(PRWEB) June 18, 2011

A deep, steaming bath soothed my aching entire body following a demanding nine-hour trek up and down magnificent zig-zag mountain paths, 1000′s of feet up in the Substantial Atlas array in Morocco.

Right after eleven gruelling vista-filled miles, the last flight of stairs to that welcome soak in a classic Berber village guest property felt as challenging as any gradient I had tackled all day.

The ‘mature’ traveller of these days likes a challenge I remind myself, as I catch my breath.

In the last 5 years, demand for adventure travel has taken off, says Saga. To uncover out why, right here I am (a reasonably match 67-year old) tackling the enormous slopes of the Atlas mountains, exactly where the tribal people of North Africa still sustain a culture that has not altered in centuries.

Following a night acclimatising in Marrakech, our walking boots have been eased with a gentle, exploratory stroll around the steep-streeted village of Imlil, that sits in the shadow of snow-covered Mount Toubkal, the highest peak in Morocco.

I stayed in the traditional Dar Imlil guesthouse, on the outskirts of the village, with the Imlil river – which killed hundreds in horrific flash floods in 1995 – tumbling down the mountainside more than huge rocks just yards away.

Soon after an tremendous breakfast, which includes freshly baked round bread, pancakes, honey, fruit and hand-squeezed orange juice, our Berber guide, 24-year-old Driss Maaza – who appears to know absolutely everyone we meet – leads us along narrow paths from Imlil up to the mountainside village of Armed.

Armed was normal of the villages we saw, some with only 20 households, arranged like children’s brown creating blocks along the decrease slopes of the river valleys, each and every with a pink-towered mosque.

At this level, the slopes are covered with stone-walled terraces constructed to grow fruit trees, vegetables, flowers and food for their goats, sheep, mules and donkeys.

In a narrow lane between Armed’s orchards, overlooked by towering peaks, I spoke to a lady bent below a huge bale of grass she was carrying for her animals, and remarked that it was a gorgeous spot she lived in.

Pausing to rest against one of the hand-built stone walls, she replied in French that it was, but they had to perform really challenging to create that beauty.

Certainly, how difficult these mountain dwellers perform to eke out a living from this kind of an unforgiving landscape – from tiny stone ’boutiques’ selling cloths and jewellery far out on the rocky trails, to a handful of long terraces built appropriate by the stony river bed in which purple irises are grown for sale in distant Marrakech.

Even kids function for the household. I saw a single eight-year-old boy cheerfully making use of a stick to dig a deep hole in the river bed, to excavate gravel from among the rocks to sell for constructing function.

On a substantial trail I located a brother and sister, about eight and ten respectively, looking soon after 4 sheep grazing on the steep rocky slope beneath. They asked in French for “mange” – and were delighted with a battered chocolate bar from my rucksack.

On the twisting stone trails past Armed we met pack mules carrying items – and sometimes individuals – in between the villages.

These positive-footed animals are the ‘white vans’ of the mountain trails. A great one fees close to 800 euros, stated Driss, and offers many years of service.

Towards the finish of our circular 5-mile trek we zig-zagged down the mountainside opposite Armed, and clambered above rocks to appreciate fresh orange juice ready by hand in a tiny wooden shelter just feet from a magnificent waterfall.

That trek – plus one more three.four miles right after lunch – meant my muscles were prepared for the next day’s significantly harder route of almost continuous ascending and descending.

Saga clients on a Morocco Mountains vacation get 4 days on these trails, to choose with a guidebook if they can tackle tougher routes. I felt I was up to the challenge.

It was instantly all uphill from the Dar Imlil guest house the following morning, along steep winding tracks via pine woods, planted to stem soil erosion, to the two,300m Tizi N Tamatert mountain pass.

Stopping for a cold drink at a tiny stone hut, I could appreciate a sweeping view to the snow-covered peaks around Mount Toubkal, with my location, the village of Tinoughrine, seeking tiny in the valley of the river Imnane 600 vertical metres below.

By the time we had descended the extended snaking path, a chef and his mule had currently produced the trip more than the pass and down into village to cook our lunch.

Thunder rolled and rain threatened, so we went inside for a conventional lamb meatball tagine – a stew slow-cooked in a shallow earthenware dish with a curved conical lid – round bread, salad, fruit and the ubiquitous mint tea.

Following lunch there was, at last, some flat walking ahead of us, large above the valley floor towards the village of Ikiss, exactly where we scrambled down a watercourse to cross the shallow but quickly flowing river.

Our guidebook Driss carried one of our small celebration across on his back, but I joined the other folks in wading barefoot by means of the chilly waters – a welcome respite for hot and tired feet.

River levels are checked before Saga clients set out on their trek – so if the degree has risen in the interim and made a crossing difficult, walkers would take an choice route.

The extended climb back to the return mountain pass at two,100m was tough on the legs, but with each and every twist and turn in the route, an additional sweeping mountain viewpoint emerged to take the breath away.

By the time I descended to the village of Aguersioual to slog the last miles along the valley floor back to Imlil, I had a fantastic sense of achievement – and the memories of some actually wonderful terrain.

I usually felt in secure hands. There are two mountain guides with every trek, so if any person falls ill, one particular manual remains with that man or woman and arranges support either by mobile telephone or from a single of the villages along the trail.

Following all this exertion, you will relish two final nights in the Kenzi Farah Hotel in Marrakech, nicely-positioned to appreciate the sights and sounds of an exotic city – and excellent for some rest and relaxation.

Saga travellers are at least 50, their travelling companions at least 40 – and if any are brave sufficient to trek up to 3,800 metres in the Himalayas, in the shadow of Mount Everest, there is a package for that also.

I am not confident i am ready for that just but.

Essential facts – Walking in Morocco

:: Greatest for: Fairly match adventurous kinds who want to knowledge the beauty of the mountains.

:: Time to go: Avoid the higher temperatures of June/July and the difficult winter months.

:: Do not miss: Colourful, labyrinthine Marrakech souks exactly where you barter for leather, footwear, jewellery and metalwork.

:: Require to know: Locals dislike staying photographed, but respond to a friendly “bonjour”.

:: Do not forget: Footwear with ankle support. Mountain trails can be narrow and uneven, with loose stones.

Travel facts

Chris Court was a guest of Saga Travel which delivers an eight days’ Trekking in the Large Atlas Mountains of Morocco trip in early December from