Morocco
Apr 3–10, 2027 · 7 days
Apr 3–10, 2027
7 days
Up to 14 participants
Gravel Cycling
The challenge
The road climbs. The air thins. You're crossing the Tizi n'Tichka Pass in the High Atlas, and the whole of…
Read the full brief
The road climbs. The air thins. You're crossing the Tizi n'Tichka Pass in the High Atlas, and the whole of Morocco seems to open up below you. This is where we start.
I'm Sean Conway. I've swum, cycled and run the length of Britain, and I love stacking hard days one on top of the next. That's what this is. Seven days on gravel, from Marrakech down toward the Sahara. We ride through the valley of a thousand kasbahs. We climb to a high plateau with views of Mount M'Goun. We roll through old caravan routes that once linked Africa to Marrakech.
Some days are long. On the volcanic ride you'll climb over 1,200 metres, all off-road, with the High Atlas behind you and the desert ahead. Then you'll drop through dry riverbeds into the Roses Valley. You'll meet Amazigh nomads who still live in caves and goat-hair tents. You'll stop to make tea with a Berber family. This is hard. That's the point.
You won't be alone. You'll join a team, with a cycling guide, a support crew and a chef who feeds you well. The Ultra group pushes on to the golden dunes of Erg Lihoudi, with sandboarding, a Berber dinner and live music by the fire.
Then the sky. You lie back at camp and the whole Sahara is stars, more than you thought could fit up there. The bikes rest. The fire crackles low. And you just breathe.
Apply to join
We read every application. Small group — and I want to get the group right. If this sounds like you, apply below.
Day-by-Day
Day 1
You land at Marrakech Menara Airport. We move you to the hotel, then let you rest. If time allows, we walk the old Medina together. You'll see the souks, the palaces, the loud squares. Back at base, we set up the bikes and meet the crew. Marrakech hums around you as day one settles in.
Day 2
Day two, we leave Marrakech and ride 50 to 70 km to Ouarzazate. We cross the High Atlas over the Tizi n'Tichka Pass, then roll through the Ounila Valley to Ait Ben Haddou. First, a bike fit and safety chat. Then a warm-up along an old caravan route, with the Noor solar plant shining below.
Day 3
Day 3 starts early. We transfer to Toundout Village, then ride 60 to 75 km through canyons and dry riverbeds. We climb 860 m to a high plateau. You'll see Mount M'Goun, Morocco's second-highest peak. We visit Amazigh nomads still living in caves. Then we drop 1,060 m into the Roses Valley. Dust, stone, and colour all the way.
Day 4
Today we go fully off-road. It runs 60 to 75 km through an old volcanic caravan range. We climb 1,230 m and drop 1,580 m. This is hard work. Look back at the High Atlas, then ahead to the Sahara. We pass nomads in goat-hair tents, then ride into Nkoub, the town of many kasbahs.
Day 5
Day 5 is our gentle one. We ride through Nkoub, the Valley of a Thousand Kasbahs, past acacia trees and green oases. Core group rides 50 to 75 km; extended does 25 to 30. We climb 520 m and drop 840 m. We stop to make tea with a Berber family. Sweet mint, warm hands, quiet desert.
Day 6
Day 6 splits two ways. If you're in the Core group, you leave Ouarzazate and ride the van back through the Tizi n'Tichka Pass to Marrakech, about 3.5 hours. If you're Ultra, you cycle 50 to 60 km to Tamgroute, then push through sand to Erg Lihoudi. Sleep under Sahara stars.
Day 7
You wake to sunrise over the dunes of Erg Lihoudi. After breakfast we ride back to Ouarzazate through the Draa Valley, about 20 to 25 km past palm groves and old kasbahs. Then a guided tour of Atlas Studios, where they filmed Gladiator. We close with a farewell dinner. The desert still on your skin.
Day 8
Day 8 is the last one. After breakfast, you'll grab your bags. Then a private transfer takes you from Ouarzazate to Marrakech Airport. The tour ends here. The dunes are behind you now. Your legs remember every climb, every mile of gravel. The desert sky stays with you long after you fly home.