I continue on my animal postings, but this time with a slightly more serious topic. This is also my first touchy subject that I have dealt with in my writings and keeping people informed. As I have stated before, this blog is my own opinion, and not the opinion of Peace Corps in any way. I do not believe I will offend people, nor do I want to give a one sided opinion. So I will try as always to show the whole picture (Wow I sound like a news agency or something).
So recently in my village, there have been sheep being distributed for local residents. This sheep distribution has been backed by an agency which may be governmental or may be non-governmental. Basically the agency deals with farming, and farm animals. So, this agency has been given funding to purchase sheep, and give them to local people. Each family is supposed to receive three sheep. Altogether, after talking with the person in charge, there were 5000 sheep given out to the families. If I do the quick math, my village has 8000 men, women and children. So basically 5000 sheep means 1667 families were receiving three sheep. So who knows if each and every family received sheep, that is debatable, especially with the reactions that I witnessed. More on this later…
So you wonder about the purpose of this distribution. I believe that is fairly simple to figure out. A man here told me that having sheep is like a bank investment. When you need money, you sell a sheep to get that money. If you do not need money, you keep the sheep, raise it, potentially have more sheep, and then sell if, potentially making profit. So receiving three sheep really helps a family out. In fact, on the surface, this is a great thing. Basically it is akin to getting money passed out, or getting a government surplus check right into your pocket. This year is also a good year for sheep, due to ample grass and weeds to eat, and sheep are more expensive. So if families will sell these sheep, they would make more money in a drought year where sheep are inexpensive. However, I repeat and emphasize the words “on the surface.”
I am an environment volunteer, this is true. One of the goals of Peace Corps is to provide technical assistance to the people with whom I work. Environmentally the area I live suffers from a number of environmental problems. Two of these problems, deforestation and overgrazing, go hand in hand, and basically walk down the street holding hands (which is a “Schuma” or shame in this culture to do).
Deforestation is an issue for many reasons, and also a touchy issue. Wood is used as fuel for heat in the winters, and cooking as well. So cutting down trees needs to occur, and even I purchase fuel wood for the harsh winters that apparently occur in my village. The key word here is sustainable use of wood. Currently, the rate at which the local wood is being used is not equal to the rate at which the wood is being replenished. Even now some villages run out of wood in the winter. Also illegal cutting of protected wood still occurs, and is difficult if impossible to really enforce. Altogether, wood prices go through the roof in the winter… so buy your wood now kids.
Overgrazing is also a problem. One reason is that Morocco is public lands, so grazing occurs anywhere that food is available. Sheep really enjoy eating grasses and weeds, and also tree limbs, when they get cut down. In addition, saplings (baby trees) make an incredible food source. But, when all the public land saplings get eaten, no trees become replenished, and you add to the problem of deforestation. This is already occurring in portions of the area.
The short-sightedness of this sheep distribution is what bothers me. There are many implications of this distribution. Five years or ten years down the line, there may be very little wood, and it will be very expensive. So what looks to be a great investment by having free sheep given to you (basically money in the pocket), will come back and take all of your profits away in the long term, and may even make you poorer, and certainly will not help to replenish the environment. Sadly, in the discussions I have had with locals, they do not totally understand this, and are confused as to why I would ever be against a free sheep distribution. In fact, people jokingly asked me why I did not get free sheep, and my reply was that I did not want them, because they eat all of the weeds and trees. Faces were funny to see. (Oh and an aside, the reason I was at this distribution is that I was helping my host family get their sheep. So I was carrying a few sheep, and making sure they did not get away.)
Sure the agency was an agricultural agency. That may not mean much to you, so let me explain. In Morocco, the government has ministries, basically departments. One of these is The Ministry of Agriculture. There is no ministry of environment, just an agency that does not have the same power as the Ministry of Agriculture and certainly these two bodies do not work much with each other, as Agriculture is about the money, not protecting the environment. So I am assuming this agency did not have any sort of foresight into potential harm of giving sheep out. But hey, what the issue in giving only 5000 sheep out to further degrade the land… people here already complain enough about lack of wood, and blowing dust (due to no plants holding the soil). Sorry, this was my sarcasm creeping into my writing.
While 5000 sheep can be pretty rough, I think the worst part about the distribution was the “Free-for-all” mentality that occurred. Moroccans have a very difficult time standing in lines and waiting their turn (this is an extreme understatement.) In fact, when sheep distributions were occurring earlier this week for other parts of the village, people felt slighted, and wondered why those people got their sheep first. So when it was time to get the sheep, I saw the bad side of human nature. There was arguing, shoving, fighting, people climbing on the trucks and helping themselves, and maybe other occurrences that I will not name here. It would have been so orderly and faster to wait. In fact the local police came to make sure things were sorted out right. It was hot, and tempers were firing. I could not believe it, and really you would think that this was a water truck going to a community that did not have clean water. But it was sheep. It was money. People do crazy things for a few bucks (even if in the end it makes them poorer.)
During the moment I had some conversations with local people that I know well enough. At one point, a man came up to me and asked, “What do you say?” In my reply I said, “I don’t know.” He them changed to English, which he knows very little, and stated “This is Morocco.” It is a cliché statement, but so profound. It makes me realize that helping people with environmental issues will be a large battle. I knew that it would be, but this was kind of a wake up call, and a show that people can be downright nasty in situations such as this.
I suppose that is all I have on this. I hope this was informative, and not too dry. Word.
Album of the Moment – Radiohead - “Kid A”
Book of the moment – John Steinbeck - “East of Eden
Much Love,
Me!
PS. If you want to send me mail, ask me or my parents for my address. And if you have more topics for me to cover, let me know. Also you can email me by taking part of this web address (my name) @hotmail.com . Sorry for being cryptic about it, but spam happens, and this is a way not to get spam so people cannot copy and paste.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
The Running of the Cows
For some strange reason, this is my favorite part of the day. That is, when I am able to witness the occurrence.
The first time I witnessed these shenanigans was while I was sitting outside my host-brothers shop. I was about to walk home, and along the main street plodded two large heifers (sorry if that is an incorrect usage of the word). I was kind of dumbfounded that would just go along there merry way, not bothering anyone, and with no owner in sight. I figured that they had to be loose (as I have seen animals get here) and were just going to find greener pastures. I continue watching as the cow proceeds to turn down MY row, and continue on its confident way. All the while she is mooing as she goes. This cow has horns, and could easily take out a child or two along the way, maybe knock a guy off a bike, or dent a few cars. But nothing happens, no problems. I mean, the cars tend to slow down to stay out of the way, but generally the cow could care less.
Another day I was walking home from a hike with some fellow volunteers, and there were about seven of them in front of us, just wandering down the street. Some were turning off at random other streets, as if they knew the exact way home (I am not sure though). Some cows decided to get distracted by some tugwa (weeds/wildflowers) that had been gathered for other barn animals to eat, and stopped off for a snack. I knew this was wrong, so I stepped in and scared the cow away. While I am glad that the cow did not realize she was quite capable of charging me and mini-goring me (these cows have small horns), she just nonchalantly went on her way, and realized that she could not eat it.
I am utterly (Wow that is bad) amazed that the saying “Until the cows come home” actually exists in real life. It is my favorite part of the day, and it usually occurs between 5-7pm, when the sun is starting to go down. I am not of the farming background, but even though I have spend a bit of time of cattle farms, I have never seen cows parading everyday down a main street, and people just going about their business. I can now tell people (other Americans) here that I cannot meet “until the cows come home.”
I just had to share this will all of you folks and I only wish that you could see this occurring on the main street in the town where you live. Maybe for some of you country raised folks (my parents,) you can shed some light on this saying for me, and tell me if you have experienced it yourself.
Album of Choice: Karate- “Some Boots”
Book Currently Reading – “On the Road” –Jack Kerouac
Much Love,
Me!
The first time I witnessed these shenanigans was while I was sitting outside my host-brothers shop. I was about to walk home, and along the main street plodded two large heifers (sorry if that is an incorrect usage of the word). I was kind of dumbfounded that would just go along there merry way, not bothering anyone, and with no owner in sight. I figured that they had to be loose (as I have seen animals get here) and were just going to find greener pastures. I continue watching as the cow proceeds to turn down MY row, and continue on its confident way. All the while she is mooing as she goes. This cow has horns, and could easily take out a child or two along the way, maybe knock a guy off a bike, or dent a few cars. But nothing happens, no problems. I mean, the cars tend to slow down to stay out of the way, but generally the cow could care less.
Another day I was walking home from a hike with some fellow volunteers, and there were about seven of them in front of us, just wandering down the street. Some were turning off at random other streets, as if they knew the exact way home (I am not sure though). Some cows decided to get distracted by some tugwa (weeds/wildflowers) that had been gathered for other barn animals to eat, and stopped off for a snack. I knew this was wrong, so I stepped in and scared the cow away. While I am glad that the cow did not realize she was quite capable of charging me and mini-goring me (these cows have small horns), she just nonchalantly went on her way, and realized that she could not eat it.
I am utterly (Wow that is bad) amazed that the saying “Until the cows come home” actually exists in real life. It is my favorite part of the day, and it usually occurs between 5-7pm, when the sun is starting to go down. I am not of the farming background, but even though I have spend a bit of time of cattle farms, I have never seen cows parading everyday down a main street, and people just going about their business. I can now tell people (other Americans) here that I cannot meet “until the cows come home.”
I just had to share this will all of you folks and I only wish that you could see this occurring on the main street in the town where you live. Maybe for some of you country raised folks (my parents,) you can shed some light on this saying for me, and tell me if you have experienced it yourself.
Album of Choice: Karate- “Some Boots”
Book Currently Reading – “On the Road” –Jack Kerouac
Much Love,
Me!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Rain
I had no idea what to title this post. Really, I tried to come up with something creative, but not too-cheesy. But I couldn’t, so I kept it simple.
Today was a prime example of a rainy day. Sometimes (today for instance), I cherish the rainy days. During my time here thus far, I have seen a few rainy days (think literal, however there have been some figurative ones as well). While they have been few, I believe that I will never view rain the same way. Here is my rationale:
In the states, I have grown up in the Midwest, and even the few times I have lived away from Ohio, I have lived I Europe (Luxembourg, Belgium), I have lived in spots that are blessed with an abundance of rain. I have come to take rain for granted, and at times (mainly in cold rainy Belgium winters) I have loathed it. There was always enough rain in the Midwest. Sometimes there was not enough rain; sometimes there was too much rain. But from what I understand, in my view of things, there was enough rain to meet my needs.
I have never lived out west, and I have never lived anywhere where shortage of water was an issue due to lack of rain (I have lived in places where overuse of water would eventually lead to problems.)
I now live in a semi-arid climate, where there is a rainy season from October-March. This rain/snow provides the ground, irrigation, and the drinking water for the summer dry season. While this past winter was exceptionally wet, there was a fairly severe drought up until this year (technically there is a drought still). While the rains and snow were severe and mud houses collapsed and there were floods (both of which sadly killed people), generally the rain was still a much appreciated and wanted gift. *Note, I will live in a mud house, and this is why I should and will shovel my roof in the event of show, which will occur in my winter.
Water is a precious resource. The abundance (or lack of) influences the way that the people operate. Some villages have had years of bad crops, no substantial water for drinking/bathing/washing clothes. In years of country wide droughts (see above) food prices increase due to economic principles of supply and demand. The people who are at the very core, the local farmers, having bad crops, cannot sell, and thus have no money to buy. It influences the amount of sheep that herders can purchase, because if there is no rain, there is no grass for your little sheep. So once again economics take over and the price of sheep increases because demand is up.
So think that in June, we have had an entire day of rain. In fact, we have had two days of at least some rain. While the temperature is cold today (think near the cloud base), and people still complain about the cold or the heat (everyone here is never the perfect temperature hehe,) people do not complain about the rain that comes with it. I hope in fact that this allows the harvests to go well, and for the fall crops of fruits and vegetables to be abundant, cheap, and of good quality. Really they already are cheap; they just will stay that way. It is good for everyone around.
Oh yeah, and here is a tidbit of information for you. Morocco, due to its unique location near Europe, and the varying climates it contains, is considered Europe’s “Bread Basket.” It produces 1/3 of the fruits/vegs that go to market throughout Europe. That is like saying that the country the size of the state of California produces 1/3 of the fruits/vegs for the rest of the US. So this increases the importance of the rain.
**While Morocco is that size, that includes the area known as Western Sahara, which for all intent and purpose is a desert, and produces very little. That is all I will say about Western Sahara region of Morocco**
Album of Choice: Phoenix -“Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix”
Cheers,
Me!
Today was a prime example of a rainy day. Sometimes (today for instance), I cherish the rainy days. During my time here thus far, I have seen a few rainy days (think literal, however there have been some figurative ones as well). While they have been few, I believe that I will never view rain the same way. Here is my rationale:
In the states, I have grown up in the Midwest, and even the few times I have lived away from Ohio, I have lived I Europe (Luxembourg, Belgium), I have lived in spots that are blessed with an abundance of rain. I have come to take rain for granted, and at times (mainly in cold rainy Belgium winters) I have loathed it. There was always enough rain in the Midwest. Sometimes there was not enough rain; sometimes there was too much rain. But from what I understand, in my view of things, there was enough rain to meet my needs.
I have never lived out west, and I have never lived anywhere where shortage of water was an issue due to lack of rain (I have lived in places where overuse of water would eventually lead to problems.)
I now live in a semi-arid climate, where there is a rainy season from October-March. This rain/snow provides the ground, irrigation, and the drinking water for the summer dry season. While this past winter was exceptionally wet, there was a fairly severe drought up until this year (technically there is a drought still). While the rains and snow were severe and mud houses collapsed and there were floods (both of which sadly killed people), generally the rain was still a much appreciated and wanted gift. *Note, I will live in a mud house, and this is why I should and will shovel my roof in the event of show, which will occur in my winter.
Water is a precious resource. The abundance (or lack of) influences the way that the people operate. Some villages have had years of bad crops, no substantial water for drinking/bathing/washing clothes. In years of country wide droughts (see above) food prices increase due to economic principles of supply and demand. The people who are at the very core, the local farmers, having bad crops, cannot sell, and thus have no money to buy. It influences the amount of sheep that herders can purchase, because if there is no rain, there is no grass for your little sheep. So once again economics take over and the price of sheep increases because demand is up.
So think that in June, we have had an entire day of rain. In fact, we have had two days of at least some rain. While the temperature is cold today (think near the cloud base), and people still complain about the cold or the heat (everyone here is never the perfect temperature hehe,) people do not complain about the rain that comes with it. I hope in fact that this allows the harvests to go well, and for the fall crops of fruits and vegetables to be abundant, cheap, and of good quality. Really they already are cheap; they just will stay that way. It is good for everyone around.
Oh yeah, and here is a tidbit of information for you. Morocco, due to its unique location near Europe, and the varying climates it contains, is considered Europe’s “Bread Basket.” It produces 1/3 of the fruits/vegs that go to market throughout Europe. That is like saying that the country the size of the state of California produces 1/3 of the fruits/vegs for the rest of the US. So this increases the importance of the rain.
**While Morocco is that size, that includes the area known as Western Sahara, which for all intent and purpose is a desert, and produces very little. That is all I will say about Western Sahara region of Morocco**
Album of Choice: Phoenix -“Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix”
Cheers,
Me!
Thursday, June 11, 2009
The Mountain Climb
Yesterday, I decided that I wanted to climb one of the nearby mountains. I really wish I could just give you the name, but I cannot. The mountain is just south of my village. The peak is 3265 meters, and what that translates to into feet, I have no idea. Basically I think it is roughly 10500, though I may be off in either direction. My village sits about 1950 meters, or roughly 6000 feet. So I am going to describe the climb, and try to break it down into sections. I am not sure how long or far I hiked, but basically I started at 5am and got back at 12:30 in the afternoon.
Section 1 – The Road
Leaving at 5am in the morning, it was still dark. As dark as it can be with streetlights still on, and a pseudo full-moon hovering above like a parent hovering over a baby. There were people out on the streets, much more than I had expected, and some of them were noticeably intoxicated. I was still extremely groggy and so speaking and thinking in another language was difficult. However, I only had to exchange a few greetings with people, and I continued onwards. I had my doubts about leaving so early, as we have many pseudo wild-dogs that come out at night, hoping to find food. They tend to stay away from people, but then again, they are wild, and some may be sick. So dog bites are no uncommon. But luckily, no run in with dogs today, but I was loaded with a rock in hand just in case. I left the main section of town and all was quiet, no people, no dogs barking, just me. In fact it was eerily quiet. As I left town, there was a hint of dawn peeking around the horizon, just the type of light that makes it a lighter blue. The road continued onward for a little while, and I passed fields or wheat, and crossed over irrigation streams. Having only been this way once before in the daylight, I had difficulty finding the trail that I needed to take. I looked around, and for about 5 minutes thought I was following the road too long. I tip-toed across the stream and finally found the trail.
Section 2 – The Trail to the Cave
Happy that I had not wasted too much time trying to find the trail, I continued onward. The trail, like the road, was mainly flat; however it was uphill, but in a most gradual sort of way. The substrate was mainly a slate like gravel, as most of the land around is exposed and there is little topsoil. There were no large trees around, just shrubs and bushes and thorns. The trail winded along the path of a stream-bed, the stream having gone somewhere else to spend the summer. By now the sun light was creeping over the small mountain to the east, and things were a bit easier to see, and the light to the east was an orange-yellow. There were no clouds in the sky, and the stars were all but gone, having spent the night illuminating the sky and dancing with each other. About this time, I came into the flat lands; a valley of sorts between the mountains, and the trail met a road, and they continued together for a while. Along the path, fields of wheat were waving in the morning wind, and interspersed were pockets of yellow wildflowers and the occasional red poppy flower. I stopped for a few pictures of the sunrise, as it was quite nice, and continued along the way. I reached a small house, a family that I know from my town, and the man was outside in the fields doing some irrigation work. I stopped briefly and greeted him. Naturally he asked me if I wanted to have tea, and I told him that I would return later for tea (and of course I did!). It was at this point the road ended, and the trail began to go uphill. At this point you are at the edge of the foothills, and the mountain is breathing the wind of the morning from around. I followed the trail over a small series of cascades, until I reached the cave, and the pass and gateway to the mountain. On my left side the cave, a nice opening in the side of a cliff. While it is not very deep, it provides sleeping grounds to some shepherds, and the rare hiker. However, most local people believe spirits live in these caves, so they stay away. It is a good place to relax, see a good view, and take it all in.
Section 3 – The Ascent Part 1
At this point things have been relatively flat, gradual, and happy. That quickly changes though. At the point of the cave you are at about 7200 feet, so you do the math and quickly realize it is extremely uphill. While the tree line is probably 8500 feet, there are very few trees here, just small shrubs. The substrate changes from a fine slate rocky topsoil to bigger rocks of slate. I started to walk up, and quickly realized I need to follow the shrubs as much as possibly, because as I would step on barren places, I would be slipping on all of the slate rocks, and every step meant sliding back a little bit. I would see the occasional lizard wandering around as well, as the sun was fully on my back. It is a hot sun here in Morocco, and even though the breeze kept me cool, my head was baking due to my thick bunch of hair. I continued on this line, until I came to a point where the shrubs stopped, and there was just slate pieces blanketing the side of the mountain. At this point I was even with the little bit of snow left on portions of the mountain, and above the tree line. I found myself getting super-tired, and trying to catch my breath. I could tell the elevation was not allowing my body to get the oxygen it needed. So I took more breaks. I reached a cliff, and took a break, finishing this portion, and readied myself for the final ascent. I was at 9200 feet at this point.
Section 4 – Final Ascent
So from this point I had two choices, I could go straight up the bare face of the mountain, and struggle to keep my footing, sliding back down with each step, or I could go up the side, with the very small shrubs, and more stable rocks. I chose the latter. While this made each step more productive and conserved energy, the slope was a bit steeper for a while, and generally at that point you are at least at a 45 degree angle. I would take more frequent breaks, and play little games in my head as my legs (calves especially) were starting to rebel against me due to lacking normal oxygen. I would take 100 steps, and then stop to catch my breath. I kept looking back, and I was blessed with an amazing view. I could see for miles to the north, across the plateau and see the middle atlas range. I could see all the nearby villages, including my own, and it was crystal clear. The only this that was around me at this point were ravens, as they nested on some of the cliffs around. I was now into the shade again, and out of the wind. It was quite comfortable. I reached the ridge, and the slope decreased slightly, a hint that I was close to the top. I couldn’t see the other side, but the every so often the wind would whip around me. I made a last push to the top, and all of the sudden everything changed.
Section 5 – The Top
It was morning still, about 10am, and I believe this is what accounted for the wind being so fierce. I don’t think I have ever been in a wind that was so sustained. It was cold at the top, and the wind made it even colder. I quickly put on my gloves and fleece shirt. While I was at the top, I was not at the highest point yet. I would have to follow the ridge to the next peak, and the stack of rocks that every climber knows means “This is it: the very top”. I could see the extreme mountains to the south, and the even bigger peak to the east. I could see little towns to the south nestled in valleys between mammoth mountains. I climbed to the stack of rocks, and sat down behind it for a few minutes just eating some peanuts and drinking some water. I felt content with having accomplished my goal (after failing due to cold temps and no gloves before. I have bad circulation, so at high elevation there is greater effect, and I could not feel to climb, so it was unsafe I thought). It was so gorgeous at the top, and I could see sheep grazing near the cave, and the shepherds were shouting to them. At night shepherds sleep on the mountains, and you can see their fires alit in the dead of the night. I sat for about half an hour at the top before getting too cold to stay, but the feeling of serenity and peacefulness was great. Even though I had just climbed a large mountain, you feel so small when you see the world or a portion of the world from so high up. Descending was a bit tricky, as you kind of had to ski down the slate. It was also incredibly fun.
Section 1 – The Road
Leaving at 5am in the morning, it was still dark. As dark as it can be with streetlights still on, and a pseudo full-moon hovering above like a parent hovering over a baby. There were people out on the streets, much more than I had expected, and some of them were noticeably intoxicated. I was still extremely groggy and so speaking and thinking in another language was difficult. However, I only had to exchange a few greetings with people, and I continued onwards. I had my doubts about leaving so early, as we have many pseudo wild-dogs that come out at night, hoping to find food. They tend to stay away from people, but then again, they are wild, and some may be sick. So dog bites are no uncommon. But luckily, no run in with dogs today, but I was loaded with a rock in hand just in case. I left the main section of town and all was quiet, no people, no dogs barking, just me. In fact it was eerily quiet. As I left town, there was a hint of dawn peeking around the horizon, just the type of light that makes it a lighter blue. The road continued onward for a little while, and I passed fields or wheat, and crossed over irrigation streams. Having only been this way once before in the daylight, I had difficulty finding the trail that I needed to take. I looked around, and for about 5 minutes thought I was following the road too long. I tip-toed across the stream and finally found the trail.
Section 2 – The Trail to the Cave
Happy that I had not wasted too much time trying to find the trail, I continued onward. The trail, like the road, was mainly flat; however it was uphill, but in a most gradual sort of way. The substrate was mainly a slate like gravel, as most of the land around is exposed and there is little topsoil. There were no large trees around, just shrubs and bushes and thorns. The trail winded along the path of a stream-bed, the stream having gone somewhere else to spend the summer. By now the sun light was creeping over the small mountain to the east, and things were a bit easier to see, and the light to the east was an orange-yellow. There were no clouds in the sky, and the stars were all but gone, having spent the night illuminating the sky and dancing with each other. About this time, I came into the flat lands; a valley of sorts between the mountains, and the trail met a road, and they continued together for a while. Along the path, fields of wheat were waving in the morning wind, and interspersed were pockets of yellow wildflowers and the occasional red poppy flower. I stopped for a few pictures of the sunrise, as it was quite nice, and continued along the way. I reached a small house, a family that I know from my town, and the man was outside in the fields doing some irrigation work. I stopped briefly and greeted him. Naturally he asked me if I wanted to have tea, and I told him that I would return later for tea (and of course I did!). It was at this point the road ended, and the trail began to go uphill. At this point you are at the edge of the foothills, and the mountain is breathing the wind of the morning from around. I followed the trail over a small series of cascades, until I reached the cave, and the pass and gateway to the mountain. On my left side the cave, a nice opening in the side of a cliff. While it is not very deep, it provides sleeping grounds to some shepherds, and the rare hiker. However, most local people believe spirits live in these caves, so they stay away. It is a good place to relax, see a good view, and take it all in.
Section 3 – The Ascent Part 1
At this point things have been relatively flat, gradual, and happy. That quickly changes though. At the point of the cave you are at about 7200 feet, so you do the math and quickly realize it is extremely uphill. While the tree line is probably 8500 feet, there are very few trees here, just small shrubs. The substrate changes from a fine slate rocky topsoil to bigger rocks of slate. I started to walk up, and quickly realized I need to follow the shrubs as much as possibly, because as I would step on barren places, I would be slipping on all of the slate rocks, and every step meant sliding back a little bit. I would see the occasional lizard wandering around as well, as the sun was fully on my back. It is a hot sun here in Morocco, and even though the breeze kept me cool, my head was baking due to my thick bunch of hair. I continued on this line, until I came to a point where the shrubs stopped, and there was just slate pieces blanketing the side of the mountain. At this point I was even with the little bit of snow left on portions of the mountain, and above the tree line. I found myself getting super-tired, and trying to catch my breath. I could tell the elevation was not allowing my body to get the oxygen it needed. So I took more breaks. I reached a cliff, and took a break, finishing this portion, and readied myself for the final ascent. I was at 9200 feet at this point.
Section 4 – Final Ascent
So from this point I had two choices, I could go straight up the bare face of the mountain, and struggle to keep my footing, sliding back down with each step, or I could go up the side, with the very small shrubs, and more stable rocks. I chose the latter. While this made each step more productive and conserved energy, the slope was a bit steeper for a while, and generally at that point you are at least at a 45 degree angle. I would take more frequent breaks, and play little games in my head as my legs (calves especially) were starting to rebel against me due to lacking normal oxygen. I would take 100 steps, and then stop to catch my breath. I kept looking back, and I was blessed with an amazing view. I could see for miles to the north, across the plateau and see the middle atlas range. I could see all the nearby villages, including my own, and it was crystal clear. The only this that was around me at this point were ravens, as they nested on some of the cliffs around. I was now into the shade again, and out of the wind. It was quite comfortable. I reached the ridge, and the slope decreased slightly, a hint that I was close to the top. I couldn’t see the other side, but the every so often the wind would whip around me. I made a last push to the top, and all of the sudden everything changed.
Section 5 – The Top
It was morning still, about 10am, and I believe this is what accounted for the wind being so fierce. I don’t think I have ever been in a wind that was so sustained. It was cold at the top, and the wind made it even colder. I quickly put on my gloves and fleece shirt. While I was at the top, I was not at the highest point yet. I would have to follow the ridge to the next peak, and the stack of rocks that every climber knows means “This is it: the very top”. I could see the extreme mountains to the south, and the even bigger peak to the east. I could see little towns to the south nestled in valleys between mammoth mountains. I climbed to the stack of rocks, and sat down behind it for a few minutes just eating some peanuts and drinking some water. I felt content with having accomplished my goal (after failing due to cold temps and no gloves before. I have bad circulation, so at high elevation there is greater effect, and I could not feel to climb, so it was unsafe I thought). It was so gorgeous at the top, and I could see sheep grazing near the cave, and the shepherds were shouting to them. At night shepherds sleep on the mountains, and you can see their fires alit in the dead of the night. I sat for about half an hour at the top before getting too cold to stay, but the feeling of serenity and peacefulness was great. Even though I had just climbed a large mountain, you feel so small when you see the world or a portion of the world from so high up. Descending was a bit tricky, as you kind of had to ski down the slate. It was also incredibly fun.
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