Maps In Morocco (and dirt tracks)

[men8ifr]

Hi - I was wondering where is the best place to get Morrocan maps showing roads and dirt tracks. I would like to do 80% off roading while I am over there - will a lot of the 'roads' be dirt tracks anyway?

Anything I can access from the internet? - Obviously google maps but I think this has major tarmac roads only?

[Tim Cullis]

Michelin 742 2007 edition map is the most up to date, but still very inaccurate. Roads shown as tracks and visa versa. Best to ask about specific routes.

Tim

[men8ifr]

Originally Posted by Tim Cullis

Michelin 742 2007 edition map is the most up to date, but still very inaccurate. Roads shown as tracks and visa versa. Best to ask about specific routes.

Tim

OK thanks - i've ordered that map (£4 from amazon!) and will ask about routes when i know where I want to go.

[Eric DN]

Hi
On this site you can download a map comptible with Mapsource and so downloadable on a Garmin GPS
GPS Vector Map Morocco.

On an other hand, you can find on the web some olds maps with scale 1/200 000°, which are good for tracks, those maps can be used with TTQV or OZI, softwares dedicated.

Eric
Picasa Albums Web - Eric
Two 400 XR in Morocco - ADVrider
Deux 400XR au MAROC

[MarkLG]

If you've got Garmin Mapsource then I've got a file with about 30 routes, petrol stations, campsites and hotels which I've compiled from various sources.

Take a look at these:

Voyages 4x4 (use google to translate)

ChesterKiK - Voyage au Maroc en moto - 2005

Also take a look at Chris Scott's Sahara Overland book.
The Maroc topo map mentioned above is essential (and free) if you've got a Garmin GPS - it's being updated regularly and the majority of trails are accurately represented.
The Michelin map is the one most people use, but it doesn't have grid lines on it which is a bit annoying. See if you can find the Rough Guide map and see which you prefer.

I'm in sheffield if you want to meet up for lunch one weekend to have a chat and compare notes.

[men8ifr]

Hi would you recommend getting any more detailed maps than the Michelin 742 and the GPS tracks mentioned here?

Any recommendation of a route - preferably pistes as much as possible from Tanger to Oran or Tanger to Figuig - there doesn't look like much on my michelin map before Fes.

Also are all the pistes that are 'unsurfaced tracks' in the south west Morocco - sahara region good to ride, are any of them very difficult to travel along on on our bikes - pegaso 650 and BMW 1200 with continental TKC80 dual purpose tyres?

Sorry for more questions but what are the prohibited roads marked in two red dashed lines on the Michelin Maps - can we use these? e.g. there's one to the West of Figuig.

Thanks Ian

[MarkLG]

I found the Michelin map and the GPS maps were fine. I used the Michelin for rough planning, but most of the time we relied on the GPS maps and the preplanned routed we had in our GPS units.
It's hard to find more detailed maps of Morocco, and the ones that are about are mostly old military maps from the 60's and are of limited use.
We didn't come across any marked tracks which weren't rideable on a big bike with suitable tyres. The majority are hard packed stone/gravel with a few sandy stretchs to negotiate.
Take it steady through the slow and soft stuff and keep an eye on your engine temp. My KTM came through fine with a few stops to cool off, but my mate's 1150GSA didn't fare as well - the starter motor overheated and siezed up. It got going after a 15 minute cool down, but it carried on playing up for the rest of the trip.

[Tim Cullis]

Originally Posted by men8ifr

Hi would you recommend getting any more detailed maps than the Michelin 742 and the GPS tracks mentioned here?

Any recommendation of a route - preferably pistes as much as possible from Tanger to Oran or Tanger to Figuig - there doesn't look like much on my michelin map before Fes.

Also are all the pistes that are 'unsurfaced tracks' in the south west Morocco - sahara region good to ride, are any of them very difficult to travel along on on our bikes - pegaso 650 and BMW 1200 with continental TKC80 dual purpose tyres?

Any particular reason why Figuig? The Rekkam Plateau isn't of much interest. Yes, there's lots of empty space and offroad routes, but it's a bit severe. And Figuig is the hottest town in Morocco.

I categorise Morocco pistes like the French ski pistes, Green is novices, Blue improvers, Red for experts and Black not to be tackled alone or with luggage. My cateorisation of course only applies to the day I rode the piste, the weather conditions of the day, and in the direction I rode it. It really is impossible to give a generalisation of 'unsurfaced tracks in south west Morocco!'

Tim

[Gregorius]

Hi..

When Rob and I did our tour last tear we used a combination of the ubiquitous and obligatory "military maps on cd" , the Insight Travel Map of Morocco and Sahara Overland.

I have to say that the Insight map proved to be very useful, showing every track and path that we used.

About halfway round the tour we bumped into a group of riders from the North of the UK on some stony track - the guy I ended up speaking to said they'd only got a small map and were 'winging it', so I let him have mine on the condition he returned it to me with a few photos of their journey. Needless to say, despite me writing my postal and email addresses on the map I've never heard from the bloke since.

Oddly enough you can see the map in question in the grasp of the gent second from the left in the photo below, so if you know him, do me a favour and ask him to stick it in the post...!




Greg

[demito]

You might want to take a look at

i-spog --- explore my trip

If you click the menu option, all tracks are downloadable.

T

Strange MarkLG doesn't recommend this site. After all he was on the same trip...