The Sahara

Passionate for the deserts and open spaces, after many trips, the region more frequented of Morocco by the tourism  has become small. Merzouga, Zagora, Iriki, Tata, Tantan … I had gone through it all over and over until I came to know it as the backyard of my house. But there was more. Kilometers  south lies the Sahara, the real desert where security problems have not come. Issues that have virtually closed to tourism regions of Mauritania, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya.
The Sahara Crossing TA, the complete crossing of the Atlantic Sahara  by motorcycle and in total autonomy, or Con2ruedas, that same bike ride , is the result of a great passion for this portion of land and years of preparation and study. In part, the publications of the Institute of African Studies, of the times in which the Sahara was Spanish colony, have some fault.
It was in the year 2000 that I began to prepare the journey by collecting information and reading everything that came into my hands about Western Sahara, its history, geography, ethnography and especially recent war conflicts. This last information is fundamental to be able to move in the region with security and to be able to avoid the zones where there were fights or were mined. It is estimated that more than 10,000,000 mines of all types were planted between Spanish, Moroccan and polisario. Many areas have been demined, others have not, and in any case you can not  trust, demining is not an exact science and residual mines or unexploded projectiles may remain.
In 2008 the time finally came. Together with a friend, we loaded an old atmospheric Nissan Patrol and launched into the adventure of crossing the Western Sahara from north to south and from south to north. It was an intense experience in which during thirteen days we traveled more than 3300 km of pure desert. Those desolate landscapes and their friendly and hospitable people made a strong impression on me. Had to return.
Since then there have been many trips to the Sahara where I have traveled more than 50,000 kilometers full of pleasant anecdotes, sandstorms, traffic jams in the sand or sebjas, some mechanical issues in the middle of nowhere, by4x4 or motorcycle. These experiences have only increased my passion for the great desert that we have closer, its history and its people. And, that’s how in 2015 I decided to show it to anyone who would like to accompany me and have a good time with Le Petit Dakar.
In 2018 Le Petit Dakar will return to the Sahara. Do you like to come with us?