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The great cliffs of Mouriq

We first set eyes on Mouriq, Laqroun, the Cathedral and Zawyat Ahancal in April 1995 because snow on GTAM95 had forced us to make this northern detour from Imilchil. On the second long day of walking we wended up from Tasraft to a tizi from which Mouriq appeared, a great snowy dome which became the backcloth to our camp a few hours later. By then it had gone on our list of desirable summits. Descending to Anergui (1465m) next day we saw its monumentally spectacular side – the mountain is a horseshoe cirque, with slopes and cliffs 1500m high, and five tops of 2901m, 3103m, 3193m, 3242m and 3078m encircling this aqqa down to Anergui. When we returned in October 2000 and climbed this very high-class mountain I reckon it gave as near perfect a mountain day as one can enjoy and a view which I called ‘exceptional’. And we hadn’t even planned to climb it on that occasion.

The view from camp below Mouriq

We were ‘Land Rover trekking’, so to speak, and had visited the Imi n’ Ifri (natural arch above Demnate) and the Cascades d’Ouzoud (one of the world’s most beautiful waterfalls), and wended along the big Bin el Ouidane reservoir to Ouaouizaght (Wawizart), a small town where we made a major shopping, then ended up camping at a spring where the road spans the eastern end of the lake. This tortuous road gives access to the Cathedral, Zawyat Ahancal, Aroudane and others. We took it to Tamga, below the Cathedral, and then the impressive aqqa piste up to Anergui. We had intended to tackle an amazing set of hairpin bends to get through to Imilchil, but the road was temporarily impassible. An alternative was needed – and there, as we sat in an Anergui café, loomed Mouriq’s great cirque.