Climbing Mount

Welcome for hiking in atlas mountains,

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DAY 1:   MARRAKECH – IMLIL – AROUMD – SIDI CHAMHAROUCH – TOUBKAL REFUGE.

Departure by private car from Marrakech around 9 in the morning for exhilarating 2hour drive south up over gorges and high passes to the Berber town of Imlil (1740m), known as Morocco’s ‘Little Chamonix’, set in the upper level foothills of the Western High Atlas mountains, a main trailhead with mule paths branching out in all directions.

Here we shall leave our vehicle to strike out for some 4km. towards the south up to the Berber village of Aroumd (Aremd) (1843m) and the hamlets of Taourirt, Targa, and Imoula, up and down the stark slopes, the magnificent Western High Atlas peaks of the Toubkal Massif immediately before us. We shall stop at Aroumd to visit this rather singular village in the Assif Aït Mizane Valley, built seemingly house upon house on a large moraine spur, overlooking ancient irrigated terraced fields of fruit trees and vegetables.

We thence carry on for a further 8km. to the equally-quaint village of Sidi Chamharouch, a Berber village set beside a waterfall and small stream, again with its pisé homes seemingly built somewhat chaotically one into another. This village is a place of pilgrimage for devout Moslems and it is where there is a marabout shrine – forbidden to non-Moslems and said to be a relic of a pre-Islamic religious cult. We take a break for a picnic, within full view of mighty Jbel Toubkal, at 4167m the highest peak in the Maghreb, prior to setting off up to the Toubkal Refuge for our dinner, and overnight accommodation in the Refuge.

DAY 2:   TOUBKAL REFUGE – SUMMIT JBEL TOUBKAL – SIDI CHAMHAROUCH – AROUMD – IMLIL – MARRAKECH.

A very early breakfast to set out around 6am, to attain, after a three hour non-technical but steep climb, the highest peak in the Maghreb (4167m). The panorama from here is simply stunning. This remarkable climb and view is what you have come so far for. The first recorded climb of this peak, in 1923, was made by the French mountaineers V. Berger, M. Doubleau and the Marquis de Segonzae; many serious trekkers since then have made the highly rewardable effort.

Day 2 of this hike can be very long and if possible we would recommend taking the three day option for the climb of Mt Toubkal to truly enjoy the experience.

Whenever you are ready, we shall take the Ikkhibi Sud or South Cirque for a straightforward – with your guide – 2 to 3 hour descent back to the Refuge for our picnic. We shall now set off towards the north along steeply descending, zigzagging trails of the higher slopes of the Valley of the Assif n’Isouhouanem n’Ouagounss towards the Berber village of Sidi Chamharouch (3106m). Before entering the village, we shall notice a tree, sacred to the local Berbers, on which they hang strips of coloured cloth and pile up stones around the trunk. We descend high above the valley of the Assif Aït Mizane, down zigzagging trails around granite and basalt grey rocks for about 8km to the remarkable village of Aroumd (Aremd) (1840m), commanding one of the more fertile valleys of the High Atlas mountains with terraced, irrigated plots and fields of maize, onions and fruit trees on all sides.

Here we shall stop for our picnic prior to continuing on along the floor of the valley, thence up a well-defined mule track zig-zagging above the river for some 4km. to arrive, at around 5 in the evening, after a long day’s activity, back at the Berber village of Imlil and a welcome glass, or two, of mint tea in the home of our senior guide Mohammed Aït Idar prior to your return to Marrakech and arrival around 7pm.

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Cycling and Mountain Biking in Crimea

Crimea can be a mountain biker’s dream come through. A large number of roads make the mountains easily accessible, and trails and dirt roads crisscross the peninsula suitable for biking.

Since bikers deal with many of the same issues as hikers, read the article about hiking in Crimea for information on water, climate, transportation, and regulations that may apply to you.

The main starting points for cyclists are Simferopol, Bakhchisaray, Sevastopol, and Feodosiya — all connected to other major Ukrainian cities (Lviv, Kiev, Kharkov, Donetsk) by train. South Shore towns like Yalta, Alushta, and Sudak are not accessible by train, so bikers rarely start there unless they are traveling as a large group and get a van to carry their bikes to their starting point. Read about transporting bikes on Ukrainian trains.

All Crimean automobile roads are suitable for road cycling, however, some are best avoided during the tourist season. For example, traffic is quite heavy on highway M18 from Sevastopol to Yalta, Alushta, and Simferopol during summer months, and moderate at other times of year. The views of the sea and mountains are beautiful. Between Foros and Alupka (25 km) there is an older highway that runs parallel to the M18 higher up the slope with very little traffic, but there are more ups and downs and in places damage from landslides (the road is no longer maintained). In one location west of Parkovoe there is a sudden half-meter drop-off in the road—an unpleasant surprise if you’re cruising down the road at 30 km/hr.

A beautiful route that is unfortunately closed to the public is the paved road from Yalta to Alushta over the highest part of the Crimean mountains through the Crimean Nature Reserve. It is 77 km long and rises to 1448 m at Nikitskyy pass, making it the highest paved road in Ukraine. Ride at your own risk, as there is a minor chance of being caught and fined, or made to turn around. Supposedly the forest patrollers watch the section between Besedka Vetrov and Chuchelskyy pass and go home after 6:00 p.m.

Southeastern Crimea also has tons of roads fit for cycling. The Kerch Peninsula is almost completely flat, but there are many roads and relatively little traffic. As strong winds can be an issue, check wind direction before finalizing the direction of travel. West of Feodosiya begin the Crimean Mountains with their great and varied scenery. In the eastern section of the mountains there are numerous paved roads up these long valleys to remote small towns and villages, as well as endless kilometers of dirt and rocky roads suitable for mountain biking.

NICE ROADS FOR CYCLING by yourself.

Bakhchisaray to Yalta (86 km), Beautiful ride with few cars through foothills and mountains with a strenuous 1000 m climb up switchbacks (over 12 km) to the stunning Ay-Petri plateau, then a steep descent into Yalta with switchbacks and more traffic. Descend into Yalta either early morning or late in the day when people are returning from Ay-Petri to Yalta and there is no oncoming traffic.

Orlinoe to Golubinka (25 km), Kholmovka to Shturmovoe (25 km), Bakhchisaray to Aromat through Schastlivoe (50 km), and Skalistoe to Nauchnyy (14 km)

These roads all run through the foothills (up to 500 m in elevation) southwest of Simferopol and have great views, varied scenery, and light automobile traffic. These routes can easily be connected to make a loop or set of loops.

Crimea’s terrain is hilly and mountainous and covered with trails and dirt roads. Grades range from flat to very steep. Once during a ride I met a Ukrainian guy from Donetsk who had marked on his topographical map all the places he had ridden; the map was literally covered in ink. He traveled alone and took a sleeping bag with him just in case night caught him on the road.

I won’t list routes here because there are hundreds of them. Any trail or dirt road can be biked if it’s not fenced off! The high-detail topographical maps show most of these trails. The easier rides, of course, are in the hills below about 500 m. Most of the “extreme” routes are above this altitude.

A good idea is to pick a destination, say, Bakhchisaray, buy topographical maps when you get there, and begin exploring areas you find interesting. Or, you can take the maps to the local Mountain Rescue Service post and get their advice on the routes you have chosen (if you speak at least some Russian/Ukrainian). See the “lodgings” section on our hiking page for tips on finding a place to stay.

Guided tours

Kirill Yasko, an experienced mountain guide living in Kyiv. He speaks English, German, Russian, and Ukrainian and has led a large number of hiking groups in the mountains of Ukraine, including several groups of foreigners. Each trek is 7 days long. Participants will need to arrange travel to Simferopol themselves (train is most convenient), where they will be picked up at the train station and taken into the mountains. In the trek itineraries below, each day’s hiking mileage is indicated in parentheses.

Valley of the Ghosts, a hike through some of the most mysterious mountains of Crimea.

Day 1 Arrival in Simferopol. Transfer to Perevalnoe village. Ascent to Chatyr-Dag Plateau. Visit equipped caves — Marble Cave and Emine-Bair-Hosar.

Day 2 Climb Mt. Eklizi-Burun. Descent to Kutuzov Lake.

Day 3 Angarskyy Pass, Funa fortress.

Day 4 Ascent to South Demerdzhi through Valley of the Ghosts.

Day 5 Dzhurla and Dzhur-Dzhur waterfalls. Haphal Gorge.

Day 6 Tyrke plateau. Karabi plateau.

Day 7 Descent to Black Sea at Rybachye village. Return to Simferopol.

Cave Towns, a hike through the ancient cave settlements of Crimea’s hilly inland with a descent to the coast.

Day 1 Arrival in Simferopol. Transfer to Bahchisaray. Tour of Bahchisaray Palace and Uspensky Monastery. Chufut-Kale cave town. Camp by Beshik-Tau Mt. (10 km)

Day 2 Tepe-Kermen cave town. Visit Kyz-Kermen ruins. Descent into the Kacha River valley. Kachi-Kalyon Monastery. Camp by the river. (14 km)

Day 3 Hike through Crimean oak forest to the Chelter-Koba Monastery. Belbek River crossing. Syuiren Fortress. (16 km)

Day 4 Climb to Mangup-Kale plateau. Mangup cave town, capital of the Feodoro princedom. Camp next to the ruins of the city walls. (12 km)

Day 5 Descent to Adim-Chokrak Valley. Shuldan cave monastery. Eski-Kermen cave town. (12 km)

Day 6 Descent to the coast near Inkerman. Kalamita tower. Arrival in Balaklava. Camp by the sea cost next to the Golden Beach. (15 km)

Day 7 Chembalo fortress. Tour of underground submarine factory. Transfer to Sevastopol. (5 km)

Canyons of Crimea, a classic hike through Crimea’s picturesque canyons and mountains.

Day 1 Arrival in Simferopol. Transfer to Sevastopol. City overview. Transfer to Morozovka village. Camp by the Black River. (5 km)

Day 2 River crossing. Chernorechenskiy Canyon. Hike upstream through the canyon floor. Camp in the canyon. (6 km)

Day 3 Leaving the canyon. Baidar valley crossing. Visit Skelska Cave. (16 km)

Day 4 Ascent to Uzundzha canyon. Hike through beech forest to the Te?house camp. (15 km)

Day 5 Descent to Silver Waterfall. Camp by the entrance to Crimea’s Grand Canyon. (12 km)

Day 6 Hike through the Grand Canyon. Tthe Bath of Youth. Climb to the northern edge of Ay-Petri Plateau. (15 km)

Day 7 Ay-Petri Plateau crossing. Descent to the Uchan-Su waterfall through Taraktash Gorge. Transfer to Yalta. Return to Simferopol. (12 km)

Above the Sea, a hike along the rim of Crimea’s highest mountains with the Black Sea ever in view below.

Day 1 Arrival in Simferopol. Transfer to Angarskiy Pass. Climb upper plateau of Chatyrdag. Rest at the top of Eklizi-Burun Mt. Descent to Saurgan Meadow. (5 km)

Day 2 Cross the Safun-Uzen River valley. Ascent to Babugan Plateau. Camp next to forbidden deer-forest. (10 km)

Day 3 Hike along edge of Babugan Plateau. Roman-Kosh Mt. (highest in Crimea at 1545 m). Gurzuf Pass and Arbour of the Winds. Camp at treeline. (12 km)

Day 4 Hike along plateau above Yalta. Taraktash Gorge. (12 km)

Day 5 Ascent to the Ay-Petri Mt. Visit oriental bazaar. Tour of Three Eye Cave. Descent to Besh-Tekne Hollow. (12 km)

Day 6 Walk through the Guerrilla Forest. Climb old Roman road to Shaytan-Merdven Pass. (15 km)

Day 7 Hiking along Foros mountain ridge. Tour of Foros church. Baidarskiy Pass. Descent to Laspi Bay. Rest at the seashore. Transfer to Sevastopol. (40 km)

Crimea Mountain Bike Tour, see the Cave Towns and South Shore of Crimea. This is a non-technical mountain bike tour around some of southwest Crimea’s most interesting sights.

Day 1 Arrival in Simferopol. Transfer to Crimean Observatory. Lunch. Briefing, safety equipment. Uphill and downhill training. Bike trip in vicinity of observatory. Dinner. Tour of observatory and telescope viewing. Camp. (8km)

Day 2 Breakfast. Trip across Sel-Buhra to Tepe-Kermen cave town. Visit Kyz-Kermen cave town. Set up camp. Dinner. (18km)

Day 3 Breakfast. Transfer to Bakhchisaray. Tour of Bahchisaray Palace and Uspenskiy Monastery. Journey to the Kacha River valley and Tash-Air — an ancient campground with rock paintings (4000 B.C.). Set up camp. Dinner. (25 km)

Day 4 Breakfast. Journey to the Belbek valley. Lunch. Ride to Khodzhi-Sala village. Rest at lake. Climb to Mangup-Kale plateau. Visit the capital of Feodoro princedom — Mangup cave town. Set up camp near the ruins of the city walls. Dinner. (35 km)

Day 5 Breakfast. Passage to Ternovka village. Cave monastery Shuldan and Cholter-Marmara lookout. Passage to Black River. Visit 16th century fortress. Lunch. Black River Canyon. Swimming in lake. Set up camp near the river. Dinner. (35 km)

Day 6 Breakfast. Passage to Morozovka village. Lunch. Journey to Cape Aya. Descent to the Black Sea. Set up camp by the shore. Dinner. (30 km)

Day 7 Breakfast. Pass above Golden Beach to Chembalo fortress. Descent into Balaklava. Lunch. Transfer to Sevastopol. End of tour. (6km)

All tours cost around 220 Euros apart from the last one, which costs around 290 Euros with rental of bike and around 250 Euros without.

Payment is at the end of each tour. Prices are indicated in each trek description below. You will see that they are very reasonable, as they include all meals, transfers, and guide services. For the bike tour, a car escort is also included in the cost. Prices can change depending on changes made to itineraries and any additional services or activities participants choose to add to the tour.

All hikes are intended for normal people in good condition without special training. Average walking time per day is 6 hours. Participants live in tents and are expected to bring all necessary gear with them. However, equipment rental can be arranged if given prior notice. Meals are cooked on a fire. Food for three meals a day is included in the cost of each tour. Tour members carry their own belongings, carry water, and are expected to help gather firewood and tend the fire. Conveniences such as toilets and showers will be nonexistent. When you order a tour Kirill will take into account your preferences for routes, food, and service. You may go alone, with family (including children), or with friends. You can also take pets along. The usual group size is 6 to 15 people.

The intrepid early explorers Lewis and Clark were perhaps the first non-aboriginal explorers to discover Crater Lake and report their findings back to President Jefferson, but they were certainly not the last and today some half a million visitors enjoy the wonderful scenery of the Crater Lake National Park every year.The crystal blue lake, which is ringed by 2,000 foot mountains, is the thing that picture postcards are made of and the area offers a wealth of hiking, biking, boating and horseback riding. Indeed, Crater Lake is truly one of the Unites States’ most outstanding national parks.One thing which makes the area certainly feel special is the fact that at 1,940 feet Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States and was formed more than 7,700 years ago by the eruption of the nearby Mount Mazama.There are many spots along the 33 mile route around the lake from which you can see unparalleled views such as that of Phantom Rock seen from Kerr Notch, or Wizard Island seen from Sun Notch. And there are also numerous hikes that simply cannot be matched anywhere else.On the east side of the lake hiking trails lead up to Mount Scott, while on the south side Crater Peak can be quite easily reached from Rim Drive. One of the nicest hikes of all, especially for novice hikers, is along the north side where the Cleetwood Cove trail leads down to the lake and you generally find deer feeding as you walk along this particular trail. You can also visit the volcano on Wizard Island from Cleetwood Cove and peek inside the 90 foot wide opening to the cinder cone after climbing the 800 foot trail.Now, if like me you enjoy fishing, then there is a very nice trail which leads to Fumarole Bay where you will find a plentiful supply of both rainbow trout and kokanee salmon. And, best of all, you do not need a permit and there is no limit on the number of fish you can catch!However, for those who are really looking for a hiking challenge then there is nothing quite like the long, steep and winding hike up the 9,000 foot Mount Scott. As with most arduous hikes the rewards are of course well worth the effort and, as well as a magnificent view of the lake, you will also be able to see Mount Shasta and Mount Jefferson clear over in California.If you would like to visit the area during the winter then you will certainly not be disappointed although you will need to take your snow shoes with you. And, if you are really fit then there is always the 33 mile cross country ski route around the lake.The Crater Lake National Park is certainly not one of the largest national parks but it is one of the most beautiful and is wonderful place to plan a hiking trip.