The High Atlas: Toubkal, mountain roads and Amazigh silver

Toubkal and Imlil

Toubkal National Park was created in 1942 around the summit. The usual starting point is Imlil, a village at about 1,740 m, roughly an hour and a half by road from Marrakech. Most walkers take two days: up to the refuges below the peak on the first, then the summit early on the second.

In winter the upper slopes are covered in snow and need mountaineering equipment and experience. A local guide is strongly recommended in every season, and rules for trekkers can change, so check before you go.

Roads over the mountains

Two passes carry the main roads south. The Tizi n’Tichka, at around 2,260 m, links Marrakech with Ouarzazate; the Tizi n’Test crosses towards Taroudant. Both are long, winding drives with views over valleys of walnut and almond trees and villages built of earth and stone.

Amazigh villages

Most people in the High Atlas are Amazigh, and Tamazight is spoken alongside Arabic. Villages cling to the slopes, with fields terraced along the rivers. The earthquake of September 2023 hit parts of the region hard. Rebuilding continues, and travelling with local guides and staying in local guesthouses supports the communities doing that work.

The silver fibula

Amazigh jewellery in Morocco is traditionally made of silver, often set with coral, enamel or glass. One of its best-known forms is the triangular fibula, a large brooch worn at the shoulder to fasten a garment, often in pairs joined by a chain. In some regions it is called tizerzai.

Museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York hold historic examples, and silversmiths still work in southern towns such as Tiznit.

From fibula to climbing clasp

The Attached to Bad Ideas design reimagines a triangular silver fibula with coral details as a climbing clasp. An Amazigh jewellery form, made to hold a garment in place, becomes gear for moving through the mountains.