Jebel El Kest via the SW Ridge & Angels Crest (HS, 400m+)

17.11.17

Jebel El Kest via the SW Ridge & Angels Crest (HS, 400m+)

A return visit to the Moroccan Anti-Atlas had to be done!

This time spending three days at the Kasbah Tizourgane on the north side of the massif before heading south to Tafraout and the Hotel Les Amandiers again. Whilst at the Kasbah we took full advantage of the easy access to north side crags with the amazing Samazar valley being as beautiful as I remember.

Routes done on the North Side……

Brisingr E1 5a, 175m – Three star quality, low in the grade. Had first day nerves.
Guillotine Direct (VS 4c, 105m) – Took the Ruby Groove start, A short easy day but a perfect route.
The Main of Light (HVS 5b, 190m) – Brilliant direct route that felt hard for the grade. Climbed in direct sunlight but didn’t detract from an outstanding route...

Images of Dragon rock in the amazing Samazar Valley (45mins on a dirt track!). .....

On the ridge of Dragon Buttress

Looking for the approach - didn't prove easy

Rainbow Buttress and Adrar Ifan provided a couple of days entertainment...

Pilar and Julian topping out

Pilar on Pitch two

Coming up to the Belay on The Main of Light HVS

The decent off Adrar Ifan

Pilar at Rainbow Buttress (Main of Light HVS)

Of course we went to Roadside cragging at Robin Hood Rocks, a great cragging venue down in Tagmont. Its a real beauty spot on the Western edge though temperatures can get a touch overbearing.

Pilar leading a quality HS

Me and Pilar on "The Balcony"

We moved to Tafrout at the end of day three and immediately headed for our main objective of the trip – the summit of El Kest. Our route to the summit takes an enchainment of buttresses and ridges starting on Anergui Lower SW Ridge (Hard Severe, 300m), then traversing to the upper crag and climbing the amazing Angels Crest (Hard Diff, 160m), before hiking over to the base of Jebel El Kest and heading up to the summit up to the summit via a moderate scramble. Its a great route to do as a group though benightment was a near miss for us. Another 20 minutes taking photos on the summit and we would have struggled to find the descent path. The walk off follows Berber trails down a complex landscape among some huge cliff edges. The last section was by headlamp……

We started as a group of 9

Pilar enjoying Anergui Upper

Pilar having fun on 100m of sparsely protected V Diff

The summit! - Views of the Sahara Desert and the Atlas

Heading due west to find the Berber decent trail. A low sun and time against us

We ended the trip climbing the super classic The White Tower Original Route (HVS 5a, 165m). This super classic route was said to have a long and arduous walk in. However we were pleasantly surprised as it involved zero bushwhacking and was reasonably straightforward. The tower looms up out of a Gully and is a real summit like spire that calls to be climbed. Me, Pilar and Julian climbed it as a three, swinging leads. The rock is pristine, and the positions feel alpine like as the climb never strays too far from the arete of the cliff giving a great exposed feeling to the whole route……