Friday 22 June 2007

Kasbah du Toubkal




Title – Kasbah du Toubkal
Date – June 2007
Location – The Atlas Mountains - Morocco

The Kasbah du Toubkal sits on top of its own little pinnacle located in the valley and at the starting point of the 2 day trek up to the summit of the mighty Mount Toubkal which at 4167m is not just the highest mountain in the Atlas range but also the highest mountain in North Africa.

Certainly ‘The Kasbah’ as it is referred to by all who visit this area, is not really considered as a budget destination, but it is equally not a ‘credit card-limiter’ (a new phrase I am claiming for a purchase that takes you to the credit limit of your card). In fact it has a number of different rooms on different rates and even a dorm facility. But book well in advance, it’s a popular destination. When you arrive you quickly notice that there are two types of visitor to The Kasbah, those that stride round in complete confidence and inspired by their new surroundings and those whose every move is completed rather gingerly and with a grimace of pain on their face; put a different way, those who have just completed the trek up Mount Toubkal and those who are about to…

It is certainly a great place to start and an even better place to stop after completing the trek. However it should not be ignored by anyone who does not feel they can make it to the summit. Exploring the surrounding country is in itself a pleasure and there are many ‘easier’ one day hikes that you can complete and endless little villages to explore and friendly villagers to meet along the way.

However not only is this stunning location something that will bring a smile to anyone’s face, the facilities are uniquely Moroccan, the breakfast superb and dinner exquisitely local (I have to say with the exception of one night we were there when something went obviously wrong in the kitchen or the chef was on a day off…); The Kasbah is also run in both a sustainable way and supports local villagers by donating part of their income to support local projects. This has promoted it to gracing the front cover of Tourism Concern’s
Ethical Travel Guide, a book we are happy to recommend to all.

During our Gap Year and Independent Travel Safety & Awareness workshop we consider all aspects of Travel Safety and travel planning, this includes Destination Advice, Ethical and Responsible Travel and Travel Health. Only you can get yourself to the summit of Mount Toubkal, but we can help you do it responsibly, more safely and to recognise the symptoms of altitude sickness that even at these heights can start to lead to problems and discomfort.

Please visit our website at
www.safegapyear.com

Image – ©Peter Mayhew

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