Morocco

Toubkal Winter Ascent (4167m)

15

Hike the Highest Mountain in North Africa - in Winter Conditions.

Itinerary

Day 1: Marrakech to Imlil (1,740m)

You will be picked up at 19h30 (frm Hotel Ali cafe) if you are already in the city. And from Marrakech Airport at 20h00 for those arriving in the evening. You will be driven to the village of Imlil, where you will enjoy your welcome dinner, and take in the spectacular panoramic views of the High Atlas Mountains. All food, accommodation and transfers are included on this trip.

60e692dc-bb1d-4267-94bd-904d624fa9aa
1257c02b-6655-41de-83dc-98e2f21a818f
Day 2: Hike to Refuge de Toubkal (3,207m)

In the morning you’ll give your main bag to the muleteers. With your day bag on your back, you will hike for around 3 hours to the tiny settlement of Sidi Chamharouch - here your cooks will serve up lunch. There is freshly squeezed orange juice available from the local stalls, not to be missed! Afterward, you continue for another 3 hours to Refuge de Toubkal, where you’ll stay for the night.

fc23c998-7637-4dfd-a910-40a58de1163b
754be2b6-a484-41e4-9b9d-c34c70976ccb
7a170ec2-2918-42a3-95ac-ed80f55f77dd
1e7182f2-51ea-4395-95ae-bfd65a9de1a6
Day 3: Mount Ouanoukrim Peak (4,088m)

Today you'll head up Ouanourkim Peak (4088m), which offers wonderful views of the High Atlas Mountain Range. There may be an opportunity to summit the mountain, but the focus is on gaining experience with your crampons (spikes for your boots), and your ice axe. In the afternoon, you'll head back down to the mountain refuge for dinner.

0e1bd749-794d-4808-afd3-70f14e3ab964
178978c4-3ff4-44ce-8054-bc71412cdae8
0918c8e5-4a84-4c0e-a952-c8fa60bf44eb
17feacf0-e483-44fb-a441-913e9fac8fc0
Day 4: Summit Toubkal (4,167m) & Walk to Imlil

You start at around 4 am, with a slow and steady pace upwards. After 2-3 hours you’ll aim to reach the summit of Mt Toubkal (4,167m) at sunrise! From the snowy summit, you can look down to the green Anti-Atlas Mountains, and the vast Sahara Desert beyond! After taking some time to enjoy the views, you'll head back down to the mountain refuge. Enjoy lunch in the refuge and walk down to Imlil. Have a nice hot shower and a delicious dinner.

fa4dd500-dde0-48f0-b5cf-0bb58837e54e
fe9c04c0-1e33-4879-a920-9d4ad6058c0d
3473ad6e-3dd0-43eb-8e40-cccf010af996
Day 5: Return to Marrakech

Following a nice breakfast, you will be driven back to Marrakech city at 10h00 and arrive to Marrakech at 11h30. There is also an option to be dropped off in the airport if needed.

9fafbf59-74e1-4679-9595-3899098b318a
1d974dd3-c1c5-4422-ac1a-daf388718aa4
234a6521-fe4e-488c-abef-49a51f53d222

What's Included

Included
  • Guides, porters and muleteers
  • Airport transfers in Marrakech
  • Accommodation in the refuge
  • Food
  • Mineral water (1.5L per guest per day)
  • Accommodation in the Guest house in Imlil with diner and breakfast
Not Included
  • International flights
  • Tips
  • Winter equipment including crampons and ice axe (see FAQs for rental prices)
  • Any visa fees (not needed for UK citizens)
  • Personal travel/rescue insurance

Rated 5.0

15 verified reviews

Paul
Paul

(Apr 2023)

Was an incredible trip the team were amazing and helpful from start to end, had a lot of fun and met some amazing people. The guides were brilliant and the food was amazing so grateful for everything you guys did for us, I would definitely recommend anyone interested in doing this trip to do it.

media_R6UUX4ZAL2JNWU3L
media_JBMUAFB7XJS7AQLN
media_KSKFLGZBSL75WKS4
media_B5TEFCDECL6KJ6PA
media_JALQR9K5EYNEM5CG
media_KWHJLTXQ2E8YAC2Z
Paul
Paul

(Mar 2023)

My stay at Imlil was very welcoming and food was very nice. Would definitely recommend staying here. Overall the guides were very good and really enjoyed overall.

Jason P.
Jason P.

(Mar 2023)

Superb trip. Hamid at the accommodation in Imlil was super friendly and attentive. Hassan the guide and Ahmed the porter and cook were a pleasure to travel with. Hassan was especially intuitive regarding giving me space to enjoy the mountain without feeling too crowded but also always there if needed. I was initially booked for January as I wanted full on winter conditions but had to cancel at the last minute, eventually I managed to go in March, the conditions were still sufficiently challenging for me to feel I achieved something but clearly there was a lot less snow so therefore only really about 3 hours of crampon work to the summit. Temperatures still hit -15C with the windchill but with the right gear thats very manageable. I was very fortunate that on my trip to the summit it was just me and the guide Hassan which made it feel that bit more special, we did not quite reach the summit in time for sunrise but were still in a great spot when the sun broke through and we then had almost 30 minutes on the peak without seeing anyone else. I would highly recommend this trip for anyone who would like to push themselves a bit but doesn't want to do anything too 'crazy' just yet. Skyhooks local partners do a fantastic job from start to finish. One needs to be prepared for some hard graft on summit day and capable of dealing with pretty crowded conditions at the mountain refuge but the food is great and the experience well worth a bit of discomfort here and there ... which is after all part of the adventure.

media_CQ4QTY2JTRFQ89DT
media_AC4JDPUS3N6WM38U
Kathryn
Kathryn

(Feb 2023)

Unfortunately a bad snow storm stopped us from even attempting Toubkal and we had to spend the whole time in Imlil just doing day hikes for 3 days. Two of the days were trekking in heavy snow and strong winds so didn't get very far or see much. Obviously beyond anyone's control and safety was put first. However, whilst nothing can be done about the weather, it didn't feel like we were a priority anymore and our guide for the 3 days did not seem particularly interested in us or the hiking. Although, the staff at the riad in Imlil looked after us well and Lahouceine made an effort to liaise with us and join us one evening and expressed his disappointment in not being able to take us to Toubkal which was much appreciated.

Benjamin
Benjamin

(Feb 2023)

Amazing time in the mountains. Imlil is so beautiful and calm. The hike is quite long but really rewarding in the end. Summit view is breathtaking. Way down from the Toubkal summit to Imlil was really hard in the end due to fatigue, and altitude sickness but overall largely doable (watch out for the couple of following days with pain all over the body). Our guide Hussain was the best, explaining every single bit and leading us really well and calmly. I recommend this trip 100%

media_3NDQGAJPNAVNABJU
media_GLU3QB45GP4VBXQT
media_98T7FRGVBWX843EQ
media_W72QMEKD9RAXTJN4
media_CNULJDXQUL5FUCNZ

FAQs

Before you go

Documents; - Passport & visa if needed - Travel insurance details - Boarding passes for flights - Wallet - Pen for filling in arrivals form Clothing; - 2-3 base-layer long-sleeve t-shirts (e.g. running t-shirts) - Fleece/soft-shell jacket - Waterproof jacket - Insulated jacket for warmth (e.g. Rab, Alpkit, Mountain Equipment) - Spare clothes for Marrakech - Underwear - Base-layer trousers - Trekking Trousers - Waterproof trousers - Shorts - Swimwear for Marrakech (optional) - 4 thick wool mountaineering socks - Warm Gloves and Hat - Winter hiking boots, that are well insulated, waterproof and have good ankle support - Footwear for Marrakech - Wool hat - 2 – 3 pairs of gloves Miscellaneous; - Large rucksack for the mules/porters - Daysack (25-35L) - 3L of water bottles - Sunglasses - Suncream - Sunhat - Insect repellant - Glasses/contact lenses (if needed) - Sleeping bag (comfort rating of -5 degrees Celsius, available to rent @£5) - Bathroom items including travel towel - Electronics - Head torch, travel adaptor (French plug style), phone & charger - Lipsil - Book/mp3 player (optional) - Walking poles (available to rent @£3) - crampons (availlable to rent @£6) - ice axes (available to rent @£5)

Please see the 'Inclusions' section above

The summit day can be 6 - 8 hours (with lots of breaks) so you do need a good level of fitness. We recommend training with jogging or sport 1-2 times a week, in the run-up to your trip.

We would recommend 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. 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 - Ice axe: £5 - Gloves: £2 - Rain jacket: £3 - Sleeping bag: £5

You can see the latest NHS advice at https://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/destinations/africa/morocco.

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

You must get appropriate travel insurance for winter hiking up to 4,169m. Popular providers include the BMC and Dogtag. Please check that your insurance includes mountain rescue.

On your trip

The local guides use mules to carry your main bag. You just need to carry a small bag with water, sun cream and waterproofs whilst trekking.

Winter season (Nov – Mar) Winter can be quite cold on Mt Toubkal, with temperatures on the summit going as low as -18 °C. March starts to warm up with a higher chance of rain.

Yes, you can leave anything there that you don't need for the trek.

Each group is typically 12 people, with a maximum of 14.

On the first and last nights, you'll stay in a comfortable hotel in the village of Imlil. A variety of rooms are available, but usually, you will be sharing with one other person from the team. During the middle two nights, you'll stay in a mountain refuge which is very basic, with dormitory-style accommodation.

Start: There is an airport pickup from Marrakech Airport at 20h00, on the first day of your trip. Alternatively, if you have arrived early, we recommend you spend a few hours exploring Marrakech city. You can be picked up from the main Medina, in the city center (Jemaa el-Fnaa) at 19h30 pm. End: For return flights, you will be driven from Imlil at 10h00 am and dropped back in the city centre around 11h30. There is a possibility of direct airport drop off if needed (on request)

Wi-Fi is available in the hotels on the first night, however, it can be unreliable given the remote location. There is no internet available in the mountain refuge, and phone signal can be poor.

Day 1: No hiking Day 2: 4-5 hours (11km) Day 3: 6 hours (7km) Day 4: 6-8 hours (6km) Day 5: 3 hours (11km)

While it is the intention to adhere to the itinerary described, there is a certain amount of flexibility owing to conditions and, on occasion, it may be necessary to make alterations. Your guide will make dynamic risk assessments throughout the whole trek, and his or her decision is final.

You can book private rooms for the trip - 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. The price is £30/night in Imlil and £90/night in the refuge. Note that in the refuge it's primarily set-up with dormitory-style rooms (typical of almost all high-altitude refuges ). This means that it's quite common to book a private room just for the parts in Imlil.

Other FAQs

Yes! Many people choose to do this before the trip. You can use the group chat to arrange to meet other people from your team.

You will spend most of your time with the Berber-people of the Atlas Mountains who are very friendly and welcoming. However, if you decide to visit Marrakech before/after the trek, there is a higher risk of crime. You can see the latest travel advice from the FCO at https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/morocco .

The muleteers have been trained by a UK-based vet on ethical treatment of the mules. They use modern harnesses and follow strict weight limits.

Your head guide is Lahouceine

All trips on Skyhook are run by small, hand-picked local guiding companies. For this trip your guides run Atlas Vertical, based in Asni.

By booking through Skyhook you'll be joining a small-group trip. This can make it nice and sociable (you'll be added to a group chat after booking), and guarantees great value for money!

Lahouceine