Morocco. A country that I really wanted to get to know. A country that I expected would be full of contrasts but which you couldn’t imagine until you saw them. A country where you can pass in 60km from desert and sandy landscapes to mountains of 4,000 meters in altitude. A country where you can easily climb two vertical kilometers in one go. This is what we hoped for by riding in Morocco in April with two bike crazy friends like Toni and Xabi. Julian Velasco and his friends took advantage of the Easter holiday to squeeze the maximum out of 6 days on their gravel bikes.
Our route was to be 600km with 9,300m of climbing, a circular route around the southern Moroccan Atlas, although we have a lot of Atlas Mountains left to discover in the future. Starting in Marrakech the day before we set off, as always is complicated, but we are bikepacking so we took everything with a philosophical view . We landed in Marrakech already warned of what was coming. Well actually we didn’t land in Marrakech as due to bad weather the plane had to abort the landing and we ended up in Agadir, from where we experienced 3.5 hour bus ride in the rain. Arriving in Marrakech, we had a quick dinner, got the bikes ready for the next day and got to sleep. Our first night we stayed at the Hotel Almas, who kept the bike boxes for us because we would return there on the last day.
We loved the contrasts in Morocco. Crossing the medina of Marrakech, early on day 1 with practically no one around. Cycling next to 4,000m high mountains. Connecting roads with tracks through oases full of palm trees and arid hills. Tracks and roads that sometimes ran alongside rivers channeled through gorges. Adobe villages that warranted stopping for photographs, just as much as the cinematographic and touristic Ait Ben Haddou. It is a spectacular place and all this passing through the Atlas Mountains.
Our trip we would define as a journey of contrasts, where the weather was also very variable. The Atlas Mountains easily connected with the drier and desert-like terrain to the south. I must admit that I am much more of a green person, with views of mountains and passes. However, the stretches between villages that seemed abandoned, the chants of the mosques, the rockier and more solitary landscapes were a discovery. Our trip coincided with Ramadan, but at no time did we have problems feeding ourselves, always with consideration for the local population who had to respect their schedules.
I think this route can be a good way to get started in bikepacking in Morocco, although it is necessary to do plenty of training before hand and to have good mechanical knowledge, as on many occasions there will be no one around to help you. We didn't have any breakdowns other than some cleats that got caught in the pedal, some punctures and little else. We didn't split any tyres, nor did we have any serious punctures, which was something that worried us considering the rocky reputation of this country. The weather was complex and the cold was dominant, however, if it is very hot, keep in mind to always carry enough water, even a camelback to avoid unnecessary issues.
Day 1 - Marrakech to Telouet: Muddy, tracks and roads
We started with rain, but with the luxury of crossing the medina early in the morning with almost no one in the streets. After a long stretch of road, we found a challenging muddy problem, caused by the rain of the previous days. We encountered around 20km of muddy tracks, some of them impossible to ride if you wanted to take care of the mechanics of the bike for the rest of the trip.
The scenery and the route were spectacular, but the terrain (and the conditions) complicated the trip until we finally reached Tidili Mesfloua, where a local gave us a hose to clean the bikes a little before continuing. The route continued along the road between groups of children playing soccer and people pulling donkeys to carry things.
We turned right towards Arba Tighedouine on a mixture of road and drier/more compacted tracks. We reached the first climb, 11km of 100% road. At the beginning it was easy, but as the climb progressed ramps of maximum 15% appeared, which increased the effort needed! There was a parallel track, but we decided not to risk it in case there was a lot of mud. The views were brutal, up to almost 1,800m it was cold and windy.
After the descent we reached Zerkten where we started a 31km constant pass on a wide and perfect road with some traffic. It was 1000m of vertical gain and we reached the top at 2.200m. The views above were awesome and Martian-like - they reminded us of Mont Ventoux. We passed through several villages with stores, so if we needed something we always had it at hand. The next pass was long and we reached the top still in daylight and headed on towards the accommodation we had booked. The following descent was perfect and when it got dark it was time to put our lights on to reach the Maison d'Hôtes Agdal in Telouet.
Day 2 - Telouet to Ouarzazte: Deserts, oases and lonely plateaus
We started Day 2 on the road with a mandatory stop in Telouet to buy water and food before getting into what we expected to be the loneliest day of the trip. After 22km of road riding, we arrived in Anmiter, literally spectacular. A village of orange tones of adobe with buildings worth stopping to photograph and with a singletrack that ran from start to finish along a small canal that meant lush green vegetation also had a presence.
When we left the village, we found almost 2km of wall-like climb with ramps up to 18% and with several curves that made the views from the top very worthwhile. The pass continued until we reached the plateau, but this initial part of 2km was the hardest.
Once we were at the top, we had 40km of rocky terrain, but mostly very favorable for gravel bikes. We found literally no one - we were in the middle of nowhere at 1,500m-2,000m above sea level. In general, it was comfortable terrain without big climbs except for the last part where we had to climb the sandy riverbed. Here it was difficult to advance - 4km of pedaling as if we were on the beach. Luckily at the end we found a track, with some steep gradients, but more compacted.
We reached the road again and it headed downhill. We stopped in Ghassate to eat something and to refill our water bottles, as we got there with empty bottles - the day had been hot. We set off again and after a cross country trail, we connect with a spectacular track towards Ouarzazate. We took a road parallel to a huge photovoltaic station, on the left in parallel we saw a track, but we continued on the road until we reached the main road to Ouarzazate.
The last part was 15km of good road, but tremendously busy. We were not comfortable on these roads and decided to get down to work to finish it as soon as possible. Finally, we arrived at our accommodation, not exactly in Ouarzazate but very close, in Bivouac Lot Of Stars. Ouarzazate is a fairly touristy town, but worth a walk around.
Day 3 - Ouarzazte to Tisselday: The Tourists
Few things to say about this day, but it is also part of bikepacking - the quieter days, sightseeing and improvising. Our idea was to follow the same road as yesterday but looking around we actually decided to go to Tisselday where we found accommodation and which would more or less fit with the initial plan.
We rode 64km where the road was predominant. The day began as always with something that was repeated in many bikepacking trips abroad and that is our problem with breakfast - they aren’t big enough. This was a stage that at all times went uphill on asphalt, with roads in perfect condition, but with less traffic than the previous day. It was one of the best ways to get to Ait Ben Haddou, the cinematographic village where we were headed. There were obviously many tourist vans.
The village was very nice and its location stood out, as it was situated on an island next to a dry river. To access it you have to pay and leave the bikes at the entrance. The village was a cluster of narrow streets which headed uphill to reach the highest point. There were many stores and services both inside and outside the village, all designed for tourists.
The village seems to have featured in Game of Thrones, Gladiator and many other movies. After eating a western menu, we returned to the bike ride to take the only stretch of track of the day that connected this village with, again, the road. From there it was again uphill, smooth to reach Tisselday, to a place that was quite cheap to sleep, but where lunch and dinner was more expensive, Maison d'hotes Irocha. The hotel was very cozy. There was another accommodation next door that we were recommend for dinner, but surely also to stay and where people were also very friendly, B&B cafe restaurant Dar isselday.
Day 4 - Tisselday to Amsouzart: What seemed to be a day on the road...
Day 4 awaited us, according to the plan, with few km and comfortable gradients, practically all by road. And so it went until km 25, when we turned right and we got onto a track that we had taken for granted that it would become asphalt in a few km, but it was not.
It ended up being 20km of possibly the most beautiful track of the trip. It ran parallel to a river canyon, Asif Tidili (I think Asif means river). As usual a terrain started a little bit uphill, but without much gradient or remarkable ramps. In the distance some clouds that gave us to understand that the rain was coming. Before reaching Sour at km 55 and at 1,900 meters above sea level, the downpour began to fall. We stopped to get changed and continue to Tidli where we decided to stop for a tea and some bars to see if the rain stops a little before reaching the top of the day that was at 2,200 meters high. It did not stop and did not look like it will stop, so we continued by road to the roof of the day, after stopping for a small flat tyre. We enjoyed the views of the snowy Atlas Mountains and the Toubkal Natural Park. With mountains over 4,500 meters, although it was not the best day to see them, it was worth enjoying them.
For sure the cold, wind and rain were worth putting up with to enjoy this trip, Morocco and the landscapes that we had at all times. After reaching the top and wrapping up, we went down. It is incredible how that morning we were in the middle of the sandy desert and 70km later we were next to mountains of 4.000m, tea fields and intense green crops and at an altitude of 2.000m - surely one of the things that impressed me the most of Morocco.
After an easy descent on tarmac, we arrived at Arbaa Toubkal, where if you need water, fruit or whatever there are small stores to stock up in. We did not stop because we had accommodation booked in Amsouzart, a little further up and in a very mountainous place and overlooking the village of Agadir N' Mehamed. Our accommodation was the mountain hostel, Auberge Amsouzarte Aitstidar, which had a small food store on the lower floor that we razed as soon as we arrived. We slept and dined well and cheaply, but if you are looking for something with more amenities in town you will also find Riyads.
Day 5 - Amsouzart to Ijoukak: The top of the trip
What we had to climb the day before to get to the hostel, today we had to go down to reach the main road that ran parallel to the river, Asif Tifnoute (Asif, as I say, as far as I know is a river, by the way). The first 25km trended downwards with some steep gradients, but in general was a comfortable stretch where we met a group of bikepackers, much more equipped than us. The views of the villages, the canyon and the mountains on this road on a day with open skies were worth stopping to take pictures and so we did in some viewpoints.
At Igli we knew that the party begins. Although fatigue has already reached us, we like to climb and what it means to climb so much, away from crowded areas, getting into nature and more neglected land. It was a 31km climb with 1,500 meters of height gain on road and lonely tracks. In the first village almost at the beginning, between Tifkilt and Assaka Wizguer we found the shepherd with his sheep looking at us quizzically, people drying their clothes on the stones after having washed them in the river and a family with their donkey loaded with crops, heading up the road.
On this type of mountain pass, we each looked for our own pace and we waited for each other at each of the intermediate summits. This col had three intermediate passes and was done at ease and without large ramps. The tracks were in perfect condition and the views of the mountains were massive. It was a constant enjoyment to see how we gained height surrounded by snow-capped mountains. The highest part was again a bit Martian - there was no longer so much vegetation, everything was rock and sand.
After reaching the summit, we lay down for a while and ate something in the sun. The descent was from the highest point of the day and included stretches of road and track in perfect condition. We enjoyed riding down a river canyon, drawing sharp turns and releasing the brakes on long straights, villages on the edge of cliffs, suspension bridges that help connect neighborhoods of these same villages, of how the Martian landscape gave way to greenery. Eventually we reached Ijoukak at the end of day five. What surprised us most here was the number of small stores that the village had. We took a walk and mingled with the local people to buy water and food for the last day. Our accommodation for this day was the Maison d'Haute Atlas Ijoukak, a very well-kept place in a very nice spot where we were treated very well and we had lunch, dinner and breakfast, 100% recommended.
Day 6 - Ijoukak to Marrakech: Tempo bikepacking to reach the medina in time.
The last stage of this trip saw us riding through a new country that I was willing to explore. I would define this stage as disconcerting. The first one to start was Toni who stands out for his punctuality, while Xabi and I were more prone to take it easy and make up time on the bike. The idea was not to leave much gap between Toni and us, but problems with the track on the GPS made us delayed setting off.
We start 30 minutes later than Toni and Xabi who gets up with energy, started strongly. I decided to stay with my own pace, so we rode the first 30km of the last stage separately. At km 30 we met up again. This first stretch was on a secondary road that ran along the river Oued N'Fis, a road that we liked, which headed along a cliff and that occasionally surprised us with spectacular lakes. Some sections were under construction, but in general it was a favorable road that gradually lost altitude and forced us to always pedal.
As we arrived at km 30 we regrouped as we knew that two climbs were coming up. We were on the other side of the Atlas Mountains to where we needed to be and although the climbs today were not as prominent as in previous days, we took them with the desire to burn adrenaline and squeeze us a little.
The first was 1.7km with 100 meters of height gain, all by road. The second ramp was 6.5km long with 250m of height gain. The heat pressed on us and the air was still, but otherwise they were comfortable and although it was a touristy area we did not find as much traffic as we expected. Finally, the third and last climb that we found was a gift - a road with views of a gorge that are very worthwhile.
From there, we found very little to emphasise - a main road in perfect condition with gradients of between -1% and -2%. We were eager to get to Marrakech as the views do not help much and we decide to push harder, doing short relays on the front to get as soon as possible to the hotel and to be able to eat something.
After 42.3 km of monotonous road in a straight line with 630 meters of negative slope, which took us just 1:20h to complete, we reached the hotel and devoured a burger and an ice cream. The day had been hot and we had earned it. The last accommodation was the same as the first day, where they kept the bike boxes for us, Hotel Almas. Except for the difficulty in explaining to them that we were not happy to travel back to the airport with our bikes transported on top of a cab with a small rope tying them down, the rest of attention, room and breakfast was perfect.
The first adventure in Morocco ends, but I'm sure I'll be back to explore even more disconnected places, but always looking at the mountains even if it rains or it's cold.