Ferry Irwandi
A persistent chorus of shrill bleats and guttural baas echoes across the canyons and basalt towers of Jebel Saghro in southeastern Morocco, signaling the movement of one of Africa’s oldest pastoral traditions. High on a rocky peak, the crimson djellaba of Telhou Belâwane, matriarch of a traditional Berber family, marks the proximity of the herd. To the untrained eye, the onyx coats of the goats remain frustratingly indistinguishable from the volcanic terrain, yet this ancient landscape has sustained the semi-nomadic rhythm of the Aït Atta tribe for millennia.
This journey forms the centerpiece of an immersive travel initiative that brings global attention to disappearing indigenous knowledge systems. As modern pressures alter traditional ways of life across the globe, documentation and experiential education have emerged as critical tools for cultural preservation.
Main Facts and the Mechanics of Transhumance
Jebel Saghro serves as the ancestral homeland of the Aït Atta—historically one of the most powerful Berber, or Amazigh (meaning "free people"), tribes in the region. Twice each year, the tribe executes a seasonal pastoral journey known as transhumance, moving livestock upwards of 180 miles from the high-altitude summer grazing grounds of the High Atlas Mountains down to the winter pastures of Jebel Saghro.
Participating in this migration requires navigating extreme topographies characterized by flat-topped mesas, dry riverbeds, and umber cliffs. The environment is so arid that the Berber tongue refers to Saghro as the "Land of Thirst." Despite the harsh conditions, the Belâwane family—comprising Telhou, her husband Hmad, and their 17-year-old daughter Saâdia—maintains a traditional caravan structure. Before the integration of a specialized logistical support team, their mobile household typically included roughly 200 goats, two herding dogs, two egg-laying chickens, and three donkeys tasked with carrying water jugs, tea kettles, blankets, and essential camp supplies.
The expedition offers a firsthand look into a rapidly vanishing mode of existence. Travel operator Black Tomato integrated this trek into its curated itinerary collection titled "The Keepers." According to Tom Marchant, co-founder of Black Tomato, the initiative was developed on the premise that in an era dominated by instantaneous digital information, authentic human knowledge and direct cultural connection represent the ultimate luxuries for contemporary travelers.
Chronology of the Trek and Logistics
The migration follows a strict, time-tested chronology dictated entirely by the needs of the livestock and the shifting weather patterns of the region.
Phase One: Rendezvous and Initial Ascent
The journey begins at the edge of the Dadès Valley in the village of Tagdilt. Here, support staff—including local mule handlers such as head handler Zaïd Oukhazaid—meet travelers to organize the caravan. The route immediately tests participants with a rigorous two-hour warm-up hike leading to the Tircht pass at an elevation of 6,100 feet. Aït Atta families possess traditional rights to specific migration corridors, utilizing established stone shelters known as azib to protect their animals overnight.
Phase Two: High-Altitude Crossings
As the trek progresses deeper into the mountains, daily distances increase to over seven miles. The route forces travelers and herders alike to scale steep, rubbly paths culminating at mountain passes such as Tizi n’ Tircht, which sits at an elevation of 8,200 feet. This pass provides sweeping vistas overlooking the High Atlas Mountains and descends toward remote, designated campsites like Azib Almou n’ Ouarg. While the daytime schedule involves grueling physical exertion across rocky terrain, evenings are dedicated to communal meals prepared inside goat-hair tents, featuring traditional staples such as harira soup, kefta, and slow-cooked couscous.
Phase Three: Integration and Daily Routines
Life on the trail operates on the rhythm of the herd. While male family members manage pack animals and camp logistics, the women and younger family members guide the goats across near-vertical cliffs of scree, stopping hourly to allow the animals to graze. Daily routines incorporate practical cultural exchanges, including traditional bread-making (aghroum), the grinding of local ingredients like amlou (a Moroccan almond spread), and navigating livestock management techniques under the guidance of veteran herders.
Supporting Data and Socioeconomic Pressures
The traditional transhumance lifestyle faces unprecedented threats from environmental and legislative shifts. Demographic and economic data highlight a stark decline in the practice:
- Population Decline: Hmad reported that only six families within his specific sub-tribe, the Ait Slilou, completed the migration to Jebel Saghro during the recent season, a sharp drop from historical averages of approximately 80 participating families.
- Legislative Impacts: Educational policies enacted in 2019 mandate school attendance for children aged 6 to 16. While improving literacy and educational equity, this legal requirement removes younger generations from the seasonal migrations, depriving families of vital labor pools needed to manage large herds.
- Environmental Stressors: Rising global temperatures and prolonged regional droughts have severely reduced the availability of viable pastureland and water sources along historical migration corridors.
- Infrastructure Shifts: The expansion of modern infrastructure—bringing electricity and reliable municipal water to permanent villages—creates a natural disincentive for younger generations to return to the severe physical hardships of nomadic life.
Official Responses and Cultural Context
The preservation of Amazigh culture remains a focal point for regional development and national identity in Morocco. Government policies in recent years have worked to formally recognize Berber language and cultural heritage within the national framework.
During the expedition, the caravan’s daily discussions intersected with broader socio-political developments in Morocco, including national administrative milestones such as the appointment of the country’s first female prime minister. While younger family members remain primarily focused on immediate subsistence and livestock management, matriarchs like Telhou Belâwane have expressed quiet optimism regarding broader societal shifts toward gender representation.
Local guides and support staff, many of whom are relatives of the migrating families, embody the transitional state of the region. Men like Zaïd Oukhazaid have transitioned from full-time nomadism to permanent village life due to economic pressures and climate shifts, yet maintain deep expertise in navigating the complex terrain of Jebel Saghro. Their involvement in structured tourism initiatives provides an alternative economic lifeline, monetizing ancestral geographical knowledge while keeping traditional migration pathways active.
Broader Impact and Implications
The contraction of pastoralism in Morocco mirrors global trends observed among sheep herders in the Swiss Alps and ranching families in the American West. As families abandon land-dependent livelihoods in favor of urban or sedentary village employment, centuries of ecological data, indigenous navigation skills, and localized animal husbandry techniques risk being lost.
Initiatives that couple high-end expedition travel with authentic cultural exchange offer a dual-purpose model. On one hand, they inject vital financial support directly into rural pastoral communities, helping offset the economic burdens of drought and rising operational costs. On the other hand, they elevate the global visibility of indigenous guardians whose sustainable land-use practices offer valuable insights into climate adaptation and environmental stewardship.
Ultimately, journeys like the Aït Atta transhumance bridge the gap between the comforts of modern tourism and the rigorous realities of ancestral survival, ensuring that the ancient footpaths of Jebel Saghro continue to echo with the sounds of a resilient culture.
