Marrakech - Toubkal National Park Travel Guides | Marrakech | Sub Regions | Marrakech - Toubkal National Park

The most visited area of the High Atlas, popular with trekkers and day-trippers alike. An insight into the life of the once-isolated Amazigh communities, and an opportunity for short walks or even to climb North Africa’s highest mountain, the Jebel Toubkal.

Sights

Take a share taxi from Bab Rob in MArrakech to Asni, then pick up a rough landrover share taxi to Imlil. If driving, take the first left after leaving Asni. NB Parts of the road, which runs along the side of a river valley, are occasionally swept away by flash floods in the late summer. Repairs always follow as this is the key route to the key trail head village for Toubkal.

The biggest village in the Aït Mizane Valley, Imlil is also a major walkers’ base. Treks for Toubkal often start here. In the centre of the village is the car park/taxi area with the stone-built CAF hut at the corner of the road, guides’ hut and the Café du Soleil. There are numerous small cafés and shops, a good baker and a travel agent. Mules are ‘parked’ to the south of the village, on the left, before the junction. (There is a concrete route indicator on the right, should you be unsure of your direction.) When you arrive, you may be besieged by lots of underemployed blokes, keen to help you in some way or other. Since everyone knows everyone, none are too persistent.

As usual when walking in the Atlas, it is best to have a local, Tachelhit- speaking guide.

There are a number of routes up North Africa’s highest peak and Imlil is often the departure point for groups heading for the mountain. The least technical route, which requires a little scrambling from the ex-Neltner Refuge to the summit is used by several thousand visitors each year. Other routes are rather more difficult, and therefore less frequented and consequently more peaceful. The following suggested routes require adequate preparation, good maps and the correct equipment for safe and complete enjoyment. A good guide and mules would remove the strain.

The best time for walking is after the main snows, at blossom time in the spring. Mules cannot negotiate passes until March/April. For some, summers are too hot and visibility in the heat haze is poor. November-February is too cold and there is too much snow for walking, although frozen ground is often more comfortable than walking on the ever-moving scree. Deep snows and ice present few problems to those with ropes, ice axes, crampons and experience. Without these – stay away in winter.

Imlil is the end of the surfaced road but it is possible to reach Aremd (also spelt Aroumd) by car up the rough track. It takes about 45 minutes to walk. Café Lac d’Ifni makes a good stop here. Sidi Chamharouchouch is another 2 hours 30 minutes’ walk, going steadily uphill. It is important to bear right after the marabout to find the initially very steep, but later steady slope up to the ex-Nelter Refuge (3,207 m). Allow 4 hours 30 minutes from Imlil.

This is the usual approach for walkers, a long day’s walking and scrambling if you want to go up and come back. The route is clearer on the map than it is on the ground – first observe the route from the rear of the ex-Neltner refuge and the large boulders on the skyline. These are the point to aim for. Leave the refuge and go down to the river. Cross over, and up the other side is the main path to the foot of the first of the many screes. Take the scree path up to the boulders which can be reached in just over an hour. From here there is a choice, the long scree slope to the north of the summit or the shorter, steeper slope to the south of the summit ridge. Either way, allow 3 hours 30 minutes.

The summit is not in itself attractive, especially if people are making calls from their mobile phones. (Who carried up the pieces of iron for the strange pointed structure on the top?) For a good view of sunrise, bivouac in one of the stone shelters. If there is no heat haze, there are views to Jebels Saghro and Siroua but as Toubkal’s summit (4,167 m) is plateau-like, other views are limited. Be prepared for low temperatures. Bitter winds blow three out of four days in the spring and autumn. Allow 2 hours to 2 hours 30 minutes for the descent.

A guide and/or a good map is essential for this less congested route. Take the track north from the ex-Neltner Refuge, crossing the river after about 1 km near the small ruined building. Hike up towards the north cwm. The screes move here and the path is not very distinct although the direction is clear enough. The way is up the back of the cwm to the left, to the break in the craggy skyline and a col. The summit then lies to the south along the ridge. It is a long hard climb. Allow at least 4 hours for the ascent.

Ijoukak, on the S501, 94 km out from Marrakech on the Taroudant/ Tizi-n-Test route, can be reached by bus – although grand taxi is more reliable. There are toilets and cafés and rooms may be rented here. If you take the bus a little further, however, you can walk to Tin Mal about 5 km off the road, just before the largish settlement of Mzouzit. You can then do a quiet walk back downstream to Talat-n-Yacoub and Ijoukak, the track following the contours above the river most of the way.

Talat-n-Yacoub/Ijoukak can also be used as trail-head villages for approaching Toubkal from the west. From Ijoukak, you head more or less east along the Assif Agoundis, with the plateaux of Tajgalt and Tazaghart to the north. (After the Toubkal climb, the return route takes you via Tizi Oussem with the same plateaux to the south.) The route up the Assif Agoundis is a steady climb and the walk along under the crests (provided the snow line is high enough) provides good views, and in spring a surprising number of flowers. The most commonly followed tracks lead eventually to the ex-Neltner Refuge, allowing keen scree scramblers to reach the summit of Jebel Toubkal. After the descent, you can continue north via Sidi Chamharouchouch to Aremd and Imlil. After the section Imlil to Tizi Oussem, walked on most circuits, the route continues west over the Tizi-n-Ouarhou to Tizgui (1,930 m) and back to Ijoukak, passing over the Tizi-n-Iguidi to Aït Zitoun, about 6 km from the Nfis Valley road. Allow 10-14 days for this demanding circuit if taking in the Jebel Toubkal summit.

Travel Guides | Marrakech | Sub Regions | Marrakech - Toubkal National Park
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