Atlas Mountains 4000m peaks "Integrale"
- An attempt to climb all the 4000ers in the
High Atlas in a stunning 2 week trip! 

Introduction
There are 7 major summits over 4000m in the Moroccan High Atlas:-

Notes: Biguinoussene appears at different heights on various maps - sometimes under 4000m but for the sake of completion, we are regarding it as at 4007m which it is claimed to be on more recent maps. There are also a couple of "tops" just over 4000m on the Mgoun ridge which we are not counting in the above list but which are climbed en-route to the summit of Mgoun. Similarly for a couple of tops near Toubkal.

Trip itinerary
Day 1 Meet in Marrakech, transfer to our hotel, meet others in the group and go out for a bite to eat. Experience the sights, sounds and smells in this ancient and historical souk city and its famous central square - the dJemma-el-Fna. Sort out any last minute gear issues before retiring for the night.
Day 2 After breakfast, we will transfer by private minibus to the Ait Bougammez valley and the small village of Agouti. This journey including a lunchstop will take around 6 hours or so. Incredible scenery opens up as we near Mgoun and hopefully weather permitting we will get our first glimpse of this remote peak. Stay in a comfortable gite for the night.
Day 3 After packing up, we meet our mule team who will bring our gear to our "base camp" for the next few days - the azib Ikkis at 2400m. We trek up by a river and arrive at the Ikkis summer grazing settlement after about 4 hours. At this azib, there are a number of basic shepherd huts which we will be sleeping in. (Azib is the Berber word for high summer farm)
Day 4 To-day we will begin our acclimatisation process by attempting the horseshoe shaped peak behind our azib - Igoudamen at over 3500m high. We should get some fantastic views of Mgoun from here and be able to reacquaint ourselves with our crampons and ice-axe! Return to our base for some traditional Moroccan tajine and mint tea. Today will be around an 8 hour day.
Day 5 An early breakfast, sort our gear and then head off up the valley to our west to cross two high "tizis" (mountain passes / cols) - the highest at 3400m before we descend down to the Tarkeddit plateau where there is a newly established privately owned mountain refuge. This is quite a long day - around 8 hours or so and we will be carrying all our gear and food as well. However our reward is a comfortable refuge to stay in and some great views en-route. Retire early in preparation for tomorrow's attempt on our first 4000er - Mgoun.
Day 6 An "alpine" start for the summit. Generally the round trip in winter to the summit of Mgoun and back to the hut is 9 hours or so and as we spend quite a lot of the day over 4000m expect to feel tired (but hopefully elated!) on your return to the refuge for late lunch and the re-telling of the day! (if bad weather prevented us from summitting today then tomorrow is another possibility)
Day 7 After breakfast, retrace our steps back to Agouti passing en-route the azib Ikkis where we can pick up any gear we left there a couple of days ago. Return to the gite for showers and comfort!
Day 8 Our minibus will come to collect us this morning and bring us to Imlil (south of Marrakech) which is the base village for our next part of the trip. We will have lunch en-route in the ancient dJemma-el-Fna in Marrakech before arriving late afternoon to the small Berber village of Imlil. Check into our hotel, have a welcoming mint-tea and explore this traditional mountain village and surrounding area. Return to the hotel for traditional Moroccan tajine and sort out any last minute gear issues before retiring for the night.
Day 9 Meet our porters / mule team after breakfast that will bring our food and communal gear up to the remote Lepiney refuge. The trek to-day will take between 7-8 hours and our bodies will be glad to see the tiny refuge in the late afternoon! Get settled in and keep warm! Savour some great views as the sun sets...
Day 10 Today is an "out and back" day we as attempt the peak behind the refuge - the lowest and 2nd of our 4000ers - Biguinoussene at just over 4000m. Again stunning views - particularly over the Tazaghart plateau to the west. Return back to the hut after summit attempt.  
Day 11 More peaks to-day. This time our targets are Afella and Akioud - numbers 5 & 6 in our list above. We will access them from the west / north west, climb to the summits and descend directly back to the Neltner refuge at the foot of Toubkal. Depending on the level and condition of the snow, we will either have to carry all our gear ourselves en-route or (preferably) engage some porters to carry our stuff directly from Lepiney to Neltner. This day may turn out to be one of the hardest yet!.....
Day 12 Basing ourselves now in Neltner refuge, today we head south up to the head of the Mizane valley to Tizi Ouagane. From here a mixed scrambling / snow ridge will take us to the summit of Ras-n-Ouanoukrim. There are only a few metres in the height difference between Ras and Timesguida and a distance of a kilometre or less so we quickly gain the summit of Timesguida - the 2nd highest in the range. Descend back to the Neltner refuge.
Day 13 This is it - our last summit and the highest of them all! Jebel Toubkal 4167m. 7 hours should see us up and down - acclimatised now. Back down to the refuge for a celebratory lunch!
Day 14 Our last day walking as we return down the Mizane valley to Imlil. Quick lunch there and then transfer back to our hotel in Marrakech. Enjoy the evening and celebrate!
Day 15 Breakfast, some last minute shopping in the souks and transfer to airport for return flights back home. Goodbyes! 


If the weather is bad on any of the days preventing summit bids, we have a couple of days in the itinerary where we can double up - e.g. it is possible to summit Toubkal and get back to Marrakech all in the one (long) day if necessary. At the end of the day, it should be realised that this is a trip with no prior history and that we will just have to take whatever conditions we get and make the most of them. 

Experience Required
Climbing any of these peaks at this time of the year requires the use of axe and crampons (and sometimes snowshoes to access Mgoun). This will not be a training trip and so we expect that anyone joining us will be used to wearing crampons and using an axe. Most likely you will be confident on Grade 1/2 Scottish winter routes. 

In terms of fitness, you should be fit enough to cope with 2 weeks of 8 hour days in the hills bearing in mind that the weather whilst generally favourable can make life more difficult at 4000m's if it turns nasty. Some days will be shorter than this (not many) and some will be longer (again not many - hopefully!). You will also be expected to be able to carry all your own gear (and some shared food etc) with you in a e.g. 40-45 litre pack. The "reward for this hardship" (!) will be superb days in the High Atlas in the winter, views and summits to savour and ideally the knowledge that at the end of the trip, you will have accomplished what few others if any, have ever done before.

Accommodation
See trip itinerary above. Within the trip cost, hotel accommodation (B&B basis) for 2 nights in Marrakech; full board accommodation thereafter in a variety of settings - gites / basic hotels / mountain refuges ("huts"). We do not plan to do any camping. Sharing rooms with others in the group is the norm other than whilst staying in our Marrakech hotel where, if you are coming on your own, single accommodation can be arranged for you at a small additional cost.

Food on the trip
Morocco is said to have one of the finest cuisines in the world - our cooks pride themselves in their cooking, and ensure that all the food on the trek is freshly prepared using local ingredients and that there is plenty for everyone. A typical menu on this trip would be:
Breakfast: Fresh bread with cheese, jam, margarine, fried eggs, omlettes, tea, coffee, hot chocolate and hot milk.
Lunch: A light lunch consisting of fresh mixed salad, tinned fish or meat, bread and cheese, followed by fresh local fruit.
Dinner: The evening meal is always a hot meal and is different every night - traditional Moroccan cuisine of Tajine or couscous with meat and vegetables or the occasional pasta meal. This is followed by fresh fruit and the famous mint tea.!

Kit List / Clothes / Weather etc
Normal winter mountain walking equipment including crampons and axe. We will supply you with a suggested kit list on receipt of your booking / reservation. You will also need a good quality sleeping bag and warm fleece / down jacket etc. 

The weather at this time of the year is generally sunny days and cold nights. However this is the winter and therefore it can snow! Climbers should realise that weather in high mountains can be unpredictable and should be prepared for this. The snow-line is generally around 2500-2700m meaning that by the time you arrive at any of the refuges, you will be in the snow.

Environmental / Health
All our guides are qualified in remote and wilderness first aid and always carry a fully equipped first aid kit for serious medical emergencies. However this is not a general dispensary (!) - walkers should bring their own supplies of plaster, blister prevention pads, paracetmol etc. and any medication they are on.
There are no compulsory vaccinations for Morocco but, as always, you should keep Hep A, Tetanus, Polio, Typhoid and possibly rabies up to date. Consult your GP or a vaccine specialist for professional advice. The most common complaint can be diarrhea which can be caused simply by a change of diet or more likely your poor hygiene standards. Non spring bottled water should never be drunk without first sterilising with iodine tablets or by boiling.

Money Matters / Currency / Visas / Language
Our price includes all accommodation as described, all food throughout from the time we leave Marrakech until we get back there, all transport costs associated with the official trip itinerary (e.g. buses, jeeps, hire of mules etc including airport transfers) and professional guiding services for the duration of the trip. The only additional costs for you therefore would be flights, insurance, personal spending, 2 evening meals in Marrkech, drinks etc.
Visas for entry into Morocco are not required by nationals of Ireland, the U.K, U.S.A, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and most E.U countries.
The currency in Morocco is the dirham (dh). There are about 10.5 dh to the €. Impossible to get dirham outside of Morocco - therefore take € Euros (preferably) or US$ and exchange over there.
Language is Arabic / Berber but French is also understood / spoken widely. Little or no English spoken / understood.
Time difference = GMT all year.

Insurance
We ask you to effect individual holiday insurance against travel delays, loss of baggage and money, mountain rescue & medical expenses, personal accident and any cancellation costs. You should note that there are no official mountain rescue services in Morocco and that any evacuation in the event of a serious medical emergency to the nearest hospital will be by land as opposed to helicopter.  
We will require documentary evidence of your insurance prior to departure.  

Trip Ethos
A quality winter trip with ascents of all (or failing that - most) of the 4000m peaks in the Moroccan High Atlas within a 2 week timescale in good company led by NomadicMorocco / Wilderplaces guides - it’s that simple! 

Travel
The most realistic airport for this trip is Marrakech (there is also Agadir but if you fly into here, you have a 4 hour taxi / bus journey to Marrakech).  
Scheduled flights are best had with Easyjet.Com; Atlas-Blue.Com; Ryanair.Com; RoyalAirMaroc.Com or British Airways (BA.Com) who between them offer a good daily service from London Gatwick, Heathrow and Stansted and most major cities in Europe.
For those with time on their hands, another very attractive way of seeing the country is to get a cheap flight to Malaga in southern Spain, get the ferry across the Straits of Gibraltar and overland it by train to Marrakech.

www.nomadicmorocco.com