When rumours started circulating about this incident almost a week ago, one story was he had a heart attack. Talking to the mechanics in Zagora today they say it’s heat. But unless an autopsy result is published we’ll probably never hear the full story.

I have also heard that the same group met some other travellers the days before and the bikers were out of water. As always getting accurate info is not the easiest.

As Chris mentions the weather this year is unusually cool, over the last 2 months we’ve had freezing weather, torrential rain and I haven’t seen temps above 35 (compared to the 40’s in April 23). A few days ago people were building snow men in Zagora after a huge hail storm.

Hot days on the TMT
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1023...4004605398423/

I noticed 44C in Marrakech last week, but then Europe was heatstruck too.
Back down to high 30s next week.

__________________
Morocco Overland 4 (2025) • Trans Morocco Trail

I have visited some hot places , and the golden rule is to drink before you feel thirsty , thats your body saying i need fluid now !
I remember some years ago i was having a nice day on my bike in morocco,..... and .... something wasnt right ...I was dehidrated . I stopped and drunk 1,5 lt of water and 1/2 an hour later i was ok.

Drink water before you feel thirsty !

Sounds like a tragic situation all around, and it’s hard when there’s so much conflicting info. Heat exhaustion can creep up quickly, even if temps aren’t extreme. Hopefully we get some clarity in time, but either way, it's a sobering reminder to be extra cautious out there.

June this year in Central Asia and July coming back through Europe, temperatures in the 30s or even 40s. I tried to get on the road just after dawn to escape the worst of the heat but by lunchtime I was flagging as the temperature rose. I was drinking about 2L of water a day and it wasn't really enough. Couple of times I felt quite dizzy (off the bike!) and that scared me.

I came to the conclusion that I can't handle the heat, and unfortunately that rather affected how I did my tour - never really spent as much time off the bike exploring as I would have liked. I know a guy who's out in Tajikistan right now and he has been coping with temperatures up to 46C... I just couldn't do that.

A lot of it is acclimisation to some extent, though everyone has their own tolerances like you say.

Drinking enough water is obviously key, but replacing salts and sugars that you lose through sweating is also important. Also it is possible to be totally sick of water for having drunk so much - yet still be thirsty.

For me, I've settled on having a 2.5l CamelBak and mixing water 2:1 with cheap orange juice from cartons that you can get in almost any small shop.

But I also carry normal water in bladders as well, that feed into that. 3-4l a day is the recommended minimum even in relatively normal conditions, but whether it's desert riding or endurance exercise, I've tended to not need quite so much as some others. Keeping an eye on your pee is essential of course!

One thing I will say is that amongst the adv motorbike community, there's probably not that many people who would know how much water you need a day.

The good news is, speaking as a pasty ginger Yorkshireman who gets sunburnt from just looking at the sun, that you can improve your tolerance. I found myself in Madrid last week in 38 degrees, wearing a full woollen suit for a work meeting - and I was defo far more comfortable than both my colleagues and myself prior to spending time in North Africa!

On the other hand, coming over the Italian Alps in December at -5 celsius after 2-3 months in the desert is even more unpleasant than it would be normally.

Ed

__________________
Where Next Barney? / Trans Morocco Trail