Traversing the Atlas Mountains of Marrakech

The second day of our Marrakech trip started bright and early. We arranged a car to pick us up from our riad and began the trek towards the Atlas Mountains. 

I’ll preface this post by saying that going in to this expedition, we may have let our overly adventurous spirit get the best of us. And there were parts of the day that were a bit dicey, as taking your five-month old on a voyage through the mountains to a village with no electricity or running water to have lunch on a dirt floor, may not have been our best move as parents. But, I have to say, it was totally worth it, and hopefully through these photos you can see why.

Along our way up the mountains, we made a few scenic stops, and got to our final destination, the village of Al Haouz, about 1.5 hours later. This is when the fun began. The roads at this point were pretty much nonexistent, so we got out of the van and started on foot.

After a brief walk up through the village, we arrived at our lunch destination, which was A CAVE. Our tour guides used their phones to light our path as we climbed a few stairs and arrived at a tiny, Keebler elf door, where our lunch awaited on the other side.

Words can’t describe the ambiance of this lunch experience. We dined on chicken and beef tajine (slow-cooked stew) couscous and fresh bread. The 360-degree views were truly remarkable. After lunch we finished our afternoon with a hike to a waterfall, and back down to the village where our car awaited.

Emerson was a trooper the entire time! The Ergo carrier (not sponsored) kept her safe and snug during all the hiking, and at lunch she just chilled out on the rugs, and enjoyed some lunch herself.

Dave and I were thrilled to have experienced such a once in a lifetime, authentic opportunity – especially with our daughter. As someone who was terrified to become a mother, having Emerson there with me made me feel a sense of empowerment and confidence I never knew was possible. And someday when she hears the stories of how her dad and I schlepped her through the mountains of Northern Africa, maybe she’ll feel empowered, too.