Footsteps in the Sahara Desert of Morocco
Footsteps at sunrise mark the red dunes of Erg Chagaga, 56 kilometers from the village of M'hamid, Morocco, near the Algerian border.
My friend, Art Adams, and I had recently climbed Djebel Toubkal (Mount Toubkal), the highest peak in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco (and in North Africa for that matter). We decided to head to the Sahara, rented a car, and drove south.
After passing the night in Ouarzazate and continuing south through Zagora, we made it to the dusty town of M'hamid.
From there, we headed southeast into the Sahara, bound for the dunes of Erg Chagaga. Sunrise the next morning bought us to the top of the 200 meter dunes, splashed in red with the morning sun. Tuareg nomads tended to their sheep and camels below, and a soft breeze blew fine Saharan sand across the ruddy dunes.
It was a spectacular morning, and one I won't soon forget.
- Jake Norton & MountainWorld Photography