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MOUNT TOUBKAL EXPEDITION - July 2007 | | A dishevelled and shattered bunch walked through the Arrivals doors at Gatwick Airport at the end of the first DCPS Expedition. It had been a hugely successful trip and every member of the team, against the odds, had stood on the highest point in North Africa. The joy of such an expedition is the growing realisation of what you have achieved and what you have learnt and I'm sure that the eleven Year 8 pioneers who grabbed this chance in their final year, will return over and over again to their time in Morocco. |  | | |  | The end of term was non-stop and amidst the valedictory tears of others, the ‘Morocco Boys' received their prizes at Speech Day, gathered together for Build Up training and had one final fling at the Leavers' Ball, before embarking on the final part of their year-long challenge, the expedition itself. | | | From the relative calm of Marrakesh airport into the 43¢ªC bustle and hubbub, sights and sounds greeted us everywhere. Culture-shocked faces gathered for a team meeting in Hotel Ali before a memorable rooftop supper, overlooking Djema-el-Fna. The snake charmers, pedlars, storytellers and drummers filled the air with sound and the smell of barbecued meat drifted on the warm breeze. As the sun disappeared and the lanterns burned bright, the team knew the adventure was only just beginning. |  | | |  | Moroccan music accompanied our dawn minibus trip to the mountains and glimpses into the lives of this extraordinary people. Finally the pace slowed, as rucksacks on, we set our own speed, on foot, up to Aremd and Café Lac D'Ifni. A glacial stream provided just the tonic after the dusty track and woke the bartering spirit in every man. A skill quickly learnt, it transpired, as Hugo Hayes tried to pass off his Calvin Klein's... | | | Our acclimatisation trek took us straight through the heart of Aremd village, where children shouted their greetings and touched our hands, big smiles on their faces. We eased into the rhythm of the mountain and picnicked by the waterfall, before returning down, invigorated and ready to go higher. Mint tea greeted our efforts. |  | | | | The trek to High Camp the next day was long and hot, and individual team members no doubt fought their own demons on the way, but all succeeded. We flaked out for a while before sorting out tents and food, only then could we take in the enormity of our surroundings. Our last supper that evening of soup, vegetables, couscous and melon proved a jovial affair, full of expectation and George Moss' selected readings from the team journal. But it was an early night all round and fitful sleep until the alarms went off at 4.00 am. Summit day. Fumbling in the darkness, figures assembled for the final assault under the leadership of Alex Beveridge. Head torches illuminated our departure and we clambered and climbed in the growing light and coolness of daybreak. A quiet had descended on the group and remained until close on 9.00 am, when the summit point was within reach. A ceremonial and collective act of touching the summit was followed by a few moments to look out from Toubkal, all other peaks now beneath us. Photos were taken, snacks munched and with the dangerous descent in mind, we took our leave. The heat grew and footing was occasionally lost as tired minds endeavoured to maintain concentration, but we returned safely and the team splintered into groups to sleep, cool down and generally ponder what had been achieved. | | | Marrakesh seemed as an old friend on our return. The orange juice sellers in the square and traders who beckoned us into the darkened caverns of the souk could perhaps sense our mood - upbeat and with a new-found confidence. The magic of success. Trinkets were purchased, a Moroccan feast laid on for our final night, and all too quickly we found ourselves at the airport. |  | | | It is difficult to write up this kind of trip; for each member of the expedition it meant so very many different things and that evolves, too, in the weeks that follow. Many will find that this simply does not capture the events that stand out in their mind. It doesn't try to. But I offer congratulations to those who took the risk and climbed the mountain; it is a fine achievement and as I genuinely believe, the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing. 
Expedition Team: George Moss, Hugo Jamieson, Charlie Comet, Jasper Sawyers, Charlie Mackrill, Peter Thom, Josef Schindler, Hugo Hayes, Alex Beveridge, Will Eckersley, Daniel Dorey. Sian Price |
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