Day 6 27/04/2012: A Day in Tafraout.
I been away for a couple of days to celebrate Jono's birthday, he of Adventurebike Warehouse, to do some trails in the Peak District with Gary and have a few wet one's, some dinner and bike chat. I must admit that I was a bit late for the start because I got lost when choosing
the less direct route and found a road had been closed. I then went round and round for a while before I worked it out with some help from a tanker driver.
Also, the internet wasn't working here last night
so I gave up after a while.
After yesterday's
Man Test on
The River of Death we were due for a lie in. This was very welcome to allow us to recover from the hard day' riding, last night's tagines and chicken brochettes, and the several rounds of beer & wine with dinner, and the port in the bar afterwards.
Even though it was a late start plans had already been laid down to continue our bike maintenance if it hadn't been fininshed last night, get some inner tubes repaired, change Skygod's split tyre and then get ready for some more
Man Tests before lunch. Phew!
The scale of the problems with the bikes was in no way serious but simply a matter of a few drops of oil for the KTMs and my Yamaha and taping up or removing broken indicators and number plates. In fact number plates were starting to break a couple of days ago but more damage was done by the stones of the river bed getting thrown up and simply taking lumps out of parts which stick out. Gaz and I went into Tafraout to arrange for the inner tubes to be repaired and have his rear tyre changed and it all went swimmingly well for the princely sum of less than a tenner (including tip) if I remember correctly. Whilst waiting we met a couple of Ural Combination riders but no
this time.
We're done. What now?
"Get kitted up and get to your bikes. We are going to The Blue Rocks for a couple of hours of fun. There's a test, and don't forget your CamelBak."
We arrive here around noon and it is getting hot...
The painted rocks are spread over a wide area and can be seen in the most inaccessible places, unless you are a rambler or climber.
It took us a little while to find our way across the sand, rock and bush to get closer to this feature but it was all good fun and training. The rocks were painted blue by a Belgian artist, I have been informed, and once his work was started he soon employed the help of the Moroccan Fire Brigade to help with the task and made use of their engine pumps to cover larger areas.
Our first challenge seemed to be getting close and we took a route away from the marked trails and left ourselves with a down hill ride from a large rock and over some boulders at the bottom. No Fromage was last to go and it took him a minute to get going but I must say it would've been very painful at the bottom if your front wheel suddenly stopped rolling.
One of several places to find yourself looking around for the easiest way off.
We moved on a bit and met quite a few other tourists who had come to see what was here...
...and when we left them we gave them a show of our own and went blatting around the scenery to get our eye in on the sand and rock. It was a bit up, a bit down, vegitation to be avoided be cause of the thorns, and gritty sand to try pushing your front wheel, and not crashing into each other: We were all over the place like a rash, zigging and zagging, round and around each other but having to keep an eye out for where everyone else was to ensure that head on collision didn't occur from the other side of the greenery.
All this and then another
Man Test.
We were herded to flat spot in front of a large rock with lots of boulders sitting on it:
"There you go. Ride up there and stop on the flat bit to right, turn around and come back down" were the intructions. There isn't a path over to the other side so you must get it right or lay your bike down on the hard stone and hope for the best.
This is the veiw from the top, were you need to back off and make your three point turn, and even though the image doesn't show all the detail when you're at the bottom it's worth a walk up to have a look at what you're going to do.
Matt is looking for new ways to get off this rock and confirms that yes, it's to portside if you can get between those two.
Obviously Sunray has to go first, being our ABW tourS leader, and makes it look easy on a HP2. Momentum is everything on the rough stuff and the power and weight of a 1200 just rolls over the looser rocks at the bottom.
Go Sunray! (Loose rock not seen here.
Don't drop it now...
...it's not your bike anymore.
One up and back down safely so it's all of us now...
Bill, without any fear, does it easily on his KTM...
And seems to be on his way back down before you could blink...
Steve's next and as said, momentum is everything (even on a XTZ), but Steve is a big lad and makes up the mass on his own to balance the equation...
From those pictures one might think Steve needs stiffer springs on that bike but it looks so easy.
Now it's my turn. It take a good run up, gas it over the rocks, have a little bounce around, and aim for the place to stop and turn around. Now, for anyone who hasn't done any of this sort of thing before (just like me), every challange requires a deep breath and reliance on yourself and your bikes' capabilties. Even though we have done plenty of piste, twisty road,
Nipple Hill and
The River of Death you simply have to go for it or buy the first round in the evening.
It looks like I need to adjust my springs as well...
I even managed to turn around at the top with falling over, even though I tried.
Now it's time for the newbie. No Fromage's license is probably only three weeks old by now but I know he has already done more miles and proper riding, than some of the geezers I chat to at the local bikers burger bar do in a year or more.
He goes for it on the pegs...
...thinks about stopping for a pose...
...and barrels down taking a completely different exit at the bottom to everyone else.
finally, and by no means least. it's The Grezmiester.
Easy Up...
...and easy down. There's something to be said about those KTMs.
It's not over yet though so we have a picture together to acknowledge our derring-do before the final phase of todays' excercises...
The AdventureBike Warehouse new intake group.
Albeit not compulsary we now take on some more trails, ride in circles through the bush, and try our hand in the sandy ditch.
Let's go...
Push it...
...avoid the campfire...
...now just carry on (Yeah Right!)...
...lean back and the front wheel do it's own thing...
...but not easy with a three week license...
...AVOID THE CAMPFIRE...
Note: I have no idea how Grez manages to get all that sand into, or out of, his engine as seen in this picture.
That's the way Grez, avoid that campfire...
"Go on Boss. You show us how to do it."
Nice job.
Some decide to have a little rest (including me)...
...but get up and keep on going...
...whilst others just crack on with it...
and maybe try someone elses bike for size.
With another CamelBak nearly emptied there was just time for a cigar and a few poses with our bikes.
The GrezMiester
No Cheese for me Please.
No Fear Bill.
Steve, and Bill (with a head shot this time).
Sunray.
MrIFan and Skygod.: ABW Tours Geezers.
Yours Truly.
Time for lunch in town, but not before we have to ride over a few pavements to get there, or the pool for the sun lovers.
It's down town for Skygod, MrIFan, No Fromage and I. We are presented with the best, or biggest, meal of mixed salads, cumin flavoured chic peas and chicken and pomme frits we have seen in a week.
Eveybody dives in to a wholly satisfying lunch for next to nothing in a locals diner and even though there is no beer the cola & Poms goes down well.
After and walk through the square with MrIFan...
...and we see some more interesting fare on offer...
...before finding this lot...
Don't get burnt lads...
...and don't get your hair wet.
With our lazy afternoon done and dusted it was dinner and the bar again...
This Geezer sees to know Ali Baba, sorry MrIFan in mean, from his previous time inTafraout. He is certainly when known in these parts.
...in preparation to get on our way again tomorrow morning. The tomorrow morning for which we do not yet know quite what to expect. We been told where we are going, if you know the language, but after what we'd done the day before it should be just fine.