This picture was taken by an Epic Morocco customer on a mountain biking tour passing through one of the most remote villages of its size in Morocco. The village of Ait Kelaa lies in the heart of the saffron-growing region of the Jebel Sirwa, a volcanic "spur" to the south of the High Atlas Mountains. This very poor village is accessible by a poorly-surfaced "piste" (or dirt road) and its remote location explains the reaction of the villagers, and in particular the children of Ait Kelaa, when our groups arrive by bike. It is rare for them to see foreign visitors as their village is so far off the beaten track and the sight of a group of space-age travellers wearing tight shorts and silly helmets always ensures a big crowd of children to welcome our arrival. Here we stop for tea, watched by literally hundreds of people. The men in the picture are the elders of the village and the likelihood is that they have lived their entire lives in Ait Kelaa. Some may have travelled as far as Ouarzazate although it is unlikely that many have ever ventured as far as Marrakech to the north of the mountains (some 250km away). In villages all over the Sirwa locals harvest saffron, gramme for gramme one of the world's most expensive foodstuffs, and your arrival in such a village will be welcomed with a glass of saffron tea. It seems an incredible paradox that such poor villagers use such an expensive ingredient to make tea, but it's easily explained. Such widespread poverty throughout the region illustrates that the middle man (either at the market in Taliouine, although more likely later on in the chain) is the likely winner in the saffron industry, and not the local farmers, who remain incredibly poor.

The Sirwa offers excellent hiking and mountain biking. Our Sirwa trek climbs Jebel Sirwa, th highest mountain in the range and our Atlas Sahara bike tour and Atlas Sahara Hike and Bike trip both cross the range. The riding is a mix of remote dirt roads and some excellent singletrack riding. Given that the area is so undeveloped (which is much of its beauty) whenever we visit the Sirwa we stay either in village houses, giving you a chance to witness typical Berber culture firsthand, or we camp in superb wilderness locations. Our Sirwa trekking tour uses a mix of "Chez l'habitant" (family houses) and camping, en route to the highest peak in the area. It's a good option for less experienced hikers who want a (relatively) gentle summit to conquer that's way off the tourist trail. The best time to visit the region is in spring and autumn, avoiding the hot summers and freezing cold winters that the region experiences.