High Atlas Berber Villages

After breakfast we set off on our hike up along the Assif n’ait Oussaden valley, passing through the walnut groves, up to Tizi n’Taghrhourte (1995m) and through a rare, almost flat stretch to arrive at Assaka spring, where we will stop for our field picnic amidst an awesome silence after some 2 and half hours of relatively easy walking.

Our afternoon’s hike takes us down along the edges of the forest until we reach the Berber village of D’knt (1870m) or Agouns n Assoul, where we will have our dinner and spend the night in a Bivouac or Gite.

We set off for our morning 3 hours hike up through groves of walnut trees, fields of corn and barley to greet the many sheep and goat herders, as well as women and children bent over with 20kg loads of sticks and dried herbs.

We traverse the Tizi n’Tagdalte to the descent amongst the juniper trees until we come to a small spring set amongst the trees, where we will stop for our picnic.

Once refreshed, we hike down winding tracks of upper slopes for around 3 hours to come to a small river at the beginning of the valley of Assif Nait Oussaden. From here we enter the village of Tizi Oussem (1850m) then up to the summer village of Tamsoult for our camp and overnight stay.

Today involves a fairly stiff climb out of the Azzaden Valley to the Toubkal Refuge over the Aguelzim Mountain pass at 3,560m. Our lunch will be had with spectacular views over the Atlas Mountain Range.

Overnight in the Toubkal Refuge (Niltner Hut) where you’ll likely be sharing a bunk room with other trekkers tackling Toubkal early the next morning.