North Africa's highest mountain: Jbel Toubkal

 

Toubkal is a peak which you can reach as a beginner, intermediate and advanced climber. The summit can be reached by hiking the mountain in two days time and does not require technical climbing skills. If you have some experience, the ascent will go easier. As a beginner, it is still doable, but it will be hard. For reference; we never went up a mountain before without a skilift, so we were definitely beginners and we made it to an altitude of 4000 meters in two days time (starting at an altitude of 1800 meters in Imlil). However, it was extremely though and much harder than we expected. So to sum it all up, it is possible to reach the summit of mount Toubkal as a beginner, but you need to be in good shape and have good stamina. 

 

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

The best season to attempt the summit of Toubkal depends on the experience you want to have. If you are new to trekking at high elevations, the autumn months (September and October) or the spring months (April and May) will be the best time to climb Mount Toubkal. This way you avoid extremes of hot or cold. However, if you love the challenge of a winter climb, you should ascent Toubkal between October and April. You'll need crampons to reach the summit, which you can rent at the start of the trek. The snow usually starts around the end of October and November. We went in February and it was a great experience to hike in the snow with the crampons. 

 

​

 

Day 1

This is the trip that we booked: Toubkal Trek.

On day 1 we got picked up from our riad in Marrakech in the morning and were driven to Imlil (altitude: 1800 meters) to start our trek. In Imlil we met with our guide and got the last essentials for our trip: the crampons and more water.

We passed through the Ait Mizane valley, through the village of Aremd and to the sanctuary of Sidi Chamarouch. During the trek we stopped multiple times due to the heat of the sun. Even though it was February the sun was shining the entire day and we were sweating a lot. We hiked the first half of day 1 in our t-shirts, so make sure you bring enough sunscreen in the winter as well.

We had three longer breaks, the first one to drink fresh orange juice, the second one to have lunch (we asked getyourguide beforehand if we could have vegan lunch during the trek and our really friendly guide made sure that we got the vegan lunch). A third break to rest 20 minutes before heading to the Toubkal Refuge. You follow the mule tracks to the high cliffs and climb steadily above the snow line until you reach the Toubkal Refuge, where you'll stay for the night.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

Overnight stay in the Toubkal Refuge

Let's get straight to the point, the night in the Toubkal Refuge was a nightmare. The staff at the Toubkal Refuge is really friendly and the common rooms were nicely warmed up,  but do not expect to get a good night's sleep. Our room had around four double bunkbeds, so we slept with 16 people in one room. With three people snoring in unison and people walking in and out of the room the entire night, we did not sleep. Unfortunately there is no other option but to stay at the Toubkal Refuge when climbing Mount Toubkal. So prepare for the worst, and bring enough warm clothes (as it can get really cold in the bedrooms of the Refuge), earplugs and a sleeping mask. The food was okay, we had a really nice warm cup of soup and some pasta, which was not very tasty, but great for fueling up after such a long day of hiking. 

 

Day 2

On the second day you will follow the southern circle route. We got up  at 04:00 a.m. to have breakfast, don't expect something special, just some dry toast with jam and tea and coffee. We would recommend to bring your own fruit, protein and energy bars to make sure you have enough fuel to reach the summit.

After breakfast you'll put on our crampons and headlight band to start the ascent to the summit.

Day 2 was much harder compared to day 1 due to the steepness and the snow. Debris and elevation changes can make it really difficult at times.

It is possible to experience some altitude sickness during this second part of the trek so be careful and make sure you drink enough water. As I said before, as beginners we had a really hard time and decided to stop at a peak of 4000 meters. It took us around 4 hours to reach the 4000 meters point. Our guide told us that the views at this point could be compared to the views you have at the summit. And WOW these views are spectacular, we could see the plains of Marrakech and the High Atlas Mountains, all the way to the Anti-Atlas Mountains and the Sahara Desert to the south. Because we started hiking really early that day, we were just in time to see the sunrise at 4000 meters. This experience is really impossible to describe, on one side of the mountain we could see the brightest red and orange colors while the sun was rising and on the other side we saw the moon surrounded by beautiful blue and purple colors. This is an experience that you will never forget.

From the summit you head back down the mountain to the Toubkal Refuge to rest a little bit and have some tea and biscuits. After that we proceeded with the descent back to Imlil. You'll stop again for lunch at the same place as day 1. From Imlil we were picked up by our driver and we were dropped off at our riad in Marrakech. 

 

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

First of all, if you go during the winter, make sure you bring enough warm clothes with you as it can be really cold on the summit and in the Toubkal Refuge (with temperatures ranging from -15°C to 0°C). Also, make sure you bring enough sunscreen, even in the winter. 

For two different reasons, bring enough cash with you. All of the meals were already paid for beforehand through getyourguide (the company we booked with), but there is a small shop at the Toubkal Refuge where you can buy some chocolate bars and chips (cash only). Believe me when I say that's all you want after the first long day. I would also recommend you to bring your own snacks with good nutrients, such as protein bars, energy bars and fruit.

The second reason you need cash is that it is customary to give your guide a tip. We had a very friendly guide from Imlil and we really wanted to give him a big tip. It is usual to aim for 10 euros per person per day.