Morocco Overland - Honda "Tornado" XR250 - Route MH5

On the MH5 route from Chris Scott's book Overland Morocco, this was described as the most difficult route in the book and pretty much lived up to the billing. Hot and hard work in the baking heat of Morocco, fully geared up and dripping with sweat by the end.
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[@2WheelsChannel]

Great effort! might give it a try this October, looks like a good challenge.

[@roasthunter]

Thanks there are some good routes in Morocco. we are back there in early October but haven't planned the route yet. Hopefully we can get to marzouga this year, we tried last year but after getting lost we kind of ran out of time time and fuel.

[@3niknicholson]

that's good, I'll know not to bother with that one, then...

[@roasthunter]

Thanks for the comment, the video doesn't make it look too bad but in the heat it was harder than it looks. The locals said don't go that way you can't get through, we went anyway and it was definately the hardest route we've done in 3 times to Maroc. In the wet and with a heavy bike it would be a nightmare probably.

[@3niknicholson]

@@roasthunter ...looked bad enough to me. I was there six weeks ago on a Himalayan and loved some tracks, before I bought Chris's book, but yours looks like ...mmm...not for me...I'll listen to the locals, then ;-)

[@roasthunter]

​@@3niknicholson Yeah its a great place to get out in the open and explore. I've been 3 times and going again in Oct, most of the tracks in Chris's book are much easier than MH5. We normally fly in to Marrakesh, hire the bikes and head out for a week on a pre-planned route and find a place to stay each day. We got quite far south last year down to TanTan, they don't see many tourists down that way. I hate anything with sand though, 1st year had some tough times in sand going from Foum Zguid near Mhamid.

[@3niknicholson]

@@roasthunterme too, possibly in Oct. I live near Granada in Spain so it's nearby. I was thinking about knocking out a few of Chris's tracks then going down to south Senegal after. The latter should be just tarmac driving. I had a laugh between Merzouga, Sidi Ali and Zagora on the piste. Couldn't have done the first half without Hamid, my guide on his midget Chinese bike (which was much better in the soft sand than the Himmie). I started enjoying the sand (when it wasn't too deep) on my 2nd day.

[@roasthunter]

@@3niknicholson Did you make it? I got back last week. We had Yahama Tenere which in all frankness weren't very good, bit better on the road but heavy for anything technical, we avoided MH5 this time. My chain broke on the last day which was annoying and had an 80km tow to Marrakech. Due to bike issues we didn't make it Merzouga like we planned, Foum Zguid to Tagounite and then up to Zagora, we took a slightly more northerly route on the piste to avoid the sand this time. The ride into Tagounite was good though until we stopped and found more punctures, my mates bike had a damaged front tyre and kept wearing through the inner tube, must have fixed it 10 times.