I had a really good time in Morocco when I wasn’t in a city and an okay time when in a city. The mosaic, ceramic, rug art was really enjoyable and everywhere. Driving was mostly fine. Being a foreign tourist was, at times, taxing. However, the adventure climbing and canyoning potential was super amazing a huge highlight. I would definitely go back, with adventure partners.
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I figured the UNESCO heritage site of the Ait Benhaddou Ksar would be large and impressive given it is a major tourist attraction. However, my imagination was a bit greater than reality. I expected the scale of a Rajasthani Palace, but instead found a small and moderately aesthetic fortified village. I did find some fun here, had the most memorable accommodation of my trip and mostly avoided the large tourist bus groups, but you should know up front its more popular because it was a shoot location of media like Game of Thrones.
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It was photos of climbing on the steep orange walls of the Todra Gorge that initially peaked my interest in Morocco. While Tafraout in the Anti-Atlas Mountains was more of a granite trad area, Todra is a grippy limestone sport multi-pitch area. I spent four non-travel days just outside the canyon with the hopes of doing some harder sport and some of the many multi-pitches. The rock was good and the climbing fun, but the guide book situation a bit lacking. Unfortunately a guide-issue kept me from getting in a lot of climbing, but I created an awesome side as a result from that!
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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.
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Ifeni Canyon was my second technical canyon with Ahmed from Anti-Atlas Adventures after Ifelou Ihedan (V4 A3 II, 60m). It was a very natural canyon with a lot of deeper pools requiring swimming and it was close to a second aesthetic waterfall canyon we rappelled. I was again surprised by how much water can be hidden in these canyons when the rest of landscape looks so arid but I guess that is also kinda how Utah can look. Last canyoning of the trip!
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Rains from a couple days prior canceled my canyoning trip due to high cold flow so I laid in bed, considering whether I drive South to see how the Anti-Atlas Mountains transition to the Sahara Desert. Browsing on some maps I pieced together an unexpectedly fulfilling day following Aoukerda Canyon 30 miles from deep gorge to giant floodplain while visiting a huge window, a sculpted Berber tunnel, rock art and only seeing one other tourist.
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I wasn’t sure what to expect from my first technical canyon in the Tafraout area of Morocco’s Anti-Atlas Mountains. There is a short French canyoneering book here, a guide company, but it’s not something I’d heard of before about Morocco… The hand written topo from my guide looked cool though, with many obstacles so I said yes for Ifelou Ihedan (V4 A3 II, 60m). I was so pleasantly surprised by a real, natural, featured, novel canyoning experience that was full value despite it being short and communication challenges.
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