Atlas Mountain Race Bikepacking

Extreme

Date

2026-03-14

Location

Marrakech, Morocco

Distance

1200 km

Elevation

22000m

>> EXPLORE ROUTES

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Explore gravel routes near Marrakech

Strava Route Explorer · Morocco

STRAVA →Find Strava segments near MarrakechSEGMENTS →Discover routes on Komoot · MarrakechKOMOOT →

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$https://gravelradar.app/races/morocco/atlas-mountain-race-bikepacking

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>> COMMUNITY

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▌ RIDER INTEL DOSSIER

ID: ATLAS-MOUNTAIN-RACE-BIKE

GR SCORE

/ 100

TIER 1

~/dossier/atlas-mountain-race-bikepacking $ cat briefing.md

▌ 1,200 km of self-supported chaos across the High Atlas.

Nelson Trees’ Moroccan epic — a self-supported, sleep-deprived, route-finding ultra that has joined the Tour Divide and TCR in the modern bikepacking pantheon.

EFFORT69/80

EXPER.57/70

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15 SCORING DIMENSIONS

· Inside the rating

$ ./radar --plot

ATLAS MOUNTAIN RACE BIKEPACKING

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EFFORT MATRIX

· Physical demands · 8 vectors

$ ./bench --effort

LENGTH10/10

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10/10~1,200 km Marrakech → Sidi Rabat (Atlantic)

~1,200 km Marrakech → Sidi Rabat (Atlantic)

CLIMBING10/10

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10/10~22,000 m of unrelenting Atlas vert

~22,000 m of unrelenting Atlas vert

DURABILITY10/10

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10/106-12 day effort, sleep deprivation, body breakdown

6-12 day effort, sleep deprivation, body breakdown

ALTITUDE07/10

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07/10Up to 2,600 m — not extreme but sustained

Up to 2,600 m — not extreme but sustained

TECHNICALITY09/10

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09/10Hike-a-bike sections, loose chunky descents, sand washes

Hike-a-bike sections, loose chunky descents, sand washes

HEAT08/10

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08/10Daytime 25-35 °C in low country, freezing nights at altitude

Daytime 25-35 °C in low country, freezing nights at altitude

COLD08/10

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08/10Nights below freezing in the High Atlas

Nights below freezing in the High Atlas

RACE PRESSURE07/10

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07/10Self-supported with dot-watching scrutiny

Self-supported with dot-watching scrutiny

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EXPERIENCE MATRIX

· Race quality · 7 vectors

$ ./bench --experience

ADVENTURE10/10

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10/10Berber villages, ancient kasbahs, true off-grid riding

Berber villages, ancient kasbahs, true off-grid riding

SCENERY10/10

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10/10Atlas peaks, palm oases, lunar plateaus, Atlantic finish

Atlas peaks, palm oases, lunar plateaus, Atlantic finish

ORGANIZATION08/10

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08/10Light-touch by design — rules clear, route well-vetted

Light-touch by design — rules clear, route well-vetted

VALUE08/10

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08/10Modest entry; cost is your gear and travel

Modest entry; cost is your gear and travel

COMMUNITY09/10

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09/10Tight global ultra-bikepacking community

Tight global ultra-bikepacking community

ACCESSIBILITY03/10

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03/10Application-based, requires bikepacking CV

Application-based, requires bikepacking CV

FIELD DEPTH09/10

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09/10Hard ultra fields with Sofiane Sehili-tier riders

Hard ultra fields with Sofiane Sehili-tier riders

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GREEN FLAGS

$ ./pros

[+]A genuine modern classic of bikepacking
[+]Stunning, varied terrain from desert to high mountain
[+]Berber hospitality at remote checkpoints
[+]Light, principled rules — pure self-supported
[+]Affordable entry by ultra standards
[+]Atlantic finish at Sidi Rabat is iconic

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RED FLAGS

$ ./cons

[!]Hike-a-bike sections destroy poorly chosen setups
[!]Resupply gaps of 100+ km in remote sectors
[!]Sleep management is a survival skill here
[!]Application-based — not first-come
[!]Dogs in remote villages can be aggressive
[!]Solo navigation in the dark, every night

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RIDER FIT

· Match by archetype

$ match-rider --types

BikepackerPRIME · 10/10

A purist self-supported ultra — the format

Endurance MulePRIME · 9/10

Multi-day metabolism is non-negotiable

ClimberPRIME · 8/10

22,000 m of vert favours light, patient riders

Adventure TouristPRIME · 8/10

If you can ride within the cutoff, the journey is unmatched

Crit RacerAVOID · 1/10

Wrong sport entirely

Heat SpecialistGOOD · 7/10

Day-time desert temperatures bite hard

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⚡ SIGNATURE CHALLENGE

Carrying your bike up the Atlas

Several sectors are unrideable for almost everyone. Pushing or shouldering a loaded bike up Berber mule paths at hour 60 is the AMR rite of passage.

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TIRE INTEL

· Setup recommendation

$ rubber --recommend

WIDTH

2.1-2.4" MTB or 50mm+ gravel

PRESSURE

18-25 psi

PATTERN

Aggressive mid-knob with reinforced sidewalls

Most finishers ride a hardtail MTB or rigid plus-bike. Gravel bikes finish but the chunky descents and hike-a-bike walls reward MTB tires. Sidewall protection is more important than rolling speed.

▶ TOP PICKS

1.Maxxis Rambler[50mm]— Workable on gravel rigs that want to start

2.Schwalbe G-One Bite[50mm]— Versatile mixed-terrain choice

3.Maxxis Ikon 2.2"[MTB]— The Atlas Mountain Race standard for hardtails

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WEATHER PLAYBOOK

· What the sky throws at you

$ forecast --race

February Morocco: lowlands 18-30 °C, High Atlas can drop below 0 °C at night with snow above 2,000 m. Pack a real sleep system, a proper jacket, and rehydration salts.

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