Two 400 XR in Morocco

Hi
Short presentation. I'm Eric, french ( nobody is perfect ) 43 years old, speaking english like a mad cow, I like bike off road. Last november I have been in Morocco with a friend. I wrote a diary. Since I read a report of 3 bike in Moroco ( BMW1200) I would like edit mine. It will be quite long.If you don't like, say it



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&#8216;&#8217;Nous partîmes 6 et par un prompt renfort, nous nous vîmes &#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;.. 2 en arrivant au port d&#8217;Algeciras&#8217;&#8217;.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
At the beginning of the project we must be three bikes with a four wheels drive car as assistance but at the end we were two.<o></o>
The travellers : Patrick et Eric, the bikes : 400XR standard 8 an 10 years old ( the bikes ) fitted with big tank ( around 20L) in order to be self-sufficient for around 350 km, a pair of saddlebag, few closes, tools and some spares ( some tyre tubes, it will be important), a toothbrush a sleeping bag and go !!!.<o></o>
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Saturday 21st October South France <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1lace><st1:City>Algeciras</st1:City></st1lace> 1500 Km :
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Wake up at 2 AM, quick breakfast, loading the bikes on the trailer, and we leave at 3 AM for 1500km and 15 hours through <st1lace><st1:country-region>Spain</st1:country-region></st1lace>.<o></o>
Not many things to say, we arrives at 6 PM to <st1lace><st1:City>Algeciras</st1:City></st1lace>, camp site La Casita. We negotiate the price to leave the car and the trailer during our Moroccan trip. In fact we don&#8217;t negotiate a lot, 22&#8364; for this night and around 7&#8364; per day for the car and the trailer in a closed park.
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Sunday 22nd October : <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1:City>Algeciras</st1:City><st1lace>Fes</st1lace> 260 Km :<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
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Wake up at 6 AM, the logistic is not on the top, we have nothing for breakfast, only two apples and two bananas in the car.<o></o>
We leave at 8:30 PM to <st1:City><st1lace>Algeciras</st1lace></st1:City> port, we arrive at 9 PM, we book the tickets and we leave in the ferry at 9:45 PM, excellent organization<o></o>
We arrive to <st1lace><st1:State>Ceuta</st1:State></st1lace>, we fill in the tank and we move towards the border. We change money before the customs, we didn&#8217;t make a good deal we didn&#8217;t know the right rate but anyway we are on the road.<o></o>
At the customs a guy hassle us and want to help us for the formalities, we explain him we are able to do it by our-self. <o></o>
In front of the control office a guy say to me &#8220;hello!, I know you, do you remember in <st1lace><st1:country-region>Tunisia</st1:country-region></st1lace> with JSO organization&#8221;. It is true I did a trip in south <st1lace><st1:country-region>Tunisia</st1:country-region></st1lace> with them, it was in 2002. They are in <st1lace><st1:country-region>Morocco</st1:country-region></st1lace> with a travel agency, the world is small.<o></o>
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All the formalities are done quickly, without to pay anything, I put the GPS in place and GO <o></o>
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We stop to Chefchaouen, where we would like to buy some things to eat, but it is Ramadan and all the stores are closed, we turn around in the city and find a cake shop, we buy two apples tarts and French &#8220;viennoiserie&#8221; It&#8217;ll be ok. On the exit of the town we arrive to the market, we complete our shopping with cans of sardines with olive oil, well known French cheese named &#8220; vache qui rit &#8220; ( laughing cow ) some bread everything for around 10 Dirham ( 1 &#8364; ). What feast. Picnic near from Chefchaouen with a beautiful landscape. I say to my friend &#8216;&#8217; Hé Patrick, on est moulus, hein !!! &#8216;&#8217;. A personal expression, that means we are lucky.<o></o>
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At the <st1lace><st1laceType>village</st1laceType> of <st1laceName>Souk El Had</st1laceName></st1lace>, we take a road on the left towards Mokrisset where we expect to find the first track.<o></o>
The track begins soon, we catch up a band of 8 Italians bikers, we pass them quickly to avoid the dust they let behind, we will meet them later in special circumstances. In fact the track is an old road which has been covered with ground and mud. This track is easy to ride and perfect for a beginning, even the loaded bikes are easy to drive, the landscape on the <st1lace><st1laceName>Rif</st1laceName><st1laceType>Mountains</st1laceType></st1lace> are wonderful.<o></o>
The trip begins very well.<o></o>

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After Zoumi, we take a road towards <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1lace>FES</st1lace>. Before arriving to <st1lace>Fes</st1lace>, we stop for setting up the night. I found an address and a phone number recommended on an internet Forum, I call, ask for the price, 2000 Dirhams (around 200&#8364, oups it&#8217;s too expensive for our budget. On the &#8220; routard guide&#8221; we find a cheap hotel. We turn in <st1lace>Fes</st1lace>, a policeman give us a wrong direction (even if they don&#8217;t know, they give you an answer) and finally we take a guide with a moped and we arrive to the hotel. 200 Dh the bedroom for two, it&#8217;s not a luxury, but we don&#8217;t care, it&#8217;s clean with hot water. We leave the bikes in a watched parking for moped.<o></o>
For the dinner we find and address in the « routard guide », we take the bikes and turn around and around a long time in <st1lace>Fes</st1lace>, before finally finding the restaurant&#8230;&#8230;..closed.<o></o>
Return to the hotel, I&#8217;ve got an other phone number, found on the web, restaurant &#8220;La Menara&#8221;, I call, the owner advises us to take a small taxi to a cinema where he will await us. He is present when we arrive. We follow him in the <st1lace><st1:City>Medina</st1:City></st1lace> and after three or four turns we are lost, there is nothing to do but follow him in this labyrinth. <o></o>
After walking a moment, he stops in front of a large wood door, we enter in a wonderful traditional family home, with mosaic everywhere and plaster decoration. Hassan welcomes us friendly, he explains us a lot of things about Fes and <st1lace><st1:country-region>Morocco</st1:country-region></st1lace>. The meal prepared by his mother is excellent, an address to recommend.<o></o>
For going back to the hotel, Hassan asks to a little boy to guide us through the medina, walking inside the medina during the night when the tourists are away is a funny thing to do.<o></o>
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Lundi 23 Octobre Fes Midelt 280 Km<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
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Wake up at 6 am, in fact we are awake since 4 :15 am, because of the call of the Muesin for the prayer. May be because the Ramadan the level of the &#8220;sound system&#8221; is very high, and we hear two calls, first at 4:15 am and the second at 5 am. And it&#8217;s during a long time.<o></o>
Regarding the breakfast we don&#8217;t have to think about it, because of Ramadan<o></o>
The caretaker is angry because 7am is too early and the day doesn&#8217;t begin well, so we can go.
Anyway, we load the bikes and we start, it is 7:30 pm and we have nothing to eat and to drink, we will find something to buy on the road. But all the stores are closed.<o></o>
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On the hill towards Imouzer kandar before arriving to Ifrane around 1800m high, the bike are running very bad, it seems that the mixture is wrong, specially Patrick&#8217;s bike. Following my advices, he changes the carburetor setup, in order to put back the baffle on the exhaust pipe, to have a quieter bike. Obviously it is not a success.<o></o>
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Before Ifrane, first trails, we take the track T1 describe in the Gandini guide book, superb tracks stony by place, super. Except that at one moment right in the middle of the track, a barbed wire is tended, emergency braking, I carry the wire, rattling noise. Once stopped, I note the damage, ouf nothing important , the engine protect, the exhaust pipe and a wing of the cylinder are well striped but it is all, not puncture, all is well. I have had a big fear nevertheless, especially because here the barbed wires seems very strong.<o></o>
&#8216;&#8217; Hé Patrick, on est moulus, hein !!! &#8216;&#8217;<o></o>
We saw two ski slopes just before Ifrane. With only one ski lift. It&#8217;s amazing for this country<o></o>
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Arriving to Ifrane , the « Switzerland of Morocco » in front of the royal palace an army of gardeners is working on the parks. It seems like we have changed of country. We stop at an hotel to buy some water, 15Dh the bottle oups &#8220; this is a three stars hotel mister &#8220;.<o></o>
We fill in the tanks and we go down town, the stores are open, purchases for the picnic, sardines with tomatoes sauce ( to change a little bit ), &#8220;laughing cow&#8221;, toasts ( no bread until 1PM Inch Allah). Now we can go, we take a track on the left after the gas station, we pass to the Gouraud Cedar ( a tree Known I don&#8217;t know why ), we arrive on the sealed road Azrou Midel and after few kilometer we take a track on the left, towards the south, Gas...<o></o>
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Great intro! Can't wait to see more.

Patrick&#8217;s bike is running more and more badly because of the altitude, now the high is more than 2000m. We stop for the picnic and organize a mechanical workshop in order to remove the exhaust pipe baffle which chokes the engine.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
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But it is rebellious and does not want to leave, using a cable, we attach the baffle to a tree, start the engine , first gear, acceleration and nothing happens, the wheel digs the ground but it is all. <o></o>
At least, step by step we manage to leave it.<o></o>
Testing, it&#8217;s Ok, it's running better.<o></o>
Regarding my own bike the head of the screw is out of order and I need a drilling machine. So I remove the Sand-stop which I had put at the entry of the air filter, that is a little better but it is not yet fine

We meet a French couple with a <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1:City><st1lace>Toyota</st1lace></st1:City> very well equipped, we discuss about our respective plans.<o></o>
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We set out again, in the Cedar forests, excellent sandy track, further we will see the monkeys but too far for a pictures. In a small village, as we doesn&#8217;t want to give pen or candy the children want to send to us on a wrong track, thank you the GPS<o></o>
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Before Bakrit, during 2 or 3 km the track are covered with heaps of large gravels put here in order to remake the track, on the first part we can go on the right or on the left side but then the track is like a cornice and it is necessary to cross the woops formed by the gravel heaps, no problem with a bike, but with a 4x4 that must be less funny.<o></o>
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Return on the sealed road, a straight line like there are a lot in <st1:country-region><st1lace>Morocco</st1lace></st1:country-region>, arrival on Midelt. Stop in a garage to see whether they can put in blow of drilling machine at my screw, they do not have a drill and propose to weld a piece of iron onto the screw to remove it, no thank you we will see later.<o></o>
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We arrive around 5 PM, hotel Atlas, 170Dh, for the night, meal for two, garage for the bikes and hot shower. <o></o>
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We meet a guy from Finistère, he is traveling with an old BJ45 Toyota, he offers us two beers, a funny guy.<o></o>
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During the diner we discuss with a couple from <st1lace><st1:State>Quebec</st1:State></st1lace>, After we walk through the town, discuss with Moroccans, purchases for tomorrow&#8217;s picnic, there is a lot of peoples in the streets during the night because of Ramadan. A good evening<o></o>
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Now, to the bed, tomorrow we have a huge stage<o></o>
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damage due to the barbed

Tuesday 24th October Midelt - Tinerhir 260 Km<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
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As usual, wake up at 6 Am, but once again the Muesin prepares us at 5. <o></o>
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chocolatine and tangerine, it is frugal. Departure at 7: 40, we turn around in Midelt before finding the track, of Jaffar circus, that we had made 8 years ago

Arrived in overhang of the circus of Jaffar we stop for pictures memories, 8 years ago we get back here and there we will continue the track known as &#8220;shivers track&#8221; for the 4x4 drivers, with a bike it is not a problem, but by place the track's inclinations are important. Good feelings with a 4X4. To get out of the circus we take a wrong trail in a canyon, continuing on the right track now it is wonderful and the landscapes are very nice.<o></o>
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cirque de jaffar

shivers track

Wow one more Moroco report, that is nice, don't stop.

Near to the village Tizi&#8217;n zou, we stop in front of a large hole cutting the track (2m broad and as much of depth, ) a local guy explains us that not far the track is definitively cut and we have to return and take an other track on the north, of course he asks something for the information, we hesitate a little but the direction is good compared to the GPS and the ditch is passable with a bike.We decide to continue, there will be two or three crossings in the same style, a goat trail before finding the good track.


Saeled road until Agoudim, in the canyon we see the damage caused by the risings of spring, it is really impressive, water carried whole parts of walls. The track begins again after Agoudim<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
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Stop picnic close to Tamalout in a oued ( river ) bordered of cedars. The track continues, passage at a pass with 2650m high. Before Imilchil, we open the gas in the rise. <o></o>
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Return on a tar road, we avoid Imilchill and go directly towards Thodra gorges. We pass once again at 2670m high, we go down in the gorges, it&#8217;s a pity to have tar the track and also to have build a hotel at the entry of the gorges. We pass two 4x4 registered 31 ( like me ), they are heavy loaded.<o></o>
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We arrive at Tinerhir at around 4PM, after almost 7 hours riding. We look for an hotel in the guide and finally we select a guesthouse named &#8216;&#8217;retour au calme&#8217;&#8217; this means « return quiet », our guest Mohamed is very friendly <o></o>
and welcoming , the house is really typical, close to the palm plantation and clean, we eat there very well and the breakfast (the first in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1lace><st1:country-region>Morocco</st1:country-region></st1lace>) is extra. An address to be recommended. (email :hote.calme@mageos.com)<o></o>
One of the best stopping place we have had.

It is the end of the Ramadan, it&#8217;s a feast day, people are in the street, very well wear to visit the family and the neighbors. We drink a Coke downtown, discussion with a guy who explains us the difficulty in following the Ramadan, and who is quite happy that finishes<o></o>
As usual now, we purchase for picnic of the following day, this time we buy mackerels it is a feast day. A young guy guide us to the shop and to a bar where we can buy some bread, only to help us and not to sell us or to ask us some things as it is often the case.<o></o>
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We eat an excellent Tajine, the bikes are in the watched parking of the hospital, close to the house.<o></o>
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I am finally able to connect the GPS and pocket PC and to download the tracks of the previous stages, at last, the memory of the GPS was full.<o></o>
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&#8216;&#8217; Hé Patrick, on est moulus, hein !!! &#8216;&#8217;<o></o>
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Tomorrow huge stage.<o></o>
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Wednesday 25th October Tinerhir - Zagora 310 Km<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
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As usual, 4h30 Am Muesin, 6h00 get up, excellent breakfast . We go to the hospital to take the bikes, we don&#8217;t see the guard and nobody else, the bikes were well watched, but <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comffice:smarttags" /><st1lace><st1:country-region>Morocco</st1:country-region></st1lace> is a country very safe and that does not fear nowhere<o></o>
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We load the bikes and leave at 8 Am.<o></o>
25 Km on a road before tacking the track to Alnif.<o></o>
This track is in preparation for a future tarring, what Gandini calls a &#8220;road Inch Allah&#8221;, the old track which curves around the news is more interesting. Passage of a small passl and we arrived to Alnif without problem, refueling the bikes and we set out again for Zagora.<o></o>
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After Alnif we drive a dozen of km towards East then on the right hand, direction South, we cross some villages and then in Tabourikt at the exit of the village, I take a wrong track<o></o>
The GPS indicates direction SW and I&#8217;m going towards South to the Djebel (mountain), we try to find the good track while going off road but there are a lot of big stones and that becomes like trial. We go back, find an other track which seems to be good, but once again it brings us towards the Djebel, we try off road and finally we find the good track.<o></o>

We are riding now in a stony plain, I stop to a well, the water is only at three meters <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
. Patrick goes a head, but he misses a change of direction, it does not have a GPS, and just at this moment he loses a part of his headlight , I wait him at the crossing tracks. when he realizes, he makes half turn, we collects the plate and we set out again.<o></o>
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When we leave this valley, we approach a great plain which seems to be a shott ( dry lake ), the wind rises and blows rather extremely, and becomes into a sandstorm.<o></o>
We move right towards the cloud of sand which masks the horizon, a small anguish goes up, at the same time we ride on a dried ground and completely cracked (like chips) there is no more track.<o></o>
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The dry ground plates, 20 or 30 cm of large and 3 or 4 cm of thickness, crack under the wheels, the more we advance and the less we see there, the visibility is less than ten meter<o></o>
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We stop and decide to remain close together and avoid to lost sight of the other. We follow the direction given by the GPS, we hear the noise made by the dry ground under our wheels, It doesn&#8217;t take a lot of time, but what a feeling. Finally we get out of the cloud of sand, the wind is blowing quite strong.
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Then we arrive to a village in a sandy area, we go around by the east side before to head west towards Zagora.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
Some kilometers further we see an auberge in the middle of nothing. We stop for the lunch. Tajine Kefta, fresh water, it&#8217;s great regarding where we are. The young guy who serves, talks to us about the many rallies which pass here


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We take the track again, in fact there is not really one track but many parallel tracks. I go a head an decide to step on the gas, after a moment, having a look behind, I don&#8217;t see Patrick, I turn and go back, then I see 4x4, I head for them and ask if they have seen a bike, they explain to me that he is stopped not so far. Gas., I see Patrick and in the same time a band composed by 8 bikes are going up to me, the Italians we saw the first day, they give me a wave. Patrick has already removed the front wheel because of a puncture. Mechanical workshop in this windy area is not very easy and the sand penetrate everywhere, there is a lot of sand inside the tyre, on the axle. There are many thorn planted in the tyre. Patrick has waited the last minute to prepare his bike, and as he couldn&#8217;t get tyres &#8220;Michelin desert&#8221;, so he put normal tyre typeT63, &#8220; it will be ok, you will see &#8220; he said. We change the tube and put back the wheel. Now, if we want avoid riding by night we need to change pace, Gas.
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Suddenly 4 bikes stopped in front of us, the Italians. They ask us if we have a GPS, I return the question, No they haven&#8217;t, a compass ?, No they haven&#8217;t, a map ? No they haven&#8217;t. In fact they are lost. Because of the sandstorm the group has been divided in two and they lost sight of the others. Good.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
They ask if we can guide them to Zagora, If they pay a beer it&#8217;s okay. &#8220;Andiamo&#8221;, Welcome on board.<o></o>
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There are a BMW 1200 GS (without plastics wears ) the guy is a very good driver ( he has made 5 Dakar and three time finisher), a Greek with an Africa twin who speaks a little French, one guy with an old Honda 500 XLR and at last a guy with a BMW 1150GS who is not a very good driver. He seems to be afraid and anguished.<o></o>
Our bikes are smaller and loaded but they have some difficulties to follow us, we have to stop after 2 or 3 km waiting for them, with this speed we are not yet arrived.<o></o>
We go through Oum jrane, once again at the exit of the town, I take a wrong track, as often, thanks to the GPS, I go straight off track in order to find the right direction, we cross a small stony field following a sandy area with very small dunes, this way is not very complicated but the guy with the 1150 is not able to follow, the Dakarist turn and go back to help him to cross over. We continue, finding the right track. We have to stop each 5 mn. <o></o>
We stop for drinking some water, the guy with the 1150 arrives, I give him my bottle of water ( they haven&#8217;t water also ) he throw the cap on the ground and after the bottle, &#8220;hola I don&#8217;t agree man &#8220;.<o></o>
The Dakarist is anxious because the gas, hours are going on, everything&#8217;s going well.<o></o>
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We start again, the front wheel of Patrick&#8217;s bike is becoming flat once again, but slowly he decides to continue like this.<o></o>
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I would like to take the track which pass south of the Djebel Adafane before Zagora, but showing behind every time, I didn&#8217;t take care to the GPS and we took the North track more comon, anyway it will bring us to Zagora.<o></o>
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Once again we have to wait for the Italians. I stop, Patrick decides to continue slowly because of the puncture. I&#8217;m waiting on the side of the track when two little girls, around 4 or 5 years old, come towards me. I can see far away a nomad camp. They are watching me without saying a word. In my backpack I have a part of the today picnic we didn&#8217;t touch, I give them bread water and chocolate. Regarding the clock, it&#8217;s possible that we stay this night on the track, anyway.
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