Morocco

Toubkal Winter Ascent (4167m)

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

Itinerary

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

You will be picked up at 19h00 (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.

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In the morning you’ll give your main bag to the muleteers, and 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 also some freshly squeezed orange juice available in the local stalls, which is not to be missed! Afterwards, you continue for another 3 hours to Refuge de Toubkal, where you’ll stay for the night.

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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.

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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.lunch in the refuge and walk down to Imlil. Have a nice hot shower and a delicious diner in front of a cheminee.

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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.

A guided 2 hours tour to explore the city is offered optional for those who are still staying in marrakech.

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8 verified reviews

Rated 5.0
Jeremy
Jeremy

Traveled Mar 2022

An amazing, challenging climb! Unfortunately the weather turned us back about 1 hr from the summit, but the experience of climbing and hiking in a major winter storm was still epic. Our hosts and guides took excellent care of us at all times. They had the utmost care for our safety and comfort. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming. I look forward to trying summit again.

Jonathan
Jonathan

Traveled Feb 2022

What a trip! Fantastic experience to summit Toubkal with the help of Houssain and my guide Rachid. Bad weather meant we had to delay the attempt, but Houssain took me on a two day trip to local Berber villages instead. When the weather allowed for it, I managed to summit Toubkal and stick to the original schedule. I highly recommend this to anyone looking to try out mountaineering. I've definitely gotten an appetite for more.

John
John

Traveled Feb 2022

From the pick up in Jemaa el fna to the very end this was brilliantly run. I met Omar at the agreed meeting point and picked up the second traveller a bit further away. In Imlil we met Mohammed who cooked a wonderful dinner for us in front of the fire and met Hussain our host. The guide Ibrahim met us the following morning and we went up to the refuge. The refuge was well equipped having wifi and multiple log burners to keep us warm in the winter. The ascent of Toubkal was done very well and felt safe throughout, Ibrahim knew the mountain inside and out. We summited in great weather and Ibrahim done his best to get us up during a good weather window. The next day just me and Ibrahim made the attempt at the second summit but weather turned us back. A long trek back down to Imlil that afternoon but not before yet more excellent food. In Imlil once again I was welcomed as though it was my home. Everyone I met was brilliant, very friendly, very welcoming, it was well organised and I’d use them again in a heartbeat. The food was fantastic, I didn’t expect to eat so well half way up a mountain but everything was cooked fresh and to cater for any specific needs.

Brigitte
Brigitte

Traveled Oct 2021

We had a fantastic time from start to end . Recommend it thoroughly. Hussein, Mohamed and Ibrahim were great hosts and guides .

Helen
Helen

Traveled Feb 2020

Just completed the Toubkal winter trip. I felt looked after from start to finish. It was an amazing experience and I would definitely recommend it.

Kamal
Kamal

Traveled Jan 2020

Very good and gained experience and confident since this was my very first climb. Thanks to guides and SHA

Kriszti N
Kriszti N

Traveled Jan 2020

It was a really good experience and trip all together. I highly recommend this journey for everyone, but one thing to make clear, it's not for unskilled hikers. This trip takes bit of an experience, otherwise the person who attends it can easily fail. I mean I thought I am experienced enough because I climbed up till 2500 meters but this was different, I really felt it and it wasn't easy. The acclimatisation hike was the hardest for me, after reaching the peak was way more easier but still I should have a mental fitness to reach myself with the thoughts "I can do this". We started around 5.30 and it was pretty cold and heavy wind, and close to the top is the hardest cuz I saw the peak and still it took another 10-15 minutes to reach it on rocky road in the heavy wind. So it's not that easy how it seems and it takes bit of an experience I think. But I am really happy I made it and we reached the peak first, so it was really great. Food and accommodation was as I expected and it was pretty enough for all our needs. :)

Sam
Sam

Traveled Dec 2019

Incredible time!!

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FAQs

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 - Walking Boots that are well insulated, waterproof and 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) - Bathroom items including travel towel - Electronics - Head torch, travel adaptor (French plug style), phone & charger - Lipsil - Book/mp3 player (optional) - Walking poles (also available to rent for €2) - crampons ( availlable for rent 15£) - ice axes ( availlable for rent 10£)

Included: - Guides, porters and muleteers - Airport transfers in Marrakech - Accommodation - Food - water (1.5L per day offered) Excluded: - International flights - Tips - winter equipement( crampons and ice axe) - Any visa fees (not needed for UK citizens) - Personal travel/rescue insurance

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 availlable for rent in Imlil.

Yes, you can leave anything you don't need.

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.

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

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.

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

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 frm Imlil at 10h00 am and dropped back in city center around 11h30. There is a possibility of direct airport drop off if needed.

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

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.

Yes! Many people choose to do this before the trip. You can use the trip Facebook group 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 .

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.

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.

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.

While it is the intention to adhere to the itinerary described, there is a certain amount of flexibility built into the itinerary 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.

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)

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 setup 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.

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