#LIKEACHALLENGE 

I just came back from a preview screening of 'I, Tonya', the film about the Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding, who, in 1994, was involved in a plot to harm her biggest rival, Nancy Kerrigan. I was only 10 years old back then but I remember the news headlines very well. I was a massive figure skating fan (I still am, hence the pirouette challenge) and together with my grandma I used to be glued to the telly when the skating was on. Probably like most people, I saw Tonya as

Where am I at after one week of training? Well, a bit further than on Monday. I can manage one revolution in my two foot spin (sometimes two, if I focus hard enough on my balance and coordination). Considering I started at ZERO a few days ago, not bad. The thing is, I know I've set the bar really high with 5 revolutions in my pirouette (otherwise it wouldn't be a proper challenge), but in order to achieve that I need to get the hang of all the other bits. It's like learning

Yesterday was my first day at the ice rink. I'm training at the Alexandra Palace , which is an iconic Grade II listed entertainment venue in North London stemming from the 1870s. It's primarily used as an events space for concerts, exhibitions and sports nowadays, but interestingly (at least for me, a telly director) it was a major production centre for BBC. I think they've still got some studios there to this day. I only managed to sort out my skates at the weekend. I t

Here's the revised final route. It differs a bit from the original as 2 days got completely eaten up by the Toubkal climb, so I wasn’t...

As promised, here’s a closer look at what it takes to reach the highest peak of the Atlas. It was my first major climb and I knew it wouldn’t be easy - 4167m is not a walk in the park. Toubkal is a really tough hike, rather than a technical climb, but nonetheless serious business. I prepped what I could beforehand: sorted out my attire including thermals, coat, gloves, hat, trekking trousers (I actually wore three layers altogether, putting them on or off depending on the ch

My Moroccan breakfasts were quite a sweet affair, with the addition of eggs, goat's cheese, olives and the dozen types of bread that tie everything together. You can see the French and Spanish influence with ubiquitous amounts of pastries and orange juice. Then there's the famous Moroccan mint tea (which I drink without sugar, as the original version is way sweeter than Coca Cola) and for those in need of a stronger kick, you can always have a coffee. This was my breakfast

Tangier was the final destination. The very last 3,5 hours driving back from Casablanca to where it all started. I was very sad that my Moroccan adventure was coming to an end now, but busy planning in my head: what's next? For the first time I properly had a chance to look through all the photos and thought how much I've achieved within the space of just 10 days. I've enjoyed every second of Morocco, learnt a about off-road driving and climbed the highest peak in the Atlas.

Casablanca was the penultimate stop on the rally. I had a very romantic imagine of this city based on the cult Hollywood film under the same name, but the reality is...Casablanca is a giant construction site. It's a mix of modern commercial and apartment buildings, and some old soviet-like blocks...so I was left quite unimpressed. It lacks any architectural or historical landmarks apart from the Hassan II Mosque, which was well worth the drive. It's an imposing structure bu

After spending a whole week driving inland, I couldn't wait to head west towards the ocean. Initially the plan involved a nearly 800km / 10 hour drive south to Tarfaya after Marrakesh, but two days of the rally got eaten up by the Mount Toubkal climb... In hindsight, I should have given myself 12 days altogether (including the climb) to be able to visit Tarfaya... but hey, it's one of the first challenges and I will definitely work on logistics a bit more next time! Essaour