Morocco Sea, Service & Summit

THIS IS JUST A SAMPLE ITINERARY. IT CAN BE TAILORED TO YOUR REQUIREMENTS. We will all meet at the airport in Marrakech. Upon arrival you will be greeted by a World Youth Adventures representative and transferred to the group hotel. Depending on your arrival time there may be an opportunity for a quick afternoon walk. Once we have freshened up and checked in we will enjoy a guided tour of this buzzing city. Explore the Bab ed Debbagh (city gate) the Medersa Ben Youssef (school of Islamic Studies), the Ben Youssef Medersa, an Islamic school attached to the Ben Youssef Mosque and is home to some of the most beautiful art and architecture in Marrakesh. We will then visit the souks and finally the Koutoubia Mosque. We will enjoy a group meal this evening in a local restaurant to sample some delicious Moroccon cuisine, bfore heading out to the amazing Jamaa al Fna, one of the most interesting public spaces in North Africa. The atmosphere of this square is overwhelming with its jumble of food stalls, snake charmers, fortune and storytellers and the wide variety of people that flock to its attractions, with exotic smells of spice and perfume filling the air, today will have hopefully been a great introduction to this wonderful country.

Meals:  D

After breakfast this morning we transfer out of the city, south and into the High Atlas Mountain range. After approx. 1 ½ h of driving, we will reach the starting point of our fantastic trek. Here we will meet our team of porters and donkeys where we can sort through our kit and load up for the trek. The challenge begins heading up the side of a beautiful valley, heading gently towards the pass of Tizi n’Addi at an altitude of 2960 m. After a lunch rest we descend to the valley and village of Tacheddirt. Approx. 4 hrs of walking

Meals:  B,L,D

After a cup of tea and breakfast we will start today's trekking with a gentle ascent to the top of a ridge to enjoy a splendid view over the Imanene valley, the sun hopefully warming us up as we emerge from the shadow of the valley. From here we descend again - with several up and down sections - into the Imanene valley passing through several typical villages like Tinghourine and Ikkis. We will then ascend some 300 m of altitude to reach the Tizi n'Aguersioual at 2050 m . The final section of the day leads to the village of Aguersioual. Approx. 5:30 to 6 hrs of walking

Meals:  B,L,D

In the morning we will cross the Mizane valley to begin a steady but easy ascent to a grazing plateau surrounded with juniper trees. A short climb away is the Tizi n'Oudite pass at 2200 m (approx. 3:30 hrs). After enjoying the views you will descend into the Azzaden valley and walk through a juniper forest. You will soon come across great views out to the colourful villages of Id Aissa, Tizi Zougaghen and Tiziane . You continue your trek up the valley to the village of Id Aissa, notable for its mosque visible throughout the valley, and on to the village of Tizi Oussem. Approx. 5:30 hrs of walking

Meals:  B,L,D

After breakfast we will leave Tizi Oussem and head up along the valley of Oussem. Slowly you will ascend up to Azib Iminouatss and follow the trail to the small and narrow pasture of Azib Tamsoult at 2160 m. Before lunch we will have a short visit to the waterfalls at Ighouliden, before continuing on for a further hour up to Azib Tzikert where the next overnight camp will be. (3-4 hours trekking)

Meals:  B,L,D

We begin today following a path which will take us through the mountain chains of Aguelzim. It's a zigzag trail that leads up a couloirs for 400m to the first pass. Here a panoramic view to Tizi Oussem and the Haouz plain can be seen spreading out before us. The trail ascends another 100m, before yreaching the 3430m high pass of Tizi Aguelzim (approx. 4 hours of walking). We will have a great view to Djebel Toubkal, the highest mountain in North Africa, before descending on the trail – rocky at first - to the Neltner camp (approx. 2 hours of descent). It will be important to get a good nights sleep tonight, ready for the challenging day tomorrow.

Meals:  B,L,D

Breaking camp before dawn we will make an early start for our attempt on Toubkal, walking around 3-4 hours to the peak (4167m) in the dark to avoid the midday sun and to summit in time for sunrise. First we must traverse long scree slopes; tiring terrain at this altitude but we will proceed slowly to conserve energy. Higher sections are more rocky and there is little vegetation. Once at the summit the views are spectacular, and although wind and cold conditions mean we will not linger long, we have time to enjoy the scenes of surrounding peaks of the Atlas mountains and down to the plains around Marrakesh far in the distance. We then begin the descent back to Neltner camp (3050m), where we will have a late lunch and enjoy a well earned rest after a hard days trekking.

Meals:  B,L,D