Test drive in the desert near Erg Chebbi

When you are in Morocco, friends immediately ask if you would like to test your all-wheel drive in the sand....

Yes, we have made that happen, as I was very curious; it rarely happens in Northern Europe that you can drive into the dunes with a car.

So we booked a tour around Erg Chebbi, our host Hassan was also our tour guide. We set off with plastic sand plates and a compressor to inflate the tires because deserts and sandy tracks mean that beginners like Christian and I are sure to make mistakes.

First, we headed to the oasis itself, where Hassan explained to us that every family here in Merzouga and the surrounding villages has a piece of land, and every 12 days they receive water through a clever canal system for about 12 hours so that they can grow their own vegetables. Tomatoes and other varieties that need a lot of water come from Agadir; they are not grown here. Next to it was the well from which families fetched their water for the day or, when they are traveling with carts or donkeys, for the week; the source is considered very pure because the water must pass through sand and thus has a natural filter.

Then we really ventured into the desert, first over a regular driving track, then came the real test; first, the air was let out of the tires, then came the instruction to drive in 2nd gear with constant gas. PLEASE LISTEN TO YOUR GUT FEELING HERE, as a Toyota or Mitsubishi Jeep has a different gear ratio! You know your cars better than your guide...

The first kilometers of sandy track were magical; I then turned off the assistance systems as they are confusing when the ABS kicks in or the ESP thinks there is ice and snow. Generally, driving in sand is like driving in muddy snow; it's incredibly fun! Basically, give gas when going up the dune, slow down at the crest because you don't know what lies behind the sand dune.

I got stuck in the sand when I didn’t take Hassan’s track quickly enough; HERE, THE FIRST GEAR WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER! However, I can’t say whether we would have been floating due to insufficient ground clearance anyway, as it really is like in the snow; lacking clearance can become problematic at times.

When you get stuck, you have to dig the tires out, then please reverse and be pushed if you have grip on the plates, because moving forward usually brings you back into the same dilemma.

Christian then drove with less sandy tracks to the Berber tents, which now consist of several tents because since the border to Algeria has been permanently closed, they can no longer live their lives as nomads, but are more or less forced into settled life. The dromedaries provide food and maintenance; the animals roam freely and are seen as a financial retirement plan as they fetch a good price. The government also provides food in the form of goats and education for Berber children; a bus comes for the collective school, while the men work as tour guides or in mines, while the women look after the tents, weave, bake bread, cook, and take care of the small children. Nevertheless, life here is very simple; toddlers chase after a car for sweets, and every stop immediately attracts someone trying to sell their handmade goods.

We stopped at a well to water the wandering dromedaries; it was astonishing how loud the animals can slurp and how majestic they are up close! The wells are currently not full, as the last substantial rain, according to Hassan, was in 2017....

In between, we took a roundabout at a palm grove with our two blacks, who were not very thrilled with the bouncing over the sandy tracks and bumpy roads. They only feel comfortable in the sand when there are trees nearby; so far, they have been really lucky here!

We drove to the other end of the dunes for a meal break; there the Algerian border was in sight; a fence along with a wall in the old riverbed prevents any transit traffic; Algerian surveillance is up on the plateau, of course, there are also Moroccan border guards keeping watch, but we kept a safe distance from all of that. Hassan led us away from a beautiful dune, where we then had a desert picnic. There was traditionally a baguette with tuna and cheese, along with fruit and green tea, which Hassan cooked in style over a fire with dried twigs from shrubs. It was a great meal; we all contributed something, be it a chair or something for the picnic, and also chatted a bit with Abdul, who was helping Hassan.

I was glad that Hassan immediately collected all the rubbish, as the desert loses nothing; often, on our walks with the blacks, we also see tuna cans or beverage cans that seem partly new, others are already old and rusty.

After the picnic, we then went to see fossils and maybe even do some hammering ourselves; Hassan had to take our ground clearance into account a bit and then got stuck himself at a deep sand pit. BUT thanks to a different gear ratio, he was able to get out of the tricky sand alone with his studded tires; he said that I would make it through. UNFORTUNATELY NOT! We were floating again, as the tire pressure had been refilled because of the stony desert, it crunched again and whoops, we were at a standstill!

So again, we had to pull out the plastic sand plates, including our own plates, then reverse, and take the path next to it where the sand is not as deep. From there it became easy; I switched to first gear when necessary, which would not have helped me in the sand bath!

We saw the fossils, took a few with us, but didn’t really hammer any out as Christian and I found enough stones with remains. Hassan also ‘planted’ something for us to make sure we would find something beautiful....

The return journey was again through sand, but now I had my method and although I still swam a bit, I no longer drove into the deep sand but searched for my own paths when necessary.

CONCLUSION: All-wheel drive means dynamic four-wheel drive for Labrabulli; it's not permanently engaged, but it was still gigantic! I had my fun, Christian, to whom I gifted this experience, finally did not have to hold onto a handle, but could steer and have fun, even if it was quite bumpy.... I THOUGHT IT WAS GREAT.

(I am aware that this also pollutes the environment and I pushed fine dust into the air; it was not environmentally friendly, sorry, mea culpa!)