the rock in the todra canyon and around it is first quality limestone, very harsh and aggressive. bring enough tape with you or you will have problems with your fingers. according to the locals there are more than thirty climbing spots and about 300 routes in the canyon. there is everything from easy one-pitch sports routes for beginners to perfectly bolted multi-pitch sport routes and even 250m multi-pitch trad routes.
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| perfect limestone |
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| sometimes painful without tape |
be sure to take a long rope with you, a lot of sport routes are 30-35m long. bring at least 12 quickdraws and don't forget the chalk, it gets quite warm on the sunny side. always have some slings with you, sometimes they left a bolt out where you can assure with the sling around the rock. and don't forget the maillons! they come in very hand to leave behind since especially the multi-pitch routes sometimes lack the carabiner to abseil.
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| on the multi-pitch routes over le jardins |
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| on the second pitch of the pilier du guetteur |
LOCAL GUIDES
almost everybody will be helpful and friendly with you, you'll get plenty of invitations for tea, but be aware that this sometimes results in the host showing you some carpets or trying to sell you some handcraft. it's ok the first few times but it gets annoying after a while. if you have questions about taxis, hikes or other things the people at your hotel should be able to help you well enough. if you have questions about climbing then hassan mouhajir is one option. he usually stays at the hotel la valle just at the beginning of the canyon. he has climbed many routes of todra and knows them very well. he has a hand drawn todra guidebook for sale. he works as a guide and will accompany you for sport climbing or guide you in multi-pitch routes. you should definitely consult him before going for a multi-pitch route. he can tell you exactly what gear you need and in what condition the route is in. he is also a very correct and friendly person that you can trust.
another excellent option is the boutique in the village. some other climbers in todra (abdel, alal...) have united and formed a climbing association. it's called "Adventures Verticales" (http://www.escalade-au-maroc.com/#Accueil.A). they also sell the guidebook and climbing gear, which you can also rent.
THE GUIDE BOOK
there is a new guide book of the oxford alpine club available online: http://www.oxfordalpineclub.co.uk/todra-topo.php
the climbing association in todra is making a printed guidebook, ask at the shop in todra (http://www.escalade-au-maroc.com/#La_boutique.D). there is also the option is the unofficial hand-drawn guide book. you can find it everywhere in todra. this book costs around 25 euros. the drawings may seem confusing in the beginning, but in fact they are quite accurate once you get used to them. you can find an excerpt of an older version of the guidebook in the the section "downloads and links".
there are also two old climbing guides:
- exotic rock - the travel guide for climbers, by sam lightner jr., publushed by D&K publishing boulder, CO,
ISBN 0-9655634-0-5
- escalade au maroc todra, by guy abert (Guy.Abert@wanadoo.fr)
there are also some topos of individual spots in the internet. you can find most of them in the "downloads and links" section.
BOULDERING
it's also possible to do some bouldering on the rocks along the river. it's mainly traverse boulders. there isn't much more, but if your only staying a day or two and only have the climbing shoes with you it may be a good entertainment.
RENTING CLIMBING GEAR
you can rent climbing gear in todra, just ask in one of the hotels and they'll tell you where to go. the best place to go is the boutique of "Adventures Verticales". Or you can rent it from hassan at the hotel la valle. you can get the full climbing equipment at todra.
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| if it exists you can rent it... |
