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5 Aug 2016
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Morocco, solo biker, Aug/Sept 2016
Hi All,
I'll be travelling solo around Morocco by motorcycle (XRV750 Africa Twin) from around 18th August to 25th September this year.
So far I have planned:
- 18th August (+/- 5 days) Ferry Malaga - Mellila
- Ride fairly quickly down Rif and Eastern Morocco to Saharan region (approx 5 days)
- Tour interesting areas and do various routes around the south for a while (some ideas from 'Morocco Overland' but nothing fixed)
- Friend flies into Marrakech (17th Sept), travel 2-up to Rabat (25th Sept)
- Head back to Malaga for 29th September
Is anyone interested in joining for all or parts? Car or bike, old or young, single or group - I don't care so long as we get on well.
I tend to live cheaply, camp a lot. Keen to explore countryside and local cultures, on and off road. Not into riding mega miles or fancy hotels.
Let me know if it sounds like your thing!
Last edited by Mattbibby; 5 Aug 2016 at 18:20.
Reason: Photo still upside-down?
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5 Aug 2016
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Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Montreal
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If you need OSM maps with tracks, let me know.
From Melila/Nador, on day one, you can go South to Guercif->Mahirja ->Rchida which is only a couple of hours.
Then from Rchida you climb to the Plateau of Rekam through rocky roads.
Cross the Plateau and reach Tendrara two days later. Camp in Tendrara's old railways station about 8km East of the town (access of the road from behind the military casern). The Algerian border is 50km East, so be carefull not going too deep. Don't miss the Y intersection. Try getting to Figuig and follow more or less the border down to Boudnib. From there, it's more pistas to Merzouga. But these should be tackled with a partner. Can be dangerous alone. Many oueds to cross. Fesh fesh is your ennemy.
Tendrara's station
Boudnib to Merzouga (the easy part)
I rode "against" Rally Lybia
Oued #1
Caught in oued #3
Got help (water) from nomads
If you fall and don't have handguards...
You can be in trouble. Bring spares or fit handguards
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6 Aug 2016
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Travelling spain portugal morocco 25/8 to 18/9
I will be travelling a kind of round trip starting from Beziers to spain portugal and then morocco.
I would like to do some scott's overland MH7 or else. I should be in atlas around 5/9.
I am bringing my camping stuff in case.
I ride an AT Crf1000.
tobern.
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10 Aug 2016
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tobern
I will be travelling a kind of round trip starting from Beziers to spain portugal and then morocco.
I would like to do some scott's overland MH7 or else. I should be in atlas around 5/9.
I am bringing my camping stuff in case.
I ride an AT Crf1000.
tobern.
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Hi Tobern,
There's a few routes, including MH7, that I'm interested but would prefer not to tackle alone. Perhaps we should arrange to meet up around Zagora or Ourzazate around 5th September, ride a route together, and take it from there?
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11 Aug 2016
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mattbibby
Hi Tobern,
There's a few routes, including MH7, that I'm interested but would prefer not to tackle alone. Perhaps we should arrange to meet up around Zagora or Ourzazate around 5th September, ride a route together, and take it from there?
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Hi Matt,
Yes, same for me. Just picking the new AT today. In a few days I will get an Inreach SMS number, and will be reachable from anywhere.
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12 Aug 2016
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tobern
Hi Matt,
Yes, same for me. Just picking the new AT today. In a few days I will get an Inreach SMS number, and will be reachable from anywhere.
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Cool, I'm now in Granada. I'll cross to Melilla in the next few days.
Send me a private message when you're sorted.
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22 Aug 2016
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tobern
Hi Matt,
Yes, same for me. Just picking the new AT today. In a few days I will get an Inreach SMS number, and will be reachable from anywhere.
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Hi,
Did you get your new bike? Send me a PM when your plans are more firm.
I'm still in Granada, got delayed enjoying myself in this lovely city. I plan today to ride to Almeria and then to cross to Morocco tomorrow or the day after.
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31 Aug 2016
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Currently in Aït Benimathar, just about to cross the Rekkam Plateau heading south.
Still looking for buddies to tackle some of Chris Scott's routes with.
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2 Sep 2016
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I will be in Fez today,
see you,
tobern
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2 Sep 2016
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Super Moderator
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Location: London and Granada Altiplano
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How are you finding the heat?
__________________
"For sheer delight there is nothing like altitude; it gives one the thrill of adventure
and enlarges the world in which you live," Irving Mather (1892-1966)
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2 Sep 2016
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim Cullis
How are you finding the heat?
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It was 43°c today, if you ride it is ok, but if you stop...
i always ride with all gear, so i drink 1l of water per hour.
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3 Sep 2016
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim Cullis
How are you finding the heat?
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It's OK. I am getting up very early normally when camping to ride mostly before the middle of the day. The best hour of the day is between first light and sunrise - just watch out for animals on the roads!
Riding between 2-5pm is tough - like Herve says, lots of water is necessary. I think the weight of my luggage has nearly doubled with all the water I am carrying!
This morning I planned to set off by 8am but my new Moroccan friends are delaying things (I am still on 'UK time', ie. Punctual mode!). Today we do route ME7 from Fuguig to Merzouga. They think it may be closed by the Algerian military but we go to see.
No petrol currently in Fuguig but there was yesterday - it seems to be intermittently available.
Later in the year would probably be better heat-wise but it unfortunately didn't fit with the rest of my plans. And being here off-season is quite nice, I am the only tourist in town and it feels like more of an adventure.
By the way, for anyone that's a hit adventurous that visits Figuig, you can trek underground through a stream, in claustrophobic tunnels for a few KM to the source of the Oasis water - recommended but you'll need local knowledge and a thirst for the Unknown!
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3 Sep 2016
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Interesting about the khettaras in Figuig.
Try completely soaking your riding gear in water, it creates a refrigerator effect and helps lower your inner core temperature.
There's not much in the way of fuel west of Figuig until you hit the N13 to Merzouga. There's an Afriquia station at Tajite, waypoint N32 18.232 W3 27.419 . Also fuel in cans at Hotel Caravanserai at Boudnib, waypoint N31 56.675 W3 36.956
If you find more, please let me know.
__________________
"For sheer delight there is nothing like altitude; it gives one the thrill of adventure
and enlarges the world in which you live," Irving Mather (1892-1966)
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3 Sep 2016
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4 Sep 2016
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Thanks for all the advice guys.
There's a petrol station in Bouarfa (10.22 MAD/litre), a big one right in the centre.
I was offered fuel in cans at Bounane but held out hoping for a proper petrol station at Boudnib.
But there is no petrol station in Boudnib (despite what I was told in Bounane), so I bought some fuel from cans, just behind the main roundabout (13 MAD/litre)
You call it 'black market' fuel but I don't think there's anything illegal about it. In fact I was directed there by a man in military uniform, so it's at least widely accepted! Most people know where the 'fuel in cans' people are, I tend to ask rickshaw riders.
I did ME6 yesterday (I wrote ME7 in my last post by accident) with no problems at all. Not mentioned in 'Morocco Overland' or shown on the Michelin map is the reservoir around 1/3 of the way through, which is worth a stop.
Today I did ME2. Some of the sandy Oeds were a little tough but a good intro to the soft stuff for me. Several wells en-route but I didn't drink from them (is it safe?). The nomad kids seemed to all want bon-bons, so I guess it's a more touristy route than those farther East.
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