Tafraoute to Taliouine

[Eric DN]

Hi everybody

I would like to go from Tafraoute to Taliouine and of course avoiding paved road. ( it seems it is not so easy ).
On the Michelin Map and also on the IGN map ( french institute of Geo) we can see on the road R109 north from Souk Khemis a track which goes towards east, but this track is not on the garmin map "free to use" done by Olaf ( or other done by french guys from GPS registered tracks).
there is an other track north of this with the mention " piste interdite" ( forbidden track).
Does anybody know those tracks and have it done ?

North of TATA we can see a track which also goes towards east on the Olaf Garmin map but not visible on the Michelin map
Here a screen shot Picasa Web Albums - Eric - PROJET 2008
We can find this track also on some tracks found on the web. But this track seems to finish without exit, if we have a look
on a 1/250 000 map it seems that a tracks is continuing.
Does anybody know this track and have it done ?

Thanks

Eric

[Tim Cullis]

Hi Eric

Do you mean the track that starts about 5-8 km north of Souk Khemis? If so that's likely to be a mule track that gets worryingly close to a 1726m summit.

I can see on Google Earth the second track you talk about and that looks do-able. Effectively it links Chris Scott's M10 and M9 pistes.

Let us know how you get on and any useful tracklogs.

Tim

[Eric DN]

Originally Posted by Tim Cullis

Hi Eric

Do you mean the track that starts about 5-8 km north of Souk Khemis? If so that's likely to be a mule track that gets worryingly close to a 1726m summit.
Tim

Exactly, I've been told on a french forum that this track is cut.

Originally Posted by Tim Cullis

Hi Eric

I can see on Google Earth the second track you talk about and that looks do-able. Effectively it links Chris Scott's M10 and M9 pistes.
Tim

I don't know what are M10 and M9, our french "Scott's" is named "Gandini"
I'm not sure we will try, so far I'm trying to do a journey doable.

Eric

[Sophie-Bart]

Don't you turn the world upsidedown?

Those tracks and pistes don't excists because they are in a book or on a map, they are in the books because they excits.

These tracks are not made for excursions but have 'grown' over the years because people wanted to go from one place to another with the least effort or via the quikest way. You can be sure that there is a whole network of tracks (muletracks) to be discovered in this whole area, if they are doable by bike/car or only by foot is something else.
Which BTW certainly doesn't mean I don't use the guidebooks and maps (and yes, also the blessings of google-earth) and waypoints with tracks/shortcuts etc. discovered by others.

Don't wanted to sound blunt, but wanted to point out not to fixate yourself to what others have done before you. Keep room for improvisations. There's lots to explore.

Or if you are in the planning stage and this is part of the preplanning fun (besides reading others stories, maniacly browsing the HUBB and surfing the net for the best gadgets and stuff) just to kill the time inbetween travels. In which case I haven't said a word.


cheers,

[Tim Cullis]

Wooh, a bit harsh maybe. Eric's a good guy.

Chris Scott's M10 and M9 are the equivalent of Gandini's E6 and D2 (Tome II).

Auberge Souktana in Taliouine is a good place to stay.

Tim

[Eric DN]

Originally Posted by Sophie-Bart

Don't you turn the world upsidedown?

Those tracks and pistes don't excists because they are in a book or on a map, they are in the books because they excits.,

I know that

Originally Posted by Sophie-Bart

if they are doable by bike/car or only by foot is something else.
,

It was the question yes, are those tracks doable by bike

Originally Posted by Sophie-Bart

Or if you are in the planning stage and this is part of the preplanning fun (besides reading others stories, maniacly browsing the HUBB and surfing the net for the best gadgets and stuff) just to kill the time inbetween travels. In which case I haven't said a word.
cheers,

Yes this is the case, I'm trying to plan our trip. I'm sorry, I'm just a small french tourist guy who try to plan a two weeks trip in Morocco with one friend and two bikes, discover news tracks is not the problem, the problem is two small bikes overlaoded without assistance in a short time, I want just avoid to go too far, that it.
When I answer to a thread it is just to help or to give information, not to teach or to give lesson.

Eric

[Eric DN]

Originally Posted by Tim Cullis

Wooh, a bit harsh maybe. Eric's a good guy.

Chris Scott's M10 and M9 are the equivalent of Gandini's E6 and D2 (Tome II).

Auberge Souktana in Taliouine is a good place to stay.

Tim

Hi Tim, thanks a lot for you words.

I don't have the tome II,

It's noted for the auberge

Eric

[Sophie-Bart]

Sorry, sorry I really didn't want to sound too harsh.
It wasn't to offend anybody or give them a lesson, who am I anyway, maybe it was still a bit to early for me, I just wanted to point out everybody seems to follow each others tracks.

Eric DN, I really enjoyed reading your blog last year about your trip in 2006. So I know you have the experience, maybe that's why I wanted to say : go one you can do it, just fill in the gap between two known places.
Infact you put me on track on something I really want to see in person next time I'm in the neighbourhood (those fantastic rockengravings).

And completely true: if there is one place to ask these questions it's here on the hubb.

Sorry again if I ruined your day, when we meet in person we must have a drink.

[Tim Cullis]

E6 starts a few km south of Igherm and heads south east to Tata. But only the first one-third is piste, the remainder is goudronée.

A more certain route might be to keep to roads from Tafraoute to Tata, then ride 20km east to Akka Iguirane (N 29 45.84, W 7 42.04). From here take Gandini's D2 piste through Targant and Tisnassemine to Agadir Melloul, then take Gandini's D1 piste north to Taliouine. According to the book it's piste all the way, totalling 154km.

Auberge Souktana gets good write-ups in guide books and has an interesting kasbah across the road to explore.

Tim

[Eric DN]

Originally Posted by Sophie-Bart

Sorry again if I ruined your day, when we meet in person we must have a drink.

It doesn't matter, my response was not so kind also, sorry too.

I agree with you with the idea to make my own track, but unfortunately I have not enough time for that, so I try to collect information in order to know if it's reasonable or not. I'm very interested to discover this area but the only one info I have had is that this track is broken by a canyon uncrossable with a bike, I'm looking for a confirmation or not. Unfortunately I guess I would have to avoid this idea.
And maybe to follow the advice from TIM (thanks).

Always ready to have a ( or two )

Eric