Depending on what your view is of what constitutes a separate summit as opposed to a top, there are at least seven mountain summits over the 4000m mark in the Moroccan High Atlas mountains.
These are:-
1. Jebel Toubkal 4167m
2. Timesguida Ouanoukrim 4089m
3. Ras-n-Ouanoukrim 4083m
4. Irhil Mgoun 4068m
5. Afella-n-Ouanoukrim 4043m
6. Akioud 4030m
7. Biguinoussene 4007m
Biguinoussene appears at different heights on various maps - sometimes under 4000m but for the sake of completion, we regard it as 4007m which it is claimed to be on more recent maps. There are also a couple of "tops" just over 4000m on the Mgoun ridge which we are not counting in the above list but which are climbed en-route to the summit of Mgoun. Similarly for a couple of tops near Toubkal (Toubkal West & Imouzzer etc).
A number of years ago we offered a winter mountaineering trip that was billed to attempt all seven 4000ers in two weeks. Although we have since deleted the link to this webpage from our new-look website, the page remains on our server and so can be found by search engines. The url is http://www.nomadicmorocco.com/4000integrale.htm
Within the past few weeks we've had a number of separate enquiries for this trip from people that have "come across" this old webpage - and so encouraging us to revive this trip!
As far as we know, there are no other (English speaking) mountain guiding companies offering this itinerary - probably because it is too adventurous, challenging and without the certainty of 100% success!
Climbing any of these 4000m peaks in winter requires the use of axe and crampons (and sometimes snowshoes to access Mgoun). This is not a training trip and so we expect that anyone thinking of this trip will be used to wearing crampons and using an axe. Most likely they will be confident on Alpine PD routes.
In terms of fitness, people should be fit enough to cope with 2 weeks of 8 hour days in the hills bearing in mind that the weather whilst generally favourable can make life more difficult at 4000m's if it turns nasty. Some days will be shorter than this (not many) and some will be longer (again not many - hopefully!). It is also expected that people have the ability to carry all their own gear (and some shared food etc) for 5 days out of the two weeks - the remainder of the days being either porter supported or "out and back" days therefore requiring only a daypack.
The reward for this "hardship" (!) will be superb days in the High Atlas in the winter, views and summits to savour and ideally the knowledge that at the end of the trip, you will have accomplished what few others have ever done before.
If you're interested in this (type of) trip, then Contact Nomadic Morocco and tell us more of your experiences, how many there are of you in the party and when you're thinking of this trip. We'll work something out with you.
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