Morocco, solo biker, Aug/Sept 2016
 

Hi All,

I'll be travelling solo around Morocco by motorcycle (XRV750 Africa Twin) from around 18th August to 25th September this year.

So far I have planned:

- 18th August (+/- 5 days) Ferry Malaga - Mellila
- Ride fairly quickly down Rif and Eastern Morocco to Saharan region (approx 5 days)
- Tour interesting areas and do various routes around the south for a while (some ideas from 'Morocco Overland' but nothing fixed)
- Friend flies into Marrakech (17th Sept), travel 2-up to Rabat (25th Sept)
- Head back to Malaga for 29th September

Is anyone interested in joining for all or parts? Car or bike, old or young, single or group - I don't care so long as we get on well.

I tend to live cheaply, camp a lot. Keen to explore countryside and local cultures, on and off road. Not into riding mega miles or fancy hotels.


Let me know if it sounds like your thing!

If you need OSM maps with tracks, let me know.

From Melila/Nador, on day one, you can go South to Guercif->Mahirja ->Rchida which is only a couple of hours.
Then from Rchida you climb to the Plateau of Rekam through rocky roads.
Cross the Plateau and reach Tendrara two days later. Camp in Tendrara's old railways station about 8km East of the town (access of the road from behind the military casern). The Algerian border is 50km East, so be carefull not going too deep. Don't miss the Y intersection. Try getting to Figuig and follow more or less the border down to Boudnib. From there, it's more pistas to Merzouga. But these should be tackled with a partner. Can be dangerous alone. Many oueds to cross. Fesh fesh is your ennemy.

Tendrara's station

http://images.voyageforum.com/posts2...NKGwwwQIsZ.jpg

Boudnib to Merzouga (the easy part)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...psyxqrksrs.jpg

I rode "against" Rally Lybia

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...psrdbxpfnh.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...psrzyyoyx1.jpg

Oued #1

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...psppjhguwu.jpg

Caught in oued #3

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...pshmoptaoy.jpg

Got help (water) from nomads

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...ps7i2ettsh.jpg

If you fall and don't have handguards...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...pshcbel0sq.jpg

You can be in trouble. Bring spares or fit handguards

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...psicvtpak7.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...psg8rabeag.jpg

Travelling spain portugal morocco 25/8 to 18/9
 

I will be travelling a kind of round trip starting from Beziers to spain portugal and then morocco.

I would like to do some scott's overland MH7 or else. I should be in atlas around 5/9.

I am bringing my camping stuff in case.

I ride an AT Crf1000.

tobern.

Hi Tobern,

There's a few routes, including MH7, that I'm interested but would prefer not to tackle alone. Perhaps we should arrange to meet up around Zagora or Ourzazate around 5th September, ride a route together, and take it from there?

Hi Matt,
Yes, same for me. Just picking the new AT today. In a few days I will get an Inreach SMS number, and will be reachable from anywhere.

Cool, I'm now in Granada. I'll cross to Melilla in the next few days.
Send me a private message when you're sorted.

Hi,

Did you get your new bike? Send me a PM when your plans are more firm.

I'm still in Granada, got delayed enjoying myself in this lovely city. I plan today to ride to Almeria and then to cross to Morocco tomorrow or the day after.

Currently in Aït Benimathar, just about to cross the Rekkam Plateau heading south.

Still looking for buddies to tackle some of Chris Scott's routes with.

I will be in Fez today,
see you,

tobern

How are you finding the heat?

It was 43°c today, if you ride it is ok, but if you stop...
i always ride with all gear, so i drink 1l of water per hour.

It's OK. I am getting up very early normally when camping to ride mostly before the middle of the day. The best hour of the day is between first light and sunrise - just watch out for animals on the roads!

Riding between 2-5pm is tough - like Herve says, lots of water is necessary. I think the weight of my luggage has nearly doubled with all the water I am carrying!

This morning I planned to set off by 8am but my new Moroccan friends are delaying things (I am still on 'UK time', ie. Punctual mode!). Today we do route ME7 from Fuguig to Merzouga. They think it may be closed by the Algerian military but we go to see.

No petrol currently in Fuguig but there was yesterday - it seems to be intermittently available.

Later in the year would probably be better heat-wise but it unfortunately didn't fit with the rest of my plans. And being here off-season is quite nice, I am the only tourist in town and it feels like more of an adventure.

By the way, for anyone that's a hit adventurous that visits Figuig, you can trek underground through a stream, in claustrophobic tunnels for a few KM to the source of the Oasis water - recommended but you'll need local knowledge and a thirst for the Unknown!

Interesting about the khettaras in Figuig.

Try completely soaking your riding gear in water, it creates a refrigerator effect and helps lower your inner core temperature.

There's not much in the way of fuel west of Figuig until you hit the N13 to Merzouga. There's an Afriquia station at Tajite, waypoint N32 18.232 W3 27.419 . Also fuel in cans at Hotel Caravanserai at Boudnib, waypoint N31 56.675 W3 36.956

If you find more, please let me know.

Boudnib has no fuel station at all. You have to buy black market fuel. There are 3 vendors and they are known. The one I got my fuel from was a block away (to the left) from the hotel shown below.

https://scontent-yyz1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...37&oe=5842255D

https://scontent-yyz1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...93&oe=584EF4A3

Boudnib is where you leave tarmac and dive into tracks to Merzouga. The tracks start right at the exit of Boudnib on your left. Very small oued to cross and here you go.

https://scontent-yyz1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...4b&oe=5883A17F

https://scontent-yyz1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...29&oe=5881653D

https://scontent-yyz1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...fa&oe=58521566

I even managed to ride against Rally Lybia ;-)

https://scontent-yyz1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...e3&oe=583C62B8

https://scontent-yyz1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...ed&oe=5882CCC4

https://scontent-yyz1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...b7&oe=583EEDEE

And if you cross some of the oueds, better have some help nearby. ;-)

https://scontent-yyz1-1.xx.fbcdn.net...c6&oe=58470028

Thanks for all the advice guys.

There's a petrol station in Bouarfa (10.22 MAD/litre), a big one right in the centre.
I was offered fuel in cans at Bounane but held out hoping for a proper petrol station at Boudnib.
But there is no petrol station in Boudnib (despite what I was told in Bounane), so I bought some fuel from cans, just behind the main roundabout (13 MAD/litre)

You call it 'black market' fuel but I don't think there's anything illegal about it. In fact I was directed there by a man in military uniform, so it's at least widely accepted! Most people know where the 'fuel in cans' people are, I tend to ask rickshaw riders.

I did ME6 yesterday (I wrote ME7 in my last post by accident) with no problems at all. Not mentioned in 'Morocco Overland' or shown on the Michelin map is the reservoir around 1/3 of the way through, which is worth a stop.

Today I did ME2. Some of the sandy Oeds were a little tough but a good intro to the soft stuff for me. Several wells en-route but I didn't drink from them (is it safe?). The nomad kids seemed to all want bon-bons, so I guess it's a more touristy route than those farther East.