Todgha Gorge, Morocco
Author: Juris Zīģelis
It feels so good to escape the rigid European structure and routine which always means that everything costs exactly the amount that it costs. In Morocco, everything costs the amount you are willing to pay - or at least the price that you have patience to haggle down to. As you set out to conquer the walls of the Todgha Gorge, a purchase worth its weight in gold is the guidebook drawn and hand-coloured with pencils by the locally-based Hassan Mouhajir: more than just a helpful aid for all rock-climbers, it is also an excellent souvenir to bring back from your trip. The notebook contains all the relevant rock-climbing information; besides, whenever you revisit Morocco, you will be able to return it to the author for updating.
And Todgha is definitely a place you will want to come back to. The canyon is a relatively freshly developed rock-climbing site that has not been 'sniffed out' by the masses as yet. The sheer size of the gorge is impressive: you are climbing on and on, and on, and yet the top only seems to be receding... As you stand in the canyon, there is this overwhelming feeling of being knocked off your feet by the massive rock walls. The ruddy and russet routes of sport climbing and traditional climbing are very sharp so the climbing is very good. Admittedly, after a day of full-on rock-climbing, your fingers will have suffered as much as your climbing trousers. There is a lot of pleasure to be experienced by climbers of any level: climbing in the shade and in the sun, on the banks of a lucid river or in a small oasis of palm-trees are the things that have come to be associated with Morocco.
Other equally wonderful things to enjoy here include the area's hiking paths, as well as the local culture and cuisine: in all, you should allow at least ten days for the experience.
Incidentally, one of the world's top rock-climbers is a Sweden-based Moroccan rock star. Most of the local hawkers will also claim to be unsurpassed rock-climbers; when it comes to the actual climbing, however, they will probably confess that they haven't done it for years...
Photo: www.zigelis.lv
Share it:
Keywords: Marocco, rock-climbing routes
Your comments
Sorry, there are no comments on this object
Read the latest posts in
Connoisseur's Guide
Follow us:
We are passionate about travelling. It’s a great way to challenge and provoke yourself, and an even better way to see, feel, discover, enjoy and taste. Travelling provides a unique frame for your emotions and the sensations, flavours and pleasures you encounter. It’s impossible to keep them to yourself, and probably the best investment you will ever make. That is why we have created anothertravelguide.com. We share the value of our travel experiences and discoveries with our friends, so, if you share our passion, please join us!
Una Meistere and Andrejs Žagars