Trekking in Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains

High in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, Lausanne’s small mud and rock Berber houses sat above golden, green terraces of wheat. Jagged mountain peaks surrounded the remote village, built among boulders on the mountainside. The buzzing sounds of Muslim prayer chants and the crow of a rooster permeated the air. Brightly dressed women and girls harvested wheat by hand while men sipped mint tea and boys played in alleyways between houses. Our host, Mohammed, stood on a rooftop watching us and awaiting our arrival as we hiked on the other side of the canyon toward the small community.