Walking around Imlil Valley in the High Atlas Mountains, Morocco

Looking through a pine tree over the Imlil Valley in the High Atlas Mountains, Morocco

Layers of Colours
It was a tough climb: I was averaging a slow 30 minutes per kilometre! But, views like this – across Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains and through the Imlil Valley – made it worth it.

The High Atlas Mountains in central Morocco rise from the Atlantic coast and stretch east to the Moroccan-Algerian border.

This is a rugged landscape, inhabited by hardy Berbers – more properly called by their endonym Amazigh or Imazighen, meaning ‘Free Person’ or ‘Free People’. They live in small villages with narrow lanes lined with traditional mud-brick houses. There is often a kasbah, surrounded by fortified walls, and there is always a mosque, with a simple square minaret tower. Some of these hamlets are accessed only by rough roads and goat tracks.

The Amazigh have lived here forever – and many aspects of their culture and daily life have remained unchanged. Indigenous to the Maghreb region of northwestern Africa, cave art and other artifacts show that the Imazighen have been there from at least 10,000 BCE. They were first mentioned as Barabara and Beraberata in Ancient Egyptian writings, and some scholars believe this – rather than the Ancient Greek ‘barbarian’ – is the root of the name given to them by outsiders.

The Imazighen or Berbers are actually a number of distinct ethnic groups with different, but closely related languages and dialects grouped under the generic name Tamazight. This is represented by a unique script, Tifinagh, with its roots in the Libyco-Berber alphabet used during the first millennium BCE. As one guide from the region explained: people in neighbouring valleys might speak mutually unintelligible dialects. Children going to school must first learn standard Tamazight – one of the official languages of Morocco – before going on to learn Arabic and then French.

This helps illustrate how remote – and independent – these ‘Free People’ are.

I had been seduced by pictures of hiking in dramatic snow-dusted mountains and the offer of a stay in a kasbah. After all, who doesn’t want an excuse to say: “Meet me at the Kasbah!” And, any visitor to these pages knows I love walking (eg: Sapphire Coast; Butze Rapids).

But, I had clearly bitten off more than I could chew! I was staying in the small mountain village of Imlil, 1,800 metres (5,900 ft) above sea level. To reach my accommodation at the local kasbah (Kasbah du Toubkal), I had to walk 15 minutes up a steep and rubble-strewn incline – and had to stop every five minutes to catch my breath!

The next day, my Berber guide met me for an 8 kilometre (5 mile) hike around the Imlil Valley. Sounds easy, right? You wouldn’t need a guide at home! But, walking alone in these mountains is not recommended – and in many places is not allowed. There are virtually no marked trekking routes, and the goat-tracks lead off in all directions. The pathways are rugged, steep, and strewn with scree and donkey-droppings.

That little ‘introductory’ hike took me 4 hours!

On a photographic note: I took a lot of landscape pictures – mostly as an excuse to stop and breathe. People pictures were harder, as I only make pictures with consent and most locals wouldn’t grant permission.

Join me as I attempt to walk in the footsteps of the Amazigh in the High Atlas Mountains.

Orange juice, boiled egg, bread, pancake and mini-tagines of butter jam and honey, Kasbah du Toubkal, Imlil Morocco

Breakfast for One
You won’t go hungry in Morocco. The strong culture of hospitality means that every meal contains more than one can possibly eat. (iPhone15Pro)

Gnarled section of walnut trunk, Imlil Morocco.

Almost Abstract : Walnut Trunk
In Morocco, walnut trees (Juglans regia L.) have long been cultivated for their nuts. Growing in these mountainous areas – predominantly between 800 and 1800 m (2625 – 5900 ft) – they frequently have wonderfully gnarled trunks, which my guide told me was the consequence of insect damage.

Mohamed and the Happy Merchant
My local trekking guide Mohamed knows everyone – and is happy to chat with the local shopkeepers in Imlil Village.

Life in the Village
Imlil is a relatively new village predominantly catering for the tourists heading to Jbel Toubkal. Rubble and building materials are everywhere, as people attempt to rebuild their lives after the devastating earthquake on September 8th 2023; the epicentre near Oukaïmedene was not so far from here.

Still Life Found : Bike in a Doorway
Chinese-made Docker motorcycles seem to be the most common brand here.

Across the Valley
Tiny hamlets dot the valley, each one centred on its own mosque. The cultivated groves near the valley waterways are a stark contrast to the rocky, arid mountaintops.

Doorway and Light
Some of the buildings are beautifully maintained. The dappled light on the potted plants gives a Mediterranean feel, as the morning heats up.

Woman on her Phone
I love the contrasts: a new car and a new mobile phone in an old and sagging street.

Clinging to Life
Leaving the village behind, we follow a barely-discernible goat-track up into the mountains. Light catches the desert vegetation that makes its home in the rocky terrain.

Terraces and Building Works
It is comforting to see how far down the valley the little hamlets are: it means I am making some progress! There is building work going on everywhere; it’s hard to know what is to meet rising tourist demand, and what is to repair earthquake damage.