Ale Vallecchi

Dear fellow Desernauts. To paraphrase @Wrangeld Richard’s report titles, I guess we should call this one “The Rumble in the Jungle”. I don’t know you, but I have never seen any desert in such green and lush conditions. That cloud seeding is certainly working, to the benefit of the citizens and residents, yet to the detriment of the off-roading community. Having escaped successfully from Mahafiz’s jungle (and to a lesser extent that around Fossil Rock), I’ll have to mow the lawn trapped under the car If I want to be able to drive without literally sweeping Dubai’s highways. Backtracking to the beginning of the drive, first of all, a commendation to all drivers for their timely (or in most cases, even early) arrival. After an unhurried deflation, we proceeded to move in the following order: @Rinelle Sanaani for his first second lead, diligently and patiently executed, @asifk doing great until his car experienced transmission issues (luckily resolved) which forced him to exit prematurely, @Shiju Manuel @RohanH, @Jolly Abraham and @J J, driving with poise and control in spite of the tricky terrain, @Vanessa8580 dominating the convoy, covering its length to help direct the occasional refusal, @Najeeb Mohammed much improved in extracting the power under his FJ’s hood, @Chaitanya D totally enjoying his new desert toy, @Anish S, overcoming a cooling issue to finish the drive in perfect conditions, @Tbone and @Janarthan navigating as a perfectly synchronized pair, and finally @Denizzalbayrak, who swept the convoy with exceptional control, lending his precious help to Vanessa in sorting out some refusals. The great news is that, in spite of some challenges that the bushy and very technical environment threw at me (and I, in turn, threw back at the convoy), it’s the first ever drive that I have done, ever, with no stucks. Truly amazing, guys (and girl)!! So, what else did we do? We started backward from the usual itinerary, to exploit the cooler air and sand to scale Faya’s first wall (as Faya has many, most of which were to be conquered later in the day by @Javier M's convoy). Not everybody made it to the top: unfortunately, the Pajero contingent had some issues with engine power and shifting gears (following which Vanessa will ask Fred for a new car). Nonetheless, everybody truly enjoyed the sideys on Faya’s second high slope, which most did twice, with great control. And, very importantly, we all enjoyed the sunrise while driving away from Faya, toward Camel Rock and then Fossil Rock. Here we found some very soft sand, which forced us to pause for a few minutes, to cool a few engines off and check the tires’ pressure. Finally, we managed to descend from Fossil Rock toward the pylons, where some of the cars almost crossed paths with @Frederic's convoy, running on the opposite Mahafiz-to-Faya lane. En-route to Mahafiz, we paid a mandatory visit to what are now known as @Gaurav's Slopes”: a play area with a set of 3 adjacent slopes, which all cars drove twice, to everybody’s satisfaction. As the vegetation became denser as we were approaching our exit point, we still managed to side slope a few more dunes, adding some criss-crossing to the challenge. We all arrived safe and sound at the exit point, which was none other than the group of trees where we usually deflate when doing the opposite route. The drive, started at 5:21AM, took us 4 hours and 1 minute, at an average speed of 11Km/H, with 141 meters of altitude gradient. That’s all from the Rumble in the Jungle. Have a great week-end and see you soon.

Great @asifk. First of all, very good news that the car functions well. I do believe the decision was for the best, just in case. You will be back on the sand in no time. And it's great that you managed to get some extra action, while (most importantly) literally saving the poor couple from a sun stroke, and possibly a damaged car. Well done!!!

Dear Carnity friends. This is tomorrow's convoy numbering: DRIVER CAR POSITION Ale Vallecchi FJ 1 Rinelle Jeep Wrangler 2 asifk LWB Pajero White 3 Jolly Abraham 4 Shiju Manuel LWB Pajero Black 5 J J Jeep Wrangler 6 RohanH LWB Pajero Black 7 Vanessa LWB Pajero Blue 8 Najeeb Mohammed FJ Extreme 9 Chaitanya D Xterra 10 Anish S LWB Pajero White 11 Tbone Xterra 12 Jarnathan Xterra Silver 13 Dennizzalbayrak Chevy Trailblazer Black 14 Please turn on Carnity Channel 1 (446.006) as soon as you reach the deflation point. Have a great night.

Just to inform you that the nearest station to fill up the tank, coming from Dubai and Sharjah, is the following: ADNOC Oasis | Al Qala 2 https://maps.app.goo.gl/3jqgyrimZa9DfTET9 See you tomorrow.

Thanks a lot @Fuad. Long way to go before being fully grown into such a position of responsibility. But enjoying the ride, so far.

@asifk I am scared of the early wake up to!! But as we say in Italy "Mornings carry gold in their mouth".....sounds better in the original language, but you get my meaning 😅

Dear Carnity members @Rinelle Sanaani, @asifk, @Jolly Abraham, @Shiju Manuel, @J J, @RohanH, @Vanessa8580, @Najeeb Mohammed, @Chaitanya D, @Anish S, @Tbone, @Janarthan and @Denizzalbayrak. Thanks to all of you for promptly acknowledging the Covid rules. Very well done. Also, for any of you who feels the need to gain more information regarding some of the techniques which, as Fewbies, we'll practice during the drive, please read the chapter Dune Crossing Tutorial and Techniques available on the website. This drive will take place in a relatively technical area, where we will find some play zones, ideal for either climbing or side-sloping, and occasionally some ridges where we will do some crossing. Dunes will be neither too high nor too steep, so this should be possible for all. We will scale the drive up or down in difficulty, according to the convoy's "feeling". Lastly, if any of you thinks he may have to cancel, for whatever reason, please do so by tomorrow at midday, so that we may allow those on the waiting list (currently 2 other members) to join the drive in your place. Looking forward to seeing you all on Friday morning at 5AM sharp. Have a good ending of the week.

The morning after the first official Carnity Weekday drive, here is a quick report of the trip, for future reference. We set out to explore an area that for most of us was completely unknown: Al Lisaili. I had driven past it many times, while on the way to Faqa, but never knew this region, hidden behind Dubai's major cameldrome and its connected camel farms, would be able to offer such an interesting off-roading ground. We started with @Wrangeld and @Jeepie in second lead, correcting perfectly my at times rougher trajectories, @Desert Dweller managing very smoothly in third, with @Foxtrot Oscar as her navigator, @Xaf piloting the way for an ever improving and fearless @Vanessa8580 and finally @Emmanuel watching expertly over the convoy as sweep. We followed the track under the pylons until we were able to go past a very long and well hidden camel race track, then proceeded to enter a very technical area of dunes with soft sand, through which we finally reached the more open, long range dunes, where the fun begun. We crossed many dunes, and did some ridge riding, on sand which was much firmer than at the beginning. No major problems occurred, other than a very nice self-recovery by Vanessa (after a bit of digging by the gentlemanly Xaf and Emmanuel), who also enjoyed the thrill of a little bit of flying, while crossing a steeper slope. Very few refusals during the whole drive, plus a couple of hard nose bumps with my FJ, while descending seemingly friendly steps, that ended on small but treacherous pockets. We managed to almost reach Solar Park, when a sudden engine oil light on Richard's Jeep prompted us to descend toward the dirt track and the exit point, which by the way allowed us to enjoy a beautiful sunset. All in all, a very relaxing drive, in a very nice patch of Dubai desert, that will surely see our Carnity vehicles again, soon.

No worries @Michael sammy. We did enjoy. Hope to see you next time.

Dear fellow Desertnauts - @asifk, @Jolly Abraham, @Janarthan, @Chaitanya D, @Anish S, @Denizzalbayrak, @Najeeb Mohammed, @Rinelle Sanaani, @J J, @RohanH, @Shiju Manuel, @Tbone and @Vanessa8580. Thank you very much for filling up the roster in a little over 4 minutes . Your enthusiasm is humbling. Just a few reminders for the trip: The meeting time (to start deflate) is 5:00 AM. Curfew has been lifted, and we'll take advantage of this to drive in the cooler hours of the morning. Please set double alarms, so that we are all able to be rewarded from our early wake-up with a timely departure, and a nice morning drive. Confirm having read the Covid-19 regulations and acknowledge by displaying the "Totally Agree" emoticon. This step is required for each single drive (it's not enough that you've done it in the past). Make sure your radios are fully charged. We have had occurrences of batteries dying in the middle of a drive, which will result in having to take the unlucky driver to the nearest exit. Please double check. For those unfamiliar with the area of Faya, it's a fascinating group of rather high dunes, joined by a low plateau to the famous Fossil Rock. Since approaching Faya from Fossil Rock can be tricky, it's happened in the past that convoys(especially if coming all the way from Mahafiz) have not reached Faya. This is why we have chosen to start off the drive at Faya, and tackle a couple of climbs while the sand is still cooler and less soft and shifty. We'll then proceed toward Fossil Rock, climb it as well, and return to Faya from a different side of the plateau. Depending on driving conditions and the spirit of the convoy, alternatively, we could even decide to turn left, and go toward Mahafiz, instead of looping back to Faya. More info on the drive to follow in a couple of days. Enjoy your week.

@Mehmet Volga thanks for asking. Will surely put you on the waiting list. Ciao @Lorenzo Candelpergher. Yes I have listed you on the waitling list. Grazie e a presto.

Thank you @Jun Zamora. Your passion and desire will guide you. See you soon.

Thank you very, very much @Rahimdad. You are the soul of this club, and it is your attitude which I look up to as an example to follow. I truely hope to drive with you very soon.

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. Drive Details Level: Intermediate and above When: 30 Jun 2020, Tuesday. Meeting time: 4:30 PM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Action Plan: Evening drive till about 8:00 PM Meeting Point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/oYGcXJbH2KMZH11G9 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: 8:00 PM End Point: Dubai - Solar Park / Qudra P.S. Only join if you have a compressor to inflate your tires after the drive. LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE: Limited to 8 cars maximum. RSVP will close on Monday - 9 PM. 8 Intermediate and above drivers. 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

Thanks a lot @Denizzalbayrak. I look forward to more drives together.

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: 3 Jul 2020, Friday. Meeting time: 5:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Action Plan: Morning drive till about 9:00 AM Meeting Point: Al Faya Entrance - https://goo.gl/maps/XeFSKJBCC1UXNCpZA 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: 9:00 AM End Point: Depending on convoy response 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

Thanks @Foxtrot Oscar. I guess I'll become known as the Zen off-roader 😅. Thanks for joining my drives, and sharing the good times. See you soon. Thanks a lot @sertac. Looking forward to our next drives together.

Grazie @Mels Wolf. I progressed a great deal since we started doing more drives together, so it must be a 2 way flow of information. Now you need to teach me some Dutch too 😂!!

Thank you @siddharth maheshwari. Hope to see you soon.

Thank you @Brette. You helped me a lot in the process. See you soon.

Thank you @Rizwanm2. BTW you did very well yesterday. See you soon.

Thank you very much @Shamil. You are a big part of this incredible achievement, as driving with you has both tested me and made me more confident. See you soon out there. Thanks a lot @Chaitanya D. I look forward to more challanging drives together.

Grazie @paolo dassi. Look forward to see you very soon. A presto!! Merci beaucoup @Emmanuel. Yours was the first Fewbie drive I attended, and it was my first important insight into what my car was capable of. I look forward to soon be in one of your exciting drives.