Morocco and the Sahara

[24Seven]

Got back on Saturday night from a four week trip to Morocco. Loved the place, loved the people the views and offroading were fantastic, if you can get the money together I highly recommend going. I'm counting the days until a return trip in 2010. We did around 2,000 miles traveling around Morocco + another 1,300 ish crossing Spain and back.

If anyone is interested

Pictures Here

Link

[uk_vette]

Fantastic shots.
What was your route down ?
Fuel consumption?

Ferry to Calais, or ferry to Santander?

Did you go in a group of mates?
How many?

I would definatly like to go,
Google says 1691 miles each way from Warrington to Algeciras

[24Seven]

We did Portsmouth to Bilbao, then Algeciras to Ceuta. Ferry costs return, around £450 and then £230 to Morocco.

Fuel costs Around
Spain 88p per L
Ceuta 66p per L
Morocco 74p per L

Campsites if not wild camping

Spain 10-20 euro's
Morocco £4 per night
Bread is 15p a loaf in Morocco

Fuel on road around 27 MPG and offroad far less around 20 maybe even lower in the soft stuff (Auto non 4D-D) Getting fuel was never a problem, I'm guessing even a 200 mile range would be enough.

Went with four others, one person per car, slept inside the car every night, I only knew one of the guys before going.

It was hot, high 30's most of the time to low 40's in the desert but you get used to it quickly.

[TobyJug]

superb, fantastic..... really really nice....
Keep me up to date about next years return...... If I have money I will come....

pictures look ace mate....

[Diezel Weazel]

Fantastic Pics Matt ....

There's always a Payback .... Don't know where n don't know when tho !!!!

[4 Runner]

Hi Matt
It looks like you had a good time I would be definitely interested in going to Morocco in 2010
Just need to get the Pyrenees out of the way this year and then start saving for Morocco

[24Seven]

Hi Matt
It looks like you had a good time I would be definitely interested in going to Morocco in 2010
Just need to get the Pyrenees out of the way this year and then start saving for Morocco

We will chat in Wales Peter

[dannyboy77]

did you go with the plymouth dakar charity drive i was looking at that and got the book sahara overland! it is a good read and really wanted to go on the 2010 doo!

but the book kind of put me off saying you really need a spare suspension system and tyres jerry cans and basically £1200 bits and bob for the car and then fuel etc on top! did you? please tell more!!!

[The Lovely Boyo]

That would be if you are driving a Land Rover - £1200 pah!

As far as I know, Matt serviced his truck prior to leaving and that was that.

No reported breakages - but I'm sure he'll chime in soon enough.

Hey Matt, so you are coming to The Slight Return then!?!?!?

[The Lovely Boyo]

Hi Matt,

Just watched the slide show - stunning, absolutely amazing!

We'll be talking in Wales too.

8000' - 5 TIMES higher that any track we'll be doing next month, it'll all feel rather lame I'm afraid

[24Seven]

That would be if you are driving a Land Rover - £1200 pah!

As far as I know, Matt serviced his truck prior to leaving and that was that.

No reported breakages - but I'm sure he'll chime in soon enough.

Hey Matt, so you are coming to The Slight Return then!?!?!?

Yes please, I will be there Julie does not mind me going.

I had no breakages at all on my Toyota, out of the four trucks we had

One broken roof rack (Loaded to heavy and home made)
One stuck on rear diff lock (motor failed, bad luck and not predictable)
Two tyres got there sidewalls ripped by the rocks (One was a BFG as well)
One UJ was changed near the end of the trip.

Overall considering the mileage and the heat I thought all trucks did really well.

You really don't need to carry large amounts of fuel and spare parts if your truck is up together before you go.

Excluding any prep cost people may need to do, total costs for Ferrys and fuel + everything else you spend in Morocco / Spain / On the ferry, for a four week tour could be around £1500 (That's about what it cost me)

[24Seven]

Hi Matt,

Just watched the slide show - stunning, absolutely amazing!

We'll be talking in Wales too.

8000' - 5 TIMES higher that any track we'll be doing next month, it'll all feel rather lame I'm afraid

I'm sure you would love it, it's like Wales on speed without the rain and it just goes on for mile after mile day after day, around every corner you cannot believe your eyes and it does not seem even real in places.

Most of the time we were above 5000ft and camped a few times at 7500ft, I think the highest I recored was 8500ft. Sometimes it seemed the drops you could see were right down to sea level........amazing.

I have some vids as well I will show you

I'm 99.9% sure I'm going back April 2010, we will talk in Wales

[PDR]

That is a nice slide show.... plenty of places that look familiar.

I went out to Morocco & the Western Sahara in 2000 with an old guy from Middlesex University to collect snakes. Hired a vehicle when we arrived and I ended up covering 5,500 miles...... Ed could not drive and did not appreciate that you can’t just suddenly stop because he wants to investigate a rock pile
Equipment wise all we had was the vehicles standard tool kit and my Leatherman Wave, tactical folder, surefire torches, paracord and GPS etc. (the sort of stuff I normally carry).

I’m sure it is nice to have spare parts with you but were does it all end? Maybe you should pull a spare Toyota 4x4 on a trailer just in case the first one breaks and you can’t fix it.

I’d certainly like to do Morocco again, but at a more relaxed pace.... a typical day for me was spending most of the day in the desert turning over rocks and then driving anything up to 500 miles into the early hours.