1st Navigation & Orientation Solidarity Raid 2013

[Alfred Balban]

   This is going to be our first Clubs Navigation & Orientation course for the members who want to participate in our annual Solidarity Raid into Morocco.Members willing to learn and do their own adventure are really welcomed,you will be provided with the Tracks and Way Points for the whole itinerary and you will choose to be in the convoy or make your own way to the next destination,this will be your own challenge and Adventure.

    Every one participating must understand that you are travelling as a Club and so must Abide strictly to its Rules & Regulations as informed in the Events Waivers we all sign.

The Raid will be done in nine stages which consists of roads and dirt tracks,there will be a special  stage were members will be put to test their navigation skills and their vehicles,different category PRIZES will be issued.

The Club has a Solidarity project in the small village of Takojt were we always visit the local school and provide the kids with school materials,this will be one of the Way Points you will have to pass in the test drive and do your own Solidarity part.

You will be doing Solidarity work all along  the way and were we see its needed,the Club will provide you with stuff donated by the people of Gibraltar on our FaceBook page.

On the first day we will get organised and travel to Tarifa were we will board the ferry that will take us to the city of Tangier were we will stay for the night at the Ahlen Hotel.

1st Stage,Tangier - Taza,396 kms approx.

The organisation expects every one to be ready every morning at the time stated in every briefing that will be given to you every night at dinner so as every one to be present.

We should make an early start and if everything goes right we should stop in Chef Chaouen to have some lunch,then make our way through the Rif Mountains to reach Fez and then Taza our destination through the highway,we will stay for the night in a hotel and you will be given your briefing for the next days stage.

2nd Stage,Taza - Midelt,245 kms approx.

On our 2nd stage we will hit the tracks so here you will have the chance to start learning the basics of your GPS System and map reading.We will be travelling through mountains of about 1500 m and over so extreme caution on your driving,maybe even we can encounter some snow on the way.

3rd Stage,Midelt - Erfoud,313 kms approx.

As always we will have an early start as this is one of the longest tracks that will takes once again through high mountains and then enter the vast plains of the South were we can have some speed fun always respecting the limits in villages and passerby's. This should take us in time to have lunch in Erfoud and refill fuel for the vehicles before entering again into the old tracks of 53 kms to Merzouga were you will pass by the Fossil tracks were you can pick them yourselves from the floor bed,this tracks are really fast if you know your way so keep close,another sight will be the Roman stone paths and brigde,in Merzouga we will stay at the Kasbah Le Touareg for two nights.

4th Stage,Navigation & Orientation Test.121 kms approx.

This will be the test for all participants willing to prove themselves in a off-roading experience were you will be given a number of Way Points with different terrain difficulties and solidarity work to do,you will have to bring prove of your Solidarity work by photos or videos in the selected Way Points given and stated,there will be PRIZES  given to the vehicle who does the circuit quicker,taking into consideration that you will be given fifteen minutes to carry on your Solidarity work in each stopping.Another Prize will be given to the one who does the circuit in less time but shorter distance covered.

5th Stage,Merzouga - Zagora,275 kms  approx.

After two days in Merzouga we will hit again the road travelling West to Risanni and then hitting the Legendary Dakar Rally old tracks taking us through the small town of Fezzou were we will carry out some solidarity work.Then we will go through fast tracks all the way to Zagora were we will stay for the night at our usual hotel opposite our friend 's Aziz Garage Iriki,we hope nobody will need him.

6th Stage,Zagora - Foum Zguid,224 kms approx.

Hopefuly if no vehicle is in the garage we will make an early start to try and get as close to our next stage to Tafraoute.We will get the road to M'hamid but use another track to enter the Iriki lake,so this track will be new for us all up to the lake and probably do some Solidarity work,then we will reach Foum Zguid and make our way on the road,depending of the days delays we will see were we stay for the night or maybe a night camp would be nice.

7th Stage,Foum Zguid - Tafraoute,388 kms approx.

Depending were we slept the night before the kms could be less but none the less this stage is a bit long drive as it will take us back into the mountains as we will be travelling through a new route to take us up to the valley of the Painted Rocks in Tafraoute.There we will first visit the small town and get provisions as we will camp in the valley as its worth the sights during the night as the day.

8th Stage,Tafraoute - Ouzoud,486 kms approx.

As we are camping we will all get up early for sure to see the sunrise,then we will pack up the camp and start our long journey back North through high mountains passing the Tizin Tichka and then heading through Denamt which will take us up to the Cascades of Ouzoud in the province of Azilal,there we will go to the Hotel Le France were we will stay for the night and chill out with the sound of the cascading water.We will finish our solidarity work in a nearby school and small village providing them with what we are left of in the vehicles. 

9th Stage,Ouzoud - Tangier,610 kms approx.

From Ouzoud we had a long way to go up to Tangier so we will make an early start and get to the road to Koubira were it will led us to the highway to Casa Blanca and then all the way to Tangier were once again we will stay at the Hotel Ahlen for the night for the next morning say once again goodbye to our Raid but thinking on the next one.

Hope all that will attend will enjoy the experience and achieve something out of it!

[Alfred Balban]

Well looks this is going to be a nice quiet Raid as we are not having much members attending this year!

So the rest of us have to get ready as we only got 23 days for our adventure!

[Louis Balban]

looks great bro...really looking forward for this one..