Atlas Mountains Bike Tours

The trails here were not built for bikes, and that is exactly why they work. For centuries the only way to move goods between Atlas villages was by mule, so a network of paths was cut along the contours — graded gently enough for a loaded animal, wide enough for one, and running continuously from valley to valley. They descend beautifully.

The range gives you altitude without expedition logistics. You can be at 2,300m on the Tizi n'Tamatert within two hours of leaving your riad, and back in Marrakech for dinner. Very few mountain ranges of this size sit so close to an international airport.

The terrain changes fast. The Imlil and Azzaden valleys are green and terraced with walnut and cherry; the Kik Plateau is high, open and fast; the country west of Amizmiz is dry, rocky and technical. A week here rides like several different trips.

March to May and September to November are the good months. Spring gives you green valleys, water in the rivers and snow still lying on the high peaks. Autumn is drier, the trails are faster and the light is better for photographs.

June and September are rideable but hot in the low valleys — we start earlier and use the higher routes. July and August we generally avoid for multi-day trips, though day rides at altitude still work.

Winter is underrated. Between December and February the valleys below 1,800m are pleasant to ride in, cold and clear, with snow on the tops as a backdrop rather than a problem.

A typical multi-day tour rides 30 to 40km with 800 to 1,200m of climbing, taking four to six hours including stops. That is a moderate distance by road standards and a significant one off-road, especially with consecutive days.

You ride with a light pack. The 4x4 carries bags, spares, water and lunch, meets you where the road crosses the route, and is available if you have had enough for the day. Nobody thinks less of a rider who takes the vehicle up a climb.

Nights are in village gîtes — family homes that take guests, with simple twin rooms, hot showers and the best food on the trip. They are not hotels, and that is the point.