liguorien
New Member
Super JaimeV with a Super Story on is Super Ténéré ::013::
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing.
Morocco off road Tour: Transiberica 2013
- Thread starter JaimeV
- Start date
Excellent riding, JaimeV !! It must have been a lot of physical work to get through that sand. I know I would be very tired after a long section of that kind of riding. Was it hot as well?
I saw the TCS warning lights, did you run it off, or TC1? Was ABS off as well?
That was one of those rides that will you will think was very hard, but will be remembered as fun (some day
Thank you for the video and for sharing your awesome adventure!
I saw the TCS warning lights, did you run it off, or TC1? Was ABS off as well?
That was one of those rides that will you will think was very hard, but will be remembered as fun (some day
Thank you for the video and for sharing your awesome adventure!
liguorien
New Member
Prety sure that BOTH are OFF.
As they should be in thoses conditions
As they should be in thoses conditions
I was tired as well... luckily it wasn’t too hot. Three years ago I did this part at 40º C… terrible!!CapsLock said:Excellent riding, JaimeV !! It must have been a lot of physical work to get through that sand. I know I would be very tired after a long section of that kind of riding. Was it hot as well?
I saw the TCS warning lights, did you run it off, or TC1? Was ABS off as well?
That was one of those rides that will you will think was very hard, but will be remembered as fun (some day
Thank you for the video and for sharing your awesome adventure!
Impossible to ride in there with the TCS or ABS… all off!! The TCS is acting all the time and the bike doesn’t move.
You are right. In all our trips there are hard moments when I think, “what I’m doing in here??”... but then these are the moments we always remember when we meet with my friends.
Cheers!
Despite the hard day in the sand we had yesterday, this morning I can easily get up, today’s stage is very nice, especially the beautiful end with arrival to M'Hamid red dunes. What most concerns us all is the Ramlia pass and its fes fes ... David is the only in the group that has not crossing the Ramlia before and our comments made him to have nightmares .... look his face in the picture having breakfast in the hotel…
We left towards a lake near the dunes of Merzouga whith beautiful pink flamingos. Too bad the bike’s noise fright tem without time to have some pics.
We pass next to the fantastic dunes of Erg Chebbi ... pity with the big cows we can’t cross thru it as I did few years ago with the DRZ… it was a great fun!! Next time I must come with a lighter bike…
Then we started to have very fast tracks, in here I don’t miss the Suzuki. I remember how uncomfortable it was riding without wind protection and the uncomfortable seat such a lot of time… In contrast the Yamaha is super comfortable both, standing up or seating in this sofa…
We arrived to a huge dry lake, the bike ask me to open the throttle… I saw the score at 140km / h ... we're crazy ...
Suddenly sand appear again ... the dreaded Ramlia approaches. The Ramlia is a sand river surrounded by an area of small dunes with very fine and soft sand where the bike sinks. Also if you are unfortunate enough to go after a rally as we where, the cars and trucks generated a lot of fes fes-which is a very fine powder that seems talc, will not let you see anything and gets everywhere.
We arrived at a small town that seems expressly build before the sand starts, we always stop there to have a Coke before the hell begins. How can you have a cold Coca Cola in the remotest parts of Morocco??.
I remember three years ago when I stopped there with the GSA. I bought the bike recently and I didn’t know how to ride it in sand. A couple of years ago I crossed the Ramlia with the DRZ and it was hard already... with the BMW could be hell ... I was obsessed, and there were only two guys… I imagine me leaving my beloved bike buried in the sand.
I was in the same bar when a group of Spanish riders came in the opposite direction, they already crossed the sand and where exhausts, they ride some enduro bikes and very prepared KTM 690. When they saw me with the BMW the first thing they said was: You don’t want to go there with this cow, don’t you? ... They where so sure about how impossible could be that they gave me their phones, so I could call them before die... I was more and more worried.
I don’t know how we did it but it was easier than we expected, even more than with the Suzuki…
This year we struggled quite a lot, I think we've taken a different path than I did with the GSA or perhaps because I'm older... we spent almost two hours. But the worst is to see the locals flying in the sand with their old Mobylettes. I can imagine them laughing under the turban about these foreigners with big expensive bikes who stay glued in the sand…
After lot of falls with consequent laughter and photos for the souvenir, at last we crossed the Ramlia. I don’t know if there is a lot of crazy people they cross it whit this kind of bikes... another story to remember drinking a beer ...
We move through vast plains driving in parallel, the videos are great with images that seem the Paris Dakar. Then a couple of pretty rocky mountain cols. The landscape is infinite.
Then it was a funny track with lots of jumps ideal for tuning suspensions! (See video part 2 minute 3).
We reached the village of Tagounite and suddenly everything is green, the contrasts are brutal. A stretch of road and reach the red dunes of M'Hamid, a magical setting in sunset light. This is the third time I pass by there but still amaze with that landscape and those colours.
Sandy begins again but I have already been getting the hang of, for the first time on the trip it doesn’t be Joan or Enric that hooked me out of the sand, it will be me who's remove them .... I begin to have fun in the sand!
The firsts days in the sand I was slow and in low gears, I think the trick is to go in high gears at low revs, the bike pulls more. Put the weight on the back and GAS!. Your brain tells you this is not the way but don’t make any notice… more gas. The bike shakes, moves but you musn’t cut throttle or brake. : More gas! Two things can happen, you cross the sand tired, stressed but with a big smile or you fall. I did the two ways but when it was better was when I applied this technique ...
Eventually we reached the beautiful hotel in M'Hamid, one of the best. Arriving at the parking we see some very well equipped 4x4. There is the Rally des Gazelles, hundres of women crossing Morocco in an organized rally ... we rub our hands ... but no big deal, at least the ones in our hotel weren’t our type... so, off we go to sleep after a nice Moroccan dinner.
Tomorrow we expect the queen stage across the enormous dunes of Erg Chegaga and beyond the lake Iriki: the real desert begins!
We left towards a lake near the dunes of Merzouga whith beautiful pink flamingos. Too bad the bike’s noise fright tem without time to have some pics.
We pass next to the fantastic dunes of Erg Chebbi ... pity with the big cows we can’t cross thru it as I did few years ago with the DRZ… it was a great fun!! Next time I must come with a lighter bike…
Then we started to have very fast tracks, in here I don’t miss the Suzuki. I remember how uncomfortable it was riding without wind protection and the uncomfortable seat such a lot of time… In contrast the Yamaha is super comfortable both, standing up or seating in this sofa…
We arrived to a huge dry lake, the bike ask me to open the throttle… I saw the score at 140km / h ... we're crazy ...
Suddenly sand appear again ... the dreaded Ramlia approaches. The Ramlia is a sand river surrounded by an area of small dunes with very fine and soft sand where the bike sinks. Also if you are unfortunate enough to go after a rally as we where, the cars and trucks generated a lot of fes fes-which is a very fine powder that seems talc, will not let you see anything and gets everywhere.
We arrived at a small town that seems expressly build before the sand starts, we always stop there to have a Coke before the hell begins. How can you have a cold Coca Cola in the remotest parts of Morocco??.
I remember three years ago when I stopped there with the GSA. I bought the bike recently and I didn’t know how to ride it in sand. A couple of years ago I crossed the Ramlia with the DRZ and it was hard already... with the BMW could be hell ... I was obsessed, and there were only two guys… I imagine me leaving my beloved bike buried in the sand.
I was in the same bar when a group of Spanish riders came in the opposite direction, they already crossed the sand and where exhausts, they ride some enduro bikes and very prepared KTM 690. When they saw me with the BMW the first thing they said was: You don’t want to go there with this cow, don’t you? ... They where so sure about how impossible could be that they gave me their phones, so I could call them before die... I was more and more worried.
I don’t know how we did it but it was easier than we expected, even more than with the Suzuki…
This year we struggled quite a lot, I think we've taken a different path than I did with the GSA or perhaps because I'm older... we spent almost two hours. But the worst is to see the locals flying in the sand with their old Mobylettes. I can imagine them laughing under the turban about these foreigners with big expensive bikes who stay glued in the sand…
After lot of falls with consequent laughter and photos for the souvenir, at last we crossed the Ramlia. I don’t know if there is a lot of crazy people they cross it whit this kind of bikes... another story to remember drinking a beer ...
We move through vast plains driving in parallel, the videos are great with images that seem the Paris Dakar. Then a couple of pretty rocky mountain cols. The landscape is infinite.
Then it was a funny track with lots of jumps ideal for tuning suspensions! (See video part 2 minute 3).
We reached the village of Tagounite and suddenly everything is green, the contrasts are brutal. A stretch of road and reach the red dunes of M'Hamid, a magical setting in sunset light. This is the third time I pass by there but still amaze with that landscape and those colours.
Sandy begins again but I have already been getting the hang of, for the first time on the trip it doesn’t be Joan or Enric that hooked me out of the sand, it will be me who's remove them .... I begin to have fun in the sand!
The firsts days in the sand I was slow and in low gears, I think the trick is to go in high gears at low revs, the bike pulls more. Put the weight on the back and GAS!. Your brain tells you this is not the way but don’t make any notice… more gas. The bike shakes, moves but you musn’t cut throttle or brake. : More gas! Two things can happen, you cross the sand tired, stressed but with a big smile or you fall. I did the two ways but when it was better was when I applied this technique ...
Eventually we reached the beautiful hotel in M'Hamid, one of the best. Arriving at the parking we see some very well equipped 4x4. There is the Rally des Gazelles, hundres of women crossing Morocco in an organized rally ... we rub our hands ... but no big deal, at least the ones in our hotel weren’t our type... so, off we go to sleep after a nice Moroccan dinner.
Tomorrow we expect the queen stage across the enormous dunes of Erg Chegaga and beyond the lake Iriki: the real desert begins!
The videos:
1rst part thru Ramlia:
Marroc dia 3 parte1
Second part thru M'hamid dunes:
Marroc dia3 parte 2
Sand in M'Hamid:
Trans 13 arena
Vaca clavada
1rst part thru Ramlia:
Marroc dia 3 parte1
Second part thru M'hamid dunes:
Marroc dia3 parte 2
Sand in M'Hamid:
Trans 13 arena
Vaca clavada
greg the pole
There are no stupid questions, only stupid people
I like mine, trying the mitas dakar on the back, so far so good.phplemel said:
write up here: http://thetenerist.wordpress.com/2013/03/02/mitas-dakar-4-ply-tires/
Stage 4: M'Hamid-Tata
Riding alone...
This was the stage I was most looking forward to. I did it with Albert three years ago and I was impressed and exhausted ... It was incredible.
That year Albert with his SuperEnduro and me with a BMW GSA we find dunes, and a terrible rocky ground since the Sacred Oasis, the last water point before crossing the huge Erg Chegaga with its never ending dunes. We took direction to the Algeria border on the forbidden track, so named because if you can’t avoid a military checkpoint without being seen, they stop you and make you go back.
At this stage I really felt the loneliness of the desert, in many hours we saw absolutely no one. This is unusual in Morocco where people comes when you least expect it. I remember the relief I felt when I saw a trace of tires showing us there is a track.
It look as if it was impossible to surround the dunes ... at times I was really afraid, I was too exhausted to turn back and retrace our steps back but had no idea either what lay ahead ... once we finished after ten hours riding non stop it was great... truly adventure!!.
The track also crosses Lake Iriki, a vast plain usually dry, but sometimes if it rains it can be a mud trap ...
So… many reasons to be excited looking for this stage.. I didn’t expect I could not do this track this time…
After a good breakfast as early as usual me start the engines. We filled the tanks because there are many km without refuelling, I had doubts whether the Super Ténéré have sufficient autonomy because the stage is about 350 km... In M'Hamid there is no gas station so we refuel in a small shop using bottles of water…. Lets see how the injection works with this petrol with “strange” colour…
A man appears in a 4x4. He tells us that we will suffer a lot with these bikes crossing the sand. It offers (paying, of course) to take the luggage and follow us in the car because otherwise we are going to have troubles... this guy does not know who he’s talking with!! We are the Transiberics!!, we don’t need help ... LOL. We declined politely the offer saying that we've been there before and we did cross the dunes ... Was it a premonition?.
We went into the dunes and begin to stuck, helping us to get off, the full tanks doesn’t help, we still moving but we're slow, too slow to complete this hard and long track ... and there is the Chegaga deep sand in the middle …
But I felt quite confident in the sand, much more than in the previous days… I was having fun. Perhaps I was overconfident so I didn’t see a root hidden in the sand just before climbing a dune. At full throttle the rear wheel hits the root, slides and makes me hit the dune bike quite fast, I get fired and the bike falls sideways. It looks nothing has happened since the sand is soft. I pull back and meet with the others who are laughing… I had a nice fly in the sand… bastards... Before me, David did a superman in his GSA, Joan was tunnelling a dune and Enric made a geyser of sand. While Albert and his KTM progresses slowly but surely thanks to its six feet and long legs ... lucky him!
Suddenly I saw a red light on the dashboard, the temperature! Immediately I stop the bike and see the steam coming from the engine ... I suspect the problem. In this bike the radiator is on one side and if it falls to the left you can bend the fan bracket leaving him trapped against the radiator, so the fan engine burns. I don’t understand why there isn’t a fuse or something to stop the fan before that happens. So, here I am, with a broken fan in the middle of the dunes!!
There is nothing to do, just look for help. Luckily we still are near M'Hamid and there are a lot 4x4 crossing the dunes. If that had happened in the Chegaga: big problem!
Here it comes a Toyota with a lot of girls in it. They are going to M’Hamid. Soon there are plenty of volunteers to go in it to search some help... Joan and Enric are the lucky ones who are going in it while David, Albert and I stay there waiting them... Our question is whether those two are going to come again or stay with the girls ...
I am devastated and angry with myself ... how have I not checked that the fan was clogged?, this happened to me once, I unblocked the fan and everything was ok!
I phoned my dealer, he quickly starts to look if he can find a fan in this part of the world ... not easy, I am assuming that my trip ends here ...
After a while Joan and Enric arrive in a pickup ... we put the bike in the truck and I say goodbye to my colleagues that follow the route. The driver takes me to a small workshop in Oulad Driss, near M'hamid: Garage Dakar, remember this name if you have a trouble in this area….
I was amazed by how easily they took of the truck the big cow…. While haggling with the driver who wants to fleece me, I explain the problem to the mechanic with no hope it gets a solution. We reached an agreement with the guy from the pickup and I focus on the bike. Suddenly appears the mechanic with an old fan in his hand. He said it is a Polaris fan and he thinks it will be fine….
My strategy to not to pay a fortune was to show him I don’t have lot of money (true) and I’m not desperate (false). I said to him my bike already works in tarmac and the pickup driver took all my money so if he ask for too much money I can drive to the next village (Zagora) to a bank, and there’s plenty of mechanics… He thinks… and ask for 800 dirham (about 80 euros). I said this is a lot but ok if the bike is on the road in less than one our.
He opens big eyes, does a big smile and run to work immediately… I knew he was expected lot less money but if you think a Yamaha fan is about 400 euros and perhaps I can finish my trip… is a bargain.
He quickly replaces the fan and we turn on the bike… at 105 degrees the fan must run:
100, 101, ... 104, 105 ... IT WORKS! We hugged, and we have a celebration tea, he has plenty of time to win the 800 dirham!!!
I call the dealer Ausió, he is happy to hear I’m on again. He started an operation to send me a fan but would have cost me at least a day trip ... and a lot of money!! But I know he tried hard to help, good guy.
With the bike fixed I’m going again, I’m so happy!!. Logically I will not follow my colleagues, there is a road option to reach Tata but there is much longer than the off road track so I must move quick or I must drive by night. From M'Hamid to Zagora (100km), Zagora to Foum Zguid ( 125km) and then to Tata (140km).
I enjoy the scenery but I must be very alert to the road, a narrow strip of asphalt in the centre and sand on both sides, when a car or a truck is coming in the opposite way is always dangerous.
I reach Zagora, took money from bank. Soon I'm surrounded by people, my bike gets a lot of attention, certainly is not a discreet bike…. A young guy said this is a Dakar bike and asked me to go with him to his mechanic workshop to show the bike to his colleagues and take a picture of it. I agreed as I want some information about the route I need to do to reach Tata where I have the hotel and my colleagues.
For the first time during the trip I feel I am not in hurry, I can get into the country, talking to people, live the trip otherwise…. We arrived at the shop and everybody stop his work to see the bike and talk to me. They offer me a tea, food, water ... in Morocco are always so hospitable ... I asked them what is the fastest way to get to Tata. There are two forms: an enormous roundabout thru mountain roads -and that means to do many miles at night-, or a dirt track, which I thought it was the road to Foum Zguid. Then there is a road to Tata. They said the track is under construction to build a road and there are some bad sections and a river full of stones I need to cross several times.
I choose to go down the track, I don’t like the idea to drive by night. They put a sticker on the bike with their phone in case I need help ... mmm … what does it means?...
I put gas in and out of Zagora. The track begins ... fantastic, quick and tidy ... the miles go by ... but the track narrows ... starts to be worse… stones… larger stones... huge stones! The dry river… Suddenly I get a flash that leaves me frozen: I don’t have any tools to replace a puncture!!
To avoid lot of weight we distribute the tools in the 5 bikes and I forgot to ask for the levers. I always have more tools that I need but now here I am, alone in the middle of nowhere and I can’t mend a simple puncture!! How stupid…
I started again but what before were simple stones now they seem like cutting blades looking my tires...
The incredible scenery make me forget the problem, I need to stop to take pictures, I’ve got nobody ask me to be in hurry, the evening light is amazing, the feeling of loneliness is complete, I never felt like this before, this is new to me… and I like it!!
After a long bad track and crossing the dry stony river several times, the asphalt starts again, is the first time in my life I’m happy to change dirt track for tarmac!!. Stop to take some pictures with camels and reached Foum Zguid. I enjoy the sunset. Here at night you have to drive very carefully, you find people and cyclists without lights everywhere ...
I arrive at the hotel in Tata: I had been here before, is a beautifully restored old house by some French. My fellows just arrived, when they see me and I’d explain the bike works perfect they can’t believe it, they thought my trip was finished in M’Hamid. Hugs, cheers and dinner.
Because of my problem they have not been able to do all the track, and they avoid the Erg Chegaga but they been able to cross the beautiful dry lake Iriki and most of the track. But we are together again and tomorrow we start the track in the Atlas, unknown to most of us.
I go to sleep with one idea over my head: I love going with my friends, I laugh with them, enjoying giving full throttle at his side, the conversations and jokes at dinner. They give me security and confidence to get to impossible places without them ... but I also liked this day alone, at my own pace, go quick or stop when I like without thinking that I’m annoying to the rest of the group. Today I missed the most expecting stage but I don’t mind, I liked to talk with the locals, the adventure of the mechanic, negotiate with those masters of haggle and eventually agree with them (even if I know they always win...).
I’m getting old and start to look for something else that going full throttle on the roads. I want to learn more about this amazing country and its people, not pass go as I did... next time I may come alone ...
Riding alone...
This was the stage I was most looking forward to. I did it with Albert three years ago and I was impressed and exhausted ... It was incredible.
That year Albert with his SuperEnduro and me with a BMW GSA we find dunes, and a terrible rocky ground since the Sacred Oasis, the last water point before crossing the huge Erg Chegaga with its never ending dunes. We took direction to the Algeria border on the forbidden track, so named because if you can’t avoid a military checkpoint without being seen, they stop you and make you go back.
At this stage I really felt the loneliness of the desert, in many hours we saw absolutely no one. This is unusual in Morocco where people comes when you least expect it. I remember the relief I felt when I saw a trace of tires showing us there is a track.
It look as if it was impossible to surround the dunes ... at times I was really afraid, I was too exhausted to turn back and retrace our steps back but had no idea either what lay ahead ... once we finished after ten hours riding non stop it was great... truly adventure!!.
The track also crosses Lake Iriki, a vast plain usually dry, but sometimes if it rains it can be a mud trap ...
So… many reasons to be excited looking for this stage.. I didn’t expect I could not do this track this time…
After a good breakfast as early as usual me start the engines. We filled the tanks because there are many km without refuelling, I had doubts whether the Super Ténéré have sufficient autonomy because the stage is about 350 km... In M'Hamid there is no gas station so we refuel in a small shop using bottles of water…. Lets see how the injection works with this petrol with “strange” colour…
A man appears in a 4x4. He tells us that we will suffer a lot with these bikes crossing the sand. It offers (paying, of course) to take the luggage and follow us in the car because otherwise we are going to have troubles... this guy does not know who he’s talking with!! We are the Transiberics!!, we don’t need help ... LOL. We declined politely the offer saying that we've been there before and we did cross the dunes ... Was it a premonition?.
We went into the dunes and begin to stuck, helping us to get off, the full tanks doesn’t help, we still moving but we're slow, too slow to complete this hard and long track ... and there is the Chegaga deep sand in the middle …
But I felt quite confident in the sand, much more than in the previous days… I was having fun. Perhaps I was overconfident so I didn’t see a root hidden in the sand just before climbing a dune. At full throttle the rear wheel hits the root, slides and makes me hit the dune bike quite fast, I get fired and the bike falls sideways. It looks nothing has happened since the sand is soft. I pull back and meet with the others who are laughing… I had a nice fly in the sand… bastards... Before me, David did a superman in his GSA, Joan was tunnelling a dune and Enric made a geyser of sand. While Albert and his KTM progresses slowly but surely thanks to its six feet and long legs ... lucky him!
Suddenly I saw a red light on the dashboard, the temperature! Immediately I stop the bike and see the steam coming from the engine ... I suspect the problem. In this bike the radiator is on one side and if it falls to the left you can bend the fan bracket leaving him trapped against the radiator, so the fan engine burns. I don’t understand why there isn’t a fuse or something to stop the fan before that happens. So, here I am, with a broken fan in the middle of the dunes!!
There is nothing to do, just look for help. Luckily we still are near M'Hamid and there are a lot 4x4 crossing the dunes. If that had happened in the Chegaga: big problem!
Here it comes a Toyota with a lot of girls in it. They are going to M’Hamid. Soon there are plenty of volunteers to go in it to search some help... Joan and Enric are the lucky ones who are going in it while David, Albert and I stay there waiting them... Our question is whether those two are going to come again or stay with the girls ...
I am devastated and angry with myself ... how have I not checked that the fan was clogged?, this happened to me once, I unblocked the fan and everything was ok!
I phoned my dealer, he quickly starts to look if he can find a fan in this part of the world ... not easy, I am assuming that my trip ends here ...
After a while Joan and Enric arrive in a pickup ... we put the bike in the truck and I say goodbye to my colleagues that follow the route. The driver takes me to a small workshop in Oulad Driss, near M'hamid: Garage Dakar, remember this name if you have a trouble in this area….
I was amazed by how easily they took of the truck the big cow…. While haggling with the driver who wants to fleece me, I explain the problem to the mechanic with no hope it gets a solution. We reached an agreement with the guy from the pickup and I focus on the bike. Suddenly appears the mechanic with an old fan in his hand. He said it is a Polaris fan and he thinks it will be fine….
My strategy to not to pay a fortune was to show him I don’t have lot of money (true) and I’m not desperate (false). I said to him my bike already works in tarmac and the pickup driver took all my money so if he ask for too much money I can drive to the next village (Zagora) to a bank, and there’s plenty of mechanics… He thinks… and ask for 800 dirham (about 80 euros). I said this is a lot but ok if the bike is on the road in less than one our.
He opens big eyes, does a big smile and run to work immediately… I knew he was expected lot less money but if you think a Yamaha fan is about 400 euros and perhaps I can finish my trip… is a bargain.
He quickly replaces the fan and we turn on the bike… at 105 degrees the fan must run:
100, 101, ... 104, 105 ... IT WORKS! We hugged, and we have a celebration tea, he has plenty of time to win the 800 dirham!!!
I call the dealer Ausió, he is happy to hear I’m on again. He started an operation to send me a fan but would have cost me at least a day trip ... and a lot of money!! But I know he tried hard to help, good guy.
With the bike fixed I’m going again, I’m so happy!!. Logically I will not follow my colleagues, there is a road option to reach Tata but there is much longer than the off road track so I must move quick or I must drive by night. From M'Hamid to Zagora (100km), Zagora to Foum Zguid ( 125km) and then to Tata (140km).
I enjoy the scenery but I must be very alert to the road, a narrow strip of asphalt in the centre and sand on both sides, when a car or a truck is coming in the opposite way is always dangerous.
I reach Zagora, took money from bank. Soon I'm surrounded by people, my bike gets a lot of attention, certainly is not a discreet bike…. A young guy said this is a Dakar bike and asked me to go with him to his mechanic workshop to show the bike to his colleagues and take a picture of it. I agreed as I want some information about the route I need to do to reach Tata where I have the hotel and my colleagues.
For the first time during the trip I feel I am not in hurry, I can get into the country, talking to people, live the trip otherwise…. We arrived at the shop and everybody stop his work to see the bike and talk to me. They offer me a tea, food, water ... in Morocco are always so hospitable ... I asked them what is the fastest way to get to Tata. There are two forms: an enormous roundabout thru mountain roads -and that means to do many miles at night-, or a dirt track, which I thought it was the road to Foum Zguid. Then there is a road to Tata. They said the track is under construction to build a road and there are some bad sections and a river full of stones I need to cross several times.
I choose to go down the track, I don’t like the idea to drive by night. They put a sticker on the bike with their phone in case I need help ... mmm … what does it means?...
I put gas in and out of Zagora. The track begins ... fantastic, quick and tidy ... the miles go by ... but the track narrows ... starts to be worse… stones… larger stones... huge stones! The dry river… Suddenly I get a flash that leaves me frozen: I don’t have any tools to replace a puncture!!
To avoid lot of weight we distribute the tools in the 5 bikes and I forgot to ask for the levers. I always have more tools that I need but now here I am, alone in the middle of nowhere and I can’t mend a simple puncture!! How stupid…
I started again but what before were simple stones now they seem like cutting blades looking my tires...
The incredible scenery make me forget the problem, I need to stop to take pictures, I’ve got nobody ask me to be in hurry, the evening light is amazing, the feeling of loneliness is complete, I never felt like this before, this is new to me… and I like it!!
After a long bad track and crossing the dry stony river several times, the asphalt starts again, is the first time in my life I’m happy to change dirt track for tarmac!!. Stop to take some pictures with camels and reached Foum Zguid. I enjoy the sunset. Here at night you have to drive very carefully, you find people and cyclists without lights everywhere ...
I arrive at the hotel in Tata: I had been here before, is a beautifully restored old house by some French. My fellows just arrived, when they see me and I’d explain the bike works perfect they can’t believe it, they thought my trip was finished in M’Hamid. Hugs, cheers and dinner.
Because of my problem they have not been able to do all the track, and they avoid the Erg Chegaga but they been able to cross the beautiful dry lake Iriki and most of the track. But we are together again and tomorrow we start the track in the Atlas, unknown to most of us.
I go to sleep with one idea over my head: I love going with my friends, I laugh with them, enjoying giving full throttle at his side, the conversations and jokes at dinner. They give me security and confidence to get to impossible places without them ... but I also liked this day alone, at my own pace, go quick or stop when I like without thinking that I’m annoying to the rest of the group. Today I missed the most expecting stage but I don’t mind, I liked to talk with the locals, the adventure of the mechanic, negotiate with those masters of haggle and eventually agree with them (even if I know they always win...).
I’m getting old and start to look for something else that going full throttle on the roads. I want to learn more about this amazing country and its people, not pass go as I did... next time I may come alone ...
eemsreno
Well-Known Member
Founding Member
2011 Site Supporter
2012 Site Supporter
2013 Site Supporter
2014 Site Supporter
Great pictures and story Jaimie ::012::
I have to look at your stuff from work, Internet is too slow at home.
I have to look at your stuff from work, Internet is too slow at home.
::012:: ::012:: ::008::
5th stage: Tata - Boumalne Dades
I get up very early. It worth watching the sunrise from the hotel terrace. Gradually sunlight is illuminating the palm forest below. I do the same pictures I did three years ago from this same place, it's beautiful. It's amazing the change that occurs between absolute dryness and intense green when there is water, the river is like a green snake which extends beyond my sight. People are working in their green gardens and loading small trailers pulled by their Mobylettes.
My colleagues woke up and we started the breakfast from this privileged high point that is our hotel.
During breakfast and also for dinner yesterday, I explained how much I liked ride solo, having more time to take pictures and see the place. I try to do it without looking like I'm not having fun with them ... I do not need a lot of explaining, they understand perfectly, they had this feeling as well. We quickly agreed that we have to take advantage of these two new stages for us to see new landscapes and make lots of pictures. The advantage over previous stages is that there are many roads so we can provide alternatives if we need to cut the track. Our fear is that we are told that most tracks in the area that we visit are now paved. What is progress for the Moroccans for us is a mess ...
As each day at 8:00 we started. We left Tata by road, we ride slower than in previous days. The day is beautiful, the ideal temperature ... I’m distracted looking at the strange shapes of the mountains and didn’t realize that Enric had slowed adjusting their GPS, I didn’t hit him but it was close… we mustn’t be distracted even for a moment!.
As usual people wave us passing through the villages, especially children who come running at us, we must be careful as sometimes they come too close to the bike. Finally the asphalt ends and began to climb, the shapes of the mountains are amazing, every moment would stop to take pictures, the I couldn’t stop the GoPro ... we go down and get into the bed of a river, they are building a road, possibly when we come back here this track will be paved. The vertical walls surrounding the track are impressive.
We began to find small villages tucked into the canyon. Where there is water there is life. Suddenly we find a bulldozer in the middle of the track, but aside to let us pass we find a pile of rocks where they are working, here do not bother to leave an alternative, if you like to pass ok.. if not ... is your problem!
At the end of the work zone, a huge palm forest appears in the canyon formed by the river, the houses are perched on the hillside and the track runs right through the middle of the palms: we are in Aguinane.
We do some pictures to our sponsors: Rev'it, Ausió, Yamalube, Galfer and Giant Loop. Many thanks to all!!
At the end of the village, the track climbs up the mountain doing some incredible turns, the view from the top is beautiful. Soon they will have a road but for now it takes several hours of mountain trails to get there.
At the top, the landscape changes completely, we change the river canyon to high mountain plains, immense. In winter must be very cold, in fact the temperature has cooled a lot ... a wet fog appears and it starts raining.
We arrived at a small village where the trail ends. We are cold and stopped for a tea. We are the centre of attention. At the bar we ask how is the track to Ouarzazate. They say in winter the snow and water have destroyed the track, the pass thru te mountains is very dangerous, so we must turn back to find a paved road... yuk!. The Transibéricos don’t turn back… and less to take a paved road!! We decided to continue up despite the advice. They look us with a face to not understand anything and make us an international sign with his index finger to his head... yeah, we're crazy!
After a short while, as they have said, the track disappears into a riverbed. We cross it several times without too much trouble but it forces us to go slow. The journey has been so nice that we had frequent stops to take photos and we are going very late, if we continue at this rhythm we are going to finish at night.
I like a lot this series of pictures David did:
The track climbs steadily and suddenly we find the last thing we needed on this trip: snow!!. Ideal for a little more dramatic chronicle and have a good pictures album but is getting darker and do this track by night will not be fun ... we help us to cross the mud and snow to avoid at all costs a fall or a break... also we feel tired... so if this continues like this we will have a hard time ...
The scenery is spectacular, high mountain, no signs of humans, we reached 2500 meters, pity is foggy and visibility is poor. Suddenly the sky opens and we see the tops of the mountains, amazing!!.
It's almost night, luckily we got to the road just in time. It's cold, we stop at a petrol station to put some more clothes and call the hotel we are late. No problem, they expect us and give us dinner ... good people.
We arrived at 11 pm, exhausted but it was worth it, I think is the most beautiful stage I've ever done, the Atlas has exceeded my expectations.
The last surprise was the hotel room: a nice little cave:
I get up very early. It worth watching the sunrise from the hotel terrace. Gradually sunlight is illuminating the palm forest below. I do the same pictures I did three years ago from this same place, it's beautiful. It's amazing the change that occurs between absolute dryness and intense green when there is water, the river is like a green snake which extends beyond my sight. People are working in their green gardens and loading small trailers pulled by their Mobylettes.
My colleagues woke up and we started the breakfast from this privileged high point that is our hotel.
During breakfast and also for dinner yesterday, I explained how much I liked ride solo, having more time to take pictures and see the place. I try to do it without looking like I'm not having fun with them ... I do not need a lot of explaining, they understand perfectly, they had this feeling as well. We quickly agreed that we have to take advantage of these two new stages for us to see new landscapes and make lots of pictures. The advantage over previous stages is that there are many roads so we can provide alternatives if we need to cut the track. Our fear is that we are told that most tracks in the area that we visit are now paved. What is progress for the Moroccans for us is a mess ...
As each day at 8:00 we started. We left Tata by road, we ride slower than in previous days. The day is beautiful, the ideal temperature ... I’m distracted looking at the strange shapes of the mountains and didn’t realize that Enric had slowed adjusting their GPS, I didn’t hit him but it was close… we mustn’t be distracted even for a moment!.
As usual people wave us passing through the villages, especially children who come running at us, we must be careful as sometimes they come too close to the bike. Finally the asphalt ends and began to climb, the shapes of the mountains are amazing, every moment would stop to take pictures, the I couldn’t stop the GoPro ... we go down and get into the bed of a river, they are building a road, possibly when we come back here this track will be paved. The vertical walls surrounding the track are impressive.
We began to find small villages tucked into the canyon. Where there is water there is life. Suddenly we find a bulldozer in the middle of the track, but aside to let us pass we find a pile of rocks where they are working, here do not bother to leave an alternative, if you like to pass ok.. if not ... is your problem!
At the end of the work zone, a huge palm forest appears in the canyon formed by the river, the houses are perched on the hillside and the track runs right through the middle of the palms: we are in Aguinane.
We do some pictures to our sponsors: Rev'it, Ausió, Yamalube, Galfer and Giant Loop. Many thanks to all!!
At the end of the village, the track climbs up the mountain doing some incredible turns, the view from the top is beautiful. Soon they will have a road but for now it takes several hours of mountain trails to get there.
At the top, the landscape changes completely, we change the river canyon to high mountain plains, immense. In winter must be very cold, in fact the temperature has cooled a lot ... a wet fog appears and it starts raining.
We arrived at a small village where the trail ends. We are cold and stopped for a tea. We are the centre of attention. At the bar we ask how is the track to Ouarzazate. They say in winter the snow and water have destroyed the track, the pass thru te mountains is very dangerous, so we must turn back to find a paved road... yuk!. The Transibéricos don’t turn back… and less to take a paved road!! We decided to continue up despite the advice. They look us with a face to not understand anything and make us an international sign with his index finger to his head... yeah, we're crazy!
After a short while, as they have said, the track disappears into a riverbed. We cross it several times without too much trouble but it forces us to go slow. The journey has been so nice that we had frequent stops to take photos and we are going very late, if we continue at this rhythm we are going to finish at night.
I like a lot this series of pictures David did:
The track climbs steadily and suddenly we find the last thing we needed on this trip: snow!!. Ideal for a little more dramatic chronicle and have a good pictures album but is getting darker and do this track by night will not be fun ... we help us to cross the mud and snow to avoid at all costs a fall or a break... also we feel tired... so if this continues like this we will have a hard time ...
The scenery is spectacular, high mountain, no signs of humans, we reached 2500 meters, pity is foggy and visibility is poor. Suddenly the sky opens and we see the tops of the mountains, amazing!!.
It's almost night, luckily we got to the road just in time. It's cold, we stop at a petrol station to put some more clothes and call the hotel we are late. No problem, they expect us and give us dinner ... good people.
We arrived at 11 pm, exhausted but it was worth it, I think is the most beautiful stage I've ever done, the Atlas has exceeded my expectations.
The last surprise was the hotel room: a nice little cave:
phplemel
Member
OMG :exclaim:
This why we own these bikes. I may never do this ,but THANK YOU for doing it so I can read it. see it and wish I could be there
you guys definatley ::021::
This why we own these bikes. I may never do this ,but THANK YOU for doing it so I can read it. see it and wish I could be there
you guys definatley ::021::
S
SupA-T
Guest
Who needs TV? Great job Jaime!
phplemel
Member
After watching this last video , I realize that I may not do well on a VERY narrow, VERY rocky, path/trail/road (what is that thing you are riding on called?) with DEATH waiting for me when I would inevitably ride off the side from inattention to riding because I am looking at the incredible scenery )
I would love to ride this but all I can see is me splattered on the rocks below :-[
GREAT videos & pic's.
BTW that snow covered pass is what I am still looking at here--ALL OVER THE PLACE ::010:: ::010:: ::010::
I do have the S10 in the carport at least HOPING O that spring will get here someday
Pat
)I would love to ride this but all I can see is me splattered on the rocks below :-[
GREAT videos & pic's.
BTW that snow covered pass is what I am still looking at here--ALL OVER THE PLACE ::010:: ::010:: ::010::
I do have the S10 in the carport at least HOPING O
that spring will get here somedayPat