travelers and explorers in Morocco

 Since when and how did the idea of the Great Crossing of the Atlas (GTAM) begin to haunt travelers and explorers in Morocco? In an article published in LA MONTAGNE magazine in 1977, the French explorer and specialist in Amazigh culture, MICHAEL PEYRON, presented the details of his crossing of the High Atlas and began by mentioning some historical aspects of this activity with a comparison of it with that of the Alps. Here is a translation of that helpful introduction with some disposition...

<< Before we take the reader between the hills and valleys, let us see how the idea of the great crossing of the Atlas Mountains was formed and examine the geographical aspects of it.

Grand Crossing the Atlas Mountains (GTAM)? Why not. This kind of wandering and exploration has existed in the Alps for many years.

When compared, the Atlas and the Alps are two mountain ranges of equal height, each with a rich past, stunning landscapes, and friendly people... But there the similarity ends: since ancient times, the Alps formed an impassable barrier, while the Atlas Mountains allowed waves of migrations coming from the borders of the desert to pass through their high chasms and deep canyons.

  Furthermore ; In the Atlas, the valleys are inhabited, and the mountains have a kind of life: their summits are covered with snow that soon vanishes, causing sudden and torrential torrents... while in the Alps, the mountains rise like icy monsters and are carved by closed-course valleys, and mostly uninhabited, such as the Ubaye valley and the Haute Maurienne... They are forgotten realms, silent, semi-inhospitable and deserted, despite some transient summer activity.

The matter is in complete contrast to the Atlas Mountains... Human activity is present almost everywhere, and here man is more attached to his land. This crystallized through the creation of many and varied areas for living and movement that were formed over the ages, despite its lack of a developed infrastructure in the modern sense, as there are no paved roads and paths, and there is no parking for cars, as well as the absence of crowded mountain shelters and no overcrowding as a result of the influx of tourist groups in the seasons holidays, and there is no such rituals, noise, pollution and glamor associated with mountain activities in the Alps.

Let's get out of it all and indulge in a grand crossing of the Atlas...

With the exception of a few major crossings that cross the Atlantic chain, such as the Tizi-N-Test and Tizi-N-Tishka crossings, most of the tracks here are not paved, rather they are roads for those who love driving in the "beautiful time", unclassified roads that will only be tolerated by those who love mud and mud and the emission of dust, who enjoys potholes here and there, estimating their depth at first sight, who knows that his car can remain stuck in a place for several days or Months, in front of a valley flooded with torrents, who can suffice with a little food, and spend the night covered with the stars or in a sheepfold with the local shepherds, who does not hesitate to walk for hours on end, carrying his bag on his back, respecting the habits of the hospitable owners of the place, and above all, his concern for exploration mixed with the flavor of adventure...

I note once again that crossing the Atlas Mountains is not crossing the Alps... Here there are no comfortable places to stop, and there is no possibility to descend quickly to the nearest road to return or to supply: Once this space is entered, especially in the eastern and central Atlantic parts, there is no escape except with patience and perseverance, as sometimes a day or two must be counted as a walk to reach a main path... In short, there is almost no infrastructure, except in Mount Toubkal, which contains a good number of shelters. Which makes whoever thinks about a project to cross the High Atlas reconsider more than once in his decision, and also makes you understand why these outputs do not appeal to only a few people...

If the great crossing of the Alps is an activity with its rich history, pioneers such as Zwingelstein and its winter and summer programs such as the GR5, then the great crossing of the Atlas is hardly an activity that sees the light and the idea of it began with me personally between 1970 and 1972.

  In August 1955, two English explorers, THESIGER and PENNYCUICK, undertook a wonderful journey starting from the hills and reaching the corner of Ahansal in two weeks, through small stages they passed through Lake Tamda adjacent to Mount Anghamr and the southern face of Mgoun, then Kalaat Mgouna, Boumalne, Mesmer, Ait Abdi plateau and Tizi-N-Tigrent. They had been stuck for several days in the corner of Ahnsal by a thunderstorm before they were able to return.

And during the Easter holidays of 1964, Lecler of the C.A.F. in Rabat, alone, made a very beautiful crossing of the western High Atlas: from Amizmiz to Taroudant via Oujdimt, Nfis, Saksewa and Ouleim.

These trips gave me an idea of what could be done, provided I had ample time, which was not my case at all at that time... In the meantime, I was trying to peruse the various historical and geographical documents related to the subject, though they were mostly incomplete. It seemed clear to me from them that the Atlas Mountains are more than just a natural barrier, but rather a huge bridge for movement and crossing, diverging paths and destinations: and that is a series of upright mountains that are crossed lengthwise and wide by a network of valleys in the north, northeast, south and southwest direction, all of which have been traveled long ago by spectra of people through migrations to settle, or seasonal migration in search of pastures, or even travels of itinerants and simple merchants to some remote markets.

And wherever you turn your face, following the traces of these individuals and crowds, as well as the caravans of those traveling through the mountains, you will find that this movement and this transition takes place through paths that allow for smooth passage and at the same time have a striking beauty and splendor. These mountain paths are organized within the framework of a network of paths that reach the height of effectiveness and ease - through the capabilities offered by the terrain - at the intersections.