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Sahara Desert Trek in aid of the Grantham Hospice
(11 - 20 Feb 2011)
Report by Terry Crosby, Group Leader
Formed mainly from the town of Grantham, this group of 21 trekkers arrived in Marrakesh for their Sahara Desert Trek challenge. Having experienced an overnight sniff of Marrakesh, a 200km drive over the High Atlas mountains, an overnight stay in the desert town of Ouarzazate, a 250km drive through the arid plains of the Draa Valley we were finally on the edge of the Sahara Desert. It is a wonderful journey; the stunning scenery is unexpected.
Our aim was to trek for just over 5 full days in the unique Sahara Desert environment raising money for the Grantham Hospice (over £8000 was raised). What was to come is an experience that will be remembered for a very long time.
Watch Grantham Journal Reporter Suzie Pike's YouTube report.
There was an enormous mix of fitness levels, ages and experience and there was therefore an understandable anxiety as the group loaded stores onto our supporting camels and we began the trek, albeit less than an hour to our first desert campsite as dusk drew in.
The initial hurdle in the Sahara Desert is all about routine; simply getting used to living in this vast open space. Putting up tents, living out of a bag, sleeping bags, head torches and the toilet tents! A lot of this was new to many. When I awoke in the morning, something immediately hit me; no dew! That night, many of the group slept out under the stars.
Our Moroccan Guide was Aziz; a cool character with plenty of experience in the Sahara Desert. I got the impression that when he briefed us on the 5hr day ahead, most of the group appeared disappointed that it appeared short. I said nothing and let the day unfold. 5hrs later and in the 30+ deg C heat of the day, most were tired; very tired and were grateful for the short day and a sumptuous lunch.
Despite the relative short day, blisters had also already appeared; lots of them. I began work to prevent further damage but this routine was never to stop. Over the full course of the trek, I have never seen so many and with such severity in one group. Some were in tears with pain but no-one gave up and I constantly shook my head in admiration of their determination.
By now the daily route was pretty much established. Up before sunrise, a huge breakfast spread out in the open as the sun said hello, a steady trek for 4 hours or so (with breaks), lunch either in a shady spot or at camp and if we trekked further, more trekking until we reached our campsite by mid afternoon. A bit of reorganising and cleaning up followed before dinner and finally bedtime.
By Day 3 of the trek, we were deep into heavy dune country and facing 'Eric'; one of the biggest dunes in this area. This scenic terrain is amazing, sand dune after sand dune leading up to Eric, which is a monster. Steep soft sanded sides make this dune very hard to climb but climb it they did to reach the summit for sunset. Here and for miles around there are no roads, no villages, few if any other people, no ambient light at night, just total silence and the sea of sand.
A sickness bug had also struck. It appeared as early as Day 1 but slowly spread throughout some of the group and was still active on Day 4. Fortunately for those that it hit, its affects were short lived (about 24hrs) and no-one was seriously depleted enough to warrant further help.
Once the confidence of sleeping under the stars had been established, a small group continued the motion for the remainder of the trek. It was really nice watching the stars and the satellites creeping across the sky as we lay out in the open. I was so pleased that we were able to do this; it brought a real sense of adventure with a safety element (in numbers) factored in. We slept under the summit of Eric, learned how to tell the time using the Plough and found what we think were desert fox paw prints in the sand when we awoke!
The food produced by our chefs was superb particularly when you consider that they were cooking for 21 + themselves with basic equipment. By popular demand, some of the receipies will appear on this website in due course.
Despite the fact that this desert trek doesn't appear to be the most demanding of treks physically (in terms of distance), the desert environment took its toll on many. The cloudless skies allow the sun to beat down constantly; temperature highs of 35 deg C were common. Nothing escapes the sand; some feet were ripped apart, although it has to be said the number of blisters encountered by this group was unusually high. The soft sand can be physical in places and the accumulative fatigue over days can creep up.
This is a very thought provoking journey. It strips life back to basics. Morocco surprises most and the remoteness, isolation and sense of adventure that this trip brings is immense. A group of this size creates a lot of energy, mutual support and strong bonded friendships. On the return journey, a simple cold shower can be heaven and an example of how simple life is in the desert.
All this and no mention of the multi senses explosion when you experience Marrakesh at night. It is phenomenal. Even experienced travellers will not fail to be impressed.
I travel a lot and I see many groups, small and large but this group, albeit mainly inexperienced, had the heart of a pride of lions. It was an absolute pleasure to be with them on their achievement.
If you would like a challenge, experience life in the desert, then consider joining us on the 2012 Sahara Desert Trek (10 - 19 Feb 2012). Contact Beaumond House to secure your place.
If in doubt, contact Travel and Trek; the contact details are on the foot of the page.
