Morocco Motorbiking Adventure

Come and experience the thrill of riding the dunes with Dakar legend Mick Extance!

Morocco nestles on the Northwest tip of Africa, separated by the towering Altas Mountains and by the Sahara itself. Morocco's terrain is one of the most diversified and adventurous in the world. It's geography includes no less than four separate mountain ranges, in addition to lush river valleys, beautiful sandy coasts and wide expanses of desert.

Our adventure starts in Ouazarzate. The gateway to the Sahara!!

Join Mick Extance, 7 times Paris Dakar competitor on his trip back to his old stomping ground along many of the routes he actually did during his long history with the rally! Morocco is a country to be absorbed!

We offer 8 and 10 day trips for the adventurous traveller. With us though you wont just ride Morocco. You will experience the culture, meet the locals and sleep under the stars, as well as stay in some of the best hotels Morocco has to offer. Ride the dunes with a Dakar legend! Learn his techniques as you explore this awesome country!

Dashing along Kilometres of vast salt lakes, you will be distracted by the view of the rippling mountains, eroded by the winds, and the site of your first wild camels.

Just when you think the landscape can't change any more, it does! You will pass through 3 gorges on your trip, where you will start seeing the cave and mountain Nomads. Truly amazing people who live on the side of these treacherous passes and take their goats and donkeys up there with them. Anyone who has ever visited the Giant's causeway in Northern Ireland will recognise the rock formations, but the scale of them here in Morocco is immense and certainly worth taking your time over.

YOU MUST HAVE A VALID MOTORCYCLE LICENCE TO JOIN US ON OUR MOROCCO TOURS.

07809 464050

Itinerary / Highlights

DAY 1 - FLY TO OUAZARZATE

We will collect you from the airport and bring you to your Hotel to meet the team and of course your bike for the Journey. Arrival at Le Jardin is a feast for the weary traveller, with its beautiful architecture and warm welcome. Once you have settled in you will meet the rest of your travelling companions for the next 10 days.

DAY 2 -RIDE TO CHICAGA (250K)

After a good rest and a delicious breakfast (don’t expect normal tea during your stay in Morocco!) and a briefing from the team, it’s time to kit up and mount up.
After a short trip through the bustling ouazazate almost immediately you hit the off-road trail and the scenery. You won’t have time to worry about the dust, as the rippling mountains eroded by the winds will take all your attention. If you think the snow-capped mountains in the distance will keep you cold, the warm Moroccan sun will soon dispel the notion. As you work your way through the winding mountain roads, you follow the river through the valley. You’ll see small villages, with locals working on the riverbank and suddenly beautiful architecture in the middle of an untidy and desolate habitations . After a playful morning lunch will be provided at an Oasis in the desert. I won’t spoil the surprise by describing it! After your lunch stop there are a few easy Km’s before hitting the desert for real. Watch out for the emirate princes who are often in this region hunting a local bird called the Hobara.

After a thrilling dash along kilometres of a vast salt lake, you will get distracted from the view of yet more stunning mountains by your first view of the dunes. It is a tantalising look, but you don’t get to touch just yet! You will ride along the edge of the dunes, where you will get plenty of chances to practice your sand riding technique, with guidance from Mick and the team. After an exhausting but exhilarating day you finally arrive at a nomad camp, where you will hopefully be in time to climb (on foot!) to the top of a dune and watch a striking sunset. After being amply fed you will have a chance to talk over your days adventures around the camp fire and if you’re very lucky the nomads will sing you to sleep.

DAY 3 - RIDE TO TAFROUT (230K)

After passing a building in the middle of the nowhere, which happens to be the school for the nomad children, there’s a bit more desert riding, and a chance to see some nomad encampments, before hitting the town of Mohammed, where you will stop for some r&r. Leaving the village the landscape changes dramatically and you will be riding along tracks through beautiful palm groves and gardens and green farmland. Even the irrigation systems are a sight to behold. But keep alert as there are plenty of twists and turns and woops to keep you happy in your riding.

Yet another change of scenery with enough rocks to keep you on your toes. After passing through your first military checkpoint (one man, two dogs and a cat), it’s up up up a mountain trail, look out for signs of past human habitation on the mountain, before your breath is taken away with the views when you go over the top. You will eat a packed lunch out in the desert, a stone’s throw away from the Algerian border. Then it’s a long trek through the lunar landscape, passing villages with satellite dishes and nomad tribes. Just when you think the desert will never end, you arrive at your hotel, nestled on the hillside, appearing like a mirage at the end of the valley. You will have time to enjoy the fabulous views and luxurious accommodation before heading to bed for a well earned rest.

Throughout the day Mick will be more than happy to point out when you are on the actual Dakar route to ensure boasting rights when you get home!!

DAY 4 - RIDE TO MERZOUGA (80K)

Day three is a chance to catch your breath with a relative short ride. The green rocks give a deceptively lush feel to the riding, which is varied, sand and mud and rock, with plenty of challenges for everyone including, Mick, as navigating through the sand and tall riverbank vegetation where the tracks change regularly is pretty tricky, even for a top Dakar rider!
You will arrive at Nomad Palace in plenty of time for a bit of relaxation by the pool.

The Mounie family will be ready to greet you with a cold drink and ensure you feel instantly at home in this beautiful place. Tonight you can catch up on some well earned rest or take a trip in to the dunes on camel back to watch the sunset! Stunning!

DAY 5 -DUNE RIDING WITH MICK EXTANCE

Today you will learn to ride the Dunes with Mick. Lots of tuition today to ensure you make the most of your time in the dunes. This is an experience not to be missed! Your luggage will be moved to your new base. A luxury Berber camp in the dunes themselves! This has to be seen to be believed! Your dinner will be served in the dining area followed by a camp fire under the stars! This is NOT camping like you have ever done before!

DAY 6 -RIDE OUT (200K)

Today there will be the opportunity for an optional excursion with Mick on around 200k of stunning trails to visit a local Oasis. From camp you will ride out behind the dunes until you hit the sweeping trails again. Our support vehicle will carry your lunch and you will stop for a picnic at the perfect spot to look back at what you have ridden and enjoy the view.

DAY 7 - RIDE TO TODRE GORGE (309K)

After leaving Nomad Palace it’s back into the desert, where you will get a chance, first to see the place where they mine all the fossil stones that you will have seen by the thousand on your trip, before being greeted by giant sculptures by German artist Hanns Voth, rising out of the desert like an apparition.

Just when you think the scenery can’t change any more, it does!!! You start heading up into the mountains again. Anyone who has ever visited the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland will recognize the rock formations, but the scale of them here in Morocco is immense and certainly worth taking your time over.

You will pass through the first of 3 gorges on your trip, where you will start seeing the cave and mountain Nomads. Truly amazing people who live on the side of these treacherous passes and take their goats and donkeys up there with them. You finish the day travelling down the famous Todra Gorge, but don’t worry if you don’t get a chance to take it all in, as you will be travelling up it again in the morning!!

DAY 8 - RIDE TO BOULMANE DADES THROUGH DADES GORGE (131K)

In the morning take your time to stop and take some pictures of the gorge, where apart from Nomad spotting you can see a few free climbers enjoying the scenery. This is the area where you are most likely to encounter other holidaymakers and the wonder of the gorge attracts visitors from all over the world.

After leaving the tourists behind(and the paved roads!!) you will get your first experience of truly scary mountain tracks. Don’t worry, listen to Mick and the team who will guide you down safely.

After successfully negotiating the tracks, you will follow a riverbed, whose track is constantly changing which will give you a real chance to experience off-road in the true sense of the word as most of it has been washed away!!!

After that it’s back to tarmac for the final few KMs back to your hotel. But this is no ordinary tarmac. Think end of the Italian Job and then double it, as you travel down your third and final gorge it’s a real chance to practice your bend technique!!!

As a final treat you will get the opportunity to stay in a cave!!! Don’t worry you won’t be slumming it in this magnificent hotel which apart from the stunning views has all mod cons and hospitality to match, as well as comfortable ‘ordinary’ rooms for those who don’t like caves!!

DAY 9 - RIDE BACK TO OUAZARZATE (159k)

Final day on the trails and there are still plenty of off-road challenges to remind you what Morocco has to offer. (Beware dried up streams!!!) You won’t have time to contemplate the end of your journey as the riding will keep you on your toes until the last few KMs.

After an exhausting but fulfilling ride across the plains and through the stunning mountain passes, you will head back to Le Jardin, where the team have prepared a welcome worthy of the trip you have just undertaken.

Loosen your body armour and grab a well earned beer before you head back to your rooms for a hot shower. Once you have relaxed we would love you to join us for a celebratory meal and entertainment from a local band who are performing just for you!

Time to reflect on your last few days as a team and share your stories on your final night in Morocco.

A country that will leave a notch on your heart!

DAY 10 - FLY HOME

Bring your partners

If you have a partner or friend who would love to share the experience with you but who cannot ride, then we would be happy to arrange a 4x4 vehicle and English speaking driver/guide. Price will be based on numbers sharing a vehicle.

1 person per car = £1,600
2 people sharing car = £1, 200
3 people sharing car = £950
There will be no more than 3 people per vehicle (excluding the driver).

The 4 x 4’s will follow along parts of the same route and will take alternative scenic routes on certain days. You will meet up occasionally for lunch and always at the same destination each night, ready to share your stories from the day.

Whilst you are off learning to ride the Dunes at Erg Chebbi, Ali and his family will make your partners feel at home and will be glad to share their skills in Tagine making if anyone wished to try their hand at traditional Moroccan cooking or learn how to make Berber Whisky! Alternatively they can stay by the pool, take a camel ride or even take a day trip to the hot springs near Erfoud.

Total Distance

You will be covering a total distance of 1360K on your trip. This excludes any distance covered on “Dunes Day”!

A deposit of £500 is required to secure a place on any of our dates. Partial payments can be made after this but full and final settlement must be made at least 4 weeks prior to departure.

Requirements

A Full Motorbike licence is required to join us in Morocco. You will also need full travel insurance with repatriation. A copy of this will be held by the Mick Extance Off Road Experience Ltd.

We recommend that if this type of adventure is new to you then you should join us on one of our Enduro days/weekends which The Mick Extance Off Road Experience run weekly and once you have signed up you will be entitled to 20% discount on all our events prior to your trip.

Bikes

We will be riding Honda CRF 250 X’s for the journey. These bikes are nice and light and are capable of sitting comfortably at 50mph.

Bring supplies!

We will be stopping at some of the nomad families to offer a few supplies to the most rural. If you would like to bring sweets/toys or clothing with you as a donation then we would be more than happy to find room in the support vehicle.

Weather

The weather is generally warm and sunny although it can get chilly at night so a warm jumper and a jacket are recommended. A full Kit list can be found on the website.

Additional information

THOSE WHO JOIN US WILL RECEIVE COMPREHENSIVE INSTRUCTIONS AND A LIST OF ALL REQUIREMENTS.

The estimated return fair to ouzarzate is around £250 - £350 although this varies greatly between airlines.
Your passport needs to have at least 6 months left on it.
You must have travel insurance with repatriation and it must cover you for motorcycling on known tracks and trials.
You must have a valid motorbike licence. We will need a copy of this for our files.
You will be required to fill out a medical form before leaving.

8 DAY ADVENTURE will miss out DAY 6 and the hotel stop on DAY 8. You will ride the same routes but go from Todre Gorge straight through to Ouarzazate. For full information pack please see individual trip information.

Other Details

Accommodation Details

Our accommodation ranges from traditional Berber camps in the dunes to stunning hotels including some with cave rooms! All provide beautiful scenery, comfortable and welcoming hospitality and plenty of Mint tea!!

Departure Dates, Options & Prices

7 OCTOBER 2011 TO 15 OCTOBER 2011 - 10 DAYS
19 OCTOBER 2011 TO 26 OCTOBER 2011 - 8 DAYS

3 FEBRUARY 2012 TO 12 FEBRUARY 2012 - 10 DAYS
15 FEBRUARY 2012 TO 22 FEBRUARY 2012 - 8 DAYS

07809 464050