Went from Marrakesh to Ouarzazate yesterday right across the high Atlas. The top passes were over 2000m it was quite some ride! In some places it resembled the Alps or Pyrennees not like Africa at all.
At the very top I was above the snow line and the road had been dug up and was just rough rock and gravel, good job I was on the trail bike.
The variation in terrain is astonishing. At one moment it is possible to see desert and snow simultaneously. On the Northern side of the range there were frequent petrol stations but then nothing for 80 miles! I knew I was cutting it fine, and to run out would have been a big problem, so I coasted down the slopes to conserve fuel. It worked and I got to my destination ok.
The sat nav took me directly to the Riad where I'm staying. I have gone from 5 star luxury in Marrakesh to a bit of a back packers pad here. The central courtyard is full of animals! There are bids in cages, tortoises, Terrapins, a large lizard, and a cute kitten. (Always get a picture of a kitten it improves the number of hits on the blog!)
The people here are Bergers (not Arabs) and are famous for their friendliness a nd hospitality. The guy who owns the Riad is French so I can understand his accent better than the French spoken by the locals. He told me that there were big sandstorms in the night with the very strong winds. They may continue today so going to check out more local stuff.
I'm glad not to have been riding through the mountains in gale force winds! I have not blogged for a couple of days as the Internet was too slow and I could not upload pictures.
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