Tamzazate · Taghia · Morocco
Read the cautionsEasy to bailBolting confidence: medium
A short, varied route directly above the river on the way in to Taghia, each pitch in a different style: fluted slab, a strenuous exit from a cave on tufas and a steep crack, a technical leftward slab and a corner. Ideal for a half day, an arrival or departure day, or doubtful weather.
Well bolted above the start, but the first bolt is high and hangers have been stolen there, so carry a few nuts for the first metres.
The route
The Tamzazate wall stands above the river on the path between Zaouiat Ahansal and Taghia, just above the hamlet of Tamdarote, well away from the main gorge. L'âne sale is its bolted route: 120 to 150 m in four or five short pitches, with a characteristic cave part-way up that makes it easy to identify. It is a different outing from the big walls: quick to reach, quick to climb and easy to abseil from at any point. The grades are 6a+ to 6c+, with the cave pitch the crux, and the climbing is technical throughout.
The climbing
| Pitch | Grade | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| P1 | 6a+ | A technical fluted slab leading to the belay below the cave. The first bolt is a long way off the ground and hard to find; the first two hangers were reported stolen in 2014, when the start was protected with a medium nut in a hole. Vertical Pirate splits this into a 6a+ pitch and a 5c pitch up flutings and a corner. |
| P2 | 6c+ | The crux: thrutchy climbing out of the cave on tufas with slopey holds, then an athletic exit up a steep crack. Graded 6c by a 2014 party and 6c/7a by Vertical Pirate. |
| P3 | 6b+ | A slab traversing up and left that needs a lot of route reading; some find it as hard as the crux. Vertical Pirate gives 6c. |
| P4 | 6b | A corner, then a pillar, finishing on a slab. Not obvious and quite technical. |
Getting there
From Marrakech go via Azilal to Zaouiat Ahansal: about 250 km and 5 to 6 hours, on tarmac throughout. From Zaouiat you walk up to Taghia or, since 2023, the gîtes can drive you up a track by 4x4. The gîtes in Taghia (Saïd's and Mohamed Amil's are the ones named in reports) offer half board and can arrange the taxi from Marrakech. This route is passed on the way in, so it can be climbed on the walk up to Taghia or on the way out.
About an hour from the Taghia gîtes (a 2024 party left at 08:00 and started climbing at 09:00). Walk back down the track towards Zaouiat Ahansal until the wall appears on the left after a bridge, just above Tamdarote. The route is directly opposite the point where the path splits in two, the walkers' path staying high and the mule path dropping to the river. Ford the river wherever is easiest to reach the foot of the wall.
Loading map
The point marks the crag, not the exact start of the route.
Point from camptocamp waypoint 43749 (Tamzazate)
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: 31.79742, -6.08977 (crag)
Getting down
Abseil the route. A 2014 party made two abseils with 2×60 m ropes. A 2024 party reached the ground directly from the second belay with 2×50 m ropes; they found the line easy and almost straight but had trouble with twisting ropes.
Retreat
Easy to bail
Abseiling the route is the normal descent and a 2024 party notes you can go down at any point. The line is short and almost straight.
Safety
Sun and weather
North-east face topping out at about 2,000 m, in the shade from early afternoon. The rock is less spectacular than in the gorges but excellent and unpolished. About 2 hours of climbing. Getting to the start means fording the Ahansal river, which can be high after rain: in April 2025, after four days of rain, the state of the river put most of Taghia's walls out of reach.
Sun on the wall · NE-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 | Apr (usual season) | May (usual season) | Jun (usual season) | Jul | Aug | Sep (usual season) | Oct (usual season) | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean daily high °C | 8 | 9 | 12 | 16 | 19 | 24 | 28 | 28 | 23 | 18 | 13 | 10 |
| Mean daily low °C | −4 | −3 | −0 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 6 | 1 | −2 |
| Rain days 1 mm or more | 5 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 5 |
● marks the usual climbing season. Averages for 1991-2020 at about 1927 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
Quickdraws (number not stated) and two ropes of 50 or 60 m for the abseils. A few medium nuts for the start are worth carrying in case the first hangers are still missing. Sandals or a plan for fording the river. 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 L'âne sale.
Worth knowing
Open questions
Provenance
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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.