Mountaineering in the Moroccan High Atlas. Des Clark
trekking through a village you may be pestered by local children asking you to take their photo in return for money or a sweet. Alternatively they may ask you for some ‘argent’ (money), ‘bon-bon’ (sweets) or a ‘stilo’ (biro). Without wishing to be over-directional on this issue, the author's advice would be to resist giving sweets, as dental hygiene is aspirational at best in many villages. Children also have enough sugar intake with their mint tea. Money should not be offered, as this only encourages further begging. Biros can be given, but it is best if these are handed in bulk to a school teacher to distribute so that the child is encouraged to attend school! Balloons are good, as are bubble-blowing products, but again gifts such as these should really only be handed out to children of families that you have already had some dealings with.
Alcohol consumption in a village should be avoided, whether you are staying in a family house or a gite, as this can lead to much offence or misunderstanding at best. The Tarkeddit refuge below Mgoun sometimes sells wine and beer, but neither of the two refuges below Toubkal do. Some parties do bring their own bottles of wine or spirits with them, but consumption in both of the Toubkal refuges is often rather ‘undercover’ and not encouraged by the guardians. Overall it is best to forget alcohol while in the mountains – if nothing else it will mean you can promise yourself a beer on your return to Marrakech!
Dress code on the whole in Morocco is conservative, but not nearly as strict as some Middle Eastern countries. Marrakech is fast becoming a big modern cosmopolitan city with a wide range of dress sensibilities. You will see everything from teenage girls with long, uncovered hair riding scooters and motorbikes and wearing European-style clothes to fully veiled women accompanying their husbands around town. Westerners adopt different practices with regard to clothing. However, even in Marrakech (and more so in other towns) it is advisable to let modesty prevail. In mountain areas, and in particular those valleys away from Imlil and Ait Bougammez where visitors are less common, an even more conservative attitude prevails.
In the mountain villages, Berber women dress practically for working in the fields, but always wear a headscarf, typically knotted in the front. A Western woman staying in a village for a night or more will feel more comfortable, and less gazed at, if she has some form of head covering, loose-fitting full-length trousers, and most (if not all) of her arms covered. A big ‘no-no’ is to go outside with wet hair – for example, just after a shower.
As usual, men have it easy and can wear pretty much what they want. Shorts, if it's the season for them, are regarded as tourist clothing, so if you want to blend in a bit more, keep them in your rucksack until you are above village level.
Building Styles
Approaching a Berber village, with its flat-roofed houses built entirely of earth that overlook a patchwork of irrigated green terraced fields, visitors will be strongly reminded that they are not in Europe. It is these villages, more than anything, that give the High Atlas their unique identity.
Traditionally all village buildings were constructed from local materials such as mud, stone and pisé (mud compacted and dried in a wooden-frame shuttering). However, the materials are changing to cement and concrete in the western villages particularly, where there is easier transport access from nearby towns. Nevertheless, the majority of villages still retain traditional building methods, which have the advantage over concrete in that earth houses are cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. The disadvantages are that they require ongoing maintenance, particularly after the winter rains.
Generally, the further east in the range that you travel, the more striking the building styles become. Straightforward flat-roofed houses in the west give way to tall fortified houses (kasbahs), often with tapering walls and projecting corners. In addition, remains of fortified granaries (agadir) can be seen in many parts, particularly in Ait Bougammez, where at the eastern end of the valley there is a particularly fine example that may be visited.
Kasbah Ait Ben Moro, Skoura
House in Ait Bougammez
In times of inter-tribal tensions, kasbahs allowed entire families and their livestock to shelter inside, while agadirs could store an entire valley's grain harvest as well as providing some accommodation.
Plants and Flowers
Although first impressions of the mountain landscape may be of barrenness, there is a variety of vegetation at differing altitudes within the range.
Cultivated olive trees can grow up to about 1300m, principally in the western end of the range. Almond trees, while common in the Anti-Atlas to the south, are not as widespread as walnut trees, which are the main cash crop for some villages. Cherry trees are grown in valleys north and south of Toubkal, while apples are cultivated in large numbers notably in the Asni/Imlil, Ait Bougammez and Ayyachi/Maasker regions. The endemic argan tree is found in the far western reaches of the range, as is a cactus plant (Opuntia ficus-indica) that produces a yellowy-red ‘prickly pear’ which is harvested and sold in the local towns for eating.
Above village level, the juniper, hardy pine conifers and stunted oak trees are commonly found. The Atlas cedar is found only in the north-eastern extremities of the High Atlas, but it continues into the Middle Atlas where it is much more widespread.
Thorny scrub abounds up to 3500m, which often prevents trekkers finding suitable camping places.
Flower life is limited to a few weeks in late spring. The most widespread flower is the poppy, which, when seen in a vibrant green field of young barley with a snowy mountain massif in the background, is a stunning sight. Crocus, scilla, asphodelus, arbutus, wormwood and myrtle are common.
Wildlife
Wildlife is reasonably sparse. Deforestation and overgrazing by sheep and goats are threatening the future of many of native animals. Boar are not uncommon at village level and even up to 2750m, where their foraging may be evidenced by the top layer of soil having been disturbed in large areas. The Barbary ground squirrel will be seen disappearing as you approach. Wild mouflon are rare but do exist in the Toubkal region. Wildcat and lynx are diminishing fast.
Birdlife, however, abounds, and indeed the whole country is a very rewarding destination for a bird-watching holiday. Species endemic to North-West Africa are Moussier's redstart, Barbary partridge and the Levaillant's green woodpecker. Specific to a wider area of North Africa is the Mourning wheatear and White-crowned wheatear.
White storks may be seen throughout the country, nesting on the most precarious-looking structures. Choughs and Alpine choughs are common, in particular around the Toubkal refuges. Rollers and bee-eaters are late spring/early summer visitors, while hoopoe and jay are seen year-round in the lower forested hillsides. Keep an eye out for the shy Black-crowned tchagra at lower altitudes. A number of species of owl can be seen, given the right habitat – Tawny, Little and Eagle owls are all present in the mountains.
Meadows in springtime, Ait Bougammez
Lammergeier above Toubkal refuges
The High Atlas are also the ideal terrain for raptors – the reward for many bird-spotting mountaineers. Falcons such as the kestrel, Barbary falcon and Lanner falcon; the Long-legged buzzard; both the common Black kite and rare Black-winged kite; and many eagles (Golden, Booted, Tawny, Bonelli) may well be spotted during a typical two-week trip. It is, however, the Lammergeier (Gypaetus barbatus) that is the greatest prize in these areas. There is a breeding pair in the Toubkal region and others in the Mgoun massif. Often the shadow of this great bird gliding in search of carrion is seen against the snowfields. When you look up, its huge size is apparent when compared to the choughs that may be trying to mob it.
Lizards and even chameleons are common, as are tortoises at lower altitudes.