THE TOUBKAL REGION
Most High Atlas trekkers make Jbel Toubkal (4167m/13,670ft), the highest peak in North Africa, their first goal. Toubkal is easy to reach from Marrakesh and can be tackled in just a couple of days. This is also an exceptionally striking region with a sharp, imposing splendour which never fails to impress its visitors. There is nothing gentle about Toubkal; this is Snowdon on steroids. At the summit of Jbel Toubkal one gets a clear sense of the way in which the Atlas mountains form Morocco’s spine, dividing a gleaming Atlantic coast from the scorching vastness of Saharan Africa. Most Toubkal trekking takes place in the Mizane valley. The region itself is bound by Tizi-n’-Tichka in the west and Tizi-n’-Test to the east. Imlil is the main trailhead in the area.
Getting to Imlil
Take a bus or grand taxi south along the Taroudannt road from Marrakesh to Asni. Eight buses a day go to Asni from the local bus station (there is no actual bus ‘station’ as such, just a dusty plot of ground) next to the Bab Robb gate in Marrakesh. The price is 11dh. Otherwise go to Bab Robb to pick up a grand taxi. Expect to pay 15dh for a shared taxi or 90dh to travel alone. The journey to Asni takes just under an hour.
At Asni there are three ways to get to Imlil, a further 17km into the mountains. Your grand taxi driver might take you but since the road is poor he will charge extra. Otherwise you will need to wait for the Asni–Imlil mini-bus or a lorry (camion) to take you. Lorries regularly pass through Asni on their way to Imlil and it is common practice to ride on the back for a 10dh fee. The petrifying mini-bus costs about the same but you might wait a long time for it. There is always plenty of Asni–Imlil traffic on Saturdays when the former holds its main souq.
You will probably have to wait around in Asni for a while before getting to Imlil. It’s a lively roadside village with a handful of cheap cafés and one decent hotel, Hôtel du Toubkal, which boasts a pool, restaurant and bar. Rooms cost around 200dh for a double. The Saturday souq is worth exploring if you happen to be in Asni at the right time. But there is little reason to see Asni as anything other than a stopover en route to Imlil and for trekkers an inconvenient one at that. You will be approached by hustlers who will offer to arrange treks, guides and mules for you. Don’t arrange anything in Asni; wait till you get to Imlil. Prices quoted in Asni will almost certainly be inflated and official guides make Imlil, not Asni, their base.
IMLIL (1740m/5707ft)
This busy and colourful trailhead serves trekkers well. There are plenty of cafés, places to stay and a strong contingent of guides and muleteers. Imlil is where most Jbel Toubkal ascents are planned and organised so you will find useful supplies in the shops and even copies of the 1:100,000 and 1:50,000 Toubkal maps. These go for 150dh; you might need to ask around to find a copy. When I last visited, Imlil was still awaiting telephone lines. Telephone numbers given below are generally in Marrakesh.
Locals will be keen to offer you their advice and, often, their mountain services as well. You should take time getting to know a guide before agreeing to be led by him – or, occasionally, her – so cut the deal over a glass or two of mint tea. Note that a guide is hardly necessary for a simple trek to the Jbel Toubkal summit and back to Imlil. You will pass others walking the same route and the path is reasonably distinct.
Services
The Bureau des Guides, opposite Café Aksoual, is the place to go to find a guide (there are about 50 based in Imlil) or for general advice about trekking in the Toubkal region. The bureau keeps a waiting list, so trekkers will be offered whichever guide is at the top of the list. These guides will only lead treks in the Imlil/Toubkal area. The staff there should also be able to tell you where to get a map.
Another place where people are always willing to give you advice or to chat about Toubkal trekking is the nearby Club Alpin Français (CAF) refuge. The gardien, Mohammed, is said to be the first and oldest guide in the Atlas. There’s not much he doesn’t know about the area. There are a number of shops selling groceries, drinks, tinned food and other useful supplies like matches, toilet paper and batteries. You can change money at the Etoile du Toubkal hotel.
Where to stay
Café du Soleil (tel 04-48.45.90), recently rebuilt after it was washed away in the 1995 flood which swept through the Ourika valley, has four rooms at 80dh per room. Several people could sleep in each. A room with a shower is available for 100dh. Or you could sleep under the stars on the terrace for 15dh a night. The owner, Brahim, whips up a decent breakfast for 15dh. Hôtel Etoile du Toubkal (tel 04-43.56.63) has eight rooms from 100dh, some look out over the street but the better ones at the back look over apple trees. There are hot showers. Café Aksoual has simple rooms for 25dh or you could sleep on the rooftop terrace for 15dh. Opposite, the CAF refuge & camp-site provides one of the better places to stay. It offers comfortable, clean dormitory accommodation for 20dh (CAF members) or 40dh (non-members) and use of its cooking facilities (including utensils) for an extra 5dh. There’s also a small garden where campers can pitch their tents. Hôtel El Aine is good value with rooms for 30dh. There’s a communal kitchen and TV room which residents can use. On the road out towards Tamatent there’s a large gîte which sleeps about 11 people. It’s a cut below the hotels just described, although it does boast great views of Toubkal. See the box on p129 for information about staying in the Kasbah du Toubkal.
Where to eat
All the places mentioned above serve food but, if you want a tagine or couscous rather than a simple omelette, you’ll probably need to order several hours in advance. Dinner at Hôtel El Aine costs 30dh or 40dh for couscous and is pretty good. Café du Soleil and Hôtel Etoile du Toubkal are also recommended. The fact is, of course, that the very sight of Jbel Toubkal will make you hungry enough to eat almost anything.
IMLIL–AROUMD–TOUBKAL(NELTNER) REFUGE [MAP 1, p130]
Walk south through Imlil, past Café du Soleil on the left and Hôtel Etoile du Toubkal on the right, to a shady area where pack mules are kept. Turn right here on to the Imlil–Aroumd path. The path zigzags towards the Kasbah du Toubkal (see opposite page). Film director Martin Scorsese used the kasbah in Kundun, his movie about the Dalai Lama. The kasbah, which is now owned by British-based Discover Ltd and has been turned into trekkers’ accommodation, made a fairly convincing Tibetan temple. Many of Imlil’s locals made their screen debuts dressed as monks. Trekkers will no doubt agree with Scorsese that this part of the High Atlas has a lot in common with the Himalaya.
After 20 minutes’ walking and having passed the kasbah, the path crosses a bridge before climbing to join a dirt road. Follow the road south for 25 minutes until you reach Aroumd (1960m/6428ft). From Aroumd follow the river bed south past a café. Find the path from Aroumd which leads along the left side of the river bed. The path then leads to a wide floodplain. After 15 minutes climb up the bank to the left past a small, walled orchard. (If you followed the path along the right-side of the river bed from Aroumd you cross the river bed, which might mean getting wet depending on the season) The path is reasonably distinct. Some 20 minutes later the path starts to climb steeply in a zigzag.
Follow the path to a small hut where a wrinkled but entrepreneurial character can usually be found selling soft drinks. There is a watercourse next to the hut. (You must purify the water, preferably with iodine – and this goes for all water sources). After the hut, the path is lined by boulders which appear to have been placed deliberately. The path climbs steeply to the left after a further 45 minutes’ trekking. There are large outcrops of rock on the valley side and, some minutes later, a waterfall.
A further 35-minute walk takes you to a split in the path; go right for the Neltner refuge or carry on for a couple of minutes to see Sidi Chamharouch, a marabout (tomb of religious importance), or to buy a drink from the small hut opposite. Trekkers can camp here but the few rooms available are reserved for Moroccans. There is a moussem (religious celebration) here in late September. The Neltner path climbs steeply away from the shrine, crossing several springs (again, the amount of water on the path depends on the season), and passes an enormous rock buttress on the right (east) some two hours later. From here the path remains clear until the refuge is visible approximately one hour after passing the rock buttress. There is a large area leading up to the CAF Neltner refuge on which there are several flat camping spaces. Choose a sheltered one if you can; the wind here can be very strong.
The refuge (3207m/10,520ft) itself is one of the best in the Atlas but it’s often overcrowded. It costs 30dh to sleep inside. The gardien can provide food (25dh), bottled water (10dh) and soft drinks. There is a gas stove for general use if you can get near it. A small waterfall offers a cold opportunity to shower. Follow the stream south behind the refuge for five minutes to find it. The refuge was built with money raised by Louis Neltner, a distinguished French geologist and Atlas specialist who died in 1985.
|
