| Cost From: | $3795 |
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| Length: | 15 days |
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| Activity: | Hiking / Trekking, Cultural Adventures |
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| Difficulty: |
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A well balanced trip with a blend of culture and mountain trekking and exactly what I was looking for. Mark Gordon’s knowledge and passion for the High Atlas mountains and Berber culture was exceptional.T. Weissman—New York
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Enjoy challenging hiking in an aery realm of grand glacial cirques, crystalline lakes, snow-capped summits, mighty waterfalls, and magnificent beech forests. Along the way we fuel our hikes with hearty mountain fare from cassoulet to Roquefort cheeses.
A trek through the spectacular High Atlas Mountains is not just one of the most scenic hikes in the world—it’s also an immersion into the culture of the Berber people, Morocco’s original inhabitants. Few roads penetrate this craggy mountain stronghold, where the agrarian way of life has little changed in a hundred years. As we trek, we see Berber women in brightly colored dresses tending fields amid picturesque mud-brick villages, and higher up, we meet nomadic shepherds in summer pastures. We often visit homes to share a cup of mint tea with these friendly, open, mountain people. The trek is strenuous, but scenic grandeur abounds, from towering limestone peaks to sheer red-rock canyons. Our journey also explores Fez, a fairytale city whose medina still looks much as it did a thousand years ago, and we relax post-trek in the garden city of Marrakesh, where fabled bazaars beckon with their henna and kohl sellers, trance healers, and tarot card readers.
$3795 (10-15 members)
$4195 (5-9 members)
Single supplement: $490
Prices are for 2010 date
Jul 3-17, 2010 Mark Gordon
Reading list, click here.
We enjoy Casablanca and Rabat, then head for the glories of ancient Fez, nestled in a high valley and resplendent with minarets and domes. Fez' medina dazzles the eye and the senses: it's a completely preserved and thriving medieval Arab city.
We drive across the Middle Atlas into the High Atlas, overnighting in a Berber home on Day 6. The next day we start our 6-day trek, walking through picturesque Berber villages into high pastures, crossing a 10,240-foot pass with views of snowy Mt. M'Goun, North Africa's second highest peak (with an optional summit hike), and encountering herders tending their camels and sheep in beautiful canyons. This dramatic red-rock country is stunning, and one day's hike takes us through a gorge whose 4,000-foot-high walls are only 10 feet apart in places! On occasion, the young people of Tiranamine village come to our last night's camp to share their music and dance.
The 13,000-foot peaks of the High Atlas make a magnificent backdrop for fabled Marrakesh, an immensely beautiful and charismatic city. This vibrant city has been a metropolis for the tribes of the High Atlas since the 11th century. We discover Marrakesh on foot and by horse-drawn carriage, and depart on Day 15 (or join our Mt. Toubkal Extension)
This is the Itinerary-at-a-Glance. For the complete trip description, Download Full Trip Brochure
A beautiful 3-day trek brings us to the summit of Mt. Toubkal (13,667'), North Africa's highest peak.
Please call us or Download Full Trip Brochure for more information
Day 1 (1 night), Casablanca, Morocco
A comfortable place to unwind after the long flight from the US, the Sheraton is an international-style hotel with well-kept rooms, a friendly ...
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Day 2 (1 night), Rabat, Morocco
Located in Rabat’s embassy district, this hotel is within walking distance of the atmospheric kasbah, medina, and Royal Palace. Here the ...
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Days 3 to 4 (2 nights), Fez, Morocco
The delight of this hotel is its view over the city of Fez, which you can enjoy from the terrace bar, listening to the call to prayer echo ...
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Day 5 (1 night), Benni Mallal, Morocco
A comfortable, modern hotel with a countryside setting in the foothills of the High Atlas Mountains, the Chem is surrounded by olive groves and ...
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Days 6 to 12 (7 nights), High Atlas, Morocco
We make hiking and camping in the High Atlas Mountains as comfortable as possible. On the trail, you are accompanied by our experienced Berber guides and all your gear is carried for you (leaving you free to hike with just a daypack to hold your camera, water bottle, jacket, etc.). Our camp amenities include a dining tent with a dining table, chairs with backs and arm rests, camp meals prepared by our highly trained staff, and a toilet tent. Our camp crew takes care of all camp chores and provides picnic lunches each day at a scenic spot. Accommodations are in sturdy mountain-style tents with sleeping pads. On one night before we start the trek, we stay in shared rooms at a small Berber guesthouse that accommodates hikers.
Days 13 to 14 (2 nights), Marrakesh, Morocco
With a convenient location in the new section of the city, the Es Saadi is a 15-minute walk from the bustling medina. A five-story hotel built in ...
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Note: Listed above are our signature accommodations for this trip. Although it is highly unlikely, we may make substitutions when necessary.
