Sahara Rocks- Day 2

 Day 2 - Into the dunes

It was another early start.  Today we had another long drive to meet up with some 4x4's which would then drive us into the desert before dropping us off for a short 'acclimatisation' hike of 2 or 3 miles (we were soon to learn that distances in Morocco are a best guess estimate) into our first desert camp.  

We crammed into the minibuses once again and set off (via a Carrefour supermarket for another alcohol run). The minibuses weren't too bad space wise but the air con in the one I was in was distinctly lacking and even that early in the morning, it would have been appreciated. Whilst the temps in Morocco at this time of year are supposed to be more bearable than in July and August, for the unaclimatised it was pretty uncomfortable.

The road to the desert was once again a winding one... my bike feet were getting slightly itchy. The scenery had subtly changed once again from grey/brown earth with a few patches of green to a more rocky grey colour. (I did say it was subtle!)

The road wound up, similarly to before. At one of the high points we jumped out of the minibuses, grateful to stretch our legs and stare at the breathtaking view around us. Comparisons once again to the midwestern landscapes of america as the rocks rose up on either side of the road. One of the guides had found a lizard, a spiny tailed Uromastyx. Of course I couldn't resist saying hello.... he was pretty chilled out and sat happily in my hands for a short while until we got called back to the bus to continue on our way.

The rocks had now given way to desert and real sand dunes had staeted to appear. It was about this point that we saw our first real life honest to goodness free roaming camels. It was a bit surreal... driving along then a shout of 'camel'. Not everyday that happens. 

The minibus eventually pulled up to our lunch stop. The cooking guys had gone on ahead and set up a feast for us and we sat munching on cheese and bread with an array of salads to add to our plates.

The first sign that we had left civilisation behind us and started to embrace ALL elements of this trek was when a few started to disappear behind trees and hillocks (not quite into the sand dunes yet)... and whilst this may be the first mention of toiletting issues, it will most certainly not be the last. There is no better way to guage how well you have bonded as a group, when you see people discussing normally private bodily functions in the open😂. Judging by that, I deffo have some friends for life on this trek!

Lunch done, we hopped back in the buses for a short hop to where our 4x4's awaited us. 10 minutes later we drew up in a row and were immediately accosted by kids askong for sweets, pens, clothing... basically anything they could get their hands on. We fended them off for a while whilst all our kit was transferred over to the 4x4's. I took pity on one kid with a sad face, giving him one of my buffs that I had wrapped round my wrist. 

The 4x4 ride was pretty cool... which is easy for me to say as I wasn't right in the back. The very back seat was apparently very jarring and uncomfortable or at least that's what the screams and profanities told me whenever we hit a bump.... and there were quite a few of those. We sped along, all the 4x4's taking different lines through the desert sand, some avoiding the potholes and boulders, others skidding through a patch of soft sand, one almost taking off as it launched on a ramp of sand. It was fun! I think there was some kind of unspoken race between the drivers, paused as every now and again the cars stopped and the bags above were resecured and checked.

It was a good advert for Mitsubishi that's for sure.

Without sounding obvious... there wasn't much in the desert except for sand and some stonier bits.... the odd bush jutted up, defying the odds and lack of water by just existing... one of these hardy plants looked a bit like a cabbage on sticks. We were to see lots more of these but here it was just the odd one dotted about. There was the odd bit of scrub grass, the occasional bigger tree but (employing a little british sarcasm here, oddly enough) mostly just sand.

And then suddenly we were there... there being surrounded by sand with nothing else in sight. Time to get trekking

First things first... out came my new poles. Click clack done.... 

Then we were given a Moroccan sesh, a scarf which winds round the head and then can be put across your mouth and nose to protect from the sun and the sand. We all waited patiently whilst the guides wrapped them round our heads in true desert style. 

I had shoe covers, ostensibly for cycling but I figured that they would work as well as gaiters for keeping out the sand. 

We set off, bunched together at first but then different speeds and gaits and conversations took over and gradually we spread out in a line of twos and threes. It didn't take long before I was very glad of my poles. Once we started going up the sand dunes proper, altgough they weren't very high, the effort of getting up that last little crest with the soft sand sliding you down as you were trying to go up was difficult even with the poles.

It was a bit of a wake up call as to how this trek was going to go in terms of physical levels of exertion. The sun.... I mean I was expecting hot... I know the desert is hot and dry but I wasn't prepared for HOW hot and dry and unrelenting it would be... and this was only a short introductory trek... I clearly wasn't drinking enough for the condotions despite reaching for a water bottle or my bite valve for my water bladder fairly often.

The sesh which was wound tightly round my forehead and whilst protecting me from the sun was also causing me to overheat in a big way. By the time we got to camp, our orange tents standing out starkly against the sand, I had a thumping headache and was feeling a bit queezy to say the least.

I picked a tent near the outside of the circle, with the intention of hauling my mat and sleeping bag out and sleeping under the stars. I decided that probably gulping down a bottle of water with added electrolytes would be the dehydration cure I needed... but my stomache disagreed. About 10 seconds after I had done that, I knew it was a mistake....

I walked out into the dunes and the water promptly came straight back up!

Well that worked.

The evening was a bit of a bust for me after that. I sat at the table still feeling a bit queezy and couldn't participate in the food or general merriment and ended up crawling into my sleeping bag. We had been told that they preferred us not to sleep outside for the first night so being a good girl at heart, I obeyed the instructions but kept my tent doors wide open to take advantage of the slight breeze and the view of the stars..

Day 2 done... what would day 3 hold?