Hiking in the Atlas

HOW TO GET THERE

There are direct flights to Marrakech from many UK airports including

London, Manchester and Edinburgh. From there, it is a 90-minute drive to Imlil. Transport can be booked by your guide or the place you are staying in Marrakech. If you are adventurous, you can go to the taxi rank past the petrol station behind Jema El Fna and wait for a shared taxi, which should cost around 60 dirham (1 dirham is about 8p as we go to press).

CURRENCY

The Moroccan dirham (Dhs or MAD) is a closed currency, and pre-purchase options are very limited. The usual ATMs and exchanges are to be found at the airport and in the city upon arrival. The best exchange rates are usually in Marrakech’s main city square, Jemaa el-Fnaa.

The use of cards is becoming more widespread in towns, but less so in the Atlas Mountains, so it may still be useful to have hard currency.

PAPERWORK AND JABS

You do not need a visa to enter Morocco and (at time of writing) there are no Covid restrictions in place. It’s considered one of the safer places to visit by the World Health Organization but it’s wise to have up-to-date hepatitis and rabies vaccinations.

WHEN TO GO

It’s possible to visit at any time of year, including winter, with spring and autumn offering more reliable, less extreme temperatures. Alice’s favourites are the months of April/May and mid-September to midNovember.

GUIDES

Legally, you must employ a guide to ascend Toubkal. This is a security measure locally, but it’s best to think of it as an opportunity rather than an impediment. The local guides are wonderful teachers about the culture and environment of the Atlas. Contact the Imlil Bureau des Guides bureaudesguidesimlil. com for a licensed guide.

Tipping is normal and should be factored into the cost of your trip. A guide would be 200400Dhs per day (for a group) 100-150Dhs (for an individual). A muleteer 150Dhs per day (group), 50-100Dhs (individual) and a driver – 100 Dhs per transfer.

Mules are working animals and are generally very well looked after and treated. If you would like to support working animals in the country, then check out Jarjeer Mules: jarjeer.org

CULTURE, CLOTHING AND KIT

Morocco is a Muslim country and conservative dress is appreciated – especially in the traditional society of the mountains. The Amazigh are very tolerant, but to respect the culture trousers and tops that cover your shoulders are best for women. Shorts are acceptable for men, but vests less so.

Warm layers are absolutely vital. It may be 45C in the valley, but the top of Toubkal is freezing. Rainwear may be needed, dependent on the time of year, and walking poles are really useful kit.

MORE INFORMATION

Things are changing very fast in the Atlas Mountains, with an extensive government road building programme, so guidebooks go out of date quite quickly. However, Fodor’s and Lonely Planet update their Moroccan guides regularly.

For more detail on the Atlas Mountains, Alice recommends Alan Palmer’s Moroccan Atlas, The Trekking Guide (Trailblazers, 2014), with the caveat that some of the routes may have changed. Walks and Scrambles in the Moroccan Anti-Atlas (Cicerone, 2018) by David Wood is more up-to-date but is based out of Tafraout and the Ameln Valley rather than Imlil.

For more on the culture in Morocco, Alice’s own book Adventures in Morocco has a whole chapter on the Atlas.