Plan Your Group
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Four people holding the same standing pose together on the dunes of Erg Chegaga

Sahara training camps for clubs, gyms and teams

A private base in the largest dune field in Morocco, with the whole camp, the vehicles and the team built around your training

Plan your training camp

Why the desert

Ground you cannot recreate at home, and nothing to do but train.

Sand changes the way an athlete moves. Running and walking on dunes make the body work harder for every step, strengthen the muscles that keep it stable and spare the joints the pounding of the road. Around the camp, the dunes of Erg Chegaga approach 300 metres, the piste is hard enough for tempo work and gravel riding, and the rocky hamada gives technical ground for the days in between.

The camp sits sixty kilometres past the last paved road. There is no town to wander into, no signal to scroll and, with the whole camp taken, no other guests. A group arrives, trains, eats, recovers and sleeps, and by the third day it moves like a team.

Last reviewed 2026-09-17.

Who comes to train

Built for groups that train together

Running and trail clubs

Sand conditioning, dune repeats and long runs on hard piste with a vehicle alongside. The specific work that desert ultras and multi-stage races demand, with a real bed at the end of every day.

Gyms and fitness communities

The trip your members talk about all year. Sessions on the dunes at first light, conditioning on the sand in the afternoon, and a whole camp that belongs to your community for the week.

Teams before the season

A squad and its staff, away from phones and routine. Conditioning in the morning, tactics in the shade, and the kind of shared effort that turns a group into a team.

Cycling and gravel groups

Hard-packed desert piste in every direction, no traffic at all, and a support vehicle carrying water, spares and nutrition on every ride.

Coaches with a following

You bring the programme and the people who trust you. We run everything on the ground, so the only thing you manage during the week is the training.

Trekking and expedition clubs

Stages on foot or with camels, using the camp as the start line, the finish line or the comfortable base between two nights out in the erg.

A 4x4 on a distant dune crest, tire tracks in the sand

Your base for the week

Everything around the training is handled

The whole camp

Eight canvas suites with private bathrooms, hot showers and real beds, for up to twenty athletes and staff. With the whole camp taken there are no other guests, so early starts and late debriefs disturb nobody.

A kitchen for athletes

Our chef cooks for your group only. Breakfast is ready before the dawn session, meals follow the training load of the day, and dietary requirements sent before arrival are part of every menu.

Vehicle support

Our 4x4s follow long runs, rides and stages with water, nutrition and first aid, mark out loops and bring back anyone who needs it. Routes are planned with your coach before you arrive.

Recovery

A massage therapist and a yoga teacher can join the camp for your dates. Afternoons are quiet, and evenings end by the fire under a Bortle Class 1 sky, the darkest classification there is.

Safety in the deep desert

Every supported session has first aid on board, and a medic can stay on site on request.

Full attention

No Wi-Fi and no mobile signal at the camp. A signal can be found a short walk away, about twenty minutes there and back. Athletes make the walk once a day if they need to, and the rest of the time their attention stays on the training.

A sample week

Five nights, adapted freely by your coach

Every camp is written with its coach. This is one way the week can run.

Day one
Arrival by 4x4 convoy, or by helicopter from Marrakech for part of the group. Kit check, an easy shakeout on the nearest dunes at sunset, and the briefing over dinner.
Day two
Sand technique on the dunes at first light. Recovery or an easy spin on the piste in the afternoon, then a guided look at the sky after dinner.
Day three
The long session, with a vehicle alongside, water drops and a marked course. Rest, mobility and massage in the afternoon.
Day four
Dune repeats or a tempo session on the piste at dawn. A navigation exercise or a camel-supported trekking stage in the late afternoon.
Day five
The expedition day: a point-to-point stage across the erg, with the vehicles bringing everyone home. A celebration dinner by the fire.
Day six
An easy run or walk at sunrise, breakfast, the debrief, and the convoy back towards Marrakech.

For organisers

Your community, your programme, your price.

Training camps are usually brought by someone: a club committee, a gym owner, a coach, a team manager. The organiser designs the training, sets the selling price of a place for their own community, and keeps the relationship and the branding.

We quote the whole camp for your dates as a net rate, and we run everything on the ground: transport from Marrakech, food, vehicles, staff and safety. We never contact your members afterwards and never sell to them.

How the numbers work for an organiser and how other trades bring their community.

October to April

Best training window

Up to 20

Athletes and staff

3 to 7

Nights recommended

Questions

Before you plan the camp

Can a club, a gym or a team book the whole camp for a training camp? +
Yes. Your group takes the whole camp, up to twenty athletes and staff across eight canvas suites with private bathrooms, and nobody else books in while you are there. Early starts, kit drying on the terraces and late debriefs disturb nobody.
What terrain is there for training around Erg Chegaga? +
Erg Chegaga is a sand sea roughly 40 km from east to west, with dunes approaching 300 metres. Around it there is hard-packed piste for tempo work and gravel riding, rocky hamada for technical sections, and open desert for navigation and expedition stages. All of it starts at the camp.
Is there vehicle support during long sessions? +
Yes. Our 4x4s follow long runs, rides and trekking stages with water, nutrition and first aid, mark out loop courses and bring back any athlete who needs it. Routes are planned with your coach before arrival.
What do athletes eat during a Sahara training camp? +
Our chef cooks for your group only. Breakfast is served before the dawn session, meals follow the training load of the day, and dietary requirements sent before arrival are built into every menu.
How does a group of athletes reach the camp? +
By road it is about 8h45 from Marrakech in our own 4x4s, of which the last 1h30 is piste, and many groups break the journey with a night on the way. By helicopter it is 1h40 from Marrakech Menara, five to six people per rotation, landing at the camp. Groups often fly part of the team and send the rest, with the equipment, by road.
Is there mobile signal or Wi-Fi at the camp? +
There is no Wi-Fi and no mobile signal at the camp itself. A signal can be found a short walk away, about twenty minutes there and back, and athletes make the walk once a day if they need to.
What medical cover is there so far from a city? +
The nearest hospital is at Zagora, about two and a half hours by road. Vehicles on supported sessions carry first aid, and a medic can stay on site for your dates on request.
When is the best time of year for a training camp in the Sahara? +
The camp is open from September to June, and October to April is the prime training window. Mornings are cool for quality sessions, days are mild and nights are clear for sleep. Winter camps suit groups building towards a spring race season, and March and April work well as final preparation for desert races.
Is Erg Chegaga good preparation for a desert ultra such as the Marathon des Sables? +
It gives the specific work that is hard to find anywhere else: running and walking on soft sand, climbing and descending real dunes, and navigating open desert, with a fully supported base to recover in every evening. The camp is independent and not connected to any race.
Can a coach or a gym sell places on the camp to their own community? +
Yes, and it is the simplest way to run one. The organiser designs the programme, sets the selling price of a place and keeps the relationship and the branding. We quote the whole camp as a net rate and run everything on the ground: transport, food, vehicles, staff and safety. We never contact your members afterwards.
Can we photograph or film the training camp? +
Yes. Your own photographers and filmmakers are welcome, and professional photography and videography can be arranged on request. The whole camp is yours, so there are no other guests to keep out of the frame.
How many nights should a Sahara training camp last? +
Three nights is the shortest stay that makes the journey worthwhile, and seven is the longest we usually recommend. Five nights leaves room for a long session, an expedition day and proper recovery.

Tell us the sport, the dates and how many of you.

You will receive a written proposal for the whole camp, with a draft week, within 24 hours.

Plan your training camp

Related: bringing your community, team building, group trips, arriving by helicopter, getting to Erg Chegaga.

Private buyout

Ask for your dates

The whole camp for your group, from two guests to eighteen. Tell us when and how many of you: a written proposal for the whole camp comes back within 24 hours, with no commitment.

Prefer WhatsApp?

We reply by email within 24 hours. Your details are only used to answer you.

  • 2019

    Open since

  • 4.8★

    TripAdvisor

  • 8 tents

    The camp to yourselves

  • 24h

    A written proposal, no commitment

For groups

Other ways to take the whole camp