General
This is a full day to the majestic High Atlas. This excursion will take far from the hustle and bustle of Marrakesh to the tranquility of rural parts. You will learn about the Berber culture and discover their architecture and culture.
You will depart Marrakech around 9:00 AM for an exhilarating almost two hour drive south across the Haouz Plain with its olive groves and citrus-tree orchards, to the Berber town of Imlil (1740 meters), known as Morocco’s Little Chamonix’ set in the upper level foothills of the Western High Atlas mountains, a main trailhead with streams and paths branching out in all directions.
As you start to ascend into the High Atlas Valleys, you pass through the Berber town of Tahanaoute to the first Berber village in this region of the High Atlas Mountains – Azrou, meaning; rock before winding your way up past the Moulay Brahim Gorges and into the high valleys – so hold on to your hats!
You will pass under Berber town of Moulay Brahim, perched on a cliff overlooking the oued (river), and proceed past small, riverside irrigated plots, some of which are centuries old where you may see the hardy Berber women and men tilling their soil before you reach the market town of Asni towards the mountains of the Toubkal National Park.
On the now narrow valley road you wind your way up past the villages of Imi Ourghlad, Tinifine, Aguerssioual and Taddart whose pise (adobe) homes and plots of land have been clawed from the mountain slopes to pass by Sir Richard Branson¦s Kasbah Tamadot perched on a cliff until you reach Imlil (meaning “white). Here you will leave your vehicle to take a welcome glass of mint tea in your Gite d’etape prior to setting out on the back of a mule for some four kilometers south to the Berber village of Aremd (1,843 meters), passing the hamlets of Taourirt, Targa, and Imoula, up and down the stark slopes, the jagged Western High Atlas peaks of the Toubkal Massif before you – Jbels Aguelzim (3,547 meters), Aksoual (3,847 meters) and the Adrar Adj (3,122 meters) watching you all the way.
You will stop at Aroumd to visit this charming village in the Assif Ait Mizane Valley, built seemingly house-upon-house on a large moraine spur, overlooking ancient irrigated terraced fields of barley, corn and vegetables and always surrounded by almond and walnut trees,within full view of Jbel Toubkal, at 4,167 meters (the highest peak in the Maghreb), prior to setting off back down the other side of the valley back to Imlil by 4:00 PM at the latest and your drive back to Marrakech.