The first day offers nothing less than “Gazelles Hell” as it is known by the Organization. Every year during the terrain reconnaissance, the team rails against the apprentice cartographer who drew up the maps of this area. They are sketchy at best, and the missing details make it incredible difficult to read the maps and the terrain with any precision. One can get lost with disconcerting ease. The Gazelles will then leave this area for wide plains that seem to stretch forever, with longer distances between checkpoints. Let’s hope the wind doesn’t rise, making the features more difficult to recognize. And then, as it’s the 30th anniversary and quite frankly it would have been disappointing not to do it, it’s the return of the “carte blanche” or “blank map”. Certain sectors of the map for this first day have been deliberately “erased”. Of course, that makes everything a lot more challenging, but not impossible. There is more risk, as the terrain is impossible to anticipate, and choices must be made on the spot. Can I get through those mountains or not ? Do I turn around now, or do I keep going and try to get through? The choices made in this sector could end up shaping a first version of the top 10.

This will be the Gazelles’ first night away from the hustle and bustle of the bivouac. Just the sound of the wind rustling their tents !

Day 2 of Leg 4. While pink and yellow dominate the landscape, shades of ochre, red, grey, black and even green can also be seen on the plain of Hassi Bou Haïara. On one side, a oued that attracts sand and dust like a magnet. On the other, a fantastical landscape dotted with “tajines” and jagged mountains that wouldn’t be out of place in the background of a 1960s spaghetti western. It’s an ideal playground for Gazelles ! The headings are tight and the terrain is harsh. The Gazelles will have to fight all day long to avoid losing their bearings while contending with sand and rocky terrain. As the day progresses, the routes gradually come together to converge on the great Tafenna cirque and then the new bivouac in Oulad Driss. The teams will sleep in the comfort of the bivouac and leave their vehicles in the capable hands of the mechanics, who will make sure they are ready to tackle Leg 5, in terra incognita !