M'Goun Traverse logistics

The "reality on the ground" that you refer to includes the fact that you are planning to come to Morocco in the middle of The Holy Month of Ramadan. June 6 - July 5
See this link for details:
http://www.completemorocco.com/about-morocco/ramadan

Thanks for the link, David. That's useful. I was aware that our trip will coincide with Ramadan and that this is likely to complicate things further. Presumably guides are less inclined to burn energy trekking if they're unable to refuel with food, and particularly water, during the day.

Any advice regarding the above points would also be gratefully received.

1. No problem travelling from Marrakech to Agouti on a Sunday. Finding guide willing to trek through Ramadan should be possible but please make sure he is an official mountain guide and do not use someone posing as an official guide. There are plenty of "fauxguides" around Agouti. Ask to see their official papers and refuse to believe them if they can't produce them. However, it is not entirely realistic to expect the guide to be ready to set off the next morning, depending on what time you arrive in Agouti, of course. Apart from anything else, your guide will need to organise your food and mules and this might need a bit longer than overnight.
2. The distance really is rather irrelevant as, more importantly, the trek passes over ground which rises and falls, sometimes extremely steeply, such as on the approach to Tarkeddid Plateau. Much more important is the number of hours needed to reach the end of each day's stage. Even so, you could walk this route in five reasonable stages (Agouti to Azib n'Ikkis to Tarkeddid Plateau to Amezri to Ait Ali n'Itto to Ait Alla)
3. Your problem might be picking up transport late in the day from Ait Alla at the end of your fifth day of walking. Transport tends to leave Ait Alla in the morning. Instead, you might be better to pick up the 4.00am/5.00am minibus departing from Ait 'Ali n'Itto on the fifth morning, not walking at all that day. After all, the trail from Ait 'Ali n'Itto to Ait Alla is along rough piste and not terribly exciting.

Hi Alan,

Thanks for taking the time to give such detailed and constructive information, it's really helpful and much appreciated. That's a good point you raise about factoring in the elevations, as we can see how planning based on distances alone could be deceiving. We may have to arrange a guide prior to arriving in order to ensure setting off on the Monday, as it doesn't appear we'll have sufficient time to get to Ait 'Ali n'ltto in time to catch the early morning transport on Friday if we aren't able to begin the route until Tuesday.

Alternatively, could you recommend any interesting circular routes starting and finishing in Agouti which would take between 2-3 days?

Many thanks.

This topic has been automatically locked due to inactivity. Email community@lonelyplanet.com if you would like to add to this topic and we'll unlock it for you.