DAY 1: MARRAKECH - SETTI FATMA - TIMICHI.

Departure by minibus from Marrakech around 7.30 in the morning south through one of Morocco's longest and most beautiful, refreshing valleys - the Ourika Valley - teeming with lush vegetation and Berber hamlets. Some 33km from Marrakech, this valley really starts at a small Berber village of Dar Caïd Ouriki, with its kasbah and mosque. We reach the Berber village of Tiguemi n'Oumzilet and on through hills of ever-changing colours - from red to grey to blue - in the midst of olive groves up to a visit of the ochre-red village of Akhlij, thence on to the Berber hamlet of Asouqane and a stop at Aghbalou, set amongst terraced fields seeming to hang from the slopes, and its nearby Cascade.

From here we carry on almost to the end of the remarkable valley until we reach the riverside Berber hamlet of Setti Fadma, famed for its nearby waterfalls and ancient walnut trees. Here we leave our vehicle and meet up with our Berber crew, doubtless another fun part of this exciting trek, to start our half day hike at a relatively human pace, zigzagging up the ever-narrowing river to climb up to between 500m above the oued to an impressive Berber village perched atop a huge, rocky buttress.

Having taken a break for a picnic amidst surprising surroundings, we continue on up to the multi-layered terraced village of Timichi (1900m) for our dinner and overnight accommodation in a Berber family home. Should there be time, you can take a looping hike to visit the several Berber villages located around the hill

DAY 2: TIMICHI - TACHEDDIRT - TIZI n'EDDI - OUKAÏMEDEN.

After breakfast we set out for a superb day's walk along the green and vegetated valley up along mule tracks worn from the rough and craggy mountain slopes to arrive at the Tizi n'Tacheddirt (3616m), where we shall picnic in a setting which gives us spectacular views of the surrounding peaks and valleys. We start our descent through green terraced irrigated plots for a further three hours until we reach the Berber village of Tacheddirt. From here we set out northwards to Tizi n'Eddi (2928m), thence to follow the ridge down the Oukaïmeden trail, the Jbel Angour ridge (3616m) off to our east, arriving, some three easy hours later at our campsite on Tizi n'Ouaättar Oukaïmeden (3000m) and a welcome dinner. A long day, but certainly well worth the effort.

DAY 3: OUKAÏMEDEN - ASRTEQ - TIDILI - ARG.

Breakfasted, camp broken we set out in an eastwardly direction down via zigzagging mule tracks down to the village of Asrteq (2200m), the last Berber dwelling in a stony corridor leading to the village of Tidili. Here we shall stop for a picnic prior to setting off down on a long hike to the Berber village of Tinoughar, where we should see women herding cattle or carrying 50lb loads of faggots of wood or dried herbs on their bent backs, groves of almond and walnut trees, centuries-old terraced irrigated fields and laughing children. From here we shall take a narrow, winding path down to the unique terraced village of Arg (1560m) - where Sir Winston Churchill loved to paint - where we shall set up camp, after some 7 hours walking through impressive countryside and our welcome dinner.

DAY 4: ARG - IMLIL.

Setting off after breakfast in a north-westerly direction up along a newly-opened piste through groves of almond trees of the Assif Imenane Valley, we pass through the Berber village of Amskrou (Amskere) (1707m), to arrive at the village of Ikiss (1740m) where we shall stop for a picnic amidst groves of almond trees growing along a river bank. We continue an afternoon hike up to the opposite side of the valley to cross through the Tizi n'Aguerssiouâl (1900m) and descend along the Imlil River to enjoy the view of the red-ochre village of Mattat, prior to continuing by the village of Aguerssiouâl (1530m) to reach the village of Taddert (1610m) and onwards to our dinner and overnight accommodation in the Gîte d'étape of our senior guide, Mohammed Aït Idar in Morocco's 'Little Chamonix', with the mighty Jbel Toubkal looming down on us.

DAY 5: IMLIL - AROUMD - SIDI CHAMHAROUCH - TOUBKAL REFUGE.

After breakfast, we set out steadily towards the south up to the Berber villages of Aroumd (Aremd) (1843m) Taourirt, Targa, and Imoula, up and along the stark slopes, the magnificent Western High Atlas peaks of the Jbel Toubkal Massif always immediately before us. We shall stop at Aroumd to visit this rather singular village in the Assif Aït Mizane Valley, built seemingly house upon house on a large moraine spur, overlooking ancient irrigated terraced fields of fruit trees and vegetables. We thence carry on to the equally-quaint Berber village of Sidi Chamharouch set beside a waterfall and small stream, again with its pisé homes seemingly built somewhat chaotically one into another. This village is a place of pilgrimage for devout Moslems and here there is a marabout shrine - forbidden to non-Moslems and said to be a relic of a pre-Islamic religious cult. We take a break for a picnic, within full view of mighty Jbel Toubkal, at 4167m the highest peak in the Maghreb, prior to setting off up to the Toubkal Refuge for our dinner, bivouac or overnight accommodation in the Refuge.

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 attain, after a 3hour steep climb, the highest peak in the Maghreb (4167m). The panorama from the summit is simply stunning. This remarkable climb and view is really 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 - AROUND - IMLIL.

Breakfasted and ready we shall now set off towards the north along steeply descending, zigzagging trails of the higher slopes of the Valley of the Assif n'Isouhouanem n'Ouagounss towards the Berber village of Sidi Chamharouch. Set beside a waterfall, with its homes surprisingly built one into the other, it is yet another sight to be enjoyed. There is a pilgrimage marabout shrine here, probably the remnant of a pre-Islamic culture, but forbidden to non-Muslims and, 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 as we descend high above the valley of the Assif Aït Mizane, down zigzagging trails around granite and basalt grey rocks to the remarkable village of Around (Aremd) (1840m), 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. Here we shall stop for our picnic prior to continuing on along the floor of the valley, thence up a well-defined mule track zigzagging above the river to arrive, finally, at the Berber village of Imlil (1740m), with its paths and streams branching off in all directions, to enjoy a glass of mint tea - or two - prior to rejoining our vehicle to take us back to Marrakech by 3 in the afternoon.