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Azurki’s south flank from the lower slopes of Ouaougoulzat

Azurki is the only major peak in this book where I’ve not stood on the actual summit. On GTAM95 Charles and I did make what we called the East Top. The peak is seen well in winter/spring from the Azilal–Bin el Ouidane road, a graceful fin of snow beyond the rolling foothills. As with Aroudane, it can be reached from the Azilal–Aït Mhammed–Assemsouk road or going up to Zawyat Ahancal and over the Tizi n’ Ilissi to Assemsouk.

The bliss of a stream on a hot day

We had camped by a stream (the Tagragra) up from Assemsouk, ascended Aroudane and then climbed to the Tizi Yllaz to camp near the pass, where there was water. Heavy snows meant that we only just got mules up to the pass (2 May), but even with this the south flank of Azurki was largely free of snow. We set off from the pass (c2900m) up the obvious crest descending to it – easy going, but on endless loose layers of rock. The angle steepened higher, but following one rising stratum led us on until we were confronted by cornices overhead. We had only one old ice axe, carried in order to level camp sites and for other imaginative uses rather than for climbing. We took turns whacking out bucket steps to destroy a bit of cornice and gain the crest. And that was it.