Arête Nord · Todra Gorge (Todgha) · Morocco
Read the cautionsBail with caveatsBolting confidence: medium
The longest route in the gorge: 550 m of easy ridge climbing on the left as you leave the narrows. Sold locally as the beginner's first big bolted route. The first three or four pitches are in shade with a 7 am start; after that you are in the sun.
Bolted and easy, but the upper third is sparsely bolted ridge scrambling above a busy tourist road, with a route-finding walk-off.
The route
The north ridge on your left as you leave the narrows of the gorge, and the longest route here at roughly 550 m. It was re-equipped in 2015 as a first long bolted route for beginners. The first six pitches have real climbing moves at 5a to 5c and are well protected. Above that it turns into an easy mountain ridge at about 4a with only a few bolts per pitch, where most parties move together. It is a long day with a walking descent, so it feels more like a small alpine outing than a sport route.
In pictures
The climbing
| Pitch | Grade | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| P1 | 5c | The hardest pitch, with the most bolts on the route (up to 11 quickdraws). The crux can be pulled through on a bolt at 5b/A0. |
| P2 | 4c | Easier ground. A 2017 party noted blocks that look unstable just above the belay. |
| P3 | 4b | – |
| P4 | 5b | Steeper again, still well bolted. |
| P5 | 5b | – |
| P6 | 5a | Mountain Project grades this pitch 5.9 (about 5c); camptocamp and theCrag give 5a. |
| P7 | 4c | A Mountain Project note says the bolts are sparse and off to the left here, with an unprotected step up onto a spike. |
| P8 | 4b | From here the bolts thin out to two or three per pitch. |
| P9 | 4a | Easy ridge. theCrag grades pitches 9 to 12 at 3. |
| P10 | 4a | Mostly a scramble along the crest that ends with bolts on a slab. A Mountain Project note says no bolts were found beyond this point. |
| P11 | 4a | Easy ridge, few or no bolts. Parties commonly move together on about 25 m of rope. |
| P12 | 4a | – |
| P13 | 4a | To the top of the ridge. Only camptocamp counts a 13th pitch; Mountain Project and theCrag list 12. |
Getting there
Base yourself in Tizgui, the last village about 400 m before the gorge entrance, or in Tinghir about 15 km down the valley. Marrakech is the usual airport; allow about seven hours by road. Buses run to Tinghir from Marrakech, Casablanca and Ouarzazate, and shared taxis or a private taxi cover the last stretch to the gorge. You do not need a car once you are staying near the gorge. For this route, drive or take a taxi through the gorge to the north exit. There is a car park right at the foot of the ridge; it is pay parking once the attendant has arrived (2024 report).
None. The ridge rises directly above the craft stalls on the left as you come out of the gorge heading for Tamtatouch. The first bolts are just behind the stalls. Stay on the right-hand side of the ridge crest throughout: the rock is sound there, and the left side hangs over the tourist road.
Loading map
The point marks the base of the route.
Point from camptocamp route 801279
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: 31.58872, -5.59374 (route base)
Getting down
Two options, both on foot for most of the way. (1) The gully on the right (looking up at the route): from the top follow the crest to the first cairn, then cairns down the gully and scree. The topo shows three short abseils, but recent parties did it without, with three short down-climbs; one party left a sling for a 5 m step of about grade IV. Allow about an hour, more if you lose the cairns. A Mountain Project note says the abseil points are not obvious and may no longer be there, and to allow 1.5 hours to walk off. A 2019 party describes a steep first scree section ending at a very large cairn, after which the path climbs about 50 m: keep straight on there and do not go left. (2) Follow the ridge line on to the Col des Nomades and walk down from there, which is longer.
Retreat
Bail with caveats
Not documented, so this is a judgement from the facts. Low on the route a retreat by abseil looks feasible: the first six pitches have bolted belays and you are carrying two ropes. Higher up it is a long easy ridge with few or no bolts, where carrying on to the top and walking down is the practical way off.
Partly inferred from the route facts
Safety
Sun and weather
The ridge faces north-west. Start around 7 am and the first three or four pitches are in shade; after that most of it is in the sun. In April 2024 a party had shade from 8 am to midday; an October 2021 party climbed in shade for most of the day. Reports range from 4 hours to 5.5 hours for a roped pair or three, so start early in hot weather. The rock is very rough and unpolished. The parking area and stalls below are busy with tourists all day.
Sun on the wall · NW-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
11 quickdraws. Two 40 m ropes are the minimum for the belay spacing (a 2024 party found 35 m does not reach); Mountain Project suggests 2×50 m. A few slings for spikes on the upper ridge, where you can easily add protection. Helmet. Trekking poles are useful for the scree descent.
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 Une arête dans la gorge.
Worth knowing
Open questions
Provenance
Same area
Morocco · Todra Gorge (Todgha)
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.
6a+9 pitches300 m
Read the cautions
Morocco · Todra Gorge (Todgha)
A long, moderate line above the Mansour palm grove at the upstream end of the gorge. Mostly steady 5c with a 6a crack to start and a harder, very abrasive finish. Big views up the valley.
6b7 pitches300 m
Morocco · Todra Gorge (Todgha)
Eight pitches up the middle of the Levant wall, with the 6a on the first pitch and steady 5a–5c above. Morning sun. Camptocamp rates the commitment a little higher than the gorge-floor routes because of the length.
6a8 pitches320 m
Morocco · Todra Gorge (Todgha)
Thirteen short pitches, mostly grade 4, with two 5c steps. The longest pitch is 45 m. A big day of easy mileage in the sun above the palm grove.
5c13 pitches340 m
Around 5c · about 13 pitches
Italy · Aosta Valley
A long, easy-angled outing up the full height of the Paretone. A steeper lower half with an exposed pillar on P5 leads to sculpted slabs and broken steps higher up. It's a good first big multipitch.
5c13 pitches400 m
France · Ailefroide
Ailefroide's best-known easy long route: a consistent run of 4th-grade slab and pillar climbing with two harder steps (5b+ on L4, a 5c friction move on L8). It is very popular, so start early.
5c12 pitches310 m
Spain · Riglos & Agüero (Mallos)
A long beginner's big route on good conglomerate at a moderate angle. Pitches can be linked in pairs with a 60 m rope. A four-pitch headwall with a couple of panzas finishes high above the Gállego valley.
5c14 pitches375 m
Spain · El Chorro
The longest easy line in El Chorro. It starts up a broken corner-ramp, then climbs a steeper wall trending right to the top. It's uncommitting and easy to link pitches, with some loose rock to watch for.
5c12 pitches310 m
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.
