Western Sahara April 2017

[MarkW]

Anyone interested in a trip this year??

I'm currently planning my next trip for this spring. The plan are to watch the Morocco Desert Adventure Rally on Easter Monday (17th April) at the Plage Blanch, camping at an old fort the night before. Then heading south into the Western Sahara to the Tropic of Cancer, Cintra Bay and Dakhla before heading back north along the Atlantic Coast. We'll have a few days in Dakhla to relax and explore the area

Maximum group size will be small and 2 places are provisionally reserved already. If you haven't already spotted it, Easter is late this year meaning a lot of bank holidays close together saving annual leave use!

A WS route would be long mileages in very remote areas with little water or fuel supplies for a few days. The WS also has FO advisories for landmines and security at present (but that just adds to the fun). We would have to be self sufficient for at least 3/4 days, route depending and help/civilisation could be over a days drive at times.

We could spend 5 days off road from TanTan to Dakhla over 1000km. These could be long days and would need the group to be organised to get the km covered.

After Smara there is no fuel supplies until Dakhla so we'd need to have a range of 800-900km for fuel, water and food. There are wells for water but that's pretty much it any towns/villages are likely to be military outposts and not really ideal places to visit. Except in an emergency.

The WS is stunningly desolate but can be quite featureless during the drive, there certainly isn't the variety of views the northern parts of Morocco have. .

There no 2 ways about this, its not a trip for anyone who isn't mentally prepared for long days in the desert and whose trucks may have any doubts about reliability. Once into the desert the only escape routes will take at least a day back to civilisation, there is no option for an easy day on tarmac if you aren't up to it.

I'm planning to head out a few weeks before the rally so if anyone fancied a couple of weeks in Morocco in March that's also a possibility.

Route Outline (3500Km From Essaouira to Essaouira, or 7000km from UK to UK)

This video was from my 2nd trip, 1:07 to 2:22 is the WS for an idea of the terrain in the bit I know
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CDegjjdugg

And some pics

View attachment 90814P1060742 by Trackasylum, on Flickr

View attachment 90815P1060766 Panorama by Trackasylum, on Flickr

 

[GeorgeG]

I've been waiting for this thread for awhile
The rally start is on the 16th, not on the 17th.
Some questions already
1) Is the campsite in El Jadidah open in April?
2) Are 5 days enough to get from Tanger to Plage blanche? Well, without rushing.

 

[MarkW]

mmm, we'll need to confirm exactly when they are doing the Plage Blanch stage

The campsite should be open at El Jadida, if not there are hotels as well, I know a nice old palace which has been converted. Or it is possible to get to Essaouira in one day on the Motorway from Tanger Med. Last trip I got in Sunday night drove 50km to Asilah on the motorway and then Essaouira the next day.

5 days is plenty depending on the route you take. I'd meet you in Essaouira and from there I think 1.5 days to get to a camp site to watch the rally. Its essentially the same drive we did in 2 days in 2015 but with more on tarmac. Probably Essaouira to Fort Bou Jerif on one day and then an easy day to the south end of the Plage Blanch the next day.

5 days would give you a day or so in Essaouira on the way down without rushing depending on where you stop on the way!

 

[GeorgeG]

I'll scip El Jadida and head straight to Essaouira after getting into Morocco.
Looks like I'll get on the ferry on the 10th April and be in Essaouira evening time on the 11th. April.12th all day there and head south on the 13th. Hows that?
The fort Bou Jerif route is fine. even if we do it again in two days. Less tarmac is better

 

[MarkW]

Sounds good, I'm a bit confused with rally dates as the website say they are in Agadir 15th and 16th so I thought it would be the 17th on the beach. I'll email them and confirm so we don't miss anything.

Heading south to start with theres a number of options, same route we did in 2015, a variation I did last year etc or just stick on the road to Bou Jerif. Really depends on the rally date for this bit. If it turns out to be the 17th we could always have a day up in the Anti Atlas on the way.

How long have you got in Morocco George and when do you need to be on a ferry back to Spain? I can fill in the gaps then

 

[GeorgeG]

Hm! Rally may be on the 17th at the PB....
I dont have any set date to get out of Morocco. Lets do some math.
Approx. 5 days from getting in to PB....then what? Another 4 do Dakhla? 2 days in Dakhla and lets say another 10 days to get to the ferry. Something like that.
I'd like to get on the High Atlas again at some point. Jebel Sahro as I couldn't in 2015. May be Marrakech, Volubilis.....

 

[KriPa]

I will be following this.

 

[JOHN OF LONDON]

Hi Mark,
I'd be interested in spending a week or two in northern Morocco in March. How detailed are your plans at this stage?

 

[MarkW]

Hm! Rally may be on the 17th at the PB....
I dont have any set date to get out of Morocco. Lets do some math.
Approx. 5 days from getting in to PB....then what? Another 4 do Dakhla? 2 days in Dakhla and lets say another 10 days to get to the ferry. Something like that.
I'd like to get on the High Atlas again at some point. Jebel Sahro as I couldn't in 2015. May be Marrakech, Volubilis.....

You should come earlier

Volubilis is not far from Chefchoen so is easy on the way home, as is Marrakech. Jebel Sarho will mean getting across to Zagora area but would link in to heading up to Marrakech through the High Atlas

 

[MarkW]

Hi Mark,
I'd be interested in spending a week or two in northern Morocco in March. How detailed are your plans at this stage?

Very loose at the moment John, except I'm thinking about heading out mid March (ish) so I have a few weeks before meeting George

 

[GeorgeG]

You should come earlier

I can't! I've got some errands to run in Alicante, Spain in the early morning of Apr. 9th.Then I'll kick the pedal to the metal towards Algeciras.
I've already been to Chefchoen with Pete

 

[Mojo]

Mark, this might be of general interest when it comes to watching the rally and some of the pitfalls & advice.

 

[oblertone]

Please don't assume that the warnings about minefields will just 'add to the fun' as this area is reputedly the longest minefield in the world at 1500kms.
Alongside all metalled roads in the Western Sahara you will see cairns or piles of stones, these represent the swept area and are considered clear of mines. Should you venture outside these cairns then you may well find out to your cost just how close to the road the minefield comes. Due to shifting sand, even the engineers who laid the field have no clear idea where things are.
I have done this route twice, and through into Mauritania and beyond; it is a stunning part of the world but is subject to ongoing conflicts about which we in the West hear little or nothing.

 

[MarkW]

This will be my 3rd trip off road into the WS and we'll be using well known pistes used regularly and covered in Gandini's guide book that have also been recently used by overlanders and rally's.

Whilst it is still a disputed area with a UN presence there is little conflict within the Moroccan controlled area other than some minor political protests. The UN, along with their monitoring role, have also completed large scale mine clearance across the region, the dangers are not what they were unless your trying to get to the wrong side of the berm.

As a long term visitor to the area I try to keep upto date on current affairs even when its not reported in our media and I'm in regular contact with overlanders/travellers in this area to ensure I have the latest information.

 

[MarkW]

I can't! I've got some errands to run in Alicante, Spain in the early morning of Apr. 9th.Then I'll kick the pedal to the metal towards Algeciras.
I've already been to Chefchoen with Pete

I was just thinking a stop a Volubilis fits in nicely with stopping at Chefchoen, definitely something for the way home.

Just thinking about different options to get from the WS to Jebel Sarho them Marrakech. Most direct would be to go Laayoune - Smara - Assa - Tata - Zagora before heading north, only Assa to Zagora would be almost the same as we did in 2015 (but less army!). An alternative will be Laayoune - TanTan, Tafroute, Taroudannt, Ouuarazazate.

Things will get clearer in my mind when I start writing stuff down

Mark, this might be of general interest when it comes to watching the rally and some of the pitfalls & advice.

Thanks Mojo, interesting read, hopefully if we get the right day the rally will have to come past us, the PLage Blanch is only narrow

 

[JOHN OF LONDON]

Thanks Mark,
I'm in Ethiopia at the moment but will be back in Britain in a week or so to study the calender and see what dates I have.
John

 

[MarkW]

Sounds exotic John! I think the earliest I'd go is the weekend of the 18th. Not looked at ferries yet though

 

[GeorgeG]

Mark, should I contact Carlos in advance or just get on any feery?
P.S. O! I did not have enough on the sand dunes Consider more time there and may be even wild camp in the area.

 

[MarkW]

I usually email Carlos for a price before I leave so I know how much money I need.

Dunes eh? you're making this hard for me now! I'm working on some plans giving different options as a starting point. Certainly going to be quite a bit of wildcamping between Essaouira and Dakhla.

We'll have a few days to fill in on the way to the rally if its the Monday so I'm thinking we should go via the Anti Atlas maybe

 

[GeorgeG]

Dunes may be on the way back?...Anti Atlas sounds good.