Asni is the last big village before the High Atlas stops being a view and becomes a road. It lies at about a thousand metres in the foothills south of Marrakech, a little under an hour away, and is the point where the road forks, one branch climbing toward Imlil, the starting point for Jebel Toubkal, North Africa's highest peak at 4,167 metres, and the other, the R203, heading for the Tizi n'Test pass. On clear winter days the snow on the peaks is visible from the street, and the air smells of woodsmoke and mint.
Asni is known for its Saturday market, a loud, dusty affair where farmers from the mountain villages sell vegetables, spices, livestock and secondhand tools, and where mules and old trucks bring goods from the valleys. Berber, or Amazigh, traditions run deep in these mountains, and the villages around are built of stone and mud brick, stacked up the slopes in terraces. In September 2023, a powerful earthquake struck this area, with its epicentre not far from Asni, and many villages suffered heavy damage and loss of life. Rebuilding continues, and visitors who stop to buy tea or food are helping the local economy.
The Tizi n'Test road, which starts here, was built by the French in the 1920s to link Marrakech with the Souss valley, and it climbs to a pass at about 2,092 metres, with hairpin bends, steep drops and few barriers. The surface can be broken and patched, rockfalls are common after rain, and in winter, snow and ice can close the road. It is one of the great mountain roads of Africa, and the views over the Atlas and down into the Souss plain are huge. Take it slowly, and be ready for coaches and trucks on the bends.
Asni has shops and a few cafes, but fuel supply should not be assumed, so fill up in Marrakech before setting out. The nearest large town according to the data is Setti Fatma, but Marrakech is the real source of supplies. Carry water, a spare layer and some cash in dirhams, since cards are rarely accepted. Mornings are cool and clear, and afternoons can be hot in summer, with thunderstorms in the mountains. Spring, when the almond trees blossom and the streams run full, and autumn are the best seasons for the ride.