Day 1 Arrival in Ouarzazate. Overnight at the hotel.
Day 2 In the morning we travel over Boumalne Dadaes to Tinghir where
we meet our horses. Along the way we get our first glimpses of the desert
countryside. Driving along the Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs, you pass through
many villages, although many of the khasbas
are today ruins. After a picnic in Tinghir we meet our horses and enjoy a three
hour ride that brings us to the camp where we spend the night.
Day 3 Today we follow the dry river valley, on one side seeing the
endless grey-blue mountain ranges of the Jebel Saghro, on the other side the
High Atlas Mountains which are often covered with snow in the winter months.
Wherever there are springs we see green shoots peeking up, Beside such a ‘garden’
we enjoy a picnic lunch in the shade of Tamarisk trees. In the afternoon we
ride over the hill of Shebel Saghro. We stop a salt spring where animals often
drink so it is possible to see the camels or goats of the nomads. Soon after we
reach the camp of Tindruish.
Day 4 Today we ride over sandy plains between palm groves. One
large spring provides water for the whole oasis of palms. We cross aver a empty
river valley and will find our picnic place under palm trees. In the afternoon
we follow a dry river course into the mountains. On this plane you can gallop
for miles. As the plain meets a river bed we slow our pace and follow the
trails through black mountains. Suddenly a tooth-like, black mountain rises
before us; at its feet some palms and oleander grow. There is even a small well
here, making this an ideal campsite.
Day 5 We leave the stony plateau and gallop over sandy plains and
the impressive desert that seems infinite. Often we see herds of camels converge
on lonely wells. We have lunch in an old abandoned fort which was a former
military base. The lone structure is still in good condition with typically
shaped windows and ornaments. We continue our ride by passing green gardens. We
travel over small sand dunes and through palm trees. Tonight we camp close to a
well that provides water for this whole oasis.
Day 6 The today's palm gardens belong to the Oasis of Tafilalelt.
Beside them the desert stretches away and in the distance isolated mountains
rise. In some places we find again rows of innumerable, small earth hills that
cover a waterway system. Many long gallops bring us to the Hotel in the city of
Rissani. In the afternoon we visit this small desert town. There is the
Mausoleum of Moulay Ali Cherif, a king of the Alaouiten Dynasty. In the center
is a small Souk, some cafes and little shops. Three times a week there is a
bigger market so we may get lucky! We spend the night in a hotel.
Day 7 After a good breakfast we leave for a long ride towards the sand
dunes of Merzouga. We follow little ways trough the palms. Sometimes we cross
villages where many children follow us. A short gallop brings us again to the
solitude of the oasis, but it doesn’t last long. Soon we are out of the palm
trees and an immense plain opens in front of us. If the weather is clear we can
already see the rose colored sand dunes far away. This infinite flat expanse
littered with small black stones has no vegetation. Our camp is at the feet of
the dunes. There is a spring which brings water for the whole region so many
green gardens are just beside the sand dunes. In the afternoon we can walk up
the sand dunes and enjoy the beautiful view. These impressive dunes reach up to
150 meters in height. We can stroll through the green gardens or travel to the
nearby village for a coffee.
Day 8 Today is a resting day. We have the chance to further
explore the sand dunes or go for a camel ride. Additionally, we can ride along
the sand dunes in the adjacent area. In this area it is possible to discover
the nesting places of rare birds.
Day 9 In the morning we leave the camp by the sand dunes. If there
has been a big rain we find a lake near Merzouga. Many birds flock to this lake
when the water is in; sometimes we even spot pink flamingos. Around the lake a
few green stalks grow camel herds come there to eat the grass. Soon we gallop
over a big black plane – it seems to be endless when in front of us the black
plane joins the blue sky. Later we cross an empty river valley and follow as
white sandy planes replace a black and stony ground. In the evening we find the
hill of Tinghras, famous for its use in Hollywood desert scenes. Our camp will
be just under this beautiful mountain.
Day 10 Today is a long riding day so we leave early in the morning.
Small sand dunes cross our path before we reach another plane and begin to
gallop once again. From time to time a little village shows up but before long
there are no people anywhere and we follow lonely valleys. The mountains are
covered with red sand and the black stone shines through the golden sand. One
lonely valley follows the other. Finally we find a well in the middle of the
desert. The horses are very thirsty after this long day. We rest and rehydrate
before crossing another big valley to find our camp next to a well.
Day 11 Plentiful gallops bring us through Acacia trees this morning. We then
follow a river valley along which many villages are based. The water is pumped
out of wells and many green fields grow along the valley. We enjoy a picnic in
a lonely spot under palm trees. We spend the afternoon following the same river
valley and more villages and people cross our path. However, camp is still
isolated tonight as we sleep outside a palm oasis.
Day 12 This
morning we cross over a mountain range. In these mountains people have found
fossils over 500 million years old. Often we encounter herds of sheep and goats.
In between the brown and yellow mountains there is one very black mountain.
Finally we come to a canyon and in the middle is a little spring with some palm
trees. This is a rest stop for all the people crossing the canyon stop so there
is a little coffee shop where we can even buy Coca Cola, if desired. In the
afternoon we continue to follow the canyon before crossing the mountains. On
the next plane we set up camp underneath palm trees.
Day 13 Today is our last riding day. We ride along the Jebel Saghro,
a black colored mountain range. On the other side are yellow and brown desert mountains.
We have a chance to gallop over fine stones on the ground. From time to time we
find a little well where the horses can drink. The nomads always leave a rope
and a bucket by each well so anyone who comes can reach the water. In a little
palm oasis we stop for lunch. Some last gallops bring us to the camp near Tinghrir.
We leave the horses and the crew and drive to the hotel in Tinghrir. If there
is enough time we have the possibility of visiting the Gorge of Tinghrir. Dinner
and overnight in a hotel.
Day 14 Today we drive back to Ouarzazate. On the way we will visit
the gorge of Boulmane Dadés. On the way through the gorges you will see plenty
of greenery, mostly figs and almond trees, interspersed with an array of kasbahs and ksours. In some places you can see very bizarre rock formations. In
the afternoon we arrive in Ouarzazate with enough time to visit the souks. Dinner and overnight in hotel.
Day 15 A fond farewell before departure.
Note: It is possible to ride
for only the first (SU-SU) or only the second half (SA-SU) of the trip
with us.
