Mountaineering in the Moroccan High Atlas. Des Clark
What to take
Health and safety
Communication and navigation aids
Respecting the environment
Using this guide
WEST OF TIZI N-TEST
Taroudant
Jbel Tinergwet
1 South-west ridge
2 West-north-west ridge
Jbel Awlim
3 South-west ridge
4 South ridge
Imaradene
5 from the east
6 from the south and west
Awlim
7 North-east ridge
Awrir n-Said
8 West ridge
Additional routes
BETWEEN TIZI N-TEST AND TIZI N-TICHKA
Marrakech
Imlil
Getting to the refuges from Imlil
Traverses from Lepiney to the Toubkal refuges
9 via Tizi Aguelzim
10 via Tizi n-Tadat
11 via Clochetons breche
12 via Tizi Melloul and Tizi Afella
Tazaghart
13 via Tizi Melloul
14 Diagonal Couloir
15 Descent Couloir
Biguinoussene
16 from Tizi n-Tadat
17 South ridge
Afella
18 via Tizi Melloul
19 via Aougdal Bou Tiouna
Akioud
20 North-north-west ridge
Ras and Timesguida n-Ouanoukrim
21 East ridge from Tizi n-Ouagane
22 North-east couloir
23 North-west ridge
Jbel Toubkal
24 South cwm south col
25 North cwm north col
26 North-east ridge
27 South-west (Ouanoums) ridge
28 South-east ridge
Toubkal West
29 North-east ridge
Imouzzer
30 North cwm north col south-west ridge
Oukaimeden
Angour
31 North side ledge
32 West ridge
Anrhemer
33 West ridge
Bou Iguenouane
34 via Amazzer Meqqoren
35 Ridge traverse (north to west-south-west)
Aksoual and Azrou n-Tamadot
36 Tizi Likemt to Tizi n-Tagharat traverse
Additional routes
EAST OF TIZI N-TICHKA
Ait Bougammez
Getting to Tarkeddit refuge
37 from Agouti
38 from Sebt Ayt Bou Wlli
39 from Tondout
Ighil Mgoun and Mgoun West
40 from Tarkeddit refuge
41 North-east ridge (traverse)
Oumassin and Aslad
42 from Tarkeddit refuge
Aklim
43 from Tarkeddit refuge or Tatrarat
Tarkeddit
44 Tarkeddit ridge – east to west traverse
Zawat Ahansal
Ouaougoulzat
45 Ouaougoulzat west summit
46 Tagafayt
Azurki
47 North-east to south-west ridge traverse
48 North face couloirs
Midelt
Jbel Maasker
49 via Inifif
Jbel Ayyachi, Sayd ou Addi and Ichichi n-Boukhlib
50 via the Cirque de Jaffar
Additional routes
APPENDIX A Further reading
APPENDIX B Useful words and phrases
APPENDIX C Route summary table
APPENDIX D Mountain refuges
PREFACE
The term ‘mountaineering’ can conjure up many things to different people – roped climbing; exploration; technically easy but remote peaks; lack of reliable mapping; different cultures; mixed snow and rock routes; 4000m summits; and pack-animal support, as might be used on an expedition in the Greater Ranges. The Moroccan High Atlas has all of these.
In spite of increasingly easy access from Europe, this is a mountain range with rarely traversed ridges which can take days to complete, countless winter gullies with never a footprint recorded, and valleys where you may be the only visitor. Whatever your concept of mountaineering, and whatever massif you visit, you can be sure that the High Atlas will offer you a variety of scenery, culture and terrain that is unmatched anywhere – and all within a few hours' flight time from Europe.
Many commercial trekking parties visit the two popular massifs (Jbel Toubkal and Ighil Mgoun) in the spring and autumn. However, in winter the peaks in these regions are transformed into worthy mountaineering objectives. In addition, many of the intervening ridges between the high summits are rarely traversed – in any season. This is not so much because of their technical difficulty, but because of lack of information about access, the unavailability of adequate maps, the remoteness of the areas and the lack of (English-language) guidebooks covering the entire range.
The 50 routes in this guidebook cover all the 4000m peaks in the range, as well as a number of prominent peaks (30 summits). While some readers may wish there were more difficult routes in the book, the selection reflects my abilities, an interest in exploration and a belief that, once in a particular area, readers