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Raging torrent



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Valley of the Roses (Maura's account)



 Valley of the Roses Trek

(On the recent Marocco trip.)


Under the leadership of our knowledgeable guides Mohammed and Rachid this trek took us from the Dades Valley deep into the M'Goun Massif. Trekking on average 6 hours per day, the route undulated between lush valleys and higher arid terrain at 1750M. We passed through quaint Berber villages, nestled in the landscape which provided great insight into the lives of these friendly and welcoming people.

Our trekking team besides the guides listed above, consisted of a driver and a cook who couldn't have done more for us, providing delicious lunches along the way and dinner when we reached our accommodation for the night.

The first day's trek brought us through the Dades Valley to the desert plateau of Ighrem Akdim located at 1700M where we had an obstacle to overcome! To reach our accommodation for the night it was necessary to ford icy cold water, but this was soon forgotten as we enjoyed our delicious dinner.

The next few days brought us through the lush terrain of the Valley of the Roses until we met another challenge on day four!

This was something many of us had not experienced before. The route brought us from the foot of the McGoun Massif, at the village of Alemdoun, through the Agouti Gorge emerging at the southern side. To attain this end, it was necessary to remove our boots to trek for 90 minutes through icy water, sometimes knee high, which challenged some of us!

The final hike took us up over the Valley of the Roses where we passed through ancient kasbahs nestled in the landscape with some magnificent architecture until we arrived in Tabarkhacht where our trekking adventure ended.

Downtime in Agadir and Marrakech was very welcome where we had time to relax before our flight home.

Maura Kenneally