MOROCCO
April 2024
Yamaha XT 600 1994 Custom
The roots of Beyond T7nnis trace back to a moment of instinct, not planning.
In 2024, João Beltrão set off on his first off-road journey through Morocco, part of a tour led by Rui Baltazar — CROSS COUNTRY 24 by ADV RIDERS TOURS . Riding on his 30 year old custom Yamaha XT 600 the entire load was stripped down to essentials: two Kriega OS-18 Adventure Packs and a CamelBak. In one OS-18, Beltrão packed four children’s rackets, four tennis balls, several tennis t-shirts, tools and spare parts. The other held his clothes and a single pair of boots. In the CamelBak, he carried water and a few essential electronics.
It wasn’t much, but it was enough. In two different regions, Beltrão was able to share spontaneous moments of joy and discovery with children who had never held a tennis racket. The act of giving — including around 20 t-shirts handed out along the route — left a lasting impact not only on those he met, but on Beltrão himself.
Above all, it was the people who made the deepest impression — open-hearted, generous, and endlessly welcoming.
And then, the landscapes: the rugged mountain passes carved through the Atlas Mountains, the stillness of desert plateaus, and the golden sea of Erg Chebbi’s dunes. Morocco didn’t just welcome him — it called him back.
