8-Day Mount Tubkal Trek from Marrakech with Ifni Lake and Toubkal Summit

• Transfer from the airport to your hotel in Marrakech.

• Leave Marrakech after breakfast and drive to Imlil (1740 m) via Asni. Imlil is the principal trailhead for walkers.

• This is where you meet your mule (male donkey) team, and once all your gear is loaded, begin walking along the valley towards Tacheddirt, around 8 km from Imlil.

• Soon, the trail begins to rise as you climb up to the pass at Tizi 'n Tamaterte (2279 m) with your Toubkal mountain guide.

• Descend to the pretty village of Ouaneskra (2200 m) and continue for another half-hour or so to Tacheddirt (2300 m), where you set up camp near the river.

Approx. 4 hours of walking.

• Begin a long, slow ascent to the pass at Tizi Likem’t (3555 m).

• At the top, enjoy your first fine view of the Toubkal Massif before a long downhill descent to the village of Aazib Likem’t (2200 m), where you set up camp for the night.

Approx. 5 hours of walking.

• This will be a long but easy day, passing through many different landscapes.

• From Tizi 'n Ououraine (3120 m), enjoy further views of the Toubkal Massif, including the summit, the east face, and the Ifni Dome (3876 m).

• The trail leads on towards Amssouzert (1700 m), one of the most striking villages in the region, where you spend the night in a local gite.

Approx. 6 hours of walking.

• West of Amssouzert are several small villages, which you explore as you make your way towards Ifni Lake (2300 m), the only lake in the Massif. It is a memorable sight, surrounded by rocky mountains and giant heaps of rubble, and is unusually deep.

• Expect to arrive at lunchtime and spend the afternoon relaxing at the shore.

• Camp tonight in this area.

Approx. 4 hours of walking.

• By now, you should be both fit and acclimatised and ready to tackle the hardest day of the trek.

• Make your way along a steep path that leads up a seemingly endless scree slope.

• At length, reach the pass at Tizi N’Ouanoums (3664 m), a narrow ledge between two shafts of rock.

• From here, it is a long zigzag descent to Nether Refuge (3200 m), where you spend the night in tents.

Approx. 6 hours of walking.

• Leave before dawn, following a well-worn route to the summit of Toubkal (4167 m).

• If conditions are good, it should take no more than 2-3 hours to reach the summit, where you enjoy beautiful views of the entire Atlas range and the Marrakech plains beyond.

• Returning to base, descend fairly rapidly to the villages of Sidi Chamharouch and Armed before following the Mizane River along a well-forested trail to the trailhead at Imlil.

• Transfer back to Marrakech.

Approx. 9 hours of walking.

• Departure from Marrakech.