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Route & Itinerary
11-16 Oct 2023
The Adventure begins in Marrakech where the group meet for a night in a hotel for a briefing and a good sleep! The next day we transfer over the Atlas Mountains to our exclusive Bedouin style basecamp – our Moroccan home for 3 nights. Nestled amongst palm trees in the valley of the Draa river bed, our start line is in the shadows of Mount Kissane – from here we will follow the Draa Valley south back to base camp. After 2 days & 2 marathons – or bagging a 50 km Ultra if you’re up for it – we’ll cross the finish line at the stunning Nakhla Dunes near Zagora on the edge of the imposing Sahara Desert.
Day 1 - DEAPARTURE
Depart UK to Marrakech
11 Oct 2023
You will meet up with the Action Challenge Team other challengers at one of the London Airports for the group flights to Marrakech. Land only participants must arrange for their arrival in Marrakech for 6pm (and be at the hotel by 7pm). There will be an evening dinner and a briefing – hopefully a good nights sleep as there’s a long transfer ahead – and a tough challenge!
Meals included: dinner (lunch at own expense)
Accommodation: hotel
Day 2 - BASECAMP
TRANSFER TO BASECAMP
12 Oct 2023
The group will take an early bus transfers to our Bedouin style basecamp on the outskirts of Tizguine. This journey is approx. 7 hours with regular breaks enroute in private minibuses. In camp we will be allocated a single tent (if you want to share – you’ll have a spare tent for luggage) – have a welcome meal and final briefing on the challenge ahead.
Meals included: breakfast & packed lunch & dinner
Accommodation: camping
Day 3 - The Challenge
42 km - Afra to Basecamp
13 Oct 2023
We rise early for breakfast and a 45 minute transfer to the starting line in Afra near Mt Kissane. After a group warm up we start the Saharan Challenge! We begin in an incredible lunar landscape before re-joining the river to arrive at our first rest stop. From here we pass through mud brick villages, palm trees and date plantations. After lunch the route takes us through the narrowest part of the Draa Valley between 1,500m peaks to our afternoon rest stop and finally arriving at our Bedouin Camp. We have a group buffet style dinner this evening before a briefing and well deserved rest!
Meals included: breakfast, x2 snack stops, lunch & dinner
Accommodation: camping
Day 4 - The Challenge
42 / 50 km - Basecamp to Nakhla Dunes
14 Oct 2023
Starting early we begin our trek by passing through a number of small villages and palm plantations. Here we’ll find our next rest stop with snacks and drinks. Continuing our trek we veer away from the river, we’ll walk through desert landscapes before arriving at the fortress of Beni Zoli for lunch. Our route follows a network of irrigation canals through a patchwork of fields growing a profusion of fruit and vegetables. The last 10 km of the route sees us leave the fertile fields and head out into the Nakhla sand dunes – and there’s an extra 8 km for those up for the full 50 km Ultra! Cross the finish line and celebrate our fantastic achievement with a glass of fizz and a medal. We transfer back to camp, for a final night in dunes & an epic celebration dinner.
Meals included: breakfast, x2 snack stops, lunch & dinner
Accommodation: camping
Day 5 - Marrakech
Transfer to Hotel
15 Oct 2023
After breakfast we set off for the 8 hour drive to Marrakech, stopping for lunch en-route. We check in to our hotel and have time to freshen up before we enjoy a three course meal of local Moroccan dishes. This is a chance for the whole group to get together and reflect on the tremendous achievements of the past few days.
Meals included: breakfast, lunch & dinner
Accommodation: Hotel
Day 6 - Departure
Depart Morocco
16 Oct 2023
After a welcome sleep and breakfast, buses will depart for the airport early, in time for your flight back to London. Please note that if you have not booked flights with us you will be responsible for making your own arrangements to the airport. Flights will be departing in the morning time, to arrive back in London for midday/early afternoon.
Meals included: breakfast