Motorcycle tour in Morocco

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Motorcycle tour in Morocco
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Motorcycle tour in Morocco

Motorcycle tour in Morocco
Side effects welcome

As one of the world’s most diverse countries, Morocco is an Eldorado for travel beyond everyday life. Our author roamed the country between the Mediterranean and the Sahara on exciting slopes and unexpectedly perfect roads. Pure Adventure?

Dirk Schafer

02/28/2013

Out and about in Morocco

I can follow the slope far down into the valley. The majestic landscape of the High Atlas has built up all around. However, a short section of the route is not visible to me. Two out of three motorcycles have already emerged from the hidden part of the piste. Only Diana with her XT doesn’t want to and doesn’t want to appear. Nothing will have happened there?

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I last skied the slope through the Cirque de Jaffar four years ago. At that time I did not trust myself to do the route alone and was waiting for more travelers in the direction of Imilchil. Today I don’t have to wait because there are four of us: Sandra on her DR 650, Guido drives his LC4 and Diana cuts a fine figure on the XT 660. Now I slowly feel my way forward with the Sertão, because the slope curves diagonally towards the abyss. A matter of nerves.

When I come around the last bend, I see Diana lying on the floor with the XT. Fortunately, it is facing the slope and did not fall down the slope. I would like to help picking it up, but as diagonally as the slope descends, full concentration and calm blood is the order of the day.

Melting snow has washed away part of the route

When I get to her, she has already picked herself up again. But the piste still has one trump card up its sleeve. Melting snow has washed away part of the route. We choose a bumpy bypass and have to master a steep ascent to get back on the original slope. The Sertão dies in second gear, the engine. With the last swing I reach the edge of the piste. I immediately signal Diana to go up the incline with more gas. My gesture is taken literally and the XT shoots meters over the edge. Like in the slow motion of a motocross video, the XT lies diagonally in the air. In contrast to the video, the floor of the falling XT comes too close too quickly. First the aluminum case hits the slopes, the rest of the motorcycle disappears in a cloud of dust. While I still fear the worst, Diana crawls out from under the XT laughing and grins at me: “Well, how was I?”

One day after the accident in the Cirque de Jaffar, the four of us roam across the marriage market, the mousse, from Imilchil. The market is above all a festival: a festival of women and a small victory that the oldest inhabitants of North Africa celebrate because they have been able to preserve their culture through all the ages. Against the recent upheavals in North Africa. And for many young Berbers who live in the lonely settlements of the High Atlas, this is the only way to look around for a significant other. This time, however, others are also looking for partners.

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River crossing at Agoudal.

The team of a German private broadcaster accompanies four Germans willing to marry who want to find happiness in Imilchil. We are impressed by the courage of the four to embark on a new life in a foreign culture and ask them a few interested questions: “Have you ever been to Morocco?” “Nope.” “But you’ve learned Arabic or a Berber dialect . ”“ Nope. ”“ Then how do you get into conversation with potential candidates? ”“ Find the director for us. She has an interpreter. ”It’s good if not every pot has a lid.

Behind Agoudal, the paths branch off into the famous Atlas gorges, the Todra and Dades gorges. We choose the imposing route over the Dades Gorge, which is only paved again in the last section. On the way further south we want to cross the Jebel Sarrho. The route information is quite adventurous. But according to our experience so far, we are at least mentally well prepared, and no route description is objective. What is easy for one person is a catastrophe for another, and vice versa. With us it’s the other way around.

Few green areas look like bright splashes of color

Without haste and with sharpened senses, we climb higher and higher in the enduro bikes into the black rocky mountain desert. The few green areas look like bright splashes of color against the dark stones. Then a real rock wall builds up in front of us, in which there is only one passage the width of a vehicle. I slip through with the sertão first and stop immediately. What kind of a wacky panorama is that?

In front of us is a small plateau, shaped like a fruit rack from the 70s. Mountain bars and canyons nestle behind, rock towers rise from the valley floor like in Monument Valley. A quick glance at the clock: three in the afternoon. We still have plenty of time to continue. A look around: It doesn’t matter, we’re staying here today. It couldn’t be better. We drive to the etagère and have the box seat in this landscape that is otherwise reserved for titans.

Erg Chebbi just a small sand lake

With the Jebel Sarhro, the last barrier before the desert of the Moroccan south has been overcome. The so far moderate temperatures of the highlands as well. The body’s own air-conditioning systems only keep our blood circulation happy with great effort. The previously icy water flows from the hydration backpacks as a warm broth into the thirsty throats until the last drop is through. I’m running out of sweat. Finally the deep red dunes of Erg Chebbi line up on the horizon.

Among the sandy seas of the Sahara, the satellite image quickly reveals it, Erg Chebbi is just a small sandy lake. But since traveling to the big ergs in Algeria or Libya has become difficult or even impossible, little Chebbi nourishes the wistful memories of his older brothers. He also puts the sandy crown on the diverse landscapes of Morocco. Speaking of diversity: In no other country in North Africa do people seem to have more different ways of life. The new generation wears the smartphone in their jeans, while a man right next door, like generations of his ancestors, struts down the dusty village street with a djellaba and wooden stick. And there is a route in Morocco where you can beam yourself back to this bygone era.

Curves with their grippy asphalt are suitable for superbikes

We have been cruising along the street of the kasbahs for the second day now. There is no need to build a backdrop for an oriental film, everything is already there. It is not for nothing that Ouarzazate became the Hollywood of Morocco. The Kasbah Tamnougalt, in which the final scene of “The Sky Above the Desert” was filmed, is located another 80 kilometers southeast of Ouarzazate. A path that we take with a light heart. The curves with their grippy asphalt are suitable for superbike, the scenery is adorable.

Dozens of routes lead from Fes to our port of departure in Nador. One of the most uncomfortable is the one through the Rif Mountains. However, she does not incur the alleged penalty because of the road conditions. No, the Rif is the reason for Morocco’s top position in hash export. Unfortunately, for a long time, dealers also seemed to see potential buyers in common passers-by. They have a reputation for, let’s say carefully, aggressive sales policies. It is still the case?

To anticipate: Anyone who is after almost 400 kilometers of uninterrupted curve orgy will not let the few hash dealers unnecessarily hinder their driving pleasure. Behind every bend the view falls into a different fertile valley and at each of the numerous vantage points someone is already selling mind-expanding smoking material. You don’t need that here, because the route is already intoxicating enough. And when you reach the crossroads in Ketama you get rid of the hemp masters anyway. The next day we have to get on the ferry. I take a deep breath and inhale one last Moroccan breath. No, it’s not hash that I can easily resist anyway. Rather, it is the country itself that is the drug. Guaranteed not free of side effects.

Further information


Motorcycle tour in Morocco


shepherd

Duration of the trip: 3 weeks; Distance covered: 2600 kilometers.

Arrival / travel time:
Morocco can be visited all year round, but the High Atlas is often impassable in winter and the south can only be reached via the coast. Because of the extreme temperatures, summer is only suitable for the toughest. Spring and autumn, on the other hand, promise a good temperature mix, both in the Atlas and in the hot south. There are a number of options for traveling to Morocco. One of the cheapest: Drive to the port of Sète in southern France (1100 kilometers from Cologne or Munich). From there you can translate to Tangier and Nador. Example: Grandi Navi Veloce (gnv.it) per person in the four-bed outside cabin including motorcycle there and back for around 300 euros (ferry passage 36 hours). The entry procedure in the new port of Tanger-Med is gratifyingly straightforward.

The distance:
Morocco has a good network of trunk roads with plenty of fuel options. Large parts of the circuit can also be ridden with street motorcycles. Enduros are only required if you want to go through the Cirque de Jaffar from Midelt to Imilchil, from Agoudal to the Dades Gorge, over the Tizi N’Taze (Jebel Sarhro) from Tinghir to Nekob or into the dunes of Erg Chebbi. Make sure to use tires that are suitable for off-road use. Off-road experience is helpful, but not absolutely necessary except for driving in the dunes. You shouldn’t drive the off-road stages alone.

Stay:
The venerable Hotel Continental is a good introduction to the oriental flair. It is located above the old port in Tangier’s medina. Here writers and crowned heads have already dismounted. Double from 635 DH (57 euros), continental-tanger.com. The cam pingzebra.com under Dutch management is recommended for the Ouzoud cascades. Paul and Renate offer tent sites and rooms in the African style. Campsite for two people from 25 DH (2.30 euros), double room 200 DH (18 euros).

Activities:
Tangier and the royal cities are worth a visit in their own right. If you are worried about getting lost in the maze of alleys, you can use a guide (with ID). Before doing this, you should determine the duration and price of the tour. In Imilchil in the High Atlas there is a big wedding market once a year. In addition, a music festival and an extensive market have established themselves. Worth seeing! Also worth mentioning is “Ride to Roots”, a project by Eduard Lopez Arcos, a Spaniard with a good command of English who has set up an international motorcycle travel meeting point at Erg Chebbi. Eduard can be found in Hassi Labied around 8 km north of Merzouga (1.141520 ° N, 4.025124 ° W): ridetoroots.com/en.

Cards / Action team:
The Michelinkarte 742 “Morocco” goes with you on the trip for 7.99 euros. Scale: 1: 1,000,000. The MOTORRAD action team offers an exciting, organized trip to Morocco.

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