Carry on Dakar

Discussion in 'Ride Reports - Epic Rides' started by Tim Cullis, Jan 23, 2006.

  1. Tim Cullis

    Tim Cullis Partially heighted

    Joined:
    Dec 6, 2004
    Oddometer:
    444
    Location:
    London, Granada Altiplano and Morocco
    Further to my Moroccan trip in May 2005, together with a few other BMW GS owners I went to Lisbon just before New Year to see the start of the Dakar Rally. We were supporting the BMW riders in particular, plus other UK riders.

    After watching some of the stages in Portugal we then crossed to Morocco to watch other stages, then took time off to do some tracks and cross the various mountain ranges. In total I covered just over 5,500 miles.

    [​IMG]
    We took the boat from Portsmouth to Bilbao, arriving as dawn broke.

    [​IMG]
    BMW party: Russ Malkin, Charlie Booman, two mechanics, unknown guy, Matt Hall (camerman member of BMW team)

    [​IMG]
    There were support vehicles parked all over Lisbon--great city by the way!

    [​IMG]
    Met up with another couple from the UK at the scrutineering

    [​IMG]
    The 'Race to Dakar' team bikes

    [​IMG]
    Nick Plumb's entry

    [​IMG]
    Sightseeing in Lisbon

    [​IMG]
    Special stage in Portugal

    [​IMG]
    Moroccan motorway

    [​IMG]
    Barbary Apes: I was made a right monkey by this guy. He suckered me with a manoeuver to the single nut in my right hand, then with his other hand he snatched the whole bag of nuts from my left hand!

    [​IMG]
    50+ miles offroad near Er Rachidia

    [​IMG]
    Offroad near Er Rachidia

    [​IMG]
    Steve asks why Simon's bike is facing the wrong direction and upside down...

    [​IMG]
    An unnamed shortcut past a feldspar mine cost several hours

    [​IMG]
    Truck competitors near Er Rachidia

    [​IMG]
    Messing about in the Gorges du Ziz

    [​IMG]
    Our helicopter support found some other GSers: Si Pavey, Matt Hall and Charlie Boorman

    [​IMG]
    Nick Plumb near Erfoud (Nick was my instructor on the BMW offroad course)

    [​IMG]
    Nick Plumb near Erfoud

    [​IMG]
    Charlie Boorman near Erfoud

    [​IMG]
    Pistes near Erg Chebbi

    [​IMG]
    Car competitors near Erg Chebbi

    [​IMG]
    Valley of the Roses

    [​IMG]
    Valley of the Roses

    [​IMG]
    These four little sweeties stopped us to warn about a fierce dog around the next corner

    [​IMG]
    End of Valley of the Roses

    [​IMG]
    What do you do whan the GPS points in the middle?

    [​IMG]
    M5 piste and camels

    [​IMG]
    Getting colder as we ascend

    [​IMG]
    Previous night's snow

    [​IMG]
    Start of the descent

    [​IMG]
    Middle of nowhere

    [​IMG]
    Shipwreck at Tan Tan Plage

    [​IMG]
    And again

    [​IMG]
    The food was generally excellent, here a tagine of prunes, almonds and chicken

    [​IMG]
    Moroccan salad, cheese omlette (with laughing cow triangles!) and Berber omlette

    [​IMG]
    Bad week for sheep

    [​IMG]
    With another 600m of altitude to climb it was turn-around time

    [​IMG]
    The Moroccans reckon they're the ones who invented snowmen.

    [​IMG]
    It was a long ride back through Spain and France. After suffering wet and cold feet the previous day, this was my patented solution. It lasted about 150 miles, as did the dry weather that day. The plastic had disintegrated by the time the rain started.

    Tim
    #1
  2. TomN

    TomN Long timer

    Joined:
    May 4, 2005
    Oddometer:
    2,511
    Location:
    Chalfont, PA
    Sweet! :clap
    #2
  3. neduro

    neduro Long timer Supporter

    Joined:
    Jul 8, 2003
    Oddometer:
    12,332
    Location:
    Salida, CO
    Very cool report!

    Any other pics of Bike #50? Trying to see what sort of rear tanks he's running...
    #3
  4. Ktapply

    Ktapply Dogmatic

    Joined:
    Mar 22, 2004
    Oddometer:
    825
    Location:
    Windsor, Colorado USA
    Thanks very much for posting.....
    #4
  5. doyle

    doyle RallyRaidReview-ing

    Joined:
    Jan 14, 2004
    Oddometer:
    25,220
    Location:
    Off Piste
    Absolutely outstanding. The valley of the roses looks beautiful.
    #5
  6. WIBO

    WIBO Will it buff out?

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2002
    Oddometer:
    4,370
    Location:
    Dpt 64 French Pyrénées
    great to see the landscape at grass roots level......
    #6
  7. carioca

    carioca Been here awhile

    Joined:
    Mar 27, 2005
    Oddometer:
    206
    Wow too cool. I hope to be there one day.
    #7
  8. The Fist

    The Fist Knulp

    Joined:
    Mar 14, 2003
    Oddometer:
    3,862
    Location:
    Dolores, CO
    Great report -- thanks for sharing such fantastic photos...

    BTW -- the ol' bag on the boot trick works better if you put the bag INSIDE the boot...
    #8
  9. WarBot

    WarBot TV is lame

    Joined:
    Jan 23, 2006
    Oddometer:
    1
    Location:
    N. Mississippi
    Dakar rocks, thanks for the spectator pictures...
    #9
  10. sandiegoland

    sandiegoland Adventure Boy®

    Joined:
    Oct 3, 2005
    Oddometer:
    1,743
    Location:
    4 8 15 16 23 42
    Good insight to the event! Cool to see the set-up of the bikes. Fairings, skidplates, etc...
    :1drink
    #10
  11. dirtrider

    dirtrider Dusty Adventurer

    Joined:
    Nov 12, 2003
    Oddometer:
    3,366
    Location:
    Kalispell, Montana
    Awesome pictures. Looks like a dirtbikers heaven!
    #11
  12. Elefant 900 Rad

    Elefant 900 Rad Hedley

    Joined:
    Dec 9, 2003
    Oddometer:
    1,199
    Location:
    SoCal
    More Dakar photos....AWESOME !! Looks like a great ride, thanks for sharing :thumb
    #12
  13. Tim Cullis

    Tim Cullis Partially heighted

    Joined:
    Dec 6, 2004
    Oddometer:
    444
    Location:
    London, Granada Altiplano and Morocco
    Video preview clips

    OK, this is 18MB and only a minute long, but it shows offroad riding on a smoother part of what's known as the M5 piste. Camera held in left hand whilst riding. Please right click here and 'save target as' to your machine, then run from there.

    Tim
    #13
  14. PackMule

    PackMule love what you do

    Joined:
    Aug 8, 2005
    Oddometer:
    19,493
    Location:
    New Hampshah
    Holy crap, those were awesome pics!! :lurk

    That's amazing to see you guys right up next to Dakar competitors! Any fear of being struck while near the course?

    Did you guys do all the planning for this trip on your own, or was there a tour organization involved? Looks like an adventure rider's heaven over there... :freaky
    #14
  15. El-Dracho

    El-Dracho Africa Twin RD07a

    Joined:
    Jan 8, 2006
    Oddometer:
    48
    Location:
    Germany
    Cool idea - combine a Marocco-Tour with "Dakar-watching" :thumb

    Great pictures, Tim:clap
    #15
  16. Scrotie

    Scrotie Chuck U Farley

    Joined:
    Aug 10, 2005
    Oddometer:
    1,742
    Location:
    Seattle
    Fantastic pictures!!! :clap :clap Thanks for sharing.
    #16
  17. girlrider

    girlrider Adventurer

    Joined:
    May 23, 2005
    Oddometer:
    18
    Location:
    San Fran
    Great pics...makes me want to leave for morocco right now...the valley of the roses looks sublime !!!
    Thanks for sharing!
    #17
  18. dirtypumpkin

    dirtypumpkin "Monster Truck Bike" Supporter

    Joined:
    Jan 25, 2005
    Oddometer:
    14,064
    Location:
    Northern California
    Great trip, thanks for sharing. :D:freaky
    #18
  19. mistercindy

    mistercindy In a state of equilibrium

    Joined:
    Oct 31, 2005
    Oddometer:
    2,904
    Location:
    North Dallas 'burb in a box made of ticky tacky.
    Fantastic pics!:thumb Thanks for posting them!
    #19
  20. RickRen

    RickRen AdvRider China

    Joined:
    Nov 2, 2005
    Oddometer:
    76
    Location:
    Beijing, China
    Cool pics, especially with the GS1 boots :D

    Thanks for sharing, great tour:clap
    #20