Abu Muhammad. You are #2 on the WL. Thanks a lot. Hello @Nizam Deen. You are #3 on the WL. Thanks Hello @asifk. You are #4 on the WL. Thanks

Hello @Melenany. You are #2 in the WL. Thanks a lot.

Hi @AlexPol. You are the first in the WL. Thanks

From Middle Earth....to the Other Side - Extended Drive's Report What better excuse than an Ironmen Triathlon, jamming the roads around Al Qudra and Bab al Shams, to keep driving on pristine sand, beyond our initial goal, until the sand hit the tarmac at Dubai's border with Al Ain. This is how a planned 3 hour drive became a monster 4-plus hour ride, and the targeted 60 something Km became almost 95 km. A timely start saw the convoy enter the "Middle Earth" just before 7AM. The quality of the drivers, including a couple of fearless first-time Fewbie Plus members, allowed everybody to launch themselves into a sustained series of criss-crossing exercises, and reach the sabkha north of Little Sweihan in no time. After sighting a huge herd of Oryx leaving their feeding pen, we tackled the canyons and bowls of this exciting location, owing its nickname to the similarity of its high dunes and sharp crests, with the better known Abu Dhabi's playground. That's when the dilemma of heading back to a traffic-jammed Qudra exit point, or continuing to drive east on pristine long range dunes was easily solved by unanimous decision: on to Faqa it was. This is a drive which we normally do in the opposite direction: from Faqa in the direction of Solar Park. Driving it in reverse, requires, at times, to cross dunes from the slip-face, adding an element of difficulty to the track. On top of that, I thought it would be interesting to visit the eastern-most part of Faqa, as close as possible to E44 (the Dubai-Al Ain border). This area is what I call the "Other Side" of Faqa: tall, long range dunes, with lots of ridges to be ridden, and sharp, steep drops between each dune, with beautiful trees in between each one. As mentioned, the drive lasted 4:35 hours, covered 94.4 Km, averaged 21 Km/hour (and a very fast 29 Km/hour of average moving speed). Well done to all drivers: @Javier Lucero, @Nacho and @Rob Harperdebuting at Fewbie Plus level, @Thomas Varghese, @varunmehndiratta, @Niki Patel, @Yusuf Esaf and @Jeandre Bezuidenhoutconsolidating their off-roading skills. Special thanks to @Rizwanm2 for a precise Second Lead, @MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ for supporting the convoy from the center position, and @Mehmet Volga for watching over the safety of all members from the sweep position. Looking forward to seeing you soon in the sand, I wish you all a great week.

Hi @kolinrrj. I will add you the drive, which is now closed (already 12 cars). Thanks a lot.

Hi @kolinrrj. Sure can 👍

Hi @Thomas Varghese. Not sure. I believe at the same time of the weekend drives. Let me ask. Thanks

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 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: Intermediate and above When: 20th March 2021, Tuesday. Meeting time: 6:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions). Meeting Point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/7uYyVhr76LNfcN4VA Action Plan: A fast drive on almost virgin sand, from Bab al Shams toward the outskirts of Ganthoot, where we will decide, time and convoy permitting, if we should loop back toward our starting point, or continue around the fenced military area, toward Little Swaihan. The idea is to hit stretches of clean sand, with just a few copses of trees to slow us down, and practice as many skills as possible, among which the most important one will be keeping the convoy moving safely, almost at unison, through challenging terrain. 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: 10:00 AM P.S. Only join if you have a compressor to inflate your tires after the drive. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE: Limited to 10 cars only. RSVP will close on Thursday - 3:00pm 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 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 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 When: 16th March 2021, Tuesday. Meeting time: 3:00 PM (SHARP - Without any exceptions). Meeting Point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/xxop8uSTZ6zeFV5q6 Action Plan: This is an EXPLORATION drive, to recce a route linking S149 at the outskirts of Lahbab, with Mahafiz and back to reach Nazwa. Most of this route has not been driven, but we should expect some long range dunes of sand slowly turning from yellow to red (closer to Mahafiz), set in an environment with quite a few trees and shrubs. Bring your spirit of adventure with you!! 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: 6:30 PM P.S. Only join if you have a compressor to inflate your tires after the drive. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE: Limited to 8 cars only. RSVP will close on Monday - 3:00pm 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 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: 19 March 2021, Friday. Meeting time: 06:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/7uYyVhr76LNfcN4VA 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 End Point: Qudra Parking 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

@Niki Patel, Done!! 😅

Dear Desertnauts, time to prepare for tomorrow's drive. We will meet just off of Solar Park's glass pyramid, after the tarmac road ends. From there we'll drive parallel to the bike track for a couple of Kms, before reaching the entry point into the Middle Earth's long range dunes. We'll warm up to the drive by snaking around long cordons, dotted with quite an abundant vegetation, before reaching, and crossing, a couple of sabkhas, from where we'll arrive at Little Sweihan's western most border. Here the dunes will be quote bare of shrubs or grass, quite tall and close to each other, separated by canyons and sand bowls, that will be the most challenging part of the track. After crossing this whole area, we'll decide, based on convoy's response and remaining time, whether to drive back to Solar Park (on a sand track costing the solar panel installation sites), or continue a bit deeper, into the further reaches of our Middle Earth. The convoy order will be as follows: @Rizwanm2 in Second Lead @Javier Lucero at #3 @Nacho in place #4 @Thomas Varghese at #5 @Rob Harper will be #6 @MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ will anchor the convoy at #7 @varunmehndiratta will tale the #8 place @Niki Patel with jersey #9 @Yusuf Esaf will have #10 @Jeandre Bezuidenhout will follow at #11, and @Mehmet Volga will Sweep the convoy to safety. Upon reaching the meeting and deflation point, please tune into Carnity Channel #4 (446.081). Enjoy your end of the week, and see you out there tomorrow at 6:30 AM sharp.

Hi @Thomas Varghese. Can you please confirm which drive you prefer to join tomorrow AM, so you can be added to the list? Thanks a lot.

Hi @N@ved. Just to be sure, you wish to sign out of the drive at this moments, then tomorrow (or later tonight) you will try to join any available drive? Thanks for clarifying.

Hello @Thomas Varghese. You are #1 on the WL. Will update you as soon as something opens up.

Don't worry @Thomas Varghese. All seems good. Will see you soon.

Hello @Rizwanm2. You are IN the drive, as Islam had to sign out. See you on Friday. Hello @Thomas Varghese. You are #1 on the WL. Thanks

Dear Desertnauts. While Tolkien's Middle-earth stories mostly focus on the north-west of the imaginary continent of Arda, this episode of Carnity's saga will concentrate on the south-east of the very real Qudra/Faqa basin. Meeting in sight of the futuristic Solar Park glass pyramid, we'll follow the bike path to take us across a small area of technical dunes, before starting our raid on an endless field of long range dunes, where the initial busy vegetation will slowly leave room to clean, smooth, sand cordons. This is our Middle Earth, seldom visited, hence less scarred by tracks. After cutting through a couple of sabkhas, we'll reach the sand canyons and bowls of Little Sweihan, and from here, depending on the remaining time, we may wander beyond, into the lower cordons pointing their sandy fingers toward Faqa. At some point, regrettably, we'll have to turn back toward the exit track, which will bring us back to reality, just in front of Solar Park. @N@ved, @Javier Lucero, @varunmehndiratta, @Rob Harper, @Niki Patel, @Jeandre Bezuidenhout, @Islam Soliman, @MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ, @Yusuf Esaf, @Nacho and @Mehmet Volga, get ready to discover this fabulous area. Enjoy your week, and see you next Friday.

Hello @David Ortells. You are #1 on the WL. Thanks. Hope to see you soon out there @Thomas Varghese.

"I ain't 'fraid of no ghost" - Ghost Roads Dubai....busted! - Trip Report One of the most iconic, yet thoroughly fake, images of Dubai is the Downtown skyline, with the Burj Khalifa as its fulcrum, in the background of a line of dunes, as if the city sprung magically from the sand. Yet, there is an area of Dubai where such picture can actually be taken. Reality, in this case, dilutes the impact of the photoshopped image, as the skyline in the background is much further away, and less imposing, and the desert is not one of tall, sharp dunes, but a landscape of low dunes, fixed by nicely spaced, gnarly trees. Yet, there it is, His Majesty the Burj Khalifa, visible clearly in the distance, springing from the bushy desert, surrounded by its court of lower skyscrapers, and, in this particularly clear morning, even the sight of Her Highness the Burj al Arab, further to its left. This fascinating sight followed, or preceded us, throughout two thirds of the drive. The other third, was dedicated to navigating the Ghost Roads, from which the scenic open desert area is accessible. The so called Ghost Roads are another very photographed area of Dubai: it's a grid of roads and roundabouts that had been built as infrastructure for an aborted (so far) housing development project, just on the right of the intersection between E611 and E66, Sharjah bound. The desert has been reclaiming these roads, covering most of the tarmac with low ripples of sand, except at the entrance, where the plunge from E611 to the development below is covered with soft, technical dunes. Most locals know this area, and use it for picnics, camping, falcon training and quad driving. It all happens in between one of the most trafficked heavy truck roads of the UAE, and a string of camel and goat farms that surround it, to the east and south. In the middle of the advancing desert, patches of tarmac still surface, leading to roundabouts struggling to survive, with road signs ironically indicating to stop in front of the incoming dune, or divert around a low rising cordon. So, scenic we promised, and I hope that scenic it was. The drive in itself was not too challenging, except toward the middle, close to E44, where the dunes get higher, with mostly large humpback ridges, and quite steep descents and ascents between one cordon and the next. The only refusals happened in this area. The only stuck, on the other hand, happened at the very end of the drive, while ridge riding, on the crest of one of the last low dunes, leading to the exit point. I must say it's not that unusual to get stuck in this area, of low technical dunes, with very soft sand, so no points con be taken off for that happening. Great thanks for joining my first drive after getting the FJ back, to @kolinrrj (great job managing your big car as Second Lead), @Yahya Munir, @frederic demolder (I hope your bumper is OK), @khurram.k, @Natarajan, of course @Vanessa8580 with her omnipresence giving respite to my ailing car, @Adhir Saxena, @Samuel Hainsworth, @andy_macdxb, @Ahmed Wagdy, @Humayun Ghias, @Paul Zeitoun, and @Rajeevan Vickneswaran (very helpful in Sweep). Enjoy your week, and see you soon in the sand.

Hi @Thomas Varghese. Thank you very much for your loyalty and exciting participation. Just a reminder, to make sure the front tow hook of your X has been fixed properly. I have been made aware of the tow rope snapping off during the last drive. You will appreciate that only members with perfectly functioning recovery points are to be allowed to drive, for their own safety, and especially that of others. Please do not take this personally, but participation to any drive will be OKed only after a thorough check of the tow points' situation. I am looking forward to seeing you, in perfect shape, on Friday.