Depart early from Marrakech for a pleasant drive south, winding your way up through the Moulay Brahim gorge and upper valleys.

Arrive at the higher foothills of High Atlas mountains and your trailhead of Imi Oughlad, where you meet up with the Berber muleteer crew.

Set off in the north-westerly direction for a 2-hour acclimatization hike, up switchback mule tracks to the Tiz N’Tachete.

Stop to look back down on the Imlil and Azzaden valleys before carrying on for another half hour to Imi N’Ifri for a field picnic.

Take a slow hike for about two and half hours southwest, down along a dirt track to Assif N’Ait Azzaden and the red clay terraced village of Tiziane at 1750 m.

Set off on your hike up along the Assif N’Ait Oussaden Valley, passing through the walnut groves, up to Tizi N’Taghrhourte (1995m)

Pass through a rare, almost flat stretch to arrive at Assaka spring, where you will stop for a field picnic amidst the awesome silence, post two and half hours of relatively easy walking.

Hike down along the edges of the forest until we reach the Berber village of D’knt (1870m) or Agouns n Assoul, where you will have your dinner and spent the in a bivouac/gite.

Set off for your morning’s 3 hours hike up through groves of walnut trees, fields of corn and barley.

Greet the many sheep and goatherders – and women bent over with 20kg loads of faggots (meatball made of Pig offal) and dried herbs.

Traverse the Tizi n’Tagdalte to the descent amongst the juniper trees till you come to a small spring set amongst the trees.

Stop for your picnic, and once refreshed, set off down winding tracks of upper slopes for some 3 hours to come to a small river at the beginning of the valley of Assif n Azzaden.

Head up to the summer village of Tamsoult for your camp.

Set out eastwards through the beautiful waterfalls of Igholiden on a moderately difficult hike up winding mule tracks to the Tizi Aguelzim (3550m).

Go a further 3 hours south-east to the Toubkal Refuge, which marks the spring snowline at 3207m.

Head for dinner, in bivouac, around the Refuge or stay in one of the mountain huts.

Have an early breakfast to set out around 5:30 am; continue on a 3-hour steep climb to the highest peak in North Africa (4167m).

Take in the beauty of your surroundings as a panorama from here is simply stunning.

Take a 2 to 3-hour descent back to the Refuge for a picnic.

Set off towards the north along steeply descending, zigzagging trails of the higher slopes of the Valley of the Assif n’Isouhouanem n’Ouagounss, towards the Shrine of Sidi Chamharouch. 

Take another 2 hours downhill to get to the village of Imlil and take the taxi back to Marrakech.