On Friday we were to meet in the hotel reception by 9am, ready for the 5-6 hour coach journey to the first bivouac. That’s right, 5-6 hours, with one ‘comfort break’ and no toilet on the bus....
Helpfully,
we were all given a 2 litre bottle of water at the
start of the journey to ensure the entire coach was
in a state of manic desperation 2 hours into the
journey! We were also provided with the race road
book at the start of the coach journey, a
fascinating read.
There was to be no sand dune day this time, rather
every day seemed to include some kind of sand to a
greater or lesser extent. There were plenty of
steep sections and hill climbs as well. After the
lunch stop, we soon pulled over to the side of the
road, ready for the final transfer by open top
truck, less than ½ mile off the road, the first
bivouac was in sight. It was here we met Mike, now
we were six.
On arrival, it’s basically a bun fight to get to
your tents. Each nationality has a number of tents
allocated, it’s up to you to get there on a first
come, first served basis. Handy hint; stay close to
the entrance as this is where the start/finish line
is closest, and the admin tents as well.
We took Tent 100, perfectly placed near the front,
home to the six of us for the week, assuming we all
made it. Keith, brought along a nerf ball and other
great toys to amuse us until our suitcases were
checked the next day.