The combination of sunshine and good temperature made for a perfect cycle ride. Although it was a fair old ride up towards the pass which would finally lead to La Cathédrale, the mountain road did not present too much of a challenge and nicely wound around and up through the range. The Marathon XR tyres were in their element and tackled the rough track with ease. My legs were now pretty good and I was able to quickly climb and enjoy breathtaking views. Awesome!

I had to cross a few rivers that cut across my path and, like my experiences in Ladakh, the road was sometimes crumbling away or partially blocked by rockfalls but I did not have to unload or carry the bike. It was good to have a decent snow fed water supply.

Apologies for this post being a little picture intensive especially to anyone on a lacklustre internet connection. However I loved this part of my journey and want to show how absolutely amazing this part of the world is and, hopefully, encourage others to cycle this route. The R302 from Demnate to the Bin el Ouidane reservoir via Ait Bougomez is less than 200 miles of breathtaking scenery and quite a departure from the mainstream Moroccan ‘experience’.

Once up and over the pass close to Le Cathedrale the road dropped away and I cycled down through a pine forest and towards the river Melloul.  The great monumental rock at Le Cathedrale is a huge draw for climbers and base jumpers. The magnificent rock stands proud above its surroundings. It reminded me a little of Sigiriya or Lions Rock in Sri Lanka.