Getting wet - Paris to the Med

It was a crisp and sunny day as our riders set off from Kudu's premises in the UK. Clear skies, a gradually warming sun and 3 weeks of adventure in front of us. What could be better? We are 11 riders from around the globe - including 2 Australians, 2 Canadians, a Kiwi and several Brits. Riding and off-road experience is varied. 3 riders have never taken a bike off tarmac before in their lives, and equally there are veteran off-roaders with years of experience under their belt.

We are soon watching the white cliffs of Dover gradually get smaller and smaller on the horizon, as continental Europe gets nearer and nearer. It is a further 4 days of riding before we see the Mediterraean. The sun has been getting warmer as we near the continent of Africa and very soon the real adventures are about to begin!

Mountains and minefields... heading into the Sahara.

From Marrakech we pass through Agadir and head South. The Kudu team are lucky enough to get the chance to recce some stunning off-road trails which our Paris-Dakar trips in 2008 will be taking.

Technically very straightforward and suitable for real off-road novices, the routes we have chosen are perfect. Stunning riding through remote and spectacular regions, from the Atlas Mountains and down to the famous Plage Blanc on the Atlantic, they will be a fantastic experience for the riders on our 2008 trips.

Through Tan Tan, past Laayoune to Dakhla and across the tropic of Cancer, we head deeper and deeper into the depths of the Sahara. We are now in a heavily mined area (a legacy from past conflicts), and it is strictly tarmac riding only! At last we are getting ready for Mauritania and some real off-road challenges!

Mauritania - sand, sand and more sand...

After negotiating the border minefields (yes, it really is a live minefield!) we ride down to the town of Noadhibou. Up until very recently there was no tarmac at from the Moroccan border post until you reached Mauritania's capital, Nouakchott, 500km away - just vast swathes of open desert and a million different tracks leading off in all directions.

Prior to the new tarmac road being built, all travellers had no option but to tackle the desert head-on, irrespective of their experience of riding off-road and in sand. This traditional overland route is the one that we are here to conquer and as soon as we enter Noudhibou, the preparations begin. Fuel, food and water are loaded up, bikes checked and last minute training sessions conducted. The next morning we ride - off the comforting tarmac, and into the wilderness!

After a long day of some difficult sandy trails, eventually the desert opens up into incredibly vast, desolate, but stunning plains. Speeds pick up and we begin to cover some miles. At the end of a tiring day we set up camp in the shelter of a sand-dune, get a camp fire going and enjoy a blissful, starry desert night chatting about the day's adventures around the crackling fire.

Day 2 in the desert brings the toughest section of all. 15km of very soft sandy trails as we get nearer to the coast once again. In is a difficult couple of hours riding, but as we once again ride out into the vast coastal flats we can begin to enjoy the final stage of our epic Saharan crossing.

The last leg is along the pristine Atlantic beach, where the desert meets the sea. Easy, enjoyable riding, and a great end to a fantastic desert ride. Pelicans fly overhead as we ride along the edge of the surf through a serene Saharan landscape, past fishing villages and onwards towards Nouakchott, a shower, cold beer and a very welcome bed!

Palm trees, hammocks and cold beer

After a well earned rest at our hotel in Noakchott it is time to move on to Senegal. We cross our 5th international border, and straight away it feels as though we have really reached Africa. The bright colours, street music, broad smiles and plentiful cold beer are all a welcome sight to our dusty adventurers.

After a thoroughly relaxing few days at Zebrabar, a beatiful and chilled-out location in the Senegelese countryside, we head down to the chaos of Dakar, and our group photo at Lac Rose, the traditional finishing point for the old Paris-Dakar Rally.

One last mini-adventure on what has been a trip packed full of great experiences, we cross the famous Gambia river over to Banjul. As the trip comes to an end we have a celebratory BBQ and sink one or two cold beers during a great finale. We have had some fantastic adventures and made some great friends. As always it is the riders who make any Kudu trip what it is, and thanks to a fantastic bunch of guys this has been one to remember!

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