A great adventure lived by the members, more than sixty people with their thirty all-terrain vehicles. The vast majority were not new and knew that wonderful country that has us hooked, Morocco.
15/03/08 First stage: Tangier – Fez:
Gathered in the chaotic port of Tarifa with the other groups of Territori 4×4, more than eighty cars (almost a full boat), where we began to get tired and feel the smell of the adventure we were about to start.
After forty minutes of sailing through the strait, which we didn’t even have time to observe dolphins, we arrived in Morocco. The crossing of the border through Tangier was very long, several ships had arrived and the officials could not go faster, although it is true that they were very friendly and willing to collaborate.
Already in small groups and by toll road and roundabouts, the hotel in Fez was reached for dinner and rest. The group, for the most part, decided to rest, tomorrow’s route would be demanding.
16/03/08 Second stage: Fez – Merzouga (Erg Chebbi):
Very early, and after making our first Moroccan breakfast, we left for one of the most beautiful places in the Sahara: Erg Chebi. Throughout the day, the groups became more and more distant. A few kilometers from Fes, we begin to savor the African landscape of Morocco, with its large expanses, giant cedars and unparalleled color. A little further on the caravan is grouped, and we were watching and above all, taking photos, the monkeys that are found by the dozens in that enclave.
We continue south along the beautiful and photogenic roads of Morocco, and each group chooses a place to have a picnic and later continue to the dunes.
Before arriving in Erfoud, we had a mint tea in one of the large haimas at the viewpoint of the Ziz River, and soon we would arrive at the long-awaited sand.
Once we have crossed Erfoud, and making a change of course to the East, we take the road, which then becomes a track to head for the dune massif. When we reached the first sandy passes, and seeing that it was necessary, we deflated the tires, it was an entertaining and fun time. Further on, we caught up with the group from Marroc i Sahara who were hooked up in a place where the small dunes did their thing, even a vehicle of the organization, was well “planted” (no one is perfect) and it took the collaboration of some intrepid “paddlers” to dig up the car.
At night we took a detour that lasted a little while, and as the sand rules in the desert, we arrived at our kasbah where our old and above all, very good friends, prepared an excellent dinner, which made us feel at home. Ali and Hassan are fantastic hosts, later, live music with the “local band” and drinks until the “closing of the place”.
17/03/08 Third Stage Merzouga – Merzouga
Finally, with the light of dawn, the Sun reveals and illuminates the spectacular landscape where we have spent the night, a string of red dunes that enrapture photography lovers and especially adventurers eager to step on the adrenaline-pumping and always respectable sand with their SUVs. The expedition is divided into different groups and each one did their own thing, the less experienced did a stage through the river of sand and some dunes, the rest, to the hidden oasis and to try to climb the highest dune of the massif, which on this occasion did not allow us to climb to the highest, on another occasion it will be.
At noon, we ate, again in the kasbah, and then we went out and conquered the hidden oasis, at sunset. Some arrived early and had a mint tea in a place of singular beauty. The children, not a few, climbed the great dune on foot, and then let themselves fall rolling. They didn’t have a bad time, precisely.
At the end of the afternoon we did the river of sand that borders the Erg Chebbi dune massif to reach the Kasbah, where we repeated the activity of the previous night, dinner, music, drinks and to bed. The next day a stormy day awaited us, and never better said.
18/03/08 Fourth Stage Merzouga – Zagora – Mhamid (the forbidden track)
Very early and after breakfast, we start the tour. A little further on, the difficulties of the road and the different rhythms of driving and navigation, made the groups distance themselves and thus, they could go very comfortably, at least until the first ones hooked up in the sandy rivers.
The sandstorm, which would accompany us all day, began to be annoying in the middle of the morning, preventing us from taking photos of the magnificent landscapes, it is true that traveling through a sandstorm has a special charm, the views become mysterious and with a charm, which in our country we cannot experience. However, we must be very careful.
The groups distance from each other, and at lunchtime it is difficult to stop somewhere in the shelter, because the wind is very strong, some lucky ones were able to stop at a small hostel and eat protected from the inclement weather.
Throughout the afternoon, the storm did not subside and except for a few specific points, it did not leave us until nightfall. Shortly before we arrived in Zagora, where a part of the 4x4s could be checked by the expert hands of Mohamed the chubby. The rest they did about ninety kilometers more, to reach M’hmid, a town very close to the desert. We had dinner at the Kasbah of M’Hmid and rested, the day’s stage was hard, but the adventurers were strong and the mechanics had respected us.
19/03/08 Fifth Stage Zagora – Mhamid – Lake Iriki
Once we have had breakfast, we leave for Lake Iriki. Another storm, this time stronger, made navigation difficult and complicated, in addition to the fact that the sand of the passes was very complicated and, practically, all the groups had to work as a team to be able to continue.
Two of the groups arrived some early at the entrance to the Erg Chegaga dune massif and went deep into the impressive slopes and mountains of sand, which were particularly hard and navigable. Of course, the storm did not let us.
The third group arrived a little later at the entrance of the dunes, and with good judgment on the part of Ramón Castelltort and Josep Ripoll, members of the organization, they decided not to go into the dunes and continue along alternative tracks, yes, Lake Iriki passed them very quickly, as they explained at night. This event made them arrive at the meeting point for the camp, late at night, an issue that did not prevent the dinner and subsequent talk, with a large fire included, from being really fun, despite the fatigue and disappointment of not making the planned dunes.
On this occasion, the storm subsided, which made it easier for us to rest, as sleeping in the tents with a sandstorm would not have been the most comfortable.
20/03/08 Sixth Stage Lake Iriki – Kerdous
After breakfast, we dismantled the camp, thank goodness we didn’t find sandstorms…
A day of navigation on very fun tracks awaited us with some very fast sections, even very technical wading.
At noon we arrive in Tata, where we refuel the vehicles and the people, improvising a picnic, very numerous, on the outskirts of the town, by the way it is a place of special beauty, the whole town is full of columns and arcades with a multitude of tiles, it is worth a walk there.
The objective of the stage was to arrive with enough light to enjoy the passage through the Hidden Canyon of the Anti Atlas, a spectacular place with spectacular and impressive views due to the slopes that have been generated over the years.
After hours traversing the canyon oasis we stopped for a mint tea in one of the hostels we found.
We left with the last rays of sunlight from the canyon, in fact, the final kilometers were made with the headlights on, but on an asphalt road.
We arrived at a unique high mountain hotel in Kerdous, where they prepared a typical Moroccan dinner for us and then had an entertaining after-dinner conversation in the hotel bar, which some of them extended until the end…
20/03/08 Seventh Stage Kerdous – Safi
Once we had breakfast, we left by mountain road, towards the Atlantic coast.
In the middle of the morning we find the city of Agadir, an emblematic place of European beach tourism, and above all, for fans of surfing and its variants…
But one of the objectives of the day was the visit of the centuries-old city of Essaouira. It is an enclave that has a special magnetism, its fishing boats, its port, the walls, the cannons, the souk, etc.
Everyone ate at their leisure, most of them in the typical restaurants of the area, where they enjoyed some magnificent fresh fish and seafood from the area, yes, there was no white wine, but anyway, the menus were magnificent.
At approximately 6 p.m., the groups leave Essaouira to meet at the hotel in Safi, to settle in and rest, after dinner.
21/03/08 Eighth Stage Safi – Tangier
After breakfast, each group at their own pace would go along roads and highways until we headed to the hotel in Tangier, where we would spend the last night in Morocco (of this trip J).
Some members of the expedition decided to leave the road and say goodbye to Morocco by making a beautiful track parallel to the coast, to reach a beach at the end, where they have already said goodbye to the slopes of Morocco.
Courtesy of Territori 4×4 each group organized to eat in a typical place, some fish, others lamb and pinchos, we made the “brotherhood” meal to say goodbye to the trip.
In the afternoon and before arriving at the hotel, we refuel the tanks, since in Morocco fuel is cheaper than in Spain.
The evening would bring us a somewhat entertaining search for the hotel, as the proposed way point was at a distance of 350 meters. The station was sparking because the caravan of thirty cars is difficult to keep together in a city, but in the end, we all arrived and had dinner at the hotel and then rested.
22/03/08 Ninth Stage Tangier – Tarifa
Even leaving the hotel at night, there was already a queue at the boarding house, on this occasion the police did not want us to go through passport control in groups and we had to do the procedure car by car. It took us more than two hours in line to be able to put the cars on the boat (except for five who did it on the next boat). The short journey fortunately ended in the port of Tarifa, where the trip ended.
Thanks:
We do not want to miss the opportunity to thank the members of the organization, Jordi Torres, Ramón Castelltort and his son Nil and Josep Ripoll, for all their effort because without them we could not have made this magnificent trip.
We also want to highlight the high doses of good humor, patience, companionship and above all, desire to have fun, that this group has provided to everyone.
