The Atlas Mountains trekking short break

Planet

This walking trip to Morocco concentrates on the High Atlas Mountains south of Marrakech, walking is a carbon neutral way of travelling. Travelling on foot we follow marked footpaths through the mountain valleys and to the summit of Jebel Toubkal, ensuring that we keep to the designated paths so as not to disturb wildlife and fauna and have an adverse affect on the beautiful landscape.

We spend one night camping under the stars at the base of Toubkal, here the group can assist in a litter sweep of the area, we provide rubbish sacks and gloves. We are currently the only company with such an initiative in place and also pay for an additional donkey to accompany the group to carry the litter picked off the mountains to be properly disposed of.

As a travel company we are continually looking for ways to improve and are proud to be ‘Responsible in everything we do’. Education is key, and so all staff, Tour Leaders and partnering suppliers are trained in responsible and sustainable tourism. At our Head Office, we continually strive towards a sustainable and planet-friendly working environment, including having solar panels installed and a company commitment to reducing our plastic usage.

People

The communities living in and around the Atlas Mountains are of Berber origin, welcoming and hospitable they rely on tourism and are responsible for helping to develop the area as a tourist destination in a sustainable way, ensuring that the culture and traditions live on. During the days walks there is the opportunity to buy snacks and crafts from small local shops along the paths. This provides direct income for the more isolated communities in the Atlas Mountains as well as a chance for the group to interact with the local Berber’s. Staying in a village house also enables us to get closer to the local culture and gain an insight into their lives.

We have worked together with our local agent in Morocco for many years now and we’re proud of their responsible practices and strong ethics when it comes to tourism within Morocco. The team are regularly involved with our responsible business projects. In 2017, we funded the purchase of three looms for a women’s only cooperative based on the suggestion and brilliant business proposal from our Moroccan partner. The office staff and the on the road teams work hard to find meaningful and sustainable projects in Morocco that we can get involved with both financially and by raising awareness through our customers.

As a company we have valuable and longstanding partnerships with UK charities Toilet Twinning and Send a Cow, plus many smaller initiatives and projects around the world. We’re members of the UK travel industry body AITO because we believe it’s important to share our knowledge and experience, as well as learn from other operators.