6-20th April 2024. We are planning a return to the Anti-Atlas area of Morocco for a fortnight’s meet in two halves. We will fly into Agadir and hire cars to travel to the market town of Tafraout for a week of walking, scrambling and trad climbing based in a hotel. People can then return to Agadir to fly home or stay on for a second week to enjoy a six-day camping trek in the Sirwa region, culminating in an ascent of Jebel Sirwa (3305m), the highest peak in the Anti-Atlas (also known as Jebel Siroua). You could also choose to come just for the second week’s trekking.

Week 1 – Tafraout 6-13 April organised by Mick Borroff.

There are now two recommended guidebooks. Cicerone have an excellent guide to the Moroccan Anti-Atlas by David Wood which covers the Tafraout area and describes 40 walking and scrambling routes. Cicerone have a free 55 page pdf of the complete introduction chapter. In addition, there is a brand new and well-illustrated booklet with 15 walks in the Jebel el Kest, Jebel Taskra and Amaghouz Gorge areas, and a route up Jebel Sirwa by Don Sargeant published by Morocco Rock. This guide complements the Cicerone guide and is well worth getting, and a matching map to the area is also available. The Climb-Tafraout site has some additional information on both climbing and walking. The best maps are the recent 1-25k and 1-50k topo maps of the area produced by the Oxford Alpine Club available here, who also sell a range of climbing guides.

Mick Borroff is organising the first week and has booked the comfortable Hotel Les Amandiers in Tafraout which we have used twice before, and has negotiated a favourable rate for half-board accommodation. These photos provide a taste of what’s on offer in the area in addition to the 2009 and 2020 meet reports which you should read if you have not been there before .

Week 2 – Jebel Sirwa Classic Trek 13-20 April organised by Alan Palmer.

Those who went on the 2016 YRC trek to the Jebel Sahro, will know that Alan arranged this for us. He has trekked in the Sirwa region before and in his excellent 2014 guide book he has this description: “The challenge of volcanic Jebel Sirwa, nestling between the High Atlas and Anti-Atlas ranges, provides a natural focus in this arid landscape of wonderful rock formations, remote villages and unique fortified, communal granaries. Although one of the most inspiring destinations in Morocco, trekkers here are relatively scarce and certainly much lass common than in the High Atlas range to the north; consequently, a trek in this region can offer the reward of a much greater sense of remoteness and even isolation.”

Alan has posted some of his photos of this trek on the Yak Travel (his trekking company) website and his Facebook page.

Another set of inspiring images of the Sirwa are available at: http://ai.stanford.edu/~latombe/mountain/photo/atlas-16/atlas-16.htm

This will be a six-day camping trek led by an experienced guide, with a cook and mules to carry our food and camping kit. We will just be carrying day sacs.

The cost of the trek will be £572 and to secure a place, a deposit of £300 will be required by 30th December 2023.

The price includes:

• 6 days of trekking with 5 nights camping as in the itinerary below
• an experienced guide(s)
• a cook
• mules and their muleteers
• sleeping tents
• mattresses
• all food and drinks
• large kitchen/dining room tent
• transport from Souk Larba (the end of the trek) back to Taroudannt on Day 6
• hotel accommodation in Taroudannt at the start and end of the trek.
• Transfers to/from Agadir to Taroudannt and Taroudannt to Taliouine.
  

Itinerary for YRC Jebel Sirwa Ascent and Circuit (6 days) plus two transfer days (all timings are approximate)

Saturday 13th April. Transfer from Agadir airport to Taroudannt. Once we have all gathered together at Agadir airport, we depart by private minibus from to the walled city of Taroudannt, ‘Little Marrakech’. We check into our accommodation within the walled medina. If time permits, we will explore this fabulous medieval city. In the evening, we enjoy a first meal together. 1 hour’s transfer. We have booked twin rooms at https://www.dartourkia.com/ on a half-board basis.

Sunday 15th April.  After breakfast, we continue our journey by private minibus to Taliouine/Taliwine where we take lunch. In the afternoon, we begin with a gentle introduction to the trek by walking from Taliouine along the banks of the Oued Zagmouzen, passing by a succession of small villages, to reach Akhfamane (1250m) where we will camp for the night. 4 hours walking.

Monday 15th April. We walk from Akhfamane to Ti n’Iddr (1684m) by following a trail that leads further up valley through the ancient village of Mazwad (1141m). Beyond Mazwad, the valley narrows to a gorge and meanders more steeply upwards into the mountains to the north. We arrive at the village of Ti n’Iddr, with its striking kasbah, mosque and agadir, where we will camp for the night. 6 hours walking.

Tuesday 16th April. We walk from Ti n’Iddr to Tegragra (2650m) by following the banks of Assif n’Wamrane through an increasingly striking and isolated landscape. First, we climb steeply through the dramatic village of Atougha, perched on the hillside against a vertiginous mountain backfrop, its terraced fields unfolding below, before arriving at the stunning summer pastures of Tegragra (2650m) where we will camp for the night close to a water source. 6 hours walking.

Wednesday 17th April. Today there are optional ascents of both Jebel Sirwa (3305m) and Jebel Guiliz (2905m) with a descent along Assif n’Ait ou’Byal Valley to Waterfall Camp (2400m). From Tegragra, we either climb steeply to the summit of Jebel Sirwa, perhaps also rising to a second, more easily achieved summit, that of Jebel Guiliz, en route, before descending to Waterfall Camp. Otherwise, we simply descend directly from Tegragra to Waterfall Camp where we camp for the night on green pastures close by the river. Up to 7 hours walking.

Thursday 18th April. We walk down valley from Waterfall Camp through the delightful village of Tizgui (2200m), stopping to visit its fortified granary, surely the most astounding in the region, before continuing to the surreal rock formations and verdant palm trees of Tislit Gorge, where we camp for the night. 5 hours walking.

Friday 19th April. We head on to the village of Tislit, which lends its name to the gorge, then across wide open terrain through a patchwork of agricultural fields and wild flowers to the small village of Souk Larba (1675m), site of the weekly Wednesday market. We transfer from Souk Larba to our accommodation in Taroudannt by privately arranged local minibus and take lunch. The rest of the day is free for us to continue exploring Taroudannt. We take our final evening meal together in our own accommodation. 2 hours’ walking, 2 hour’s transfer. We have booked twin rooms at https://www.dartourkia.com/ on a half-board basis.

Saturday 20th April. After breakfast, we transfer to Agadir airport in our privately arranged local minibus for departure from Morocco. 1 hour’s transfer.

 Alan Palmer, Yak Travel Limited, Registered in England & Wales No. 08207896, www.yaktravel.co.uk, tel: 079 1020 9766

There is a lot of planning and organisation to do so we need to get a good idea of final numbers soon. If you are interested or intend to come for either or both weeks please fill in the options below.

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