MOUTAIN BIKING MOROCCOClimb Toubkal peak

This morning, we pack our gear onto the Land Cruisers and then have a post-breakfast tour of the ksour of Ait Benhaddou. This complex of adobe kasbahs is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is still inhabited by a handful of families. It is surrounded by date palms and rugged mountains and is probably the best-preserved village in the south of Morocco. It made an appearance in the film Gladiator. Afterwards, we set off in our support vehicles to the start of our three-day ride through the remote Jebel Sirwa region. With no hotels and few village lodgings available, we spend the first night under canvas and the second night in a basic village house. In Agouim, we mount our bikes and pedal along a well-maintained dirt path westbound into the heart of the Sirwa. The path we tackle is hilly, with one significant climb up to our wilderness campsite. En route, we pass through some very remote villages and start to get a flavour for the area, although be prepared for constant changes in character and landscape throughout the three days we spend here! After a lunch break, we climb onto an expansive plateau and set up our campsite. With luck, we have clear skies and panoramic views of the craggy mountain peaks of the High Atlas and the dark tabletop peaks of the Sirwa range. We are now at about 2,100 m above sea level, so temperatures can drop below freezing. Wrap up warm for a cold night of wilderness camping. Overnight in tents. Mountain biking: 40 km / 24 mi. Ascent: 1,202 m / 3,944 ft. Descent: 586 m / 1,922 ft.

Those who still feel energetic can make an early start from the village up a gradual 24 km climb. The scenery is wild and volcanic, with some rocky passages as well as some smoother undulating tracks. Those craving a rest can take a transfer in our support vehicle up to the top of the pass, the top of one of Morocco’s best descents down towards the plains of Ouarzazate. From the top of the pass, there is about 35 km of jeep track to our finishing point: that is over 30 km of descent and just one glute-burning 3 km climb after lunch around the village of Tamachocht, an authentic village perched above a fertile valley of cultivated terraces. After our picnic lunch, a quick climb and some more downhill, we transfer out of the Sirwa back to civilisation and the town of Ouarzazate. It is an hour’s drive across strikingly desolate landscapes to our comfortable hotel overlooking the town’s palm groves. Here you can enjoy a hammam, a typical Moroccan steam bath, and a massage (women only) to relax any tired muscles. Overnight in a converted kasbah hotel. Mountain biking: 60 km / 36 mi (+24 km / 15 mi optional ascent). Ascent: 736 m / 2,415 ft. Descent: 1,469 m / 4,820 ft.

After a leisurely start to the day, we have a short transfer to Zagora, the start of today’s ride. There is an easy start with a thrilling 8 km descent on a dirt path that joins the valley of the River Draa, Morocco’s longest river. Today’s ride is nice and varied and not too taxing, with several short climbs and descents as we follow the upper reaches of the river valley. Some of the villages along the way are startling, with abandoned kasbahs. Our overnight stop is around the town of Agdz where, depending on the size of the group, we stay either in a beautifully renovated kasbah just south of Agdz or in a French-run auberge in the palmery. Mountain biking: 40 km / 24 mi. Ascent: 352 m / 1,155 ft. Descent: 609 m / 1,998 ft.

Riding out from our hotel, we continue to explore the Draa Valley as we descend towards the fringes of the Sahara Desert. The Draa Valley is one giant oasis of date palms, fruit trees and vegetables. En route, we explore the passageways and ruined interiors of the extensive Kasbah Tamnougalt, which overlooks the mountain of Jebel Kissane, a backdrop that stays in our view for some time. How far we ride today depends on the group. It is a day of rolling riding through typical villages, with a picnic in the palm groves en route to Zagora, our destination. The full route is long, so the last part of the journey is in 4x4s. Zagora is a regional administrative centre that only dates back to French colonial times. From here, you cycle Sahara-bound for one more day before the dunes take over. Overnight at auberge. Distance variable depending on group preferences.

Today is our desert day (and night). After passing through an ever-changing landscape from the High Atlas to the desert, today we get our first glimpses of dunes. We have around 70 km of paved road and 60 km of track to cover as we head south-west. It is a harsh environment for biking, so we transfer by vehicle as we make our way via Tagounite to Chegaga. It is a landscape of dunes and dry lakes, lost oases and lonely acacia trees, an area frequented by Saharan nomads with their caravans of camels. This is the deep south of Morocco and marks the start of the Sahara Desert, which stretches for a further 1,800 km or so southwards. En route, we may get the chance to ride camels. There is no more powerful symbol of the desert than this extraordinarily adapted animal. In the afternoon, we arrive at the trip’s most southerly point, our desert camp surrounded by dunes and little else. Here our hosts set up camp for us, and we spend the night in nomad tents under the desert sky, enjoying a barbecue meal and a campfire. All day there are opportunities to walk. Overnight in typical nomad tents

Today we have a serious transfer back to Marrakech, as we have travelled a vast distance across Morocco. The drive takes about seven hours, but Marrakech is a real highlight. Once we are settled into our hotel, there is time to wander through the labyrinth of narrow alleys in the ancient Medina, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You might like to visit the Badi and Bahia Palaces, the famous souks (markets), the Marrakech Museum or the Majorelle Botanical Garden, owned by Yves Saint Laurent. Tonight, we explore the main square, Jemaa el-Fna. At night, the square is transformed into a giant open-air restaurant, with men in white coats serving anything from sheep’s head stew to snails in hot sauce. The rest of the square is dedicated to other forms of entertainment, such as snake charmers, storytellers, acrobats and dancers. Later on, we head out for a farewell dinner and get a chance to experience what Marrakech offers in the way of nightlife. Overnight in a comfortable hotel.