Taddart is a high-country village on the southern side of the Tizi n'Tichka, the road that carries traffic over the High Atlas between Marrakech and Ouarzazate. The pass itself is about 2,260 metres, among the highest paved crossings in North Africa, and the road descends on the south side into a dry, rocky world of clay-coloured villages, terraced fields and palm oases. Taddart lies in that southern descent, where the air warms and the greens turn to ochre.
The pass is one of the great Moroccan riding roads, though it is not a delicate one. Hairpins climb through rock walls and scrub, with the surface worn by trucks, and the edges crumble in places, with rockfall after rain. Traffic is heavy with lorries, buses and shared taxis, so overtaking decisions matter. Snow can close the pass in winter, and fog and ice are real risks from December to March, so check conditions. Spring brings wildflowers and cool air, and autumn is clear.
The landscape south of the pass changes quickly. Red earth and green terraces give way to kasbahs built of pisé, rammed earth, standing along the valleys of the Ounila and other streams. Telouet, with the ruined palace of the Glaoui family, who ruled this region in the early twentieth century, lies on a side road, and the old caravan route to Ait Ben Haddou passes through. The villages are Amazigh, and many families still farm barley and almonds in tiny plots.
Services are thin in the villages, so fill up in Marrakech or Ouarzazate, and carry water. Roadside cafes sell mint tea, omelettes and tagines, and women sell rugs and fossils from stalls at the pass. Prices are best settled with a smile and a bit of patience. Take the time to stop at a viewpoint, listen to the wind, and feel how the mountains separate two climates.