Jbel Sirwa Trek & Adventure - REDISCOVER THE WORLD - MOROCCO


Jebel Sirwa - The Wilderness Trek

	This trek is definitely for those who seek something "off-the-beaten-track". Best trekked in spring and autumn, summer is for those who don't mind a bit of harsh sun.

Duration: 6 Days / 5 Nights *- ref.* ITCTJS01m

LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY: GRADE TWO to THREE - BETWEEN MODERATE AND SOMETIMES STRENUOUS. BOOTS REQUIRED. YOU NEED TO BE REASONABLY CONFIDENT OF YOUR FITNESS, PREFERABLY HAVING HAD SOME PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE OF TREKKING AND CHANGES IN CLIMATE. FULL SUPPORT TEAM.

DAY 1: MARRAKECH - AMERZGANE - ANEZAL - TAMLAKHOUT.

Reasonably early morning departure for our 178km. drive towards the south from Marrakech, over the Tizi n'Tichka (2260m) of the Western High Atlas and along down the Assif Imini Valley to Taliouine d'Amerzgane, where we turn towards the south-west and the Assif Iriri Valley until we reach the village, and important animal market of Anezal.

Here we alight from our vehicle, take our picnic and meet up with our mules and muleteers, always a fun part of our hiking holidays. We set off now towards the west for a 2hour hike to the village of Tamlakhout (1700m) for our dinner and overnight accommodation in a Berber Gîte d'étape.

DAY 2: TAMLAKHOUT - TAMAZIRRT - TIZOUÂD.

After breakfast we strike out towards the south-west for our 7hour hike across the Oued n'Aït Ouissadene, through almond trees and a blasted stony plain with its occasional sparse fields of corn, potato and wheat, until we reach the remote village of Tamazzirt (1800m). Here we shall see few men, as they are off working in the distant towns in order to make ends meet.

From here we shall follow a piste which leads us up to the Imghi Heights (2381m), where we shall stop around midday for our picnic. Our afternoon is spent hiking along the now almost-flat piste to the Berber hamlet of Tizouâd (2030m) where we shall stop for dinner and overnight accommodation, either in bivouac or in a Berber family's home.

DAY 3: TIZOUÂD - OUED IRIRI - TASSIROUÄT.

Once breakfast has been tucked away we set out further south-east for some 7 hours along a piste leading us across the wild, windswept plateau, up and through the stark Tizi (2300m) and down to the Oued Iriri, where we'll take a welcome pause for a picnic near some rare fields of potato.

The afternoon is spent hiking towards the west and the end of the oued through a chaos of black rock until we arrive up at the village of Asrir n'Tassirouât, where we'll dine whilst our camp for the night is being set up amidst a volcanic moonscape.

DAY 4: TASSIROUÄT - JBEL SIRWA SUMMIT - ÂAZIB N''IRIRI - AMMASSINE.


		After breakfast, whilst our muleteers and mules set off for the Âazib n'Iriri, we strike out for a 2½ hour attack on the summit of this isolated volcanic twin-peak (3304m), with its strange columns of basalt, cones of petrified lava and towers of sunblasted rock. The final metres involve scrambling, but the panorama from this summit bridging the High and Anti Atlas ranges of dramatic gorges, blasted plains, a cliff village and the nearby twin cones of Jbel Tikniouine (2948m) (2905) to the north, Jbel Guiliz (2906m) to the south and of Jbel Talzouggaght (2841m) to the west give one a good idea of previous volcanic activity and of Nature's implacable progress.

When ready, we set off back down along a winding path for some 5 to 6 hours steady hiking towards the north-east through fields of saffron crocus to the Âazib n'Iriri (2340m), where we meet up once more with our muleteers and our picnic. This afternoon we shall set off down through a chaos of black rocks, stones and pebbles towards the remote village of Ammassine (2000m). We'll take a stroll around this strange village with its large storage places of wheat and hay, where we'll have dinner and camp for the night.

DAY 5: AMMASINE - TACHAKOUCHT - TAMLAKHOUT.

Breakfast tucked away, we're off today on an 8 hour hike down to the Oued Tachakoucht and along a winding piste through isolated groves of almond, olive and orange trees until we come to the village of Tachakoucht and, after a brief visit, we'll carry on to the Tachakoucht Reservoir and sudden fields of corn to picnic by a spring.

Later we continue down a stony piste skirting the hamlet of Tamazzirt to arrive at Tamlakhout, our Gîte d'étape for dinner and evening's entertainment provided by our merry band of muleteers.

DAY 6: TAMLAKHOUT - ANEZAL - AMERZGANE - TADDERT - MARRAKECH.


		After breakfast, we rejoin our vehicle to take us back to the north up over the Tizi n'Tichka to stop at Taddert (1650m) for our lunch in the High Atlas mountains, to arrive at Marrakech around 2 in the afternoon.

Please ensure, at time of reservation, you also advise us of your choice between bivouac site or Berber family home accommodation.

Cost for this tour:

- please call or email for a full quote - all our holidays are tailor-made and the cost of each trek is based upon the following:

* the number of people in your group (some hikes available for single travellers, one person FREE for groups of 10 or more);

* where you are starting from and to where you wish to travel at the end the hike;

* whether you are including any additional accommodation (e.g. in Imlil or Marrakech)

* extras such as WC tent or refuge accommodation, etc.

Services of an experienced, licensed ,bi-lingual mountain guide throughout; cook and equipment; all meals and accommodation as detailed; igloo tents with undermats; mules and muleteers; transfers from Marrakech to trailhead and return.

Please ensure, at time of reservation, you advise us of your choice between bivouac or Berber house accommodation in Tamlakhout and Tizouâd.

Personal medical or accident insurance; personal gear; bottled or gaseous waters, any expenditure of a personal nature, such as laundry, drinks, telephone calls and such like.

Stout walking boots; sleeping bag (3 seasons); waterproofs and fleece/duvet jackets, hats, balaclavas or ear muffs; gloves; rambler or ski pole; personal toiletries; small First Aid kit, thermal underwear (Dec-May); day pack; filled water bottle(s) and purifying tablets/drops (iodine usually); torch and batteries (LED head torches are excellent), penknife (remember not to pack in hand baggage for flight); towel, sunscreen, insect repellent, hygienic 'wipes', nibbles and/or dried fruit. Drinking chocolate if preferred to tea and coffee, camping mug (otherwise it is small Moroccan tea glasses for everything), energy sweets and toilet rolls could come in handy!

** If staying in a Berber House or gite d'etap you may wish to bring some biros or other suitable gifts for the children of the house.


	Meals are normally:

	Breakfast - tea, coffee, milk, bread, butter, jam, cheese plus porridge in the winter and cereal in summer. Picnic lunch - fresh Moroccan salad, cheese, slicing sausage, tinned tuna fish and sardines*, bread, fruit, mint tea.

	Dinner - Tajine (chicken or mutton* with vegetables), spaghetti, cous cous (main courses rotate depending on duration of trek), bread, coffee, tea, cake, fruit. * Those vegetarians or vegans amongst us need to pre-advise at time of reservation.

NB: all our prices are for land arrangements only (starting and finishing in Marrakech), please contact us to arrange accommodation in Marrakech hotels or riads as well as flights from your preferred airport if required.