Table of contents
Wood
33 pictures
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“Turn left, uh, right I mean, after the second junction. Or was it the third?”
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Berber Lahcen knows a lot about women: when you have four of them, it becomes expensive and exhausting.
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It’s off with a bag and baggage: all participants in the challenge have their equipment on the rental motorcycle.
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Liquid gold: Petrol is a rare commodity in some parts of North Africa. Therefore: always fill up!
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Mercedes dash eight in Africa synonymous with “Car packed with eight passengers”.
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Grassland. The north of Morocco is fertile and agricultural.
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Riding until your bum hurts: some days you have to unwind over ten hours of saddle work.
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Jana (on the right in the picture, the one without a nose ring) ensures that the challenge runs smoothly.
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The magic of a hut with a fireplace: Wet boots just feel nasty in the Sahara, too.
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Whole foods: Couscous, a meal made from durum wheat semolina, is a filling staple food.
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Thanks to a competition from Shell, ten drivers had the chance to travel through Morocco for a week with the record globetrotter Nick Sanders. Here you can see what to expect along the way.
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Almost free and outside: workshops for rustic repairs can be found along the way.
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The silence of the lambs – with insatiable lust for the flesh: there is enough for everyone!
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The route through Morocco.
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A bit of navigational art is also required on the road, otherwise you get lost in no man’s land.
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Sahara experience – without a motor and with only one power of dromedary. However, the critters have endless grip and bring you to your destination.
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Shell brand ambassador Nick Sanders on diplomatic missions with locals.
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Have a break, have a drink – a painfully sweet mint tea is mandatory at every stop.
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Everything is illuminated: in the souk (market) in Marrakech, life rages until late at night.
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Gold worth: help if you get stuck. Sand and touring profiles don’t really go well together.
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Daniel and Matthias play in the sand: dune surfing with snowboards.
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Daily destination Volubilis. The ruins date from the Romans and are Unesco World Heritage Sites.
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Willi wants to know: finally not finishing last. Although there is no competition at all…
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Arabic drum ‘n’ bass: Tradition and folklore are very important to the Amazigh Berber tribes.
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Huh?!? Toddy (right) and Florian are not entirely sure whether they have understood everything.
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Impressive pass roads over 2000 meters high lead over the Atlas. Top climate, top routes: a motorcycle paradise.
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Collateral damage: Rock falls are not uncommon on North African country roads.
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Fantastic setting for motorcycle adventurers and challengers.
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Barbary macaques are actually very nice guys. But it is better not to annoy them.
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Travel in the ambience of a thousand and one nights. The destination Morocco is spot on.
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You are never alone – you should always use your seventh sense on Morocco’s streets.
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Caution speed trap! Permitted country road speed: 100 km / h. Fine: depending on the situation…
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Nick’s golden rule: route closures are only non-binding recommendations in Morocco. In any case, motorcycles can get through almost anywhere.
to travel
V-Power-Challenge: Through Morocco with Shell and Nick Sanders
V-Power Challenge in the desert
With Shell and Nick Sanders through Morocco
A mineral oil company sends motorcyclists into the desert – and they don’t even fight back. No wonder, after all, as the winners, they were able to experience the most beautiful routes in Morocco for themselves.
Thorsten Dentges
12/22/2010
The load is stuck. The rear wheel is hopelessly buried in deep, velvety sand, sweaty motorcyclists try to get the stranded BMW back on the road. A Bedouin joins them, matching the entire scenery of the reddish shimmering Sahara dunes. It can be assumed that the Bedouin knows about as much knowledge of enduro tires as the damaged motorcyclist of camels, but the man knows one thing: this is definitely not the way to get up the steep dunes. Florian was actually aware of this, but something forced him to give it a try – despite the flat tour profiles. Surfing in the middle of the dunes had been his dream for a long time. And Erg Chebbi near Merzouga in the Moroccan-Algerian border area is a fairytale dune landscape in which this is possible. Later, it is already night, the 21-year-old offset printer is sitting on a Berber carpet under the desert sky. A campfire in front of you, sugared mint tea in the cup, the full moon above you, which dimly illuminates the seemingly endless sea of sand around you. A light wind sweeps over the dune ridge. Florian smiles satisfied.
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A few days before: Nick Sanders, record motorcycle globetrotter and brand ambassador for Shell gathers ten motorcyclists in a hotel in Algeciras, Spain, holds up a map of Morocco. Nick jumps back and forth between them like a gerbil, enthusiastic, enthusiastic. He does not declare he is preaching: “The days to come will change you. Maybe just a little, but you won’t come home as who you were. Soak up all impressions, get involved with people and situations! It will ask a lot of you, but you will also learn new things. Look forward to the routes that lie ahead of you. Morocco is a great adventure. Cheers!” The eccentric Brit with tousled hair and a perforated sweater lifts a beer glass, the motorcyclists toast him, some of them still a little skeptical.
A few weeks earlier: Florian and nine other lucky ones who have prevailed against 5000 competitors will be crowned winners of the Shell V-Power Challenge 2010 at the Nurburgring. Any motorcyclist who had joined the so-called V-Power-Bikers on the Internet could take part. 29 candidates were nominated in an online voting, who then competed in front of critical jurors and driving trainers for the ten coveted tickets to Morocco. For a challenge, a challenge, an adventure. Now they are in, and the adventure begins right on the border with the North African country. The participants, all out and about in different rental BMWs and Yamaha, roll from the ferry port in Ceuta to the Moroccan border house when men in hooded clothes rush towards them. Everyone talks at one another and offers their services gibbering.
Wood
Shell brand ambassador Nick Sanders on diplomatic missions with locals.
What do they want? Completely unclear. One of them asks for the passports, the next wants to sell something, a third sells the first two. More hooded men come pouring in. Chaos. Travel guide Nick calmly gets off his R1 and shakes hands with the men, laughs at them with beaming eyes, mumbles something that probably not even he himself understands, and a few minutes later everything is cleared up. At least most of it. Nick locates the head of the border station, one of the hooded men. The uniformed border guard now gives instructions, and an hour later all passports and other paperwork are stamped. Finally going, but as soon as the engines start, another hooded man comes and briskly stops the group. Problem: There are stickers with an outline of Morocco on the motorcycles, but the Western Sahara is missing, a territory that the Kingdom of Morocco claims for itself, which is, however, controversial. Before the travelers get involved in political discussions (which the strict hooded man doesn’t even feel like doing), all the drivers prefer to pinch the stickers off. The border tree goes up. Welcome to Africa!
A challenge is a competition. However, the V-Power Challenge is not about going as fast as possible or sweeping through the desert in rally style. Nick Sanders travels around the world in a hurry on his record drives, but basically he’s interested in other things. Every country has its own color, sounds different, smells different. Motorcycling with all of the senses, that appeals to the 53-year-old Briton, he is obviously addicted. In the V-Power-Challenge he would like to promote this passion in the participants, that is his mission.
And indeed, Morocco tastes, sounds and smells completely different every minute. Sometimes the stench of burned rubbish and carcasses almost etches your mucous membranes away, then suddenly there is a smell of mint and coriander, of incense sticks and lamb grilled on charcoal.
In the megalopolis of Marrakech, the good Lord (or was it Allah?) Seems to have poured out all means of transport for road traffic at the same time: carts, carriages, tractors, mopeds, scooters, two-stroke tricycles, five-meter-high, completely overloaded trucks, Sedans, rusted delivery vans, sporty and chic off-road vehicles with tinted windows, Japanese racing machines. At intersections and roundabouts, there are policemen in uniform, gesticulating importantly, blowing their whistles in staccato, but there is only one rule at such bottlenecks: somehow bumble through. It’s loud, taxi drivers arguing, cars honk, construction machines roar, children screech, but outside of the cities, in the mountains or the desert, it is sometimes irritatingly quiet.
Dentges
Gold worth: help when you get stuck. Sand and touring profiles don’t really go well together.
Wasteland, then again magical green landscapes with date palms and olive groves. Beggars, shabby sales stalls, shortly afterwards colorful and splendidly dressed women in headscarves and even more splendid kasbah buildings (Arab fortresses or castles) in the midst of fertile oases. Contrasts that can also be clearly seen when driving past. Diverse, exciting. But why is the weather making capers right now? At that time it was actually still very summery, but now the motorcycle caravan around Nick Sanders is rolling through a broad-band low pressure area that has spread across the Atlas Mountains. Five degrees, continuous rain. The streets are generally slippery.
Challenger Dietmar, 46, engineer and also on the road at home on the R 1200 GS, would prefer to park the rubber cow, but hopes for an improvement after every pass and thinks like every driver: “Damn it, the desert is so close, when will the sun finally come out??” Behind the fairing of the BMW F 800 ST, Willi is wrongly dressed in his Rossi replica jacket despite weeks of meticulous preparation for the tour. Soaking wet and chattering teeth, he slips plastic bags over his soggy summer gloves and escapes from curve to curve. Over 500 kilometers are on the daily schedule.
Fortunately, the last great mountain range in the Atlas was taken before sunset, and now it goes dead straight through a barren stone desert. Lonely. Or not: Incredible, but unlit bicycles cross the lane in what appears to be no man’s land, pedestrians (hooded men again) appear out of nowhere, donkeys and yapping dogs (of course also unlit) besiege the lane. Rickety cars and trucks (at least with working parking lights) rush towards you, or worse, drive up close and start to overtake. But at some point this grueling stage is over, and after eleven hours in the saddle, everyone is just happy to finally arrive at the hotel. A beautiful kasbah-like mud building – with a chimney! With sweet tea, spicy couscous and the prospect that it rarely rains longer in the desert, it’s time to relax.
Wood
A bit of navigational art is also required on the road, otherwise you get lost in no man’s land.
Matthias, 44, IT service manager and thoroughbred motorcyclist, notes: “This is not a Maya the Bee tour. Even if the roads are not as bad as expected. After all, a lot of asphalt, but potholes, sand and gravel in the corners challenge ABS and traction control.” Jonathan had to face a different challenge: the 19-year-old trainee had lost touch with his travel buddy Florian during a photo stop and turned off at a junction without noticing it towards the Algerian wasteland. At some point the road developed into a windy trail in the desert sand. So after a 100-kilometer odyssey, the driver’s license holder preferred to turn around and pursue the group desperately on his own with 34 hp throttling. It was a great adventure for Jonathan, who had not even been on a plane before this trip.
And the relief when he catches up again is even greater on his face. Each participant is challenged in different ways. Toddy, for example, is actually a pure racetrack motorcyclist and is out and about in country road mode for the first time. The 37-year-old insurance salesman now has to completely adapt, especially since the royal road guards occasionally also shoot tempo offenders with laser pistols. Roommate Thiemo, 34, real estate agent, has to deal with Toddy’s snoring every night. And Willi, yes Willi, has only one goal: “Even if there are only three participants in a competition, I’ll finish fourth. I want to break this curse now.” There are no opponents in this challenge, but Ruhrpott original Willi fights as a modern knight of sad form with his two-cylinder Rosinante against all North African rigors: nasty stomach and intestinal viruses, devious sand drifts on the asphalt and dark figures that you want to attract crystals, fossils or completely worthless stones for your precious euros at every stop.
But no matter how different the participants may be, the shared experience unites them. Florian looks up to the open sky over the desert. A dream of a thousand and one nights has come true, even if it ultimately got here not on the BMW, but on the back of a camel (to be correct: a dromedary). Some playfully let the fine Sahara sand trickle through their fingers. Everyone chats gently and amicably with one another, honoring the silence in the desert. A Berber from Merzouga tells of the pitfalls of being married to four women. It is very practical when Aisha brings in water for bathing and Fatimah cooks while Noura and Yasmin make the beds. But if the man then wants to please the youngest and prettiest woman at night, he must also fulfill the marital duties of the three less handsome women on the following days. Unfortunately, that doesn’t get any easier with age, sighs the Berber. This is how you learn when traveling to distant countries: Life can be so different. Tour guide Nick Sanders looks into the smiling faces of his colleagues and knows at that moment: Mission accomplished.
Info
Dentges
Travel time: seven days – distance covered: 2500 kilometers
Touring Morocco for free with Shell is of course a privilege reserved only for the winners of the Challenge. With Nick Sanders, everyone can come along. All-inclusive and with an adventure guarantee.
The Tour:
Nick Sanders has two of his for the V-Power Challenge “Short trip expeditions” (up to 13 days) combined to Morocco. Highlights such as the largest sand dunes in North West Africa (Erg Chebbi), the Tizi-n-Tichka pass over the Atlas and a stop in Marrakech are fixed items on the program. This trip is too demanding for motorcycle beginners, especially since good control of the machine is essential even in unforeseen situations (snow-covered mountain passes, sand drifts, etc.). It is ideal for cosmopolitan drivers who travel to the “safe mode” want to travel to a colorful developing country by motorcycle. With enough freedom to get to know the country and its people. Costs per person: from around 1750 euros. Service: Tour guide, overnight stays and support vehicle for breakdowns and emergencies. Information at www.nicksanders.com.
Driving and Hazards:
The traffic in and outside of the cities harbors some dangers for motorcyclists: lots of animals and pedestrians on the road, and unfortunately sometimes also daring drivers. At the Challenge 2010, a participant was evacuated from the street and seriously injured by a van that got out of control. Fortunately, after a few minutes, Nick Sanders’ crew, including a doctor, were on hand to take care of the injured person. The next day, the accident victim was flown out with the help of the ADAC and was operated on at home, so that he got away with a black eye (or a few fractures). Trust-inspiring hospitals are sometimes several hours’ drive away, depending on the section of the route. Solo travelers should therefore insure themselves appropriately (mobile phone, travel insurance, emergency numbers)! Don’t forget: When traveling in Africa, even small mishaps and falls can lead to major difficulties.
Stay and eat:
The hotels on the tour offer western standards and sufficient comfort. Breakfast and dinner are plentiful and cheap. In particular, local dishes such as spicy couscous or tagine (meat and vegetables braised in a clay pot) are a hit. Otherwise, street stalls also offer warm snacks, which sometimes take getting used to (and sometimes hygienically questionable). Alcohol is available in hotels with an international audience, but it is expensive (0.25 l beer approx. 3.50 euros). Extra costs for food and drink: around 30 euros per day.
money:
1 euro = 11 dirhams. Banks and ATMs can be found in larger cities, and cash euros are also accepted and exchanged in rural areas.
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