Taghia | chossclimbers.com

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Amsterdam.

We left Portland at the tail end of a long and shitty spring. After a few hour layover in Amsterdam – with enough time for a quick brunch (doesn’t seem to quite measure up to the Portland brunch scene) and a stroll among the canals – we arrived in Marrakesh in the early evening. The only surprise here was that our mid-range, airport-side hotel did not include toilet paper and so we found ourselves hiking a couple of kilometers through suburban sprawl to a Carrefour supermarket for TP and some other basic supplies.

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Zaouia Ahansal.

The following morning, our pre-arranged taxi showed up right on time and we were driven 4.5 hours to the village of Zaouia Ahansal in the Atlas Mountains. There, Said (the owner of the Gite in nearby Taghia) and his grandson were waiting for us with a donkey. The poor animal was loaded up with our bags and about 30 liters of bottled water and made to carry those on the two hour hike to the village of Taghia (no road). As we’d find out later, this was not the worst assignment that a Taghia donkey could expect. By the evening we were well settled in at Said’s comfortable “gite” (oldest one in the village, started some 20+ years ago). The only other people were four French climbers who gave us a first inkling into the sort of climbing we should expect in Taghia. In a word, “hard”. Considering the source (aren’t all French climbers specialists at limestone faces?), we did not doubt them.

Photos

Welcome to Amsterdam (May 2017).

Amsterdam (May 2017).

Random sights of Amsterdam (May 2017).

Amsterdam (May 2017).

Taking in the sights in Amsterdam (May 2017).

The Venice of the north (May 2017).

Amsterdam (May 2017).

I think that white socks with those black shoes are a bit much (May 2017).

Landing in Marrakesh (May 2017).

Welcome to Marrakesh (May 2017).

After an early evening arrival in Marrakesh, we went out into suburbia in search of some TP (May 2017).

Found it!

First morning in Morocco – view out of our hotel window (no TP included but there is a pool).

Marrakesh (May 2017).

On the drive to Zaouia Ahansal (May 2017).

More roadside sights (May 2017).

A quick stop and our first tajine meal in the country (May 2017).

Same place but this time some goat fat being boiled (May 2017).

Views along the drive (May 2017).

An unknown town along our drive into the mountains (May 2017).

A donkey enjoying a good roll in the ditch (May 2017).

First views of Zaouia Ahansal during the drive (May 2017).

Village of Zaouia Ahansal and the end of the road. Loading up the donkey for the 2 hour hike to Taghia village. Said – the owner of the “gite” we’d stay at in Taghia – is at the center (May 2017).