Happy Valley Trek (Ait Bougmaz)

Happy Valley Trek (Ait Bougmaz)

5 Day & 4 Nights Tour

Itinerary

DAY 1: DRIVE FROM MARRAKECH TO AGOUTI
You will be picked up at 9am from your riad for the 6 hour drive to the Bougmez Valley. There will be time along the way for a stop to see the spectacular 100m drop of the Cascade Ouzoud (waterfall). Overnight in a simple guesthouse in Agouti, a charming small village with views over the Bougmez Valley.
Meals Included: Dinner only included

DAY 2: AGOUTI – ROUGOULT
Agouti sits at the head of the Ait Bougmez Valley and the walk out of the village along the road has delightful views of the Happy Valley. After a leisurely hour and a half, a path leads off from the road towards Agerssif (1489m), which you should reach in under three hours from Agouti. Agerssif sits at the confluence of the Lakhdar and Bou Goumez Rivers. The river here is a good place to rest and enjoy lunch. After lunch, the Lakhdar Valley narrows considerably as the path climbs its south side. A half an hour or so upstream is the picturesque village of Taghoulit (1519m), surrounded by juniper trees. The path continues up the gorge and then out into the broadening and more fertile upper valley, until it reaches Sebt Ait Bou Wlli, a sizeable village above the river. Several valleys meet at this village, our path heads South, the valley becoming ever more beautiful as it winds up above wheat and barley fields, juniper, wild fig and almond trees. Overnight camping on the banks of the Tifra River near Rougoult (1893m).
Approx. 6-7 hrs walking. Ascent 330m
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included
Accommodation: Camping

DAY 3: ROUGOULT – AMEZRI
For two hours, the morning walk follows the Tifra, the stony path crisscrossing the river. There are terraces wherever there is space on the banks. As it climbs, so the landscape becomes more barren. The source of the Tifra sits just below the pass of Tizi n’Rougoult (2860m). At this point, even the juniper trees are below you and only alpine plants and bushes above. From the Rougoult pass, there are long views of the summit of M’Goun, the southern M’Goun Massif and across the Tessaoult River. From the pass, the mule path winds downhill for 2-3 hours to the village of Amezri (2250m) for the night.
Approx. 6-7hrs. 600m descent. 970m Ascent.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included
Accommodation: Camping

DAY 4: AMEZRI – AIT ALI N’ITO
The third day is one of gentle pleasures as the path follows the Tessaoult River, descending gently from 2250m to 1833m. The valley is hemmed in by some impressive cliffs, particularly by the Ichbbakene escarpment, which rises a sheer 1000m above the river. At several places along the day’s walk, the path crosses the river. For much of the year, it is possible to hop over stones, but after rains you may have to wade. Three and a half hours further downstream, having crossed the river at several places, the path narrows and squeezes itself beneath the stone and mud houses of the village of Ait Hamza. At the bottom of the village is a working water mill. Another hour of delightful walking leads to the village of Ait Ali n’Ito. If you have time, there is a good side trip to the village of Magdaz, a three-hour round trip to the south of Ait Ali n’Ito. Magdaz is noted as one of the most beautiful villages in the Atlas Mountains. It hosts a collection of extraordinary tower-houses built in steps using stone and wood, a technique only known here, in Fakhour (see tomorrow’s walk), Yemen and Afghanistan.
Approx.: 6 hrs walking. 430m ascent. 150m descent
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included
Accommodation: Camping

DAY 5: AIT ALI N’ITO – AIT ALI N’L – MARRAKECH
A dirt road leads alongside the river on a gentle walk down to the end of the trek. Occasionally the route climbs a little before it reaches the beautiful little village of Fakhour, where the houses climb up the hillside and noted for its agadir (traditional wall enclosing the village), which can be visited. Less than an hour beyond Fakhour, the village of Ifoulou sits on a bend of the river and the road (where there is an interesting souk on Mondays). Half an hour beyond the village, the path joins the main Demnate-Skoura road below the village of Ait Alla where we will find our transport waiting to take us back to Marrakech.
Approx. 3hrs walking. 150m descent
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included
Accommodation: Camping
Transport (where relevant): Transfer back to Marrakech (6 hours)

Please Note: Prices for all of our tours include accommodation and access to historical sites.  Unless otherwise stated in the details of the specific tour, breakfast and dinner are included, however lunch and alcohol are not