UKC

Tafraoute, Morocco - Warm Winter Trad Climbing

© Jack Geldard

Morocco is home to several popular climbing destinations; the sport climbing of Todra Gorge, the huge limestone big walls of Taghia and of course the high peak of Jebel Toubkal. But that isn't all Morocco has to offer.

The picturesque granite eggs of Tafraoute are well photographed and offer some interesting bouldering, but sat above them, not quite as photogenic and not quite as well known, is an almost endless spread of quartzite mountain crags, littered with hundreds of traditional routes.

Sarah Burmester following on perfect quartzite - a new route on Crag K.  © Jack Geldard
Sarah Burmester following on perfect quartzite - a new route on Crag K.
© Jack Geldard, Feb 2011

The well featured and easy-angled rock lends itself to protect-able traditional climbing, mainly in the VS to E2 bracket. The crags are generally between two and four pitches long, and can usually be gained with a thirty minute walk. The winter climate is agreeable; climbing in the sun in T-shirts in January is not uncommon, and in more inclement weather a light wind-top or a thin fleece is usually sufficient to keep away the chill.

The area has been developed in the most part by British climbers, and much of this development was spearheaded some years ago by a group of the 'old guard' - the likes of Joe Brown, Claude Davies and co.

These climbers found that out in Morocco they once again had virgin cliffs, comparable to Gogarth in scale and quality, on which to satisfy their exploratory climbing ambitions.

The routes are very akin to British mountain and sea cliff adventures, not so long to necessitate ungodly alpine starts but long enough to be full days out, with route finding, gear placements and a full hill experience all guaranteed.

The town is nestled between granite domes and sits below the Anti Atlas range of mountains and their quartzite adventure routes  © Jack Geldard
The town is nestled between granite domes and sits below the Anti Atlas range of mountains and their quartzite adventure routes
© Jack Geldard, Feb 2011

Sarah Burmester bouldering on the granite eggs of Tafroute  © Jack Geldard
Sarah Burmester bouldering on the granite eggs of Tafroute
© Jack Geldard, Feb 2011

The town of Tafraoute acts as a good base, with its hotels, campsites and shops.

The beautiful and unspoilt vistas from the clifftops stretch miles in each direction. Sarah Burmester following a HVS.  © Jack Geldard
The beautiful and unspoilt vistas from the clifftops stretch miles in each direction. Sarah Burmester following a HVS.
© Jack Geldard, Feb 2011
The climbing areas are split in two - the north and the south sides of Jebel el Kest. The south side is the closest to Tafraoute (around 20 mins drive out of town) and was the centre of development a few years ago. The north side is equally, if not more, dramatic with loads of new routes and has been the centre of much development over the last few years. It is a much further drive from Tafraoute and if you are planning to focus on this area you might be better picking accommodation closer to the crags.

Climbing in the Moroccan Anti-Atlas by Claude Davies published by Cicerone. The first guidebook to the area - Climbing in the Moroccan Anti-Atlas by Claude Davies - covers around 25 crags on this south side, and although there have been many new developments since its publication, will give you enough climbing to get your teeth in to for a two week visit. I liked the book and found it gave just enough info to get you to the route, but didn't try to sterilise the experience of adventure climbing. By this I mean the book doesn't give route descriptions or overall grades, just topos with lines and a technical grade, leaving much of route finding and adventure, and making all routes feel akin to a first ascent.

New routes climbed after the guide book was released are generally documented in the large and strange hotel Amandiers in Tafraoute.

A new guidebook has been recently released covering the north side of the mountain.

Moroccan Anti-Atlas North  © Steve Broadbent
Moroccan Anti-Atlas North by Steve Broadbent - is described as: "The definitive guide to rock-climbs on the North side of Jebel el Kest, including Sidi M'Zal, Idagnidif, Afantinzar, Samazar and Tanalt areas.

This full-colour photo-topo guide details 55 crags and over 650 routes in this recently-developed trad-climbing mecca north of Tafraoute, with detailed descriptions and photo-topos."

What about the granite?

One word to describe the granite of Tafraoute would be 'crumbly'. The boulders and outcrops do offer some routes and there was some sport climbing developed by a Spanish team around 10 years ago, however the rock quality is not really up to a standard that would justify a visit in its own right.

The granite boulders do offer a welcome distraction from the mountain trad routes though and offer an opportunity to explore some of the smaller hills surrounding the town.

If you are looking for somewhere to visit for pure bouldering, I can't recommend Tafraoute, but they are worth a few hours of exploration, and if esoteric bouldering is really your thing could have a good time here, there are thousands of blocks.

More info on the granite routes is available here: tafraoutclimbing.blogspot.com

Top British climber James Pearson recently had a trip to Tafraoute to climb on the granite - you can read a bit more here: UKC News.

Photo Gallery: Tafraoute trad, boulders and landscape

Jack Geldard enjoying evening light on one of the countless virgin boulders surrounding Tafroute  © Sarah Burmester
Jack Geldard enjoying evening light on one of the countless virgin boulders surrounding Tafroute
Jack Geldard, Feb 2011
© Sarah Burmester
Sarah Burmester heading in to the unknown on 'Crag K' - a four pitch desert version of Gogarth's main cliff  © Jack Geldard
Sarah Burmester heading in to the unknown on 'Crag K' - a four pitch desert version of Gogarth's main cliff
© Jack Geldard, Feb 2011
Sarah Burmester tackling the chimney pitch on a classic central route of 'Crag K' (E2 ish)  © Jack Geldard
Sarah Burmester tackling the chimney pitch on a classic central route of 'Crag K' (E2 ish)
© Jack Geldard, Feb 2011
Jack Geldard following another onsight probable first ascent. This time two pitches high and around E3.  © Sarah Burmester
Jack Geldard following another onsight probable first ascent. This time two pitches high and around E3.
Jack Geldard, Feb 2011
© Sarah Burmester

Sunrise on the granite of Tafroute, with Napolean's Cap in the centre.  © Jack Geldard
Sunrise on the granite of Tafroute, with Napolean's Cap in the centre.
© Jack Geldard, Jan 2011
The Lions Face cliffs as seen from the road in to Tafroute Village. There are hundreds of routes on this mountainside.  © Jack Geldard
The Lions Face cliffs as seen from the road in to Tafroute Village. There are hundreds of routes on this mountainside.
© Jack Geldard, Feb 2011

Logistics

When to Go
Tafraoute can be incredibly hot in summer. The best time to go is late autumn through to early spring.

How to Get There
The best way to get to Tafraoute is to fly in to Agadir and then hire a car. It is around 200km or 3 hours drive to reach the town of Tafraoute from Agadir, as long as you don't get lost!

You can hire a car at the airport in Agadir, but be warned, even though Morocco is quite a cheap country to visit, hiring cars will be quite expensive. You can bargain with the rental agencies at the airport, they will probably drop the price by up to 50%!

Flights and hire cars can all be easily booked on line before you go with a bit of google research.

Accommodation Advertise here

No Premier Listings found in this area

The town of Tafraoute has many hotels, restaurants and a couple of campsites that are filled with Europeans trucking through Morocco in their motor-homes. A good option is to turn up in town and see what you can find. The accommodation ranges from super budget (and quite grim) places in the centre of town through to reasonable hotels.

Food and Supplies
Simple hill food such as biscuits, dates, fruit and bread is all available in the small town of Tafraoute. There are also various restaurants, mainly serving tagine. The food is cheap and you can have a decent basic meal of vegetables and meat for just a couple of pounds.

Gear

There is no climbing shop, so any climbing gear needs to be brought from home. Some of the local carpet salesmen will swap their trinkets and rugs for bits of old climbing gear if you feel like getting rid of some old kit.

Outdoor Shops Advertise here

No Premier Listings found in this area

Instructor/Guides Advertise here

No Premier Listings found in this area

Other Activities
There is quality walking and general sightseeing. Also don't miss the famous painted boulders. Although they are getting a bit sun-faded now!

The Hotel Ryad in Tafroute - not a bad option, but not a strong recomendation either.  © Jack Geldard
The Hotel Ryad in Tafroute - not a bad option, but not a strong recomendation either.
© Jack Geldard, Feb 2011




23 Feb, 2011
For a basic hotel in Tafraoute, try the Hotel Tanger, by the river. No frills, but friendly and at ~3 quid a night you cant go wrong. You can still visit the Amandiers for beer and a look a the Livre de Escalade (ask at desk). If climbing on the north side of Jebel el Kest, then there are wild camping possibilities. We stayed for many nights at the Schoolhouse junction near the Flatiron, where there is a small almond grove. Also there is a small spot by a culvert near the Lekst Tower. Just be sensitive to the locals (i.e. no bare chests or drunkenness). It works well to stock up for 3-5 days camping, then back to Tafraoute overnight for showers and tagine, restock and repeat. Wednesday is market day by the river. A good chance to stock up on cheap fruit and veg.
24 Feb, 2011
can you tell us what "cumbly" granite is? Is it a Geological term? ;-)
24 Feb, 2011
I'm no geologist but I know exactly what he means. Some granite here in Finland is very crumbly, often within yards of solid stuff.
24 Feb, 2011
It is where the surface layer has eroded and leaves a loose gritty surface. It is surprisingly common. Chris
24 Feb, 2011
cRumbs, never thought of that!
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