Said Belhaj's blog

In one and a half month you really get to experience a whole lot of things. The past period I spent in Morocco; climbing, bolting, playing and enyoing music, visiting my family and travelling all over the country. First off I headed south, over the Atlas mountains to the classic climbing area of gorges de Todra. Along on the trip was a friend from Sweden, Kalle "Kalleballecamel" Boström. We climbed around Todra but also the relatively new area of Imeter. Such luxury; there were newly bolted routes yet to see a FA so we had loads of fun completing what someone had left undone.

photo: Jonas Paulsson/www.highandlow.nu

But I didn't bring 200 bolts for nothing. After a couple of days of rapelling down chossy rock I finally found a really nice line; about 15 meters long, starting steep and leading into a tufa headwall. It took about one day to clean and bolt the thing. Meanwhile a posse of filmmakers arrived from Sweden; Emil Sergel (producer), Danne Bengtsson (video) and Jonas Paulsson (video+still). We teamed up to film a new movie with the projectname "Catching Relity". It's basically about us travelling for climbing and music around Morocco. In maybe a not so near future on www.petzl.com! 

Getting ready to bolt with the worst drill I ever used! But you can't be so picky, it's Morocco after all.

The new creatino; Oulad Bambara (the sons of Bambara, an important part of the gnawaritual), 8c. photo: Jonas Paulsson/www.highandlow.nu 

We spent the biggest part of the time working in the mountains but also had time to head down to the dunes of Merzouga, the beginning of the Sahara desert.

After we finished filming the climbing part we hit the road for the mythical city of Marrakesh. 

Emil Sergel; working befor, under and after the road.

Marrakesh, defenetly one of my favourite places in the world. I was here by myself just before the team arrive to enter some gnawamusic rituals. You can play this music just for amusement but traditionally it's played in trance rituals, still very common in the depths of Morocco. We came to pic up some music and city shots, among the musicians we recorded was my teachers (Christer Bothén's) teacher; Abdellatif Sidi Amara.

With my friend Mostafa and the legendary gnawamaster Abdellatif Sidi Amara.

A typical scene from the square of Djemaa El Fna i Marrakesh.

After all the work was done I went to Rabat to visit my family witch means; load of fun, too much food, music en masse, no climbing... The last part being a lie as I took the wole family of over 20 persons climbing on a nearby slab one day. Didn't climb anything classic but it was easily one of the best days of the trip.

Gnawa Rabat style.

My uncle Taibis wife Tahra trying climbing for the first (and maybe but hopefully not) and last time in her life supported by my cousin Kaoutar.

The Morocco chapter is unfortunately over for this time. After not climbing for a few weeks it was time to get back to buisness. After a 9 hour drive we are now in Archidona, the home of Chilam Balam 9b+. Myself I'm trying to beat the heat and the feeling of getting pumped before you should. To be continued...