Information about the Morocco Rock area

Trad Climbing in the northern Jebel el Kest and Jebel Taskra region of the Moroccan Anti Atlas is quick and easy to get to, and has a reliable winter sun climate from October right through to April:

How to get there.
It is best to fly to Agadir and hire a car from the airport - Ida Ougnidif and the climbing areas are 1 1/2 hrs drive from Agadir. The best deals (from the UK) are currently from Manchester and Gatwick via Easyjet and Thomsonfly.
 

Where to stay.
The most central and closest accommodation to the climbing areas is the Kasbah Tizourgane - the owners Jamal and Malika are extremely hospitable and the prices are very reasonable at around £25 per person per night for full board.

Culture
The Anti Atlas range is characterised by a way of life that has remained unchanged for centuries and the mountain people are predominantly Berber. There are several Berber dialects and these exist usually bilingually with Arabic. French is the unofficial third language of Morocco and the prime language of commerce and economics. Farming is very much through traditional methods by hand or with donkeys, and women with huge loads on their backs is a common sight, as are the donkeys with their noisy braying as they talk across the valleys to each other, which seem to compete at times with the muezzin’s call to prayer! The locals are extremely friendly and helpful, often inviting strangers in for tea and food, and always keen to have a chat and get to know you.

Money
The local currency is the Dirham (MAD) and there are approximately 13 Dirhams to the Pound Sterling. It is best to change any money at the airport on your arrival as there are no banks in Ida Ougnidif and so a drive around to Tafraoute is the only other alternative.

Climate
The best time to visit is between October and April, when the weather is predominantly sunny and dry.There is usually a ‘crag option’ somewhere to cover all the weather scenarios between these months, except for rain, which it rarely does continuously for any substantial length of time. It really is winter sun at its best, and you will more likely be praying for some bad weather to provide a rest day (along with the locals who are always praying for rain!). It is inadvisable to visit between May and September when it tends to be far too hot for the average westerner to cope with.

Morocco Rock Contact details

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