Itinerary

Day 1: Almeria

Meet in hotel in Almeria, Spain and reunite yourself with your bike. Group dinner.

Day 2: Almeria to Selouanne

26mi /46km

Following breakfast we’ll have a briefing before heading down to the ferry and our 1200 sailing to Nador. Once disembarked the process of entering a foreign country with your own vehicle ensues. Get the right official and it’s a breeze; get the wrong one and it’ll test your patience. Either way it’s all part of the experience!

Day 3: Selouanne to Bivouac 1

Tarmac: 132mi / 213km   –   Piste: 68mi / 110km   –   Total: 200mi / 323km   –   Piste: 34%

It’s a steady ‘knobby friendly’ ride south to Debdou and the climb up to the Rekam Plateau. It’s easy going on a mix of dirt and gravel piste (unless its been raining!) with magnificent views of the snow capped middle-Atlas to the west. Did you remember your tent pegs?

Day 4: Bivouac 1 to Tissard Mine

Tarmac: 39mi / 63km   –   Piste: 124mi / 200km   –   Total: 163mi / 263km   –   Piste: 76%

An easy, undulating start to the day as we loose some altitude on the approach to Bni Tajite. After filling up with fuel, snacks and coffee we’ll turn SW over the rocky Col de Belkassen before the first of the sand begins as head towards Algeria. Great views abound from the El Korbine cliffs before we drop off the plateau to follow the ‘berm’ – the de facto border between Morocco and Algeria. It’s deep sand and date palm oases here on this old Dakar Rally piste.

Our accommodation for the next two nights sits right on the edge of the desert and a well used rally piste to Erg Chebbi.

Day 5: Erg Chebbi rideout

Approx 62mi / 100km   –   Mostly sand, dunes and piste

A chance to ditch our luggage, drop our tyre pressures, load up with water and head out into the dunes of Erg Chebbi for some unencumbered fun. Never ridden in the dunes before? No problem, we’ll have a briefing prior to heading out, share some riding tips and talk about how to stay safe out there. It’s a day of sweatin’ ‘n’ laughin’ (no g).

Day 6: Tissard Mine to Bivouac 2

Tarmac: 24mi / 38km   –   Piste: 185-277mi / 297km-446km  –   Total: 208-301mi / 335-484km   –   Piste: 89-92%

With two sections of tarmac totaling just 38km/24mi we’re in for a big day on the piste. There are some challenging sand sections early on, but once across the Oued Gheris and the shallow dunes beyond so the sand thins out as the landscape opens up. This is ‘Big Sky’ country.

Skirting the Algerian border once again, we commence a run of police checkposts as we cross the rugged Tafenna Basin and drop into Tagounite for fuel and supplies. The sand of Erg Chegga beckons but will we make it through there and onto the dry Lac Iriki before we pitch camp?

Day 7: Bivouac 2 to Tata

Tarmac: 52mi / 84km   –   Piste: 36-129mi / 58-207km   –   Total: 88-181mi / 42-291km   –   Piste: 41-71%

As drifting sands regularly covers the piste we rarely ride exactly the same route twice as we head due west towards a final police check post. The 84km/52mi of tarmac to Tata are a chance to give our chains some love. Will it be an early shower & a beer? – depends how far we rode yesterday!

Day 8: Tata to Tighmert

Tarmac: 129mi / 208km   –   Piste: 67mi / 108km   –   Total: 196mi / 316km   –   Piste: 34%

Leaving the open desert behind us, we head into the twisted strata of the anti-Atlas. Vertical gorge sides tower over us as we wend our way westwards, climbing a vertical kilometre to a ridge before plunging into the next gorge. Although ‘only’ 108km/67mi of piste today, every one of them will have you wishing you had eyes in the back of your head.

Day 9: Saturday – Tighmert to Ksar Tafnidilt

Tarmac: 52mi / 84km   –   Piste: 54mi / 87km   –   Total: 106mi / 171km   –   Piste: 51%

‘Atlantic Ocean Day’ – with 1829km/1136mi under our belts since leaving the Mediterranean, it’s time to hit the beach at Plage Blance. Aside from the odd fisherman and perhaps a beachcomber, we’re unlikely to meet anyone on this 28km/17mi of coastline.

The days timings are dictated by the tide times so be prepared to get up at silly O’Clock or limp in at dusk.

Day 10: Rest/Service Day

Own a DRZ and you can spend the day chillin’ by the pool wth a cold beer; own a KTM and you can change the oil and screw it back together.

Day 11: Ksar Tafnidilt – Bivouac 3

Tarmac: 91-97mi / 147-156km   –   Piste: 87-125mi / 140-201km   –   Total: 178-222mi / 287-357km   –   Piste: 49-56%

With bikes and bodies rested it’s an early start as we head eastwards into the far western end of the Jebel Bani. Following lunch in Assa – where we’ll also pick up camping supplies – we’ll return to the piste, and head NE on a little used route dotted with acacia trees.

Day 12: Tuesday – Bivouac 3 to Bivouac 4

Tarmac: 118-124mi / 190-199km   –   Piste: 87-125mi /140-201km   –   Total: 205-249mi /330-400km   –   Piste: 42-50%

By the time we fill up with fuel and supplies in Tata, most of the days tarmac will be behind us. Soon after, we’ll turn NE into a wide valley with views north to the anti-Atlas and south to Djebel Bani.

Day 13: Bivouac 4 to Amellago

Tarmac: 123mi / 198km   –   Piste: 96mi / 155km   –   Total: 219mi / 353km   –   Piste: 44%

Into the mountains as we cross the geographically distinct basalt massif that is the Djebel Sarhro. Our route takes us over the highest pass on this tour, the 2316m/7600ft Tizi n‘Tazazert before dropping into the famous Todra Gorge and it’s less famous (and less touristic) cousin, the Imiter Gorge.

With 1040km/646 miles and two nights in bivouacs between us and our last showers we’ll be ready for tonight’s accommodation set in a peaceful walled garden in the village of Amellago.

Day 14: Amellago to Bivouac 5

Tarmac: 133mi / 214km   –   Piste: 69mi / 111km   –   Total: 202mi / 325km   –   Piste: 34%

A second chance to ride through the Imiter gorge as we return west a short distance to pick-up the sometimes rough piste to the Tizi Tagounista for a spectacular view of the Amane Plain. The piste curls back on itself through a tunnel as it drops off the plateau and crosses the plain. Two more piste stages will see us return to Bni Tajite where we’ll rejoin our southbound route and return to our first nights bivouac.

Day 15: Bivouac 5 to Nador & ferry to Spain

Tarmac: 161mi / 259km   –   Piste: 68mi / 110km   –   Total: 229mi / 369km   –   Piste: 30%

It may be the final day but as per day one there’s still 110km/68mi of piste to go and you’ll be surprised how different everything looks in reverse.

With the scheduled ferry departure not until 2200, there’s time for dinner and souvenir shopping in Nador. Tagine anyone?

Day 16: Saturday – Arrive Spain

 Scheduled arrival time is 0700 so plenty of time to get changed and catch a flight home.