MOROCCO. A Saharan Sojourn. Meeting nomads in the Jebel Bani Climb Morocco s highest sand dunes Remote desert camping under starlit skies

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1 MOROCCO A Saharan Sojourn Meeting nomads in the Jebel Bani Climb Morocco s highest sand dunes Remote desert camping under starlit skies Guided Group Departures Tour Grade C Tour Code - TSDT For dates and prices visit: Group Size:- Min 4 Max 15 Seasonal Daily departures also available for private parties of 2 or more persons travelling together

2 Introduction Escape from the damp European winter to the dry clarity of the Sahara by joining this tour, which takes you to the very fringes of the Sahara desert. This region is the epitome of desert scenery, which can be enjoyed on foot or on the back of a camel. Starting from the town of Zagora, this trek takes you through the craggy Jebel Bani, arriving after five days trekking at the remote and impressive sand dunes of Chagaga, reputedly the highest and most extensive dunes in Morocco. From here you will be transferred using 4x4 through stark sandy desert fringing the banks of the Draa River to finish at a delightful 'auberge' near the small town of M'Hamid. With over 25 years of trekking and travelling experience in Morocco, here at Walks Worldwide we can justifiably claim to be THE WALKING HOLIDAY SPECIALISTS to this exotic country. The Holiday Walking conditions Our departures are scheduled during the relatively cooler warm season and you can expect the walking to be pleasant. During summer it is ferociously hot, making trekking virtually impossible. At the height of the day it can still get quite hot though. Thus, to avoid trekking at the hottest time of day, lunch is usually a 2-hour leisurely affair in shady area wherever possible.. You can expect to feel quite cold in the evenings and temperatures often drop considerably at night in the desert. You can expect mostly dry weather, but sand storms may build up mainly during the afternoons. It will be dry and stony underfoot in the mountains and, not surprisingly, sandy in the dunes! Each day s walk takes a regular hillwalker approx 5-7 hrs. Your main baggage is transported by camel leaving you free to walk with just your usual daypack to carry. A reasonable level of fitness is required and you should be capable of walking for several days continuously. As you will be trekking thought true desert, water is at a premium and you will have to amend your usual washing routines. Your guide will brief you about the procedures before the trek. We strongly suggest you bring a good supply of wet wipes with you if daily bodily cleanliness is important to you! A dry handwash or sanitiser is also very useful to use after toileting and before meals. A full explanation of the trip grading can be found online at. You should ensure you are comfortable walking at this level of grading and are physically prepared for the trip. Trek staff You will be accompanied in the mountains by a local guide who will speak good French and some English. There will be an experienced cook to provide all the meals. Camels will carry all baggage, equipment, food and water. The camel drivers will also help with the food preparation, bread making, washing up and the erecting and taking down of tents. Our camel drivers are a most happy bunch, and will often sing and dance (though never drink!) primarily for their own pleasure until late into the night. What you need to provide Your personal equipment as detailed in the clothing and equipment list later in this trip dossier. A 3 seasons sleeping bag will be required. Dust/sand storms can also occur without warning and it is best to be equipped with a 'shesch' scarf, as worn by the desert people.. Itinerary IMPORTANT-Due to the specialist nature of our holidays, day to day itineraries should be taken as a guide only, and as statements of intent and not contractual obligations. We regularly update our trip dossiers to take into account changes to trekking routes, accommodation, local transport etc. Such changes are a factor of this type of holiday and when made are out of necessity. Other factors such as adverse weather, unforeseen circumstances and other matters entirely out of our control etc can also lead to enforced changes during the course of the holiday. It is not possible to guarantee that any of our holidays will operate exactly as per the anticipated itinerary. The most current trip dossier will be made available on our website. We will also send you the most up to date trip dossier with your Final Joining Instructions approx. 2 weeks before departure and you should carefully check this for any changes that may affect your plans. We also recommend you read the Useful Information section on our website and in our current brochure.

3 Outline Itinerary Day Your 'at-a-glance' Itinerary Overnight Accn. Meal plan 1 Depart UK and arrive Ouarzazate Ouarzazate Hotel Les Jardins de Ouarzazate 2 Transfer to Zagora (3 hours drive). Lunch. Transfer to camp Tizi N'Djiniya Camp 1 BD below Tizi Djinia (1000m) 3 Sahara trekking Oued Moulili Camp 2 BLD 4 Sahara trekking Oued N'am Camp 3 BLD 5 Sahara trekking Ali Bouch Camp 4 BLD 6 Sahara trekking Oued El Mhassar Camp 5 BLD 7 Trek to Morocco's highest dunes Chegaga Camp 6 BLD 8 Transfer to Chez Pacha using 4x4 Chez Pacha Tented Auberge BLD 9 Transfer to Ouarzazate (4 hour drive). Free afternoon Ouarzazate Hotel Les Jardins B de Ouarzazate 10 Depart Ouarzazate and arrive UK B B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner.

4 Day 1 Depart UK and arrive at Ouarzazate Airport. Group Departures -Rendezvous at the group hotel in Ouarzazate. A single timed group transfer will be provided from Ouarzazate Airport to the group hotel in Ouarzazate. This transfer will be timed to coincide with the arrival of the designated group flight. Private Departures You will be met upon the arrival of your chosen flight at Ouarzazate Airport and transferred to your hotel in Ouarzazate. See Joining Arrangements and transfers section later in this trip dossier. Hotel, Ouarzazate climb easily up a rough but well-defined path. Another hour sees you resting at the top of the pass, with good views towards Zagora. Continuing down is another easy path, which after an hour or so crosses a shallow, barren valley, with another range of hills on its other side. Below these is a little oasis where a lunch stop can be made, and the lunch camels unloaded. After lunch you continue along a dry, bouldery, sandy watercourse, containing the occasional pool of water, before heading off towards a low range of hills to your left, towards the head of the valley. From the head of the valley the way down leads to a grassy plain where you make your way to the right and towards a low range of hills to make camp. Camp Day 2 After breakfast you set off on the three hour drive to Zagora, via Agdz and the famous Route des Kasbahs. It is a spectacular drive, with great views of the rough and rugged terrain, with occasionally glimpses of deep gorges. You will see lots of palm trees and mud brick villages with flat roofed houses, flanked by low lying, arid hills. After lunch in Zagora a short drive across a stony plateau, using tracks initially, takes you to your first camp at the foot of the Tizi Djinia in the Jebel Bani Mountains. Camp, below Tizi Djinia Day 3 The first morning you head towards a pass in the distance, walking gently and easily, with a few birds and flowers around, to pass through the escarpment. It takes about an hour to reach the bottom of the hills, where you start to Day 4 Today is quite a long day. You set off across the stony plain, interspersed with the odd patch of green, towards the low hills to the west, which you were walking towards yesterday. The path often peters out but it is easy to find it again! The terrain is very arid, stony and rocky with the occasional ring of stones and walls built for shelter by the local shepherds. You travel on and up along a valley through the hills with the occasional wadi or shallow river valley, to reach the head of the valley, again providing excellent views from the top. You continue down the path on the other side, with conical shaped hills to your right, to reach your lunch spot. After a relaxing lunch you follow the path to a well by a tamarisk tree,

5 where your camels will probably overtake you to fill up with water. You continue through low flat-topped hills on an indistinct path, varying from easy to rough going, with boulders and soft, gritty sand to traverse when approaching wadis. The camels lollop along, looking like they are going quite slowly, but in reality they are striding out quite quickly! The path undulates until you reach your camp for tonight. Camp Day 6 Today you follow the rocky wadi, the path going over some flat rocks, with some flowing water and even the occasional pool (depending on the time of year) and palm tree. The wadi opens out into a gorge, you follow its rim, sometimes on the right bank, sometimes on the left and sometimes in the middle. You continue for a couple of hours before the wadi terrain changes to more heavy rocks and boulders, and then opens put into more open country, surrounded by arid, flat-topped hills where lunch can be taken. After lunch the terrain changes to become an open, stony plain, running out of hills with very little plant or tree life. After about an hour after lunch you stop to make camp, and in the distance you may be able to just see sand dunes ahead! Camp Day 5 As yesterday was a reasonably long day, today you have a shorter day, stopping after lunch. You start by following a wadi up to a low col, hopefully with a cool breeze near the top. The steep descent on the other side leads you to a wide and dry wadi, which you follow to another small palm oasis. You continue along the wadi and again up to the next col, for more fine views from the top. Another down takes you to on to stony ground, from which you travel up again, skirting a deep gorge, to your third col! From this, your last col, there is a stupendous vista below to where you will be camping tonight. You descend a steep, scree type path, which leads to your camp. The afternoon is free for you to relax and rest, to indulge in some local exploration or perhaps take a wash if the local wadi has any pools in it. Camp Day 7 Leaving the mountains of Jebel Bani behind you, your route takes you across a stony plateau becoming sandier and sandier to reach the highest dunes in Morocco at Chegaga. After lunch you will have a free afternoon to climb some of these dunes and let your eyes feast on nature's arcs as the crests of the dunes stretch into the endless distance. From the top of the dunes in the late afternoon, it is likely that you will experience one of the most beautiful sunsets you have ever seen Camp

6 Day 9 The morning is free for further relaxation at this oasis of tranquillity before a vehicle takes you back to Ouarzazate. Hotel, Ouarzazate Day 10 Depart Ouarzazate. Group Departures A single timed group transfer will be provided from the group hotel in Ouarzazate to Ouarzazate Airport. This transfer will be timed to coincide with the check-in time the designated group flight. Private Departures A private transfer will return you to Ouarzazate Airport to coincide with the check-in time for your chosen departure flight. See Joining Arrangements and transfers section later in this trip dossier. Day 8 For another memorable experience you should get up early today, climb to the top on one of the larger dunes, and see the sunrise guaranteed unforgettable!! After breakfast the camp will be packed up for the last time and you will be collected by some 4WD vehicles and driven back via a different route to the delightful tented auberge of 'Chez le Pacha', situated in the palmerie not far from the Draa River, just a few kilometres from M'hamid and complete with swimming pool. After several nights out in the desert this really is a paradise where the water (if a little salty) flows relatively freely, vegetables grow and you can relax in your private 'Bedouin style' tent on a real bed! Auberge Chez le Pacha, Ouled Driss. Practical Information Passports and Visas British passport holders (and other EU passport holders and US citizens) do not require a visa to visit Morocco for stays up to three months (please ensure your passport has at least 6 months validity). Accommodation In Ouarzazate we use the Hotel Jardins de Ouarzazate which has its own swimming pool. Accommodation is on a share twin basis, though single rooms are usually available at the single room supplement price listed in the brochure. Please let us know as soon as possible if you would like a single room, and make your payment before departure or, preferably, on booking. On trek you will sleep in 2-person tents, but many clients choose to sleep out under the stars. At the end of the trek you will be accommodated at 'Chez Pacha', a recently built auberge with pool where the bedrooms are private 'bedouin style' tents. There is a separate toilet and shower unit equipped with modern western style fittings. Unlike other operators in this area, we prefer to ensure you experience the real tranquillity of the desert by making camps away from the wells and water holes by carrying sufficient water on our camels. It can be very disappointing to arrive at a camp near a water point after a day of seeing no other people, only to find other tents already there.

7 Food Moroccan food is excellent. Very tasty fresh produce, with the addition of fragrant herbs and subtle spices are used to produce innumerable tagines (stews) and couscous. The fresh fruit is delicious, and so are Moroccan cakes and pastries. On the trek there ll be large quantities of fresh fruit and vegetables to produce hearty meals, mostly tagines and couscous, but you can also expect some pasta-based dishes. Bread is always available and will be baked over open fires at the overnight camps. Sterilising tablets (iodine based) or Lugol's iodine solution should be used for drinking water as we cannot carry enough bottled gas to provide boiled water for drinking purposes. Bottled mineral water is readily available for purchase in the larger towns only. Soft fizzy drinks seem to appear (at a price) in the most unlikely of places. Vegetarians will need to adopt a reasonably flexible attitude as they cannot be catered for specifically whilst on trek. Climate It is of course impossible to predict the precise weather conditions you will encounter during the course of your holiday. In general Morocco experiences hot, dry summers and warm springs and autumns, with mild winters. The Sahara can be blisteringly hot at the height of summer, but our departures are coincided with the best time for trekking in the region, when it is much cooler and as a result usually clearer under the winter sun. It will usually be relatively warm during the day, although temperatures at night time will be much cooler. Rain can fall at any time of year, but this is usually only in the form of short, sharp storms, which occasionally fall with dramatic intensity. On clear, sunny days it will be pleasantly warm during spring and autumn. Be prepared for it to be much colder in the evenings during the winter months with temperatures sometimes falling close to freezing or below. Roughly speaking temperatures decrease by approx. 1ºC for every 200 metre increase in altitude. For further climate statistics visit Altitude The altitudes on this trip are moderate and you should not anticipate any problems. Local transport All overland transfers in the itinerary are by private vehicles. Baggage Please note that as from July 2009 we are no longer providing complimentary Walks Worldwide Kitbags. Your main baggage will be transported by camel during the trekking element of this holiday. SUITCASES MUST NOT BE USED for your main baggage and will be refused porterage. Please ensure your main baggage is packed in either a soft holdall style kitbag, or a large, unframed rucksack. Contact us if you are unsure about the suitability of your main baggage Responsible Tourism Acting responsibly in the way that we operate our holidays is very important to us at Walks Worldwide. In recognition of our Responsible Tourism values and practices, we have been awarded 4-star status in AITO s Responsible Tourism scheme. We would also request that as a client you endeavour to take part in any of our holidays with a positive attitude to Responsible Tourism and travel in a socially responsible manner. Many of our holidays travel to ecologically and culturally sensitive areas, where it is important to minimise any negative impact. We would especially recommend that before you start your chosen holiday you take the time to learn more about the country you are visiting, especially with regard to local culture, religion, customs, taboo s, acceptable modes of dress etc. Bradt, Lonely Planet and Rough Guide publications are an excellent resource for this and much more too. We are of course always happy to help and advise with regard to the country you are visiting. Vaccinations and medical precautions We always recommend visiting your doctor and dentist for a check up before travelling. Your doctor will also have access to the most up to date information on vaccinations and medical precautions for the country you are about to visit. You should not drink the tap water in Morocco. A useful travel health online resource is First Aid You should always carry your own small, personal first aid kit. This should consist of the following: A general anti-biotic, throat lozenges, painkillers, plasters (band-aids), blister treatment, insect repellent (DEET),

8 rehydration salts, antiseptic cream, diarrhoea treatment (e.g. Imodium). Currency. The Moroccan unit of currency is the Dirham (Dh). Please refer to for up to date rates. When changing your money, ensure that you keep your receipt, which will enable you to exchange up to half the amount of Dirhams you have received back into foreign currency when you leave the country. You will need to change all the money that you will need for the trek at the start in Ouarzazate, as there are no exchange facilities on the trek. ATM machines and banks are available in Ouarzazate. Language The official language of Morocco is Moroccan Arabic. There are also three separate Berber languages. French is widely spoken, but only few Berbers speak English. A phrase book would be useful and fun! Know before you go Walks Worldwide are fully committed to the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office s Know before you go campaign. We thoroughly recommend that all Walks Worldwide clients visit the FCO website If you have any questions or concerns about government travel advice to your chosen country please contact the Walks Worldwide office. Contact details It is not our policy to provide addresses and telephone numbers of every location that you will be staying at on this tour, as, due to frequent changes in contact details, it is very difficult to provide an accurate list for all our tours. Your Final Joining Instructions, which you will receive 2 weeks prior to departure, will show any local contact details that are required for your tour. However we will endeavour to provide you with further details if you have a specific reason. Mobile phones do work in Morocco although in some of the areas you are trekking in there maybe no signal. If you have not used your mobile outside the UK before you will have to contact your operator to enable international calls. Please ensure your phone is set for roaming if you are taking a mobile. Please note that it is expensive to phone both to and out of a mobile when abroad. We do not however encourage mobile phone use whilst walking on any of our trips out of courtesy to others please use your mobile phone discretely. If you do need to get in touch, or if anyone needs to get in touch with you, please contact the Walks Worldwide office ( ) during office hours. Tipping Tipping is customary in Morocco. The Berber staff and muleteers in the mountains do expect a tip at the end of the trek. We will send you detailed tipping guidelines prior to your departure. Please remember that all tips should be a way for individuals to thank staff for good service. Joining Arrangements and Transfers You should join this trip in Ouarzazate on Day 1 of the trip itinerary. Most clients will fly to Ouarzazate Airport. Group Departures - On day 1 of the trip itinerary a single timed group transfer will be provided from Ouarzazate Airport to the group hotel in Ouarzazate. On day 10 of the trip itinerary a single timed group airport transfer will be provided from the group hotel in Ouarzazate to Ouarzazate Airport. Both of these transfers will be timed to coincide with the arrival time and subsequent check in time for departure of the designated group flight only. Please note that as all International flight times are subject to change, the timings of the single timed group airport transfers will be changed to suit any changes to the flight schedule of the designated group flight accordingly. The designated group flight for this trip is the Royal Air Maroc flight from London Heathrow to Ouarzazate via Casablanca. This flight usually departs Heathrow in the early evening, arriving at Ouarzazate just after midnight. For the return flight this usually departs Ouarzazate very early in the morning and arrives back at Heathrow late afternoon. From the UK there are no viable flight alternatives. If you are arriving and departing on different flights to the designated group flight (whether you have booked flights with Walks Worldwide or otherwise) you may take advantage of these transfers only if your flight times coincide with these timed transfers. If you are not arriving and departing on the designated group flight, please let us know in advance if you intend to take advantage of these group airport transfers. If not you will need to make your own transfer arrangements. Private Departures- Airport transfers will be provided to coincide with your chosen flights.

9 Flight Inclusive Package Options Walks Worldwide will be delighted to make your International Flight arrangements for this holiday. We have full ATOL bonding and can book flights with most Airlines. Most International flight prices are variable and usually can only be guaranteed at the time of booking. If you would like to upgrade to business or first class, we can also arrange this for you. Please contact the Walks Worldwide office for an up to date Flight Inclusive Package quote plus flight advice and options for your chosen holiday. The designated group flight for this trip is the Royal Air Maroc flight from London Heathrow to Ouarzazate via Casablanca. We can also arrange flights with other airlines if preferred. From the UK there are no viable flight alternatives Please note all airline schedules are subject to change. Land Only The Land Only price does not include International flights. With the increasing choice of both scheduled and low cost airlines offering regional departure flights with simple to use online booking services, our Land Only walking holidays do not include International travel. Making your own International travel arrangements online is certainly the easiest and most cost effective way to join this trip. You should book flights that enable you to arrive in Ouarzazate NO LATER than the evening of Day 1 of the trip itinerary. Return flights should be booked to depart Ouarzazate no sooner than the morning of Day 10. Useful online search engines for International air travel are: - searches scheduled airlines. - provides useful information on low cost airlines flights. should not book your International flight tickets or make any other travel arrangements until your chosen holiday is confirmed. If you are purchasing your own air ticket, you should be aware that most of the cheaper airline tickets available for sale on the internet or from low cost carriers are non-refundable in the case of cancellation. We cannot be held liable, for losses incurred relating to any flight bookings or subsequent travel arrangements you have made yourself. Travel Insurance It is a condition of booking any of our holidays that you have comprehensive travel insurance. It is your to responsibility to ensure you are covered for medical and personal accident risks for the part of the world you intend to travel and the activities involved. This cover should include repatriation costs, air ambulance and helicopter rescue. It is also advisable to take out cancellation insurance as all deposits paid are non-refundable. Inclusions Meals as listed in the outline itinerary All accommodation Guide, cook, camel drivers and camels whilst on trek Land transfers within the itinerary. Single timed Airport transfers as detailed in the Joining Arrangements and transfers section Exclusions Drinks Souvenirs and personal items Insurance Meals not indicated above International flights (unless booking a flight inclusive package) Tips (allow approx 50) IMPORTANT- MAKE SURE YOUR CHOSEN HOLIDAY IS GUARANTEED TO RUN BEFORE YOU PURCHASE AIR TICKETS AND MAKING ANY OTHER TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS. Please contact the Walks Worldwide office to check the availability of the holiday BEFORE purchasing your International Air ticket. You

10 Clothing and Equipment Lists At least one set of casual / non-walking clothes will be useful for wearing in hotels on this holiday. Whilst walking you must not worry about how you look: comfort and protection against bad weather are of prime importance. Because weather is so very variable, we recommend a number of thin layers rather than a few thick ones. The following list is our suggested guide to help you with your packing based upon our many years of travelling/walking. Using your own judgment for packing is of course important, especially with regard to casual clothing etc but please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about packing for your holiday, or are uncertain as to the suitability of your clothing and equipment. CLOTHING Walking boots and spare laces Trainers/approach shoes Sandals ( Teva type are very good for trekking on the sand dunes) Socks 3+ pairs (Walking and Casual) Underwear 3+ T-shirts 3+ Trekking Pants 1+ Short trousers 1+ Light fleece 1-2 Warm jacket Thermal underwear (optional, but very useful on cold nights) Waterproof jacket with hood (Lightweight) Warm Gloves Sun Hat (essential) Warm Hat Swimwear Shesh a nomdad style bandana to keep blowing sand off your face ( can be purchased locally in Zagora) EQUIPMENT Daypack/rucksack (size max 25 litres) 3 seasons sleeping bag Thermarest/Camping Mat 2 Large water bottles (1 litre each) Towel quick drying pack towel is recommended Torch (and spare bulb and batteries) Camera & accessories Binoculars (optional) A variety of dry bag/plastic bags (kitbags are not waterproof) Sunglasses Trekking poles (highly recommended) Reading material (optional) Washing/Shaving kit & toilet paper Insect Repellent Small personal First Aid kit (see section above) Anti-Bacterial Handwash Water purifying tablets (iodine based are best) Sun Cream & lip salve Blister plasters i.e. Compeed Tickets/E tickets Passport Money

11 The following items should also considered as being useful on a walking holiday Penknife/small scissors (DO NOT PACK IN HAND LUGGAGE) Moisturising cream Baby wipes Snacks/Energy bars Safety pins (DO NOT PACK IN HAND LUGGAGE) Padlock for your kitbag Small sewing/repair kit (DO NOT PACK IN HAND LUGGAGE) Small mirror Nail clippers (DO NOT PACK IN HAND LUGGAGE) Spare glasses/contact lenses Earplugs (against snorers) Cold water Travel Wash (preferably biodegradable) Travel adaptor

12 What to do next We hope that you found this trip dossier helpful and informative. If you would like further information, our friendly team would be delighted to help and advise with any questions you may have. As an independent walking specialist company staffed by widely-travelled walking enthusiasts, we pride ourselves on being able to provide an informal personal service to our clients, many of whom travel with us on a regular basis. How to book this trip To check availability for specific dates and to receive a flight quote please contact us, also if you are looking at a group trip please check the trip status with us before you book. The easiest way to book your holiday is via our website: or to go directly to the online booking form please CLICK HERE. There is also a booking form on the website and in the brochure which you can complete and post to us. Alternatively you can telephone ( ) us and we can accept your booking over the telephone. Deposit We require a deposit of either 100 per person or 10% of the total cost of the holiday (whichever is greater), including extensions, single supplement and flights if we have quoted these separately to you. Certain non-refundable, instant purchase flights will require full payment we will advise you this at time of enquiry. Your deposit can be paid by cheque, debit or credit card. YOUR FINANCIAL PROTECTION We are an ATOL bonded tour operator authorised by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Every holiday we sell that includes a flight element is protected under our ATOL licence number In the unlikely event of our insolvency, the CAA will ensure that you are not stranded abroad and will arrange to refund any money you have paid to us for an advanced booking. We protect all UK customers who purchase tours that do not include flights from the UK through the AITO-arranged AITO Trust Ltd (AITOT). AITOT work closely with the CAA - they share much of their information. Their financial requirements are as rigorous as those of the CAA IATA is the Trade Association of the world s international airline industry. To become an Accredited IATA Agent we have to demonstrate financial soundness, and proficiency of staff We are a member of the Association of Independent Tour Operators. AITO represents Britain s leading independent tour operators and encourages high standards of quality and service. We abide by the Association s Code of Conduct and adhere to the AITO Quality Charter which can be viewed at RESPONSIBLE TOURISM Climate Care is the organisation through whom we offer people the opportunity to offset their carbon emissions. We were one of the first travel companies in the UK to provide this facility. In recognition of our Responsible Tourism values, we have been awarded 4-star status in AITO S Responsible Tourism Scheme LOYALTY SCHEME Up to 100 off. If you ve already experienced the magic of one of our holidays, you automatically qualify for a discount on holidays offered by the other specialist travel brands in our group. See our website or brochure for details.