Sunday, July 22, 2007
Day Nine; Aremd To Toubkal refuge
It was really misty last night, cold and damp. I could feel it when I went up to the terrace to use the toilet. Everybody was a bit concerned that this meant the weather had turned, which could affect our Toukbal attempt. When I woke, Sandra said that she had lain awake, listening to the pouring rain. I pulled back the shutters, to reveal another gloriously sunny day- she had been listening to the stream!
We set off up the valley, and pick up a fairly gentle mule track, much of it in shade. One of our party, Heidi, wasn’t well; she had severe stomach cramps and sickness. She alternated between striding off ahead whilst she felt better, and dropping back to walk with her husband and Assiz when the attacks came again. It must have been awful for her.
After a couple of hours of following the valley and gently climbing, we reached the shrine of Sidi Charamouch. It’s the sight of a shrine to a holy man, and locals will make pilgrimages there regularly. It’s a funny place, and very popular- we kept having to leap off the path to allow passing mules. The shrine itself is marked by a great white, hollow boulder, inside which prayer is held. There is a ‘Muslims only’ sign- us Infidels aren’t allowed in! The rest of Sidi Charamouch consists of a few ramshackle stalls selling drinks, clothes and the usual tourist goods. One stall had an ingenious system of piping cold water from the stream running through the hamlet to keep the bottles of drinks cool.
Sidi CharamouchWe sat at a café, and had drinks- mine was a coffee made with powdered milk but still good. Then it was onwards and upwards; the path climbed up and round the mountainside, and the scenery became more rocky and wild, with splashes of gorse. We could see the refuge- there is an old, established one and a new one being built. However, they are apparently very crowded, and we stayed at a wild camp just below it.
Mountain SceneryWe sat drinking mint tea in the mess tent whilst our muleteers put up the tents. I ended up with one to myself- luxury! Our toilet consists of a small white toilet tent over a dug out pit, with flat stones around it for balance!
Our Loo With a View!We are surrounded by rocky peaks, soaring into the most intense blue sky, far brighter than any achieved in England in the summer (and certainly this summer!) After dinner, we had a short walk up the valley, where we could see the evening sun turning the distant bulk of Oukaimeden pinky- purple. Everybody’s thoughts turn to tomorrow- the ascent day!
Evening Light On OukaimedenLabels: Aremd, High Atlas, Jebel Toukbal, Morocco, trekking
