Hiking in the Rif Mountains and Gites

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Chochot
Chochot

Hi Everyone!

I'll be around Chefchaouen at the end of May and I'm considering whether I want to plan a hike through Talassemtane National Park. The route I'm thinking of taking would be Chefchaouen - Azilane - Akchour - Chefchaouen. Before I decide I had a few questions:

  1. Are there a lot of bugs and insects in the area that try to bite you? Should bug spray be enough to ward them off?

  2. Are there any animal threats I should be concerned about? I was reading somewhere that stray dogs roam near the hiking trails sometimes, and that they can show up in packs. Does this happen often?

  3. What is the availability of food and water like for tourists passing through the villages? Will I be able to buy them or would I need to pack them from the start? If water is available, what's the quality like?

  4. Can accommodation in gites be requested on the spot or must it necessarily be booked in advance? Is there any way I could make the booking myself rather than using tourism companies, which seem to only offer extravagant packages including guides, stays and transport?

  5. What kind of weather could I expect in late-May? Would warm clothes suffice in the gites or is a sleeping bag necessary? I probably wouldn't do the hike if I need a sleeping bag - I don't have one.

  6. How aggressive are the kif dealers? I think I can handle people being pushy, but is it common for them to be physically threatening?

Thank you everyone, and I'm sorry if any of these questions are offensive in some way!

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khamlia
khamlia

I can answer only a little at your question no. 6 - I have been there last Summer, but driving by car. And I was almost disappointed LOL that nobody bothered about me, only one waiter asked me if I want have hashish, no one other. Some people were staying on the road waving with plants but when I continued to drive and not stopped, they not were driving after me or so.
But maybe if you will hike then it can be a little more harder or what.
Hopefully soon come here Kate, she is expert on RIF, and know more about hashish people also.

We travel because we need to. Because the distance and difference are the secret tonics to the creativity. When we get home, home is still the same, but something in our minds has changed, and that changes everything.
Jonah Leher
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freenote
freenote

We traveled along the Riff last year by bus and grand taxi . There was plenty of hash / kif available but felt no pressure from over zealous marketing techniques , all was just fine :) The only area I did feel a little pressure was at Ketama / Issaguen . There were a few likely looking guys hanging around the bus station , big business I beleave was the order of the day .

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