Two close friends, who have been companions for years and complement each other in many ways, decide to join forces to fulfill a big dream: to cross part of the Sahara Desert in a side-by-side vehicle, in a spirit of international cooperation! Here is the story of Team 401 in the Roses des Sables 2025 rally.
Departure for the 2025 Roses des Sables adventure
On October 13, we boarded the plane, helmets in hand, suitcases filled with donations for the children and women of the desert, ready to face all the challenges that would come our way during the Roses des Sables 2025 adventure. This annual event brings together French-speaking women from several countries to take part in a rally using only a simple compass and a roadbook. The goal is to complete the stages and validate them using virtual GPS beacons located at specific geographical coordinates across the Sahara Desert and the Atlas Mountains in Morocco.
The long preparation for the project and the support of sponsors.
It took us four days to reach the gateway to the desert, where our Moroccan vehicle was waiting for us, surrounded by dozens of women who were also part of this sporting and humanitarian project. Already during these first moments, we enjoyed wonderful exchanges, deep confidences, and created a bond with all these women we were getting to know, while discovering Moroccan culture. The excitement was palpable, considering that we had been preparing for this adventure for over a year and a half through fundraising, navigation, driving, and mechanics workshops, among other things.
Thanks to the generosity of a large number of people who encouraged and helped us in our fundraising events, as well as our valuable sponsors, we were able to reach the financial goal set by the organization to cover the costs of the event and also to donate to causes such as the Pink Ribbon (breast cancer), the Breakfast Club, Enfants du désert, the French Red Cross, and many others.
Arrival at base camp in Merzouga
So it was with hearts full of love to give and pockets full of courage that we arrived in Merzouga on October 17, 2025, at the main camp that would serve as our village for the next seven days! Considering that our side-by-side (or SSV, as the French women called it) would be our ally for this adventure, we gave it a name and a personality!
Octo became the third member of Team 401, the Twisted Painters. The beautiful pink octopus he sported on the spare tire earned us the nickname Pulpi from the organization! During the first two days, we had time to finalize our last preparations for the rally: customizing our vehicle, delivering donations to local organizations, meeting the women and children of the desert, and attending a touching and meaningful breast cancer awareness ceremony in the sand dunes with more than 250 women who have been affected in some way by this disease that knows no borders. These were extremely precious moments that will remain etched in our hearts forever.
Finally, departure in the sand!
On the morning of October 19, under the pink arch, facing the desert, Stephanie pressed the accelerator while I guided her, still learning how to read the roadbook I had been given the day before. Our first tire tracks were drawn on the arid desert ground, sometimes sandy, sometimes rocky, mysterious, infinite, grandiose, and surprising. We crossed lunar landscapes, uninhabited areas, Berber villages, small and large dunes, ruins in almost inaccessible places, as well as a multitude of dry rivers and lakes. The latter reminded us of the fragility of our planet, which is constantly warming up. Here, water is a rare commodity, of paramount importance, a real matter of survival. The journey was going well: despite my insecurities about reading the complex roadbook, Stephanie felt comfortable behind the wheel, which confirmed that we had made the right choice of roles.
Right from the start, we formed an alliance with another team with whom we shared this adventure until the end of the trip and built a friendship that will last forever. Sharing responsibilities between navigators and drivers allowed us all to ease the pressure when an obstacle arose or when we feared getting lost in this isolated place. So instead of panicking, we shared unforgettable moments of laughter, perfected our communication and listening skills, shared tasty snacks, and grew as people. On the very first day, we had a glitch with our Tripy (the device that counts mileage and validates virtual checkpoints). But thanks to our new friends and the mechanic with whom we became far too friendly, we were able to finish the day and go to the garage in the evening to have the device reconnected properly. In the days that followed, we repaired a few flat tires and dug several vehicles out of the sand, but fortunately, Octo was never involved. He, for his part, experienced several belt problems during the rally, but we always managed to complete the stages despite everything.
Our favorite stage was undoubtedly the huge dunes of Merzouga. It felt like we were on a treasure hunt in the Mario Kart video game as we sent the Moroccan sand flying by drifting along the crest of the dunes to reach the 60 caps to be validated by our Tripy. It was magical, unforgettable, and definitely worth repeating.
On October 24, we left the bivouac with a heavy heart to embark on a 48-hour marathon in complete autonomy in the desert and mountains. This challenge involved traveling more than 400 km to find the final arch of the rally on the evening of October 25. We crossed places we will never be able to return to, slept in a tiny tent under an infinite number of stars, next to snake nests, and crossed immense mountains with our little car, which was starting to complain. We had to finish the adventure under escort for the last 40 km, as we couldn’t reduce our speed below 10 km/h without risking a permanent breakdown. When we finally saw the pink arch, excited and five minutes away from being disqualified, Stephanie turned around and finally pressed the brake, for good, because Octo gave up the ghost at that very moment! We laughed and cried as we abandoned our precious friends when their SSV was towed away in the Atlas Mountains or when the champagne was late arriving at our destination… In short, we experienced pure emotions, saw indescribable images, and took part in a unique adventure!
Joëlle Thébault, navigator for the Twisted Painters
Stéphanie Bérubé, driver for the Twisted Painters
