Wiebke has been in Morocco since the end of 2023. So she has already left Germany, France, Spain and Portugal behind her.
What has happened so far
At the beginning of October 2023, Wiebke Lühmann set off on her bike to cycle to the Cape of Good Hope. She was accompanied by Hannah Rapp for the first few weeks. Then the cycling adventurer Wiebke continued on her own towards Morocco. The journey is expected to take around 14 months in total, Wiebke wants to be back with her family by Christmas 2024, we reported.
At the end of December, Wiebke posted on Instagram about her conflicted feelings just before Christmas. "Will I feel lonely?". But she made Christmas Eve nice for herself. She had pasta and tea. And the next day, Morocco appeared on the horizon for the first time.
The next chapter: Morocco
Before Wiebke took the ferry from Tarifa (Spain) to Tangier (Morocco) on 29 December, she gave her bike a general overhaul. After the first 4000 kilometres, the drive unit was replaced and everything checked. She also increased her luggage and added some spare parts. Now she can also carry more food and water than before in Europe. That was added:
- Optimus Svea cooker & pot
- Replacement jacket
- 200ml sealing milk
- Spare cassette
- Spare chain
- derailleur hanger
Wiebke has also swapped her short, tight-fitting jerseys for long, loose-fitting cycling clothes.
The first weeks on the African continent
Wiebke spent New Year's Eve with other travellers in a small mountain village. She describes her first impression of Morocco in an Instagram post: the food, landscapes and people are incredible - "so far I can say that people, food & landscapes are incredible".
At this point, you will find external content that complements the article. You can display and hide it with a click.
Nevertheless, the first week in Morocco was like a rollercoaster ride. There were highs and lows. The beautiful New Year's Eve was followed shortly afterwards by the first bout of food poisoning with an almost sleepless night, which in turn was followed by a trip through Ifrane National Park. The journey through the park must have been breathtaking. Perfect gravel roads, wild monkeys on the paths, almost untouched nature and our eyes were filled with impressive views.
Companion
On the ferry from to Morocco, Wiebke met Robbie Pickering, another cycle traveller. At the time, neither of them would have thought that they would become friends and travel together. But sometimes things turn out differently than you think and so they spent the first time in Morocco travelling together. Especially at the beginning and when arriving in the new and unknown country, the companion made travelling easier. They travelled together for a good two weeks. Shortly before Marrakech, a puncture on Robbie's bike forced him into a taxi. So they parted ways and new experiences awaited them, some nice and some not so nice, more on this below.
Immer Richtung Süden
Problems with the gearstick
Your two-wheeled companion is a Wilier Triestina Adlar, equipped with a 1 x 12 Shimano Deore XT gear group. The chainring has 32 teeth, the sprocket set offers a wide range of gears with 10 to 52 teeth, ideal for travelling with heavy luggage and literally countless metres of altitude. Up to Morocco, the bike didn't cause any problems, but on such a long journey, it's hard to avoid the odd defect. It started with the first step on African soil. Wiebke's gears didn't do what they were supposed to. Instead, the chain kept jumping from sprocket to sprocket. Readjusting the gears only helped temporarily. A visit to a bike workshop produced the same result, as did a second bike workshop. Hope now lies in Marrakech, where the shift cable and casing are to be replaced. Fingers crossed that this will solve the problem.
Food poisoning
Wiebke can't say whether it was actually food poisoning. Maybe it was the food, a hotel that wasn't so clean, maybe it was the exertion, stress or a mixture of everything. The fact is, one night was sleepless due to repeated vomiting. After that everything was fine again, at least halfway. Since then, her stomach has been a bit sensitive. She will probably get used to it, she says.
A new world
Morocco is the first country on Wiebke's trip to the African continent. It's not just the landscape that is new.
Ask Wiebke: What is different compared to your previous trip?
A lot. Three things that immediately come to mind: the language barrieras many people here only speak Arabic - that's a new challenge. Then the childrenwho are much more active and often look at me in amazement, come running to me, laugh and smile at me and sometimes ask for money. The cautionwhich I am gradually developing in front of men so that I can avoid unpleasant situations.
Wiebke's first experience of what it can be like not to be taken seriously as a woman travelling alone came after she and Robbie went their separate ways. Before that, she only had a hunch.
In general, Wiebke is an optimistic person who always assumes that good things await her and that people are friendly and helpful. This is also usually the case in Morocco. Nevertheless, there are times when her basic trust is not fulfilled because, as a white, unmarried woman, she is not taken seriously - or when she is misunderstood because of a language barrier and people are annoyed as a result, which they quickly are. Such experiences are painful for Wiebke and require "familiarisation". She also wants to learn how to better avoid such situations.
My freedom is very important to me and I grew up as an equal part of society. Now my freedoms are shifting here and because I haven't been here that long, I can't yet define this change very well. - Wiebke Lühmann
Arrived?
So many new impressions, so many new experiences, so many highs, so many lows can be quite overwhelming. It also took Wiebke a few days to get used to it all. Her note to herself is therefore: "Be patient. Adaptation takes time. And a cycle tour is like a marathon and is anything but a sprint".
Wiebke Lühmann reaches Marrakesh
After many new experiences, after about two weeks travelling together with Robbie, after a bout of food poisoning, after a week without a hot shower, after cycling 500 kilometres under the African sun without knowing where she would spend the next night, after spontaneous football matches with children and much more, Wiebke Lühmann has reached Marrakesh.
What comes next?
In the following weeks Wiebke will be Fabienne Engel accompanies, as she did on her trip to the North Capea film will also be made on this journey. The film should inspire many other people to take courage and set off. And the destination doesn't have to be the other side of the planet for everyone, it can also be the first bikepacking tour. The film should show that cycling is much more than a sport, it's a way of life.
The goal is to inspire many others, showing the beauty of the world and promoting cycling as not only a sport but also a way of life. - Wiebke Lühmann
Together they cycle from Marrakech over the Atlas Mountains back to the Atlantic coast. And then it's back home for Fabienne, while Wiebke cycles further and further south.
Sandra Schuberth
Editor
