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How did transhumance work for sheepherders in the High Atlas?

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Map showing the Atlas Mountains across Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia in North Africa, with color shading to indicate elevation changes. Major mountain ranges, cities, rivers, and physical features such as the High Atlas, Anti-Atlas, Saharan Atlas, and surrounding deserts are labeled. An inset locator map highlights the region's position in northern Africa. — Atlas Mountains The Atlas Mountains.

In the High Atlas mountains of Morocco, sheepherders practice transhumance—a form of seasonal migration—to manage their livestock across varying altitudes. This traditional pattern involves grazing sheep on low-lying lands during the winter months and moving them to higher mountain pastures during the summer.1

This practice is closely tied to the broader lifestyle of the Berber people, specifically the Ishelhiyen (Shluh) of the High Atlas, who combine pastoralism with agriculture. While transhumance remains a key element of their stock-raising strategy, many families also engage in farming, utilizing terraced fields and irrigation from wadis to grow cereals and vegetables.1

It is important to note that in some regions, such as the Middle Atlas, this traditional transhumance has significantly declined due to the expansion of sedentary agriculture, though the summer ascent to high pastures often persists.1