One of our favourite Wild Hikes locations is the Anti Atlas region of Southern Morocco. Remote hiking of all standards combined with the best scrambling to be found anywhere. Below is an account by Ian Joyce who travelled with us on a Wild Hikes small group trip to this area in December 2019.
After a three hour drive from Agadir in torrential rain, our small group arrived in the remote and mysterious Anti Atlas region of Southern Morocco. It doesn’t rain much in this region but when it does it really chucks it down! So with water everywhere and the temperatures close to zero we entered the remote Afantinzar valley. Our accommodation for the next two nights was the Gite Ksar. Built into the base of Ksar rock it is run by the lovely Mahfoud and Fatima. It is a unique and beautiful place to stay with fabulous views across the valley towards Jebel El Kest the highest mountain in the region.
Over a breakfast of eggs, flat bread and honey we decided that a trip to explore and climb Adrar Medni was an exciting, adventurous and achievable objective for our day. Adrar Medni, (meaning middle finger), has religious significance for the locals, rising dramatically amongst a complex range of ridges, gorges and vertical cliff faces. After this, we would try to find and then explore the ancient village of Temghist an abandoned community hidden deep in the mountains.
Few visitors visit this remote area where Adrar Medni is situated, not least because of the difficulty of getting there. Pete, our leader, had never been there either! After a few navigational cockups, all part of the adventure of course, we turned off the tarmac road. The last 30 minutes was off road on a sandy track that had turned to mud due to the previous days rain. With tyres clogged with mud and wheels spinning we decided to stop before a steep section and walk the final mile to the start of our hike.
Long exposed stretches of rock lay ahead of us, scrambling up, what looked, from a distance like vertical cliffs. This is an ancient land with the scars of a thousand years of agriculture still there in the form of terraces carved out of the steep hillsides. Onwards and upwards we followed exposed ledges and grooves, each section of scrambling was a good challenge, each handhold secure, just keep a look out for cactus!
The views grew ever more spectacular. We were thousands of feet above the Amaghouz Gorge, a place so remote that I suspect that no westerner has ever walked through it. Maybe an objective for a future trip? Simply stunning!
A ramshackle collection of buildings greeted us on the summit. The views were spectacular looking north to the snow-capped Mount Toubkal, west to the African coast and south towards the Sahara. A late lunch consisted of tinned sardines, flat bread and dates.
Our feast over, it was time to carefully retrace part of our route. Half way down we diverted onto a faint herders path to look for the lost village of Temghist. We started passing abandoned herders shelters, hillsides of flowering cactus and avenues of argan trees. Suddenly out the corner of my eye I caught sight of Temghist. Abandoned for easier living in the valley, Temghist is a largely intact hill top village guarded on all sides with now crumbling walls. It was fascinating to walk down the narrow alleys imagining the people, the daily bustle and the smells that for centuries were part of this now silent community. Slowly but surely the mud walls, the timber doors, windows and roofs are reverting to nature.
It was time to go. Climbing over a ridge in the mountainside we caught sight of the mini van below. We had only been away for five hours but had truly lost ourselves in another world.
So, what did I take away from this trip to Morocco? For four days we hiked and scrambled never seeing anyone else except for the odd friendly local. The Anti-Atlas is a special place with many areas waiting to be explored. I experienced the warmth and friendliness of the Berber people, the wonderful food and learnt about the local culture and traditions
If you only go on one Wild Hikes adventure then I highly recommend that you make it Morocco, it is so much more than tagines and carpet sellers, though they are good fun! You won’t be disappointed.