Has anyone recently done M5 route Zagora-Merzouga? How busy is it? we have been on organised trips to southern morroco before but this year we are going on our own. Until we gain more experience we are reluctant to venture too far on our own, and chris' routes look as if they would suit us at this time.

Hi
We did this route in reverse at the end of Dec 2002. We were in a 1997 Discovery and took a day and a half. At night we camped out in the desert west of Hassi Remlia. On the second day we teamed up with two Spanish guys in a Land Cruiser and travelled together to Zagora. Other than those, we met two defender 110s that were part of an organised tour and 2 English guys in a 30 yr old Lightweight and saw I think one other vehicle. When we got closer to Zagora we saw a couple of trucks carrying road workers.

This was my first experience of desert driving and for me it was a great introduction. It was fairly straightforward to find the piste, although we did take a couple of wrong tracks. I think the most challenging part was just west of Hassi Remilia where the piste went across sand-filled gullies and a few other parts where there were sand-filled deep ruts. The Land Cruiser got bogged down once.

The other highlight was the track from Ait Benhaddou to Telouet. This was completely different and involved a very slow and bumpy crawl along a narrow track and up into mountains scored by valleys with little villages built into their sides.

I'm sure you'll have a great time. Let me know if you need more information

Tony

Thanks for that tony.
We are most reassured, especially with getting a response to our first Post. We had rearranged our original clockwise to dothe the route following the 'right' direction, but your experiences have made us think that we can do it 'in reverse' East to west.

Thanks, i might bother you again for info.

[This message has been edited by Dods Dad (edited 03 July 2003).]

Hi
Merzouga to Zagora – I did this route in a L/R Discovery, Nov-01, and the details, timings and map are on my website. Hope these are helpful, have a great time.
http://www.kitmax.co.uk/kitmax/kit12...04_morocco.htm
Kitmax

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Kitmax - Traveller
Desert Pictures at
http://www.kitmax.com/kitmax/kit03ph...velgallery.htm
homepage http://www.kitmax.com

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Kitmax