While it was sport climbing on the steep canyon walls of the Todra Gorge that caught my eye to put Morocco on my map, it was the area of Tafraout that solidified my trip. The Anti-Atlas Mountains are closer to the desert, warmer, lower elevation than the Atlas Mountains so perfect for a winter trip. There is endless rock to be explored around this small town with an adventurous, trad-feel. You can find some continuous cracks here, but much of the climbing felt like trad protected face climbing on juggy, broken (but almost always very solid (quartize). I was hoping for more of a sure deal for climbing and didn’t want to bring gear so I partnered up with TJ, a US ex-pat guide from Jebel Adventures who is probably the only multi-pitch or trad guide in the area.
There are a few books for the area, all hard to get in the US. I picked up Morocco Anti-Altas by Broadbent which was really good but also there is Morocco Rock and Tafraout Granite which focuses more immediately around Tafraout.
Inshallah (E2 5b or “5.10”, 120m, 4p)
It would probably be worth staying in the Anamr village in the Afantinzar Valley (also called the Jebel L’Kest region, even though not really that close to the summit Jebel L’Kest) instead of Tafraout 1:20 hrs away if you come with gear and partners. The valley is a beautiful mix of orange buttresses, green terraces and tan Berber villages that make Morocco so photogenic.
This was my first introduction to the area and was supposed to be one of my guide’s favorite climbs. It was okay, kinda dirty at top and bottom. There was one good pitch, but otherwise face, crack, chimney, face.
Oxbow Walls
After Inshallah we sought out Oxbow Walls which was supposed to have some of the best crack climbing of the area. After a 40 min drive (everything is a 40-80 min drive) with the typical “park at a nondescript point near a building at the end of a road” we wandered down to the river and up to the crag.
The crack climbing here was pretty good and the wide stuff very reasonable with features outside of the feet (Oxbow E1 5b / Streak Lightning E2 5b). I got on the Techno Trousers (E2 5c) overhung hand crack which was very cool and the two pitch Rhombosis (E1 5b 60m) with two holes to climb through at the top, was super fun! After 8+ pitches in the UK 5b E2 range I can safely say that while these grades technically convert to YDS “5.10”, it is actually more like Yosemite 5.9 and 5c more like 10b. I rarely downgrade climbs but I also don’t say I’m stronger than I am.
Anyways, I had a ton of fun and climbed until my muscles gave up!
Eros on Greek Butteress
I wanted to get on a real multi-pitch route with some length so we went up Eros 5b E2, 205m, 5p on Greek Butteress. I was happy for the leading experience here so my guide continued to be my belay partner. The first pitch was some easy face and a fun crack. The second pitch had the belay dot behind the line in the topo so I ended up linking 2-3 and got kinda off route on what started as some really fun face climbing after an airy traverse right.
Trying to get back on route by traversing left around a rib, I still felt a bit off route… I refused to go up what looked like easily breakable flakes on an arete that we thought was the route and choose a left crack instead. Well off route, I suffered the worst rope drag in years before setting up anchor for the final easy pitch to summit.
I was slightly embarrassed to be so off route, but TJ said the adventurous nature is part of the experience here. There were four routes crisscrossing this area, so it’s not like I quested off, just maybe joined a different route. Indeed, trad protected face climbing is newer to me and it does take some time to read a new area like this.
The climb made me wish I had more time for trad explorations here, but alas a multi-pitch trad guide was 3x the cost of other guides here and two days was enough of a taste. Hopefully one day I can return.
Summary
The town of Tafraout felt pretty quiet in February and by March it might be getting a bit warm (although wind + shade can do a lot). The high season for climbing is Novemeber – early Jan with Europeans. There is a lot to do here and I’d definitely spend 10+ days here with climbing partners climbing and canyoneering in the future as the pace of the town and activities were the highlight of my trip to Morocco.
One note… Apparently, this is the popular area to do van work and there are a lot of vans/small RVs from EU pensioners who stay here for the cheap food and campground after a ferry across the Mediterranean.
Other things I wish I got on
- The long Eagles Beak HVS 4c, 345m on Anergui
- Tizgut Gorge which is supposed to have nice single pitch crack
- Adventurous backcountry route White Tower Direct (Slot Machine) HVS 5a 170m
- Arch Wall 200m routes in Sidi Mzal (Ex: The Great Corner E1 5b)
- Sublet Arete (E1) on Finger and Thumb pinnacle
- More canyoning, had two days and it was really fun and unique
