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Through the Foothills

Less than sixty kilometres south of Marrakesh rise the foothills of the High Atlas mountains. Watered by the snow that caps the highest peaks for much of the winter, the valleys here are green and fertile, planted with apple, peach, cherry and apricot orchards, and dotted with isolated Berber villages linked by ancient mule trails that are still used by traders to this day.

Like all our other holidays, this walk is for individuals, not groups, but we do provide you with a local guide who will meet you at your second base, La Bergerie, each morning armed with a picnic. Smiling and courteous, these guides know the trails intimately and can read the skies to predict the weather and tailor the walks accordingly. Theirs is a discreet form of guiding, letting you appreciate the landscapes for yourselves as they lead the way.

Nights: 7
Grade: 1-2
Terrain: low-level, undulating paths and mule trails. The terrain is at times rocky, and you may find a walking pole is a useful aid.
Climate: warm in city, cooler in mountains.
Meals: breakfast every day, dinner on 4 nights, 3 picnics

Starting point: Riad Daria, Marrakesh. High ceilings, ornate decoration and light colours create a feeling of space and elegance. There are just seven spacious rooms and suites, plus a terrace with views of the Atlas Mountains and two courtyards, one of which has a small splash pool. Located in the medina close to the Royal Palace, this is a great base for exploring. Other riads are available. Breakfast only is included, leaving you free to take your pick of the eateries in the city, which range from street vendors selling local specialities to top-class restaurants. Hotel staff will be happy to make recommendations.

Days 1 & 2: take your time to experience the unique atmosphere of Marrakesh, which is surrounded by ochre-coloured ramparts. To help you get your bearings, we include a half-day orientation tour which introduces you to the souks (markets) and finishes at Djemaa El Fna, the large open square that forms the heart of the city. It is here that dozens of acrobats, musicians, dancers and storytellers gather to amuse the crowds.
If you would like to do some walking, we can arrange a guided walk (£90pp). You will be collected from your hotel and transferred to the Ourika Valley, one of the longest and most beautiful in the country. With its lush vegetation, palm groves and Berber hamlets (in which you may well see Berber women weaving intricately patterned rugs), it will whet your appetite for the walks to come later in the week. You set off through olive groves to an ochre-coloured village, then continue along a winding hillside path via another hamlet, the peak of Adrar n'Bou Tazete (3,050 metres) providing a dramatic backdrop. Lunch is taken on the banks of a river, and then you walk between ancient walnut groves and through a narrow, green valley to the Setti Fadma Cascades, where you may be lucky enough to see a Barbary Ape. You return to Marrakesh by taxi. (4hrs walking, plus 1.5hr transfer each way)

Accommodation: Riad Daria, as above.

Day 3: today you are transferred to your second base, La Bergerie. The huge contrast between Marrakesh and the High Atlas Mountains will become increasingly apparent during the transfer.

Accommodation: La Bergerie, Ouirgane. With its inspirational views towards the Atlas Mountains, friendly and attentive staff, relaxed atmosphere and excellent restaurant (dinner is included), the small, family-run La Bergerie is a real find. French couple Françoise and Christian have succeeded in combining high levels of comfort with a real sense of cosiness and intimacy that is enhanced by all the personal touches and Moroccan details in the lounge, restaurant and bedrooms. We include the airy, beautifully appointed garden suites which, as their name suggests, are dotted about the colourful, well-tended gardens. All have their own sitting room and terrace, as well as a fireplace to warm up cooler evenings. Behind the main hotel building is a (unheated) swimming pool.

Day 4: your guide will meet you at La Bergerie armed with a picnic. After a short transfer, you set off along mule tracks to the village of Imareghan Noufla, where ancient presses are still used to extract oil from the olives harvested from the surrounding groves. From here, your path winds through fields of maize and seasonal wild flowers, passing other traditional villages. Salt is mined in the area and you may encounter salt sellers, usually the village women, transporting their goods. You then ascend to the summit of Tizi n' Tarabaza, pausing to admire the splendid views over the Tarabaza Plateau and the Oussertek Desert before descending to the pick-up point for the transfer back to La Bergerie. (10km, 5.5hrs)

Accommodation: La Bergerie, as above.

Day 5 : this route again starts and ends with a transfer. From the drop-off point, you walk past several Berber villages to reach the kasbah of Agadir n’Gouf, once the stronghold of the Berber Goundafa tribe. Nowadays storks nest in the ramparts, but you can still see examples of the ornate decoration. Setting off once more, you pass another ruined kasbah and head along a riverside path past olive, walnut and almond groves to enter an enchanting hidden valley, where the clear waters of the river are full of trout. Further along the valley is the fortified settlement of Tin-Mal. The mosque here is the only one in Morocco that can be visited by non-Muslims (except on Fridays), and it is a real privilege to see the carefully restored décor, an excellent example of intricate Almohad design. (16km, 5.5hrs, plus transfers)

Accommodation: La Bergerie, as above.

Day 6 : heading west, you pass cornfields until you meet the River Oued N’Fis, the 27-metre-deep canyon of which is striped black, white and grey. After pausing for lunch at the village beyond the canyon, you continue along trails that rise beneath pines and holm oaks to the Ouzzla Pass (1,090 metres), from where you can admire the views of stark escarpments, fertile valleys and the Kik Plateau. The path zigzags downhill to an area where you may see foxes, hares and squirrels, and then leads alongside salt flats from which locals have collected salt for centuries. The last leg leads past fields of corn and potatoes back to your base. (11km, 6.5hrs)

Accommodation: La Bergerie, as above.

The order in which you do the walks may vary according to local conditions. The durations given for the walks are an indication of how many hours you will be away from your base for in total, and include time for lunch and plenty of stops to admire the views and to take photographs.

Prices & travel 2007/08:

*Connecting travel: return taxi from Marrakesh (out 0h15/home 1h30) £38pp (£40pp from 1 May)
Recommended destination airport: Marrakesh
Latest flight arrival time: flexible
Earliest flight departure time: flexible
Price information: Prices are based on standard rooms at Riad Daria. Other riads and room types are available - prices on request
Start: any day
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Options for extending your holiday: we offer a 14-night Moroccan Experience which combines this holiday with an excursion into the sub-Sahara and our other walking holiday, Beneath Djebel Toubkal.

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