Over the Easter break, 34 L6 Geographers and four teachers enjoyed a fantastic 10-day residential trip to Morocco.
After flying into Marrakech, we spent the morning studying urban land use and being guided through the Jemma el-Fna and souks. We then headed for the stunning Atlas Mountains and enjoyed incredible Berber hospitality whilst staying in the Sustainable Kasbah du Toubkal in Imlil. Day mountain treks helped us to understand the geomorphology of the Imlil Valley and the opportunities and challenges of agriculture and tourism in rural settlements. We gained first-hand experience of the efforts of the development charity Education for All and were involved in a physical community project sourcing and building a primary school library wall.
We then travelled south towards the Sahara Desert to understand more about processes, landforms, opportunities, and challenges in hot arid landscapes, including a 4×4 trip to the spectacular erg dunes near M’hamid. This section of the trip culminated in a traditional overnight desert Berber style camp and camel trek. We then head north-west, staying in the timeless settlement of Ait Ben Haddou, visiting the world’s largest concentrated solar power station and the famous Atlas film studios in Ouarzazate. We then headed west to the charming seaside port town of Essaouira, where we investigated coastal issues.
Morocco is truly a land of contrasts, and this was an unforgettable trip.
Monty Thompson, L6
