October 2024: An Immersion in Geology.
Morocco has that magnetic ability to make you feel like you've changed planets without leaving its borders. This journey wasn't just a simple tourist route; it was an immersion in the most dramatic geology of the Maghreb, an ascent through the scars of the earth, ending in the absolute silence of the sand.
- Cathedral Rock: The Sentinel of the Atlas
Our expedition began in the High Atlas, facing the imposing Imsfrane, popularly known as Cathedral Rock. It's not a human construction, but a whim of erosion that rises almost 1,900 meters above sea level.
The feeling: At the foot of the Ahansal River, the rock face seems to collapse on you. It's a place of worship for climbers and lovers of the remote.
- Agmella Gorges: The secret between walls.
Following less traveled routes, we ventured into the Agmella Gorges. Unlike other more commercial gorges, Agmella retains the purity of deep Morocco.
The path: The riverbed dictates the pace. Walking here is playing with acoustics; every step echoes off the vertical walls that, at times, seem to want to touch above our heads.
- Todra Gorges: The giant's cut
If Agmella is intimacy, Todra is pure spectacle. This is one of the most impressive canyons in the world, where limestone rock walls rise up to 300 meters high, separated at their narrowest point by just 10 meters.
The experience: Walking along the bottom of the gorge while the crystal-clear river water runs at your feet is both refreshing and overwhelming.
- Merzouga: The embrace of Erg Chebbi
We left the rock behind to surrender to the sand. Arriving in Merzouga is seeing the horizon turn liquid and orange. The dunes of Erg Chebbi.
- The sunset: Climbing to the crest of a dune to watch the sun set is a unique experience. The color of the sand changes from golden to fiery red in a matter of minutes.
- The night: Once the sun disappears, the sky becomes a blanket of stars so dense you can almost feel them. The silence of the desert is not empty; it's a physical presence that reboots your system.
CHRONICLE 2.0
October 2025: From the Rif to the Deep Sahara
It was an ambitious and spectacular route that crosses the heart of the most authentic Morocco, from the Andalusian heritage of the north to the confines of the pre-Saharan desert. It is an ideal itinerary for a 4x4, as some points like the Cirque de Jaffar or the Safsaf Oasis required vehicles with good off-road capabilities.
- Tetouan – Ketama (The Heart of the Rif)
Starting from the "White Dove" (Tetouan), with its World Heritage Medina, we ventured into the Rif mountains.
The journey: A winding road with landscapes of pine and fir trees that break the stereotype of Morocco as an arid country.
- Ketama – Midelt
We descended from the Rif to cross into the Middle Atlas.
Landscape: The environment drastically changes from humid forests to the apple tree plateaus of Midelt, the city that serves as a natural border between the Middle and High Atlas.
- Midelt – Cirque de Jaffar – Errachidia
This is the queen stage for off-road enthusiasts.
The Cirque de Jaffar: An impressive natural formation at the foot of Mount Ayachi. The track to descend into the cirque and cross the gorges is technical, slow, and of wild beauty.
- Errachidia – Safsaf Oasis – Merzouga
Before the dunes, we looked for a hidden treasure near the Algerian border.
Safsaf Oasis: A remote oasis that seems straight out of a movie. It is a "lost" oasis among black mountains and dry rivers, far from the usual tourist routes.
- Merzouga – Mharech (The Forbidden Track)
We left the dunes for the more mineral desert.
Mharech: We crossed endless plains and hamadas (stone deserts) until we reached the Mharech Pass, a canyon that cuts through a mountain range of tabular mountains. The landscape is purely lunar.
- Mharech – Zagora
The last stage covers part of the old Paris-Dakar rally route.
The terrain: You will cross dry lakes (like Lake Maider) where you could push the vehicle on fast sand and dust tracks to reach Zagora, the gateway to the Draa desert, famous for the "Timbuktu 52 days" sign.