MdS 2012 - Roadbook Maps

[Mike]

Stage 1 - Ammouguer / Oued El Aatchana, 33.8 Km







Km 0: Go S/E (course 133°) towards the top of the hills to the right.
Km 1,7: Keep hilltops to the right. School to the left (equipped on 21st MDS).
Km 2,5: Ruins before sandy area with palm trees.
Km 3,3 : Enter Ahssia Oued and follow it.
Km 4,9: Palm grove with small dunes.
Km 5,6: Follow small path along Ahandar ruins for 400m and follow oued.
Km 6,7: Aït Kherdj ruins to the left. Follow oued to CP1.
Km 14: CP1 at end of small dunes. Cross rocky plateau direction E/SE (109°).
Km 16,4: Steep climb up small jebel for 200m (over 15% gradient).
Km 16,9: Bottom of descent. Cross rocky valley towards East (course 97°).
Km 18,1: Start of sandy ascent round fault sector.
Km 18,4: Follow the crest to avoid faults on the side of Bou Lalhirh Jebel.
Km 19,9: Technical descent for 200m followed by rocky valley and small hill.
Km 20,6: Valley with few stones. Go S/E (course 124°) up to Km 21.8.
Km 21,8: Summit of small hill. Go East (course 100°) into valley.
Km 24,5: Summit of small hill with sandy passage. Go down towards CP2.
Km 25: CP2. Cross fairly rocky valley towards East (course 89°) to Km 28.
Km 28: Start of track up Tibert Jebel.
Km 29,3: Summit of track. Descent.
Km30,5: End of descent. Hill to right.
Km31,1: End of hill. Cross valley direction E/NE (course 76°) to bivouac.
Km 33,8: Arrive at B2.

[Mike]

Km 0: Go N/E (course 38°) across valley with few stones. Km 1,5: Cross Aatchana Oued. Sandy with camel grass. Km 7,1: Sandy pass of Joufert Jebel. Small dunes. Km 8,8: End of sandy passage. Go East (course 88°). Fairly rocky terrain. Km 12,3: CP1. Go E/SE (course 122°) to CP2. Small pebbles. Km 15,7: Cross oued bed before small dunes. Km 16: Small dunes. Continue E/SE (course 122°). Km19,3: CP2 at end of small dunes. Go South (course 184°) and cross Ma'der El Kebir Lake. Km 24,2: Cross large track. Stay on course until CP3. Km 27: Cross tracks. Km 29: CP3 at the end of dry lake. Go S/SE (course 149°) to B3. Rough mud track with calotropis. Km 32: Start of small dunes. Continue S/SE (course 149°). Km 33,7: End of small dunes. Sand bumps and camel grass. Km 37: End of sandy terrain. Km 37,7: Small line of dunes for 200m. Km 38,5: Arrive at B3

[Mike]

Km 0: Go East (course 101°) to CP1. Succession of sandy terrain with vegetation and pebbly terrain. Km 7,5: Sandy, false flat ascent. Km 12: CP1. Go N/NE (course 31°) to Zireg Jebel. Sand then stones. Km 13,7: Start of ascent to panoramic view at top of Zireg. Km 14: Summit. BEWARE! Stick to small path for 200m to descend on stable ground. Succession of sandy rises and dips to Km 17. Km 17: Rocky passage by trees. Sandy descent towards gorge. Km 18,5: Small silted-up gorge. Follow oued bed. Km 19,8: End of gorge. Cross sandy, rocky valley: N/NE (course 25°). Km 21,3: Cross a large track. Km 22,3: Ascend sandy pass between Mziouda Jebel and Ras Khemouna Jebel. Km 24,1: Sandy pass in small hills then cross rocky valley. Km 24,7: Summit of small hill. Fairly steep sandy descent. Follow oued bed in gorge. Km 25,4: CP2 at gorge exit. Go N/NE (course 19°) to get to Maharch Pass. Dry lake. Earth underfoot. Km 28,8: End of lake. Start of sandy pass. Km 31: Maharch Oasis. Solar pump set up on 21st MDS. Go North (course 359°) to B4. Stony. Km 32,7: Rocky peak to right. Sand and pebbles. Km 35: Arrive at B4

[Mike]

Km 0: Go North (course 10°) to start of dunes. Small pebbles. Km 0,8: Small stony hill. Km 1,6: End of hill. Flat, slightly pebbly terrain becoming sandy before dunes. Km 6,5: Dunes start. Km 8: Dunes end. Very rocky terrain. Km 8,5: Cairn on rocky plateau. Follow markings in very rocky oued bed. Km 9,1: Start ascent of Otfal Jebel (average gradient 17%). Km 10,3: Turn left to reach the jebel's summit. Km 10,5: Jebel summit. Panoramic view. BEWARE! Technical descent to start then sandy descent with average gradient of over 20%. Km 10,8: End of sandy descent. Rocky terrain with technical passages. Km 11,8: CP1 on bank of Rheris Oued. Go E/NE (course 64°) and cross wooded zone. Km 13,5: Continue East (gen. course 84°). Ground unstable in places. Km 14,8: Sparse small dunes. Km 16,5: Cross Rheris Oued. Rocky then sparse dunes. Go E/SE (gen. course 110°) to CP2. Km 17,8: End of small dunes and rugged terrain. Oued bed with trees to right. Km 23,7: CP2 on bank of Mbirika Oued. Follow oued S/SW (course 207°). Km 24,8: Exit pass. Aim for Ba Hallou ruins while continuing between oued and small dunes (gen. course 214°). Km 27,7: Sand bumps, camel grass and small dunes. Km 30,6: Passage through Ba Hallou ruins. Go South (course 171°) to CP3. Keep Rheris oued to the right while crossing several wooded zones. Km 33,6: Butte to the left. Km 34,3: Butte to the left. Follow same course. Km 37: CP3 at end of wooded zone. Continue keeping Jebel on left-hand side. Km 38,9: Sand starts. Dunes begin direction S/E (course 141°) to Km 41.9. Km 41,9: Cross rocky valley direction E/SE (course 118°). Km 42,3: Enter dunes; follow course 118° to Km 47. Km 47: Sandy summit of Lahnoune Jebel. Panoramic view. Sandy descent. Km 47,8: Bank of dry lake. Keep close to jebel on left side direction N/E (course 56°) to reach CP4. Km 49,4: CP4. Keep close to dunes to left side direction E/NE (course 70°) until laser. Hilly, sandy. Km 58,7: Dunes end. Cross oued then go up towards laser. Km 59,3: Laser located on mound. BEWARE: CP5 is further on! Km 60: CP5. Go North (course 5°). Small dunes, fairly rocky terrain. Km 62,4: Cross a sandy oued bed. Km 63,6: Touh Ilh Jebel on left. Go N/E (course 37°) to CP6. Km 64,9: Succession of fairly rocky small valleys. Km 70: Cross large track. Continue N/E (course 37°). Hilly, few stones. Km 71: CP6. Continue to El Jdaid Oued. Km 71,4: Sandy oued bed: turn right gen. direction E/NE (course 62°). Km 73,7: Exit oued. Sand bumps and camel grass then stony plateau. Km 74,7: 2nd zone of sand bumps and camel grass. Km 75,4: Cross valley with few stones E/NE (course 58°). Km 78,5: Cross Outanouel Oued N/NE (course 27) to bivouac. Sand bumps and camel grass Km 79,6: Small dunes. Cross course 27°. Km 80,8: End of small dunes. Flat terrain with small pebbles. Km 81,5: Arrive at B5

[Mike]

Km 0: Follow course 100° to cross dunes. Km 1,7: Rocky plateau. Km 3,3: Rocky peak. Go S/SE (course 118°). Alternating sandy and rocky terrains. Km 4,6: Rugged bank of Ziz Oued. Km 5,5: BEWARE! Large crevasse in oued bed. Technical passage. Km 6,1: End of rugged terrain. Dry lake begins. Go S/E (course 128°). Km 7,4: Lake ends. Follow oued branch. Km 9,3: Cross a large track. Km 10,5: CP1. Go E/NE (course 76°) and cross rugged oued terrain. Km 11,7: Valley deeply embanked in small gorge. Km 13,4: End of small gorge. Go N/E (course 46°) to CP2. Cross the valley. Km 15: Slightly stony plateau. Km 16,1: Cross oued. Sand bumps and camel grass. Km 17,6: End of Moha Fighnas Oued. Slightly stony plateau. Km 20,7: Plateau ends. Follow markings to avoid crops. Km 22,5: CP2 along bank of Beg'a Oued. Follow markings to avoid crops. Cross area of small dunes and tamaris. Km 23,9: Slightly stony terrain. Km 24,4: Cross sparse small dunes. Go N/E (course 37°). Km 26,6: End of small dunes. Pebbly terrain. Km 28,5: Enter dunes of Znaïgui Erg. Course 315°. Km 31,4: Exit dunes. Follow Roub'in Oud Oued that leads to Debouaâ Jebel. Km 32,1: Follow small oued bed going up gorge. Km 33,7: CP3 at gorge exit. Go W/NW (course 306°) to cross rocky plateau. Km 34,4: Go down small pass leading to valley. Km 34,6: Cross rocky valley direction N/W (course 333°). Km 35,2: Sandy passage in hills. Km 35,7: Rocky peak to left. Go North (course 359°). Km 37,4: M'Fiss mines. Carefully follow markings to cross old village. Km 38,2: Village ends. Go N/NE (course 21°) to bivouac. Succession of oued beds and hilly, fairly rocky terrains. Km 42,2: Arrive at B6

[Mike]

Km 0: Go North (course 0°) to CP1. Plateau with few stones.
Km 3,9: Plateau ends. Sandy oued.
Km 6,5: CP1 in oued. Check point without water distribution.
Follow course 234° to cross dunes of Chebbi Erg and arrive in Merzouga.
Km 15,5: End of dunes. FINISH LINE.

[GraemeH]

Nice one Mike.