A guide's day in Imlil

People often ask what a guide does all day. On a muleteer trail the answer is mostly small things done early and well. This is a typical day in the Imlil valleys, as I work it.

Before light

I am up before six, when the village is still quiet and the first call to prayer has finished. I check the weather from the high passes, look at the sky over the peaks and speak to the mule families. Each family has its own animals, and I know which mule carries well on steep ground and which one needs a rest. Loads are weighed and balanced before anyone leaves. A badly loaded mule is a sore mule by noon.

The mules

The mules carry the bags, but they also set the pace. I walk at the front and let the animals find their rhythm on the stones. When the path gets steep, I shorten the stride and ask guests to do the same. Nobody is in a hurry on a muleteer trail. The point is to arrive together, with time to look at the terraces and the walnut groves.

Mule handlers are paid for their work the same evening the group leaves. I make sure of this, because the trail depends on good relations with the families in every village we pass.

Midday stop

Around noon we stop at a family guesthouse for bread, olives and mint tea. This is my favourite part of the day. The tea is poured from a height so it foams, and the family will ask where you come from and how the walk was. Guests often want to help with the bread, which is fine, though the oven is hotter than it looks.

I use the rest to check feet, water and energy. Anyone with a blister gets a plaster before we set off again. Anyone who is tired gets an easier afternoon.

Evening

We reach the night’s guesthouse in the late afternoon. I go through the next day’s route with the group, what time we leave, how long the climb is and where the water stops are. On a summit day I talk about turnaround times and what to do if the weather changes. I want people to feel informed, not frightened.

After dinner I sit outside for a while and look at the peaks. I have done this many times, and the light still changes every evening. That is the reason I keep guiding these valleys.