The Moroccan Anti-Atlas North guidebook describes the traditional rock climbing to be found on the north side of the Jebel el Kest massif near the town of Tafraoute. Buy this guidebook from our shop.
The South Western Europe & Morocco Rock Climbing Atlas has information about the climbing at Tafraoute, Todra Gorge, and the Taghia Gorge. This useful book describes the different crags, number of routes, style of climbing, how to get there, where to stay, and general information about the area, though it doesn't describe any individual routes.
Buy this guidebook from our shop.
Rock climbing in Morocco
Morocco is only a short flight from Europe, is a country that is relatively cheap to visit and stay, as well as offering something somewhere different and adventurous for a rock climbing holiday. The weather is generally very good (particularly in the winter) and the rock climbing is good on generally solid rock. The three main rock climbing areas are all situated in the mountains, which are Tafraoute, Todra Gorge, and Taghia Gorge, as shown on the map below.
Map of the main rock climbing areas in Morocco
Rock Climbing in the Todra Gorge
The Todra Gorge is situated in the High Atlas Mountains. The scenery is spectacular with high limestone cliffs that provide bolted sport routes up to 300m long. This area is one of Morocco’s largest and well developed climbing areas with over 400 routes across a wide range of grades, particularly from F6a to F7b, that are easy to reach on foot. The quality and variety of the limestone rock is excellent, and the potential for further new route development is immense.
The best time to visit both the Todra Gorge is in the spring and autumn with late March to early May being especially good. It is possible to climb during the winter though it can be cold, especially at night. The summer is just too hot. The closest airport is Marrakech.
Rock climbing in the Taghia Gorge
The Taghia Gorge is situated in the High Atlas Mountains, and provides the best big wall climbing in Morocco with routes up to 800m long. The small village of Taghia is at 1900m and is surrounded by overhanging red limestone walls and peaks up to 3000m high. However Taghia village is remote with no tarmac road for access and therefore it requires at least a 4x4 vehicle to gain access to the valley, a truly adventurous experience. There are currently over 100 routes developed with the grades generally starting at F6b and the vast majority over F6c. There is fixed protection though it is advisable to bring additional traditional gear such as cams and nuts. The best time to visit the gorge is from early April to the end of October though it can get hot in the summer, with the closest airport being Marrakech.
Rock Climbing at Tafraoute
Situated around 125km southeast of Agadir, Tafraoute provides adventure rock climbing and has everything from bouldering, single pitch roadside crags to long multi-pitch routes on big walls and summits. The area has only recently been developed and hence still offers excellent opportunities for developing new routes and exploring. The climbing is on solid superb quartzite rock of the Jebel el Kest massif, with the style and ethics being traditional, requiring the placing of cams and nuts for protection. There is a wide range of grades to choose from particularly in the lower to mid-grade range. The whole area is also scattered with granite boulders, providing an enormous amount of excellent bouldering.
The Moroccan Anti-Atlas North guidebook describes the traditional rock climbing to be found on the north side of the Jebel el Kest massif near the town of Tafraoute. It describes 55 crags and details more than 650 routes, from moderate to through to E6. Buy this guidebook from our shop.
The Moroccan Anti-Atlas guidebook describes the traditional rock climbing to be found on the south side of the Jebel el Kest massif and around the town of Tafraoute. It describes 33 crags and over 150 routes, mainly in the lower to mid-grade range with many multi-pitch routes. Buy this guidebook from our shop.
The best time to climb at Tafraoute is from late September through the winter to mid-April, though the best two months are October and March. November to January is the “wet” season and the summer is just too hot. With regards to flights, Agadir has many connections to all over Europe and then hire a car to Tafraoute.
Rock Climbing at Imiter - Imiter is situated to the south of Casablanca and has around 100 sport routes.
The South Western Europe & Morocco Rock Climbing Atlas has information about the climbing at Tafraoute, Todra Gorge, and the Taghia Gorge. This useful book describes the different crags, number of routes, style of climbing, how to get there, where to stay, and general information about the area, though it doesn't describe any individual routes. Buy this guidebook from our shop.