8 Days Starts/Ends: Marrakech Trek through Morocco's remote Jebel Sahro region, with its spectacular landscape of rugged mountains, gorges and towering rock spires. Discover the quiet walking trails, meet nomadic Berbers and climb to the top of Mount Kouaouch for spectacular views across the Atlas mountains. HIGHLIGHTS AND INCLUSIONS Trip Highlights Following Jebel Sahro's quiet walking trails through landscapes reminiscent of America's magnificent Wild West Hiking through an incredible lunar landscape to the rock formation of Bab n`ali (Ali's Gate) Trekking to the summit of Kouacouch for stunning views of snow-capped Mount Mgoun and the Atlas Mountains Enjoying a genuine cultural experience in the captivating land of the Ait Atta Berbers Driving across the Western High Atlas Mountains via the spectacular Tizi n'tichka Pass Staying in Marrakech and exploring the UNESCO square of Djemaa-el-Fna What's Included 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches & 7 dinners 2 nights simple hotels, 1 night homestay and 4 nights camping Airport arrival and departure transfer on day 1 and 8 A full service 4 day trek including food and all equipment (excluding personal equipment) Escorted by a English speaking local tour leader All land transport involved in the itinerary Group size - Minimum: 6 Maximum: 12 What's Not Included Tipping - an entirely personal gesture International flights and visa DETAILED ITINERARY Day 1 : Marrakech Meet at the group hotel in Marrakech and complimentary airport transfers are provided. Depending on your arrival time and after checking-in you may wish to explore Marrakech. The city is easy to get around and most people head for the central square of the Djemaa-el-Fna beneath the imposing tower of the Koutoubia Mosque. Services begin with the evening meal taken at the group hotel for ease and the group leader will give a trip briefing about the week ahead. Overnight - Marrakech (D) Day 2 : Valley of One Thousand Kasbahs After an early breakfast we set off on our journey across the Western High Atlas. Initially we leave Marrakech and drive southeast across the Haouz Plain. We'll pass Berber villages en route before crossing the spectacular Tizi n'tichka (2260m) - the highest road pass in Morocco. After Ouarzazate we enter the Dades Valley, known as the Valley of One Thousand Kasbahs. Wonderful fortified villages line our route as we drive through the valley towards our first night at Tagdilt. Here we overnight in a simple village house which is the perfect cultural introduction and also means tomorrow we can start walking - 1 -
directly from our accommodation. Overnight - Tagdilt (B, L, D) Day 3 : Tizi Ouzarzam Pass Tagdilt - Tizi Ouzarzam Pass. After waking up we'll enjoy breakfast before meeting our trek crew. Mules will be loaded up and then we set off walking directly from our accommodation. We'll leave the tiny settlement of Tagdilt by way of a small oasis dotted with fields of barley and slopes of fig trees. Our trail snakes through an incredible valley before we start ascending onto the volcanic sides of the Sahro. This dramatic area is full of deep gorges and red rocky peaks and hopefully along the way we'll pass a number of Ait Atta nomadic camps. We should get to see local shepherds grazing their flock which gives us the perfect excuse for a brief introduction and rest before heading over the Tizi Ouzarzam Pass (2300m). After descending we reach our camp and prepare for the first exciting night under canvas. Ascent: 1050m / Descent 450m Distance 15km Overnight - Tizi Ouzarzam (B, L, D) Day 4 : Mount Kouaouch Tizi Ouzarzam Pass - Tassigdelt. Today we start by enjoying a camp breakfast before preparing for a highlight of the holiday, the ascent of Mount Kouaouch (2600m). As one of the most prominent peaks in the region, Kouaouch is an important part of the Sahro region. The area of the Sahro is one of the driest regions in the Atlas Mountain Range, with the word Sahro meaning drought in the Tamazight berber language. Annual rainfall ranges between 100m and 300m, therefore the end result is an incredible lunar landscape. On reaching the highest point of our journey, the summit of Mount Kouacouch we are rewarded with incredible views, especially of one of the most beautiful mountains in Africa, the snow-capped peak of Mgoun. With its dramatic ridge and majestic summit, Mount Mgoun is beautiful and dominates the horizon. However to our south we'll be able to the see the magnificent Sahara Desert stretching out into the distance. After the all-important summit photos of the surrounding deep valleys and prominent rock formations, we'll descend to ourcampsite near the rocks of Tassigdelt, known as the Camel's Hump! Ascent: 550m / Descent 1150m Distance 15km Overnight - Tassigdelt (B, L, D) Day 5 : Tadaout 'n Tablah Tassigdelt - Ali's Gate. After our summit attempt yesterday, we can enjoy a day of total contrasts as we head up onto the high plateaus of the Tadaout 'n Tablah. This incredible region is famed for its amazing rock formations and high grazing areas of the semi-nomadic Ait Atta Berbers. This Berber tribe have been in Morocco longer than the Arabs and the arrival of Islam in the 7th Century. During the 15th and 19th Century they were the leading Berber tribe, originating from the mountains of South Morocco. In the 16th Century they became a strong political force in the Jebel Sahro and up to now are still traditionally nomadic. This incredible landscape is part of their lifestyle and as we walk we are sure to meet them whilst surrounded by remarkable formations, including the Organ Pipe, Elephants Head and Camels Head. However one of the most impressive formations in the Jebel Sahro is Bab n'ali known as Ali's Gate. We'll have the opportunity to stand at the base of these 60m monoliths in an area that is reminiscent of Monument Valley in the American south west! Tonight we camp close to Ali's Gate. Ascent: 300m / Descent 650m Distance 17km Overnight - Ali's Gate (B, L, D) Day 6 : Tizi n'tichka Pass Ali's Gate - Hanedour Valley. Today we head deeper into this region of quirky rock formations and monoliths so it's easy to forget you are actually in North Africa and think you are in the southwest of America! Dirt roads are still used as trade routes with the neighbouring Sahara Desert and as we head to the foothills on the opposite side of the Jebel Sahro, we'll walk through a number of small villages, hamlets and farms in the Hanedour Valley. The small local farms in this area have carefully irrigated plots of land, which grow wheat, clover, carrots, tomatoes, chillies and orchards of almond trees. After a wonderful final day of walking we'll set up camp and prepare for our last night under canvas before heading back to Marrakech tomorrow. Ascent: 250m/ Descent 450m Distance 18km Overnight - Hanedour Valley (B, L, D) - 2 -
Day 7 : Tizi n'tichka Hanedour Valley - Marrakech. After an early breakfast we start our transfer back to Marrakech as we head towards snow-capped Atlas peaks. We'll cross the Draa River and drive through an area of striking rock formations before arriving in Ouarzazate. Popular with movie-makers, Lawrence of Arabia, Prince of Persia and Gladiator have all been filmed here. We'll drive over the Tizi n'tichka Pass before arriving in Marrakech late afternoon. After checking in at the group hotel there will be some time to explore at leisure in this legendary city. Maybe check out the remarkable central square of the Djemaa-el-Fna where at around 4 pm it becomes the focus of activities for local people and tourists. We'll then regroup for our final dinner in a local restaurant to round off a fantastic week. Overnight - Marrakech (B, L) Day 8 : Marrakech Today offers free time for you to independently explore Marrakech, before included departure transfer to the airport. (B) Our partners Please note that this tour is operated by KE Adventure Travel. Travellers on your trip will have made their reservation with KE Adventure Travel or On The Go Tours. Is this holiday for you? As a fully-supported camping trek you will be joined by a full trek crew and only need to carry your daypack each day. The maximum altitude on this trek is not high and we will not be camping much above 2050m, meaning no-one should have any difficulty with acclimatisation. The holiday does involve a fair amount of ascent and descent and approximately 6 hrs of walking each day. The weather should be ideal for trekking and for most of the holiday we follow good footpaths between the valleys and villages. This holiday is suitable for regular walkers who are looking for a holiday away from the Mount Toubkal crowds in an unknown area of Morocco where a cultural experience is as important as the walking. Travel Insurance It is a condition of joining any of our holidays that you are insured against medical and personal accident risks including repatriation costs. We advise you to arrange insurance at the earliest opportunity including cancellation cover to protect your deposit and any other payments should you subsequently need to cancel your holiday. You will need to advise us of your policy details and complete an Insurance Declaration which we will send to you. CAMPBELL IRVINE DIRECT travel insurance is available to EU residents and will cover all of our Active Tours. It has been designed to provide cover for activities normally excluded by other insurers such as trekking, mountain biking and climbing holidays. TRAVELEX is a USA based insurer offering travel insurance which can be used by US citizens and US residents only. We recommend the "Travelex Select " package for our holidays. For residents of any other countries, please carefully select a comprehensive insurance policy which covers you for all of the activities on your tour. As with all travel insurance policies, it s advisable to pay close attention to the limits of cover for all sections, particularly medical cover, before purchasing the policy. Also please ensure that your policy covers you for hiking up to the maximum altitude you will reach on the holiday. Food On trek, the food is a mixture of local and Western, all purchased locally and cooked for us by our trek cooks. Breakfasts are continental style, with tea and coffee, orange juice, cereals including muesli, bread, jam, honey and cheese. Lunch usually starts with the Berber speciality of mint tea, followed by a buffet of rice, pasta or cous cous, with a freshly prepared salad - onion, tomatoes, green peppers, grated carrot, green beans, with tinned sweetcorn or peas added. Hard and soft cheeses, tinned fish, olives, biscuits and bread are also on the lunchtime menu. Dinner starts off with soup and bread. The main course is usually rice, pasta, cous-cous, spaghetti or chips, with a vegetable stew (tagine). There will be some meat (usually chicken, lamb or beef). However, meat is not prominent in the menu. All dishes come with traditional sauces which are rarely (spicy) hot. Desserts usually consist of fruit, including tinned fruit. To round off dinner, there is the usual range of hot drinks. All meals are included in the holiday price from dinner on day 1 to breakfast on day 8. Dietary Requirements Please note that whilst we routinely cater for vegetarians, we cannot guarantee to provide for special diets. If you do have specific dietary requirements or allergies, please be sure to tell us in advance, and discuss this with your tour leader on arrival and liaise with them during the trip. Please note that we cannot provide separate menus for different diets and we cannot accept any liability for any problems arising from specific dietary needs. Accommodation During this trip the group will spend 2 nights at a tourist class hotel in Marrakech. While there are several more expensive hotels in Marrakech, we try to strike the right balance of a comfortable and conveniently located hotel while maintaining a really good value holiday. In Tagdilt we will be staying at a village house/gite - 3 -
with basic facilities and mattresses on the floor. Whilst on trek there will be a total of 4 nights camping. All accommodation is based on twin sharing. If you are travelling by yourself you will be paired up with another single client of the same sex. It is possible to pay a single supplement for a single tent while on trek and a single room for the 2 hotel nights in Marrakech. Please note that single rooms are not available for the night at the homestay in Tagdilt. If you would like to book pre/post tour accommodation in Marrakech we can arrange this upon request. A typical day A typical day starts with an early morning wakeup call. After a continental style breakfast (tea, coffee, orange juice, cereals, bread, jam, cheese and honey), during which camp will be struck and the muleteers given their loads, we start walking in the pleasant cool of the morning. Lunch is taken after 3-4 hours walking and usually takes about an hour or so. The afternoon session is usually shorter than the morning's walk and we aim to reach our overnight camp well before dusk. On some days we will only be walking for 3 to 5 hours in total, whilst on the longest days we can expect to be walking for 6 to 7 hours. In camp the crew will quickly have a kettle of tea on the boil and dinner is a 3-course meal served in the mess tent. This is a great time of day for reliving the events of the trek so far and for general socialising. After dark, the temperature quickly falls and everyone will soon be tucked up in their sleeping bags. Group Leader & Support Staff An English-speaking professional local leader will accompany the group throughout the holiday. In addition the group will be supported on trek by a team of cooks and camp staff, baggage animals and their handlers. Spending Money Approximately GBP 130, should be allowed for miscellaneous expenses including approximately GBP 30 tips for your trek crew, payable in local currency. This should also be sufficient to cover soft drinks and snacks. Marrakech is a great place for souvenir buying and all major credit cards are accepted. If you are intending to buy expensive items, you should budget accordingly. It is not necessary to purchase Moroccan currency (Dirham) outside the country. You can withdraw money in local currency from ATM s in the arrivals hall of the airport or in Marrakech itself, or your travel money can be carried in the form of cash. Sterling, Euros and US dollars are easily exchanged. Credit cards can be used to purchase goods and it is a good idea to carry one in case of emergency. Guidance of Tipping Tips are the accepted way of saying thank you to your local guides and porters. They do not form part of their wages and any tips they receive are seen as a personal thank you from group members. For our part, we advise local teams that tips are not a duty or a prerequisite but are a bonus and entirely dependent on the service that was given. For your trek crew we recommend that you give a tip if you feel that their services have met your satisfaction. We will provide guidelines on how much to tip the local staff along with your joining instructions but it should be remembered that this is your thankyou to the crew and the final amount should be decided by the group. We estimate that approximately GBP 30, in local currency, per group member should provide an appropriate level of tips. However, for the KE leader, we leave the tipping amount totally at your own discretion. Baggage Allowance Your baggage on trek will be carried by pack animals. The packed weight of your main bag whilst trekking should be no more than 15 kgs. (33 pounds). It is possible to leave clothes or other items not required on trek at the group hotel. Altitude This holiday involves going to moderately high altitude. During the course of your trip you will reach altitudes in excess of 2500 metres. Most people will have no difficulty with this level of altitude but before coming on the holiday, we recommend you read the advice on trekking at altitude on our website which can be viewed via the link below. Packing List The following checklist should help you with your packing. As a general rule, you should always try to keep the weight of your equipment to a minimum. You must bring the following items: Hiking boots Lightweight thermal or fleece gloves Socks Waterproof jacket Fleece jacket or jumper Base-layer shirts (short sleeve & long sleeve) Shirts or T-shirts (wicking) Trekking trousers Lightweight waterproof over-trousers Underwear Sunhat Warm hat Sunglasses Sun protection (including total bloc for lips, nose etc) Water bottles 1 Litre (x2) Sleeping bag (comfort rated -5 C and -10 C for winter & spring departures) Antibacterial hand wash Wash bag and toiletries Small towel Toilet roll Water purification tablets Daypack 25 litres Selection of dry bags (to keep trek bag contents dry) Head torch and spare batteries Small padlock (to lock your KE kit bag) Basic First Aid Kit including: Antiseptic cream, throat lozenges, Imodium, painkillers, plasters and blister treatment, Insect repellent, and re-hydration salts (Dioralite) The following items are optional: Trekking poles Sleeping bag liner Thermarest (note that foam mattresses are provided) Duvet (down) jacket (especially March and December) Gaiters (useful when walking through thorny sections) Trainers or sandals for - 4 -
Spare laces Shorts Camera Pen-knife (note: always pack sharp objects in hold baggage) Repair kit (eg. needle, thread, duct tape) Travel clothes Wet wipes biodegradable (note that water for washing can sometimes be scarce) Group Size and Holiday Status For each holiday there is a minimum number of participants required to enable it to go ahead. It is essential that you do not book flights until the trip is guaranteed to run. Once the minimum number is reached, the departure will have a G next to it, showing that it is guaranteed to run. You can check the trip status for each departure in Prices and Dates. Other than in exceptional circumstances, we will not cancel a trip once it has achieved this guaranteed to run status and so you are free to proceed with your international flight booking and other travel arrangements. Visas Please be advised that visa requirements are subject to change and that visa procurement is the responsibility of the traveller and not On The Go Tours. Please also ensure that your passport is valid for at least 6 months from your planned date of departure from Morocco. UK, EU, Australian, New Zealand, Canadian and USA nationals do not require a visit at present to enter Morocco. Please check if you are from another country. RSA (South African) passport holders need to obtain visas in advance of arrival. Please check your personal visa requirements with the embassy. Health & Vaccinations You should contact your doctor or travel clinic to check whether you require any specific vaccinations or other preventive measures. You should be up to date with routine courses and boosters as recommended in the UK e.g. diphtheria-tetanus-polio and measles-mumps-rubella, along with hepatitis A and typhoid. A good online resource is: www.travelhealthpro.org.uk/ Currency The currency of Morocco is the Moroccan Dirham. Pound Sterling, US Dollars and Euro be exchanged in Morocco at various bureau de changes in major cities and towns (please note Australian and New Zealand Dollars as well as South African Rand are often tricky to exchange and often not accepted so we advise against bringing them for exchange), and most banks have ATMs. Credit cards are virtually useless outside main cities and towns. It's advisable to request bank notes in smaller denominations, as it can sometimes be hard to get change from large notes and smaller notes are handy for smaller purchases and gratuities.traveller's Cheques are not recommended as they're often difficult to exchange and incur high fees. Time & Voltage Morocco is on Greenwich Meantime (GMT). Daylight Saving is currently being observed. However it changes frequently and is not observed during the holy month of Ramadan. Standard voltage is 220 volts. Primary sockets require the European, 2 pronged variety. We recommend that you pack a universal travel adaptor. You will need a voltage converter, and plug adaptor in order to use U.S. appliances. Preparing for your trip It makes a lot of sense to spend some time before coming on a trekking holiday, getting some additional exercise. The fitter you are, after all, the more enjoyable you will find the experience. For this trip you need to be aerobically fit and also capable for walking for 5-7 hours each day for 4 days. We would suggest that you adopt a weekly exercise regime building up to departure. Regular walking in hill or back country is the best preparation but if this is not possible, regular exercise with your preferred sport or pastime such as jogging or swimming, will develop better fitness and stamina. Whatever your exercise regime, before departure, we suggest that you try to fit in a number of long walks in hilly country. Know before you go As a reputable tour operator, we support the British Foreign & Commonwealth Offices Know before you go campaign to enable British citizens to prepare for their journeys overseas, and we recommend that all travellers take a look at the FCO Travel Advice for their chosen destination on the official FCO website: www.fco.gov.uk. North Americans can also check out the U.S. Department of State website: www.travel.state.gov for essential travel advice and tips. We treat the safety and security of all clients as the most important aspect of any trip we organise. We would not run any trip that we did not consider reasonably safe. Should the FCO advise against travel for any reason, we will contact everyone booked to travel to discuss the situation. We receive regular updates direct from the FCO and are in constant touch with our contacts on the ground. If you have any questions about government travel advice, please call our office. Climate The region of the Jebel Sahro is extremely hot in the summer months. However, from late October through to mid April we can expect to find very pleasant temperatures for trekking. Daytime temperatures will be around 20 to 25 C, dropping close to freezing point at night at our highest camps. This part of the world receives very little rainfall and we can anticipate fine weather. However, weather in mountainous areas is notoriously difficult to predict, and rain or even short-lived storms can occur. Recommended Reading We recommend the following books when planning a trip to Morocco. Lonely Planet Guide Morocco. Rough Guide to Morocco Classic Treks Bill Birkett. (David & Charles pubs.) - 5 -