Lars: I set off around 10.30 westward towards Nekob and a road I found over the mountain. M&M had taken off earlier on their way to Merzouga and the Dunes at Erg Chebbi. After making sure the bike was OK and full of fuel, I set off on the gravel road from Nekob over to Boulemane de Dodra. After a few miles I met a Swiss biker on a KTM, “It will be hard on your Africa Twin with the rocks on the road but take it easy and you will make it” Hmm..that made me think a bit.. Anyway I set off and the landscape was as barren as I have seen before but here it is black basalt.
After around 20 km I stopped for photo and a drink and what do you know, 3 small women appeared out of nowhere! Their faces covered from the wind, waddling and giggling towards me with the goats behind them. I signed a question if I could take a picture and the giggling became clucking asking for money. 15 dirhams later I had some pics and was off again. Down a valley and through a village with the kids running towards you with usual hands outstretched.
Went past an Auberge on a plain with fantastic views, and only at the second photo/water stop I realised the cold wind and the black rainclouds above the top of the mountain pass. That, combined with rocks on the narrowing road and no means of sorting a puncture out, I decided to turn around. Another 1.5 hours and I was back on the road to Marrakesh to find a hotel for me and Sue, who is flying in the following morning.
Went past an Auberge on a plain with fantastic views, and only at the second photo/water stop I realised the cold wind and the black rainclouds above the top of the mountain pass. That, combined with rocks on the narrowing road and no means of sorting a puncture out, I decided to turn around. Another 1.5 hours and I was back on the road to Marrakesh to find a hotel for me and Sue, who is flying in the following morning.
The Tis ‘n’ Tischka pass serves you some fantastic views and switchback roads for 100 km. It was late so I decided to stop at the suitable Hotel Le Coq Hardi about 40 km outside ‘Kech. A good dinner and a few beers sorted me out and the free Wi-Fi sorted a hotel in ‘Kech out.
Mileage: 276
The girls out of nowhere
Village on the piste
Black clouds
Too many sharp stones for my tyres....
Tish N Tishka views
Mike and Mark – We headed south towards Erg Chebbi; famous for being quite sandy and the beginning of the classic rolling dunes favoured by Omar Sharif/ Lawrence of Arabia types. Stopping by the side of the road we did a spot of fossil hunting- the region being noted for a large paeliazoic coral reef, that the locals have made a living from since time immemorial; polishing fossils/ making fossils/ selling fossils etc. From our spot on top of the reef we could see an approaching storm, this proved to be quite major. Both bikes were bowled over into the sand verge, the storm stretching for miles, giving everything a good sand blast – time to don the approved Tuareg face cloth. Picking up the bikes we rode to Rissani and sheltered in a roadside cafe (home to possibly worst toilets in Morocco), where we watched most of the Erg Chebbi dunes pass down the road. The sand storm was blinding, even the locals were cowering! We met a young American girl in cafe, who had missed her bus, only another 12 hours until the next one, good to talk to someone else though. The storm continued all day; we decide against Erg Chebbi, we couldn’t see a thing. Riding in a sandstorm is quite hairy! Not to be undertaken lightly – poor visibility, sand blown into every known orifice, drifts of dry sand on road etc etc.. Got to Tinerhir small room at top of hotel – great!
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