Solo Travel With Adventurous Ewe:
An Interview with Mountain trekker, Eileen
Solo travel with a tour operator is on the rise, and for good reason. It offers you the chance to forge new friendships with like-minded adventurers, without the need to coordinate plans with a travel buddy and spend loads of precious time researching and planning. We know the scene too well. You’ve crafted your dream trip, researched accommodation places and mapped out the best train or flight schedules. Full of excitement, you share your adventure ideas with your usual travel pals, only to discover they lack the annual leave, funds, or sometimes even the interest to tackle that journey which ignites your adventurous spirit.
So we’re shining the spotlight on solo travellers, and we’re thrilled that Eileen Harte is sharing her story following her heartwarming review after her Mt Toubkal Trek with us earlier this year. Follow along as Eileen shares her experiences and insights into why she finds solo travel with AE so rewarding.
“The world is out there, ready to be explored, and all you need to discover it is yourself.”
At the young age of 54 I realised that the world was still spinning at a ferocious speed and I had a lot of things left to do and places to see! All the things I loved in my late teens and 20’s were put on hold for career and children. I was a very active young lady: hiking, riding, swimming and generally outside in nature whenever possible. I am sure there are people reading this nodding their heads! My husband was also very active; we both lamented the days we could take off for an adventure together without the responsibilities of work and family. Running a business together adds another dimension to the ‘get outa town pot’ as it’s tricky for both of us to leave at the same time!
A friend, a pool and some sunshine was my usual recipe for a break from the family. Fun, but not fulfilling. I had completed the National Three Peaks Challenge and felt pretty good afterwards without having trained too hard. I really enjoyed the hiking on the challenge and the camaraderie and support of the mountain guides. I felt with a bit more training maybe I could do another challenge? I wanted to go a bit higher than Ben Nevis! First things first: would I go solo? What did my husband think?
I spoke to him about my crazy idea and that I could be away for a whole week! It opened up an unexpected conversation about travelling separately. ‘Isn’t it better to get living instead of waiting around for the right time’, was his response. The day will come when we travel together again but we both agreed that doing ‘nothing’ was a waste of our precious time. It would be a solo trip. I decided to do some research before making a final decision.
My plan was to do a mountain in Europe and when I started researching Mt Toubkal came up as a good opportunity; not too far to travel, the right level of difficulty for a novice like me. I had completed some training on Snowdon with a guide for the Three Peaks Challenge and he recommended Adventurous Ewe. I had also followed one of their guides’ Everest Ascent, Jo Bradshaw, but hadn’t realised she worked with Adventurous Ewe. Everything felt right to make contact with them. From the moment I looked at their website I was put at ease that this was a very professional organisation. The amount of details and information they include for each trip is top class; there is no questions unanswered. This is the confidence I needed to travel solo.
The last time I travelled solo was as a very precocious 17-year-old when I went to work in Western Canada on a distant relatives’ farm. I have blocked the memory of 5 hours in Immigration and several court appearances when my visa ran out!
I sent the first email to Adventurous Ewe with all my fears in black and white and wondering if anyone would reply to an anxious wreck! Jenny replied like she was chatting to a friend; not a generic reply; a really honest reply; not a sales reply; an empathetic reply. Jim and Sue followed suit over the weeks; they all emailed me personally on areas I was concerned about as a solo traveller for the first time.
It was so encouraging and supportive to get these emails.
I paid my deposit……I took a deep breath…..I was in.
The rest of the admin went smoothly and once I was introduced to the free travel app Vamoos I felt like I had my very own personal travel agent/PA coming on the trip. The timings of our flights and all the transfers were at the touch of button!
From the first day on the Adventurous Ewe website right through to the goodbyes in Marrakesh; their ethos of sustainability and working with locals rings true. From the moment we touched down at Marrakesh airport we felt cared for in a way I haven’t experienced before; unless someone else was footing a 5 star bill! The transfers from the airport to the well-chosen Riad were smooth, timely and well organised.
The trip was all about the people: the Riad manager, the Hostel manager, the Hostel cook, the travel agent manager in Imlil, the guides (more later). They are all friends of Jim and Sue and they speak highly of them. How lucky were we! As I had now met my other travellers I didn’t feel ‘solo’, I felt included in a wonderful group of people with similar values and the same intention; to climb Mt Toubkal.
After a wonderful night in the bedlam that is Marrakesh we travelled towards the Atlas Mountains to the more tranquil village of Imlil. Our hostel was more like a guest house and traditional in every way; the welcome, the food and the aura of the Atlas mountains surrounding us. Our lovely cook was so modest when we gave our thanks. I miss the bubbling shakshuka breakfast, the copious amounts of fresh mint tea and the delicious steaming soups and tagine creations.
The local Berber people who know the mountains better than we know our back gardens were to be our guides. They welcomed us like we were the first people who ever came to Imlil to climb Mt Toubkal; we felt so special.
We gathered that evening for our hike briefing with Ibrahim who was our expert Berber guide. Ibrahim had climbed the mountain 1000s of times. We were in safe hands. We discussed our kit and conditions expected on the hike. When Ibrahim concluded his briefing, we had no questions. We packed our bags (and snacks) and headed off early the next morning for our 3 day hike. We had one of best cooks in North Africa, Amir, joining us and the kindest boy, Hassan, who looked after the 2 mules. The mules carried our tents, food and extra gear. The working equids we saw on the trip were in great condition and well looked after.
The three days consisted of starting with a lovely cooked breakfast and mint tea with sugar (ooh); challenging hiking for a few hours; a lunch stop always near mineral blue rivers and waterfalls for an icy dip. Lunch appeared magically from the tent; a delicious soup, rainbow salads and home-made breads. Oh and more mint tea…..obviously! We then hiked on further whilst the team moved everything to our next camp. We ended the day with another magical 3-course meal including Berber pancakes and an exquisite Tagine. The evenings ended with stories of our day around a campfire and a night sky of shimmering crystal jewels. Ibrahim and his team always keeping a respectful distance; a sign of their persevering culture.
Yes we did get to the summit of Mt Toubkal at sunrise (just!); yes it was spectacularly stunning, emotional (lots of tears) and surreal.
However it wasn’t the best bit.
The best bit was travelling solo and surviving, thriving even.
The best bit was being cared for by a well-chosen Berber guide named Ibrahim who knew I was struggling to summit and stayed with me every single, snail slow, step of the way!
The best bit was how Adventurous Ewe have forged wonderful relationships with these local villagers, and we get the benefit of that!
The best bit was planning my next trip on the descent of Mt Toubkal!
When my children welcomed me home and said they were proud of Mum, I knew I had planted a seed of adventure for them, and that’s definitely the best bit.
This has been the most enriching trip I have ever taken and at the age of 54 with fairly good fitness level it was doable! I am looking at booking my next trip with Adventurous Ewe as soon as possible! The Saraha is on the list along with Killi and possibly some training weekends in Wales. All of this will be done solo until my children have flown the nest and I can bring my husband along and introduce him to the team of Jim, Sue and Jenny….Adventurous Ewe.
