Khenifra to Azrou

Today felt like a much better day. Not finishing off at night and not knowing where you’re staying is not the greatest. Last night whenI finished, I could hardly walk because I was so exhausted. Tonight was more relaxed, and I managed to wander around to town do a few things that I wanted.

To start the day

From 9.30 am until roughly 12 was entirely uphill. I was climbing from the off. For the last half hour, I refused to do any more, and walked, just to save energy and give my body a bit of a rest.

It was around every corner is another hill. Most of them being upwards.

Still, it was quite pretty and the weren’t many cars on the road. Could hear the woodpecker in the forest, and at one point, a tortoise walked out into the road in front of me!

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Beni Mellal to Khenifra

Or thereabouts.

I’m gonna keep this short and sweet. I’ve had one of the worst nights sleep and I’m not feeling a blog is going to be adding anything to my feelings of wellbeing.

A holiday?

Aparently yesterday was some form of a holiday in Morocco, which I knew about. Not only that, the hotels were booked up along the way, I only tried one because there was only one.

When i reached to only town with more than one hotel, they were all booked due to a festival in town, and I had to cycle a further 8k to the hotel.

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Oulad Ayad to Beni Mallal

Rathethan cycle out of some rather high mountains, I decided to make it to Beni Mallal as a priority.

  • To get rid of some excess gear weighing me down.
  • To pick up a elastic bandage for my knee

Short cut

After speaking with the hotel manager yesterday, he said that a bus could take me from a crossroads 18km outside the village into Beni Mallal.

I wasn’t seeing any benefit from cycling out! He said he would take me down around 11am.

11am

Came and went. The guy was busy, I left him to his job.

Around 12 he came up to the lounge where I was scrolling on Twitter and said jump in, (his 1970’s Citroen), he would give me a lift all the way to Beni Mallal (which is about 80km).

A nice gesture. He used to be a taxi driver in Paris for 18 years. His English was better than my French and Google translate helped us out.

The journey didn’t last all the way to Beni Mallal. After 40km or so the hills became plains. I said it would be fine to drop me and I would cycle the rest of the journey.

Which I did. The knee didn’t cause me any problems at all.

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Ouzoud Falls

Day off recovering at one of the billed attractions, Ouzoud Falls.

Well, my leg seems to be recovering well. Today I only had a little light exercise walking around the falls.

My hotel

Casba oum Hani d'ouzoud
Casba oum Hani d’ouzoud

Is comfortably located with a stunning view across the valley. In the morning I awoke to the sun rising behind the mountains, gradually lighting up the terrace outside my room as it rose.

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Marrakech – Ouzoud Falls

1st day of the trip cycling Marrakech to Ouzoud, roughly 167km or 103 miles.

A bit far this one. Worked out to be around 165km by the time I arrived at thehotel.

That would have been ok, but I have a knee injury. I’d forgotten this and by 130, it was starting to cause problems.

Apart from that, it all went well.

Cycling Marrakech to Ouzoud Falls
Cycling Marrakech to Ouzoud Falls

It was actually more than 86 miles. That’s just when the Fitbit ran out. All in all, the trip was 104 miles.

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