Morocco map that covers the WS....

[uknomad]

Hi,

I've been to Maroc a few times now, so already have various maps (Mich 742, rough guide map, insight travel map).

But I hope to going for about 6wks after Easter, this will hopefully give me a chance to get down to the WS, are there any good maps out there that cover WS?

Thanks for any help, cheers Mark

[Jervig]

First of all, never mention WS in your communication in Morocco, for them it is South Morocco. West Africa map of Michelin covers the region but not very detailled.

I think the REISE KNOW HOW map does, but cannot check now, I am not at home at the moment.

GRTZ,

JP

[Chris Scott]

On mass market paper I think the Mich 742 is as good as it gets at 1:4m scale - certainly better than RK-H for WS.

(actually as JP said, 741 'North West Africa' covers WS at the same 4m scale)

You will find various MINURSO and similar pdfs if you search online.

There are old 250k French maps which all cover WS in two dozen sheets but as they (and others) pre-date the Polisario war and all that followed, I'm not sure I'd rely solely on them.

Short of that, I'd hope the new Gandini book's maps would be useful down there.

Ch

Morocco Overland ~ Morocco map reviews

[Rafke]

The RKH Westafrika Sahelländer covers all the Provinces du Sud on a 1:2.2 million scale. Shows some more geographic features, but still a very small scale.

As Chris says, search online for various MINURSO maps, also sketches of bird-watchers like Go-South can be interesting.

Also pre-ordered a copy of the new Gandini Atlantic Sahara, big hopes as the new design of his updated guidebooks and maps makes them finally a pleasure to read and use. You can have a preview here, looks promising.

Good luck.

[Chris Scott]

big hopes as the new design of his updated guidebooks and maps makes them finally a pleasure to read and use

That was my problem with the Gandinis - well researched background detail but terrible format - but that was years ago.

General map of Vol 6 looks pretty useful alongside a Mich, let's hope detailed maps inside offer a bit more.

Do us a review Rafke when you get yours.

What I would do if planning to visit that area is get the 500k TPC maps (if available still). Good paper, incremental grid and so once cut down they're easy to use to mark up yourself into a custom 'master map'.

Ch

[vrecha]

As said by others before.
If you intend to stick to the paved roads in WS, you don't need more than 742 offers. No map at all will also do, the road network is not complicated and you will find clear signs indicating directions on most crossroads.
If you intend to explore pistes, Gandini is the best choice so far as far as the written guidebooks go.
Don't forget also to search this forum for info, you can distill some ideas, especially from posts by moro, florence of arabia, pera and some others contributors.

[uknomad]

Cheers Gents for all the replies, very helpful, thank you.

Yes of course I mean South Morocco.

Has anyone had any experience of these 2;

Morocco 1/800 :IGN.M.P.85108: Découverte des pays du monde. Routes. Autoroutes. Informations touristiques. Plan des villes principales: Amazon.co.uk: Institut Geographique National: Books

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Western-Saha...ern+sahara+map

Yes I have a REISE one, I'll look into the others mentioned, thanks again, Mark

[TheWarden]

The travel journal is a new one on me and at £7 almost ordered it to see what it was like. Check a few reviews of their others and they appear to be just journals for writing stuff in rather than a guide

[moggy 1968]

you can also download russian military maps, which although old are quite detailed. If you are looking at a specific area don't forget good old google maps and satellite view!!

[uknomad]

Thanks again everyone.

As above, this one looks quite useful;

Pistes du Maroc Tome 6 (2014) - Extrem'Sud

Google trans;
SECOND EDITION

The new edition (2014) , revised and greatly expanded ( 408 pages instead of 128) of Volume 6 4x4 J. guides Gandini illustrated and is now strongly full color ( 400 instead of 48 pictures ) .

It offers 40 routes (27 in the previous edition), with the 1100 GPS survey points ( instead of 510) , totaling 6,800 km of tracks ( instead of 3800) deLaâyoune / Smara to the Mauritanian border , inter alia, new courses off piste completely new .
The Atlantic Sahara , or Western Sahara, nothing like the traditional Sahara northwest Africa that media reports had we used to make us dream . If large desert areas are present in Atlantic Sahara , no massive dunes like huge ergs of Algeria or Libya, or point Tanezrouft Ténéré , mountainous massifs point remains full of pre-Islamic as Mauritanian Adrar , Hoggar and Tassili in Algeria or Akakous and Messak Libya.
The Atlantic Sahara is a different world where the ocean sea entries have shaped a different landscape ... In 2006, during my first survey routes , and in February 2013 for this new edition , I had the chance to cross a desert like our European meadows , a huge green carpet with exceptional rains that nomads had not seen for a long time. Wadis flowed in many areas , wells and aquifers were full of water, wildlife and birds kept us company ... not to mention butterflies around lights at night ...
The Atlantic Sahara is another vision of Morocco, Morocco a little known DPM . The Atlantic Sahara nothing like the tourist Sahara of southern Morocco encountered between Merzouga and Foum Zguid and we traveled a few days trying to avoid columns 4x4 agencies or groups of friends coming to a " raid " ...
The Atlantic Sahara there are hundreds and hundreds of kilometers of reg with light beautiful reliefs or depressions indicating the presence of a wadi where sometimes some thorny acacias invite you to bivouac. The Atlantic Sahara are also areas of great emptiness where you will not meet anyone hundreds of kilometers , nomadic camps are rather in the south where the reliefs provide accreditation in the landscape.
In summary, the Atlantic Sahara desert is good , the true desert ...

RAFKE; Also would like to hear your report on it.

Off course I have Chris Scott's books, MO 1&2 and Sahara Overland. Always like as much info as I can absorb.

Yes started looking at google maps, funny enough the older Olaf link I have covers more of South Maroc, than the newer link that doesn't seem to cover it at all.

Thanks again, cheers Mark

[moggy 1968]

Originally Posted by moggy 1968

you can also download russian military maps, which although old are quite detailed. If you are looking at a specific area don't forget good old google maps and satellite view!!

oh, and you can get them on android

[Rafke]

@Chris, @uknomad OK, by popular demand I'll report back later, the book should arrive in 2 weeks.
Cheers,
Raf

[pera]

Originally Posted by moggy 1968

you can also download russian military maps, which although old are quite detailed. If you are looking at a specific area don't forget good old google maps and satellite view!!

I think these are the best and more recent than the French ones. You can buy them here Digital topographic maps download - mapstor.com . The prices are reasonable.

[pera]

Originally Posted by Rafke

@Chris, @uknomad OK, by popular demand I'll report back later, the book should arrive in 2 weeks.
Cheers,
Raf

I think I´ll have it sooner...

I received the tome III a week ago. The content is updated with new tracks and texts. It´s full colour but composition and printout is not the better I´ve seen.

[TheWarden]

OSM mapping is slightly better than olaf for the WS once you zoom in far enough