Moroccan Madness
Star gazing in the Zagora Desert. Photo credit: Dr Daniel Callan
Let me introduce you to a great friend of mine…Dr Dan! Dan and I met when we were teenagers and have since been on some incredible adventures together! In September 2019 we embarked on a whirlwind adventure to Morocco. Our week was action packed with sight-seeing, getting lost in souks, camel treks to the Zagora desert and climbing Mount Toubkal (the highest peak in North Africa at 4167m!) Get ready for upset stomachs and a lot of laughs!
Earlier in the year Dan had messaged me asking for an adventure buddy and I jumped at the opportunity! To help progress my career, I needed to climb a 4000m peak to experience walking at altitude; and I had my heart set on conquering Mount Toubkal. However, I didn’t want to go to Morocco on my own. We met at my house for dinner and had a planning meeting to decide where we wanted to go, and what we wanted to achieve. Thankfully Dan had also not previously been to Morocco; and before we knew it, our flights were booked. A quick wave goodbye to our parents and we were off!
Arriving in Morocco was like landing into the film Aladdin. Marrakech is this bustling city full of life, sound and vibrant colours. Street vendors drawing you in left, right and centre; and smells of street food filling the air. I was thankful to have Dan by my side. His previous experience meant he thrived in this environment. He was full of confidence; bartering with street vendors and trying new foods at every opportunity. For me, this vibrant city was new and exciting! Dan’s energy was infectious, and throughout the week he gave me the confidence to try bartering for myself. He inspired me to have conversations with the locals and hear about their stories. By the end of the week, I was bartering with the locals over wooden camels and embracing Moroccan culture.
The day arrived to start our hike up Mount Toubkal. Whilst waiting for the taxi, I could feel my stomach starting to inflate. I looked at Dan for reassurance but all I got was “you’ll be fine.” By the time we arrived at the start of the trek I was struggling to clip up my hip belt. We started walking up the track, my stomach getting bigger and bigger. As we arrived at a rest stop, Dan turned to look at me. “How are you feeling now?” He asked. I looked back at him and said “I think I’m going to be sick!” At that very moment I projectile vomited everywhere; the vendors drinks and snacks unfortunately getting slightly splattered by the vomit. Oooppss. We’ve all been there right!? Dan was great at this moment, literally washing me and the area around me down with water. My stomach felt better, but I was utterly mortified! Finally after 8 tough hours later, we made it to camp.
Dan thought he had gotten away with it. Oh no! That evening Dan also suffered with intense food poisoning and the area outside our tent looked like we’d spilt porridge everywhere! The next day we awoke at 3am, ready to start walking at 4, in the hope of achieving a sunrise summit. Our guide was lovely and physically incredibly fit; bouncing up the well-trodden path like a mountain goat. Due to a lack of food inside us and oxygen gradually depleting, Dan and I plodded slow and steady up the scree slope instead. The stars were beautiful and bright, helping to light our way to the summit. A couple of hours later, first light started to change the sky from a navy colour to a light blue; tinging the mountain tops with a crisp orange coating. I was so close to achieving my first 4000m summit. By the time we reached the top we just caught the end of the sunrise. An orange and yellow haze covered the Atlas Mountains and a huge sense of relief and pride was printed on mine and Dan’s faces. We had finally made it! With hardly any food and sore stomachs, that amazing feeling of standing on the top, so high, was incredible. I couldn’t have been prouder of the two of us. After a couple of summit selfies, we made our way back down to camp where Dan and I had a well needed rest before making our way back to Imlil. That evening we spent chilling out in the pool, nibbling trail mix, and enjoying our sweets that we had intended to eat on the summit.
Later on in the week we camel trekked into the Zagora desert and camped overnight in a yurt. We enjoyed traditional Moroccan music played by our guides and star gazed until the early hours of the morning. This is one of the best views I’ve ever had of the stars, along with the Amazon rainforest.
Even though our time in Marrakech was short, it was packed full of new experiences for me. The culture’s incredible with a bustling city, beautiful mountains and lovely chatty people. I’d recommend it to anyone! If I can offer you any advice though… when someone says to you “don’t drink the water and don’t eat the street food” before travelling to Morocco, please listen to them!