Finally, the moment I've been waiting for. It's been almost 6 months since my 3 best friends and I started organising our raid 4×4 au Maroc with African trip. I'm at the foot of a dune in the middle of the Merzouga desert in a superb 4×4 prado black, à mes côtés, Cyril, mon co-pilote de toujours. Il est 10h12 et je m’apprête à franchir ma toute première dune. Nous sommes tout excités ! Je me remémore une dernière fois les conseils de Vincent et je m’élance ! Je gravis difficilement la pente, on ralentit de plus en plus et à moins d’un mètre du sommet, le 4×4 stoppe son avancée. J’essaie d’appuyer sur l’accélérateur, je passe la marche arrière, rien à faire… Nous sommes complétement ensablés. J’ai planté le 4×4 jusqu’au châssis … Cyril me regarde, on se marre. Notre raid 4×4 au Maroc commence vrmt bien ….
Cyril, the prado and me planted in the sand: how did it all begin?
From Bordeaux to Merzouga: the beginnings of the 4×4 raid in Morocco
We arrived in Merzouga late the previous afternoon. This first day of the raid in Morocco had already been a busy one. After the plane etc. we met Vincent and the 4×4s at dawn in Marrakech and then set off for Merzouga around 7.30am. We were thrilled to finally be starting our week-long 4×4 road trip in Morocco! The weather was fine, the road was magnificent and we crossed the Tichka pass (2260 metres) which separates the Toubkal massif from the Mgoun massif.
In February, the 4 of us were already in shorts and t-shirts, but "watch out for the snow"!
Around 2pm, we take an impromptu barbecue and binouze break by the side of the road. Hervé, my childhood friend, is over the moon! Around 6pm, the first Merzouga dunes appear, pink to red in colour. Large tents with all the comforts of a hotel await us for a well-deserved rest.
First morning in the desert: getting down to business
This morning, we woke up in the middle of the desert. We slept in large, comfortable Berber tents. The view is magnificent and I have the impression that as soon as the light changes, a new scenery appears. This morning, the colours are softer, almost pastel. After a good breakfast and a good Moroccan tea, I take the wheel. 10 minutes later, here we are, planted at the top of a dune, a cherry on top of a cake as someone else would say...
the great desilting of our 4×4 raid in Morocco
I climb out of the car through the window
Having finished laughing with my co-driver, I try to open the door. It's impossible, the sand is pressing so hard that I can't even get it ajar. I open the window wide and slip out. I contemplate the spectacle. I'm very proud of myself, we haven't done things by halves, the car is well sanded in. It's a good thing I didn't manage to open the window: our prado would quickly have turned into a sandpit...
How we saved the situation.
I go round the 4X4. Joined by Vincent, we start to get busy. Vincent reassures me: "A roadtrip in the desert without getting stuck in the sand is not a roadtrip!
Cyril gets out and places the sand removal plates under the wheels. I got back behind the wheel, shifted into first gear and hit the accelerator. The 4×4 goes a metre and then it's back in the sand again. We ended up hooking the Prado up to Vincent's 4×4 and we were off again. Our Prado is fine, and the deposit for our 4×4 raid in Morocco is safe and sound!
All's well that ends well
And here we go again!
I take the wheel again, keeping Vincent's tips in mind. I regained my self-confidence and we took full advantage of the landscape with the delightful impression of being alone in the world, with no trace of human presence on the horizon. The changing colours of the desert and the soothing silence create a magical atmosphere. I'm feeling more and more at ease behind the wheel, and every dune or duneette we cross is a small victory.
What more could you ask for than an adventure that ends with a barbecue?
Around 1.00 pm, we make out a palm tree in the middle of nowhere - an oasis! That's where we're going for lunch. Delicious meat kebabs and a Moroccan salad await us. The break is just in time! Our adventures this morning have really whetted my appetite.
Talking to my three friends, I realise that we all loved this morning of driving in the dunes. Hervé is very proud because this 4×4 raid in Morocco was HIS big idea. And yes, sometimes our friend Hervé is right 🙂
Fred
To be continued...
