Moroccan trek 'will break down cultural barriers'

Dubai: An intrepid group of women is about to set off on a trip to trek through the Atlas Mountains of Morocco and break down cultural barriers at the same time.

The ten-strong team of adventurers will next week fly to North Africa to begin their arduous six-day trek through rugged countryside.

Palestinian, Jordanian, Sudanese, Dutch and British women are taking part in the trip, which is being led by experienced climbers Julie Amer and Suzanne Al Houby.

Julie, a Briton who runs adventure company Mountain High, said the trip was "very symbolic" for the women taking part.

Empowerment

"It's about further developing cross-cultural understanding between Arab and Western women and about women's empowerment the theme is Reaching New Heights."

The team will walk for as many as eight hours a day, visiting Berber villages and sleeping in basic accommodation along the way.

The trip will culminate in the ascent of 4,167-metre Mount Toubkal, the highest peak in North Africa. The group will then go on a sightseeing tour of Marrakech.

Suzanne, a Palestinian mother-of-two who is director of the Dubai Bone and Joint Centre, said: "We aim to first endure and then enjoy the hardship the trek will challenge us with and secondly to encourage others, specifically Arab women, to pursue their own adventurous dreams."

Palestinian aid

Raising money for 'a cause close to our hearts'

The women of the Reaching New Heights project have pledged to raise cash and awareness for Palestinian women's empowerment programmes.

Run by the Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF), the projects were initiated to provide women supporting families with a source of income.

"We decided to raise awareness for something that is close to our hearts," said co-organiser, Suzanne Al Houby, the first Palestinian woman to climb the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.

"This comes at a crucial time ... I have never before seen my people writing they are hungry. There is no medicine, no food. We are trying to do anything we can to help these women; by women for women."