day 224
10 hrs, 11 kms
Day totals: 16 hrs, 12 kms

Right above the waterfall is another village, Amend, perched atop a rounded hilltop . Imlil and the narrow gorge is below. A wider but untamed valley is ahead--with the daunting slopes beyond. There are little stalls catering to the passing climbers, so I figure I can go ahead and pause for an orange juice and soak in the view--and "contribute" to the local economy.

Afterwards I continue on, past a couple houses and a little school... across a wide, rocky area, on up the valley leaving civilization behind. Here I choose to follow a path along the valley rather than the up the slopes, hoping it will take me to another village. But the path only takes along a narrow canal along the mountainside where there are a couple final farm patches with a couple hardy guys at work. They tell me that, no, this way will not take me to Toubkal--but I can just climb straight up the slope to the trail... which I manage without much difficulty.

The trail follows the side of a gorge which gets narrower and narrower and more and more rugged . Gone are the last patches of green, now there are just occasional weathered mountain trees. There's a rushing stream below, but this is clealy an area quite unhospitable to human dwelling.

But despite this, this hike doesn't have such a solitary rugged feel as, say, my Amzrit hike because there are a lot of other hikes and their guides around--even a couple people camping along the way. But I'm still fully enjoying this experience, as if I'm taking part in an important pilgrimage.

A little farther there are a couple little shacks which serve food and I figure I ought to stop for some lunch. A tagine is pretty pricey, so I settle on an omelette instead. Next to me is an older German couple with whom I strike up a conversation. Their quite jolly and friendly--even offering to share their salad with me... something I wouldn't usually expect from Germans. They give me some good pointers on hiking the Alps (something I hope to do next summer), and overall seem to have a good attitude about their adventure here, although the poorly marked trails, unpredictable food etc is a bit different then what their used to . They do find it quite humorous that I'm carrying a guitar with me, which I patiently try to explain...

Afterwards I was actually planning to go for a swim in a big pool under a waterfall right next to us, but as we're eating, the weather changes suddenly. Clouds come in and the temperature drops suddenly. It's a reminder that, yes, I am at a very high altitude, with climate patterns completely different than what goes on down in the Marrakech plains. Yeah, it was definitely a good idea to wait until summer to do this hike.

A Courthouse for Humans and Demons

Most of the people I've passed have been European hikers and their guides--along with a couple of Moroccan adventurers. But I have passed a few people that looked like locals, dressed in their best attire, walking or riding mules up this trail--even older ladies. This is a bit odd. These folks clearly aren't doing this for fun--and they don't look like their going to herd goats or looking for firewood ...

It's not long before I find my answer. A little farther up is a giant boulder painted white with a Moroccan flag on top and a little mosque beside it. Right before it is a little cluster of shops with an alley in the center. It's a surreal experience, to be walking through a rugged, inhospitable landscape, thinking there's no more civilization up ahead, and then suddenly finding yourself in what feels like a cozy mini-medina.

But this is not a town or a village. This is not a place where people live and raise their families. This is a pilgrimage site. People come here, on foot or by mule up the rugged canyon to this site, known as Sidi Chamharouch.

At first I assume that this is just another tomb of a saint which people come to pray to and request special favors (a practice common in Morocco, but frowned on by many who say that this is not part of "true" Islam). This sort of practice, with different variations, is pretty common around the world in many different religions . But Sidi Chamharouch is something quite different and like something I've never heard of before.

Sidi Chamharouch is a courthouse for the spirits.

Now, I'm not an expert on the topic, and I'm still pretty confused on how it's all supposed to work--so if you want a full explanation you'll need to look elsewhere (there are some youtube videos with French subtitles on the subject). Here's what I understand: Demons, or "djinn" as their known in Islam, have a sort of hiearchy. and here in Sidi Chamharouch dwells their lord. But unlike the common Hollywood depiction of demons as purely evil monsters who do nothing but torment people, the djinn can be reasoned with. So, as I am told, if a human has a dispute with a djinn and he feels he's been done an injustice, he can come to Sidi Chamharouch, present his case, the djinn will present his case, and the lord of the djinn will pass the verdict.

This concept is new to me, and raises many more questions . I'm familiar with the concept of exorcism in Morocco--casting out of djinn by reciting the Quran--but a court system between humans and demons?! I can't quite wrap my head around that--and many Moroccans disagree with this whole idea saying that it's not part of Islam. My strong suspicion is that this this whole "courthouse of the spirits" pilgrimage site had been going on here long before Islam came to this region.

Whatever it is, or whatever you believe in, there is definitely an other-worldly feel to this place... one of the strangest places I've visited in Morocco.

The Steep Climb

After Sidi Chamharouch, the path starts to climb steeply, along the side of another valley. Here there are some summer goat pens with stone walls. Along the yonder slope there's a herd of goat which are brought up here in the summer, and taken to lower altitudes in the winter. It's quite impressive to see people able to live off this harsh terrain . The stream far below looks like just an endless series of waterfalls.

Then, a magnificent view: on yonder side of the valley is a sliver of water streaming down a sloped waterfall which seems to just appear from the mist that now envelope the top of the mountain. Part of me wants to cross to that side, and climb up to the base of the waterfall, but common sense tells me no. I'm having a hard enough time just following the trail--coming from sea level and doing a climb at 3,000 meters is a challenge even for an experienced hiker like me. So I settle for a photo with the guitar and a bit of zoom. It doesn't do the view justice though--you've just got to go there to experience it for yourself.

And then, the valley widens, and up ahead is a welcome sight: "Le Refuge" two lodges for hikers to spend the night before tackling the peak first thing in the morning. Here I negotiate a reasonably price, which includes a hearty supper, and enter a beautiful European style mountain lodge with stained wooden rafters and trail maps on the walls . Quite different from the cheapy hotels I usually stay in here in Morocco... a very different experience.

It's not quite dark yet, so I'm going to do a little more exploring upstream. A little ways up is another beautiful waterfall--this one I can get up close and personal with. And at the bottom of the cliff are some patches of--yep--snow. Snow in June. Another surreal moment. Just to think that this morning I was experiencing suffocating heat in Marrakech... and now I'm picking up a handful of snow.

I head back towards Le Refuge, and find a spot up the hillside above the lodge and pull out my guitar to play a concert dedicated to this unforgettable moment, gazing out to the trail I followed... zigzagging far, far below. I kind of wish that some of the local guides or climbers would come join me... but they don't. Still a very special moment though.

One group of climbers catch my attention: it looks like a Moroccan family, with guys and scarf wearing girls--did they actually climb up here, or ride mules? A Moroccan mountain climbing family adventure--now that's really unusual... and inspiring.

With that I head inside to have my supper. At another table is a large group of French climbers, several generations. I seems like they're doing this as "family reunion" adventure. But they're French... so that's not really that unusual...

With that, I head out to the balcony to the cold night air and gaze out to a world enveloped in mist. And with that, I head to bed. I've got a big day tomorrow.