Baraka

When you have the opportunity to travel out of Europe, to the “second” or the “third” world you have to be insensible to come back home with no changes on your mind.
We are fortunate people, we must to be happy people, we try to be better people...

Morocco is really near Europe, near Spain, but is so different! Taghia is a hidden valley in the hearth of Atlas. Only 3 hundred people live there (best said survive). To arrive Taghia you have to walk two or three hours… no teachers want to do this, so the school is still waiting for one teacher with no problems to walk. But the water gives life to the valley.

Past April we have traveled to this little town with The Mountain Academy team maybe because there you can find some of the most beautiful sport long climbing in the world or maybe because there you can change a little bit your life and open your mind...

Baraka, the circle is closed

It’s impossible to describe all the impressions I have carried in my bag so I will explain you one of the most special moments for me.
It was the 7th day when Tito, Christian and me decide to follow the Baraka way, directly to the stars of the Oujdad. Baraka is a classic 680 meteres route in the west face of the Oujdad. Is one of the easier climbing routes in Taghia and one of the most recommended vertical walks to go up to the summit of Oujdad. In Sufi Baraka means “breath of life” but for me also means one of the most shocking films I have ever seen.
It’s a film with no words, only images. Instead of a story or plot, the film uses themes to present new perspectives and evoke emotion purely through cinema. The images and music explains the evolution of the earth, nature, the chaos of the cities and especially the fragility and the misery of humanity.



It’s a pleasure to find some sense, even very small, when you are a conqueror of the useless. It’s a pleasure to climb with “Dead Can Dance”, “Inkuyo” or “David Hykes” and remember sounds like “The host of seraphim”. Just thinking about it gives me goose pimples.

Definitely I really, really recommend you to buy the Baraka DVD. I really encourage you to travel to Morocco and I really, really wish you finally have the opportunity to walk or climb in Taghia.

Thanks to the MOUNTAIN ACADEMY we have change a little bit our life and we can see more far away...

back home from Taghia

I arrived 4 days ago in Innsbruck from this amazing trip to Taghia. But till now I'm not able to find back in my daily life. There exists so many work on my desk, but I can hardly find any motivation for managing all stuff, too many impressions of the climbing trip to Taghia that whir in my head. So I went for 3 days more of climbing at home instead of arrange my university affairs.

It seemed I internalised the mood of the local people (Berber) of Taghia: In Shallah!

About our climbing trip and Taghia I don't know where to start. To describe these beautiful place we have to wait for the pictures, but I hope they are coming soon...to round this post off.

But so far, we climbed a lot in the red brown and very sharp limestone. If you would see our hands totally scratched and buttered...

So a short selection of the realisations I was involved in:

Paroi des Sources: "Belle et Berbère", TD+, 300m, 6b+ (6a+) with Jirka and Seb
Paroi des Sources: "Le rêve d'Aicha", TD-, 255m, 6a+ (V+) with Sana and film team
Paroi d'Ifrig, Akka N'Tafrawt:"Canyon Apache", ED-, 280m, 6c (6b) with Corne and Remy
Paroi de la Cascade: "Haben oder Sein", ED-, 250m, 6b+ (6b) with Kurt
Oujdad: "Pilier Ouest", Td- 250m, 6a and the last pitch of "los ratones coloraos" 6b with Sana and film team

Patricia

Taghia Selections

This is a little selection from a Taghia begginer climber. I have to check with the "local guides" (The sheperds :-P). It seems they climb up to 5!!! Obiously with no rope, no climbing shoes...

STAE 500 m. V+ A1 (Taoujdad)
Voie de la Grotte, 500 m. V+ A3 (Taoujdad)
NW Pillar, 530 m. V+ (Taoujdad)
West Pillar, 500m. V+ A1 (Taoujdad)
Left Crack, VI A2 (Oujdad)
Les Folies Bérbéres, 350 m. 6c -6a obl.- (Akka n'Tzarate)
Le rève d'Aiche 255 m. 6a+ -V+ obl.- (Tadrarate)
Au nom de la reforme, 340 m. 6c -6b obl.- (Taoujdad)
Canyor Apache, 355 m. 6c+ 6b obl.- (Timrazine Canyon)
Vía del Sostre, 700 m. V+ A3 (Tagoujimt n'tsouïant)
Teixonera, 290 m. 6a+ (Tagoujimt n'tsouïant)
Istrid Astrif, 500 m. 6b (Tagoujimt n'tsouïant)
Soyez cool, mangez des moules, 400 m. 6b -6a+ obl.- (Akka)