Running in Atlas
Morocco - High Atlas Mountains
A week of running in breathtaking landscapes, a glimpse of the local culture and excellent food
After being in the Atlas Mountains last November for a preparation run, we are happy to take a group out for an unforgettable experience.
five days of running in the Atlas Mountains, including climbing Mount Tobakal, whose summit reaches 4,167 meters.
An experience that includes a challenging run in the mountains, crossing and visiting the Berber tribes, staying in authentic places with local food and mountain stories.
A little background on the place
The Atlas Mountains is a collective name for several mountain ranges that stretch along the length of three countries in North West Africa: Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. They include the Mound Atlas, the Sahara Atlas and the High Atlas, which is the main range we will focus on.
The highest mountain in the Atlas Mountains, in the middle of the "High Atlas" range, Mount Tobakal, about 63 km south ofMarrakesh. The mountain rises to a height of 4,167 meters, and we will climb it on Wednesday and Thursday, after a few days of adaptation to the altitude.
In the Atlas mountains in Morocco lived throughout history mainly Berber tribes and most of the most populated cities and towns lie at the foot of the mountains. But also in the mountains themselves you can find interesting towns and villages, some of them have preserved ancient traditions and a traditional Berber lifestyle, some of the routes will pass through these villages, we will visit and stay in houses for a cup of tea and a snack to refresh and get to know the local culture.
The months of April-May and September-October are the best times to visit the Atlas Mountains. The temperatures are particularly comfortable, 20-25 degrees in the morning and cool in the evening. The Atlas Mountains are characterized by dryness similar to the desert, at the same time due to the melting of the snow from the winter, a lot of water flows into the valleys and the colors of the vegetation are very intense.
We will usually run in two groups and on two routes to allow everyone to find the distance and pace that is right for them.
General plan
Day number 1 (16.5.23)-
We will take a direct Arkia flight from Tel Aviv that lands at Marrakesh airport and from there we will travel to a town called Ouirgane (about an hour and a half drive from Marrakesh), where we will stay the first night.
The flight will depart from Tel Aviv at 14:05, landing in Marrakesh at 18:20.
Day number 2 (17.5.23)-
We will start the morning with a rich breakfast at the hotel and we will go for an hour's drive to the starting point of the route.
The length of the tracks:
The longest is 24 km with 1400 meters of climbing.
The short one - 15 km with 930 meters of climbing.
The long route starts in Imgdal, we run up a beautiful stream for about 9 km at the end of which we will reach a small Berber village, where we will take a short break, stay in a local house and get to know a little about the local culture._cc781905-5cde- 3194-bb3b-136bad5cf58d_
The short route will start with a visit to the village and immediately after that he will go to the running route that joins the long route.
We will end the first day of running in a village called Tnert, we will reach the hotel by running.
At the end of the run we will arrive at a pastoral and stylish hotel in the mountains, where the equipment will be waiting for us, we will enter the rooms and gather for lunch.
In the afternoon there is free time, to rest a bit, walk around the village and when we are hungry again dinner will be served.
On the first and second day the altitudes are relatively low, to allow the body to adapt to the higher mountains.
On the first day of running, the maximum height we will reach will be around 2000 meters.
Day number 3 (18.5.23)-
Breakfast, getting ready to vacate the hotel and leaving for the hotel key route.
The route is about 20 km long with 560 meters of climbing,
As mentioned, we leave the hotel door, and run to the outskirts of the city of Imizmiz, on the way we will pass through a shopping area, with villages in the middle of nowhere, although if there is a bit of civilization we will meet it today.
In the middle of the way we will meet Jamal and his team, for a short refreshment, and there will be the possibility of a jump that will shorten the route for some of us by about 5 km.
You can't miss the first and last segment of that day, you'll understand when you're there😊.
From there we will drive for about half an hour and stop on the way in a nearby village for lunch.
Those who are interested in a short shower and change of clothes will be an option.
After lunch, we will continue our journey of about an hour to an hour and a half to Imllil, where we will be pampered in a beautiful hotel with a pool full of spring water and pampering rooms.
It will be possible to tour the village, rest, taste local food and enjoy the mountain air while in the background you can see the snowy Tobakal peak.
Day number 4 (19.5.23)-
Breakfast, getting ready to vacate the hotel and leaving for the hotel key route.
On this day we will climb to Rafuhi (a large mountain hut) which is located before the summit to Tobakal, where we will sleep.
The route is 11 km long with 1,430 meters of climbing.
It will be possible to shorten the route a little on this day by jumping to the next village after Imlil.
Imllil, is at an altitude of 1,800 meters, we will leave the hotel and start climbing towards Rafahio which is at an altitude of 3,200 meters, which means that the air is already a little thinner.
On the way we will pass through Berber villages and impressive waterfalls.
Our equipment will be waiting in his bag, on this day we will pack equipment for two days running and one night, the equipment will arrive on donkeys, so we will ask to pack in a relatively small bag, only the necessary equipment.
We will meet the suitcase again a day later.
As every day we will meet Jamal and his team on the way to refresh ourselves.
In his lungs, he enjoys lunches and dinners.
There is hot water in Rafahio, the accommodation is in a dormitory of several people in a room.
It is recommended to bring a liner or float, wrap yourself in your cover under the local blankets.
Day number 5 (20.5.23)-
The most difficult day both in terms of dealing with the altitude and in terms of the terrain route.
The full length of the route is about 19 km with 2,350 meters of climbing and a cumulative descent of 1,400 meters.
We will start with a climb of about 4 km from Feruhi to the summit of Tobakal, where we will be impressed by a panoramic view of the High Atlas.
Those who do not want/can not climb to the top, will join the run afterwards and will actually shorten the route by about 8 km with a "savings" of 1000 meters of cumulative climbing and cumulative descent.
The run will end at the next mountain hut where we will sleep.
Day number 6 (21.5.23)-
After a couple of intense days it is a relaxed day, going downhill, although there is still one or two mountain passes to cross on the way.
Like every day, we will start with breakfast and room clearance.
The length of the routes-
Long - 23 km with 920 meters of climbing and 1800 meters of descent.
Short - 10 km with 450 meters of climbing and 920 meters of descent.
We will leave in two groups, back towards the village of Imllil, pass between Berber villages, climb a table mountain and roll down in height.
At the end of the run we will refresh ourselves with something light and on the way to Marrakesh we will stop for lunch.
In the afternoon/evening, we will arrive in Marrakesh, settle in the hotel and go for a walk around the markets. This is a colorful and clean city, full of opportunities to buy souvenirs and taste delicacies.
At the end of the day, of course, dinner, and a toast, we finish in a moment.
Day number 7 (22.5.23)-
Last day, towards night we will board a flight back to Israel.
But we have one last day to smell and feel the atmosphere of the markets, visit the monuments and experience urban Morocco.
There will be the option of a guided tour of the city or to wander independently.
We will eat breakfast and lunch together and in the afternoon we will leave the hotel and go to the airport (15 d drive from the city center).
The flight departs from Marrakesh at 22:55 and lands the next day at 7:35 in the morning (flight duration 5 hours and 40 minutes).
required equipment
Running clothes for 5 days of running, short and long clothing, which can be peeled off.
Gloves - highly recommended for the day of climbing Tobakal
Jogging sticks - recommended
Vest for carrying water, at least 2.5 liters and technical food for the run.
Rain/wind jacket - recommended (it probably won't rain, but in the mountains, especially on the peaks, you never know. There will definitely be wind)
Rain pants for climbing the Tobakal
Running shoes adapted to technical terrain - it is recommended to bring 2 pairs.
A liner for a sleeping bag - recommended for sleeping in its fluff, before the summit.
Swimsuit - recommended, there are some luxurious hotels with a pool
Clothing for the evening - you don't need a lot of clothing, but a modular code that includes both light clothing and warm clothing for a cool evening is useful.
Travel cost and payment arrangements
Early registration will be possible until 10.2.23 participation cost $2,000
After this date the cost of participation is $2,300 and based on the availability of plane tickets.
Advance payment at the time of registration - $200
Additional payment until 2/20/23 - $700 minus registration fees.
The rest of the payment will be settled by 4/15/23.
**For Ibex and Naturun club trainers, a $100 discount will be given for early registration.
***No cancellation fees will be given.
What is not included in the cost
Visa to Morocco - the cost of a visa is about NIS 260, issued within 3 business days and the visa can be submitted and issued via the Internet.
With this visa you can enter Morocco once for six months.
Tip to the local staff.
A little about the team and the escort envelope
Our running journey in Morocco will be accompanied by a guy named Jamal, together with his local team.
Jamal lives in Imllil, second generation in the local tour company.
Takes out jeep trips, treks, bicycles and more in the Atlas Mountains, accompanied several running trips in the Atlas Mountains (a field that is starting to gain momentum).
The run will be done in two groups, where the division into groups will be done according to the level of ability and pace.
Each team will be led by two staff members, one of the Israeli coaches (Doron/Yaniv) and a local runner.
Jamal and his team will take care of the logistical envelope, refreshment stations, jumps, explanations and more.
What else is important to know?
Local money - the local money is called dirham, as of today 1 dirham is equal to NIS 0.33, and $0.095
You should arrive with pocket money in dollars and exchange it at the airport in Marrakesh for local money.
Phone - from our testing, the most profitable is to purchase a local SIM, you can purchase it at the airport in Marrakesh, the cost of the SIM is $10.
There are a variety of companies that will be happy to sell you a SIM, in the Atlas Mountains, the best reception is with the local company.
From what we found out, there are no surfing packages from Israel to Morocco, and even if you find it, it's definitely more expensive.
Respect - Respect is the key word in Morocco, and the word you will use the most is Inshallah.
Interested in running with us in the Atlas Mountains?
Here is the registration form for the camp
Do you have any questions? Confused?
Talk to us
Yaniv Shoshan - 054-9998606
Doron Goldfarb- 050-6390411