Mark Boden

A tough up and down day through changing terrain and landscapes. From high alpine valleys to the lower Atlas Mountain foothills, where it’s a lot warmer 😊. I cycled through a various remote valleys, on mostly gravel tracks, passing through lots of tiny hamlets. Women doing their laundry in the stream and the mule being the workhorse for these communities. I had to work hard for my accommodation today, at the top of a 700m climb, absolutely stunning spot though.

From my remote little Gite it was straight into a steep long ascent to climb to the Tizi-n-Ouano Pass at 2900m. It was 6° when I set off and only got colder, the descent was 🥶, with rain and hail thrown in. At 2600m there was a Berber living in a small building, he started out cycling up to a point to collect water, I couldn’t keep up with him, one of those surreal moments in life. Coming down the other side I passed through many villages, what struck me was the absolute poverty these people were living in. Imilchil is a slightly bigger town, where I found a decent place to stay and hot shower after a cold day 😊.

Another really enjoyable day. As I left Boumalne Dades there was far too many feral 🐕🐕dogs scavenging for food, but not me 🙏. Another big climbing day, which took me through the stunning Dades Gorge. It was very touristy at the bottom, with lots of hotels, shops and camper vans winding their way up and down, reminiscent of Bealach na Bà on the NC500. Beyond the gorge, as I slowly climbed the valley the landscape became more dramatic. I passed through many Berber towns and villages. Hovering around 2000m, this is a harsh environment to have to exist in. I arrived at a little Gite for the evening, completely off grid and nothing for miles around, totally isolated. Bed, breakfast and evening meal for €20 🙂

Back to gaining height again over the next few days, as I head back towards the higher snowcapped Atlas Mountains.. A tough 10 mile climb to the pass punctuated by remote roads and endless epic landscapes. I did pass a group of Brits out here bird watching. A brutal head wind coming down after the pass all the way into Dades. A big crossroads town in the shadow of the Atlas Mountains and very lively. Today was hard, but I think it’s my favourite day so far.

The first part of my ride was along the Draa Valley, a 200km-long oasis of lush palm groves, orchards, and kasbahs stretching along Morocco's longest river from Agdz. Part of the historic caravan route to the Sahara. Defined by mud brick architecture, date palms, and Berber villages. Another leisurely short day, landing in N’Kob, a very lively and bustling town. Found a lovely little Riad, with free tea and snacks on arrival 🙂.

Started the day with a standard Moroccan breakfast. Glorious sunshine, still a stiff wind, but less impactful today.. It was a day of breathtaking arid desert landscapes. You get the feeling of space and emptiness, totally quiet away from civilization. Only 5 or 6 vehicles passed me on this whole 80 km stretch of supper smooth tarmac, and a lot less climbing than the previous few days.. There was one less enjoyable part of the day 🐕 🐕🐕🐕🥺.. Agdz feels a bit impoverished, but I found a lovely Riad to stay in.

The day started with a 28km climb straight out of the village to take me to the pass. It’s was a cold start with a clear blue sky, the mountains were looking amazing. After the pass it was a huge descent and change in contrast and scenery, much warmer, maybe too warm. Another great day, all the Moroccans I’ve met so far have been very friendly, including the days 🐕. Today was a tough one.

First 30 km was a bit dull until I got onto the lower Atlas roads. The devastation from the 2023 earthquake was evident all the way up the valley, roads being rebuilt and lots of collapsed buildings.. It’s Ramadan and I was a little concerned in finding somewhere to stay, many of the small cafes/restaurants up the valley were closed, but I found a tiny guesthouse, as basic as you get, but a timely find as there was a. mountain storm on its way. Cloudy conditions, a brutal head wind, very gusty and nearly blowing me over a few times. It was a good first day.

A lovely ride which did not a quite go according to plan! I left my phone on a bench at the top of Windley Hill, fortunately a very nice man from Belper picked it up.