Azrou and its surrounding area is my favourite part of Morocco. This all-day 114-km circuit on blue non-technical pistes and roads takes in many of the highlights—monkeys, volcanoes and some spectacular rock formations which look like the album covers of old ‘Yes’ records, hence the name of the route!

My favourite extract for this route reads, "You are now descending into the caldera of an extinct volcano..." How cool is that!

So drop your luggage, and gird your loins for a cracking day out.


km5.7: Barbary Apes in the cedar forests near Azrou



sitting pretty


km8.3: Cedre Gourand is supposed to be over 800 years old but looks as lively as a Norwegian Blue Parrot


smooth limestone gravel pistes—they aren't all like this


km18: the 'blue' ski slope at the Mischleiffen in spring...


... and winter


the one on the left must be a red or even a black. The King's Lodge is visible in the trees


km30: great network of pistes


km31.6: on the edge of another caldera with a volcanic cone in the background...


... and gas-bubbled ejecta in the foreground


km34.5: Jebel Hebri, another ski slope, and yes, another volcano


indistinct tracks


km40: descending through cedar trees


km44: once more in the open, heading cross country towards Ifrane


km46: collecting drinking water from fresh water springs in the limestone karst


km68.5: face off in the Valley of the Rocks


Topographical Oceans anyone? These rocks are really massive.


km82: running up the side of a limestone valley


km86: turning west for Ifrane


km92: pretty limestone valley


km94: white Cattle Egrets (Bubulcus ibis) are small heron that feed on insects disturbed by large mammals