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Morocco October 2016

Good and bad today.

Saw a landcruiser on the back of a transporter. Unusual enough itself but this was a 6x6 70 series camper conversion that looked brand new.

Still no 80s but getting closer to the desert so loads of 100 and 150's.

Took a wrong turn onto anew motorway with no exit for 90 Kms and then got stung for a £4 backhander to a bent copper. Been a long day so wasn't think straight as I could have used the sat nav log to prove my speed. Hey ho,made cracking time and have hit Essaouira a day earlier than last year
 
Things are progressing well. Had a nice few days in Essaouira ended up staying a day longer as we had rain.

Then dropped down the coast, picked up a little bit of the route we started with last year so I could get a bit we missed due to delays.

Turned out to be a beautiful route from sidi Ifni to the start of Plage Blanche running along the top of the cliffs and then down onto the beach itself for the last 30km.

Stopped at Fort Bou Jerif for the night. Thought I'd be the only person here but just after dark several groups turned up and it's heaving now. Can't see the trucks but there's a FJ Cruiser and at least 1 80.

Slowly heading east now through the anti atlas, up onto the issil plain and then dropping down to the desert before heading deep into the high Atlas
 
Are you still heading south to Western Sahara ?
 
Not sure. It's too remote for a solo vehicle off road but I might go down the coast road to have a look at Dakhla or save it for a trip with more vehicles ATM.

Had a better look at the late arrivals at Bou Jerif last night. 2 or 3 groups. First with kids stayed in nomad tents mostly rentals jeep Mitsubishi and a tricked out FJ cruiser.

Then there was a group in the hotel, a couple of 80's a 200 and 120 plus a patrol. Then another group in the motel (may be same group) 120 and a couple of 80's. All on top of the staffs 150, 2x 80 and a 120.

Non were overlander prepped the group in the hotel and motel were all big suspension roll cages and bucket seats and mostly petrols. Probably just blast their way from hotel to hotel.

Now in Tafroute in the Anti Atlas after 2 routes from Morocco Overland. Both interesting but mostly far since the book was published. And a good look around a mountain top fortified granary. Well worth the hike to the top
 
Well that was an interesting couple of days.

Left Tafroute and I was uncertain to go NE to Taliouine or SE to Tata. First half of my he day was the same either way. Eventually decided on heading to Tata and picked up a piste heading due east across the Anti Atlas.

Started off across nice rolling hills with scattered nomad camps. Eventually it started to climb on a single track ledge on the side of the mountain that's very typical in the mountain areas.

Sooon started to get slightly higher and the drop out the drivers window more alarming. The track was clearly very rarely used but was looking to be an all time classic route. I remember thinking this could be a pain if you got into trouble but carried on enjoying the drive. Signs of rock falls and the damage caused was getting more frequent.

Just managed to squeeze through twice with tyres perched over the edge and rocks falling away below. Lucky I wasn't any wider or heavier I think. About 20km from rejoining tarmac I found a rock barricade the locals often use to indicate problems ahead but figured it was for people heading towards the big I just crawled through.

2km later the track crossed a 10m deep ravine, well used too I was no faced with a return of 50km, on a precipice and in reverse! Just managed to find a spot where I could do a very very careful 50 point turn. 3 hours later my detour got to to where the track would have reached the road.

I think if we'd done that route last year the day would have turned out very differently. Getting 8 trucks reversed back would have been a nightmare.

Today was much more relaxed with a nice d sett run from Tata to Foum Zguid avoiding last years army checkpoints and then onto Zagora.

Popped in to Ali Nassir for a check over and found lord front bushes have vanished, well they had done 190000 miles! Back in tomorrow for a Moroccan repair of some description
 
Please excuse the spelling. The new site is a bit of a mare on an iPhone and Moroccan wifi.

Photos to come but my laptop broke before I came away so for now they are stuck on the camera
 
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Yeah it was fun, thought I might be spending the night up there for a while.

Today brings the challenge of dealing with Moroccan mechanics
 
MarkW said:
Today brings the challenge of dealing with Moroccan mechanics
Click to expand...
Thats not a challenge. You'll meet new people...have a beer or two with them. They'll make you stay over night in town and make you pay for the part needed and some other part you dont need:)....The real challenge is being solo! I was holding my breath and hoping you dont head towards Dakhla.....



















WITHOUT ME!!! No excuse for not joining you next year!
Stay well, have fun and keep us posted Mark!


George
 
Last edited:
Well done for getting off mountain without reverse! Very brave solo!?
 
GeorgeG said:
Thats not a challenge. You'll meet new peple...have a beer ot two with them. They'll make you stay over night in town and make you pay for the part needed and some other part you dont need:)....The real challenge is being solo! I was holding my breath and hoping you dont head towards Dakhla.....



















WITHOUT ME!!! No excuse for not joining you next year!
Stay well, have fun and keep us posted Mark!


George
Click to expand...

Well I know these mechanics and it was simple work. Although they are still at it now after starting at 09:30.

Front cross member has been removed and new one installed. Took quite a while for them to get the old one off. The guys are now onto the front lower arm bushes, one side was almost done when I retired for a beer at the auberge.

Lot of 4x4's passing through today. It seems the bulk of French and Spanish are more like rally cars than overlanders. Guess it one way to do things flat out and then stay in a hotel each night.
 
Frustratingly slow progress today with the mechanics waiting for others to do their bits. But she far I've had a front cross me ever removed and new Toyota one fitted, front lower suspension arm bushes replaced and 2 under belly guards fabricated and fitted. Plus I got fed to be whole time

Been interesting watching the work and the communal way all the businesses work together (shame western society can't do it better)

Today saw an 80 in for major steering repairs, a 120 for a cv gaiter, a 100 in for a quick lube and an amazing ex rally 70 doing recces for 2017 rallys
 
Truck was all sorted for a very reasonable price, altogether I had the old front cross member cut off and brand new toyota part fitted and painted(I supplied the new part). New sump guard and second underbelly plate as the old ones had succumbed to rust and 6 trips to Morocco. Ok they were cut by eye and aren't the prettiest in the world but they work. Then the labour and new toyota bushes came. Gut feeling teh work was cheap but the bushes a bit pricier than the UK.

I then headed back west to Foum Zguid and picked up a fantastic track north up over the mountains and onto the Issil plain. This was the second northern route onto the plain I've done and the view at the end of the mountains is mind blowing even when you know its coming. Then it was onto to Taliouine for the night.

Today I've headed north up through the Hig Atlas and was planning a trip up to Lac Imli on the slopes of Jebel Toubkal but the piste was closed for some big official event. Instead I picked up another piste east across to the Tizi N Tichca pass. Nice little route which ended in a mining area complete with cable cars and the track running through the middle of it all. Very Mad Max.

Stopped for the night outside Ouarazazate trying to decide where to head next. Not helped by the french couple in a 80 giving me a large glass of Pastis when I arrived :)

Weather forecast is predicting maybe rain and thunderstorms this week so that may influence my plans slightly
 
Had another 2 cracking days in the mountains. Leaving Ouarazazate I headed up a great little tarmac road through the High Atlas before turning east and off road. The next several hours were spent wondering if a boat killed that have been a better option as the route was straight up a narrow river bed in a gorge. Absolutely fantastic and very similar to the route George Pete Byron and I did at the end of last years trip.

As progress was slow I scrapped the last 80km and headed back south to the main road and a very peculiar camp site. Some one had spent lots of money but had no customers!

Today had been a shorter day south through Jebel Sahro picking up some tracks I marked in 2014, again some amazing routes. Unfortunatly just as i hit tarmac it started raining so I'm in a cosy hotel for the night
 
What an epic day. Torrential rainstorms, floods, prehistoric rock art, desert rescued a Peugeot 205 cabbie rally car. And had 2 hours in the dark.

Time for a beer
 
Rain cleared up yesterday so it was back across the desert to Zagora again. Met a nice young lady at Erfoud campsite who fancied seeing the desert in the Dacia Duster rental she had so I said I'd show her the way. Mightily pissed off the campsite owner who was trying to charge for the same thing.

Great day across the desert and she did really well getting stuck in sand once, inexperience, road tyres and high pressure didn't help. (last year some of the group decided to skip this section :whistle:)

I've stopped in Zagora for the day as I was getting a bit of diff noise on tarmac. Quick trip back to Ali's and in 10minutes the diff was off and being sorted. Nice and quiet now and they fed me as well.

Just enjoying a Beer while I plan the next route. tried to upload some photos today but kept getting error messages
 
Almost forgot, I've been asked if I'll do an interview about my trips for an overland blog thingy when I get back
 
MarkW said:
Rain cleared up yesterday so it was back across the desert to Zagora again. Met a nice young lady at Erfoud campsite who fancied seeing the desert in the Dacia Duster rental she had so I said I'd show her the way. Mightily pissed off the campsite owner who was trying to charge for the same thing.

Great day across the desert and she did really well getting stuck in sand once, inexperience, road tyres and high pressure didn't help. (last year some of the group decided to skip this section :whistle:)

I've stopped in Zagora for the day as I was getting a bit of diff noise on tarmac. Quick trip back to Ali's and in 10minutes the diff was off and being sorted. Nice and quiet now and they fed me as well.

Just enjoying a Beer while I plan the next route. tried to upload some photos today but kept getting error messages
Click to expand...

A likely story, "stuck in the sand" :eusa-whistle:

Heard it all now Mark :lol:

It used to be "run out of petrol" in my day...
 
No sign of any trouble in the south yet.

Been an interesting few days. Left Zagora and headed back up to Taliouine. Been seeing a lot more wildlife this year. Loads of eagles and the biggest snake I've seen out if the zoo possibly a venomous one!

Yesterday I headed up into the High Atlas south of Jebel Toubkal and explored a couple more routes. One ended in what must be the Moroccan pikes peak.

Today I did a loop south in the Anti Atlas and was surprised by the landscape. Much more like Jebel Sahro than I thought. Some of the tracks clearly hadn't been driven for a long time and low range was in use a lot. All going great until another washed out river crossing. Turned round an headed back.

The previous crossing had a tricky little entry to the river bed but I knew it was there and was prepared for it. Didn't do me much good as in love knee out the back end slide round up against a rock leaving me with forwards as the only way out and a 90degree turn on loose sand. Probably the coos st I've come to getting well and truely stuck. Low range, locked diff didn't work. Dropping tyre pressure. Worked a great.

Got back to the camp site to find 2 4x4, 2 campers and 14 motorbikes in.
 
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