Lahouceine was our local guide for a recent KE adventure trip to Jbel Toubkal and Ras and Timesguida peaks this December 2012. We (my wife and I) have been planning this trip for a while and weren't disappointed by the excellent service and guidance we received from Lahouceine. We are novice winter mountaineers, so hired crampons and ice axes through KW: good quality Grivel 12 points and Petzl axes.

The trip itself was superb. Fantastic food cooked by the local chef who trekked up to the refuge with us (omelettes every morning, a variety of tagines at night: all food brought up by mules to 3200m - what's not to like?), stunning weather, 3 summits (at least I did), and extremely well paced hiking. One of Lahouceine's strengths is his ability to gauge fitness and adjust pace appropriately. My wife and another companion are not the triathlete/marathon/Body Pump instructor type, so our pace up Jbel Toubkal (4167m) was completely appropriate, which meant everyone summited without exhaustion. The following day, I summited Ras (4089m) and Timesguida (4086m) at a much quicker pace, again without succumbing to exhaustion, whilst my wife and our other companion had a relative rest day.

Lahouceine was also good at spotting emotions and reassuring those in our group who were unsure of their crampon abilities/risk of slipping on the ice (we were practicing self arrests)/chances of making it up the mountain. Not everyone is able to pick up on the subtleties of emotional stress.

In short, we had a fantastic trip: informative, safe and enjoyable. We'll be back.

I had an amazing time with my friends trekking Toubkal National Park. We came very unprepared and where provided everything we needed including hats, gloves, climbing equipment and sleeping bags for the refuge. The travel agency and the guide they provided were absolutely amazing and our trip went by flawlessly. Everyone was friendly, accommodating, and made us feel safe every step of the way. On our third day we had planned for a trek over the mountains to a scenic valley nearby. We woke up to rain that day, however, and were forced to return to Imlil for the night. Nevertheless, our guide adjusted our schedule so that we still got to see the whole valley our last day. We were satisfied to say the least, and I would definitely recommend this agency for anyone wishing for an authentic and comprehensive trek of the park!

Recently did a one-day Camel trek with Lahouceine that I booked through Tours by Locals. The trek was up a mountain and through a Berber Village. I was very impressed with Lahouceine. He was very informative and made me feel safe throughout the trip. Great scenery on the trek and he took a lot of pictures while I was on the camel. Delicious food at the Berber house. Lahouceine arranged for another guide to take me through the Medina, but Lahouceine took the time after the Medina tour to make sure I got back to the hotel safely. I highly recommend him as a Morocco tour guide. Morocco is a spectacular country but is difficult to navigate without a good guide.

My first trek with a guide, but this definitely set the bar extremely high for future treks! In a country where punctuality and timing may not be what most travelers are used to, these guys were an aberration from that: being punctual in every logistical aspect. We were picked up from our out-of-the-way hostel in Marrakesh with no problem the first day, driven to Imlil where we met our knowledgeable local guide, Hishem, and began our hike. All meals over the next two days, besides breakfast the first day, were included in the price. These were also excellently coked meals by our donkey driver. We moved at a very reasonable pace to me, yet each leg he said we completed faster than the originally planned time. The hike was not very technical, but the 2nd day required a respectable level of cardio, especially facing the high altitude. For around 100 dollars per person (our party was 3 people, price decreases as the number increases) I say it was definitely worth it! My companions all left with similar feelings of accomplishment and satisfaction. Keep it up guys!