Trails · 9 min read
Cycling the Ourika Valley
Forty minutes from Marrakech, a river road climbs into the High Atlas past villages nobody photographs. It is the gentlest introduction to Atlas riding — with one hazard the brochures never mention.
The journal
Riding in Morocco, explained by the people who guide it
No listicles and no borrowed research. These are the answers we give on the phone, written down, thirty years of riding these valleys, including the parts that are inconvenient to admit.
Practical · 8 min
What a Morocco bike tour actually costs
Most Morocco tour operators publish no prices at all. Here is the whole picture. The tour price, the four extras that are never in it, and what a week actually costs you door to door.
Guides · 8 min
e-Bike or mountain bike for the Atlas?
The Atlas is a range of long climbs and short descents. That single fact decides this question for most people — and not always in the direction they expect.
Practical · 9 min
Is Morocco safe for cycling?
Morocco is one of the safer countries you can ride in, and the risks are not the ones people worry about. Here is what actually goes wrong, and what we do about it.
Culture · 8 min
Staying in a Berber gîte: what to expect
The accommodation is the thing riders are most uncertain about and least willing to ask. So here is the unvarnished version — including the parts that are genuinely basic.
Guides · 8 min
Riding the Atlas on a Marrakech city break
Most people come to Marrakech for the medina and never realise there is a 4,000m mountain range an hour away. One riding day changes the whole trip.
Practical · 8 min
Flying with your bike to Morocco
Bringing your own bike is usually worth it if you own something you are attached to. Here is what it costs, how to pack it, and the one thing that catches people out at Marrakech airport.
Culture · 7 min
Cycling in Morocco during Ramadan
Ramadan falls right at the start of the spring riding season. Almost nothing about the riding changes — but a few things about the days around it do, and it helps to know which.
Trails · 8 min
Gravel cycling in Morocco
Morocco has thousands of kilometres of unpaved piste that was built for vehicles and is now used by almost nobody. That is the definition of a gravel destination.
Practical · 8 min
How fit do you need to be?
The honest answer is less than you fear, but in a different way than you expect. It is not one hard day that catches people out. It is the fourth one.
Culture · 9 min
The villages you ride through
You will ride through a dozen villages a day and it is easy to see them as scenery. They are not. Here is what you are actually looking at.
Practical · 7 min
The best time for mountain biking in Morocco
March to May and September to November are the honest answer. But the range is big enough that there is good riding in every month if you know where to go — and two months you should genuinely avoid.
Trails · 9 min
The best MTB trails in the Atlas Mountains
Seven trails we would fly for, named properly, with what makes each one worth the climb. No trail centre, no signage, no crowds. These are working mule paths that happen to descend brilliantly.
Practical · 6 min
What to pack for a Morocco bike tour
The support vehicle carries your bag, so you can pack properly rather than travel light. Here is what actually matters — and the four things people forget every single trip.
Come and ride the High Atlas
Tell us when you are coming and how you like to ride. We will build something around it and tell you honestly whether it suits you.
Or call +212 653 93 6003