 A bike ride through the desert
? Funny idea... and yet anyone can on the southern tracks of
Moroco. Starting in the gorgeous contryside of Djebel Sarho,
this eight day trek will end in the heart of the palmgrove Draa
valley.
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- Text and photography by Jean-François
Vibert
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- How do you turn ten days holliday
into a rejuvenating experience without ruining yourself ? Easy,
treat yourself to a real desert crossing on a mountain bike !
You don't need to have an athelete's training to taste the pleasures
of the great south, all you need is to know how to ride a bicycle.
Of course, if you never do any sport, a few weekend bike rides
before you leave might be a good idea. To apreciate the adventure
fully it's worth arriving in working order.
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- It's good
to be in the shade ! Especially when you can pick and eat deliciously
fresh dates !
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- The advantage of cycling over
walking is that you can cover great distances quite easily and
therefore see more. You leave the bivouac in the coolness of
early morning after having had the much appreciated Berber breakfast
: hot pancakes, honey and the traditional tea... Get into the
habit of drinking early in the morning before you start to feel
thirsty.
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- We
sometimes cross strips of sand... Our guide tells us to place
our weight at the back so as to lighten the load on the handle
bars. The Morocon desert is more often covered with stones.
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- Cycling in the desert isn't
particularly hard : you don't cycle in sand ! You just have to
be carefull where you put your wheels so as to avoid punctures.
Every one pedals at their own speed and stops to swim in the
clear waters of a wedi or to rest in the shade of an oasis. Every
one takes their water for the day, lunch and... puncture patches
! The Land-Rover only meets up in the evening at the camp.
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- Although
sinking in the sand is unlikely, punctures are always a possibility
because of the thorns from the hedges. Best not forget the puncture
repair kit or the first-aid box. As for the cyclists they must
remember to drink before they feel thirsty.
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- It's a good idea to take a pair
of outdoor shoes as well as a pair of sandals to let your feet
breath after the effort. The winter temperatures in the desert
arn't too high but you still need protection from the sun. Leave
your contact lenses at home and take two pairs of sun glasses
(in case you lose one pair). When you get there, buy a nomades'
blue "cheich" (long scarf worn around the head). It'll
make you look the part during the day and will be a warm skarf
at night for when you're sitting round the camp fire. As for
everything else, the organisers will give you the list of items
they recomend : asperine, antidiarrhoeic, Micro pure(water filter),
a fleece, a torch, a water flask, a lighter, a knife, baby wipes,
a travel guide... No need to take an alarm clock, dawn will take
care of that !
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- Although
it dosen't look it, temperatures are quite bearable in winter,
sometimes even cold. So pack accordingly.
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- You needn't worry about the
people you'll be with. The atmosphere is always good and groups
range from 6 to 12. Keep in mind that in the desert, tolerance
and sharing are the golden rules; could be an opportunity to
question some of your little quirks ? The immense natural beauty
prompts individuals to have more respect for places and each
other, you might even come home transformed : serein and revitalised.
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- Sights
on the road : huge open spaces, acacias, oasises, fortified eath
houses (the famous ksours)... And many meetings with Berber sheperds...
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- Au coeur du
désert coule le Draa, dont nous suivons le cours. La vallée
est couverte d'une immense palmeraie surplombée de loin
en loin par d'impressionnantes casbahs.
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- Votre guide
local connaît parfaitement les régions traversées.
Munissez-vous d'une carte précise et demandez lui d'y
dessiner votre itinéraire... Vous verrez c'est passionnant
de s'y repérer et le soir avant de s'endormir, d'étudier
la route du lendemain.
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- À quelques
heures des embouteillages parisiens, l'envoûtant silence
des djebels et des dunes vous attend.
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- Come
evening, the bivouac, which is in the four wheel drive, will
be set up in the shelter of an oasis.
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 Contact
: Extra information (traveling, accomadation, catering, prices...)
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 The
organiser : Sport Travel, a
specialised travel agency run by a Marrakech based Frenchman
:
- 154 Bvd Mohamed V, Guéliz/Marrakech.
Tél. : 00 212 443 05 59. Fax. 00 212 443 99 69
- sportt@mail.winner.net.ma
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- The
French distributer: L'UCPA. Tél. : 0 803 820 830
- www.ucpa.asso.fr et www.ucpa.com
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- C'est exceptionnel,
mais il arrive que l'on doive mettre pied à terre pour
traverser une dune, un oued ou une zone caillouteuse... L'aventure
c'est l'aventure.
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A trek for everybody
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- Resonable prices, exotic
surroundings and a convivial atmosphere is what this type of
holiday has to offer. They explain everything :
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- Fitness
level : average. You
must know how to ride a mountain bike.
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- A
French speaking Berber guide, qualified
and specialised in mountain bikes will accompany you and enable
you to meet the desert population.
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- Equipment
and supplies are transported
by Land-Rover. Nights are spent in the tent that the cook and
the driver put up.
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- The
bikes and accessories are provided, but you must bring your own paded cycling shorts.
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- A
minimum amount of respect and discretion is needed regarding the local population. Trousers
are recomended when encountering nomads.
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- The
trek starts in november and finishes in march, temperatures are quite bearable. For
eight days flight included, the prices start at 5300 F,
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- Il nous
arrive de traverser des bandes de sable... Notre guide nous conseil
de reporter notre poids sur l'arrière de la selle pour
alléger le guidon. Le désert marocain est le plus
souvent recouvert de caillasses.
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The details of the course
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- You can't not see the great
Morocan south. Exept those who walk it, nobody will get to feel
the substance of the place as much as you...
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- D1
: Flight Paris / Marrakech.
You set off immediatly by car towards the south. First camp surrounded
by palm trees at Tazzarine, 800 m up.
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- D2
: Familiarize yourself
with the equipment. The start is set in the shade of the tamarisks.
Cross the Ifraoun basin and bivouac at the foot of the dunes.
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- D3
: 30 km of traditionel
villages and palme groves lead to the area of Oumjrane. Bivouac
among the dunes.
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- D4
: After having crossed
a particularly arid landscape, the bivouac is set up at the foot
of the 1137 m high Aferdou N'Mird.
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- D5
: A change of scenery
as you go over the Tizzi Tafilalt (Tizzi = pass) where camels
have watched caravanes go for hundreds of years.
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- D6
: At last it's the famous
Draa palm grove, a comforting oasis where children sell necklesses
and fresh dates.
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- D7
:Contrasting with the
start, the end of the trek is in the green landscape and shade
ontrastant avec le début du raid, les derniers coups de
pédale se font dans la verdure à l'ombre des palmiers
datiers. Via Ouarzazate retour sur Marrakech et flânerie
dans les souks.
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- D8
: Vol retour pour Paris
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- L'immense Afrique
à portée de guidon !
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- © Jean François
VIBERT - Journalist and photographer - Paris -
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- Specialised in travels, extrems
sports, leisure activities, adventure trips, outdoor sports,
deserts and mountains... Trekking, ski, snowboard, mountain,
bike, sailing, scuba diving, hiking, in line skating... Texts
and pictures for the press and the web, illustration, digital
photography, reportages...
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- Journaliste photographe - Spécialiste
des voyages, des sports de glisse, des loisirs, de l'aventure,
de l'outdoor, des déserts, des montagnes. VTT, trekking,
ski, snowboard, parapente, voile, plongée sous marine,
randonnées, roller in line... Textes et photos pour la
presse et internet, illustrations, photographie numérique,
reportages...
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