Travel through Azilal to get to Agouti from Marrakech; spend the night at the gite in Agouti village

The reasons for Agouti's name quickly become clear as you stroll out of the village along the road, which offers lovely views of the Happy Valley. Agouti is situated at the top of the Ait Bou Goumez Valley. An hour and a half later, a piste branches out from the road to the left. After a short distance, you can choose to continue on the piste or take a shorter, steeper trail that zigzags down into the valley. You should be able to rejoin the piste at the village of Agerssif (1489m), which is less than three hours' drive from Agouti. Agerssif is situated where the Bou Goumez and Lakhdar rivers converge, beneath a bridge. This river is an excellent location for camping and resting.
The piste, large enough for cars to use, climbs the south side of the Lakhdar Valley, narrowing somewhat along the way. About thirty minutes upstream lies the charming town of Taghoulit (1519m), encircled by juniper trees and including a basic giŚte. Following the gorge, the piste heads into the wider and more fertile upper valley before arriving at Sebt Ai"t Bou Wlli, which is pronounced Ait Bouli. This sizable community is situated above the river and has a school (designated by flags) and a Saturday market.
This settlement marks the meeting point of several valleys: Jebel Rat leads directly uphill on another pleasant stroll from Abachkou village to Jebel Rat (3797m). Our piste heads left, south, winding up above fields of wheat and barley, juniper, wild fig, and almond trees, the valley becomes ever more picturesque. Sebt Ai"t Bou Wlli and the end of the day are more than halfway between each other, marked by the settlement of Tazouggart on the other side of the valley. From this point on, the scenery gets even more breathtaking, evoking visions of Shangri-la, until, two to two and a half hours later, you arrive at Rougoult (1893m). Excellent camping is available next to the Tifra River, directly below the settlement. 7h, 17km

The morning hike follows the stony Tifra, which crisscrosses the river, for two hours. Everywhere there is room on the banks, there are terraces; nevertheless, in some places the valley is just too narrow for cultivation. The scenery is more desolate as it rises. The mule path is well-trod and follows the river roughly due south, though it is occasionally forced to ascend above canyons.
Just below the Tizi n'Rougoult pass (2860m) is the source of the Tifra, nothing more than a trickle at best. By now you're barely above alpine plants and bushes, even the juniper trees are below you. A path heads left (east) from the wide saddle below the pass to a ridge that climbs to an elevation of more than 3500 meters. Straight ahead, the Rougoult pass is well-worn. Slightly east of the pass is the peak of Ighil M'Goun, which is located at 4068 meters, or less than 100 meters below Jebel Toubkal. Long vistas of the southern M'Goun Massif and, closer to hand, the Tessaout River stretch out in front of you. The scene seemed to have been formed just now, with enormous rust, green, and gray rock chasms visible in the mountain slopes.
The well-marked mule trail winds down in front of you from the Rougoult pass and reaches Tasgai "walt, the first village, after two hours. From here, walk gently along the track for about 40 minutes (you might easily spend longer) to the village of Amezri (2250m), where you spend the night. Keep the river to your left, and you will almost certainly be followed by interested village youngsters searching for amusement. 7h , 14km

The trail gently slopes from 2250 meters to 1833 meters along the Tessaout River on the third day, making for a pleasant stroll. Some striking cliffs, especially the Ichbbakene escarpment, which rises a steep 1000 meters above the river, enclose the valley. The river nourishes some very fertile farmland that the Berbers, here of the Ai"t Atta tribe, use to grow a variety of seasonal crops, although it contains little or no fish since a big flood washed them out a few years ago. The fruit and nut trees enhance the sight of the valleys covered in a carpet of wild flowers in the spring. The Tessaout receives its nourishment from a number of smaller streams that carry melted snow from the higher mountains during this section of its journey, which is roughly due west.
The trail crosses the river multiple times during the walk. It should be possible to jump over stones for a good portion of the year. The river might be too high in the spring, when the valley is at its most picturesque, and you might have to wade, like in the case of the village of Imi n'Ikkis, which is about 5 km from Amezri. The community consists just of a few dwellings, but it does have a store (no sign) that sometimes sells canned goods and typically keeps soft drinks and water in stock. It might also have the garish green plastic shoes that the people wear to wade in the rivers.
An hour and a half downstream, backed by the sheer cliff, you will view the important building of the Hotel Edare as the path passes beneath the larger settlement of Ichbbakene. Constructed by a peasant who was employed in France, it wasn't in use when we went there.

After crossing the river multiple times, the trail narrows and passes beneath the stone and mud dwellings of the village of Ait Hamza after 2.5 hours. A functional water mill is located at the bottom of the village. It's driven by river water that has been redirected, and it grinds the wheat harvest every year. A pleasant one-hour stroll brings you to the town of Ait Ali n'Ito.
One of the most picturesque settlements in the Atlas Mountains is Magdaz, which is a worthwhile side trip if you have the time. It's a three-hour round ride south of Ait Ali n'Ito. Beyond the natural splendor, take in the amazing architecture of the settlement, with its step-built tower-houses made of wood and stone, a method unique to Fakhour (see tomorrow's hike), Yemen, and Afghanistan. 3h, 8km

There's a dirt road that runs by the river and descends gently to the trail's finish. Sometimes the road does ascend a little before arriving at the charming tiny village of Fakhour, where you may explore the cottages that climb up the hillside and are famous for their agadir.
The settlement of Ifoulou is situated on a bend in the river and road, less than an hour's drive past Fakhour. The village appears to be in a state of slumber for the majority of the week, with only a beverages stand operating. However, on Mondays, a sizable souq takes place, drawing in residents from the surrounding valleys who come to engage in commerce and conversation. After 30 minutes from the hamlet, the piste connects to the main Demnate-Skoura route via the recently constructed road bridge across the Tessaout River. Below the village of Ai"t Alla, we may find the transportation waiting to take us to Marrakech via Ait Tamlil, Damenate, before the end of the day. 3h, 8km

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• Payment is in cash upon your arrival in Morocco.
• This is a private tour, and we'll customize it to your group's size. If you're a solo traveler looking to join a group, please contact us.