2 hrs, 6.0 kms



After Anamr, the terraces end and I start a lonely stretch climbing higher and higher up the mountains . There's a magic here, with jagged peaks on both sides, half covered in mist. But I start feeling lonely and isolated. I haven’t come across a single store since Idougidnif, and I’m hungry and running short on water. Also, it’s quite cold, even with a jacket and I’m not equipped to sleep outside in this type of weather… and I don’t even know if I’m getting closer to civilization or farther from it!

Normally I wouldn’t worry too much about food or shelter in rural Morocco. If it gets late and I can’t find a place to stay, the locals will take me in. I don’t usually like to do this, as I don’t like to freeload off of people—but it is nice to have that as a backup plan. But here in this region it’s a bit hard for people to be hospitable if nobody’s home!

Anyways, I try not to worry to much. This is an adventure into the Unknown unlike any I’ve had in a long time, so I’m just going to relish the experience.

Finally I reach the top of yet another mountain pass… another watershed… and down into another "Valley Civilization" . This one has a flat area on the bottom and even a small lake. There’s only one village here though, perched atop the cliff on yonder side. Maybe there will be a store there… I quickly take another shortcut down the hillside. On this trip it seems I’ve spent almost half the time taking shortcuts rather than following the road, which is nice—but pretty rough on my shoes. Down at the bottom there’s a little trickle of water, which doesn’t look clean enough to drink. Strange… there aren’t any villages upstream to pollute it, I’m almost positive.

I reach the base of the valley where I look for a shortcut up the cliff to the village at the top. Evening is approaching… but I still have to do a quick concert dedicated to my last village, Anamr. After a tiring climb, I reach a cluster of shoddy but quaint houses perched with a magnificent view… But unfortunately am only greeted by a rather unfriendly guard dog. I do see lights and hear voices from a couple of the houses, and common sense tells me that I this might be my last time to find food and lodging… but I’m still a bit shy to just go knock on people’s doors, so I continue on into the dusk…