Climbing Mount Toubkal: Sarah’s Adventure in Morocco
Our manager Sarah recently embarked on an incredible journey to Morocco to tackle Mount Toubkal, North Africa's highest peak at 4,167m (also known as Jebel Toubkal). Nestled in the stunning High Atlas Mountain range, Toubkal offers an unforgettable adventure for those seeking a challenge.
Since many of you have expressed interest in taking on this epic climb, we thought it would be great for Sarah to share her experience with you. She traveled to Morocco in November, flying from Dublin Airport, and has plenty of insights to offer about the journey.
If you're thinking of taking on Mount Toubkal yourself, don’t hesitate to reach out to Sarah with any questions—she’d be happy to help.
DAY 1
We travelled for about an hour by transfer from Marrakech Airport to the small village of Imlil 1800m to where we stayed the night. We had dinner here and were treated to lovely Moroccan cuisine consisting of flat breads, soup and a variety of fruit and veg. Here we had the option to leave behind spare stuff we didn’t need on the mountain like a spare change of clothes or shower stuff for after which was quite handy.
PIC: OUR ACCOMODATION AT IMLIL
PIC: IMLIL
DAY 2
The next day we began our trek from Imlil to the Refuge du Toubkal 3200m. The wind was quite wild this day so we were a lot colder than expected once we got trekking, so definitely pack some warmer layers. Some of our luggage was carried up by mules but I chose to pay a porter. This was due to the snow coming a bit further up the path then expected so the mules couldn’t reach the refuge. This cost €25 or 250 durham for reference. I also organised to rent crampons and this was a must. The mountain was all snow and you wouldn’t get far without them. This was about €15 to rent or 150 dirham.
Pic: We stopped here for lunch on the way to Toubkal refuge.
This part of the hike was really beautiful. We passed glacial rivers and retreat centres/sites of particular significance to Muslim culture. You are surrounded by mountains as you trek up including views of snowy mountain tops and a very cloudy looking Toubkal. The terrain was all dirt path with some stoney bits. Typical hiking trail. The weather naturally got colder as we trekked and I was glad I packed my down jacket. Towards the end of the day as we were nearing our mountain refuge, we started coming across snow on our path. Flexi crampons would have been handy here in parts.
Pic: Toubkal Refuge
The mountain refuge was lovely and warm inside and had its own tuck shop with water and snacks, a room for wet boots and a toasty fire in the communal room. Our room was a shared space, with bunks all pushed together.
Pic: Toubkal Refuge - Bunks
Eye masks and ear plugs are advised for a good night's sleep! We had popcorn on arrival (classic altitude snack) and tea and had some time to kill before dinner. The sunset was amazing here and you have some lovely views outside of the mountains beyond.
Pic: Food at Toubkal Refuge
DAY 3
Pic: Trekking up in the dark on summit morning.
We had a 3:30am wake up call and it was about a 4:30am start to push to the summit. We had all our gear ready, crampons on and started our ascent. The terrain up was quite steep, all single file and definitely felt a little bit sketchy in parts. It evened out after about 40 minutes but the wind and powdered snow made it quite tough going.
Pic: Foggy conditions with summit in sight
We had a bigger group and aimed to make it up by sunset but this didn’t end up happening due to the weather and the pace. We had one short break after hiking about 2 and half hours and quickly started up again. The sun started to rise after this and the views were pretty incredible. The snow quality began to get bad about half way and we were finding soft snow in parts up to our knees. This subsided eventually but definitely drained the energy reserves. Toubkal has many false summits and this was definitely hard going as you hike up further and start to feel the altitude. I felt okay until about 300m away from the summit (which you couldn't see) as the altitude started to hit a bit. We eventually made it to the summit and had celebratory photos and a little dance party for the craic. We probably had 15 minutes at the summit until we had to make our way down.
Pic: Summit Pic
The way down was definitely nicer than the way up. The sun is well up at this stage and you get to see the views you missed on the ascent. I felt it in the knees for a while but this subsided. We even had a chance to slide down the mountain in the snow which saved our legs a few metres. I would say try your best to stay at the front of the group as you won’t get breaks if you are in the back. This is what we found with the company we went with which was a bit tough going when you're already wrecked. We eventually made it back down to the refuge, had lunch, packed up and went to hike the rest of the way back to Imlil. Long day. For the ascent up Toubkal from the refuge it was about 4 hours up and 4 hours down. We then had the trek back to Imlil and that took us an extra 6 hours.
Toubkal is a great trek if you want to experience an altitude hike or a training hike for Everest Base Camp or Kili! Some people on the trek were doing exactly this to prep themselves. Winter skills would be handy for the time of year I went but you don’t absolutely need it. It is also relatively inexpensive and quick turnaround (I went for the weekend). I would highly recommend it if you want a challenge!
MY PACKING LIST (NOVEMBER)
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1 X merino long sleeve baselayer (200 weight Icebreaker Merino)
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1 X merino short sleeve
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1 X sun top midlayer
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1 X light down jacket (Rab Cirrus Jacket)
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1 X heavy weight down jacket (Rab Electron Down Jacket)
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1 x liner glove (175 Icebreaker Merino liner gloves)
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1 x heavyweight ski/down gloves
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1 x walking pant
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1 x 260 Icebreaker merino legging base layer
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1 x duffel bag (I used my 90L H/H Duffel cause of the size of my sleeping bag but you could easily go way smaller)
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1 x sleeping bag (3 season)
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1 x sleeping bag liner (Lifeventure silk liner)
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2 x Lifeventure 1L bottles
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1 x 500ml bottle (for electrolytes)(dynafit soft flask)
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1 x sunhat
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1 x beanie
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2 x buffs (I used one heavy weight and one lightweight)
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Hiking boots (Meindl Bhutans)
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Plenty of hand warmers
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Suncream
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Sunglasses cat 4/3
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Medication for altitude (diamox)
TIPS AND TRICKS
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If you are hiking around the colder times of the year like I was, I’d recommend a soft flask to put in your pocket on summit day as your water freezes on the way up. This was also the case for water bladders! An insulated flask would also be a good shout cause it wasn’t too pleasant drinking iced water when it’s already freezing!
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I took about €100 worth of Moroccan Durim out at the airport as it was only a short trip. There weren't many spots after the airport to take out cash so I’d recommend getting it sorted there. This was enough for the tip for our guides and for some of my water expenses for this trip but if it was summer you might need more. I also brought my own snacks with me but you can buy some there once you get to the refuge. They do take euros up the mountain though if you're stuck. I’d recommend smaller change like €5- €20 notes though as they don’t have much change to break bigger cash.
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Hand warmers are a must in the winter on this trip. Do not underestimate the cold. Especially if you are doing a sunrise ascent like we did.
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Bring smaller snacks like nature valley bars or cliff bars. I found there weren't too many breaks because of the cold, so easy snacks on the go are a must.
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Ski Goggles - on the ascent up the wind squalls would make loose snow hit your face so this is one thing I wish I brought! Clear ones are better for night hiking.
I love this vest! It fits like a second skin and offers plenty of space for gear, with an ingenious layout for easy access. It features two overlapping compartments with both top and bottom zippers for quick access while running. Plus, the vest has stretch pockets and a removable waterproof pocket for your phone.
