By bike from Marrakech to Agadir. On gravel roads, sand and single tracks through the remote mountain landscapes of the Atlas Mountains. 1,167 kilometers and 23,000 meters in altitude in a maximum of seven days. This is the Atlas Mountain Race, one of the toughest unsupported gravel bikepacking events in the world.
In the last edition of the race in February 2020, 192 drivers from all over the world started. Many of them only came for the race. Not so the former professional cyclist Nico Keinath and his friend Nils Laengner, who accompanied the race as the official photographer.
Traveling on two continents
Because they wanted to experience more than just the epic race. They wanted to get to know the locals and immerse themselves in foreign cultures with all their senses. Something that is not really possible given the immense exertion during the race itself. For this reason, the two decided to cycle from Lisbon to the starting point in Marrakech: a tour of around 1,800 kilometers. The route first took them through the beautiful southern part of the Iberian Peninsula, until they took the ferry to Morocco at the southernmost tip. From Tangier we went the remaining 1000 kilometers to Marrakech.
Their tour pushed Nils and Nico to their physical and mental limits and beyond. For this they were rewarded with beautiful natural spectacles, extremely diverse landscapes and encounters with incredibly nice people. They saw a lot of bizarre things, experienced chaotic traffic conditions and met one or the other wild animal. Two weeks full of unique moments allowed them to rediscover themselves. We're glad they both captured some of those moments for us.
Photos: Nils Laengner / www.nilslaengner.de / @nils_laengner
