PODCAST: ALICE IN WANDERLAND
Alice Morrison’s captivating accounts of everyday life in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco
Podcast
ALICE IN WANDERLAND
‘Indiana Jones for girls’ is how Alice Morrison has been described. The ‘Alice in Wanderland’ podcast features her fascinating and humorous insights into the day to day adventures of life in the Moroccan Atlas Mountains.
Alice Morrison is an adventurer and story teller who ‘left the rat race for a bike race’, entering the Tour D’Afrique in order to pursue her dream of cycling across Africa. Bitten by the adventure bug she went on to attempt the Marathon Des Sables, the world’s toughest footrace, featuring 6 marathons in 6 days across the Sahara Desert. Feeling less than confident in her running skills, she relocated to Morocco in order to train for the desert conditions, where she fell in love with the people and culture, and made it her permanent home.
Since then she has completed such incredible journeys as a world first crossing, from the highest point in north Africa (Mount Toubkal) to the Atlantic, via the Atlas Mountains; a journey from Morocco to Timbuktu, which she filmed as a documentary for BBC2, and the Everest Trail Race. She then went on to become the first woman to walk the Draa river, accompanied by three Amazigh guides and five camels. As well as many more adventures she has written several books about her experiences.
Tell us more about the Alice in Wanderland Podcast and what inspired you to begin it?
I have so many daily stories about life in my Amazigh family compound in the middle of the High Atlas Mountains, I wanted to share them. And a podcast seemed a good way. It’s also really great when I am on adventures as I can really give people a sense of what it’s like on the road.
What has been your greatest adventure to date?
Each one has been great. How do you compare cycling the whole of Africa with running six marathons across the desert in six days? Every experience is so rich.
What has been the toughest challenge you’ve ever taken on?
In every expedition there is usually a moment of despair! I think the lava road in Kenya is definitely up there.
The lava road in Kenya was a broken road of black lava rocks. The temperature was around 40 degrees. People were begging for water by the side of the road as we were cycling through the worst drought in a generation. You had to pedal every stroke and with every stroke got slammed into the saddle. Two thirds of the riders dropped out. Of 11 women I was one of only 3 who made it. It was sheer hell.
Where is your favourite place on earth?
My home in the Atlas Mountains.
Do you prefer to adventure as part of a team or solo?
I like to work in a team because you learn more and you have companionship. On my crossing across Morocco on foot I walked for 7 1/2 months with Addi and Brahim – Amazigh guides and camel handlers. The depth of their knowledge of the natural world we were crossing and – of course – their own culture, was a privilege for me to share.
Do you currently have any adventures planned you can tell us about?
I’m about to walk the length of Jordan from north to south.
What does adventure mean to you?
Really Living!
Credits for cycling shots – Kristiaan Pletten
Credits for official MDS shots – MDS
The depth of their knowledge of the natural world we were crossing and – of course – their own culture, was a privilege for me to share.
You can catch up with Alice in Wanderland Podcast on all of these platforms. Don’t forget to leave a review!
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CONTRIBUTOR
Alice Morrison
Alice Morrison is a Scottish Adventurer based in Morocco. She is the presenter of the BBC2 Series Morocco to Timbuktu: An Arabian Adventure. She has undertaken some tough, physical and mental challenges including: The Tour D’Afrique, cycling from Cairo to Cape Town; running round Everest; and the Marathon des Sables, the toughest footrace on earth; She has just completed a 4000km exploration on foot of Morocco from the Mediterranean Sea to the Mauritanian border with her six camels when she found dinosaur footprints and a lost city and investigated the space ships of the desert. She speaks fluent Arabic and French and 20 words of lots of different languages. “Everyone has an inner Adventurer in them, let yours out!” is her mantra.
Her latest book, Walking with Nomads (tbc) is published on 17th March 2022. She is the author of Adventures in Morocco, Dodging Elephants and Morocco to Timbuktu, all available on Amazon in paperback or on kindle/ebook.
