Ale Vallecchi

Hello @Tbone. Thanks for the advanced notice. Hope to see you next week. Have a good weekend. Hello @Mukundan Nair. i will add you to the WL. Thanks for asking. Dear @Chaitanya D happy to inform you that you are IN. Can you kindly confirm? Thanks a lot.

BUON COMPLEANNO Vanessa !!!

Thank you @Islam Soliman. Hope all gets fixed on time (just keep me informed of the progress). See you Saturday.

Dear @Islam Soliman, thanks again for joining the drive. I just would like to ask you a question: have you been able to fix your front bumper from the last drive? I was informed that during last Friday's drive a few clips came off it, and some plastic parts broke, so the bumper may be slipping back off, if not properly fixed. I prefer to ask this now, while you may have enough time to sort out the problem, and come with the car in 100% working shape. Thanks a lot for understanding my preoccupation, and look forward to seeing you on Saturday. Have a great week.

Dear Carnity desert wanderers. @Rinelle Sanaani, @Gregory Perkin, @Febin Frederic, @Tbone, @Shiju Manuel, @Anish S, @Islam Soliman, @Biju Abdul, @Mehmet Volga and @Christian Andras Welcome to next Saturday's drive. As usual, just a few words about the possible itinerary. We'll move from 2 December Cafeteria to reach Pink Rock and climb on the cool morning sand to the other side of it, where a solitary oil rig stands guard to a lower outcrop of Pink Rock, called Fennec Cave. After that we should circle back on the other side of the Rock, and direct ourselves toward Big Red's direction, driving on a low plateau, which extends in the direction of both Nazwa to the west, and Badayer to the South. The skills required to handle the drive include mostly side-sloping, managing the ins and outs of small bowls, while keeping the convoy's relatively calm pace. Considering the quality of the drivers who have signed up (there are no new Fewbies in the list) we will brief the younger members about the execution of crossing ridges, and we'll try to practice this skill, where it will be safely possible to do so. Make sure, especially the younger members, to have all the necessary tools for this level of drive (a good shovel, tow rope possibly with soft shackles, functional and rated tow points, both front and back). Please be aware that lacking this minimal equipment (especially the tow points) will constitute a reason for disqualification from the drive (even at 5:00 AM). More info about the itinerary will be provided closer to the day of the drive. In the meantime, enjoy your week.

Dear @Chaitanya D, @muzamil hussain, @Tero Vallas and @David Ortells sorry you could not made the list, but you will be respectively from #1 to #4 in the waiting list. I will update you if something opens up. Thanks a lot for your patience.

Faqa Arboretum - Part Two Driving back to back in the same area, with two different levels of drivers (Fewbie and Intermediate) provides the very interesting opportunity to look at a place with completely different eyes, and allows one to come away with two very different sensations. The more sedated pace of the Fewbie drive sometimes allows for the possibility of "enjoying the view", but at the same time requires more attention to details (as far as the routing is concerned), and therefore less space for improvisation. The fast paced Intermediate drive leaves more liberty in terms of itinerary, relying on the drivers' ability to face obstacles, and calls even for some experimenting, while requiring more concentration in making the right "spur of the moment" decisions. Of course drivers taking both drives would certainly notice the difference. For example, yesterday we took 30 minutes to reach the same spot that it had taken us a bit more than 1 hour to reach at the Fewbie level. So, yes, one of the biggest differences in climbing the rank's ladder is the speed of the drive (security notwithstanding). The drive, as scheduled, took us from the low level flats of Faqa's north-eastern entry point to the "Arboretum" parts of the area (the numerous trees that thrive between the cordons of dunes), then into the higher dunes, with some interesting pyramids that call for some fast criss-crossing or side sloping, and eventually, through the sabkha, in a westerly direction, to Little Sweihan. Here, after a nice driving among a couple of canyons, the drive ended in a tight, technical area, due to an unfortunate pop-out, that called for the whole group to come together and devise the most creative solutions to fix it. And fix it we did, in the light of the high-beams, before exiting toward the Soler Park track (with a short but pleasant night drive through the last cordon of dunes). Congrats to the whole convoy, where @Febin Frederic managed a very good second lead (perhaps it was your first?), followed by @Najeeb Mohammed, @Rinelle Sanaani and @Chaitanya D, getting more and more comfortable in their Intermediate level, and @Wrangeld at the sweep, guaranteeing the usual control and competence in matters of assistance. Thank you all for joining, and for the great group effort in ensuring we did not leave any car behind (as at one point, it was ominously looking likely). Have a great week.

THE DAY OF THE LONGEST DRIVE (so far) The day started while it was still night, with 22 beams from 11 cars pointed at the flat vast plain of Northern Faqa. It ended almost at noon, 2 cars shy of the initial convoy, near the tarmac just before Bab al Shams. During the almost 6 hours of the drive we rode the long range dunes of the north-west part of Faqa, got deeper into this area navigating a few small bowls, stretched our cars' legs onto the sabkhas on the way to Solar Park, exited 2 cars on the tarmac, and continued through the western Qudra area, before a couple of stucks in soft sand convinced us it was time to call it in. In the end, we drove 94.5Km, in 5:51 hours (4 hrs of which moving), at 16Km/h average speed (24Km/h while moving), starting from 3 meters of altitude to climb as high as 142 meters in the middle of Faqa. The highlights of the day: the convoy snaking its way among northern Faqa's many lonely trees (hence the drive's nickname The Arboretum) navigating Faqa's deeper bowls on the way out to the sabkha, with no other choice but going forward and not getting stuck, due to a base plate almost coming off one of the cars, and just skirting the ground by a mere few inches the bonus drive through the long range dunes, and clay mud flats, of Western Qudra a mixed convoy, ranging between brand new Fewbies and more seasoned Intermediates, moving in good synchronicity, without major delays, other than for the couple of mechanical issues we encountered along the way (the afore mentioned base plate coming apart, and a gear box not engaging in 4-Low when needed). Great thanks go to @Tbone, @Kalahari and @Najeeb Mohammed, the more senior members of the group, for their support and efforts during the drive. Congratulations to @Jeandre Bezuidenhout, @Taha Elghuel and @Biju Abdul for showing great control of their cars (hoping that Biju's plate gets sorted out without any issues). Very well done @Mehmet Volga, @Rajeevan Vickneswaran, @Shiju Manuel and @Janarthan: you are very solid and reliable Fewbie drivers, who should only look forward to more fun and success on the hot UAE sand. Thank you all for the drive, and hope to see you soon out there. Have a great week.

Thank you for coming and enjoying @Najeeb Mohammed. You did very well, with constant improvements. That's the way to go: getting more comfortable with the challanges by facing them, with the support of the convoy (watching others overcome them makes one feel more sure of oneself). There is nothing like practice. See you soon out there.

Thanks @Chaitanya D. You did very well, managing the faster pace, the ridge crossing, and the more technical area. You are progressing nicely and quickly. And you have become the official Carnity cartographer 😄. Really, thanks for the nice clips.

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. Drive Details Level: Fewbie and Above When: 22 Aug 2020, Saturday Meeting time: 5:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Action Plan: Long range dunes, side cresting, principles of ridge riding and crossing Meeting Point: 2nd December Cafeteria 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: 09:00 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 10 Fewbie 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

Dear Carnity desert lovers. In preparation for Saturday's drive, here's the convoy order: @Febin Frederic will be in Second Lead @Najeeb Mohammed will follow as #3 @Rinelle Sanaani will center the convoy at #4 @Chaitanya D will occupy position #5 @Wrangeld will close at sweep Please be ready to tune in your radio to Carnity Channel 1 (466.006 It would be great if we managed to depart as close to 4:00PM as possible, so we can take full advantage of the daylight, and cover as much ground as safely possible. The length of the convoy is also ideal for playing, and we'll do our best to thoroughly explore this fun area. I look forward to seeing you on Saturday.

It would be best, both for your safety in general, and also because for our own Covid rules we should minimize the exchange of tools between drivers. See what you can do (sooner or later you'l have to have it). Thanks and see you tomorrow.

Dear Fewbie (and above) Carnity members. This is the order in which we will line up tomorrow morning: @Tbone will be my Second Lead @Mehmet Volga will follow in his tracks (remember, the convoy follows the Second Lead, in case the Lead chooses the wrong path) @Jeandre Bezuidenhout will make his Fewbie debut at #4 @Taha Elghuel just behind at #5 @Biju Abdul will take spot #6 @Kalahari will be taking Center Forward responsibilities @Janarthan will be #8 @Shiju Manuel is going to be #9 @Rajeevan Vickneswaran will occupy spot #10, and @Najeeb Mohammed will be sweeping the convoy. Please, all remember to be punctual at 5:00 AM, at our deflation point. As soon as you arrive, you may start deflating, to anywhere between PSI 12-11 (based on your car's type of tires): the sand will be soft in places, especially as the day progresses. Please be ready to tune in your radio to Carnity Channel 1 (466.006), and make sure that you are fully equipped as advised. Have a great end of the week, and see you tomorrow in the sand.

@Taha Elghuel will do. Please look at the post above about the drive's requirements. At Fewbie level it's fundamental you have a good shovel, a tow rope, a compressor and functional tow points at the front and rear of your car. Absence of these items will require me to send you (or anybody else in such situation) back without taking part in the drive. This is for the security of the convoy. Pleade acknowledge you are equipped as required. See you on Friday at dawn. Have a good end of the week.

@Taha Elghuel one spot has become free on next Friday morning drive. Would you like me to add you to the convoy? Please let me know by tomorrow morning, if possible. Thanks a lot.

Sorry @J J but 2 back to back wake up calls at 3:30 are too much to handle for me (if I want to stay sharp)

Hi @J J. For sure (you are currently #4 on the waiting list). Are you aware I will do the same route for Intermediates on Saturday afternoon?

Attention all Carnity Explorers! @Mehmet Volga @Rajeevan Vickneswaran @Janarthan @Kalahari @Shiju Manuel @Jorge Stepniak Felippe @Najeeb Mohammed @Tbone, @Biju Abdul and @Jeandre Bezuidenhout thank you for joining this drive, on Friday morning. Since a few of you are either brand new or relatively new Fewbie drivers, I would like to reiterate, for all, the tools you will be required to carry with you for this drive. It's a MUST to have 1) a proper shovel, 2) a compressor and MOST OF ALL, rated tow points both front and back. The lack of these items will inevitably lead to the driver being sent back from the deflation point. I am trying to make this point clear early on in the week to allow anyone who may not have these required items to equip themselves with them. While a shovel and a compressor are easily available respectively at any Speedex and Dragon Mart, the tow hooks are usually already mounted on most 4x4 cars. Just assure yourselves that they are in good conditions (not rusty, or loosely bolted), and make sure they are visible and accessible (in case of cars where the tow points are hidden behind the fender). The importance of this particular equipment is paramount in case of the need to recover the car, and not having the tow hooks both in good conditions and accessible will be reason enough to ask the driver to exit the drive from the start. Having said this, I will get back to you with more information on the drive as we get closer to Friday morning. I wish all of you a great week.

Dear @Mukundan Nair thank you very much for your request. You will be #2 on the waiting list. Thanks for trying to join. Dear @Pancho, thanks for your request. You will be #3 on the waiting list. Hope to see you (will you be coming from AD?)

@Taha Elghuel of course I will. Stay posted for further news. Thanks a lot

Dear @Dagdag Sofiane. Thanks a lot for signing up for this drive. I appreciate your interest. Unfortunately, this is an Intermediate event, which cannot be attended by Newbies or Fewbies. I have to cancel your participation. Sorry for the bad news. I hope you are still in time to join other drives this weekend, and will look forward to having you in another one of my drives.

Dear fellow Carnity drivers. In preparation for the drive I would like to introduce you to the area’s nature and driving focuses. Al Faqa is the north-eastern extension of the Qudra basin, bordering with Abu Dhabi’s Al Ain province. We will visit its northern reaches, entering from a tarmac road just before the main Faqa exit. The main features of this part of Faqa are long ranges of open dunes, starting to get a bit tighter and more technical moving east toward Al Ain, with a wide open sabkha stretching parallel to our playground, to the east, toward Solar Park. The northern limit of this Faqa area is dotted with beautiful gnarly trees, mostly lonely, but at times bunched in small groves, for which I have chosen to call it “the arboretum”. We will drive south-west into the long-range dunes, test ourselves a bit in the tighter dune area (which in some places recall Little Sweihan “canyons”), then cross two sabkha and two ranges of low, tight dunes, before heading toward Solar Park. We will have plenty of opportunity to do side sloping, ridge riding and crossing. In the meantime, I look forward to seeing on Friday at dawn all those who will decide to join. Have a great week.

Dear fellow Carnity drivers. In preparation for the drive, knowing that there will be many newly promoted Fewbies eager to test themselves at this higher level, I would like to introduce you to the drive’s nature and driving focuses. The area of Al Faqa is the north-eastern extension of the Qudra basin, bordering with Abu Dhabi’s Al Ain province. We will visit its northern reaches, entering from a tarmac road just before the main Faqa exit. The main features of this part of Faqa are long ranges of open dunes, starting to get a bit tighter and more technical moving east toward Al Ain, with a wide open sabkha stretching parallel to our playground, to the east, toward Solar Park. The northern limit of this Faqa area is dotted with beautiful gnarly trees, mostly lonely, but at times bunched in small groves, for which I have chosen to call it “the arboretum”. We will drive south-west into the long-range dunes, test ourselves a bit in the tighter dune area, then cross the sabkha and another range of low dunes, before heading toward Solar Park. We will focus on side sloping but will also spend some time going through the main elements of ridge crossing, and of course practicing them, whenever safe. In order to get more familiar with these skills, you may read Dune Crossing Tutorial and Techniques, on the Carnity Off-Road Club’s page. In the meantime, I look forward to seeing on Friday at dawn all those who will decide to join. Have a great week.