Temps de lecture / Reading time: 18 minutes

Short crossing

Delayed by few days, we finally left Agadir. It is on a superb 54 feet that we will spend this short crossing (about 260 nautical miles). Offshore, the wind is between 18 and 20 knots, it will blow 20 knots during the night. The autopilot is set, we will not touch the sails of the ride! Night shifts are difficult but not undoable. When sleep is around the corner, just take your head out for 10 minutes! Lanzarote appeared on the horizon from 2pm.

As soon as I arrived on the island, a small mount seems calling me. Neither one nor two, I put on the hiking shoes on and set out to discover this summit. The wait in Agadir was a bit long, I have to get back to the sport!

Isla Negra and Isla playa (Lanzarote and Fuerteventura)

Lanzarote offers mountainous lunar landscapes. As Thierry needs a little help to get the boat out of the water on Wednesday, I have at least two days to cycle around the island. It is about 60km long. A Warmshowers can host me Monday night on Arrecife, that’s good!

Despite the desert climate, there is some agriculture on the island. Reputedly windy, the vines grow at the bottom of small “craters”, which gives the fields a special charm. Tourism (and probably EU/Spain) helps, road infrastructure is fairly new, and “old” national roads are reserved for cyclists. Lanzarote is by far the most cyclo-friendly island! Dacio, who hosted me in Arrecife, even tells me that many professional cyclists come to train here. And for good reason: the climate is mild all year round, there is good infrastructure and many climbs! Above all, the natural wind tunnel of the island allows you to train in unfavorable conditions!

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The bike is not very loaded but the month of inactivity and the wind do not really help during these two days. I will manage to reach the north of the island, as far as Orzola, and then cross Lanzarote to return to the boat. The road is quiet and the scenery is always beautiful.

On the fourth day in the archipelago, I left Lanzarote and Thierry for Fuerteventura. The twenty kilometers from playa Blanca to Corralejo, will be achieved by ferry. Arriving in the early afternoon, I have time to have lunch, pedal less than 30km and end the day with a short hike in Valleebron.

On the program of the second day, the crossing of the Mountains of Betancouria with two hikes. One above Betancouria, and the other hike over Toto, a small village. The wind is still blowing, but in my back this time. On the other hand, it is very strong in “altitude” (the top of the island, pico de la Zarza, peaks at only 807m). A little stone shelter will be my home that night.

On the third day in Fuerteventura, my path goes through a beautiful valley descending on Pared, and the Mount Cardon watches. Then, I cross the isthmus following the dunes. After these two days alone in the nature, my lunch in a seaside resort is a bit brutal (but the shower will be nice!). The people here speak to me directly in German…

The road between Morro Jable and Puerto de la Cruz is a 4-star track: well rolling with few pebbles. Mountains to my right and the sea on the left as only companions. At the lighthouse in Punta Janda, a German-Italian family invites me to share their dinner. They live in Munich and have rented a campervan to visit the island. Tonight, I’ll sleep under the stars, to the sound of wind and waves. Clouds pass by and cause full moon clearing. I woke up in the middle of the night and can’t close my eyes anymore. 2 hours to contemplate the two lighthouses: one ephemeral natural, the other artificial but perpetual.

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In the morning, the drizzle does not make you want to linger here. It was a short night, but a beautiful beach awaits me for a nap: in Cofete. Few kilometers and some vertical meters separate us! A winding road takes me there. This beach stretches for several kilometers. At the only café in the village, I chat with an Englishman who has hiked from the other side, he confirms to me that it would be difficult to ride a bike but that once the pass behind the descent would be simpler. I like this option because it would allow me to try the ascent of the top of the island: the pico de la Zarza. And then join Morro Jable to take the ferry.

Another night under the stars, and always wind. My day starts early because I know the ascent will be long and difficult. I plan to climb up to the pass and then leave the bike and walk up to Zarza. There is no trail on the map but it seems doable. The climb to the pass is as difficult as expected! I should go back and forth several times, with the bags first and then with the bike. But I won’t run into anyone! After three hours of climbing, I finally reach the pass. Bike laid, I begin the ascent on foot. I have to make my way “logically” through a mineral maze. After a good hour and a half, I almost reach the top and there, surprise: a big fence awaits me … I have the choice to continue at the ISO ¹ following the fence and then climb but I may run out of time … so I prefer to have lunch and turn back. Finally, the descent, supposedly easy, is actually not that ideal … It is even more complicated than the climb because of many high “steps”. So the bags touch them and I risk damaging them. In short, a shitty day, which ends with 6 hours of ferry!

• 

Tenerife, the island of a thousand faces

The ferry dropped me at Santa Cruz de Tenerife and the nearest campsite is in Tejina, north of here. I don’t really have prepared anything, but I plan to stay on this island for at least ten days. After a short stint at the marina, I head north. The climb to La Laguna is rather long and steep; In addition, the heavy traffic and the impatience of motorists do not add any pleasure to the ascent of this urban mountain. I found peace and quiet once at the campsite. Apart from a French summer camp, there are not many people. The Anaga Nature Park is not far from here and looks perfect for a bike-hike combo! On the other hand, it is strictly forbidden to camp in this area… A Spanish hiker will make me understand that the bivouac seems tolerated. If not, the only options to sleep up there are in hostel or guesthouse – both options not fitting my budget!

Anaga Parque

The next day, I left for the Anaga with two bags, the rest will be waiting for me at the campsite. First stop: Cruz del Carmen. Once the bike locked in front of a café, I walk to Las Carboneras. Then come back through Tavorno to pico Ingles. A very green and humid forest but also steep ridges reminding the Alps. First night in the forest, it’s a little cold, but I manage to sleep a little over 6 hours.

As there is no coffee in the area, it is in the forest that I will hide the bike. The camp (pictured above: Red and green) is the ideal hideout. Then I head to the village of Chamorga. It’s the same rainforest as the day before, wrapped in morning fog. I will make a small loop to the hamlet of Roque Bermejo. The Tafada Mountains and the Anaga Lighthouse are on my way to go. The return will be in the canyon leading to Chamorga. Very nice valley. To get back to the camp, I can wait for the bus or hitchhike, the second option seems more interesting! Barely a thumbs up, a driver stops. He is originally from Barcelona but works here. Since his last trip to France, he has been trying to learn French.

Bike found, I go back to Roque Negro. In the car, the Catalan recommended a restaurant that serves local cuisine: casa Santiago. Perfect timing, I passed close by around 13:30: Hispanic lunch time. Music escapes from the entrance. A guitarist, a singer and two fans are seated on my left. In front of me, an old man reads his diary. And two locals are at the counter with small glasses of red wine. Good atmosphere! I sit on the terrace and order half a goat’s racion with papas (potatoes), and a small glass of tinto (red wine). To taste. It’s pretty good and not very expensive.

With a full stomach, I begin the descent towards Roque Negro. The hamlet is not very big, the village main square is all cute. Not to mention the stunning views of the village of Afur. The area is quiet anyway. It is not 3pm when I arrive, so I lock the bike and walk around. Back, the square has become more lively than before! In a small neighboring room to the church, singing classes are given. An hour later, a dance rehearsal takes place on the forecourt of the church. I chose the place and the time! At the end of the rehearsal, I go to the village’s doyenne to ask if I can sleep in the square. Just one night. It’ll be cooler than the day before. Probably because of the clear skies. But hey, I will survive: now is the 7th night I spend without a tent!

For my last day in the Anaga, I offer myself a beautiful walk: from Roque Negro to Taganana, town of the nearby valley, and back to Afur. Several landscapes on the menu: first the green forest, then a coastal path mixing desert, Brittany and Norwegian fjords. I will first meet two friends, a Brazilian and a Venezuelan. Anibal, the Venezuelan, explains to me that during the Franco era, times were hard for the Canaries and many emigrated to Venezuela. Today, the opposite happens. Venezuela is also nicknamed the eighth island by locals.

A French couple catches up with us, I decide to continue with them because they flit here and there a little less, and my conversation in Spanish starts to go in circles … they are Toulouse and take advantage of the company committee to offer themselves an all-inclusive week on Tenerife. Adept of hitchhiking, they share their failures on the island from Puerto de la Cruz (major northern city). We will walk together to Afur discussing our travels, our hikes, etc. It feels good to meet people by chance! These trails are not much traveled whereas they are beautiful! For this I thank the car for existing: it allows to contain tourists near the car parks. To close this stay in the park, 300m of climb await me followed by a long descent. Besides, I’m getting to know the road!

Back at the campsite, I’ll have a good chat with an Italian. He too travels by bike… for four years now! He has lived here for 2 years and works in exchange for a “presidential” tent and surely some dineros. He’s thinking of opening his own campsite here, which, in my opinion, would really be useful considering the little offer there is! On the other hand, a cyclotourist offer does not seem viable as there are few cyclists … perhaps the electric bike could help the development of cycling tourism in these hilly areas?

Acampada at Teide

After the Anaga, I started a retreat in the main park of the island. First in the zona de acampada de la Caldera, then in Las Raices. These are kinds of public camping that must be booked online, the number of plots and duration are limited (up to seven consecutive days). There is usually water (not drinkable, but I filter.. sometimes) and toilets. I think some areas have showers… no guard nor fences, though. But I always left the bike locked during my daily excursions, without worries! There is not much passage in these areas…

On a bike, which says mountain, says “heat your thighs” and watch out for buses! Departure at 10am and arrival at 5pm, for 50km and 1500m climb… The last straight is winding, with buses passing at full speed. On one hand, I wish public transport would be more developed in the city, on the other hand I find it dangerous in the mountains … That said, the roads are not very suitable for the few cyclists (and the critical mass² may never be reached).

To explore the surrounding area, I will walk around on the first day. Several hikes start from the camp. I’m taking the paraglider with me to pratice ground handling at the takeoff of Isaña. Three-quarters of the hike is in the pines, and it goes straight up the slope. Reaching the plateau, the landscape changes directly from the dense forest to the desert! Lizards and many spiders are the only inhabitants here! All spider nets confirm to me that this trail is not very taken … The summit is far from the dreamt terrain to practice ground handling: abrasive volcanic rocks and steep slope. In addition, the majority blow comes more from the wind than from the breeze. It’s not ideal for what I wanted to do, but I still unfold my sail. Three gusts make me quickly change my mind, plus the wind has forced, so the game is over for today. A little disappointed, I started returning to the campsite, hitchhiking this time. Once again, I got lucky: a Venezuelan woman stops. My paragliding bag caught her eye, and for good reason she’s working with a pilot flying here. While driving, she tells me that the official take-off is actually a little further and offers to take me there to fly. But I decline, I find the wind too strong. They have a tandem flight scheduled the next morning and she can bring me with them. It will be for a “plouf” ³ but why not!

Flying is good, with a landing is better

Thanks to Erica I met the previous day, I will be able to make my first flight since Arbas! The car is almost full with: Marco the pilot, Erica and their client in search of adrenaline. Today, the conditions are perfect: for once the cloudy veil under the plateau has dissipated. Marco explained to me that in the Canary Islands some paragliding rules do not really apply… It is therefore tolerated to take off from a national park without visibility on landing! Landing that in our case will be on a beach in Puerto de la Cruz.

On take-off we find other “touristicommercial” two-seaters (tandem paraglider), the breeze is still light. Marco will take off before me so that I can follow him to the landing. To fly, it is better to feel good physically and morally, but also to have a good feeling about the flight, the conditions, etc. This is my case this Sunday: I am rested, a little excited and the conditions are calm. During a flight, the critical phases are mainly take-off and landing. For my part, I master the first but the second still has a significant margin of improvement! The landing requires a good knowledge of its wing and its glide ratio, which makes it possible to make a beautiful “final”: the last straight glide before the landing. The larger the landing site (the one in Lumbin, under Saint Hilaire du Touvet is in the “highway” category), the easier it is to land. A good practice when discovering a new site is to visit the landing before taking off: this allows to visualize the approaches ⁴“calmly” from the ground. But I did not do it today for several reasons: premio the landing is quite far from the campsite (in distance AND vertical), deuxio it is a beach so I imagine it large and not too busy (given the number of tandems that land).

The sail is unfolded under the sun of 10:30, Marco is unraveling his lines, I imitate him. At first, I didn’t like this phase so much because many knots appear magically and they are “often” difficult to undo. But with time, you learn to fold your sail better, so knots become rarer. In addition, the flight begins as soon as the sail comes out of its cover, mentally the concentration is 100% on our lines, the harness, the evolution of the wind, the helmet … In short, the preparation of paragliding is done in a kind of mental bubble, almost meditative. Marco has a few knots, so I take the opportunity to adjust the gopro: angle of view, image quality, are important if I want to be able to fly you with me later!

The two-seater’s gone. It’s my turn now. The breeze, always light, should still allow me to do a reverse launch ⁵. The look down the slope, on the windsock, waiting for a new air cycle. It happens, my sail goes up gently, very light, the line cone shows no defect: here we go! I hardly feel it above my head because the air stream is weak, some speed will help her. A few strides, and I fly away. I’m so happy. On the left the Teide overlooks me from the top of its 3700m and in front of me, the vast blue Atlantic mesmerizes me. In the background appears La Palma, a hundred kilometers away. The thermals are not yet established. So I continue my descent slowly towards Puerto de la Cruz, flying first over Teide’s pine crown and then over the coastal urban area.

At sea level, I finally see the landing. A small bay in the heart of the city. The area of loss of altitude is located above a cliff upstream. The streetlights and the large buildings make the beach less attractive to any paragliding beginner… Although the beach is rather large, the “unofficial” landing zone is much smaller (15m long and 5m wide). After several round trips along the cliff, I decided to go to the final. A little late, I realized I’m still too high. The sail is still about 30-35 km/h but the buildings seem to get closer! I have to brake it and zigzag between the streetlights. There are many pedestrians, but I do not yet consider them as obstacles. This last S with the braked sail allows me to lose the missing altitude, but it is not very clean and a little dangerous for pedestrians below or myself … Finally, the sand comes closer, hands up to enter well in the gradient, then I brake the sail completely right before impact. Pfiooouuu. What a sh*tt@ landing!

I point out to Marco that it’s rather difficult as an approach, he replies “it’s true, the official landing is on the parking lot behind but on the beach it’s more impressive for tourists and it’s a good advertisement for us!” In short, a new lesson learned today: seeing the landing of a new site is NECESSARY still at my level. The second lesson is to be wary of what local pilots say, especially if they are not working for a paragliding school (or ask several). This kind of error is beneficial in the discipline of paragliding because it allows to set the record straight. It’s barely thirteen o’clock when I reach the campsite but I consider my day over.

Rando at Pico

Pico del Teide is the roof of Spain. At the beginning of the year, with some friends, we had climbed on skis the peak of Aneto (Pyrenees) in a completely different setting. But the latter is only the highest peak in metropolitan Spain! The Teide volcano is 314m taller. Access to the summit is restricted for conservation, so you have to apply for a permiso to access it. Two to four months early. Of course, I don’t have it… The program of the day is to hike until the restricted area and negotiate once up there. In any case, the hike promises to be scenic!

Three minutes with the thumb up in the air allow me to go up to the trail of Montaña Blanca by hitchhiking. The air is already warm at 9:30 a.m. Some groups are descending, perhaps they went up early in the morning (no permit required in this case). I walk pretty fast, it’s my sport of the day. The Altavista refugio behind me, I meet a Spanish hiker, curious, I ask him if it is possible to climb the pico from the east face. He, too, walked up. He also did not have the permit. He too thinks that the mountain is not a tourist attraction but an area of freedom and responsibility. The Spanish word he uses to describe the person in charge of the entrance seems anything but kind! It’s going to be harder than I expected…

The limit altitude is 3550m, at the arrival of the cable car. The contrast is striking: you have to make your way between the tourists while I counted 9 people on the ascent path. I understood after that the tourists actually spend a day (max. two) in the park. So they have time to go up to the Teide (thanks to the cable car), visit the Roques de Garcia, take pictures from several viewpoints (thanks to the car). But hey, that’s not really an excuse!

Negotiations then began with Mr. Permiso-necesario. Long, difficult, useless (?), I finally understand that it would be possible to climb once the cable car closes, around 7pm, then the Permiso-necesario team would be leaving the entrance. It’s 12:30. I decide to wait until then, I will read in the meantime. Many people are not aware of the permit. Others have “outdated” permits. Some want to change the permit holder. But Mr. Permiso-necesario is formal: the piece of paper is strictly nominative and valid only on the indicated date. On one hand, I understand and even support conservation efforts, but I find it hard to believe that the 200 authorized people a day are coming on D-Day. Even in Germany, where mountain huts are all booked weeks in advance, there were always last-minute withdrawals for the poor late French and Spanish… Around 5 p.m. Mr. Permiso-necesario leaves his post, he does not fail to inform his colleague of the cable car that will take over. A couple of Spaniards arrive at the top, sweaty. They have no permit either. They argue a little with the new guardian who has a slightly different speech: “If you go up without a permit, even outside the opening hours, you risk a fine of 6,000 euros”. Perplex, the couple does not believe it but facing the stubbornness of the boy they give up their tonight ascent. I’ll stay an hour longer to think, then I’ll also decide to go home, the altitude and the sun having taken my mind away. Here is the second “forbidden” mountain of the trip (or third counting Mount Zarza)…

For the descent, I will take another path, via the pico Viejo (the old peak), superb crater. In addition, the view of the Teide is exceptional! The German couple I meet on the way will drop me off at the campsite to end this long day.

End of stay on Tenerife

My booking at the Caldera ends this Tuesday, so I’m going to Las Raices, which is closer to Santa Cruz, but also further from the national park. After several times riding up this road (by car…), I have to climb it by the force of the calves!

I fell in love with the Teide park, and regret my new campsite… Now 40 to 50km separates me from the beautiful hikes. This does not stop me and I will be able to make two more hikes thanks to hitchhiking!

The second was maravillosa (wonderful): the Siete Cañadas (seven ravines/canyons), with the Summit Guajara. This Thursday was an “optimized” day! The total hitchhiking waiting time was 30 minutes max, for 1 hour and a half of travel and 5 different cars: which is pretty good. Like all the other hikes so far, I will meet tourists in areas 2km from a car park only! So I have the trail for myself during 14km. The landscapes change along the way, but keep the Teide as a sentinel.

After the hike, I want to take the ferry to Gran Canaria. Hitchhiking is working so well, I will be able to board with the 6.30pm ferry, buying my ticket 2 minutes before at the ticket counter! Adios Tenerife!

Hitchhiking in Tenerife

Hitchhiking is an ecological practice open to all, preferably to whom without time constraint. I think it’s a good transition from an all-car society to “all public transport”. Based on trust and solidarity, this mode of travel allows us to reconnect with reality through exchanges that are unfortunately no longer possible today (social, political mix, etc.). For example, I was able, thanks to hitchhiking, to exchange with workers, Islamists, Corsicans a little dangerous, craftsmen and others.

In total, 13 cars helped me making 8 one-way trips. Statistically, the cars were made up of 38.5% single man, 38.5% couple and 23% female (single, family, friend). About half and half for the local VS tourist distribution. Of the tourists, 70% were German-speaking (Swiss, German, Austrian)! And the price of the best car goes to ..

A 100%-girls car: an Austrian mother and her two daughters on holiday. The eldest is studying here, so the family took the opportunity to visit her! I have the impression that tourists hope to help a local when they stop… in fact, not at all! To thank them, I will help them finish their pizza, which was huge.

Footnotes

Temps de lecture / Reading time: 5 minutes

At the beginning of August I’ve been in the Canary Islands for three weeks. Weeks of vacation especially, including a lot of wandering in the mountains. Landed in Lanzarote, I quickly toured the island over two days.

Then headed to Fuerteventura, the nearby island. I will spend four full days exploring on foot and by bike. Dunes, beaches and mountains.

I ended with the best of the three: Tenerife. With its natural parks with varied landscapes. 

Today, it is from Las Palmas that I write these lines. The boat-hitchhiking resumes here, in this huge marina (1250 docking points). The strategy will change a little because I don’t want to spend so much time in the marina:

• Temperature taking for a week: see if boats are leaving in the short term
• If not: exploring Gran Canaria by bike (for a week)
• Then another week of prospecting at the marina
• If still no boat: exile on La Palma or El Hierro until the boats arrive (in this case I will have to cancel skiing in Chile …)

This article also tells of my experience of boating stop in Morocco.

Adaptation

Switching from nomadic to sedentary is more difficult than it seems. Especially when the sleeping budget is close to 2 euros per day and the marinas are, in general, in the city center! The bike offers a feeling of freedom and autonomy in contrast to the position of the boat hitchhiker, who is fully dependent on the sailboat’s captain. In Lisbon, I hadn’t really experienced “hitchhiking” because I had contacted Pierre early enough to go to the Azores (plan that unfortunately fell into the water). So it was in Morocco that the experiment really began.

The first thing to do in this case: find a cheap place to spend the night(s), and if possible not too far from the marina. Fortunately, Agadir has a public campsite in the city centre. 50 dirhams (about 5 euros) includes the night in a tent with a bicycle. Although three times my budget “4-star hotel”, I consume little money to feed myself (about 2.5 euros per day), so it is my food budget that will absorb this extra cost. First challenge solved!

It is then necessary to synchronise to a sedentary rhythm: identify supermarkets not far/cheap, organize the day (now full of free time), look for a WiFi spot, social development (though optional). It looks a lot like the integration stages in a new city/new country! But in accelerated and as unemployed (so without a social basis…)! I usually prepare a to-do list (filled at 90% with post writing…), and the days fill up pretty well.

Once these steps are completed, the offshore quest can begin. Understand how the marina works, who does what, who knows what, who can help, who will prevent. Not only know the sailors, but also the staff, the fishermen. Then you have to let people know what you are looking for, the information will generally flow quite well locally or even cross the borders! The sailors’ network, like any network, is very supportive. And experiences with boat-hitchhiker crews can go well or be hell. So the information is shared quickly and will help much more than a long discussion on the docks!

Classic day

The first few days, I slept at the campsite and I spent my days reading on global warming and doing some maintenance of the bike. Once the day of “work” is over, I go on my daily tour of the marina. The advantage over Lisbon’s marinas turns out to be a disadvantage in fact. Of course there is only one marina to visit but it is small and very few sailors stop there before reaching the Canary Islands…

By dint of visiting the marina I met Mourad, a Moroccan who renovates his boat in order to go around the world. The contact goes well. So I will help Ibrahim, a young Ivorian on an internship on the boat, in exchange for a bed. I’m now directly on site! Weeks pass but few boats aren’t coming. Of the few I meet, only two went to the Canary Islands… A routine sets in: I know the owner of the supermarket and often eat at the same snack at the entrance to the fishing port.

In the marina, I also met this couple of American who crossed the Atlantic several times. Leonard and Julie have been sailing together for more than ten years with their dogs. Like many sea nomads, their lives are an adventure. Their started with retirement. But they found happiness in the sea. I hope our roads cross again!

Great start on Grand Soleil

At the beginning of July, I met another sailor, rather discreet. We exchange quickly. He is waiting for a “sailing” friend and plan to join the Canary Islands in regatta mode (via Madeira). Unfortunately he can’t take me because I will only be one more constraint in their performance navigation. I totally understand. The day before he left, he conceded to me: “If my friend ever misses his flight, I’ll take you onboard.” Thanking him, I don’t believe it but I still appreciate the gesture. A few hours later, he returns to me: “My partner burned his hand while tinkering, he won’t come”. Great news! His friend is fine, it’s just a little burn in the wrong place (but at the right time!). Like what, luck often happens where it is least expected. We should leave the next day… But Morocco has decided otherwise! Thierry’s visa has expired by one day and the Agadir marina is a good administrative headache with the police, customs and the royal gendarmerie. A police officer confirmed to him that this was not a problem for a few days and that the authorities will let him go without hesitation. But in practice everything didn’t go as planned! So much so that we left the port four days later after many adventures for Thierry who was running between the court, the gendarmerie and the consulate!

Less than thirty hours later, Lanzarote began to draw in the distance. It took me almost a month and a half to get my way there…

Temps de lecture / Reading time: 13 minutes

To my cyclo-tourist friend looking for its next travel: stop searching! Morocco fits everything that a bike traveler is looking for: welcoming people who overtake with a good margin, a few climbs in an impressive scenary, a rich and varied culinary culture, an exotic country, and it is also at the gates of Europe! At the end of May I left my friend Pierre in Rota in the Bay of Cadiz with a new goal: cross Morocco from the north to Agadir and attempt the crossing of the Atlantic by boat-stop. Those two unscheduled weeks were magical! Moroccans are of a natural kindness and mutual aid is part of their culture. Every night I ended up at a stranger’s house to share the “ftour”, typical Ramadan dinner. Here is the story of an adventure as we love them!

Cultural jetlag

On May 23, I arrive on the African continent, in a country I had not been in the past. Having not planned to go there in the first place, I knew nothing of the country, nor of the “cycling” routes. Fortunately, Eric (from Caldas), advised me their itinerary dating from … 2006 ! But I don’t think the country has changed much since then! It’s also the middle of Ramadan when I arrived, so the way the country works is a little different. For a month, Moroccans (and all Muslims) will eat one or two meals a day, after sunset or before sunrise. Water is also prohibited except for sensitive people (babies, pregnant women, elderly,…). Work schedules are then adapted (in banks for example), all restaurants and cafes are closed during the day (except in touristic places). As a consequence, some people are irritable at the end of the day… The summer makes the days hotter so I adapt my pedaling plan to the sun: first pedal stroke around 5:30 (usually 6am) and then nap between 2pm and 3pm. At the end of the day, Moroccans are quite tired, but I was lucky enough to arrive in the middle of Ramadan, so they are a little used. Once the sun sets, the atmosphere completely changed: place to the gargantuan ftour! Once swallowed up, the energy rises in the people, the streets fill up children playing football, the terraces are full, the market too. Nightlife. For my part, I am exhausted by a long day of cycling, I usually fall asleep around 9pm or 10pm, at the beginning of the festivities.

Warning

Moroccans are very proud of their country, and they are right! They are also often the ones who warn me about… Moroccans! Beware, Moroccans are thieves, don’t trust anyone, etc… I think the urban legends with unfortunate ending have good taste here! So much so that as soon as I arrive, I am advised not to pedal on the national roads: “during Ramadan, Moroccans are crazy on the road, they drive even worse than usual!”. I even meet an American at the Tangier hostel who survived two serious car accidents. He, too, tried to discourage me from cycling on the road.

As neo-cardrivers, Morrocans are sensitive to the marketing propoganda of manufacturers: the car is freedom and speed. This is why the number of deaths in Morocco is almost as high as in France with a car fleet 7 times less (that said the number of fatal accidents is surely less as the filling rate is at least 3 times higher here) ¹.

However, their behaviour towards cyclists is more than respectable (to be nuanced in the city and towards local cyclists)! Drivers usually take good safety margins to overtake and encourage me with a honk accompanied by a broad smile. The icing on the cake is the road state: the national roads are wide and in good condition (with a broad emergency line); more and more secondary roads are paved (thanks to the development of the car I admit).

In short, it’s a pleasure to ride in Morocco!

Chefchaouen,the blue village

The original program is to reach Tetouan from Tangier and sleep there. But the good shape and the wind make me arrive at 1pm in Tetouan after 3 hours of pedaling! So I decided to push a little, it goes up a lot but it’s not so steep. The arrival in Chefchaouen is magical but very hard… and the police check did not go as planned: arriving around 8pm the officers were in the middle of Ramadan dinner, and invited me to share their meal: my first ftour! They didn’t have to offer it twice to the hungry cyclist that I am. With a full stomach I get back in the saddle for the few kilometers remaining, in the rearview mirror the officer says to me: “Welcome to Morocco!”.

The next day I decided to explore the surrounding mountains. The day before the policeman told me about the bridge of God, a natural bridge on the other side of the mountain. This makes a nice hike of 30 km and the return can be done by taxi. The ascent of Chefchaouen, the summit that monitors of the eponymous city is also on the agenda.

Ski day?

The cycling rhythm is always the same: 3 days pedaled followed by 1 day resting. The next resting stage is Azrou, a village known for its forest and ski resort! My route so far crossed Jorf-El-Melha and Moulay Idriss Zerhoun. Two nights a little difficult: the first in a gas station due to lack of accommodation offers (the prosperous night activity due to Ramadan did not help to sleep well) and then a short night at a local’s in Moulay Idriss. I was happy to arrive in Azrou!

The surrounding forest has an attractive aura on me, so I decide to go for a bike ride. What turns out not to be such a good idea! The steep and gritty slopes are not suitable for recumbent cycling… So I’ll pass it most of the time walking. This test will have had the merit of showing the limits of my bike even without luggage. In the middle of the forest, I met this young Swiss couple. A little hippie on the edges, they travel by van, and live with the minimum of money. One more beautiful encounter.

bin ouidane dam

The departure from Azrou is very pleasant: a long descent during the cool morning. The scenery is incredible between Azrou and M’rirt. But the closer I get to the south the warmer are the mornings, breaks in the early afternoon are more and more necessary. In the evening I decide to bivouac because the hotels are expensive and there are no alternatives… I find a nice little corner near the River Oued Srou and I start setting up the tent once I arrive. Obviously this is not very discreet and the owner of the place comes to join me a few minutes later. Mohammed lives in the house across the road with his parents and siblings. He does not mind me to bivouac here, in addition the place is safe! He’s quite shy, but we manage to understand each other. He offers me two eggs at first and then I will spend the evening at his house with his brother and we will enjoy the ftour. I will leave them relatively early to enjoy a good night’s sleep.

One more adventure awaits me for my evening in Tgazirt. I was looking for a bivouac site near a river to shower and I landed in this small village. A dirt road leads to a natural swimming pool where the children of the village wade. The tranquility will wait! Beautiful bunch of kid, who does not understand that my Arabic is limited, nor that I can not believe in Allah! They’ll even try to convert me. At nightfall, I decide to sleep without a tent (a little lazy and I want to see the sky). Will I survive the wild dogs? Or will the frogs eat me? Barely asleep I hear people. The young children came back to urge me to set up the tent, their worries convinced me. Once inside, another troop arrives. With a gift: a traditional bread and a bottle of iced water. I will eat half tonight and the rest at breakfast, plus it’s my favorite bread, it looks like a pancake but has a square shape!

A 700m climb is on the programme today, to reach the lake of Bin Ouidane. As the announced temperatures approached 40°C the first pedal stroke started at 5am. The road goes down to Afourar from where the climb begins. And let’s go for 15km of suffering! I do not know why but this climb was really hard (while I do not have much in the bags, apart from the paraglide). In addition, I had the best break before the ascent. At a crossroads a man calls me: “Salam! Come over there!” As the time corresponded well with the morning break and that I had half watermelon in the bags, I stopped to talk with this manager of a logistics company. Immediately he hands me a bottle of fresh water. Of course, he is interested in my bike. Seeing me taking the watermelon out of my bag he also offers me fresh quarters from the fridge, they are delicious! I will leave with dry dates, if it’s every day like this, I won’t have to buy food anymore!

It will take me several hours to get to the end of the climb. But the descent (as often) is beautiful, and a good fresh coke awaits me. In these small grocery stores that can be found everywhere, even in the most remote places! And what can this drink do good after 3-4 hours of effort in the middle of the desert! I gobble up 1 to 2L of soda a day when the thermometer rises above 30.

Arriving at the lake, I hesitate between 3 campsites: I had chosen one at the beginning (randomly), but two others appeared on the map when I arrive. The first one is a bit far from the lake but cheap. I will not visit the selected one because I stopped at the closest to the lake. Not really official, this campsite is more is more someone’s garden but… The owner will invite me for the ftour every evening. An invitation or rather an order but I do not have to be prayed to eat! In addition, the proposed chicken tagine is a delight. What spoils the first dinner (and the second) is the TV! Very little exchange with the family, would it be my presence that prevents them from discussing?

The next day, I ask if I can pay in the evening, knowing that I will leave early the next morning. The manager offers to join him on the terrace after the ftour. This is the meeting point for pipe and hashish smokers. Eight other men join us shortly after. In this regard, Morocco is a major producer of hashish, whose consumption is prohibited by the Koran, some say.

A little piece of Atlas

The 700m of climb went well today! So 15 degrees less makes it easier! The rest of the day goes smoothly, crossing a small desert area, from where a river rises. This is where I planned the swim break, at the hottest hours. The Oued Lakhdar, the green river flows in the right place, I reached at the right time! A group of young people loathe on its edges, I join them. A little distant at first, I want to read a little, they will approach me before leaving. The older one speaks French, and another younger one as well. We discuss a little bit about my vision of Morocco and its poverty. I feel a little uncomfortable. The youngest also offers me to spend the night at his house and have dinner with his family. But I decline politely because I have to move forward… plus the sky becomes threatening in the direction I’m heading. The wind strengthens and the sky darkens quickly. Fearing to be caught in the storm, I stopped in a village to bivouac. As always, my discretion attracts a group of children. Teenagers join them later and still invite me to dinner. The best ftour so far. They are a family of 6 children, 3 girls and 3 boys. Dinner is a delight (with fruit salads and curry-filled breads).

Every pedal strokes get me closer to the Atlas! Desert landscapes to starboard and large mountains to port. A good swim before arriving will make the break all the more enjoyable.

Asni is a small village not far from one Toubkal hiking start (Imlil). The hostel is simple, but very cheap!

I take advantage of my “rest” to hike to Moulay Brahim via the plateau. Very pretty, I’ll even come across little turtles on the way. Today it is Eid Mubarak, so everything is closed. Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan.

I found a mountain guide on Asni who could try the Toubkal ascent on a day. This summit is the roof of Morocco, culminating at 4167m. It is advisable to climb it over two days, but the prices are not compatible with my budget (just over 100 euros with guide and shelter). The guide is mandatory since the murder of two girls in the massif at the end of 2018…

The alarm rang at 3:30 the day of the ascent! Unfortunately, the guide did not show up… no big deal, I saved 50 euros (20 days of food autonomy in Morocco), and avoided doing a guided hike. I then decided to take the road to Agadir. I will have the opportunity to do other summits during this long journey!

Last straight line

The advantage of the mountains is its fresh air. The suffering is thus lessened during the climb, and what a climb! The road is narrow but I will meet very few motor vehicles. The few people I meet keep honking to cheer me on, many even stop to take a picture. This group of Australian tourists tells me “it’s the fifth time we see you! Where are you going?”

Three Moroccans on mopeds pass me several times, I end up asking them if they want to camp with me tonight, they accept but we will not be able to find each other.

Shortly before the pass, I see a group of men playing cards on the side of the road. They cheered me on and pronounced these magic words: “Stop, come to eat!” Immediately said, immediately stopped! They come from Ouirgane, a village right after Asni. They consider themselves a family, and the meal is delicious: watermelons and melons as a starter, then a chicken tagine. Dry biscuits will be served with thyme tea as a dessert. But what a royal collar then!

Then I will “push” a little (40km) on the descent. And overnight by the road. The headwind did not make these kilometres as easy as expected.

Transport in Morocco

In some respects Morocco is inspiring in terms of transport efficiency. On others it is less so! First of all, there is a high rate of vehicle filling (sometimes at the expense of safety unfortunately). In France, the occupancy rate of a single car is 1.3 people on average (1.06 on home-to-work trips compared to 1.9 for long distance car²). On 10 trips there would be 7 journeys with a single driver and 3 journeys with one passenger and one driver. It’s hard to find precise figures on the fill rate in Morocco but most of the seen vehicles were full! The filling rate should be close to 4. Car-solism (one person per car) is therefore not (yet) developed but remains the economic dream of car manufacturers (nevertheless a risk for Moroccans). Renault and PSA both have factories here. Renault’s plant produces almost one car per minute (1200 vehicles per day ³), at this rate they can’t really boast that the site is powered by renewable energy (see associated article)!

In short, two other black spots on the Moroccan transport table: two wheels and diesel. Indeed, in 2014 73% of the car fleet was diesel… Two wheels are also a real scourge. Clearly cheaper than a car and almost as convenient, Moroccans quickly adopted it. The problem is that mopeds/motorcycles are less effective in terms of particules filtering. Pollution and its deaths have a bright future ahead of them!

The bus network covers a large part of the territory with different vehicle sizes: from the scooter (three-wheeled motorcycle with a “box”) to the 20-person bus, and the mini-buses (9 to 12 seats). But I didn’t use them. Minibuses are I think an interesting solution to develop in our metropoles (from “developed countries”) for commuting or to connect the periphery to the center. Some hypotheses to make it work (which will be developed later):

• Allow these vehicles to take the emergency lane (already the case in Grenoble for some Transisere buses)
• Have interchange stops
• A “high” frequency at peak times
• Need to do free trial sessions (discovery of service)

I can’t close the transport chapter of Morocco without talking about animals! Cars remain a product of “luxury” for Moroccans, in the countryside mules and horses remain the main means of locomotion (but also transport of goods). The way they are treated is rarely gentle but these animals are very effective! And are especially able to reach villages not accessible by car.

Culinary art

The emblematic dish of the Maghreb is of course the tagine! Of Berber origin, several recipes exist: vegetable, chicken, with different combinations of spices, and so on. With my reduced budget, I never ate it… At the restaurant! But I had the chance to share several meals with Moroccans. Including some tagines!

The ftour (or iftar according to dialects) is the dinner of Ramadan (this term also refers to breakfast outside this period). The main components of this meal are:

• Harira: a tomato soup with lentils or chickpeas. This is usually the entrance
• Various fruit salads: oranges, bananas, apples, cucumber, carrots
• A multitude of typical breads: baghrir (marrocain pancake, also of Berber origin), chapati (Indian cake rather typical of Tunisia), batbout (fried flat bread). Olive oil was often served in bowls to dip bread
• A tagine or meat in sauce (usually chicken)
• Dried dates and pastries for dessert: chabakia (small cake coated with honey and sprinkled with sesame), briouate (honey samosa)
• Several drinks are also served: mint tea (very sweet), squeezed orange juice, homemade lemonade, yoghurt to drink

During these intimate moments with the family I did not dare to take too many pictures (most of the time I did not even think about it actually) but you can find some by typing ftour on your favorite search engine!