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