Snow Chains

Snow chains are metal chains you fit around the driven wheels to bite into snow and ice, giving grip that ordinary tyres simply cannot manage on a slippery mountain road. On the right surface they transform a car’s traction.

People are often surprised that this matters in Morocco, but the High Atlas gets real winter snow, and passes toward ski areas and mountain villages can require chains when conditions turn. If your winter trip heads up into the mountains, it is a genuine consideration.

They are not for everyday roads. Fitted on clear tarmac they damage the tyres and the road and make the ride harsh, so you put them on only where snow or ice demands it and take them off once you are back on a clear surface.

If you might need them, ask the rental company whether chains are available or required for your route, learn to fit them before you are cold and stranded, and check local conditions in winter before heading for a mountain pass.