Known simply as the MdS, the race is a brutal six-day adventure across one of the world’s most inhospitable locations - the Sahara desert. The rules require you to be self-sufficient, to carry with you on your back everything except water that you need to survive. You are given a place in a bivouac to sleep at night, but any other equipment and food must be carried.
There are 6 stages in the MdS, each with it's own challenges. It starts with a 37.2km hike from the start at Ihrs to Khermou in Errachidia......
Stage One - 37.2km - Irhs to Khermou
"Biggest challenge was weight of 10kg pack, struggled with searing heat, adapting to typical terrain, mixture of ascents up djebels (a hill or mountain in an Arab country), mountain passes, sand mounds, camel grass, rock, crevasses, sand dunes … 1st blister (left instep), hands like 2 bunches of bananas .. glad to reach bivouac for first cup of legendary mint tea!"
Ranking = 732
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| MdS 2013 bivouac |
Stage Two - 30.7km - Khermou to Jebel el Otfal
"Most technical day with greatest ascent = 1000m: my favourite day for the views from the high mountain ridges .. 2nd, 3rd and 4th blisters plus 2 bruised big toenails .. feeling stronger by using poles which helped offload weight of pack and enabled my Saharan shuffle to increase a little in pace, gave me better balance scrambling over rocks and boulders, helped reduce swelling of hands.
Ranking = 625
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| Blisters 2, 3 and 4!! |
Stage Three - 38km - Jebel el Otfal to Taourirt Mouchanne
"Acclimatising better to heat, pack and terrain. 5th blister - oh the joys of wonder drug paracetamol! Feet and ankles grossly swollen, prickly heat unpleasant but everyone suffering so time to grit teeth and keep going.....".
Ranking = 594
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| The MdS route covers many different types of landscape. |
105km down, 126 still to go..... Check back on Monday to read the rest of Debbie's account of her epic Saharan adventure!
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