Architecture

Clining to the mountainside, the hamlets of the Ait Bougmez valley blend into their setting, being almost the same colour as the landscape. The houses are stacked together like building blocks, the flat roof of the house serving as a terrace for the inhabitants of the house above. Looking down onto the river and the village’s communal land, these cubelike houses catch the warmth of the rinsing sun and are adapted to the rigours of the climate. Houses in the valley bottom are built of pisé, raw earth dug at the spot where the house is to be built, mixed with water and sometimes straw. In villages at altitudes above 2,200m, dry stone is used , since pisé is unsuited to cold and wet conditions. 

Trekking Ait Bouguemez valley

The High Atlas offers a large choice of hikes. During this trekking in Ait Bougmez, we discover a part much quieter but no less spectacular than the rest of the Atlas. Our Trekking in Ait Bougmez takes place in a original and fertile valley, also called the happy valley. We follow mule tracks, cross Berber villages perched at the foot of the mountain and edge of the green fields. Hiking in Ait Bougmez. However the Trekking in Ait Bougmez will let us to discover the ancestral way of life and the preserved traditions of the Berber people of Ait Bougmez and the whole Atlas mountains. 

Day 1: Marrakech -Ouzoud – Azilal – Ait Bougmez

Day 2: Ait Bougmez valley Trekking

In the morning we climb to the attic of Sidi Moussa (the most elegant in the country), afterwards we walk along the irrigated fields, to discover an ancestral way of life, to the rhythm of the work in the countryside. Many legends intertwine around this collective attic; located on top of a hill. Before a few decades, the people of the valley kept their crops and family possessions here in small rooms. Absolutely the place is still very important today, because according to popular belief, power emanates from it. This is attributed to Sidi Moussa, who is revered as sacred. As the small mountain is at the fork of the valley, we have a panoramic view of the two parts of the valley that we are going to travel. We choose the right or north bank of Ait Bougemez and join our lunch break in Ait Imi (1900 m). Night in our accommodation in Aguerd n’Ouzrou. Walking time about 4 hours; (Ascent: 100 m; Descent: 100 m)

Day 3: Villages, apple trees, … and traces of dinosaurs.

Our trekking in Ait Bougmez valley takes us along paths of fields and crops, small streams, and apple and walnut trees. The traditional architecture of clay houses is still common in the villages. Rammed earth constructions play a role of thermal insulation, it keeps heat in winter and cool in summer. We walk towards the rock slabs placed on the slope, on which we can see traces of dinosaurs. These are fossilized traces that the herbivorous colossi left about 180 million years ago on the rather muddy ground. Natural history becomes visible here! In the High Atlas, there are other such sites and bones, teeth, etc. were found by archaeologists. Night in our accommodation in Aguerd n’Ouzrou. Walking time approximately 3.5 hours; (Ascent: 50 m; Descent: 150 m)

Day 4: The Arous Gorges near Ait Bougmez

We walk out of the valley for another one more mountainous and rugged . Through the village of Ait Said with its rose mosque, we go deeper into the rocky gorges of Arous. The village of Arous, which has retained its traditional character, is already located at around 2,000 m. After lunch, we return to the first village and from there, possibility of taking a taxi back to our “Kasbah” – to spend the last night in Aguerd n’Ouzrou. In the evening it is worth taking another short walk not far from the hostel in the green valley. Nightingales and other songbirds can often be heard there in the evening. Walking time about 4-5 hours; (Ascent: 250 m; Descent: 250 m)

Day 5: Trekking Ait Bougmez valley – Marrakech

Today we return to Marrakech. This time, we take a different road, but more beautiful, we drive towards Demnat via the valley of Ait bouolli. Here, we visit Imi N’ifri natural bridge , picnic and we continue to Marrakech. . The journey time today will be around 4 hours drive. Arrived in Marrakech, ( you can stay in Riad Karim Marrakech) end of our services.

Meals: The food during the hike is typically Moroccan: (B) breakfast: coffee, tea, milk, bread, jam, etc. (L) lunch: various Moroccan salads, hot dishes, fresh fruit, mint tea or a picnic with tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, Cheese, olives, crème fraîche, fish. (D) Dinner: soup, traditional dishes such as tagine or couscous, fresh fruits and hot drinks (tea, coffee) Please let us know when booking if you would like vegetarian food, have any food allergies, or require a special diet.

Price:

Services :

Price include	Price does not include
︎︎All transfers to the places where the trek begins and ends. ︎3 nights in Guest houses la kasbah du Mgoun with half board ︎Certified Berber mountain guide En/Fr/Sp. ︎Kitchen equipment and cook to prepare outdoor lunches. ︎Full pension during the hike. ︎Service of the accompanying team:  mule drivers with their mules. ︎Mule Ride. ︎Mineral water during the hike.	︎Flight tickets. ︎ Meals and accomodations in Marrakech. ︎ Travel insurance. ︎ Tips for the team, guide, cook, and mule drivers.