RESPONSIBLE WALKING IN MOROCCO
Our Morocco walking Vacations
Luxury trekking vacation in the Atlas Mountains
Stay at the Kasbah and trek in style
Atlas Mountains trekking and Marrakech
Stay at Kasbah du Toubkal to trek in style then in Marrakech
Morocco vacations, Atlas Panorama
Rewarding trekking experiences
Mount Toubkal climb in Morocco
Pass through remote villages and terraced fields
Atlas Mountains winter trekking vacation, Morocco
Trek amongst terraced valleys and oases
Morocco vacation, High Atlas peaks and valleys
A unique High Atlas trek
Kasbah du Toubkal in the Atlas Mountains
Peace and quiet only 40 miles from Marrakech
Mount Toubkal winter climb, Morocco
Venture into the heart of the High Atlas
Atlas Mountains luxury trekking accommodation, Azzaden Valley
High Atlas Trekking Lodge in the beautiful Azzaden Valley
Atlas Mountains and Essaouira vacation in Morocco
2-center vacation in the Atlas Mountains & coastal Essaouira
Climb Mount Toubkal walking vacation
Explore the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco
Morocco trekking vacation with Marrakech and coast
Trek in style at Kasbah du Toubkal, then Marrakech & Coast
Climb Mount Toubkal, with Marrakech
Scale North Africa’s highest peak
The Atlas Mountains trekking short break
Morocco's Atlas Mountains trekking on this long weekender
Climb Mount Toubkal in style
Stay at the Kasbah du Toubkal and trek in style
Short break to climb Mount Toubkal in Morocco
Dramatic views to Marrakech & Anti-Atlas Mountains
Morocco trekking tour, High Atlas traverse
Unique route from Tichka Pass to Toubkal Summit.
Atlas Mountains trekking tour, Morocco
Journey from the heart of Marrakech to the top of Mt Toubkal
PEOPLE & CULTURE
Girls from these remote mountain communities deserve the opportunity to continue their education, and the charity Education for All Morocco (EfAM) was established in 2006 to help this happen, with the belief that if you educate a girl, you begin to educate the next generation. Set up by Discover Limited (the British owners of the Kasbah du Toubkal) and other friends in Marrakech, it builds boarding houses near to secondary schools, so girls from remote communities in the High Atlas have safe accommodation and can continue their education through the Moroccan state system. Through fundraising, community work and projects, as of early 2018 the charity has already built three boarding houses that accommodate over 100 girls.
If you’re staying in Imlil, check that the tourist facilities you use pay the five percent tax towards the Village Association.
“If people are looking for one way to make a difference when traveling in the Atlas Mountains, they are already doing so by staying with us, as they automatically pay a 5 percent levy to the village association. The other best way to make a difference is to make a donation to Education for All Morocco which gives opportunities for girls to be educated beyond primary education in rural areas of the High Atlas Mountains.”
Education for All Morocco has various donation options, from sponsoring a girl for a whole year to giving money for school books and stationery.
WILDLIFE & ENVIRONMENT
Watching out for waste
Morocco has a waste disposal problem, and it’s most noticeable in the inhabited Toubkal National Park where rubbish, particularly plastic rubbish that does not decompose, is one of the main culprits. If you’re here on a walking vacation, you’ll also need to stay hydrated, but enjoying clean water while not producing mountains of plastic bottle waste is a challenge all visitors to Morocco should engage with.What you can do:
Some treks give you the option to purchase bottled water at the start of the trip, with the guiding team carrying it for you, but Morocco doesn’t have established systems for recycling plastic waste, so the far better solution is to bring your own bottle and refill this throughout a trek. Some springs might be clean enough to drink from, and locals certainly do, but travelers are recommended to use water purification systems. At Responsible Travel, we’re big fans of the LifeStraw range of bottles and water bags that make contaminated water safe, plus the company’s Give Back programme means your purchase helps a child in need receive safe water for an entire school year.
Looking out for mules & muleteers
Much of life in Morocco relies on animal power. Mules are used to carry loads throughout the Atlas Mountains, and may be doing the heavy lifting on your trekking vacation. Sometimes, these animals experience less than ideal conditions. The health and treatment of mules is, of course, of huge importance, but remember they are often owned by people who have extremely tough lives. When human lives are difficult, it’s hardly surprising that animals suffer, too. As a traveler on a walking vacation in Morocco, you do have influence though, choosing which practices you support and keeping in mind a few rules.What you can do:
Remember that 75kg is the maximum weight for a mule to carry, and it should be half that for journeys longer than 20 minutes. Ask your tour company about the mules used on any trekking vacation you’re considering; how much they will be made to carry and how are they cared for.
The Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad (SPANA) is a British charity that works to improve conditions for working animals abroad. It’s been active in the Imlil Valley, working to have the painful Berber bits traditionally used replaced with kinder, stainless steel bits.