We set of on our trek on Saturday morning after a hearty breakfast at the Kasbah. We were lucky enough to have mules to carry our sleeping bags & all of our food & so we only had to carry our day sacks packed with overnight things. The morning was a long hard slog up the valley, climbing 500m. The girls took it in turns to ride the mules however, some walked the whole way. At the top we were greeted by a picnic lunch of fresh salad, rice, tuna, cheese & bread, followed by melon & grapes. That after we set of circling the ballet first by road before descending through Berber villages to where we would spend the night. We arrived around 5pm and soon demolished a huge plate of biscuits & a pot of mint tea. The evening was spent playing cards with our guide Abdul before dinner after the break of fast at 8pm. Everyone was ready for bed early & didn't need telling to unroll their sleeping bags & get washed & changed for bed. We slept on rugs and mattresses in a basic Berber house, listening to animal noises & the call to prayer into the early hours.

This morning we got up & washed early & had a simple breakfast before starting our zig zag back up the hill in the blazing sunshine. At the top we took a rest & rehydrated before making our way back down the valley for lunch. Again we rounded a corner only to find the muleteers had set out a place for us to sit along with lots of salad & pasta. We ate & set off again on the last leg back to base.

Arriving back at the Kasbah around 3pm there was just enough time to do some washing & rest before heading to the hammam. This is a local steam bath where you firstly sit & steam for 10-15 minutes, next you rub black soap over your skin & use a small round scrubber to exfoliate. After washing off the soap the final step is to plunge into a deep bath of freezing cold water!

Everyone is now showered & fresh & sat chatting in the terrace waiting to see what delights dinner will bring tonight. We have eaten very well with 3 courses most lunch & dinner times. The girls seem to be enjoying every part of the experience although there is the occasional craving for chocolate & diet coke!! The local staff have five everything in their power to make us feel welcome & at home!