free camping on Morocco

[afoganso]

Hi there!

Me and a group of friends (7 motorcycles) will make a route in Morocco starting 12 of October. It's an adventure ride with off road roads. The route is: Algeciras, Ifran, Cathedral du Rochers, Ait benhadu, Agdz, Merzouga, Todra, Midelt, Jbel Tezzeka, Chefchaouen and back to Lisbon.
Can someone advise if free camping is safe. We're aiming to camp in Cathedral de Rochers, near Boulemane. We will camp in normal camping sites in Azrou and Agdz. Any information about the campings nearby is great.

I'm seeing that in End September, October will be many people from here riding at Morocco. Maybe we will meet somewhere!

Thank you in Advance

[Edith Kohlbach]

I am author of a camping guide so I should know about it. Free camping in Morocco is very safe, but not near a beach. There you better go to an official camping.
The piste to cathedrale des Roches is not very good, because no longer used by local traffic. Camping there would be no problem.
Ait Benhaddou has campings. A lovely place to cam is the camping Palmeraie Asslim near Agdz. Merzouga and Todra has a bid choice, Midelt has a camping in the city and a nice place with pool 20 km outside. The Jebel Tazzeka circuit is very nice, no campings, but parkings where you can stay overnight.

[afoganso]

Originally Posted by Edith Kohlbach

The piste to cathedrale des Roches is not very good, because no longer used by local traffic. Camping there would be no problem.

Thank you very much for your quick response!
Can you tell me the name of the camping guide ?!
Do you know more information about the pist to cathedral des Roches because I don't seem to find much information about it ... We are a group o V-Stroms and one BMW GSA ... Do you think the piste is too bad for trails !?

Thank you in Advance!

[Ulrich]

Hello Afoganso,

the pist to cathedral des Roches would be no problem with Your bikes. Edith sees this piste with the eyes of an Mazda-MX5-Driver.

The only problem could be snowing, what is possible the time You want ride. Ask the locals if possible.

Best wishes

Ulrich

[Eric DN]

Originally Posted by afoganso

Do you know more information about the pist to cathedral des Roches because I don't seem to find much information about it ... We are a group o V-Stroms and one BMW GSA ... Do you think the piste is too bad for trails !?

Thank you in Advance!

"Le rocher de la cathédrale", yes but from where to where ??. Mainly this tracks is very easy, we can say a "gravel highway", last year the bridge at Tilouguite was broken due to huge storm in the area, but with bike it was possible to cross thanks the old brige.
you can cross a pass with 2780m high on an easy ridable track.

Last year I did a trip like you describe, you can find a diary here ( unfortunately my camera SD card crashed at la cathédrale )Two 400 XR in Morocco - ADVrider

In the Atlas area you can find what we name in french gite, i think is lodging, at Agouti we paid 5€ the nigth.


Eric
Deux 400XR au MAROC
Picasa Albums Web - Eric

[afoganso]

Hi,

It can snow in mid October ??! Oops ... That can be a problem...
Regarding to our Route we are going to enter from Oulad M'Bareko (near Beni-Mellal) and then through Tillouguite (near Cathedral du Rochers). Then Zahouia-Ahanesal, El Had, Achaouilah and then Pont-Naturel ( Imi-In-Ifri) and then ... we're aiming to ait benhadu if we can (if there's a piste) going down ...
But if there's no good piste through Demnate, Sidi-Rahal, Ait Barka, Taddert, Tizi-n-Tichka, Agoulm, Amergane and so on ...

Thank you in Advance!

[Eric DN]

Originally Posted by afoganso

Hi,

It can snow in mid October ??! Oops ... That can be a problem...
Regarding to our Route we are going to enter from Oulad M'Bareko (near Beni-Mellal) and then through Tillouguite (near Cathedral du Rochers). Then Zahouia-Ahanesal, El Had, Achaouilah and then Pont-Naturel ( Imi-In-Ifri) and then ... we're aiming to ait benhadu if we can (if there's a piste) going down ...
But if there's no good piste through Demnate, Sidi-Rahal, Ait Barka, Taddert, Tizi-n-Tichka, Agoulm, Amergane and so on ...

Thank you in Advance!

Snow in october can appen (in april also ) but this not very commun, in october 2006 we rode on this track (Imi-In-Ifri to Tillouguite ) on the oposite direction, it took us one day an half, we spent the night at Agouti. Very beautiful tracks. described there : Two 400 XR in Morocco - Page 5 - ADVrider

There is a new sealed road between Demnat and ouarzazate parallel to the tizi n tichka road ( I didn't take it ). I think you can find some tracks here or there.

Eric

[Edith Kohlbach]

I had a mazda, yes, but I am an offroad driver and own one. I go to Morocco 2 - 3 times a year and know each kilometer, it is my job to write about it. Ulrich was not in Morocco for many years.
I did this piste in 1995 and it was okay, parts of it later. But I have new information from people living in the area, people who work in tourism and their job is doing such trips. They tell me since some of the roads in this area are paved this piste is no longer used by the locals and the piste is very bad. I am sure you can do it, be just prepared that it will not be easy.
My camping guide you find over my website.

[mafra]

Originally Posted by Edith Kohlbach

I had a mazda, yes, but I am an offroad driver and own one.

Since April 2007 ...

[Ulrich]

I did this piste in 1995

...
... and I did it 2002. Who than had the newer information got by his own?

You are an "offroad driver"? - Of course, on tarmac only.

[Eric DN]

I'm sorry I don't remember that this track was so bad, If we are talking about the same. Just a place about 30 km east from Agouti ( before stones engraving ) which is stony but not undoable with an off road bike. when we was there we have had problem because of huge storms which had cut the track, but we succeeded to cross with our bike, and Moroccans fix quickly this kind of dammages because there are a lot of villages there.
Between Azouia Ahançal and La cathédrale looks like a gravel highway doable with a normal car.

Eric

[Edith Kohlbach]

Quote: "Since 2007?"

No, since 1986. If somebody wants to know more about me and my offoad trip you can read here:
about me

Quote: "to enter from Oulad M'Bareko (near Beni-Mellal) and then through Tillouguite (near Cathedral du Rochers). Then Zahouia-Ahanesal, El Had, Achaouilah and then Pont-Naturel ( Imi-In-Ifri) and then ... we're aiming to ait benhadu if we can (if there's a piste) going down ..."

Most of this tour is tarmac already. From Imi-n-Ifri there is a new tarmac road going to Assermon and heading into the N 9 16 km east of Ouarzazate. It is a beautiful area and nearly no trafic.

[afoganso]

Hi there!
Are you telling me that this track from Beni Mellal to Agouti is tarmac now !?!?

Thank You again!

[Eric DN]

Originally Posted by afoganso

Hi there!
Are you telling me that this track from Beni Mellal to Agouti is tarmac now !?!?

Thank You again!

As you know I did this track, from Agouti ( south of this track ) and the lake you can see on the map, in october 2006 it was not sealed, we can say it was a gravel highway doable with a normal car. Maybe it has changed since but I 've not been inform.
You can see some pics here : Picasa Albums Web - Eric - Maroc J10

Eric

[afoganso]

Oops, that can change the schedule of the trip ...!