Client reviews

MTB Tour Morocco 2019 "the Long Way Down" by Charlie Coffen

Dear Steven,

I’d like to share my notes on our recent experience with Heike on Trans Morocco "the long way down". Feel free to post some or all on your website.

Summary – this is the 3rd trip I’ve done with Trans Atlas Bike, and like the prior two, a very special experience.

I would differentiate this experience as a “journey” rather than a “trip”. We rode south from Marrakech purposefully to our goal, Chegaga and the sand dunes of the Sahara. We crossed the Atlas and Saghro mountains to get there – a distance of 550 kilometers with climbs and descents totally 7000+ meters during seven, full day rides.  

This journey is the masterpiece of our expert Dutch guide, Heike Vanderwoerd and the licensed Moroccan mountain guide Said Hachem, who have been exploring the mountains and oases of Morocco for decades. No two rides during our journey were similar and each ride had its unique pleasures and challenges. The day’s stage served two purposes; (1) to progress to the next accommodation, and (2) to provide a unique perspective on a particular landscape, ecosystem and culture.  

Our journey started in the High Atlas and brought us from the snowy mountain passes to the shifting sand dunes of the Sahara. Along the way, the tinted landscapes and skin tones of mountains and people changed as we shifted through the different geological and ethnic histories of Morocco. Here is how I recall each day:

Day 0 – We arrive midafternoon in Marrakech. There is time before the evening briefing at dinner to visit the city center, but we choose to relax at the hotel and re-arrange our gear. At the dinner / briefing, we meet the other participants – it’s a small group and it doesn’t take long before we are all joking and laughing. There are a few serious moments during the briefing while Heike outlines the itinerary and his expectations of each of us. It’s clear that he expects each of us to ride responsibly and to stay within our abilities, especially on the downhills. A few more laughs and back to our rooms for an early evening.

Day 1 – Breakfast is at o’dark thirty. It’s cold in Marrakech and wet outside. We load up luggage and bikes in the 4x4 and head for the mountains. During the drive, we see blue skies off in the distance, but at times it’s raining pretty hard and the windshield wipers struggle to keep up. Heike is sitting in the front seat with his ski hat on. We arrive at a reservoir, cross the damn and climb a bit more with the car before finding Said with the Land Rover and our bikes. We have an hour to fit out the bikes with our preferred saddles and transfer luggage to the Land Rover. Said will guide us for most of the week. According to Garmin, we start pedaling at 9:47 local time. The journey commences with a 500 meter climb, and we get rained on a bit. I’m just thankful it’s not 35 deg C and sunny as was the last time I was in this neighborhood. By the top of the climb we are above the snow line and the clouds are breaking up. The scenery is magnificent – spring green vegetation in contrast to the red rocks, soils and mud. The earth walled villages blend in with the landscape and their kids chase us up the hill, easily pacing us and laughing all the way. What could be more comical to them than a bunch of pink men in spandex sweating their way up hill on bicycles in the rain? There is a descent, lunch, and another big climb with snowcapped mountain views before we arrive at our gîte for the evening. It’s comfortable, if not rustic. We clean-up for dinner. Everyone wears warm gear and hats at the dinner table. It’s 5 deg C in the room the next morning, colder outside. There is not a cloud to be seen and the skies are crystal clear blue.

Day 2 – We need to be up early for a 9:00 departure. But Heike doesn’t tolerate lateness and we are all on the bike and pedaling at 8:52 (according to Garmin). 10 minutes later, I pass Heike picking himself up out of the mud. It seems even a pro can come off the bike. We have a good laugh. At a bifurcation in the route, Heike informs us that the plans have changed back to the original design. Despite the rains, the “scenic” route has been scouted and is deemed passable by Said, our local mountain guide. We climb up a valley crossing a stream repeatedly. I have the feeling my shoes will be wet until I reach the Sahara, but the scenery is incredible, the grade is mild and we are all having fun. This IS mountain biking! We leave the valley and head off to the next big climb up to 2800 meters with a stop for lunch along the way. We admire a high altitude football match along the way and then carry on to the pass. The descent alternates between thrilling and terrifying, but this is only a taste of what is to come. We are through the humid part of the Atlas and now head towards the southern and decidedly drier side. We encounter no more puddles and the only green colors we see are due to irrigation or copper minerals in the rock. We arrive at the bottom flat and cycle the road for some distance to the next lodging. It’s warm enough that we take our tea in the shade. The hats, gloves, jackets and leggings are stowed for the rest of the trip.

Day 3 – For today’s ride, we can all relax a bit. We start out with a few kilometers on the road and then head up a scenic river bed with a derelict Kasbah framed in by the sides of the gorge and the snowcapped mountains behind. The valley opens up and we head right up a dry riverbed. It’s flat, but bumpy and the tempo drops a bit. We climb out of the river bed and there is a short climb to the top of a plateau. It’s playtime now with 30 kilometers of rolling flats along the plateau and snowy mountains off on the left. We spin out on the short climbs and scream down the short descents. A bike without brakes would be fine here. Said calls for an early lunch out on the plateau – absolutely beautiful views. For the first time now, we are totally alone. This will become the norm over the coming days. A short ride later, we are back in the populated valley of Bou Tharar. It feels luxuriously green after the morning ride on the dry plateau.

Day 4 – We start out with a short climb and descent into the wastelands between the Atlas and the Saghro. We pedal some pavement and stop for coffee in Kalaat m’Gouna. The spoon stands up in my café au lait and I wonder to myself why anyone would stand in line for Starbucks when there is coffee like this to be had? It’s been a light ride so far, but the going gets decidedly rougher as we head towards the Saghro (or Mordor, as we refer to the sun blasted rocks littering the Martian landscape). It’s hot now. As we turn a bend, I see Said waving us down a small stream where we find a hidden paradise of lush green trees and reeds. It’s time for lunch and the frogs serenade our meal. After, there is toilsome climb through a decidedly rugged and dry landscape. We are rewarded with a final descent to the next lodging – a small gîte in a valley whose primary feature is a pink mosque, totally isolated from any other structure or sign of human presence. After tea, we unload the Land Rover and settle in for the evening. Our solitary existence is shattered by the arrival of an Austrian group, also on mountain bikes. We don’t know what to make of each other as each group is surprised to find the existence of other tourists in this remote place. Before long, we are trading stories and sharing experiences. Their experience seems less positive than ours. They’ve had a few unexpected changes in routing and despite having brand new rental bikes, they are minus a bike (on the roof of their car) and looking fatigued, even if they are 20 - 30 years younger than our group. This exchange reminds me to be appreciative of Heike’s daily bike inspection where he corrects small defects, adjusts tire pressure and ensures a trouble free next ride. 

Day 5 – We say goodbye to our Austrian friends and then head out about 30-45 minutes after them. It’s a nice climb out of the valley which sets us up for some more rolling flats along another desolate plateau. Before lunch, we steer past the Austrians who are having a water break. It seems that they follow the sag wagon instead of having the sag wagon behind at a discreet distance as is the case for us. Personally, I’d rather not be riding in the dust trail of a 4x4 and am again thankful for our trip’s organization. We stop for lunch with stunning views over sheer landscapes. There is a short briefing after lunch – we are going to descend about 1000 meters at one go. There is a sheer drop off the right side and we are advised to maintain speed control. After the descent, there is a flat following the river out of the canyon and eventually we regain the road into the palm oases of the Oued Draa River. We ride on into the oasis until we come to our hotel – decadent luxury compared to the gîte in the Saghro. It’s an 18th century Kasbah complete with rooftop dining overlooking the village and valley. Believe it or not, there is even an in-ground swimming pool! We appreciate the private bathrooms and our first couscous of the week for dinner.

Day 6 – The wake-up is one hour earlier today for the ride that each of us has had in the back of our minds since the briefing back in Marrakech. This is going to be the longest day and the chief obstacle will be the wind. For the first time, we have breakfast in silence without any joking or kidding around. Every morsel of food is consumed in a bid for energy. We sadly say goodbye to Said Hachem the guide & Said the cook. The fellowship of the road has been broken.  

We say hello to Rashid, our new driver and instantly take a liking to his cheerful demeanor and brand new 4x4. At 8:02 we are pedaling across the oasis where we encounter local inhabitants going about their morning business. There is the ruin of a sprawling and ancient Kasbah hidden in the palms and we stop to admire the towers and take a few pictures. One could spend an interesting day wandering around these abandoned ruins that stretch out over several acres and contain stories that span hundreds of years. We leave the heart of the oasis and pedal on the road which surprises us with a few sharp uphill stints that cause our knees to sting. We come out onto the flat and the wind greets us. Heike organizes us into a half chevron spanning the width of the road and we attack with the strongest riders up front. We destroy the 60 km distance to lunch averaging 25 km/hr with long stretches at 30 km/hr. We roll into Zagora like a conquering cavalry brigade about an hour ahead of schedule. Our efforts are rewarded with a 3 hour break at a luxury hotel. We have a swim in the pool and enjoy the “best ever” lemon – chicken tagine in the palm tree shaded garden.  

We attack the next 65 km with a combination of determination and anxiety. It’s a straight dirt road with full head wind. Heike arranges us into a tight phalanx formation, again the strongest riders up front. We stop for a camel crossing photo opportunity (camel cam) and then resume the charge against the wind until we reach the shelter offered by a line of mountains on the other side of this desolate plain. There is a 100 meter climb to get off the plain and my right knee tells me that it’s about done for the week with pedaling uphill. The downhill is again into the wind, but we maintain good speed riding single file to our evening accommodation. We are tired, but it’s been a team effort and I thank the guys who gave me a wheel to hang onto all day. I’d still be out on that road without them.

Day 7 – We have agreed the night before to get up early in order to ride 65 km through the desert to the oasis before lunch. But it appears that we are a bit over-confident from yesterday’s success. There are stretches of soft sand that requires pushing the bike, followed by some butt busting washboard and wrist breaking roughly flat terrain paved with fist sized sharp rocks. It’s well after 1pm before we reach the oasis for lunch and we are physically and mentally spent. But we are only 15 km from the journey’s end and it doesn’t take long before we are joking around and making pictures in an abandoned 4x4 – the Trans Atlas version of desert support, LOL. The last 15 km go by too quickly and we soon find ourselves on the desert dunes doorstep, Chegaga. The dunes swelling back to the horizon line are stunning.  

We congratulate each other in a rather muted manner. The riding is over now and we are all experiencing a sense of loss. Thoughts of our normal existence start to creep in now that the single minded pursuit of the journey has been achieved.

The accommodation feels like a repurposed Hollywood movie set – bivouacs enclosing a courtyard covered with dusty carpets and shaded by awnings. There are tables, chairs, divans, and dust saturated cushions arranged about and we find a shady spot for our celebratory tea. Despite our exhaustion, we see some snow boards leaning against a wall, and it’s off to the dunes to test our “sand-boarding” skills. Later in the afternoon we all pile into a local 4x4 like sardines in a can and head off to the biggest dune for the sunset spectacle. The driver gives us his best Dakar Rally experience and we are airborne during various parts of the ride. After watching the sunset and playing around with the “sand boards” again, we pile back into the 4x4 for a more sober return trip to our accommodation. Dinner is followed by a campfire where we are treated to traditional nomadic chanting and drumming. We are all exhausted and head off to bed while our Berber hosts continue to make music long after we are all asleep.

Epilogue – We are in the car by 8:30 headed back to Marrakech. Our assumption was that we’d head east for an hour to M’hamid and then north on the paved highway. But it’s pretty clear that we are heading north and west. Rashid has another plan and its 3 hours of off-roading through dunes, dry mud flats and stony jeep roads to Foum-Zguid. The scenery is again new and interesting, and we appreciate the fact that we are not back tracking our journey. But by the end of the 3 hours, we all agree our butts were more comfortable on the bike saddles than the car seats. We all cheer when we hit pavement. We take a break at Foum-Zguid, stop for lunch later on for one last lemon chicken tagine, and then climb the pass of the high Atlas on the main ”almost paved” road to Marrakech. We get one last treat as Rashid colorfully navigates the city center traffic to drop the bikes off across town from our hotel. Now our journey is truly complete. We cannot help but feeling out of place in a busy city with all the amenities of unlimited electricity, connectivity and running water. The only thing left to do is head to the Sky rooftop bar where we celebrate with a few buckets of ice cold Casablanca beer. Tomorrow morning we will all go our separate ways, and its hard parting company with my new family. What goes on the road stays on the road.

Some thoughts – this Trans Atlas Bike adventure is considered the most strenuous and has a rating of 5 stars for physical effort. I agree that the ride is demanding, but I’d seriously recommend it for anyone who is “bike fit” and looking for a uniquely physical and emotional adventure. There is no one particular day that would cause someone to require a lift from the sag wagon due to lack of fitness. The rides varied between 4:15 – 6:30 hours of pedaling and 6:30 – 10:00 hours elapsed time from one accommodation to another (including stops). So the key physical requirement is the ability to sit on a bike and keep the wheels turning for the prescribed amount of time.  

The most challenging aspect is to do these 7 full days in a row. Riders used to going hard for fame on Strava and riding through their pain on a long one day or weekend ride will be dismayed to find out that their Strava followers can’t help them when the saddle burns a hole in your bum or your knee ache becomes a full blown tendonitis. Likewise, the journey requires a consistent mental concentration – forgetting to put suntan lotion on would be a disaster, keeping your equipment organized so that you are ready to go every morning takes some effort, and riding prudently while maintaining situational awareness at all times ensures one’s safety. A positive attitude and a certain amount of humility are more important assets than Olympic prowess on the bike.

My personal goal was to finish – and I accomplished this by following Heike’s clear instructions and riding within my limits plus margin. One of the riders was in his mid-60s and he was truly awesome. He wasn’t first to finish any stage, but no one minded the 5 – 10 minutes pause on top of the big climbs until he could catch us up. My teenaged son also participated and with a minimum of bike training – he got himself enough time in the saddle beforehand to be comfortable pedaling all day. And as he was fit from other sports, he could lead the climbs or stay behind and give me a wheel as his whims dictated.  

During my 3 experiences with Trans Atlas Bikes, I can say that all the trips are well organized and expertly guided. The food is good and designed for riding – lots of carbs, salt and liquid. One cannot understate the importance of meals – sitting at the table is the 3rd largest block of time during the trip after pedaling and sleeping. Heike’s role as the mealtime host ensured that the dining norms were understood and he guided the banter to be light-hearted and inclusive. Hence mealtime was a positive and bonding experience.  

The accommodations are appropriate to the location. There are no 5 star hotels in the Saghro, but all the gîte hosts are happy to greet you and offer the best that can be managed in that environment.  

Lastly, we got a firsthand comparison on day 4 and I know I was happy to be with the Trans Atlas group.

Thanks again for a great week!

Cheers,

Charlie