Lorenzo Candelpergher

@Jack Thomas, sorry to hear that: what happened?

@Ashok chaturvedi, @Gaurav Soni, @Mohamed Seidam, @Jack Thomas, @Jorge Stepniak Felippe, @Tariq Carrimjee, @Ahab Shamaa, @Ilya Golubinsky, @Islam Soliman, @Jon M, @Anish S, it seems the drive has taken a toll on you... 😂😂: very little comments so far, still recovering from Monday or damned busy at work? Have a great day!

Hi @Ashok chaturvedi, thanks for your meaningful comment about the intensity of the drive. As you will appreciate, Intermediate Drives have a faster pace and a higher level of technical complexity, which - no doubt - require a much higher degree of concentration. These are also the drives where one can refine and polish his driving skills and slots in such drives are coveted by those who are focused mostly on improving their off-roading technique. Obviously one doesn't always have to focus only on the drive and from time to time it is also nice to have a more enojoyable ride in a Fewbie or Fewbie+ convoy. This also applies to Leaders: for example, I had loads of fun yesterday leading this action-packed drive, but I like the idea to settle down at a Fewbie level for a more relaxed weekend entertainment. This is the beauty of Carnity, you can chose from Newbie to Extreme drives, depending on your appetite, provided you qualify for the intended level.

DRIVE REPORT Dear Desert Wanderers, Al Qudra is the off-roading backyard for most of us: a well known territory, usually associated with the idea of fairly easy drives. Today's drive was specifically meant to get past this stereotyped image and prove that even Al Qudra can be a very challenging place for off-roading, even at Intermediate level. The whole convoy (at the end we were 12 cars, which for a Monday afternoon Intermediate is probably unprecedented in Carnity), was diligently ready by 3.30pm sharp, and 10 mins later we closed our briefing and hit the sand. During the previous couple of days more than one participant had made it clear that the expectation for a real Intermediate level was high, and my drive brief had certainly contributed to such expectations. Well, I think the convoy got a good taste of an Intermediate Drive today. After a couple of minutes of warm up, we started a very fast paced stint along a nice group of mid-sized long dunes. It was a shot of adrenaline that woke up the whole convoy: anyone who had plans for a relaxed drive doing some photos here and there immediately came to realize that this wasn't such drive, and that - as promised in drive post and radio brief - this was, on the contrary, a drive requiring the full, undivided attention of every driver. As Carnity Advisors say, a Leader in an Intermediate drive doesn't use the rearview mirror that much, and I must say I didn't. Today's convoy was bombastic, really fantastic. Whatever I threw at them they chewed it without hesitations. From what I could see, @Ahab Shamaa, who had made the impossible to be able to join the drive, chased my tail very closely, making an amazing 2nd lead in all situations, while @Jon M, who was in his 1st Intermediate drive, was definitely faced with a whole new game, but stood to the challenge magnificently. @Ashok chaturvedi's yellow FJ Cruiser did wonders today as we didn't spare any possibility for breaking crests and doing high speed criss-crossings both from windward side to slipside and from slipside to windward side. After approx 40 mins we completed our first stint and entered an area of smaller and more technical dunes, which I tried to spice up with some very quick and tight turns and tons of sharp criss-crossings. It was here were we had the first serious stuck, with @Islam Soliman's GMC Yukon digging down in a small bowl of soft sand, which gave me the chance to inaugurate my brand new winch. A few mins after I got crested in a moment of hesitation. Being an afternoon short drive, we should have opted for a quick tug (which eventually turned out to be the solution, with @Anish S, performing an exemplary recovery), but we instead indulged shoveling, as @Mohamed Seidam's contagious enthusiasm couldn't be contained in those moments. After crossing a sabkha, we then started the 3rd stint of our drive, this time on the longest, tallest, and most complex dunes of the day. The drive had been named "The Slip Side of Al Qudra" and I think that if anyone had not yet understood why I had chosen such title, he/she had pretty much a clear idea at this point, as we probably dived down on slip faces at least 100 times during this section of the drive. We had a couple of crested cars, brilliantly and quickly recovered, and in general the convoy did incredibly well along these high and complex dunes. @Tariq Carrimjee, @Jorge Stepniak Felippe and @Ilya Golubinsky found finally adequate challenges for their capable Wranglers. Certainly today wasn't the ideal occasion for an open top drive, as @Tariq Carrimjee realized.. 😂😂 I was honestly amazed by @Gaurav Soni, who pushed is Pajero to an outstanding performance. Equally astonishing was @Jack Thomas, who had the hardest job of all today with his intercontinentally long F150. By 6.10pm I was planning our way out across the last few dunes to get out on the sabkha and eventually to Bab Al Shams. It was probably because we all felt a bit exhausted and started relaxing in the anticipation of the imminent exit, that the classic last minute disaster happened: literally not more than 50m away from the safe flat sabkha, we suddenly found ourselves in a couple of difficult bowls, where we had 3 pop-out and two stucks, one to be winched out. @Jack Thomas's two pop-outs in 15 mins were part of the game, but they should be considered a badge of honor in today's drive, as they both happened in the most difficult terrain of the day, which costed me a pop-out as well. He's still light-years away from the all-times record of pop-outs that I still hold, so he shouldn't get too excited about today's double..😂😂 The last minute disaster costed us a bit more than a full hour, so we finally made it to the tarmac by 7.30pm. All tired but, behind our masks, certainly smiling. Congratulations to everyone for a majestic performance today. I hope you all had fun as much as I did. Also, many thanks to @Islam Solimanand @Anish S for the great help in the final messy 45 mins. Your help was key to sort out the pop-outs, especially the last one, fixed in a deep bowl and in the dark. Equally my gratitude goes to all the others, who patiently waited on the sabkha: this solidarity and team spirit is one of the reasons I love driving with Carnity. See you soon at the next mid-week drive, Desert Wanderers!!

No problem at all

Hi @Jon M, You are welcome to join the drive as we will still have one place left even if @Ahab Shamaa joins.

@Shynil Hashim, you have responded to the RSVP of this drive but you are a Newbie and do not qualify for an Intermediate Drive. I have therefore removed you from the RSVP. I hope you read this before you leave home!

Hi @Junaid120120, As far as I can see, your rank is still Fewbie, so you don't qualify yet for an Intermediate Drive. I am sure you will soon have your chance. Good point, I will do that. Thanks

Fingers crossed @Ahab Shamaa

Dear Desert Wanderers, Tomorrow @Anish S will be joining us as my Senior Support, which is fantastic news, as I will feel free to push it a bit more, knowing he will be at the back of the convoy as my Sweep (I hope @Islam Soliman will be fine with this last minute change). See you tomorrow, I can't wait to hit the sand once more..

Thanks for informing us, @Abdul Rahman Abdul Kader. @Aus Alzubaidi, being the 1st waitlisted, you are now confirmed for the drive. Dear @Francois Germishuys, you are now waitlisted for you 2nd drive, after @Islam Soliman, who's first in the wait list.

Dear Desert Wanderers, the RSVP for this drive was full within the first 60 seconds, I am flattered... 😂😂 @varunmehndiratta, @N@ved, @Ali Abas, @Arman, @Abdul Rahman Abdul Kader, @AlexPol, @Sinol, @Arda Yagcioglu, @Thomas Varghese, @Junaid120120, you are confirmed for this drive. @Danish Mohammad, so far you have attended only 4 FB drives, therefore you do not qualify (yet) for this drive, as a minimum of 5 drives are required to be eligible for Fewbie Plus drives. I hope you will find a spot in another Fewbie drive, after which you will be eventually able to join any Fewbie Plus drive. For the time being, unfortunately, I had to remove you from the RSVP, which means @Junaid120120, being the 1st waitlisted, made it to the confirmed current list of participants. Added to waitlist for their 1st drive are @Aus Alzubaidi and @Islam Soliman, in this same order. @Islam Soliman, as you correctly said the slots for this drive are only 10, so - even if you were able to add yourself as a participant, you have been removed from the RSVP and waitlisted in 2nd position Have a nice week!

Dear Desert Wanderers, this RSVP is now closed. Our convoy will be slightly shorter than usual (10 cars in total, including me). You can find below the convoy order: @Ashok chaturvedi, @Gaurav Soni, @Mohamed Seidam, @Jack Thomas, @Jorge Stepniak Felippe, @Tariq Carrimjee, @Ahab Shamaa, @Ilya Golubinsky, @Islam Soliman, this drive is going to be technically demanding, more mentally for the drivers than mechanically for the cars: it will require your full and undivided concentration at every step, so make sure you come well rested and you don’t have any reason for being distracted. Also, please consider carefully if you wish to bring passengers along with you. We will be using Carnity Channel 1 (446.00625MHz). See tomorrow afternoon, ready to go (i.e. already deflated and flagged) by no later 3:30pm (sharp). Considering the limited time available, we won’t be waiting for late comers.

Dear Desert Wanderers, Given the great response to this RSVP, I am glad to confirm that the drive will remain an Intermediate one. @Ashok chaturvedi, @Gaurav Soni, @Mohamed Seidam, @Jack Thomas, @Jorge Stepniak Felippe, @Tariq Carrimjee, @Ahab Shamaa, @Ilya Golubinsky, @Islam Soliman, you are confirmed for the drive. Convoy ordering and more details will follow later today.

Drive Brief Wandering across a less frequently and less crowded stretch of desert out of Al Shuwaib, this drive will offer the opportunity for an exciting experience riding along spectacular crests and along steep sides of several groups of large and tall red dunes, mixed with smaller and more technical dunes in between. On the horizon to the North West, for the whole time, the mighty Al Badayer area will be in view, as the convoy will head to Super Bowl first and then Iftaar Bowl for a final exit on E44 Dubai - Hatta Road. A challenging and intense drive, whose level will be above standard Fewbie both in terms of pace and in terms of technical complexity, allowing drivers to have a first taste of what an Intermediate drive may look like in Carnity. General Infos 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 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 2.0 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. SUGGESTED READING: Carnity Two Way Radio Frequencies MUST WATCH: NEWBIE VIDEO BRIEFING Drive Details Level: Fewbie Plus (Fewbie with min. 5 previous Fewbie Drives) and Above (All Levels) When: 26 Feb 2021, Friday. Meeting time: 7:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions) Meeting Point: Al Shuwaib Farms - https://goo.gl/maps/kk4J9ZWVms4eV82K7 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, willingness to learn and your own compressor for tire inflation. Approximate finish time: 11:00 AM End Point: Tawi Ghadaya (E44 Dubai - Hatta Road) Limited Spots Available: Limited to 10 cars only. RSVP will close on Sunday - 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 EVENT

Dear @Junaid120120, as explained to @Thomas Varghese and @Hisham Masaad, this drive is for Carnity Members already ranking Intermediate at the time of closing the RSPV. Unfortunately, for the time being, you do not qualify, so you will be admitted to this drive only in case you are promoted before the drive or if the drive is downgraded to Fewbie+. I trust you will understand this is a general rule, meant to ensure the safety of all participants, and to which there is no exception. If not this Monday, there will be soon other opportunities for you.

Dear Desert Wanderers, So far only @Ashok chaturvedi, @Gaurav Soni, @Mohamed Seidam, @Jack Thomas, @Jorge Stepniak Felippe and @Tariq Carrimjee are confirmed for this drive. Unfortunately @Hisham Masaad, @Junaid120120 and @Thomas Varghese do not qualify for this drive and have been removed from the RSVP. It should be said, however, that, in consideration of the limited number of Intermediate participants, we may consider to downgrade the drive to a Fewbie+. A final decision will be made by tomorrow, Sunday 21st, by 5pm and you will all be timely informed.

Dear @Hisham Masaad, I am pleased with your interest in the drive, but unfortunately this is meant to be an Intermediate one, so the same response given to @Thomas Varghese above applies also to you, ie if your Rank is not Intermediate you cannot participate to this drive, as these are Carnity rules (meant to ensure the safety of all participants) and no exceptions can be granted on individual cases. Accordingly, even if I regret to say so, I am afraid you will have to remove yourself from the RSVP. There will be other mid-week occasions, you can be sure about that, with me and other Carnity Leads.

Dear @Thomas Varghese, while I appreciate your enthusiasm, I am afraid your request cannot be accommodated. Carnity Off-road Levels are foremost designed and utilized to ensure the safety of all our members: in order for you to join an Intermediate Drive, you will need to have reached the corresponding Intermediate Rank in Carnity. With the number of drives you have you are close to your Promotion. If you haven't applied for it you can do so, even if I believe, as you correctly said, the Advisors Group is likely to require that you take a couple more FB+ drives, as they are specifically designed to assess a driver's readiness for the next level. Also, I'm sure you understand that making an exception to the rule would constitute a precedent which would make anyone entitled, based on their own perceived skills, to ask for the same, ultimately defying the whole concept of Carnity Off-road Levels. There will be plenty of other Intermediate midweek drives, when you will be ready.

Fantastic video @imranaasghar81, very nicely and creatively cut. Next time I get close to your camera, however, I'll hold my breath and pull back my (hidden, very deeply hidden) abdominals, as the fish-eye lens really enhances my "roundness" 😂😂 Regarding the title.. I guess you got a bit carried away!! 😜😜

If they only knew I had alone twice the fun they all had summed toghether.. 😂😂

DRIVE REPORT Dear Desert Wanderers, What a drive, today! And what a convoy!! We were just 7 cars including myself: this was already a very well promising start, as less cars mean less problems and more driving time. Everyone was ready by the agreed time and by 7.10am, having completed our briefing, we immediately headed North-East, while a very shy sun was rising in a partially clouded sky. This meant that the first 45 mins were characterised by alternating lighting conditions: clear and sharp shadows and highlights when the sun was shining and more flat and soft contours when the sun was hidden. The convoy found immediately a good harmony with my sinuous wandering and went through the first stint with very few refusals. Unfortunately @bassel el rafei's Pajero, for the third week in a raw, showed again transmission overheating problems just 40' into the drive. After cooling the transmission a bit, we decided to try going a bit further towards Pink Rock to see how the car would behave. 10 mins later the problem was there again, so we decided to escort @bassel el rafei out at 2nd November Cafeteria, exactly 1h after our departure from Tawi Nazwa, but it should be said that until then he had done very well as my 2nd lead. We then headed back South, aiming at climbing Pink Rock, but the queue at the bottom was longer than those for Covid-19 PCR Tests, so we kept cruising around the South West end of the Rock, peeking from time to time to see if the way up was eventually clear. When the 2nd last car of the other convoy that was heading to the top gave it a go, we descended to the departure area as fast as falcons to secure our slot. Climbing Pink Rock is always a remarkable experience, as it has all the characteristic moments of drama: the waiting, which creates the suspence, then the action, when excitement, fear and focus mix up, and finally the overwhelming view on the other side, where a sense of achievement is brushed by the wind. Everyone made it to the top on their first attempt, but a special badge of honor goes to @Arun Mathew, who had attempted the maneuver in past drives multiple times without success. The adrenaline levels had just normalized, when, after circling around Pink Rock from the East Side, we reached the 1st play area of the day, the well known Pink Rock Bowl, where the convoy spent at least 20 minutes attempting to cross the bowl from the South side, ie the steepest and longest one. Here @Hennie Schoeman and @Aus Alzubaidi showcased a brilliant straight down - straight up performance, whereas @imranaasghar81, @Franco Swart and especially @Arun Mathew had to learn the hard way how to get out of a bowl by building momentum spinning in higher and higher circles. A few minutes earlier, @Aus Alzubaidi, when asked a feedback on the 1st portion of the drive, had expressed the desire for a faster pace... At this point he was going to get satisfaction. We indeed started our descent South towards Big Red (and the famous "Other Big Dune Before Big Red") increasing our pace and bumping up the technical level along our winding lines. To my surprise and great pleasure, the convoy stood to the challenge and did incredibly well during this demanding stint: not a single stuck and a few refusals, brilliantly handled by the concerned persons, under the supervision and with the support of @Hennie Schoeman and @Franco Swart, perfect Center Forward and Sweep, respectively. The fun was great and we all got carried away, however @imranaasghar81's daughter brought us all back to reality, signalling that she was starting to feel car sick. After a short break and some fresh air, it was decided that we would let @imranaasghar81 exit on Hatta Road and we would then go back in for the last hour of the drive around Big Red. After greeting our friend and favourite 360 degrees video maker, we fiercely turned our noses North once again. We bypassed Big Red by the West side, wandered around the the Second Big Dune after Big Red, then, with 30 mins to go, we tackled the ascent to the last challenge of the day. In an amazing performance, way beyond my expectations, to be honest, we were able to seamlessly climb our way all the way to the top. @Franco Swart asked for the height of Big Red and I couldn't respond: what I know, however, is that we went from 132m above sea level to 209m in a matter of a few minutes, in a spectacular ascent that took us all the way to the highest point, which was not more than 5 meters higher that were we left our tracks. Kudos to all, but above all to @Arun Mathew, who had the extra challenge of some apparent malfunction of his engine, which was not revving up as a 265hp 3.8L engine should do on a Jeep Wrangler. You would think we had enough at this point, right? No way! We circled down to the play area on the East Side of Big Red where everyone gave it a final go, climbing straight to the top, where @Hennie Schoeman and @Aus Alzubaidi could have probably crossed the crest and reached the other side, given the incredible ease which they displayed... At 11am sharp we reached the tarmac at Al Badayer roundabout on Hatta Road: 3h 50' total drive time, of which 3h net moving time, having covered 59.7km at an average moving pace of 3 min/km. What a drive, today! And what a convoy!! Thank you all, Desert Wanderers: your smiles at the end of the drive made my day more than any dune we crossed.

Looking forward to watching it!

@Arun Mathew, @bassel el rafei, @Franco Swart, thanks for responding. My instructions were not clear enough, apologies for that: you need to click on the post about the Covid-19 precautions, read it until the bottom and click on the "totally agree" emoji on the bottom right of the post (see below). Apologies for being so pedantic.. I remember I did the same mistake the 1st time I was asked to "totally agree" to a post.