Moroccan Roll: A father and son bikepack through the High Atlas
There are a few things my 15-year old son Luca and I asked Santa for this past Christmas. Instead of unwrapping a heap of stuff under a tinsel-wrapped tree we wanted to discover a new country, explore it by bike, and come home rich with memories and experiences.
I consider myself extremely fortunate that my son enjoys riding bikes as much as I do; grateful for the luxury of being able to combine my job as a photographer (which I love) with my passion for riding bikes and very lucky to be able to travel to some crazy places together with my son. Last year, we spent 10 days bikepacking the Scottish Highlands and the Outer Hebrides Islands and we go on as many small adventures on weekends and during school holidays as we can. We’re always driven by curiosity and the search for physical and mental challenges.
This past year, however, my workload made any big summer trips impossible. But the prospect of waiting until next summer for our next big trip was unbearable for Luca and I. Therefore we needed a winter destination (we live in Munich, Germany) that was quick and easy to reach and that offered the essential ingredients mentioned above. Most importantly we wanted sunshine, adventure and open roads.
Morocco has all of that and then some. The plan we devised was to fly directly to Marrakech, the fabled Moroccan city that sits at the foot of the High Atlas mountains. Just the two of us, two gravel bikes loaded with minimal but self-sufficient gear, and to go riding. To make it a bit of a challenge I picked a route that would cross the High Atlas mountains twice and take us over and around the mountains via a good mix of gravel and tarmac roads. Almost 700km in total with about 17,000m of elevation gain … Holy crap.
That was the plan anyway. But as so often happens in life, things turned out differently than we initially envisioned. But, more on that in a moment.
I didn’t divulge all of the route details to Luca, hoping to prevent a general mutiny on his part. I tried not to think about it too much myself either. You see, we weren’t exactly at peak fitness when we rode out of Marrakech on day 1. November and December in Munich are grey, wet and dreary — not really conductive to riding and training. And since I still can’t get friendly with the whole Zwift thing, we lacked the necessary milage in the legs.
In other words, let’s just say I was expecting pain in the first few days of the trip and pain is what we got.
Arriving in Marrakech was surreal, to say the least. A short 3.5-hour direct flight took us from our familiar surroundings into a very new and very different world. Straight from the Bavarian capital, shrouded in cold, grey clouds with dirty patches of snow covering the ground, directly to the narrow, dusty alleyways of the Medina, full of exotic smells, sights and sounds, a wholly exciting and foreign world. And we made that mind-boggling leap from one world to the other in between breakfast and dinner.
What follows is the story of our adventure, told in photos and captions. Scroll down for details on the bikes we rode and the gear we carried.
Enjoy!
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- Less than an hour after we walked out of the airport terminal we strolled onto the Jemaa el-Fnaa square, the central square and market place of the Marrakech Medina (the old Marrakech city center). It’s a crazy and bustling tourist hotspot.
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- It’s literally a few steps from the quiet courtyard of our three-room Riad (hotel) into the bustling labyrinth of narrow alleys that criss-cross the Medina and that lead you from one “souk” (bazar or shop) to the next. It is a pretty dazzling and heady mix of intense sights, sounds and smells.
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- Enjoying a typical but chilly breakfast on the rooftop of our Riad. A standard Moroccan breakfast includes the obligatory mint tea, fresh orange juice, crepes and pastries, and an assortment of sweet and savory things like honey, olive oil and olives. It looks deceptively warm in the picture, but even in Marrakech the mornings are very chilly. Up in the mountains the temperature dropped below zero at night.
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- Luca busy packing his bike bags after breakfast, getting ready for Day 1 of our adventure on two wheels.
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- We are lucky enough to have found a very cool little Riad with small but beautiful rooms and we’re even allowed to keep the bikes in our room. That helped me sleep peacefully at night. This room is painted in this incredibly intense but calming Majorelle Blue, a color you see a lot of in Marrakech.
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- My set of wheels for this Moroccan adventure: the ROSE Backroad (carbon frame, Shimano Ultegra). Loaded up, it weighs in at only 16kg (without water bottles and without the heavy camera backpack on my back). This is the lightest setup I’ve had so far and I love it.
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- A lone dog standing watch. I had read reports about cyclists being attacked by dogs roaming the streets but we had no unpleasant run-ins whatsoever with any four-legged creatures.
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- A common site everywhere we ride: a lone Berber dressed in a traditional robe called a Jelaba riding along on his donkey.
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- After a late start in Marrakech on Day 1 we are still on the road late in the afternoon, our legs hurting because we’re out of shape. That day we cover all sorts of terrain: smooth tarmac, gravel roads and dusty dirt tracks. We definitely underestimated the steepness of the roads. Up and down, up and down, at 15-20% gradients.
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- A very typical little settlement that we come across every day, usually featuring a minaret tower demarking a small mosque. Another Berber man on foot.
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- As the sun dips below the mountain ridge on Day 1 we are still riding. Luckily our destination, the small town of Tighdouine, is in sight.
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- Tighdouine looks and feels like a derelict Wild Western town. There is one shabby run-down “auberge” where we find a freezing cold room for the night. A dirt road runs through the center of the village and there is only one place to get something warm to eat: this Moroccan-style roadside diner. Tired, cold and weary we take our chances and order lentils and a sketchy looking Tagine and wash it down with sweet mint tea.
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- It feels colder inside the weird room we stayed in than the outside temperature. We spent the night with several heavy wool blankets layered on top of our sleeping bags.
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- Day 2: Luca applying sunscreen to protect from the relentless North African sun and the high altitude of the day to come.
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- We set off early but luckily it doesn’t take long for the sun to rise up over the ridge line and warm us up a bit. As sunny as it is and as desert-like the landscape looks, make no mistake: it gets cold in Morocco. We’re cruising through the foothills of the High Atlas today, although “cruising” makes it sound a lot nicer and easier than it actually is…
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- The clear, crisp air gave us an amazing view of the snow capped peaks of the Atlas mountains. It didn’t really compensate for the heinous grade of the climbs that morning though, jeez.
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- It took us two hours (including some photo stops) of steady, slow grinding to cover the first 10km. The grades average 12% to 13% with steeper sections in between.
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- A serene and peaceful place for a break. We are more or less alone on the road, save for the occasional beat-up panel van navigating the bumpy roads.
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- Plenty of people have heard about the Atlas mountains, but most people, myself included, don’t realize just how massive they actually are. The Atlas range stretches 2,500km through Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia and its highest peak, Mt. Toubkal, tops out at 4,167m elevation. It is the highest mountain within a 2,000km radius and is permanently covered with snow and ice. Ironically, just a few hours south lies the scorching Sahara desert.
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- Luca taking a well-deserved break after an entire morning spent grinding uphill.
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- It is about 15ºC in the sun – the ideal temperature for riding – but the air is cold and you can definitely feel that it is still the middle of the winter.
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- Luckily, what goes up must come down and the reward for the silly amount of climbing is a ripping 15km descent through an amazing red landscape.
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- After faulty and negligent planning on my part made us suffer through the morning without any breakfast, we found a delicious roadside restaurant where we roasted in the sun and ate one of the best chicken tagines with veggies we had the entire trip. We chased it down with mint tea and Sprite. Unfortunately the thought of what was still to come that day weighed heavily on our minds. Another non-stop climb, this time an uninterrupted 30km horror show that would top out at the first of the two big passes over the High Atlas: the Tizi’n Tichka Pass at 2,260m.
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- A very typical roadside stop: ceramic Tagine pots stewing over a bed of coals, served with a glass of the sweetest, most delicious orange juice you can imagine.
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- Again, late in the afternoon, after endless amounts of climbing, we finally reached the first of the two passes that cross the High Atlas. We took a quick obligatory “victory” photo, bought some candy, zipped up the jackets and pointed the bikes downhill on the other side. We still had 30km to go and the sun was beginning to set. Luckily, the majority of the last leg would be downhill. Time to bomb it!
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- With the last bit of daylight left we roll into a little village called Telouet. The place is famous for the once lavish and luxurious Telouet Kasbah (palace). Built in the 18th and 19th centuries it is strategically located along the route of caravans that crossed the Atlas Mountains on their way from Timbuktou and the Sahara Desert to Marrakech.
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- The Kasbah belonged to the rich and influential Berber family El Glaoui but was abandoned in the 1950s and basically left to crumble and fall apart. The Arabic government has neglected and suppressed Berber culture since Morocco became independent. A local organization has taken it upon itself to try to restore some of its former beauty and for a small admission fee a local guide will show you around.
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- Two rooms have been preserved and restored: the harem quarters and the main dining hall. The ridiculously intricate and detailed mosaic work covers the entire rooms: floors, walls, doorways and ceilings. Supposedly it took 300 artisans three years to complete the rooms.
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- The Kasbah of Telouet is definitely worth a visit and even though Luca initially wasn’t keen at all to go (teenagers…) in the end he was just as happy as I that we made the effort. The palace grounds are obviously also a playground for local kids.
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- On the southern side of the Atlas range the landscape has become much more arid and the riding on Day 3 is heavenly. Except for a few occasional cars, the roads are empty. Since we crossed the Tizi’n Tichka pass the evening before we’re rolling mostly downhill and the landscape is amazing. Nothing but blue skies and shades of ochre, orange and reds.
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- Day 3 definitely delivers copious quantities of the three key ingredients that we asked for: sunshine, adventure and open roads. Our legs and rear ends have adjusted to long days in the saddle, the pain of the first two days has been replaced by pleasure, and it feels like we’ve found our groove.
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- Luca, ripping it down the streak of tarmac that cuts through the barren, bizarre but beautiful landscape. Every couple of kilometers we roll through a small settlement followed by big open expanses and empty countryside.
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- So far we’ve predominantly ridden on tarred roads with only occasional stretches of gravel in between. Apparently the Moroccan government is putting a lot of effort into infrastructure development and based on trip reports by other cyclists you often come across roads that used to be gravel roads (based on Google Maps/Komoot/etc) just months before and are now suddenly paved.
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- Day 4 is a beast. We’ve left the mountains behind and are now headed north east, on the long haul to the foothills of the Atlas Range again. It is another amazing day to ride, there is barely any wind, not a single cloud in sight, more endless landscapes and Luca in particular is loving it. Why? Because we’re basically time-trialing all day long.
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- It is Dec 31st today, New Year’s Eve, and we are spending it in a small “auberge” called the Labyrinth Kasbah. The place is run by a wonderful Berber guy called Mehdi, who, without a doubt, is one of the most amazing hosts I’ve ever met. The auberge is very basic but very clean, tidy and run with lots of love and dedication. Mehdi spent New Year’s Eve serving up a delicious Berber dinner and entertained us and the only other guests (a German couple and their son) with endless funny stories.
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- The view of the valley from the rooftop terrace of Mehdi’s place. We decided to stay another day and spent the entire first day of 2019 relaxing in the sun, reading books and catching up on writing. Luca wasn’t feeling too good and it was a very welcome day off.
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- Mehdi, our amazing host at the Labyrinth Kasbah at the entrance of the Gorge du Dades canyon. This is a shameless plug for anybody who might be in the area and needs a place to stay.
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- The amazing switchbacks that ascend the canyon walls of the Gorge du Dades. Don’t be deceived by the sunny appearance. In the gorge the temperatures were below freezing and we were miserably cold until we finally reached the top of the canyon wall and the warm rays of sunlight.
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- Once we warmed up we enjoyed the rest of the ride through more open country and empty roads.
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- The Atlas Mountains are a geological wonderland characterized by the most bizzare formations of sedimentary rock structures.
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- The road reared up again on Day 5, climbing the gorge was just the beginning and as we crept higher and higher the terrain became markedly alpine again. Except for the occasional small village or cluster of houses that somehow brave the elements and the barren land, there was no sign of civilization.
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- Luca and I are now both fully in the groove. Travel mode. We have the daily routine down now and riding for long hours is normal. And best of all: we are loving it! It usually takes a couple of days to reach this stage, but once you do, you really start enjoying the trip.
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- That night we find a very funky, weird guest house. Freezing cold indoors, but look at those wacky colors. And the upholstery. Every surface in the rooms is covered with something colorful.
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- It’s Day 6 and we start the morning dreading the day to come. Today is going to be a killer: we have to reach the Col du Ouano, a remote pass over the Atlas that tops out at 2,910m of elevation. That beats the Stelvio. It is made worse by early morning subzero temperatures and Luca’s stomach cramps. He hasn’t been feeling very well the last few days.
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- It is miserably cold and even wearing double gloves our fingers and toes are frozen numb. Luca is fighting intense stomach cramps at this point and we’ve only crunched 15km of the 70km that we need to cover today.
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- I don’t know how he does it, how he manages the cramps and the pain. I think I’d be curled up by the road side, moaning and unable to continue riding. But Luca sucks it up and keeps grinding.
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- The further we ride the more stark and desolate the landscape becomes. It is beautiful. I love this sort of open expanse, endless skies, not a soul in sight.
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- Early on the tarmac road ends and we spend the rest of the day riding increasingly rough gravel roads. The settlements are spread further apart than the days before and there is no traffic anymore. This is the remote part of the Atlas and it is beautiful.
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- Steady and never ending, the gravel track keeps snaking its way upward. Around every turn there is another new and amazing view. The landscape feels prehistoric and here, above 2,300m, only hardy little bushes manage to find footing in the shallow soil.
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- This is probably some of the most impressive scenery I’ve ever biked through. It is a weird mixed bag of emotions though because as much as I am in awe of the rugged beauty I am also worried by Luca’s suffering. He is going slower and slower. The thinner the air the harder it gets for him.
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- Every few kilometers we stop so that he can catch his breath and muster the strength to grind some more. It’s amazing and wonderful at the same time to see my son dig so deep and find the motivation to keep stoically going. He doesn’t complain.
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- Finally at the Col du Ouano, beat but not entirely defeated, Luca drops off the bike to rest a little.
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- We’ve almost run out of water at this point and the combination of the altitude and the relentless sun are taking their toll on both of us. I’m definitely feeling the effects of the tough terrain, the merciless gradients and the alpine altitude.
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- Luckily we were smart enough to pack a LifeStraw and on the descent we manage to find a little mountain stream and fill up on some much needed hydration. Luca is in bad shape and the descent turns out to be very tough and challenging. Deep ruts, big boulders and very coarse gravel slow us down and require every last bit of mental power left to concentrate to stay upright.
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- Again, by the time we finally reach Agoudal, our destination for the night, the sun has set. This picture is actually from breakfast the next morning. At some point that evening I put my camera away. Survival mode: all we had the energy left for was to get to Agoudal in one piece. Luca was sick as a dog when we arrived, threw up next to the bed and was unable to get down a single bite of food. He lay in bed, buried under five wool blankets and zipped up in his down sleeping bag and was still shivering. Day 6 had done a number on us and I now faced a dilemma: because of the rest day on New Year’s Day it meant that the next day would have been another 100+ km day with 2,000-3,000m of elevation gain to make it to the final destination. No way we were going to hack that in the state that we were in, especially Luca. I made the call that night to end the trip. This whole thing was supposed to be fun, we weren’t out to prove anything to anybody and we definitely weren’t out to break ourselves. I organzied transport back to Marrakech the next morning and we said goodbye to the High Atlas mountains.
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- We had one last day in Marrakech and we spent that wandering the narrow alleys and souks of the Medina and then treated ourselves to some pampering: a traditional Hammam spa visit. No cameras allowed. All in all I have to say: Morocco delivered all that we had come for and then a little on top. The riding was amazing and we never felt unsafe. Even though it was the middle of winter and even though we had some very cold and miserable mornings, I would still recommend this time of the year for cycling. We are definitely going to return to this North African gem and explore some more.
Luca’s gear
Bike: 62cm Rose Pro Cross Gravel Ultegra (aluminum)
Drivechain: 50/34 x 11-34
Wheels: Rose R Thirty Disc carbon rims
Tyres: Schwalbe G-One Allround Evolution 700*38c
Bags: Alpkit frame bag, Topeak Frontloader handlebar bag, Rockbros saddle bag.
Clothing: Rapha Cargo Bib Shorts, Rapha Brevet Insulated Jacket, Rapha Explore Technical T-shirt
Shoes: Quoc Gran Tourer gravel shoes
Backpack: Mission Workshop “The Hauser” Hydration Backpack
Sebastian’s gear
Bike: 59cm Rose Backroad Gravel Ultegra (carbon)
Drivechain: 50/34 x 11-34
Wheels: Rose R Thirty Disc carbon rims
Tyres: Schwalbe G-One Allround Evolution 700*38c
Bags: Alpkit frame bag, Topeak Frontloader handlebar bag, Rockbros saddle bag
Clothing: Rapha Cargo Bib Shorts, Rapha Brevet Insulated Jacket, Rapha Explore Technical T-shirt
Shoes: Quoc Gran Tourer gravel shoes
Backpack: F-Stop Lotus 32L
