Plage Mansour Gauche (Aiguille des Palmeraies) · Todra Gorge (Todgha) · Morocco
Bail with caveatsBolting confidence: high
Thirteen short pitches, mostly grade 4, with two 5c steps. The longest pitch is 45 m. A big day of easy mileage in the sun above the palm grove.
The route
A long, easy bolted route to the top of the Aiguille des Palmeraies, starting at the Mansour Gauche wall right at the gorge entrance. It has thirteen or fourteen short pitches, mostly grade 4, with two short 5c sections, and takes in cracks, corners and slabs before finishing up a fine rock spur. Trip reports agree that the bolts are close together, especially at the harder moves, and that the belays are good. It is a common first multipitch and a friendly way to learn the walk-off you will also use from the Paroi du Levant.
The climbing
| Pitch | Grade | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| P1 | 4a | – |
| P2 | 5b | – |
| P3 | 5c | First of the two harder sections. Reports say the hard moves are very closely bolted. |
| P4 | 4b | Pitches 3 to 5 have been linked by some parties. |
| P5 | 4b | – |
| P6 | 4b | theCrag gives 4c. |
| P7 | 4c | theCrag gives 3. |
| P8 | 4a | Pitches 8 and 9 have been linked. |
| P9 | 4b | theCrag gives 5b. |
| P10 | 5a | theCrag gives 4a. Pitches 10 and 11 have been linked. |
| P11 | 5b | Ends on a ledge that looks like the top. It is not: the route continues to the left, and the next belay is on the left. |
| P12 | 5c | The last pitches up the spur are described as the best climbing on the route. |
| P13 | 4b | theCrag gives 4a. A 2022 party describes one more short pitch above the 13th belay to the actual summit, which you can skip by bearing right towards the descent gully. |
Getting there
Base yourself in Tizgui, the last village about 400 m before the gorge entrance, or in Tinghir about 15 km down the valley. Marrakech is the usual airport; allow about seven hours by road. Buses run to Tinghir from Marrakech, Casablanca and Ouarzazate, and shared taxis or a private taxi cover the last stretch to the gorge. You do not need a car once you are staying near the gorge. There is a car park on the left at the gorge entrance, just before the first hotel.
From the car park walk towards the gorge. Either cross the river after the last small shop and the wall is straight ahead, or stay on the road into the gorge, cross the bridge and double back along the wall on top of the irrigation channel wall. Mansour Gauche is the wall immediately left of the gorge entrance, behind the hotel and the stalls under the olive trees. Mountain Project gives Berbertraum as the second route from the left of the sector. No approach time is published; it is a few minutes from the car park.
Loading map
The point marks the crag, not the exact start of the route.
Point from Mountain Project area 112010562 (Mansour gauche)
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: 31.58413, -5.59164 (crag)
Getting down
On foot. From the summit, down-climb or make one short abseil of about 5 m to the terrace above the descent gully, then walk down the scree gully to the foot of the cliff between Paroi du Levant and Mansour Gauche. About 30 minutes. This is the same gully used to descend from the Paroi du Levant. Mountain Project describes the route as being in two parts and says you can abseil off after the first part by anchors on the right (looking up), for which a 60 m rope is enough.
Retreat
Bail with caveats
Yes, at least from the lower half. Mountain Project describes the route as being in two parts and says you can go down after the first part by abseils on the right (looking up), for which a 60 m rope is enough. There is a bolted anchor at every belay and the bolts are close. Nobody describes a retreat from the upper half.
Partly inferred from the route facts
Safety
Sun and weather
South-east facing and in the sun until late afternoon, so it suits the cooler months. March and December parties climbed in sunshine and wanted a fleece in the wind on the upper pitches. The rock is described as the most abrasive in the gorge and completely unpolished. Parties took about 3 hours to 3 h 20.
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.
Climate figures for Todra Gorge (Todgha) are not available yet
What to carry
13 quickdraws (Mountain Project). One 60 m rope is enough according to Mountain Project, including the abseils of the lower-half escape. Helmet. Some longer slings help if you link pitches.
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 Berbertraum.
Worth knowing
Open questions
Provenance
Same area
Morocco · Todra Gorge (Todgha)
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Morocco · Todra Gorge (Todgha)
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Morocco · Todra Gorge (Todgha)
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Around 5c · about 13 pitches
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France · Ailefroide
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Spain · Riglos & Agüero (Mallos)
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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.