I am not one to write long reviews, or reviews in general, but I had to add to the glowing reviews... read more
I am not one to write long reviews, or reviews in general, but I had to add to the glowing reviews... read more
This trip exceeded all our expectations. From the very outset, we were impressed with the service... read more
We were going back and forth about whether we should try and do a hiking trip in the High Atlas Mountains so soon after the earthquake (about 3 weeks) but after hearing about how important tourism is both to the country and the region, we decided to give it a go, and man, what an unforgettable trip!
Our guide was Ibrahim and we had Omar as our porter and cook. I'm not really sure what I was expecting but the scenery of the entire three days just totally blew us away. When we climbed one mountain pass, it was like we were transported to a completely different part of the country.
In terms of level of difficulty, we are both active 40 and 58 year old men, and I would say it was a solid 3.5/5.0, but any guide would be able to adjust the difficulty depending on the group. We hiked for about 8-9 hours each day with breaks but I think some groups go for a shorter period of time. I think our only regret was that we didn't have hiking shoes and one of us got blisters on our feet.
The food was unexpectedly some of the best we've had in Morocco, and they even accommodated for a gluten allergy. Accommodations on the first night were very basic, but the second night were amazing.
In terms of the impact the earthquake had on the hike itself, we might have had to make one or two detours due to obstructions from the damage. On the trails outside of villages, there was some limited impact (hiking to the summit of Mt. Toubkal, for instance, is affected). Inside villages, most people's houses were intact, if not completely undamaged. But there are people whose homes were destroyed, and in the villages we passed, some people are still living in tents and probably will be for quite some time.
I don't want to minimize the loss that many have suffered, but people seemed genuinely happy to see trekkers coming back through their communities and just want life to get back to normal. I would also note that Aztat is charging an additional 2.5% surcharge and donating it to earthquake recovery.
So while there is still evidence of the earthquake in some of the villages, the actual 3-day trek we did was barely affected, if at all. Moreover, many of these communities depend on tourists like ourselves for their livelihoods; we are grateful to them for what was an amazing and unforgettable trek.
From the absolute start to finish of the whole trip, I felt safe, supported, informed and grew sheer admiration for our guides. We were unfortunate to be at the Toubkal Refuge when the earthquake hit on 8th Sept, but both our guides remained calm, kept us informed and did everything in their power to ensure we got back to safety. Despite these circumstances, the whole trip was seamless: from water fill ups, being provided food (which was honestly some of the best food I’ve tasted) or the transport of our luggage. I could not thank you enough, particularly our fantastic guides, for providing everything that you did, going the extra miles (literally in some cases) and doing everything in such a calm and positive manner. When the time is right I’ll be booking again to summit the mountain and won’t want to choose any other company to do it with.
I cannot thank nor recommend this company enough. Everyone we met went above and beyond.
I booked a trip to climb Mount Toubkal in September 2023 and was up in the refuge at the base camp when the earthquake hit.
All of the guides and support teams were absolutely incredible with their response. They were so calm and went above and beyond to look after us despite everything they themselves were going through.
They went out of their way to make sure we were safe despite the lack of information about the earthquake and their families. They took us down a different route, a much longer one, for us to reach a safe point.
The company director also came to meet us and provided a lot of comfort to our families who we couldn't get hold of due to the lack of signal. Even after we were off the mountain they were so attentive and kept checking in on us making sure we got all our transport in the coming days.
Before the earthquake, the guides were extremely knowledgeable, friendly and welcoming (and all the food was delicious).
Thank you!!
I had THE best time during this hike! From start to end, it was all very well organised. From the pick up from the airport until the end.
The hike itself, was more difficult than I anticipated due to 40+ degrees, but along the way we had regular breaks and there were little stalls for soft drinks and chocolate/crisps - which was very much needed! So bring some change.
The food was excellent, and the refugee where we stayed was great. I was shocked when they said there were actual showers there along with bunk beds, therefore this was an added bonus!!
The summit night we left at 3am, which gave us enough time to get up by sunrise - and it was worth the early start. It was beautiful. The decent was harder, personally. A lot of harder than I anticipated, but the guides were great and supporting us and directing us down safely (even though I fell a few times..).
The group was great, and we all celebrated when we got back to the riad. It was a great trip - and I highly recommend.
Once in a life time experience, the package was perfect; great food, water and comfortable accommodation provided. Our guide was so friendly and genuine, and helped immediately with any issue. Everyone was so genuine and kind and we had the most amazing time. Could not recommend this package enough to anyone who wants to visit the Atlas Mountains.
Amazing 2 days hiking with an excellent group and wonderful guides. Mohammed and Mohammed were incredibly helpful and involved. I struggled a little bit and always Felt really safe as there was always one guide next to me!
Thanks for an amazing experience.