Atlas Mountains Hikes — Local services in caïdat d'Asni

We did the 2 day hike with a small group of people and our guide Hussein. Unfortunately, due to the earthquake, the itinerary changed and so we would be summiting during the first two days of the hike instead of the second two. This meant that we had a moderately challenging incline up to the refuge but we stopped off for lunch after a couple of hours which was healthy and delicious (large salad with fish and a tagine). You can pick up some water and snacks here too. The refuge, although relatively basic, has everything you need and you're only there for a few hours anyway before you need to get up at 3.30am! The food was, again, plentiful and very delicious. Hussein gave us all a debrief the night before, checking that we knew what to take with us and to dress accordingly. The walk up the next morning was steep and quite challenging but Hussein ensured that we all stayed together and went at a pace that we felt comfortable with. The summit was beautiful just after sunrise and we got some pictures before quickly descending as it was cold and windy! The walk down was challenging as you descend the mountain from the summit back to Imlil in one day but we were able to take our time and enjoy the views. The riad we stayed in unfortunately didn't have any hot water for a shower so it is worth checking this before staying!! The hosts were friendly but there was nothing they could do to fix it. On our last day we walked around Imlil with Hussein and this was one of our favourite parts of the trip. Although our legs were aching, walking around Imlil - an area that Hussein grew up in and is very knowledgeable about - was really lovely. It was great to chat to him and learn more about the moroccan culture and traditions while we strolled around the village and saw the waterfalls. Thank you Hussein for an unforgettable few days, Kelvin and I would love to visit Imlil again in the future (although our legs would...

We had a great 5 night/6 day trek with Housain, which I organised directly with Housain via WhatsApp, rather than going through a third party. His friend Musfasta picked us up from the airport and drove us to Imlil. Housain met us at our guesthouse and we talked through our plans. He immediately put us at ease and was flexible to our needs. We began our trek of Toubkal, stopping at a beautiful village with a shrine for lunch. We slept in a refugee overnight, with shared dormitories before setting off at 4am to climb Toubkal, it was a great experience, a real adventure out in snow and high altitude mountains. Housain ensured we had all the right gear to climb the mountain safely, you do really need ice axe, crampons, helmet, poles and warm clothes to be safe. It is a serious mountain! We then had 4 nights trekking in the Berber villages and moutains, experiencing this amazing culture, great food and super views. Each day was different with Housain sharing his knowledge and insights into his culture and landscape. Housain was outstanding, organising the whole trip, with no issues. He is a local and knows all the local guesthouse owners and local people. He was always friendly and helpful, but also gave us time to ourselves too. He also organised Mohammed, our excellent cook and mule guide. Mohammed was super friendly too and made us amazing food! We even had a cook class, where my partner made bread and I made tagine - a real Berber experience! One we will remember for a long time. We paid Housain in cash in euros, but diarham would also have been fine. Couldn’t recommend Housain enough, a true host - we also meant his lovely family who were also very hospitable. He is a knowledge guide who ensured we had an amazing experience while being safe in the high...

My friend and I did a 4 day trek in Atlas Mountains in late December and it was one of our best experiences ever! Houssain, our guide, was so extremely kind, knowledgeable & passionate about his Amazigh culture & life, that he made this tour exceptionally good.

Houssain knew everyone in every village we passed which impressed us so much as he knew everything about Berber life in High Atlas Mountains and he was kind to share all his personal stories and teach us about Berber history, culture and way of life. He also studied history so he was very knowledgeable about Atlas Mountains and Morocco. His English was perfect and he also taught us Amazigh words.

We were two girls 19-20 years old with limited experience and cautious about 4 days trek alone, but the tour was so safe and we felt so much taken care of. Houssain has large experience with tours, so he did his best to adjust tour to fit our experience. We passed beautiful valleys and mountains in slower tempo, but there were options to take more challenging routes. Generally, Houssain did everything to meet our requests by housing requirements, tempo and stops, so we enjoyed the trip so much. Generally, from our conversations we realized that Houssain knows everything about High Atlas Mountains and climbs Mt Toubkal several times a week, so he knows all the best routes.

We met local Berber people, enjoyed Winter views of Mountains (summer maybe even better), and grateful...