A long day of travel through some amazingly diverse scenery today. After leaving Fez we travelled through little villages as we headed up into the mountains combining cultural exploration with scenic beauty.

So what did we see today;

Ifrane, known as the "Little Switzerland of Morocco" is a town nestled at an altitude of 1750 meters above sea level. A walk in this place will really be a breath of fresh air! Check out the alpine styled architecture - Pointed roofs and wooden details are common on the chalet-like buildings. Look for storks nesting high on the roofs. And don't forget to admire the Gourand cedar, unmistakable with its gigantic, candlestick-shaped branches that reach up to 10 metres in circumference.
Ifrane's landmark is the stone lion which commemorates the last wild Atlas lion, which was shot near here in the early 1920s. Locals like to joke that every full-fledged Moroccan has at least one photograph with the sculpture so it was not surprising that I had to wait to get a photo!!

Cedar Forest, the world's largest of its kind, spanning approximately 300,000 hectares and home to friendly magot monkeys and Barbary macaques. Atlas Cedars are known for their impressive size and longevity. Some of these trees are estimated to be over 400 years old, while others may be even older.

The Middle Atlas mountains features diverse and picturesque landscapes, including forested areas, lush valleys, and rocky peaks. Its terrain consists of a series of plateaus and basins, with elevations ranging from 1,500 to 3,000 meters. The highest point in the Middle Atlas is jbel Bou Naceur, reaching an elevation of 3,340 meters. Both the climate and landscape will change as you drive into southern Morocco, which is brimming with stunning mountain lakes and Berber villages.

This is when the roads got a little bit frightening as we headed into the High Atlas mountains.....

Tizi N'Tairhemt camel pass the highest in North Africa at 2260 metres. 'Tichka' is the Berber word for 'difficult', and roads in this area are some of the most dangerous in Morocco. Tizi n'Test pass stretches approximately 30 miles between Tafingoult and Mouldikht, and can take from 75 to 90 minutes to drive without stopping. The terrain consists of lush valleys with olive groves and nut trees, red-brown clay hills, and snow-streaked tall mountains, dotted with traditional Berber villages. See the mysterious Tinmel Mosque, one of only two mosques in the country that permits non-Muslims to enter.

Gorges du Ziz is a highly scenic canyon hemmed in by inhospitable and barren cliffs. The road is surrounded by cliffs and is both mountainous and winding. The road is 55.4 km long, running south-north from Errachidia to Kerrandou.

We stopped at a Berber camp along the way where we met some local people and were able to see how they live. We also got to hear some traditional songs and our guide Samir joined in.

Our final stop for the day was at an Oasis so we knew we were getting close to the Sahara Desert. The majority of oases in Morocco can be found in the Sahara desert, having been chosen due to the presence of water in those locations. Over time, desert dwellers living around these areas constructed ingenious irrigation canals, planting palm trees, vegetables, and fruit trees.