We are planning a trip to see the wild side of Morocco at the beginning of October! A combination of high level mountain and desert trekking.
All welcome. This is an exploratory trip and as such is non commercial. Pay your own costs.
If coming from northern Europe best to fly to Marrakech. If from Spain travel with us overland as outlined below, or pay Ryanair’s exorbitant and outrageous charges and fly out of Sevilla!
Emily Burrows of Wild Morocco will be organising things from the Morocco side for us. She says
We much prefer you to see our favourite parts of the Sahara, not simply the region that is “most convenient” by car because it’s not remote!!!! This also means you’ll enjoy our favourite route south. Please don’t be put off by the driving times, this is quite usual in Morocco (we don’t have motorways south of Marrakech! and the driving over the mountains is necessarily slow-going) and the road journey itself is part of the experience, especially with such dramatic scenery along the entire way and lots of photo stops!!!
Proposed Itinerary
Day 1 – pick up from Casablanca bus station or Marrakech bus station (or airport) and transfer to overnight hotel or riad in Marrakech.
Day 2 – drive from Marrakech to Erg Chegaga, Sahara Desert. approx 9hrs drive. Overnight in private or berber camp.
Day 3 – trek from Erg Chegaga to Erg Smar, with camel caravan, overnight camping in desert. Approx. 5-6hrs trek. (or a day to chill-out and stay near the camp, explore the dunes, short camel ride, picnic lunch, day trek etc….)
Day 4 – trek from Erg Smar eastwards, with camel caravan. Option to overnight camp in desert or guest-house (i.e. be met by 4×4 and driven out to the guest-house). If you camp in the desert, you will be driven out by 4×4 the next morning early.
Day 5 – Transfer from Sahara northwards to south-side of Atlas Mountains, the valley of roses. overnight in guest house. approx. 6-7hrs drive, depending on where you spend the previous night!!
Days 6-8 – 3 day trek to summit Jebel Mgoun (4068m) from the south-side, a 3 day circuit finishing at our overnight base as on night 5.
Day 9 – transfer from valley of roses to Marrakech (approx. 5.5-6hrs drive). Overnight in Marrakech (for people flying, we can get them to the airport for an evening departure!)
Day 10 – bus or train to Tangiers and onwards… – it is possible to get to Algeciras in a day from Marrakech, i researched this for myself. will entail an early start but there is a choice of evening ferry departures!
Let me know if you are interested.