on our way to Ein Leuh and Um Al-Rabea, the highest point we’ve reached so far, at around 1825m. The heat was intense, with temperatures soaring above 44°C, making every meter of climbing a challenge. We struggled but pressed on because Um Al-Rabea is known for being 5 to 10 degrees cooler than the surrounding areas.

After cycling for a few kilometres, we searched for any kind of shade to escape the scorching sun. The UV index was at its peak, reaching 11—the highest level—from sunrise until sunset.

the only motivation we have is when we ascend to 1800m it would be around 5 degrees cooler than here at 1100M.

since Fes animals usually are active at night cause they cant deal with the heat.

Close to Lac Ouiouane, the landscape changes slightly as it becomes a nature reserve. There are tall trees that provide shade intermittently, making the ride more pleasant. The road is gravel, with fewer cars passing by—only one or two vehicles belonging to wealthy Moroccans enjoying their holiday there from Europe.

We finally made it to Lac Ouiouane just as the sun was setting. The lake was partially dried, like many of the water sources we’ve encountered across Morocco. This is a popular tourist spot where wealthy Moroccans visit. We asked the only hotel in the area if we could pitch our tent in the parking lot. A 24-year-old woman named JDoulin checked with the owner, and thankfully, they allowed us to set up camp since the hotel was fully booked for a group.

At first, we weren’t allowed to use the hotel’s bathroom. However, after Sandra spoke with the owner, we received permission. While we were there, she also met an interesting man, about 45 years old, who booked the whole Hotel with some friends to discuss their strong conspiracy theories who began forcing all this theories on me, including topics like Bill Gates and the Flat Earth theory. He even made a remark about my name, suggesting it was a 100% Muslim name and that I should be Muslim. Despite trying to politely express that this was a very personal topic for me, I eventually had to firmly tell him that I wasn’t interested and needed to go to sleep. Generally, people in Morocco are extremely open-minded and usually avoid discussing religion or politics, especially with foreigners.The night was cool and refreshing, around 15°C. It was calm, and we slept well.

the morning cycling before sunrise is really pleasant. but the moment the rice, everything changes.

We arrived at Um Al-Rabea, where we had high hopes that the weather would be better. However, I started feeling dizzy all the time and very weak. There is an extreme descent to the village at its lowest point, around 1200m altitude, where a huge river should be, but it was completely dry.

We went into the town to try to find an apartment to rent for a few days until I felt better, but the prices were crazy. There were no internet shops, and we had no internet access to check the weather we had to recharge our Orange but was not possible there. We discussed the possibility of heading to the coast, where it could be up to 25 degrees cooler than here, close to the desert. My bike has had problems with gear shifting ever since I did “maintenance in Portugal,” and it’s been a disaster since then. I’ve been struggling with it, while Sandra’s bike is new and works like a charm.
We asked a taxi driver how much it would cost to drive us to Casablanca or Rabat. He said €3000. I thought there was a misunderstanding, but he repeated, “30,000 Dirhams,” which is about €3000.

We haven’t had a real break lately, and we both consider ourselves inexperienced when it comes to long-distance travelling. It felt like we were just trying to escape the heat, which caused a bit of a panic. The prices in this area are quite high, even though it is not peak season yet.For a moment, it felt like we were struggling and that there was no solution. Then, Mohammad overheard our conversation with the taxi driver and asked if we needed help. We explained that we needed internet access to check the route and the weather. He took us to a village café, brought his personal internet device, and left it there for us to use. The weather was expected to be over 40 degrees for the next 15 days, despite being in the mountains over 1500 meters high, where there was an official warning issued . Afterwards, he mentioned that he was heading to Rabat and kindly offered to take us, provided our bikes could fit in his car.

We decided to go to Rabat with him. On the way, he stopped in a village where his relatives live and invited us for lunch. We arrived in Rabat at sunset and stayed at a guest house in the old city, The owners were very polite, but the place was full of insects, and we developed skin allergies. After 3 days, we decided to move on to Casablanca, by the coast, where it’s cooler.
We were very sad to have to change our plan of going into the Atlas Mountains.