So to finish our review of the last tour we continue with Day 5:

It was a strange feeling riding on the road away from the orange dunes. It started to feel like the holiday was coming to an end now; How can anything better the dunes?!

A fuel stop down the road then we were off-road again & a fun, fast trail with plenty of rocks and sandy washouts to catch out those not paying attention!!

The trail seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see…..

Until, out of the dust appeared a random structure….!

Apparently not aliens, but I can’t tell you more than that!! I asked our berber guide & he wrote the name down and that’s all!! Maybe we can find out more next tour….

Suddenly the wide expanse ended & a rocky ascent lead us to a stunning viewpoint.

Some enjoyed the view whilst others had a bit of a rest in the shade…!!

We continued at pace until reaching the road & passing through some interesting little villages before finding our lovely lunch stop down a side track that you wonder how anyone could find!!

Some more roadwork meant we could take in the stunning terrain we were now entering… At one point Mick stopped us & pointed into the rugged lumps of rock slicing through the ground; There were people living there…!!

Fantastic biking roads had us grinning like cheshire cats then, just to top it off, just before we arrived at our hotel we stopped for a coffee with what has to be the coolest arrival ever…! – Down steps & over a rickety bridge across a river!! Checkout the video!

If only I had a video of the water splash out when we left where a certain more senior member of the group had more of a water splash than he bargained for!!

We got a garage to park the bikes up in this hotel – very posh!

Another nice meal & a good night’s sleep to awake to amazing views and the sad realization that we were heading home now….

Day 6:

Our short stint on the road allowed us to take in the splendour of our surroundings once more before heading off-road once again for some amazing trails to finish the tour with a bang (not literally thankfully!!)

We followed a trail into an amazing river bed which certainly took some concentration & whatever muscles we had left!!

As a random interlude we stopped for fuel in a deserted marketplace in M’smir

On the road once again then where a quick climb meant we could look back in amazement at where we had come from…

Kev seemed to like it!!

Back off the road to another trail that must actually have been a main road as we met many donkeys & the odd 4×4 coming the other way!!

Sharp 90° corners jumped out of nowhere & washed out ditches appeared where once there was track!! You had to be on your toes & there were more than a few excursions…!!!

This track dropped us down once more into a river bed with the lack of grip of which I have never encountered before!! Small rocks worn down by the river over the years to leave us tired riders deciding that motorbikes & marbles do not mix!!

As we all regrouped at the end, blowing & sweating yet grinning & laughing like idiots, we were informed by Mick that we had now done the last of the off-road sections of the tour.

Perfect!! We had enjoyed that so much that a nice easy ride home was exactly what we needed, you could taste the beer!!

So, as the road markers counted down the distance to run to Ouarzazate, we all sat buzzing along in our own worlds, remembering all that had passed over the last 7 days.

As Eliot eloquently exclaimed in Merzouga – “My mate said that in every group there’s a w**ker, and if you don’t find one then the w**ker must be you! Well I must be a right w**ker”!!

He wasn’t!! But he was right, we did have a great group!! For 16 people to work hard side by side for 8 days & always laugh & get on is fantastic and makes a great holiday even better. With Mick eating cake & laughing as your guide how can it be any other way though??!!

Well done guys & thank you for a great tour!

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                             The next lucky 11 customers arrive this evening

& their tour starts bright & early tomorrow morning…

BRING IT ON!!!!