THE TOUBKAL TREK

Most people leave Imlil early in the mor ing for the five or six hour walk to the Toubkal (Neltner) Hut. Head up the main street of the village and then follow the mule track on the west side of the Mizane River to Aroumd. From here the trail fol lows the east side of the river, reaching the village of Sidi Chamharouch a couple of hours further on. Bottled drinks are usually available at both these villages.

The trail then climbs steeply and clearly up to the Toubkal Hut (3207m), which sits at the spring snow line. The stone cottage was built in 1938 and has beds for 29 peo- ple in two dormitories (you need your own sleeping bag). There’s also a kitchen with a gas stove and a range of cooking utensils; hot water is available.

The charge is 52 DH per person for non- CAF members, plus an extra charge if you use the cooking facilities or need hot water. The resident warden will let you in. You must bring all your own food with you, as there’s none for sale. The warden may, you give him plenty of notice, prepare if meals for you. Don’t turn up at this hut without a booking in the high season or you may find it full (one reader also suggested bringing ear plugs). There are plans to build a second refuge near by.

The ascent from the Toubkal Hut to the summit (up a lot of exhausting scree slopes) should take between three and four hours and the descent about two hours. The South Cirque route is the most straightforward one and starts just behind the refuge. It’s worth setting off as early as possible to gain the best chance of clear views from the top.

It’s best to take water with you. Any water from mountain streams should be treated with purification tablets or there’s a fair chance you’ll pick up giardiasis. It can be bitterly cold on the summit, even in sum- mer, so bring plenty of warm clothing.

OTHER TREKS

The following suggestions cover just some of the possibilities for longer treks in the area. You are advised to hire a guide and mules for all of them. Some routes have been suggested by an old hand in the High Atlas, Rick Crust, and others by guides based in the Imlil area. The first three routes are only really feasible in the spring.

Toubkal via Tazaghart

To do a longer circuit (four to five days) that gives you the option of taking in Toubkal, you could head south-west from Imlil over the Tizi Mzik to the village of Tizi Oussem (five hours) where there are two very welcoming village gîtes.

The following day, a harder trek takes you up the Azzaden Valley to the Taza- ghart (Lepiney) Refuge. There’s good rock climbing (for the experienced only) around Tazaghart and climbers often base themselves at the refuge. Options for the next day include scram-bling up to Tizi Melloul (about four hours from the refuge) and then on to the vast and desolate Tazaghart Plateau (3843m). Be sure to leave early in the day so you can get back to the Tazaghart Refuge before dark.

will need a guide for this. From the Tazaghart Refuge, you could also head east to the Toubkal refuge via the Tizi n’Taddate this is hard going, but worth it. Again, a guide is essential. The track is too steep for mules, but they can be sent back the long way round via Imlil and will probably arrive at about the same time. The following day you could climb Toubkal itself and return to Imlil via Sidi Cham- harouch and Aroumd.

Oukaïmeden to Setti Fatma This option (three or four days) starts from the ski resort of Oukaïmeden (see the Ourika Valley entry in the Around Mar- rakesh section). There are no mules to be hired here, but if you contact the CAF refuge or Hôtel L’Angour-Chez Ju Ju from Marrakesh a few days in advance you can arrange to have mules waiting for you.

You will need to bring all your own sup- plies with you from Marrakesh as there are no food shops at Oukaïmeden.

The first day is an easy walk (about four hours) down to Tacheddirt. There’s a good CAF refuge here with panoramic views where you can stay for Dr40 plus Dr5 if you want to use the gas for cooking. The warden is helpful and can supply bread and eggs. It’s a beautiful place and very relaxing (there are many other options from here, such as trekking down to Asni or Imlil and from there on to Toubkal).

The beautiful route from Tacheddirt to Setti Fatma follows a well-used mule track the entire way and offers some stunning views. The second day’s walk takes you up to 3616m then down to the village of Timichi where there’s a gîte. The third day involves a breathtaking descent down the Ourika Valley to Setti Fatma.

There are several accommodation op- tions in the village and an important moussem takes place here in August. You can head back to Marrakesh from here by grand taxi (15 DH).

Eight Days from Imlil

Local guides can suggest several routes that could keep you going for eight days or more. You’ll need plenty of provisions and camping gear.

One such route would take you in the first two days to the Toubkal summit. On returning to the refuge you then push south- east over Tizi n’Ouanoumss to Lake Sidi Ifni, one of the largest lakes in the Atlas.

The third day would see you heading on eastwards to the village of Amsouzerte. There are village rooms and a camp site here. From Amsouzerte, a demanding two day hike northwards would get you to the Tacheddirt CAF refuge. You can camp the intervening night at Azib Likemt.

You have a few options from Tacheddirt. One of them is to head north to Oukaïme- den. A couple of tracks and passes lead you from there to the south-west. On this circuit you would go via the Tizi n’Oukaïmeden down as far as the village of Amskere. From there you could easily finish off the walk on the eighth day by heading to Imlil either via Ikkiss and the Tizi n’Tamatert, or south-west to the main Imlil-Asni road over the Tizi n’Aguersioual.

If you wanted to prolong the walk by a few days, you could either proceed from Aguersioual to Matate (there are village rooms here) and drop south to the Tizi Mzik and on to Tizi Oussem, or do the same from Imlil. From Tizi Oussem you could turn north for Irkoubeline. On the final day you could retrace your steps to Imlil, or proceed to Tinitine (Imlil-Asni road) via the Tizi n’Techt and then down to Imlil.

Winter Walks

The following three treks (ranging from three to six days, or longer if you have time) have been recommended by local guides as good winter possibilities. As with the other suggestions, you’ll need a guide and a mule to carry supplies (and plenty of woollies). The first is a three day loop from Imlil.

On the first day you climb east for three or four hours, spending the night either in the pleasant Tacheddirt Refuge or in the nearby village of Ouansekra.

The following day is spent walking north-west along a river valley dotted with tiny villages. The night is spent in village homes in either Arg or Imska. The next day takes you on a long trek south-west to Tizi Oussem, where there’s a comfortable gîte. In the morning you can head back to Imlil via the Tizi Mzik (about five hours).

The next option is a five or six day trek from Asni or Imlil to Tin Mal. If you plan continue to Taroudannt from here, it’s ideal.

The starting place, Imi Ourhlad, is about halfway between Asni and Imlil, just to the west of the main road. The route takes you south-west through the pretty Agoundis Valley via the villages of Tiziane, Tizgi and Ameslane. Tizi Ameslane is probably the highest point of the walk at 2059m. From here you wend your way down the valley to ljoukak on the Tizi n’Test road. You’ll find some grocery shops, basic cafes, rooms to rent and a hammam here, Market day in Ijoukak is Wednesday.

From Ijoukak you’re within striking dis- tance (8km south-west) of the beautiful Tin Mal Mosque. Local buses stop at Ijoukak en route between Taroudannt and Mar- rakesh – check the times with the locals.

A third short winter walk, which covers a good range of terrain, takes you from Imlil to Tizi Oussem and then further west to- wards the Ouigane Valley and the Nfis gorges. Three or four days of fairly easy walking will take you to the seldom-visited Plateau du Kik via Tassa Ouirgane, Tizi Ousla and the village of Tagadirt. From the plateau, you can return to Asni.