Africa Journey Archives
Calidex group members rendezvous in Marrakech, Morocco. After some touring time in this fabled city with its labyrinth of souks, travel overland deep into the Haut Atlas. Begin a 7-day, 54-mile backpacking trek in the area of the Taghia and Todra Gorges. Mules will ease the burden so that only light daypacks need to be carried on the trail. Our support team includes wranglers, a cook, and Jean-Claude, our French-speaking guide and premier mountaineer who has penetrated the Haut Atlas on exploratory treks more than 20 times. Participants should expect some challenging days in steep terrain, so good physical fitness will contibute much to one's enjoyment.The trek profile includes the longest hiking day of 12 miles (the 1st day), elevations ranging from 6,200 ft. to 10,000 ft., a single-day maximum total elevation change of 6.000 ft. (also the 1st day), and day-time temperatures in the 80s °F. Cultural encounters with traditional Berbers in remote seldom-visited villages and spectacular geology are major features of this back-country adventure. Accommodations are in comfortable tent camps and small basic guesthouses (gites) on the trek, and 4-star hotels in Marrakesh. After the trek group members may segue on to visit more of Morocco's medieval-era souks in towns like living museums extracted from the Arabian Nights. Overland transport is by private vehicle to the edge of the Moroccan Sahara at Erfoud where mud-brick kasbahs and ksars dominate the landscape.
THE CARTOGRAPHY
MEDIEVAL SOUKS & ANCIENT PATTERNS OF LIFE
REMOTE BERBER VILLAGES & HIGH ATLAS VISTAS

 

 
for 2008...
MOROCCO'S MEDIEVAL SOUKS & the HIGH ATLAS TREK...in two legs
RENDEZVOUS
DATE
JOURNEY
RENDEZVOUS
CITY
NO. OF
DAYS
GROUP
SIZE
TRIP
COST
June 13
 Marrakech & the High Atlas Trek
Marrakech, Morocco
8
6-8
$3,293
+ air
June 21
 Casablanca to Fes & the Moroccan Sahara
Casablanca, Morocco
6
6-8
$2,548
+ air
THE DAY-BY-DAY BRIEF
THE HIGHLIGHTS

                     LEG #1

Day 1 (Rendezvous Day): Group members rendezvous at a local riad in Marrakech; night at riad.

Day 2: Group members depart Marrakech by private transport in the morning for Azilal, a 2-hour drive. Enroute stop at the Cascades d'Ouzoud. Continue to Tabant (Ait Bouguemez) village and visit the casbah of Ait Imi village in the evening. N ight in a Tabant gite (small basic guest-house).

Day 3: Begin the trek supported by mules, wrangler, cook and local guide. Hike up to Ait Imi, over Tizi (Pass)-Ait-Imi and parallel the Jebel Waogoulzat through the Assif (River) Mgoun Valley. Night in a gite in El Mrabitine village.

Day 4: Continue NE down the Assif Mgoun, then SE through Mgoun Gorge to the junction with the Assif Imejgag. Walk in the Assif Imejgag Gorge to camp near Ighrem-n-Ait Isso village.

Day 5: Hike north to the Adrar-n-Ouchane Plateau and pitch camp at its base for the night.

Day 6: Ascend the ridge to the top of the Plateau, cross Tizi-n-Taghboula and continue north to Aqqa-n-Tazaght. Hike east and camp for the night near a nomad's well.

Day 7: Descend an exposed corkscrew trail (the mules take a different route) to Taghia village. Explore the Berber village of Taghia and its souk and the surrounding Taghia Gorges with local guides. Night at the Taghia gite.

Day 8: Hike 2 hours north to the Zawyat Ahancal area and the roadhead at the village of Agoudim. Connect with driver and vehicle and return overland to Marrakech via Beni-Mellal and Cathedral Rock where Leg #1ends.

LEG #2

Days 1-6: By private minivan from Casablanca to Moulay Idris to Fes to Meknes to Erfoud and the Western Sahara, returning to Casablanca where Leg #2 ends.

  • The mysteries and wonders of Marrakech, Fes, Meknes, Moulay Idris and other timeless Moroccan cities...labyrinthine souks with all things imaginable on display: abundant produce, strange cuts of meat, sacks of colorful spices, crafts of every description, hand-made textiles from the looms of distant villagers, and steaming kettles of local foodstuffs;

  • The jugglers, snake charmers and magicians of Marrakech's Place el Jmaa;

  • The dyer's souk in Fes and the biblical heart of Meknes;

  • Ancient mud & stone Berber villages with centuries-old ksars and kasbahs;

  • The beautiful, remote and seldom-visited valleys of the High Atlas Mountains surrounding Taghia Gorge;

  • The rich and colorful folk culture of the local Berbers;

  • Exhilarating trekking at a moderate pace fully supported by pack animals and experienced trail staff;

  • Starry camping nights in the High Atlas;

  • The red, crenellated city of Erfoud at the edge of the Western Sahara;

  • The Arabian Nights character of the Moroccan kasbahs and ksars
THE GALLERY: MARRAKECH DELIGHTS

In Marrakech—
souks, spices and salesmen
In Marrakech—something new for the senses
On the Place el Jmaa, Marrakech

 

 
THE GALLERY: TREKKING THE HIGH ATLAS MOUNTAINS
Village of Ait Ami; Jebel Waogoulzat in background
Mgoun Valley
Gite El Mrabitine
Descending the Mgoun River
The Kasbah in Ighrem-n-Ait Isso Village

"Berber" is the generic name given to many caucasoid ethnic groups indigenous to Northwest Africa that speak more than 300 Berber dialects in the Afro-Asiatic linguistic group and share similar cultural and economic practices. Ethnic Berbers are mostly concentrated in Morocco and Algeria where they comprise more than 80% of the population. Smaller communities range as far east as Egypt and as far south as Burkina Faso—Touaregs are Saharan Berbers.

Berbers are Muslims but not Arabs—perhaps more of an identity issue rather than a racial one. As Arabs and Arabic increasingly dominated North African cities, Berbers retreated into the mountains to preserve their culture. Today they are pastoralists and many are more comfortable speaking French as a second language than they are Arabic. Only Marrakech of all the major North African cities has a genuine Berber identity.
Taghia Village
Berber with his plow
Berber women...
...and a Berber family in the High Atlas

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