AUTO/TRUCK and QUAD/SSV teams must tackle the dunes… there's no way to avoid them. They have a choice of three routes: X, Y or Z.

Route Z meanders around the foot of the dunes: a good choice for less experienced Gazelles. But while the slopes may be less steep and the hollows less deep, it is still the same sand.

Route Y passes through the feet of the highest dunes. In the heart of Erg Chebbi, navigation is not necessarily a challenge but the slopes are steeper, the passes are narrower, and therefore the difficulties increase.

Finally there is Route X for the most experienced or those who dare... through the heart of veritable mountains of sand. Sometimes you can climb them. Sometimes you have to go around them. The checkpoints can be seen from afar, but getting to them them is long and arduous. The sand seems to melt in the heat.

X, Y or Z, the dunes can be hellish... but that's what we're here for!

Crossover/Hybrid and e-Gazelle teams can't take on the “big” dunes, but their route is no day at Agadir beach! Rutted wadis followed by treacherous stretches of sand… landmarks that are easy to lose track of… Even for them, the day will not be an easy one.

This evening at the bivouac, the Gazelles will swap stories of the day's adventures and misadventures, excited and proud after their day in the dunes.

On this second leg, in the dunes of ERG CHEBBI, competitors in AUTO/TRUCK Class must choose between 3 routes with different levels of difficulty.

The three routes, called X, Y and Z, all have checkpoints in the sand but different levels of difficulty.

Route X is the most challenging. Route Y is the intermediate route. Finally, Route Z is the most accessible, remaining in an area of low dunes.

Naturally, the values of the CPs reflect the level of difficulty of the chosen route.

A team that reaches all CPs of Route X will only be penalized the extra kilometres driven over the ideal “crow flies” distance. Teams that reach all CPs of Route Y will receive an additional penalty of 80 kilometres in addition to the extra kilometres driven over the ideal distance.

Finally, teams that complete Route Z will receive an additional penalty of 180 kilometres, in addition to the extra kilometres driven over the ideal distance.

During this leg, QUAD/MOTO/SSV teams must take Route X.

CROSSOVER/HYBRID, E-GAZELLE INNOVATION and E-GAZELLE AUTO teams have their own route outside the dunes.