From Marrakech to Ouarzazarte – Day 2

After an easy day rolling out of Marrakech we had our mountain stage waiting for us. We kept going on the N9 road from the village of Touama, heading to Zerkten.

The route started with a climb of approximately 15 km that took us from the 1000m to 1600m altitude. There we had our first descend completely surrounded by mountains and a beautiful valley. Arrived at Zerkten we did a quick stop to buy some water and decided to keep going a few more kilometers and enjoy the gentle zigzag road that was craved between massive stone walls.

We knew we would soon start the biggest climb of the trip to cross the Col de Tichka at 2260m. I was looking forward for this part and was happy when we crossed a big billboard with a photo of the hairpins we had ahead. The road was large and in really good condition, having three lanes for the most of its length. While climbing, all I could see was the road going up and the cars and trucks zig zagging ahead of us. As someone who loves to climb, this view couldn’t be better!

We stopped a bit before the Col’s passage in a touristic area that had a few cafes and souvenirs shops. From there we had a really nice view over the valley and the north Atlas that we were about to leave behind. We had some cold drinks, snacks, bought some souvenirs and felt ready for the last push to the 2260m.

The col was just a few kilometers ahead and there we just stopped for a few pictures, since it was more exposed to the wind. The descend was great and once again I was amazed with the beautiful earthy colors that paint the Atlas landscape.

Around the km 58 of our route we left the N9 and entered a short gravel segment that marked the beginning of the P1516 road. Being a secondary road, it was way more calmer and I think just one or two cars passed by us.

Our day finished at the Maison d’Hôtes, a village guesthouse owned by a family and where we were welcomed with a traditional mint tea and had a delicious dinner.