Mhamid to FZ
 

I'm on the fence regarding taking this route next week.
3 of us on 1200Gsa BMW, not overly loaded.
Minimal off road experience.
Any opinions.
Thanks

IMHO it's to late in the year to ride this section on big bikes.Very hot and debilitating especially the loose sand section.Others may well have differing views:nono:

There's a place called Mhamid a few km north of Foum Zguid, but I am guessing you are referring to M'Hamid El Ghizlane.

Minimal offroad experience? Forget it. You need sand experience, lighter bikes and preferably no luggage.



This is the relatively easy section to the west of M'Hamid El Ghizlane, there's a good 15km of this and more difficult stuff to get through.

What I could suggest instead is a bumble around Foum Zguid. Have a look at this point on Google Maps satellite view,

Zoom out a bit and follow tracks north to Foum Zguid. That's how you get there.



And this is what it's like, nice and easy fun with great scenery.

It’s completely possible to travel from Mhamid to FZ and not got near any sand. If you take the RP1522 piste along the south side of the mountain.

If you had south from the Sacred Oasis towards the Erg and then follow the well defined route that take people into the tourist camps then it’s under 15km of sand track but it’s not deep. I wouldn’t call it difficult but with limited experience it will challenge you, watch the temps and take enough water, worst case someone from the desert camps will come and help for a price.

We’re taking a group of 2wd cars that way next week.

Hi Warden.It is a long time since I used your route into Sacred camp and it was a very rough rock track.I was in a LR Def. will it be OK in the heat on big bikes?

Great advice from those that know what it's like here. I burnt out a clutch on a KTM Adventure trying to get out of the sand last year. Managed it this year on my 1989 Yamaha XT600 Tenere during the SandRaiders rally because I'd learned how to ride fast(ish) in the sand.

The heavier the bike, the less fun it is.

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Here's a recent video which covers some of the route (Tissint to Mhamid) and shows you what it's like on an old Honda Doninator 600.
https://youtu.be/qBq_E5ZEZVc?si=PUOnWDfWzPSbBJvh

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As the irishman said when asked for directions: "Well, I wouldn't start from there..."

As the guys have said, the dunes west of Mhamid are a nightmare on big bikes, as is the sandy piste by the Chegaga dunes. I accompanied a couple of very experienced riders on 1150GS's through there a while ago and the soft sand and heat damn near killed them and their bikes. That was in April.

If you're going to do it, you'd be far better starting from Tagounite.
Get on the piste heading NW from the centre of town, following the telegraph poles, keeping the ridge on your left. In about 17km there's a gap in the ridge so you can turn SSW. As you come onto the plain, you'll pass through an old abandoned defensive line.
In 10km or so, swing SW - you'll pass a well in a few km. Continue on this heading and you'll pick up the main piste coming in from Mhamid on your left, thus avoiding the dune field. Carry on due W towards the Oasis Sacree. The piste is a bit rocky for 20km but eventually it joins up with the piste coming in L from the Chegaga dunes. You'll be ready for an ice cold Fanta at the Titanic Cafe.
With a sugary drink inside you, it's time for a blast across Lac Iriki. The lads at the cafe will tell you whether or not the lake is dry. If it's wet, take the very rocky 'piste de la montagne" to the north of the lake. It'll take you all the way to FZ but it's bloody hard work.
If it's dry, continue across the lake WSW towards a large mesa. Just before you get there the track splits. NW is the rocky track to FZ. If you head SSE, you can follow the old Paris-Dakar piste which is clearly marked with balises (large piles of rock). Be aware that the first 200m is soft sand, after that it's OK.Keep the saw-toothed mountain range on your R. In 9km, there's a military checkpoint and the track swings due W.
In 35km you'll come to a track junction. Turn R heading due N for FZ. There's a checkpoint after 10km then continue N across the plain for 25km to join the N12. In 8km, you'll be tucking into 'brochettes de poulet' at Rachid's cafe in the square. He's probably got a couple of beers in the fridge.

Temperature is going to be the big limiter, it's still mid 30s in Zagora at the moment. You'll need to keep to the good firm pistes and avoid as much of the slow, strength-sapping rocky stuff as possible. Why not head out from Tagounite and see how you get on for a few hours? If it's too much you can back track to Zagora.

Happy trails,

Peter

Coming from Tagounite it’s still a rocky hell after you pass through the mountain, much like the last section in FZ.

Better to head west out of Mhamid directly to the oasis

Spot on advice Peter, but I think the Irishman did just ask for directions: "Well, should I start from there..." ;-)

I also recall being shaken to bits in a 4x4 via the gap, but that is one thing motos and a GS in particular do very well.

Basically if you're not sure, don't do it.
There are loads more enjoyable mountain pistes nearby suited to heavy GSs and the heat.

Three guys with "minimal off-road experience" will not make it through the dune field W of Mhamid. The route I suggested avoids the soft sand and also the worst of the rocky piste to FZ. The approach to FZ from the SSE has deteriorated and is now IMHO one of the worst pistes in the south.

The detour to the S on the rallye piste is much longer but less stressful riding. However, I'd rather ride it in the springtime than next week.

As Chris and Tim have suggested, there are many other pistes that are much more rewarding.

Cheers guys,
Excellent advice.
Exactly as I was thinking, not to be attempted.
I'd have the most experience of the group, and if I was on my Xt600, I'd tackle it.
Best to have a little venture into the dunes and back out again. One of the guys is determined to camp out in the dunes for 1 night, which is a bit if a p.i.t.a.....
Its a load of gear to bring for just one night.

One of the desert camps around Mhamid could fix that for you and save your luggage.Maybe someone can help with names :scooter:

If you want to camp in dunes without using one of tourist camps go to Chebbi, you can get much closer on tarmac. The downside is it’s hard to avoid the other tourists, parts of Cheggaga are sadly heading that way.

(Strictly speaking wildcamping and driving/riding in the Ergs is restricted legally. Not much enforcement though)

It’s is possible to to the originally route discussed without hitting more than a few meters of sand heading west out of Mhamid and there’s also a non sandy route that circumvents the rocky RP route from Tagounite and also Mhamid village itself.

Over the last 2 days we took a group of 2wd cars from Mhamid to FZ via Chegaga. The so called difficult dunes immediately west of Mhamid are hard packed sand/mud as I previously posted and present no difficulty to anyone.

The piste on the north edge of Chegaga was a little bit more difficult than usual but nothing I wouldn’t expect with the reduced traffic over the summer months. Stay on the edge of the mountain and you can skip all the sand.

Last nights thunderstorms didn’t cause any difficulty for us crossing Iriki heading west although the mud caked rally competitors arriving in FZ this afternoon would suggest that Mhamid saw more rain than Chegaga did