March 6, 2023
Day 19: Ouarzazate to Agdz
Bagged our first Tizi!
We carry our gear down just before eight and are surprised to see Xander still there packing up. He has a long day ahead of him, but at least we can get his picture before he sets off. After another nice Moroccan breakfast we also head out.
Another big part of the city is on the other side of the river, but after about five kilometers all development stops and we start climbing out of the valley.
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After an initial steep section it flattens out a bit, but we have about 1100 meters of climbing today, all this to gain about 500 meters to the high point at Tizi’n Tinafifft. This means we’ll climb and loose altitude. At about 35km we reach a false pass (we were expecting it) and start a downhill to a small town. Behind it we can see the road form a huge hairpin up the mountain range. Halfway down we meet two cyclists from Austria, Thomas and Wolfgang. We chat for a while. At the bottom of the last climb we stop at a café for a rest. We buy some small bottles of Fanta, but as we start eating our own bread and cheese the guy quickly brings us plates and glasses and a small bin for the trash.
After the break we push up the pass pretty good. At the top there is a great view back to the High Atlas Mountains and during the downhill there are terrific views of craggy canyons and red mountains. The mountain behind Agdz with its typical top that resembles the top of a tagine dish is visible from a long ways. We cruise the 20 km downhill at a pretty good pace. Just before the town we see another cyclists climbing towards us. The tailwind that has been helping us so well today is making his going tough. Again we chat for a while, he’s from Poland.
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At the entrance into the town we stop at a store and a guy approaches us to ask if we need a hotel. We already have a reservation, but it turns out the guy owns the Riad Dar Tazoulte we are staying at. He guides us there on his moped, about 500 meters off the main road. Agdz seems to have undergone a huge construction boom a couple of years ago, but all work has stopped; probably because of Covid. Almost half the buildings are nice and new, but unfinished and empty.
The riad we are staying doesn’t look like much on the outside, but once through the door we enter a nice tiled breezeway around an open courtyard. Around it are about 5 rooms. Our room is nice and cool with a nice shower and bathroom. After being cold in the mountains only a couple of days ago, now the temperature is approaching 80F and we are seeking shade. After a couple of hours rest we walk back to town for dinner. On the return trip we see a full moon rise over the Tangine mountain.
Today's ride: 68 km (42 miles)
Total: 617 km (383 miles)
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