Mur du Scorpion · Todra Gorge (Todgha) · Morocco
Read the cautionsBail with caveatsBolting confidence: medium
The four-pitch line between Prisa Mata and La voie du Scorpion: three pitches around 6a on walls and a corner, then a fine pillar and a bulge at 6b+. Less homogeneous than its neighbours and with some flaky rock, but a worthwhile third route on the wall.
Bolted with anchors at each belay, but the only detailed report is from 2018 and describes flaky rock and a loose block on the last pitch.
The route
Berber, listed as 'Un berber' on Mountain Project, climbs the Mur du Scorpion between Prisa Mata and La voie du Scorpion. It is shorter and easier than the Scorpion and harder than Prisa Mata, with the difficulty concentrated in short sections at the end of the first two pitches and in the bulge of the last. The only detailed account, from 2018, found it less memorable than its neighbours because some of the rock is flaky. It stops a little below the top of the wall. Treat it as a pleasant extra once you have done the two classics.
The climbing
| Pitch | Grade | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| P1 | 6a+ | Easy at first, with the climbing concentrated in the last metres up a corner on doubtful rock, bolted very closely. Mountain Project gives 5.10a (6a). |
| P2 | 6a | Finishes up a fine abrasive wall. Linking pitches 1 and 2 gave a 2018 party a lot of rope drag. |
| P3 | 6a | More fine, delicate wall climbing. |
| P4 | 6b+ | An excellent pillar, then a bulge that is not straightforward: a poorly wedged block sits in the crack on the left, and the alternative on the right is a long, precarious reach. Exit on a huge hollow-sounding flake, then at the last bolt go left along a gully to the belay. Mountain Project gives 5.10c (6b). |
Getting there
Base yourself at the mouth of the gorge near Tizgui, about 15 km from Tinghir. Marrakech is the nearest international airport, roughly 7 hours by road; buses (CTM, Supratours) run Marrakech to Tinghir, then take a taxi or shared taxi up to the gorge. You do not need a car once there: the sectors are within walking distance of the gorge-entrance hotels and guesthouses. For this sector walk or drive through the gorge to its north exit.
About 25 minutes from the gorge exit. Walk about 100 m along the road towards Tamtatouch to where it crosses a dry river bed, then go up left by the easiest line following cairns to the cliffs and follow their base to the right to the wall with very large holes above a first small wall. Berber is the line between Prisa Mata and La voie du Scorpion; Mountain Project lists it as route 3 from the left.
Loading map
The point marks the crag, not the exact start of the route.
Point from camptocamp waypoint 209507 (Mur du Scorpion)
Contains the route point. Opens in most mapping apps and GPS watches.
Points are compiled from published sources, with the precision stated above. They were not surveyed on the ground: check them against a current topo.
Coordinates: 31.59322, -5.59883 (crag)
Getting down
Abseil the route (camptocamp). The abseil lengths are not given; on the neighbouring Prisa Mata the abseils are up to 50 m when belays are taken two at a time.
Retreat
Bail with caveats
Abseiling the route is the stated descent and Mountain Project reports an anchor at each belay, so retreat from any stance should be possible. Rope lengths and rigging are not documented.
Partly inferred from the route facts
Safety
Sun and weather
East to south-east facing at about 1,800 m, in the sun from about 09:00 to 15:00, with a fresh wind near the top. Spring and autumn are the usual seasons and the wall is climbed in winter sunshine. The one dated ascent was in late February.
Sun on the wall · SE-facing
Working out the sunlit hours for this month.
Sun on the wallDaylight, wall in shade● Usual season
Estimated from the wall's aspect only. Ignores surrounding terrain, gullies and the wall's exact shape. Clock times are local to the wall (Moroccan time), for the 15th of each month.
| Measure | Jan | Feb | Mar (usual season) | Apr (usual season) | May (usual season) | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct (usual season) | Nov (usual season) | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean daily high °C | 12 | 13 | 17 | 21 | 25 | 29 | 33 | 32 | 27 | 22 | 16 | 13 |
| Mean daily low °C | −1 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 | 19 | 15 | 10 | 4 | 1 |
| Rain days 1 mm or more | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
● marks the usual climbing season. Averages for 1991-2020 at about 1641 m. Area climate from Open-Meteo reanalysis. Temperatures are adjusted to the height of the crag; rain comes from a grid cell of about 10 to 25 km, and summer highs on sea cliffs can read a few degrees low. The wall and valley can differ. Data: Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0.
What to carry
10 quickdraws (Mountain Project). Two ropes for the abseils; the length needed is not stated, and 2×50 m is the minimum on the adjacent routes. Helmet.
Derived from the route data; check it against a current topo
From climbers
Reader reports are not being collected yet. Until they are, check a current topo and the local club or guidebook publisher for recent changes to Berber.
Worth knowing
Open questions
Provenance
Same area
Morocco · Todra Gorge (Todgha)
The classic of the gorge, first climbed in 1977. Sustained and physical 6a climbing up cracks, corners and short bulges on the big pillar at the gorge entrance. The first pitch is the 6a+ crux, straight off the ground. Watch for loose blocks on the last pitch, shared with Chibania.
6a+9 pitches300 m
Read the cautions
Morocco · Todra Gorge (Todgha)
A long, moderate line above the Mansour palm grove at the upstream end of the gorge. Mostly steady 5c with a 6a crack to start and a harder, very abrasive finish. Big views up the valley.
6b7 pitches300 m
Morocco · Todra Gorge (Todgha)
Eight pitches up the middle of the Levant wall, with the 6a on the first pitch and steady 5a–5c above. Morning sun. Camptocamp rates the commitment a little higher than the gorge-floor routes because of the length.
6a8 pitches320 m
Morocco · Todra Gorge (Todgha)
The longest route in the gorge: 550 m of easy ridge climbing on the left as you leave the narrows. Sold locally as the beginner's first big bolted route. The first three or four pitches are in shade with a 7 am start; after that you are in the sun.
5c13 pitches550 m
Read the cautions
Around 6b+ · about 4 pitches
Slovenia · Vršič Pass (Julian Alps)
Sustained slab climbing up a striking black streak, clearly visible from the pass, on surprisingly good rock for this face. The crux is a move from slab into a corner on P2.
6b+4 pitches105 m
Read the cautions
Spain · Vilanova de Meià (Roca dels Arcs)
Four long, steep pitches on the left side of the Roca dels Arcs, sustained at 6a on good holds and not yet polished above the first pitch. The third pitch is the event: a reachy bulge to start, 30 m of gently overhanging strata, and a hard boulder move off a ledge to finish that most people grade 6c. That last move can be avoided by belaying on the neighbouring route.
6b+4 pitches160 m
Italy · Lecco & Valsassina
Three friendly pitches up a striking arched flake and compact slabs, then a short wall with one hard, reachy move that most people pull through. A 1980 route by the Savonittos and Alessandro Gogna, and the usual first half of a link-up with Gli Schiavi della Pietra on the spur above.
6b+4 pitches90 m
Read the cautions
Greece · Cape Maleas (Peloponnese)
A four-pitch route on West Zobolo between Stin Ygeia Mas and Kipouros, alternating easier and harder pitches: 5b, 6a+, 5c and a 6b+ finish. Well supplied with bolts on paper, but documented only by the developers' topo table.
6b+4 pitches115 m
Read the cautions
Compiled from published sources and last verified October 2026. Bolts, anchors and access change. Climbing is dangerous and you are responsible for your own decisions: check a current topo and read the disclaimer.