We did it

THE FINAL CHALLENGE
We did it, we all did it!

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Friday 8 June 2007

Met our fellow trekkers at Gatwick – a mixture of anticipation and trepidation was in the air. However, immediately our Scope leaders Clare Furnival and Karen McDonnell, and our expedition leader Lisa Russell of the Ultimate Travel Company, welcomed us and put us at ease with their confident but sensitive expertise.
In Marrakech, we were taken to the Hotel Tichka – really good, above expectations – made famous in the 1960s by Mick Jagger. During a buffet (around the pool) we met Allan – a lawyer from New York who was joining us on the trek (they do nothing like this in the USA, and he signed up and flew direct to Marrakech from New Jersey). We also met Iain, a Brit living and working in Geneva. So could we call it an international expedition?
Saturday 9 June
Early start – 2 hour minibus trip to village of Imlil, the nearest a vehicle can reach to Mt Toubkal, at 5000'.
Met the mules and their Berber masters who carried our luggage and food provisions. Our lead guide was Hassan, a Berber who was born and bred in this region which he loves. He did though admit he now lives mostly in Switzerland, with his Swiss wife and family!
We then started our Day 1 trek – about 8 hours of gradual climb to base camp at 10,500’. Lunch was a stop at a picturesque spot by a river, where our guides had erected a tent and cooked a superb meal. We were entertained as well by a pair of Griffon vultures circling over us(!) – one of the largest birds in the world with a wingspan over 9 feet.
On arrival at base camp all our tents had been erected, and the guides were already preparing our evening meal, eaten communally on rugs in a large tent.
The washing and toilet facilities were what you might call basic – a bowl of water and a hole in the ground.
Early to bed – about 9pm – but the highlight was looking at the starlit sky, an extraordinary sight with no light pollution. A very windy night and fear of the unknown tomorrow made sleep difficult, but at least we were nice and snug in our Snugpak sleeping bags.
Sunday 10 June
Up at 5am, breakfast and all 28 of us away by 6.30am. Some had felt the altitude already, but with the help of our doctor, Margaret, everyone was in pretty good shape.
Hassan warned us to take it slowly as we gained altitude ‘If you found it easy yesterday, today will be hard, if you found it hard yesterday, today will be extremely hard!’ We started from base camp with a section of steep ascent – after that it got steeper! Everyone took the team approach because everyone wanted as many of us as possible to get to the top. Those who had done similar challenges in the past were a great support, especially Barbara and Stella – the Bolton ladies – along with the Scope/UTC team and the guides.
After 6-7 hours of gruelling trekking, 26 of the 28 made it to the top. The organisers said this was a remarkable result, with only 2 people not making it, due to altitude sickness.
Great credit must be given to the guides, as they judged the pace to perfection. By contrast we were overtaken on the ascent by a young Canadian couple, one of whom became quite ill at the top – they were very lucky that our Margaret was there and administered drugs, food and water.
Many of the party were quite emotional, so much hard work, training and fundraising had gone into achieving this challenge to reach the summit at 4167m, nearly 14,000’. Once again, even at this height and in this terrain, on the roof of North Africa, a superb lunch was provided by our guides. Never have such brilliant views been seen over such good food. As for the views, we have done our best with the pictures here, but no pictures can do the scene justice.
After 1½ hours at the top we started the long descent. This was a whole new challenge – loose scree and very steep, worn paths made the going quite slippery at times. Most of us slipped and fell, and more than once. Passing through snowfields did give some relief. However, snowball throwing then broke out, and then a toboggan run developed (but without a toboggan – very wet bums) with most people enjoying a very fast descent for some 50 yards.
On reaching base camp at about 6.30pm we were welcomed by the 2 people who had not made it. They were still in good spirits, and took photographs of each of us as we returned.
The evening meal was a joyous occasion, and even included wine, again brought up to camp by the much appreciated mules.
Exhausted but elated we went to bed at 10pm, expecting a very good night’s sleep. Not to be. This time the night gales were ferocious. Miraculously no tents were blown away, even though at times they were bent right over.

Monday 11 June
Lack of sleep and all our gear covered in dust (blown in by the Sahara wind) didn’t deter us – this was Brian’s 60th birthday. We started the day with Bucks Fizz – alcohol before 7am was a record even for Brian!
Away by 7.30am, we had a long descent to Imlil, with everyone now fully aware of their thigh muscles and knees. Just as we thought it was all over, and we were having lunch in a clearing at the side of a mountain river, one mule took its revenge. Steve Crossland, a veteran trekker of Kilimanjaro and many other places, got too close to this particular mule and received a direct hit from a rear hoof. Fortunately it was on soft tissue (his bum) and only bruising resulted.
At this point we said goodbye to the guides, who had done such a good job. Group photos were the order of the day, including all 28 of us together with Clare and Karen, Lisa and Hassan and his team.
Back at the hotel well-earned baths, dips in the pool and even a few drinks were the priorities. A gala evening meal at a Moroccan restaurant followed – an excellent night – lots of humour to accompany the good food and drink.
Highlights on our table were:
Stella keeping us in constant laughter, especially with her stories of her brother-in-law’s greyhound, which was black with white spots and was called Spec. Stella caught her brother-in-law apparently in a compromising position with the dog. His explanation was even more unbelievable. Having won a number of races he had decided to change Spec’s identity (so as to get better odds at the bookies) by blackening out the white spots, and then entering him under the name of ‘Blackie’.
Peter’s disappointment at finding that 2 forks and 2 knives did not mean 2 main courses. Sue made it worse by telling him that 2 main courses was a Moroccan tradition, and so he was quite unlucky on this occasion. This left him with only 4 courses!
Brian’s birthday cake (arranged by Clare) brought in to the singing of Happy Birthday. Brian made a thank you speech to everyone – what a way to celebrate your 60th. Meanwhile Peter ate Brian’s portion of cake!
After the meal those of us still standing went to a nightclub, where the oldest trekkers in town outlasted most of the younger generation.

Tuesday 12th June
After a quiet breakfast, everyone went their homeward way, but Paul and Sue and Brian and Peter stayed on for 4 days holiday in Morocco – another really good experience.

Thank Yous

As well as the Scope and UTC people already mentioned, we would like to say sincere thanks to Lorraine Mitchie and Janice Sahnow at Brian’s work, and Chris at his home, for all the terrific help they have given in organising the fundraising for Brian, Peter, Su and Paul.
So far we have raised well over £10,000, and money is still coming in. So a great big thank you most of all to everyone who has donated.