Mt Toubkal & Sahara Desert Adventure

Documents • Passport & visa if needed • Travel insurance details • Boarding passes for flights • Wallet • Pen for filling in arrivals form Clothing • 2-3 base-layer t-shirts (e.g. running t-shirts) • Fleece/soft-shell jacket • Waterproof jacket • Insulated jacket for warmth, if possible (from e.g. Rab, Alpkit, Mountain Equipment) • Spare clothes for Marrakech • Underwear • Base-layer trousers (optional) • Trekking trousers • Waterproof trousers • Shorts • Swimwear for Marrakech (optional) • 4 thick wool mountaineering socks • Warm gloves and hat • Walking boots • Sandals or comfortable 'camp shoes' for the refuge • Footwear for Marrakech Other • Flexible duffel bag that fits your belongings for the mule to carry on Day 2 and Day 3 (shouldn't weigh more than 8kg, including the sleeping bag). • Small daypack (20-25L). • 3L of water bottles (minimum) • Sunglasses • Suncream • Sunhat • Insect repellant • Hand sanitiser & wet wipes (useful to have for the Toubkal Refuge). • Glasses/contact lenses (if needed) • Sleeping bag (2-3 season, available to rent for £5) • Bathroom items including travel towel • Female sanitary products • Electronics - Head torch, travel adaptor (French plug style), phone & charger • Lipsil • Book/mp3 player (optional) • Walking poles (optional -Available to rent for £4)

The summit day can be 9-12 hours (with lots of breaks) so you need a good fitness level. We recommend training with jogging or sport 1-2 times a week in the run-up to your trip. The descent from the Toubkal summit is long. From the summit back to the refuge is steep, there's about 3km of scree path which is sometimes slippery. So it's not recommended for someone who suffers from knee problems. The stage from the refuge back to Imlil is 11km, but it is easier.

Absolutely! We get lots of solo travellers on the trips. Once you sign up you'll also be added to a private Facebook group, where you can meet all the other people before you go.

The currency used in Morocco is Moroccan Dirham (MAD). You can take out cash at ATMs in the airport, as well as various locations on the trip. Please check with your bank that your card is accepted in Morocco before travel, and we highly recommend bringing two cards in case you have any issues.  Please note: your bank may charge transaction fees when you use your card in Morocco.

The minimum age for this trek is 18 years, or 16 years with a parent/guardian.

For hiking Toubkal, you need a good pair of hiking boots. They need to be warm, waterproof and have good ankle support. For those a little technically minded, a B2 boot, or similar would be ideal. If you are trekking Toubkal over winter, crampons and ice axes are available for rent in Imlil. Here's a list of equipment we have available to rent (prices are for the entire trek); - Crampons: £6 (most normal boots can fit the crampons we hire here in Imlil as they are flexible). - Ice axe: £5 - Gloves: £2 - Rain jacket: £3 - Sleeping bag: £5 - Walking poles: £3

Yes, if you give us notice beforehand we can cater for most dietary requirements. However, please note that meal options for specific diets (vegan, gluten intolerent etc.) may be more limited than what you're used to as we don't always have access to a wide range of substitute ingredients. The team is usually able to prepare simple dishes like pasta, vegetables, and bread to suit specific diets. We recommend that if you have specific dietary needs, pack extra snacks and supplements to make sure that your nutritional requirements are met. Please indicate this on the trip form before you go. We will also check with you on arrival.

It’s highly recommended you take out personal travel insurance. Travel cover protects you in the case of unforeseen circumstances, including cancellations, injuries, equipment loss, flight changes and other events that could negatively impact your trip. We suggest specialist adventure travel insurers, [Rise & Shield](https://riseandshield.com/). They cover 100s of activities and are easy to deal with if you need to make a claim. They also cover unique scenarios, like trekking at altitude or emergency evacuation in hard-to-reach places, that ordinary travel insurance doesn’t cover.

As one of the most popular tourist attractions in the world, the Sahara Desert and its various sights are a must-see for anyone spending time in Morocco. To ensure we give our adventurers an opportunity to include a few days in the desert during their vacation, we offer this extended version of our very popular Mt. Toubkal itinerary. This is the perfect addition for those with limited time to travel. Keep in mind that our destination in the desert is Merzouga which is far from Imlil. This means we will be covering long distances and spending many hours in the vehicle (6-9hrs each day) in order to reach the Erg Chebbi Dunes. Along the way, we pass some very famous attractions such as Ait Benhadou Kasbah, Ouarzazate City, and Rose Valley. We will make short stops at these and other sites to give you a chance to snap a few pics, visit the restroom or eat lunch but we sadly do not have a lot of time in our schedule to allow much independent exploration. Please consider that these will be short and sweet stops/ flash tours and respect the times given by your driver to meet back at the vehicle. These places are usually crowded as one would expect from popular tourist sites. It can be a bit of a culture shock after spending time and experiencing the authentic and welcoming hospitality of Imlil! Activities such as camel riding are included in our itinerary however, please keep in mind that the camels and handlers as well as other desert facilities, are independent businesses. Although we have selected the best possible experiences from available options, we unfortunately do not have much influence on the way they operate. For lunch, we have pre-selected restaurants at popular rest stops. We understand that there are other, cheaper options around, which may appear more appealing but please trust that we have selected our eating places based on the hygiene standards for food preparation, which are more effectively enforced and upheld at these bigger tourist restaurants. It's not worth the risk of ruining the remainder of your vacation with an upset stomach.

We recommend taking only the essentials and keeping the rest in Imlil. In the summertime, the mules carry food to the refuge and can take some of your luggage for you (up to 8kg per person). Please pack this in a soft duffel bag. When there is snow, the mules can only carry the luggage to the snowline, which is usually around 2,600m. From here, you will need to carry your luggage to the refuge at 3,207m. It is possible to hire a porter to carry your bags all the way at an extra cost if needed. Simply message your Guide after booking to arrange this. On the summit day, take only a small day pack with essentials, as you'll return to the refuge.

You will follow a sensible acclimatisation plan that works well for most participants. This includes regular breaks and a gradual increase in the altitude at which you sleep. Altitude affects everyone in different ways. However, the key is to mention if you are experiencing any symptoms to your guide (headache/nausea) as soon as you feel them.

You stay in a hostel in Imlil and Ouarzazate, A camp in the desert, and a mountain refuge on the mountain. The hostel offers shared rooms, with intermittent internet and warm showers. The mountain refuge is very basic with dormitory-style rooms. The showers do not always offer warm water and there are basic style toilets. Note that this refuge can be very crowded and the bathroom facilities are limited. We recommend bringing some hand sanitiser, toilet paper and also wet wipes. The mountain hut does sell snacks. It is worth taking small denominations of cash, as they sometimes do not have change available. You'll camp in the desert with very basic facilities.

Groups are usually a maximum of 12 people. If we do increase the group size by a few more people, we'll usually send an extra guide.

The guides will provide you with 1.5L of water each day. Water is also available from natural springs and at various village stores along the way. You may want to consider taking purification tablets with you for use in the spring water. 

Wifi is available in the hostels, however it can be unreliable given the remote location. There is no internet available in the mountain refuge, and phone signal can be poor.

Start: we meet you at Hotel Ali Cafe at 7:30 PM or at the airport at 8:00 PM, then drive to Imlil. End: around 8:00 PM in Marrakech's famous square (airport at around 7:30 PM for those who have late flights).

Solo travellers will be paired with other solo travellers of the same sex. If this is not possible (for instance you are a woman and there are only men on your trip) you will get your own room, at no extra charge. Solo supplements are sometimes available for all/ part of this trip. Please enquire about this directly with your local host- to do this simply click "message your guide" from your dashboard (after booking) and they'll arrange all the logistics for you. You can then pay on arrival. Note that the refuge on Toubkal is primarily set up with dormitory-style rooms (typical of almost all high-altitude refuges ). This means that single rooms are often not available.

Morocco has a strong tipping culture. Tipping is at the discretion of the guest and depends on your personal experience. At the end of your trip, if you feel that your guides and porters did an outstanding job, then tipping is greatly appreciated. A good rule of thumb is around 50 – 70 Euros per traveller (split between the Mountain and desert teams).

Yes, you can leave anything you don't need at the lodge. You will have a chance to pick it up when you come back after your trek.

For travellers arriving at the airport meeting point later than 8:15 PM, we can offer a private transfer to Imlil. This will be at an additional fee of £35 for a taxi (4 seats). If there is more than one person, you can split the fee.

We recommend budgeting between £10- £15 for lunches during the desert section of this adventure. The lunch stops are as follows: Day 4: Lunch in Ait Benhadou Kasbah Day 5: Lunch in Touroug Day 6: Lunch in Ouarzazate The team stops at pre-selected restaurants for lunch. These restaurants have been chosen based on hygiene standards. There are of course, cheaper alternatives and street dining around, but we prefer to stick with the option where we know that the food is prepared in a safe, clean environment with more rigorous inspections. These restaurants usually have something for everyone in the group and for safety and good time management, it's best to stick together as a group while we eat. It's worth spending a few extra pounds to minimise the risk of upset stomachs. Portions are very generous and it is usually possible for those who are not especially hungry to split a meal.

Unfortunately, although the success rate for Mount Toubkal is very high, we can't guarantee summit success on every trip. Weather conditions, personal health and medical conditions, altitude effects and other circumstances may mean it's necessary for an individual or group to turn back. It is at the guide's discretion to make a call and implement any itinerary changes as seen fit.

On the way to Merzouga, we pass some famous tourist sights. As we are on a tight schedule and have a long way to drive, we unfortunately can't spend very long at each stop or allow free time to explore other than to visit the bathroom or grab a refreshment. We appreciate your understanding and assistance during this group tour in meeting the guide on time so that we can ensure that the group isn't held up.

Winter season (Nov – Mar) Winter can be quite cold on Mt Toubkal, with temperatures on the summit going as low as -20 °C. March starts to warm up with a higher chance of rain. Early/late season (Apr– May & Oct) Temperatures at lower altitudes can reach 26°C, with little chance of rain. The summit can still go as low as -10°C with wind chill. Summer (Jun – Sep) June has a higher chance of rain, but still stays warm. July to Sept are the hottest months with temperatures at the lowest altitudes reaching 30 °C. The summit of Toubkal can be as low as -10°C with wind chill.

We recommend you check up-to-date advice from the National Health Service before you travel to Morocco. There's a useful link below.

Basic accommodation: - Hotel Ali - Riad Omar - Hotel Imilchil Luxury accommodation: - Riad Africa - Riad Anya

Climbing Toubkal in winter (November- May) is a very different experience from the warmer months. Depending on annual conditions, snow covers the mountain top which brings additional challenges to the route. We usually expect snow from early January to mid-May but some years, the snowy season lasts longer or is shorter than usual so it's hard to predict exact conditions. The main difference if you are planning to trek during the winter months is that you will need additional equipment. Crampons and icepicks (which can be rented) become necessary to safely navigate the snow and ice-covered mountainside. This makes the trek somewhat tougher. We generally recommend winter treks for those with some prior mountaineering experience. You will also need additional, warm clothing layers.