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3 days trek :from Imlil to Setti Fadma
ITINERARY
DAY 1: MARRAKECH - IMLIL - IMENANE VALLEY - TACHEDDIRT.
Departure from Marrakech early in the morning for a pleasing 2
hour drive over the Tizi n'Techt way up into the foothills of the
Western High Atlas ranges to arrive at our trailhead in the Berber
village of Imlil (1740m), known also as Morocco's 'Little Chamonix'.
With streams and paths branching out all around us, we set out along
a piste for a 1 hour and 45 minutes hike towards the east up to the
Tizi n'Tamatert (2272m) and on through fields of wheat and orchards
of walnut, apple and cherry trees until we reach the village of
Tamatert (1810m).
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Once
through the village we shall take a path which leads us up through
pine and juniper woods we stop at the Tizi to admire the Imlil and
Imenane Valleys , the latter with its many Berber villages tucked
precariously onto the slopes stretching out around us, with Jbel
Oukaīmeden (3268m) known locally as "Ouka" - and almost as high
asthe Rockies - on the near horizon. We carry on along the upper
valley slopes for another hour or so to the villages of first
Ouaneskra and then Amghedoul (2130m) set amidst terraced plots of
land carved from the hard slopes where we shall stop for our picnic
on the plateau used, in summer, as a favoured bivouac site. Our
afternoon will be spent hiking for some 3 hours up through the
valley along mule trails until we reach the pretty - and the oldest
- Berber village in the Toubkal Massif - Tacheddirt (2291m), set
amongst terraced plots clawed from the surrounding craggy slopes,
where we'll stay overnight in a Gite d'Etape (Bereber House with hot
shower). Whilst dinner is being prepared, there's ample opportunity
to visit the village and the always welcoming, hardy Berber
villagers.
DAY 2: TACHEDDIRT - IAABASSENE - TIMICHI.
After an early breakfast we start our 7hour hike south-eastwards
to the terraced village of Timichi (1860m), at the western offshoot
head of the Ourika Valley. For 2 ½ hours we hike slowly up to the
Tizi n'Tacheddirt (3200m), which affords us a stunning panoramic
view of the Jebel Aksouāl (3842m) on one side and of Bou Iguenouane
(3882m) and Angour (3616m) on the other. Here you will see the
beginnings of the luscious nature of the beautiful, verdant Valley
stretching out way down below us.
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shall traverse the pass and continue on down through the rocks
north-eastwards for a further 2½ hours until we reach the Berber village
of Iaabassene (2030m), where we'll stop for our welcome picnic next to a
spring just outside the village. The afternoon's 2hour hike takes us up
further to the northeast down the valley to the old village of Timichi,
set amongst ancient nut trees, where we'll have our dinner and stay
overnight in a Berber family home.
DAY 3: TIMICHI - ISGHOUARNE - AGADIR n'AĻT BOULMANE - SETTI FADMA.
After breakfast we set out for a 5 to 6-hour hike eastwards down along
the valley full of cornfields and orange groves, with many streams
flowing down from the upper slopes, passing through the villages of
Isghouarne and Agadir n'Aļt Boulmane to arrive at the end of the
beautiful Ourika Valley proper and the renowned Berber village of Setti
Fadma, with its ancient nut trees and waterfalls. We shall stop for our
picnic just outside of the village, before hiking on for a further half
an hour to rejoin our vehicle to take us back to Marrakech.
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