Morocco 2023 Trip
 

Hello everyone

Just though I would post up a thought balloon and get some feedback from some seasoned Morocco travellers.

I am giving serious thought to heading to Morocco with a "tour group" in October of 2023.

Now before you all call me a woussy,let me share my thoughts.

I have done 2 "events" with this organisation, the longest one was "O caminho mais longo" in Portugal where we basically drove off pavement from the very north to the very south of Portugal.

I will admit I though this was going to be a sort of american style "follow the leader" type of plod through the country, and it was anything but! Excellent event,fantastic people,amazing places we stayed at and the food was terrific.

I did more hard core,technical terrain than I have ever done in my life on this event,and would do it again in a heart beat.

Now these folks are heading to Morocco (they do go there a few times as well as Tunisia ect),small group of 10 cars, not a follow the leader type deal, you sort of hook up with who you want and there is always a sweeper vehicle with a "mechanic" that brings up the rear along with a doctor/medical person should something go completely pear shaped.

Now as I would be heading out alone (my wife cares not for this sort of vehicular activities),it would at least give me some folks with common interest to speak with,hang out and tackle any sort of obstacles/spot ect with.

I dont believe we will be doing any sort of hard core offroading in Morocco, it would be silly to do stupid stuff so far from home, but you can always have a mechanical breakdown or simply hurt yourself outdoors and going with a group would help me get a feel for what its like live on the ground in Morocco and still have the benefit of having a "buddy" you could rely on if the bad stuff happens.

I think we will be staying in hotels each night with secure parking so that solves any issues with that, and we would share meals at breakfast and supper at the start and end of each day,with all the time in between to travel at your own pace.

So thoughts welcome

Cheers,

Paulo

If you already know the company then its a good choice for the reasons you state. I've been with organised trips, tavelled solo and run tours, they all have advantages and disadvantages. (I wouldn't call 10 vehicles a small group myself though).

There are few dodgy outfits doing Morocco trips now where they either follow a guide book or mostly stay on the tarmac.

I think joining a tour in what might be a radically culturally unfamiliar country is a good way to start.
Of course it will cost you loads more than DIY but you can sit back and get a feel for the place and how easy it might be to come back next time under your own steam.

I would find out a bit more about the route, terrain and what you will see and do before deciding. Just how well does the company know Morocco?

Peter Buitelaar offers a similar sort of service and you may find his photos inspirational as he knows all the good places to visit and bivouac.

If your tour company can offer a similar experience I would definitely go with them as it takes years of exploration to discover all these sorts of places and you were happy with their previous offering.

Still sitting way way on the fence on this one.

I did reach out to peter, and I look forward to his reply also.

Obviously on wikiloc there are literally hundreds of trails and trips one can take,and along with Chris's book,I know I have more than enough information available.

i think its more ,someone to share the experience with and talk about the days sights and places visited. I am sure there would be folks to bump into on the road as well,so maybe thats a non issue.

I need to go over Chris's book again,perhaps look into something that can be done within 8 or 9 days in country that covers the overall feel for the place.

Cheers,

Paulo

Morocco off road solo
 

Hi ,your post is exactly the situation I’m in this sort of trip is certainly not my mrs’s cup of tea and I don’t really want to spend the money on a tour tbh I’d rather spend that money on fuel instead ,I have travelled Morocco many times on foot and a couple of times by car on paved roads ,so basically I’m going for it my vehicle is well prepared I have spare parts 2 spare wheels ,so fingers crossed I have an enjoyable experience I plan on going at the end of the month shame really I would of been interested in hooking up .

I also love to travel I want to go there this year.

Hello everyone & thanks to rydz for starting the thread!

I am also planning to go to Morocco this year, and would appreciate advice from the community.

Been reading up on the different threads and the advice given have helped me a lot, even if I haven't left home just yet.

I've ridden for a good ten years+ and done some off-roading as well. Not much, mostly on gravel roads. Since I don't have an off-road bike at the moment, I would need to rent one. And since I don't trust my own roadside mechanics abilities, I would assume joining a tour would be my best option, for my first trip to Morocco.

I've seen a few tips about what to look for when it comes to tour operators, and I haven't seen that many after doing some searches, so that will not be an issue. (although, if there are some I should consider, feel free if it's ok in this section of the forums) Where to go on the other hand!

I'd love to be able to ride some dunes, and do some twisty sections as well. Camping not an issue. Would rather be far from cities, than going from hotel to hotel. What parts of the country, or what routes do you recommend that I should be looking at?

I'm kind of flexible when it comes to dates, as long as it is Oct - Dec. Preferably Oct - Nov. How hot does it get in Oct? How cold are the nights in late Nov?

Cheers!
András

Unless you are a crusty, red-hot demon of dirt aboard an appropriate machine, it will take you < 15 minutes to get dune riding out of your system. It's not like the Dakar though I understand it's a big appeal if you've never tried it before.

Honestly, with 12-hour nights forget about moto camping with all the associated clobber and enjoy southern Morocco's cheap hotels, great food, ropey plumbing, wifi and other people.

Head over the Atlas and it's all there waiting for you. Oct can be too hot imo (greater water consumption), so was Nov last year though usually it's just right. But shacked up in a hotel it's all less of an issue anyway.

You will manage fine on a rented 310GS and a sensibly modest itinerary.

I really dont know what all the fuss is about ............. been to maroc 56 times (mostly on my own on motor bikes ) and just come back after 6 weeks backpacking. Only had one strange incident in Safi , when a big morrocon wanted to kiss me !
The secret is to dress like a well worn traveller ,and dont act like a tourist !
K

Cheers, Chris!

Do I read you right, that even with no experience with tools you would recommend me renting a bike?

By heading over the Atlas, do you mean fly in/out Marrakesh or similar?

Thanks again

Ridden appropriately and with an understanding of where you are riding alone and with what resources, well prepared and maintained bikes don't break, most commonly they have punctures (usually because tyres are old) or fall over and break levers (so choose handguards). Any greater damage and you are unlikely to be in shape to remedy it.

So best thing is to rent a bike with tubeless tyres - eg 310GS rather than Tornado (which are now well and truly clapped out in Morocco - be careful). TL flats can be fixed in minutes with a plug on a spike (see youtube videos) but you will need a pump or CO2. A bicycle pump will do to get you to a garage. TL flats can be ridden slowly, if necessary. It's all online or in my Morocco and AMH books.

A multitool + motion pro + the age-old 'zip ties & duct tape' will do you. Add a mobile phone and common sense; the best tools of all ;-). Or - ignore all this, throw yourself in and take the consequences. It's all part of the adventure and it's only Morocco.

In my opinion the interesting riding in Morocco in concentrated in the Atlas ranges and south of them. RAK is ideally placed to fly in and rent.

It's easy to say having been brought up on ratbikes, but this whole thing about having to be a 'mechanic' to rides bikes is an urban myth. Let others work it out. Certainly learn about common faults and troubleshooting, and then probably forget about them. Keep an eye on oil level, tyre pressures and chain tension.

I was surprised myself years ago, but Morocco is an exception by African standards: you can rent self-drive bikes and 4x4s with - in places - near European levels of service and support. I recommend Loc 2 Roues.

Thank you once again, Chris!

I've found your book, Morocco Overland. I really should be picking up a copy before I commit to this trip, I feel.

Since I'm not on Facebook, I haven't been able to take a peek at Loc2Roues. However, Wilderness Wheels have written back to me. Don't know at what price they rent and what bikes, yet. You know of them?

I don't do FB either (or don't get it) but Loc's www is:
https://bm-attitude.com/

WW used to be in Ouarzazate and rented KTM450s but only on their guided tours including a spare 450 in a pick up. I thought they moved to Spain but looks like they are back with new, younger owners? Looks like the same deal, though.

Also,try and see from their preliminary info how many kilometers you will be driving each day to achieve it.This ,in conjunction with a map will give you a rough idea of on or off road driving content.Most organized tours in Maroc tend to have high on road content in order to give tourist time in the fabulous towns and cities.

Very well spotted, Tony! I will most certainly look out for that.

I've sent a mail to Loc and they've already sent a reply. Very quick, I must say.

Leaning towards renting, and riding without a tour group...even if it brings me out of my comfort zone.

Do I have to plan my stops at service stations well, or are they plenty around up in the Atlas and south of Marrakesh?

Fuel stations are far more plentiful in Morocco than Europe.

I use them to break the 200dh notes from an ATM by asking for 120dh of fuel (mya w ashrin), then in return I get a 50dh and 20dh note plus a 10dh coin. A few hours later I do the same again.

There is often a problem with change in maroc . so i try and keep about 6 /10 dirahams in my pocket .
Just returned after 6 weeks and some strange weather .... lots of snow ,very high winds and rain in sidi ifini , and cold
Re petrol .......... i try and use Africa petrol stations as they seam to be the most popular and most have a cafe as well

I recall saving small notes to use south of the Atlas due to difficulties with change 20 years ago.

It hasn’t been a problem for me in the last 15 years

and .........if you have change. and know the cost of things , you just pay the " normal " rate........... I was in a ctm bus stop cafe and had chicken/ chips/salad, with a lot of tourist . I just payed 30 dr to him and he was just about to ask for more ...........Thats the price ( 25... 30 dr )

If you eat at local places you still eat good food for about 12 dr

Also planning on driving Morocco in October
 

Hey Paulo

we are also looking to drive in Morocco in October 2023, but I don’t think we will have the coin to pay for a guided trip so we will make our own plan.

If you, or anyone else, wants to make a little mini-safari group then we would be interested.

I've been reading your book, Chris, and suggestions on here about when you ride where.

I know that most of us can't predict the weather, but what routes in the High Atlas, and mountains close to Marrakesh are likely to remain open early/mid November?
...and mid to late November.

I see that plane tickets the last week of November are still fairly cheap

I have ridden all of November for the last 10+ years and only once got cut off by bad floods in 2015 (much worse than last Feb). Every other time - reliably clear skies, not like spring.
November is too early for any route around the 2500-m mark to get heavily snowed over. If anything it's getting hotter. It was over 30°C in RAK at the end of November last year.
Cheap tickets is another good reason to fly & ride in November - a low season.

Cheers, Chris! I will need to get those plane tickets booked for november, berfore they get too expensive.

I'm reading your book Morocco Overland, and have been looking at routes you suggest south of Marrakesh. I must admit I find the amount of possible routes to take a bit overwhelming.

Considering I'm not an off-road demon, and have maybe 4 or 5 days of proper riding to plan for, what routes from your book do you recommend I take a closer look at?

MH4, MH6, MH11, MH12, MS6, MS10 are the ones I've noted down, so far.

I'm looking at renting a GS 310 from Loc2roues

MH10 from Iknioun to Alnif is an outstanding route, off-tar but not technical. Just be careful to concentrate on the road - the scenery is rather distracting!

You might find the eastern end of MS6 a bit tricky - deep bulldust around Remlia and a fair bit of sand elsewhere. It is a popular route so there should be passing traffic for help, but solo, as a sand newb, on a rental 310 I would be wary. From Tafroute west is more doable.

MS10 is all tar, and a great traverse. You can cover a lot of distance in good time if you need to (after pootling around in the hills or desert longer than expected) Anywhere north east of Rissani is too far (and not so interesting) for your first trip, I would suggest.

The number of routes is indeed overwhelming, and you will have to accept that 4 or 5 days is going to be a mere taster. You will have to return! Remember most towns have accommodation, and you don't often have to book ahead. Be flexible, and don't be too ambitious with your expected daily distances. For example, a moderate day's ride might be Marrakech to Skoura via Tichka pass and Ouarzazate, but if you take a lot of photos it might take 8 hours! Google will tell you it is 234km and less than 5 hours!

Enjoy the planning, and remember the army saying: No plan survives first contact :-)

Good summary by Mr Moss.
I would add:

• MH4 is sealed but a great ride over Saro.
• Nearby MZ1 (not in current edition) is a doable alone on a 310 and even more amazing: https://sahara-overland.com/2021/10/...aghro-crossing
• MH6 is also long sealed but I did nearby MH8 on 310 the other month, then turned east along MH7 to Anezal. Great rides both
• MH12 is a nice road ride but Tichka northside is great on a 310. Maybe a good alternative way back

See also
https://sahara-overland.com/morocco-...s-corrections/

First ride in Mk will always be a bit of a blundering recce, but better done on a fly in rental.
Next time round you will know what's what and use your time well.

Thank you for the recommendations and advice!

Since I only have limited time on the bike (from the morning of 19th until the end of the working day on the 24th) I was wondering if it would be feasable to stop by Erg Chebbi and the Dadés gorge (and if the latter is worth while, or if you recommend other sites instead.

If the MH4 is sealed, does that mean that vehicles aren't supposed to go that route?

Would you recommend me going down to MS13 -> MS10 to Erg Chebbi, then doing some of the day trips L8 or L12, or would it be better to set up a route to/from the big dunes?

Assuming you are starting from Marrakech on a 310 rental, six days is just about enough to get to Chebbi. If you've never seen dunes before it's probably worth the effort, but it will eat miles and hours.
I would spend 4 days exploring on the way there (you may change your mind midway), then blast back to RAK from Chebbi in 1.5 days (550km).

Or cut out Chebbi and enjoy High Atlas and Saro pistes.

MH4 is a normal road open to all and still a great ride.

I would not eat up time winding around on MS13, nice though it is.
And MS10 FZ to Zagora is a fairly boring straight road.

More fun to go from OZT to Tazenacht, also all road now (MS14).
Then Taz to Agdz, some great passes just right for a 310.

L8 - I did MS9 a year ago first time in over a decade. Actually nicer than I remember but you will be all alone. MS14 is now sealed, as said, but a great ride so yes, L8 would still be a great day ride out of OZT.

L12 is now an all road ride (MH4).
As already suggested, much more fun to tackle MZ1 between Skoura and Nekob.
https://sahara-overland.com/2021/10/...ghro-crossing/
As good if not better scenery.
Your 310 will know the way ;-)

By "sealed" we just mean tarmac/asphalt, not dirt/gravel.

Oh! Thank you @mossproof!

Now, in hindsight, it is clear that it should mean tarmac... Otherwise why ride an offroad capable bike, right?

I've been trying to make a plan for my week, based on all your input. I pick the bike up from Loc2 on Sun 19th and return it on Fri 24th, late. My only need is a decent Wifi/internet connection on Monday evening.

So I'm thinking
Marrakesh - Quarzazate day 1
Quar - Tazenacht - Agzd - Quar day 2
Quar - Boumalne - Tinerhir day 3
? day 4
Nekob - Skoura day 5
Back to Marrakesh day 6

Is that a realistic and/or good basis for a week?

Another question came up this week.

I was recommended a place called Hotel Terranga, on Rue Capitaine Ben Ali Belhaj. It looked decent online and even had a bookable site in booking.com The odd thing was that it neither wanted a credit card for booking, nor have I recieved any email confirming my booking. Is this common?

I dont know of an interesting off road route between these towns, and straight long the N10 (even via the Kella bypass) will be a wasted day.

Day 3 better to ride Ozt, Skoura, piste to Nekob (MZ1).
This will be the highlight of your week.
Day 4 up the road to Ikniouen and MH10 east to Alnif, or turn-off for Tourza at MH10 31.17266, -5.41787 (about MH10KM73), the to Tinerhir.

D5 you could do a great, mostly road ride over the Atlas watershed and back:
Tinerhir, Todra, Tamtatoucht, new road west to Msemrir (unfinished), north over Atlas to Agoudal (also unfinished), over the town oued and back over Atlas to Ait Hani, turn south back to Tamta, Todra and Tinerhir.
It is 350km which will be on the limit of a 310GS. Ask in village shops or nip up to Imilchil fuel station (34km north of Agoudal).

Then next day back to RAK.

I have tried all the hotels around Loc but missed the Hotel Terranga.
If you booked direct, hotels in this area of RAK can often be casual about confirmation. If you booked via booking.com (often cheaper) you should get the usual confirmation.
This is why I settle on booking.com in Mk, even if I would rather the hotel got all the money direct. Their system works.
I use Les Ambassadeurs on the corner; same distance from Loc.

Thank you very much, again, Chris!

There is some good tracks on the south edge of the High Atlas between Ouarazazate and Boulmane. They take a bit of finding as they aren’t shown on maps yet. One of the best was blocked in May and could also have damage from the earthquake

I see now that I need to bring the bike back on friday afternoon, so that means I'll be spending Sun - Fri on the saddle.

If I'm RAK - OZT (1) OZT roundtrip (2) OZT - Nekob (3) Nekob - Tinehir (4) Tinehir roundtrip (5), will Tinehir to RAK be doable as a race back to Loc? It's more than 6 hrs of driving, according to Google, not sure if that equates to a 8-9hrs ride.

Should I stretch the OZT to Nekob with Tinehir as my final destination for that day? Then do the Atlas watershed and back, and make my way more slowly to RAK?

This would be a long ride, about 7 hours.
Remember, once on the road your plans will soon slip like sand through your fingers, but you have to start somewhere.

I suppose you could do OZT Nek (5hrs tiring) Tin in a day, after a lunch rest at Nekob.
Its a great ride over Jebel Saro: Nek > Tin. About 2 hours.

Hello again!

I'm now finally on the road, and since I booked my bike late, all Loc had for me was the medium BMW, so I'm on a GS800.

I've taken a road off the main line, somewhere Taferiate. There were gravel sections along the way, and since I have never ridden this size off road bike, on anything bar tarmac, I don't feel too comfortable going off road with it.

I've been looking at you site Chris, and read the book and maps, since you've been there, just how gnarly are the gnarly parts of the Skoura Nekob road? Is it more difficult coming from the north than the way it's described? All I have is my map and my phone, will there be signal all the way through?

Cheers!

Do an Internet search and find out how to download offline map files from Google Maps to your phone, then if you don't have a phone signal you will still be able to access the maps and the built-in GPS receiver in your phone will show your position.

They gave me an 800GS (Rallye?) one time.
I was so pleased when the radiator sprang a leak on the first night and they came out with a KTM.
It really was a handful, and that was just on the road.
It would have been awful on the piste - or taken some getting usde to. Maybe Rallye is massively heavier.

The only difficulty on Nekob Skoura are the loose-surfaced bends (some ground down to powder by the mine truck axles) but there are a few hundred of them. There is no technique other than going slowly enough not to fall off, which is partly down to tyres and ideally not a full tank.
It is also a long piste - nearly 100km and about 4 hours.
Lately we always we a bunch of KTMs tearing past with a support pickup

I have only ridden it to Skoura. Don't know about signal - probably.
But you can download maps for offline, no?

Cheers, guys!

I've been advised to download maps.me as its offline mode is quite good. Something I can voucher for.

Hello!

Here is a link to my saved track between Nekoub and Skoura, I did it in Dec22 from North to South:
https://fr.wikiloc.com/itineraires-m...jgal-120430340

The app Wikiloc allows you to follow GPS tracks saved by users even if you do not have signal, people comment on the quality / difficulty of each track, also in the stats you can see how long it took to people to do the track.

If you want to have a look on what to expect on this trail, have a look at the small vid I posted last year on IG:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CmmUU..._web_copy_link

Enjoy! :)

I have now spent my week on a beemer i Morocco, and have safely returned home to this land of ice and snow...

I want to thank everyone of you who have helped my plan my trip, and especially to to you Chris! Your book was a great read and it also gave me something to ponder while on the saddle.

I ended up opting for mostly the sealed roads, as I never really got comfortable on my GS800. I haven't ridden one previously, and when I went on gravel and narrow roads it didn't give me a stable feel, always felt top heavy with a tendency to tip over.

Anyways, the roads I did ride on.

From Marrakesh to Ouarzazate I was adviced to turn off after Taferiate and take the P2016 to Zerkten. Then the next part of the N9 to miss is the detour down the P1506 via Ait Ben Haddou.

I had a day from OZT via the Flint Oasis to Tazenakht, the to Agzd then south before returning to OZT. Knowing what I know now, I could have taken to Nkob to Tinghir. Start early doors, and Tinghir is quite achieveable.

Did a day to Dades and Toudrah gorges. Dades was pretty, Toudrah was awesome! Getting there ahead of the tourist buses was key.

I will definitely return to Morocco, and ten days will probably be the minimum stay next time round.

:thumbup1: