Trekking in the region can take you to remote corners, staggering peaks (known as jebels), and over saddled passes (known as tizis, or cols), and up several peaks towering over 4,000 meters above sea level. While Europeans have been trekking the Atlas of Morocco since before World War I, others are now discovering the tremendous allure of the region’s centerpiece.

The Atlas Mountains can, in theory, be hiked all year long. The area does indeed have four, northern-hemisphere seasonal varieties, although one day can bring changeable weather. This means that trekkers should prepare for not only the time of year they’ll be trekking, but essentially, plan and prepare for all sorts of possible weather patterns that could come through. While snow in summer is rare, it has (and does) happen! Each season brings does bring it’s own flavor; winter can mean an inundation of snow, summer a sun so intense uncovered body parts can blister, while spring and fall can bring freezing nights coupled with a risk of flash floods along the serrated glacier-cut valleys, gorges, and canyons.

The aforementioned weather is not meant to bring alarm, but awareness to the exceptional land that demands respect on a professional level. In addition, the area does have well-trodden paths, but some of these jut off into directions with unbeknownst peripheries. This is why hiring a local guide (and their muleteers with animals of labor) comes highly recommended and make walking the region both enjoyable, but also safe and well implemented.

Geography & Geology

The Atlas Mountains stretch from the Atlantic through Morocco, splitting in three parallel tracks that form the High Atlas (home to Jbel Toubkal and the Mgoun Massif of Ait Bougmez), the Anti-Atlas (home to Jbel Sirwa and Jbel Sahro), and the Middle Atlas (home to the cedar forested regions of Ifrane and Azrou).

Geologically, it’s thought that the Atlas Mountains were formed when the North of Africa and the Americas collided and squished into each other during the Paleozoic Era and then again when they separated during the Mesozoic Era – all of this occurring well beneath the surface of the ocean (to which one can still find fossilized oceanic remains on the top of both Toubkal and Mgoun). The Moroccan ranges came to surface when Africa and Europe collided, raising the current Atlas range, as well as the Pyrenees and Alps in Europe.

Flora and Fauna

The flora and fauna of the Atlas Mountains in Morocco is impressive given that many of the larger game animals, such as elephant and lions, once abundant in the region are no longer present, driven to extinction. The High Atlas is home to the elephant shrew, as well as rabbits and ground squirrels. Of the larger variety, the region supposedly is home to gazelle, hyaena, and jackal and rarer still the Lynx and African wildcat. In the Middle Atlas, one can find wild boar, the famed Barbary Macaque (monkey), foxes, jackals, among other woodland creatures. The drier regions are also home to various reptiles, including the gecko, lizards, snakes, and chameleons. The desert is home to the infamous horned viper. The birds of Morocco are impressive and the mountains are home to falcons, kites, eagles, buzzards, and vultures. The flora of the Atlas Mountains is more lush in late spring when the barren, rocky terrain pops to life from snowmelt and sunshine. The summer brings drier conditions and rarer sights include hardy flowers able to proliferate in the windswept landscape.

Amazigh (Berber) Populations

The Amazigh populations (known as Berbers) in the Atlas Mountains are omnipresent and their kindness, generosity, openness, and friendly nature don’t go unnoticed. Hikers frequenting their villages have made foreigners more commonplace and partially more accepted given the job creation their visitings can bring. Many villages now have one or two auberges (rustic mountain guesthouse) providing a bed and warm meal to various passersby. Don’t be suprised when walking by if you are not invited in for tea and to share a moment in the lives of locals. While a few dirham left behind for the supplies can be appreciated, invitations are mostly genuine in that these locals are honored to travelers as their guests, sharing stories, and even discussions on politics and religion, which are often best kept superficial and accepting.

Local Amazigh people are less controlled when compared to their urban counterparts. Local communities rarely pay taxes to the government and often take care of matters of infrastructure and village issues in meetings help by village people and their elders. Each region does have a local authority called a caid, a type of mayor who is connected and reports to the government.

Amazigh populations speak one of three languages: Tashelhit (High Atlas and Anti-Atlas regions), Tamazight (Mgoun Massif and Middle Atlas), and Tarifit (Rif Mountains region). The first two can communicate relatively easily with each other, whereas Tarafit isn’t understood by the latter. Picking up a few words of Tashelhit to use along your trek is recommended and can be a great icebreaker to further conversation and even invitations to Berber households and festivities.

In the High Atlas Mountains, you’ll read about a variety of areas to explore as either day trips (which are team does as a part of longer cultural itineraries) or overnight to multi-day treks. Here are some of the more common regions and villages that you’ll encounter while researching or reading about the Atlas Mountains.

Setti Fatma

Once a decent hotspot for day trippers from Marrakesh, the region of Setti Fatma has lost some of its appeal over the last decade or so. But still, guidebooks still report on it as a hotspot, so travelers keep going. It’s still an escape from the summer heat of Marrakesh (especially for Moroccan locals) and does serve some of the better tajines (meat stews with vegetables) that you’ll have in the country, but the loss of appeal happens since a number of mediocre restaurants have popped up and the region is often littered at the end of each day. For those staying in a riad and getting advice from foreign residents (who may be riad owners), you’ll still be able to arrange day trips here if you are interested.

Oukaïmeden

Better than Setti Fatma, but harder to get to on one’s own, Oukaïmeden is home to some decent walking and in the winter, if luck provides snow, some decent skiing (the other spot for skiing in Morocco being Ifrane at Michlifen, which is more of an over-hyped bunny hill than a ski resort). One of the more impressive sights in the region are some ancient rock carvings just as one enters the area; a new information center seems to provide further details (mostly in French). In the summer, this is a nice spot for day trekking too, but again, finding a good guide and quality transport to the region can be a bit difficult).

Imlil

Considered by many guidebooks as the best point to arrange treks in the Atlas of Morocco, Imlil is more of a roadside re-supply town rather than a village worth spending too much time. In reality, getting your trek arranged before venturing here is key to ensuring that you are well supplied and have a certified, trustworthy guide. It’s here where most tourists and even Moroccans come to negotiate deals on food, excursions, and supplies. Guesthouses are aplenty and the range has gotten impressive; from rustic to slightly luxurious, you’ll be able to find accommodation to fit.

Armed (Aroumd)

The more alluring village of Armed (Aroumd) is just a 30 to 40-minute walk from Imlil (and 4×4 transport can get here too along a hairy gravel zigzag road). Armed is a honest-to-goodness Berber village overlooking the impressive river valley and from certain vantage points, Toubkal looms in the distance. This is a good spot to get acclimated overnight to the altitude (2000 meters) before heading up to the Toubkal Basecamps the following day (which takes about 6 hours) and is better outlined in the full itinerary (which can be read by clicking on “Full Itinerary” above).

Getting There & Away

We have over a decade of on-the-ground experience to ensure your trek with our team is unmatched. We have top-rated, certified guides who will provide you with a high-quality experience (with top gear provided). You can join a hike by checking our group-departure dates here, or by contacting us to help you get started!