Adventure-wise, in the famous Merzouga dunes

For the past three days the Gazelles had been all too aware of its looming presence: Erg Chebbi, the famous mountain of dunes in Merzouga. Today was the big day. At the first checkpoint, the Gazelles had a choice to make. Route X, Y ou Z? Some hesitated…

A mixture of apprehension and pleasure

The more adventurous chose the X. They aired down their tires as the dunes loomed overhead. Team 166 (Stephanie PIERI-CHESNAIS / Isabelle AVIS - TRANSAVIA) was nervous: “I have knots in my stomach. Two years ago, I wallowed around a lot in there. But I want to take my revenge!” Team 167 (Emmanuelle HONORE / Gaëlle GALLIMARD - SNCF) had a zen attitude about the day to come “We have to do it, we learned how to drive in sand. It must be fun to slalom through the dunes.” Many Gazelles awaited this day with impatience, even though they knew that the famous dunes pose a challenge every year. Team 108 (Adeline DROUIN / Karima BENOUARET BENZID - UAP Successeurs) was already stuck at the top of a dune, wheels turning in the sand but a stunning view: “I foolishly took my foot off the accelerator too soon.”

Whichever route they chose, there was sand, and they had to face it. Team 240 (Gaëlle BIA / Annette CARCAUD - CITE METISSE) preferred to be reasonable, opting for Route Y, the intermediate option. Navigation was not particularly difficult, but the terrain was rugged. For Team 22 (Tracy MORANDIN / Valérie ROCHE - MORANDIN Yves), things were going well, although the day was sure to be physically exhausting for the motorbike team.

Solidarity, watchword of the day

The Gazelles became pink markers, positioning themselves on the crest of dunes to show the way. They walked kilometres through deep sand. A strong sense of solidarity could be felt between the Gazelles. Teams are allowed to follow each other during this leg in the dunes, and they don’t hesitate to work together. “Trust yourself, and go see for yourself if you need to,” suggests the driver of Team 153 (Fabienne GALIDIE / Tania LIO-MARTINEZ - MM-EVENTS Sàrl) to that of 199 (Clotilde VIET / Alexia NEVEU - leboncoin). Affinities develop. The Gazelles applaud each other as they succeed in climbing a dune.

At the base of the Merzouga dunes, the Gazelles waver between anxiety and excitement, even the veterans of the competition. It must be said that, at 22 kilometres long and 5 kilometres wide, this erg (sand field) is very impressive. Its largest dune, Chebbi, is the highest in Morocco. Team 153 (Fabienne GALIDIE / Tania LIO-MARTINEZ - MM-EVENTS Sàrl) had a few scares. They still had two checkpoints left inside the dunes: “We should be out by now, we started 6 hours ago! Time is passing, we stop to chat, then we run out of time in the evening. We’ll talk when we get stuck.”

Stuck in the sand, left and right

Many 4X4s got stuck on top of the dunes on leaving CP4. Team 215 (Christine BOUVEROT-REYMOND / Emma GALPIN - Allians Taxi) got stuck on a side slope a few metres from the flag and called for mechanical assistance. Several organizers came to their aid, and the doctor was there to reassure them. They continued on their way, hoping to hit the final checkpoint of the day. Team 239 (Marina GARCÍA-ESCÁMEZ / Hind TANGI - McAfee) danced through the dunes, music blasting, energetic but relaxed. “We’re driving in circles a lot but we’re here to have fun. It’s a good thing we did our navigation training, otherwise it would have been a nightmare in here.”

It was hot, very hot. The sand got softer, the path was increasingly churned up. Strong acceleration was needed to climb each dune. “You feel like you’re getting the hang of it after you climb a few without problem, and then suddenly, you’re not able to get up. That’s when you realize that you’re no expert,” joked Team 174 (Sandrine PRONIER-CORDIER / Anne-Lucile DELAFOSSE - Mac Donald's Deauville). Team 153 (Fabienne GALIDIE / Tania LIO-MARTINEZ - MM-EVENTS Sàrl) arrived on the scene “like a cannonball”. Team 146 (Caroline ZOSSO / Peggy VOGEL - ZZKUSTOM) made an interesting comparison: “It’s like giving birth: you say you’ll never do it again, and then you do!”

The dunes were finished for today. Most of the Gazelles were happy to leave the sand, even though CP7 wasn’t that easy to reach with cracked oueds and tricky navigation.

Bravo!

The day was filled with emotion and high-adrenaline action. The dunes were the favourite playground for some Gazelles, while for others they were a fear to be overcome, or an unpleasant challenge. In all cases, these famous dunes tired them out.  Time to put away your shovels… The Gazelles could be proud of themselves after confronting the sand in such an impressive manner. Back at the bivouac, a celebratory glass of champagne was provided by Tsarine, official partner of the event. They deserved it!