Last minute spring snow
The High Atlas come as a surprise to most ski mountaineers. Few expect such sharp, steep peaks and challenging ski objectives.
This was a last-minute, mid-March, visit to enjoy good snow conditions and sunny, blue-sky skiing. For two members of the team, this marked their seventh and final ski continent.
Classic Atlas ski lines
Sitting on the terrace of our gîte in the evening sun, we sipped sweet mint tea while contemplating two of the great Atlas ski classics. We had skied one—the Tizi Likemdt 3625m—that day and were planning the other, Bou Iguenouane 3882m, for the following morning. Tacheddirt, the highest village in the Atlas at 2320m, is the perfect base.
Steep, hard skinning with ski crampons had given us 1200m of perfect spring snow. Bou Iguenouane promised more challenging skinning and an even longer 1400m descent. Conditions were perfect and the avalanche risk zero, so shovel, probe and transceiver could remain in the valley.
Our guide was L’ahcen, one of the most experienced Moroccan ski guides. We first skied together in 2001, so this was our twenty-fifth anniversary trip. Over those years I returned often to Morocco to ski—every time with L’ahcen except once—and always with the delightful Ali as cook and muleteer. It was super to see him again and to enjoy his delicious tajines and salads.