UKC

Hello

I am going to Morocco with a friend for 10 days on Sunday, heading to the Todra Gorge for some climbing. We are looking to do some trad, and some multi pitch and single pitch sport. We are both solid around the mid 6s.

Does anyone have any recommendations, (climbing or otherwise!) for what to do in the gorge? Also, any other general advice or tips? Many thanks.

Adam

It's a great destination, just got back (so too much to say). To get there we took a taxi from Marrakech airport (1800 dirham which somehow became 2000 after a lot of nonsense, later told it should've been 1200, 9hours there) - took a coach back from Tinghir (next to nothing, 8 hours) and much easier so maybe get a coach, last 10k from Tinghir to the gorge get a taxi or your guesthouse owner will probably pick you up. You could also hire a car if you like long winding drives, they're driving skills aren't too bad

Definitely stay in the village at the entrance to the gorge, short walk from there to climb and the town Tinghir is nothing special so no reason to stay there. Recommend Maison d'Hote Riad Todra - cheap and the owner Hamou is a dude. Can mail you contact details if you like.

Booze - take lots of booze it's difficult to get hold of and expensive out there

Coffee - they mostly have instant or when it's proper ground coffee it's still nescafe. I'd take some next time

It's essential to get on some of the big multipitches (about 10 pitches). We didn't take trad gear but on the easy pitches the bolts were more than 10m apart so up to you. There are a few to go at up to 6a+. If you want the option to bail it would be a Lot easier and safer with two ropes or a very long rope. Take 70m+ rope if you have one. Even the single pitches lots and lots of 30-35m routes. Bolts are good quality but spacing very variable and mostly 3-4m, sometimes with the bolt after the crux rather than before. Sometimes first bolt is 8m up. I've heard rumours of some sort of cheating stick if you don't want to break your ankles.

The walk down from multipitches- you will probably try and descend too early and find yourself at the top of a cliff so allow some time for that, maybe 90 minutes the first time, 1hr the next 

The rock is generally very sharp, take climb on, rest days, pain killers etc

If you speak French it's helpful but sometimes it's also helpful to pretend you don't so people stop bugging you

Respect the local culture- don't go topless unless you're in the upper crags where nobody can see you. Even though you really want to. Don't give handouts to kids that should be in school, don't pee in the drinking water, is all in the guidebook

There are 2 guidebooks (maybe 3), one of them (the French one) had more consistent grading than the other but the locals prefer you to buy the local one 

Rest ~day option we didn't do is to go to the desert (4hrs) and camp with Bedouin, back lunchtime next day.

Re: trad, there is trad but you might forego it, if you do go for it then the nature of the rock, a bit gnarly and shatterable, I think tricams would be worth taking

Recommendation: sport 10 pitch route La Classique 6a+, upper 2 or 3 pitches go right where there are a few bolts rather than follow the line in the book (the book we had). From that gauge if you want to do much harder, I found the grading a little tough in general

Which of these two bits of advice should the OP take? They are contradictory.

Surely you can have a few discrete drinks each evening without disrespecting the local culture. 

I don' think the poster was necessarily advocating getting smashed, urinating in the street and showing the locals your arse.

Quite right, i forgot to clarify if you are muslim don't take booze, as it is their culture that only non muslims can drink

Thank you very much for these tips, very useful indeed. 

We have accomodation booked in the gorge, but thanks for the offer to send the details. 

Thanks for the general advice and heads-up regarding the climbing. You mentioned La Classique, but is there any other recommendations of climbs you would make? We have a guidebook, but I fear it may not be the most detailed. I will trawl through UKC as well to see if there is anything eye catching. 

Chibania 6b on Pilier Couchant was a fantastic multipitch. A small number of cams also a good idea.