Looking for real desert

[Lost John]

I am going to Morocco in April for 7 nights and want to see/experience true desert scenery. We are going in through Melilla and my first idea is to head directly south to get to the Erg Chebi, but do i need to go that far to find it? Is there any true desert further north?

Also if i head south on the N15, is it a bit dull and would i be better going for the N19 which on plan looks twister and more fun??

 

[Fanum]

I am going to Morocco in April for 7 nights and want to see/experience true desert scenery. We are going in through Melilla and my first idea is to head directly south to get to the Erg Chebi, but do i need to go that far to find it? Is there any true desert further north?

Also if i head south on the N15, is it a bit dull and would i be better going for the N19 which on plan looks twister and more fun??

What do you imagine 'Real Desert' to be?

If you mean the romanticised Hollywood image of huge rolling dunes, you will have to go as far south as Erg Chebbi (there are some smaller patches of that sort of landscape, but they are nowhere near as impressive as Erfoud/Erg chebbi)

That isn't 'real desert' though, as in 'typical' desert......its just what people think of because of films etc.

Also, unless you have a small, light bike like a 400, the appeal of riding on that sort of sand is VERY limited......you'll be shagged out after ten minutes, totally knackered after half an hour and bored with it in a day.

It's lovely, and very much worth seeing, but as a riding experience, not worth planning the whole trip around IME.

There are areas of 'Hamada' (flatter, stony sandy desert) north of the Atlas that are far more representative of what you'll find on a trans-Sahara ride/drive though.

 

[Tim Cullis]

+1 for the joys of sand on a heavy bike.

Although there's a lot of dry areas in the rain shadow to the east and south of the High Atlas mountains, technically none of these areas are desert. They get far too much rainfall, and the classification is pre-Saharan steppes.

As Fanum writes, the hamada is easier to ride (and actually 2/3rds of the real Sahara is hamada rather than sand). For a bit of an adventure I'd suggest you come down on the N15 initially, then cut south east to Debdou, climb out of there and cut across the Rekkam Plateau to Bouarfa, then Figuig. Then head west cutting across to El Mengoub and have a play around Boudnib and the remains of the French Foreign Legion Fort at Atchana.

 

[Lost John]

Tim, many thanks, looks great advice and just what we are looking for. Tell me your codes of Rxx, are they just your personnel code for the trips you have done or do they relate to roads etc?

I have got a Michelin map number 742 and also have a Garmin. I dont want to plot to rigidily but...

The map shows unpaved roads, do you use these or do you just work by the compass and head down any usable looking track?

 

[Lost John]

Thanks Fanam, I have been down around Fez before on a GS800 so know what you mean about heavy bikes, this year its on a Honda C90

 

[Fanum]

Thanks Fonam, I have been down around Fez before on a GS800 so know what you mean about heavy bikes, this year its on a Honda C90

Cool...make sure you weld some extra plate under the 'zorst joint.....they get snapped off in deep sand
DAMHIK

 

[Lost John]

LOL, yup thats the shots we are looking for as well as the tent with nothing but barren wilderness for miles around.

Decided doing it on the GS was so yesterday and had to do something more stupid for my 50th!

Please explain about the welding?

 

[Frisky]

Real desert??
I like Apple pie and ice cream