morocco overland

[bundubasher]

And if you're going to wander any farther you may also think to buy Chris Scott's latest book: The Overlander's Handbook

(Slight plug as I wrote the EA to SA section)

[howardj]

hi matt,planning to do a five week morrocco trip in jan, so its brill to know someone has been there, done that, will be in touch later this year to pick your brains if thats ok with you. we are planning to sail to calis and motor through france, getting over the mountains into spain in winter could be fun. great pics.

Hi danny barbara and I have decide to do it, will have a chat on the next outing. H

[dannyboy77]

Just got back from my 3rd trip to Morocco, this one was five weeks and yet again fantastic.

Photo's have titles, in full Res and "Geotagged" which hopefully will be useful.

Photo's

SPOT link

If you have not bought Morocco Overland by Chris Scott then you should.

sorry i started this thread and havent given it much attention! the pics seem amazing 24seven and i see from the pics you have labelled the pics from each route i.e. MH1 MH4 etc i have the morocco overland book too and have gone on the HUBB forum were chris scott and similar travellers give lots of useful information. when did you go? as i know the best times are spring or autumn? as not too hot but lots of day light!

i doent know if you have seen the route i have drawn up from the chris scott book but would like to do the cirque de jafar route! did you manage that? i have give 10 days for 4 routes but they can be cut short if run out of time!basically 2 full weeks off give you 16 days off so 3 days to get / each way and 9 /10 days touring?

i know there has been a bit of interest but if people are interested then should start put some kind of plan together? would Jan 2012 be suitble for most people?

[24Seven]

Hey Matt, long time mate. That looked superb.

Hello Graham, I hope you're doing fine

when did you go? as i know the best times are spring or autumn? as not too hot but lots of day light!

i doent know if you have seen the route i have drawn up from the chris scott book but would like to do the cirque de jafar route! did you manage that? i have give 10 days for 4 routes but they can be cut short if run out of time!basically 2 full weeks off give you 16 days off so 3 days to get / each way and 9 /10 days touring?

i know there has been a bit of interest but if people are interested then should start put some kind of plan together? would Jan 2012 be suitble for most people?

This Year I was In Morocco from 28th March to 25th of April, I have been in Morocco mid April to mid May before but never in the autumn.

I have done the cirque de jafar route a few times in both direction over the trips including the latest one.

I think you could be at the end of your Route 3 after four days into Morocco, your route 4 is not worth doing IMO, I did that this year.

You can get from Marrakesh to the Ferry home in two days if you use the Motorway, I would consider missing out your route 4 and instead head for Tazzarine then MS3 to Oum Jrane then join MS4 and head for Zagora using part of MS2. Then from Zagora head for Marrakesh using the very nice MS1.

That would be long days driving maybe.

Oh IMO in January there may be loads of snow on the High Atlas ruling out your plans.

[Diezel Weazel]

Just got back from my 3rd trip to Morocco, this one was five weeks and yet again fantastic.

Photo's have titles, in full Res and "Geotagged" which hopefully will be useful.

Photo's

SPOT link

If you have not bought Morocco Overland by Chris Scott then you should.

I see ya still at it, Nice brief Matt n pics ain't arf bad either ...
Hope ya keeping well mate ? long time no see ...

[dannyboy77]

thanks for the info Matt originally i was thinking October so might still go with thtat date if other people are up for it! is the cirque du jafar a technically hard piste as a few comments back from HUBB fourm said it was a bit narrow in parts etc and there are few banits about? did you come across any?

the only reason i fancied MH4 & 5 is Chris Scott commented these are the hardest pistes to drive?? what are your thoughts? but if the other routes mentioned are good to drive then can easily chance route to suit?

[andycook]

looks like a fantastic trip - thanks for the photos!

[24Seven]

thanks for the info Matt originally i was thinking October so might still go with thtat date if other people are up for it! is the cirque du jafar a technically hard piste as a few comments back from HUBB fourm said it was a bit narrow in parts etc and there are few banits about? did you come across any?

the only reason i fancied MH4 & 5 is Chris Scott commented these are the hardest pistes to drive?? what are your thoughts? but if the other routes mentioned are good to drive then can easily chance route to suit?

I would say that at the times I have done MH1 is was not that hard, certainly not boring at all, there are some massive drops sometimes which are just off the track which would put the fear into some I guess and the "rock" on the track I cannot even remember from last year, it's really not that tight.

This one on MH7 is a far bigger deal for sure



We did have a small problem with a couple of locals on that piste in 2009, but had no problems at all in 2010, I think Jojo sums it up correctly in his post. One mildly negative encounter in three years when there was hundreds of great encounter I have had with the locals though, so no big deal.

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...e-jaffar-53497

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...lt-piste-47675

I have never done MH3 so cannot comment, except that pistes change very quickly in Morocco depending on the rain and melting snow often doing damage to the tracks. We found MH7 very bad this year, (The rock on the track should have been a warning) We had to spend the night at 8000ft in the end and turn around in the morning as it was impassable.

MH4 is nice but the decent to Nekob is very rocky meaning slow going.

My Favorite routes this year were.

MH7 (even though we never finished it)
MS6
MS5
MS1
MS3
MS9

[Overland Tonka]

Just found this thanks to Mattp.... The mrs and me are off to maroc in sept prior to a bigger trip to the middle east in spring...if they stop killing people in Syria.. I was in maroc last year and it is such an easy and wonderful place to drive through.

[Overland Tonka]

yeah i have seen that you get the car drive it to russia somewhere and selll it for charity ! there is a similar one www.dakarchallenge.co.uk

i did see this ages ago and this got me started on the morocco thing!

some of the trips they do look very good and politically dangerous! but thats half the fun!

haha if this little outing goes well then if time money and politics is right then it would be RTW and road of bones for me!

Did the rally... Julian is a bit of a...well let's say economical with the truth. Us and two others still did the rally out of 50 plus teams. He stops it most years because of the kidnap/killings in maritania. Like I say we still went dispite the FCO getting their knickers in a twist and came back alive. A holiday it is not! Maroc is simple and easy...the rest of africa is a pain in the ar$e.

[Bazza52]

Like minds and all that, we were planning on going down there in Sept this year, unfortunately we will not be ready in time so we've moved our plans to 2012. We're going to drive all the way and so take a full three weeks. If anyone is planning a similar trip around that time then maybe we can team up as our other truck has pulled out.

[dannyboy77]

hi barry so when are you thinking of going on this trip? as you can see from the thread there are a few interested parties wanting to go and i guess March 2012 would be the next ideal time to go! if there are a few of us up for going we could tag along with your convoy if thats OK? safety in nubmers and all that!

[Bazza52]

Ayup Dan, as stated our convoy is now down to one So yes the more the merrier, still can't make it before Sept 2012 though, if you're serious and those dates are suitable perhaps we could arrange a gathering to discuss options etc, nowts carved in stone yet.

[howardj]

hi dan back from london for a couple of days, then back down for more work. we have decided to leave before christmas and spend six weeks doing morocco, western sahara into mauratainia then into mali to timbuctu, may not make timbuctu but its something to aim for. wel into planning and getting stuff together stage at the moment. any advice on maur or mali will be welcome from anyone. thanks howard

[dannyboy77]

best source of information is at http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/

join up and there are loads of people who can give you good advice!

should be a good trip taking your time! pity cant spend get tht time off to do that with you! am planning to put up an inventry soon to see if people fancy the trip in March / April if not hopefully tag along with bazza in sept if it all works out!