Yo dudes, well as promised Im writing with tales of unplanned excursions into the scenery! Starting to learn that motorcycle overlanding and desert biking are different and not entirely complimentary activities! Having had reasonable success on some open trails in Eastern Maroc (as the French call it) I thought Id tackle the 250km run from Rissani to Zagora. Everything was going fine til I realised that Id forgotten to fit my offroad tyres. The simple act of remembering this fact sent me and Naartjtie flying into a heap on a sandy berm. That was fine and, dare I say to be expected, except with all the gear, I could hardly pick him up. Anyway, first crash over - almost a baptism - I carried on, knackered and concentrating on not falling off again, as it was sore. Alas, minor considerations such as navigating went out of the window and, before long, I realised I was on the wrong track and heading in the wrong direction. Sadly, there is no TomTom in this neck of the woods, so the only thing you can do is turn round and go back to the place where you were last not lost. Except, I didnt. Instead, (to my eternal shame) in my addled state, I asked my newfangled routing-GPS to plot an intercept course over the seemingly flat plain to the next correct waypoint on my route. Alone and off-piste! What a pillock!
Anyway, before too long, I was marooned on a plain, surrounded by uncrossable wadis and completely lost. Yep - the GPS told me exactly where I was, but without good terrain info on my map, that was no help at all! So I learned the hard lesson, as one German rider I once met put it 'the GPS tells you exactly where you die'.
OK, so I didnt croak, but it took 4 hours of blundering around and picking up my 250kg monster to find a way out.
Since then, its been much better. Ive put my GPS away and have been using map and sun only, and weve done some great pistes. Today, after an 11 hour marathon, weve reached the coastal resort of Agadir - in time for a beer before the Big Ride South. Speak to you next from Maurtania - inshallah!
Anyway, before too long, I was marooned on a plain, surrounded by uncrossable wadis and completely lost. Yep - the GPS told me exactly where I was, but without good terrain info on my map, that was no help at all! So I learned the hard lesson, as one German rider I once met put it 'the GPS tells you exactly where you die'.
OK, so I didnt croak, but it took 4 hours of blundering around and picking up my 250kg monster to find a way out.
Since then, its been much better. Ive put my GPS away and have been using map and sun only, and weve done some great pistes. Today, after an 11 hour marathon, weve reached the coastal resort of Agadir - in time for a beer before the Big Ride South. Speak to you next from Maurtania - inshallah!
4 comments:
Glad to know you're "safe" and well. And I envy you the real beer as I sit here on compound sipping Vino Tinto with ice!
Whilst I have your attention, we've got this little problem on the RR migration.... :)
...try and remain upright Mr Bell...
I'll get the map out to try and understand where you are. All these countries you mention are foreign to me !!
Good luck with the rest of your journey from the admin clerk :)
Andy,
seen any hybrid creatures on the trip so far?
P.S.(This is an in-joke for those who were at the Carousel in Samlesbury with Andy...no, that's not the name of a nightclub)
P.P.S It's not that funny.
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