Some customers, who loved our raid “What if we went to see the sea?” asked us for a proposal for a 6-day raid in the Atlas. It was their first experience off-road after more than 20 years of road motorcycling. Although they are very good at it, their level in enduro does not allow them to go everywhere, nor to do stages more than 150 km. In preparation for the future trip of their dreams, Martine, our friend Philippe and I went to explore the tracks of the Amazigh country in “reconnaissance” mode.
Martine on the mechanical goat, me on a Husky and Philippe in our faithful Pajero.
We leave the Ourika region heading east. From the start we are embarked on magnificent hillside tracks in a green nature at the end of winter. The route is relatively easy, however dotted with a few more “Enduro” sections to remind us of our favorite discipline. A little tar from time to time allows us to rest and better admire the landscapes. At midday we meet our friend Philippe who, because of Ramadan, struggled to find us a picnic in these remote regions. But he managed like a boss and it is full and invigorated that we take the track again. Suddenly the scenery changes completely and we find ourselves in a red earth cream cake. It is just superb! At the end of the day we arrive at a beautiful guest house where we will dine and spend a restful night.
The route for the next 2 days is, originally, the one that Martine and I took 6 years ago during a previous adventure. However, I had to modify it somewhat to try to avoid the tarmac which has progressed considerably since then.
So here we are on the trail towards the Happy Valley. Just for its name it is unmissable. But not only that! And the trails that lead there are also worth it. Once again we are amazed by the beauty of nature sublimated by this beginning of spring and the diversity of landscapes that subtly transport us from one country, from one continent to another.
Just like yesterday, the tracks do not present any particular difficulty and are interspersed with pieces of tar ranging from a few meters to 10 km. In total we are 75% off road and 25% tar, but on small winding roads in an enchanting environment, which does not spoil the pleasure.
Twice we will be joined by our friend Philippe who takes great care of us. The end of the day is approaching and we are approaching our goal where we will arrive at the same time as our assistance.
We are in the happy valley, the aptly named. But now we have to get out 😉 The exit door is at an altitude of 3000 m, so we will have to climb a little. Due to evolution, what was a track 6 years ago is now tarmac, but once again… it is so beautiful!
Great, once we reach the top the tarmac stops and we start the descent on a large and beautiful track that takes us into another magnificent valley. The track quickly becomes tarmac again and it will be like this until the next exit gate at 3006 m altitude where we pick up an old track that makes us do a loop on the summits where we are literally torn from our motorcycles by a violent and cold wind. No wonder almost no vegetation can withstand these conditions 😉.
Back down into the next valley we are joined by our valiant Philippe and some children from the village for our midday snack.
Amazed by the beauty of the sites crossed but a little disappointed by the amount of tarmac encountered, we take the road again for the second part of the day. At a certain point, by chance, I see a track that goes off to the left and say to Martine, let's go, we'll see where it takes us. We did well. After a few km of very beautiful tracks we fell into the heart of dizzying gorges which also brought us back to our original track. Great discovery! Then comes the valley of roses, very beautiful but tarmacked. We finally arrive at our guesthouse where we meet a very friendly and impressive lady whose house is perfectly charming. A delicious meal and a good night's sleep await us.
In the end, more tarmac than track, but we were amazed!
In the morning, while preparing the meeting place with Philippe, our assistance, I realized that there was no road in the region we were going to travel. Although he was driving our valiant Pajero, I did not want to inflict hours and hours of tracks on him that were probably not always in good condition at the end of winter. So we decided to transform the stage into a “Marathon” stage without assistance! It was armed with a reserve of fuel, good sandwiches and a little water that we took to the track.
The beginning was more or less usual with the crossing of some picturesque villages where time may have advanced, but certainly not at the same speed as at home, to then cross high plateaus offering magnificent views of the region. Then slowly, once again, the scenery changes and we find ourselves in a mountainous area as far as the eye can see where the colors change from red to black as if to dazzle us. We ride on these tracks for km and km without meeting a living soul, when suddenly, at the crossroads of two paths, an old lady stops us to try to sell us scarves and other artisanal jewelry. After a tough negotiation, a few photos and a last bribe for a new tooth, here we are again on our mounts with scarves in the wind.
It is a few km further, lost in the immensity of this majestic setting, that we enjoy our picnic. The afternoon was of the same ilk. Mountains and tracks as far as the eye can see, a motorbike, the sun and my Love, what else?
At the end of the day we arrive at our hotel where our friend Philippe was able to enjoy the sun by the pool for almost the whole day, the good life.
And here it is, already the last day knocking at the door. Reconnaissance obliges, this morning we make a small detour to visit another accommodation. It was a good move! What we had was good, but what our customers will have will be great. For this last day we cross a large plain, so I feared a monotonous route. I will quickly be reassured, because despite the lack of elevation, the landscapes are very beautiful and impressive with the Atlas in the background. To try to avoid a stretch of road, I decided to improvise. At first everything went very well, until the moment we met an Italian organization that was doing a trail tour in the region and who told us that the area we plan to cross is a prohibited military zone. To avoid it, while avoiding the road, we found ourselves in “gardening” mode where I largely took Martine out of her comfort zone. So it was a little exhausted that we joined our friend Philippe, for once, in town.
On the way to our last stop we come across large signs “No crossing - Shooting zone” all a bit dilapidated. Not too reassured, we ask a local who tells us that there are often motorbikes that pass by, but that he never sees them come back!
It was with our buttocks a little clenched that we set off, only to end up not seeing anything in particular. For the end of our journey, I told Martine that I would take her to the road to our hotel and that I would do a final loop in recon mode which seemed a little complicated to me. Unfortunately, I missed the road and dragged Martine into my mess. It was very beautiful, but indeed a little complicated…
Arriving at the hotel, I loaded the motorcycles onto the trailer, the return to Essaouira being done by car.
After these 5 magnificent days, all three of us enjoyed a delicious aperitif in an enchanting setting.
A big thank you and congratulations to Philippe who supported us like a boss and whose company is always a pleasure.
And what about Martine? It's just wonderful to have a wife, a friend, an accomplice, a love like her who participates in all my little follies and who also rides her motorbike better and better. Pure happiness!
As the song says: That's it, it's over... That's it for today, but with this new reco we have something to offer you new adventures.
A little different from what we usually offer, this circuit is more reserved for lovers of discovery, walking, beautiful landscapes, easy motorcycling.
The days are not too long, the course is magnificent and not too technical, so we think it is open to a wider audience.
The next lineup "enduro in the Atlas" is in early October and there are still places available, so you know what you have to do… Click HERE
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