Emily : Our longest day in the minivan took us over the high Atlas Mountains with some great scenery, although the twisting road made quite a few of us carsick – and I could not find any ginger flavoured food or drink anywhere despite having HUGE gingers here! We arrived into a beautiful valley called Toubkal and followed the river to a small village at the base of North Africa’s largest mountain, Jebel Toubkal. With a big truck blocking the road, we were rescued by a couple of boys and their mules up the street a bit further. The Village was a mixture of raw rural life with the typical tourist shops filled with brightly coloured carpets, scarfs, jewellery, and of course half a cow hanging on the street corner at the local butchers surrounded by sheep and goat heads! It’s quite a popular place for tourists due to the great walking tracks and Moroccans to escape the heat of the summer. We walked for 1 hour up the mountain to an even smaller village called Armed which is accessed mainly by mules to transport people and supplies around the valley and mountains.
It was chilly that night, reaching maybe 12 degrees ( sorry NZer’s) staying at a cute guest/ family house with quite a comical host. The following day Scott and two others trekked up into the mountains, they were blocked by a herd of mountain goats and saw a shrine where woman go to find a husband or get pregnant…! I meandered around the village with the rest of the group, through blossoming apple trees and enjoyed a mint tea on the terrace of a different guest house with great views.
Scott : It was incredible hive of industry half way up the slope; where you could get a coke or a full lunch In a cafe dangling over a massive river. A shame however is the rubbish that accompanies this. I always have to laugh a little when you come across a group of climbers/Trekkers who are dolled up in the latest North face gear or skins. It seems inversely proportional to the ability to get up the mountain. Go the mr vintage shirt and boardies :). The summit was tantalisingly close, only 4 hour run up to the top or a two day hike. Definitely keen to come back this way to do some climbing proper.

A bus trip towards the beach awaits