We arrived in Midelt and are now extremely cautious about mountain weather. We’re using multiple weather apps, but most of them have proven unreliable in the mountains. After Midelt, there’s only one village on the way to Errich, which is about 130 km away.
We decided to continue, but the weather was getting windier, and the clouds were growing darker. We reached a small village called Zebzate, and we were torn between continuing and risking getting caught in a storm or staying and possibly waiting for rain that might never come.

We took a break, which kept getting longer and longer. We asked if it was possible to rest somewhere or sleep for half an hour, and an old man told us we could pitch our tent by the side of the main street and sleep there.
We cycled back to try to find the head (boss) of the village. We went to the school, and the schoolteacher opened the school for us to rest inside, but they made it clear that sleeping there overnight wasn’t possible.

After a few minutes, they brought us tea and gave us an interesting lesson on the history of Morocco on the blackboard. Meanwhile, they completely forgot about their students outside, who were going crazy over the strangers lying in their school!

When school ended, the teacher went with us to the Mukadam (village chief) to help us find a place to sleep for the night. By then, it had already started raining lightly. In hindsight, we could have made it to the next village if we had continued, but our fear of the storm controlled us. Now, finding a place to sleep was getting harder and harder.

The teachers invited us to return to Midelt with them, but that meant cycling 25 km back in the dark—no way we were going to do that. In the middle of the discussion, two girls came over and offered to host us in their home. They were 18 years old and didn’t want us to post their photos or names, but we are incredibly grateful to them.

The Arab arrival in Morocco began in the 7th century during the Islamic expansion. Arab Muslim armies brought Islam to North Africa, gradually influencing local cultures. The indigenous Amazigh (Berber) people, who had lived in the region for thousands of years, initially resisted but eventually adopted Islam, blending it with their own traditions. Over time, Arab culture and language spread, especially in cities, while Amazigh identity remained strong in rural and mountain areas. Today, Morocco is a unique mix of Arab and Amazigh heritage, reflected in its language, traditions, and architecture.

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The Mukadam came to their home to take photos of our passports, then we had dinner together and enjoyed a good night’s sleep. The storm hit hard around 8 pm and lasted until midnight.

We covered around 65 km today. We could’ve done more, but ever since we got caught in a storm and had to be rescued, we’ve become much more cautious. Both of us have noticed that our fear of storms is growing, and we’ve learned to listen to that fear.
Could we have pushed through the 90 km to reach the next village today? Yes.
Do we regret waiting because of the storm warning? Absolutely not.
We’re still learning how to navigate the waves of emotions and fears that come up on this journey. What’s certain is that we’re learning so much—and we’re deeply grateful to all the people who offer us help, open their homes, and welcome us with open hearts, expecting nothing in return but to hear our story.