Visit Morocco

The Moroccan pre-Sahara begins as soon as you cross the Atlas to the south

Saturday, October 31, 2009 Blog 0

<div class="jump-link">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnmikhjmbTU9omQbivMwjQL8_QMSAC7uyfKSBhvwLe0lb5kvOin1l0XHK7GQQQNAWhjm45xmlyik4gF7V7fPfqgiHwgFQKGiYYAXm3p5V6TcyxyHycY3oaVrLDeSZDDL9uswys6gMNubpJ/s1600/DesertU_Circle_2013_72.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnmikhjmbTU9omQbivMwjQL8_QMSAC7uyfKSBhvwLe0lb5kvOin1l0XHK7GQQQNAWhjm45xmlyik4gF7V7fPfqgiHwgFQKGiYYAXm3p5V6TcyxyHycY3oaVrLDeSZDDL9uswys6gMNubpJ/s1600/DesertU_Circle_2013_72.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">Immediately when you arrive in the Sahara, for the first or the tenth time, you notice the stillness. An incredible, absolute silence prevails outside the towns; and within, even in busy places like the markets, there is a hushed quality in the air, as if the quiet were a constant force which, resenting the intrusion of sound, minimizes and disperses it straightaway. Then there is the sky, compared to which all other skies seem faint-hearted efforts. Solid and luminous, it is always the focal point of the landscape. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">At sunset, the precise, curved shadow of the earth rises into it swiftly from the horizon, cutting it into light section and dark section. When all daylight has gone, and the space is thick with stars, it is still of an intense and burning blue, darkest directly overhead and paling toward the earth, so that the night never really grows dark..</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">T</span>he Moroccan pre-Sahara begins as soon as you cross the Atlas to the </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">south. It is not sand for the most part – more a wasteland of rock and </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">scrub which the Berbers call hammada – but it is powerfully impressive.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The quote from Paul Bowles may sound over the top, but staying at </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">M’hamid or Merzouga, or just stopping a car on a desert road between towns </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">somehow has this effect.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">There is, too, an irresistible sense of wonder as you catch a first glimpse of </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">the great southern river valleys – the Drâa, Dadès, Todra, and Ziz. Long </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">belts of date palm oases, scattered with the fabulous mud architecture of </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">kasbahs and fortified ksour villages, these are the old caravan routes that reached </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">back to Marrakesh and Fes and out across the Sahara to Timbuktu, Niger and </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">old Sudan, carrying gold, slaves and salt well into the nineteenth century. They </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">are beautiful routes, even today, tamed by modern roads and with the oases in </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">decline, and if you’re travelling in Morocco for any length of time, they are a </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">must. The simplest circuits – Marrakesh–Zagora–Marrakesh, or Marrakesh–</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tinerhir–Midelt – can be covered in around five days, though to do them </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">any degree of justice you need a lot longer. With ten days or more to spare, the </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">loop from Ouarzazate to Merzouga (via Boumalne and Tinerhir), and thence </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">southwest to Zagora and M’hamid, becomes a possibility, stringing together </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">the region’s main highlights via good roads and dependable transport </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">connections.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=tinghir+morocco&sll=31.516764,-5.532389&sspn=0.033109,0.066047&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Tinerhir,+Ouarzazate,+Souss-Massa-Draa+45800,+Morocco&ll=32.203505,-5.383301&spn=3.253405,4.669189&z=7&output=embed" width="685"></iframe><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<small><a href="http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&q=tinghir+morocco&sll=31.516764,-5.532389&sspn=0.033109,0.066047&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Tinerhir,+Ouarzazate,+Souss-Massa-Draa+45800,+Morocco&ll=32.203505,-5.383301&spn=3.253405,4.669189&z=7" style="color: blue; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">View Larger Map</span></a></small></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=6870866644079530229&postID=212548515368659665" name="more"></a><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The southern oases were long a mainstay of the pre-colonial economy. Their </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">wealth, and the arrival of tribes from the desert, provided the impetus for two </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">of the great royal dynasties: the Saadians (1154–1669) from the Drâa Valley, and </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">the current ruling family, the Alaouites (1669–present) from the Tafilalt. By the </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">nineteenth century, however, the advance of the Sahara and the uncertain </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">upkeep of the water channels had reduced life to bare subsistence even in the</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">most fertile strips. Under the French, with the creation of modern industry in </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">the north and the exploitation of phosphates and minerals, they became less and</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">less significant, while the old caravan routes were dealt a final death blow by the </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">closure of the Algerian border after independence.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Today, there are a few urban centres in the south; Ouarzazate and Er </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Rachidia are the largest and both were created by the French to “pacify” the </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">south; they seem only to underline the end of an age. Although the date harvests</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">in October, centred on Erfoud, can still give employment to the ksour communities, </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">the rest of the year sees only the modest production of a handful of crops</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">– henna, barley, citrus fruits and, uniquely, roses – the latter developed by the </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">French around El Kelâa des Mgouna for the production of rose-water and </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">perfume in May. To make matters worse, in recent years the seasonal rains have </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">consistently failed, turning the palmeries pale yellow. Perhaps as much as half</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">the male population of the region now seeks work in the north for at least part.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="350" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=figuig+morocco&sll=32.068611,-5.583801&sspn=2.106279,4.22699&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Figuig,+Oriental,+Morocco&ll=32.116667,-1.226944&spn=2.103704,4.22699&z=9&output=embed" width="685"></iframe><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<small><a href="http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&q=figuig+morocco&sll=32.068611,-5.583801&sspn=2.106279,4.22699&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Figuig,+Oriental,+Morocco&ll=32.116667,-1.226944&spn=2.103704,4.22699&z=9" style="color: blue; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">View Larger Map</span></a></small></div>
</div>

route to desert The Moroccan pre-Sahara begins as soon as you cross the Atlas to the south

Immediately when you arrive in the Sahara, for the first or the tenth time, you notice the stillness. An incredible, absolute silence ...

...full post

Extreme Adventure Itinerary

Friday, October 09, 2009 Blog 0

<div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><a href="http://www.off-road-destinations.com/images/extadventure_pic03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://www.off-road-destinations.com/images/extadventure_pic03.jpg" width="320" /></a>The extreme trips are about exploring new ground in the quest to find a ider variety and more interesting routes. The approach here is that real adventure is about facing unknowns. Sometimes the trip will not go according to plan and often time will be lost due to backtracking from deadend pilot routes. The itinerary therefore needs to remain flexible and the group will have to work together as a team with each member playing their part. Days will be long, camping on route will be the favoured mode of accommodation to maintain flexibilty, and there is the possibility the group will have to face up to unforeseen challenges.  </div><br />
<br />
<div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><a href="http://www.off-road-destinations.com/images/extadventure_pic02a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://www.off-road-destinations.com/images/extadventure_pic02a.jpg" width="320" /></a> There will be some hotels along the way at key points and time to stop and relax, but this is a more hardcore adventure for the experienced rider who wants to be involved with pioneering a new route over untested ground. Ultimately there should be a sense of acheivement from all the ground covered riding in challenging conditions.</div><div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br />
<br />
</div>

Tips Travel guide Extreme Adventure Itinerary

The extreme trips are about exploring new ground in the quest to find a ider variety and more interesting routes. The approach here is that ...

...full post

Enduro Adventure Itinerary

Friday, October 09, 2009 Blog 0

<a href="http://www.off-road-destinations.com/images/endadventure_pic01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="217" src="http://www.off-road-destinations.com/images/endadventure_pic01.jpg" width="289" /></a>The Eduro Adventure Itinerary is designed for riders with good experience riding off-road and wanting to cover on average of about 200km per day at a steady pace. Full days moving across different landscapes, with some nights camping.<br />
<br />
<b>Day 1 – Saturday</b><br />
<br />
Arrive at hotel...<br />
Introductions and brief safety talk<br />
<br />
<b>Day 2 - Sunday</b><br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=6870866644079530229&postID=119470247897689970" name="more"></a><br />
<a href="http://www.off-road-destinations.com/images/endadventure_pic03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://www.off-road-destinations.com/images/endadventure_pic03.jpg" width="297" /></a><a href="http://www.off-road-destinations.com/images/endadventure_pic02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://www.off-road-destinations.com/images/endadventure_pic02.jpg" width="298" /></a>150-200km route in and around the Erg Chebbi dunes to get to know the quads and re-familiarise riders with the variety of different terrains they will be facing in the coming week’s tour. Lunch-time stop at the Meski Oasis.<br />
<br />
<b>Day 3 - Monday</b><br />
175-200km route along stoney and sandy pistes towards Zagora, travelling along the border with Algeria in places, where the group will pass several military outposts, hill forts and Berber villages and encampments. The group will need to cross several chotts, (dried river bed or lake) and there is a 10km meteor crater to cross also. The scenery is spectacular and the group will stop to camp that night. <br />
<br />
<b>Day 4 - Tuesday</b><br />
150-200km route from night camp leaving early to make good time so the group can spend the afternoon relaxing by the pool at the hotel in Zagora. The pistes are fast taking the group through the only col (pass), a gateway from the Sahara to the lush oasis of the Draa valley. Zagora is the last major town before crossing the desert to Mauritania.<br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>Day 5 - Wednesday</b><br />
200km route from Zagora to Mhamid crossing the dunes at Iriki. Navigation is key to avoid the softer sections of sand as the dunes are constantly shifting. The final 10km is a dusty chott that leads into the palm groves of Mhamid where the group will make camp. This is a long and demanding day and depending on progress of the group there is a chance of making camp in the dark. <br />
<br />
<b>Day 6 – Thursday</b><br />
There are 2 routes from night camp to stay in the evening with Berber tribesmen in their tents depending on how riders are fairing. A 175km easier southern route or a 250km route heading north back through the pass from the Sahara to Zagora. The first 100km of the northern route is along rugged mountain tracks and passes, later leading to sandy pistes. If the northern route is taken, it will be an early start and another tough day’s riding.<br />
<br />
<b>Day 7 – Friday</b><br />
175km route back to Merzouga that should ensure an early arrival at the hotel to relax by the pool or do some shopping. Mostly fast sandy pistes with a large chott to cross, covering some of the same sections as day 2.<br />
<br />
<b>Day 8 – Saturday</b><br />
Departure from hotel...

Tips Travel guide Enduro Adventure Itinerary

The Eduro Adventure Itinerary is designed for riders with good experience riding off-road and wanting to cover on average of about 200km per...

...full post

First Adventure Itinerary

Friday, October 09, 2009 Blog 0

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border: medium none; margin-top: 20px; width: 730px;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tbltxtleft"><a href="http://www.off-road-destinations.com/images/firstadventure_pic03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Photo: greeted by local children" border="0" height="240" src="http://www.off-road-destinations.com/images/firstadventure_pic03.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="http://www.off-road-destinations.com/images/firstadventure_pic01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Photo: quad bike atop a desert sand dune" border="0" height="240" src="http://www.off-road-destinations.com/images/firstadventure_pic01.jpg" width="320" /></a>he First Adventure Itinerary is designed for riders with a moderate or limited experience who have not ridden in Morocco. It allows the rider to build a wide experience of different conditions at a suitable pace without the pressure of long days and the need to cover big distances. <br />
<br />
<b>Day 1 - Saturday</b><br />
Arrive at hotel<br />
<br />
<b>Day 2 - Sunday</b><br />
Introduction to the quad bikes, safety equipment and general issues regarding safety<br />
<a href="http://www.off-road-destinations.com/images/firstadventure_pic02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Photo: quad riding in Morocco" border="0" height="240" src="http://www.off-road-destinations.com/images/firstadventure_pic02.jpg" width="320" /></a>150km round trip to along well defined flat desert tracks to enable riders to get used to the terrain and their equipment. Mid-morning stop at deserted mud village and lunch-time break in the palm groves outside Rissani. Afternoon ride back to hotel, on terrain depending on the progress of the riders<br />
<br />
<b>Day 3 - Monday</b><br />
180km round trip around the Erg Chebbi dunes with a lunch-time stop at Meski Oasis. Riders will experience soft sand conditions and the group will need to navigate around the drifting sand from the dunes. The route passes through a dry river bed where conditions can be equally demanding. Soft clay dust and sand masked by a hard clay crust, or soft mud depending on seasonal changes<br />
<br />
<b>Day 4 - Tuesday</b><br />
150km route to night camp in Bedouin tents with local tribesmen.  The ride will build on the experience gained so far.<br />
Day 5 - Wednesday<br />
150km route returning to the hotel closeby the Algerian border<br />
Day 6 - Thursday<br />
Optional rest day for those wanting to take a break from riding with a visit to the souks at Rissani on market day. There will be a lunch organised and the opportunity to shop and browse Moroccan carpets, jewellery and other handicraft.<br />
For others wanting to continue to ride, the consensus will determine a route for this smaller group.<br />
<br />
<b>Day 7 - Friday</b><br />
Riding in the Erg Chebbi dunes, rising before dawn to take advantage or the harder sand conditions. The group will ride into the dunes and learn about navigating a course across this extreme landscape, returning to the hotel for lunch. Those wishing to explore the dunes further can opt to go on an evening trip after the heat of the day.<br />
<br />
<b>Day 8 - Saturday</b><br />
Departure</td><td class="tblpicright" valign="top"><br />
<br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div id="language" style="margin-top: 25px;"> <a href="http://es.offroadholidays.com/index.php"><br />
</a></div>

Tips Travel guide First Adventure Itinerary

he First Adventure Itinerary is designed for riders with a moderate or limited experience who have not ridden in Morocco. It allows the rid...

...full post

Trips and Itineraries_Morocco Winter Trips

Friday, October 09, 2009 Blog 0

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.off-road-destinations.com/images/tripdates_pic01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.off-road-destinations.com/images/tripdates_pic01.jpg" width="302" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"> <b>Morocco Winter Trips</b></span><br />
October to May avoids the intense heat of the deserts south of the Atlas mountains. Here you will find huge baron landscapes punctuated with oases and fertile palm valleys where nomadic tribesmen have traded for centuries. A unique experience which is different to anything else you will encounter, big long tracks and mountainous sandy dunes.<br />
<br />
<div style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://morocco-deserts.blogspot.com/2009/10/first-adventure-itinerary.html">Itinerary - First Adventure</a><br />
<a href="http://morocco-deserts.blogspot.com/2009/10/enduro-adventure-itinerary.html">Itinerary - Enduro Adventure</a><br />
<a href="http://morocco-deserts.blogspot.com/2009/10/extreme-adventure-itinerary.html">Itinerary - Extreme Adventure</a></b></span>              </div><br />
Morocco Summer and Winter Trips are 6 days riding with collections from Alicante and Almeria, Spain, group collections can be arranged from Marrakech.

Tips Travel guide Trips and Itineraries_Morocco Winter Trips

Morocco Winter Trips October to May avoids the intense heat of the deserts south of the Atlas mountains. Here you will find huge baron la...

...full post

Geotag Icon Spotlight: all about argan

Thursday, October 08, 2009 Blog 0

<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEiTFKAsKh9VsYI3nAjSIDGN-a_V5KrbzsBf0Ps6yXPXJiJRv8fpSNRpuq5PDb1kf8eO0FlADcNK9__PMvgO8oIk4rXekcdgDI86OeS87M4KVaGbzOpwlNQqZ0wa2B7BMskJ6eIOo6oyVQ-ghAUub0hwULCNVHbzgb2KiYZlRwNBnjc9ZeU07jJ4Msu2r5HaYZ9P=" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://www.listentoafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/argan440web-dsc_0103.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">                               </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Throughout this journey, we </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">will be documenting people, projects and ideas that we find inspiring – whether they relate to climate change, agriculture, rural transport, cooperative projects, human rights or humanitarian welfare (or anything else that interests us!) – in a series called “spotlight”. Here’s the first: on the argan tree, the women’s cooperatives who extract oil from it, and the tree’s importance in preventing desertification. If you like, you can listen to some audio we recorded in one of the cooperatives (”</span><a href="http://www.listentoafrica.com/audio/the-merry-nutcrackers-of-argan-22062009/" style="font-family: inherit;">The merry nutcrackers</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">“) as you </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSfY-2754K5nHpPbsBWOracE6w_hKA5Odlzh_-O65q1baxESijWR_K7teAM4bbob0TQt1pOypWFvhih8iUbpx_dWA512VoPXcg3x-vN19SmyAJPxTurAfdAwKqP-VQ9W_p2sclir2Owb_a/s1600/argane_tree5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSfY-2754K5nHpPbsBWOracE6w_hKA5Odlzh_-O65q1baxESijWR_K7teAM4bbob0TQt1pOypWFvhih8iUbpx_dWA512VoPXcg3x-vN19SmyAJPxTurAfdAwKqP-VQ9W_p2sclir2Owb_a/s1600/argane_tree5.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span id="goog_1705638924"></span><span id="goog_1705638925"></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Towards the south of Morocco, away from the irrigated farmland of the north and its crops of potatoes, sugar cane, cereals, tomatoes, strawberries and field scale vegetables, we entered an area dominated by cereal production and extensive livestock farming (sheep, cattle and goats). Here, we regularly passed farmers carrying milk churns balanced between their legs as they drove their little Peugeot scooters to the local dairy co-operative. Threshing machines chugged away next to big stacks of cereals, which were transported there by tractor, donkey or camel.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsrl2I2DLkJKBQgPkjdF6dJyIxFys-yG-ZJxiXWkdZcVUCXr9eQOhj5NTtnVa7E3gxHjBMxP4R8ZveyiUQckcD-Mm6Retzyo2R1ntPTVyqFUnnfITaxEMUYbbJeIiciNn4IMiALRlOznY8/s1600/argane_tree1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsrl2I2DLkJKBQgPkjdF6dJyIxFys-yG-ZJxiXWkdZcVUCXr9eQOhj5NTtnVa7E3gxHjBMxP4R8ZveyiUQckcD-Mm6Retzyo2R1ntPTVyqFUnnfITaxEMUYbbJeIiciNn4IMiALRlOznY8/s1600/argane_tree1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.listentoafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/argan440web-dsc_0081.jpg"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Argan trees  Listen to Africa</span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Still further south, the mixed livestock gave way to goats, who are able to survive on the scrubby shrubs and trees found in this arid region. We spent many hours in the shade of thorny trees, sitting out the heat of the day, listening to larks singing away and watching goats climb the trees to reach their fruits. Having more than a passing interest in most (all!) things agricultural and natural, we set about finding out more about the trees. All the trees and bushes were the same species and, not recognising them, the first thing to find out was what they were. The first person we asked told us they were argan trees, and he went on to explain that oil is extracted from the seed by women, and is used for cooking, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The argan tree (Argania spinosa) is a slow growing, spiny tree or shrub (growing up to 7-10 metres) endemic to south-western Morocco where it grows over an area of about 320,000 square miles. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">As well as producing oil, the trees themselves provide forage for animals (the climbing goats) and fire wood for local communities. The waste pulp from the extraction process makes a highly palatable animal feed. It’s very much a multi use tree, and it plays an important part in the local economy, providing a much needed income for rural households.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNkM1_JmlIT9trL6HZZjQ6qwYwvO7bYSVzBiQHcMTy00DP1W-GmYXOo4ZddFBcpqyUPWKtgg-vCp1mwz7VVtHukwsBW_jcxrUXhRQK_inmfQdQWoOlXZDwTxe1Bvj5uVqmHgpk0VrP-rpR/s1600/argan_tree3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNkM1_JmlIT9trL6HZZjQ6qwYwvO7bYSVzBiQHcMTy00DP1W-GmYXOo4ZddFBcpqyUPWKtgg-vCp1mwz7VVtHukwsBW_jcxrUXhRQK_inmfQdQWoOlXZDwTxe1Bvj5uVqmHgpk0VrP-rpR/s1600/argan_tree3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Goats grazing under argan trees. Listen to Africa</b></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Its roots consolidate the soil and its canopy provides shade for other plants and crops, helping to maintain soil fertility and structure, and reducing soil erosion by wind and (infrequent but heavy) rainfall. As such, it’s important in the battle against desertification and, to a certain degree, in mitigating the effects of climate change. The production of argan oil has been taking place for centuries on a small cottage industry scale and, traditionally, women have always done the processing – an extremely labour intensive job. Nowadays, oil production has largely moved from homesteads to women’s cooperatives, and this pooling of resources and cooperative investment is helping to create a thriving industry in the arid south-west of Morocco, making a significant contribution to the economy and living standards in the region. The highly marketable products are sold in upmarket retail outlets around the world. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr9dVa8WcSPg56uL6qbywYOHTmK8SniZ-IehJvKp-lqpZeod_dOizhmSi1UzTw1rN38eJnbULWA8fQ5r7LtJzfK9maVCY4zW51ALa8ZI89bVgn6RAAF9j1vaJNcGf1La3NO0ZTmDfZzSKz/s1600/Argan_Tree_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr9dVa8WcSPg56uL6qbywYOHTmK8SniZ-IehJvKp-lqpZeod_dOizhmSi1UzTw1rN38eJnbULWA8fQ5r7LtJzfK9maVCY4zW51ALa8ZI89bVgn6RAAF9j1vaJNcGf1La3NO0ZTmDfZzSKz/s1600/Argan_Tree_2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Traditional method of extracting argan oil</b></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Argan oil is extracted from the kernel of the fruits of the argan tree. This labour intensive process starts with the removal of the outer layer of the ripe fruit to extract the nut, either by hand or by feeding the fruit to goats and removing the undigested nut from the dung. The nuts are then cracked using a small rock as a hammer against a larger rock (anvil) to remove the oil-bearing kernel. The kernels are air dried in clay containers, lightly roasted, left to cool and then ground into a paste using a hand turned mill. This paste is mixed with water and hand squeezed to extract the emulsion. Due to the high water content, the oil doesn’t keep well, so it need to be pressed regularly and have salt added to preserve it. While this method is still used for home consumption, the inconsistency of the end product means that most commercial production is now carried out in cooperatives.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Cooperative method of extracting argan oil</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>

<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">With the pooling of resources and the ability to collectively invest, some of the production stages in cooperatives have been mechanised, allowing a greater output and a more consistent end product. This volume of production has allowed rural women to market their products nationally and globally, command higher prices and significantly increase their income. The following is an indicative example of the production in one of the cooperatives, but levels of mechanisation vary. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The removal of the outer fruit on the whole has been mechanised, so after harvesting, the manual work starts with the cracking of the nut. This is done in large rooms with sometimes dozens of women sitting on cushions, all with their own sacks of nuts in front of them, tapping away with a rock at an incredible speed to extract the kernels. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The room is filled with the sound of the rhythmic tapping and constant chatting, turning this lengthy part of the process from a solitary or small group task into communal and sociable work. At the end of the day each person has their kernels weighed and logged in a ledger. The women are free to work for as long or as little as they want or can, allowing them to fit the work around their other commitments.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">After the kernels have been extracted, cooking grade oil is lightly roasted and then ground into a paste (most co-ops have mechanised this step). The paste is then mechanically pressed, meaning there is no need to add water and the purer oil produced is then filtered and bottled. Oil for cosmetic products is not roasted, but is pressed and filtered before being processed into the end products.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In recent decades, there has been a decline in argan trees, due partly to several years of lower than average rainfall and partly to population pressure, especially overgrazing by livestock and firewood collecting. But the population view the argan tree as a valuable resource worth protecting. Replanting programmes have now been introduced and, although initially these weren’t altogether successful (due to inappropriate management), they’re now improving. This, along with the increasing marketing of the oil and cosmetics as a high quality product in a world market, means the future looks promising for argan.</span></div>
</div>

Argan Geotag Icon Spotlight: all about argan

Throughout this journey, we will be documenting people, projects and ideas that we find inspiring – whe...

...full post

Sahara, brief view

Thursday, October 08, 2009 Blog 0

<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdOlQOeRcZjCQpRDWopkuv9FKDIXDT2fU2eMj0zlM4ca_6rW2VsxkzGJ229q27VUP46oVAZlqB4djDVPJ8UU3WxE4Eqz6V9erf9lhl-t-wNXLHDzSq-qNiOhRb4qrSpBvs4s5exNRvnSK6/s1600/theeDesert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdOlQOeRcZjCQpRDWopkuv9FKDIXDT2fU2eMj0zlM4ca_6rW2VsxkzGJ229q27VUP46oVAZlqB4djDVPJ8UU3WxE4Eqz6V9erf9lhl-t-wNXLHDzSq-qNiOhRb4qrSpBvs4s5exNRvnSK6/s1600/theeDesert.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sahara[Arab.,=desert], world's largest desert, c.3,500,000 sq mi (9,065,000 sq km), N Africa; the western part of a great arid zone that continues into SW Asia. Extending more than 3,000 mi (4,830 km), from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea, the Sahara is bounded on the N by the Atlas Mts., steppelands, and the Mediterranean Sea; it stretches south c.1,200 mi (1,930 km) to the Sahel , a steppe in W and central Africa that forms its southern border. The desert includes most of Western Sahara, Mauritania, Algeria, Niger, Libya, and Egypt; the southern portions of Morocco and Tunisia; and the northern portions of Senegal, Mali, Chad, and Sudan. The E Sahara is usually divided into three regions—the Libyan Desert , which extends west from the Nile valley through W Egypt and E Libya; the  Arabian Desert , or Eastern Desert, which lies between the Nile valley and the Red Sea in Egypt; and the  Nubian Desert , which is in NE Sudan.
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">

</span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://draft.blogger.com/null" name="more"></a></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Regions of sand dunes (erg) occupy only about 15% of the Sahara; "stone deserts," consisting of plateaus of denuded rock (hammada) or areas of coarse gravel (reg), cover about 70% of the region; mountains, oases, and transition zones account for the remainder. Sparse vegetation is found in most parts of the Sahara, with the exception of the sand dune regions. High mountain massifs rise in the central regions; they are the Ahagger (Hoggar) in S Algeria, which rises to more than 9,000 ft (2,740 m); the Tibesti Massif in N Chad, which rises to more than 11,000 ft (3,350 m); and the Aïr Mountains (Azbine) in N Niger, which rise to more than 6,000 ft (1,830 m). The mountains are deeply dissected and were in the past infamous for the shelter they provided to marauders preying on desert traffic. From west to east the four principal land routes across the desert are from Colomb-Bechar to Dakar; from Colomb-Bechar to Gao and Timbuktu by way of Reganne; from Touggourt to Agadez and Kano by way of In-Salah; and from Tripoli to Ghat.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Climate</b></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Sahara has one of the harshest climates in the world. Located in the trade winds belt, the region is subject to winds that are frequently strong and that blow constantly from the northeast between a subtropical high-pressure cell and an equatorial low-pressure cell. As air moves downward from the high-pressure into the low-pressure cell, it becomes warmer and drier. The desiccating and dust-laden winds are sometimes felt north and south of the desert, where they are variously known as sirocco, khamsin, simoom, and harmattan. The northern slopes of the Atlas Mts. intercept most of the moisture from winds blowing inshore from the Mediterranean Sea.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Border zones on the north and south, where the desert merges with the steppe, receive about 10 in. (25 cm) of rain a year with some seasonal regularity, but over most of the region rainfall is sparser, with an average annual total of less than 5 in. (12.7 cm); rainfall is usually torrential when it occurs after long dry periods that sometimes last for years. The region's low relative humidity rarely exceeds 30% and is often in the 4% to 5% range.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Daytime temperatures are high; Azizia, Libya, recorded the world's highest official temperature in the shade (136°F/58°C) in Sept., 1922. Heat loss is rapid at night and a diurnal range of 86°F (30°C) is common. Freezing temperatures are not uncommon at night from December to February.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Water and Other Resources</b></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Nile and Niger rivers, both fed by rains outside the desert, are the only permanent rivers in the region. Water is present at or just below the surface gravel in wadis (intermittent streams) that radiate from the mountain massifs, in scattered oases where the water table comes to the surface, and at greater depths in huge underground aquifers. The aquifers are believed to be filled with water dating from the Pleistocene epoch, when the Sahara was much wetter than it is today. The more than 20 lakes (called chotts in the north) and areas of salt flats and boggy salt marshes are also considered relics from this pluvial period.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Important discoveries of minerals, oil, and gas have been made in the Sahara. There are huge oil and gas deposits in Algeria and Libya, but in most cases, inaccessibility has delayed exploitation. In searching for oil reserves, underground deposits of water also have been found. Extensive iron ore deposits are worked in the Fort Gouraud area of Mauritania. Salt is still mined, as in the past, at Taoudenni, Mali, and at Bilma, Niger, and is transported, as in the days of the great medieval kingdoms of W Africa, by camel caravans across the desert.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>People</b></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Two thirds of the Sahara's estimated 2 million inhabitants (excluding those in the Nile valley) are concentrated in oases where date palms, fruits, vegetables, grains, and other crops are produced under irrigation. Nomads, with herds of sheep and goats and with camels for transportation, predominate in drier areas and continue to use oases (including modern oases created by the drilling of wells), as in centuries past, for water, trade, and provisioning stops. The principal ethnic groups of the Sahara are the Tuareg (of Berber origin), who dominate the mountains of the central Sahara; the peoples of mixed Berber and Arab origin in W Sahara; and the Tibu (Tébu), who dominate the Tibesti Massif.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>History</b></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Sahara has undergone a series of wet periods, the most recent occurring c.5,000-10,000 years ago; it was not until c.3000 BC that the Sahara transformed into its present arid state. There is dispute as to whether the desertification of the region has continued into historic time. Those who support this theory contend that increasing aridity is the reason for the recorded advance of desert conditions into areas under cultivation in Roman times in the north and more recently (since the late 1960s) in the south. Opponents of this view explain such changes as being the result of alterations in land-use practices and neglect of water-supply and irrigation systems.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The camel was introduced probably in the 1st cent. AD and facilitated occupation by nomads (first the Berbers, later the Arabs), who lived in interdependence with the oasis dwellers, providing protection against enemies in exchange for supplies of food and water. A profitable trans-Saharan trade in gold and slaves from W Africa, salt from the desert, and cloth and other products from the cities on the Mediterranean coast was carried on by the nomads. The first European explorers to travel in the Sahara were Friedrich Horneman in 1805 and Mungo Par</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">k in 1806. Some areas of the Sahara remain virtually unexplored, although a network of air and automobile routes now crosses the desert and links the major oases and mining areas.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u>Source:</u></b></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">See C. Kruger et al., Sahara (tr. 1969); M. Williams and H. Faure, ed., The Sahara and the Nile: Quarternary Environments and Prehistoric Occupation in Northern Africa (1980); J. Cloudsley-Thompson, ed., Key Environments: Sahara Desert (1984); E. Gautier, Sahara (1987).</span></div>
</div>

Intro to Morocco Sahara Sahara, brief view

Sahara[Arab.,=desert], world's largest desert, c.3,500,000 sq mi (9,065,000 sq km), N Africa; the western part of a great arid zone th...

...full post

Subscribe to: Posts ( Atom )

The Moroccan pre-Sahara begins as soon as you cross the Atlas to the south

Extreme Adventure Itinerary

Enduro Adventure Itinerary

First Adventure Itinerary

Trips and Itineraries_Morocco Winter Trips

Geotag Icon Spotlight: all about argan

Sahara, brief view

Popular Posts

Blog Archive