Ale Vallecchi

@Jeepie and @Wrangeld Great job as fisrt time Leaders!! You faced a very challanging environment (a lot of bushes, combined with increasingly hot and shifty sand patches) and yet navigated admirably well and with a decisive and sure pace. What's more important, when faced with a very tricky recovery, you guided a multiple effort with calm and inner coolness (while boiling on the outside😅) leading all to safety. As much a great feat for a first lead as any other, in my opinion. @Gaurav has mentored you well, especially in mastering recoveries. And @Fredericand @Vanessa8580 did a great job taking part in the gruesome effort, under the scorching sun. I am sure they spent the afternoon immersed in the pool!! As for the group, all rose to the challange, without major problems (pop out and some refusals happen, especially in these conditions). The Big Stuck was unavoidable, considering the tight technical dune area and especially the heat. See you next week on some patch of sand.

Well said @asifk. We'll soon organize a "Trash Collecting Drive" to rid the desert of some of the rubbish that unfortunately fills it, in places (fortunately, mostly in the proximity of "play areas").

Well said @asifk. One day we'll organize a "Rubbish Run" to collect trash from the desert.

Great report @Wrangeld, and very well raised points about the dune's crossing and ridge riding. I commend @Vipin Shettyfor his patience. Every time he found himself in difficult situations, he communicated very calmly, listened with attention, and followed instructions without ever panicking. As soon as he'll get more familiar with his car's performance and potential on the sand he'll do great.

@Jeepie ,as already said commenting @Wrangeld promotion, your passion and commitment are inspiring. You bring each your own different style of driving to the Club, but most of all you bring enthusiasm and friendship to it, which is even more important. Well deserved.

Bravo E.C.!! Well done.

@Matti Brockman you have been doing great, so this doesn't come as a surprise. You have absolute control, and will have no problems driving at the higher level where you belong. Enjoy!!

Super duper @Brette. Way to go, and well deserved. It's great to have your calm and collectedness in the drives. And now that your car has been finally tamed, it will be even more fun driving with you. See you soon.

Good job @Mels Wolf. Very much deserved advancement. ✌

Wonderful job @Jeepie and @Wrangeld. You are an inspiration for passion and enthusiasm. Very well done, and deserved. By the way, this group spirit is what makes this Club special and unique.

Thanks to everybody for the drive. Very well done, with very little issues, all brilliantly resolved. Hope you didn't mind my first experience at the head of the pack. I enjoyed it very much, especially the later part, chasing the sunset. You all certainly responded very well to the terrain, the temperature and the technical dunes that sometimes Qudra throws at you. Special thanks to @Srikumar for giving me the opportunity to lead. Thanks also to @Shamil for watching over the convoy, to @Desert Dweller for her first "center" and recovery role, and to @Matti Brockman for his sure and safe second-lead. See you next week.

All drivers, please make sure to have read thoroughly the information above, about complying with Covid regulations. Please, formally agree by displaying the Totally Agree emoticon. Without this acknowledgment drivers will not be allowed to participate. Thanks for your understanding and cooperation.

Well done @RohanH. See you soon on the sand.

Bravo @Nizam Deen

Great job Javier. I am very much looking forward to being led by you very soon.

Great job!! Your new nickname truly shows your commitment and determination. You and the other girls are rising fast through the ranks. This shows that off-roading is not just about power and modifications, but just as much about gentle touch and skills. Well deserved. See you soon out there.

Well said and appropriately stressed. I am realizing during these last drives how many over-heating problems there have been, and how easy it is to forget to check the gauges (especially for more junior drivers, while being busy navigating, and perhaps looking at beautiful landscapes). Maintenance and cleanliness of the radiator (and other engine parts) perhaps is not stressed enough, but I find it is something we all should become accustomed to, and practice regularly after each drive. Thanks for the great tips.

Good points @paolo dassi. Tyres do re-inflate as the drive progresses. Especially if some more challanging, taller or steeper dunes, requiring more traction, are to be found toward the end (especially of a morning drive), pressure must be checked, to deflate again if necessary. I usually have the car washed underneath and in the engine bay, to get rid of the sand, every max 3 drives. Mine was just a generic precaution, but as you mentioned, in the summer it will likely help to improve the flow of air through the radiator.

Thanks @Frederic for your tips. As far as over-heating, I guess a lot depends on the car. I understand Jeeps, and perhaps Pajeros may suffer the heat more than other cars. As far as deflating, I believe one may deflate even lower than 12 or 11, depending on the tyres she/he's mounting. Mine are quite high rimmed, and I usually like deflating down to 10, or even 9 PSI. In which case, one must be even more careful with pop-outs. I surely like to drive higher on the dunes, especially for crossing over. I believe that's especially true for long-wheel based cars, which tend to be dragged down by their own weight, when approaching the crest from too far down, and at a sharper angle.

As off-road driving slowly resumes, we find ourselves facing conditions which are increasingly challenging. You all must have noticed refusals and stucks, in places where you would not have had any problems driving through before the lockdown. We all know the culprit: the HEAT!! While in its grasp, the heat is making us rethink how we should drive. What tips should we follow, and what changes should we make to our driving style, during the summer months (especially now, when the curfew is still on, and night-time drives are out of the question)? Hints: tyre pressure speed and momentum angles of approach gauge reading what NOT to do Throw in your opinions, share your experiences, give your tips to more junior drivers.

Thanks @Wrangeld for the report. You always find a way to render a perfect description of the drives, while at the same time giving useful tips and reminders to be considered for future drives. I was happy to see that your Jeep did very well in the heat. See you very soon, out there.

Thanks @sertac. We had not seen each other in a while, and it was good to drive with you again. Your calm transmitted a feeling of security to the whole group, even when Sri upped the challenges to a Newbie + level. Good job, and hope to see you soon again.

Enjoy this star-studded drive!!

Congrats @siddharth maheshwari. You have been driving very well. You deserve this.

Well done @Shiju Manuel