the Tizi n-Tichka, while Tamazight is spoken more in the eastern part of the range and extends up north into the Middle Atlas. Even within entirely Tashelhayt-speaking areas, there are a lot of regional linguistic differences. To the visitor, it is likely all to sound the same. Useful words and phrases with the most widespread meanings can be found in Appendix B.
Azib Tamsoult, with good example of terracing
Climbers and trekkers in Imlil and the Toubkal region will wonder what the fuss is all about, as many of the local guides, muleteers, hotel owners and refuge staff speak at least a smattering of English. Some will be virtually fluent. Visitors to the Ait Bougammez valley, on the other hand, which is second to Imlil in terms of numbers of tourists, will have to rely on French much more than English. It seems that, while the French have visited both areas, English speakers have largely ignored or not been aware of the Ait Bougammez valley, and this has influenced language acquisition by the locals.
Away from these two regions, the mountain visitor will be fortunate to find a local village man who speaks French. The chances of finding someone able to speak English will be extremely slim. Anyone intending to complete routes in this guidebook that are not in the Toubkal massif would be advised to brush up on their French, as well as to digest some of the useful words and phrases outlined in Appendix B.
Local Customs and Etiquette
In addition to organising paid-for services (accommodation, mules, porterage and so on, which are dealt with separately below), the mountain vistor may well find themselves interacting with villagers in a number of ways, and this can often be the highlight of a trip. Once language issues are dealt with as well as possible, social relations can be helped along by observing some simple guidelines.
Being invited into a home for some mint tea, and possibly food, is a way of glimpsing village life beyond what is seen in the fields. If you accept the offer, upon entering the room where you will take tea, make sure you remove your footwear at the door – or at a minimum the edge of the floor covering. Sitting cross-legged is best so as not to show the soles of your feet. You may take a glass of tea in either hand, but if you are offered anything to eat you should only use your right hand. Sometimes the routine is to offer tea and nuts together, followed by some bread with butter or oil, and even possibly a tajine. In these cases you may be given the opportunity to wash your hands. The host will pour water onto your hands from a kettle over a basin. A towel will then be proffered. When you have eaten enough, be firm but polite. You do not have to finish everything put in front of you! Upon leaving, a small remuneration, although not required, would be gratefully received. Alternatively, some basic first-aid supplies, if needed by the family, would be received with thanks.
Mosque in Amsouzart
Taking photographs can be a tricky business. Cultural sensitivities abound. Often children will ask for their photo to be taken and then expect money or sweets in return. Women will hide their faces, while some men will eagerly pose. If you have enjoyed some tea in a house, you may ask if you can take a photograph of the family. If the answer is no, don't ask again. A good but expensive way to take photographs is with a digital Polaroid camera that prints out the image immediately, so that you can give it to the family. Then take another photo with your main digital camera for your own keeping. If you are intending to return to that same village in a few months' time, offer to take a photograph and have it printed off for them – but do make sure you can keep this promise.
When trekking through a village you may be pestered by local children asking you to take their photo in return for money or a sweet. Alternatively they may ask you for some ‘argent’ (money), ‘bon-bon’ (sweets) or a ‘stilo’ (biro). Without wishing to be over-directional on this issue, the author's advice would be to resist giving sweets, as dental hygiene is aspirational at best in many villages. Children also have enough sugar intake with their mint tea. Money should not be offered, as this only encourages further begging. Biros can be given, but it is best if these are handed in bulk to a school teacher to distribute so that the child is encouraged to attend school! Balloons are good, as are bubble-blowing products, but again gifts such as these should really only be handed out to children of families that you have already had some dealings with.
Alcohol consumption in a village should be avoided, whether you are staying in a family house or a gite, as this can lead to much offence or misunderstanding at best. The Tarkeddit refuge below Mgoun sometimes sells wine and beer, but neither of the two refuges below Toubkal do. Some parties do bring their own bottles of wine or spirits with them, but consumption in both of the Toubkal refuges is often rather ‘undercover’ and not encouraged by the guardians. Overall it is best to forget alcohol while in the mountains – if nothing else it will mean you can promise yourself a beer on your return to Marrakech!
Dress code on the whole in Morocco is conservative, but not nearly as strict as some Middle Eastern countries. Marrakech is fast becoming a big modern cosmopolitan city with a wide range of dress sensibilities. You will see everything from teenage girls with long, uncovered hair riding scooters and motorbikes and wearing European-style clothes to fully veiled women accompanying their husbands around town. Westerners adopt different practices with regard to clothing. However, even in Marrakech (and more so in other towns) it is advisable to let modesty prevail. In mountain areas, and in particular those valleys away from Imlil and Ait Bougammez where visitors are less common, an even more conservative attitude prevails.
In the mountain villages, Berber women dress practically for working in the fields, but always wear a headscarf, typically knotted in the front. A Western woman staying in a village for a night or more will feel more comfortable, and less gazed at, if she has some form of head covering, loose-fitting full-length trousers, and most (if not all) of her arms covered. A big ‘no-no’ is to go outside with wet hair – for example, just after a shower.
As usual, men have it easy and can wear pretty much what they want. Shorts, if it's the season for them, are regarded as tourist clothing, so if you want to blend in a bit more, keep them in your rucksack until you are above village level.
Building Styles
Approaching a Berber village, with its flat-roofed houses built entirely of earth that overlook a patchwork of irrigated green terraced fields, visitors will be strongly reminded that they are not in Europe. It is these villages, more than anything, that give the High Atlas their unique identity.
Traditionally all village buildings were constructed from local materials such as mud, stone and pisé (mud compacted and dried in a wooden-frame shuttering). However, the materials are changing to cement and concrete in the western villages particularly, where there is easier transport access from nearby towns. Nevertheless, the majority of villages still retain traditional building methods, which have the advantage over concrete in that earth houses are cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. The disadvantages are that they require ongoing maintenance, particularly after the winter rains.
Generally, the further east in the range that you travel, the more striking the building styles become. Straightforward flat-roofed houses in the west give way to tall fortified houses (kasbahs), often with tapering walls and projecting corners. In addition, remains of fortified granaries (agadir) can be seen in many parts, particularly in Ait Bougammez, where at the eastern end of the valley there is a particularly fine example that may be visited.
Kasbah Ait Ben Moro, Skoura
House in Ait
