Ouirgane, Morocco - Day 12

Down but not out.

After leaving the Western Sahara behind us we traveled across the country. The trip was divided into two long car rides each over 8 hours in length. As we crossed the desert we made our way to the Todra Gorge. This mountain valley is an ecosystem both natural and man made. Within its confines one can see an entire civilization that was born in the protection of the high rocky walls and nurtured by the mountain stream that created it.

It was a nice break from the glaring heat of the desert. We ate at a local restaurant and had salad - BIG mistake. For the record people, no matter what they say about how they clean their food - DON'T EAT SALAD in any back water place away from the warm caress of civilization and modern water purification systems. Oddly enough we began the next day in high spirits. That mornings iPods were pugged to high volume and we both got in a good morning run. We had stayed in a garden oasis called "Les Jardins de Skora" - which resides in the valley of the kasbahs. An amazing village community with the High Atlas as its background. Check this place out if you are coming through here:

http://www.lesjardinsdeskoura.com/

The next 48 hours were a bit of a nightmare. We had terrible gasteroenteritis, the result of a bad stomach bug likely from the salad that we had eaten. We were enroute to Jebel Toubkal - the highest mountain in Morocco (14.5k ft) and our insides were not with us. We made it to Imlil, a small mountain city, by car after a 8 hour ride from Skoura. We shouldered our back packs and made our way slowly up to our staging area in a small village called Armoud.

The hike up to 7000 feet was miserable and despite the fact that most of our luggage was brought up by mule we were exhausted after the march. Our mountain guide told us that the mountain is usually clear this time of year. Looking up, however, once could see that there was snow and ice everywhere. Apparently a freak spring storm had coated the valley with precipitation.

Our hike was gonna be a no-go. Unless we were to use the crampons, ice axes, and extended thermal protection there was no way one could make it. In our debilitated state we opted to rest and recover in Armoud until the sickness got better.

By the second day I was up and moving. Chase was still bed-bound and had just enough energy to go to use the bathroom. I managed to get in a short mountain hike of the village and the surrounding area. Luckily by the third day we had recovered most of wits and were able to get off the mountain in one piece.
The lesson on eating learned, we were able to grab our gear and head down. The small path that lead down back to Imlil was much more pleasant.

On a side note I've learned to identify all sorts of feces from this trail - I can easily tell the difference between goat, cow, donkey, and camel poo. Bottom line - don't eat that either.

Well, we have contacted our travel group and headed a day early to Ouirgane. This is about an hour and a half from the mountain. Chase had snails for dinner and I went for white wine. Amazing what 48 hours can do. Tomorrow we hit the mountain biking trails and then off to Marrkech!