Awoke early and had a lovely breakfast in the hotel restaurant prior to getting on the coaches for the long drive. Once on the coach, we were given the �Roadbooks� that we had heard and read so much about. These small books detail the route of the race, including descriptions of each stage�s length and ground conditions, in addition to a map of the overall course. The 226km looked like a long way and there were a daunting number of areas marked �dunes� on the maps.
After 5 hours of driving (and numerous toilet stops for the water laden runners), the coaches pulled over and we all had to swap vehicles � from air conditioned luxury to what can only be described as converted rubbish trucks in which we had to stand to travel the final few Kms across rough ground to reach the first bivouac site where were to spend the first couple of nights. The plan was to quickly find a tent (the Brits were in tents numbered from 48 � 69) with 7 or 8 others and then make yourself comfortable. We would spend the following day going through the various checks that the organisers insist upon (checks on compulsory items of kit, weight of rucksacks, medical health and issue of a survival kit consisting of an emergency flare, survival blanket and salt tablets) as well as finalising our race kit and saying goodbye to our suitcases and bags which would travel back to Ouazazate where they would be locked up until our return.
My tent, number 57 and subsequently christened �Heinz 57� consisted of:
Adam, age 34 from London, a Barrister and legal eagle working for News International
Ele, age 24 from Bedfordshire who had just given up her job in London as a Management Consultant
Frank, age 47, from London, a Director of a charity
Innes, age 38 from Edinburgh, an ex pro-footballer who now spends 4 weeks at a time living in Azerbyjhan working in the oil industry
Richard, age 33, from NZ, currently working in London as a Solicitor
Russell age 34 from Edinburgh, a Graphic Designer with his own business
Sean age 36 from Buckinghamshire, a Technical manager with Philips
Having dumped our kit in the tent and spent some time walking around the area to take photographs and assess the terrain, it was a pleasant surprise to find that for dinner, we were getting a truly French experience comprising of beef stew, bread, potatoes, soup, a small bottle of wine and some Camembert cheese. Mmmm what a life � I could do this more often.