8 Days ski tour in the high atlas moutains of morocco



Book Now

SKI TOURS IN THE HIGH ATLAS MOUNTAINS 8 DAYS MOROCCO

A beautiful journey to discover the heart of Atlas mountains in winter ascending high peaks, enjoying some steep ski descents and experiencing remote Berber Villages with their renowned hospitality.

During the trip, you will come in contact with the local population of the Atlas Mountains, the Berber people, and become acquainted with their culture. If you enjoy sweet tea, you will appreciate a cup of “Berber whiskey“ after a day on the mountain. During the trip, you will also have a powerful encounter with the mythical city of Marrakech.

  1. Day 1 Arrive in Marrakech.

    We will meet at the airport and transfer to the hotel or Riad just a few minutes away from el Fna Square. Here, you will explore the old city of Marrakech such as the souk and Medina, and some historical munoments palaces. Overnight in hotel.

  2. Day 2 Marrakech – Oukaimeden.

    Today, you will be transported at around 7:30 am from your hotel/riad ,southward to the atlas mountains particularly Oukaimeden after passing by a number of berber villages. The highest ski resort in North Africa. Once we get to Oukaimeden, we will start our trek up Tizi N’Eddi from where you will see Imnane valley and surrending peaks of Atlas.Then,carry on down to till we come to the highest village in the valley called tacheddirt (2250m), where we will spend the night. We will stay in a Berber guesthouse, will be simple and basic but has beds with foam mattresses. The food will be cooked by the Mount Toubkal Expedition cook who is traveling with.

  3. Day 3 Techdirt – Tizi N’Likemt 3615m.

    Today’s involves a challenging ascent to the pass of Tizi N’Likemt (3615m) but the rewarding will be unimaginable. Once we reach the top, you will enjoy a fantastic views in every directions before we ski down to the village again.Here, we stop for lunch, then, continue to Imlil over the pass of Tizi n’Tamatert (2279m) for the night. Stay Overnight in Imlil Refuge. 6 to 7 hours.

  4. Day 4 Imlil Refuge– Toubkal Refuge

    At around 8:00, you will be start start your journey heading up along the valley to the shrine of Chamharouch (2300m), a holly place for pilgrims and tourists, through Armed village and a juniper forest. Here, you will have a break to enjoy your lunch. We then continue our journey eastward zigzagging till we arrive finally to Toubkal Refuge where we will spend the night. 6 or 7 hours walking.

  5. Day 5 Toubkal Refuge to the Highest Peak in North Africa

    Today, starts with an early wake up for breakfast around 5:30am. We climb Jebel Toubkal, North Africa’s highest peak 4167m. The ascent will begin at 6:00am; we’ll leave the Mountain hut and join a steep trail. The route initially zigzags eastwards directly above the Refuge and crosses snow covered scree slopes, before passing between tow rocky guardian peaks. We will stop a few times for a short break to have some water, orange and Moroccan nuts. Within 3-4 hours, you will be able to enjoy the magic views of Toubkal Summit and peaks over 4000m before skiing down back to the refuge, a descent of 1000m. 4-5hours.

  6. Day 6 Toubkal Refuge – an ascent of Tizi N’Tadat 3600m.

    Today, we change the direction and this time westward to Tizi N’tadat 3600m, after a challenging ascent up.On the col, you enoy more stunning views over another valleys like Ouirgan park. Then, another good descent down to Tazagharet Refuge 3300m. overnight in the Refuge 6 to 7 hours.

  7. Day 7 refuge Lepiney - an ascent of Tazagharet 3980m.

    We start today for the ascent of Tazagharet 3980m, after enjoying the views over the valley of Azzaden and other valleys. We head down to the Refuge and the ski down to Azzaden valley and ascent up the way the goes over the pass of Tizi Mezik for lunch. Then, continue down to Imlil where you the transport is waiting you to take you back to Marrakech. Celebrate a great trip with dinner on the terrace enjoying superb views across the city. Overnight in hotel.

  8. Day 8 Breakfast in the hotel. Return to the airport for the flight home.

    After breakfast in the hotel, the transport will transfer you to the airport, carrying with you a fantastic memory you will tell your families and friends. We say goodbye and wishing you a good flight back home and a good life as well.

Mount Toubkal – Essential Info

At Mount Toubkal the World we believe in providing our clients with the best service and key to the enjoyment of any adventure holiday in our opinion is the balanced and up-to-date information offered by the tour operator. We are confident that the items detailed below when taken in conjunction with a reputable and reliable guidebook will enhance your Trekking experience as well as ensuring you receive the very best service from Mount Toubkal the World in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco.

M-T : STAFF

It is important that our staff in our Mount Toubkal office have experienced the wonder of High Atlas Mountains Trekking and are able to answer many of your important questions.

Mohamed, for example, has trekked in the Toubkal and Berber regions and visited many of the places included on our hiking itineraries; he has also made it to the top of Jebel Toubkal – many of the photos on our website were taken by him and his traveling companions on his various trips to the region.

M-T : GUIDES

All Mount Toubkal guides are fully licensed and are experienced from an early age in the Atlas Mountains areas, and guiding continues to be the heart and soul of who we are. We require that all of our guides undergo extensive safety training before officially joining us a mountain guide /or winter guide, local knowledge and guiding abilities. We believe that a local, licensed guide will offer more insight into the High Atlas region and Berber people as well as enhancing the local economy.

As well as a tip (see below) if you have had a great experience with your guide you may wish to offer him something of yours that will assist his duties.

Please be guided by your guide’s expert advice on difficult or exposed paths and please respect the prayers of your guide and muleteers – they will usually do this outside of walking times so as not to interrupt your hiking.

M-T : PORTERS

Most of our porters are from the Atlas Mountain region who are able to perform carrying tasks in the high atlas and around all types of trails in Toubkal. They will carry your luggage, food and other necessary items in a safe and secure way. They are very conscious of maintaining your belongings in good condition. We would like to request all our clients to go with an open up and be ready to experience all the fun and excitement of your trek, and also rest assured that our Porters and Guides are comfortable and happy people to be accompanied by. You can ask any quarries you may have about the culture, people and country. You feel very safe, comfort and pleasure after hiring a Guide and Porter.

Credentials of our Porters

– They are of mid-age and able to carry 25-30 kg stuff without any hesitation.

– They are mostly from the Atlas mountain regions and have been working in the Trekking field as a Porter for many years.

– They are strong, powerful, capable and caring.

– They have more knowledge about the trails so they may alert you about the ways and other potential hazards.

– They are very honest and humble of their personal integrity.

M-T : MULETEERS & MULES & LUGGAGE

Your team of muleteers, along with mules, will vary in number depending upon the size of your group and whether you are camping or staying in gites/refuge but they will all perform the same function which is to provide a full back up service for your hike, cook and prepare meals and set up the evening camp.

The mule team will load up your luggage, food and, if relevant, the camping equipment at the start of each day but will not always walk either at the same time, pace or route as your hiking party so it is important that you consider which items you may require to carry yourself in the morning and then again in the afternoon as on some days you may only meet up at lunch-time.

The mules are completely used to carrying the loads and it is not unusual for them to carry in excess of 80 kgs each which is equally balanced in two baskets. The muleteers take great care in both hygiene and presentation of your food and perform wonders with such limited conditions.

We recommend you take your trekking luggage in a large holdall or rucksack which can perhaps be folded up inside your main luggage if you are also traveling around the Atlas Mountains and wish to have the security of your usual suitcase(s). You should also take a suitable daypack which will carry drinking water, camera, hat, raincoat, etc. as you may not be in direct contact with your support team at all times during the day.

WEATHER

In winter much of the region above 2500m can be snow-covered and hiking in these areas could require the use of crampons and ice axes. High winds and precipitation in whatever form may preclude some routes and this will be discussed before you set out or can be modified at any time with the advice of your guide.

RAMADAN

We will maintain our programme of trekking during the holy month of Ramadan but we would ask you to respect your team by allowing them the courtesy of eating an early breakfast (before sunrise) and to avoid, where possible, drinking, smoking and snacking immediately in front of them during the day – they will, of course, prepare the usual lunch though as part of their duties.

WATER

It is important to drink lots of water during your hike; water can be purchased in Marrakech before you set off or in Imlil. It is also possible to obtain water from small kiosks in many villages and from the trailhead of Imlil and at the Toubkal refuge. You will need to carry some of this yourself but your mules will carry some more; please discuss with your guide the water requirements on a regular basis.

MEALS

Breakfast – tea, coffee, juice, fruit, milk, bread, butter, jam, cheese, porridge

Picnic lunch – fresh Moroccan salad, cheese, sliced sausage, tinned tuna fish and sardines, bread, fruit, mint tea (pasta, beans, potatoes, and rice can also be included).

Dinner – Soup, Tajine (chicken or mutton with vegetables), spaghetti, couscous (main courses rotate depending on the duration of the trek, although you are more likely to get couscous on a Friday), bread, coffee, tea, cake, fruit.

* Vegetarians, vegans and those with special dietary requirements of any kind need to advise at time of reservation.

TIPS

Naturally, tipping is an entirely personal matter and a little goes a long way in Morocco; however, we are always asked for a little guidance so here is what we would consider as fair, amounts refer to your guide, a smaller amount can be given to your muleteer team:

1-3 days hiking –220 DHS per person total

4-7 days hiking – 300 DHS per person total

8 days + hiking – 350 DHS per person total

Of course, you can offer more if you wish; tips are usually held and then passed over during a handshake to avoid any embarrassment or undue attention to the matter.

GRADING OF HIKES

Whilst we try to ensure that our descriptions are accurate for most people wishing to undertake hiking in the Atlas Mountains, clearly, there are many different factors that contribute to the difficulty of a particular hike.

These include the length of day, terrain, altitude and weather conditions. Since these factors are necessarily variable, any system of grades can only provide a general indication.

We have tried to make our system as clear as possible but it cannot account for personal abilities or experience.

CLIMBING MOUNT TOUBKAL

The hike to the top of this peak which is almost 960m up from the refuge will usually take at least 3 hrs and start at 5 am followed by a fairly hard 2-3 hrs walk down amongst the loose rocks by another route where possible. It is essential that you are fully prepared for what is for many people a demanding walk. Try to get a good sleep the night before and a good breakfast (plus a Mars bar!) before setting off.

You are likely to need warm clothes all year round and strong boots are essential, even in summer a warm hat would be useful as well as some protection from the wind. If you climb down the northern route then look out for the wreckage of a plane which hit Toubkal in bad weather in the early 1960s, purported to be carrying guns from Portugal.

ENVIRONMENT

It is vitally important that you respect the mountain environment; litter, in particular, is damaging the landscape and can injure animals. Please, please take all your litter home or drop it off at suitable points.

Mount Toubkal guiding teams are proud guardians of their natural heritage and will ensure that rubbish is collected and either taken out or burned where possible. In fact, our guiding teams have been known to take a few extra minutes to collect and burn the rubbish of groups that were not so environmentally sensitive. Some organic matter can be left as much of it will be eaten by the local goats. 

REFUGE

The refuge is simple but offers warm showers, a few western toilets and a warm lounge with electric lighting in which to read or chat with your fellow hikers. There is a full kitchen for your team to cook in and a couple of dining areas. Please note that boots must not be worn in the refuge so sandals, shoes or flip-flops should be taken to keep your feet (and socks) warm, dry and clean. 

Clothing and Equipment

You should dress according to the altitude and the environment you will be located in. Most treks are in high altitude climates in remote areas. Therefore, there are often large temperature swings. Temperatures are often colder at high altitudes.

Clothing for Trekking

Trekking boots or lightweight walking shoes. Having comfortable footwear is essential for a good trek. Make sure all footwear is broken in well prior to your trek. Do not break in boots on your trek,

A tracksuit and a pair of track shoes to wear in the mountain refuge,

Two pairs of woolen socks for trekking shoes and track shoes,

Warm down jacket and rainproof jacket with hood for protection from rain,

A Woolen hat for the cold and sun hat or cap for sunny days

A pair of woolen gloves and pair sandals to wear in the mountain refuge,

Two cotton T-shirts and two pairs of long shorts/skirts

Woolen shirts and thick sweaters as well as wind and waterproof trousers,

Pair of light or heavyweight trouser and one lightweight long sleeve shirt,

Two pairs of thermal undergarments,

Equipment for Trekking

Trekking or duffle bag to carry trekking gear. Mount Toubkal can provide a duffle bag for you to borrow during your trek. This will be returned after your trek,

Ice Axe and crampons,

Trekking daypack for personal items such as water, snacks, extra layers and camera,

Water bottles,

Sleeping bag,

Travel Pillow,

sunglasses,

Ski poles,

Ski

Ski Boots

Helmets

Small torchlight or headlamp with spare batteries,

Sunblock,

Lip balm with sunblock in it,

handkerchief or wiping papers,

Money belt,

First-aid kit,

Trekking equipment is available at Imlil Center. Mount-Toubkal can recommend shops for you to purchase equipment. If you do not wish to buy equipment, you can easily hire or rent them for the duration of your trek at reasonable prices.

The tour package inclusions and exclusions at a glance
Whats included in this tour Items that are covered in the cost of tour price.
  • Round-trip Transportation between the trek and your accommodation in Marrakech.
  • Expert skiing guide, English-speaking
  • Mules and muleteers to carry your luggage.
  • Porters for luggage from snowline to the Atlas Mountain huts (refuge).
  • Berber Cook
  • All meals on the trek
  • Accommodation in a Mountain Hut (Toubkal refuge).
Whats not included in this tour Items that aren't covered in the cost of tour price.
  • Travel insurance
  • Ski equipment
  • Soft/alcoholic drinks
  • Tips and personal expenses
  • Ice Axe
  • walking crampons