Page 10 - The Light Blue Volunteer 2019

Ex DRAGON ATLAS BLUE
Upon arriving in Morocco, we met our guide, Baba, and set out by bus for the small mountain village of Imlil in the High Atlas. Here we experienced our first taste of traditional Berber cuisine, met the team supporting us, and met members of the Moroccan Army and Gendarmerie who would be accompanying us throughout the trek.
We trekked along small tracks and through tiny villages, over passes and along valleys for 8 days before reaching the Toubkal Refuge. The following day we summitted Mt. Toubkal (4,167m), the highest mountain in North Africa, and fulfilled the aim of our expedition. A
great sense of achievement was felt by all and we basked in the breath-taking views before heading back to Imlil for the night. It took a while to acclimatise to the heat and altitude, but the unfamiliar beauty of the rocky terrain distracted us. Furthermore, the warmth of the Berber culture helped us bond as a group and work together.
After experiencing the striking beauty of the Atlas Mountains, we spent our remaining time in the hustle and bustle of Marrakesh visiting the famous souks, which was a stark contrast to the raw beauty of the mountains, providing
us with a different dimension to life in
Morocco before returning back to the UK.
One of the most interesting aspects
of the expedition stemmed from the traditional Moroccan cuisine, which we were served by the supporting Moroccan team. This allowed us a greater insight into their culture. On our final night in the mountains the cooks prepared a special meal, comprising of a whole lamb slow cooked in a hole in the ground, and the village turned up at our gîte to perform
a night of traditional Berber music and dance for us.
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