Departure at around 8 o’clock from your hotel across the Haouz Plain and an exhilarating drive up the twisting bends of the road over the Western High Atlas of the Glaoua Country, passing through the Berber villages of Aït Barqa and Taddert, up through the spectacular Tizi n’Tichka (2260m) - and hold on to your hats, for the winding road takes us through the highest mountain pass in Morocco - then gently down alongside the Assif Imini, through the ‘Beau Geste’ city of Ouarzazate and a stop for our picnic lunch in a small restaurant just outside of the city. We now set off towards the east towards (Qlâa’t) El Kelâa des M’gouna - “The Village Of The Rose” in English - and the beautiful, harsh and dramatic gorge of the Dadès Valley.

On our way through this magnificent Valley, the “Valley of the Roses”, through lands once trodden by Alexander the Great and his invading armies, we travel along what is a vast flood plain whose southern horizon is blocked by the sun-blasted Anti Atlas mountains and to the north by the jagged High Atlas mountain ranges. On the edges of the verdant palmeraie of Skoura, one-time capital of Moulay Essmaïl, the nearby river reflecting the intense blue of the sky, the brilliant green of the palmeraies and the red earth, we shall stop to photograph one of two magnificent kasbahs of singular beauty (‘kasbah’ translates to ‘tighernit’ in the language of the Berber) – Amerhidl– surrounded by rose bushes (and whose image is to found printed on the current 50 dirham bank note).

Continuing along further east we come face to face with an imposing set of kasbahs blending harmoniously with the environment, yet all in various stages of ruin, all shouting out their last defiant cries against the eroding desert winds. 20kms further on we enter the valley full of rose bush plantations and palmeraies, magnificent Berber villages and more kasbahs, the Jbel Saghro (2332m) - the last high rocky barrier before the Moroccan Hammada - to our right, Jbel M’Goun (4071m) - the second highest peak in the Maghreb to our left - until we reach the large village of (Qlâa’t) El Kelâa des M’gouna (1433m), where roses are grown to be sold and their essences distilled to make the rose water so favoured by the Berber people. From here we carry on to the Berber village of Aït Youl where, after a total of some 7 hours driving with photo-ops, we shall spend the night in a Berber House and dine midst the bare brown and purple surrounds of the Kasbah n’Aït Youl, the not-too-distant gaunt broken black-red volcanic peaks and limestone pinnacles of Jbel Sarhro as a background.

From here we continue south-wards near strangely-shaped, naked, colourful cliffs until we come to the middle of nowhere region known as Aqqa Agoulzi n’Oughioul and the surprise of small fields of Ano Ighdad (Ano in Berber means “well), where we shall stop for our overnight dinner and bivouac. This area is known by nature- lovers for its seasonal sand grouse, desert lark, eagle owl, courser and falcon.

Breakfast tucked away and camp struck we set off on today’s 6hour hike on by the oued and up to the sand-blasted Tizi n’Elmersse (1500m) to descend to the Assif n’Elmersse, back up to the desolate Elmersse Plateau passing by the well and little palmeraie at Ano n’Elmersse, on down these stony and wild slopes to traverse the Tizi n’Tagmout (1624m) to carry on down past the copper mines at Tagmout to the Tagmout Plateau where we shall stop for our field picnic.

On now to the east through the increasingly desolate area alongside the escarpments of Adrar Amgroud (2260m) to the Berber hamlet of Assaka n’Aït Ouazzine, where, at 1584m, we stop for the night for our welcome dinner and bivouac site set near fields of corn, barley and stands of Barbary fig and almond trees. A gentle reminder, it gets cold at nights in the winter months in this almost lunar landscape of sun-blasted, volcanic tableland, so please be prepared.

After a leisurely breakfast, we strike out up along the dry river bed between glass-like roc ks and boulders, on through the remote hamlets of Akerkour, Berqiq and then of Tigniza (not to be found on any topographical map), through pastureland and the occasional rock hut of the Aït Attar tribe of nomadic shepherds and up to the village of Tajalajt (1332m) for our field picnic.

We’re off again, now to trek along the dry river bed to pass near Maghabout Moulay Houssine and up the Tassghdelte n’Ssi El Haj Plateau to the isolated hamlet of Tifdoussine for our dinner and overnight bivouac in an awesome silence amidst clumps of broom, gorse and thyme This region belongs to the fiercely-independent, semi-nomadic Aït Atta Berber tribe of shepherds, scratch farmers and fodder-gatherers who herd their sheep and goats to unplotted wells and isolated, hidden pastures, taking with them on camelback their black felt and goatskin tents.

It is here that most of the henna, so beloved by Moroccan women to line their eyes and paint fascinating designs on the hands, feet and ankles. On now through the Tizi n’Hamdour offering yet another awesome panoramic view of the surrounds and down to the village of Hamdour, thence on down further south alongside the N’Koob River, through small palmeraies and rocky escarpments to arrive in the late afternoon at our bivouac site for this final night in the Valley of N’Koob next to the oasis and fields of henna. Whilst our evening meal is being prepared, we may go to visit the nearby old kasbah of N’Koob.