Day Trips

IMLIL - AROUMD - SIDI CHAMHAROUCH - IMLIL


         Tour guide In Imlil
 http://toubkl.guide.free.fr
  E.mail : aztat.trek@gmail.com
   We set off towards the southwest skirting the Berber town of Imlil (1740m), known as Morocco ’s ‘Little Chamonix’, set, as we are, in the upper level foothills of the Western High Atlas mountains of the Toubkal National Park. With streams and paths branching out in all directions, we traverse the Tamatert Valley until we reach the hamlet of Achelm to strike out for some 4km towards the south towards the Berber village of Aroumd (Aremd) (1843m), passing the hamlets of Taourirt, Targa, and Imoula, up and down the stark slopes, the jagged Western High Atlas peaks of the Jbel Toubkal Massif - at 4167m the highest peak in North Africa - before us, with her awe-inspiring sister peaks the Jbels Aguelzim (3547m), Aksouâl (3847m) and the Adrar Adj (3122m) watching us all the way.
  
  We shall stop at Aroumd to visit this rather singular village in the Assif Aït Mizane Valley , built seemingly house upon house on a large moraine spur overlooking ancient irrigated terraced fields of barley, corn and vegetables and always surrounded by almond and walnut trees. We thence carry on for another 8km.to the equally-quaint village of Sidi Chamharouch, a Berber village set beside a waterfall and small stream, again with its pisé homes seemingly built somewhat chaotically one into another. This village is a place of pilgrimage for devout Moslems and it is where there is a marabout shrine – forbidden to non-Moslems - said to be a relic of a pre-Islamic religious and naturalist cult.
  We take a break for a picnic, within full view of Jbel Toubkal, prior to setting off back down the other side of the valley at a gentle pace back to the delightful Douar  ACHAYN .