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Spring
to Autumn is a great time for trekking in the High Atlas mountains.
Green terraced fields at village level whilst some remaining snow
remains on the very high peaks. Visually it is a stunning time. Every
month brings something different it seems. Harvest & threshing
time in the villages in May-July depending on the area; butterflies and
the first cherries being picked in June; almonds in July; ripening
walnuts in August with entire villages turning out for their picking in
September and October. The return of the shepherds and nomadic camel
trains from the high summer grazing areas (azibs) beckons the first snow
flurries in late October.
The variety of treks that the region offers is huge - ranging
from straightforward 1 week cultural type village to village treks to 3
week wilderness treks where you would do well to meet anyone other than
semi-nomadic goat farmers!
No one photo can "say it all" - so to get a better idea of
what you can expect to see and experience on your trek - click on our
photos above or the separate general photo selection (link above). Remember
- tailor-making trips is our forté so Contact Us now!
Some general information on
trekking routes in the High Atlas.
In the Moroccan Atlas there are "end
to end" treks as well as "circular treks".
Some people have a preference for one type - others don't mind. Here is
a brief summary of the "end to end" treks we often
run:-
- Tichka to Tin Mal Mosque.
Dubbed the "Wonder Trek" by Hamish Brown, this is a trek
starting from the Tichka Plateau in the Western Atlas and following
the Oued (river) nFis eastwards as it wends its way through gorges
and steep valleys to the ancient 11th century Tin Mal Mosque on the
Tizi-n-Test road. Takes about 7-10 days depending on how energetic
you want to be! Stunning trek.
- Tin Mal to Toubkal. This can
be a separate trek or an extension to the one above. Is a good
introduction to the western side of the Toubkal range and covers a
mixture of valley / village trekking as well as passing over high
cols to finish at the base of Toubkal. Takes about 5 days.
- Toubkal to Mgoun. Some
companies market this as a "traverse of the High Atlas".
Whilst it certainly is a traverse, it is not in any way a traverse
of the entire range! It does have appeal however in linking up these
2 famous peaks much as the Haute Route in the Alps links Mt Blanc
and the Matterhorn. Passes through some stunning countryside and
gorges. Takes 10 days to 2 weeks again depending on how many rest
days you want!
Circuit Treks.
- Village to Village trekking.
This type of trekking can be done pretty much in any part of the
High Atlas. We tend to locate our scheduled Village Treks in the
Western Atlas north of Taroudant simply because that is where we are
based! However if you are flying into Marrakech e.g. we would
organise the trek to be located on the north side of the mountains.
Duration on our scheduled treks is one week but customised / private
treks can be as long or short as you like.
- Tour of Tichka. A week long
circuit of the Tichka plateau in the Western Atlas. Great
combination of village trekking, high mountain scenery and crossing
over high passes.
- Tour of Mgoun. Generally 10
days is the time spent doing a complete circuit of this 4000m peak.
Great gorges, high plateau where nomadic shepherds bring their
camels to graze in the summer and a very different feel to other
areas of the High Atlas. Marrakech is the nearest airport for this
trip. Quite a busy / popular area with French in the summer.
- Jebel Siroua and Jebel Sahro.
These are two separate little "ranges" in their own right
to the south and south-east respectively of the High Atlas. The
Sahro have become the classic winter trekking region (particularly
with the larger UK companies) as there is seldom snow on the tops -
but it does get cold at night in the winter! The Siroua reach over
3300m and are a good place for "getting away from it all"
trekking. Agadir is the best airport for the Siroua and Ouarzazate
for the Sahro but there are no direct flights at the moment to
Ouarzazate from the UK - only Paris.
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