Tikjda

Tikjda sits at around fourteen hundred and fifty metres on the southern flank of the Djurdjura, a small station of hotels and a national sports centre built among cedar and pine below the limestone wall of the range, and it functions as the base for almost everything done in these mountains: walking on the ridge, climbing on the cliffs, caving in the karst, and skiing in the winters when enough snow falls. Trails climb from the station toward Ras Timedouine and the high pastures, and the road over the pass to Tizi Ouzou is itself a drive worth making. The cedar forest around the station has suffered from drought and fire in recent years.

What you actually see

• The limestone wall of the Djurdjura - the range rising above the station.
• Cedar and pine forest - the woodland around Tikjda.
• Ridge trails from the station - routes toward the high pastures and summits.
• The pass road to Tizi Ouzou - the crossing over the range.

When to go

May to October for walking; winter brings snow and road closures, with skiing when conditions allow. A day or two. Weather at altitude changes quickly.

Honest expectations

Trails are unmarked and route-finding needs a guide or experience. Accommodation is limited and books out at weekends. Fires have damaged the forest. Roads over the pass close in snow without much warning.

Nearby

The Djurdjura national park surrounds it; Bouira lies south-east.