Your email will not be communicated to any third party or company outside France Bike Trips / Velorizons. You may receive occasional emails from France Bike Trips, with the possibility to unsubscribe at any time. CNIL (French National Commission for Data Protection and Liberties)
Please type in your search terms.
You can prefix chosen words with the '+' sign to make them mandatory, or with the '-' sign to avoid results containing this word from appearing, e.g. west +nepal -canada
A dedicated team of travel specialists is available to offer you expert advice Monday to Friday from 9 to 12:30 AM and 13:30 to 6 PM (French time) on the phone, or by email.
There's no doubt that the Atlas mountains in Morocca are a dream come true for all ambitious Gravel cyclists: plenty of dirt roads, little tarmac and awe-inspiring scenery everywhere... Starting in Marrakech, our route takes us in 6 stages twice across the mountain range twice, first heading south to the mineral plains between Ouarzazate and Tinghir, then north to the Al habid lake. Each day brings its own variety: we ride through breathtaking canyons, on dirt tracks along rivers and across fords, climb major but unkown cols, discover mineral tablelands, admire high mountain ridges, and meet locals in remote historic villages... there's definitely no monotony on this trip. Ochres, greens and carmine are the colours of this trip, in all their shades. Each pass reveals a new atmosphere, each gorge a new pass or valley. A simply amazing trip with riding at altitudes of between 2,000m and 3,000m a.s.l.!
Welcome at the airport, transfer and accommodation in a hotel or riad.
Transfer from Marrakech to the Ait Badel lake (approx. 1h30). Legs twitching, we mount up and set off on our trek through the High Atlas. We're in the northern foothills of this massif, which crosses the whole country from east to west, with peaks over 4,000 metres high. We are immediately struck by the red colour of the earth and rocks. They contrast elegantly with the green of the junipers and holm oaks. Here and there, small ‘chameleon’ houses with earthen renderings and terraced roofs. As we climb higher, we reach a small pass (‘tizi’ in Berber) which takes us down into the valley of the river Tessaout. Nicknamed ‘the lost valley’, it is renowned for its abundance of red earth. We walk up it until evening, sometimes close to the water, sometimes on a balcony. A steep 4km section gives us a bit of trouble, before a more rolling end to the stage that takes us to our gîte in the heart of the Tessaout valley.
We set off again for our ascent of the Tessaout. After a few kilometres, we make an 8km round trip to visit the village of Megdaz, considered to be one of the most beautiful in Morocco. After around thirty kilometres, the village of Amezri symbolises our farewell to the Tessaout river and the start of the ascent to the Tizi (pass) of Oulaoun. A fairly demanding 8km climb in a magnificent glowing world. At the pass, the view opens out over the great Moroccan south and the Ouarzazate plain. Here we are in the southern foothills of the Atlas Mountains for a few days. We embark on a long descent that takes us to the edge of the El Hajaj wadi. Although dry, its width suggests the torrential rains that can sometimes fall on the massif... The vegetation is lower and sparser. A few camels make their appearance. We reach the oasis and the village of Toundoute with its palm trees and kasbahs. These fortified citadels are little architectural gems. Surrounded by palm trees, they become marvels... Night in a gîte.
Up until the 50th kilometre, we cross the highly panoramic Azaghar Plateau. We're on tracks lost in the middle of nowhere. Atmosphere... From time to time, a nomad who has seen us from afar whistles to us, letting us know that there are indeed inhabitants in the region! After around forty kilometres of no-man's-land, we find life again as we pass through small villages, before reaching the perimeter of the famous ‘valley of the roses’. Roses were originally planted to keep goats away from the plantations, before being used for rosewater and petrol. We head north up the Assif el Oati to the High Atlas. At Amejgag, we cross the gorge of the same name. The atmosphere is worthy of a Western, as we travel through a deep gorge whose vertical walls are home to numerous birds. Shadows alternate with bright sunshine, while the gurgling of the water provides a miraculous coolness in these parts... Magical! We finally emerge from the gorge to find our gite in the small village of Ameskar.
The high-mountain day, with breathtaking scenery (and passes!) all day long. Once again, we're heading for the northern foothills of the Atlas mountains. First we cross the Tizi'n Aït Ahmed pass at an altitude of 3,015 metres before reaching the secret Mgoun valley. This valley is named after a peak that rises to 4,071m, the third highest in the country. The atmosphere is mineral... After passing through a few small villages with their traditional mud houses, we set off to tackle the2nd pass of the day, the Tizi'n Ait imi at an altitude of 2900 metres. This is the gateway to the famous Aït Bougmez valley, nicknamed ‘the happy valley’. We climb up the valley, passing through numerous crops and villages, before reaching the highest point where exceptional accommodation awaits us, perched on a hill overlooking the valley. Overnight in an ecolodge.
Difficult route option:
We leave the Bougmez valley and follow a series of ‘small’ passes from Tizi'n Tirghist to Tizi'n Illisi, following a ridge over 2000m high. The views are breathtaking, but the effort is measured. We cross the Talmest pastures where we stop for a picnic. Then, after a few more kilometres on the road, we join a track on the mountainside with a sumptuous view of the valley ahead. Soon we're in sight of the famous ‘cathedral’, a vertical rock face of astonishing proportions. We follow the track that allows us to contemplate this majestic edifice from every angle before arriving at our gite at the foot of the Assif Ahansal river, night in a gîte.
This morning, we take advantage of our last few laps of the track to get out of the valley and towards the village of Tilouguite. We're now in the Middle Atlas, with its gentler terrain. The final pass of this journey will be more gradual. At the summit, a beautiful view of the Bin el Ouidane lake symbolises the end of our Gravel tour across the Atlas. Our final descent takes us to the banks of the lake, where we load our bikes onto the vehicle and transfer to Marrakech, arriving at the end of the day. Night in a riad or hotel. Dinner on your own.
Itinerary end: End of services after the airport transfer.
Distances and altitude gain are an indication only and may vary.
Make sure to check our France Bike Trips media gallery in order to get a feel for this trip and this destination.
After your trip with us, you also have the opportunity to create your own album with your impressions. We would be happy to do the work for you - all you have to do is send us your photos.
Don't miss new albums in our online gallery with our email notifications! As soon as a new photo or video album is published, you will receive a short e-mail from us. To subscribe, click on "Be notified of new albums" in the media gallery.
This tour has not yet received any reviews.
