Atlas Mountains trekking tour, Morocco

Planet

The very ethos of our style of travel is responsible; small groups on fully escorted tours, experiencing the very best of a region, a culture and a landscape, with a friendly local hand guiding the way. Our itineraries are designed to give our travellers real life experiences without compromising the part of the world we are exploring; to travel responsibly is at the heart of our commitment as a global tour operator.

This summer trekking trip through Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains is a great example of a trip that benefits local communities, creates employment in rural regions, and gives our travellers a fantastic taste of day to day life in North Africa. Our tours are designed around the concept of low impact or even positive impact tourism, aiming to contribute financially to the areas we are visiting without contributing negatively on either an environmental or cultural level.

Your support team will encourage you throughout to take steps to make your climb as environmentally responsible as possible. Rubbish and refuse will not be left in the mountains and your group leader will be on hand to assist with the appropriate disposal of rubbish en route, even if this means carrying it back down with us, recycling if possible. We encourage all our trekkers to carry refillable water bottles with purification tablets to enable them to remain hydrated, rather than rely on plastic bottles purchased prior to the climb. In additional to being a far more practical option, reducing our consumption and disposal of the plastic bottles is a goal we are continually working towards.

People

On trek, you’ll stay in small, Berber gites in remote mountain villages, usually run by local families or regional co-operatives for which trekkers are a vital source of revenue. Meals are included in the gites, so expect to be sampling traditional, hearty Moroccan flavours as we trek. English isn’t widely spoken in these regions, so your group leader will be on hand to assist with getting to know your hosts. All our team, from your group leader to the mule handlers who support our trek will all have been recruited from the local community. Not only does this contribute towards supporting local economies through employment opportunities, but it also gives our travellers a unique experience. Chatting to the team while we trek, you’ll be rewarded with fascinating insights into the rural life you are passing by.

Your guide will also advise you on local sensibilities and expected behaviours. Morocco can be considered a liberal Muslim country as many Moroccan women do not wear headscarves, however, Morocco is very conservative when compared with standards you may be accustomed to at home and you should dress accordingly. As a general guideline, shoulders, cleavage and knees should be covered at all times, particularly outside of more cosmopolitan Marrakech when you are passing through remote villages. Wearing shorts (men and women), low-cut tops, and showing midriff is not recommended and is considered disrespectful to the local culture. Long, light-coloured, lightweight sleeved shirts, trousers and skirts are respectful, cover your body, keep you cool in the heat and protect you from the harsh sun.