DAY 1

Trek from Ait Bou Guemez Valley to Azib n’Ikkis

We begin our trek by leaving behind the beautiful and fertile Aït Bou Guemez Valley (1850m) known to the French as “The Happy Valley”. Climb gently through the narrowing Arous Valley, passing through the village of Aït Sayd, to reach the pastures of Azib n’Ikkis (2200m). Lovely views of Ighil Mgoun already lie ahead. We either camp on the pastures or spend the night in a local gite, depending upon the season.

DAY 2

Trek from Azib n’Ikkis to Tarkeddid Plateau

We climb steeply to cross two passes in quick succession, Tizi n’Oumskiyq (2909m) and Aghouri Est (3400m), both of which offer wonderful, far-reaching views, before descending to the vast expanse of the Tarkeddid Plateau (2900m), at the foot of Ighil Mgoun. We spend the night either camping on the plateau or sleeping in the refuge, depending on the season.

DAY 3

Optional ascent of Ighil Mgoun

Those wishing to undertake the optional ascent of the summit of Ighil Mgoun (Ighil n’Oumsoud, 4068m), will make an early, pre-dawn departure from the plateau. The climb itself is demanding but the views all round and towards the Sahara are quite amazing and absolutely worth the effort. We descend back onto the Tarkeddid Plateau for a second night.

DAY 4

Trek from Tarkeddid Plateau to Tasgaiwalt

We head westwards across the plateau and climb over a small pass, Tizi Asdim (3216m), at its far end, descending into the beautiful Tessaout Valley. We camp at the village of Tasgaiwalt (2325m) near the head of the valley, or sleep in a nearby gite, depending on the season.

DAY 5

Walk from Tasgaiwalt to Ait ‘Ali n’Ito

We follow the course of the river, passing a succession of traditional villages, including Amezri, Talat n’Tazart, Ait Hamza and Ichbbakane, to reach our overnight halt at Ait ‘Ali n’Ito (1825m). We either camp or spend the night in a local gite, depending on the season.

DAY 6

Walk from Ait Ali n’Ito to Megdaz

Leaving the Tessaout Valley, we head south to the impressively located village of Megdaz (1961m), formerly the home of the Berber poetess Mririda n’Ayt Attiq, and considered by many to be the most beautiful village throughout the entire High Atlas Mountains. We spend the morning exploring the village and visit the local waterfall before returning to Ait Ali n’Ito to meet our vehicle and transfer back to Marrakech.