Recently back from Morocco and thought I'd feed back on some of the routes we did (or tried to do). We were in a Defender 110.

We did most of MS2,3,4,6,7 and 8 albeit with a bit of chopping and changing when routes intersected. We did a lot of the routes in reverse which is obviously more challenging if you are following the directions. We were surprised to see hardly any other independent travelers.

MS2 - there is now a big new road from Zagora to Tissemoumine over the Tafalet pass. It isn't tarred but is well graded, wide and high with big culverts passing underneath. We did 70kmph on it and I expect many would go a lot faster. There are very limited places where you can get off the road. There is also a lot of new irrigation/cultivation in the area which has removed some of the old tracks.This meant finding the turning north on to MS2 was a bit of challenge and when we did the track was very rough in places.

MS3 - we did sections of this on different days but covered all but the first few km. The tar no longer ends at Taghbalt. There is a big new road, again very well constructed, which sweeps round Taghbalt. Try as we might we couldn't find our way through with the waypoints and ended up leaving town on the tar. In an attempt to get back on route we followed good tracks off the tarred road to the NE but they turned out to be quarrying tracks and we found ourselves on top of the escarpment. We spent several hours following various tracks to dead ends/sheer drops before being directed by a quarry worker to a track down. Let's just say it was not for the faint hearted...

MS4 - as mentioned above from Tissemoumine it's now a straight run on a new road. We didn't do the other end of the route as we joined it from MS3.

MS6 - we started from Merzouga. There were no real surprises here. The first section was a bit grim with the road churned up by quarry trucks, creating a lot of dust. Crossing the Rheris was OK. We went right at the building just before the crossing, following raised paths through a cultivated area and then into some small dunes. Then the tracks we were following stopped dead at a dune. We climbed up to the left hand side of it and found a way through.

MS7/8 - we started from MHamid. Deep sand started at km 25 (138) and carried on, albeit with a few opportunities to stop, for at least 12km. You need to crest some small dunes. It was fine in a Land Rover but I imagine could be hard on some bikes. We spent a couple of days camping out at Cheggaga and it was well worth it. We switched to MS8 at Lak Iriki. No sign of any damp patches but we drove on the existing tracks.

We also did MA1,2,3, 4 and 5. Another post to follow on these.

Hi,

Many thx for the update, hope to do the same way on MS6/7/8 in a few weeks.

Also look forward to your opinion on MW3/4/5.

Cheers Mark

Good info

would be worth posting here

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...itions-61007-7

so conditions are in one place

also I wonder if that thread could be made sticky if any mods are reading?

Officially that's the N12 which until recently was an old piste from Tazzarine to Zagora and then on to Foum Zguid. As you say, a new piste has been constructed alongside the old one to the east of Zagora. On the Zagora to Foum Zguid part of the N12 route they were upgrading this last year and I expect they will be rolling tarmac if they haven't already done so. It was supposed to be finished this summer.

__________________
"For sheer delight there is nothing like altitude; it gives one the thrill of adventure
and enlarges the world in which you live," Irving Mather (1892-1966)

Hi,

I did the Foum Zguid to Zagora route mid January and although there were a few roadworks vehicles at the Foum Zguid end, it is still a track. They have laid tarmac towards Zagora but it was not open for traffic then. Nice drive.

Bob.