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Walks and Scrambles in the Moroccan Anti-Atlas

Tafraout, Jebel El Kest, Ait Mansour, Ameln Valley, Taskra and Tanalt

ISBN

9781852848095

Availability

Published

8 Nov 2018

Edition

First

Pages

280

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.85cm

Weight

310g

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Guidebook to 41 graded walks and scrambles in the Anti-Atlas mountains of southern Morocco. Routes from 3 to 25km, including a summary of a 1-week long-distance trail from the north to the south of the Anti-Atlas. Covers 6 main areas, including Tafraout, Jebel El Kest, Ait Mansour, Ameln Valley, Taskra and Tanalt.

Seasons

October through April with hotter periods moderated by altitude, low humidity and a frequent light breeze. Weather events can sometimes bring cold conditions and snow on the summits especially in mid-winter.

Centres

Tafraout and the Ameln Valley are the major bases with the Kasbah Tizourgane at Ida Ougnidif providing a shorter-stay option.

Difficulty

The routes best suit confident walkers and scramblers with a sense of adventure. Walks range from easy (2hr) to very difficult (13hr) explorations. Easy and moderate options require basic fitness and route-finding ability. The graded scrambles (1 to 3S) should appeal mainly to experienced scramblers.

Must See

The mountains of Jebel El Kest (2375m) and Adrar Mqorn (2344m) which dominate Tafraout, the strange eroded and weathered rock formations, the deep gorges of Ait Mansour and the skyline rim, the springtime flowers of the Tizi N'Takoucht escarpment, the Ameln Valley villages and the elusive Adad Medni.

ISBN

9781852848095

Availability

Published

8 Nov 2018

Edition

First

Pages

280

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.85cm

Weight

310g

Overview

A guidebook to 41 graded walks and scrambles in the Anti-Atlas mountains. Exploring the dramatic scenery of southern Morocco, the walks are suitable for confident walkers and scramblers with good navigation skills.

Walks range from 3 to 40km (2–25 miles), taking between 1hr to 2 days to walk. The scrambles are graded from 1 to 3+ allowing you to choose routes suitable for your ability. A 1-week 110km (68 mile) long-distance trek from Ait Baha to Ait Mansour across the north-west Anti-Atlas is also described.

1:50,000 maps are included for each walk and topos for scrambling routes
GPX files available to download
Detailed information on planning, facilities and accommodation
Highlights include Jebel El Kest.

Table of Contents

CONTENTS

Map key

Overview map

Location of routes

Transport and communications

Introduction

The landscapes of the Anti-Atlas

Geological evolution

The Berbers and the Anti-Atlas

History and politics

Plants and animals

Local culture

Personal safety

Terrain

When to go

What to take

Money and entry requirements

Where to base yourself

Getting there

Getting around

Information and guides

Eating and drinking

Health and emergencies

Route selection and grading

Using this guide

1 Tafraout

Route 1 Ouadou Desert Basin Walk and Scramble

Route 2 The Painted Rocks and Tafraout Back Country

Route 3 The Elephant’s Trunk

Route 4 Napoleon’s Hat and the Three Flagpoles Scramble

Adrar Mqorn

Route 5 Direct from Ayerd

Route 6 Traverse by Southeast Ridge

Route 7 The Grid Ridge Scramble

Route 8 Tahala Peaks Scramble and Walk

2 Ait Mansour and the South

Route 9 Afra Ridge Scramble

Route 10 Tasselt Walk

Route 11 Tizi Ridge Scramble

Ait Mansour

Route 12 Northern Skyline

Route 13 Southwest Rim and Summits

Route 14 Southeast Towers

3 Ameln Valley and Abdellah Cirque

Route 15 Jebel Amagdour (Horseshoe Route)

Route 16 Ardrar Idekel Scramble and Walk

Route 17 Tizgut Ridge Scramble

Route 18 Above the Lion’s Face

Route 19 Below the Lion’s Face

Route 20 Ameln Villages Valley Traverse

Abdellah Cirque

Route 21 Abdellah Ridge Scramble and Azarhar Summit

Route 22 Isefsas Peak

Route 23 Azgour Ridge Scramble

Route 24 Oumsnat Peak by Dinosaur Wall West Window

4 Jebel El Kest

Route 25 The Summits from Tagdicht

Route 26 Tagdicht Skyline Scramble

Route 27 West Ridge Scramble and Summits from Anergui

Route 28 West Ridge Scramble from Afantinzar

Route 29 Jebel El Kest and the Ameln Summits

5 Taskra and the Northeast

Route 30 The Tamgelochte Fortress

Route 31 Amzkhssan Summit

Route 32 Tassilla Summits

Route 33 Jebel Taskra and the Tizi Skyline

Route 34 The Targa Skyline

6 Tanalt and the Northwest

Route 35 In Search of Darth Vader

Route 36 Dwawj Circuit

Route 37 The Tirki River Valley and Potter’s Cave

Adad Medni

Route 38 The Lost World of Adad Medni

Route 39 Adad Medni Tighmert Face Circular Walk

Route 40 Jebel Imzi and the Dragon Tree Gorges

7 A Traverse of the Northwestern Anti-Atlas

Route 41 From Ait Baha to Ait Mansour

Appendix A Route summary table

Appendix B Distance table

Appendix C Useful contacts

Updates

April 2023

Author updates

Getting there(page 35)

Air Arabia no longer operates from Manchester. The principal carriers to Agadir from Manchester are Air Maroc, Ryanair, EasyJet and Tui although a wider choice may be available from London to Marrakech or other Moroccan destinations.

A taxi from Agadir to Tafraout is likely to cost €80+

A coach service operates from Inezgane bus station in Agadir, which is a 200 DH taxi ride from the airport. Most services operate at 10.00pm nightly (bus stand 10) and by virtue of its very busy nature care is needed with your safety and belongings. The return morning service from Tafraout leaves from the main roundabout near the hotels, or opposite Espace Harbaz cafe café, at about 8.30am. It costs around 60 DH and takes about 4hr. Allow a further 200DH for the 20min taxi ride to the airport. Alternately, a grand taxi from Tafraout should cost around €75.

Getting around (page 37)

There are no longer any regular local bus services other than yellow school buses and morning coaches to the major towns. Grand Taxis serve all local villages and can be found a few metres north east of the main river bridge. Prices vary depending on the number of passengers and there is scope for negotiation with the price varying according to your perseverance and how far in advance you enquire. For example, a one way taxi to Ayerd (Route 5) may be offered between 100 and 200DH.

Unofficial taxis sometimes operate in front of the petrol station at the main roundabout in the morning. Bear in mind that petrol is still the equivalent of over £1 or €1 per litre.

Hitching a lift is no longer fashionable worldwide but is possible from and to Tafraout. You may be asked for a fare, which should amount to far less than a taxi ride. By way of a recce in January 2023 the author obtained a lift on three separate occasions with about 1 in 15 vehicles stopping in each case, which is okay on busy roads but less so in remote villages. The safety of this practice cannot be guaranteed anywhere in the world but insofar as any rules apply it is wise to hitch in pairs and to keep phones and valuables well hidden.

Self-drive hire cars are still the most frequent form of transport but if you fancy a trip with an overnight stay in the desert either of the two carpet sellers will offer you something interesting.

Eating and Drinking (pages 38-39)

Espace Harbaz Café is added to the list of good places to eat. It can be found 80m NE from the grand taxi rank. Café Alfath (a few doors down from the Kasbah restaurant) does excellent fruit juice with added fruit (try the Panache), and also a good Berber omelette and coffee if not taking breakfast in your hotel.

Route description changes

As mentioned on page 46 road of the guide and previous updates, road re-surfacing has changed the start/finish of routes. For example, the mileage post given on page 83 for the Tahala Peak route has not yet been replaced after resurfacing. Also improvements in water supply has led to less reliance on road side taps such that the one next to the water tower on the approach to Tizi N’ Takoucht (Day I of Multi-Day Trek) is inoperable but the one past the commune near the closed Gite Takoucht still works.

Route 5 Adrar Mqorn direct form Ayerd (page 67)

If lacking a hire car an alternative finish can be made to Amal Oudrar and a walk back along the road to Tafraout.

Whichever route you take, the paths on this mountain are often faint, with progress made along the line of least resistance.

The south summit is no longer decorated but the higher north summit bears a plaque. The descent can be shortened by retracing your steps from the north summit to the saddle (shelter cave under a rock by a tree) between the summits. Head steeply westwards, without much scrambling, until a cairn marks a right (N) turn down to trees on the left of the boulder field facing out (page 71). By keeping as leftwards as possible and without the need to scramble, you should pick up a faint path that crosses the rocks leftwards and widens into a slope leading to the bottom of the main face. Head south to Ayerd via WP2, or work down the steep slope to Amal Oudrar and back to the main road.

If retreating by the approach route from the south summit, cairns now point downwards to a gully leading rightwards to the ‘campsite’ with the steepest section being the last 5 metres. This could also be used for the ascent but the access is hidden by a tree facing the campsite.

Route 25 Jebel el Kest. The Summits from Tagdicht(see below or download pdf).

Route 25 Update (1.361 MB)

This update to pages 166-177 of the guidebook follows the appearance of some new paths and change in status of the Descent Route (page 169) so a revised description is provided below. The direct descent is still the fastest way down from the North Summit and was possibly once the accepted ‘trade route’ between the northern villages and Tagdicht.

It is not favoured by guides because of steep loose scree in its lower part but it is manageable by those with good navigation and confidence in descending such terrain. However, even on the ordinary or voie normale, paths can be loose and covered by vegetation in springtime.

Magnetic compasses are not always reliable on this mountain and hand held GPS phone apps may be not be 100% accurate so make sure you take time to look back on ascent to check the path and work out your descent route. All considered it would make good sense to prepare by doing some easier walks before aiming for the highest peak. If in any doubt take a guide (available next to the main mosque near the Hotel Salama square).

Description

Distance: 10 km. Height gain: 1100m. Time: 7 hrs return. Grade: Difficult

Parking: Top of the village on right near a water pipe just before final bend (two cars).

❶ 348 232. Starting from the revised parking place turn the corner and branch right at A-shaped wooden cable carrier where the road gives way to gravel. Go up concrete steps through a narrow passage and descend to cross a concrete bridge. Ascend a few switchbacks then contour westwards along a good path to turn a corner turning rightwards towards the mountain. Pass through a notch and down steps to cross the stream bed (15 min).

❷ 346 231. Climb the zig-zags to a flat sandy area (grassy after rain). Find the faint path and continue to cross the second stream bed. About 5 min from here, at around 1700m, you reach a junction with a partially formed new path which leads leftwards towards Anergui. Ignore this and continue now above the stream bed to where the stream meets the left prow of a steep rock buttress (approx. 45 min).

❸ 327 234. From the rock (and ignoring any paths to the left), continue ahead to cross the stream and trend rightwards up a slope to emerge at a flat area at the left edge of another rock buttress. Continue towards the mountain to reach the toe of a third buttress which may, if not faded, bear some writing in Arabic requesting shepherds not graze to graze their livestock there.

❹ 325 237. From this buttress head towards the leftmost tree-lined, gully, grandiosely named the Great Ramp. This is left of the wide slope bordering the west side of Tagdicht Buttress. (Note in descent to stay close to the mountain on leaving the summit). To avoid the hidden depression that stands in your way bear left and climb up above the 2000m level to contour around and descend slightly to the (now un-cairned) foot of the Gully.

Weave up the Great Ramp gaining300m for what seems like a long time then traverse leftwards just below the summit ridge to the South Summit. Return by the same route if not visiting the north summit or confident in crossing steep scree on the direct descent..

Route 35 Darth Vader

There has been some changes mainly in the signage which affects only the first two paragraphs from the start. A revised version is given below.

❶ Take the faint westerly diagonal path 5m from the concrete sign (now bearing he message Bien Venue- Welcome) and follow it past trees initially towards the transmitter mast. Pass a dark red house and other buildings to a house with and open well and water pipe (0.5km). Cross a track and follow the path towards a faded beige house. Stay left of the house, turning right at the wall bearing the number N13 (and very faded 59) then immediate left.

Continue across open country towards a large pale yellow house. Pull onto stream bridge near recently constructed houses turning left then right onto the concrete ramp (note this for the return). Turn left along the side of the yellow house and pass another yellow house and round walls, a well and outside tap. Take the rightmost of two paths following a wall then a water pipe for a while to the right and above a water tower and white mosque (25 min). Pass an area of collapsed wall turning right at the next junction and turn left where the path meets a wall above.

January 2020

Routes and Comments

General Comments.

The re-surfacing of roads(p21) still continues with rapidity. In some instances this will affect routes which use unsurfaced (piste) roads as reference points and in particular in the Ameln Valley (routes 18,19,20).

Water provision(p39) is becoming scarcer in remote areas and care needs to be taken on the one-week trek.

Individual Routes.

Route 12 (p 102). There is an old burial ground just beyond the small concrete building (pumping station) which can only be seen clearly from above. Please ensure that if approaching as described you turn immediate right after the building. If approaching from the stream bed aim right of the building then turn right as above.

Route 32 (p222). The approach road has now been surfaced so you can drive up to WP1.

The photo-diagram is taken from high up the slope and a number of paths have now opened up on this section. Some people have wrongly followed a path rightwards towards the back of Buzzard Crag. This should be avoided. When passing right of the three cairns (WP3) swing rightwards around the base of Buzzard Crag and stay parallel to Crystal Walls (on your left) aiming for the col which is clearly visible at the top of the slope on the left.

From the col at WP4 turn back and head up a slope westwards to a col. This slope is above and behind the pinnacles shown in the photo diagram and the two boulders mentioned in the text are on rim of the ridge overlooking the valley you have previously ascended.

Route 41 (p264 and internet download)

Stage 1. A group of 4 trekkers on the approach to Tizi N’Takoucht have reported being asked by police to show their documents during the New Year period 219/2020. The reason given was to ensure their safety during what was considered to be a potentially vulnerable period. Trekkers passing through this region and intending to wild camp should anyway do so outside of the immediate vicinity of the village and away from sensitive sites such as burial grounds.

Stage 3. The road through the Tamza Valley is in the process of being substantially widened (2020) but as yet no damage to the entry and exit footpaths have occurred.

Stage 5. Many of the unsurfaced roads in the Ameln Valley have been surfaced.

As noted on page 266 some of the wells have now disappeared as a result of the installation of water meters. In particular the shortage of water during the dry winter of 2019/2020 has led to some active wells being drained.

Stage 6. The well at Amarkhssin (484 115) on Stage 6. is no longer functional but there is a tap in the toilets at the rear of the mosque at Limouda which may be used in an emergency (seek permission).

Stage 7. The well at Taghaout has completely disappeared but as of Jan 2019 there is a functional tap outside the mosque where the path emerges into the west of the village.

July 2019

Route Updates and corrections

July 2019

Route 26 and 29 update please see downloads tab for details.

Feb 2019

Page 31: Time Zone in October 2018 Morocco suddenly announced that it was discontinuing the daylight saving adjustment and it will remain on GMT + 0 in line with western Mediterranean countries.

Appendix C p276 : Ait Baha- Hotel Aladarissa email address 'contact@hotelaldarissa.com' no longer works and is replaced by 'aladarissahotel@gmail.com'.

Page 277 Under important telephone numbers: Additional Police Telephone number for the north part of the area above Ida Ougnidif is covered by Ait Baha Police (+212(0)528254355). This covers the One Week trek stages 1&2 and routes 30,31,33 and 34.

Reviews

A nice, well researched guide to hiking and mountain adventures in this wonderful part of North Africa.

I have a couple of other guidebooks to Morocco as it’s finally edging itself up the list of places to visit for a trip in 2019 or early 2020 so the arrival of the new and updated Cicerone guide came as a welcome addition to my The High Atlas: Treks and Climbs and Morocco Rock. On top of those two the you might find the Lonely Planet guide and other useful addition if you are intending to explore the country after your mountain adventures.

That said there is more than enough useful information in Walks and Scrambles in the Moroccan Anti-Atlas to plan a trip to the area and the area is well served with mobile signal so you should be able to supplement the guide with Google. The information David Wood provides in the guide is informative and very useful with being overly complicated and unnecessary, just enough to get what you need. There is plenty of informative advice on when to go, how to get there and how to enter the country. On top of that there are chapters covering geology, politics, culture, climate and a good section covering the basics needed to enjoys a holiday scrambling and travelling through the mountain environment. All very useful stuff that doesn’t crowd out the main content of describing the routes.

Routes are described in geographical locations and each village has a detailed map showing where important places are such as the pharmacy, medical centre, etc. Each area has a great selection of routes at all grades (grades are explained in detail in the introduction section) and abilities from simple walks with easy summits to complicated and long days out with scrambles that will test you. They are all described in detail with where to park, a general description and then a detailed description and map. The description also notes what detailed map is needed for the activity and it must be stated that although the maps provided are reasonable they are no substitute for a detailed topo map and a compass.

Much care is used to describe descents and this alone marks out David’s knowledge of the routes and the area as in other guidebooks I’ve used they are often sketchy. There are also plenty of good quality photos to keep you inspired. The Walks and Scrambles in the Moroccan Anti-Atlas is a useful guide to planning and enjoying your hiking adventures in this amazing and varied country. I’m currently planning a big Moroccan trip which involves hiking, scrambling, bouldering and general travel so David Wood's Guide is proving extremely useful as the information is bang up to date and the guide is small enough to pack in my very small hand luggage. I won’t hesitate to take it with me and use it as an in country source of reference.

Dave Sarker, Climbing Gear Reviews

Downloads

Walks and Scrambles in the Moroccan Anti-Atlas - GPX File

By David Wood

Based in West Lancashire, David is a keen walker, photographer and rock climber. As a frequent traveller he has followed his pursuits in over 20 countries across five continents. David worked initially in the police service, following which he taught in secondary and adult education. He subsequently worked as a psychologist with children and adults in the public sector. After developing an interest in the mountains as a young teenager through the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme, David completed the Pennine Way at the age of 17. He improved his rock climbing in his thirties largely through the influence of the Fylde Mountaineering Club. During frequent climbing visits to Morocco with the Club he became increasingly aware of the potential for walking and scrambling and in March 2015 he returned with his partner Halina to explore and document the routes in this guidebook.

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