DAY 1: MARRAKECH - OUIRGANE - AZERZEANE - TIZZIANE.

Departure from Marrakech at 8 in the morning for a pleasing 2-hour drive south over the Moulay Brahim Gorges and Upper valleys – so hold on to your hats - 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 (4167m) and her sisters Aguelzim (3547m) and Aksouâl (3847m). We continue on to the Berber village of Ouirgane – often called the oasis in the High Atlas – with its lemon, lime and grapefruit orchards, date palms and thousands of rose bushes – to meet up with our muleteers at the Hotel Au Sanglier Qui Fume and the start of 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 (meaning the centre of flowers), we hike up between juniper and redwoods to stop for our picnic in the midst of walnut trees near the forest in the Valley of the Assif Azerzeane. Once refreshed, we set off up the slopes, passing through Berber hamlets, their pisé homes shaded by walnut and apple trees and past well-tended plots of barley and corn, through the village of Ikoubline until we reach the pretty village of Tizziane (1600m) for our dinner and overnight accommodation in a Berber Gîte d’étape.

DAY 2: TIZZIANE - ASSAKA - ÂAZIB ASSOUÄL.

After our typical Moroccan breakfast we strike out on our 6 hour hike up through groves of walnut and almond trees, through stands of holm oak and red pine to traverse the Tizi n’Touati (2100m) and into the Assaka Plateau where we stop for our picnic. We now set out up and 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 (1800m), to continue up through fields of potato and barley to our dinner and campsite in the Âazib n’Assouâl.

DAY 3: ÂAZIB ASSOUÂL - TIZI N’TAGHOUDALALTE – TIZI OUSSEM.

Breakfast over and camp struck, we set out for today’s 5 hour hike further towards the south, up goat trails and stark winding slopes to traverse the Tizi n’Taghoudalalte (2700m), where we’ll stop to take in some impressive vistas of mountains and valleys, to descend amidst the juniper trees to our picnic site by a small stream, surrounded by an almost alpine atmosphere of mountains, wild flowers, poppies, a multitude of herbs and terraced fields. 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 (1850m), the Jbels Tasghimout (2004m) to our left, Aguelzim (3547m) and Tazaghârt (3843m) to the south, where we set up our campsite and dinner for the night.

DAY 4: TIZI OUSSEM – ÄAZIB N’TAMSOULT – TAZAGHÂRT REFUGE.

After breakfast we strike out on today’s 4½ hour trek to climb up towards the end of the Aït Ouissa’dane Valley and the juniper trees on the slopes of the Aoirir n’Irg (3173m) until we reach the Âazib n’Tamsoult (2100m) and our close-up view of the snow-capped Jbel Toubkal. From here we climb up to the Tamsoult Cascade (2300m), also known as the Irhoulidene Cascade, to continue up through the rocks to the final couloir in the valley to the Tazaghârt Refuge (3000m) - formerly known as the Lepiney Refuge - and essentially a rock-climbing base for the cliff face of Tazaghârt (3843m) – where we shall take our picnic on the ridge. Tonight’s dinner and accommodation will be in the Refuge and there is ample opportunity this afternoon for a stroll around the starkly-beautiful upper slopes, or simply relax in some awesome surroundings, for tomorrow is going to be a long day. 

DAY 5: TAZAGHÂRT REFUGE - TIZI N’TADDATE - JBEL BIGNOUISSEN - TOUBKAL REFUGE.

Breakfast tucked away we strike out on our 7½ hour trek up steep off-the-beaten tracks to traverse the remote and challenging Tizi n’Tadat (3700m) for a panorama that will simply take your breath away. We follow rarely trodden loose-pebbled goat trails to the Jbel Bignouissen (4009m) and up to our picnic on this beautiful summit and sight of tomorrow’s challenge: Jbel Toubkal. When ready, we set off down the slopes to the Toubkal (ex-Neltner) Refuge which, at 3207m, marks the spring snowline. Here we shall have tonight’s dinner, bivouac or overnight accommodation in the Refuge * and time to rest up from the hard day’s trek and gird ourselves for tomorrow and the summit attack.

DAY 6: TOUBKAL REFUGE - JBEL TOUBKAL SUMMIT - TIZI N’OUNOUMS - TOUBKAL REFUGE.

A very early breakfast to set out at around 5 in the morning to witness a spectacular sunrise and attain, after a 3hour steep climb - not too technical and not too demanding for the reasonably fit - the highest peak in the Maghreb (4167m). The panorama from the summit is simply stunning. This remarkable climb and view is so much worth the effort. The first recorded climb of this peak (in 1923) was made by the French mountaineers V. Berger, M. Doubleau and the intrepid Marquis de Segonzae. Whenever you are ready, we shall descend via the Ikkhibi Sud – or South Circuit – for a straightforward (with your guide) 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 (3664m) which, from this high point, gives us a tremendous view of the trail we’ve covered and of the distant cobalt green outline of Lake Ifni. When ready, we return to the area of the Toubkal Refuge for our welcome dinner, bivouac or overnight accommodation in the Refuge

DAY 7: TOUBKAL REFUGE – SIDI CHAMHAROUCH – AROUMD – IMLIL - MARRAKECH.

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 Chamharouch where 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