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This is an expedition for adventurous souls. A unique, once-in-a lifetime opportunity to ride from nearby the famed Merzouga Dunes to the Atlantic ocean. An epic adventure indeed. You will be riding Berber and Arabian stallions from the western edge of the Sahara desert to the west coast of Morocco, ending up on the wild and untouched Plage Blanche.
The horses and riders will be supported by a vehicle and a team setting up camp each night and preparing our meals. This is the proposed route, although the itinerary will likely change pending weather, availability of water, and the health of horses and riders. This ride was successfully completed for the first time along this route in 2020. We look forward to doing it again!
Ouarzarzate, Morocco: arrival
Agadir, Morocco: departure
22/01/2022 – 20/02/2022
You will be riding through some of the most beautiful desert landscapes of Morocco. Be prepared for not only long days in the saddle but also getting off to lead your horse across rocky desert terrain. Sometimes there will be a mountain or rocky out crop to cross and you will encounter camels and nomads along the way. We will also be riding through some beautiful palm fringed villages and oases. This is a real adventure but it is made comfortable and fun with the help of excellent, kind and extremely experienced guides and horses with whom we have the pleasure of traveling with. The back-up team is extremely efficient and hard-working and takes care of all your needs in camp and also meets us at lunch-time each day serving a freshly prepared meal and setting up the resting point enabling the horses to relax and have their own lunch and water.
You will be expected to break down your own tents in the mornings and help look after the horses. Their needs come first on this trip. Approximately every 6-7 days there will be a night in a hotel allowing you to rest, wash and take care of laundry and give the horses a well deserved break. . The horses are well-trained, extremely fit and athletic stallions conditioned to life in this harsh environment. The route is sometimes challenging but worth every minute for the right kind of adventurous soul. . It is a rare opportunity to be able to do a long journey like this.
Dinner and discussion of the adventure ahead of us.
Overnight at Hotel le Fint.
Early breakfast and transfer with the van via the Merzouga dunes (approx.. 6-7h drive) (with lunch en route) to the horses. After a tea and a safety briefing Abdel will distribute the horses amongst the riders. We will have a short ride to acquaint ourselves with the horses (2 hours of riding)
This morning we enjoy a great variety of landscapes: ochre mountains, sand of every shade and beautiful tracks for cantering. We will picnic near the beautiful dune of Remlia.. After lunch we will cross the dunes and traverse the Ghris riverbed, and finally reach the plateau of M’harch where we camp.
This morning we continue riding across this famous plateau and then follow a small pass until we reach Jebel Zirg where we picnic on a beautiful plateau
dotted with acacia trees. The afternoon is spent riding along a narrow pass that gives us a beautiful view of the immense plateau of Lmaaidr, until we reach our campsite for the night at the foot of a mountain.
From Taricht towards Tafraut we cover ground well until we reach our picnic spot. In the afternoon we finish for the day not far from Foum village and camp quite close to the palm grove of the village of Tismomine
This morning we follow the track that passes between two mountains to the beginning of a plateau where we picnic. (20 km)
After the lunch break we can enjoy a beautiful long canter on this plateau and then we to ride to the foot of the mountain to Imi n’oussaif
In the morning we are picked up by van and taken back to the horses.
On this day, we cross Jbel Mrah via a narrow path in the direction of Oum lkhab where we stop for a picnic lunch. In the afternoon we cross the Oum lkhab and camp at the foot of Jebel Tidma.
After breakfast we travel by van to Zagora where we rest and spend the night.
Today we cross the mountain and overlooking a large plateau and the palm grove. We will picnic at the edge of the palm grove.
In the afternoon, we ride in the palm grove passing through villages. We camp among the palm trees that night.
In the morning we cross the Draa riverbed, ride through the palm grove and pass the ksar (castle) of Nesrat. We will be seeing the mountains again and follow a good track to the picnic spot.
In the afternoon we cross the Jebel Bani via a narrow pass that gives us a beautiful view of a large plateau dotted with acacia trees (and often it is easy to see gazelle) until we reach the campsite.
This morning we continue following the plateau, keeping the Jebel Bani ridge on our right until we reach our picnic spot in front of the Wadi Laatache (‘Wadi of Thirst”) (23 km) in the afternoon we travel onwards until we reach the oasis Oum Laalg
This morning is a very special day as we leave the oasis and ride to the beautiful and wild dunes of Cheggag .After enjoying the dunes we will continue on to our picnic spot located conveniently close to a well.
After lunch we travel onwards with the dunes to our left and continue our journey to reach the plateau and Lake Irikki where we camp.
This morning we continue crossing this vast plateau and enjoy a lovely gallop before we reach our lunch spot near a well, situated near a mountain called Lmdowar Sghir. (19 km). In the afternoon we follow the track where we experience the interesting rocky landscape of Lmdowar Lkbir Mountain. We camp near the mountain for the night, not far from the village of Foum Zguid.
In the morning we ride across a plateau dotted with acacia trees. At times it is stony and at other times pleasant enough to enjoy a good canter until we reach our lunch spot. After our break, we continue our ride in this Saharan landscape to the campsite not too far from the village of M’ghimima .
Leave camp after breakfast and transfer to Tata for the o/n
This morning, we leave the palm grove and ride towards a low mountain dotted with acacia trees until we reach the riverbed. From here we follow a stony way to a picnic spot on the edge of Wadi Akka N’Ighern. In the afternoon we continue in the wadi to a small oasis before Tata where we camp.
We follow the left bank of the riverbed, not far from the village of Akk n’Iznkad, after crossing the Jbel Bani via a narrow pass that allows us to have a beautiful view of the palm grove and the surrounding villages.
We continue in the direction of the old fortified village of Jbair that we pass before arriving at our picnic site on a small plateau dotted with acacia trees. After lunch we follow the riverbed, cross the village of Tazoult and follow the riverbed to the gorge which we then leave to follow a small rocky ridge to our camping spot for the night.
This morning we continue the track which crosses another huge plateau covered in acacias where we might chance upon nomad camps. We picnic next to the village of Tizouinine. In the afternoon we stay in the same track that crosses an agricultural plateau, with some oases until we arrive at our camp on the bank of the wadi overlooking a small oasis and the mountains.
Today, our departure, is not far from the village Ait ouablli,. We ride up the wadi then along a ridge by a track until we reach our picnic spot in the shade of the acacias. In the afternoon we stay on the track, pass next to a mountain and cross a plateau with some oasis, the village of D’Icht is not far from where we camp.
This morning, surrounded by mountains, we cross a beautiful plateau, towards our picnic point just before a small road that leads to the village D’Ait illoul. In the afternoon we continue along a field, then join a good track that leads to the village of Taghjijte to the campsite.
Overnight at Oasis Palm Hotel: http://www.oasispalmhotel.com
After breakfast we depart for Guelmim where we rest and overnight in a hotel
Today, a beautiful ride through the palm grove of Taghjijte and further along we will find our team for the lunch break .
After lunch, we follow the riverbed, passing a small village and then arriving at the camp at the entrance of the village of Igherm n’Igouzeln between the mountains Agni Ouaarich and Mouchllif
We ride along the Wadi Seyad and cross a beautiful plateau with some nomad camps. We then continue our journey on the plateau not far from the village of Fask. In the afternoon, we finish crossing the plateau and reach a river that extends to Tighmert where our camp is for the night.
After short ride in the morning on the beach we have a light lunch, bid farewell to the horses and make our way to Agadir by van (5 hours) . In Agadir we will enjoy a farewell dinner. Overnight in Hotel Tildi in Agadir.
Flights home or onward travel
