The Dades hairpins are Morocco's answer to a stack of pancakes: a series of tight switchbacks that climb the side of the gorge, with the road folding back on itself again and again as it gains height above the river. From the viewpoint at the top, the whole route lies below you like a ribbon dropped on rock, and the red-orange walls of the Dades Gorge fall away into the valley. Tinghir is the nearest large town, a short ride to the east, and it is the place to find fuel and a proper meal before heading up.
The riding is short, sharp and satisfying. The road is narrow and steep, with tight bends, a gradient that makes you work the gearbox, and patches of rough surface where rain and frost have broken the edges. Trucks and tour vehicles use the road, and they can take a wide line on the corners, so stay to your side and keep your speed modest. In dry weather the surface is manageable, but after rain mud and gravel can wash across the bends. Go early in the morning for the best light and the fewest vehicles, and expect to stop at the viewpoint, because the view is hard to resist.
The valley has long been a route through the Atlas. Amazigh families farmed the narrow ribbon of land along the river, herders moved flocks to the high pastures, and caravans passed between the Draa valley and the oases of the south. The road itself, a modern construction, was built to link the gorge's villages and to open the area to travellers. Small cafes at the viewpoint serve mint tea and omelettes, and the owners are used to riders arriving with dust on their visors.
The geology is spectacular. The gorge is cut through layers of red sandstone, limestone and clay, tilted and folded by the forces that raised the Atlas, and the colours change with the light, from rust to pink to gold. Ravens and choughs ride the updrafts, and in spring wildflowers appear on the slopes. The air smells of dry earth, thyme and wood smoke, and the silence is broken only by the occasional engine.
Fill the tank in Tinghir before heading up, since stations are scarce. Bring water, wear gloves and take care on the descent, where the brakes will be tested. A jacket is useful in the morning and evening, when the air is cool.