Jbel Saghro, lunar landscape and stronghold of the legendary nomadic tribe of Ait Atta

Jbel Saghro offers breathtaking landscapes. An ideal place for hiking and trekking over several days. The volcanic rock region of Saghro is our tourist component of the week. Stroll.

Jbel Saghro is a summit which culminates at 2712 meters, located 162 kilometers from Ouarzazate and 100 kilometers south of the central High Atlas. The peak dominates the valleys of Draâ and Dadès. Everything is in the eastern part of the Anti-Atlas. The nomadic tribes of Aït Atta still live on the spot, navigating between the different corners of the region according to the seasons.

The climate of the mountainous area is one of the driest in the Anti-Atlas chain since there is not enough air humidity. This is due to the distance from the Atlantic Ocean. Rainfall does not exceed 100 mm in the south and 300 mm on the peaks. The name comes from the environment since Saghro means “drought” in Tamazight.

The summit is very popular with tourists who come to hike and marvel at the lunar landscapes of plateaus, the succession of canyons, forests of peaks. Three passes can be traveled from north to south: Tazazert (2283 meters), Kouaouch (2592 meters), Tagmout (1919 meters). The most spectacular is undoubtedly the Amalou n Mansour (highest point of Jbel Saghro: 2712 meters). The pass is located southeast of the village Ikniouen. The crossing is difficult and perilous but compensates for the effort with the multitude of spectacular landscapes that you can see as the trek progresses. Mules are made available to visitors to carry the hikers’ luggage.

A glimpse of the sunset at Saghro. / Ph. Flickr/Jacques Bodin

Some tourists prefer to hike in 4*4, to provide less effort while visiting as many places as possible. According to South Moroccothe region is also full of ornithological treasures since the Taghdilt valley is a natural refuge for many species of birds.

Ait Atta region, a nomadic tribe endowed with a legendary spirit of freedom and independence

Few people live in this almost inaccessible region with a difficult climate, but while strolling in the surroundings, you will be able to see one of the rare nomadic tribes that exist today in Morocco. The Ait Atta who still live according to ancestral traditions, whose only wealth is the flock of sheep and goats they raise in the vast desert of Saghro. The tribe lives as a family, with several generations under the same “roof”, which are in fact “khaïma”, a traditional tent from Morocco, made of thin strips of goat stitches, indicates Morocco Eco tourism. The area is rural, with a population of nearly 68,000.

The Ait Atta, a nomadic tribe from the Saghro region. / Ph. Framepool

The nomads meet weekly on market day in the souk of N’kob and Tazzarrine, villages entirely made of stone and adobe. The tribe found a way to grow wheat, barley, vegetables and fruit trees such as almond, walnut and peach trees, among others.

The nomads adapt to the seasons, infernal heat in the summer when the desert becomes scorching and in the winter when it is “strikingly cold”. Snow can fall below 1,400 meters above sea level. According to the same source, the tradition of transhumance is explained by “the spirit of independence and freedom that the Ait Atta have always cultivated”, reads on the site. The tribe has marked Moroccan history, since they have fought a ruthless battle against French troops allied with the forces of the sultan of Morocco during the protectorate, in 1933. They resisted for 42 days against 83,000 French soldiers supported by 44 military aircraft. Warriors who master their environment so much that they become almost invisible.

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