Morocco Atlas Mountains
February 2024
A bicycle touring trip through the Atlas Mountains in Morocco in February 2024
London Luton - Marrakesh
3 February 2024
The delights of Luton Airport and the Holiday Inn Express were my starting point for this trip. Pretty grim both. I flew from Luton because it was the nearest airport with direct EasyJet flights to Marrakesh, and overnighted in the Holiday Inn Express the night before because there was a train strike the next day and getting to Luton would have been difficult. EasyJet was passable and got me and my bicycle there in one piece and more or less on time.Marrakesh airport was a bit of a trial, taking over two hours to get through passport control and collect baggage, which then had to be x-rayed before entering the country, with a long waiting time. ...READ MORE...
Marrakesh -
Ait Ben Haddou
4 February 2024
The night’s sleep was dire. As I’ve explained. I couldn’t sleep so I was up at 4:30 AM putting my bike together in readiness for an 8:00 AM start. We and our bikes were driven out of Marrakesh for a couple of hours in to the Atlas Mountains. Cycling through Marrakesh, it was explained, and I concur, would be suicidal. So, it made sense to avoid the mayhem of the city and start further out. The Atlas Mountains, and their Ante Atlas and Post Atlas foothills are a major feature of Morocco, between the north coast and the deserts to the south. READ MORE...
Ait Ben Haddou -
Amsouzart Valley
5 February 2024
A bus transfer to our starting point, which was over one mountain but at the bottom of another mountain, which we had to climb over. The road could have been perfectly acceptable, but road works to widen it meant that there was a lot of gravel and stone on the surface which made cycling up the grade difficult. Most of the morning was spent climbing up some thousands of feet, and after a short descent we were given lunch by our travelling cook who is able to produce the most amazing and varied picnic lunch from the back of a Transit van that has seen better days. READ MORE...
Amsouzart Valley -
Oulet Beril
6 February 2024
I was up early to the moaning tones of the call to prayer, and had thought that breakfast was at 7:00 AM, but no signs of life so I returned to my room to keep moderately warm. Plans had changed, apparently, and we were not leaving at 8:00 AM but 9:00 AM and so no breakfast until well after 8:00 AM. Which was nice, eggs done Moroccan style in a clay dish with lots of spices, nice bread, almond butter, honey, and tea. I listened to the kids in the small school which I could see from the balcony start their day lined up singing what I assumed to be the National Anthem of Morocco. They sounded infinitely more in tune than the local Muezzin. READ MORE...
Oulet Berhill -
Tafroute
7 February 2024
We transferred by mini-bus from Oulet Berhill through the flat and rather featureless valley that stands between the Atlas Mountains and the Anti Atlas range, for two hours, to the foothills of the Anti Atlas range, to begin a 100km ride across the mountains to Tafraoute. We didn’t begin riding until 1130 AM and it seemed a big push to complete 100 km over some serious mountains before sunset. It was ! I only finally arrived at dusk, which comes quickly here, and another 30 minutes or so and I would have been navigating the town of Tafraoute in the dark. It was seriously hard riding today, with long climbs, and then downhills, but only then to have to climb up again. The final down from the top of the range to Tafroute was a 14 km vertiginous switchback road that required no pedalling. Just shows you how high up we had climbed, up to 1700 meters / 5000 feet, to come down to 600 meters / 1800 feet in that 14 km. All in a day’s riding. READ MORE....
Tafroute -
Rest Day
8 February 2024
A well earned rest day today, after all that climbing up and down mountains. Tafroute is a smallish town, a kind of market town, which has a very French character to it, lots of cafes and a pleasant square. The hotel was good, although not very populated, and it also had a bar with beer and wine, which isn't unusual in Morocco. Yes, they are Muslims, but they do seem to be tolerant. Perhaps the availability of booze thing is a remnant of the French colonial days. Maybe they realise that so much of their economy depends on tourism that to be absolutist and abolutionist would work against their interests. Anyhow, there is a general sense of tolerance and latitude, although I think repsect from the other side is required too, so no carousing, wandering around inebriated or misbehaving. Suits me. A glass or two of the Moroccan rouge with dinner keeps me happy. READ MORE ....
Tafroute -
Agadir
9 February 2024
A well earned rest day today, after all that climbing up and down mountains. Tafroute is a smallish town, a kind of market town, which has a very French character to it, lots of cafes and a pleasant square. The hotel was good, although not very populated, and it also had a bar with beer and wine, which isn't unusual in Morocco. Yes, they are Muslims, but they do seem to be tolerant. Perhaps the availability of booze thing is a remnant of the French colonial days. Maybe they realise that so much of their economy depends on tourism that to be absolutist and abolutionist would work against their interests. Anyhow, there is a general sense of tolerance and latitude, although I think repsect from the other side is required too, so no carousing, wandering around inebriated or misbehaving. Suits me. A glass or two of the Moroccan rouge with dinner keeps me happy. READ MORE ....
Agadir -
Immouzer
10 February 2024
We were bussed out of Agadir, where there is a lot of building and development going on, both houses, apartments and roads, up to the hills above, a bit further than planned because of road works taking place on our route. There roads were muddy because of the deluge of yesterday, so today was going to be a day of careful riding trying to avoid the puddles, mud, gravel and rocks which have been brought on to the road by the water.
Riding was mostly uphill, following a valley and its river, running faster than it would usually be at this time of the year because of the rain from yesterday. The valley gorge cut a steep gash through the mountains. READ MORE ....
Immouzer -
Marrakesh
11 February 2024
Another chilly morning start, initially climbing up to our high point and then a sharp descent down to meet the mini bus for a return to Marrakesh. Up and then down has been the usual pattern of our cycling. The views were stupendous down the valley, as we rolled past small villages with the inevitable gaggle of children, past donkeys hauling feed up the incline, and small herds of goats and sheep being watched over by some tacit and inscrutable shepherd...READ MORE ....
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