Rock Climbing Morocco - Todra Gorge

Rock Climbing Morocco - Todra Gorge

Some footages of several mountaint climbers in Todra Gorge - Tinghir - Morocco

Todra Gorge is known internationally for being one of the premier climbing destinations in Morocco. Located in the south east of the country at the edge of the high Atlas mountains. It will take you about 7 hours drive east of Marrakech to get there, you will cross the Tizi n Tishka pass which is the highest pass in North Africa. Then you will pass through Ouarzazate (Nicknamed Hollywood of Africa for its Movie studios). Then finally you will reach the city called Tinghir (or Tinerhir as some call it) 15 kilometers from there is where the Todgha gorge is.
This fascinating climbing spot offers variety of routes of extreme sport and multi-pitch climbing routes on solid, reddish limestone. the area is not only great for mountain and rock climbing, it is also an amazing cultural adventure, that's what makes it unique from other climbing regions in the Mediterranean area.
So if you want the best combination between rock climbing, cultural exploration and adventure, then todra gorge is the answer, it hosts hundreds of amateur of all kind of climbing throughout the year. There are several hotels, guest houses, and even riads there, from low budget to midrange. the road is pretty much well maintained in most parts, there are even shops nearby where you can rent ropes and all kind of gears you will need to climb the mountains.
The wall of Todra gorge are between 200 and 300 hundred meters (more than 600 ft).

With approximately 400 rock climbs that varies from single-pitch sport routes to long multi-pitch adventures, The routes of Todra gorge are protected by expansion bolts. Some of the recently climbed lines do have glue-in rings on. But the longer routes have a variety of gear depending on how often climbers use them... some of them are fully bolted, others on the other hand will require a supplementary rack of trad gear. It also has other pure trad routes but those ones are not frequently used.

For the Gear:

For sport cragging you'll need a long rope about 60 meters, a rack of 14, couple  slings, few spare karabiners, and maillons.

For the longer routes you will need double ropes, though this is only necessary on some routes. A rack of trad gear. A full set of nuts, a selection of camming devices. Would be better if you bring some extra slings.
Also a helmet is strongly recommended on the multipitch routes.

Todra gorge is suitable for both beginner and experienced climbers, there are even companies both in Marrakech and locally in Tinghir that offer the guided climbing services. (We at the company do not offer such services but we can recommend one if you are interested).

We usually reach the todra gorge on the second day of our three days tour to the Sahara desert. But the visit lasts only between 20 minutes to one hour, because the highlight of the tour is actually the desert erg called Chebbi. So obviously not enough time to do mountain climbing. That is why you have to let us know in advance so we could arrange everything if possible.

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Imlil

Imlil Village - High Atlas mountains

Imlil Village is located at about 70 km from the city of Marrakech in the heart of the High Atlas Mountains in Morocco. It is about 1,800 metres (5,900 feet) above sea level. It is also very close to the mountain called "Jebel Toubkal", which is the highest peak in Northern Africa and the second highest in all Africa.

Watch this Youtube short video showing a day excursion trip to Imlil

Imlil village is a good base for people attempting to get all the way to the summit of Toubkal mountain. 
Because of its unique position, Imlil village is the most important part of mountain tourism in Morocco, because most visitors heading up to Toubkal mountain start their trikking Journey from Imlil. 
Imlil is the end of the road that a vehicle can reach, and is a natural place to hire mountain guides and mules for the onward mountain trekking and hiking. The area was expanded with time to cater for the number of tourists pouring through en route to Toubkal, it is relatively a new village. The original berber communities still exist in the valleys around Tamatert, Ait Souka, Tagadirt, Tacheddirt, Acheim, Taourirt n'Ait Mizane, Mzikene and Arhrene. 
Before the revolution of mountain tourism in Morocco, the Imlil region was pretty much known for the production of amazing walnuts, apples and delicious cherry. nowadays these are still important to the local and national economy, but they have been eclipsed by mountain tourism. Currently both mountain tourists and Moroccans come to Imlil seeking a cool relief from the heat of the region of Marrakech El-Haouz. 
The Film 'Seven years in Tibet' was partly filmed in the village.

Hyper Morocco Tours offers you the possibility to do a day trip to Imlil in a private vehicle, for more informations and booking feel free to contact us.

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Ourika Valley

Ourika Valley

Ourika is the name of a river and a valley that is located in the High Atlas mountains about 30 km from Marrakech. The river rises in the High Atlas and flows through the Ourika Valley. The valley that is accessible by vehicles is about 60 km by road from Marrakech. And is located in the foothills of the High Atlas mountains, it contains a number of Berber villages, a set of waterfalls, and also some female co-operatives manufacturing Argan oil.

How to get there
From Marrakech you have several choices:
* Rent a car if you don't have one and go there by yourself, the road is mostly well maintained.
* Organized day trip, many agencies and also hotels and riads organize one day excursion to the Ourika valley for groups of tourists. You can also go there in a private day trip if you wish.
*The last option is go there in "Grand Taxi" it's the cheapest way and would be cheaper if you share it with other people going there The Grand Taxis take 6 people max (35MAD for each person), but make sure to think about the way back ahead of time as it is sometimes not easy to find a Grand Taxi to take you back to Marrakech.
What to do there
First of all the view is magneficient, the natural landscape all along the road is something really pleasant to see. You could also visit a local traditional house in one of the berber villages there if you have the chance, the simplicity of life there is not to be missed, also try their local food if you want to get the whole experience.
You can also visit one of the Argan Oil Co-operatives there, run for and by women especially divorced or unemployed, it's their way to help themselves and their families, you will get the chance to see them working on producing cooking and cosmetic oil, soaps, creams and a dip for bread known as amlou.
Another thing you will notice is the rope bridges crossing the fast flowing river, they call them berber bridges there, they look kind of dangerous to cross, so it could be an opportunity t take some memorable pictures (Indiana Jones style).
Finally there are some local products and jeweleries that you can also purchase from local merchant. Remember to bargain.

In Hyper Morocco Tours we organize one day trip to Ourika Valley, if you are interested in booking please email us or reach us through our Contact Form

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Paradise valley - Agadir

Paradise valley - Agadir

Paradise Valley is a section of the Tamraght River valley in the Moroccan Atlas mountains. It is located approximately 20 km north of Agadir. The valley is known for its abundance of rock pools and small waterfalls.

Most visitors to Paradise Valley travel onwards from the palm groves and gorges of the river Tamrhakht up into the mountains towards Imouzzer. The names of this and other villages differ according to whom or from where you are receiving your directions. This variance applies also to the names of valleys, estimates of distance, timetables of bus transport, and of course the cost of getting there and back. Getting to Paradise Valley and the mountains beyond requires a hire car or collective grand taxi.

Here you can see two youtube video of Paradise valley Agadir:

Part one

Part two

It was an amazing experience, the unfinished road might be a problem to reach paradise valley but mostly it is a good road, then you have to walk for about 20 mins in the valley, and that's fun because you will be walking in nature, among mountains, trees and water..

I also noticed some small "cafes" created by locals, the beautiful thing is that some of them have chairs on water so you can feel water running on your feet while you're having a drink as you could see in the video.

Paradise valley is in the middle of the road to Imouzzar, another nice place with beautiful waterfalls

This is a video of some Cliff Jumps in Paradise valley Idaoutanane:

some cliffs are pretty high, so if you are into cliff jumping then this area would satisfy your desire, waters are good, depending on what time of year you decide to visit, avoid the summer as it is way too crowded with both locals and tourists, best time of year to visit paradise valley is during the spring, between April and May, after the rain season is over and the level of water is a little high, and also everything around you would be green and the weather is mostly beautiful.

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Chefchaouen or chawen

Chefchaouen or Chaouen

Chefchaouen is one of, if not the, most beautiful places to see in northwest Morocco, also called "the blue city" or "the blue town" because of the blue colors that dominates most of its buldings.
Watch the beauty of Chefchaouen in these videos:

In this second video you can see more of chefchaouen plus Akchour or "Akechour", wich is a beautiful natural place near chefchaouen, with breathtaking waterfalls and beautiful clean water:

More about Chefchaouen from Wikipedia:
Chefchaouen or Chaouen (Amazigh: ⵜⵛⴻⴼⵜⵛⴰⵡⴻⵏ Accawn, Arabic: شفشاون/الشاون, Spanish: Chauen, lit. "horns") is a city in northwest Morocco. It is the chief town of the province of the same name, and is noted for its buildings in shades of blue.Chefchaouen is situated in the Rif Mountains, just inland from Tangier and Tetouan. The city was founded in 1471, as a small fortress which still exists to this day, by Moorish exiles from Spain led by Moulay Ali Ben Moussa Ben Rached El Alami to fight the Portuguese invasions of northern Morocco. It was known as one of the main concentrations of Moriscos and Jews who sought refuge in this mountainous city after the Spanish Reconquista in medieval times. In 1920, the Spanish seized Chefchaouen to form part of Spanish Morocco. Spanish troops imprisoned Abd el-Krim in the kasbah from 1916 to 1917, after he talked with the German consul Dr. Walter Zechlin (1879–1962). (After defeating him with the help of the French force Abd el-Krim was deported to Réunion in 1926). Spain returned the city after the independence of Morocco in 1956.

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Morocco: People and Culture

Morocco: People and Culture

Here is a brief description of the Moroccan ethnicities and backgrounds:
 
Moroccans were essentially Amazighs just like their neighbors: the Algerians and Libyans. Although, The population of Morocco is about 34 million. People from Morocco are called Moroccans.

many of the Moroccans have Arab, Spanish, black African, and Jewish ancestors. The official languages of Morocco are Arabic and Amazigh. French is also used, but only in big companies, universities, and in some TV channels. Morocco used to be occupied by France for 44 years. Some people in the north (close to Spain) speak Spanish as well. Spain also occupied parts of Morocco before leaving them in 1956 and in 1975. Most educated Moroccans do not speak English well, or do not know it at all. But since recent years, English is being taught to students in an increasing number of schools. Most Moroccans follow Islam as their religion. There are very small numbers of Christians, Jews, and non-believers.

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Morocco: Origins

Morocco: Origins

“Morocco” in its various European forms is derived from the city of Marrakesh, which was built in the early eleventh century. The oldest surviving mention of it comes in an Italian document dated 1138.

“Marrakesh” is still used occasionally today, in informal Arabic, for the country as a whole, and Fez (Fas), the other great city, is the name modern Turks give to the state. In Arabic, the modern official language and that of most of its inhabitants, the country is called “Maghrib.” This is a confusing term since it is also used to describe the whole group of countries in north-western Africa (Morocco, Mauritania, Algeria, Tunisia and sometimes Libya). It means “the land of the setting sun,” the furthest westward point of the great Islamic empire founded by the Prophet Muhammad in the middle of the seventh century AD.

“Moors,” a rather outdated word now, and one with a distinct pejorative tinge, was popular in European languages in the late medieval and early modern periods. To eighteenth-century writers the Moors were the urban inhabitants of all north-western Africa, and sometimes all Muslims.

These were the traditional enemies of Christian Europe and, like Shakespeare’s Othello, most Moors were believed to be black. Finally, many inhabitants of Morocco are called “Berbers.” The term is largely a linguistic one, describing people who speak one of several dialects, spread over the whole of northern Africa, notably Morocco (forty per cent of the modern population) and Algeria (twenty per cent), with smaller groups in Tunisia, Libya and western Egypt. The Tuareg nomads of the Sahara also speak a Berber dialect, the one that is least contaminated by Arabic. The name itself is not, of course, a Berber word. It is a Graeco- Roman expression, referring to all those who did not speak Greek or Latin: they were barbari or “barbarians.” Applied to the people of northern Africa, it was popularised by the great fourteenth-century historian Ibn Khaldun. He used it as the title of his History of the Berbers and again in his great Introduction to History (the Muqadimma), which was one of the first attempts to explain the rise and fall of dynasties in theoretical terms.

The Berbers call themselves “Imazighen,” or something similar, depending on the dialect. It means “noble men” or “free men,” in the sense that they were free of external control, unlike the inhabitants of the towns, who belonged to no tribe. Those who could find no protection from kin were at the mercy of the powerful and were truly servile.

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