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50cc to the Atlas Snow

Feb 2026

A tight schedule, a 50cc scooter, and the Atlas foothills. The idea was to ride out and touch the snow. The scooter set the boundary. What resulted was a brief record of contrasts—half-finished buildings, daily routines on the slopes, and the unspoken rule that some distances stay untouched.

The next day, I barely left Marrakech. Yet the Atlas still had its pull: clouds clinging to the peaks, spilling into the valleys. Even from a distance, the mountains refused to let go.

Decorative street lamps lining a scenic road, with snow-capped mountains in the distance.

Lamp-lined road.

Road leading to a village with snow-capped mountains under a clear blue sky.

The way forward.

Mosque with a tall minaret, surrounded by greenery and snow-capped mountains under a blue sky.

Minaret and mountains.

Man riding a bicycle on a street in a village, with clear blue sky and stone buildings.

Village streets.

Fruit stand at a street market, with a vendor assisting customers in front of a pink building.

Motorcyclist on a road beside a large, half-finished building, set against snow-capped peaks.

Unfinished journey.

Snow-capped mountains towering over a small town, capturing the scale of the Atlas foothills.

Town at the foot of the Atlas.

Winding mountain road with a telecommunications tower, illustrating the journey’s remote stretches.

The road to the Atlas.

Agave plant in the foreground with a hilltop fort and power lines, blending nature and infrastructure.

Fort and agave: layers of the Atlas.

Child riding a bicycle on a street in a Moroccan village, with red clay hills in the background.

Traditional village at the foot of the Atlas Mountains, showcasing local architecture and snow peaks.

Village life under the peaks.

Cyclist on an empty road lined with palm trees, mountains obscured by clouds at dusk.

Town at dusk with dramatic clouds over the Atlas Mountains, creating a moody atmosphere.

Illuminated street lamps and palm trees on a wide road, with distant mountains under dark clouds.