Todra Gorge: Hiking in the High Atlas mountains

One of the things I was really keen to do while I was in Morocco was to go hiking in the Atlas mountains, which is how I ended up exploring Todra Gorge.

The spectacular limestone ravine lies in the eastern part of the High Atlas mountains, not far from the city of Tinghir.

We started our hike just after 8am, when we met our guide for the day, Mohammed, at the bottom of the gorge, near a large abandoned building (above).

We set off up the narrow mountain path, which was rocky underfoot, but easy enough to follow.

The first part of the hike involved a (not too steep) 500m ascent and we stopped a few times on the way to sip our water and take in the stunning scenery.

The arid gorge’s rusty red rocks were punctuated by the odd wild thyme bush and a few pretty flowers.

Not long after we set off, we were joined by a stray dog (above), who stayed with us the entire hike.

Once we finished the first part of the ascent, we stopped for a short break and to soak up the views over the valley below (above).

Break over, we continued our hike across the mountain’s rocky terrain and soon began climbing again.

We passed a white mule on the rocks and made our way towards a small camp, where a nomad family lived in the caves.

Alongside the caves, there were a few tents and some pens where they kept goats and sheep.

Only the head of the family, Ahmed, was home. His wife and daughter had gone to Todra, while their other children were off looking for the sheep and goats in the mountains.

Mohammed explained the family have to go to Todra every other day to fetch water and I didn’t envy the arduous job of having to do that climb three times a week laden with water.

Ahmed beckoned us inside one of the tents, where he gave us some delicious and refreshing tea made using the wild thyme grown on the mountainside.

After saying goodbye to Ahmed, we carried on until we reached the top of the mountain, where we stopped again for a quick water break, before starting our descent.

Going down the mountain was much more difficult than the ascent, as there wasn’t always a defined path.

I made my way down slowly, carefully navigating the many rocks, as the steep mountainside wasn’t somewhere I wanted to fall or twist my ankle.

Tricky trail aside, the dramatic scenery was breathtaking and I was blown away by how beautiful it was.

At the bottom of the mountain, Mohammed took us through a narrow alleyway that reminded me of the ksar we’d visited in Rissani.

We came out in an oasis around the Todra River, where the locals grow crops, such as cabbages, and where a few women were washing items in the river (above).

We crossed the oasis and made our way to the village of Todra (above), where we stopped for a well-deserved lunch in a rooftop restaurant.

I had chicken kalia, a tasty dish of spiced chicken and eggs, vegetables and rice. It really hit the spot after our hike and I cleared the lot.

I loved our hike in Todra Gorge. It’s a glorious spot and the views from the top of the mountain were magnificent.