Ale Vallecchi

@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.

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: 14 Aug 2020, Friday. Meeting time: 5:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Action Plan: Long range dunes, side cresting, principles of ridge riding and crossing, in an environment dotted with beautiful lone trees Meeting Point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/y8TL2hpPpVGwwmhR8 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

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 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: Intermediate and above When: 15 Aug 2020, Saturday Meeting time: 4:00 PM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/y8TL2hpPpVGwwmhR8 Action Plan: Long range dunes, side sloping, ridge riding and crossing, in a beautiful landscape, dotted with lone trees 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. Please also make sure you have all the equipment required on board as an Intermediate. THIS IS A COMPRESSOR ONLY DRIVE. 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. Approximate finish time: 08:00 PM LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE: Limited to 8 Intermediate drivers 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

Little Sweihan - The side-sloping bonanza. Every desert drive has its unknowns. This time it was first @Tbone then @Emmanuel turn to succumb to car problems, and have to renounce the trip. The heart-breaker was Emmanuel's, who had to leave the drive just after deflating: we hope the car is OK. With perfect punctuality we set out, in a revised convoy order, with @Kalahari taking Second Lead duties, @Febin Frederic in third, @Chaitanya D in a comfortable #4 spot for his first Intermediate drive, then @Rinelle Sanaani in Sweep. We aimed to reach the northern limits of Little Sweihan through the sand track surrounding the expanses of sabkhas and technical dunes that separate Solar Park from our destination. We then entered our playground following the trail of a huge oryx herd, and set out to ride the tight and long dunes' cordons, drawing a zig-zagging line, from our entry point toward the area's western border (the base of Little Sweihan "triangle") and back east-ward, toward the apex of the triangle. The driving was smooth, up and down the long, tight, dunes, with countless opportunities for back-to-back-to-back side-sloping. While we did some crossings from the windswept side of the dunes, we were somewhat limited in this practice by a strong wind, sweeping the crests, and reducing the readability of their ridges. In fact, the only stucks were on 2 ridges, with one brilliant self-recovery by Rinelle, and a well executed tug by Febin to drag Kalahari back from a very sharp and short ridge. With a few minutes more on the clock, once almost at the tip of Little Swaihan's triangle, we crossed over to the dunes just east of it, and continued driving, until we had to reverse, and cross the slipside of the dunes to reach our exit track back to Solar Park. Very good drive by all: @Kalahari - you are now a very solid Second Lead, redirecting properly even when i was struggling to reach my radio and announce the correction: mind reader @Febin Frederic - great energy and enthusiasm in the recovery efforts. You learned very quickly to evaluate the situation, and improved immediately your communication skills: rescue specialist @Chaitanya D - very impressive first Intermediate drive, always in control, always on track, helpful as well in guiding Rinelle's self recovery: Doctor Cool @Rinelle Sanaani - you were hardly heard during the drive, which means you handled the softened up, churned tracks without a peep, and great skills: guardian angel in the end, we executed a 69.9 Km drive in 2:54 h, at an average speed of 24Km/h (average moving speeed of 29 Km/h). Thanks to all, and see you soon.

Hi @Tbone of course I understand. Hope it's nothing serious. Looking forward to seeing you soon.

QUDRA QUADRANGLE - DONE Very nice drive yesterday, exploring the whole Qudra basin above of Solar Park. Started punctually after a few minutes of deflation and briefing, from the mysterious "beehive" like structure on the border with the Qudra Lakes, and proceeded westward with a few side sloping opportunities, toward the large farm visible from the road to Bab al Shams. From here we turned south, entering the long range dunes, where side sloping was accompanied by criss-crossing and some ridge riding. After reaching the border with the Solar Park section, marked by the electricity pylons, we maneuvered along the southern border of the quadrangle, in a mix of longer range and technical dunes, interspersed with nice clay-rock formations. Almost at the tarmac road we then turned north to weave our way back to the starting point (the beehive structure that in the meantime had become super animated with people strolling and enjoing the sunset). Learning from other Leaders' reports, I'll briefly cite each great driver's performance, hoping to provide useful tips for future trips: @Nivin you did extremely well as Second Lead, especially considering his recent promotion to Fewbie. Kept good distance and redirected promptly when requested. Your greatest take-away from this drive should be about ridge riding and crossing. Approach the ridge more parallel, and less perpendicular to it. If the car starts to fishtail during the approach, do not attempt to still reach the ridge and cross it, but rather steer down the slope from, circle back and reattempt. @E.C. TAN well driven, smoothly following the tracks. One observations I made on one of your dune crossings was to use more finesse and control of the line, and a little less speed. @Anish S, as usual very calm and collected. Great at communicating and progressing well through the drive. Only had one moment of difficulty, due to a bit of hesitancy while riding a ridge (when you feel the car is being slowed down by the ridge itself, keep as much momentum as you can to exit the ridge on the safest side (where the car is being pulled toward, but do not break or stop, to avoid being crested). @Salarios managed your beast very well, with no stucks and perhaps some refusals (which may always happen). As your confidence in your car grows, without relying too much on its undeniable power, you will be able to cope perfectly in all kinds of terrain. Lastly, great thanks to @Wrangeld, who swept the convoy and guided all self-recoveries and the few stucks with his usual calm and clarity of instructions. I am sure all drivers learned the recovering process as best as they could during the drive. Thank you all again, for driving 52.7 Km in 3 h and 2 min., at an average speed of 17 Km/h (24 Km/h while driving).

Congrats @Veedooshee. I really look forward to seeing you behind the wheel in one of the next drives. Enjoy the new rank.

Thanks @Srikumar for the great drive. It's very useful, especially for me as a new leader, and for any driver in general, to understand, and learn, what constitutes an Intermediate drive Vs. the others, how the trails can be made more challenging, and what is expected from all the drivers in the convoy. And very enjoyable as well, with no overexertion whatsoever. Thanks to you, and all the drivers in the convoy, who did respond to all the challenges of the long and fast itinerary with really minimal issues.

Well done @J J. Always very cool and in control. You'll do great.

All drivers please tune into Carnity Channel 2 (446.031). See you later.

Thanks for advising @Pancho. Hope to see you next time.

All drivers please use Channel 2 (446.031). Thank you.

@Srikumar what a great group 💪. See you tomorrow.

Dear Desert goers, Saturday's convoy will line up as follows: @Tbone in Second Lead @Febin Frederic #3 @Chaitanya D #4 @Rinelle Sanaani #5 @Kalahari #6 @Wrangeld in Sweep Please make sure that you all carry with you a tow rope, possibly with soft shackles. Due to the relatively short length of the convoy (there will be no Senior at Center Forward), and since all the drivers are Intermediate, I would like to give everybody the opportunity, if needed, to practice recovering, under the supervision of Richard and/or myself. Therefore, each driver will be responsible to recover the vehicle either in front or behind his position, depending on the situation. Richard and I will advise whose recovery it will be (hoping that we practice this skill as little as possible ). Looking forward to seeing you on Saturday at 4:00 PM SHARP (in order to approach our playground safely we'll have to drive quite a way on the sand track south). Until then, enjoy your weekend.