Mountain excursion between Aghori Oufella and Tassila N’Timoulay, in the hinterland of Agadir-Ida ou Tanane

Our exciting mountain hike takes us between Aghori Oufella and Tassila N’Timoulay, in the hinterland of Agadir-Ida or Tanane (Morocco)

Today I like to take a break from the busy campsite together with my husband and a good friend from the campsite and we make an exciting trip a “Mountain Excursion” into the nearby mountains.

We will visit an old friend of ours, an almond farmer who lives in the mountains in the hinterland of Agadir-Ida ou Tanane with his family. A special mountain hike awaits us.

Always be careful when driving through the mountains

The special thing about this mountain tour for me are the pistes that we have to get behind us. And of course the way back when it calls us home again. If we leave the asphalted roads and continue on the more or less unpaved roads that wind their way up the mountains, we will often encounter minor or major problems.

It may be that the path is very narrow or partially overgrown. Here you should have a car where paint or minor body damage is harmless! We can’t always get out of the car and bend a few branches or trees aside. Also it is often difficult for us to drive around a rock. We usually have to stay on our way because it’s the safest option. There are not so many possibilities to choose the way.

It can also happen that the track is heavily washed out or that there are deep erosions, furrows or landslides in the direction of the slope. In any case, we all need calmness, confidence in my driver and an all-wheel drive vehicle. I also strongly recommend a high ground clearance for the vehicle. I think a Land Rover is the best option here. What always electrifies me very much is when another car or even a truck comes towards us. In such a situation, you always have to clarify who is getting out or sidestepping.

It may be that the path is very narrow or partially overgrown. Here you should have a car where paint or minor body damage is harmless! We can’t always get out of the car and bend a few branches or trees aside. Also it is often difficult for us to drive around a rock. We usually have to stay on our way because it’s the safest option. There are not so many possibilities to choose the way.

It can also happen that the track is heavily washed out or that there are deep erosions, furrows or landslides in the direction of the slope. In any case, we all need calmness, confidence in my driver and an all-wheel drive vehicle. I also strongly recommend a high ground clearance for the vehicle. I think a Land Rover is the best option here. What always electrifies me very much is when another car or even a truck comes towards us. In such a situation, you always have to clarify who is getting out or sidestepping.

[osm_map_v3 map_center=”30.6231,-9.5348″ zoom=”13″ width=”100%” height=”450″ post_markers=”all” control=”fullscreen,scaleline,mouseposition”]

It takes some time until we reach our destination, but the breathtaking views in the mountains that we can enjoy make up for that. Since my driver had to drive very slowly from time to time, I also like to get out of the car. So that the driver can concentrate better or we can give him a little support from outside and watch out. But I also enjoyed it very much to be able to walk a little again and again. Here I noticed that there are many fossils to be found. The mostly smaller fossils just lie around here and you can pick them up! I didn’t have to dig or knock them out of a stone. I collected some small trilobites and petrified shells.

In many places I was so close to the clouds – even above them. I felt very free up there, really free! You are driving along the path and the clouds are below you. A completely different feeling for me, not to compare with the life on the coast by the sea! But what I also strongly noticed is the calmness and the few people.

Pictures from the outward journey

We’ll have a little refreshment

When we arrived at the small settlement with 2-3 houses where our friend lives, we were invited for a snack. There is tea, bread, Amlou and Smen – the last two things are typical Moroccan food. Amlou is also called the Moroccan Nutella. Amlou is a spread of almonds, argan oil and honey. Smen is an important part of North African cuisine. It is fermented and salted butter and resembles the Indian ghee or the Ethiopian niter kibbeh. I often compare this with clarified butter, but it is far from the same.

Afterwards we take a walk in the area behind his house and I really enjoyed the breathtaking view. There we stand directly at a gorge or better said at a steep wall. You have to be careful here, I confess that I am also a little afraid! But here we have a fantastic view into the valley, where the two villages Irhirimched and Timoulay are in the valley and on the opposite mountain range – but convince yourself.

Pictures of the destination of our excursion

You can find even more of my photos in my Flickr Acount of the campsite.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

GDPR Cookie Consent with Real Cookie Banner