mountain bike Morocco
DIRT MERCHANT
DEtails:
2024 DATES: October 13-20, 2024 (SOLD OUT) | October 20-27 (Geoff Gulevich Camp)
2025 DATES: April 27-May 4, 2025 (SOLD OUT) | October 12-19, 2025 | October 19-26, 2025
Duration: 7 Nights, 8 Days
Joining In: Marrakech, Morocco
Land Cost: $2550 USD/person | Currency Conversion
Single room supplement: $450 USD
Activity Level: Intermediate+ | more info »
We have been in love with Morocco since our first trip 20 years ago, it is simply one of the best destination on the planet for an adventure mountain bike holiday. Our mountain bike guides and support team are truly the best in the country with 30 years of mountain bike experience. That’s right, our team are pioneers of mountain biking in Morocco!
We begin this adventure in Marrakech, the stunning 1000 year-old ochre-colored city with a vibrant street life and chaos of cultures with a European flavour. Then it’s off to the highest mountain range in North Africa, the Atlas and their rugged, prehistoric, flat-topped peaks laced with dirt roads and trails still used by the nomadic Berbers. For six days we’ll ride with help of shuttles across special regions that see very few tourists and experience authentic Morocco on desert singletrack and dirt roads, over passes that link small villages. At night we’ll sip mint tea and stare up at the blanket of stars in the desert sky. The accommodation, cuisine, guides and culture on this trip are world-class!
Looking for another trip in this region? Check out our Morocco mountain bike camp.
Photo: Leslie Kehmeier.
Trip Highlights:
- Rolling into a remote Berber town that looks as if time has stood still for a milenia, knowing that very few tourists have been before.
- Hearing the evening call to prayer projected from a nearby minaret as you sip a cold beer while snacking on tasty olives with friends.
- Exploring Marrakech’s dizzying Jemaa el-Fnaa square as the sun sets, with its merchants, entertainers and hawkers.
- Heading out of the city towards the impressive Atlas Mountains with bikes on the roof of trucks. Let the adventure begin!
- Being warmly greeted by happy and welcoming Berber kids (and adults!) as you ride through their remote villages.
WHAT’S INCLUDED?
- Expert Local Leadership & Support team.
- Seven nights accommodation: small hotels, guest house & 'lux' tented camp.
- All breakfasts, all lunches & all dinners (starting with dinner on Day 1, ending with breakfast on Day 8).
- Marrakech Airport pick-up & drop-off on scheduled days.
- All private shuttle transportation & full-time truck support.
- Detailed pre-departure information, trip extension assistance
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED?
- Personal travel and medical insurance (mandatory).
- One lunch & one dinner.
- Airfare, airport taxes and excess baggage charges (if any).
- Your bike and related equipment needed to ride.
- Personal items like drinks, snacks and energy supplements.
- Optional tipping to guides & drivers.
Bike and equipment
Limited high-performance rental bikes are available on this trip. As it is on most of our trips it is recommended that riders bring their own bikes. A lightweight full-suspension trail bike with 130-140mm travel that climbs and descends capably is best for this adventure. Tires should be tubeless, 2.30” or above, aggressive tread design for rocky terrain, one to two-ply casing for durability, puncture resistance and added control. Eye protection and knee pads that you can comfortably pedal in are highly recommended. Helmets are mandatory when on your bike. A 20L backpack is recommended.
Suggested Bike
Trek Fuel
Suggested pack
EVOC Trail Pro 16
ACTIVITY LEVEL
The minimum technical ability required for Morocco is Intermediate+. This trip is suitable if you have been riding consistently for three to four years and are confident on most types of singletrack and conditions. Expect some naturally technical trails on this trip. This trip is a Level 3/6 for fitness. The accumulation of multiple long days of riding will add up, as it is on all of our trips the fitter you are, the more fun you’ll have.
THE RIDING
This is a shuttle-accessed trip on singletrack in a desert landscape with some double-track and dirt roads. Expect dry, loose surfaces, some- times rock gardens and sand and lots of flowy sections on ancient walking trails that are used to get to villages. Some mild exposure, some roots through forests. Descents that can last 20+ minutes.
LODGING AND CUISINE
We believe in choosing comfortable accommodation with character and views unparalleled – on this trip we’ll lay our heads in a variety of abodes, from a cosy lodge in the mountains, to a traditional riad in the center of Marrakech. We will make sure that everyone is well fed. Please let us know upon booking if you have special diet needs.
CLIMATE
In big mountains, weather can change quickly and drastically - it could be 30 degrees Celsius one day and then nearly freezing on a mountaintop the next day – even in Morocco. Even though we will be riding in an arid landscape, the temperature can dip at night. Generally though, you can expect beautiful warm days and cool nights.
YOUR SAFETY
Our trips take place in remote regions with limited evacuation options available. Our guides have basic first aid training, if a serious injury is suspected they will call helicopter search and rescue at the cost of the participant. Personal medical travel insurance is mandatory for all riders. If you choose to participate in our trips it is up to you to ride well within your limits, to ride conservatively, to walk sections if needed and to be safe as mountain biking is a dangerous sport. There are always risks and hazards on all trails that we ride. It is your responsibility to inspect your bike or rental bike daily and keep it in excellent condition. Helmets are mandatory and alcohol and drugs are not permitted while riding your bike.
THE NEXT STEPS
Please read and understand our Terms and Conditions and our Waiver. Then, email or call us to make sure that your desired departure is confirmed and there’s still space available. We’ll then send you a short Rider Questionnaire to learn about your riding experience and ensure that you are suitable for the trip. The last step is to complete our secure online Registration Form and pay your 25% deposit, and we’ll send you detailed Trip Preparation Guide that includes steps on preparing for your adventure.
A Travel Protection Plan protects your travel investment, your belongings, and most importantly, you. We strongly advise travelers to enroll in a Travel Protection Plan in case an unexpected event causes you to cancel or leave your trip. Please review Big Mountain Bike Adventures’ Cancellation Policy:
A Travel Protection Plan should be purchased once a deposit or any payment is made for a trip. Insurance must provide coverage for personal accident, death, emergency remote evacuation including helicopter evacuation, medical expenses and emergency repatriation. We advise travellers to confirm that it covers trip cancellation, curtailment, personal liability and loss of luggage and personal effects. You will be asked for proof of insurance in lead up to your trip; you will not be able to join the trip without it. If you choose to travel without adequate insurance coverage, Big Mountain will not be liable for any losses howsoever arising, in respect to insurance coverage that would have otherwise have been available.
“The riding rocked and our guides were absolutely incredible, they showed us many cool things and not just on the bikes. ”
