Trekking in Atlas Mountains dep 2nd May
hi Ben,
I will be joining you at Heathrow on 2nd may and am really looking forward to meeting up with you and the others on our trip - we are set for a good 2 weeks of highs and lows. Are you a seasoned trekker ? I am not a good camper but needs must !!
tania
Hi Tania. It's my first trek so a lot will be new to me. I've just spoken to exodus and they say a three-season bag is a must, particularly as there's still snow near the top of some of the mountains. I'm not a natural camper either and shivvering through the night is not my idea of fun, so three-season it is I guess!
Hi, I am on the same trip as you but on a different date (23rd May). I have done some hiking previously in Peru, Borneo and Nepal but this will be the longest time spent hiking continuously. Spending a reasonable amount on a sleeping bag is well worth it, lack of sleep is a really bad start to the day! It is amazing how the temperature plunges at dusk when you are at high altitude in the the thinner air. Footwear wise, in a largely hot (during the day), dry climate like Morocco at this time of year, breathability is more important than water repellency. So I am taking leather boots with no waterproof lining. The less sweaty your feet are the less likely you are to get blisters. The leather should be able to cope with the odd shower or snow at the top. I'll check the snow situation before I go to see if I need to hire crampons to negotiate any icy stretches. I actually wore low cut trail shoes in Nepal but ended up twisting my ankle slightly so going with boots this time. Other things I'd especially recommend would be a hydration pack like Camelbak etc and walking poles. The former allows you to drink constantly on the move and the latter are like having 4-wheel drive, if you use them properly. See this site for on-line training: http://www.personal.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/poles.htm
Seeing as there are no chairs in the tents I bought a Thermarest trail seat (like a cushion basically). Can always use it for watching cricket as well!
Cheers
Jon
hey ben
i have been to toubkal before and a 3 season bag and a liner will be a must when we get up high. you have probably seen the new itinerary by now too so be sure to take some warm clothes for evening and ascents. the mess tent mats are used at night so don't use up any valuable space in your kit bag with a thermarest or mat. Neutralising tablets are a must too for this trip as they use iodine to treat the water we need to drink and it is really horrid else.
2 weeks and I for one cannot wait !!
Hi
I am Cara and am on the 2nd May trip. Just got the new itinerary and seems ok to me, a bit less walking it appears but these things happen.
I went on the sister trip- anti atlas exodus trek about 15 years ago and loved it. Cold nights and hot days. A good sleeping bag is a must. Last time, as someone who had not travelled before and I knew no better, I brought a cotton sleeping bag from Tescos plus a pair of flanellete pyamas and froze to the bone.This time it is silk liner and heavy duty down bag.
The scenery and people in the mountains were wonderful. Villages full of women as the men were away working in the cities.
See you in Heathrow on 2nd!
"What larks Pip"
Cara
Crampons- check, Ice pick- check, sleeping bag and liner- check
Looking forward to seeing you at the airport
Cara
