PROGRAM
Day 1 : Arrival at Marrakech or Ouarzazate.
Transfer to the hotel.
Dinner and overnight.
Day2 : Early departure to the south of the Atlas passing by Tizi - n'-Tichka pass (2260m alt). We pass Ouarzazate and drive along the oued of Draa valley till Zagora, the capital of the fortified villages. Then, we take a road which leads us into the desert to the Faija plateau where we camp (5h).
Day3 : We meet our caravan team and start trekking to the south south via Oum Laachar pass. We use one camel for three persons and which will carry all our luggage, equipment, food and a reserve of water. During this day, we will cross a scarcely populated area and see some small dunes. Pic- nic in a small oasis.
After 5h30 of hiking we camp in the oasis of Oued M'hasser.
Day4 : Oued Mhasser-Chegaga dunes (6h30)
We follow a stones valley which leads to a vast plateau. Pic-nic under some tamarind trees. Here, we may encounter gazelles, rabbits, squirrels and lizards. we will see the great Chegaga dunes where we will camp in the afternoon. During this season the daily temperature ranges the 20-25ºC and 10-15ºC at night.
Our campsite which has a well, is normally populated by nomads and their cattle. It is a place where we may be invited into a tent to have a real Saharian tea.
Before diner, we will stroll on the high dunes and leave our trail along their cornices, before admiring a dramatic sunset on the distant horizon.
Day5 : Chegaga-Bougarn (5h).
Before departing we will fill the water containers because it's a dry place and in the next camp there is no water. We leave the populated area and walk through the desert in a great silence that invites to meditation.
We pause at midday to avoid the sun's intensity under any vegetation that we can find. By mid afternoon we stop to camp in a magnificent environment of desert dunes at Bougarn. At the end of the day you may try to ride a camel.
Day6 : We trek to the south again through the dunes with little references. By noon, we stop at Naam oued which has a well. We fill our water containers again because our next camp is dry. Naam,it means ostrich(extinct from sahara) and we may find here plenty of bits.
We camp farther south amid the dunes after 5h30 walking.
Day7 : Short hike to M'hamid, the last village before the frontier. We travel back to Marrakech(7h), passing through Zagora and Ouarzazate.
Overnight in Ouarzazate (3 hours).
Day8 : End of the program after breakfast.
