Speaking this month we have:
1st: Tim Hanigan – On Foot through the High Atlas: Exploring Morocco’s mountains
The mountain spine of northwest Africa, the High Atlas walls off the fertile coastal regions of Morocco from the vast expanse of the Sahara. Rising to 4,000 metres in places and snowbound in winter, the range is the stronghold of Morocco’s indigenous Berbers.
Today traditional transhumance cultures sit uneasily alongside an expanding network of government roads, which are rapidly transforming former mule-trails into tarmac. But for now there’s still plenty of wilderness, and some very fine trekking.
Tim Hannigan shares insights from his many journeys in the High Atlas, with a particular focus on the beautiful Ait Bougmez and Mgoun region at the very heart of the range, as well as tales of his repeated failure to make it to the summit of Morocco’s second highest mountain!
Tim is a writer and journalist. He’s the author of Murder in the Hindu Kush, A Brief History of Indonesia, Raffles and the British Invasion of Java, various guidebooks, and numerous travel articles – covering the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, amongst other places.
Find out more at:
2nd: Janey McGill – Oman: Her Faces of Change
Janey returned in January from walking Oman’s Empty Quarter with an Anglo-Omani team exploring the human condition and encouraging respect, understanding and acceptance regardless of gender, culture or identity differences.
The winter of 2018/19 saw Janey undertake her most challenging expedition. Born of a decade worth of experiences, overcoming injury and adversity, challenging relationships and an adoration for extreme natural environments.
With her two team mates, Baida Al Zadjali and Atheer Al Sabri, walked nearly approximately 800 kms through Oman’s Empty Quarter desert.
Why? To deliver a message that we are better together regardless of gender, culture or identity. To foster understanding between nations and cultures.
The three women were supported by a small team and sponsored by Land Rover.
Janey will be releasing a feature length documentary on the journey in January 2020
Find out more at:
The talk by Francesca Jaggs on Eswatini (Swaziland) has been postponed as Janey kindly offered to speak this month.
Unfortunately Michelle Ellison’s talk has had to be postponed.
Admission costs, we charge a small cash fee of £3 for Globetrotters members and £6 for non-members on the door to cover our expenses, tea/coffee and biscuits are included free in the interval between the talks.
You do not need to be a member to attend, and we do not sell advanced tickets, please just come on the day, the doors open at 2:15pm and the program starts around 2:30pm with each talk lasting between 45 – 60 minutes.
London branch meetings are held at The Church of Scotland, Crown Court, behind the Fortune Theatre in Covent Garden the first Saturday of each month, unless there is a UK public holiday that weekend.
There is no London meeting in August, but we start afresh each September. If you would like to keep up to date with what’s happening at the Globetrotters London meetings and to be sent email reminders prior to the meeting, please sign up here
