5 DESERT MARATHONS PROGRAMME
From the 21s t to the 28th of October 2017, you will enjoy not just sport, effort, sacrifice, the desert, dunes, and the heat, but also Morocco, a country full of secrets and adventures, that is more varied than almost any other country in the world.
You will leave Barcelona and Madrid airports on 21st October. The organisation staff will be at the boarding area to welcome participants and their companions, as well as to deal with any possible doubts or incidents and to offer you the final indications about the trip.
Programme:
“Subject to modifications by the organisation”
21st October: arrival at Fez Airport- transfer to Er Rachidia.
Departure from El Prat Airport (Barcelona) in a direct flight to Fez Airport (Morocco).
Transfer from airport to Er Rachidia by coach.
Er rachidia
It is on the Ziz River, which collects the water from the thawing snow from the Atlas Mountains, forming a reservoir and later dying out further south in the Sahara.
Today it is the capital of the Tafilalet region, which is an important administrative, commercial, military and university centre.
Evening meal and accommodation in Hotel Riad, ideal thanks to its particular characteristics.
22nd October: free day.
Free day for collecting numbers and material, as well as getting to know the staff.
Excursion around Er Rachidia.
Lunch, evening meal and accommodation in Hotel Riad.
Briefing 19h
Er Rachidia
These valleys are found in the oases in the south of Morocco, and are World Heritage, with plenty of geological and mineral sites and with great human wealth, inhabited by descendants of various Berber tribes, a region with a great socio-cultural wealth, thanks to its palm groves, Khettara subsurface irrigation channels and the moussem (festivals in honour of saints).
In these valleys, Majhoul and Boufegous date varieties are grown, which are an important driving force behind the regional economy. Nowadays, the palm grove is being renewed with new varieties, which are reproduced in the centre the Ministry of Agriculture has in this city.
23rd October: 1st stage
The first stage of the 5 Desert Marathons starts. Departure 8:30. Breakfast 6:00. A 52-kilometre stage that finishes in Erfoud.
Everyone will eat together in Hotel Belair followed by a visit to Erfoud (not compulsory).
Evening meal in Hotel Belair.
Briefing 21 PM
Erfoud
This area of Morocco has also been identified as being very similar in appearance and possibly from a geological point of view to areas on Mars. Due to this, there is great interest in the area as a place for settings and research related to this planet.
Thanks to the beauty of the surrounding Sahara Desert and the oasis areas of the city, Erfoud has been the setting for shooting many films.
24th October: 2nd stage
The second stage of the 5 Desert Marathons starts. Departure 9:00. Breakfast 6:30. A 35-kilometre stage that finishes in Oasis Laawina.
Lunch and evening meal in the camp set up in Oasis Laawina (thematic evening with drums in the desert).
Briefing 21 PM,
Thematic evening in an oasis
When the sun sets, the night lights up with high-impact feelings in the desert.
How could I tell you about my emotions on seeing an oasis! Or how to interpret what comes next when the tones of blue turn into the shades of the night. Rest while enjoying the stars in Morocco.
25th October: 3rd stage
The third stage of the 5 Desert Marathons starts. Departure 10:00. Breakfast 7:00. A 25-kilometre stage that finishes in Dunes Dor.
Visit to Rissani Market
Lunch and evening meal at Hotel Dunes Dor.
Briefing 21h PM
Rissani
It is the gateway to the desert. Rissani is in the south of Morocco. The market is held every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday and you can buy spices and so on.
26th October: 4th stage
The fourth stage of the 5 Desert Marathons starts. Departure 9:00. Breakfast 6:30. A 51-kilometre stage that finishes at Hotel Dunas Dor.
Lunch and evening meal at Hotel Dunes Dor.
Spectacular view of the sunset over the great dune of Merzouga
Briefing 21h PM
Merzouga
Merzouga is a small town in the south east of Morocco, 35 km south east of Rissani. It is the most famous town in Erg Chebbi, it is part of the route taken by many tourists who visit Morocco.
27th October: 5th stage
The fifth and final stage of the 5 Desert Marathons starts. Departure 8:00. Breakfast 6:00. A 48-kilometre stage that finishes in Erfoud.
Lunch and evening meal in Hotel Belair.
28th October: return to Spain
Return to BARCELONA in a direct flight.
See, feel the sensations, the feelings,
the suffering, the joys of the 2017 5 Desert Marathons
