Blog
Helena Jornet sponsors one of the UniRaid 2019 teams
UniRaid is a human and caring adventure for students, who go across the Morocco Desert in a 9 days itinerary with cars older than 20 years. UniRaid is not a rally and is not a race, it is an adventure where riders have to finish 7 legs navigating with a roadbook, and getting over all kind of obstacles and challenges, with the goal of going across Morocco and donating solidary material in diferent small towns of de Desert.
In this edition there are more than 140 teams coming from Catalonia, Spain, Portugal and Andorra, with their small old cars full of solidary material and hopes of living a great adventure.
Roger Girbal and Bryan Soler went across Morocco Desert driving a 1986 Renault 4 TL full with 98Kg of solidary material participating in UniRaid 2019
Bryan and Roger didn't have to think it twice when they decided to enrol to UniRaid 2019. Last december they started to get their car ready for the adventure and the 98Kg of solidary material as all size clothes and shoes, toys and school material, that would travel with them to the Morocco Desert.
The 22nd of February they got off at Tanger Med port, and drive to Meknes where they passed the technical and administrative verifications before the start of UniRaid.
The enthusiasm and the nerves were on edge: they had nine days ahead of adventure, excitement and challenges, including a nocturnal stage and a marathon stage with camping under the stars, which added a plus of difficulty to the route. They had to familiarize themselves with navigating with the roadbook and with the compass (no GPS!). Then they had to overcome rocky tracks, with mud and a bit of snow, to cross the high Atlas mountains and the Col du Tichka (at more than 2000 m altitude) and the dunes of Erg Chebbi, Erg Znaigui and Erg Ouzina. Navigation, incredible landscapes and fun, but also teamwork, effort and ingenuity to overcome difficulties.
"It seems incredible that we have crossed the desert with a 4L"
Bryan and Roger tell us that it has been an unforgettable experience. It's their first time in the African continent and they have met a lot of people and loved the food there, but what most fascinated them was the sky, the wonderful sunsets and the large number of stars and fleeting stars that lit up the night.
During the crossing they went through very small villages, some with less than 20 houses built with mud and straw, with very kind and generous people although they had little resources. "We have enjoyed a lot this great experience and it has been very rewarding to contribute with our grain of sand."
