Jebel Tidighine

Tidighine, sometimes written Tidirhine, is the high point of the whole Rif chain at 2,456 metres, a bare rounded summit rising above cedar and Moroccan fir forest in the central range. It holds snow through winter and into spring, which is unusual this far north in Morocco and gives the range its water. The forest below the summit is significant: Abies marocana, the Moroccan fir, is endemic to these mountains and grows nowhere else, and the stands here and in Talassemtane are what remain of it. Views from the top run to the Mediterranean on one side and across the Rif ridges on the other. The practical difficulty is access - the approach is by rough piste through the Ketama district, which is the centre of cannabis cultivation in Morocco, so going with a local guide arranged in advance rather than driving in unannounced is the sensible approach.

What you actually see

• The Rif's high point - 2,456 metres, snow-held through winter and spring.
• Moroccan fir - a species endemic to these mountains and nowhere else.
• Two-sea views - the Mediterranean on one side, Rif ridges on the other.
• Cedar forest below - the belt the piste climbs through to the summit.

When to go

May to October; snow closes the piste in winter. A day.

Honest expectations

Access is by rough piste and needs high clearance. The surrounding district is the centre of cannabis growing and arriving unannounced is unwise - arrange a local guide in advance. There are no facilities on the mountain. Weather at the summit changes fast.

Nearby

Al Hoceima is north; Chefchaouen is west along the range.