2010 Audley Charity Trek in Morocco
Audley Charity Trek 2010 in Morocco
In May nine Audley clients, one specialist and one tour leader travelled to Morocco to embark on a five-day trek for charity. Here, Morocco specialist, Donna Piccini, talks about their journey.
Jebel Toubkal in Morocco was the setting for the 2010 Audley Charity Trek. Myself plus the trek leader, Alan Ward and nine clients spent five days hiking in stunning High Atlas Mountains. The trip got off to an interesting start as Royal Air Maroc cancelled flights. However determination and a very long coach ride got us to the starting point, the Kasbah de Toubkal in the village of Imlil. From here we spent a few days enjoying long acclimatisation walks in the mountains.
On day three, with everyone in good spirits we set out for the Neltner Lodge, base camp of Jebel Toubkal. The scenery was stunning and we passed local farmers and walked through mountain villages. After a few hours we followed a zigzag path to the scree faces of Jebel Toubkal and the lodge which was our camp site for the night. After a very filling evening meal we watched the full moon illuminate the snow-covered peaks of the surrounding mountains then climbed into our sleeping bags for an early night.
Early the next morning we began our assent of the mountain using a reasonably clear approach up the south corrie. The hike got harder the higher we climbed with snow cover and scree really pushing the leg muscles! With the help of Alan and the guides from the Kasbah de Toubkal we all reached the 4167m summit. We were rewarded with magnificent views of Jebel Siroua to the south and Marrakech to the north.
After a well-earned rest we began our decent and our journey back to the Kasbah de Toubkal. The snow that had made ascent quite difficult proved very useful on the way down! Everyone made it back to the Kasbah for our final night in the mountains. We enjoyed a late evening meal and a celebratory glass of champagne before bedding down for an excellent nights sleep!
Well done to all who took part in the charity event which so far has raised £1,700 for two different charities – the Hannan School in Morocco and Orbis, the flying eye hospital.
