Morocco

Walking with The Nomads - Part 2

Trekking

(9 Days)

Slide Show

Follow a migrating tribe through the High Atlas and Jebel Saghro

Twice a year the semi-nomadic tribe of the Ait Atta migrate in search of pastures for their vast flocks of animals. This unique trekking adventure follows the migration of one such family as they move south from the High Atlas Mountains into thei homeland, the Jebel Saghro, a remote and dramatic mountain range in the south of Morocco. This is a real life adventure that will appeal to those in search of something different and offers beautiful scenery and an enthralling cultural experience. Over the course of these two, week long departures you'll witness a way of life so different from our own and one that has been handed down through centuries of Ait Atta civilization. The program is divided into two parts, the first in the High Atlas Mountains and the second in the Jebel Saghro.

Trip Highlights

• Authentic cultural encounters with a Nomadic Family by living their daily lives with them
• Sleeping in Nomadic tents in the High Atlas Mountains

Detailed Itinerary

Part 2: Through the Jebel Saghro with the Ait Atta

During the months of September and October in the south of Morocco, the Ait Atta tribe of nomads migrate from the grazing lands of the High Atlas Mountains back to their homeland, the Jebel Saghro range. “Walking with Nomads” (Part 2) is a unique pioneering adventure which follows the migration of one family in particular through the Jebel Saghro, a wild and dramatic volcanic range of mountains six hours south of Marrakech. During the course of five days of isolated mountain trekking we get a rare opportunity to experience a way of life that has been handed down through generations of Ait Atta nomads. Travelling at the gentle pace of the nomads and their extended family of goats, sheep, mules and dromedaries we follow a trail over rocky passes, crossing bright oases and camping in wilderness locations. Walking for 4 – 5 hours per day there’s plenty of time to enjoy the landscape and the relatively easy grade of hiking makes this trip suitable for a wide range of participants.

Day 1: Arrival Marrakech

On arrival in Marrakech you will be met by a BikeHike Adventures representative and taken to our hotel in the centre of Marrakech. Flights often arrive in the evening, giving us just enough time to head out for a get-together meal and short briefing. Overnight in a comfortable hotel.

Day 2: Marrakech - Jebel Saghro

After breakfast we are met by our transfer vehicle(s) to take us the six hours or so to the village of Tagoudilt on the edge of the Jebel Saghro. The route takes us through the High Atlas over one of the highest paved passes in North Africa, the Tizi-n-Tichka, and down into the largely desertified south of Morocco. En route we’ll stop for lunch before continuing to the town of Boumalne Dades. Here we’ll take a short warm up hike through agricultural land in the Dades Valley, before taking a half hour jeep road to our destination. Tagoudilt is a small village set on an open plain between the High Atlas Mountains and the Jebel Saghro. It’s a popular trailhead for groups traversing the Saghro and lies on the route that the Ait Atta nomads take from the High Atlas to the Jebel Saghro. In Tagoudilt we’ll enjoy a pre-trek tajine (a local stew cooked in a conical clay pot) and stay overnight in a “gite d’etape”, a basic local house licenced to offer rooms to passing visitors. It’s here that we’ll meet our team of mules for the trek, and Zaid our nomad host for the five day hike. Dinner and overnight in a gite. (B,L,D)

Days 3 - 7: Tagoudilt to Hamdor (Trekking)

Setting off from Tagoudilt, the next five days will take us on a route traversing the Jebel Saghro from north to south until we reach the village of Hamdor, just north of the town of N’Kob. The route we take follows the traditional migration route of the Ait Atta nomads; a route that can vary slightly from year to year depending on climatic conditions and the state of grazing lands. The autumn migration route is often different from the route taken in the spring as scarcity of water can threaten grazing land. On trek, each day will follow the same format of walking in the morning, setting up camp at lunchtime and relaxing in the hot afternoons. The nomads set up a traditional camel hair tent which is a perfect spot from which to watch the world go by. With a large flock of goats and sheep, dromedaries, mules, dogs and chickens there is invariably plenty of activity on the hillsides that surround camp. For those wanting to walk further, there are always possibilities for further exploration (including some summits) in the afternoons and those who want to learn the art of baking bread in the wild are welcome to join in. The nomad way of life follows this pattern as the afternoon is time set aside for the grazing of animals. Four nights camping in modern one and two man tents and night 7 spent in a gite in Hamdor. (B,L,D)

Day 8: Tagoudilt - Marrakech

Having completed our trek and bid farewell to the Ait Atta we transfer back to Marrakech, through the Draa Valley, and visiting the kasbah at Ait Benhaddou en route. Ait Benhaddou is the best-preserved of Morocco’s kasbahs and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here we’ll have a chance to wander around the site which dates back to the 11th century. The journey time back to Marrakech is about six and a half hours, retracing our route back over the Tichka pass and down onto the fertile Haouz plain around Marrakech. Arriving back in Marrakech is a real highlight. Having arrived in the evening at the start of the trip we had little time to explore the Marrakech medina (old town), a UNESCO Heritage Site and said to be the second largest medieval complex in the world, after Cairo. Much of the medina is a beguiling labyrinth of tiny alleys and passageways where men ply their trades in tiny box-like workshops that have hardly changed in hundreds of years. The medina is also home to the famous souqs (markets) of Marrakech - ideal for devotees of ethnic fashion and decoration, but worth a look for the sights, sounds and smells of this most exotic of markets. Tonight we explore the main square – the Djemaa el Fna – to witness one of the world’s most animated nighttime spectacles. At night the square is transformed into a giant open air restaurant where men in white coats serve anything from sheep’s head stew to snails in hot sauce. The rest of the square is dedicated to other forms of entertainment such as snake charmers, story tellers, acrobats and dancers. Later we will enjoy a farewell dinner in a restaurant before exploring what Marrakech has to offer in the way of nightlife. Overnight in a comfortable hotel. (B,L)

Day 9: Depart Marrakech

Free time before transferring to airport for homeward flight. Most flights depart in the afternoon so there’s more time to explore the city and pick up a few last minute souvenirs. (B)

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