Tafraoute North
About 2 hours drive South from Agadir is an area of quartzite cliffs that has been extensively (but far from exhaustively) developed by a number of English climbers. The climbing is everything from single pitch to very long multi pitch routes, all climbed in a traditional fashion without resort to bolts or pegs. The rock is mostly solid, and many of the routes are in the easier grades, particularly the longer ones, however there is something for everyone here, with routes from Mod to E6. If you like traditional climbing, this is the place for you. Morocco of course has an African climate, where it is too hot to climb in the summer. However from October to May it offers warm weather, mostly dry, and anyway quick drying. The pace of development over the last few years has been fast, almost to the point at which as many new routes are being climbed, as repeat ascents of existing routes. The area is quiet, it would be normal to have the crag to yourself, the downside of this being that an accident here would be serious. There are no rescue services and the nearest decent hospital is in Agadir.
Morocco Rock Jebel el Kest & Taskra North. Emma Alsford & Paul Donnithorne. Available in the Kasbah and also from http://www.climb-europe.com/RockClimbingAfrica/Morocco.html
Crags in this region:
| Title | Description |
|---|---|
| Tafraoute North - Griffon Rock | Griffon rock is set in a beautiful valley, very easy to access and with many fine routes, albeit short by Moroccan standards. It is also useful having three faces so that you can choose between the sun and the shade. |
| Tafraoute North - Icebox Canyon | Icebox canyon is one of the premier cliffs in the area. Long pitches, atmospheric routes, and beautiful views deep into the Samazar valley combine to give the canyon a big mountain feel. This is a place to exercise your craft in traditional climbing, not learn it. The routes are mostly well protected, although sometimes run out, especially on the upper, easier pitches. As the name suggests, the canyon gets no sun, and is excellent for hot days, but also still climbable on cooler days, unless a wind is blowing up the gorge. |
| Tafraoute North - Lower Eagle | The Afantizar valley is a lovely, lonely place to climb, and Lower Eagle an excellent cliff with long routes, getting easier the higher you climb. Black Beauty, the prominent streak down the middle of the crag is already a classic, visible from afar. |
| Tafraoute North - The Narrow Slit | A small but worthwhile crag with many excellent routes. The Narrow Slit is a deep, dry gorge with climbs on both wings and at the entrance to the gorge. Abseil points at the top of the Amphibian and Scooby Doo. |
| Tafraoute North - The White Dome | The White Dome is actually a collection of 5 Towers, partly visible from the Tizourgane Kasbah and the road that leads from Ida Ougnidif to the Afantizar valley. The routes are mostly on excellent rock, follow strong natural lines, and many of them are destined to become classics. |
Photos (click for full view)
