Marrakech - Igli (680km)

From Marrakech (Morocco) to Ouarzazate (180km) then on to Igli in Algeria (500km) on 26th December 2002

The rally left Marrakech on Thursday (Boxing Day) crossed the High Atlas Mountains to Ouarzazate (180km) for lunch and on into Algeria to Igli (500km)

Rallye mail

The climb up the Atlas Mountains, originally named Charles, and featured in leading body building books and most books of maps, rising to over 12,000 feet (pieds), the Atlas mountains are a challenge to the will, to the spirit and to the gear box.

On the way down the brakes, steering and the will should also be checked regularly.

The climb up the Atlas Mountains, originally named Charles, and featured in leading body building books and most books of maps, rising to over 4,000 feet (pieds), the Atlas mountains are a challenge to the will, to the spirit and to the gear box.

(On the way down the brakes, steering and the will should also be checked regularly.)

Teams were issued with emergency packs containing you-are-here maps, a bar of body-building chocolate and a no-claims bonus.

Breakfast and 20C, strong sunshine and we were all away well. Soon into the climb those with radiators which are ideal in cold weather were getting rather steamy. Team 9's Pete solved his problem by stopping every kilometre or so and disposing of the boiling water in the traditional British way. Alan 'Streaky' Taylor stripped down but both vans 'lagged' and arrived at the summit last and last plus one respectively not counting the non-runners.

"Toutes les arbres chantez Louize..." and having six wheels team 19, called mysteriously, the spiders, (because they like spending a long time in baths?) used their traction (avant, ici et derrier) to surge forward taking the young Mr Duff (team 01) in her skirts closely followed by Gillian (team 31) and James (team 16)

Ourzazate
Ourzazate is in High Atlas Mountains surrounded by stony, weather beaten crags, where it is very cold in the winter and the snows lie for months.

We enjoyed a lunch and a good yak we were off before any radiators could freeze and started our descent. The organisers awarded 50 points to those who had the foresight to bring snow shoes:- 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22, 25, 27, 28, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36. The others moved off as soon as they got feeling back by rubbing them on warm goats.

Everyone made it down safely. The Finnish, however went to the Fins who clocked a speed of 423kmph and won an honorary Gold in the Moroccan Winter Olympics down-hill by using their objects of choice - Skis!

Then we had to get through the gap between the great Ergs. Not too difficult as it is hard to run out of space in the Sahara (it is the same size as China) but if you do get the urge to go into the Ergs (there are several) you are in deep s*** (sand) and will never bee seen again.

Into Algeria
Algeria is big, it's almost five times the area of France. The Atlas Mountains acts as a natural barrier between the narrow northern coastal strip and the rocky arid Sahara desert that stretches for hundreds of miles in all directions. A small proportion of the land can be cultivated, the main money earner is oil and natural gas.

Igli (500km)[Supper & overnight stop]

Igli is next to the Wadi Guir (a wadi is a seasonal river) on the road that skirts the west side of the endless sand dunes of the Grand Erg Occidental before it swings south to cross the Sahara.

Igli marks the end of the first phase of the Rally; click here to view the phase winners and table of results.