Gravel Cycling Route Planning Guide
A great gravel ride is a well-planned gravel ride. The freedom of gravel is that you can go anywhere the tracks go — but that freedom means you are responsible for choosing a route that is rideable, safe, and has water and an exit. This guide covers how to plan a gravel cycling route: reading terrain, setting distance and elevation, planning water and resupply, navigating, and the Morocco-specific planning that makes the difference between a great day and a long walk.
Route planning basics
A gravel route is a chain of decisions: where you start, where you go, how far, how much climbing, where you get water, and how you get out if something goes wrong. Get those right and the ride looks after itself. The most common planning failure is ambition — planning a route that is longer, harder or more remote than the conditions and your fitness support. Plan to the day, not to the dream. See our Morocco planning guide.
Terrain analysis
Before anything else, understand the surface. Is it compacted earth (fast, rideable on 40c), loose gravel (slower, needs care on descents), rocky (slower, needs wider tyres), or sandy (slow or unrideable)? In Morocco, most pistes are compacted earth — rideable — but the surface changes with weather (rain makes earth sticky, heat makes it loose) and location (the desert fringe has sandy sections). Read our guide to Morocco’s terrain, roads and surfaces.
Distance planning
Set distance to your fitness and the conditions, not to a round number. On a firm piste in cool weather, a fit rider can cover 80–100 km; on a loose or sandy surface in the heat, 50 km may be a full day. Build in a buffer — plan a route you can shorten if the surface is slow, the weather turns, or a mechanical costs time. A loop is easier to cut than a point-to-point. For a multi-day trip, plan each day to leave energy for the next. See how many days you need in Morocco.
Elevation planning
Elevation is the hidden cost of a gravel route. A flat-looking piste that rolls all day can add up to 1,000 m of climbing, and climbing on gravel is slower than on tarmac. Use a route-planning tool that shows elevation profile, and plan to the total climbing, not just the distance. In Morocco, the High Atlas passes (the Tizi n’Tichka at 2,268 m) are real climbs — budget time and energy for them. See our gearing for Atlas gravel climbing guide.
Water and resupply
Water is the critical constraint in Morocco. The climate is dry, you dehydrate faster than you realise, and the pistes can go a long way between villages. Plan your water refills around villages and carry a buffer — at least 2 L for a day ride, 2–3 L in the desert, and more if the weather is hot. Identify resupply points (village shops, cafés, guesthouses) on the map before you ride. In the desert, double the water you think you need. See our water resupply guide and how much water you need.
Navigation
Carry a GPS with the route loaded — a dedicated unit (Garmin, Wahoo) is more reliable than a phone, with better battery life and visibility in sunlight. Load the route as a track file (GPX) and follow it. Carry a phone as a backup, with offline maps downloaded, and a power bank. Do not rely on mobile data — coverage is patchy in the valleys and absent in the desert. See our GPS navigation guide and navigation for remote routes.
Safety considerations
Every route plan needs an exit. What do you do if a mechanical, the weather or a rider stops the day? Identify the points where you can cut the route short, the nearest road, and the nearest village. Tell someone your route and your expected finish time. Carry a phone, a basic tool kit, and enough water and food for longer than you plan to be out. In remote terrain, a support vehicle or a satellite messenger is the right call. See is Morocco safe for gravel cycling.
Morocco-specific planning
Morocco adds a few planning considerations: the pistes are not always on digital maps (use our verified routes as a base), water planning matters more than in Europe, the heat changes the calculus in summer, and the high passes close with snow in winter. Plan around the season for your region — spring and autumn for the Atlas, winter for the desert and coast. Use the National Gravel Map to see our verified routes, and the routes listing for the detail. On a supported trip, the guide handles all of this — this guide is for independent riders. See our Morocco bikepacking guide.
Frequently asked questions
How do I plan a gravel cycling route?
Plan around terrain, distance, elevation, water and an exit. Understand the surface, set distance and climbing to your fitness and the conditions (not to ambition), plan water refills around villages with a buffer, carry a GPS with the route loaded, and always have a way to cut the route short if something goes wrong.
How much water should I carry on a gravel ride in Morocco?
At least 2 L for a day ride, 2–3 L in the desert, and more in hot weather. Morocco’s climate is dry and you dehydrate faster than you realise. Plan your refills around villages and carry a buffer. In the desert, double the water you think you need.
How do I navigate gravel routes in Morocco?
Carry a GPS with the route loaded as a GPX track — a dedicated unit is more reliable than a phone. Carry a phone as a backup with offline maps and a power bank. Do not rely on mobile data — coverage is patchy in the valleys and absent in the desert.
How much climbing should I plan for a gravel route?
Use a route-planning tool that shows the elevation profile and plan to the total climbing, not just the distance. A rolling piste adds roughly 10–15 m of climbing per km. Budget about an hour per 1,000 m of climbing on gravel, more if it is steep.
Where can I find verified gravel routes in Morocco?
Our verified route library covers four flagship pistes — the Tizi n’Tichka, the Ounila Valley, the Tizi n’Test and the Draa Valley Loop — each documented with real distance, elevation, surface and season. See them on the National Gravel Map and the routes listing. On a supported trip, the guide handles route planning.