1 hr, 2.0 kms



The roa continues along the side of the mountain, with high cliffs to my left and a steep drop to my right . It's not long before I reach yet another village, and once again no one around to ask what its name is. Then, suddenly, an amazing view. Opening up before me is a steep slope that it seems goes on forever… until it reaches a a green open plain… then another mountain and then… what is that?

Blue rocks? Could it be? Are those the giant painted boulder on the other side of Tafraoute?! That’s got to be like 30 kilometers away—and across two mountain ranges! Well I guess painting the rocks blue did serve a purpose after all: to give point of reference for travellers who are far far away.

But I’m still confused. I was expecting to reconnect with the Ait Baha-Tafraoute highway which is supposed to be like 35 kilometers to the east. It seems that I’m coming out of the mountains from a totally different angle! Dang! I really did have no idea where I was going!

But boy am I glad to see familiar territory once again . It’s been great to be hiking for two day with no idea where I am—but I’m glad that it’s over now. The only problem is, the road heads west—far, far away from the direction I want to go.   I think there’s got to be a super-short cut straight down the mountain though…

 Finally I spot a man up ahead. "Is there a shortcut this way to get to Tafraoute?"  He says yes, and points me to a clearly visible rocky path.

“And what’s the name of this village?” I ask


He looks at me suspiciously “why do you want to know?”

“I’m just passing through and want to know where I am”

He refuses to answer. I’ve never had this happen before—except in the Draa Valley once, and that guy was blind. I try to insist. “I’m not from here either… I don’t know” Is his lame excuse. I’m guessing he’s just suspicious of outsiders nosying around his village. Who cares… Everybody else has been plenty friendly along the way.

I spot a sign up ahead. “Oh that might be the name” I tell him. Sure enough. The village is called Taghmout. I walk back giving him a sly grin that says “nanananana, I know the name of your village!”

Now let’s follow the super-shortcut down to civilization.