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Welcome! You will find here everything you need to register or support a participant of the Trekking in the Sahara Desert - MOROCCO Challenge.

Trekking in the Sahara Desert - MOROCCO

South of Ouarzazate, beyond the last foothills of the Anti-Atlas, begins the immense desert plateau of the Drâa hamada. The Oued Drâa runs alongside this plateau, continuing its dry course of over 700 km towards the Atlantic. A true Saharan frontier, this wadi was a permanent river crossing southern Morocco in ancient times. Today, its waters still feed a magnificent ribbon of palm groves as far as M'Hamid, before disappearing into the sands, giving rise to some of the country's most beautiful Saharan landscapes. This trek will take you through landscapes of dunes, dry lakes and lost oases, frequented by the camel nomads of the Sahara.

Itinerary

• Day 1: MONTREAL - MARRAKECH : Participants meet at Montréal-Trudeau airport and take off for Marrakech. Meals and overnight flight
• Day 2: MARRAKECH – OUARZAZATE : Arrival at Marrakech airport. Welcome and drive to Ouarzazate (Approximate. 4 hrs), stopping for dinner on route. Overnight stay in Ouarzazate. Lunch and dinner included
• Day 3: OUARZAZATE – M’HAMID : Embark on a journey to the picturesque Drâa Valley, where charming villages are nestled amidst lush palm groves. After Zagora, we reach Tagounit by minibus and enjoy a picnic lunch. We meet up with our camel team at Ouled Driss for our 1st bivouac in the M'Hamid palm grove (4h30 drive). Night in a bivy tent. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Distance: 6 km / Approximate walking time: 2 hrs
• Day 4: M’HAMID – AIT OUNIR : We leave the Draa palm grove to cross a desert zone, where dunes and tamarisk mix. The site of our second bivouac is in the dunes after Naji. Night in a bivy tent. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Distance: 20 km / Approximate walking time: 7 hrs
• Day 5: AIT OUNIR – SMAR : Continuing in the same southwesterly direction as the day before, we reach the beautiful dunes of erg Zehar. We stop for lunch, then cross the Drâa and arrive at erg Smar. Night in a bivy tent. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Distance: 19 km / Approximate walking time: 6.5 hrs
• Day 6: SMAR – EAST OF AOUINAT NAJI : We pass the dry bed of Oued Miit and arrive at the vast Erg Sdrate dune complex. Picnic lunch in the shade of Tamrix before continuing through the dunes of Kharte El Guerzime to reach our bivy tent at the foot of the Erg Aouinat Naji. Night in a bivy tent. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Distance: 16 km / Approximate walking time: 5.5 hrs
• Day 7: AOUINAT NAJI – AABIDLYA DUNE : A great walk in a sea of sand, passing by Aouina El Kahla and then the highest dune in this region: “Ellabidliya”. The bivy tents will be on the north-west side of the great Aabidlya dune. Night in a bivy tent. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Distance: 18 km / Approximate walking time: 6 hrs
• Day 8: BLACK JEBEL OF BANI : Our route now veers due north. The black Jebel of Bani is traversed through the beautiful gorges of Oued M'hasser. A few gueltas punctuate our advance. The bivy tents will be set up in the heart of the Bani massif. Night in a bivy tent. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Distance: 20 km / Approximate walking time: 6.5 hrs
• Day 9: OUED M’HASSER - HASSIS DIAB OASIS : Passing through several gueltas in the Oued M'hasser and the Hassi Diab oasis, we cross the desert plateau and set up our last bivy tent at the small Aferdou oasis. Night in a bivy tent. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Distance: 14km / Approximate walking time: 5 hrs
• Day 10: FOUM LAACHAR PASS – OUARZAZATE : The final stretch of the journey leads to the Foum Laachar Pass to see the magnificent panorama over the El Feijja plain. Our off-road vehicles await us at the foot of the Jebel to take us back to Ouarzazate, via Zagora. 4h30 drive. Dinner and overnight stay in a Riad. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included. Distance: 9km / Approximate walking time: 2.5 hrs
• Day 11: OUARZAZATE - MARRAKECH : After breakfast, departure for Marrakech via Imini Aguelmouss and the Tichka Pass (4.5 hr drive). Short visit of Marrakech with a local guide to discover this very old city and free time in the souks (depending on arrival time in Marrakech). Check-in to your hotel, and enjoy a farewell dinner in a restaurant in the medina. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included
• Day 12: MARRAKECH - MONTREAL : Transfer to the airport and board your return flight to Montreal. Breakfast included

The Challenge Against Cancer program is a series of fundraising travel campaigns to benefit cancer research. It offers its participants the chance to explore the world and surpass themselves through a variety of sporting activities. This unique adventure carries a deeply meaningful purpose, as the funds raised by participants help to make a significant difference to the advancement of cancer research.

Learn more about the Challenge Against Cancer Program