Head to the High Atlas Mountains in Morocco on an incredible education focused trail running adventure.
ADVENTURE, TRAVEL, PURPOSE
Dates 2024 TBC
£1,950/$2,500 per person
The Women’s Partnership Trail Running Challenge
Why is this trip for you
Like every great Orbis trip there is adventure, travel and purpose. Max of 15 women plus 3 Moroccan guides to join you throughout the trip and support you during your trail running events.
ADVENTURE: High Atlas Mountains staying in the beautifully restored Kasbah Du Toubkal, located within the Imlil Valley. Trail runs and an overnight into the mountains at Azzaden Trekking Lodge.
TRAVEL: Two nights spent in the hustle and bustle of Marrakech to discover the markets, culture, history and incredible food.
PURPOSE: Based in the High Atlas Mountains you will link up with the inspiring girls and staff from Education for All, learning more about how they are supporting rural girls to stay education and the traditional Berber culture.
Who we are looking for to join the team
Sense of adventure and a questioning mind
Humble and great at listening and taking in new experiences
Moderate level of fitness and passion for running
This women only trip is an incredible chance to learn more about life in the High Atlas Mountains, partner with an inspirational girls education organisation, trail run in this stunning region of North Africa and get that tingly cultural burst of Marrakech.
Highlights
Your stay in Marrakech- discovering the highlights and hidden gems- local style.
Village life in the Imlil Valley and meeting the local Berber people.
Meeting the staff and students at the Education for All boarding houses.
Using your skills, learning, collaborating and partnering with this inspiring organisation.
Trail running in the High Atlas and sleeping at the beautiful Azzaden Trekking Lodge.
The Trail Runs
On each trail run you will be joined by 3 Moroccan runner guides. You will carry your own nutrition and water. There will be one first aider/water/check in stop per event.
The introduction (Day 4): Start/Finish- Kasbah Du Toubkal. 10-15km. 200 metres elevation. Mix of tarmac and dirt tracks. Incredible views across the Imlil Valley to the distant Toubkal Mountain.
Main event- part 1 (Day 6): The big day. Start- Kasbah du Toubkal. Finish- Azzaden Trekking Lodge. 1,800 metres elevation. Mule path tracks. 15km total across the day with the first 8km a steep narrow zig zagging path.
Main event- part 2 (Day 7): Start- Azzaden Trekking Lodge. Finish- Asni (EFA girls boarding house). 17 km (old dirt road). 250 metres elevation (majority downhill run). 3km on tarmac road to one of the EFA houses and meet up with the minibus back to Kasbah du Toubkal. Incredible view day!
The Purpose
Very few girls from rural communities in Morocco get the opportunity of continuing their education after primary school. To help tackle this, Education For All, a Moroccan NGO, is building and running girls’ boarding houses near secondary schools, so girls from rural families can continue their education.
Education For All (EFA)
Education For All (EFA) was established to help provide the opportunity of a secondary education for girls from the High Atlas mountain region. They build and run high-quality boarding houses for girls from 12–18. Everything is provided for free. They offer 3 nutritious meals a day, hot showers, cosy beds, access to computers, study support via an international volunteer programme and dedicated, local housemothers. The overall environment makes it easy for the girls to settle in and thrive in their studies. They have seen a 90% pass rate across all years and some 200 EFA young women have attended university.
Your role
On Day 5 of your trip you will be spending time with an EFA guide and visiting a variety of the houses where the girls are based. There will be time to meet with the students and hopefully deliver some interactive activities, with themes around how to present yourself at interview, your career journey, female empowerment and general business. Before you travel we will have time to prepare some really fun activities and meet with EFA to find out more about what would be useful for the girls and staff. (In 2022 we ran activities on first aid, careers, listening skills and confidence building).
Sustainability: We really hope that the partnerships you make at EFA will lead to continued support and staying in touch with the organisation. There are opportunities for sponsorship and future volunteering within the organisation.
Further Information…
We try our best to include everything for your time in Morocco. The cost of the expedition is £1,950 which includes all transport and guiding in Morocco, meals (except lunch on day 1, 2), accommodation (twin sharing), bespoke activities (trail running support) and skill sharing activities. (Single supplement available at the Riad in Marrakech upon request: subject to availability)
International flights, drinks, visas, tips and items of a personal nature are excluded.
Payment: Payment plan options and advise re fundraising. To get your company or business involved in part-sponsorship of your expedition as a professional development opportunity please see further information here.
Maximum group size: 15 women.
Day 1: Arrive and transfer 20 mins from Marrakech airport to a riad in central Marrakech. If we arrive early enough there will be an option to take a guided walk to acclimatise before a first night dinner at the riad.
Day 2: Morning guided tour, or an option to take a cycle tour- highly recommended- (est. £25) of the old Medina and Jmaa el Fna where snake charmers, storytellers, acrobats, medicine men and musicians compete for your attention. A great chance to explore the markets, buy some gifts and soak up the culture. Lunch at a restaurant of your choice or your Orbis guide will choose a great local place to all meet.
Day 3: Leisurely departure and a 90 minute journey to the High Atlas Mountains and the Imlil Valley. Settle into the beautiful Kasbah du Toubkal (1800m).
Day 4: Introductory run/walk (See intro trail run for details) and hopefully meet up with some of the girls from EFA in the evening. Kasbah Du Toubkal
Day 5: Day spent at the Education for All houses. Meeting the girls, delivering some interactive activities and learning about this incredible organisation. A true highlight of the trip Kasbah Du Toubkal
Day 6: Rise early and take on your main trail run into the Azzaden Valley (See Main Event Trail Run for details) Overnight at the simple but stunning Azzaden Lodge. (Shared basic accommodation)
Day 7: Set off after breakfast to take on your trail run to Asni and meet back up with the EFA girls (see Main Event Trail Run 2 for details) Take a short transfer bus back to the Kasbah for your final evening. Kasbah Du Toubkal
Day 8: Depart for International Flight
This is simply a meeting of minds, social communication from one culture to another, which is brilliantly inspiring, it is a way to raise each other up. To be empowered and inspired by the strength an courage of others
— Kate Webb (Owner Orbis Expeditions)
