Ale Vallecchi

Welcome to the COVID 19 "new normal" lifestyle with restrictions and precautions for everyone safety. Moving forward and respecting authorities guidance all desert drives will be done under strict control. No Gathering | No Briefing | No BBQ | No Eating Together | No Touching | No Hugging MUST READ: Not following these rules and precautions = Not allowed to drive. We are only allowed to drive through the desert, as we are driving on the road now. So we will only do the desert driving just by sitting inside our cars at all the times and leave the drive without socializing or coming close to each other. Just like before we like to continue our desert drives through out the year, but this time we need your immense support to understand the strict control and to help everyone follow them all the time. For members who are fasting, they can break their fast discreetly and convoy will be stopped during that time and until they offer their prayer. How to maintain "STRICT" Social Distancing Meeting point will be set slightly (100m - 200m) inside the desert track. So, that you individually deflate your tires on the tarmac before reaching the meeting point. While deflating tires, stop cars 10 meters away from any other car. Drive signup on calendar will be closed on Thursday morning by 9 AM. Convoy numbering and briefing will be posted here on this drive post before 6 PM on Thursday. All participants need to read & acknowledge the briefing by clicking "Totally Agree" reaction Switch on your radio when you reach the meeting point on the set frequency advised by the trip lead in the critical briefing here. Once everyone reach to the meeting point, everyone stay inside the car at all the times. Trip lead will do the roll call, convoy numbering recap, critical briefing over the radio. Any suggestions or issues will be discussed over the radio too. You can also speak to other members through the radio only. So please make sure that your radio battery is fully charged. Once all set, trip lead will start the drive as before. Refusal and Recoveries with Social Distancing Every drive will have 1 lead Marshal and 1 or 2 supporting senior members/crew. Whenever there is a stuck or refusal, only Marshal / Senior Member / Crew is allowed to handle the situation. Everyone else including the stuck car driver, stay inside the car - AT ALL TIMES. Marshal / Senior Member / Crew is only allowed to step out to access the situation and do the recoveries: They will wear mask and gloves at all times when they are outside their car. They will try to help self recover through the radio guidance. If not they will use required recovery gear and do the needful (shovel, tug or winch, as required). If at any time Marshal require help, then only you are allowed to step out by wearing face mask and gloves at all times. Drive completion and inflation Now, there will not be any gathering or sitting down together for food-break like before. Once drive is finished, after reaching the tarmac, everyone is requested to move away 50-100 meters before starting their inflation. For drivers having no compressor, can head to the near by fuel station. If drive is ending at a place where there is no fuel station near by, then trip lead will inform in advance so that drivers having their own compressor can join only. Now Strictly no more sharing of compressors, radio, shovel or any recovery gear, at any times. Mandatory things you require to attend the drive Face mask - at least TWO face mask is needed in case one get damage or fly away. Disposable rubber gloves - at least two sets are needed. Wear face mask and gloves at all the times, when you are out of your car. Carry plenty of hand sanitizer and object sanitizer (spray). Use your sanitizers generously, whenever you step out to help or recover. Sanitize your hands before getting back into your car. Sanitize your recovery gears, if you have used them. Fully charged radio - without any excuse - No radio = No drive. Shovel - Must for every car, to do little self recovery Safety flag - Must for every car, like before Compressor - If joining the drives that is ending far from the fuel station. Mandatory precaution that you need to take at all times Do not step out of your car UNLESS/OTHERWISE advice by Marshal / Senior Member / Crew. No shaking hands, hugs or touching each other. No sharing of food, drinks or recovery tools. If you are not feeling well, please stay at home and take a lot of rest. If you have travel in last 14 days, then please do not attend this drive. If you feel unwell during the drive, please let trip lead know so he can plan an early exit. Not more than 3 pax in a car and if all 3 aren't living together, then they should wear the mask inside the car too. 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: OUR NEWBIE VIDEO BRIEFING: Drive Details Level: Fewbie and above - (No Newbie and No Absolute Newbie Allowed) When: 26 Jun 2020, Friday. Meeting time: 4:00 PM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Action Plan: Evening drive till about 08:00 PM Meeting Point: https://goo.gl/maps/iNzc9eLGoE34eAdX9 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: 08:00 PM End Point: Solar Innovation Centre - https://goo.gl/maps/JSazrE15y8BrZL846 P.S. Only join if you have a compressor to inflate your tires after the drive. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE: Limited to 15 cars maximum. RSVP will close on Thursday - 9 AM. 1 Lead Marshal + 2 Senior Members + 12 Members. 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 CALENDAR

@Wrangeld you're right about the shoe issue. Even the Big Barefeet One (i.e. myself) has given in to the comfort and safety of desert shoes 😅 😉

@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!!