Travel into the Middle Atlas Mountains

We left ‘Chef’ early in overcast weather with a few spots of rain but the day cleared as we drove south and in fact became a perfect day. We pass several nomadic tribes as we drive along.

After passing through Meknés where we stayed the other night, we stopped at Azrou for a picnic lunch - and even had a coffee! 

We are now travelling through the Mid-Atlas mountains with our destination being Midelt. This region is very remote and is one of the poorest areas in Morocco. Azrou was built by the French in the 1930s and is one of the first towns to have a high school in the Mid-Atlas; that is, a formal school run along French school lines, previous schools being in the mosque. As the town expands, new building regulations stipulate that buildings must be shaped like kasbahs; and many people are moving here to live rather than stay in the mountains where there are often no schools, hospitals, etc. 

The landscape features lots of loose rock - volcanic. As we reach the first plateau we ascend to 1000 m but later we will reach 2000 m; then Midelt is at 1400 m. There is lots of nomadic grazing here as well as a rich diversity of flora and fauna: juniper and cedar trees, plantations of cypress trees; monkeys (Barbary apes), gazelles, deer; birds: the golden eagle plus a vegetarian bird bigger than eagle. 

 After lunch we stop briefly to see Barbary monkeys. 

There is still snow on the ground at this level. We drive on through mountain passes and plains - snow and streams of water and lovely tussock grasses; we are well above the tree line. The nomads are barred from here before the summer to allow the grasses to grow. 

We suddenly have a view of the High Atlas mountains in front of us - snow covered; the highest peak rises to 3700 m high. 

Late afternoon, we arrive into Midelt which is renown for its apples. From here we spend an hour or so walking through a village and across a plateau. It was of course nice to get some exercise after most of the day being on the bus (we had a few breaks along the way) but the walk was also special for the lovely landscape and the opportunity to visit locals in their home and to see a little of how they live.

It is a tough life for sure; it is hard to imagine a family living in such cramped and dark conditions - and surely it is freezing here in winter and the opposite in the summer.

Along the way we see many overloaded vehicles known as a ‘Chicken Bus’: