Originally Posted by Tim Cullis

Biggest downside is boredom, so wait to find a campsite until after the sun goes down (18:50) but then erect the tent before it's fully dark at 19:15 (timings are for Merzouga time zone for end Jan). Any earlier and you will be found by the local kids—even in the middle of the desert there are local kids—and you will be their 'Berber TV' for the evening.

If you have space, take a fleece lined hot water bottle. An iPod would come in handy as well, I have a music playlist of 'Dreamtime' that helps me fall asleep. In 50 years of travel in Morocco I've never encountered a snake or scorpion, if that's any comfort. First light is at 07:45, dawn at 08:10.

I carry a Jetboil stove and packets of Batchelor's dehydrated Cup-a-soup, my current favourite flavour is Thai chicken. Good for lunch and also as a quick starter in the evening. To save space I repack the sachets to get six rather than four in each packet (I'm an anal packer).

If you are heading south towards Mauritania, try finding the Cascades of Oued Khawi Nam, these are on the imaginary border line of Morocco and Western Sahara at N27° 40.950' W12° 13.180' I didn't have a tracklog to follow but I approached from a track that left the coast road just to the west of Akhfenir at N28° 04.300' W12° 07.903'


The Cascades


The approach