Mgoun Traverse - Agouti -Ait Alla
An adventurous trek in rural Morocco taking you into untouched regions of the Atlas Mountains for a real insight into the traditional mountain community culture and some great views on the way! Walking beyond the reach of vehicles, assisted by mules to carry the load, you envelop yourself in the real Morocco.
Beautiful Bougmez valley with impressive gorges and rocks formations. Your trekking culminates with the chance to climb Jebel Mgoun(4068m) for spectacular sweeping views across the Atlas before completing the circle by returning to the Bougmez valley . In complete contrast to the peace of the mountains
Beautiful Bougmez valley with impressive gorges and rocks formations. Your trekking culminates with the chance to climb Jebel Mgoun(4068m) for spectacular sweeping views across the Atlas before completing the circle by returning to the Bougmez valley . In complete contrast to the peace of the mountains
Itinerary
Day1: drive from Marrakech to Agouti via Azilal , night will be spend on the gite in the village of Agouti
Day 2: Agouti to Rougoult
Six to seven hours/17km/326m descent/ascent
Agouti sits at the head of the Ai\"t Bou Goumez Valley and the walk out of the village along the road has delightful views of the Happy Valley, the reasons for its name soon becoming obvious. After a leisurely hour and a half, a piste leads off left down from the road. A little further on there is a choice of following the piste or taking a steeper, shorter path that zigzags down into the valley, rejoining the piste at the village of Agerssif (1489m), which you should reach in under three hours from Agouti. Agerssif sits at the confluence of the Lakhdar and Bou Goumez Rivers, where there is a bridge. The river here is a good place to rest and a great spot to camp.
The Lakhdar Valley narrows considerably as the piste, wide enough to be used by vehicles, climbs its south side. A half an hour or so upstream is the picturesque village of Taghoulit (1519m), surrounded by juniper trees, and with a simple gi\^te. The piste continues up the gorge and then out into the broadening and more fertile upper valley, until it reaches Sebt Ai\"t Bou Wlli, (pronounced Ait Bouli) a sizeable village above the river, with a school (marked by flags), a Saturday market
Several valleys meet at this village: Jebel Rat heads straight up on another good walk past the village of Abachkou to Jebel Rat (3797m). Our piste heads left, south, the valley becoming ever more beautiful as it winds up above wheat and barley fields, juniper, wild fig and almond trees. The village of Tazouggart, on the opposite side of the valley, marks a more-than-halfway point between Sebt Ai\"t Bou Wlli and the day's end. From here, the landscape becomes ever more fantastic, with a hint of Shangri-la about it, until after two to 21\2 hours you reach Rougoult (1893m). There is excellent camping just below the village beside the Tifra River.
Day 3: Rougoult to Amezri
Six to seven hours/14km/600m descent/970m ascent
For two hours, the morning walk follows the Tifra, the stony path crisscrossing the river. There are terraces wherever there is space on the banks, although in places the valley is simply too narrow to cultivate. As it climbs, so the landscape becomes more barren. The mule path is well-trodden and although it occasionally is forced to climb above gorges, it does follow the course of the river, roughly due south.
The source of the Tifra, no more than a trickle at the best of times, sits just below the pass of Tizi n'Rougoult (2860m). At this point, even the juniper trees are below you and only alpine plants and bushes above. From the broad saddle beneath the pass, a path leads left (east) to a ridge that climbs to over 3500m. The Rougoult pass is well worn, straight ahead. From the pass, the summit of Ighil M'Goun - at 4068m just under 100m lower than Jebel Toubkal - is due east. Ahead of you there are long views across the southern M'Goun Massif and, more immediately, across the Tessaout River, a vast primordial scene that looks as though it has just been formed, the mountain slopes showing great gashes of rust, green and grey rocks.
From the Rougoult pass, the mule path is clearly marked, winding down in front of you and arriving after two hours at the first village, Tasgai\"walt. From here, keeping the river to your left, in all likeliness being followed by curious village children looking for entertainment, it is a gentle walk - 40 minutes, though you could easily spend longer - along the track to the village of Amezri (2250m) for the night.
Day 4: Amezri to Ai Ali n'Ito
6 hours/18km/427m descent/150m ascent
The third day is one of gentle pleasures as the path follows the Tessaout River, shelving gently from 2250m to 1833m. The valley is hemmed in by some impressive cliffs, particularly by the Ichbbakene escarpment, which rises a sheer 1000m above the river.
The river has little or no fish since a large flood flushed them out a few years back, but it does irrigate some exceptionally fertile farmland which the Berbers, here of the Ai\"t Atta tribe, use to grow a range of seasonal crops. In the spring, the valleys are carpeted with wild flowers, while the fruit and nut trees add their blossom to the spectacle. In this part of its course, the Tessaout flows more or less due west and is fed by a series of smaller streams that bring melted snow off the higher mountains.
At several places along the day's walk, the path crosses the river. For much of the year, it should be possible to hop over stones. But in spring, when the valley is at its most beautiful, the river may be too high and you may have to wade, as at the village of Imi n'Ikkis, some 5km from Amezri. The village is no more than a cluster of houses, but does have a shop (no sign) that usually stocks water and soft drinks, may also have the lurid green plastic shoes villagers wear to wade in the rivers, and occasionally has some tinned food.
As the path passes beneath the larger village of Ichbbakene, an hour and a half further downstream and backed by the sheer escarpment, you will see the significant building of the Hotel Edare. Built by a villager who worked in France, it was not operating at the time of our visit.
Two and a half hours further on, having crossed the river at several places, the path narrows and squeezes itself beneath the stone and mud houses of the village of Ai\"t Hamza. At the bottom of the village is a working water mill. Powered by water diverted from the river, it's used to grind the annual wheat crop. Another hour of delightful walking leads to the village of Ai\"t Ali n'Ito.
If you have time, there is a good side trip to the village of Magdaz, a three-hour round trip to the south of Ai\"t Ali n'Ito, but well worth the effort as this is one of the most beautiful villages in the Atlas Mountains. Apart from the beauty of the place, check out the village's extraordinary architecture, where tower-houses have been built in steps using stone and wood, a technique only known here, in Fakhour (see tomorrow's walk), Yemen and Afghanistan.
Day 5: Ait Ali n'Ito to Ait Alla
21\2 to 3 hours/8km/150m descent
A dirt road leads alongside the river on a gentle walk down to the end of the trek. Occasionally the route does climb a little before it reaches the beautiful little village of Fakhour, where the houses climb up the hillside and noted for its agadir, which can be visited. There's no entry fee, but the gardien should be tipped (Dh10 would be welcomed).
Less than an hour beyond Fakhour, the village of Ifoulou sits on a bend of the river and the road. This village seems to sleep for most of the week, there being little other than a drinks stand open, but on Monday it is the site for a large souq, when villagers from along the valleys come to trade and talk. Half an hour beyond the village, the piste joins the main Demnate-Skoura road by the new road bridge over the Tessaout River, below the village of Ai\"t Alla where we will find the transport waiting to get by the end of the day to marrakech via Ait tamlil , damenate.
please note that if you like to add another day so the trek can be extended to visit the village of Magdaz.
Note : Itinerary is just a guideline and subject to change to suit local condition.
Day 2: Agouti to Rougoult
Six to seven hours/17km/326m descent/ascent
Agouti sits at the head of the Ai\"t Bou Goumez Valley and the walk out of the village along the road has delightful views of the Happy Valley, the reasons for its name soon becoming obvious. After a leisurely hour and a half, a piste leads off left down from the road. A little further on there is a choice of following the piste or taking a steeper, shorter path that zigzags down into the valley, rejoining the piste at the village of Agerssif (1489m), which you should reach in under three hours from Agouti. Agerssif sits at the confluence of the Lakhdar and Bou Goumez Rivers, where there is a bridge. The river here is a good place to rest and a great spot to camp.
The Lakhdar Valley narrows considerably as the piste, wide enough to be used by vehicles, climbs its south side. A half an hour or so upstream is the picturesque village of Taghoulit (1519m), surrounded by juniper trees, and with a simple gi\^te. The piste continues up the gorge and then out into the broadening and more fertile upper valley, until it reaches Sebt Ai\"t Bou Wlli, (pronounced Ait Bouli) a sizeable village above the river, with a school (marked by flags), a Saturday market
Several valleys meet at this village: Jebel Rat heads straight up on another good walk past the village of Abachkou to Jebel Rat (3797m). Our piste heads left, south, the valley becoming ever more beautiful as it winds up above wheat and barley fields, juniper, wild fig and almond trees. The village of Tazouggart, on the opposite side of the valley, marks a more-than-halfway point between Sebt Ai\"t Bou Wlli and the day's end. From here, the landscape becomes ever more fantastic, with a hint of Shangri-la about it, until after two to 21\2 hours you reach Rougoult (1893m). There is excellent camping just below the village beside the Tifra River.
Day 3: Rougoult to Amezri
Six to seven hours/14km/600m descent/970m ascent
For two hours, the morning walk follows the Tifra, the stony path crisscrossing the river. There are terraces wherever there is space on the banks, although in places the valley is simply too narrow to cultivate. As it climbs, so the landscape becomes more barren. The mule path is well-trodden and although it occasionally is forced to climb above gorges, it does follow the course of the river, roughly due south.
The source of the Tifra, no more than a trickle at the best of times, sits just below the pass of Tizi n'Rougoult (2860m). At this point, even the juniper trees are below you and only alpine plants and bushes above. From the broad saddle beneath the pass, a path leads left (east) to a ridge that climbs to over 3500m. The Rougoult pass is well worn, straight ahead. From the pass, the summit of Ighil M'Goun - at 4068m just under 100m lower than Jebel Toubkal - is due east. Ahead of you there are long views across the southern M'Goun Massif and, more immediately, across the Tessaout River, a vast primordial scene that looks as though it has just been formed, the mountain slopes showing great gashes of rust, green and grey rocks.
From the Rougoult pass, the mule path is clearly marked, winding down in front of you and arriving after two hours at the first village, Tasgai\"walt. From here, keeping the river to your left, in all likeliness being followed by curious village children looking for entertainment, it is a gentle walk - 40 minutes, though you could easily spend longer - along the track to the village of Amezri (2250m) for the night.
Day 4: Amezri to Ai Ali n'Ito
6 hours/18km/427m descent/150m ascent
The third day is one of gentle pleasures as the path follows the Tessaout River, shelving gently from 2250m to 1833m. The valley is hemmed in by some impressive cliffs, particularly by the Ichbbakene escarpment, which rises a sheer 1000m above the river.
The river has little or no fish since a large flood flushed them out a few years back, but it does irrigate some exceptionally fertile farmland which the Berbers, here of the Ai\"t Atta tribe, use to grow a range of seasonal crops. In the spring, the valleys are carpeted with wild flowers, while the fruit and nut trees add their blossom to the spectacle. In this part of its course, the Tessaout flows more or less due west and is fed by a series of smaller streams that bring melted snow off the higher mountains.
At several places along the day's walk, the path crosses the river. For much of the year, it should be possible to hop over stones. But in spring, when the valley is at its most beautiful, the river may be too high and you may have to wade, as at the village of Imi n'Ikkis, some 5km from Amezri. The village is no more than a cluster of houses, but does have a shop (no sign) that usually stocks water and soft drinks, may also have the lurid green plastic shoes villagers wear to wade in the rivers, and occasionally has some tinned food.
As the path passes beneath the larger village of Ichbbakene, an hour and a half further downstream and backed by the sheer escarpment, you will see the significant building of the Hotel Edare. Built by a villager who worked in France, it was not operating at the time of our visit.
Two and a half hours further on, having crossed the river at several places, the path narrows and squeezes itself beneath the stone and mud houses of the village of Ai\"t Hamza. At the bottom of the village is a working water mill. Powered by water diverted from the river, it's used to grind the annual wheat crop. Another hour of delightful walking leads to the village of Ai\"t Ali n'Ito.
If you have time, there is a good side trip to the village of Magdaz, a three-hour round trip to the south of Ai\"t Ali n'Ito, but well worth the effort as this is one of the most beautiful villages in the Atlas Mountains. Apart from the beauty of the place, check out the village's extraordinary architecture, where tower-houses have been built in steps using stone and wood, a technique only known here, in Fakhour (see tomorrow's walk), Yemen and Afghanistan.
Day 5: Ait Ali n'Ito to Ait Alla
21\2 to 3 hours/8km/150m descent
A dirt road leads alongside the river on a gentle walk down to the end of the trek. Occasionally the route does climb a little before it reaches the beautiful little village of Fakhour, where the houses climb up the hillside and noted for its agadir, which can be visited. There's no entry fee, but the gardien should be tipped (Dh10 would be welcomed).
Less than an hour beyond Fakhour, the village of Ifoulou sits on a bend of the river and the road. This village seems to sleep for most of the week, there being little other than a drinks stand open, but on Monday it is the site for a large souq, when villagers from along the valleys come to trade and talk. Half an hour beyond the village, the piste joins the main Demnate-Skoura road by the new road bridge over the Tessaout River, below the village of Ai\"t Alla where we will find the transport waiting to get by the end of the day to marrakech via Ait tamlil , damenate.
please note that if you like to add another day so the trek can be extended to visit the village of Magdaz.
Note : Itinerary is just a guideline and subject to change to suit local condition.
Trek & Tour Prices
- Group 1 person : 860€
- Group 2 -3 people : 530€ / person
- Group 4 - 8 people : 450€ / person
- Group 9 - 12 people: 395€ / person
pRICES INCLUDE & pRICES DOES NOT Include
Include :
Does not include :
- Expert, Berber, English-speaking mountain guides
- Mules and muleteers to carry your luggage
- Berber Cook
- All meals on the hike
- Accommodation in a Berber village (gite)
- Round-trip Transportation between the trek and your accommodation in Marrakech .
- Camping Materiels ( Tents & Mattress) for summer treks.
Does not include :
- Travel insurance.
- Soft/alcoholic drinks
- Tips and personal expanses
Availability & dates
This trek runs from April till end of October and can depart at any date of your preference.
We usually have several treks departing each week that you may join , please get in Touch!!
NB: Depending of the snow conditions in the high mountain passes, this trek may not be available till beginning of June.
This trek is available to be booked independently (including transfers from Marrakech) or we can put together a full itinerary and quote to combine your trek with any of Marrakech, Essaouira, The Atlantic Coast and Sahara Desert
We usually have several treks departing each week that you may join , please get in Touch!!
NB: Depending of the snow conditions in the high mountain passes, this trek may not be available till beginning of June.
This trek is available to be booked independently (including transfers from Marrakech) or we can put together a full itinerary and quote to combine your trek with any of Marrakech, Essaouira, The Atlantic Coast and Sahara Desert
Accommodation
The accommodation will be mix of camping, gites and mountain huts, trek only available from May -Octo.
NB : If accommodation is required in the Atlas Mountains either before or after the trek, we can always book you at our Guesthouse Dar Adrar in Imlil or in our Eco-loge in Ouirgane
NB : If accommodation is required in the Atlas Mountains either before or after the trek, we can always book you at our Guesthouse Dar Adrar in Imlil or in our Eco-loge in Ouirgane
Accommodation Example During a Trek in the High atlas
Village Gite - Room
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Village Gite - Room
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Refuge Dorm
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Essential Equipment / Kit hire
- Good walking boots and socks / good trainers for valley treks
- Personnel First aid Kit
- 3 to 4 season sleeping bag ( winter) or light Sleeping bag ( Summer)
- Lightweight waterproof over-trousers / rain-pants
- Water bottle or camel back (recommended)
- Soft-sided bag (50-80 litres)
- Lightweight daypack
- Sunglasses
- Sunscreen
- Torch and batteries
- Towel & all personal toiletries
Most of those equipment can be rented locally from our equipment shop in Imlil:
- Crampons : 5 €/ Day/pair
- Ice Axe : 3 €/day
- Walking boots : 5 €/day
- Sleeping bags : 2.5 €/day
- Rain Jackets : 3 €/day
- Walking Poles : 3 €/day/pair
- Back packs : 3€/day
- Stoves : 2€/day
Start Point ? Finish Point?
- You will be picked up from your accommodation in Marrakech city, many riads does not have access by car so the driver will park nearby and come to get you.
- You will be droped off at the nearest point to your riad/hotel , our driver can call your riad to meet you if needed.
How do you book & pay?
Find the trek you are interested in then contact us via E-mail to discuss your trek and check availability. Once the details of your trek (duration, route and number of people) have been agreed, we will make a provisional booking, giving the dates and cost.
To confirm your booking we ask you to pay a 20% deposit. This can be in Euros, pounds sterling or US dollars online via bank account. The balance is paid in Morocco by cash – again in Euros, sterling or dollars – at the beginning of the trek.
NB: if you can't carry cash, you can always pay again the balance online by bank few days before departure.
To confirm your booking we ask you to pay a 20% deposit. This can be in Euros, pounds sterling or US dollars online via bank account. The balance is paid in Morocco by cash – again in Euros, sterling or dollars – at the beginning of the trek.
NB: if you can't carry cash, you can always pay again the balance online by bank few days before departure.
What is appropriate to wear in Morocco’s smaller villages and in the Sahara Desert?
Morocco is a conservative and religious country, which means you always need to be mindful of your clothing choices. This is especially true in the country’s more rural areas, which include the Sahara Desert and its surrounding villages. As a general rule of thumb, you should always attempt to cover body parts considered “private”. For women, this means covering the arms (or at least the shoulders) and the knees up. For men, it requires covering up the shoulders and above the knee.
food on the trek
Meals on the trek are cooked by the Berber muleteers. The food is fresh and healthy. Example meals:
Absolutely. Just let us know about your catering preferences when you confirm your booking to ensure any dietary requirements are met.
Please remind as well your guide and cook on first day of the trek.
- Breakfast: Jam, bread, cookies, fruit, juice, butter, coffee, milk
- Lunch: salad, tomatoes, carrots, lentils, beans, rice or pasta, fish (sardines, tuna), seasonal fruit
- Dinner: Soup, classic Morooccan tajine, couscous, olives, nuts, fruit
Absolutely. Just let us know about your catering preferences when you confirm your booking to ensure any dietary requirements are met.
Please remind as well your guide and cook on first day of the trek.
What's about the luggage during the trek ?
Personal baggage, cooking equipment and food are carried by the mules, leaving you to carry only a rucksack with whatever you need close at hand for the day.
NB : Left luggage or unnecessary luggage can be left safely in our storage in Imlil till you come back from the trek.
NB : Left luggage or unnecessary luggage can be left safely in our storage in Imlil till you come back from the trek.
Extend your stay in Morocco’s Sahara Desert, Atlantic Coast or cities
All of our Mountain treks ca be combined with some other tours either to the sahara desert, Imperial cities or to the Atlantic coast, below are some options :
Lastest Reviews
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Every little thing was taken care of. My partner and I are very impressed with the amazing guides who got the balance between explanation and privacy right and their kind hearts. We will never forget this trip. I sincerely booking via this company. I was a bit worried paying the deposit via PayPal because I thought: what if it’s not as good as every review on trip advisor says it is? But honestly, don’t doubt. Most amazing company and guides.
Experience of a lifetime. Hiking and tour of southern Morocco
Mrs
/ Nora
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Aztat Treks made our trekking a great experience! Two friends from the Netherlands, accompanied by a friendly guide and skillful chef (and not to forget a strong mule) discovered the beauty of the Atlas Mountains during a 7 day-trekking. Overall we are happy with the arrangements by Aztat Treks.The company is flexible, reliable, customer-oriented and everything else that is needed to make your stay in Morocco a big success!
Perfect 2 Day Tour of the High Atlas
Mr
/ Boudewijn
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Contact US
We are always delighted to hear from past, current and future clients so whether you have a booking enquiry, want a conditions report, or some mountaineering advice please do get in touch :
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