Aside from being awesome fun, it's a wonderful way to visit the dramatic Cathédrale des Rochers and Ahansal Valley, and affords a dramatically different perspective of the sheer rock gorges from the valley floor. Groups are limited to 12 people and are accompanied by two guides, a safety kayaker and a photographer. Sleeping bags are also available for hire if you don't want to carry your own. Exclusive trips can also be organised for a minimum of six people.
A shorter, three-day rafting excursion down the Ahansal is also possible, as is canyoning, although a good level of fitness is required for the latter.
Zaouiat Ahansal
Fantastically remote and fiercely independent, Zaouiat Ahansal was founded in the 13th century by travelling Islamic scholar Sidi Said Ahansal, who, according to local legend, was instructed to establish a religious school wherever his cat leapt off his mule. Happily for Sidi Ahansal that location sits astride a prominent crossroads between the Central High Atlas and the plains of Marrakesh and is blessed with fresh water and abundant grazing frequented by the powerful Aït Abdi and Aït Atta nomads.
As a result, the region prospered materially and intellectually. Libraries, religious schools, saints' houses and highly decorative ighirmin (collective granaries) testify to this wealthy cultural heritage. Even today a significant number of pilgrims continue to visit the region during the Islamic month of shawaal, bearing gifts of clothing and food for Saint Sidi Said Ahansal and his descendants.
2Activities
Arriving in Zaouiat Ahansal, cross the bridge towards the mudbrick douar (village) atop a steep hill; this structure once housed the entire 300-person community. You can stay here or in the nearby villages of Amezrai or Agoudim (tell the bus driver which village you're getting off at). The village of Taghia is a further three-hour trek upstream and is located at the base of a stunning limestone cirque. You'll need to hire a mule to reach it (Dh120 including muleteer).
With the tarmac road from Azilal arriving in 2013, Zaouiat Ahansal is only now making a name for itself among serious climbers and adventurous trekkers. To explore the region’s dramatic scenery and sights, it's advisable to hire a local, licensed mountain guide (Dh300 to Dh400 per day). Note, though, that these guides are only certified in trekking, hiking and multiday camping excursions – they are not climbing guides.
Tagoujimt n’TsouianntTREKKING
At 853m high, Tagoujimt n’Tsouiannt is the highest, scalable cliff face, accessible also by trek via the aptly named Tire-Bouchon (Corkscrew) Pass, as hikers must ‘corkscrew’ themselves through a tight and winding series of stone and wood stacks to reach the top.
Other worthwhile local treks include a circumnavigation of Oujdad, the muscular rock formation that defines the valley, and a short walk upstream to ‘The Source’, an impressive waterfall that marks the start of the Ahansal River.
Kristoffer EricksonCLIMBING
(day climbs €375)
Part-time resident, the North Face athlete and international climbing guide Kristoffer Erickson can be hired to help you scale the region’s technical rock face. In the winter months, Erickson also guides single or multiday backcountry ski tours in the surrounding peaks. You can contact him through Atlas Cultural Adventures.
Historic Walking ToursWALKING
(www.atlasculturalfoundation.org; half-day tour Dh350)
Zaouiat Ahansal is blessed with an abundance of historical and natural sites: old saint's houses, places of pilgrimage and hand-tended community gardens. For a more in-depth tour, an Atlas Cultural Foundation staff member can be hired for half-day and multiday tours of the region and their community projects.
VOLUNTEERING IN ZAOUIAT AHANSAL
The Atlas Cultural Foundation (ACF; www.atlasculturalfoundation.org) is a registered US non-profit organisation with the mission of helping under-served Moroccans, especially women and children, improve their quality of life through locally determined development projects focusing on cultural preservation, community and environmental health, and education. In partnership with the local Moroccan Association Amezray SMNID, they are responsible for the restoration of three historic saints' houses and the extraordinary communal granaries, which now form some of the major sights in the valley.
Another core component of ACF’s work is its programs run through Atlas Cultural Adventures (ACA; http://atlasculturaladventures.com). Participants assist in ACF’s ongoing community development projects, work side by side with locals, and experience rural Moroccan village life. Programs are focused on community leader capacity building, historic preservation, design and construction of small community projects, public health workshops and sustainable farming. Programs are open to students or independent travellers and are from three days to five weeks in length.
4Sleeping
Advance reservations are recommended for the months of March through to June, and for September and October.
Kasbah AmezrayGUESTHOUSE€
(%0666 53 10 02; www.kasbah-amezray.com; Amezrai; dm/r per person incl half-board Dh150/250; W)
A fine option in Amezrai, this 12-room gîte (hostel) has cosy rooms (five with en suite) with exposed stone walls and wood-beam ceilings. It's set in front of a photogenic granary, which you can visit. It's a good place to arrange treks, rockclimbing and 4WD trips. Transfers to Marrakesh are available.
Gîte Ahmed El HansaliGîTE D’ÉTAPE€
(%0678 53 88 82; [email protected]; Agoudim; dm incl half-board Dh150)
Bunk at Sidi Ahmed Amahdar's gîte for hot showers, clean shared bathrooms and a clamorous welcome from the folks who manage the place. It's set below a restored granary (ask Mohammed to give you a tour inside) about 500m after crossing the bridge. Lunch is an extra Dh50.
Gîte TawajdatGîTE D’ÉTAPE€
(%0523 45 92 90; [email protected]; Taghia; dm incl full board Dh120)
Trekking groups head up to this basic guesthouse at the home of guide Said Massaoudi and his son Mohammad. It consists of mattresses on wooden pallets accompanied by simple but tasty meals. Lunch is an extra Dh50. It's a three-hour walk from Zaouiat Ahansal to get here.
oDar AhansalGUESTHOUSE€€
(%0678 96 25 84; www.darahansal.net; Amezrai; s/d incl half-board Dh380/560, child incl half-board Dh145, camping/caravan per person Dh50/80; p)
As you round the final corner to Amezrai, the impressive rock-hewn dar (small house) of mountain guide Youssef Oulcadi rises organically out of the tough mountain landscape, its terraces built around Aleppo pines and landscaped with blushing roses and oleanders. Inside, rooms are beautifully finished with terracotta floors, zellij bathrooms and raffia-framed beds.
The large, cosy dining room and vast terrace overlooks Amezrai's pisé granary (restored by the Atlas Cultural Foundation), as do the camping facilities, which are provided with their own shared shower unit, traditional hammam and washing facilities.
8Information
Youssef Oulcadi, a licensed Moroccan mountain guide and native of the region, can hook you up with guides through his guesthouse Dar Ahansal. Alternatively, visit www.randomaroc.net.
Climbers and trekkers are advised to bring a medical kit as the small clinic in Agoudim has poor facilities. In the case of emergencies, there is a government ambulance that runs between Agoudim and the Azilal hospital.
8Getting There & Away
Zaouiat Ahansal is 84km southeast of Azilal. From Azilal through Aït Mohammed follow the old route for Aït Bougomez for 25km. When you reach the junction below the snowy sail of Azourki, take the left-hand road heading northeast across the Tizi n’Tselli-n-Imanain (2763m) to the market town of Assemsouk. Beyond Assemsouk the road climbs again to Tizi n’Illissi (2606m) and then snakes down the Illissi valley to Zaouiat Ahansal.
Minivans ply the route between Zaouiat Ahansal and Azilal (Dh50, 3½ to four hours, two daily), leaving Zaouiat Ahansal in the morning and returning from Azilal in the afternoon. Grands taxis only originate in Azilal and cost about Dh50 per person.
RESPONSIBLE
TOURISM
The locals of Zaouiat Ahansal take immense pride in the natural beauty and traditional culture of their region and are making a collective effort to influence foreigners visiting this region to do so in an environmentally sustainable and respectful manner with the following suggestions:
APack out all rubbish and empty containers.
ABring a water-treatment system rather than purchasing bottled water.
ADress conservatively around locals and avoid wearing shorts or tank tops.
AAvoid drinking alcohol in front of, or with, locals.
Cathédrale des Rochers & Reserve Naturelle de Tamga
Continuing north off-road along the main road from Zaouiat Ahansal leads to La Cathédrale des Rochers, the ‘rock cathedral’, and the Reserve Naturelle de Tamga, a vast national reserve with eight separate parks. Birdwatchers will have a field day (or several) observing 107 species of birds, including rare and endangered species. A botanical garden, 3km from the sign marking the park’s entry, highlights the park’s diverse flora, including medicinal herbs said to cure rheumatism.
4Sleeping
There are several simple guesthouses here, and a new one was in the works when we last passed through.
Gîte le CathédraleGîTE D'ETAPE€
(%0523 44 20 23, 0661 87 64 01; dm/campsite Dh100/30, dm incl half-board Dh200)
Overnight stays, camping and meals (Dh50) are available at the simple Gîte le Cathédrale, 2km after the sign for the cathédrale. The six basic rooms here share bathrooms.
8Getting There & Away
You'll need your own vehicle to visit the area. The road can be treacherous, and unsuitable for 2WD vehicles after heavy rains. Get the latest info at Zaouiat Ahansal or Ouaouizarht (if coming from the north) before setting out.
Aït Bougomez Valley
Though some roads are still accessible only by mule or 4WD, paved roads have given unprecedented entry to Morocco's 'happy valley' with its mudbrick towers, reddish ighremt (stone-reinforced houses) and rich, cultivated terraces. Scattered throughout the valley, 25 douars blend mimetically with their spectacular backdrops. Cliff sides are dotted with tiny plots of wheat and barley inside stone-walled terraces. High in the hills, you’ll spot villagers collecting wild mountain plants to make herbal remedies and natural dyes, and in the broad alluvial valley are acres of lovingly tended fruit orchards.
The Y-shaped valley centres around the zawiya of Sidi Moussa, which sits on a cone-shaped hill at the centre with the villages of Imelgas and Ikhf-n-Ighir to the northeast, Tabant to the east and Tikniouine and Agouti to the southwest. Tabant, with its weekly Sunday souq, school and official mountain-guide training centre, is the heart of the valley and the main transport hub.
1Sights & Activities
Although there are plenty of mountainous hikes in the region – with summit-baggers heading straight for Irhil M'Goun (4068m) – ambling between villages along the valley floor is enormously rewarding. Along the way, drop in at some of the valley's 40 local associations and cooperatives and find out more about how these mountain communities are evolving their own unique brand of sustainable tourism and providing much needed education to future generations. One such example is the nonprofit École Vivante (www.ecolevivante.com), a free primary school that is part of a global educational youth project.
At the very upper (northeastern) end of the valley, at Ifrane, a track heads east to Zaouiat Oulmzi. From here you can trek down to the seasonal Lac Izoughar, a favoured watering hole for the nomadic Aït Atta tribe.
Exiting the northern end of the valley 5km northeast of Ifrane towards Azilal, you'll crest the dramatic Tizi n'Tirghist pass (2626m). Around this area are petroglyphs some geologists estimate are 4000 years old; ask a local guide to point out the enigmatic symbols, which local lore links to ancient rain-making ceremonies.
oSidi MoussaMONUMENT
For a spectacular sunset, take the road west out of Tabant, and you’ll find the trailhead leading up to this Unesco-heritage site, a zawiya of local marabout Sidi Moussa. You can park near the École Vivante, from which it’s a straightforward 25-minute uphill hike (head toward the radio tower and follow the zigzagging path to the top); you won’t need a guide.
The round structure served as a collective granary and has been restored through a community effort, with fitted-stone walls and weather-beaten wooden doors making a worthy photo backdrop. When it's open, locals charge Dh10 admission, which includes tea.
oCooperative TikniouineNOTABLE BUILDING
(%0678 52 08 80; Tikniouine; h9am-4pm Mon-Thu & Sat)S
Some 5km east along the main road from Agouti is the village of Tikniouine, a key stop for gourmet treats and cultural immersion. The cooperative was formed in 2005 by plucky young women who secured EU funding to start cultivating organic walnuts, collecting mountain wildflower honey, and making their own mild, aged cow's-milk cheese, which tastes like a cross between gouda and emmental.
At the cooperative’s centre, which now employs 17 women full time, you can sample and purchase the products. It is signposted off the main road 50m down a rutted track.
SouqMARKET
(Tabant; h8am-2pm Sun)
The valley's main market takes place on Sunday and offers a great insight into valley life. Traders and shoppers start arriving in Tabant on Saturday evening, 'parking' their donkeys at the top of town. Expect an unedited experience of busy butchers stalls and veg vendors, alongside traders selling everything from used clothes to teapots and tajines and even the kitchen sink (literally).
Association Ighrem Atelier du SculptureCULTURAL CENTRE
(%0673 75 31 63; www.theanou.com; h8am-6pm Mon-Sat)
At this centre in Agouti visitors can watch artisans carve free-form spoons and bowls from fragrant walnut, juniper and boxwood salvaged from fallen trees. With proceeds from sales, the association is reforesting the valley with fast-growing boxwood and planting vetiver to harvest for basket-weaving.
Nearby (on the right), the same association also sells tapestries, bags and jewellery – a great opportunity to buy finely crafted goods straight from the source.
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
ARTISANS ONLINE
Inhabitants of the Aït Bougomez Valley are a surprisingly resourceful bunch, testament of which is the launch of Anou (www.theanou.com), a new artisan-managed online platform that enables illiterate artisans to sell their work independently.
Unlike Etsy or eBay, the resource isn’t open to anyone, but rather is limited to locally recognised artisans peer-verified by Anou’s leadership team, the benchmark being the quality of the products produced and the motivation of the artisans to expand and develop their product line.
Anou then assists artisans in creating a profile page with a biography of each member, photographs of their studio and tools, and GPS coordinates of their workshops. Each piece created is subsequently approved by Anou’s administration team before being posted to the site, ensuring that every product you see is exactly the item that will be shipped to you. When products sell, artisans pop the purchased item in the post and, voilà, in two to three weeks your new handcrafted carpet, bag or sculpture will arrive on your doorstep.
It’s a great resource for travellers, as Anou’s primary buyers are, so far, conscientious tourists keen to ensure that they are buying direct from artisans. At the time of writing there were 200 artisans on the site and 35 cooperatives and associations now extending well beyond Aït Bougomez across the whole country.
4Sleeping & Eating
The valley is dotted with a network of gîtes d'etape (hostels or homestays). Many of them are located within a 30-minute walk west of Tabant in the villages of Imelgas and Ikhf-n-Ighir. Closer to the M'Goun trailhead is Agouti, which is the favoured base for trekkers. Most establishments offer half-board lodging.
Basic cafes and restaurants can be found in Tabant.
FlilouGîTE D’ÉTAPE€
(%0524 34 37 98; [email protected]; Agouti; dm/s/d incl half-board Dh160
/240/480, d with shared bathroom incl half-board Dh320; p)
The first gîte on your left as you enter the village offers clean dorms, doubles with hand-painted beds, savoury meals and clean, updated bathrooms. Climb the steep staircase to the roof terrace, where Berber tents beckon and mirrored wedding blankets reflect sunsets. The mattresses are stiff, but the welcome is warm.
Gîte TawadaGUESTHOUSE€
(%0654 57 49 12; www.terre-d-ame-randonnees-maroc.com; Imelghas; d Dh150, s/d with shared bathrooms Dh60/100)
On the main road in Imelghas village, Mohamed Imharkan and his family offer a warm welcome with six simple but well-maintained rooms (three with en suite). This is a great base for outdoor activities and Mohamed is an excellent guide for trekking; you can also hire bikes (Dh150 per day). Meals are available (dinner Dh55, breakfast Dh12).
Gîte Timit-La Maison ImazighneHOMESTAY€
(%0673 26 04 38; [email protected]; Timit; dm/d incl breakfast Dh80/220)
This historic Berber home is a breath of fresh mountain air, with family-friendly dorms and brightly painted doubles. Your host family lives in the rear courtyard, and can arrange birdwatching excursions, treks and botanical hikes. Meals are served family-style on cushions in the living room, under a painted ceiling.
Gîte La Montagne Au PlurielGUESTHOUSE€
(%0661 88 24 34; www.lamontagneaupluriel.com; Agouti; s/d/tr/q Dh100/160/225/280, half-board per person Dh100)
Lonely Planet Morocco Page 15
