anti atlas
 

HI all, after a great tip true the atlas we looking for a new trip true the anti atlas. We would like too fly back to Marrakesh and going for a rental bike to drive for a week in the anti atlas. We are taking the morocco overland book for the trails but we don't know what the must sees are. We looking for a mix off roads and offroads but nothing too hard. La plage blanche for example is something that's look amazing. Any specialists here that could help us out what the must see and must do's are. Many thanks in advanced.
Gr Leon

Around the Anti Atlas it’s more the landscapes than the places. But visit the Agadir at Amtoudi and then stop at Borj Biramane for the night, you’ll need a cold beer after the hike. There are other Agadirs in the area to visit as well.

Plage Blanche is amazing but pay attention to the tides, although on a bike you have more options than a 4x4 for an escape if necessary.

Plage Blanche on Tenere XT660Z with handheld video camera

Plage
 

Hello

I would like to go to "Plage Blanche" in a 4x4 during Easter, this year it falls in April

As it is better to do it from south to north or from north to south,

I think from south to north, since you have to go down and the exit is easier from the north

Schedule? When is low tide or where can I look for them to find out?

How long can it take to cross it if there is no incident

Thanks

Makes little difference which direction you do it. If you cant get up the slope at the south end just follow the river valley for an easy exit.

Window for driving it is 2 hours either side of low water and takes about an hour if you don't have any problems. Best not to do it on your own though in case there are any problems along the way. A french vehicle was stuck there for 8 days a few weeks ago after getting stuck, an excavator was needed to get it out.

I might be in the area beginning of April but wont know until closer to the time.

PLage Blanche
 

Thanks

In principle, according to the travel plan I will be there on April 13. The idea was to spend the night in Tarfaya, and do it when the tide left us. We could also spend the night at Fort Bou Jerif and do it early that morning and then go down to Tarfaya, according to our route it would be better but I don't see clearly the exit on the south side of Plage Blanche.

As I know that I will not find water through the river bed, I do not see any dirt road / track in Google Earth

do you have any tracks?

there arent any mapped tracks but when you are there the tyre marks are obvious. Just keep following the river valley until you find a way out, as you get further from the sea the hills are smaller so its easier than the sandy route at the beach

Pierre at Fort Boujerif knows the times and will help you. I would suggest you stay there overnight and enjoy his hospitality and delicious tagines (if he is still there and still making them!


That seems to be an assumption which could be a problem-or not.

My 2pence is while beach riding/driving can be fun, it can also rapidly turn into a nightmare where you could lose your 4x4 to the sea.
TheWarden is bang on when he suggests you do not do this alone.
It's been awhile since I drove PB but there are places where sand and mud have mixed to make a real nasty quagmire, catching many. Inevitably they will have moved but they are inevitably still there.
Do plan ahead- shifting stuck tons of metal in sand/mud IMHO is no fun at all - especially if against the clock with an incoming tide.
Do be careful! (not nagging or anything!)
When you leave the beach just below the Aoreora fort, once out of the oued, it is about 33Kms of sand to intercept the tarmac of the RN1

thats why you have the low tide window, its 30ish km and can be driven 2 hours either side of low water.

The river very rarely has water in it, I havent seen water there in the last 10 years. There is a new lagoon at the mouth that has appeared since 2019 though

Plage Blanche
 

Thanks

At first we go alone

It would be nice to spend the night in Bou Jeriif and if someone leaves the next morning to do Plage Blanche in a group with them

With respect to the photos that you have passed, I see that at the entrance through Fort Aoreora and the exit through the north there are muddy areas,
I understand that they are areas to be avoided... but since they are just the entrance/exit, I suppose you can go around them or are they impassable right now? In any case, I will try to stop earlier and do a preliminary reconnaissance. Once on the beach line, are there also those areas?

I have also seen in wikiloc that there is another entrance exit further north
How is that exit / entrance? Did someone do it? would you recommend it

Thank you

I think that you are seeking 'dead precise' information which is, IMHO, impossible.
The beach is sand - can anyone give you a guarantee that you will not get stuck? short answer is 'no'.
Estuaries/oueds are notorious for changing and what was there last month may well have moved a lot or not.

My suggestion is that you speak to Pierre.
My other suggestion is that you carry rescue / self rescue equipment and know how to use it before you have to...
Another 4x4 can help you but you'll need the kit (unless you/they don't mind ramming your vehicle!!)

Kinetic ropes are excellent but again you really need to know how to use them as they can cause serious damage to limbs and vehicles.

A reliable air pump will allow you to air-down (and back up!)

If you go from North to South (if you stay at Fort Boujerif) the exit below the ruins of the fort is a stoney oued climb out- and do note the approx distance to tarmac which is also in sand.
Part of exploring is part of the adventure!
Giving yourself the maximum amount of time between tides, just in case, helps reduce stress should there be an incident.
Watching the sea approaching when you are not only stuck but with a vehicle at max weight and digging it out does little to calm nerves. Don't ask how I know!
:Beach: then you ride/drive one. Enjoy!

(pic- even our trained boys in blue get it wrong!)

Last weeks reports from friends didn't highlight anything major in terms of changes from when we drove it early December.

The usual exit by Fort Aoreaoa is a sandy climb, its the sand and incline that catch people out. As I mentioned if you can;t get up just head inland along the oued until you find an easy way out, meet one of the 2 tracks that cross it or reach the main road. All the sand is just behind the beach, a few km inland its a stony surface. If you follow the route from Chris' book then there is some small dunes near Ksar Tafnidilt

The entrance further north is ok but more loose sand on the beach with a risk of getting stuck, but there is a stone piste behind it thats ok to drive. When you get to the river mouth on the north end of the beach, where the tarmac road finishes, stay on the north side, the south side is soft and can be muddy (this was where the french truck was stuck for 8 days).

Once your on the hard sand below the high water mark its all good until you get to the exit.

I honestly wouldn't drive the beach alone. Every time I've driven it its been easy but it doesnt take much to have a problem and people have lost vehicles on the beach getting stuck with the tide coming in.

Here is a pic of a couple of guys who thought they could out run the tide but had nowhere to go...

that doesnt look like plage blanch, unless they went further south on the beach?

No it isn't; I merely wanted to illustrate to Jabesi what can happen to ones pride and joy if you have back luck or don't plan etc.
Beach riding/driving is great fun but one must be aware that it can all turn to custard very very quickly.

There's another (older, larger, more ruined) French fort close to Bou Jerif you could visit.

The hole in the ground at the start of the video looks like a vehicle inspection pit.

It could also be where they bury unwary tourists before retrieving their cars from PB!!:yes:

thanks for your advice

I will take all the rescue material possible and I will be as prudent as possible, although in Africa... everything can happen, I don't want to be stuck in the sand with the car and the water approaching

I will try to spend the night in Fort Bou Jeriff and talk to Pierre,
and see if there is any other car there that day make white beach or that someone from there accompany us with us or in another car

Regarding the starting point, as you say, I can continue along the oued Aoreora, in the google earth photo a car has been caught doing it. Some tracks are visible.

Approximately at km 12 from the mouth it seems that there is an easier exit. What do you think... or you can continue to the N1,



I don't think there is water, but I don't know if there will be large stones or other obstacles that prevent me from passing with the car

Has anyone gone out there, or do you recommend that I try to go up to the fort now?

thanks

From what I can see on GE today, it shows latest imagery as 11/9/2020
I would never assume that because anything is on GE at any time that it is still there/accessible etc.
From the GE image below, the shape of the estuary has substancially changed since I drove PB. I can also see buildings/structures at the mouth of it which weren't there then either. Possible a source of help if people are there.

There are many exciting places to visit in Morocco and it has been known where some guided tours where you are 'guided' into sand traps- that's usually when the guides' cousin becomes strangely available with all the right kit to come and rescue you for $$$$. As with everywhere in the world, someones' pain becomes someone elses' gain.

As been said before-
You need to have (or someone with you) rescue gear and know how to use it in anger should it come to that.
Don't try it alone - unless you accept the risks. These only you can decide whether to accept -or not and accept the consequences of it possibly going pear shaped.

IMHO, you are still 'chasing ghosts' in wanting a 'cast iron' guarantee which I do not believe exists. As with all things in travel and life, you have to adapt to the varagies of perpetual change.
Whatever you do, stay safe as best you can.

There are inland tracks but be prepared to waste a lot of time for some serious rock crawling

I've driven along Oued Aoreora many times as an exit route. It's sandy at the sea end but not deep, just keep heading inland until you hot a cross track to get out or find the road.

In 2017 we drove along it after the Morocco Desert Challenge had gone through and that did create a muddy quagmire in one place.

I've never taken the sandy steep slope as an exit point because its easier to follow the rive inland. I have used this as an entry point heading north, last time was 6 weeks ago.

On the north end if you have to drive through the river on the beach, the tide is probably too high to keep going. At the end of the tarmac, stay on the north side of the river and head towards the sea until you get to the hard sand below the high water line.

The piste 5kminland running parallel to the beach is stone but easy enough, if the tide is wrong

Obviously the image of GE is only indicative, that's why I always study different outputs and possibilities.

The Warden,

When you say that the end is sandy, do you mean the mouth or the beginning?

In what way did you do it?

Did you leave through the Oued Aoreora? did you go up the hill to fort Aoreora?

I would be very grateful if you could send me the last track you made to the email bernabs@hotmail.com

did you see any muddy areas?


I try not to chase ghosts, I have traveled numerous times through Morocco and Morocco is almost infinite, but I have always seen 4x4s that do Playa Blanca and I would like to do it one day.

My final question is: is anyone going to be there in April not to do it together? hahaha

A greeting and thanks to all

WE drove from south to north on the 27th November. The tide was low early morning so we camping in the river valley the night before after driving up from Tantan along the coast. A lot of military there that day. We drove down the sandy slope from Fort Aoreora.

The river valley is sandy but the softest sand is nearer to the sea. There is now a lagoon at the end of the river that wasn't there in 2019. You have to be a little bit careful getting around the north side of this, there are dunes to cross and soft deep sand.

At the north end exiting the beach was easy just stay on the north side of the river. No mud there but there is soft mud on the south side near the fishermans huts.

As I posted before I have never exited up the sandy slope by Fort Aoreora as it is much easier to get out of the river further inland along the river.