30 Jun 2026
Atlas MountainsWhat's a lesser-travelled gite-to-gite trek in the M'Goun region of the Atlas Mountains?
I'd like an immersive and challenging trip through the Atlas Mountains, ideally the lesser-travelled areas such as around M'Goun. I like the idea of walking from gite to gite and stocking up on food at each accommodation. Could you suggest a possible itinerary?
We'd suggest a walk from the Aït Bougmez Valley, either to the M'Goun summit or, alternatively, starting from Srempt and walking to Aït Bougmez and Imelghas towards Agouti, then through the mountains towards Aït Bouli. The latter is very much less travelled. You can walk from gite to gite (simple accommodation, like a homestay with locals), which avoids heavy loads such as tents and mattresses and lets you stock up on food overnight for the next day.
A possible itinerary:
- Day 1: Travel from Marrakech (or your starting point) across the plain of Haouz to Azilal, then start the climb up towards Srempt. Meet your mule team and cook, with a short walk to the gite in Srempt. Full board (shared room, basic accommodation).
- Day 2: Trek from Srempt to Imelghas via Tizi-n-Oughbar (tizi = pass in Berber). About 10 km, ~900m climb, highest point 2,606m. Visit a Berber family in Imelghas for a traditional dinner. Night in a gite, full board.
- Day 3: Trek from Imelghas to Arous through the Valley of Aït Bougmez (~1,800m), seeing the dinosaur tracks at Aguerd n'Ouzrou and the stork colony at Aït Ziri. About 13 km, 200–300m climb. Night in a gite, full board.
- Day 4: Trek from Arous, climbing near Tafnefant and onwards towards Abachkou. About 15–17 km depending on route, ~600–800m climb. Night in a gite, full board.
- Day 5: Trek from Abachkou to Tizi-n-Tirghist, seeing the rock carvings (about 4–5 hours), with a night in Aït Bouli in a gite. Full board.
- Day 6: Meet your transport and set off for Marrakech via the Ouzoud waterfalls, with a chance to walk around this area in the foothills of the Atlas. Head to Marrakech in the afternoon. Breakfast and lunch.
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