High Atlas Mountains

I couldn’t believe it – greenery! So beautiful, our snow bound Imlil that we had left in March blossomed into a haven of green walnut trees and cherries almost ready to harvest. The last group I had taken up to Toubkal had battled down from the refuge in an epic storm. What a contrast – from almost hurricane force winds and white out conditions to a gentle serenity. I love this country and the contrasts. Where else can you ski in the morning, and then either be in the desert or at the beach in the evening. Well there is one other country – Lebanon, but it is a pretty elite club!

Tazaghart

The Atlas Mountains are very undeveloped. There are only three fully manned mountain refuges in the whole range, and two of those are next door to each other! Almost 100% of tourists that make it out to the High Atlas Mountains end up focusing on the Toubkal massif. While it is the highest mountain, it is certainly not the most interesting. Even small detours take in fascinating peaks, valleys and untouched beauty that more than match Toubkal’s allure.

Mount Toubkal

One of the joys of it being a relatively undeveloped mountain range is that there is still scope for new routes on cliffs and in gullies. However, one of the disadvantages is that there are few good guide books, and good maps are almost impossible to get hold of. One trip that I was guiding on came across a very bedraggled group of Maltese climbers. Eventually the story came out that they had become benighted on an unfrequented mountain while trying to follow a route description in a guide book. Fortunately there was no loss of life, or even bad injuries, however, had there been any bad weather or the smallest of accidents, the outcome would have been a lot more serious.

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Matt is the director of High Country- Outdoor Activities in the High Atlas and Sahara Desert of Morocco. He can be contacted for any inquiries regarding Outdoor Adventure activities in the Atlas Mountains or Sahara Desert.