Guess what ? Morocco isn't just about desert and camels, and actually offers great whitewater in the Atlas mountains. I was there last may with Jay Sigbrandt, Dje Bazin, Matt Robert and photographer Paul Villecourt to enjoy the good waterlevels, nice rivers and the Berbers' way of living. Go to the videos section or click here to check a new video clip made after our trip, or read on to learn more about the country and its whitewater gems !

All photos courtesy of Paul@Villecourt.com

Check out these colors ! This country offers panoramas of all kinds, from ocean to mountains and desert. The diversity of the country is surprising.


The Berbers. With them, we discovered a different philosophy of life. They are Atlas mountains true inhabitants. On the first photo, the man playing with the paddle is an Imam. A funny one for sure, who kept asking and commenting on our willing to paddle the Ourika river, located 1h30 from Marrakech. We could hear him during the first rapids, laughing and encouraging us from the road. The second photo is an improvized clinic on the Assif Meloul with a few villagers. We spent some time at a rapid close to the village, and a little crowd quickly formed. After a quick briefing and some observation, my student was able to paddle down the small rapid and reach the bank, doing all the manoeuvers instinctively. Pretty impressive for a first !


We thought at first one must be lucky to find good levels in Morocco, but the season is quite long actually. Most of the Atlas rivers depend of the snowpack accumulated during winter, but some rivers flow almost all year round, like the Ouzoud shown here.


The Oum Erbia wasn't the best piece of whitewater of our trip, but since the river is salty, we could find many turtles living in it. They smell awful, but they're fun animals ! We could also meet monkeys on a few other rivers.


Enjoying the local food and tea after a good day on the river...On the second photo this is Hassan, who dealed with the food and accomodations, and Brahim, owner and driver of the SUV we had to rent to access the remote valleys of the Atlas. Very nice and reliable guys. They helped us understand the Berbers' traditions and culture more than any guidebook.


The panorama from our bivouac on the Assif Meloul. What a fantastic place !

The team would especially like to thank Salomon and Royal Air Maroc for making this adventure possible. You'll find a video segment of this trip in next year's Adrenalin Hunters DVD, and articles about it in various kayaking magazines.

On the logistics side, we were helped by Pascal Perron, a french kayak guide who now lives in Marrakech. He is running a company specialized in treks, expeditions, and WW trips in the Atlas. He was really helpful in making this trip a great success. Don't hesitate to visit his website at this adress : www.tawadatrekking.com or email him at trekhafida@yahoo.fr

Maybe I'll repeat myself, but we all agreed on the fact that Morocco was one of the most beautiful destinations we had ever been to. Go check it by yourself next spring !