The Atlas Mountains are three distinct ranges that extend some 500 kilometres through Morocco, dividing the interior of the country into strips of lower lying land. The Middle Atlas are the furthest north, whilst furthest south are the Anti-Atlas that almost cut the desolate Western Sahara off from the rest of the country.

It is the High Atlas that is the most dramatic, containing North Africa’s highest peak, Jebel Toubkal (4,167 metres), as well as countless Berber villages, terraced on to inaccessible ledges and perfectly preserving a tenacious culture. The trek took the group through steep valleys, rocky peaks, and past these tradional Berber villages as they made their way to the summit. Once there, they were rewarded with spectacular views of the High and Anti-Atlas ranges as well as the Sahara.

The High Atlas are easily accessed from Marrakesh, about 40 minutes away, and also offer wonderful mountain retreats, rustic but full of local character and set amidst stunning scenery.