Caving in Morocco - Information request

[Tom_1]

Hi All

SUSS is currently starting to plan for an expedition to Morocco for summer 2012 and we would massively appreciate any information anyone has about different areas (e.g. High - Mid Atlas or the Rif mountains) any if anyone has any contacts uot there that they are willing to share that would be fantastic.

Many Thanks

Tom1

 

[Les W]

I know Emma Porter has contacts there and I believe Mr O'Doc (mro doc) on here has been there in the past...

 

[graham]

I know Emma Porter has contacts there and I believe Mr O'Doc (mro doc) on here has been there in the past...

Don't know about Emma, but Mr O'Doc did indeed go there with the Cerebos some years back. You should find write ups in the Cerebos N/L. An account of the 1981 trip can also be found in this UBSS N/L pp 12-15.

 

[jarvist]

Imperial were there (High Atlas) in 1999 and 2001:
http://union.ic.ac.uk/rcc/caving/morocco/recce99/morocco99.php
http://union.ic.ac.uk/rcc/caving/morocco/expo2001/report.php

The overall feel I get from the expo reports is that lots of shaft bashing went on, but almost everything choked near the surface. You just need one shaft to go however...

If you are interested in revisiting this area (I think the 2001 expo went to the general area of Jbel Ghat), we have difficult to find old French high resolution maps of the area, which we can lend / scan / repro.
Julia Barrott (associated with the Oxford CC) has been in touch over the last few years, and was planning a scientifically orientated (reconstruction of paleo climate or somesuch, I'm not a geologist!) revisit to this area, but I'm not sure whether this recce / expedition has gone ahead. We are still in touch with the expedition members, who may also be able to provide suggestions of what may be interesting to look at next.

 

[mrodoc]

Every time somebody says they are going to Morocco I try to get them interested in the ongoing potential lead at the far end of Chiker Cave. This is in the Middle Atlas.  Anybody planning to cave dive as I can point them to a sump that needs pushing. The Cerberus also visited Kef Toghobeit in the Rif Mountains. The bits I did weren't that inspiring but some of the team who went deeper say it improves considerably. PM if you want to know more.

 

[mrloop]

I strongly recommend checking French references - most of the things found by Cerberus in the early 80s were subsequently found to have been discovered by French teams a few years previously.  Bon chance!

 

[maxb727]

Apologies if this is no help at all, but I recall at talk at Hidden Earth this year about Morocco, the name that springs to mind from this talk is Simon Brooks. I think it was more on tourist trips but he may have some recent contacts out there.

 

[rhychydwr1]

Three refs come to mind:

CINQ ANNEES D' EXPLORATIONS SOUTERRAINES AU MAROC by Soc Speleo du Maroc.  Jan 1953.  51 pp xerox with numerous surveys and maps.  An important catalogue of Moroccan caves. 

GROTTES ET PAYSAGES de l?Atlas au Taurus by Pierre Strinati with a preface by Norbert Casteret 1956  with 55 photos by the author.  This is a book that has stood the test of time.  A collection of cave photographs from Morocco to Turkey that attracted as much excitement today as when they were first published.  SB In French 

LES GRANDES CAVITES DU MAROC or Le"Bulletin Special Speleo Maroc '87" by the Club Alpin Fran?ais de Casablanca 1987 180 pp many surveys.  Longest, deepest, new discoveries, bats in caves.  SB In French

I seem to remember seeing the last item in the WSG library with a load of other articles on Morocco.

 

[hoehlenforscher]

Can't help with the caving side but I have led 2 overland trips there in 2009 & 2010 so if you were planning on driving down I can give advice on logistics, state of roads, ferry tickets, tolls etc. Just drop me a PM. Google Earth has pretty good coverage of much of the country but high atlas has lot of cloud cover. There is a free Garmin map with contours, we found it to be very accurate and it shows almost all tracks and paths in the country. Again PM me if interested and I will send links.

Mark

 

[mrodoc]

Simon Brooks got some of  his photos and info from me Re the Cerberus trips and the French having been there first, I doubt they were cave diving and we made finds at 3 sites by diving. The trouble with the caves there is that they get rearranged at the end of every winter so evidence of previous visits can be obliterated, passages blocked that were open the previous year etc etc. At one site we dug through a dried out sump and pushed the cave to another sump. In one side passage we were baffled to find a single footprint!  Those who want to see some pics of Middle Atlas caves can at http://www.darkanddeep.co.uk/caving_foreign.asp

 

[Tom_1]

Thanks so much for all the replies so far. All really useful to know, keep it coming. 

 

[Les W]

I think Emma Porter is currently out of the country but I will try and remember to ask her when she gets back.

 

[kurek]

Hi all
Sorry for off topic question.
Does anyone hear about some cave diving places in Morocco?

Cheers
Jarek Kur

 

[mrodoc]

I have done some cave diving in Morocco. We discovered quite a significant cave in the Chara area in the early 80's. I think there is still probably work to be done there.

 

[Muddy Funkster]

Peter, I have not seen your website before. Congratulations on a beautiful collection of images both diving and caving. I have bookmarked and will enjoy some more soon.
Matt

 

[kurek]

Nice page indeed.
I will focus on this region. I think I will ask forum soon.
Who does support caving expeditions to Morocco (some local caving organization)? Is there permission needed?

Cheers
Jarek

 

[mrodoc]

Thanks for kind words