Trailblazer Guide Books

Trailblazer guidebooks provide practical information on specific routes… in less accessible parts of the world.
 - Wanderlust

The need for minimum impact trekking

The Atlas Mountains, which Pliny the Elder claimed in the first century AD to have attracted more legends than any other mountains in Africa, are these days proving successful in attracting increasing numbers of trekkers. Yet by the very act of visiting these mountains and their communities, we bring about change to the very thing which we came to admire. Unfortunately, unless we take great care, this change will often be for the worse. It is important, therefore, that we make every effort to minimise our impact by considering how our actions and decisions might affect the physical environment of the Atlas Mountains, the people who live amongst them and their economy.
    As yet, environmental pressure groups within Morocco remain unsubstantial although one group striving to raise awareness in the Toubkal area which you may wish to contact is Amis Toubkal (GSM Tel: 0673.62.80.17; email:  as_amistoubkal@yahoo.fr). However, still no comprehensive environmental guidelines have been written with the Atlas trekker in mind. These below have been devised with the help of the British Mountaineering Council’s Mountain Tourism Codes and the Himalayan Tourist Code published by the charity Tourism Concern ( Tel: 020-7133 3800; web: www.tourismconcern.org.uk).

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

• Waste management  Don’t pollute the Atlas with waste. All waste has some consequence. Each trekker should play his or her part in disposing of waste or removing it from the mountains.

•  Minimise group size  The bigger the group, the more damaging its impact.

•  Minimise supplies  Don’t carry more supplies than you really need.

•  Educate others  With diplomacy and tact, encourage others in your group, including locals, to help manage waste properly.

•  Burnable waste  Food, paper, card and wood waste can be burnt. Carry this waste with you until you have need of a fire.

•  Toxic and non-burnable waste  Metals, plastics, foams, batteries, petrol, paraffin, methylated spirits, oil and medical waste should be carried out of the mountains unless local people can benefit from these things and are interested in relieving you of them.

•  Human waste  This should be buried in pits dug downhill of camps and water sources. Don’t relieve yourself within 20m (70ft) of a water source. Burn toilet paper.

•  Remove packaging  Get rid of excess packaging before setting off for the mountains. This will also help you to reduce the size and weight of your pack.

•  Don’t ignore others’ waste  Make the effort to clean up any other waste which you find on your trek, especially waste created by other trekkers.