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Atlas Mountains Camping & Refuges

Our rating

4/10

Price guide

Highlights

- Wild camping
- Basic facilities
- Dorm rooms in refuges

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Overview

Where gites aren't available (outside of the villages) we use camps or refuges on multi-day treks. In remote locations, we will set a wild camp. There are some fantastic locations available although it is important to note there are no formal washing or toilet facilities. Modern dome tents are provided along with roll up sponge mattresses for sleeping on. Meals are served in a mess tent. The crew will dig a fresh hole for each visit and put a small toilet tent by way of privacy (toilet roll is provided, but we always recommend taking a roll yourselves as back-up).

At locations with refuges (e.g. Neltner at Toubkal and Lepiney at the head of the Azzaden Valley), we usually prefer to camp in the grounds and make use of the refuge facilities for washing, toilets etc. as long as the weather is reasonable. The rationale for this is that the dorm rooms in the refuges can be crowded and noisy.

In winter or inclement weather, you will need to put up with the refuges. The two Toubkal refuges stand alongside each other in a dramatic position at the head of the Toubkal / Imlil Valley. Both huts tend to be full over Easter, September and in the summer, with trekkers of all nationality swarming the place, all waking between 3 and 5am to tackle Toubkal – this isn’t the place to come for a good night’s sleep! The original Refuge du Toubkal or Neltner Hut was built and run by Club Alpin Francais. Whilst it lacks some of the nicer touches of the alternative (see below), it is a warmer building (which means it is popular with the guides and muleteers) and provides kitchen facilities for food preparation. There is a dining room, a small shop selling snacks, soft drinks and mineral water, a sitting room with a fireplace and lots of large dorms. All dorms have bunk beds, with mattresses laid side by side with barely space to fit a book between. The mattresses are tired and the bathroom facilities over-used, but the management are making efforts to spruce up the place and it can be endured.

In winter and when it is cold, we use Neltner Hut for all our Toubkal treks, in summer we prefer to camp in the grounds of Neltner.

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What customers are saying after travelling with Tourdust

Average Rating

based on 534 reviews

(5.00/5)

  • We had a brilliant trip!
    An amazing experience for parents, children and grandparents alike.
    We are already planning a trip to Vietnam next year

    MissingKate B reviewing Morocco Family Holiday: Kasbahs, Mountains & Souks on 10 January 2024

  • We had a fantastic time. Thank you for all your help, advice and guidance in organising our holiday. As this was not our first booking with Tourdust we were confident that all our transfers would work perfectly and they did - everything ran so smoothly! The riad in Marrakesh was stunning - a truly beautiful oasis of calm in such a busy, bustling city. As you can imagine, we were very grateful for the air conditioning in our room as outside was so hot! I was nervous about walking through the souks at night, but as they were well lit we felt perfectly safe and found our confidence grew in navigating the journey home each time we ventured out. When we arrived at our lodge in the Atlas Mountains we were blown away by the scenery. The views were amazing and the beautiful lodge gardens were the perfect place to sit and relax before taking a dip in the pool. Our day trek was truly amazing - no small thanks to our guide Rashid, who was so helpful and knowledgable. The lunch in the traditional Berber village was delicious and we were were made to feel so welcome. The home owner showed us how to make bread and then cooked it for us in her traditional clay oven. This was a memory we will never forget as we stood surrounded by her chickens and goats watching her use her bare hands to prepare the fire! Our night in the desert was breathtaking. The camel ride at sunset was so incredible and the quad biking the next morning was brilliant fun. I am so glad we added in these extras as they really made the experience! We finally made it to our hotel at the coast, where the surf lessons were a hit and the hotel was a great place to relax and read! Thank you again for all your help. We would definitely recommend Tourdust to all our friends and family. Tanya

    MissingTanya G reviewing Marrakech, Mountains & Coast Family Holiday on 18 August 2023

  • We are back home safe after a wonderful trip. Having booked with you before, it was not a surprise that everything worked brilliantly, but this trip was really special. Our trekking in the mountains was incredible - we were well looked after and supported at all times. Mohammed met us when we arrived and our guide for the 3 days was great and provided support when the trekking was tough. We were really impressed with the cooking which was tasty and healthy. All the logistics worked well. Our time at les deux tours was lovely. To finish there after the mountains was amazing. We were really impressed by the attentive service and the place and pool suites you booked were beautiful and amazing. We would love to go back. Thank you for organising such a great trip for us. And yes thank you, we are all good if a little tired! Best wishes Lucy and Mark

    MissingMark C reviewing Climb Mount Toubkal on 11 August 2023

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