I have just returned from the Atlas Mountain Race, a 1300km mountain bike race running in a large greater arc from Marrakech to Essaouira through the Atlas Mountains. There is 23,000m of climbing on the route, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. Many hilly parts are sometimes faster going than other harder, more rugged flat sections. It is reasonable to expect overall speeds while traveling of 11-15kph, which means, roughly, 80-110 hours of total travel time within a time limit of 7.5 days.
That’s as much information I have for you about the route. It’s a beast. It was my first organized ultra bikepacking event, and it took me a little over 6.5 days. Your mileage may literally vary based on your ability to deal with sleep deprivation and the conditions of the year. Not to spoil anything, but if you go in with a hemmorrhoid, maybe also anticipate adding some hours and take it a bit slower on the rough bits.
Continue reading Herodirtus and the Hemmorrhoid – Atlas Mountain Race 2025