Ski touring trip in Morocco

Don’t ask me why, but every time I return to Imlil my heart opens.
It will be because I can embrace Lachen, my first companion of Moroccan adventures and manager of the Nelter refuge, or because I laugh and joke with Omar, in front of a cup of Berber Whisky (the Berber tea). Or maybe because walking on the trails someone greets me from the fields or perhaps because I already know that once arrived at the refuge, 3200 meters, the guides greet me with joy and ask me great evening reviews on knots and maneuvers. It will be a little bit! But when I leave, I can’t wait to come back!

It’s exactly there, where the sand leaves the pace to snow, that we will get to enjoy our ski touring holidays. We will be skiing among the highest Moroccan peaks like Akioud, Ras Ouanoukrim, Afella and Jabel Toubkal, the queen peak of the High Atlas with its elevation of 4167m.

We will visit two different areas: in the first half of our trip the overnight stay will be at around 2000m altitude, with daily trips on 3500m-high peaks.

In the second half of the trip, our accommodation will be mountain refuge Neltner, 3200m.

But there’s more than snow and mountains: at the end of our trip, we will get to visit the exotic souk in Marrakech, where it will be possible to taste the original delicious Moroccan cuisine.

The flight ticketing will be entrusted to our trusted travel agency, while the technical organization and logistical support in Morocco to a local agency.

The trip in brief:

• Meeting point with the Mountain Guide: Marrakesh.
• Duration: basic trip 9 days, possible extension to 11 days, with a visit to the desert.
• Accommodation: mountain refuges, hotels and B&Bs.
• Meals: restaurants, mountain refuges and packed lunch.
• Height difference: around 1000m for daily excursions at high altitude; up to 1500m for acclimatization activities.
• Difficulty level: Advanced Backcountry Skier 5-7 hours of ascent on peaks over 4000m.
• Transfers: by taxi and minivan.

Technical difficulties of the journey:

• In Morocco, ski mountaineering is moderately difficult, it is essential to have good independent walking skills with crampons, on hard snow slopes even above 30 degrees, as the spring firn can be very icy in the morning.
• Hygienic conditions are good, although not comparable to European standards. A fair amount of adaptability is required, especially in the refuges, which are not comparable to those in the Dolomites.
• You can get classic traveler’s infections through food and water.
• Being physically fit at 4000 meters altitude could be the predominant factor in the success of the holiday.