Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles

LEG 3

NEIJAKH / NEIJAKH - ideal distance 219 km – estimated minimum time 11 hrs 50 mins - Looped route

The Rallye is now in full swing. This third leg might appear to be something of a break, but watch out: “Slow and steady wins the race!” Seasoned by now, the Gazelles have to be wary of feeling overconfident. There is just a bit of paved road and a semblance of civilisation, before they must confront the tortuous and cutting regs bordering the Hamada du Guir. These empty spaces are utterly enchanting, layered in shades of red and brown across the rock-strewn plateau, criss-crossed with trails that are often misleading. But if it has rained, pale pistachio-coloured vegetation will have invaded the reg as far as the eye can see.

Unearthing a CP in some friendly dunes, finding the way across a rocky barrier, or dawdling in the bottom of a oued: the navigators are on the lookout for passages, the pilots are attentive. This is pure pleasure! Nonetheless, they must be doubly careful at the end of the afternoon: the bivouac seems far away in the distance, across an endless desert landscape...