339 km, of which half are off-road. These are the details of the second stage. As if that were not enough, the temperature reaches 40 degrees and it is time to feel the heat. This new challenge forces us to stop more than usual to hydrate. This is Scram! Halfway through the stage, our friend Niels suffers a mechanical problem. But before he can notify the team, a group of locals offer him their mechanical workshop service in the town and, in a flash, manage to repair the bike. Moroccan people are always exceptionally friendly, willing to help without expecting anything in return. The Land Rovers leave us spectacular images as they pass through roads that are very difficult to access. But these machines, no matter how old they are, can handle anything! The stage ends with camping at Gara Medouar, an impressive rocky structure in the shape of a circle that acts as a natural fortress and is located in Draa-Tafilalet. It is also known as the 'Portuguese prison' - which was neither a prison nor a volcano, as some believe -. It is also known as Jebel Mudawwar, ("round mountain"). As a curiosity, movies such as James Bond Specter 007 (2015), The Mummy (1999) or Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010) were filmed there.

In this camping, each participant sets up their tent and prepares to have dinner in the haimas that we have set up in the epicenter of the mountain. During this stage, Isidoro, a sidecar driver, is the protagonist of one of the scares of the day: we know that he was in his vehicle when he got lost on the road. Every minute that passes there is less light, it is getting dark and we decide to go out and look for him. Luckily, it’s just a scare: he had been stranded on a dune and getting out of there was an arduous task. While waiting for assistance, he and his sidecar partner had time to make a bonfire. Finally, they arrive at dawn and are greeted with a loud applause by the rest of the group, now nothing but a family.

Today we say goodbye to the desert, the dunes and the heat to head towards the Atlas mountains. It is a steep mountain range that separates the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts from the Sahara desert. Its high peaks – some of them exceed 4,000 meters – serve as obstacles for the clouds. They prevent them from continuing to advance through the north of the continent and leaves this area particularly arid. Here we reach temperatures of no more than 9ºC and make our way up to more than 3,000 meters in altitude. The wind blows strongly and at times the clouds discharge their anger with thunder, lightning and rain. Some groups of riders stop to contemplate the majesty of the lightning and take photos that are already imprinted in their memory forever.

These roads would make any motorcycle enthusiast fall in love. Curves, asphalt, off-road and a landscape that you can't help but admire out of the corner of your eye. At lunchtime, many of us coincide at the same location and we decide to stop at a small bar in the outskirts of a town. A cold refreshment after hours of riding is always appreciated. The anecdote of the day comes when the owner of the place takes out a guitar and gives it to Mike Gray. That's where the party begins. Music, group songs and a very good vibe before continuing our journey.