At the departure of Boumalne
The strange phenomenon
On Monday morning when I opened the
door of the cabin I heard the slapping
characteristic of the centralized door
close. Believer to dream I closed
again the door, slapping again. I
settled at the wheel and I condemned
the doors with the switch on the
central balustrade, new slapping. Thus
a deus-ex-machina had intervened in
the night to repair the centralized
door close. What strange phenomenon,
in truth. At all events frequencies of
the PMBO' S of winlink like: HB9MM
14109.2, HB9AK 14110.4 etc. have a
prejudicial action on the electronic
installation. It will have me to be
cleared up this phenomenon before it
destroys vital functions of “G”.
Jebel Sagho
Tinerhir
Lonely Planet as well as the Guide of
the camp-sites by Gandini refer the
Michele supermarket. Ouch the variety
of products and their set is poor. I
supplemented my purchases at another
store further on, hardly parceled out
better. In this modern big city step
of true Supermarket. Finally I went to
the souk to buy fruits. Whereas I
parked my truck laboriously, a Berber
helped me in the operation and was
presented in the form of a restorer in
Toul, France, tenant of the Palm tree!
Then it accompanied me at the souk and
proposed to me to visit a carpet
workshop. I did not smell swindles it.
I be entitled to the presentation of
Berber carpets, tea etc I have
difficulties of extracting me.
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| Tisserands |
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| Berber carpets |
The Gorges of Todra
In advance on my road plan of road by
giving up covered with snow tracks, I left
to visit the Gorges of Todra with the
intention to find a wild bivouac. The
forecast weather announced good weather
for the week in the area. For whatever
purpose it may serve here the bond with my
former visit of Morocco:
Around 9:00 on November 11th (a
thought for deaths of the World War
I), I left my bivouac in the sun
obviously. The Gorges of Todra was
illuminated on one side. In Tinerhir I
stopped on a carpark to consult my
email box because the 3G Inwi key
is operational in this city. Then
further on I noticed a graver of spare
parts for cars where I bought 15 amps
fuses, my kit while having no more.
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| Landscape |
Sa track
Around 10:00 I found the track entry.
The environment changed well since
Gandini passed there. Indeed the
accesses of Tinerhir, while coming
from Boumalne, were the object of
developments of town planning with a
four-lane road and of course of
roundabouts. Also the track was
asphalted up to Ouakhim village. Then
it is very travelling; its creation
dates from French protectorate. at the
km 7.6 a track goes up to
approximately 1700 m high to the
relays radios of the area; of course I
drove there. The track is stiff and
the turns require attention to carry
out both or three operations necessary
without pouring. Jebel Sagho is a
volcanic massif cut with gorges,
jagged plates and tops. The panorama
look from in-high is splendid in its
austere beauty. Back on the main track
I warned a spot about flat at km 25.6
to lunch. Then I remained there for
the bivouac. After some maintenance
work I put at my daily work of
voluntary freelance journalist.
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| Relays radios |
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| Bird's eyes view panorama |
On Wednesday, November 12 I strolled
on the Sa track in the volcanic
landscapes. The track is attended
enough by local minibuses and
motorcyclists. My lunch pause took
place at the Tizi Tazazert pass at
+2300m of altitude before the arrival
of hikers in VTT who had there also
their break lunch. Then I let them
leave before me. The day was sunny and
hot +20°C. I stopped on a relatively
flat spot to make preventive
maintenances and my bivouac.
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| km 42,7 Barrage d'Outta Oui datant du protectorat envasé |
km 43,7 Marabout de Khouya Lacène |
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| Café du col, km
64,4 |
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| Hikers in VTT |
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| Panorama |
Thursday, November 13 was still a day
of dawdling, way of speaking, on the
tracks of Jebel Sagho. At the km 78.5,
Tagart Ousdiene in front of Bab Ali, I
discussed with the director of the
tour operator organizing the excursion
with VTT. Its agency is in Zagora I
promised to visit to him. On its
council I traversed part of the track
crossing the oasis and its food crops.
I returned on my traces to the km 77.6
to take the track in the valley of the
akka Akhbach. At the km 91.9 I did not
take the track “very favorite” of
Gandini, I now know the bird, I am
wary, with good reason after
information with local people. The
wadi Douars Site dug its bed in the
sedimentary part of the volcanic
dejections by carving a majestic
meander. I bivouacked above this
geological monument.
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| Bab n'Ali, two
rocks |
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| Wadi
Douars Site's bed |
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| Bivouac , meander of wadi Douars Site |
I adore the sunrise on the panoramas
surrounding my bivouac; low-angled
light is magic. I was at about ten
kilometers to the tarred road towards
Rissani/Arfoud. The descent of Jebel
Sagho from the Tizi Tazazert pass is
not difficult; it is stony, narrow and
not very comfortable. But it was a
moment of real happiness, for the
eyes. What a imposing spectacle!
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| Sunrise in
low-angle light |
Road N 12 to Rissani/Arfoud
El M'Douara
The road N 12 crosses desert
landscapes like everywhere in the
world at this latitude. At km 13 from
Rissani a track leaves on right side
(N 31° 16,162' W 004° 23,374'), while
coming from Rissani, to go to the
so-called "crater" dug by an enormous
meteorite. The track is well marked by
whitewashing stones. I went up to the
top to have a view on the landscape
which one says it is fairy-like in the
evening with the lights of Rissani and
Arfoud. I establish my bivouac there.
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| El M'Douara,
entrance of the crater from the
bivouac |
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| Visiteur du soir |
Coucher de soleil |
Celestial Staircase,
Golden Spiral & City of Orion
The target of the morning was to see
sculptures in the desert, the
Celestial Staircase, the Gold Spiral
and the City of Orion. The creator is
Voth Hannsjorg, one of the most famous
contemporary artists in the world, and
particularly in the form of art known
as “Land art”. This expression
indicates interventions, often
gigantic, contemporary artists in
natural landscapes. Works taking part
of the “Land art” can neither be
marketed, nor to be transported
towards other places. Several tracks
lead to these monuments and several to
return to Erfoud. The entrance point
is a track after Jorf: N 31° 31,816' W
004° 29,950' the Celestial staircase
is seen by far. Back to Erfoud I made
food purchases before going to have
rest for two days in the Tifini
Camp-site at eight km on the road to
Rissani. The following week is
dedicated to the track towards Zagora.
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| Celestial Staircasee |
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| Golden Spiral |
