Kitesurfing in Morocco
What is good about this country? It has Essaouira, a wonderful place where practicing sports such as surfing or kitesurfing are the order of the day. Morocco has warm winds in which the temperature does not rise above 18-20º, thus promoting the desire to practice water sports. There is a lot of sun and you can find some of the best beaches in the world, where the wind is present, especially between the months of March and December.
Therefore, you have a large part of the year available to practice this sport and find the winds that blow behind the flat rocks. The participation scenarios are ideal: beautiful beaches with ideal temperatures and an impressive cultural wealth.
Essaouira is the so-called "windy city", so you can get an idea of how ideal this place is for kitesurfing here. You can contact different agencies and guides that will organize and show you the best places to carry out both kitesurfing courses and practice it if you already have experience.
Snowboarding in Morocco
The first thing you need to know is that djebel is the Arabic name for mountain (adrar in Berbere). To increase the variety of the offer I include a peak from the Rif, the Djebel Tighidine of 2,456 meters for its Mediterranean character, one from the Middle Atlas: the Bou Iblane that will complement the obligatory visit to Fez and the Toubkal massif for having some of the peaks highest in the area.
Here we leave you 3 itineraries so you can see which of them catches your attention and prepare your snow trip this winter:
- Itinerary 1:
Recommended time: December to March
Recommended starting point: Asilah of Ketama
Cartography: Ketama 1:50000
It is an interesting peak with variable snow cover but controllable from the top of the Sierra Nevada on clear days, since its normal route of ascent with skis or snowshoes is along its northern slope.
The Djebel Tighidine is the reference for snowboarding and mountain skiing in the Rif. Easily, a local resident will offer to accompany us
A winding road takes us to Ketama (about 200 km from Ceuta), well known for its importance in the Kif trade, from where we will head to the nearby village of Asilah de Ketama, where we will leave the vehicle. From the road we will have observed the best route to ascend, which depends on the snow cover and our preferences. Depending on the snow conditions, going down through the cedar forest is a very interesting choice (watch out for stumps).
Fez is one of the most interesting cities in Morocco and the Bou Iblane is the snowy winter reference of many poets, perhaps longing for the lost Granada.
- Itinerary 2:
Recommended time: December to March
Recommended starting point: Bou Iblane ski resort (closed in 93)
Cartography: Djebel Bou Iblane 1:50000
From Fez, go to Bir Tam Tam and the forest house of Taffert (barrier). From there follow the road until the beginning of the snow. The slopes that go up to Bou Iblane are practicable from the station. The SW col of Bou Iblane is another closer access route when snow closes the road. This hill is a crossing point between the Kabilas (villages) of the south and the north. From the hill follow the easy hill to the top of Bou Iblane. The spectacle of the loaded locals crossing the hill, often sinking up to their waists, will contrast with our sophisticated material. Not long ago, explaining this fact in a French town in the Pyrenees, they responded to me: "It wasn't that long ago that this also happened in Spain: my father was from Fanlo and in the forties, when there was more snow than now, he crossed in the month July the Roland Gap in the same way to go to work in France."
Snowboarding North of the Sahara
The Toubkal (pronounced Tubkal) is the maximum mountain reference in Morocco, but although it is an almost obligatory ascent, it is less interesting from the point of view of the surfer or skier. mountain than its neighbors Ras-N-Ouanoukrim, Timesguida or Biginoussen among others. The Neltner hut (completely renovated recently) is the ideal point of ascent to all of them and is easily accessible from Imli.
Hiring a mule to carry the material is almost obligatory and this will allow us to enter the country talking with the mule driver. It is possible to go higher by vehicle, but leaving Imlil is of undoubted interest for travelers and nature lovers.
Depending on the years, the snowfall and the lateness of the season, the mule will arrive at the shelter. Otherwise, they will probably offer you porters. Presumably you will reject them, but hiring them would be a small contribution to improving the economic level of the people of the country without offending them with a handout.
- Itinerary 3:
Recommended time: December to March
Recommended starting point: Imlil
Cartography: Toubkal 1:50000 (can usually be found in Imlil itself)
Once we have hired the mule, we will have also hired a guide, the mule driver himself, who will lead us through the area. We will follow the path under walnut trees and among a maze of houses. We will reach the Arend plain and replenish our forces in Sidi Chamharouch. In Morocco, these places are marabouts (a type of Muslim hermitage) where some holy men are buried (Sidi in Morocco is lord, and by extension holy men are called that way). From Sidi Chamharouch we will ascend to the no longer distant refuge of Toubkal. We will take advantage of the afternoon to study the obvious route of ascent to Toubkal following the southern Ikhibi (valley, ravine).
The next day, paying close attention to the flank at the entrance to the valley, which is dangerous in case of ice, we will follow the hanging valley that climbs to Toubkal without difficulty as long as the snow is in good condition. The landscape from the summit is magnificent and the view extends towards the desert regions of the south and the Anti Atlas passing through its snowy neighbors and to the north we will see the Middle Atlas on its southern slope.
Be careful, it would be a shame to leave the shelter towards the valley, as long as there is enough snow, the massif can last for several days.
