Multipitch Atlas

La Classique

Pilier du Couchant · Todra Gorge (Todgha) · Morocco

Read the cautionsBail not documentedBolting confidence: medium

The classic of the gorge, first climbed in 1977. Sustained and physical 6a climbing up cracks, corners and short bulges on the big pillar at the gorge entrance. The first pitch is the 6a+ crux, straight off the ground. Watch for loose blocks on the last pitch, shared with Chibania.

Photo-topo of La Classique on the Pilier du Couchant, Todra Gorge, with belays markedPhoto: AbSoLuT-ZcC · CC BY-SA 3.0

Topo

Photo-topo of La Classique on the Pilier du Couchant, Todra Gorge, with belays markedPhoto: AbSoLuT-ZcC · CC BY-SA 3.0
Hardest pitch
6a+
Pitches
9
Length
300 m
Approach
5 min
Aspect
SW
South-west-facing
Rope
1×60 m
walk-off
Read before you go

Rebolted and excellent to the top of pitch 8, but the easy last pitch is run-out on fractured rock and recent parties back it up with a nut or two.

The route

Overview

The classic line of the Todra Gorge: nine pitches of cracks, corners and short bulges up the steep pillar on the right at the gorge entrance. It is sustained at 6a for the first five pitches and very vertical for the grade, with the hardest move on the first pitch. The route was fully rebolted in 2017 and recent parties call the bolting close on the hard sections. The exception is the last pitch, about 5b/c on fractured rock, which every recent report describes as run-out. Being comfortable on 6a cracks and corners, not just able to onsight 6a+, is what makes the day pleasant.

The climbing

Pitch by pitch

PitchGradeLengthBoltsNotes
P16a+40 m11 boltsStraight into it from the ground: 6a crack climbing with one move over a slight bulge worth 6a+, well protected and easy to aid. The crux of the route. Mountain Project gives 33 m.
P26a40 m12 boltsA long, fine crack, well protected. Mountain Project gives 33 m.
P36a20 m8 boltsNo major difficulty; one slightly physical, well-protected move before a short traverse right to the belay.
P46a30 m11 boltsSustained and physical: a corner with few footholds, capped by a jammed block at the exit. Many find this the hardest pitch. Bolts and old pegs are close and it goes at 5c/A0.
P56a25 m8 boltsCracked slab and a move over a slight overhang.
P65c20 m6 boltsVertical climbing through broken, chaotic ground; no real crux.
P76a+40 m8 boltsStart up a physical, overhanging corner on the right, go straight up after the overhang, then easy ground. Short and not very strenuous at the grade. Mountain Project gives 32 m.
P86a+25 m7 boltsTwo easy slab bolts, then an overhanging crack just above, well bolted and aidable, then easy. Keep right at the top: the belay is hidden on a small terrace on the right, just before the final wall.
P95b/c30 m7 boltsThe last pitch of Chibania. Fractured rock with loose blocks and widely spaced bolts, including two small cruxes well away from the protection. The belay is linked; about 20 m of grade 3 scrambling above leads to the path.

Getting there

Approach

To the parking

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.

On foot · about 5 min

A few minutes from the gorge entrance (4 min on the flat from Hotel La Vallée). The Pilier du Couchant is on the right as you enter the gorge; you cross the stream on stepping stones to reach it. The route starts at the foot of the pillar, just right of a big bush, where the first bolt is visible, and left of the gully that separates the pillar from the 'Les pieds dans l'eau' sector. Voie Abert starts just to the left and has also been bolted, so do not drift left.

Map of the walk-in

  • Crag

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The point marks the crag, not the exact start of the route.

Coordinates · crag

31.58577, -5.58908

Point from camptocamp waypoint 39015

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Points are compiled from published sources, with the precision stated above. They were not surveyed on the ground: check them against a current topo.

Getting down

Descent

Walk off, 30 to 60 min. From the last belay scramble up about 15 to 20 m, follow cairns along ledges to the right for about 25 m onto the flat plateau, then follow the cairns across the plateau and take the shepherds' track down to the gorge entrance. The first part off the top is not completely obvious; look for the cairns up and right.

Retreat

Bailing off the route

Bail not documented

Retreat is not documented. Every source describes a walk-off from the top and none mentions abseiling the route or how the belays are rigged, apart from saying they are bolted. On the single 60 m rope the route is normally climbed with, you could not abseil the longer pitches (33 to 40 m) in one go, so plan a retreat before you need it.

Retreat from
Not known. The belays are bolted, and the line is a steep pillar of cracks and corners with only a short traverse at the end of P3, which would favour abseiling (inferred). The top-of-P8 belay is hidden on a small terrace to the right.
Point of no return
Not documented. The hard moves on P1 and P4 can be aided on the bolts, which may make going up easier than it looks. P9 is run-out on fractured rock, so if you are in trouble below it, do not assume the last pitch is the easy way out.
Carry
If you want the option to abseil, take two ropes rather than the single 60 m (pitches are up to 40 m), plus maillons and cord, since abseil hardware at the belays is not confirmed. There is no mountain rescue service in Morocco.
Basis
Inferred from the route factsCamptocamp and Mountain Project state only bolted belays, pitch lengths and a walk-off; neither mentions abseiling or retreat, so the rope and gear advice is inferred from the pitch lengths.

Partly inferred from the route facts

Safety

Hazards

  • Pitch 9 is run-out. Reports from 2021, June 2026 and September 2026 all say the bolts are few, with moves around 5a to 5b+ well above protection where you should not fall. The September 2026 party placed two nuts. The rock there is fractured, with loose blocks; test holds.
  • Bolts are close on the 6a and 6a+ sections but spaced, sometimes widely, on ground around 5+.
  • The belay at the top of pitch 8 is easy to miss: it is out right on a small terrace.
  • Do not link pitches 8 and 9 on a 60 m rope. A February 2026 party measured 60 to 61 m between the belays and had severe rope drag.
  • People picnic in the gorge below at weekends; a 2021 party advises avoiding the route then because of the risk of knocking stones onto them.
  • There is no mountain rescue service in Morocco.

Sun and weather

Conditions

South-west facing, base about 1400 m. You climb in shade for most of the morning: the pillar got the sun at about 12:00 in June and September and not before about 13:00 in February. That makes it one of the routes still feasible in June with a dawn start, and cold in winter (a February party climbed in fleeces with numb fingers on pitch 1). The top can be windy. The rock is extremely abrasive; a few holds on the hard moves are starting to polish.

Usual season · Mar to May, Oct to Nov

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.

Climate figures for Todra Gorge (Todgha) are not available yet

What to carry

Gear

12 quickdraws is the most any pitch needs (Mountain Project, posted by the rebolting team). Single 60 m rope; the descent is on foot. Recent parties recommend a few nuts or small cams for the last pitch. Helmet.

Checklist

Quickdraws
12
Rope
1×60 m (walk-off)
Helmet
One each
Maillons or spare karabiners
To leave behind if you retreat
Cord
Mentioned for retreat

Derived from the route data; check it against a current topo

From climbers

Reader reports

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 La Classique.

Worth knowing

Tips

  • Pitch 1 (the bulge) and pitch 4 (the corner) can both be aided on the bolts, bringing the obligatory grade to about 5c.
  • Allow 3.5 to 5.5 hours on the route.
  • Hotel La Vallée at the gorge entrance and the Secret Garden guesthouse are both recommended by recent parties; local guides from Aventures Verticales also guide the route.
  • In hot months start at first light and take sun protection for the walk-off, which is in full sun (37°C reported in June 2026).

Open questions

Where sources disagree

  • Last-pitch protection: the runout comments do not all predate the 2017 rebolt. Post-rebolt reports from 2021 and twice in 2026 all describe pitch 9 as sparsely bolted. The Spanish camptocamp text and an older British account (cams and nuts needed, 8 pitches, pegs and long runouts throughout) do predate the rebolt and no longer apply to pitches 1 to 8.
  • Bolt diameter: the camptocamp history says 10 mm; a February 2026 party reports 12 mm.
  • Pitch lengths: camptocamp gives 40, 40, 20, 30, 25, 20, 40, 25, 30 m (270 m); Mountain Project, posted by the rebolters, gives 33, 33, 20, 30, 25, 20, 32, 25, 35 m (253 m). Both are short of the 300 m headline. A 2026 party measured 60 to 61 m for pitches 8 plus 9. Camptocamp lengths are used in the pitch list.
  • Overall grade: 6a+ on camptocamp; Mountain Project's header shows 6b/A0 although none of its pitches exceeds 5.10b (6a+).
  • Sun: Mountain Project's sector page says the wall gets sun from about 10:00 to 16:00; three dated camptocamp reports put the sun's arrival at about 12:00 to 13:00. The dated reports are followed.
  • Descent time: 30 min (camptocamp) against 30 to 60 min (Mountain Project).

Provenance

Sources

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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.