Expedition Overview
Join Ice Axe Expeditions for a trip to Africa to ski in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco, visit the ancient city of Marrakesh and ski the shifting sands of the Sahara Desert.
The High Atlas Mountains of Morocco are home to the best skiing on the African continent. This trip takes place at the start of the Moroccan spring when the snowpack is at its highest and snow conditions can range from powder to perfect corn. With a wide variety of terrain ranging from mellow bowls all the way up to 2,500’+ couloirs, there is something for every skier and condition.
This thirteen day trip includes a cross-section of the best natural and cultural attractions in Morocco. After arriving in the ancient city of Marrakesh, we will take a day to recover from jet-lag, collect any lost luggage and tour the vast central Medina marketplace. The following day we’ll move up into the mountains for two and a half days of ski touring around the Oukaimden area before transferring to the town of Imlil. From here we will use mules to carry our ski gear up to the Refuge du Toubkal where we will spend the next two days climbing and skiing around the highest point in Morocco, the 13,671’ (4167m) Jebel Toubkal. During our time in the mountains, we will be staying in refuge with breakfast and dinner included. The ascent of Jebel Toubkal involves a day with 3,000’/1000m of skinning and booting to reach the spectacular summit, followed by a sweeping ski descent all the way back to the refuge.
From the mountains of the High Atlas, we will then head towards the world famous Sahara Desert with a short break along the way for skiing and a night in Ait Benhaddou, which has featured in many Hollywood movies. Once we reach the sand, camels will take us for an evening ride to a luxury desert camp for the night, followed by climbing and skiing sand dunes the next day. On the final leg of our trip, we will stop by the towering sandstone walls of the Todra Gorge before spending a last night in Marrakesh and catching a plane back home the next day.
This unique trip captures a slice of the people, culture and skiing of one of the most exotic locations on earth. All in-country logistics, lodging and mountain guiding are included. For our time in the cities and towns, we will be staying in top rated hotels and eating at quality local restaurants.