Who in Morocco
 

Hi

The 18th we get back to Morocco, through spain with car and a trailer, ferry in Almeria to Nador, 13 days on site,
Nador, Beni tadjite,Merzouga, Mhamid, Tata, Tafraoute, Aguinan, ouarzazat, Imilchil,Boulemane, Nador.
Some in the area to have a beer ( or mint tea )

Eric

Hi Eric

There's been really bad weather in many parts of Morocco for several weeks. Our experience so far has been

- Col du Zad 1c and mist.
- Midelt 6c and rain (so we cancelled the Cirque de Jaffar run)
- Merzouga 18c with heavy rain and flooding at Erfoud and at Erg Chebbi
- Tinerhir 12c with flooding in the Todra and smashed link piste to Dades
(it took us 13 hours eventually in moonlight)
- Ouarzazate 20c with severe haze <3km visability
- Marrakech finally sunshine and 24c

Tim

Clothes for now
 

Wow Tim, thanks. I meant to go to Morocco in the summer and got clothing for those hot conditions. Now I see how inappropriate what I have would be now, this year. It seems Morocco has very variable weather as befits a country with coast line and mountains. With it so cold I hope you're not too piste off! Linzi.

I'm currently in Erfoud on my first solo trip anywhere. The weather certainly hasn't been what I expected but, hey, it's still better than Belfast! The road to erg chebi was still under water yesterday but I'm hoping to get through today. Eric - email me at drew at drewmillar dot com and we might be able to meet up for a mint tea!

drew

we were down at mazoga on Saturday and Sunday and very cold and wet but road down ok
saw Tim at Todra, not able to cross river even with bikes, now in Chefchaoun for a couple of days at Hotel Rif, great place for bikes
If you see a black KTM and a yellow Tenere, that will be us

That's bad news for the weather, I'm going to Morocco in December I'll be freezing or riding on ice :eek3:

:oops2:, it seems it will be hot ( figurative meaning ).

The weather forcasts are not so good, pretty sure we will start sunday under the rain. and also following days.
I believe in the Rekkam there are many oued to cross, with certainly high water, damaged tracks and so on....:thumbup1:.
If we reach Erg Chebbi maybe we will be lucky to see the lake with water.

Inch Allah as they say.

Eric

i'm now at erg chebbi - no problem with road yesterday - one small flodded stretch but easily passable

drew

Drew
 

Hi Drew, you got there then, good for you. Hope your having a good time, I have dipped in and out of your blog.

Colin

Fine, happy to ear.

could you have some informations regarding KSAR SANIA an auberge in Merzouga.

Eric

Hi all,
we are also heading for the south, take the ferry the 28th from Sete to Nador, then the planned route is about Nador-Taza-Figuig-Erfoud-Merzouga-Zagora-Tata-Guelmim and then the usual Atlantic route down to Senegal.
Anyone down there for a drink? :)
If you see a blue, heavily overloaded Honda CR-V, that's us :)
Peter

Dakar/St louie
 

Hey there, i'm heading down to senegal in a days time from Nouchtott, Mauritania. When will you be there.

Geoff XT-600e (bully 2)

Hi,
the ferry arrives in Nador the 30th, we will spend about 10 days in Maroc, so will arrive in Senegal sometimes 12-13.nov. How long are you going to stay?
Peter

Paul and Dawn travelling in our Landcruiser and hoping to land in Morocco sometime over the weekend.

How's the weather looking?

Where is a good place to stay (with car parking) in Chefchaouen?

Paul

sorry havnt posted weather/road updates - poor internet connection and been sick for couple of days after getting caught in storm - brought wrong bike gear.
Got up Todra ok last sunday but got caught in bad weather on piste - had to turn at 2100 metres
did dades purely on tarmac.
road section ouazazate to Marrakesh no prob but cold.
badly caught out in storm on road section to essouira - got bad chill
made it to agadir but then to bed for two days
Weather stunningly good here now but you NEED good bike gear at this time in Morocco
drew
drew's bike trip 2008

We got across about 1030.

http://www.infar.co.uk/tim/gs/IMG_1940e.jpg
Flooding at Merzouga (this is the ruins of Riad Maria)

http://www.infar.co.uk/tim/gs/IMG_1950e.jpg
Nina crossing the Todra on her 1200GS

http://www.infar.co.uk/tim/gs/IMG_1990e.jpg
Hunting for neolithic remains

http://www.infar.co.uk/tim/gs/IMG_1995e.jpg
4000-year old rock paintings

Tim

Todra To Dades
 

Our first attempts at driving pistes in Morocco. Fantastic experience

We followed a few pistes from Sahara Overland from Foum Zguid to Zagora we worked our way south, having left Marrakech through the Atlas over Tizi n' Test, working our way east to form a round trip via Tata, Foum Zguid, Zagora, M'hmid.

Towards the end of out 6 day trip, we attempted the piste from todra to dades in a toyota prado in mid october. We received local info about rain a few weeks earlier but reports were good for crossing this piste in 3-4hours without danger

We got so far after passing through oued's , after parts of the trail had collapsed from rain and directions from outside of the vehicle were needed

We go so far and after 2 and half hours had to turn back after the road had collapsed. There was no way through, unless on a bike.

Anyone else experience the same trail recently. We didn't pass another vehicle for the 5 hours we were gone for.

That was the piste that took a group of five of us 13 hours. We crossed the Todra about 1030 and started on the piste about 1130. We managed to ride around the second place the piste was cut whilst it was still light, but the piste got much worse further on. We also had severe problems with mudguards becoming clogged with mud preventing the front wheels from turning.

We eventually reached the Dades piste after six hours of riding in the moonlight, but then had a 2.5 hour liaison back to our hotel in Tinerhir which we reached at 0245am. Needless to say there wasn't any supper left. :(

We had to leave one of the bikes on the piste six miles before the end and it took ten hours the next day to recover it.

I last did the piste two or three years ago riding solo with luggage and it only took 2.5 hours.

Tim