Day 73

11. July 2000, Marrakech to Ouarzazate

The Atlas mountains have to be crossed today before we end up on the edge of the Sahara. The Tizi'n'Test pass is only 2093 metres high but the mountains in Morocco go up to more than 4000 metres. So there is skiing in Morocco and it is not in the sand dunes. The test today up the mountains is challenging for the driver but not for the car and navigator. After continuing altitude changes with high plateaus, we arrive in Ouarzazate, a place where many of the famous Hollywood desert films were made and are still being made.

TC 272: Marrakech OUT
8:
 46  
TC 273: Idni
10:
 51 117.40 km
TC 274: Tizi'n'Test
11:
 12 (four minute penalty) 17.45 km
TC 275: Ouarzazate IN
16:
 43 276.35 km

Overall 1 hour 51 minutes penalty

The official results can be looked up on this website

The fruit of cactus are popular in Morocco, so there are many grown on the side of the road.

Construction. Moroccan roads are actually quite good - apparently to do with the French influence in the kingdom.

Today's test is a winding mountain road, like the ones we used to have in Europe.

After the test drive up to the strangely named Tizi'n'Test pass. In winter they have snow here, with good weather it is possible to see the Sahara from here.

We slowly progress...

... into the Sahara desert.

 

  

Driving into the beautiful Atlas mountains.

At Idni

There is oncoming traffic on this test and the road is narrow.

Sylvie and Claude, both from France and in the arts business in front of Claude's Mercedes SL.

We have seen so many donkeys on our route around the world that I did not think I would shoot another picture of one. But in Morocco, donkeys are very common and very widely used. In the countryside they seem to be the most common form of transport. The photo on the right is the obligatory "we are in a desert, so I have to take a picture of camels"