For westerners, Morocco holds an immediate and enduring fascination. Though just an hour's ride on the ferry from Spain, it seems at once very far from Europe, with a culture - Islamic and deeply traditional - that is almost wholly unfamiliar. Throughout the country, despite the years of French and Spanish colonial rule and the presence of modern and cosmopolitan cities, Morocco retains its undisputed charm of stunning Berber villages and imperial cities.

This is an expedition of the Western High Atlas Mountains with several peaks above 4000m and home to the indigenous Berber people who have inhabited Morocco for more than 5000 years. Our trekking sojourn take us from the village of Imlil through hidden villages and a way of life that has barely changed.