LOCATION: Fes to Midelt to Merzouga
What's happening?
Stepped outside and hit the breakfast table (oh my, chocolate cake and chocolate and almond crepes served this morning!) You don't choose here, set "plates" are prepared and offered - the choice is how you would like your eggs. We are top notch health wise but @Bill continues his battle with traveller's tummy.
A quick getaway on the dot of nine (another advantage of a small group - no one is late) and boarded the bus with @Mohammed and @Smail for our big day of driving.
The Adventure
The journey today takes us south east over the Middle Atlas towards the High Atlas and through the valley of the Ziz Gorge - this valley stretches for about 300 kms.
Again, roads impressive - sealed, maintained and supervised with ever present checkpoints, radar guns and personnel presence. Not much traffic on a Sunday and we made excellent time to our first stop at Ifrane or "little Switzerland."
Leaving the city, the route slipped quickly into rolling farmland where olive groves, wheat fields, and orchards dominated the plains. This plain was rolled so flat and was bordered by the rise of distant mountains.
Villages appeared with mud‑brick houses - all red and blocked and square sitting squat and low. Roadside produce stalls popped up randomly and farmers were busy guiding donkeys across the fields — a quiet rhythm of rural life that, according to @Mohammed, hasn’t changed much in generations. Many villages however, are abandoned today, as young people move to the city chasing opportunity.
Our first mountain town was Immouzer Kander (the town of the waterfall just 35 kms out of Fes) and I mention it because the architecture has changed dramatically to reflect the altitude - lots of sloping rooftops to deal with the winter snowfall. Only an hour south of Fes, this town features "camps" which are hotel complexes owned by companies, where workers can come to spend a few days of holidays at a very reasonable price. As always, the ever present domination of the skyline by the minarets, plenty of police out in force, market stalls on the road side, tended animal herds , prolific apples, olives and grapes and countless cafes overflowing with relaxing men sipping coffee and smoking.
We passed a line of cadets here. Apparently all men and women aged 19 to 24 are eligible through a lottery census to spend 12 months in military training. You fill in your details and then a "draw" selects the candidates for the physical, arms and strategic training course. We saw this group on their training run - apparently taking advantage of the altitude training as part of their fitness regime. @Mohammed missed the call up as the system was only reintroduced in 2019 and he was, by then, "too old."
Entered the mountain town of Ifrane, perched at altitude and known as little Switzerland. Home of a big private university it hosts 2 000 students from all over Africa. The town is divided into two - left side, all Royal Residence .... meant that the right side was polished spotlessly clean - every road, building and park pristine.
On this drive, there was a surprise at every corner and crest. Just south of Ifran the Bedouin camps started to appear and on another rise, @SmaiI pulled us into the carpark of the abandoned ski lift to see the Barbary Macaques. They are native to Morocco - here of course, the vendors with peanut supplies keep them close for tourists. Not our thing, but other groups were feeding them and allowing them to jump on their heads, shoulders and back. @Mohammed had asked us not to feed them (I was never a chance) because if we were scratched or even worse, bitten, we would need to get to medical help for "the injection."
It was scene after scene - village after village. Changing heights. Changing colours. The road thinning. The plain expanding and contracting. The mountains near and far. No water. Water in a ribbon. Water everywhere. Permanent towns, military bases, Bedouin, nomads, donkeys replaced by camels. At one stage I felt like I had one of those old red ViewMaster flicking toys where you put that little slide show in. The landscape change was so quick and dramatic - it doesn't make sense, but it was the SAME but DIFFERENT at every turn or crest of a hill.
Higher still, the land turned rocky and dramatic, with nomadic tents scattered across the plateaus. South of Midelt, the scenery shifted again: barren ridges, copper‑colored cliffs, and the first hints of desert.
Rock mining and fossils were very important here. Colourful vanadinite (fiery red, orange and brown crystals,) prized by collectors and according to Dr Google, best in the world found here in Morocco) mined in this area and used in jewellery making was featured in this part of the valley as we continued the traverse through the High and Middle Atlas Mountains.
There was a slight dusting of snow still visible in the distance at 3 517 metres as we stopped for roadside cherries in the Apple Capital of Morocco. Go figure. @Smail was very quick to jump out of the vehicle and over rule @Mohammed washing our cherries in the local spring. Took over and washed from our bottled water.
Big apple - one to welcome as you arrive - one as you leaveBroke the journey with a lunch stop with a local apple farmer. Apple did not appear on the menu but we did have a vegetable targine, roasted chicken, noodles and lentils - all delicious. This was followed by a banana chaser and a mint tea under the shade of the orchard trees.
Back to the driving. Countryside continued to provide compelling viewing. Deep in the wide valley with an outline of mountains there is always something to spot. Definitely not so much agriculture this far south but continued mining to discuss, army bases and prisons, wind turbines and absolutely randomly located hotels and cafes and service stations to distract you.
The Atlas Mountains grew ever closer and once the traverse of the Ziz valley had started it was a never ending vista of squared mud houses set low to the ground, deep gorges cut with a ribbon date palms. Spectacular drop offs into the valley below, turquoise water stained from the ice melt of the Atlas Mountains and jagged rocky cliff faces much closer to the road.
There were short stops for us above the palms and above the dam - short chances to stretch the legs, un numb your bottom, visit the toilet (always scrambling for a coin to pay) a d refill the water bottles from the om board fridge.
Continued to add more dust, stony waterways, thermal springs, dams and patches of green palms in dotted oases. In places, the mountains were like pale brown dough, lifted and folded and flowing into the valley. We worked our way down to 2000 metres and even came across a town dedicated to hunting birds and sponsored by investment from Qatar.
As a connection to the past, did note that we were travelling along the old route of the camel caravan train and could pick out the remnants of once impressive kasbas perched high on the cliffs as strongholds to guard the camel trains and impose the tax collection.
We travelled very close to the Algerian border (I think @Mohammed said 20 kns) and there was an impressive stronghold at the very last military outpost at Errachudia.
There were breakout areas where low sand dunes had formed and they were being controlled and stabilised by an intricate mesh of dead palm fronds. This was an attempt to halt their movement and to keep them from encroaching on the road.
The final stretch toward Merzouga opened into vast desert plains where villages thin out, camels appear along the roadside, and the dunes of Erg Chebbi rise like what appears to be a golden mirage. Huge 200 metre dunes start to come into focus out of the horizon. And at last, we were on the edge of the dunes and home.
That was a wrap on a 500 kms for today's journey. We left our hotel in Fes at 9 am and arrived in Merzouga at 7.15. It was probably the first drive of that length I have ever taken where I haven't had a little snooze. It was ever changing - so expansive, so stark but so alive. Wouldn't change a thing.
The welcome weather at our hotel was 38 degrees at 7 pm. Time for a walk, a dip in the pool and dinner - surrounded by the sand and sounds of the Sahara.
Had a great buffet feast with the group and over spiced vegetables and meat, sipping not quite cold lemonade with @TheRoyals and @Mohammed we laughed and ate our way through solving the problems of the world, the blessings of family and friends, the gift of opportunity, before moving onto strategies for finding a partner for @Mohammed and fine tuning his business plan. By the time we found our door at 116, @Mohammed had recruited and offered us jobs as trusted employees as drivers, finance managers, customer service officers and marketers. I think tomorrow we might get an offer for a share in the business.
Survival Barometer
Steps: 8 036
Weather: desert hot - 38 at 7 pm when we arrived
Can you believe that?
A little background from Co-Pilot.
Weird and Interesting stuff about ZIZ GORGE
1. The gorge was carved through what used to be an ancient seaThe red sandstone and limestone walls of the Ziz Gorge are actually sedimentary layers from prehistoric marine environments, meaning the whole region was once underwater.
2. The French Foreign Legion blasted a tunnel straight through the cliffThe famous Tunnel des Légionnaires was carved by French colonial troops in the early 20th century to force a passage through the gorge. It’s short, rough, and looks like something out of an adventure film — but it’s still the main road today. WE WENT THROUGH IT!
3. The gorge marks one of the oldest Saharan caravan routesFor centuries, caravans carrying dates, spices, and Saharan goods passed through the Ziz Gorge on their way north. Even the Roman general Gaius Suetonius Paulinus crossed it in the 1st century CE while leading troops across the Atlas.
4.The cliffs reach up to 300 meters highThe canyon walls tower up to 300 m, creating a dramatic vertical corridor of red rock. The N13 road clings to the edge, giving you those surreal “am I supposed to be driving here?” moments.
5. The gorge feeds one of the world’s largest palm oasesJust south of the gorge, the Ziz Valley explodes into over 150 km of continuous date palms, one of the largest palm groves on Earth. The contrast between barren cliffs and a green carpet is so extreme it looks fake from above.
6. The dam at the southern gate creates a lake in the desertThe Hassan Addakhil Dam forms a bright blue reservoir right at the gorge’s southern end — a surreal sight in such an arid region. It’s also the main water source for the entire Tafilalet.
Today's Spot the J clue - there are lots! Sometimes they are tricky
"Nanny and Grandad, you might need some sunscreen."
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