A deep, steaming bath soothed my aching body after a demanding nine-hour trek up and down spectacular zig-zag mountain paths, thousands of feet up in the High Atlas range in Morocco.

After 11 gruelling miles, the final flight of stairs to that welcome soak in a traditional Berber village guest house felt as tough as any gradient I had tackled all day.

‘The ‘mature’ traveller of today likes a challenge.’ I remind myself, as I catch my breath.

In the last five years, demand for adventure travel has taken off, says Saga. To find out why, here I am (a reasonably fit 67-year-old) tackling the huge slopes of the Atlas mountains, where the tribal people of North Africa still maintain a culture that has not changed in centuries.

After a night acclimatising in Marrakech at the traditional Dar Imlil guesthouse, our walking boots were eased with a gentle, exploratory stroll around the steep-streeted village of Imlil, that sits in the shadow of snow-covered Mount Toubkal, the highest peak in Morocco.

After an enormous breakfast, including freshly-baked bread, pancakes, honey, fruit and hand-squeezed orange juice, our Berber guide led us along narrow paths from Imlil up to the mountainside village of Armed.

It was typical of the villages we saw, some with only 20 homes, arranged like children’s brown building blocks along the lower slopes of the river valleys, each with a pink-towered mosque.

On the twisting stone trails beyond Armed, we met pack mules carrying goods – and occasionally people – between the villages. These sure-footed animals are the ‘white vans’ of the mountain trails. A good one costs around 800 euros, said our guide, and gives years of service.

Towards the end of our circular five-mile trek, we zig-zagged down the mountainside opposite Armed, and clambered over rocks to enjoy fresh orange juice prepared by hand in a tiny wooden shelter just feet from a spectacular waterfall.

Saga customers on a Morocco Mountains holiday get four days on these trails, to decide with a guide if they can tackle harder routes. I felt I was up to the challenge.

It was immediately all uphill from Dar Imlil the next morning, along steep winding tracks through pine woods to the 2,300m Tizi N Tamatert mountain pass.

Stopping for a cold drink at a tiny stone hut, I enjoyed a sweeping view to the snow-covered peaks around Mount Toubkal, with my destination, the village of Tinoughrine, looking tiny in the valley of the river Imnane 600 vertical metres below.

By the time we had descended the long snaking path, a chef and his mule had already made the trip over the pass and down into village to cook our lunch.

At last, there was some flat walking ahead of us, high above the valley floor towards the village of Ikiss, where we scrambled down a watercourse to cross the shallow but fast-flowing river – wading barefoot through the chilly waters – a welcome respite for hot and tired feet.

The long climb back to the return mountain pass at 2,100m was hard on the legs, but with every twist and turn in the route, another sweeping mountain view emerged to take the breath away.

On the final miles along the valley floor back to Imlil, I had a great sense of achievement – and the memories of some truly awesome terrain.

I always felt in safe hands. There are two mountain guides with each trek, so if anyone falls ill, one guide remains with that person and arranges assistance either by mobile phone or from one of the villages along the trail.

After all this exertion, we relished two nights in the Kenzi Farah Hotel in Marrakech, well-placed to enjoy the sights and sounds of an exotic city – and perfect for some rest and relaxation.

Travel facts;

* Chris Court travelled with Saga Travel, which offers an eight days’ Trekking In The High Atlas Mountains of Morocco trip in early December from £1,249.

* Package includes return flights into Marrakech and transfers, travel insurance/cancellation cover, excursions, tour manager and experienced trekking guides, five nights at Dar Imlil guest house and two nights at Kenzi Farhi Hotel, usually half-board. Dar Imlil also provides all lunches, and wine/beer with dinner.

* For connecting flights ex-Manchester and Glasgow, add around £100 return.

* Saga reservations: 0800 0565880 and sagaholidays.co.uk