Ripcord Adventure Journal 1.2 Second Edition

Terroir: Marrakech
Kieran Creevy
air temperatures fall swiftly. Shortly after dinner there’s a slow but
inexorable drift of bodies towards dormitories and private rooms.
Sleeping in a busy refuge takes some skills, a willingness to
persevere in the face of snores, flickering head-torches, grumbles
and other night-time noises. And crucially, a set of ear plugs.
Nevertheless, we sleep well and wake in the wee hours, gearing up
in the pre-dawn darkness, crisp breaths steaming. This is what I love
about alpine starts, not the “10 minutes more”, “I must be nuts
getting up at this hour” times. When we head out of the door of a
refuge, stars gleam brighter in the firmament because we’re at
altitude and away from bright city lights, the slight dusting of snow
on high above ridges draw sharp outlines of where we want to be
this morning. The lines of perception and possibility seem endless.
Here, high in the Atlas Mountains we start upwards, lifted by soft
calls from mountain people prostrate on rugs, calling towards the
morning light.
Warqa and Rose Petal Jam Pastries
Ingredients:
Warqa: Makes 8 large sheets
200 g strong plain flour
2 tbsp fine semolina flour
200ml water
1 tsp argan oil (readily available in Morocco, can be substituted with
good olive oil)
1 tsp lemon juice
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp vegetable oil for brushing
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