Vagamons

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Wreck of the Navy Armas ferry on the shore of Tarfaya, I heard some news about the line reopen, apparently earlier than everyone is expecting. It would be awesome to connect Fuerteventura and Tarfaya by ferry. Hope for the best!

Casamar, in Tarfaya was a historical fort built in 1882 the goal was trading with commercial caravans coming from Timbuktu, a living piece of history

After one month cycling I have experienced the typical ups and downs of travel by bicycle, feeling at some points very good fiscally and feeling exhausted at another, this is just the beginning, nothing not normal. The regular step of getting yourself out of routine at home and riding everyday. After this month however it's a lot easier to step on the bike, carry the usual everyday tasks, spending time seated on the bicycle and visiting places and the people I encounter, In Morocco this is a must, everyone is ready for a conversation, a cup of tea or coffee, and some food. Here the "modernization" is hitting strong and some places you feel you are in any European country, some other not, rural and quiet villages are one of the second, the people leave with little but leave decently, work hard and care for their houses and family. The palm trees and little water flows and oasis next to the adobe buildings will make you feel so irreal that you will be thinking you are in a dream or the 1001 night story has become real. Now I'm heading to the Sahara and then Mauritania where the lack of services will be challenging everything. The heating sun already hits strong but hopefully some tail wind will make it easier on the long road.
Happy rides!!

Still very touched after the yesterday evening presentation North Kape-Tarifa cycling route I did last year, I wasn't expecting so many people but, all the opposite, warming welcome and expectation in my home town

Cicloturisme en hivern?, perquè en hivern?, quin sentit pot tindre endinsar-se en plena Lapònia en hivern?, són moltes les vegades que em formulen aquestes preguntes, i la meva resposta (escarida) sempre és la mateixa; "Si hagués vingut en estiu no hauria pogut experimentar Lapònia en hivern". He comentat moltes vegades que per a mi és molt important que els viatges vagin acompanyats d'un fort component de muntanyisme i d'aventura, soc un apassionat de les muntanyes i de l'aventura i crec que un viatge no és complet si no hi ha un contacte estret amb la natura....

Cicloturisme hivernal Cicloturisme en hivern?, perquè en hivern?, quin sentit pot tindre endinsar-se en plena Lapònia en hivern?, són moltes les vegades que em formulen aquestes preguntes, i la meva resposta (escarida) …

Refugio del cubillo

Ready for the day! 🚲😎
cycling

Kashbas and mud villages

Route recap: I'll highlight the main points of the route.

I planned this route following the bikepacking route "Route of Caravans" from starting in Agadir and I have finished in Melilla.

Numbers: 1700 km 🔺13.500
HP: 🏔️ 2900 m.

1️⃣ Cycling in Morocco: Cycling here is a paradise, you can find kilometric off road tracks with service as far as 80-100k as most, you can make it in a day or two, make sure you love off-road otherwise you have plenty of pavement as a second options. On the roads most of the cars don't follow any CO2 emissions so staying long time in the road was a bit stressing.

2️⃣ Camping: Morocco is Safe, people take care of you and very unlikely they will deny help, however camping somewhere you can be seen might be a challenge, more likely someone will come for inspection and see what's going on, once they corroborate they will let you alone. However there is certain valley with private guards, they won't allow you to camp, better to ask. Normally they will send you to a hotel, insist or ask particulars, is a lot better, ant be pacient, everything here take its time.

Petrol station or Mosque is also a good option, make sure you ask too, they use to have service 🚾

3️⃣ People: Here people is very friendly, always ready for a conversation, they are very curious and want to know about you a lot, your bike and so on. They know a lot about roads but be careful with distance, 5k for them will be 10 for you. In remote village, particularly in the high Atlas, they are not very used to foreigners and firstly will show disagreement, it takes time, be gentle and nice with them you will be their host. In the touristy spots you may find some guys with motorcycle coming to offer restaurant and accomodation, ask price and take your choice, otherwise ask them gently to live you alone.

4️⃣ Wheatear: summer in the south is very hot, I opted for winter, and still the sun was burning my skin, during the night drops to 2°-5°C and in the coldest nights can drop about 0°C. In the mountains things go pretty worst, during the day you can stay at 10°C and drop bellow 10°C, make sure you have the right equipment for winter.

Mud, water and humans

Some memories from long and sandy day on the dunes

Does freezing 🏕️ nights in 🏜️

Some photos from the Dades Gorges. My feeling in the Dades valley was controversial, I won't say is not a magic place full of awesome Kashbas and awesome landscape all along the valley, but, being followed constantly by motorbikes trying to take you to their auberge or restaurants and trying to sell touristic packages its a little bit unenchanting. I understand many of this people is leaving from tourism and is something we must respect, particularly coming from a country where the only fact of having its passport means you are privileged.

Some photos from the Dades Gorges. My feeling in the Dades valley was controversial, I won't say is not a magic place full of awesome Kashbas and awesome landscape all along the valley, but, being followed constantly by motorbikes trying to take you to their auberge or restaurants and trying to sell touristic packages its a little bit unenchanting. I understand many of this people is leaving from tourism and is something we must respect, particularly coming from a country where the only fact of having its passport means you are privileged.

Does days camping in Morocco mountains.

High Atlas Kashbas and landscapes.

The typical photo that everyone does, this time somewhere in the Atlas mountain in Morocco

Instants..

From very recently I was here I realised the countryside should be my way to go, I have been other time in Morocco but no one like this, it's very hard to express the feeling of travel with a bike trough the valleys, passing by the main road, sometimes paved, sometimes not, but always with people around welcoming you. Travel with a bike allow me to stay time enough deep in the valley to meet people, or at least share some smails, some emotions, some feelings, even with gestures, feeling that you are special for them but not because are tourist, but because you are traveling with a bike, feeling that they could be you in some point, and you could be them. This is really what make this journey very special to me 🚲🌴

Today is the last day I will cycle with this guy, thank you very much .hugo for so many amazing moments we have had. So many rmote and frosty night camps and a lot of rockie tracks, a lot.. it has been a pleasure traveling with you and hope destiny will bring us to cycle together! From now on I will continue my way alone to de gorges of Dades in the Atlas mountain, let's see what's going on up there!! 🌄

Today is the last day I will cycle with this guy, thank you very much .hugo for so many amazing moments we have had. So many rmote and frosty night camps and a lot of rockie tracks, a lot.. it has been a pleasure traveling with you and hope destiny will bring us to cycle together! From now on I will continue my way alone to de gorges of Dades in the Atlas mountain, let's see what's going on up there!! 🌄

Today is the last day I will cycle with this guy, thank you very much .hugo for so many amazing moments we have shared, remote and frosty night camps and a lot of rockie tracks, a lot.. it been a pleasure and hope destiny will bring us to cycle together! From now on I will continue my way alone to de gorges of Dades in the Atlas mountain, let's see what's going on up there! 🌄

I'm very impressed how the people culture can change from one place to the other in south Morocco, from nomads to the village and from saharians to the city.

Parc natural de Les Cèvennes i les Causses. Vaig sortir de Lió amb l'ai al cor, ple d'emocions, per tornar a les muntanyes i a gaudir del bosc d'alta muntanya de coníferes i bedolls. El Massís Central en França és un bosc dens i salvatge, amb valls profundes que acaben als rius i rierols que marquen la direcció de les valls, és un bosc agrest i difícil....

http://vagamons.com/2022/05/13/el-massis-central-i-el-languedoc-frances/

El Massís central i el Languedoc Francès Parc natural de Les Cèvennes i les Causses. Vaig sortir de Lió amb l’ai al cor, ple d’emocions, per tornar a les muntanyes i a gaudir del bosc d’alta muntanya de coníferes i bedol…

Alsace is definitely in my top tree places to come back, I have followed the Eurovelo 5 cycling route, it is super well signposted and mostly off-road, with a perfect mix of quiet cycling lanes and paved tracks. The hills covered with vineyards unveil the next valley, the next small town to deep in to the narrow streets with half-timbered facades, bent, incredible how this architecture holds the passing of the time, which of them more picturesque....

http://vagamons.com/2022/04/28/alsace-france/

Alsace, France Alsace is definitely in my top tree places to come back, I have followed the Eurovelo 5 cycling route, it is super well signposted and mostly off-road, with a perfect mix of quiet cycling lanes and…