Transfer from airport to the riad in the Marrakech Medina.

We will start with an early morning departure from Marrakech for a pleasant drive south, winding our way up through the Moulay Brahim gorge and upper valleys to arrive at the higher foothills of the western High Atlas mountains.

Our trailhead is at Imi Oughlad(1450m) with the Jebel Toubkal, at 4167m the highest peak in north Africa, Agelzim 3650m and Aksoual 3847m, looming before us. Here, we’ll meet up with our Berber muleteer crew, which is always a fun part of our treks.

We’ll set off in a north-westerly direction for a 2 hour acclimatization hike up switchback mule tracks, passing by cornfields, woods of pine and juniper. Eventually we will get to the Tiz n’tachete (2000m), where we shall stop to look back down on Imlil and Ait Oussaden valleys before carrying on for another half hour to Imi n’Ifri and our field picnic.

Then we’ll take a slow hike for about 2.5 hours south-west down along a dirt track to Assif n’ ait Oussaden and to the red clay terraced village of Tiziane(1750 m).

There, we will find our gite or set up our bivouac for the night.

After breakfast we’ll set off on our hike up along the Assif n’ait Oussaden valley, passing through the walnut groves, up to Tizi n’taghrhourte (1995m) and through to an almost flat stretch of landscape to arrive at the Assaka spring. At the Spring, we will stop for our field picnic amidst a welcome sense of quiet after some 2.5 hours relatively easy walking.

Our afternoon’s hike takes us down along the edges of the forest until we reach the Berber village of D’knt (1870m) where we will have our dinner and spend the night in a family‘s home or in a bivouac.

In the morning, we set off on a 3 hour hike up through groves of walnut trees, fields of corn and barley to meet the many sheep and goatherders – and women and children – carrying 20kg loads of dates and dried herbs. We’ll traverse the Tizi n’tagdalte to make a descent down to the juniper trees and eventually we’ll come to a small spring set amongst the trees, where we will stop for our picnic.

Once we’re rested and refreshed, we will set off down the winding tracks of the upper slopes for some 3 hours or so, to come to a small river at the beginning of the valley of Assif n’ait oussaden.

From here we enter the village of Tizi oussem (1850m) for our dinner and accommodation in a mountain gite.

After breakfast, we’ll strike out up through pine and juniper trees to travel the Tizi M’zzik (2450m) and descend slowly to the foot of the col just before the hamlet of M’zzik where we stop for our picnic amidst orchards of cherry, apple and nut and the surrounding Moroccan peaks.

In the afternoon, we’ll set off down to the Berber trailhead village of Imlil.

After breakfast we’ll start walking up the winding mule tracks to Tizi n’ Tamaterte (2279m) to enjoy the amazing panorama of the surrounding atlas mountain range and its valleys on our way to our picnic spot. We’ll eat on the Tizi n’Tamaterte, overlooking Jebel Oukaimeden and the beautiful plateau.

After we’ve eaten, we’ll set off following the path down to the Imnane valley until we reach our our gite in Wanskra village.

Approximately 4 hours walking.

After breakfast, we’ll set off down the Assif Imnane valley, passing through several Berber hamlets and then up to the Tizi n’Ageursiwal (2000m). Once we’ve made it through the col we shall trek down some more winding mule tracks which lead to the village of Aguersiwal (our lunch spot!).

When we’ve eaten we’ll travel along a river bed near to Imlil, allowing another hour to get up the valley to reach Imlil itself.

Our night will be spent in Imlil.

Approximately 5 hours walking.

The next day, we’ll transfer back to Marrakech at about 1.30pm.

We’ll get to explore the city of Marrakech before you had to your riad to spend the night.

Transfer to the airport.