Les pieds dans l'eau · Todra Gorge (Todgha) · Morocco
Bail not documentedBolting confidence: medium
Four pitches of steady 5c up the needle beside the Pilier du Couchant, in the heart of the gorge. A short easy first pitch, a crux a few metres below the second belay, a crack pitch and an athletic finish.
The route
Pierre et le loup climbs the Pieds dans l'eau needle in the middle of the main gorge, just right of the Pilier du Couchant. It was bolted by the local Aventures Verticales team in 2015 as an accessible multi-pitch: four pitches graded 5.8+ to 5.9+, roughly 5b to 5c, with a harder 6a+ variation on the third pitch if you leave the crack. As with its neighbour Ayour du Todgha, the only description is the equipper's own page. It states a sport route with an anchor at each belay. The descent is from the top, by the side gorge.
The climbing
| Pitch | Grade | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| P1 | 5b | An easy, short pitch. Given 5.8+. |
| P2 | 5c | The crux comes about 7 m before the belay. Given 5.9+. |
| P3 | 5c | Climb to the left and stay in the crack for the second half; out of the crack the pitch is about 6a+ (5.10b). Given 5.9+. |
| P4 | 5c | An athletic pitch. Given 5.9+. |
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.
A few minutes from the gorge entrance; no source gives a time, and the needle stands beside the Pilier du Couchant, which is 5 minutes away. Les pieds dans l'eau is the medium-sized needle in the middle of the main gorge, on the left bank of the river, just right of the big Pilier du Couchant. In the middle of the gorge cross the river to the left bank. Above the river is a big ledge from which two of the sector's three multi-pitch routes start; the third starts to the right at the foot of the ledge. Pierre et le loup is the third route from the left in the sector.
Loading map
The point marks the crag, not the exact start of the route.
Point from camptocamp waypoint 779469 (Les pieds dans l'eau); the Mountain Project sector point is about 80 m away
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: 31.58528, -5.58927 (crag)
Getting down
After the fourth pitch walk up to the top, then descend the side gorge on the left (looking up at the summit). The sector page describes this as two abseils, with a fixed rope to help you reach the first anchor, and warns that the second abseil is 55 m long.
Retreat
Bail not documented
There is an anchor at each belay station, so abseiling back down the route should be possible, but no source describes it and pitch lengths are not published. The normal descent is from the top, down the side gorge.
Partly inferred from the route facts
Safety
Sun and weather
In the main gorge at about 1,650 to 1,700 m. The local topo image gives the sector a west to south aspect with sun from about 11:00 to 16:00, so mornings are shady and can be cold in winter. The river has to be crossed to reach the start.
Sun on the wall · SW-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. Two ropes of 60 m for the 55 m abseil in the side gorge. 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 Pierre et le loup.
Worth knowing
Open questions
Provenance
Same area
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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.