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Moussa ou Salah from Beni Smint

We had a second breakfast on reaching the tizi between Moussa and the western Iblane crest (Tizi n’ Tzirouch), left our rucksacks and drifted up to Moussa ou Salah, at 3172m the highest summit of the region. There’s an odd crater, and snow still lingered. We hurried down to our sacks as people had suddenly appeared. Shaly slopes led up to a first 3103m bump – according to Peyron – which would make it the highest top of this north-east end of long, undulating Jbel bou Iblane. We went on to 3081m to make sure, but by this time we were surrounded by black clouds trailing rain and grumbling thunder. Lightning is a great booster of pace. We skeltered off fast, fine scree runs and snow runnels helping.

We hit the piste on this flank by the Tizi Ouaouesra (Wawesra) and headed for our rendezvous with the mule at the cedar forest Taffert ‘refuge’. They, off the Tizi Bouzabel at the south-west end of Iblane, arrived just as we did. Our end was in our beginning. The guardian needed authorisation to accommodate us and the caïd’s office was an hour’s motoring away. He relented in the end. The place was as spooky as the hotel in ‘The Shining’. But dry. Next day a camionette took us down to Birtam Tam and a taxi into Fes. QED. A typical ‘raid’.