Above: The Tizi n'Tichka pass during a snowstorm in the Atlas Mountains

As we drove away from Kasbah Tamadot, the landscape changed from the Mediterranean terrain of the Asni valley to rocky semidesert. This environment soon turned into tortured layers of black basalt, glistening in the drizzle that appeared from nowhere. As we ascended into the High Atlas Mountains, the rain morphed into sleet and then snow.

Join Andrew Harper today to continue reading our exclusive content.