Help with trip planning for Maroc/Mauri/ Mali....Please

[ONYERBIKE]

Any suggestions and advise will be gratefully received for a trip that I am just starting to plan for the early part of 2010, probably between the months of February and May, just for two weeks.
I have a 2008 X Challenge which I am starting to prepare for the trip, extra fuel, luggage etc and have gone as far as buying the 742 map!
The plan is to go for around 2 maybe 3 weeks at a push taking the ferry from Marseille to Morocco and do a loop of Moroccos wonders before heading on to Mauritania and maybe Mali before heading back to France.
As I will be riding the XC it is mainly an off road trip.

Has anyone done this trip? Am I being over optimistic in thinking that I will be able to make Mauritania or even Mali in the given timeframe?

 

[MotoAdvenTours]

Hi,"David motoadventours" is just publishing the story from when he went in November 07.He can give you a lot of information.We are going to go in Jan 2010 to Dakar only.Can pass you some information if you want.What we are doing is just 3 week trip down and back and our friend Dave haven´t got more time so just a quickie realy.

 

[(RIP) petcul]

Hi. With three weeks (is that three weeks in total from leaving the UK?) you'd be pushing it and it would be long tarmac miles and little offroad riding. It takes between 5 to 7 days to ride from the Mali/Mauritania or Senegal/Mauritania borders to Bilbao. You might try going as far as Nouadihbou in Mauritania and either going east to Atar and Chinguetti or, take the tarmac road to Nouakchott and then the tarmac road NE to Atar and Chinguetti. Coastal Mauriatnia is long miles and you have to like sand but the NE of the country, the Adrar region, is beautiful and there are plenty of pistes. You might even get as far as the amazing Guelb er Richat east of Chinguetti.

If you do go to Senegal do not cross at Rosso. NOT.


It should be a great experience.

 

[ONYERBIKE]

Thanks for the replies guys, at this stage it is just sorting out what is possible and what is dreaming, at the moment I am in France so would take the ferry from Marseille to Maroc, otherwise the ferry to Bilbao from the UK.
I would be gratefull of any advise or recommendations etc.

 

[(RIP) petcul]

PM me about specifics. Happy to help

 

[ONYERBIKE]

As time goes on my life is becoming clearer
It now looks like I will be back in the UK and that I will be able to spend longer on the trip, maybe 2 months+ but will need to be able to get a return flight to France somewhere along the route.
Can anyone recommend good books for ideas/route planning etc, I am now thinking that I will be able to head further south than Mali.

 

[jbmoto]

Rough Guide and Lonely Planet are a good place to start, and of course there are Chris Scott's Sahara Overland and Morocco Overland.

JB

 

[Tim Cullis]

Horizons Unlimited will be a better source for information, both the Sahara and Sub-Sahara forums.

In addition to PeterCul's blog mentioned above there's

My blog: There and Back Again

Dan and Linz: Going Somewhere

Mickey Beckett: http://www.mikeybeckett.com/index.htm

Dan and Ed: http://brighton2capetown.googlepages.com/home

 

[ONYERBIKE]

Thanks everyone for all of the info and offers of help.

I already printed your excellent blog so I could read it at work a few months ago Mr Cullis, thanks for the extra blogs.

Anyone got this book, it comes up when you type Chris Scott Sahara Overland into Amazon.co.uk

Africa Overland by Sian Pritchard-Jones and Bob Gibbons, just interested to know if anyone rates it as a good information resource before I go and buy every book I can lay my hands on.

 

[Edventure]

Hi,
I did the route through Morroco, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana in May this year. I'm happy to help, just PM me.

http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=187124

Ed