Paroi du Levant · Todra Gorge (Todgha) · Morocco
Bail with caveatsBolting confidence: high
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.
The route
A long, moderate bolted route up the centre of the 300 m Paroi du Levant, the big wall outside the gorge above Tizgui. The first two pitches are vertical, sustained and the best climbing. Above, the wall lies back into a series of steps, each with a short harder section, before a steeper finish on sharp rock. Opinions vary from 'magnificent' to 'nothing special', but everyone agrees the hard moves are well bolted and the setting and views are the point. It tops out on the plateau, and the walk down is a route-finding exercise in its own right.
The climbing
| Pitch | Grade | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | 6a | 40 m | Vertical and the most sustained pitch of the route. The belay is out to the right. A lower station part-way serves as an abseil anchor; one party ran the pitch to the higher, perched belay at 55 m. |
| P2 | 5c | 35 m | A physical crack move near the end. Hanging belay. Several parties think 6a. |
| P3 | 5a | 50 m | The wall lies back; stepped ground. A piece of rock came off here in 2016. |
| P4 | 5a | 40 m | Easy stepped climbing. |
| P5 | 5b | 40 m | Stepped climbing. A flake is reported to have broken at the very start of this pitch or the next, making the first move a bit harder. |
| P6 | 5c | 50 m | A short wall of small edges, 4 to 5 m, makes the grade. |
| P7 | 5c | 35 m | A pillar. Very large loose block on the right, and a fall between bolts 1 and 2 could hit the ground below. |
| P8 | 5c | 20 m | A pleasant slab and a very vertical but well-holded, slightly physical finish onto the plateau. The paper topo splits the upper part differently and shows nine pitches. |
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. One camptocamp party came by bus from Fès via Errachidia instead. You do not need a car once there: the sectors are a few minutes on foot from the gorge-entrance hotels (Hotel La Vallée, Hotel Mansour, the Secret Garden guesthouse run by Aventures Verticales). The two hotels inside the gorge itself are reported closed.
About 30 min. The wall is outside the gorge: the first big face on the left as you leave Tizgui, the last village, about 400 m before the gorge, with a white Arabic inscription at its base. From Tizgui take the path that leaves above the Berber museum in the old village and passes under the red and white pylon (15 min), then follow faint paths by sight for another 15 min. Alternatively follow the foot of the cliffs from the Plage Mansour sector in about 30 min. The route is in the centre of the wall, right of 'The First of Ela'. The name 'Hannah' is drilled into the rock at the foot of pitch 1.
Loading map
The point marks the crag, not the exact start of the route.
Point from Mountain Project area 111993178 (Paroi du Levant)
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: 31.57987, -5.59387 (crag)
Getting down
Almost every party walks off, 45 min to 1 h 30. From the top go right along the plateau and crest, north to north-east, to a poorly defined col marked by stone ruins and a big cairn. Descend the gully from the col eastwards, steep at first with a little downclimbing; a pale, whitish gully bed is the landmark. At the bottom of the first section (huge cairn) the way climbs again for about 50 to 100 m to a small col where the route Berbertraum finishes. Go straight on there and do not turn left. Then descend the second scree gully to the foot of the cliffs near the Mansour sector. The camptocamp sector page warns not to follow a line of glue-in bolts where a gully drops into steep slabs, but to climb slightly to the cairned notch. Abseiling the route is also possible (belays have quick-links), but see hazards.
Retreat
Bail with caveats
Yes, by abseiling the route: the belays have quick-links for it. Almost every party walks off instead, so the abseil line is little used, and a 2018 party found a completely cracked quick-link on one of the upper belays. Some pitches are at the limit of a 50 m rope and the easier-angled middle section has loose blocks.
Partly inferred from the route facts
Safety
Sun and weather
East to south-east facing at 1700 to 2100 m, so sun from early morning; an October party found it very hot and 'full south'. The wall is said to be sheltered from the gorge wind, but several parties still had wind on the upper pitches. Camptocamp lists February to June as the best months. Climbing time about 3 to 4 hours, plus the descent.
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
No quickdraw count is published. Take extendable draws: rope drag is frequent. Parties report pitches at the limit of a 50 m rope, so 2×50 m or a 60 m single for the walk-off, and 2×50 m if you intend to abseil. Helmet. Plenty of water for a hot day.
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 Hannah chez les grands.
Worth knowing
Open questions
Provenance
Same area
Morocco · Todra Gorge (Todgha)
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Morocco · Todra Gorge (Todgha)
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.
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Italy · Arco & Valle del Sarca
A popular plaisir line up the lower south-west wall of Piccolo Dain, starting at the gate of the weir in Sarche. Cracks and small corners lead to a fine 6a slab on water drops, then a long corner pitch. Expect queues: three routes share the opening traverse.
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Spain · Riglos & Agüero (Mallos)
A varied and unusual route: polished cobbles, a chimney belay in an old vulture nest, and an ochre corner. It is recent and not fully cleaned, and two earthy gullies are crossed on pitches 4 and 7.
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Spain · El Chorro
The absolute El Chorro classic: a physical, sustained line that feels tough for the grade, with a 6a traverse right under the roof. Polished in places from heavy traffic.
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Greece · Kalymnos & Telendos
A sustained, varied line on sculpted limestone. It starts with an easy slab and builds to slightly overhanging jugs with huge exposure on the top pitch. Mountain Project and camptocamp grade the crux 6a+ (Rockfax says 6a). With a 70 m rope you can link several pairs of pitches.
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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.