General Chat

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The Sahara desert stretches from the snow capped mountains of Morocco in the west, to the Red Sea coast 4800km to the East. Its landscape varies from a stony flat expanse to perfect wind blown sand dunes, broken only by the occasional oasis. The feeling of space and of solitude is awesome. With proud Berbers as our guides and a small caravan of camels to carry our supplies we will trek 100km through this varied and stunning landscape. Day 1: Depart UK Heathrow bound for Ouarzazate/Marrakech via Casablanca. Transfer to hotel. Ouarzazate lies just below the High Atlas Mountains and is on the edge of the desert. Day 2: After an early breakfast we have a detailed briefing and then leave for the five-hour drive to M’Hamid, our starting point. Our drive takes us over the Jebel Sarhro Mountains and down the ‘Valley of a thousand kasbahs’ into the desert. We have a brief stop in Zagora to buy a shash (native headscarf) and have our last cold drink before the heat of the desert. On arriving at the starting point we have lunch while the cameleers load up the camels. Our late afternoon trek takes us firstly across flat open plain and then into Erg Lihoudi, our first taste of small dunes. We make camp at the edge of the dunes for the night.Walk 3 hours Day 3: The full colour of the landscape erupts as the sun rises. Hot coffee and a good breakfast set us up for a good day’s trek. We break camp, load the camels and head off across Erg Lihoudi. We walk across the small dunes and around the larger ones. Amongst the dunes are small Tamarisk trees that manage to flourish in this harsh environment. Continuing through the small dunes, we can see the Jebel Bani Mountains to the north and dunes to the south. After a good four-hour trek we stop for lunch in the shade of large tree. During the afternoon we walk out of the dunes and onto a flat rocky plateau where we make camp near L’oued L’autruche close to a well.Walk 6 hours Day 4: Leaving camp behind us we walk across flat open country with the camels not far behind. The surface is firm and stony with tough grass poking through in places. After around 4km we come to the edge of some low dunes. Skirting to the north of the dunes we walk on both soft sand and stony plateau where you can find the occasional fossilised sea creature. The hottest part of the day is spent having lunch in the shade, time to relax and refill the water bottles. In the afternoon we head across lots of beautifully formed low dunes to an area called Bougarnne, where there are several large dunes and clumps of palm trees. The walking is tough. Sand fills yours boots and your feet sink into the small dunes. After an hour we see the large dunes in the distance and head for them. Distance is hard to gauge in the desert and it takes a further two hours to reach the dunes and our campsite perched on a bluff overlooking the dunes.Walk 7 hours Day 5: After a good breakfast we head off down a gully onto the desert floor. We spend the morning crossing hamada, or stony flat desert. We have several short climbs and cross dry and dusty plains. There is very little vegetation around but we manage to find the only tree for miles to have lunch under. When the hottest part of the day has passed we set off across more hamada until we cross a ridge and have a spectacular view of Chgaga, the largest sand dunes of the region. We camp below the dunes for the night.Walk 7 hours Day 6: The day starts with the spectacular climb and incredible view from the top of the 100m dune. To the south are rolling dunes as far as you can see and to the north hamada and the Jebel Bani. After taking the view in we have fun descending the dune along one of the narrow ridges. Regrouping at the bottom and meeting up with the camels we refill the water bottles and walk through low dunes. We spend the whole day in amongst the dunes passing the occasional nomadic encampment and small clump of palm trees. In the late afternoon we finally reappear from the dunes and head out across flat desert and acacia tress to our campsite near a well and just below the Jebel Bani. Walk 7 hours Day 7: Today is our day of mirages and flat saltpans. We firstly walk across several kilometres of hamada with dunes lying to the south. Gradually the acacia trees vanish and we are left in a spectacularly flat open saltpan. Once again distances are impossible to gauge and the views shimmer in the heat. There is no cover for lunch so we put one of the tents up to give us shade. We are getting pretty close to our hundredth kilometre now and the last few are done crossing this remote and desolate place. Our last night is spent on the saltpan with its incredible sunset.Walk 7 hours Day 8: After breakfast we load into the trucks and Land Rover and drive the last bumpy two hours across the desert piste to the tarmac road. The exciting journey in the back of the open trucks is great fun if a little dusty.

Phew Diana.... Thank you for the wonderful descriptions. I do so hope that everyone enjoys their adventure. Keep well everyone. What a once in a lifetime experience. I would just like to thank you all. My daughter is suffering from cancer and I really appreciate all you are doing to raise money to try and eradicate this dreadful disease. My thoughts will be with you all. Jean x.

Scary huh? :O)

Who's idea was this? Remind me to cross them off my Christmas card list! Daisy

What a journey, if only I was a few years younger. I hope you bring plenty of photos back with you. Enjoy yourselves and take care. I will be thinking of you. Good Luck June xx

Thank you Diana. Good luck to the Trekkers and hope you all keep well. It will be hard but what an adventure! We have had Family die of cancer so can i please say a huge thank you to everybody. God bless. Maureen (((XXX)))

Sounds fantastic!!!!!!! I can sooooooooooo not see oor Anna out there tho!!! pmsl Beware Trekkers!!!!! lololol

Hi Jean, sorry to hear about your daughter. Thanks for your support, it means a lot.

Daisy - lets blame GAYNOR!! She'd take it on the chin!! :O) jean - I am sorry about your daughter and hope she conquers it!! maureen - its a dreadful disease and one day they will find a cure!! xx

Wishing you all the very best, I will be thinking of you. Have fun & stay safe. Heather :))

Thanks Heather!! xx

Diana - ;O)))

I've been google image searching. Looks like a beautiful place - but I can't see any deck chairs on the beach. Good Luck to all of you, Gwynne

Its a rubbish holiday resort cos not a pool in sight!! LOL!! xx

Go to this for a few good pics of what we might see!!!! Beautiful! http://www*macmillan*org.uk/sahara/itinerary.html Susie xx

It may be beautiful babe but its sand and bet you get fed up of it really quickly!! :O)

That's why we're not going near a beach on our family holiday this year! Daisy

You are so brave!!! Loads of love and luck to all of you. Linda x

Just for the trekkers to take on their way... Rock the Casbah The Clash Now the king told the boogie men You have to let that raga drop The oil down the desert way Has been shakin' to the top They shake it for his Cadalac He went a' cruisin' down the ville The muezzin was a' standing On the radiator grille CHORUS Shareef don't like it Rockin' the Casbah Rock the Casbah Shareef dont like it Rockin' the Casbah Rock the Casbah By order of the prophet We ban that boogie sound Degenerate the faithful With that crazy Casbah sound But the Bedouin they brought out The electric kettle drum The local guitar picker Got his guitar picking thumb As soon as the sherif Had cleared the square They began to wail CHORUS Now over at the temple Oh! They really pack 'em in The in crowd say it's cool To dig this chanting thing But as the wind changed direction The temple band took five The crowd caught a wiff Of that crazy Casbah jive CHORUS The king called up his jet fighters He said you better earn your pay Drop your bombs between the minarets Down the Casbah way As soon as Shereef was Chauffeured outta there The jet pilots tuned to The cockpit radio blare As soon as Shereef was Outta their hair The jet pilots wailed CHORUS He thinks it's not kosher Fundamentally he can't take it. You know he really hates it.