Marocco- Cirque du Jaffar

[Robin B'stard]

Hi Guys,
Bit of help needed from you well travelled, worldly wise types.

Midelt to Imilchil. This route takes in the Cirque du Jaffar and is stunning so I'm told. It's about 160Km (100miles). Roughly how long does it take?

Does anyone have any actual experience of this route for a big bike i.e. GS, AT,KTM etc. and how rough it is dropping into the Cirque across the river and out the otherside. I've had mixed reports of how tough it is and how deep the rivers can be( sometimes impassable).

Four of us are planning a trip for the end of April/May 2010. We all have off-road experience but on smaller 250's and 450's. I have ridden the big bike off-road before but not loaded.

 

[Tim Cullis]

For Mapsource file, check out posts #5/6 on http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=179283

2007-10-05. Better known as Midelt to Imilchil including the Cirque de Jaffar. This is a set of three tracklogs, the first (32 mi) in red is a technical piste needing offroad skills. The second section in green (27 mi) is gravel roads and some tarmac sections. Then it's back to a red technical piste (33 mi) with some 60 river crossings--well, actually the same river, 60 times.

You definitely need to allow for a complete day. Auberge de Jaffar is a good starting point and there are four gites on the way in case you need to stop overnight. You end up near the twin lakes of Tislit and Iseli (respectively bride and groom) where the Auberge Tislit Bride is my recommendation for the far end.

My 'grading' system is
- green: piste suitable for absolute novice on a road bike, more like a pub car park
- blue: slightly rougher piste suitable for novice on a dual sport bike with no formal offroad training
- red: piste ideally needing prior offroad skills
- black: piste not to be undertaken alone or with luggage.

These gradings, however, are subjective--they only apply to the day I rode the piste, only apply to the direction I was riding (it might be easier/more difficult the other way round), and depend on how I felt when I got up that morning.

I've done the Cirque part three times, twice on a 1200GSA and once on a XR400. It's rocky and can be tricky if the rocks are wet or icy. I did the whole trip in October 2007 on a 1200GSA with full luggage. It's weather dependent and the last time I was in the area (October 2008) we decided against doing it as there was a lot of rain (and potentially snow) about. It would be a good idea to ask locally what the weather has been like--if it's been dry for a week and there haven't been major floods in the previous month or so the pistes will probably be OK.

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One of the easier fords

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Riding one-handed whilst filming an easy section of piste

The pic below is of the second section of red piste. There's more pics and a write up at http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=126126

 

[Robin B'stard]

Thanks Tim,

I really appreciate the reply and didn't really expect anything less when it comes from you. The assistance you give is priceless. The pictures are everything you would want for a trail ride. I have followed many of your reports with admiration and these have inspired me to plan the route for this trip. I did find another report of yours but that was only part of the route and on an XR400. A lot easier than a loaded big trailie.

We will spend at least 12 days in Morocco, and I can't tick the days off fast enough.

Just one point, the bit that you had trouble with; if you had made it would you still need to do so many river crossings?

 

[Tim Cullis]

The problem point meant we had to ride down the river for a couple of hundred metres, it counted as only one of the crossing points.

You can avoid the downhill section of the Cirque du Jaffar by entering the 'circle' at the bottom through what I imaginatively coined the 'Jaws of Death'. This is probably a black piste, see video clip below.

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[davidgibson999]

Hi Guys,
Bit of help needed from you well travelled, worldly wise types.

Midelt to Imilchil. This route takes in the Cirque du Jaffar and is stunning so I'm told. It's about 160Km (100miles). Roughly how long does it take?

Does anyone have any actual experience of this route for a big bike i.e. GS, AT,KTM etc. and how rough it is dropping into the Cirque across the river and out the otherside. I've had mixed reports of how tough it is and how deep the rivers can be( sometimes impassable).

Four of us are planning a trip for the end of April/May 2010. We all have off-road experience but on smaller 250's and 450's. I have ridden the big bike off-road before but not loaded.

I did it last April on my own on a loaded GS and I'll be honest that particular day Midelt to Imilchil was very hard for me (you can get an idea for it from my report) but I think a lot of it was because I was doing it on my own and morale would have been higher with another person at least. Worth doing though - definitely!

 

[Robin B'stard]

Thanks Tim,

It looks great and I don't feel overwhelmed by the route through 'The Jaws' as you said in one of your reports, you can avoid the big rocks on a bike until.......... Maybe that's over-confidence bordering on stupidity on my part.

Got my hands on a copy of Chris Scotts book 'Overland Morocco' and his MH1 route doesn't appear to mention 60 river crossings although the toppo route above looks the same as his. Has he gone a different route or just applied 'poetic license'?

 

[Robin B'stard]

I did it last April on my own on a loaded GS and I'll be honest that particular day Midelt to Imilchil was very hard for me (you can get an idea for it from my report) but I think a lot of it was because I was doing it on my own and morale would have been higher with another person at least. Worth doing though - definitely!

I couldn't agree more, you need big dangly bits to do a route like that on your own fully loaded. Definately the adventure spirit. It's much easier with moral support even if that's in the form of laughing at your mate taking a tumble and the first thing you reach for is the camera rather than helping him. Got to get the evidence first for the RR.

 

[Tim Cullis]

Chris Scott's ... MH1 route doesn't appear to mention 60 river crossings although the toppo route above looks the same as his. Has he gone a different route or just applied 'poetic license'?

There is only one main route. Maybe it was particularly dry when Chris did it but the second section of 'red' piste effectively follows the river downstream and constantly crosses it or uses the river bed as the track.

You can never rely on pistes remaining constant. On one trip I did the link piste between the Todra and the Dades Gorges riding solo on a heavily laden 1200GS in about three hours.

On another occasion riding a lighter F650GS twin without luggage in a small group it took seventeen hours.

I don't feel overwhelmed by the route through 'The Jaws'

One thing I learned early on is that photos and videos never do justice to the conditions. In my case I wasn't even sure if 'Jaws' was a viable route, and there's nothing worse than being stuck with big rocks under both wheels preventing both forward and backwards motion.

 

[davidgibson999]

See here post #9 onwards for more info and pics
http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=144296

As Tim says the pistes change all the time - I didn't have as many as 60 crossings to do but certainly had more than I'd have liked!
One wee tip - stock up on food and water before you do it because I didn't have anything with me that day and was really drained and hungry by the half way point.
Worth doing though....

 

[Robin B'stard]

As Tim says the pistes change all the time - I didn't have as many as 60 crossings to do but certainly had more than I'd have liked!
One wee tip - stock up on food and water before you do it because I didn't have anything with me that day and was really drained and hungry by the half way point.
Worth doing though....

That's what makes Morocco so interesting and challenging. Really enjoyed reading your RR. You racked up some big mileage each day. It certainly is a beautiful area and thanks for the advice.
Man-handling a big bike without food n water!!!!!.
I'd better get to the gym n work out.

 

[Robin B'stard]

and there's nothing worse than being stuck with big rocks under both wheels preventing both forward and backwards motion.

I've been in that position on a 400. Doesn't bear thinking about on a loaded big bike. But thanks for your valued input.

 

[Glynn]

I too have done this route and south to the gorges in November 2007 on a R1100GS, solo, with luggage.
Did it in a day (short days in Nov) cool but no snow and only 1 truck along the 100 miles or so.
The river was easily mangable - for the most part!
Really good track!
Theres not much in town and nothing along the track.

 

[Robin B'stard]

I too have done this route and south to the gorges in November 2007 on a R1100GS, solo, with luggage.
Did it in a day (short days in Nov) cool but no snow and only 1 truck along the 100 miles or so.
The river was easily mangable - for the most part!
Really good track!
Theres not much in town and nothing along the track.

Nothing but the open road (piste) and fantastic scenery eh. That sounds like just the place for me. Looking forward to it. Started thinking about which bike to take and I've decided against the 1200GS in favour of my AT. I'll probably get burned at the stake for saying that on here.

Thanks