Having been out to the start of the Shamrock Rally stage this morning, we are now back at camp. Its 2.30pm, we have just had lunch and Mick, Wil, Steve and Richie are servicing the bikes. The weather is absolutly beautiful and I am sat in a little oasis surrounded by huge palm trees and listening to unfamiliar bird song. Im not sure what make of bird they are – about the size of woodpeckers, black and gray in colour. We will relax for the rest of the day before making our way into the Sahara tomorrow.
Jackie has already written a little about yesterday but I’ll tell the story from the bike ride.

The day before yesterday we had arrived at the spectacular Todra Gorge. Breathtaking. Miles of rough road through a narrow deep canyon. We left camp early (again!) and the bikes left the landrover to take another mountain pass. We filled up with fuel and rode through the town until the road simply ended and we were in the desert. Riding along rough tracks and dried river beds, it was fast and hard riding. The next mountain range was in the distance and we just sped on towards it. At the first chance I had to look over my shoulder, there was as much desert behind me as there was in front and the mountain range didnt seem any closer – that was a little disconcerting, but quite a thrill.
We followed hearding tracks and passed the odd Berber farmer with his goats and sheep and an occasional local coming the other way on a moped!!
Mick kept the pace fast and I really had to knuckle down to keep my energy in tact. Its very demanding to keep the quick pace going over rocks and sand, but we made good time. As we climbed the mountain pass I found myself starting to struggle and I had more than a couple of scary moments where the bike nearly got away from me. At the next stop Mick, Wil and Richie gave me a few tips on better cornering techniques and after that things got a bit better. I had been given one of the big 450’s to ride and the extra weight was taking its toll on me but they do tackle the terrain better and faster than the 250’s – as long as you keep your speed up!!!
Again we climbed the mountain for miles getting up into the clouds and the cold air. Both the engines and riders were beginning to get a little short of breath. At the peak we were at about 9000ft and as we rode around a corner under a spectacular natural stone arch, there was a cafe!! Right on the top of the mountain! We stopped and had coffee and cokes and took a few photos. Again it felt like we were sat on top of the world. From here it was downhill for a good few miles. I like the downhill sections but this one was really, really tough. The track was rocky, stoney sandy, slippy and anything but smooth, and we were riding quickly, inches from the precipice. One mistake and you could have taken the quick way down. At times it was terrifying but it certainly kept me focused and alert. Mark is riding superbly now, keeping behind Mick every step of the way – I’m very impressed with how good he is at this now. They leave me in their dust on most sections now but I’m usually only a minute or two behind them at the next stop point.
As we arrived at the bottom of the pass (still in the middle of nowhere), we stopped for a breather and two young girls appeared over the rocks with little bracelets and charms to sell us. Where they had come from we didnt know but we all bought a little charm and they were happy.
From then on it was pretty much flat rocks, stones and sand to the next town where we met up with Jackie and the Landrover and had lunch at a fuel station. We had a good hours rest while Will went to find a local mechanic to weld a broken crank case on one of the bikes.
Next stop Zagora (Where we are now). The afternoons journey consisted of an hours ride through a desolate valley with huge and striking mountains in the distance on either side. We then hit the ‘Valley of 1000 Kasbahs’ trail which consisted of more tough rock and stone riding and transits through villages which looked like we had gone back in time 1000 years. People riding mules and donkeys and all in traditional Berber dress – so far removed from anything in my experience.

This is an amazing place to be. Jackie followed us through the trail and drove superbly in the Landrover. There were sections which were a real struggle on the bikes – I dont know how she did it but she got a good round of applause at the the end.
As we rode into Zagora, the sun had gone down and the town had a bit of a party atmosphere due to the Rally being here. We passed lots of support trucks and rally cars and there was a good buzz about the place. We stopped at the rally headquarters and Mick and Mark went in to check out the details for todays rally stage. The day ended with chicken kebabs and cold beers at our camp site. And chips!!
This morning we were up early……again, and rode the 40kms to the start of the rally stage. I’ll let Mark fill you in from here.

Thanks for keeping an eye on our journey.

Pete