Royale Marocaine de Ski et Montagne or l’Association Nationale des Guides et
Accompagnateurs en Montagne du Maroc. They should be credited as guides de montagne
(mountain guides), which requires study for at least six months at the Centre de Formation aux
Métiers de Montagne, a school for mountain guides at Tabant in the Aït Bougomez valley.
Accompagnateurs (escorts) will have had only one week’s training, and will not be insured to
lead mountain trips; guides de tourisme (tourist guides) are not qualified to lead treks.
Official mountain guides, who can always show an identity card as proof of their status, have
been trained in mountain craft, including first aid. In times of uncertain weather or in an
emergency, they will be infinitely more efficient than a cheaper guide lacking proper training. If a
guide is reluctant to show a photo card, it probably means he/she either doesn’t have one or it
has expired (they should be renewed every three years).
Some guides de montagne have additional training in rock climbing, canyoning and
mountaineering. All guides speak French, and some also speak English, Spanish or German.
Several young Moroccan female guides, who have succeeded in breaking into the previously
all-male world of mountain guiding, are in high demand.
Hiring a Guide
There are more than 400 accredited mountain guides in Morocco, and many can be found
through the bureaux des guides in Imlil, Setti Fatma, Chefchaouen, and Maroc Profond in
Tabant (Aït Bougomez Valley).
At the time of writing, the minimum rate for official guides was Dh300 per day (per group, not
per person). This rate can vary according to season and location. The rates do not include food
and accommodation expenses.
Guides generally get free accommodation in refuges and gîtes, but you may be asked to
cover their meals. If you walk a linear route you’ll also be expected to pay for their return
journey.
Negotiate all fees before departure and count on giving at least a 10% tip at the end, unless
you have been unhappy with the service.
If your guide is organising your trip (rather than a tour operator), be sure to go through all
aspects of the trek ahead of time. Discuss where each day will start and end; whether tents will
be shared (most guides have a tent and/or sleeping bag); how many mules will be hired; who
will be cooking (if there are enough of you, the guide may insist on hiring a cook, usually for
about Dh100 a day); food preferences, water provision, and the division of food and equipment
among the group.
Mules
Mules (and the odd donkey) are widely used in Morocco for transporting goods through the
mountains, and you can easily hire one to carry your gear.
If you are relying on heavy local supplies, or are in a large group, hiring a mule makes
especially good sense. As a rough guide, mules can carry up to 120kg – or up to four sets of
gear. If the route is very steep or demanding, the muleteer may insist upon carrying less. He
will have the wellbeing of his meal ticket in mind, although Moroccans are unsentimental about
their pack animals.
Some trekking routes are not suitable for mules, although detours (for the mule) are often
possible. If high passes are covered in snow, porters may have to be used instead of mules