Lorenzo Candelpergher

37 minutes ago, Craig Finlayson said:

I can’t make this Friday - new arrival in the family and I’m still adjusting to sleepless nights! It’s painful. 

Congratulations for the new baby, @Craig Finlayson! Usually car noise and vibrations facilitate sleep in kids... You should take him/her offroading!! 😂😂😂

Dear Extreme Drivers,

@Ahab Shamaa, @Shaaz Sha, @Ilya, @Francois Germishuys, @Christian Andras, @Kalahari, @Craig Finlayson, just in case you didn't notice, the drive location / route has been changed from this morning Whatsapp message. No more Faya to Fossil Rock: we will be doing a much more extended 80km "drive it all" whopper drive from Maleha to Shuwaib, via Fossil Rock, Faya, Suwaidan, Pink Rock, Big Red, Suhail Dune. Are you in?

Congratulations for your promotion @Alain Canivet-Abikhalil, very well deserved. I look forward to see again your 32 teeth smile while chasing my tail in our next FB+ drive. A taste of the pace you had it already in Faqa.. 😂😂

Drive Brief
This Extreme Drive is meant to be a high speed adventure across the longest possible stretch of red sand desert available in the Emirate of Sharjah, covering the ambitious distance of over 80km from Maleha to Shuwaib, going through the most coveted off-roading areas in the emirate, all packed in a single high-pace, high-adrenaline, whopper "all-you-can-drive" experience. 

We will start in Maleha, approaching, for starters, the "Maleha Terraces" and the nice, big bowls of Tawi Khatimah, on the east hillside of Fossil Rock. We will then head south, passing by Fossil Rock, Camel Rock and The Sphynx at ludicrous speed in order to reach Faya's reknown big dunes. We will subsequently border S153 Mahafiz - Faya Road to cross it at Mahafiz Roundabout and enter the Suwaidan stretch of desert that will eventually lead us to the tall dunes on the north side of 2nd November Cafeteria. Once crossed the road, we will dive again in the tall dunes on its west side, then head straight to Pink Rock, from where we will keep on heading south, making our way towards the Al Badayer area, climbing first "The big dune next to Big Red" and eventually the Big Red itself. We will then cross another road, E44 Dubai -Hatta, heading for Suhail Dune, then all the way south through a sequence of high dunes until our final destination in Shuwaib.

This whopper drive will offer all types of red sand challenges a driver could ask for, an all in one extreme experience.

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:  Extreme and Above (All Levels)

Selection: Admission at Drive Lead discretion strictly.

When:  25 Jun 2021, Friday.

Meeting time: 5:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions)

Meeting Point: Maleha Roundabout - https://goo.gl/maps/5KQtn9NpsBLDEjCk9

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: 9:00 AM

End Point: Shuwaib (Madam Farms)

About "Extreme" Drives

Extreme Desert Drives are an extension of a Intermediate drives but at a lot faster pace with a continuous drive-time on big rolling and difficult dunes. The difficulty level of climbs, ridge riding, criss-crossing will be more or less the same as the Intermediate level, but doing that over and over again at high speed requires special attention, to be courageous but with extreme caution.

If you and your vehicle are perfectly in-sync with the Intermediate level without repetitive stuck, refusals, or losing track, then only you should consider joining this fast-paced extreme drive. This drive offers the maximum adrenaline among all the types of drives and also demands a very experienced and sensible driver with a fully protected 4x4 vehicle.

In such extreme fast pace drive, it is highly recommended to drive alone without any passengers to avoid any distractions.

Who can join: Only Extreme Rank Members.

Disclaimer: the chance of damaging your vehicle is quite high in such fast-paced extreme drives, so please join at your own discretion.

Limited Spots Available:

• Limited to 8 cars only. 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 EVENT 

Drive Brief
The famous Area 53, the pyramid-like dune formation belonging to the portion of Al Badayer situated on the south-west side of the E44 Dubai - Hatta Road, offers a great deal of opportunities for off-roaders willing to put their dune climbing skills to the test. With this in mind, this particular drive is aimed at attempting to reach a specific goal, i.e. recording an overall ascent (i.e. the total elevation gain/loss) in excess of +1000/-1000m, which will require a great deal of climbs and descents for the large part of the drive. 

This first ascent will be straight forward from the north side of Area 53, after a rapid approach through a few small dunes to warm up. This climb will set the tone and the level for the rest of the drive, which will take us, as we will progressively move south, through a dozen of different areas with high and complex dunes, where we will perform steep ascents, audacious criss-crossings, crest/ridge ridings and side slopes at vertiginous heights, always with an eye on our total ascent count. In between, we will have to crunch a few kilometers across medium small technical dunes characterized by the complete absence of any specific alignment or repetitive pattern, which will require careful navigation and undivided attention by all drivers. This drive is the epitome of off-roading on the high red sand dunes of Sharjah, an adrenaline and action packed time for those who really want to discover where their limits as Intermediate off-road climbers are.

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:  Intermediate and Above (All Levels)

When:  26 Jun 2021, Saturday.

Meeting time: 5:00 AM (SHARP - Without any exceptions)

Meeting Point: Al Badayer Exit - E44 Dubai - Hatta Road - https://goo.gl/maps/JkhE9hDwve8mkkU99

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: 9:00 AM

End Point: Tawi Ghadaya (Shabiyat Al Rafadeh Mosque)

Limited Spots Available:

• Limited to 10 cars only. 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 EVENT 

Dear @Tero Vallas, I'm saddened to know you'll be leaving us, but happy to read you'll have some other great passion to fill your weekends.

I'll miss your quiet but sure and experienced driving at the back of the convoy. 

Good luck with your new professional challenges but most importantly with your passion of a lifetime: may it fill all your acrobatic weekends as much as @Carnity did.

And if you ever come back to Dubai on a business or leisure trip, plan half a day off and give us a shout, so we can plan a drive to remember the good old times! 

DRIVE REPORT

Dear Desert Wanderers,

I have always loved the Fossil Rock - Faya daytime drive, but I must say its night version exceeded by far my expectations.

The whole convoy was extremely punctual at the meeting point at Khatam, so by 7:04 we were already in the sand.

We immediately made our way up east, to reach the highest possible viewpoint from the rocky hillside of Fossil Rock, but once again our expectations to have a glance at a red sunset on red sand had were not satisfied, as the horizon was foggy (the great heat of the season doesn't help) and the sun had already disappeared.

Climbing up didn't prove that easy: nasty bushes and tricky ridges, turning all of a sudden from round and fat into thin and sharp crests made very soon the first victim, @Darren Brooke who had to be winched down as there was no space for a proper rope tug.

We then moved down, crossed the pylon track and ventured into the stretch of Khatam Desert on the east side of Fossil Rock. We made our way through a bushy area and found our next (one of many...) challenge of the day in steep climb that, with the churned sand and the unfortunate upshifting problem of earlier Pajero, forced @Danish Mohammad to give up after several attempts. After a quick reroute we could start again, only to stop a bit later to manage, one by one, with a few attempts, a daring criss crossing following a long side sloping inside a big bowl. Fun stuff, but not obvious to manage as it is difficult for everyone to build momentum to cross on top of a dune you can't really see: this is why, after the first struggles, I decided to lit up the way with my car lights, so the top ridge could be seen from below.

As we moved further west, we reached the famous Long Dune, whose majestic lenght could only be guessed by a careful look at its shilouette against the dark blue sky. It was quite a view for me, once I turned around at the southern end of the dune, to see the lights of the convoy lighting up the long hillside. 

After having satisfied our side sloping ambitions for the evening, we quickly made our way to the top of Fossil Rock, where we had a regenerating break before throwing ourselves in the dark along the steep east side. What an adrenaline shot! 

When everyone made it to the bottom, since our timing was very good, we opted for a short digression to a very nice buch challenging area located on the east side of Fossil Rock requiring a very long ascent on soft sand. Climbing to the higher grounds, just below the rocky cap proved to be very difficult for everyone, so we split the convoy in small groups, so that each group could benefit of following the best line behind me. Almost everyone made it to the top, which was an amazing achievement. Those who struggled, @Darren Brooke, @Danish Mohammad and @Lakshmi Narasimhan, were limited mostly by the capability of their cars in the churned uphil sand. 

At this point we had quite a clear idea of the convoy's excellent capabilities, so, after cooling down @Lakshmi Narasimhan's transmission oil which had overheated during the many attempts made to climb up, kwe could head south heading full throttle into another great deal of challenges

We reached the southern edge of Fossil Rock, climbed up the nearby 1st and 2nd rock, quickly reaching Camel Rock, where we took a 360 panoramic view of the imposing bright rock over the red sand. 

Night time driving is all but easy: one wants to be close to the car in front to have his way lit further ahead and a better idea of the line to follow, but he constantly ends up being too close as every driver tends to hesitate more in the dark, slowing down unespectedly. Also, when hesitating, one lifts the foot from the throttle and momentum is unavoidably lost. This explains the many refusals and the a couple of crested stucks by @Abdul Rahman AK and @Lakshmi Narasimhan, all promptly recovered with the precious help and radio guidance by @GauravSoni and @MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ, perfect Center Forward and Sweep.

Thanks to their support moving/stopped time ratio remained very favourable as we proceeded south, reaching Camel Rock first, then The Sphynx, both viewed with a complete 360.

I won't forget the thrill of driving along the edge of the most eastern crest of dunes leading to Faya: on the right side we had the relatively reassuring dunes landscape, one the left a dark abyss, the sabkha at the bottom and the shilouette of the saw-toothed crest of rocky mountains in the distance. 

Reaching Faya from the north is everytime an inspiring crescendo. As my lights pointed high while crossing some dunes, I could have glimpses of the next tall dunes ahead, while we kept on riding one round ridge after an other. 

We played around a couple of huge bowls, climbing the back side of Faya, until we reached the last big bowl from where a daring criss crossing was needed to make it to the other side. To make it easier, I placed my car a few meters after the target criss-crossings point and radio guided everyone across. Big kudos to all, as this maneuver was definitely a very challenging one, as pushing full throttle into the absolute dark while criss crossing is definitely not something that comes natural!

Once on the other side, we descended at the bottom of Faya's renown big dune, where everyone had their fair share of attempts to make it to the top. Congratulations to all those who succeed (included @GauravSoniand @Lakshmi Narasimhan, who decided to head back to try again after the drive end) but equally to those who didn't, as, once again,  it was mostly their car who stopped them.

By 11:35pm we were out on the tarmac. We drove for 4h 31', of which 3h 25' moving and 1h and 6' stopped, covering 48.6km at an average moving speed of 14.3km/h and an astounding descent of +562/-551m which tells a big story about how daring climbs and descents. 

Everyone did extremely well. I only had eyes on @Werno, a perfect, ice-cold, 2nd lead, not a single time in trouble, and on @RooRzOn, who handled his Y62 extremely well in all situations. 

Congratulations to everyone else: @Abdul Rahman AK (ouch, what a pocket you hit!), @Darren Brooke (the right distance at night will come with practice) @JeromeFJ (week done not hesitating on your  @Lakshmi Narasimhan (4h 30' drive were not enough for you 😂) @Danish Mohammad (hard time with your Pajero's upshifting problem) and @Russ (2nd last in the convoy without any problems!). 

Great thanks to @MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ and @GauravSonifor their great help. 

See you soon in the dark again! 

37 minutes ago, Abdul Rahman AK said:

@Lorenzo Candelpergher  I do remember joining you on one of your Intermediate drive.... but you still remember me as Fewbie+ 

Yes, my bad. I have to make at least one mistake every time, to keep the thread alive.. 😂😂

Dear Desert Wanderers, 

this RSVP is now closed.

Please find below the convoy order for our drive:

Should @GauravSoni not confirm his presence, the convoy order will remain unmodified, with @JeromeFJ following directly @Darren Brooke in position no. 6. 

@Werno, @RooRzOn, @Abdul Rahman AK, @Darren Brooke, @Gaurav Soni, @JeromeFJ, @Lakshmi Narasimhan, @Danish Mohammad, @Russ, @MUHAMMAD Kashif RAZZAQ, this drive is going to be quite demanding from a technical point of view due to the additional complexity coming with the limited visibility. It will require a great deal of concentration at every step, so make sure you come well rested and hydrated and that and you don’t have any reason for being distracted. If you plan to eat before the drive, please do so early enough in order to avoid ending up with discomfort during the drive. 

Please remember to wear closed shoes and long trousers, in order to prevent unpleasant encounters with scorpions or snakes that are more frequently roaming around. Also, please consider carefully if you wish to bring passengers along with you.

We will be using Carnity Channel 4 (446.08125Mhz)

See you later, ready to go (i.e. already caffeinated, deflated, flagged and briefed) by no later 7:00pm (sharp), so make sure you make it to the meeting point at least by 6:45pm. The meeting point is confirmed as per initial drive post:

E102 Sharjah - Kalba Road, Khatam Exit - https://goo.gl/maps/jm81jL8cLwADN65R8

1 hour ago, GauravSoni said:

Hi @Lorenzo Candelpergher  yes I am interested however would it Be ok to confirm by Thursday afternoon?

OK. I will assume you are in, then in case you opt out. 

Good morning @Darren Brooke and @GauravSoni, 

are you still interested to join the drive?

Dear @Danish Mohammad, @JeromeFJ, @Abdul Rahman AK, @Lakshmi Narasimhan, @Werno, @Russ, @RooRzOn, you are confirmed for this drive. 

@Darren Brooke, @GauravSoni, you are waitlisted for your 2nd drive.

Have a nice week! 

Congratulations @Marwan HaddadHaddad, looking forward to the next Fewbie drive with you!

Congratulations @Russ, a very well deserved promotion, after having seen you handle your Raptor swiftly across the challenges of Al Bataeh!

Looking forward to driving toghether soon.. 

Drive Brief
This drive is the night version of an evergreen classic at Carnity. This time we will make our move at 7:00pm from E102 Sharjah-Khalba Road, on the north end side of Fossil Rock. Departing on time, we should be able to quickly climb the west hill side of the rock, reaching a position high enough to enjoy the sunset at the horizon. We will then continue in the twilight, wandering around the multiple big bowls that populate the area of Mahafiz closer to Pink Rock. As soon as the sky will have become dark blue, we will approach Fossil Rock, climb to the top and descend on the east side, literally diving in the dark. We will then head south, moving across a fascinating area populated by dunes whose evocative names, such as Camel Rock and The Sphinx, will have a whole new sound when seen at feeble light of the waxing crescent moon. We will then slowly head further south, wandering around Faya massive dunes, in search for the ideal place, in an elevated and quiet position, to have a short break, turn-off our lights, and contemplate for a minute the starred sky above us. Our night wandering will slowly take us to the sourthern edge of the area and eventually out to the S153 Mahafiz - Al Faya Road.

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 and Above (All Levels)

When:  17 June 2021, Thursday.

Meeting time: 7:00 PM (SHARP - Without any exceptions)

Meeting Point: E102 Sharjah - Kalba Road, Khatam Exit - https://goo.gl/maps/jm81jL8cLwADN65R8 

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 PM

End Point: S153 Mahafiz - Al Faya 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 Desert Wanderers, 

An off-road drive is always a beautiful way to start the weekend and the effort of waking up in the middle of the night is definitely worth the experience. 

Today's convoy had a good chance to explore the bright sand dunes of Al Qudra and to have a first taste of what driving off-road with @Carnityentails: beautiful landscape with great views, great fun at the steering wheel (or in the passenger's seat) as the iniital fears and hesitation slowly fade away and the chemistry between drivers and vehicles starts to develop, occasional close encounters with gazelles and oryxes. 

Thank you @Chaitanya D for the nice track chosen today, which progressively increased the technical difficulties as the drivers gained confidence with the terrain, allowing everyone in the convoy, both the real absolute newbies and the ones who had already some previous experience on the sand, to enjoy the ride always in complete safety and making sure everyone was comfortable with the level at all times. 

From my privileged position as Center Forward, I had eyes on a good part of the convoy and I think we had very a few interesting learning points today worth mentioning. 

@Roy Armale,  you did very well in 2nd lead, carefully following the Marshal's instructions at all times. You even made it to the top of the long climb that we later decided to skip: as you realized by yourself, momentum is key in such situation; with time all drivers will gain confidence and understand when pushing a bit more is a necessity. Well done!

@Clay Neddo, your past off-roading experience, even if in different terrains, was definitely recognizable. You always managed well, with a couple of refusals at tricky spots, all self-recovered, promptly applying instructions from the team. I heard you saying you didn't believe it was possible to get out of one those situations.. You'll discover your Pajero can do way more than you think it capable of! Today, for example, a good takeaway for everyone was that, in a refusal situation, doing a bit of full left - full right steering (which displaces the sand at the sides of your front wheels) can do wonders. 

@sachin suvarna,  it was very clear this wasn't your first time in the sand. You managed your Pathfinder very well, nice and smooth throughout the drive. Kudos! 

@Simon Ducos, I guess you had experienced some desert off-roading, probably as a passenger, with your father. For the portion of the drive when you were in front of me I could see you handled your Fortuner with confidence. An excellent start. 

@Haris Javed, yours is a very difficult car to drive off-road: very capable, but not easy, as it it powerful, but big, long and heavy. I have learned off-roading on my Nissan Patrol Y62 as well and I loved it; it will take some practice to learn how to control the fishtailing and how to avoid abusing the great power you have under the hood, while making friends with momentum and gravity. I could already see you were starting to learn how to countersteer when fishtailing (i.e. steering counterintuitively in the direction of your tail when it goes sideways): in a few drives you do this more instinctively and learn how to combine it with a bit of gas to correct the situation better. Then you will start discovering the full potential of your great car. An excellent debut for a true absolute newbie! 

With @Haris Javed and myself the whole convoy also had the opportunity to learn another important lesson today: if the car behind you is not in your rear view mirror, announce it and hold, otherwise the risk is that whoever follows you, regardless of how experienced he/she may be, may lose his/her way, as it happened with me today, when I chased the wrong tracks not having seen in which direction you had gone while I was helping another car behind to get unstuck. Equally, if a stuck is announced, it means a recovery is required, which will take time: in this case, again, it is advisable to stop on a flat area and wait. 

@arjumand, your car is a legendary off-roader, greatly respected in the UAE, and is a beauty to see. It will do amazing things with you at the steering wheel very soon, when you will start learning how it behaves on the sand. As with Haris, controlling your fishtailing will be one of your main achievements along with getting to understand how to be gentle on your throttle. You have good A/T tires, which you could probably deflate down to a bit less than 15psi (maybe 12psi, which will allow a larger foot print of the tire and therefore more traction), from which you'll certainly benefit in soft stand, which is where you struggled a bit today. 

@Vikas Bhatia, I had you in my rear mirror all the time and I appreciated your cautious driving: you kept your own pace whenever you felt you had to slow down a little bit, but you came across the most challenging spots unscathed. Your few stucks and refusals happened at tricky spots, and made you learn three important things: first, momentum is key, as in both occasions you lost it and stopped in a moment of hesitation; second, power is not your friend when having a refusal, as too much spinning will make you dig yourself more in the sand and third, stuck happens and recovers with tugs are absolutely part of the game; if you don't get stuck while learning, it means you ar not challenging yourself enough. Very well done!! 

Behind Vikas I had little visibility. I guess @Brette@Brette, whose great and experienced support was key at the back, will be able to add more precious comments on @Marwan Haddad and@Roy Dsouza. 

@hasan hamadeh  I guess today you learned that no matter how strong your F150 may be, the desert can be stronger... Hopefully your car's worrying noise will be an easy fix: very well done when driving out your car with limited traction. Another important lesson for the day, especially in tricky situations like the one Hasan faced, when forced to drife in 2WD, is radio communication: listening carefully to instructions and executing manouvers accordingly is key for successful recoveries. 

Kudos to everyone for an excellent start of your off-roading adventure. I look forward to driving again toghether! 

31 minutes ago, Russ said:

Hi @Lorenzo Candelpergher, you have the wrong car listed for me again, not sure if it makes any difference to your convoy ordering (I have a Raptor not a Pajero) Thanks and see you later!

Sorry!!! Fixed. No changes.

39 minutes ago, GauravSoni said:

@Lorenzo Candelpergher you have missed out on my convoy number! 

You are in "mistery" position. Ahahah, just kidding. I fixed the convoy list, somehow your line had been canceled by mistake.

Dear Desert Wanderers, 

this RSVP is now closed.

Please find below the convoy order for our drive:

@Thomas Varghese, @PaoloMaraziti, @Russ, @Werno, @Alain Canivet-Abikhalil, @Shaaz Sha, @Darren Brooke, @Lakshmi Narasimhan, @Danish Mohammad, @M.Seidam, @Chaitanya D this drive is going fun and relatively easy from a technical point of view, but, being at night, with relatively unusual and more challenging visibility conditions, it will require your full and undivided concentration at every step, so make sure you come well rested and hydrated and that and you don’t have any reason for being distracted.

We will be using Carnity Channel 4 (446.08125Mhz).

Kindly notice that the meeting point was originally indicated by mistake in Tawi, but it is in fact at 2nd December Cafeteria as per the updated link (which is now correct in both drive post and drive event): https://goo.gl/maps/gki53oHcaxckD8v97   

Also be mindful of the fact that, due to the more frequent presence of scorpions and snakes at night, it is highly recommended to wear long trousers and closed shoes.

See you later, ready to go (i.e. already, deflated, flagged and briefed) by no later 7:00pm (sharp), so make sure you make it to the meeting point at least by 6:45pm.

1 minute ago, GauravSoni said:

@Lorenzo Candelpergher just noticed that the posts location is Tawi Nazwa while in the description we are looking to start from 2nd December cafe! Please confirm! 

2nd December Cafeteria! Thanks for noticing. Will fix it now

8 hours ago, Thomas Varghese said:

I still feel I acted childish and didn't help a fellow driver and stand with him in times of need. I just can't forgive myself. I promise I won't do it again. Of course the sun was overpowering everybody. But it is not an excuse for my irresponsible behavior. I'm sorry I ran away. 

Dear @Thomas Varghese, the drive was over, everyone - not just you - exited, except for the Seniors who went back to help for the pop-out and those who were in close proximity who decided to wait as, for them, the drive wasn't over yet.

There was nothing irresponsible from your side: on the contrary, as I said, I believe you did the wisest and most appropriate thing and, as a paradox, I would have found it more irresponsible of you, knowing how tired you were at that point (even more so now that I know about your A/C issues), if you had stretched further, to the point where you may have gotten in trouble. 

@Abu Muhammad was fully supported by @Jeepie, @Tero Vallas, @Rob H and me, way more people than needed to fix a simple pop-out.. There was no need for any extra help. 

I'm the first one potentially suffering from the heat and dehydration and I know very well that, in my current poor shape, I have limits I shouldn't cross. The overall safety of each drive goes also through the individual driver's judgment of what is their personal limit in these extreme weather conditions so that no additional risks are taken by the entire convoy. 

Dear @GauravSoni, @Jack Thomasand @Shaaz Sha, after consulting with @Chaitanya D I am pleased to confirm you have been all admitted to the drive. 

I'll be adding you to the RSVP.

See you tomorrow evening! 

31 minutes ago, varunmehndiratta said:

Hi @Lorenzo Candelpergher a query - noticed that while you were deflating my tyres you had a valve stem removal tool and a gauge which could kind of measure pressure without fixing the valve core fully. It was a bit of rush time so not sure if i saw it well, kindly advice if my understanding is right and if yes, can you share the model details. Thanks 

Dear @varunmehndiratta, yes, you were correct. I was using a magnetic valve stem remover and a very normal pressure gauge. 

Here's how the valve remover may look like (they are very easy to find in any off-road shop or on Amazon - just make sure it is magnetic, which is a very important feature so you don't lose forever your valve stem in the sand..):

And here's my pressure gauge (you can find it on Amazon). This one I selected it after several trials: very accurate (to 1/10 psi) even at low pressures, very practical as it has a light and back lit display (so you can easily deflate in the dark), very fast to use thanks to the long stem, which makes it easy to have a reading while pressing the gauge against the valve and to do the final fine tuning after you have already inserted the valve stem, by gently pressing the gauge against it for small adjustments. 

To be clear, any pressure gauge will be capable of measuring the pressure in the absence the valve stem, as long as you press it well enough to let it seal the valve edges. The device above makes this very easy. 

If you deflate with these tools it will take around 45" per wheel (with your current 32" wheels), but it will take a bit of practice to learn how to do it (I suggest you try a few times at home before doing it in the desert, or you'll very likely find yourself reinflating your tires with your compressor after deflating too much). When I deflate my tires at 9psi, I remove the valve, wait for approx 25", then start checking the pressure until it reaches approx 10 - 9.5psi, then I put the stem back and do the fine tuning by toggling the valve with the gauge itself. 

1 hour ago, Thomas Varghese said:

I'm aware of this @Gaurav and appreciate Carnity management for the steps taken. Gone nuts trying to solve the issue. As I painfully found out you can try mods and run on a lean wallet but nothing helps in this overpowering heat. Desert driving is a passion but the temperature has put a damper on it. I couldn't stay back to help out on @Lorenzo Candelpergher's friday drive with @Abu Muhammad's pop out and had to leave as I knew I will collapse with exhaustion if I didn't get back to my home at the earliest. I felt guilty but I had no choice. It was only almost 9am and the heat was unbearable. No way you can endure a day drive without AC. The AC shuts down once the engine temp rises. 

 

 

 

Dear @Thomas Varghese, it was indeed very hot and, as many others in the convoy, you did the right thing to leave. In fact, I was already parked and about to start inflating when I heard about @Abu Muhammad's pop-out 209m away, so went back, but most of the convoy was indeed already out.

This is why we start as soon as possible in the morning (currently 15 mins before sunrise and it is key that everyone makes to the meeting point on time) and Leads do their best to exit by not later than 9:15, adjusting the route if needed, but possibly not extending the drive any later. 

6 minutes ago, Lakshmi Narasimhan said:

@Lorenzo Candelpergher I hope drive is for 7 June (Tomorrow). If so RSVP not yet open!!! Also drive detail says 7June - Friday. Can you please clarify if its a mid week drive or week end drive.

It's Monday, I fixed the post, thank you. RSVP will be soon open, after thr drive is announced on WhatsApp Group.