Marrakech Atlas Etape by Derek Workman

MARRAKECH ATLAS ETAPE M A R R A K E C H

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C H A R I T Y B I K E R I D E - S U N D AY 2 7 A P R I L 2 0 1 4

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Would I go back and ride the Marrakech Atlas Etap A great event, super-friendly and extremely well or Mat Brett, road.cc

pe again? 100%. rganized.

Moroccan Cycling Comes of Age I first came to Morocco in the early 1970s, and instantly fell in love with this enigmatic country. I loved the exotic mix of cultures and the geographic extremes of high mountains, Atlantic coastline, sand dunes and snow-covered vistas. Above all I loved the people, their history and the way their colourful culture welcomes the visitor. A short time later I started running adventure holidays to Morocco in an old Land Rover. Now, some thirty-odd years later, I am just as enamoured with Morocco as I ever was. Being a keen cyclist, I’ve crossed the country on bike from the Mediterranean coast through the Rif mountains, on to Marrakech and then up into the High Atlas Mountains. From a cyclist’s point of view the magnificent and varied terrain does not get much better. With cycling coming of age in Morocco, and with Marrakech to Oukaïmeden as a classic ascent to rank with any of the classic climbs in the Tour de France, I believe the time for a classic cyclo-sportive in Morocco has arrived. To put the idea into action, I teamed up with Saif Kovach, of Argan Extreme Sports, and the Marrakech Atlas Étape was born. As one of the founders of the charity Education For All, I have been involved in raising funds to help educate girls in the Atlas mountains since 2007. While the Marrakech Atlas Étape is a challenging ride in one of the most beautiful regions of North Africa, the intention is that it will also generate income to help less fortunate members of the community—and what better charity to support than Education For All? Despite unseasonally bad weather, the inaugural etape in 2013 was a great success, a success we intend to build on in the coming years. I hope you can join us in April 2014 for the Marrakech Atlas Étape. Mike McHugo Kasbah du Toubkal

A Ride for Everyone

The Marrakech Atlas Etape is an inclusive event with 2 routes to choose from. The full ascent will challenge the serious amateur or even professional rider, as well as passionate and determined cyclists who just want to do this monster of a climb with the exhilaration of the descent. The entrance fee for either route is 80 euros. ROUTE 1: 140 KILOMETRE Marrakech to Oukaïmeden. 70km out and 70km back. 2129m of altitude gain. Route description

ROUTE 2: 60 KILOMETRE Marrakech to the Ourika Valley. 30km out and 30km back. 365m of altitude gain. Route description

This route leaves from the southern edge of Marrakech at 495m and heads south, following a very gentle gradient (average 1.25%) for some 29km to the start of the Ourika valley at an altitude of 860m. Spectacular views of the snow-capped Atlas Mountains should be seen throughout this gentle rise to the start of the Ourika Valley. The route then follows the Ourika valley for 11km to where the road branches out of the valley (975m) and the main climb to Oukaïmeden begins. The next 30km of the course will rise 1649m (average gradient 5.49%) to the ski station at 2,624m. The physical and human scenery on this section of the course really is awe inspiring as the road snakes its way ever higher passing the villages and terraced fields of the Berbers of the High Atlas. The route back to Marrakech is almost all downhill and the views truly spectacular.

This route leaves from the southern edge of Marrakech at 495m and heads south, following a very gentle gradient (averageof 1.25%) for 29Km to the start of the Ourika Valley at an altitude of 860m. Spectacular views of the snow-capped Atlas Mountains should be seen throughout this gentle rise to the start of The Ourika Valley. The return is a fast gentle decent back to Marrakech. This route is achievable by almost anybody who has reasonable fitness and wants to be involved in this event.

You can register on-line at www.marrakech-atlas-etape.com. Some quick notes before you do… For the last 6 years Education For All have run an annual Charity Bike Holiday event which will take place immediately after the Marrakech Atlas Etape in 2014. The bike holiday gives the opportunity to explore different regions in the High Atlas Mountains at a more leisurely pace. If you are interested in joining us for this, please email info@efamorocco.org or visit the Education For All website to find out more information. You can read about the holiday in High, Ride and Handsome, which you can also download as a PDF from the EFA website. If you would like too publicise the event, we have created some flyers which you can download, print and post. English flyer | French flyer Reduced registration rates for Moroccan nationals signing up in person at Argan Sports Marrakech. ARGAN XTREME SPORTS, Rue Fatima Al Fihria, Marrakech, Morocco Shop: +212 (0)524 400207, email: info@argansports.com You can raise sponsorship via our on-line Sponsorship page.

Why we do it Educate a boy and you educate the man; educate a girl and you educate a family, a community, a nation.

Education For All is a Moroccan-

based charity that helps give girls from remote villages in the High Atlas Mountains the opportunity of a college education. At present, few girls from rural communities in Morocco continue their education after primary school. College is not accessible to them, mainly because their parents cannot afford lodgings for their daughters or because accommodation near colleges, often far from where they live, is inappropriate and parents do not have the confidence to send their daughters. To help tackle this, Education for All (EFA), a Moroccan NGO, is running girls’ boarding houses near secondary colleges, allowing girls from rural communities to continue their education. These boarding houses are either purpose built for EFA or are premises converted to suit the specific needs of the girls. All the girls’ living expenses are covered while under our care.

But life is more than just a roof over your head and a bed to sleep in, and EFA’s boarding houses are well equiped with computers and study rooms, and communl areas for the girls to relax in. Equally important, we take every opportunity to help the girls discover their own country and culture by taking them on excursions, taking part in local community events, and introducing them to the wider world through the volunteers who work with us. We hope to continue this invaluable work in the years to come, and all profits generated by the Marrakech Atlas Étape will go to help the girls under Education For All’s care to create a future for themselves, their community and their country. Individually we may not be able to change the world, but together we can help to make a difference to a few lives - and indirectly to many more.

You can learn more about Education For All at www.efamorocco.org. A Different Life, tells the story of EFA. (You can also download a pdf copy from the EFA website.)

2013 Summary Around 170 cyclists took part in the first ever Marrakech Atlas Etape, aptly nicknamed the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Ouka Monsterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, a cycling event like no other! The base station and the various feed stations provided information and much-needed sustenance for riders throughout the event. The ride took place in unseasonably cold temperatures, creating difficulties for some of the riders on the long descent. Those who reached the turnaround point were welcomed by gloriously sunny skies, but at 15:00, with the weather worsening, the organisers called a halt to any further people starting the descent back to Marrakech. However, several riders had already made or started the descent, and did manage to complete the entire 140km, the quickest returning to rapturous applause in just under 51/2 hours! Later in the day, an excellent lunch provided by acclaimed chef Damien Durand was well attended, including girls and housemothers from the boarding houses supported by EFA as well as partners to the event, which included technical support and bikes supplied by Argan Xtreme Sports. We were also delighted to welcome the British Ambassador to Morocco, Mr. Clive Alderton.

I feel that I am extremely privileged to have ridden in the first of, I hope, many of these rides. It is everything you can want as a cyclist, an off the beaten track, adventurous challenge with great people in aid of a great cause. Although it was a tad misty when we did it, scenery and mountain views are awe inspiring. The event was extremely well organised in a charmingly understated way, the climb is long, very long, but never too steep as to be a killer, and is punctuated with food and drink stops cunningly placed around 50 yards before you need to get off and walk. The summit was at the edge of my pain barrier and made me question doing this on a Brompton, however, a fine selection of food on arrival soon sorts things out and adds a little extra weight to aid gravity in the descent.

James Tuffs

Where shall I begin? Firstly, about Morocco and Marrakech: what an utterly beguiling, crazy, mental, bonkers, wonderful place. Nothing and I mean nothing, can prepare you for the assault on the senses that this city delivers, noise, smell, heat, sights, people, traffic, animals, vegetables, minerals. Everyone must go there, trust me, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s breathtaking. And the people are the most friendly, interesting and interested of anywhere I've ever been. Oh yes, and then there was the Atlas Etape itself. Saturday was beautiful. High 20s, blue skies and no wind. A lovely day to register for the event and explore; see the photos for a feel of the

place. Grey skies and cold but it was early and the forecast was for 24 degrees. A brief safety chat and we were off at 08:00. I sat in with the leading group and benefited from the tow being offered by a group of fast locals and quick foreigners as we headed out on the very gradual climb of the first 30km or so to feed station 1. By this time the rain had started and it was a little bleak. Filthy spray obscured my Oakleys but the dried fruits, nuts, bread and water were a welcome change from European feeds.

You can read more from James Tuffs and Jim Coughlan at our website: www.marrakech-atlas-etape.com

Jim Coughlan

www.marrakech-atlas-etape.com

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