Morocco- General Advice Wanted!

[fergusbrady]

Hi all,

This summer, I'm riding down to Morocco on my R850GS for the first time with the missus on the back and I'm after any advice anyone of you chaps can give me!

I have a few main points of concern:

-Carrying enough water on the bike for travelling in the Sahara; we both have 3L bladder rucksacks, but I'm not sure what the best way is to hold bulk water and indeed some extra fuel on the bike.

-Green card insurance; my insurance company can't provide it and ideally don't want to have to stick around for one at the ferry border.

-Wild camping in the mountains/desert....

-Riding off-road with pillion...

If anyone can give me any help with the above that'd be great, or indeed share any great experiences you've had!

[AustinW]

Summer = Hot. Very very HOT. Best early spring or late autumn.

Insurance can be bought at the border or in the nearest town. I last went 7 years ago and can't remember what I paid but in the grand scheme of things not a great lot.

Water. You can buy bottles water at just about every shop and little kiosk. It's not overpriced unlike here. Fill your bladders at the hotel or campsite and just strap several bottles to the bike somewhere.

Fuel is readily available in most places of any size and even some tiny ones. If you are on Tarmac roads then you shouldn't have a problem. Off road - do your research and make sure you can easily do the distance before setting off. If in doubt don't attempt that route.

I always stayed in a hostel or hotel. At £20 or less a night why wouldn't you.

Off road with a pillion?!! If you really mean off road/off piste then you must be a riding god and have a very trusting pillion. It's hard enough solo. If you mean on pistes (graded gravel tracks) then again it's not easy. Do you take your wife down long green lanes in the UK? If so then you should have no problem with the dry but stony and sometimes sandy pistes in Morocco. If not, then get some practice in aiming to do a couple of hundred miles a day on the green lanes. Personally I think your mad even contemplating riding off road in Morocco with a pillion other than for short pistes you know to be ok. But that could just be me, my wife and my riding ability, oh and that I am a right wuss.

[wideparting]

most of it been covered by austinw above,wouldnt bother camping you can get bed breakfast and evening meal for about £20.go from algeciras to tangier med crossing easier than the others,have a great trip. j

[herman]

http://www.morocco-knowledgebase.net/forum/forum.php

[oldoak]

Yeah Tim is your man on the Morocco knowledge base, he has got a fabulous amount of experience and knowledge of the country.

Big bike off road two up is asking a lot, especially in summer. I did a 100km crossing of a piste which got down to sand for a good 30km of it. it took 5 hours on a moderately loaded 650 single and at least 7 litres of water! that was in about 35 degree heat in april, summer could be a lot hotter.

a lot of people ditch camping stuff for maroc as hotels and accommodation is so cheap. that is a fair point but campsites are also plentiful and once away from populated areas camping really comes into its own for the solitude, big skies and feeling pretty cool about the whole thing. Don't expect that your presence is not found out by someone but this can be even more fun!

My best advice would be to go march or sept, the heat will constrict what you can do more than anything. However if you have to go in the summer, id say stick to roads and stay with hotels with a/c it can be really hot at night, even in the deserts and camping can be a little uncomfy!

If your doing the pistes, chris scott's book is a must, morocco overland is really good, excellent maps on open source mapping too.

Have a great trip

[Tonibe63]

Plenty to do and see in Morocco without going off-road, I like the 2up gravel riding in the Alps etc but wouldn't even consider riding sand ..... miles of hard slog for not a lot of gain.

[Chris S]

My advice:

... the best way is to hold bulk water and indeed some extra fuel on the bike.

As others have said, May will be hot. 3L should last half a day at worst. Do clothes up against the heat blast - you dehydrate slower. Buy bottled and use rehydration tablets like High Five (or a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of sugar in a glass). I find tabs easier. Take them as a matter of course from day 1. It's just Gatorade/isotonic. Then, if you get too far gone or sick, take a Dioralyte: it's like an injection. Or drink one anyway at the end of a hard, hot day if you're weary.
Doubt you'll need extra fuel even down south as long as the bike can do 200-250kms.

... ideally don't want to have to stick around for one at the ferry border.

Not a problem at TanMed these days - recommended crossing - it's all calm.
The insurance kiosk is right there next to the money change.
No hassle or crowds, unlike the enclave ports, and other ports do not have insurance booths in my recent experience + getting 'assurance frontiere' in towns has proved to be a hassle. Tanmed is by far the easiest. Fuel 2km down the road, motorway another few km. Tolls to Marrakech about 20 quid. Cross early; have a plan for the first night's lodgings - after that, wing it.

-Wild camping in the mountains/desert....

Like others say, don't bother - your Mrs may thank you and too hot anyway. Half board from 15 quid pp down south. Much more relaxing to just close the door, shower and flop out.

-Riding off-road with pillion...

Would not recommend it except on the flattest gravel pistes - don;t know many of those. Tyres and shock will get hot and may play up. Lots of brilliant, empty roads in the mtns and south - your Mrs may thank you again

Good maps:
RK-H paper (less fragile than Michelin)
Olaf digital (free, better than OSM, IMO) - both can be a hassle to import if you are not techie.
Garmin North Africa 20 quid review - easy to import I found.
More on maps here
Someone mentioned Oryx for androids.

Docs and entry here

Have a great ride. Off there myself next week to update the book - before it gets too hot!

[rodyorkabr]

few ideas on water storage/routes/places to visit etc here and not what to do! We camped and mixed it up with B&B

[Redmurty]

I think Chris Scott has written a good book on Moroc which I have on order at present.

cheers Spud

[rodyorkabr]

I think Chris Scott has written a good book on Moroc which I have on order at present.

cheers Spud

I used some of Chris Scotts' routes in the film