After a 4 hour drive to the Rose Valley
we sent our main bags in the van to our next stop while we set off on another
trek up to our next mountain gite with smaller overnight bags. We started the
trek with lunch by the river (always a good start!) before setting out on our
first hard climb up to the top of the mountain for yet another amazing view.
But first we had to cross the river via a tiny one-plank bridge which wouldn’t
have been too difficult had the river not been flowing so quickly that it made
you dizzy to look down and causing the bridge to seem to sway. A few people
chickened out and decided to wade across the river further up-stream, but when
I saw it reach Ross’s thighs I realized it would be over my waist and decided
to risk the bridge. Running across that little bridge with my bag and very
non-waterproof camera strapped to my back was the most adrenalin-pumping
exercise of the trip!
A little mule carrying water and extra gear led the way up
the mountain and at first I thought the pace was quite sedate. We soon
realized that although it was a slow pace the mule did not need to stop and
after an hour of constant climbing we were KNACKERED. We reached the top to be
greeted by black rain-clouds rolling in and there was frantic scrabbling for
raincoats and bag covers, only to have a few half-hearted spots of rain hit us
on the way down to the valley.
We walked down through the village and along the
valley to our next overnight spot at the top of the Agouti gorge. The kasbah
consisted of two big open rooms so most of the group took one room while the
older Brit couple stayed in the other main room and the American couple decided
to sleep in a little room in the tower of the Kasbah (which we didn’t
understand since it was FREEZING up there). We spent the evening running around
the roof of the Kasbah taking photos of the sunset over the village and the
surrounding mountains, and generally playing the fool. Great group.
