Reviews

Most Inspirational Moment

So many.  Negotiating the souks - still not sure how I managed to find my way out!  The amazing mosaics on the walls and floors of the kasbahs and palaces.  Haggling over the price of a taxi journey to save maybe 50p!  Walking in the mountains.  The delicious al fresco lunches prepared and delivered by one man on his donkey on two of the walking days.  Spotting birds I'd never seen before (it helped that there was a great great birder on the trip - thankyou Joe!).  Eating Christmas cake on the terrace as the sun went down (brought by one of the group to share).

Thoughts on Group Leader

Hassan wonderful.  He was very welcoming and friendly from the moment he met us all at the airport.  As well as guiding us on the walks he worked hard in the gite, serving us meals, arranging a heater and in lots of subtle ways was genuinely kind and helpful throughout the trip.  He made sure that everyone was catered for.However, the guide in Marrakesh (Mohammed) was not so impressive.  There was no "orientation" included as part of the guided tour. Very disappointing.  We were taken to two retail emporiums - one a pharmacy were we were given a hard sell demonstration of various lotions and potions - the other a carpet place where they trapped a number of the group and tried to sell their wares.  I can only assume that these were the places that offered the best commission to the guide.  

Advice for Potential Travellers

There isn't that much walking - only 2.5 days of walking in the mountains plus an hour up to the gite and back again on the first and last days.  A lot of spare time in Marrakesh, but that may have been down to the flight times.  Some of the group managed to fit in a massage and hammam on return to Marrakesh.  Haggle everywhere.  Cold in the gite at night.  We saw very little of the community; a few people working in the fields and children playing on their way back from school.  Go for tea at the Berber house.  It gives you the opportunity to see into a typical yard and understand a little of what goes on behind the locked doors and gates.  Bonus - we sampled some delicious cakes and fresh local nuts.Take earplugs. Go soon.

Most Inspirational Moment

Staying in the village in the mountains gave us a view of life that wouldn't have been possible otherwise. The remoteness of the village and the lack of motor transport.Arriving at the dinner site on the treks, meeting up with the cook and donkey and having a lunch cooked for you in the middle of nowhere.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our group leader was always very conscious of our safety and the ability of the group members, which meant we had to turn back on one of the day walks because of deteriorating weather conditions.

Advice for Potential Travellers

On the guided tour of Marrakech we were taken to a pharmacy where we were really expected to buy some products and at the end of the tour we were taken inside a restaurant to a table which had already been laid for us. We were obviously expected to have lunch there but it certainly wasn't the best quality or the best value for money. I think you would be better to make your own arrangements.

Most Inspirational Moment

The 10 hour 32 kms walk on our last full day in the High Atlas. It was difficult but very rewarding, we were extremely lucky with the weather for the full trip and the ruggedness of the mountains is just something else. The colours were beautiful. The cook from our gite came all the way with his mule to the semi-frozen lake where we had our break and cooked lunch for us there that was nutritious and tasty as always. I also enjoyed the 4-hour walk on our second day, it was reasonably hard and the views on the top were breathtaking.What wasn't so inspiring though was the fact that the first walk (the 7-hour one) felt like hiking on someone's farm. The valleys are reasonably built up by having several villages neighbouring each other, the hills are used for farming sheep or chopping wood. Our first walk was interrupted considerably by dogs who were guarding the various sheel pens. Even if there had been some wildlife, they would have been scared away by the dogs. The walk itself is reasonably strenuous and challenging, the mountains are gorgeous but it feels like being a rambler on someone's farm rather than being out on an adventure.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Hassan is a very warm, genuine and knowledgeable group leader. Not once did he try to limit our options just to make his own life easier. He is very patient and he is without a doubt a very good man.I didn't think much of our guide in Marrakech though, he showed us a couple of sites and took us to shops where he gets his commission. He didn't give us any kind of orientation so we were a bit lost first when our free time came.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Take into consideration the amount of time spent in Marrakech, there isn't that much to look at. A lot of historic sites were either destroyed by succeeding dynasties over the centuries or didn't survive due to poor building practices.We arrived in Marrakech on Sunday and had a free evening, had a full day there on Monday with the afternoon/evening free again after being guided around in the morning a bit. Then we travelled the full morning on Tuesday and arrived in the mountains in the afternoon, again with a lot of spare time on our hands. We didn't start the actual hiking until Wednesday.I think it's quite difficult to guage from the field notes the amount of time you need to kill until you can get your hiking boots on properly. It would have been better if we had been able to leave Marrakech Monday afternoon and start hiking on Tuesday. It felt like we were kept waiting for the bit that we all booked the holiday for in the first place.Beware of the hotel you get booked in in Marrakech too, Hotel Oudaya is awful.

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking back towards the village on the last day in the mountains, seeing the stark contrast between the barren brown mountains against the lush green of the irrigated land in the low sun. Whilst we walked and talked, we passed many of the villagers walking into the 'fields' to work. It looked beautiful and it was humbling to see the locals go about their daily lives.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Leader was good but could perhaps have been more accepting of our questions about what was happening - us Brits like to ask lots of questions about what the plan is for the next day BEFORE it gets to the night before!!However, besides above, Hassan was very modestly and quietly caring, looking out for EVERY member of the group at all times. 

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you're going in November, don't underestimate how cold it might be in the evenings!! It wasn't ridiculously cold, I admit, but I was still FREEZING in the late afternoons/evenings in the gite - probably due to the temperature change more than anything else. I needed full thermals and as many jumpers as I could squeeze on. I wished I'd taken a warmer jacket (I left it at home thinking it wasn't needed). However, the gite does provide really warm blankets, which you can use any time and I was more than warm enough at night with a 2-3 season sleeping bag plus their blanket. The temp in the day was more variable but there was a definite chill in the air even in the sunshine. Quite pleasant when walking but could be a little chilly when stopped.

Most Inspirational Moment

Arriving at " The Blue Lake" after a 10 mile trek through some of the most beautiful countryside I have ever seen. The weather was great, clear blue sky and bright sunshine, we could not have asked for better!Also I really enjoyed the picnic(s) thoughout the week, not a hard boiled egg in sight, Its clear that Exodus does NOT DO fast food!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Hassan was great, friendly and very knowledgeable.However, I felt he could have made a better effort to motivate us,there were periods of long silences and at times he appeared to isolate himself from the group. 

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you are fit ( I was ) and capable of walking 20 miles over mixed terrain. 

Most Inspirational Moment

Making it to the top of the first walk without too much agonyFinding the local people in and around the gite so friendly and welcoming

Thoughts on Group Leader

Hassan was wonderful, a really dry sense of humour that got us all through any difficult points

Advice for Potential Travellers

Practice hills before you leave

Most Inspirational Moment

The welcome we received from the villagers in the mountains.  I can never fail to be inspired from those who do not have the material wealth or development that I am used to in the UK, but who still go out of their way to be hospitable.  The food, both at the gite and during the rest stops on the walks was nothing short of sensational.  The goat herders whom we saw during our walks - our leader told us that they live in the villages but come into the moutains every day to round up the goats and take them to the nearest source of water.  I found this very humbling, to think these people walk into the mountains, sometimes for a few hours, to find their livestock and move them on.  I couldn't imagine that happening in the UK.

Thoughts on Group Leader

He was fantastic, approachable, knowledgeable and with a good sense of humour.  He joined in with the group of an evening, even to the point of bringing out a set of drums and teaching us Moroccan songs!  His appreciation of the area and its people was amazing.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Ensure your walking boots are comfortable and in good order - you will be on your feet for many hours!If you go the same time I did - late August - be prepared, it is HOT.  Even in the mountains we were walking in plus 30 degree C temperatures and Marrakech was closer to 50 degrees C.Mingle with your group - you will be amazed who you meet! 

Most Inspirational Moment

There were a few - visiting the Berber family for tea was very humbling and was one of the highlights, finishing the long 19 mile walk in good spirits, the buzz of Place Jamaa as dusk fell to nightfall and the different smells, sights and general excitement buzz around the place and all without alcohol !  Oh yes the horse and carriage ride around sights on the sunday morning....The whole holiday was good and the group magic - Thanks everyone!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Hassan was very knowledgable, organised and good company. You felt you could ask him anything. He had this week off to a fine art and it showed! He was very attentive to needs of group and helped those who found some of it more difficult.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Well - we were lucky and didn't get a funny tummy but a good few did so be prepared for that.  We only needed a sheet sleeping bag ( September) and saved us lugging a bigger one over. 

Most Inspirational Moment

Walking 10 hours in the harsh terrain soaking in the solitude and summer sun, sharing seriously sugar infused tea with a local family and watching the view from our Gite were all awe inspiring moments of our trip. We also had a thunder, rain and hail storm on our first night which was awesome + apparently pretty rare. 

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader gave us a warm and welcoming introduction to Morocco. His ability to have once run 45km in under 3hrs at altitude and through mountains caused a sense of awe in our group. We felt totally safe in his hands.

Advice for Potential Travellers

We travelled in late August which was hot and unforgiving so if you do travel then a good hat, glasses and sunscreen are essential. A little pocket fan would have been a nice luxury to have as in the still heat of the night it was pretty hard to sleep. Travel wash also came in handy and definitely take the toilet paper. The beds in the Gite are pretty hard and basic so if you get a bad back you might want to take a camping matress. Do take colouring books, pens, pencils etc for the local kids, they will really appreciate it. Quite a few in our group got sick so i'd also recommend taking a good supply of immodium and electrolytes. Bottled water is available to buy everywhere, so unless you're trekking for days in the mountains the water purifying tablets aren't really essential. In Marrakech, definitely make the effort to take a cab into the old part of town to experience the markets and evening food extravaganza. We recommend stand #31 for a tasty dinner, even if you do leave a little smoky! 

Most Inspirational Moment

The panoramic walk on the second day in the high atlas where it is possible to view the high and anti atlas mountain

Thoughts on Group Leader

Hassan was very informative about the Berber way of life