The Toyota Landcruiser Owners Club

[Moses]

Hiyall,

At Last  We have been back from Morocco for over a week now and I have only just managed to find time to post a report and some photographs.

Thanks to another tour operator who dropped Alyson and I in the mire for a planed trip to Libya again (You know who you are so please reply to my emails!). We went to Billing this year to see what was about and eventually went for a 'catered' reccie with Barrie from Waypoint Tours... Now don't get me wrong, it is easily within our abilities to arrange our own trip but we simply do not have the time to do this which is why we needed somebody else

Well, what a brilliant time we had ... but read on.  

We all met up in a campsite in Algeciras, South Spain. This was a great time to meet our fellow travellers Barrie (Isuzu pick up and overland trailer), Andy & Julie (LC80), John (Disco), Me and aly (LC80) and Fraser the Cameraman/Photographer who Barrie had commissioned to film the trip.

Our impressions of Morocco where that it has all the terrain that an Overland Traveller could ask for, and all in one country.
We drove on Tarmac, Mud, Sand, Snow, Ice, Rock and so on. We drove through Mountains, Sand dunes, pistes and through Rain, Hail, Sand and Snow. From easy terraine to the absolute extreme. This list goes on. The scenery was just breathtaking Some nights our tent froze up (With ice on the INSIDE too!), Some nights it was warm though.

Some nights we camped wild but after a run in with some locals (After which a bonnet was damaged   Though after the affects of a good evening, it may have been accidently self inflicted ) , the remaining nights we stayed in campsites. I would like to point out at this stage that Barrie had made it quite clear that we should not associate with the locals and to ignore them, especially in the more rural areas. This we all learnt early on when having lunch near a Oued when instead of ignoring 3 local children who showed interest in our food, one of the party gave in and handed out 3 cakes. BAD move. Within 5 minutes these 3 children had gone away to tell their friends and a 'Swarm' on children came back over the hill and they where then right 'in our faces'. Alyson was stoned and spat at. She was very upset (Through no fault of her own) and I took her away up the road. A lesson learned by all.

As the trip went on, it got much better though...The offroading that is. Along the piste to the Geode Mines near Midelt and onto the Various pistes through the Atlas Mountains. Every night the food was excellent. Either cooked in a Taginne or BBQ.
On one piste the locals shouted at us that it was impassable because of fallen rocks and a landslide but after 3 hours of winching and hard labour to move a 2 tonne boulder, we made it through. Very satisfying Reversing was not an option.
After a few days in the Atlas mountains we eventually made it to one village where a 'Tractor' had broken down in our way. There was no way round except through a field. After a lot of bartering, the local Chief allowed us to pass over his land nearby. Yeah, righto. Why doesn't the Chief put a 'Toll Booth' there instead.

Eventually we made it to Marrakesh for a much needed night in a 'Riad'. This was a welcome break. To have a proper bed and shower was most appreciated. A night out 'On the town' was great. Looking round the 'Soukes' was a pleasure... Supprisingly, we where not harrassed much in Marrakesh comparred to the more Rural Areas. Driving in Marrakesh was, well, just as demanding as the offroading.

After Marrakesh we headed south to the Sahara and camped out overnight in a place called 'Mhammed' before our dessert crossing. The first day was spent in the Sand Dunes of 'Chicaga'. This was a lot of fun and yet exhausting, especially when digging (See Photos)! Sadly, the dunes took their latest victim here where Andy rolled his LC80 on its side (See photos). Luckilly He was saved from a complete roll by his Roof Tent. Time to get my which out again. Andy was OK but more Impressively, his LC started up first time after being on its side for 1 hour

Another night in the same campsite was followed by a trip along the long pistes which 'tecnically' took us in Algeria where we spent a night under the stars coming back into Morocco. As we where coming to the end of the long dessert piste, we had to cross a Oued which had not quite dried up as Barrie found out when he drove straight into the Mud. Andy went to the rescue and duly got himself stuck too. I had to chuckle though Time to get the winch out again.

On the drive north, we made it through the 'Todre Gorge' which by all accounts had not been open long following the recent floods. Another night out at 6000ft. Brrrrr. Heading further north we visited the Roman Ruins at Volubilis which was just awsome. A nice lunch in the 4* Hotel afterwoods. We finally made it our last Campsite in Chefchaoued for our last dinner, fully shopped and more cultured than when we started and the utmost respect for Morocco and its people.
We said our goodbyes to our new friends after the 'Choppy' Med crossing.

I may have waffled on a bit here but I have only just 'Glossed' over the trip. There is so much more we saw and did, Morocco is a great place to go, especially if it is your first time. However much we enjoyed Morocco Alyson and I had already decided that we will try Algeria next time if at all possible. Roll on 2010.

The photographs do not really do the country or the scale of the situation we found ourselves in sometimes, any justice what so ever. I took over 500 photographs. I have downloaded under half of them for everyone to have a look.. I am still waiting to see what the other travellers took in the way of photographs so I may yet add to this number.

click here.... http://www.photobox.co.uk/album/85255536  Sit back and enjoy.




Till Next time.

ATB
Trev and Aly
_________________
1997 VX Ltd 4.2TD
1995 Pajero Junior
1990 Audi UR quattro turbo
Sat Nav Free Zone

[Google]

[uk_vette]

Excellent trip you guys had.

There may be a problem with the images, only up to 225 are viewable.
I could only see them working on one vehicle, and that was the disco.  exhaust ?
Those 'dried river beads' can look supporting, but let you down eh?
How did the 'roll' occur?
Any images?

Shame a few locals spoiled it a bit.
So now when I read ' don't give sweets' from your experience I will take heed.
Gets to the point of what do you give them,
I thing the answer is 'nothing !'

graham

[24Seven]

Cheers for the right up and great photos  

[Graham Smith]

Great photos, great trip.
I have to say, I like your tent...
_________________
Graham.

www.sfo.me.uk

"Miranda":- 1994 HDJ80, Allisport Intercooler, Warn winch, ARB bullbar, OME suspension 6cm lift, Long Range tank, TJM Spare Wheel Carrier

"Dessie": Desert Wolf Lynx off-road trailer

[ozzymondo]

hi moses , i know what you mean when you say there was a lot more to your trip than your pics suggest.
me and my mate went on the 2008 marrakech classsic with trailmasters and what an experience it was.
we took the time to video the entire trip and edit the dvd which is now shrunk down to almost 3 hours long.
we have just been comparing photo's of ours and a mate of ours who went with Atlas tours , and a lot of the pics are in the same location .
I don't know what your favourite part of your trip was but ours would have to be the cedar forest, i am sure you will have been up there and will know what i mean ?.
Did any of your vehicle's come back problem free ?
the salt flats and general driving across the sahara are enough to test eny vehicles suspension .
I could spend a week talking to you about our trip and i am sure your likewise.
we are hopefully doing the Norway and arctic circle in feb/march to see the northern lights.
I am going to have a closer look at your pics now to see if anything rings a bell .
Happy overlanding , Mark.

[24Seven]

Videos now on http://www.waypoint-tours.com/index.htm

[toafrica]

Hi Trev,

Just seen the pics of the trip - looks great, but one thing that tickled me pink was Andy's registration plate - PTO was that intentional  

http://www.waypoint-tours.com/images/M43.jpg
_________________
2001 Colorado D4-D - BFG-AT's, OME, snorkel, ASIFR plates
Was preparing for Overland - but unexpected baby has delayed that - NOTE - delayed not cancelled

[Tommo&Claire]

A great trip, think i can convince Claire??
_________________
Tommo

2002 95 Series LC 3.0D4D, Grabber AT2s, Safari Snorkel.
1998 90 Series LC 3.0TD for Mrs T
2007 Rottweiler.

[uk_vette]

[toafrica]

Tommo&Clare,

Should be easy to convince her - come to one of the club days and it'll be a no-brainer. We were going to do a trans-africa in our 90 leaving at the end of March/Apil, but had a slight mishap on the contraception side of things, and the trip is off for about 18 months now We are still definitely doing something, as I'm taking between 4 and 6 weeks off around May. Thoughts are either a trip to Libya, or a trip down Croatia/Greece/Turkey, and maybe into Syria. No fixed plans yet just going with the flow!!
_________________
2001 Colorado D4-D - BFG-AT's, OME, snorkel, ASIFR plates
Was preparing for Overland - but unexpected baby has delayed that - NOTE - delayed not cancelled

[Tommo&Claire]

Where do these club days happen, and when??

I'd like to have a few LC experts have a poke around my new toy for me.

I'm going to get an oil and filter change done this weekend for a start!
_________________
Tommo

2002 95 Series LC 3.0D4D, Grabber AT2s, Safari Snorkel.
1998 90 Series LC 3.0TD for Mrs T
2007 Rottweiler.

[toafrica]

Tommo,

Keep an eye on the Club Events section
_________________
2001 Colorado D4-D - BFG-AT's, OME, snorkel, ASIFR plates
Was preparing for Overland - but unexpected baby has delayed that - NOTE - delayed not cancelled

[Tommo&Claire]

Looking at getting up to Lincolm Farm in April.
_________________
Tommo

2002 95 Series LC 3.0D4D, Grabber AT2s, Safari Snorkel.
1998 90 Series LC 3.0TD for Mrs T
2007 Rottweiler.