HIGH ATLAS JEBEL TOUBKAL SUMMIT BY DONATAS GRICIUS
What comes to your mind when you think about Morocco? I doubt the freezing morning, snow and high mountains are what you are thinking right now. This is why I chose to summit one of the highest North African peaks, to find a different Morocco. High Atlas, a wide range of mountains including Jebel Toubkal is easily accessible and frequently visited by expert mountaineers and novice explorers. In the following pages, I’ll walk you through 2-Day Trek using photography and a few personal recommendations. Let’s go!
YOUR BACKPACK
FINDING THE GUIDE
As I travel in March, I had to prepare my backpack for temperatures ranging from -10°C to 30°C.
The best guide is the one who cares about your safety and not your money.
I started my journey to Morocco a few weeks before my flight by preparing my backpack and doing research about the country, Berber culture and how to summit Toubkal mountain. The first thing I noticed was that I needed to pack as many warm clothes for cold mornings as well as light summer clothes for hot African days. Some of the must-have items: bag. It can be rented in Imlil but is worth • Sleeping having yours. warm hat and gloves. These will be lifesaving • Aitems at 4 am on the freezing morning of the summit.
Mountain shoes. Super important to • Waterproof have great shoes to protect from sharp rocks and water.
To trek this mountain you’ll need a guide, which is a legal requirement here in Morocco. There are many tour guides online and most of them offer similar packages. The way I found my guide is by asking 5-10 questions about the trip. The guide who responded to all my questions in detail was the one with who I gained trust. Some of the questions for guides to consider:
• What should I take with me for the trek? detailed plan of the trek including hours of • Awalking to the refuge, summit, walking back to the refuge and walking back to Imlil.
is included in the price and what is not? • What Meals, mules, porters, crampons, axe, etc.
MARRAKECH WELCOME TO MOROCCO Coming from London straight into the Medina in Marrakech can feel a bit stressful and shocking. Is a complete awakening of all the senses as the Medina is buzzing with people and motorbikes. Smells of kidney kebabs, slowly cooking tajine and mint tea are mixed with the sounds of locals selling their goods. Medina is a complicated labyrinth where is quite easy to get lost, always with new alleys leading to another corner of cotton clothes, golden lamps, leather bags or artisanal decorations. Be aware that locals will try to guide you to places by charging you money, which is not always a pleasant experience as some might get aggressive. My advice is to use Google Maps and walk straight to the place where you want to reach. Marrakech has many faces: the old buzzing Medina, welcoming Riads, quiet gardens and the European Galiz district, all of them worth exploring.
IMLIL STARTING POINT This mountain village is located 2 hours driving from Marrakech. At 1700m altitude the landscape is a rocky mountain valley. On the way, we have crossed small towns where life seems to be unchanged for centuries. After many turns and twists through the mountain roads, we reached Imlil where we arranged to meet with our guide, Mustafa. Guides here are Berbers, born here and with years of experience taking curious tourists to the highest peak. Before we leave for the trek, Mustafa has introduced his local guide, Ibrahim who will be walking with us and ensuring our safety doing the trek. They made sure we have all the equipment and clothes we needed and if anything was missing they offered to rent. A hat, warm boots, gloves and even a thermal jumper we missed in our backpacks, luckily they had everything for us. Loaded two mules were caring for our bags and the food for the trip, a huge help as the climb forward was steep.
During the first day, we crossed Berber villages, stopping for a quick mint tea or just to pause for a minute before taking more steps upwards. The walk is challenging for someone who is not physically active or inexperienced once, but doable with a great spirit and positive energy.
Breathtaking views during the walk to the refuge from Imlil, at around 2km altitude.
Snow changed the rocky walks, still with the sun and the blue sky the temperatures drops. The refuge is not visible yet, but after 4 hours of walking upwards and stopping every half an hour for a minute, our legs are begging for solid ground and a warm place to rest.
REFUGE SUNSET WITH WARM FOOD Just before sunset, we reached the refuge, a place where many come to spend the night before the summit. There are two refuge houses offering similar services: a bed, warm food, a shower and slow internet. Nothing else is required here at 3km. To recover our strength and get ready for the summit the next day, a heartwarming cuscus was served, a typical dish in this region based on boiled vegetables with lamb meat. Warm mint tea with the last hours of the day invites everyone to rest for a few hours in the dormitories where up to 14 people can share the night's sleep. Not to expect a silent nigh as many have plans to see starts at 3 am or some wake up early at 4 am. Reaching the refuge is itself an experience worth the effort, some people prefer to push themselves to summit the Toubkal mountain, and some decide to start the journey back to Imlil.
THE SUMMIT 4 AM START Freezing morning but hot blood rushing through the vanes of the adrenaline while gearing up with crampons and nigh lights. We are ready for three hours to climb to the top of the highest mountain in North Africa. Is a silent walk, everyone is concentrated on their steps, looking for the path that others made a moment ago. A long group of people climbs up the vertical wall, patented by a thick layer of snow. After two hours we crossed the most challenging point, from the refuge to a place where we can start seeing the tip of the mountain, a motivational boost required to continue pushing and not giving up. “Almost there!” Some are saying. I lifted my head to see the triangular shape, indicating the end of the agony, a final destination, a place that many doubted can ever reach.
At the top of the Toubkal, 4177m, 6am