La mañana se presentaba con una dura prueba de resistencia más para los participantes que para sus mecánicas. Una intensa lluvia caía desde el cielo cerrado, premonición de la tormenta administrativa que se les venía encima. Los trámites aduaneros en la frontera han sido un desayuno cargado de paciencia y tedio. Pero conforme la lluvia remitía, el cielo se iba abriendo y el sol asomaba, los equipos iban pisando por fin suelo alahuita.
El inevitable enlace por carretera hasta las primeras pistas supone un curso de introducción acelerado a la cultura y la orografía marroquí. Un paisaje verde y frondoso rodea pequeñas poblaciones donde los lugareños disfrutan de su domingo. Se congregan alrededor de teterías y puestos de comida o pequeñas tiendas que han servido a los aventureros para tener sus primeras interacciones antes de adentrarse en la profundidad del país.
La falta de sitios para repostar ha obligado a los equipos a llenar los depósitos auxiliares de combustible. También se empezaron a ver los primeros achaques mecánicos. Una caja de dirección suelta o un filtro de gasoil con problemas obligaban a los equipos ‘Green & Gold’ y ‘Green Bulleit’ a tomar la carretera Una alternativa para evitar así las duras pistas. Y es que seguir, aunque sea de forma modesta, los pasos de las primeras y míticas pruebas de motor, como el Camel Trophy o Paris Dakar, requiere poner a prueba desde el primer día la resistencia de los Santanas y Series, y de la destreza de sus jinetes.
Ya en pistas, los primeros 190 kilómetros a través del frío e inhóspito Plateau de Rekkam se han cobrado caro fallar con el reto del Roadbook. La equivoca orografía marroquí junto con la premura en el uso del libro de ruta llevó a algunos a perderse por las interminables rodadas. Mientras, se sucedían otros fallos mecánicos que obligaban a algunos equipos a improvisar recursos como el uso de los Way Point de seguridad que les ayudaban a salir de aquel océano ocre.
Si muchos equipos llegaban ya con la noche cerrada al primer campamento de Santana Trophy, otros ni siquiera llegaron a pernoctar. La etapa, que ha resultado ser un duro hueso de roer para algunos de nuestros queridos ‘duros entre los duros’, obligó a la Organización a tomar la ruta a la inversa para traerlos hasta el campamento.
Mientras el resto de los Land Rover descansaban y se ponían a punto para la siguiente etapa, la búsqueda de los extraviados no terminó de dar los frutos deseados. Después de cinco horas peinando la inabarcable meseta, los tres coches de organización debían regresar al campamento para no comprometer la continuidad del Raid.
Dos equipos quedaron a la deriva en la fría noche a la espera de ser localizados al día siguiente. La situación no fue plato de buen gusto ni para ellos ni para la Organización, pero esto es #LaGranAventura y sus participantes están más que equipados para ella.
Entre las jaimas del campamento, la mayoría de los participantes cenaban, se relajaban y se calentaban para protegerse de la fresca brisa al abrigo del fuego que les acompañaba. Empiezan a conocerse entre sí. Acompañados de un viento helado, los que duerman hoy lo harán a más de 1.500 metros de altura. Algo que les auguraba una noche fresca. La tuvieron.
STAGE 1.- NADOR - TAOURIRT - REKKAM CAMP
Text: Jesús Mesa. Photos: Jota Alemán. Translation: Elvira Avilés
The morning presented a tough resistance test, more for the participants than for their machines. The rain fell intensely, a premonition on the storm of administrative chores ahead. The procedures to cross the border where a tedious breakfast, but as the clouds opened up and the sun began to peek out, the teams began to cross on to Moroccan soil.
The unavoidable road link that will take the vehicles to the first tracks is always a good introductory course on the Moroccan culture and relief. Green luxuriant vegetation surrounds small villages where the locals enjoy their Sunday, gathering around tea shops and food stalls or small shops, which serves the adventurers as a way of interacting with the locals before venturing into the depths of Morocco.
A shortage of fuel stations forces the temas to fill their auxiliary gas tanks. The first mechanical ailments began to appear: a loose gear box and a problem with the gas filter compels the ‘Green and Gold’ and ‘Green Bullit’ teams to take the road as an alternative to the dirt tracks, making it easier on their machines. This shows that following the steps of the first, mythical races like Camel Trophy or Paris Dakar means putting the Santana and Series’s resistance, as well as their drivers’ skills, to the test from the very first day.
Once on the tracks, the first 190 kilometres through the cold and inhospitable Plateau de Rekkam made everyone regret their errors with the Roadbook on the first part. The mistakes in reading it, together with the rugged Moroccan relief, made some teams loose their way and get lost among the unending wheel tracks. Meanwhile, other mechanical problems obliged some teams to improvise with their resources, using the security way points to find a way out of the ochre ocean.
While many teams reached the camp when it was totally dark, others didn’t even make it. The stage, harder than most thought, forced the Organization to take the inverse route to bring them back to camp.
Most of the Land Rovers rested and prepared themselves for the next stage, but the search for the missing teams didn’t go as expected. After five hours of roaming the never-ending plateau, the three Organization cars had to return to camp so as not to jeopardize the continuity of the Raid.
Two teams spent the night in the open country, waiting to be found the next day. The situation wasn’t the ideal for anyone, but this is #LaGranAventura and its participants are more than well-equipped for it.
Between the camp’s jaimas, most of the participants had dinner, relaxed and met around the camp fire to warm themselves up and get to know each other before heading into the cold for the night. Lulled by the cold wind that whips their tents, those who manage to find sleep will do so at 1500m of altitude.
Text: Jesús Mesa. Photos: Jota Alemán. Translation: Elvira Avilés
The morning presented a tough resistance test, more for the participants than for their machines. The rain fell intensely, a premonition on the storm of administrative chores ahead. The procedures to cross the border where a tedious breakfast, but as the clouds opened up and the sun began to peek out, the teams began to cross on to Moroccan soil.
The unavoidable road link that will take the vehicles to the first tracks is always a good introductory course on the Moroccan culture and relief. Green luxuriant vegetation surrounds small villages where the locals enjoy their Sunday, gathering around tea shops and food stalls or small shops, which serves the adventurers as a way of interacting with the locals before venturing into the depths of Morocco.
A shortage of fuel stations forces the temas to fill their auxiliary gas tanks. The first mechanical ailments began to appear: a loose gear box and a problem with the gas filter compels the ‘Green and Gold’ and ‘Green Bullit’ teams to take the road as an alternative to the dirt tracks, making it easier on their machines. This shows that following the steps of the first, mythical races like Camel Trophy or Paris Dakar means putting the Santana and Series’s resistance, as well as their drivers’ skills, to the test from the very first day.
Once on the tracks, the first 190 kilometres through the cold and inhospitable Plateau de Rekkam made everyone regret their errors with the Roadbook on the first part. The mistakes in reading it, together with the rugged Moroccan relief, made some teams loose their way and get lost among the unending wheel tracks. Meanwhile, other mechanical problems obliged some teams to improvise with their resources, using the security way points to find a way out of the ochre ocean.
While many teams reached the camp when it was totally dark, others didn’t even make it. The stage, harder than most thought, forced the Organization to take the inverse route to bring them back to camp.
Most of the Land Rovers rested and prepared themselves for the next stage, but the search for the missing teams didn’t go as expected. After five hours of roaming the never-ending plateau, the three Organization cars had to return to camp so as not to jeopardize the continuity of the Raid.
Two teams spent the night in the open country, waiting to be found the next day. The situation wasn’t the ideal for anyone, but this is #LaGranAventura and its participants are more than well-equipped for it.
Between the camp’s jaimas, most of the participants had dinner, relaxed and met around the camp fire to warm themselves up and get to know each other before heading into the cold for the night. Lulled by the cold wind that whips their tents, those who manage to find sleep will do so at 1500m of altitude.
