Why not explore the Atlas Mountains, the home of the hardy Berber peoples, walking at your own pace on this unique trekking opportunity. The scenery is altogether different from our European ‘Hotel Treks’, experience the wild beauty of the High Atlas.
The adventure starts from the beautiful Riad Magi in Marrakech, located in
a quiet ancient quarter of the medina, a short walk from the souks and the
famous Djemma El Efna. From here a short spectacular drive takes you over
the dusty Hoaz plains, through the scenic gorges at Moulay Brahim, past
the Hotel Toubkal at Asni, where Winston Churchill used to paint and onto
the village of Aremd with its panoramic view of Jebel Toubkal. Later you
can visit the cascades of the Mizane valley or the shrine at the tiny
settlement of Sidi Chamharouch, before relaxing on the terrace of the
small hotel of Chez Lahcen at Aremd.
The walking takes you through Berber villages, like Imelil and Tamatert,
with apple, peach & walnut trees bright with blossom in the spring and
full of rural images of harvesting, threshing and irrigating unchanged for
centuries at other times of the year. The trail takes you up to 2279m
before descending to Ouaneskra and a night in a local Gite where you may
choose to sleep under the African stars. After the large village of
Tachddirt the trail takes us over the Tizi nou Addi pass (2960m), before
continuing through meadows to the ski village at Oukaimeden.
The walk climbs over a high pass at over 3000m before dipping into the
natural beauty of the Ourika Valley full of cascades and local craft
boutiques to our gite in Timichi for a well earned tagine. The next day we
walk down to Setti Fadma to be collected and driven through the remainder
of the Ourika Valley, eventually spilling back out onto the Hoaz plain,
then through the throbbing heart of Marrakech and back to the peaceful
Riad Magi.
7
nights/8 days - The range of accommodation varies between
a 3* hotel to a berber gite. Your first and last nights are
normally spent at our beautiful Riad Magi in Marrakech - a
typical Moroccan’s house with a panoramic terrace - giving you the
chance to sample by day and night the delights of the Djemma El Efna.
In Aremd village (for 2 nights) at the foot of the Jebel
Toubkal massif, a Berber welcome awaits you at our small hotel below
the brown and emerald terraces of this old town. At Ouaneskra
there is the chance to stay in a simple Berber gite. In Oukaimedene
we stay at either a Club Alpine Francais hostel, or the Chez Ju Ju
Pension (both with bars). The penultimate night is spent in a gite d’etape
in Timichi.
Sherpa Notes
Accommodation &
Meals 5 nights dinner, bed and breakfast, packed lunch can be
paid for locally. 2 nights bed and breakfast, in Marrakech you eat
out at your own expense. We stay in a mixture of hotels, gites and
pensions. Ensuite facilities are not generally available.
Extra nights in Marrakech are recommended.
Way Marks
The routes are popular and well walked, although you will need to follow the route notes & maps carefully as there are no waymarks. Nevertheless our muleteer guide will help you if you go wrong!
Arrival
On arrival at Marrakesh airport it is a short taxi ride to
your first hotel (included).
End of Tour
After breakfast on day 8, taxi to airport for connecting flights
(included). Flights usually leave Marrakech for the homeward journey between 6am and 10am.
Your Guide
You will be accompanied by a local Berber guide, this is due to
the remoteness of the area. You can still travel on any date
throughout the year and individually, this does not mean that you
will be joining a group.
Camping Treks in
Morocco
We also offer 3 escorted camping treks in Morocco more
information
