Ale Vallecchi

Dear @Hisham Masaad I have added you to the WL. Thanks.

LONG TREKS – OBJECTIVES, PREPARATION, AND MANAGEMENT (Part 2) As anybody can guess, one of the most critical ingredients of a successful desert exploration is water. In order of importance, the need for water is for drinking, cooking, car maintenance, and finally, washing. From the physiological point of view, once a person looses through perspiration approximately 2 liters (or 2-3% of its body weight in water), she/he starts to experience loss of concentration, fatigue, dizziness, and general discomfort. So, replenishing your body’s reserves of water is a must. Perhaps few know that there are optimal times for drinking water, to maximize absorption. Locals know well what are the ideal water drinking times: in fact, if you notice a Bedouin or a Tuareg’s habits, they would drink water only in the morning and in the evening, without takin countless sips during the day. What they take countless sips of, during the day, is tea. With lots of sugar. This forefather of energy drinks resets the body’s dehydration gauge. That is, simple water passes rapidly through the system, reducing its benefits mostly to cooling the body, while sugared tea gets processed more slowly, providing a deeper and longer lasting hydration of the cells. Of course, one still needs water to make tea, so the requirement for water in terms of supplies will not change. How much to drink may vary depending on the season. Also, the first days of the trip may also require more water, as the body adapts to the drier environment. All things considered, in general we calculated that each person should need 3 liters of drinking water per day (these may be reduced to no less than 2 liters in winter, or upped to 5 liters if trekking were involved), while on a daily basis we accounted for a usage of 2 more liters for cooking and brewing tea, plus 1 additional liter for washing/shaving (even though this consumption may be reduced by using wet towels to wash), and, finally, another 1 liter for potential car maintenance. That makes a total of 6 or 7 liters per person each day, just to be on the safe side. So, for 12 days out in the desert, a group of 14 people will require a supply of almost 1,200 liters of water. WATER REQUIREMENT: Done. Next chapter – Fuel supply. We only used to get a little anxious about the need to refuel when the gauge in our cars started reading “Kilometers left: --------“. Since Cafu appeared on the UAE scene, we do not even have to worry about that. Now, imagine a 2 (or 3) week drive, 1,000 km from the nearest Cafu truck, and fuel, once again, becomes a major concern. At this junction, knowing your vehicle’s fuel consumption comes in handy, to establish your requirements for the whole trip. Let’s start with the assumption that a Land Cruiser normally goes just under 6Km with 1 Liter of gasoline, in city driving conditions. Add some extra consumption to account for driving on sand: let’s say a benevolent 5Km/Lt (or an equivalent of 20 Liters to cover 100 Km). Under these assumptions, and considering the cars we were using (Land Cruisers 70 Series) were equipped with a dual tank, their 130 Liter capacity would last for Kms 650 (130 Lt/20 x 100 = 650). Adding to this calculation the fact that the cars will travel with a full load (4 passengers plus gear and supplies) and keeping a minimum safety margin (one never wants to be running on fumes), let’s say each full tank will be good for 600Km. Therefore, planning for a 1,500 Km trip means that each car would need to carry approximately 200 Liters of extra fuel (to be on the safe side). That’d be 10 jerry cans of 20 Liters, to be stacked on the roof rack. Clearly quite a load to carry, which would force the group to greatly streamline their luggage. Thankfully, regardless of how remote some of the locations we would pass seem to be (and actually are), they happen to find themselves along major trading routes. Originally, of salt caravans, and pilgrims on their way to Mecca; nowadays, salt is still traded along these lanes, but other commercial goods are motor trucked across the Sahara, from Central Africa to the coast of the Mediterranean. So, thankfully, Bilma, Dirkou and Arlit are either equipped with proper gas stations, and, more likely, with refueling points, where gasoline is pumped out of barrels. Considering that our two refueling points, Bilma and Arlit, were respectively 550 Kms away from Agadez, and another 600 Kms away (Arlit from Bilma), we were able to carry “only” an extra full tank worth of jerrycans. Incidentally, water can also be resupplied at the same locations (which they also happen to be oasis), so that the load of water tanks needed for the whole trip could also be reduced. FUEL SUPPLY: Done. Next chapter – Kitchen and camping equipment.

Hello @Arman. Thanks for raising your points. We will not need any particular gear. This an area with mostly sand, and virtually no rocks, as we'll exit just before reaching the line where sands subsides and the mountains rise. No mountain related equipment will be necessary. Furthermore, there may be some small flat pans with some residues of dried crust, but they should be mostly dry and dusty. Cannot guarantee that your underside will remain clean, but certainly it will not be encrusted. See you on Saturday.

We have been working on that @DANIEL NOGUEIRA. At the moment we have 3 routes in the area (on sand). We'll continue working on expanding our trips' locations, but we need to do it cautiously, going first for recce drives, then in with Intermediates, and finally involve all levels, when we'll be sure the routes are safe for all. More to come.

Yes @Shehab Alawadhi the meeting time will be 7:00 AM, as what I meant by "later than usual" is 30 minutes later than all other Carnity drives so far, which are starting at 6:30AM. So please, all drivers, plan to be at the meeting point no later than 7:00AM. Thanks a lot.

Dear Desertnauts, A few words about this exploration drive planned for next Saturday. 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 in October. In two different drives, 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), then from an entry point close to the Ritz-Carlton Desert Resort all the way south to Al Ghail Indutrial Area, just at the foothills of the Ajari Mountains. Hence, the second leg of the "Sea to Mountain" route, which we'll cover on Saturday, has been renamed "Sand to Mountain". The area we wish to explore 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 it. After the first two drives, with Intermediates and Fewbies, we have chosen to open the drive to Newbie 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 customary, 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. The off-roading skills that will be tested are, in particular, finesse and control driving, hoping that at the end of the drive each of you 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. @Alphin Aloor, @Federico De Chirico, @Mike Kraher, @Saneesh Thomas, @Niki Patel, @Shehab Alawadhi, @Arman, @Baskaran P.R, @Federico Galbieri, @Harold Roberts, @frederic demolder and @Ben84, I look forward to seeing you on Saturday, AT 7:00 AM. Have a nice week.

Hello @AlexPol. I have listed you at #8 on the WL. Thanks

Ciao @Paolo. Noted. You are #5. Thanks Hello @Santhosh kumar Rajasekaran. I've listed at #6 in the WL. Thanks Hello @varunmehndiratta. You are #7 in the WL. Thanks a lot.

Thanks for the offer. @DANIEL NOGUEIRA. Will keep you posted 👍

Hello @Ranjan Das. You will be #1 on the WL. Thanks. Hi @Ahab Shamaa. You are #2 on the WL. Hope to see you. Thanks Ciao @Luca Palanca Falsini. You are now #3 on the WL. Grazie. Hello @Shehab Alawadhi. You should do great. Looking forward to seeing you. Hello @Paul Zeitoun. You are listed at #4 on the WL. Thanks

Hello @frederic demolder. Actually I'll be driving a borrowed car 😅. Couldn't resist the call of the desert!! Sure you can join. I'll keep you upfront in the convoy so you should be fine. See you Saturday. 🎅

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: 26 December, Saturday Meeting time: 7:00 AM (SHARP-Without any exceptions) - PLEASE NOTE: Meeting time is 30 MIN. LATER than usual Action Plan: IMPORTANT NOTICE - This is a drive in an area mostly travelled by locals, in rather technical terrain. The pace may be slow, and the skills required will include finesse and control, due to the need to pick the right path through an environment with abundant vegetation (shrubs first, then trees), with sporadic animal farms, sets of soft sand dunes with little room to maneuver, and open sabkhas. This drive will test the complete set of off-roading skills, providing a good opportunity to make you a more complete desert driver. Meeting Point: https://goo.gl/maps/UsVoyEaC9YdZdJbG8 IMPORTANT: Recently there has been road works and a diversion after turning from E311 toward E611. Please come using E311, and follow the signs to the Ritz Carlton Desert Resort. 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: 11:00 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 Newbies 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

BTW @Arda Yagcioglu did you have your car checked yet? Any news?

Thanks a lot @Foxtrot Oscar Angela for the very pleasant lead: great choice of tracks, very smooth ride, and well managed, reassuring, handling of the situation we encountered with the cars. BTW @MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ, let us know what was the problem with your car, hoping it was just a temporary issue.

LONG TREKS – OBJECTIVES, PREPARATION, AND MANAGEMENT Waking up on the first morning of a long desert trek is always very exciting, and a little concerning (let’s say 80% excitement and 20% concern). While for the group’s members the objective of the trip is to see as much as possible, take nice pics, and have fun (for them it’ll be excitement 100%), from the point of view of the group’s leader and the crew, the objective is to provide the above services while ensuring that the whole itinerary is covered timely and without incidents, with the security and comfort of the passengers as the first and foremost concern. Thus, let’s focus on that 20% of concerns which must be dealt with before the trip starts. These would normally fall under the following headings: local team, local cars, water supply, fuel supply, kitchen, camping equipment. Usually, these tours are managed with the support, and active participation, of a local team. They usually come from local tribes (in the case of Niger, but also Mali, Algeria and Libya, it's Tuaregs), and are headed by a senior, and most respected, member of the local community. The stature of the leader (in an abstract sense, even though Tuaregs are also very tall) is very important, as these trips usually cross areas of conflict, often between local tribes and sometimes between local tribes and national authorities, which require not only a person of experience in desert caravans, but also someone capable of commanding the respect of, and being able to mediate with, anybody interested in making the life of the convoy difficult. This particular itinerary was going to take us to the border area with Niger and Tchad, skirting the foothills of the Tibesti plateau. This is an area of conflict between Niger’s government and local Tebu tribes, which control this territory, and defend it in arms, including land mines. Other conflict areas may be the south of Algeria, the border between Egypt, Sudan and Libya, some areas of Mali, and border areas between Ethiopia and Eritrea. Here we already knew of another Italian convoy travelling toward the Tibesti, led only by their tour leader, who had ventured into a contested area, only to see one of the cars explode on a land mine, and 1 of the group's members losing his life. Their downfall had been the tour leader's wish to stray into an unknown area, and refusal to bring along a local Tebu guide, for the time necessary to cross that particular stretch of desert (these Tebu “guardian angels” stop all convoys along the beaten tracks, and board the leader’s car to escort non-army, non-governmental caravans, through the danger area, in exchange for a “donation”). Remembering this unfortunate accident, we had made sure our team was led by a senior Tuareg, and that he carried also enough money to manage any unplanned detours and carry out any “voluntary” transactions. LOCAL TEAM: Done. Next chapter – Local cars As the group usually travels to these distant locations by air (although I have friends who have driven their own cars, one holiday at a time, from Italy all the way down to these remote places), sourcing local, and most of all, reliable cars is essential. Toyota, with its Land Cruisers, has the monopoly of the Saharan market. The cars are all manual gears, and for the most part with minimal electronic equipment, which enormously facilitates their repairs, if needed, during the trip. Besides a local “chief”, each convoy usually is manned with a professional mechanic (and drivers, as well). Almost all drivers have either an army background, or have driven these routes with commercial trucks, hence are all experienced in impromptu repairs. These may range from simple things such as fixing a punctured tire, to averagely complex things, like changing a belt (there is always an extra belt aboard each of these cars, knotted around the shift lever), to more complex problems such as repairing a leaf spring suspension, plugging a leak in a radiator, or fixing the gear box. The mechanic’s ingenuity is directly proportional to his previous experiences, and sometimes reaches fantastic heights. For example, how do you fix a punctured radiator if you don’t have a soldering iron? Of course, first try with toothpaste: plaster it on top of the puncture, and hope the heat hardens it, and plugs the leak. Failing that (which in this trip, it did), you should clearly put some tobacco from your cigarettes inside the radiator, so that (don’t ask me why, or how), it “boils” up toward the leak, and plugs it from the inside. And this we did, to momentarily solve a radiator problem which occurred in the middle of the Erg of Bilma, for long enough (2 days) to reach the village of Dirkou, and its better equipped mechanic. Therefore, seasoned Toyota Land Cruisers, a good mechanic surrounded by experienced drivers, a minimum of essential spare parts, and a lot of creativity (and some luck) in solving problems: that’s all is needed to face a major desert trek. LOCAL CARS: DONE. Third chapter - Water requirements

INTRO There are extraordinary places that, once visited, leave a lifelong mark on a person's life. Some people catch a "bug" for cities (using myself as an example, that would be Bangkok, or Buenos Aires), for countries (India), even for a continent (Africa). More rarely, it's a natural feature that leaves a lifelong mark on someone's mind, urging her/him to return to it, time and time again. For some, it's being out at sea, for others being up in the mountains. I am sure all of you, Carnity Desernauts, can sympathize with me for being unable to resist the call of the desert. Most people would find this inexplicable, and, bewildered, will say "but there is nothing in a desert", or "what can you do in a desert, don't you get bored with its emptiness?". I surely don't need to give you the answers to those questions (or you wouldn't be reading this post at all). Hence, I would like to take the "opportunity" of my FJ being momentarily "out of action", to spend some time reminiscing those very places which stole my heart and mind, from the very beginning of my desert-going years. In fact, there was a time when I moonlighted as an organizer, and guide, of adventure travels, specialized in desert locations. It was a magic period, when terrorism had not yet taken a hold of most of Northern Africa and other parts of the continent, and extensive travelling was possible, even to the most remote and wild locations. To most people, the sandy stretch covering the north of Africa is simply known as the Sahara. The word itself is self-explanatory, meaning "deserts" in Arabic (in the plural), but also "moon", "wilderness", and "dawn" or "before dawn", with similar variations in different languages. Seven million years old, and with an area of 9,200,000 Km2, it is the largest hot desert in the world. Concentrating on its plural form, "The Sahara" is an assembly of many, fabulous, sometimes mythical, individual deserts: the Adrar, the Ténéré, the Air, the Ennedi, the Tibesti, the Hoggar, the Tassili, the Fezzan, the Nubian Desert, the Gilf el Kebir, the Great Sand Sea, the White Desert, the Danakil, and more to the east, the Sahara's natural extension, The Arabic Desert, with The Rub al Khali. Amidst these legendary deserts, rise cities and oasis just as fabulous, with origins lost in the mist of time: Chinquetti, Ouadane, Mopti, Timbuctu, Gao, Agadez, Arlit, Fachi, Bilma, Djado, Tamanrasset, Djanet, Ghat, Kufra, Dakhla, Dallol, and (why not?) Liwa. These are the magical places I was lucky enough to visit before politics and terrorism closed most of these locations to travelers. I'd like to take this forced period of absence from our UAE deserts, to look back on those times, and share with you some memories, and stories from the campfire. Before getting into the thick of these travels, a few reminders of what The Sahara is, and how it is unique. Contrarily to common belief, only 15% of the Sahara's deserts are made of sand. Inhabited by only 2.5 million people, covering 1/3 of all of Africa's surface, the majority of its landscape is made of "Hamada", or rocky plateau, such as the Algerian Tassili, depicted below. The flat desert pavement, called "Reg", is the second most prominent feature of this region. while the dune fields most associated with the Sahara are known as "Erg". Other geological formations that may be encountered in the Sahara, are the Wadi (dry river), Oued (dry lake), and the Chott (salt flats). Mudflats, usually known as “Sabkha”, are more typical of the coastal deserts of the Arabian Peninsula (as in the UAE), and are not found in the Saharan landscape. Going back to our most favorite feature, the Erg – i.e., the familiar sand dunes we are used to driving on - these associate their names to fantastic Saharan locations. Some of the better-known ones to motorsports lovers have provided a stunning backdrop to the original Paris-Dakar rally: The Grand Erg Oriental, the Erg Issaouane, the Erg de Bilma, these are endless dune fields, which take days to cross, and are only rivaled by our own Rub al Khali, in terms of sheer size and remoteness. Having said all this and sending you to read Fred’s essay on dune formations, for more information on the matter, I’ll get on with lighting the first campfire, and share with you some memories from the Sahara. I will start, on my next post, with perhaps the most legendary of these deserts: The Ténéré. In the language of the Tuaregs who inhabit it, the word means…”desert”. While this repetitive calling deserts by their own common names may seem to reveal a lack of fantasy, to me it implies an utmost respect for their absoluteness: to the Arabs, as well as to the Tuaregs, these locations are THE one and only Desert. Most of the Ténéré is a flat basin, once the bed of the prehistoric Lake Chad. In the north, the Ténéré is a vast sand sheet (a Reg) - the true, featureless “Ténéré” of legend reaching up to the low hills of the Tassili du Hoggar along the Algerian border. In the center, the Bilma Erg forms rows of easily navigable low dunes whose corridors make regular byways for the azelai, or salt caravans. To the west, the black basaltic feature of the Aïr Mountains rise up. To the southeast, the Ténéré is bordered by the Kaouar cliffs running 100 km north to south. At the base, lies a string of oases including the famous Bilma. Periodic outcrops, such as the unusual marble Blue Mountains in the northwest near Adrar Chiriet, or the Agram hills near the oasis of Fachi and Adrar Madet to the north, are rare but notable landmarks. The entry point to the Ténéré is the Tuareg village of Agadez. This city built with mud can be reached after an exhausting 16-hour drive from Niamey, the capital of Niger. Along the way one can meet some of the local tribes, the most stunning of which is the Bororo tribe. The best time to visit this tribe would be during the Gerewol Festival. This is an annual courtship ritual competition among where eligible youths dress up in elaborate ornamentation and, made up in traditional face painting, gather in lines to dance and sing, vying for the attentions of marriageable young women. The feature which wins the lady’s hearts is the whiteness of the eyes and teeth, hence the young men’s grinning and wide open, seemingly psychotic, yet love filled eyes. Back to Agadez, one usually arrives in this mud-built city late in the evening or at night. Nothing better, at this time, then paying a visit to Vittorio, at his hotel, restaurant, camping ground, entertainment venue. Built by this Italian expat (legends say fugitive from the law), who moved to this remote outpost decades ago, the Hotel Telit, and its Le Plier Restaurant, are now local institutions, where Vittorio and his Tuareg wife never fail to welcome the wary travelers, on their way south to the capital, or further north, to the Ténéré, and onward to Algeria. Time to go to bed now, resting for the last time within the safe mud wall of Agadez, before venturing into the endless openness of the Ténéré. Stay tuned for the next installment of “Deserts of the World”, when the adventure begins.

Well said @Mohamed Seidam. That's my opinion about the danger lf this approach.

Hi @VipinShetty. Surely #1 us true. It's possible also #2 (or the driver wasn't hearing/listening), and #3. Luckily, I think, the tow hooks held, and no damage occurred to any of the recovery points, tools, and most of all, to the cars.

Let's play a little at "What could have gone wrong?". Any comments on this successful recovery? What would you have done differently, and what could have happened (that luckily didn't)? VID-20201205-WA0007.mp4

@eidooo, congrats for your first drives with Carnity. I also did my first drive with @Srikumar, so you couldn't have had a better baptism. Regarding any mods to your FJ, my approach has been to first build my feeling with the car, learn to take advantage of its full potential, practicing and improving my off-roading skills, so that I learned to go everywhere with only my expertise as an allay. Once you've done that, you may start looking into mods. There may be some additions to the car that will be useful from the start, but that'll be your own choice to implement them. For instance, a front bash plate will help you avoid damages to the front of your car (namely it will protect your radiator). Yet, I still have not installed it (it would be my next, and first mod), and I've found that not having a bash plate has forced me to learn a more careful way of driving, more finesse-oriented if you like, even when ridge riding, or criss-crossing, and in technical dunes. Next mod you may want to think about may be a snorkel. This will help you feed your engine with clean air, avoiding the filter getting clogged with sand, or injecting fine sand particles in your engine. The alternative to a snorkel is that you make sure you clean the filter (and the pipe leading to the engine) thoroughly, after each and every drive. This is what I have done so far, but I believe that a snorkel will be my next, second, mod. Lastly, perhaps you'd want to think about installing harder shocks, and lifting your car. The harder shocks will aid you in taking smoother, more effective, long climbs, and will make riding on heavily marked terrain, full of older tracks, more endurable. A lift (with either spacers or longer shocks) would allow you to use bigger tires, which would also give you more clearance, for more advanced ridge riding (especially on sharper dunes, with an uphill approach). At the same time, the more you lift an FJ, which is already quite a tall and relatively slender car (you can lift the car from 2 inches up to 13 inches) the more you'll increase the risk of roll-overs, as lifting the car will move its center of gravity higher. Wheel spacers will then be required to increase the car's "foot-print" and reduce the risk of roll-overs. My advice, in any case, is not to rush into any race to make mods. These alterations are expensive, and you should not consider them until you'll have decided you're in off-roading in the long run. Also, no mod is a shortcut to better (and safer) driving: your performance in the desert is, first and foremost, entirely proportional to your driving skills, so actually, the less mods you have made, the more you'll be forced to hone your skills, and "invest" in developing your feeling with the car, managing to extract its true potential. So, in a nutshell, keep on driving, and focus on learning/perfecting it, until you may be ready to turn mods into true advantages.

Good job @Rajeevan Vickneswaran. Looking forward to driving with you again.

Well done @Rizwanm2. See you soon at the next level.

Veni, Blitzi, Vici (We came, we blitzed, we won) 😉 - Ganthoot Blitz Drive Report Dear Desertnauts, thank you all very much for giving me the opportunity to lead of then most fun drives I had lately. Everything worked perfectly on this drive. The early start, with the first light barely breaking the horizon, the brisk and safe crossing of the technical entry area just as the sun came up, navigating an alternation of virgin long range dunes and tighter technical dunes, the impromptu decision to extend the drive to the south-west, toward an inviting succession of playable dunes (with plenty of ridge-riding, criss-crossing, and side-sloping opportunities), and finally the trip back up toward Bab al Shams, with a bonus ride toward Solar Park's exit. The most tangible sign that all drivers were doing great, and fully enjoying the drive (or so I wish to believe), was a very conspicuous radio silence, which persisted almost until we reached our turning point, on the border with Ganthoot's laborers' camps. Virtually no refusals, and only one stuck toward the end, testify the drivers' brilliant performance. And what a pleasure driving in a virtually untouched territory, where the few tracks visible on the ground, in places, were the ones left from our previous recce drive, just a week back, and those of some campers' close to Solar Park. As usual in these type of intermediate drives, we drove without a convoy's Center Forward, so that all members may be responsible for supporting the car either in front or behind. This insured that the few refusals were speedily overcome, and virtually all drivers were involved in the each other's recoveries (and the single tug). A collective "bravo" to @Luca Palanca Falsini (thank you for the precise Second Lead), @Mehmet Volga, @Tero Vallas, @Nabil Bishara, @marks, @Heisem, @Kailas, @Alexander Alcala and @Pancho (provider of a clean Sweep): the Blitz covered 83Km, in 3 hours of driving (3:43 including stops), at an average speed of 22Km/h (and 28Km/h while in moving), with a cumulative climb of 603 meters (going from a minimum altitude of 30m to a maximum of 81m). Looking forward to seeing you soon in the sand, I wish you a great, super short, week.

Dear Desertnauts. Let's gear up for this interesting Premiere of the Ganthoot Blitz. As mentioned in the drive's description, we'll be aiming to reach the outskirts of Ganthoot, and the border with Abu Dhabi. We'll be facing different challenges in terms of terrain, from technical dunes to open cordons, from hard smooth surfaces to gluey, soft sand, from controlled "finesse' driving, to faster more exciting pace. We'll be required to adopt several driving styles, with the more difficult parts of the itinerary being on technical dunes, at the beginning and toward the end of the drive. Here, even in this time of the year, the sand can turn very soft, with these stickier patches becoming treacherously invisible, as they are generated by wind accumulation which wipes the dunes clear of most signs. This mix of driving styles, and the possibility of having to patiently and skillfully find our way around some difficult areas, make this drive an Intermediate one, with plenty of opportunities to exploit your acquired skills, and test more advanced ones. Convoy order will be as follows: @Luca Palanca Falsini will be the Second Lead @Mehmet Volga will drive in 3rd place @Tero Vallas at #4 @Nabil Bishara in the #5 position @marks at #6 @Heisem will be #7 @Kailas #8 @Alexander Alcala will take #9, and @Pancho will Sweep the convoy Please reach the meeting place, a couple of Kms along the dirt track off the road to Bab al Shams, as close to 6AM as possible, so that we may start promptly, even if we'll drive the first few minutes in the low light preceding the sunrise. Tune into Carnity Channel #1 (446.006), and be ready to enjoy a new, interesting and diverse track. Have a great Friday, and see you Saturday morning.