Epic Morocco-Mountain-biking Day 4 Part 2

Part 2-

As you can see below, the town we came from is listed in the photo. Sorry, no translation, my Arabic consists of the word thank you. We got ahead of the rest of the group here, so we stoped and took in the landscape. Yes it does change several times again.



This gives a better view of the road sign and where we came from. I believe we were above 7,000 feet elevation.



When we got to the other side, the landscape changed yet again. Very nice.



It looked like this road was recently rebuilt. Soft gravel made for a very wobbly ride down the trail.




We came to a split in the trail. The gravelroad went left and 8 miles of singletrack the other way. Charlie and I took the single track. Thought I would pose on the trail riding on the front wheel. I didn't crash on this one. On our way down we passed several sheep/goat herders. It didn't dawn on me at first but I noticed as we passed the second one, the teenager guiding the animals was packing a rifle. The movie Bable flased back before my eyes. All was well though.



This is a close-up of our guide trying to figure out why the camera didn't take a picture going over an obstacle.



Here is where we stopped for snacks. The single track matched up with the dirt road riders. The trip was really well planned for the experience MTB rider as well as the novice in the skill set.




This was a longer day of riding. Stay tuned for Part 3 of today's riding. More to come.

Epic Morocco MTB Day 4 riding-part-1

Start of Day 4.

The previous night I woke up in the middle of the night and it looked like day. I went outside and saw my own shadow in the moon light. Beautiful. We ate a nice breakfast and set out from the camp in the Shirwa Plateau. Take a look at the change of landscape. It would completly change over the next 30 miles.



The green grasses of the campsite gave way to rock, rock, a few scrub plants and more rock. We also encountered several sheep/goat herds along the way feeding on the random scrub grasses.



The green grasses gave way to rock.



After a long climb most of the morning we decended into this nice village. The crew stopped and waited for the whole group to catch up. The kids of the village quickly spotted us and line the road into town to give us a high five. Soo cool.



A common theme of the trip was a nice break, Moroccan tea break with bread right before a nice climb. This was the road out of the town. Don't worry, we didn't run over the chicken in the middle of the road. Before we left a mule with two kids on the back took off up the hill. A challenge.



We got into the middle of the town and our drivers had gone into the village and got hot tea boiling and some fresh bread. Note the white chunks next to the tea pot. Those are sugar chunks. Two was the magic number to have the sugar still absorb into the water. The stuff was rocket fuel.
-This was one of the favorite spots of my trip. On the way in, we saw a little old lady cutting a field of wheat with a hand cicle. The mule next to her was loaded with wheat. Then saw a nice concrete floor with a threshing rake leaning on the wall. It was like going back in time 300 years. Soo cool to see how bread is made using the basics. Yes the bread was amazing.



The kids (boys) liked to see pictures of themselves on our digital cameras. The girls of the town were seperated from the boys during the day. Must be a cultural thing. It reminded me of my time in Nicaragua doing hurricane relief work with SPRINT (Seattle Pacific University-outreach).



Looking back at the town. The earthen clay/straw structures were starting to seem common and normal. If construction worked 2000 years ago, it will certainly work now.



I got the wierdest look when I passed these boys on a mule. So if 1 horse can generate 1 horse power and estimate a donkey can generate 1/2, then a mule must generate 3/4 horse power? Since I passed the mule, how much power does that get me?



As we left the city, the landscape changed again to what seemed like lava rock. Looked like Kona Hawaii lava fields. But this was in the middle of the Atlas Mountains Morocco.



Another 30 mintue ride and we were into another landscape. Made for some really neat riding conditions.



Not long we were back into a barren landscape. Really neat area.



Here is a neat panorama of the area where we road. Gives you a better perspective of the terrain.



I looked on Bike Hikes website and saw this tour is running again right now. Hope the group had as much fun as I did.

Epic Morocco-Atlas Mountains Day 2-Part2

Hi Guys,

Ok, after we toured the Ait-Ben place, we got to do more MTB. By the time the Vehicles dropped us off, the bike mechanic already had all the bikes ready for action, waiting for us to fill a water bottle and ride away. This tour gig is pretty sweet. Keep in mind, these pictures hardly do this place justice.




It had snowed in the mountains the night before so the Atlas were nicely snow capped. Another one of Epic Morocco's tours was attempting to reach the highest summit in North Africa and apparently got quite a snow dump. We got to enjoy 80 degrees and beautiful weather.



The ride started out on a dirt off track road. We never saw a vehicle on this one and rode up a really nice valley.



Here is a picture of the bike, a quiet village, and wonderful backdrop.



Of course what is a photo op without a group picture :). Actually someone got the first flat so the group decided it was time for a nature stop.



At this junction and I took the singletrack version with a couple others. I first followed the guide and rolled this drop and stayed upright somehow. Charlie got flat so I had to clear this jump and try to get a neat picture while at it. I cleared the gap landed, but decided it would make a better story if my bars turned sideways and I did several rolls. But I cleared the gap!



A few of us rode on ahead and were told to stop at the half built house that was pinkish tan in color in the village ahead. The rest of the trip, nearly every village had a 1/2 built house with a pinkish/tanish color. This was the turn.



Here is the guide Charlie and Andy making it up the long hill to the town with the 1/2 built pinkish/tanish house.



Weird story. We were 5 miles from nowhere when we saw this random guy with 1/2 a sandal on his feet walking next to the road. We tried to communicate in French and Arabic greeting (equivalent of hello) and didn't get a response. He pointed at his ears and make the slashing sound at his throat. He was deaf. We waved smiled and wished him well. On his head he was wearing a Dulci and Gurvana (sp?) super fancy hat.



We took a break at that the town and 2 of us decided to ride up the next 4~5 miles grind while a couple wanted to hike and several wanted to ride 1/2 way and hike the rest. This tour was really flexible that way. The ride was worth it and got to see the camp set up in the Shirwa Pleateau. Look at the terrain here. Completely different than several pictures previous. Only 5~6 miles difference and completely different landscape. Really Cool.



We had a neat gift of a bright moon this night. Pretty neat.



While we were sitting around a fire random nomadic herdsman were moving their flocks and herds around. Kind of weird being near no water source, these people came out of nowhere near dark to check on their animals.



Then the moon became really bright over our camp. In the middle of the night you could cast a shadow when you stood up.



A night fire to warm us up. There was frost forming, but we were way up in elevation.



This ended our second day of biking. Several flat tires and a wonderful evening of camping. So far, this tour blew my expectation of Morocco away. Totally different. We were way remote in super small villages. Really neat personal non-motor-coach feel to the tour. Hope you enjoy the blog!

Epic Morocco-Day2 ait benhaddou

I am back from San Diego now. I finally have gone through my Morocco photos so I should be able to put more on the blog day by day. For now, here is the morning of Day 2 in the Atlas Mountains.

I have added a link to Epic Morocco who put on this wonderful journey. Charlie really gets lets you experience a true cultural experience of the Tribal people of the Moroccan Atlas mountains.

A departing shot of our hotel from night one in the Atlas Mountains. It is amazing how nice theses hotels are inside. Don't let the outside facade fool you.




A nice panorama of the city.




From the city streets, here a more of the city.





A wonderful panorama of the entrance to Ait Benhaddou.




A typical city street. Takes you back several hundred years.




A view of the city below from a crack in the walls.




Here is a neat structure on top of the mountain.




A group shot. The last shower for several days. Though it is so dry, you hardly sweat anyway.




Here is another one of my favoirte pictures.




A neat picture of a man walking into the town




Here is a picture of me with ait benhaddou behind me





Below is a picture of a donkey carrying tommorows bread.