Toubal Hike in Morocco

Day 1: Marrakech - Ouirgane - Azerzeane - Tizziane You will be picked up from your hotel in Marrakech at 0800h (08:00 am). Travel south in a private car accompanied by an English-speaking guide over the Moulay Brahim Gorges and Upper valleys way up into the foothills of the Western High Atlas ranges, passing through Asni, where, to our left, we get our first real sight of mighty Jbel Toubkal and her sisters Aguelzim and Aksoual. We continue on to the Berber village of Ouirgane to meet up with our muleteers at the Hotel Au Sanglier Qui Fume, where we start our 6 hour hike. We strike out to the village of Touroud to take the piste which leads up to the Tassa Ouirgane National Park. At the village of Tassa Ouir, we hike up between juniper and redwoods to stop for our picnic. Once refreshed, we set off up the slopes, through the village of lkoubline until we reach the pretty village of Tizziane for our dinner and overnight accommodation in a Berber Gîte d’étape. ​ Day 2: Tizziane - Assaka - Âazib Assoual After breakfast we set out on our 6 hour hike up to traverse the Tizi n’Touati and into the Assaka Plateau where we stop for our picnic. In the afternoon our route takes us down the higher slopes, passing by the âazib n’Assaka and down to the Valley of the Assif D’Knt and the Berber village of D’Knt. Continue along the valley, through fields of potato and barley to our dinner and campsite in the âazib n’Assouâl. ​ Day 3: Âazib Assoual - Tizi n’Taghoudalalte - Tizi Oussem After Breakfast, we set out for a 5 hour hike further towards the south, along goat trails and stark winding slopes to traverse the Tizi n’Taghoudalalte. Here we will rest awhile to admire the view, before starting to descend amidst the juniper trees to our picnic site. From here we set off down to the head of the Valley of the n’Aït Ouissa’dane, crossing the river to hike alongside irrigation ditches and small mills towards the last village in this valley Tizi Oussem. Here we will find the Jbels Tasghimout to our left, Aguelzim and Tazaghârt to the right and it is here that we set up our campsite for the night and have dinner. ​ Day 4: Tizi Oussem - Äazib n’Tamsoult – Tazaghart Refuge After breakfast we set out on a 4½ hour trek to climb up the Aït Ouissa’dane Valley towards the peak of the Aoirir n’lrg. We will climb as far as âazib n’Tamsoult and from here we will gain a close-up view of the snow-capped Jbel Toubkal. From here we climb up to the Tamsoult Cascade, to continue up through the rocks to the final Tazaghârt refuge. Tonight’s dinner and accommodation will be in the refuge. Day 5: Tazaghart Refuge - Tizi n’Taddate - Jbel Bignouissen - Toubkal Refuge Today we will take a 7½ hour trek up steep off-the-beaten tracks to traverse the remote and challenging Tizi n’Taddate. We follow rarely trodden loose-pebbled goat trails to the Jbel Bignouissen and up to our picnic on this beautiful summit and sight of tomorrow’s challenge: Jbel Toubkal. Then to the Toubkal Refuge. Here we shall have tonight’s dinner, and overnight accommodation in the Refuge or under canvas. ​ Day 6: Toubkal Refuge - Jbel Toubkal Summit - Tizi n’Ounoums - Toubkal Refuge An early breakfast and then set out at around 0500h (5am) for a 3 hour steep climb to Maghreb. We shall descend via the lkkhibi Sud - or South Circuit - for a straightforward 2 to 3 hour descent back to the Refuge and our picnic. This afternoon, we shall take a gentle hike south-eastwards up for a couple of hours to the head of the Assif Aït Mizane Valley and Tizi n’Ounoums. When ready, we return to the area of the Toubkal refuge for our welcome dinner, campsite or overnight accommodation in the refuge. ​ Day 7: Toubkal Refuge - Sidi Chamharouch - Aroumd - Imlil - Marrakech After breakfasted, we shall now set off on our final 4½ hour lap back towards the north along steeply descending, rocky, zigzagging and sometimes precarious trails of the higher slopes of the Valley of the Assif n’Isouhouanem n’Ouagounss - rich in seasonal wildflowers, some only to be found in this specific area, including, in spring, the splendid, multi-petalled Peony Rose - towards the Berber village of Sidi Chamharouchwhere we’ll stop for our picnic besides a small waterfall. On leaving the village, we shall notice a tree, sacred to the local Berbers, where they hang strips of coloured cloth and pile up stones around the trunk. We descend for about 8kms. high above the valley of the Assif n’Aït Mizane, down zigzagging trails around granite and basalt grey rocks to Aroumd (Aremd) (1843m), built on a spur of moraine rock commanding one of the more fertile valleys of the High Atlas mountains with terraced, irrigated plots and fields of maize, onions and fruit trees on all sides. Continuing on through groves of almond and walnut trees for some 4kms along the floor of the valley, thence up a well-defined mule track zigzagging above the oued to arrive, finally, at the Berber village of Imlil (1740m), Morocco’s ‘Little Chamonix,’ we shall halt here to enjoy a glass of mint tea - or two - at the Gîte d’étape of our senior guide prior to rejoining our vehicle by around 4.30 to take us back to Marrakech.