Monday, August 29, 2011

Trekking in Morocco

The Sunday Times ran a feature this week on weekend adventures, including 8 ideas for a long weekend away. I love the idea of this, the active alternative to the rather over done city break. Tips included sea kayaking in Croatia and trekking in Morocco, both trips we offer at Tourdust.

I'd love to see this emerge as a new category, but I guess unless it acquires a moniker (a la glamping, staycation .... yawn!!!!) then it isn't going to fly with journalists.

For what it is worth the promoted trekking trip in Morocco wasn't half bad, but could be so much better. If you are going to spend a weekend in Morocco, then I'd really recommend spending three days tackling Toubkal. You could fly Friday morning on the first easyjet flight from Gatwick to Marrakech, head straight to the Atlas Mountains in time for lunch. You'd head up through the Azzaden Valley on the Saturday, then up early on the Sunday to climb Toubkal and then return to Imlil. I'd usually recommend overnighting in Marrakech and then heading back to the UK on Monday.

You could squeeze it tighter, but Toubkal in two days is a bit of a dull trek missing the best of the mountains., it is also a fairly busy trail. Likewise you could potentially fly back on the last day of the trek, but the albeit small chances of the the road from Imlil to Marrakech being blocked by rock fall or floods mean you'd be better playing safe and leaving some sleeve.

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