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Thursday 17th July
Morocco Expedition
Party Returns
Twelve pupils and two teachers, including headmaster Paul Stockdale, have just returned from an exciting 12 day expedition to the
After flying into the vibrant city of
As they arrived back, Mr Stockdale commented “We’ve had a terrific trip - a wonderful experience. What a great group of young people to travel with – we have learned a lot about each other!”
Here are a few images from the expedition plus a special one, here, of the group on top of Mount Toubkal.
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Mr Stockdale's photos of the expedition may be found here.
Here is Victoria Bateman's diary of the trip.
Days 1 and 2 –Sunday/Monday 6th /7th July
Mint tea is ok, sometimes I’d have preferred a coke
We all arrived at school bright and early especially considering it was the Summer Ball the night before, but no one was looking too bad. After a quick kit check and saying goodbye to the parents, we set off for Heathrow Airport where we had a while to wait before take-off.
A few hours later the plane landed in Casablanca Airport where unfortunately the connecting flight to Marrakech was delayed. By this time it was early Monday morning and I could've fallen asleep on the floor given the chance. Another long wait before we boarded the plane for a short flight, an interesting landing, and arrival at Marrakech Airport.
A short drive into old Marrakech, near the Djemma El Fna, brought us to our hotel, The Hotel de Foucauld, where we shown to our rooms, which were alright. The lights went out whilst we were getting ready for bed, so we three girls were left wandering around in the dark. Interestingly, there was a guy sleeping out on the patio - not sure why as there are plenty of beds in a hotel.
After a few hours sleep, I was woken up by the call to prayer from the Koutoubia Mosque but then the others woke up too so we got ready and admired the view from the balcony. It was quite fun to watch the roads in the Place de Foucauld as there didn’t appear to be any order, and to cross you just walked out and hoped for the best.
Breakfast was good and then we were given a tour of the city, riding in horse drawn carts, before going into the city properly on foot. The city was different to anywhere I’d been before, very alive, and it smelt a lot, but our guide had given us some mint to hide the stench. Our guide led us to a bakery, the Bab ed Dabbagh, a vast network of dyeing vats and the old Koranic school, to show us the Moroccan way of life. Next stop, a herbalist shop where a man gave us a talk on the different uses of the herbs, and I also had a massage, as did a few others, which was good. This was where we had our first try of mint tea, which was ok, and, as it’s what the Berbers drink, it became the main drink of the trek, although sometimes I’d have preferred a coke.
After the tour we had a quick bite to eat and then set off to Oukaimeden in the Atlas Mountains, which, on looking at them, are quite big. Tonight we were staying at a refuge, which is also a ski resort when there’s snow. Was fine, nothing special but it had toilets and showers. Then for the rest of the day we just sat outside on these weird seats.
Day 3 - Tuesday 8th July
Chairs are always higher then the tables over here, making eating harder then it should be
First day of walking, led by our guide Mohammed, we ascended the pass of Tizi n’ou Addi. Not too bad at first but then it got steeper and hotter, thankfully, the mules carried our baggage. The downhill bit was slippy as the stones were loose and Draper almost fell off at one point.
After a few hours of walking we arrived at our beds in Tacchedirt. We were supposed to be camping but one of the Berbers owned a very nice hostel and he said we could stay there. On arrival we had lunch, and I don’t know why, but the chairs are always higher then the tables over here, so you can’t get your legs under the table, making eating harder then it should be.
Then our muleteers turned up despite us leaving well before them, but they do this every day. It was quite amazing to watch one of the Berbers run down the mountain in about half the time it took us; he didn’t bother with the paths. For the rest of the day we did nothing apart from lounging around and some clothes washing in the sinks. Also there was some drama with Tristan as we weren’t sure if he was staying on or not, but he did in the end, which was good.
When it came to night time we had to do everything in torchlight because even though this place has light switches and plugs, they don’t work, so I decided they’re for show. It also made having a shower interesting and even more so because of the windows in them.
Day 4 – Wednesday 9th July
After that, Mr S gave us a tune on his harmonica
Got up at 4:40 in the morning, when it was still dark and starry, so we’d do most of the forthcoming climb in the cool. Got dressed and packed before breakfast, which was porridge, one of the most filling things in the world. Then we left and started to climb to a col at Tizi Likempt, which took about four hours and was quite tough in places, but my dextrose tablets seemed to help. Also some of the guys had thought to bring some music along, which took your mind off the climb.
Eventually we reached the top and there was this slightly odd man selling coke and Mars Bars, but I think it was quite a good place to have a shop - it makes the climb even more worth it if there’s a coke waiting for you. Then we headed down undoing all the hard work of the previous few hours; we’d climbed over 1000 m, one of the hardest climbs of the trek.
Tonight we were camping and we arrived by a river at Azib Likempt, in the Tifni Valley. Lunch was good again - pasta salad and fish. Thoughtfully, our Berber had provided us with a toilet, albeit a tent with a hole in the ground, but it was either that or behind a rock. With the help of the Berbers, we put up our tents after which we went to the river to cool off. A few boys went for a swim as did Martha, unintentionally, because Ollie picked her up and dropped her in. Unfortunately, Norrie has a fever and it’s raining but that’s it so far. For the rest of the afternoon we just hung around in the group tent till it was time to eat. After that, Mr S gave us a tune on his harmonica then it was bed.
Day 5 – Thursday 10th July
Lunch was beautifully arranged; it seemed a shame to eat it
Got up at 7 today, and took the tent down before heading down the Tinzer valley. This was quite easy as it was flat but still hot, and at a break we cooled off in the river and this time Martha fell in it. We carried on, had a few more breaks and got to our next camp, Azib Ouraine, at about 12. Lunch was beautifully arranged; it seemed a shame to eat it.
Having free time all afternoon every afternoon, meant we had to find ways to amuse ourselves, so we played the ‘letter game’. It was fun; some very competitive people (Martha) took losing very badly. Something else to mention, George came across a skeleton on the hillside when he went to the toilet and when it started to rain the mules went a bit crazy and you could just hear animals galloping past your tent.
Dinner was soup, rice and salad, and melon after which, the Berbers provided us with tonight's entertainment by performing a few tricks on people. For example they brought to plates of water in. Mo our guide told Charlie to dip his finger in the water and write a 1 and 2 on his cheeks and showed him what to do with water from his own plate, telling Charlie to do the same. However there was soot at the bottom of Charlie’s plate, which left a black mark on his cheek. He saw the funny side, I think, but then it wouldn’t come off. After that to sleep we went.
Day 6 – Friday 11th July
Ollie, George and Charlie ran out of their tent screaming
Today we were heading to Amsouzerte, a village where we’d stay a couple of nights and have a break. It was a bit of a climb at first up to Tizi Ouraine but then it was downhill for most of the way, and the ground wasn’t as rocky today but more sandy, reminded me of a desert. It was just a slight change to show we were on the Saharan side of the mountains.
We soon got to the village, and I was glad to be there as the heat had picked up. We were welcomed with the drink of the trek, mint tea, and lunch. There was also a shop there so I treated myself to a Fanta.
After putting up our tents, we went for a swim in the river to cool off and give our clothes a wash in the process. Everything gets really dusty here; my legs were brown from the dirt. We were also given the opportunity to have a shower, though not many people took it.
Again we were left to our own devices and some of the guys bought a football and had a game with some of the locals - that is until Charlie burst it. Martha and Katy made some interesting dance videos and everyone else either read or just sat there in the sun. An amusing game with some sweets just showed what some people will do for food.
Tonight we had a treat of chicken and chips to eat, and everyone welcomed it if it meant no rice or couscous. Nothing much happened except Mohammed the cook showed off his strength by picking everyone up and Semen got very amused over Ollie’s sunglasses. After a while it was bedtime but something very amusing happened after we were all in our tents. Ollie, George and Charlie ran out of their tent screaming because something had stung Ollie, something huge and terrible apparently. However, I think it turned out to be a wasp, though they managed to cover their embarrassment up rather well.
Day 7 – Saturday 12th July
At least the tea was good and we were offered some bread and honey
The rest day, apparently.
We had a bit of a lie-in today and got up at 7:30, and had the added bonus of not having to pack as we were staying here for another night. Couldn’t manage my porridge again and there was a hot chocolate incident, whether adding water before the hot chocolate and powdered milk caused lumps. Lumps were caused.
Breakfast over, we got ready to go for some mint tea in a real Berber house. At the time I thought it would be a quick stroll down the track, however I was greatly mistaken; it turned out to the hardest, hottest walk so far. It was not a rest day.
We reached the house hot and tired, but at least the tea was good and we were offered some bread and honey.
After the hot walk back we had lunch and went for a swim, which was refreshing.
Later on we presented our gifts we’d brought from home, such as pencils, balloons etc. to the chief of the village. Draper also chucked Katy’s sandal over the side of the ledge - poor Ben got quite a lot of abuse for that.
Day 8 – Sunday 13th July
Martha felt the need to stay awake to make sure the tent didn’t blow away
Got up quite early today, 5:30, to miss the extreme heat, and got ready to set off. The first bit of walking I found quite hard because I was still tired but the boys put the music back on, which took everyone’s mind off the walking.
Heading up the Islani valley, we eventually saw Lac D'Ifni, quite an amazing sight; a huge bright blue pool surrounded by the mountains. After a short walk down to it, we had lunch and waited till the afternoon, when it was cooler, to head to our campsite. During that time, quite a few of us took the opportunity to catch up on some sleep.
Feeling a bit restless, we set off again, to find a steep walk a head of us, but by walking now, the journey the next day would be cut down.
Tonight our campsite was situated halfway up a mountain, but it made a change. The only problem was it was very windy up here and our group tent started to blow away. Martha and I put rocks in our tent to stop it blowing away like Mr Stockdale and Martin’s had.
Tonight the food was not so good – spaghetti, or elastic bands according to Ollie. After this disaster, we did a quiz which Martin, our guide, had written for us.
Thankfully, it was time for bed and Katy and Martha sang then did a rendition of all of the Grease songs.
During the night the wind picked up, it was very noisy and Martha felt the need to stay awake to make sure the tent didn’t blow away, despite all the stuff in it, but it was a nice thought.
Day 9 – Monday 14th July
Charlie amusingly sang “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” to a group of French people
Another early start; we packed away quickly, before tucking into some more porridge, yum. Then we continued up the mountain, and, once I realised the walk ahead, I really appreciated that we had done the extra walking yesterday to cut down today’s journey. For a change we saw some snow although it was not cold.
After a couple of hours, we reached Tizi Ouanoums from where we could see back to the lake and I didn’t think it looked that far, but I guess most of the time we were gaining height more than distance.
We had a fairly quick descent to the hostel where, on arrival, we had tea and lunch. This hostel is very busy because it is situated right by Mount Toubkal, so it was packed. After lunch it was back to hanging around for the rest of the day. Charlie amusingly sang “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” to group of French people, but this was after drinking loads of coffee with George; they both began to shake and didn’t feel too great after.
Day 10 – Tuesday 15th July
Somewhere on the horizon was the Sahara Desert
The last day of walking.
Today we were woken up at 04:30 and had breakfast before sorting ourselves out for the climb of the trek. This morning we were going to ascend Mount Toubkal (4,167 m), the highest point in the Atlas Mountains and North Africa.
We set off at 5:50 when it was still dark, which made climbing the steep, rocky path even more fun. The walk didn’t turn out to be that bad though, I thought we’d had harder climbs, but the views were definitely the best. After a few hours we reached the top and took loads of photos. Because we were so high we could see the village we would be staying in tonight and somewhere on the horizon was the Sahara Desert. However the whole experience of been really high was cool, especially with all the other mountains below us.
We spent some time up there and had some food before starting our descent, which I was glad of as it was cold up there. It didn’t take as long to get back but you had to be careful or you’d slip off the edge as the ground was really loose in some places. Charlie also hurt his foot or leg, and as he put it he “manned his way down the mountain”, so that turned out alright.
Got back to the hostel around 11 and had lunch. After this daily event we did a little presentation to our Berbers to say thank you for looking after us and feeding us. Liam made a quick speech and then a few of us gave them their tips.
After a bit of sunbathing, we set off to Aremd, the village where our guide Mo lives; it was a gently descending walk but took a few hours. On the way we stopped off at a sacred rock in a village, but as none of us are Muslim, we weren’t allowed to go to the other side of the bridge and have a look at it. There were also lots of flies there; I didn't like it.
We soon turned up to where we are staying tonight, our last night in the mountains, and it was better than I expected. We were shown to our rooms. None of us had had a proper shower, or wash, since our last hostel, so 6 days ago - we looked good.
After showering and washing some clothes, we had supper, chicken, which wasn’t that bad. Back to our balcony and someone found some balloons and came up with the bright idea with filling them with water. Eventually we went to bed and Katy and I slept in our sleeping bags instead of the bed because Ollie and Norrie said they’d gotten bitten whilst in theirs.
Day 11 – Wednesday 16th July
Time for shopping; we went to the souk
Got up and packed our mess away. Our last Berber meal was muesli instead of porridge after which we said our final goodbyes to cook Mohammed and started the short walk, about half an hour, to the next village where we were getting the mini buses back to Marrakech. We had a short break and a drink instead of leaving straight away as this was our last time in the mountains.
After a hairy drive back to Marrakech, we checked in at the same hotel as before and then had the best lunch. We had spaghetti and coke, it was just good.
Time for shopping; we went to the souk and wandered around for a while before going back to the hotel and returning on our own. Martha, Katy and I wandered off together and tried our haggling skills, which were alright, some of the stall holders not so alright. It was really hot in the souk and the three of us had to go back and cool off, I don’t think I even got that hot when we were walking.
Before, I mentioned that lunch was good, but at supper there was pizza, so I think this meal wins. Then it was back to the souk to experience the Djemma El Fna at night. This time we girls had to go with the boys for safety, so we found a boy. It was a fun experience, especially when you walked into all the restaurant stalls as everyone came up and tried to get you to eat at theirs, grabbing you and saying crazy stuff like the food was from Sainsbury’s or M&S. However, we picked one place to try the local delicacy. I had some chips; I know, very Moroccan.
Then we split into groups and were set a task by Mr Stockdale and Mrs Lentink. We were given a certain amount of money and told what we had to buy. Our group had to buy a Moroccan shirts for 50 dirham. Our first offer was at 700 dirham, so we left that stall when they wouldn’t budge. Then at the next stall, due to the brilliant haggling skills by Ollie and Norrie, they got the price from 400 dirham to the target of 50 dirham. Poor guy, he won’t eat tonight. With the challenge completed, we returned to the cafe, unsure if the teachers expected success on not. Liam still was feeling the effects of foreign food, and, after a bit more shopping we went back to the hotel and met the other group.
When we eventually went to bed, it was too hot to sleep because I don’t think we figured out how to use the air con right.
Day 12 – Thursday 17th July
I wouldn’t mind if I was still there
Had our final Moroccan meal, croissants and bread, before packing up and heading to the airport. We were again stopping at Casablanca and the flight was ok although the landing sort of shook us around a bit, like a ride at a theme park.
After a short wait, we took off, finally leaving Morocco to return home. We eventually met up with the parents at around 10 that night.
And that’s that! It was a really good experience, loads of fun and I wouldn’t mind if I was still there.