From Marrakech to Ouarzazate
The most famous road through the High Atlas leads from the vast plains surrounding the royal city of Marrakech to pass Tizi-n-Tichka (2 260 m asl), which is quite often blocked by snow in the winter and is then impassable down around the beautiful kasbahs (clay medieval fortress) to Ouarzazate, the gateway to the valley of river Draa and Sahara desert.
Region behind Marrakech
When you leave very interesting royal city of Marrakech (460 m asl), you will drive on the highway N9 in agricultural and slightly arid landscape along the broad valley of river Ouled Zad.
Villages in Atlas
The road leaves the river valley Zad and slowly begins to rise along the slopes of Atlas. There are small villages stuck among olive groves. Along the way you'll constantly meet small stalls with „valuable“ minerals.
Tiz Imguer (1 470 m asl )
The first pass on this mountain road is Tiz Imguer (1 470 m asl), which is interesting only by eroded colored rocks rather than by views.
The outlook of Tiz Imuger
A few kilometers away is a nice outlook of the red rock wall below the pass Imuger. The mountain massifs around it have only about 1600–1700 meters above sea level.
The foothills of the High Atlas
Deep below the road is an interesting red landscape around seasonal river.
Oasis
Red slopes covered with sparse woodland contrast with fields around rivers flowing down from the High Atlas. The main ridge is already on the horizon and slowly begins the main part of the crossing of the mountains.
Ascent to the Tizi-n-Tichka
The landscape begins to change dramatically with increasing kilometers and altitude – absolutely barren ridges only with a scanty vegetation evoke the landscape of north Indian Ladakh.
The landscape around the pass
The landscape is the most photogenic just below the pass. In good weather it is certainly not a bad idea to choose a walkable hill near the road and make a little hike here.
View to the west from the pass Tizi-n-Ti
It is often bad weather in pass and there are lots of souvenir shops. In the west direction is visible on the horizon jebel Anrhomer.
To the south from the pass
The southern side of the pass has a completely different character – front of you are long red ridges ((about 2500 m asl)) with scanty vegetation. In valley that you can see below, leads the road to kashbahs Telouet and Anemitér. This is a very nice side trip.
Area under the High Atlas
The landscape on the other side of the mountains has also its own beauty. You slowly approach the crossroads where you have to decide whether to continue along the main road to Ouarzazate or make a trip to the side valley to kasbahs Telouet and Anemiter.
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