Gravel in Morocco: A Bikepacking Adventure

Crossing Morocco by bike means accepting losing control to find what’s essential. For Charlotte and Nicolas, creators of the RISE project, this 2000 km journey was not just a sporting challenge: it was a necessity to disconnect, an open-air laboratory, and a test of resilience after an intense year.

After a year dedicated to preserving world heritage with their foundation Rise Our World Heritage, the need to slow down became obvious. "We needed to find the adventure that drives us," Charlotte confides. The initial goal was ambitious: to pedal from Agadir to Grenoble. But adventure is also about the unexpected. Between mechanical issues and logistical setbacks, the duo lost 11 days of riding. No matter, the crossing of Morocco turned into a 20-day odyssey of pure intensive bikepacking.

One of the major challenges of this expedition was technical: testing equipment for their future shoots. On their titanium bikes, they had to face terrain whose harshness they had not anticipated. Nicolas, in the middle of rehabilitation after a cruciate ligament surgery, was returning to sport after four months of complete rest. The bike trip then becomes a lesson in humility, where you accept not going as fast as before to better savor the journey. The body, this incredible machine, adapts quickly: cycling is not a race, it’s a journey where you take your time.

The route followed the legendary "Caravan Route," a historic itinerary found on the reference site bikepacking.com. From the first pedal strokes, the tone is set: 2000 km and 28,500 meters of positive elevation gain. Leaving the bustle of Agadir to venture into the Anti-Atlas is entering a mineral world where every kilometer is earned.

Crossing the Sahara Desert will remain the most challenging day. Gravel biking in Morocco takes on an epic dimension here: the heat is crushing (up to 34°C), the terrain is extremely technical, and the sand often forces riders to push their bikes for kilometers.

Water management was the number one logistical challenge. Carrying 10 liters of water per person is a huge burden but vital. To distribute this weight, the duo used classic water bottles supplemented by 4-liter filtered flasks, strapped over the bags or slipped inside for more stability. It's the price of peace of mind in regions where it hadn't rained for two years.

The atmosphere changes drastically heading north. Leaving the desert, the thermometer dropped sharply. In the Atlas, near Mount Toubkal, temperatures were -2°C, with a freezing feel of -7°C.

Here, managing layers became a matter of survival. Traveling light, without fleeces, Charlotte and Nicolas had to be resourceful. "I added my windproof rain pants over my leggings to keep warm," explains Charlotte. Suffering from Raynaud's syndrome, she even used freezer bags in her shoes to insulate her extremities. The Lagoped gear was put to the test: while the EVE jacket has been their essential for years, the extreme conditions of the Atlas highlighted the importance of perfectly fitted technical equipment.

On Moroccan trails, the choice of bike is crucial. Charlotte and Nicolas explored the limits of gravel compared to mountain biking.

• The Gravel Bike: Ideal for efficiency on compact dirt tracks. Equipped with a Coros Dura solar-charging GPS, navigation becomes child's play.

• The XC Mountain Bike: More comfortable on the steep and rough descents of the Atlas.

A major problem spiced up the trip: brake failure. Without a bleed kit in the middle of nowhere, Charlotte had to travel nearly 500 km with only one working brake, sometimes walking down the steepest slopes. This recalls a golden rule of bikepacking: in remote areas, mechanical simplicity is often safer than pure performance.

Comfort is a luxury rediscovered after days in the saddle. For rest, the duo used an ultra-light Samaya tent and wide mats to maximize recovery. Learning to listen to your body became their priority: where they never took breaks on short trips, they established one "off" day per week to endure the long haul.

Spending 20 days on a saddle inevitably causes pain. Their secret? No underwear under the shorts to limit chafing, daily hand washing, and a "miracle" baby cream found at the local pharmacy.

On the nutrition side, while the COOKNRUN bars and freeze-dried meals covered the first days, they quickly had to adapt to local resources: dates, almonds, walnuts, and the essential tagines or omelets in small roadside restaurants. "We ate very often because the effort really digs a hole," they joke.

The outcome of this crossing is clear: cycling accelerates relationships. Learning to communicate through pain, managing breakdowns together, and sharing sunrises over the Sahara create unbreakable bonds. Growing your love through effort is undoubtedly the greatest reward.

Charlotte and Nicolas's story reminds us that adventure begins where your comfort zone ends. Whether on the trails of Morocco or the paths in your region, gravel biking is an invitation to freedom.