Hi Dave, the guys went out for a recce and the road north to Ozt is cut 60km out near Gas Haven. This is the same as your 'road west to Agadir.'

The other back road to Ozt holds some hope - a marginal ford right now. Could be more further along the way. But if it was open you would know about it as that would lead to Agadir.

Then the big ford south towards the jct leading east past the mine to Agdz is the last option. And from Taz they say the road is open west, but how far?

Never seen a hotel this full in Mk.

If what you say is true then my groups' flights on Friday from Marra will need thinking about. But I am sure they will repair the key Tichka road asap.

The weather does seem to be clearing - until Thursday at least. It means people could shuffle about and get nearer or where they want to be.

It's a wash out to be sure, but like you say, better indoors with wifi and coffee than by the roadside.

Ch

Nice snap
 

Oh dear, never mind,
OR
the great deeds of mice and men are as nothing to the power of nature.
:palm:

Enjoy the ride(s).

Just seen advertised on Amazon

"100 Things to Do in Tazenakht In the Rain" by Chris Scott, Preorder, release date TBC :D

Looks pretty bad hope you all get on your way............somewhere soon

We tried to drive from Marrakech to Ait Benhaddou today, but the police turned us back by Ait-Ourir. They indicated that it could take 2-3 days before the road is opened back up again. Since I don't speak French, I'm not sure quite how long he meant, but he seemed to say that tomorrow was definitely off the table, but who knows?
The forecast for tomorrow is promising a lot of rain in the Marrakech area and I don't know what that means for the roads going south or west.

Latest from Taz now puts our hope in the road north via Gas Haven - tomorrow inch allah. Makes sense to work on this one as it's a key road to the west. An expectant queue of vehicles at what now has revealed itself to be a bridge, not a ford. Tho I learned that Taliouine bridge was out or inundated so in fact Taz has been cut off in all directions.

Forecast shows three days of sunshine coming up for Zagora. The weather north of the Atlas is another matter, afaik

Next on the wish list is opening the Tichka road by Friday morning. That should be doable from what FV says.

Got some nice mini carpets from the ever chummy bloke at Tapis Berbere, as mentioned in the book.

http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/wp-c...402&w=599&zc=1

Road west from Tazenakht is closed at Taliouine due to a bridge failure. It gives me no confidence that I rode over this a few weeks back after the last lot of flooding.



And a nice rescue near Tinerhir.

.

Sunny morning in Taz but the road is still closed north the Ozt. Surely today.
Last night we met some guys to came from Marrakech that day via the Test pass in a Renault. So Tali bridge must be open or somehow navigable? But they said they only just made it.

Ch

Oh joy. Just had some breaky were intending to head out of Ozt again to see if they had cleared the N10. As it happens it hasn't been raining here since yesterday afternoon.

Guy in our hotel has a mate that made it to Taz from Agadir (no further). Girlfriend speaks fluent French so we're as confident on the translation as we can be here ;)

This morning: WiFi and orange juice. Fun times. I had better call my boss and tell him I'm not going to be back in the office for a few days!

http://www.atlasinfo.fr/photo/art/gr...g?v=1416776561

Régions du Sud: Des inondations désastreuses
Fortes pluies: des morts, des disparus et des dégâts matériels

Dozens of people dead, 6 national roads blocked, over 100 other blocked roads, hundreds of pisé houses destroyed—quick translations below:

16 people died and 10 others are missing following floods of the Oued Tamsourt, 6 km from the town of Bouizegrane [think this might be Bouizekarne].

Douar Ouled the Bouzid and Kartaoua where the flood destroyed 25 houses along the river.

Drowning of 15 members of a family returning from a wedding and two other people in Tinghir.

In the region of Agadir, another person is brought disappeared

Death of 19 people around Guelmime and disappearance of 11 others because of the floods.

In the province of Taroudant, douars [villages] are completely isolated.

Two bridges were destroyed despite the fact that they are of recent construction. The first level Taliouine cutting off the connection between Agadir and Ouarzazate. The second collapsed in the province of Tinghir.

At the Oued Taalmaardart, three taxis were engulfed by the waves causing the deaths of 13 people whose bodies have not been recovered.

http://s2.lemde.fr/image/2014/11/24/...c290f890a7.jpg

I was stranded in Ouarzazate a few years back when there was a national transport strike and no tankers making fuel deliveries. By the eighth day we really were running out of things to do...

I feel for you guys stuck in Tazenakht, but it could be worse, at least there's hotels, cafes and wifi. Any bëër beer?

Lord, that post with pics is chilling. You feel a bit isolated with crumby wifi and think it's only around you.
And it only rained hard, on and off, Thursday then Friday night.

Latest from the gendarme at the Shell bridge is the Gas Haven road to Ozt (N10) may be open in 2 hours, opening access to the west from Ozt.
But Tichka road still closed (as explained earlier). Hopefully will be open by Thursday when we try and make a dash for it before next rains.
And the road south and east from Taz - part unsealed - to Agdz (where we want to go) is open. Couple of guys out right now checking if that is true before we load up.

Oh, and the hotel ran out of hot chocolate last night. Some had to make do with warm milk.

Ch

Wow yes, travel safe people.

As a biker myself I felt for a tour group of Polish GS riders with jeans and bags strapped round their boots yesterday...as we go back in our warm Pajero.

Gendarme has said the same to us (2-3hrs) at the top of the N10 each time we've visited over the last few days.

Booking.com keeps telling me off for missing hotel bookings, c'est la vie.

Er... I don't think the Tichka road will be open any day soon...




To get back to Marrakech I suspect the piste from Tichka west into the Zate valley (jokingly referred to as the P2016) will be too dangerous and in any case I think where it rejoins the N9 is still south of the flood damage.

One option might be to go over the Tichka then turn east at Touama taking the piste to Sidi Rahal. Use the following waypoints...
N31 32.013 W7 29.137
N31 34.666 W7 28.654
N31 38.753 W7 29.214

You could also turn east at Touama on the P2117 which according to Google Maps now has a link to Sidi Rahal. I haven't been that way for years but it certainly used to be partially piste, maybe it's tarmac now. And of course there might be flood damage everywhere. Waypoints
N31 32.006 W7 29.230
N31 33.895 W7 27.350
N31 35.513 W7 23.086 turn left (north) about here
N31 38.674 W7 27.506

The R210 near Sidi Rahal is currently flooded but no mention of permanent damage.

.

Bad news, good news
 

The rainfall in Maroc has been covered by Al Jazeera today.
It is the rainy season of course, but Morocco has had about 4 times the monthly rainfall for November according to the Al Jaz english channel, which has shown the water courses in full spate.

The relevant weather system is now moving toward Algeria and Tunisia.

But more is on its way for 28-29 November, check out the animation of the JetStream