Mount Toubkal and lake Ifni: 5 nights/6 days

Description

The Toubkal Circuit Trek consists of 6 days trekking in the Atlas Mountains, combining beautiful panoramas with the time to explore Berber villages and culture. From the first day of trekking you will be immersed in everyday Berber life watching the locals working in their terraced fields and tending to their animals.
This itinerary involves early starts and strenuous trekking days, moving from camp to camp each day but you will be rewarded with many fine photo opportunities, in particular at the summit of Jebel Toubkal 4167m. At the end of the day you will be able to relax in village cafes and enjoy a cup of mint tea or paddle alongside refreshing rivers and the turquoise shores of Lac D'ifni 2295m.

Duration 6 days
Departure & Return Location Marrakech
Meeting Time 9 am
Grade: challenging

Highlights

  • Discover the beauty of the Atlas Mountains
  • Visit Berber villages and enjoy local hospitality
  • Climb the highest peak in Morocco and North Africa

Itinerary

DAY 1: MARRAKECH - IMLIL - TACHEDDIRT

We organize Marrakech 6 days Imlil trek with depart from your hotel towards Imlil via Asni. Imlil is the principal trailhead for walkers,. We meet our mule team and once all our gear is loaded we begin walking along the Valley towards Tacheddirt, some 8kms beyond Imlil. Soon the trail begins to rise as we climb up to the pass at Tizi n'Tamatert (2,279m). We then descend to the pretty village of Ouaneskra and continue, for a further half-hour or so, to Tacheddirt (3,000m), where we generally camp near the river. Enjoy our 6 day Atlas mountain trek to Lake Ifni and Toubkal.

DAY 2: TACHEDDIRT - AZIB LIKEMT

Crossing the Valley we begin a long, slow ascent to the pass at Tizi Likemt (3,555m). The going is quite tough as there is a considerable amount of loose scree on the ground. At the top we enjoy our first fine view of the Toubkal massif before a long downhill descent to the village of Azib Likemt, where we camp for the night.

DAY 3: AZIB LIKEMT - TIZI N'OURAI - AMSOUZERT

This long, but relatively easy, day takes us through a variety of contrasting landscapes. From Tizi n’Ououraine (3,120m) we enjoy further views of the Toubkal massif, including the summit, the east face and the Ifni Dome (3,876m). The trail leads on towards Amsouzert, one of the most striking villages in the region, where we spend the night – dormitory-style - in a simple village Gite.

DAY 4: AMSOUZERT - LAKE IFNI

We continue our Atlas mountain trek to Lake Ifni and Toubkal. West of Amsouzert are several small villages, which we explore as we make our way towards lake Ifni, the only lake in the massif. It is a memorable sight, surrounded by rocky mountains and giant heaps of rubble, and is unusually deep. We expect to arrive by lunchtime and spend the afternoon relaxing at the shore. We camp tonight in this area.

DAY 5: LAKE IFNI - NELTER HUT

By now we should be both fit and acclimatised, and ready to tackle the hardest day of the trek. We make our way along a steep path that leads up a seemingly endless scree slope. At length we reach the pass at Tizi n'Ouanoums (3,664m), a narrow ledge between two shafts of rock. From here it is a long zigzag descent to Nelter Hut, a mountain refuge where we spend the night (or alternatively camp outside).

DAY 6: MT. TOUBKAL SUMMIT - IMLIL

We leave before dawn, following a well-worn route to the summit. If conditions are good it should take no more than 2-3 hours to reach the summit, where we enjoy expansive views of the entire Atlas range and the Marrakech plains beyond. Returning to base, we then descend fairly rapidly to the villages of Sidi Chamharouch and Aremd, before following the Mizane River, along a well-forested trail, to the trailhead at Imlil. If you are staying in Marrakech, you will be taken there by car at the end of the day. Thank you for taking a guided Marrakech to Lake Ifni trek with experienced travel company ,at the end of trek we transfer you to your hotel in Imlil , Marrakech or to the airport ,and our Toubkal Atlas hiking trip finishes. End of Atlas mountain trek to Lake Ifni and Toubkal.

Price Includes

  • Private round-trip transportation from Marrakech
  • Guide
  • Mule for luggage
  • Cook and cooking equipment
  • Food
  • Accommodation

Price Excludes

  • International Flights
  • Travel Insurance
  • Tips

Photos