Morocco - Toubkal Mountain Trail
Starting and finishing at the very comfortable Terres d’Amanar you follow mountain trails and ride at an altitude between 1,500 m & 3,100 m.
Amongst the high barren peaks are woodlands of pine, oak and cedar, open pastureland and small lakes. This ride runs in the summer months, because of too much snow in winter.
A highlight of this trail is riding along the Kik Plateau ridge. Here you should see brilliant views over the Haouz Plain and Mount Toubkal.
The horses are mainly stallions. They are Barb and crossbred Barb/Arabian.
They are well trained, fit and forward going. They behave well on the trail and the only thing you need to remember (as on all trails but of even more importance when riding stallions) is to keep a distance from other horses at all times.
The tack is good quality English-style saddles. Guests normally assist with grooming and tacking up their horse but assistance is on hand at all times.
The riding is a mix of paces to suit the terrain. In some places it will be slow, either because it is very rocky or the ground is very soft. Where possible there are plenty of fast canters and gallops which may be along hard tracks.
You need to be confident riding in open spaces and in control at a fast pace. You must also be physically fit as well as riding fit since there is some walking on foot on steeper descents. These holidays are not suitable for nervous riders.
The first and last night is at Terres D'Amanar, the mid night is at a lodge and the other nights are in tented camps which are moved on each day. A support vehicle meets you each day for lunch and then goes ahead to set up camp. There are three nights in hotels and four nights in camp.
When camping you stay in two person dome tents with a porch area for baggage. Normally everyone helps with the setting up of the tents. There is a large mess tent for eating and relaxing in the evenings. There is also a separate shower tent and you are provided with a large bucket of hot water for showering.
The food in Morocco will be a highlight of the holiday - a meal typically begins with hot and cold salads and is followed by a tagine which may be served with couscous.
Alcohol is not provided and not easily purchased during the trail. There are some shops where you can buy alcohol in Marrakesh, but the choice is very limited and can be expensive. You should bring your own alcohol from home or from duty-free if you wish.
These itineraries are scheduled during the summer months and will be guaranteed to run with two guests in the group.
For rides in different regions of Morocco, have a look at the Essaouira Coastal Trail and Desert Trails. If you would prefer not to camp, the Horses, Dunes & Nomads itinerary would be perfect.
| Holiday | Experience LevelExp Lvl | Arrive - DepartArr - Dep | Price | Itinerary | Availability | |
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| Toubkal Mountain Trail | 26 Jun 2022 - 3 Jul 2022 | 7 nights 7 ngts | $940.45 |
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| Toubkal Mountain Trail | 3 Jul 2022 - 10 Jul 2022 | 7 nights 7 ngts | $940.45 |
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| Toubkal Mountain Trail | 24 Jul 2022 - 31 Jul 2022 | 7 nights 7 ngts | $1,018.83 |
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| Toubkal Mountain Trail | 31 Jul 2022 - 7 Aug 2022 | 7 nights 7 ngts | $1,018.83 |
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| Toubkal Mountain Trail | 21 Aug 2022 - 28 Aug 2022 | 7 nights 7 ngts | $1,018.83 |
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| Toubkal Mountain Trail | 28 Aug 2022 - 4 Sep 2022 | 7 nights 7 ngts | $1,018.83 |
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| Toubkal Mountain Trail | 4 Sep 2022 - 11 Sep 2022 | 7 nights 7 ngts | $1,018.83 |
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SMALL GROUP SUPPLEMENTS If there are only 2 people confirmed there is a supplement of $449.85 per person. This will be removed once there are three or more people confirmed.
INCLUDES Accommodation; full board (from dinner on night of arrival to breakfast on last morning); riding; camping equipment.
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT A supplement of $130.62 is payable if you are in a single room. If you are prepared to share this will be refunded once a sharer is found. A single tent is an additional $52.24 for the week.
PAYABLE LOCALLY Lunch on arrival or departure day; drinks in hotels; alcoholic beverages; tips.
NEAREST AIRPORT Marrakesh.
TRANSFERS included from Marrakesh.
Transfers are included from Marrakesh airport to Terres D'Amanar where you spend the first night. If you arrive early in the day then you will be met by a driver and normally taken downtown Marrakesh where you can have lunch and explore (your bags will be kept in the vehicle) before joining others who have arrived on later flights.
The return flight should depart from Marrakesh in the afternoon. If you are on an evening flight then you may have time to explore a little of Marrakesh.
In the High Atlas mountains south of Marrakesh.
The high interior can be visited year-round, although it does get cold in winter. The Toubkal Trail runs in the summer months when the mountains are clear of frost and snow. On the first and last day of the trail it may feel hot, but once into the mountains, the temperatures are pleasant.
The horses were top quality, in great condition (no sores which unfortunately can be all too common on some riding holidays) and very willing and able to cope with the challenging terrain.
I cannot praise Rashid and his team too highly - all very genuine guys.
Sadie ,Lancashire
Make sure you have comfortable boots which you can walk in because there are times when you need to lead your horse on foot.
In The Saddle says
You will be riding amongst some seriously big mountains. It amazes me how people first settled in these inaccessible places.