Off Road in Morocco?

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I'm in Morocco at the moment. I've just finished a 3 week cycle touring trip around the High and Middle Atlas mountains. It's a beautiful country. The best off roading I've come accross is a 2600m pass running more or less East to West between the Todra Gorge and the Dades Gorge. It's marked on the Michelin map of Morocco which can be bought from Stanfords. It starts at the village of Tamatought. Much of the trail is actually a river bed and some of it very rough. Not many people live up there and those that do live in caves! How they survive is a mystery to me. The landscape is stunning too. Also the road from Tilimi to Imilchil is very scenic. A few photos:

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There are quite a few more photos of my trip here Pictures by fenby - Photobucket
 
That bottom photo is the Dades Gorge ;)

Fenby, is that piste accessible by vehicle now then? last year is was closed off due to landslides and flooding. We went up the Todra for a night in Imilchil then down the Dades the following day. I read an article a few months prior to us leaving for our trip (oct 08) that a 6x6 Pinz and 110 struggled to pass through. it took 4 days and they were overtaken by some european hikers!

Will endevour to check it out next time im there.

Do you run cycle tours or something then Fen?

G
 
A standard 4x4 would currently make it over that pass between the Todra gorge and the Dades gorge, but I'd imagine things could get very tricky up there after rainfall. It's a great trail and well worth doing.

Your on the ball Griffdowg - the bottom photo was taken close to the top of the pass between Tilmi and Imilchil. It was a bugger of a climb to get up there! would you believe I met an Austrian couple who were merrily driving along this road in a Peugeot 206 hire car? It must have taken a right good hammering to the sump and floorpan.

I don't run cycle tours - that would be the life - getting paid for what I love doing. I'm all my own on this trip - I go at my own pace, do exactly what I want to do and is a good adventure. I'll come back here with a Land-Rover at some point though, perhaps on the way to Cape Town.
 
Sounds ace.

fly to Marak then get local transport to the base of the Atlas then ride from there? What bike do you use, a MTB or more or a hybrid/tourer? I take it you carry a tent/sleeping gear etc.

Sounds like an excellent cheap overland alternative to the 4x4, and if you have the time all the better :)

enjoy.

G
 
Griffdowg said:
Sounds ace.

fly to Marak then get local transport to the base of the Atlas then ride from there? What bike do you use, a MTB or more or a hybrid/tourer? I take it you carry a tent/sleeping gear etc.

Sounds like an excellent cheap overland alternative to the 4x4, and if you have the time all the better :)

enjoy.

G
Click to expand...

I've done a circular route all on the bike starting/ending in Marrakesh I went up the Ourika valley; then over to Asni and up ofver the Tizi n Test pass, over to the Tizi n Tichka pass, Telouet, Ouarzazate, Tinerhir, Imilchil, Midelt, Zeida, Beni Mellal.

Here's the bike:

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It's a cromoly steel framed mountain bike with rigid forks, heavy duty wheel rims and rear hub (You need these for off road touring) and a suspension seatpost Got all I need on there for camping: Tent, -20 degree centigrade sleeping bag foam mat; petrol stove etc.

From a young age I'd always wanted to go travelling by Land-Rover, but could never afford it, but I was well into mountainbiking so the way forward was obvious! It is a very difficult way to travel, but it's a big adventure because you are at the mercy of people and the elements. In some ways it's probably less stressful too because if you have a severe breakdown you can just get a lift on the back of a truck or something, but it's not happened to me so far - there is not much to go wrong on a bike compared to a Land-Rover. I think that travelling in a vehicle you are probably more insulated from your surroundings, which in some situations I suppose is a good thing. I could well do without getting pelted with stones by those charming little Berber children for example! There are good days and bad days; but the good days can be really fantastic. It's hard to top the feeling of freewheeling for miles on end down some rock strewn trail around hairpin bends as fast as the bike can handle.
 
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Top respect for doing it on a mountain bike - and a non suspension one too!

Thanks for the route info - this will be one I will certainly add to the list of places to go :)
 
Rusty, its worth going all the way to Imilchil and staying by Lac Tislit in the High Atlas, you can then come back down via the other gorge. I would drive up the Dades cross over on that piste and then go on up to Imilchil, then re trace your steps back down the Todra. Its a 2 day drive to do both. I dont think you could manage both gorges even by crossing that piste which is further south. It would be too much.

G
 
how long have you got incountry?

There is an excellent piste from Taouz (south of Erg Chebbi) to Zagora. I couldnt drive it because of the floods but it is meant to be an excellent drive along the Algerian border. 1 long day or a stop over and wildcamp being the preffered option.

I would consider leaving Marak and maybe even Casa. Why do you want to visit these? Marak can be done on a Easyjet flightone weekend, I would spend my time elsewhere. If your hiting the coast, Sidi Ifni is quiet, but a good spot along with Essaouira further north.

What pistes are you planning to follow along this route?

G
 
How long have I got? Hmm about 2 weeks I guess, which I could increase, and the route about is only 2500miles so quite easy going really. We won't be staying long in Marak and Casa - just seems a bit rude not to go there when we are passing by anyway! The map is a very rough one, doesn't include exact pistes opr anything - just a general idea of direction and to give us an idea of mileage

Cheers about the tip r.e Taouz, will incorperate that

Would you recommend the coast then? If so I will head round there too. Got any pics of the coastal area from your travels?

These are the routes I have gone for so far, got a few more documented pistes that I need to add yet - but I dare say we will stray off and take anything that looks interesting:

Igherm to Tata; 7086
Tata, Akka-Irhen, Foum-Zguid; 6837,6838
Foum-Zguid, Lac Iriki (dry salt lake, proper flat and empty), Oued draa, to Tagounite or Mhamid; 6961
Zagora, Valee du Draa, Zaouia Tafetchna, Nekob, Boumalne Dades; 6957, 6966,6907
Erg Chebbi dunes/Merzougga circumnavigate the dunes
Erfoud, Boudnib; 3465
Tazarine, Alnif; 3454,3458
Boumalne Dades, Gorges du dades,Tilmi,Agoudal, Lac Tislit, Imilchil, Tizi-n-isly; 6901,6905,1903
Bin el Ouidane, Cathedral Rock loop Zaouia-Ahanesal, Azilal; 1803,1807
 
rustyrhinos said:
Don't suppose you know if Michelin 959 is a good idea to buy or is it pretty much the same as Michelin 742 which I have at the moment?
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I cant find much info on 959. It looks like 742 superseeds it (North Africa 741 used to be 953). do you knowq what scale it is? I would hazard a guess 1:1mil. The only other paper maps I would be looking at are the IGN. pretty rare, but you may find what you need. The map shop is a good start.

Africa - Buy Maps and travel guides online

other maps here: http://www.daerr.de/Landkarten/franz/FranzKart_Marokko_250.htm

here is there list, give them a ring. I would look to buy small scale (1:100/1:250) for the regions you will be travelling on piste. the michelin 742 is not much use when your off sealed routes as the scale is way to large.

G
 
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Yup, 1:1 million. Won't bother with 959 then!

I've had a look at the map shop...it's probably a good idea to get detailed maps of areas where we will be travelling by piste...and I might be tempted to get a few....but to be honest I have never had a map in that amount of detail before and it hasn't hindered us at all so might not bother - as long as I have a rough idea of where I am it's all good!
 
If your hiting the coast, Sidi Ifni is quiet, but a good spot along with Essaouira further north.
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Don't mean to pester you Griff! But Is it worth taking a a detour route round the coast? Have you been there yourself? Got any pics of locations?
 
Hey Rusty when are you planning on going ? I'm planning for April, and have two possibles coming along in their own vehicles.

With regards to digital mapping :

You can download mapsource from garmin, the 60MB one

Garmin: MapSource Updates & Downloads

Now it won't install unless you already have a previous version, but getting around that is as easy as creating a directory on the C drive called Garmin, and then within that directory putting an executable file which you rename MapSource.exe

Then it will install. There are loads of free maps available, there is a link to a good one of Morocco on Griff's site. Don't pay for the tracks 4 africa one, as it's not very good.

For viewing in the vehicle you can use a PDA or Laptop, with the appropiate hardware, but I just got one of these

http://www.pixmania.co.uk/uk/uk/1646575/art/garmin/nuvi-550-gps-for-europe.html?srcid=369

There are cheaper one's and more expensive one's, but I liked that one cause it is waterproof, has a funky digital compas, and has an 8 hour battery life if I have to walk to freedom, or something !
 
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so thats how you get around the download. nice one Booger :D I ended up buying Garmins bluetooth GPS10 to solve the gps issue and getting a copy of mapsource. I like garmin que which we run on the pda. its a pocket version of MS and is excellent. I have a HP TC1100 coming to me this xmas :) cant wait to load up memory map and use it in the landy. nice 10.4" screen.

Rusty, we only went straight to sidi ifni. that wreck picture is from the coast there, we drove on the beach and down south for a bit. spend 3 days there. Friends of ours said Esso. was good so thats why i recommended it. If your not bothered about being by the sea, then maybe not bother. Im just drawn to it!

G
 

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I also know how to unlock maps if anyone is having an issue, just PM me :D

Has anyone heard any CB chatter in Morocco ? Was it useful ? ie did you meet anyone you wouldn't have otherwise ?

Thinking about getting a SSB radio so that I can hopefully make contact with amateur radio operators, or maybe aliens :p Or are there no amateur radio operators in Morocco ?
 
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