Ale Vallecchi

Dear Desertnauts. I hope none of you is yet fed up with driving in the desert this weekend. One more drive awaits us, and it's an absolute novelty in the Carnity menu. We'll be visiting the area that surrounds one of the Royal villas, starting from Skydive Dubai's parking lot, directing ourselves north through a stretch of open dunes, toward a play area just next to the village of Margham, then we'll double back west toward the eventual exit point, just facing Lisaili (on the other side of the highway). All of the drive (except one play area) is barely charted (only driven once), so this will be essentially an exploration drive. The convoy order will be the following: @Chaitanya D as my Second Lead @Islam Soliman's Yukon at #3 @Hatim Patharia will take #4 @andy_macdxb at #5 @tcarrimjee will be #6 @Anish S will be Center Forward @Tero Vallas will follow at #8 @Kailas will cover the #9 spot @Jeandre Bezuidenhout will wear #10 @Biju Abdul will take position #11, and @Foxtrot Oscar will Sweep the group. Please be at the meeting and inflation point as punctual as possible (being early has become many drivers' good habit), at 6:00AM sharp, tuned into Carnity Channel 1 (446.006) Please be advised that to reach the meeting point you should follow the signs, through an underpass below the highway, and past a roundabout just beyond the tunnel's exit. Rest up this afternoon, and be ready to go tomorrow. See you at Skydive.

Hello @jodha singh shekhawat. Are you still interested in joining this drive? Please Let me know so I can either add you or the next person on the WL. Thanks a lot.

Dear @jodha singh shekhawat, if you feel like a spot has opened up for Saturday's AM drive. Would you like to confirm? Thanks a lot.

Hi @David Ortells. Just saw your message (sorry for my recall). Please resist!! 😅 Hope to see you next time. Thanks for responding.

Hi @Andrei. The plan is to finish around 10AM (Inshallah) 😅🍀

Hello @Rizwan Waheed. It will depend on your tires. If they are not low profile, and have a ratively high and robust wall I would go to 12 or 13. As the drive progresses they will also tend to re-inflate due to heat. Low profile (low wall) tires should go to around 15. Dear @Baskaran P.R, dear @Gok Krish, I still cannot verify that you have acknowledged the Covid rules from the website. Can you please re-confirm that you have read them and marked the post with "Totally Agree" before this evening? Members who have not complied will not be allowed to participate in the drive (or any drive). Thanks a lot for letting me know.

Dear Desertnauts, In preparation for tomorrow's drive, this is our convoy order: @Ashy will be my Second Lead @Athula Dharmadada will follow in position #3; you will have to follow as precisely as possible Ashy's tracks, as he'll have made the adjustments as indicated, when necessary @Hardik Mody will start at #4 @Baskaran P.R will be #5 @Rizwan Waheed will follow at #6 @Mikhail Lukichev will be the Center Forward (helping to take care of difficulties experienced by any car in the first half of the convoy) @Syed Raza Hussain will occupy position #8 @Andrei will come at #9 @Yasas Dharmadasa will be #10 @SureshVNair will be driver #11 @Gok Krish will follow at #12 just before @Kailas, who will be sweeping A few notes about the meeting time and place. Please remember that from tomorrow we'll start meeting at 6:00 AM. Nonetheless, please try to be punctual or even a little early, as we'd like to start the drive as soon as possible (it will start being light at 5:49, and the sun will rise at 6:11, so it would be great if we were able to move as the sun comes up, or even earlier). The meeting and deflation point will be just off the tarmac road. Please make sure NOT TO REACH FAQA TOWN, but to TAKE THE EXIT BEFORE FAQA: it's marked, on the map, and consists in a road veering to the right of the tarmac a few Km before Faqa town, going through a fenced gate, and continuing through some dunes first then a sabkha area. Once you reach the meeting point, please tune into Carnity Channel 1 (446.006). Tomorrow's drive will take place in a slightly less used area for Newbies. Nonetheless, we feel confident that it can be a nice and intriguing drive: follow instructions carefully and calmly, and stay concentrated, to find the perfect feeling between yourselves, your car and the terrain we'll drive in. Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow morning for a leisurely and pleasant drive.

BTW @David Ortells and @andy_macdxb, if you confirm I will have to add you manually to the list, as the RSVP is closed. Thanks for letting me know (as we also have other members in the WL).

Hello @David Ortells. You are IN this Saturday AM drive. Please re-confirm, and see you at Skydive. Good morning @andy_macdxb. I am able to give you the last spot in the convoy. Please confirm you are able to join on Saturday at Skydive. Thanks a lot.

Hello @Tamas Hoffmann. Thanks for letting me know. Your sacrifice will be much appreciated 😅 Hi @Christian Andras. Sorry for tour withdrawal. We'll see you soon out there !

Hello @Senthil Kumar. I will add you to the WL. Thanks Hi @Kailas. No worries. Will do. Thanks.

Hello @Yasas Dharmadasa. You are welcome to join. Thanks Dear @Yasas Dharmadasa, @Gok Krish, @Baskaran P.R and @Athula Dharmadada, can you please confirm that you have aknowledged the Anti Covid-19 rules, as posted on the drive's announcement (by clicking on the "totally agree" icon)? Thanks a lot for confirming, and sorry for asking in case you had done it already.

Hello @Yasas Dharmadasa. You are welcome to join. Thanks

@Shyam Karat well noted. Thank you very much.

Hello @Ilya Golubinsky. You will be #4 on the WL. Thanks

Good morning Desertnauts. @Christian Andras, @Islam Soliman, @Kailas, @Biju Abdul, @Jeandre Bezuidenhout, @Anish S, @Tamas Hoffmann, @Tero Vallas, @Rizwanm2, @tcarrimjee, @Chaitanya D and @Foxtrot Oscar it's time to start savoring next Saturday's drive 🤤. Once again, as it's happened lately, Carnity has added a new dish on its menu. In fact, this drive will take us into yet another new area. Even better, considering that we only did a partial recce of this itinerary, approximately half of the drive will be an exploration, in search of enjoyable dunes. One of the reason why this part of Dubai is little explored by off-roading clubs is that this is where on of the Royal villas is located. The property is huge and well fenced, so that this drive will develop all around it, without infringing on any of its boundaries, while we'll be looking for clean playable dunes to ride. We may also encounter locals practicing the art of falconry, as well as camel farmers. The vegetation here is enough to sustain year-round grazing, even though it will not be as abundant as in other parts of Dubai. The terrain will vary from wider open yellow sand dunes (never quite high, nonetheless intriguing), to tighter technical areas (especially in the second part of the drive), which are however always surrounded by flat stretches, that allow relatively quick exits and re-directions. The skills we'll practice on this drive, besides adapting and reacting to a new terrain in the exploratory part of the itinerary, will be side sloping, ridge riding and crossing. While looking forward to seeing you on Saturday, please enjoy your week.

Hello @David Ortells. You are #1 on the WL. Thanks Hello @andy_macdxb. Yours is spot #2 on the WL. Thanks Hi @jodha singh shekhawat, you are #3 in the WL. Thanks.

@SureshVNair well noted. Sorry for the mix up 😊

Dear Desertnauts. @Rizwan Waheed, @Syed Raza Hussain, @Kailas, @Athula Dharmadada, @Andrei, @Gok Krish, @Ashy, @Hardik Mody, @Shyam Karat, @Mikhail Lukichev, @Baskaran P.R and @Suresh Nair, welcome to this drive. In anticipation of this Friday's drive, here are some information about what we are looking forward to. As we know, arboretum means "a botanical garden devoted to trees". While it's not likely that this area would qualify as a "garden" by any botanical standards, it is actually quite full of trees. The northern part of Faqa, in fact, benefits from a higher aquifer, which allows for a very abundant presence of trees, rarely alone, and more frequently gathered in sparse copses. We will enter the long range, white sand dunes, of this area through some of these groups of trees, and we'll continue in a southerly directions, toward the heart of the Faqa region. From here we will either double back toward the entry point, or continue eastward, looking to reach Faqa town, depending on the convoy's response to the more technical nature of the terrain which characterizes the second half of the drive. This is in fact an area that is usually visited by Fewbies and above convoys. Nonetheless, the nature of the northern sector of Faqa, with waves of long range, relatively open dunes, allows for safe travel also by Newbies in search for a bit of a challenge. Hence Arboretum 101 as the name of the drive, to suggest a Newbie level outing with the chance to taste, in a safe and controlled manner, some of the challenges to come once achieved a higher rank. It will provide the convoy with ample opportunities to practice low side slopes, riding on smooth, wide ridges, and straight crossing low dunes, honing one's off-roading skills, especially in the areas of finesse and control. More info to follow just before the drive. In the meantime, enjoy your week.

Hello @jodha singh shekhawat. I will add you to the WL as #1. Thanks a lot

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: Fewbie and Above When: 3 October 2020, Saturday. Meeting time: 6:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Action Plan: We will explore another BRAND NEW AREA. We will drive through a stretch of desert usually visited only by locals, where we will practice controlled driving over technical dunes, side sloping, principles of ridge riding and crossing (low dunes), at a leisurely pace. Meeting Point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZmTBPqSLqiX3nHKL8 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: 10:00 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 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: 2 October 2020, Friday. Meeting time: 6:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Action Plan: Navigate around and through some long range dunes, with opportunities for straight crossing and some side sloping. We may cross occasional technical dunes, where more precision and finesse will be required. The pace of the drive will be leisurely. Meeting Point: https://maps.google.com/?q=24.727729,55.558290 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: 10:00 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 12 Newbie 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

What an epic drive in technical dunes' hell!! Wicked idea by @Gaurav (apparently inspired by @Srikumar) to choose the Lisaili to Faqa drive headline as a bait 😉 for a fun filled itinerary, while actually designing an excruciatingly difficult challenge for the last Leaders Lead session. Almost entirely focused on the super technical dunes between Lisaili and Murquab, this was one of the most difficult drive I had to do while with Carnity. My hats off to all the soon to be leaders for facing up to the challenge without batting an eye, always responding with a positive, energetic and calm attitude to the difficulties revealing themselves dune after dune after dune. @Chaitanya D, @Tbone, @Kalahari, @Brette and @sertac all displayed leaders' qualities, by driving with flair, control, unwavering determination and resilience, plus supporting each other when needed. I was also very impressed by everybody's calm and clear communication skills, even under quite a deal of pressure. I dare just giving them one advice: you can never plan enough, even the unplanned. I realize that nobody wishes to take a convoy in little fun, hard to navigate, technical areas, but on any drive one can find himself ending up in such an unplanned situation. This is why I suggest you always mark on your maps multiple exit points, especially in proximity to the technical areas. Take your time to look back at the maps, especially while driving through these areas, and at the same time take visuals of the surrounding terrain, so that anytime you find yourself in a tight spot, you may have one or more ways out, even though this may mean not reaching the planned exit point. As we said today, you cannot control all aspects of a drive while planning it at home, but you can do your best to be prepared, and minimize any risks you may encounter. Having said this, I congratulate all of you guys with today's achievements. You led in one of the most difficult terrains you may find in this area, and you came out successfully. Great job. See you soon with your new stripes on.