The Imperial College Caving Club Expedition to the High Atlas, 1971 documents a six‑week overland scientific and exploratory caving venture . The expedition was conceived as both a training opportunity and a reconnaissance mission into the largely unexplored limestone regions of Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains. Previous British university expeditions had focused on the Middle Atlas, particularly the Chiker–Friouata system, but the High Atlas remained speleologically undocumented. The objective was therefore to assess the caving potential of these higher, more remote limestone plateaus, with a secondary plan to revisit the Middle Atlas to complete exploration of the Trou d’Anfef cave system first entered in 1967.
Travel began on 7 August with the team driving from London through France and Spain, crossing into North Africa via the Ceuta ferry before heading inland to Fez and then into the mountains. From Midelt, they reached Mitkane—the planned base camp—after navigating rough tracks. Early interactions with the local Maison de Forêt warden were essential, as water access, grazing rights, and land use were tightly regulated. Establishing camp allowed the group to begin systematic cave searching, surveying, photography, and geological documentation.
Although the team found fewer major cave systems than hoped, they successfully investigated multiple sites, produced original surveys, and expanded preliminary knowledge of High Atlas speleology. The expedition ultimately confirmed the region’s potential while highlighting logistical difficulties, limited access to water, and the need for further reconnaissance.