Treks in
Morocco (2003 to 2023)
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mountaineering/trekking/travel webpage
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In the late 70′s and early 80′s the
High Atlas in Morocco was one of my favorite destinations. I did a dozen
trekking trips between Jebel Toubkal on the west and the village of Imilchil on the east. Unfortunately, I took very few or
no photos during these trips. I re-discovered Morocco in 2002 and since then
I did several trips. Despite the much larger number of visitors than in the
70′s, the mountain remains as beautiful as ever and the hospitability
of the Berber people hasn′t changed. My
first trek in Morocco: In the Central Atlas south of Beni Mellal (March 1977)
[Added in May 2020] Jebel
Toubkal (June 2003) Jebel
Mgoun (October 2003) Jebel
Waougoulzat (June 2004) Taghia-Koucer-Assif-Melloul
(September 2005) High
Atlas of Marrakech (June 2006) Tabant-Mgoun-Imejdag-Taghia-Oussikis (June 2008) Traverse
of the East ridge of Jebel Mgoun (July 2010) Ait-Bouguemez Valley to Anmiter
around Jebel Rat (April 2013) Traverse
of Jebel Sahro and central High Atlas (April-May 2014) From
the Sirwa Massif to the Mountains of Amezmiz (April-May 2016) Hikes
on the Southern Side of the Mgoun Massif (April
2022) Traverse
of the central part of the High Atlas (May 2023) More recently I have
done two treks in other regions of Morocco: Al
Hoceima National Park and Rif mountain in northern
Morocco (May 2017) Desert
south of Tagounite (February 2020) Here are photos on my
first trip to Morocco in September 1968 (with no trek): Morocco
(September 1968) Maps: Topographic maps covering most of the
interesting areas in Morocco can be downloaded (for free) from the excellent ″Je
me casse au soleil″ website: http://jemecasseausoleil.blogspot.com/2012/08/cartes-du-maroc.html
About
guides and mules: Many treks in the Atlas can be done without
guides or mules. However, over the years I have found that guides and mules
make the treks more enjoyable and certainly much more comfortable. Treks are
then less physically demanding, which makes it possible to explore
alternative routes and do additional hikes in the evenings. Guides and
muleteers also know paths that would be very difficult to find from a map.
They increase safety, especially when confronted to packs of mean dogs. In
addition, using guides and muleteers help the local economy. Fees are usually
very reasonable. |
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I strongly recommend Oumar Oulaїdi, who is
a CFAMM (Ait Bouguemez
Mountain Training Center) certified guide, with considerable additional
training in France. I have known Oumar since the early 2000s. I did
several treks with him, and he has helped me arrange the logistics of other
treks. He is very friendly and reliable, with a good sense of humor. He can
organize and guide treks in all regions of Morocco, especially the High Atlas
Mountains, the Anti-Atlas (Jebel Sahro, Jebel Sirwa, and Tafraoute
area), the Sahara desert, and the Atlantic coast. For individuals and small
groups who are only looking for limited support, he may just provide reliable
muleteers. He can arrange logistics, including riad reservations in Marrakesh
and other cities, and transportation. His family owns a gite (a kind of guesthouse) in
Tabant in the Ait Bouguemez Valley. The hospitality of the Oulaїdi family is flawless. Their gite is very
comfortable and clean. It provides hot showers and the food is delicious.
Oumar and his father have created foundations to help preserve Berber culture
and support education in the Atlas. More recently, Oumar has opened a new lodge, the
Zen Ecolodge, near the village of Alemdoun, south of the Mgoun
mountain range. The lodge is beautiful, very comfortable, extremely friendly,
and ideally located for day hikes and long treks. How to contact
Oumar: - Email: oumaroula@gmail.com
- Cell and WhatsApp: +212-668964561 - Telephone and email of the Zen Ecolodge:
+212-668964561, info@zenecolodge.com
- Telephone of Oulaїdi
family‛s gite in Tabant: +212-523459346 |
Some photos of the Oulaїdi family′s gite in Tabant
(the family, the terrace, the view from the terrace):
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Here
are three photos taken by Oumar near Tabant during
the winter of 2015 after a huge snow storm. Very spectacular! Few people know
that so much snow can fall in the mountains of northern Africa. |
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