Alaaaaaaaaaaah akubar” — The drone of the PA system echoes up and down the valley high above Imlil waking restless souls. The muezzin’s call to prayer sounds like a Honda 50 with only vaguely a human dimension attached to it. It creeps over the sleepy Berber houses and reverberates off every wall in the village.
It is 5am. Nearly time to get up. For tourists. For the Berbers living in this part of Morocco some 2,000 metres above sea level, it is not that early. Some doors will already have been opening as people busy themselves with morning chores — feeding the chickens, dusting down the satellite dishes.
We had arrived here the evening before after a five-hour walk in baking hot conditions. The sight of a snow-white stream thundering off the side of a mountain is a very pleasurable sight. The stream lands in a small reservoir before being distributed into myriad channels which irrigate terraces of barley and almonds, roses and potatoes. Every drop of water is precious here and makes the difference between a successful harvest or not. Every scrap of land is utilised, for outside the fertile valley the earth turns to dust. High up above, the behemoth of Mount Toubkal looms at 4,167 metres — the highest mountain in north Africa. Its near year-round snow slopes feeding dozens of villages with crystalline water.
The Berbers are a North African race spread over several countries and most populous in Morocco. Arabic they most definitely are not though they are on very close terms with Arabs. Their cultural identity is very strong hence the passion for their satellite dishes which mushroomed following the recent introduction of a Berber TV channel. Perhaps their most famous member is the genius soccer star Zinedine Zidane.
Two days earlier we had arrived in Morocco for a week’s trekking. Someone is sent to collect us at the airport and half an hour after touching down we are 30 miles outside Marrakesh heading to the mountains. The landscape is dusty brown with scattered vegetation, sparse crops are sown. Here a man cycles with a bag of onions on his back, there an old, wrinkled woman smiles to no-one. We roll through the major market town of Azni and on to our base, Imlil.
Here we are met by our host Mohammed. A very genial host — why wouldn’t he be, seeing as he’s getting our money — whose easy nature is mirrored in everyone we meet. We consume a sumptuous breakfast of oranges, local bread, jams and coffee and, after an early flight, take the chance for a quick snooze. Suitably rested, we are ready for our first trek. We soon quit Imlil and walk through rather than around, the village of Aroumd. This is only a short walk to get our bearings and takes us half way up the valley looking back down on our base of Imlil.
Next morning the real trek begins. A very early start is promised and we are stuffed to the gills at breakfast with muesli, coffee, yoghurt and several kinds of bread — good for the carbohydrate burn expected. We meet our guide Djemaal dressed heel to head in a bright blue garment typical of Berber guides. Also in attendance is our cook Ibrahim and his donkey which we name Jimmy, or Djimmi, in Berber.
So we set off. Two trekkers, a guide, a donkey and a cook. A holy family of sorts in search of refuge up along the mountain path. The trek will take in several Berber villages, including Azaolen and Tizi Oussem, and traverse several valleys. Along the way we pass Hillary Clinton village so named as the American politician once attended the marriage of an aide there. We meet fellow trekkers along the way and several youngsters from the villages driving a sheep or a goat. A rustle in the trees to the right reveals an old man high up in the arms of a tree picking almonds.
The tracks are easy to follow and our guide wastes no time in ushering us along. He is incredibly informative about the flora and fauna. Here is a broom shrub, there a rock lizard. After an easy walk — we didn’t really need our boots — we stop for some peanuts and sweet tea in a hut on top of a col (mountain pass). Ibrahim takes Djimmi the donkey and goes on ahead to prepare our lunch. Luxury. We catch him up an hour later and he has laid out a feast fit for a king. Fruit salad, couscous, omelette with a an array of dips and sauces. If this guy had lived in Celtic Tiger Ireland he would be a millionaire.
Suitably fed, we press on. A gentle breeze blows off the mountainside as we press on to our first village stop. It looks like only 20 or 30 people could live here but Djemaal assures us the village is home to over 100. Things are spartan here. The shower is just a trickle, there is no Sky TV or WiFi. The bed is as wide as a small door. All that the room contains are a mountain of blankets and a small bulb in the ceiling. Outside the window, no boy racers. Just the sough of the poplars and moonlight so bright you can pick out the ridges of the mountains. This is the end of a day of trekking and sleep is now a birthright. And oh what a sleep. Welcome to the village of Tizi Oussem.
Next morning we are up at seven to hit the next village.
Flights
For a seemingly remote place this part of the High Atlas mountains isn’t hard to get to. Direct Ryanair flights are available to Marrakesh from Stansted Airport for circa €200 return. Alternatively, you can go Dublin to Madrid with Aer Lingus (circa €150) and onto Marrakesh with Ryanair (circa €200 return). Prices vary, but won’t break the bank — the banks that aren’t already broken that is. One of the luxuries of this trip is an airport pick-up.
Where to stay
There are several operators in the area covering walking tours of the Berber villages. But you have to book through one of them. Tour operators will arrange your spartan accommodation in advance. For great service — Toudaoui Brahim; Mountain and Desert Guides in Morocco www.trekkinginmorocco.com. Accommodation, a guide, a cook, a donkey and all your food for €360 for a week.
Where to eat
Well apart from the start and the end of your trip you have no choice and have to eat what’s put in front of you. Vegetarians have it easy, if anything carnivores may find it hard to get meat, though the Moroccan lamb is a speciality of the area. For spectacular surroundings try the Djemaa el Fna bazaar in Marrakesh.
What to do
There are several valleys in the High Atlas that have truly spectacular scenery. Based in Imlil, all routes will have a view of the snow-capped, highest mountain in north Africa, Toubkal. Some routes take in this mountain, but be warned you will have to ditch your shorts and T-shirts for fleece trousers, and several layers, and you’ll need to use crampons. Djemaal can supply these for a tenner and for this first-timer, crampons proved no obstacle
