If you are trekking or climbing the Atlas Mountains this June, then your trip falls during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Here are some helpful pointers to enable you to understand the local culture and religion a little more whilst still enjoying your trekking or mountaineering experience.

What is Ramadan?

Ramadan is the Muslim holy month of fasting and consecration. It happens every year, but as the Islamic calendar follows the lunar cycle rather than the solar cycle, its start date gradually creeps forward a few days every year. It begins with the first sighting of the crescent new moon, and lasts through one full lunar month (29-30 days). This year it generally began around the 7th June.

During this holy month, which commemorates the first revelations of their scriptures to their Prophet, Muslims will not eat food or drink throughout all daylight hours, breaking their fast after the evening mosque call which occurs around sunset. They are then permitted to eat and drink until the first prayer call of the next day, before sunrise.

In our town someone will go along all the streets early in the morning (4am-ish) blowing a horn to wake everybody up so that they can have a final meal ramadan moroccobefore the next day’s fasting. They will then go to pray just before sunrise.

You will notice a greater dedication to religion during this time. Extended periods of reading the Koran over the loudspeakers of the mosques will echo through the valleys, and many more men will be dressed in the white robes of devotion and attend mosque more often than usual. There are often extra times of prayer in addition to the normal five-per-day.

The night time is a time of feasting and celebration. If you are fortunate enough to be invited into the home of your local guide or muleteer this month for the evening “Fdour” (literally, breaking the fast, i.e. breakfast!”) then you are in for a treat. Harira (local lentil, rice and vegetable soup), dates, sweet delicacies, barbecued meat, tajine and couscous – let’s just say that you won’t go hungry! All this accompanied with copious amounts of mint tea of course. The feasting can go on all night, so watch the clock if you have an early mountaineering start in the morning and still desire a good night’s rest!

 

Acting sensitively during Ramadan.

Forgoing food and drink for all daylight hours is very tough on the body, and a discipline which most westerners are unlikely to have experienced themselves. Its falling in summer at the moment makes it particularly difficult – it was 43 degrees the other day in Marrakech! Whilst locals will try their hardest to give you a good trip, the nature of their fast may mean they are a bit more impatient and grumpier than normal. If you are aware of this and why it is, you won’t be disappointed by it. Particularly during the last hours of the afternoon you will notice this.

In the mornings, shops and services may not open until much later in the day due to the long nights of feasting. So don’t try to squeeze your last minute shopping into a morning – come prepared!

As a westerner who is not bound by the customs of Islam, you of course have every right to eat and drink as much as you wish. However, be respectful of those around you who are struggling to wait for sunset before they can quench their thirst. Don’t eat or drink in front of others, in the streets or villages. Go into your hotel room or somewhere private. Whilst on trek, just be a bit more aware of how often you are drinking. Your guide and local staff will understand you needing to drink in this heat, however don’t do it right in their face! Maybe have longer swigs of water on your rest stops, and don’t chug water from a mineral water bottle every five minutes. Hydration packs with a hose can be a bit more surreptitious and less tempting to those who see you drink. In this heat you will need to drink a lot to avoid dehydration yourself, so its hard to get a balance!

The attitude to adopt is one of respect and inquisitiveness. Moroccans will be all too happy to explain to you their customs if you show interest and thoughtfulness. You are in their country after all, so see it as an opportunity to understand a different culture and be challenged with what you hold dear in life. This is as essential a part of your trip as actually climbing Mount Toubkal or completing your trek! Also, keep any shock or criticism of what you are experiencing to yourself – you are the foreigner here. Remember not to offer snacks or drinks to your local friends during your rest stops!

 

Trekking in Ramadan – Safety

Whilst it is permitted for Muslims to abstain from fasting if they are sick or on a journey, the realities of trying to make a living for most mountain dwelling Moroccans mean that they will observe the fast whilst trying to work as normal. Mountain guides and muleteers will assure you that they are quite capable of fulfilling their roles whilst fasting, and their hardiness and courage during this month is something to be admired! There are a few measures you can take, however, to ensure your safety in the mountains:

-Make sure that either you have extra emergency food and water. In the case of something going wrong, or an accident, or someone fainting with the heat and altitude, this is essential. It would be unfortunate for a guide to faint with heat exhaustion and dehydration, leaving his group of clients vulnerable. If you have food and water to revive him this should sort the problem out and shouldn’t be a problem for his fasting, as it is an emergency situation.

-Be aware of the signs of dehydration and heat exhaustion. Possible heat exhaustion signs and symptoms include:

  • Cool, moist skin with goose bumps when in the heat
  • Heavy sweating
  • Faintness
  • Dizziness
  • Fatigue
  • Weak, rapid pulse
  • Low blood pressure upon standing
  • Muscle cramps
  • Nausea
  • Headache

If you notice any of these signs in one of your local friends or if they collapse or feel faint – get them into the shade and sat down, wipe their forehead with a damp cloth to try to cool them, and offer them water and food. Also make sure you have the phone number of someone who can come to help if necessary. If you are on or near Toubkal it’s good to have both the number of the refuge you are staying at (text them as well as call them, the signal there comes and goes) and also the number of the local gendarmes (police) in Imlil in case of emergency.

Just being aware of these things could save your from getting into difficulties. Hopefully everything will go smoothly and you will have nothing to worry about.

Enjoy your visit to Morocco, and for any more insights into local life & culture, and for customised treks and adventures here, don’t hesitate to contact Wild Goose Adventure.