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Follow the 4WD track along the riverbed northwest out of Aït Igrane, picking up the narrow rocky mule path where the 4WD track crosses the river then turns sharp left. The mule path leads around the north side of Lac d’Ifni (2295m), across sharp, rocky, barren, inhospitable terrain. The climb is steep at first, but it descends to the northeastern corner of Lac d’Ifni, an inviting expanse of green water (safe for swimming). The walk to the lake should take three hours. Before you reach the shore, you will pass a shack marked ‘café’. There’s no coffee here, but if it’s attended, you may be able to buy water, soft drinks and, with any luck, a tajine.

  On the small beach on the northern shore are shady (if occasionally fly-filled) stone shelters. If it’s rainy, camping nearer the next pass is treacherous, and you’re better off finding a campsite above the lake.

  Every October, villagers from the surrounding area gather at Lac d’Ifni for a three-day moussem in honour of a local marabout, whose tomb, Sidi n'Ifni, sits high above the southeastern corner of the lake. A track leads from the northeast shore up to the tomb.

  From the northwestern side of the lake, the track crosses the wide, dry part of Lac d’Ifni before the long trudge towards Tizi n’Ouanoums (3600m). The path climbs through a rocky gorge, keeping to the south side of the river. About 3.5km from the lake, you’ll reach Azib Imi n’Ouassif (2841m), situated at a crossing of dramatic gorges. Beyond this point the path climbs steeply to Tizi n’Ouanoums, with winds near the summit and small, frigid waterfalls. You’ll find flat, rocky areas for pitching tents and shelters in surrounding cliffs long used by local shepherds.

  Day 5: Azib Imi n'Ouassif To Toubkal Refuge

  Duration four hours / Distance 4km / Ascent 759m / Descent 393m

  The path to Tizi n’Ouanoums is immediately northwest of the campsite. It’s a steep, demanding climb, but the views are spectacular from the top over Assif n’Moursaïne, hemmed in by jagged ridges of Adrar bou Ouzzal and Ouimeksane. The path crosses the river several times after leaving the camp, reaching a stone shelter and water source after an hour and the col another hour further. Even in midsummer it’s cold and blustery at the top.

  Coming down the other side, there’s treacherous loose rock and snow until July. From here you can see Jebel Toubkal and, to the west, the path to Tizi n’Melloul (3875m). After the descent, the track levels out and heads due north to Toubkal Refuge (3207m), about two hours from Tizi n’Ouanoums.

  CAF’s Toubkal Refuge (%0661 69 54 63; www.refugedutoubkal.com; dm CAF members/nonmembers from Dh75/145), sometimes labelled Neltner on maps, suffers from overcrowding, damp, and a lack of facilities. The newer Refuge Mouflon (%0663 76 37 13; www.refugelesmouflons.com; dm Dh150, r per person incl half-board Dh340) provides more facilities, a better-stocked shop and good meals (Dh90) in the chilly lounge. You can also camp downstream from the refuge or 20 minutes south of the refuge on flat pasture (Dh20).

  Assuming you reach the refuge before lunch, there are trekking options to occupy the afternoon – including the three- or four-hour descent directly north back to the starting point, Imlil, if you don’t want to climb Jebel Toubkal. You could ascend the second-highest mountain in the region, Jebel Ouanoukrim (4088m, five to six hours return). The best option is to rest all afternoon to prepare for the climb up Jebel Toubkal the following morning.

  Day 6: Toubkal Refuge to Azib Tamsoult

  Duration five hours / Distance 8km / Ascent 493m / Descent 1300m

  From the Toubkal Refuge pick up the mule track that heads northwest then gently climbs north across the slope for about 15 minutes. You will come to a fork near a small rounded wall, used as a sheepfold. Turn left, westwards, up the zigzagging mule path, which will bring you to Tizi n’Aguelzim (3560m) after two hours. It’s a slower trail but less treacherous than the southern route at Tizi n’Taddert, which is often abruptly closed due to dangerous conditions.

  Panoramic views await at Tizi n’Aguelzim pass: east to the Toubkal summit, northeast to the Imlil valley, northwest to Azzadene and west to the Tazaghart plateau. From here, the track twists in some 92 hairpin bends downhill for almost an hour. At the bottom, it crosses a stream. Twenty minutes further on, at a fork, take the left-hand track, and take another left 15 minutes later. Here the track leads uphill for 10 minutes to cosy CAF Tazaghart Refuge (%0667 85 27 54, Oukaïmeden 0524 31 90 36; dm CAF members/nonmembers Dh70/145), which sits beside a stunning waterfall. There are mattresses for 22 people, gaslights and a basic kitchen.

  You’ll probably find the place closed unless you’ve made a reservation, and the gardien (attendant) is based in Tizi Oussem. Phone ahead, or else try passing a message to him via muleteers or shepherds, who may run all the way to Tizi Oussem to fetch him. Campers can pitch tents beside the refuge, or on flat ground above the falls.

  Tizi n’Melloul (3875m), southeast of Tazaghart refuge, offers a harder route to and from the Toubkal Refuge, but provides access to Afella (4045m) southeast of the pass and to the jagged ridge leading north to Biginoussen.

  The route down to Azib Tamsoult (2400m) passes the impressive Cascades d’Irhoulidene, where vegetation and tree coverage increases. A five-minute walk from the falls brings you to a pleasant wooded area for camping. To reach the village, walk north for 10 to 15 minutes.

  Day 7: Azib Tamsoult to Imlil

  Duration four to five hours / Distance 7km / Ascent 89m / Descent 749m

  If you have made good time and you have the legs, you could continue down to Imlil at the end of day six. From the vegetable patches of Azib Tamsoult, with the Assif n’Ouarzane down to the left, a mule track traversing the forested valley is visible to the north. Head towards it past the village and over the stream, and stay on it, avoiding left forks into the valley.

  Climbing slightly and heading steadily northeast, towards the juniper forest with Tizi Oussem due west, you arrive at Tizi n’Mzik (2489m), where a sheep shed might serve as shelter. Imlil is a 90-minute descent along a well-worn mule track; there’s a spring to the right of the trail after 40 minutes. Comfortable beds and hot tajines await in Imlil.

  BEFORE YOU GO: TOUBKAL CIRCUIT CHECKLIST

  Maps The 1:50,000 sheet map Jebel Toubkal covers the whole Toubkal Circuit and is sometimes available through the bureau des guides in Imlil. The four-sheet, 1:100,000 topographical Toubkal Massif Walking Map also covers the circuit, produced by the Division de la Cartographie (Moroccan Survey) and obtainable from their office in Rabat, in London at Stanfords (www.stanfords.co.uk) or in Marrakesh on the Djemaa el-Fna at Hotel Ali (Dh150). Government-produced 1:100,000 Cartes des Randonnées dans le Massif du Toubkal marks trekking routes but includes less topographical detail.

  Guide Engage licensed guides at Imlil’s bureau des guides. Allow at least a day to hire a guide and make trekking arrangements – though if you have specific needs or are travelling in high season, it may take more time.

  Mule Mountain guides can organise mules and muleteers for you. Trekkers should be aware that mules have problems crossing Tizi n’Ouanoums, west of Lac d’Ifni, and from November to May, some areas may be impassable. If mules have to take lengthy detours, you may need to carry one day’s kit and food. Talk this through with your guide and muleteer.

  Food Basic food supplies are available in Imlil, and trail mixes, packaged soups and other light, portable food is stocked by Marrakesh supermarkets.

  Water Purifying locally sourced water is a responsible alternative to bottled water, but don’t count on finding available water sources – bring your own supply.

  Gear A stick or trekking pole is useful. Petrol, diesel and kerosene can be bought in Marrakesh or Asni.

  Tent Your guide can arrange tents. The circuit may require some camping, but you could add detours to seek out lodging, or possibly do without tents in summer.

  Tizi n’Test

  Blasted through the mountains by the French in the late 1920s, the awe-inspiring road over the Tizi n'Test pass (2092m) was the first modern route linking Marrakesh with the Souss plain. Vital f
or the control of trade, its hair-raising hairpin bends offer one of the most exhilarating panoramic drives in the country. As if the single-lane road weren’t enough of an adventure, the weather is subject to sudden changes. Heavy clouds and mist often cut visibility to near zero and you might find your way blocked by snow in winter.

  Heading south from Marrakesh, you’ll notice Tin Mal village on the right of the road. The village’s Almohad-era mosque (suggested tip Dh10-20) was built in 1156 in honour of the dynasty’s strict spiritual leader, Mohammed ibn Tumart, and it a remains an architectural wonder. The mosque is no longer used for prayers, so the guardian will usher you through its massive doors into the serene prayer hall with its intricately carved cedar ceilings.

  Beyond Tin Mal, as you approach the pass, you may suddenly break through fog into clear blue sky, and catch breathtaking airplane-window views over cloudbanks. On the south side of the pass, the van ominously embedded into the hillside is your cue for a pit stop at Cafe Dar Issouga (%0670 10 65 21; tagine Dh60-100). The balcony offers stunning valley views of green terraces and cypress forests cascading down the hillside all the way to Taroudannt.

  The Southern Oases

  Break through the granite curtain of the High Atlas over the Tizi n’Tichka pass (2260m) and you’ll find yourself descending from forested slopes into the flat, stony landscape of Morocco’s pre-Sahara. Cypress, juniper and apple blossom quickly give way to thorny acacias and palm trees that flash in sudden bursts of green against a backdrop of mudbrick kasbahs and secretive ksours. Snaking through the great hammada (stony desert) down to the sandy fringes of the Sahara proper are the southern oases – the Drâa, Dadès and Ziz – long green river valleys thick with date palms that once served the caravan routes to Timbuktu, Niger and Sudan.

  The hub of the region is the administrative centre of Ouarzazate, from where you can embark on excursions south through the Drâa to M’Hamid and the impressive Erg Chigaga dunefield, or east via Skoura along the Dadès Valley to Merzourga and the smaller dunefield of Erg Chebbi.

  Tizi n’Tichka

  Higher than Tizi n’Test to the west but an easier drive along the N9, the Tizi n’Tichka connects Marrakesh with the southern oases. It was built to bypass the old caravan route to the Drâa, which meandered through the Ounilla Valley and was controlled throughout the 19th century by the powerful Glaoui clan.

  If you have a date with the desert, you can make it over Tizi n’Tichka from Marrakesh within three hours. As you pass Aït Ourir, the road ascends and takes a turn for the scenic amid oak trees and walnut groves. Past the village of Taddert, the road gets steeper and the landscape is stripped of colour, except for hardy wildflowers and kids along the road selling geodes dyed shocking red. In winter, check with the Gendarmerie of the Col du Tichka (%0524 89 06 15) that the pass is open.

  Once over the pass, you can choose one of two routes to Ouarzazate: the quicker journey is to continue along the N9, while the more scenic route takes you via the splendid Glaoui Kasbah in Telouet and the lush green Ounilla Valley all the way to Aït Benhaddou. You'll find the turn-off to Telouet on the southern side of the road some 20km after the pass. While the road is pockmarked and bumpy, it is possible to navigate all 36km to Aït Benhaddou with a 2WD. The worst section of road is the 11km stretch between Telouet and Anmiter.

  If you're not in a rush, it's worth staying in one of the superb guesthouses in the area. I Rocha and Dar Isselday both make fine bases to explore this region, and are located about 40km south of the Tizi n’Tichka pass.

  4Sleeping

  Dar IsseldayGUESTHOUSE€

  (%0666 17 48 81; www.dar-isselday.com; Douar Tisselday; s/d Dh330/440)

  Najat's traditional lunches prepared with love are served on Dar Isselday's panoramic terrace beneath the shade of a pink peppercorn tree. Inside, six comfortable rooms sport tadelakt bathrooms, and brothers Kamal and Lahcen are on hand to lead interesting walks through the family orchards and to nearby quartz mines. You'll find the house just down the hill from I Rocha on the N9 Marrakesh–Ouarzazate road.

  oI RochaGUESTHOUSE€€

  (%0667 73 70 02; www.irocha.com; Douar Tisselday; d/ste incl breakfast Dh690/900; Ws)

  This cliffside stone guesthouse, on the N9 Marrakesh–Ouarzazate road, lifts travel-worn spirits above the green river valley. Ten sunny, cream-coloured rooms have easygoing Berber charm, with wood-beamed ceilings, plush local carpets, and beldi-tiled bathrooms. Owners Ahmed and Katherine make terrific French-Moroccan dishes with herbs fresh from the terrace garden (meals around Dh150 per person).

  Telouet تلوات

  Telouet occupied a privileged position as the birthplace of French collaborator and autocrat Pasha Glaoui, until he was ousted in 1953 by the Moroccan independence movement. Legend has it that when the imposing doors of Telouet’s Glaoui kasbah were thrown open at last, locals who had mysteriously disappeared from their villages years before stumbled dazed onto Telouet streets, after years locked in the pasha’s basement.

  Telouet also once had a thriving Jewish community, entrusted by the Glaoui with managing the all-important salt trade. Salt mines are still active in the area, and prized pink salt found along the nearby Oued Mellah (Salt River) was once accepted as currency. Near the Glaoui Kasbah is what remains of an ancient slave village. But Morocco’s government remains ambivalent about the Glaoui clan’s home town, and with little outside investment and a highway bypassing the town entirely, Telouet seems arrested in time half a century ago.

  1Sights & Activities

  oGlaoui KasbahHISTORIC SITE

  (admission Dh20; h8am-6pm)

  The once-glorious stronghold has been left to crumble, and the best indication of Telouet’s former position as the centre of a trans-Saharan trading empire are the 2nd-floor reception rooms. No less than 300 artisans worked on salons faceted with stucco, zellij and painted cedar ceilings that make Marrakesh’s royal Bahia Palace seem like a freshman artisan effort.

  Baraka Community PartnershipsVOLUNTEERING

  (www.barakacommunity.com)S

  In cooperation with the Tighza Village Association, UK NGO Baraka Community Partnerships offer volunteer vacations in the remote, rural village of Tighza, 16km east of Telouet. Current long-term projects involve the replacement of irrigation channels and larger groups can assist with tree planting.

  4Sleeping & Eating

  Dar AissaGîTE D’ÉTAPE€

  (%0670 22 22 47; [email protected]; Telouet; per person incl breakfast/half-board Dh120/200; i)

  In downtown Telouet, this simple but very welcoming family-run guesthouse offers unfussy rooms in hues of pink and yellow with shared bathrooms set around a modest geranium-filled courtyard. There are sheep and chickens in the yard outside, and Almodhik can advise on treks and other outings in the area.

  oRiad Kasbah OliverGUESTHOUSE€€

  (%0677 84 04 87; www.homestaysmorocco.net; Tighza; per person adult/child 6-12yr Dh300/100)S

  Owned by Tighza native Mohamed El Qasemy and his British wife, Carolyn, Riad Kasbah Oliver is a labour of love. Built by hand in stone and earth by local village craftsmen, the result is simple, sustainable accommodation. Doors were fashioned in Telouet and furniture up-cycled, and hot showers are solar-powered.

  Walking tours, salt-mine visits, souk trips and tea with local villagers are just some of the activities that can be arranged. You'll find the turn-off to Tighza 11km east of Telouet, from where it is a 5km drive on rough piste to the village.

  Le Lion d'Or AtlasMOROCCAN€

  (%0524 88 85 07; meals Dh120)

  Take a seat on the terrace overlooking the valley and order a tajine with Telouet's speciality figs. You'll find the restaurant on your left 500m from the kasbah. Five simple guest rooms (around Dh250) are also available.

  8Getting There & Away

  From the N9 Marrakesh–Ouarzazate Rd, the turn-off to Telouet is signed 20km beyond the pass. There’s a daily bus from Bab Gehmat in Marrakesh (Dh50), which returns to Marrakesh
at 7am. Grands taxis are around Dh120 per seat, but you might get stuck paying for all six seats (Dh700). There are no buses from Ouarzazate, only taxis, which charge around Dh60 per seat (or Dh360 for the whole vehicle).

  WORTH A TRIP

  THE OUNILLA VALLEY

  Travellers equipped with a sturdy 2WD or 4WD, mountain bikes or good walking shoes can follow the ancient desert caravan routes from Telouet to Aït Benhaddou through the splendid Ounilla Valley. Although the first 12km is bumpy and slow going, the remaining 25km to Tamdaght is on good graded piste. The fascinating route follows the course of the Oued Mellah passing through Anmiter (whose red-tower kasbah gives a glimpse of what Aït Benhaddou may have looked like in its original state), Assaka, Tizgui and other picturesque villages dotting the Gorge Assaka. Exiting the Ounilla Valley to the south, you’ll spot limestone threshing terraces notched into an east-facing hillside. In harvest season, you’ll see villagers threshing grain on these stone platforms, just as they’ve done for centuries.

  Aït Benhaddou آيت بنحدو

  Pop 4200

  With the help of some Hollywood touch-ups, this Unesco-protected red mudbrick ksar 32km from Ouarzazate seems frozen in time, still resembling its days in the 11th century as an Almoravid caravanserai. Movie buffs may recognise it from Lawrence of Arabia, Jesus of Nazareth (for which much of Aït Benhaddou was rebuilt), Jewel of the Nile (note the Egyptian towers) and Gladiator. A less retouched kasbah can be found 6km north along the tarmac from Aït Benhaddou: the Tamdaght kasbah, a crumbling Glaoui fortification topped by storks’ nests.