Trekking in the High Atlas

I had always dreamed of walking in the Atlas mountains of Morocco as the very name conjures up an image of romance and adventure. But, not for the first (or last) time, I have to confess that I chickened out of fully independent travel and booked a “land-only” tour with Explore, the well known UK travel company. I booked my own flights, which was the economical thing to do and allowed a couple of extra, independent days in Morocco at the end of the official tour. I will give my conclusions about this “package tour” at the bottom, in the Reflections section.

Costs. Flight £131 (including hold baggage). Explore tour £572 (including single room supplement and credit card fees – boo!). Tips (in essence, compulsory because of the organised nature of the tour...) MAD650. Marrakech non-tour hotel (B&B) MAD382. Marrakech riad (B&B) MAD357 per night. Marrakech airport bus MAD30 each way. Typical evening meal in Marrakech MAD55 (with non-alcoholic drinks)–MAD210 (with alcoholic drinks – these are expensive in Marrakech). Total cost of trip £950.

Places I stayed and was happy with. Hotel Akabar, Marrakech (Day 1, Read my review); Riad Al Nour, Marrakech (Days 16 and 17, Read my review).

Day 1: Travel to Marrakech. Left home at 12.15 pm and caught the bus into town and then to the airport. My flight left on time at 3.05 pm and arrived on time at 7.05 pm, taking the full scheduled four hours. Passport control was chaotic and heaving and changing money not much better. Changed £40 for MAD 540 at airport. Caught the bus to the city centre (this was surprisingly easy!) and, somewhat confused in the dark, got off near the main square in the medina. But this was not where I wanted to be! Despite having only a poor map and no obvious road signs, I managed to navigate my way on foot to my comfortable hotel (pre-booked), arriving at 9 pm.

Day 2: Explore Marrakech. Had breakfast at around 8.30 am. Walked around a bit and bought some water. Came back to the hotel, checked out about 11.45 am, and then killed some time in the hotel bar. Moved next door to the Hotel Imilchil at 12.50 pm and met our Explore tour leader, a native Berber. I found out that there were just five of us on the tour, all male, and we were meeting at 9 am the next day ready for a 9.30 am start. I then walked down to the main square in the medina and changed £60 for MAD 833.50. Went out for dinner (chicken tagine) in the new town.

Day 3: Travel to Imlil; walk to Around. Breakfast at 8 am and then went to meet the tour group at 9 am. We left hotel at about 9.45 am and drove in a minibus for maybe 1 h 45 min to the village of Imlil, the main gateway to the High Atlas. Started walking at 11.30 am. Walked up to Around village and gîte where we were going to spend the night. This took about 1 h. Had extended tea and lunch. Went for a walk with our tour guide around the village for 2 h. Dinner was at 7.30 pm. Bed about 9.15 pm.

Day 4: Walk to Ouanesekra. Breakfast at 8 am. Started walking at 9.10 am. Walked up to 2250 m col in 3 h 30 min. Then descended for a bit and had extended lunch break, finishing at 2.40 pm. Arrived at gîte at 4.10 pm. Had tea, shower and then yet more food. A second tour group arrived and stole the best bedrooms while we were having tea. Bed about 9.30 pm.

Day 5: Walk to Iabassene. Breakfast at 7 am, after a very windy night. Started walking at 8 am. Steady, pleasant climb up to col at 3100 m, arriving at about 12 noon. Bought chocolate bar from a blind man on the summit of the col (but was forced to give most of it to his very insistent donkey – a good business model, I think!). Descended for 30 min and then had rather cramped lunch in a nice spot, which we did not leave as clean as when we arrived. Descended for another 2 h and reached village and its rather dirty gîte at about 4 pm. Had tea, doughnuts and – eventually – a shower and dinner.

Day 6: Walk to Oukaïmeden. Breakfast at 6.30 am. I told our guide that I was not impressed with the cleanliness of the gîte (rhymes with “sheet”...), which earned me a certain reputation for the rest of the tour. Started walking at 7.30 am. Reached second 3100 m col at 11.45 am. Had lunch, finishing at 12.30 pm. Descended to slightly bizarre modern ski-ing village of Oukaïmeden, arriving at 2.40 pm. The Club Alpin Français hostel was clean and comfortable but was overrun with hundreds of noisy francophone school kids. Shaved and had shower. Wifi! Tea and biscuits at 4 pm. Dinner at 7.30 pm.

Day 7: Day in Oukaïmeden. Breakfast at 9 am. Wifi had stopped working. Left hotel at 10 am to view rock carvings but wind was dreadful. Back at hotel at 11.10 am for tea. Lunch at 1 pm. I went for a short walk with my camera, despite the wind. Coffee and cake at 4.30 pm. Still no Wifi. Dinner at 7.30 pm.

Day 8: Walk to Aguersioual. Breakfast at 7.30 am. Started walking at 8.30 am. There was a brief uphill bit and then a long descent. Saw snake, well spotted by our guide – Psammophis schokari. Stopped for lunch at 12.35 pm in pleasant but chilly spot by river. Started walking again at 2.40 pm and climbed over a second pass to reach village gîte on main road at about 4.35 pm. Had tea and then more tea. Dinner at 7.30 pm. This was the night of the European Champions League final but there was no TV in the gîte. Our football-mad guide apologised that there was no way we could watch it. However, after dinner, he was seen jumping into a car and speeding off!

Day 9: Walk to Tizi Oussem. Breakfast at 8 am. Our guide claimed he had walked to the next village (Imlil) to see the second half of the football – but there simply was not enough time? Started walking at 9 am. Made gradual ascent to col at 2200 m and then descent to lunch at 12.30 pm, which lasted about two (freezing) hours. Carried on descent and then slight ascent again to village gite at 1850 m, arriving 3.40 pm. We raced to have our showers before a group of 14 Norwegian ladies arrived. Dinner at 7.45 pm.

Day 10: Walk to Azib n’Tzikert; camp. Breakfast at 8 am. Started walking at 9 am. Reached waterfall. The Norwegian ladies then arrived, causing a great stir. Descended to our lunch spot at 12 noon. Started walking again at 1.45 pm and reached our wild campsite for the night about 2.35 pm. Put up tents. Washed in mountain stream. Tea at 4.30 pm. Dinner at 7.30 pm.

Day 11: Walk to Toubkal base camp. Breakfast at 7.30 am. Washed in stream. Start walking at 8.25 am. Climbed to top of spectacular 3500 m pass, arriving 12.15 pm – utterly stunning views. Had lunch, finishing at 1 pm. Descended to campsite near the two big mountain huts, arriving about 2.30 pm. Showered in one of the climbing huts. Tea and doughnuts at 4.30 pm. Dinner at 7.30 pm.

Day 12: Climb Toubkal (4167 m); return to base camp. Breakfast at 6.30 am. Started walking at 7.20 am. Summited Toubkal (4167 m) at 10.25 am. The views were superb and it was a good opportunity to chat to the many other happy climbers on the summit. Left summit at about 11.05 am. Reached base camp again at 1.35 pm. Had lunch. Showered in one of the huts. Tea at 5 pm. Dinner at 7.30 pm.

Day 13: Walk to Around. Breakfast at 8 am. Started walking at 9.05 am. Arrived in the village gite at 1.20 pm. Had lunch. Endured the tipping ceremony for the mule team and our cook. Had cold shower. The Wifi was working! And then not working. Tea and doughnuts at 5.15 pm. Wifi working again! Dinner at 7.30 pm.

Day 14: Walk to Imlil; travel to Marrakech. Wifi was not working. Breakfast at 8 am. Left at 9 am and walked down hill to Imlil. Arrived at minibus at 9.50 am. Left for Marrakech at 10 am, arriving 11.30 am back at the Hotel Imilchil. Shaved, showered, and washed clothes. Dozed. Changed £40 for MAD 543. Excellent dinner with the rest of the tour group in the medina at 8 pm.

Day 15: Explore Marrakech. Breakfast at 9.30 am. I walked to Yves Saint Laurent’s Jardin Marjorelle, which was pleasant enough but small, expensive and overcrowded with tourists. Chatted with a lady from Glasgow for maybe 20 min. Went and located my riad ready for the next day and then went out for pizza in the new town.

Day 16: Transfer to riad; explore Marrakech. The clocks went back one hour in the night; something to do with Ramadan, I think. Breakfast at 8.30 am. Checked out about 11.45 am and sat in hotel garden until about 1 pm. Walked to my nice and friendly riad (pre-booked), arriving about 1.15 pm. Had tea and chatted with my host until 1.55 pm when my room was ready. Went out at 3 pm and found the Badi Palace (which was closed for renovation), and the Saadian tombs. Returned to my riad about 5.15 pm. Went for dinner (kefta and egg tagine) in the medina with one of my tour group at 8 pm.

Day 17: Explore Marrakech. Breakfast about 9.30 am. Went for walk about 11.40 am and tried to find Madrassa but failed. Returned to the riad about 1 pm, by which time Marrakech was baking. Later, I went out for dinner in the new town (kefta) and a couple of beers.

Day 18: Travel home. Breakfast at 9.45 am. Left my riad at about 12 noon and caught bus to airport, arriving about 12.45 pm. My flight was not until 6.20 pm but it was 42 °C in Marrakech that day so there was no other realistic (i.e., air-conditioned!) option. The return flight was on time, as it was late I took a taxi from Glasgow airport, and I was home at 11.50 pm.

Kit notes. On the walking tour, we had mules to carry our luggage, so I took a small-to-medium-sized “grip” with me and paid for it to go on the plane as hold luggage. The main content of my “grip” was my 2/3-season sleeping bag, which was needed for the three camping nights but also useful for sleeping on the less-than-spotless mattresses in some of the gites. I also strapped my trekking poles to the outside of this bag for transport on the plane and this worked well – taking a couple of straps with me was a brilliant idea as they could be used with the mule train as well. On the plane as hand luggage, and for the daily walks, I took my trusty 35+8 litre rucksack. Explore recommended taking a small (20 litre?) day sack instead but, when I thought about what I would usually take with me on a high mountain walk, I decided that my 20 litre backpack would be insufficient, and I was right.

Wildlife seen. Schokari Sand Racer, Bibron’s Agama, Levaillant’s Woodpecker, Moussier’s Redstart, Black Redstart, Seebohm’s Wheatear, Black Wheatear, Shore Lark, Alpine Chough, White Stork, Vaucher’s Heath.

Other useful links. Explore Atlas tours

Reflections. There was much that was good and much that was average about this trip. The good was that I summited Toubkal, my second “proper” (i.e., I did not drive up!) 4000+ m mountain, and I got to experience the High Atlas; that was all very satisfying. The tour was extremely well organised, our guide was very good, and I felt that the value for money was excellent too. Our cook did a superb job of preparing food hygienically under difficult conditions. The average: going round in a circle for the first 6 days, the overly long and chilly lunch breaks (there was a lot of emphasis on food!), the lack of a sense of adventure (it was just a case of follow-my-leader some days), a few rather dirty village houses run by old men with little sense of pride in their establishment (so very different to Turkey!), and – worst of all – plain old simple boredom, brought on by a lack of mental stimulation. With the benefit of hindsight, I would have chosen a much shorter trip that summited Toubkal. (Indeed, I see that Explore have now cut my trip from 14 days down to 10 days for 2017.) Could one climb Toubkal independently? Yes: one could arrange travel from Marrakech to Imlil, walk up to and stay in one of the mountain huts at Toubkal base camp (1 day), acclimatise for a day (1 day), summit Toubkal (1 day), and then walk back to Imlil (1 day). A wider ranging trek in the High Atlas would, I think, be more difficult to organise independently, unless one had a local guide, as finding the gîtes in the maze-like Berber villages would be a problem.

© 2016 The Untravelled World