Morocco 2022, building up to it

[Pedro]

  On 29/11/2022 at 20:09, Slowlycatchymonkey said:

My first thought was oooh that’s a heavy bike for sand, brave… or daft

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The bike can do it, for sure, but:

 It’s better to lower tire pressures, I won’t because the desert is rocky as hell and I want unbroken wheels.

 I don’t have the confidence to go as fast as needed on sand, but I will search instruction and get that confidence. 

I had intended on a crossing between Taouz (near Merzouga) and Mhamid (Zagora), if you want to check on google maps. Most of that is easy hardish ground that I have no problems with, but there’s a stretch of a few kms of sand that can be problematic more so if alone. Tomorrow I’ll ask around someone that is not trying to sell me a guide before finally taking the tarmac. I will give the first bit of the cross a try in the morning to have a little fun.

Getting a very heavy bike stuck in the sand somewhere with no service is a good way to get yourself dead, or to ruin a good bike getting out of trouble. I’ll see tomorrow.
 

I did have a blast sailing through shorter 30 meter bits of soft sand on set pistes though, 4th gear me made feel like a hero (a nervous hero). It’s when you have to slow and turn and do things it gets tricky 

[Pedro]

Also I don’t want a guide. Those guys know their stuff but I’d rather take the tarmac than following a moped that doesn’t get stuck but is also too slow for my bike to cope. Won’t do 100km in second gear 

[Slowlycatchymonkey]

  On 29/11/2022 at 20:59, Pedro said:

I had intended on a crossing between Taouz (near Merzouga) and Mhamid (Zagora), if you want to check on google maps. 

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Google maps says the direct route is 5hrs and 20 mins and 390km, with breaks that's a fairly long day, be kind to your kidneys and take plenty of water.

 

  On 29/11/2022 at 20:59, Pedro said:

I did have a blast sailing through shorter 30 meter bits of soft sand on set pistes though, 4th gear me made feel like a hero (a nervous hero). It’s when you have to slow and turn and do things it gets tricky 

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I'd say thats hero stuff. I'd crap myself seeing sand being on a GS, mind you I've got a lot further to fall than you and less chance of getting the bike back upright

[Pedro]

  On 29/11/2022 at 23:13, Slowlycatchymonkey said:

Google maps says the direct route is 5hrs and 20 mins and 390km, with breaks that's a fairly long day, be kind to your kidneys and take plenty of water.

 

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It’s all good on road, I meant look at the tracks offroad between them, it’s less than half the distance going through Ramlia for example. That’s what I’ll see about doing.

[Pedro]

Will just leave this here because this afternoon it’ll be a pain to upload pictures.

Today I’m busy being being fucking awesome and riding on the same piste I was worried about yesterday. No luggage and a little less fuel make all the difference!

 

 

[XTreme]

  On 30/11/2022 at 12:28, Pedro said:

Will just leave this here because this afternoon it’ll be a pain to upload pictures.

Today I’m busy being being fucking awesome and riding on the same piste I was worried about yesterday. No luggage and a little less fuel make all the difference!

 

 

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Great stuff Pedro!

[boboneleg]

That poor tree, he's got no mates at all

 

[Slowlycatchymonkey]

  On 30/11/2022 at 13:41, boboneleg said:

That poor tree, he's got no mates at all

 

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It doesn’t care. It’s hardcore and has a bird (nest) for company. 

[Pedro]

I will elaborate further on the report, but I am both happy at the riding I did today, and not doing that tomorrow with my luggage.

So even though today was a win, and it felt amazing riding a few sections of soft sand with no major issues, I will be saving my luggage and taking the tarmac tomorrow.

I am also now friends with Ibrahim, the guy making the road that’s going to replace this piste in the future.

And I also got an expensive urge, that I will not speak off until it happens, hopefully it’ll disappear by itself.

[yen_powell]

  On 30/11/2022 at 12:28, Pedro said:

Will just leave this here because this afternoon it’ll be a pain to upload pictures.

Today I’m busy being being fucking awesome and riding on the same piste I was worried about yesterday. No luggage and a little less fuel make all the difference!

 

 

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Best pictures yet, despite the lack of meunkeys!

[boboneleg]

  On 30/11/2022 at 15:38, Pedro said:

And I also got an expensive urge, that I will not speak off until it happens, hopefully it’ll disappear by itself.

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Very high class Moroccan prostitute  ?

[Pedro]

  On 30/11/2022 at 16:13, yen_powell said:

Best pictures yet, despite the lack of meunkeys!

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I agree, although am a bit disapointed that nobody noticed something that I love in some of the more sandy pictures.

 

[XTreme]

  On 30/11/2022 at 16:36, Pedro said:

I agree, although am a bit disapointed that nobody noticed something that I love in some of the more sandy pictures.

 

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The ruins in the distance?

[Pedro]

  On 30/11/2022 at 16:55, XTreme said:

The ruins in the distance?

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No

[Pedro]

Here’s another one

 

Not posting more fotos, this just took minutes to upload and I’m not climbing the dune to get more signal. It’s freezing now so will have hot mint tea.

[Sir Fallsalot]

  On 30/11/2022 at 13:41, boboneleg said:

That poor tree, he's got no mates at all

 

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Whats the bets Pedro had a piss against it LOL

[Pedro]

  On 30/11/2022 at 17:32, Sir Fallsalot said:

Whats the bets Pedro had a piss against it LOL

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No, i did have a piss there but in the middle of nowhere looking at the horizon. But not against the wind!

[Pedro]

  On 30/11/2022 at 17:24, Pedro said:

Here’s another one

 

Not posting more fotos, this just took minutes to upload and I’m not climbing the dune to get more signal. It’s freezing now so will have hot mint tea.

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It’s pretty obvious in this picture Pete

[XTreme]

  On 30/11/2022 at 17:39, Pedro said:

It’s pretty obvious in this picture Pete

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No stand needed!

[Pedro]

  On 30/11/2022 at 17:40, XTreme said:

No stand needed!

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[Sir Fallsalot]

  On 30/11/2022 at 17:39, Pedro said:

It’s pretty obvious in this picture Pete

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I cant sus it might be obvious to you but not to me unless its the bike 

[Pedro]

  On 30/11/2022 at 17:42, Sir Fallsalot said:

I cant sus it might be obvious to you but not to me unless its the bike 

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On soft sand it’ll stand by itself unless it’s windy.

[Sir Fallsalot]

  On 30/11/2022 at 17:43, Pedro said:

On soft sand it’ll stand by itself unless it’s windy.

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I just got that i posted just after Pete sussed it, I've been zooming in on the background of the photos looking for something the same in all 

[Slowlycatchymonkey]

  On 30/11/2022 at 03:39, Pedro said:

It’s all good on road, I meant look at the tracks offroad between them, it’s less than half the distance going through Ramlia for example. That’s what I’ll see about doing.

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How do you choose the tracks you want to take? Do you simply zoom in on google maps?

[Pedro]

  On 01/12/2022 at 09:47, Slowlycatchymonkey said:

How do you choose the tracks you want to take? Do you simply zoom in on google maps?

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They just make sense when you want to get from town to town, I don’t know. I use google maps like I would a paper map with a lot of definition, but if you want a safer way buy Chris Scott’s book, I looked over it the other way and some of the routes he recommends are roads that just make sense if you look at the Michelin map and choose the less fast and more twisty scenic roads.