Motorcycle trip on the tracks of southern Morocco with friends (EP1)

This is the first episode in my story of a motorcycle trip to Morocco. 10 days of riding with friends on the tracks of the south of the country in sublime landscapes. On paper, nothing insurmountable, right? But that's without taking into account my saltiness (and my inability to ride in sand).On the agenda: a burnt-out clutch in the desert, dunes as far as the eye can see and a stopover in a little Moroccan Swiss village. Happy reading!

Let's start with a brief presentation of the team. Our foursome is made up of Greg, a motorcycle addict and former rally driver sponsored byIxtem Moto; Radu, a buddy you're bound to know if you've followed my adventures on the rando des deux mondes ; and Jean-Michel, who has worked hard on track design with a heavy trials background. And me, with my usual level of off-road ability (draw whatever conclusions you want...). In short, as in the Gibraltar Race, I'm clearly not the most experienced. And what about the bikes? All European! KTM 990 for me, 890 for Jean-Michel, Aprilia Touareg for Radu and finally Greg's Triumph Tiger 800 XCX. That's our equipment!

We arrived in Sète to take a ferry to Tangiers. First bad news? The boat is almost 10 hours late! What a nightmare. We waited in the parking lot, chatting and admiring the overloaded trucks. The loads are sometimes improbable. Some passengers take a siesta in the shade of the trucks. Many families are returning home for Aïd El-Kébir. A 40-hour crossing follows. We take advantage of this time to get to know each other better in our foursome.

Arriving in Tangier, it's chaos all over again! To put it simply? 15 customs officers come on board to check no less than 2,000 people. With this ratio of 130 passports to inspect per controller, the operation lasts over 2 hours. We drink a beer with our friends while we wait. It'll probably be the last one for a long time! Finally, we get the all-important stamp, the precious sesame allowing us to enter Morocco. But then? We still have to do the paperwork for the bikes. We're in for another hour's waiting. With all the paperwork out of the way, we're off to Tangier, picking up the keys to our apartment, before heading into the city center for some good fried fish. Delicious! Only locals are sitting around us: the joys of the low season.

Tangier - Chefchouaen - Ifrane

Today is acclimatization day, so we're taking it easy. It has to be said that we're not really used to this heat: over 40°C! So we're going by road only. Our destination? Chefchouaen, where we're in for a real treat. It's a picture-postcard setting, with little blue houses sprawling out at the foot of Mount Djebel Mezedjel. Splendid!

Chefchouaen - Ifrane

We continue by road to Ifrane. Why on earth did we unpack our armada of trails? To take advantage of the tracks in the south of the country. So, to save time, we decided to do our first big day on asphalt. 360 km separate us from Ifrane. 360km to discover the incredible diversity of Moroccan scenery. The landscapes follow one another, but are never the same. Which means? Well, after the very mineral and urban atmosphere of Tangier, then the wilder atmosphere of Chefchaouen, we now reach the green forests of Ifrane. Just to give you an idea: this town is nicknamed Morocco's Little Switzerland. In fact, only the presence of the monkeys reminds us that we're in Africa and not the Swiss. That's hardly an exaggeration!

Ifrane - Midelt - Imichil

This day of off-roading started so well...

We start off with a superb morning of trails. The track is quite rolling, alternating between desert landscapes and densely wooded mountain areas. This incredible range of scenery is truly astonishing! How are the bikes? So far, no problems to report. The 990 is running pretty well. Spoiler alert: it won't last.

We're now on our way to Midelt, a town where it's surprising to see fir trees living side by side with date palms and olive trees. A break is in order. We take time for lunch. A little too much, in fact. The meal drags on so long that we're a little under the weather for the rest of our adventures.

We get back on the bikes. On to the Jaafar cirque! The first few kilometers of trails are really very pleasant. They're not at all technical, which means we can make the most of the rugged, rocky landscapes of this hard-to-reach region. We're heading deep into the gorges when the first real obstacle appears: a steep descent. The local geology is cut and dried! Our technique? We cut the engine. As best we can, we make headway, but it's chaotic. Above all, it's impossible to turn around once you're down below.

I'm reaching my limits in terms of motorcycle riding technique.

At the bottom of the gorge, we can breathe. This riverbed, which used to be full of water, is now completely dry. But still? It's still very tricky as the rocks roll under the tires. What's more, underneath this rocky carpet lies the softest silt possible. So we alternate between hard and soft. It goes in all directions. And that's when things start to go wrong. But why? We're now entering a very enduro zone paved with large boulders. More importantly, it's already late in the day when we enter this arduous section.

Greg and Jean-Michel, with their technical background in trials and cross-country, are keen to persevere. For Radu and me, the challenge seems feasible, but not at this late hour. I remain convinced that we could have passed with a little more time. So we take the collective decision to turn back. The vote wasn't unanimous, but reason prevailed. The problem? We can't go back up the way we came down. Too dangerous and difficult. Finally, we find a trail that leads back up. Once again, the gullies and large rocks give us a hard time, but we manage to climb up and round the cirque de Jaafar.

Trouble never comes alone

A little further on, we catch up with the original route, and that's when everything goes wrong. What's the plan? First, we find ourselves in front of a body of water that can't be crossed. There's a dam a few kilometers away. We decide to go around it. So far, so good...

It starts to get dark, the road we're following gradually disintegrates into a trunk-breaking track, and eventually we find ourselves back in a very tricky riverbed. I even end up tanking in an arm of the river. You can guess what happens next: I fall. Yep, physical fatigue and stress don't mix. The result: it's 7pm and we still have over 100km to go. We have to turn around again. At this point, the tension in the group is palpable, but we manage to pull together.

Osmand, Ways, Map.me: we use all our mapping tools to find an alternative. Finally, we manage to find a road. The problem is that it's in poor condition, and above all it undulates erratically through mountain passes. As far as I'm concerned, my additional lighting and my familiarity with this type of condition mean I can ride serenely. Not so for Radu. On several occasions, he gives himself a fright. It's a complicated situation...

We reached the hotel at 11pm, a long way from the 7pm we'd originally planned. The welcome? Extraordinary. Obviously, I had warned them of the delay. But still, they're waiting for us with big smiles and hot tea. A delicious chicken tajine is the perfect end to what was a chaotic day, to say the least. Moroccan benevolence is comforting.

Imichil - Dadès - Skoura

Despite a very restful night, yesterday has left its mark. Tiredness is already making itself felt. So at breakfast, I try to establish some rules to avoid yesterday's misunderstandings. The deal? If at 5pm we're still a long way from the day's objective, then Radu and I end the day on the road. Greg and Jean-Michel, the more seasoned riders, can continue on the track. Staying in pairs this way means we're always safe. I hope this strategy will satisfy everyone. Time will tell.

The 1st part of the day went wonderfully well. The scenery is sublime and the trails delightful. We're really enjoying riding together in these extraordinary surroundings.After Dades, we alternate between track and road, constantly surrounded by the same sumptuous scenery. Any difficulties today? Not really. This fairly rolling track is a real treat compared with the chaos of the previous day.

We end this magnificent day in Skoura, a town surrounded by a gigantic 25 km² palm grove. Our 5 p.m. arrival at the kasbah allows us to enjoy the pool in peace, and also to ease the tensions in the group. Yes, we're not going to lie, there are always disagreements and compromises to be made when riding in a group. So, inevitably, when fatigue and stress are involved, it's tricky. Frustrations are harder to accept. You're out of your comfort zone.

The first episode of this buddy adventure is drawing to a close. What do I remember? Morocco's landscapes are exceptionally diverse. I really wasn't expecting such a beautiful range of scenery. And then, incidentally, I realize that I'm having more fun with my old KTM 990 Adventure on rolling tracks than on more technical ones. Its playground is the great outdoors. There are no electronics on this relatively heavy bike, but it's got an incredible engine that loves to run in the wind. The rest of the adventure will confirm this feeling.

----> Read the second episode of my motorcycle trip to Morocco with friends

Photo credits: Jean-Michel, Greg and Radu. The photos with the kodak chrome aspect are mine. I'll have to change my phone :)