Ale Vallecchi

We request every member that joins this drive to go through the information below and strictly follow these guidelines, etiquette and responsibilities. MUST READ AND COMPLY Environmental Policy Offroad Flag Guideline Two Way Radio Guideline Off road Driving Etiquettes Emergency details for all off roaders Off Road Driving - Roles & Responsibilities Drive Details Level: Newbie and above (all levels) - NO Absolute Newbies Meeting time: 02:30 PM Meeting Point:https://maps.app.goo.gl/3RVDrNwwKg4e7vDP8 Action Plan: What better way to start a new year than by enjoying the peace and vastity of the desert? We have chosen an area that can allow all drivers to enjoy themselves, with terrain ranging from simple to moderately challenging, and made extremely interesting by the presence of animals (sometimes camels, and more often oryx), and remnants of old farm compounds, identified by small palm groves that magically appear behind cream-colored dunes. The sun will set on the horizon, to mark the end of the first day of the New Year. What to bring along: Loads of water, snacks (for yourself), smiles, face masks, rubber gloves, enthusiasm, and willingness to learn. Approximate finish time: 05:30 PM P.S. Only join if you have a compressor to inflate your tires after the drive. RECOMMENDED OFF-ROAD GEAR: Tire deflator & Tire pressure gauge Compressor (MANDATORY) Walkie-talkie radio (MANDATORY) Off-road flag (MANDATORY) Shovel, Tow Rope & 2 Shackles First-aid kit Fire extinguisher. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE This drive is limited to 10 cars only. RSVP will close on Friday - 12 PM. If the RSVP is full, you can add your name to the waitlist, once anyone drops, you will be moved to the RSVP list. RSVP will close a day prior to preparing a convoy list. Latecomers will be returned - Without any exceptions. Members without RSVP will be returned - 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

Thank you for your Second Lead @frederic demolder, in such a difficult terrain. And thank you for your patience, while trying to un-stuck you. I should have resorted to maximum deflation sooner. Thanks for joining and see you next time. Happy Holidays.

Hi @Pramod B. We'll choose one at the meeting point. Thanks

Dear Desertnauts quick briefing about tomorrow's drive to inaugurate the weekend leading to the Holiday Season. It has been planned to cover a relatively short distance, in consideration of the unusually challenging nature of the terrain. We'll meet and deflate next to Murqab's mosque, from where we'll take a track leading to a large triangular sabkha, where we'll enter the first of two technical areas where we'll focus tomorrow. For "technical" areas we mean stretches of desert characterized by very young (not consolidated) and quite low dunes, very close to each other, separated by not very deep, but sometimes sharp, bowls, possibly filled with very soft fine sand. This terrain requires proceeding at relatively low speeds, using a lot of gentle throttling, slowing down while descending the bowls, while accelerating (for a very short distance) to climb out of the bowls, and working a lot with your steering wheel when required to follow the very curvy ridges. This first technical segment has become infamously known as "the road to the Chimney", as the Solar Tower had been nicknamed while under construction. This segment is where Carnity's future Leads are trained to lead by Gaurav. For any first-time lead, it represents a very complex and difficult place to take a convoy, requiring great intuition in choosing the paths of least resistance, and avoiding the most treacherous spots. This technical area will see us proceed in the direction of the Solar Tower. Upon reaching it, we'll veer west, to cross the second, and longer, technical area, while giving our back to the Eye of Sauron, to proceed in the direction of Solar Park, and Qudra. The convoy order will be: @frederic demolder in Second Lead @Amr J at #3 @Abhishek Chikara at #4 @Michael asir at #5 @Pramod B at #6 @Jessica Lambert in the Center position @Misha Puskar at #8 @J-P L at #9 @Ben Lee at #10 @Glenn W at #11 and @Emanuel in Sweep. See you all tomorrow with the goal to start at 2:30 PM. Have a nice Thursday evening.

Of course @Michael asir, it'll be at 2:30 PM. Thanks for noticing. I would not set that departure time even in the summer 😅. So, @Wilfredo Perez and @Jessica Lambert, let's try and extend the drive to both of you. Please confirm before this evening that you still want to join and I will add your names. Thanks.

I'll see what we can do @Jessica Lambert. I am tempted to increase the convoy, but want to give it more thought, due to the complexity of a long convoy on technical dunes. Will decide by Thursday morning, if you can be patient. Thanks a lot.

Hi @Emanuel. I added you to Manage. Thanks a lot.

We request every member that joins this drive to go through the information below and strictly follow these guidelines, etiquette and responsibilities. MUST READ AND COMPLY Environmental Policy Offroad Flag Guideline Two Way Radio Guideline Off road Driving Etiquettes Emergency details for all off roaders Off Road Driving - Roles & Responsibilities Drive Details Level: Fewbie and above (all levels) Meeting time: 02:30 PM (PLANNED DEPARTURE) Meeting Point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/LptYfiZMaY3fKqeg7 Action Plan: a relatively short, but very engaging drive, to decompress at the end of the working week, searching for a nice sunset spot in the proximity of the Solar Tower (AKA The Eye of Sauron), after navigating a beautiful yet challenging route, with plenty of technical dunes, amazing trees, and possibly gazelles and camels. The drive plan, if well executed, will cover the better part of 3 hours. A nice recap of technical driving skills, before Christmas and New Year, to prepare the members for the many drives to come during the Holidays time. What to bring along: Loads of water, snacks (for yourself), smiles, face masks, rubber gloves, enthusiasm, and willingness to learn. Approximate finish time: 05:30 PM P.S. Only join if you have a compressor to inflate your tires after the drive. RECOMMENDED OFF-ROAD GEAR: Tire deflator & Tire pressure gauge Compressor (MANDATORY) Walkie-talkie radio (MANDATORY) Off-road flag (MANDATORY) Shovel, Tow Rope & 2 Shackles First-aid kit Fire extinguisher. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE This drive is limited to 10 cars only. RSVP will close on Friday - 12 PM. If the RSVP is full, you can add your name to the waitlist, once anyone drops, you will be moved to the RSVP list. RSVP will close a day prior to preparing a convoy list. Latecomers will be returned - Without any exceptions. Members without RSVP will be returned - 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

Sorry to hear that @Giacomo. Hope it's nothing serious. See you next time.

Dear Desrtnauts welcome to this Full Day Endurance drive briefing. Here are a few quick tips to get ready for tomorrow, considering that we'll be out and about all day. WHAT TO BRING Even though we plan to take a break in Sweihan town, where we'll find some restaurants for eating and drinking, please make sure you have enough drinking water for 2 drives, hence twice as much as you normally bring with you. Regarding the food, besides as many snack as you like to bring, we will have 2 options for our lunch: we'll stop at a local restaurant, likely serving Middle Eastern or Indian food. You may also bring your own prepared lunch, if you may have any specific dietary requirements, or prefer to play it safe with your own preparations. PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT ANY EXTRA CONTAINERS, COOLING BOXES, ETC. ARE SAFELY SECURED AND WILL NOT RISK FLYING AROUND THE CAR. FUEL Please fill up your tank as close to the meeting point as possible, in consideration of where you will be coming from. We will find an ADNOC station in Sweihan, where we will be able to top up the tanks of those in need of gasoline. No extra jerry cans will be necessary. As mentioned in the initial post, the drive will focus on endurance, navigational skills, and safe driving in a convoy formation, assuming other passengers may be in the cars: that is a good training session for proper, longer, overland adventures. There will be obstacles to overcome, bowls to dive into and climb out of, so make sure you are well rested, and able to keep your concentration going for the whole day. One of the challenges of the drive is that we'll drive more or less against the prevailing winds, therefore most of the crossings will have to be from the slip face of the dunes, rather than from the easier, gentler and harder hard-faces. CONVOY ORDER @Andrew John Melvill in Second Lead @Abhishek Chikara at #3 @Carl Stanley at #4 @Talal H at #5 @Yurybel at #6 @Benje_Junior at Center Forward @Giacomo at #8 @nithish468 at #9 @Martin M at #10 @Misha Puskar at #11 @Glenn W at #12 and @Hani crest king in Sweep For any further questions, don't hesitate to contact me. Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow.

Dear @Sam Selim, I have seen that you signed up for this drive. Since you are still listed as a Newbie, this drive Fewbie and above is not accessible to you. I will have to sign you out of the drive. Please see if you may still join one of this weekend's Newbie drives. Hope to see you another time. Thanks for understanding.

Dear @khlief, @Yurybel and @Misha Puskar (as well as @Giacomo, who I recall being on the WL), I have decided to open the convoy to the waitlisted members. Please confirm that you'd like to join before I sign you up for this Sunday Full Day drive. Thanks a lot.

Sorry to hear that @Luke K P. See you next time (there will be more Full Day drives)

@Misha Puskar I'll look at extending if I find more support. Let's see how the sign ups develop.

Yes @Abhishek Chikara, of course, we'll have to cross some nice bowls and taller dunes

We request every member that joins this drive to go through the information below and strictly follow these guidelines, etiquette and responsibilities. MUST READ AND COMPLY Environmental Policy Offroad Flag Guideline Two Way Radio Guideline Off road Driving Etiquettes Emergency details for all off roaders Off Road Driving - Roles & Responsibilities Drive Details Level: Fewbie and above (all levels) Meeting time: 08:30 AM (PLANNED DEPARTURE) Meeting Point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/acreM77zLxB2MRu76 Action Plan: In the spirit of a true overland desert drive, we'll dedicate the day to covering around 150 Km of open sand and tracks. The plan is to go from Faya to the Sweihan Pond, on to the Tilal section of Sweihan, where we'll take a break at a local restaurant, and we'll have the opportunity to refuel (if needed) then continue on to Nahil's big dunes, reaching the Pac-Man dunes (marked by the circular irrigation fields), and finally end the drive at Nahil's lake (a magic place close to our planned exit point). The route will favor the safety of the drive and is more focused on developing the drivers' endurance skills, rather than on adrenaline and thrills, as the keys to true overland drives are consistency, mental focus, patience, and the choice of the best, cleanest routes. Along the route, we'll share tips on orienteering and navigating in open spaces. What to bring along: Loads of water, snacks (for yourself), smiles, face masks, rubber gloves, enthusiasm, and willingness to learn. Approximate finish time: 05:30 PM P.S. Only join if you have a compressor to inflate your tires after the drive. RECOMMENDED OFF-ROAD GEAR: Tire deflator & Tire pressure gauge Compressor (MANDATORY) Walkie-talkie radio (MANDATORY) Off-road flag (MANDATORY) Shovel, Tow Rope & 2 Shackles First-aid kit Fire extinguisher. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE This drive is limited to 10 cars only. RSVP will close on Friday - 12 PM. If the RSVP is full, you can add your name to the waitlist, once anyone drops, you will be moved to the RSVP list. RSVP will close a day prior to preparing a convoy list. Latecomers will be returned - Without any exceptions. Members without RSVP will be returned - 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

Thank you @davie c smooth operator for opening up the convoy and letting me lead its second half. We did have a great time, even while staying away from an extremely crowded, and terribly littered, Pink Rock, concentrating on reaching Big Red, through the very nice sand bowls along the way. Also thanks for extending the drive to Badayer's side and its big dunes. All my drivers - @Giacomo, @rroker, @W a q a r, @Jose Luis Campos, @Arvindraj, @Zubair @Shiju Raju, @Andrei S - did great, with a special thanks to @Mehmet Volga who helped greatly with his support and guidance from the Center's position. I hope that @rroker is feeling OK after the unfortunate roll which happened almost at the end of the drive. Please let us know if you sorted out the car's assistance and recovery, and if you have made sure you are 100% in good health (as Davie suggested, I would also advise you go see a doctor, and monitor how you are feeling at least throughout the weekend). You have taken the incident with an admirable amount of philosophy: be sure that these things can happen, at any time, to anybody, so I hope to see you back in action soon. For all drivers asking how the roll happened, it was just an unfortunate case of fighting gravity, by counter steering toward the ridge while being too low on the approach. Surely the mistake was compounded by the heavy tracks that scarred the whole face of the dune (the car may not have flipped if it had not bounced on the deep tracks). Have a great weekend all of you, and see you soon out there.

We request every member that joins this drive to go through the information below and strictly follow these guidelines, etiquette and responsibilities. MUST READ AND COMPLY Environmental Policy Offroad Flag Guideline Two Way Radio Guideline Off road Driving Etiquettes Emergency details for all off roaders Off Road Driving - Roles & Responsibilities Drive Details Level: Fewbie and above (all levels) Meeting time: 02:30 PM Meeting Point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/6rEQD577oA3dfihb8 Action Plan: A mid-week dash from Faqa to Little Sweihan (exiting at Solar Park), mixing a leisurely drive through sections of soft technical dunes with a bit of speed across sabkhas and taller dune canyons. An opportunity to stretch one's legs after the DCT weekend's break, in preparation for the upcoming weekend of drives. What to bring along: Loads of water, snacks (for yourself), smiles, face masks, rubber gloves, enthusiasm, and willingness to learn. Approximate finish time: 06:00 PM P.S. Only join if you have a compressor to inflate your tires after the drive. RECOMMENDED OFF-ROAD GEAR: Tire deflator & Tire pressure gauge Compressor (MANDATORY) Walkie-talkie radio (MANDATORY) Off-road flag (MANDATORY) Shovel, Tow Rope & 2 Shackles First-aid kit Fire extinguisher. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE This drive is limited to 10 cars only. RSVP will close on Friday - 12 PM. If the RSVP is full, you can add your name to the waitlist, once anyone drops, you will be moved to the RSVP list. RSVP will close a day prior to preparing a convoy list. Latecomers will be returned - Without any exceptions. Members without RSVP will be returned - 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

@CristianIndeed, busted right axel. Being replaced, likely by Minday. Freaky accident in a very unexpected place. I believe I underestimated the slope I was stuck at, and the depth my tires were in. From @Marek's pic I can see the tires were turned right, which may have accentuated the tilt and the weight's pressure. Couldn't exit the car and tried to manover it out with A-Trac but, as the car slanted even more toward the incline, the angle, weight and steering effort may have been too much. Lesson learned: always exit to inspect the stuck, or have another pair of eyes on it. Thanks to @Simon Dfor the lead and assistance to recover and exit. I hope I didn't spoil this beautiful day too much. See you all soon out there.

Hi @Simon D. I have added myself to the drive. Looking forward to seeing you all.

Hi @Carl Stanley. Thanks for your reply. I'll fix it. Have a great weekend.