Return to N.E. Morocco 2015...

I should be finished in Normandy roundabout the 25-26th of march so could take a slow drive down and reece some routes in the Central Massif and meet up with you in Northern Spain on the 1st we could do a couple of lanes in the Pyrenees I know if you fancy it ? Before heading south

As I'll be way up in Northern Germany, 25 solid hours of driving from Algeciras - 2,727km!!! - so reckon I'll be flying down to somewhere like Marrakech and hiring a 4x4 for a couple of weeks or so. Found one at only 25 euros a day, got to be better than all the fuel, autoroute tolls, wear 'n' tear on the old' Orangemobile - plus of course tiredness. It's also a matter of time, for if I am to catch you up and I can't actually hit the road until the 8th, fly-drive is the only feasible option.

Would have been nice to take the RR, but it's really not practical.

Ralf is still considering his options, simply because his family may want to come too. Decisions decisions.

Well have booked Dover Dunkirk for the 25/march/2015, returening 05/may/2015,
Ian and Jackie will be coming with us.

Ferry all booked Dover/Dunkirk 25/3/14 and retuen 5/5/14 going with Romingman

May God bless her and all who sail in her ... !!!

Tom,
Reasonable plan...as long as you can rent a proper 4x4 and not a soccer mom SUV with no ground clearance. There will be a lot of areas where there is no road and most of the normal rental car type units wouldn't make it. Would have to have good tires as well to survive the rocks and riverbeds. If you find something though that suits and you need me or any of us to carry some gear down for you, just let us know. That way you can just cross load into the rental when you meet up with us.

I am sure Ralf's family would enjoy the trip as well, as long as the missus is up to wild camping for most of a month.

wideformat4x4 wrote:

I should be finished in Normandy roundabout the 25-26th of march so could take a slow drive down and reece some routes in the Central Massif and meet up with you in Northern Spain on the 1st we could do a couple of lanes in the Pyrenees I know if you fancy it ? Before heading south

Might be fun...or maybe hit some trails in Portugal on the way down.

James, Gary
That sounds like a great idea, a good start to the trip count me in.
Re your hiring a truck Tom, from experience in New Zealand and Canada the insurance did not cover off road use especially the type that we will be doing, just a thought would need clarification otherwise it could get expensive?
Great news to hear that everybody has been busy booking their ferry tickets it really feel like it is beginning to happen, roll on the 17th be good to meet up again.

Silverfox wrote:

James, Gary
That sounds like a great idea, a good start to the trip count me in.
Re your hiring a truck Tom, from experience in New Zealand and Canada the insurance did not cover off road use especially the type that we will be doing, just a thought would need clarification otherwise it could get expensive?
Great news to hear that everybody has been busy booking their ferry tickets it really feel like it is beginning to happen, roll on the 17th be good to meet up again.

Thanks for the 'heads-up' - yourself and James - but you wouldn't believe some of the places I've ventured in a hire car. Obviously can't say where or when, but as you both well know, those Peugeot 504's in Africa can get a lot of places a Land Rover/Landcruiser can't - and they are loaded with all their goods and chattels and 128 extended family along for the ride. Okay, I exaggerate, but it's at least 80!

Watch this space!!!

Portugal sounds a great idea I hear the tracks there are really good and I'm always up for something a little different

Looking good, you got rid of Discovery for Defender, we lost our Defender now have Discovery 1,

will get some pictures up soon.

looks good keep the pic coming still doing mine but have to keep changing the layout

roamingman wrote:

Looking good,  you got rid of Discovery for Defender, we lost our Defender now have Discovery 1,

will get some pictures up soon.

Yes Kevin sold the Disco last week.
I have had the 110 a couple of months but waited for the weather to get a bit crappy before selling the D2 thought I would get a better price for it but couldn't get anything near what it owed me

Should have waited until the first flakes of snow, it works wonders as suddenly everybody wants a 4x4.

Tom Mc wrote:

Should have waited until the first flakes of snow, it works wonders as suddenly everybody wants a 4x4.

That was my plan Tom but the insurance ran out and if its taxed with the new rules it has to be insured too otherwise you face a fine so in the end it had to go or I had to insure it again so I suppose its swings and roundabouts what I saved on insurance I lost in the sale.

I'm now down to one vehicle and one motorbike so the money I'm saving on tax and insurance is going into the 110 fit out, I wish the weather would improve so I can get going again its a pain trudging back and forward from the shed to the garage to the truck to fit stuff in.
But on the bright side my neighbours are talking to me again now there is room in the road for them to drive passed all my vehicles to get on their drives lol

Looks good Gary. Will be interested to see the final (or Morocco period version of final) fit out.

You could always chop the back off and go for the 'Canadian erection'!  







For some reason or other I didn't get a final shot of the complete version with canvas, but I'm sure somebody will have a photo of the finished article somewhere.

Ahhh...Tembo in NATO green...the memories....

And version 1 of the do-it yourself deck tent! Good pictures Tom!

I did think about a 110 pickup with a flat load bed with a roof tent on top and storage underneath. But 110 pickups seem few and far between and seem to hold a bit of a premium, less is more it seems.

I love James ideology on overlanding light, simple and stripped down to the bare minimum with the weight down low.
It wins the day in soft sand, rough ground etc seemed much better than roof racks packed with heavy kit.

Trying to adopt the same sort of philosophy with the 110 false floor with sand ladders etc stowed underneath rather than a roof rack.

Hi all please have a look here,
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/morocco/news-from-maroc-78782

as you will see it is from the HUBB forum, quite a few tips on there about Morocco,

I always have a look about once a week,

I have been thinking we should try Algeciras-Tanger this time as opposed to Cueta. It is a much newer facility and sounds better organized. Driving time-wise headed to Chefchouan would only be maybe 20-30 minutes longer. Hopefully can even find insurance in the port area.

Still reading the HUBB forum. clad we not there now, flooding very bad,

Newsflash issued Tuesday 25 November

Heavy thundery showers could hit Thursday and Friday different parts of Morocco, particularly the central, north and east regions as well as the northern part of the southern provinces, the national weather service (DMN) announced Tuesday as floods killed over the weekend at least 36 people and left 6 others missing.

The severe weather and heavy showers which may reach 120 millimetres in 24 hours, is forecast in the regions of Abda, Doukala, Chiadma, Souss, Al Haouz, Tansift and the High Atlas, said DMN, noting that the heavy rains may continue throughout the weekend until next Monday.

Strong wind as rapid as 60 km/h to is also expected from the southwest on the Atlantic plains and south-east of Morocco.

Torrential rains that poured in some Moroccan southern regions have caused the death of at least 36 persons, including 24 in the province of Guelmim, who were washed away by floods, while 6 are still reported missing, according to the last toll.

One of the main reasons we don't want to go during the rainy season! I have been following this story. They do get some fairly severe winter weather...pretty much like any place you have mountain ranges next to an ocean. Most of the flooding has been in the south, below Agadir near the coast. Also bad storms along the slopes of the high and mid Atlas.

Going in the spring...after the winter season, we may see more water in the riverbeds than our autumn trip...and it is likely to be greener. So will be an interesting change and challenge I hope.

Tuggy posted a clip on Facebook of a dry river bed getting washed out as water from a flash flood come coursing through quite scary you can see how come so many of the bridges get wasted away its the debris carried along by the water that does all the damage.

I think the clip is about 8 minutes long and it goes from a dry river bed to a torrent in less than 2 minutes then force of the water is amazing it sweeps all before it

roamingman wrote:

Still reading the HUBB forum. clad we not there now, flooding very bad,

Newsflash issued Tuesday 25 November

Heavy thundery showers could hit Thursday and Friday different parts of Morocco, particularly the central, north and east regions as well as the northern part of the southern provinces, the national weather service (DMN) announced Tuesday as floods killed over the weekend at least 36 people and left 6 others missing.

The severe weather and heavy showers which may reach 120 millimetres in 24 hours, is forecast in the regions of Abda, Doukala, Chiadma, Souss, Al Haouz, Tansift and the High Atlas, said DMN, noting that the heavy rains may continue throughout the weekend until next Monday.

Strong wind as rapid as 60 km/h to is also expected from the southwest on the Atlantic plains and south-east of Morocco.

Torrential rains that poured in some Moroccan southern regions have caused the death of at least 36 persons, including 24 in the province of Guelmim, who were washed away by floods, while 6 are still reported missing, according to the last toll.

Blimey Yoda, your spelling's improved of late.