Day 6 05/10/2012: R and R.
Is it necessary that we are given a day off after less than a weeks riding? Personally I would have been quite happy to get back on my bike this morning and set off to another destination for tonight, but that's just me. It is however a good opportunity to get some washing done, you know who you are, check your bike over, adjust your chain (HP2's excluded) and tyre pressures or lounge around and regain your strength for the forthcoming Man's Days'. On the other had you could just take your bike out for a little spin in the morning, have a spot of lunch in the early afternoon, drink a couple of beers by the pool and to go for a swim while the sun is shining.
After breakfast we have been invited to be stood to attention next to our bikes if we want to have a bit of unrestricted playtime at the Blue Rocks near Agard Oudad (the spelling is loose for most places in Morocco but this is what it says on my map) and only a short ride from Tafraoute. Should you care to look at this place is can be seen on Google's satellite imaging just south and west of Agard Oudad. Look for the blue spots within the wadi's and rocks.
It only takes about twenty minutes from our hotel, and past the Napolian's Hat rock formation (Thanks to Mr Harrison for pointing that out), to put ourselves on track to the Blue Rocks and a seemingly unlimited and varied landscape to throw your bike around. There's miles and miles of it and is well worth the journey to get here. You could even ride straight here to spend a few days exploring and beef up your riding skills on the range of challenging obstacles to be found here and there. In fact I may even suggest having a trials competion next time where the rider who drops the most points buys the first two rounds in the evening.
Now, there's a lot of pictures which have been taken today so it might be woth having a video to start of with showing a short run of the route to get to the playground we are beginning to adopt as our own. It's raw and unedited but does show some of the running which can be found...
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...and some stills of the downhill ride into a pile of bone breaking rocks:
As usual the Boss leads the way and eventually finds our first Man's test for the day. It's only a short run downhill but if you get it wrong your going to break something and that something might just be attached to yourself rather than the bike. Either way there's still over a week to go so let's save the crashes for the sand.
Pick your line early and go for it.
You have to hold your nerve for a few seconds during this decent and try not to be distracted by the bike-wrecking larger obstacles...
The correct line...
There's a step to get over so having a long wheelbase bike helps...
Jono has chosen the easier side without so many rocks...
...and so has Paul.
Dean, Alan and I go for the middle where there's a few more rocks to roll over but...
...it does give you a better line, as seen with Al's KTM above, and keep you away from trouble...
Rudiemoto's steering stem seems to have a tight spot...
You're about a meter off line there Geezer.
We all get down to the bottom safely and it's helmets off for a cigar, some doughnuts from Spout and to decide whether to go back up and have another go. There's only two who are willing to play on the hard stoney surface and show off their trial riding heritage and that's Spout, and then Rudiemoto...
Spout on the way up, while Jono checks out the sand circles (top lefthand corner).
He's looking good, lifts a wheel, turns around and comes straight back down...
Jono follows as soon a Paul is back on safe ground and any chance of getting in the way. Just as well really.
That's a good fighting start, pushing hard with lots of rev's...
...leading to an impossible situation.
To be fair the rest of us just watched all of this HP2 bravado so, well done to them for providing us with a few minutes of entertainment.
They probably didn't realise that there was another rock climb to take on almost immediately once we ridden for a few minutes from here. It's a popular ride for Tossers because I know it's been done a few times before but again, it looks fairly straightforward until you and your bike starts flipping on the way down if you're not concentrating.
Just like Nipple Hill, it's one of those climbs that need a bit of awareness once you've reached the top and don't try to ride over the other side unless you're feeling strong and confident. Jono and Paul where up there first for a look around and to watch the remaining four meeting them at the top. Alan is instructed and sent on his way...
Don't back off...
Safe. Phew!
Spout has had enough and comes back down to break out the Embassy No1's...
...and the Boss goes up.
"Does me arse look big on this?"
Again, as with all riding challenges, you have to pick out your route and then commit to 100%...
Choosing a line.
Jono comes down and picks out his line...
Lastly, Dean steps lifts himself out of the shade of his bike (He's poorly remember) and shoots himself straight up and back down on the bike which I tried to prise out of his hands and secure my rights of ownership...
Stay out of the tram lines!
With the trials riding completed it's time for some training on
fesh fesh, a term I've only learnt recently from Simon Pavey's descriptions within this years' Dakar reports, which will be useful in couple of days time.
Fesh fesh is best described as a soft sandy or dusty surface on top of a firm substrate which makes for a wobbly front end. What that equates to for us is riding on sand and how to deal with it and not breaking a wrist or ankle.
This place, which we've been to before, looks like a dry stream bed and has a decent stretch to ride through near the place where we have parked. If you're feeling confident you can ride even further but be careful not to get lost.
Rudiemoto has been set the challenge to Skygod.
They made it...in reverse order.
It's not that easy at first because you have to ride fast otherwise the front wheel just digs in and gives the rider a hard time managing the bars.
There's no supervision here, no Hi Viz rent-a-cops, and no HSE so soon enough we are all at it...
All HP2 riders are confident and just go for it. Spout.
It's a tad easier on a smaller bike such a KTM or Yamaha...
Alan looks quite comfortable from the off...
...and I suspect Dean has seen something similar to this during his Spanish Rally earlier in the year...
And my bike? I've learnt my lessons over the last 18 months or so and now know when it's about to crash.
...
Also, there's the "Can I ride Your bike" question from Gaz. He and Alan are quite happy to share their saddles with each other...
Skygod on Al's 690 Enduro: The start of an orange addiction?
Alan on the HPN: "Armchair riding" was mentioned as a comparison to his current steed after that...
Here's another short'ish video showing a couple of blasts through the sandy stream bed.
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Thumbs Up to Rudiemoto for giving me his GoPro for this.
We give ourselves plenty of time around here to enjoy ourselve on our bikes, take pictures, absorb the environment and enjoy the sunshine or a moment together...
Some of us suspected this would come about. (Jono did a good job of hiding his disappointment over the next couple of days.
Happy to be here.
When away and on a trip it's everyman's objective to capture his own picturial records for his own benefit in the future but, what does it take to setup this picture?
Alan's KTM 690 Enduro in front of a rock painted blue.
It took some effort to get that bike positioned correctly...
Taming a KTM...
Hold onto the reigns Geezer and you'll be okay...
Hard work eh!
Before we move on, and while Alan's picture's are open, which one of these did you want us to use Old Chap?
Picture 1 or...
...or Picture 2, or...
...Picture 3?
One of us decides to go exploring to find something else to do elsewhere.
That's Spout. He has decided to find a huge painted rock to climb and leaves the rest of no choice but to follow him up there to save our face. We all begin to set off towards him and then find our own way up...
There's success for a couple.
...and once when we arrive it's start to get silly.
Everyone has to find their own path to where Paul has put himself and in the end we all get there...
Awesome!
Moderate!
The Cheque Book.
Getting back down to ground level is somewhat less easy that getting up there so Spout demonstrates the rding and navigation skills to get us on our way. The problem is that we should be paying attntion here and to that end it all falls apart for a few minutes...
We're close to being done here and after a few more doughnuts we decide it's time to get back to the hotel and get dressed for a spot of roast chicken and frittes for tiffin before an afternoon beside the pool to discuss tomorrows' adventures...
PS: The chicken lunch was shown in the earlier report.