Saharan Sunset

After leaving Boudnib we were soon on the road south passing high above the palmeries of the Ziz Valley before reaching Erfoud where we bought food during a walk around the town which until the road was improved was the starting point for adventure trips to the edge of the Sahara. The new road however enables people to reach Merzouga and Erg Chebi independently and thus these two villages have extended acrosss the hammada and provide a range of accommodation options. We returned to the familiar (for me) Camping Les Pyramides which is right on the edge of the village with the desert sands frequently drifting across the camping area.

We walked out to the main dunes as the sun set and enjoyed the remarkable transformation as the light changed before later sitting out under the stars. The simple but clean facilities provided hot showers and we slept well in a very peaceful location.



The day dawned bright and clear and a couple of camel trains passed taking tourists on their Saharan experience whilst we unloaded the spoked camels and set off to ride through the villages paralleling the long range of the dunes. We passed other camping options, hotels and numerous camel riding outlets and at one stage enjoyed a route through the luxuriant palmery following one of the irrigation channels.
By lunchtime we turned back to avoid the heat of the day, took a track across to the tarmac and were soon back at base after passing the construction site for a new school.
Later we set off to climb the main dune ready for sunset and slogged up the steep slope making slow progress in the soft sand. It was a stunning experience to reach the ridge and see the dunes extend eastwards towards the Algerian border which follows the line of a steep distant escarpment.
Below us 'traditional Berber camps' were scattered amongst the lower dunes waiting to provide the Saharan experience and we walked along the various crests as the sun set. At one stage a couple of paragliders took off for what seemed a very short flight for the effort involved in getting to the top.
Four Spanish lads turned up on noisy dirt bikes - it seems a shame that some people cannot just enjoy the stark simplicity of these amazing places as quads and four wheel drives were also tearing up the normally pristine sands.
Walking back in the dark we enjoyed the stars before another cosy night as outside the temperature dropped away sharply.

After filling up with water we headed back to Erfoud and took the road west towards Goulmima stopping en route to visit the remarkable underground irrigation channels that for thousands of years enabled the locals to survive in this harsh environment. Hundreds of wells have been sunk in to the dry riverbed but even these are now above the water table so modern agriculture now relies on solar powered pumps to penetrate even deeper in search of the run off from the High Atlas. 
Our guide made us tea in his tented home and was refreshingly reticent in pushing us to buy anything or even pay for our tour.
We stopped for lunch on the edge of the Goulmima palmery although as I was feeling a little rough I was content with plenty of water before we meandered through the shady palms. We began the climb up through the Gheris Gorge in to the High Atlas passing astounding geology either side of the steep canyon. In places the road was damaged by flood waters but we carried on reaching Amellago on a high plateau where early almonds were flowering and the small fields were showing signs of the spring crops emerging. 
We had decided to stay out in the wilds and found a large gravelled area above the river that would be ideal for the night. On stretching our legs later further along the road we spotted a German van also parked up and as dusk fell a wizzened farmer passed by and seemed keen to invite us back for tea and bread. Being unsure as to how far his house was, having seen no sign of habitation, we politely declined.

Next day we carried on over to Assoul passing through the dramatic mountain scenery and receiving friendly waves from the small children accompanying their mothers on foraging expeditions for animal fodder. The shepherds were largely men moving their flocks of brown sheep and small black goats in search of good grazing, some of the flocks were surprisingly large and spilled across the steep rocky slopes with incredible agility.

Dropping down the Todra Gorge we came across a huge quarrying operation - a new dam high up in the gorge is planned which will reduce the risk of flash flooding lower down, improve the reliability of water supply for the higher villages and I guess provide some hydro electric potential.
As we dropped to Tineghir we passed through the narrowest part of the gorge with its numerous souvenir stalls and crowd of day tourists before reaching the Hotel Atlas that I have used before. We were soon installed in a sunny corner of the gravel yard and after lunch took off across the river to spend an enthralling couple of hours exploring the old ksir (pise constructed town) that is now slowly disppearing back in to the land. It was touching to see the odd fancy embelishment above doors and windows, peer in to once tended gardens, climb to the upper floors on crumbling stairways to terraces for views across the palms to the new town and then follow the irrigation channels through the palms.

Back at the site the hoped for hot showers were in fact cold so I took the soft option and used the  van facilities before another quiet night. A flight home for Mandy was booked (£50) which will help with the planning for the remaining fortnight of her stay.
Today we intend to ride back up the Gorge although at present the sun is tucked behind the clouds so we are biding our time until it emerges - hence this update and these pictures here.