Morocco: Route planning

[Nuno Silva]

Hello all:

I’m planning a trip to Morocco with a couple a friends, riding BMW 1200 GS from Portugal, next March.
Can anyone be helpful concerning the following questions?

Is there a good piste connection between Tafraoute and Tata that we can ride with our BM’s?

How is the MA9 condition?

Thanks a lot for your help!!

[Chris Scott]

MA9 would be great piste on a big GS. Take the easier start to the east with the tarmac road to Akka Ighern (map p223) and the easier end via MA7.

MA11 - a road route NW up to Taliouine - is also a great ride, IMO.

Ch

[Nuno Silva]

Chris,

Thanks for your input! MA9 looks a great route.

In April 2011 was my first time in Morocco, with a couple of friends with a GS and a Transalp.
You book was the basis of our planning, and this is what we did (may be it can be useful for someone going there in a big bike):

Day 1: Tanger to Midelt, via Ifrane (all tarmac, in Midelt we stayed at Hotel Taddart, a nice spot, with a parking)

Day 2: Midelt to Agoudal, MH1 (no problems at Cirque du Jaffar, fuel and lunch in Imilchil, night at Auberge Ibrahim in Agoudal- basic, very friendly, great breakfast, parking)

Day3: Agoudal to Nekob, via MH1, MH5, MH4 (MH1 from Agoudal to Msemrir is a great piste, easy, a great riding; lunch in Boulmane du Dades; MH4 after the pass at Tizi n Tazazert is quite rocky, but OK for our bikes, this was my favorite riding in Morocco ; night in Nekob at Hotel Kasbah Imdoukal, a good one, with a small pool and good dinner, no parking but a reliable gardien).

Day 4: Nekob to Mhamid to Erg Chegaga, via N12, MS1, Zagora, N9 ( we left our bikes in Mhamid in a auberge parking – Hammada du Draa – and drove a 4WD to a bivouac in the Erg; it was a good decision: the piste was very sandy, and our loaded bikes would be very difficult to ride in those conditions).

Day 5: Erg Chegaga to Mhamid to Hait Ben Haddou, from Tagounite we rode a piste that is basically parallel to N9 ( Olaf ), and then a piste along the Draa just before Agdz (Olaf as well)

Day 6: Hait Ben Haddou to Marrakesh, via Piste de Telouet, all tarmac, nevertheless a great riding.

Day 7: Marrakesh to Tanger and ferry to Tarifa (I believe better than Algeciras, as much less crowd in the port)