Bryanston pupils study geography in Morocco

Starting in the beautiful city of Marrakech, pupils took a caleche ride out of the Medina and walked back in via the tanneries, workshop areas and souks. Not only did pupils enjoy the overwhelming sensory experience, they also considered the growth of the city, urban land use zones, life in slum areas and slum redevelopment. Later in the day they explored the Gueliz area, a development of the French colonial era, and a real contrast in terms of quality of life and culture.

The next morning the group headed for Imlil in the Atlas Mountains, visiting the Palmeries and post-colonial suburban developments of Marrakech along the way. Pupils spent the next four days undertaking fieldwork to study the features of the River Rehraya and the impact of tourism in Imlil and also took part in a two-day trek. During the trek pupils took the chance to study fold mountains, glacial landforms, landslide and avalanche prevention, as well as spending a night in a remote Berber village.

Pupils also found time to visit two local schools, delivering an impressive amount of writing equipment and toys that they had collected, as well as taking a traditional hammam to steam away tired limbs following the trek. At the end of the week, the group returned to Marrakech, looking at irrigation and agriculture on the Haouz Plain on the way, before a final bout of haggling in the souks and an evening of local culture around the Djemaa el Fna. All in all, a superb week - great human and physical geography and an amazing experience.