Trekking and ascent of Toubkal in Morocco

The Jbel Toubkal (4.167m)The Toubkal, in Morocco, is the highest mountain in the Atlas and in the whole of North Africa. The Toubkal massif is home to the majority of the four Atlas mountains, 11 out of 14, the other 3 are in the M'Goun massif.

Morocco and the Atlas Mountains are still a place to be discovered, just a stone's throw from home, where we can experience some of the most spectacular the best treks and climbs in Africa.

Index

The Atlas Mountains

The Atlas is a large mountain range of 2,400kms that runs through northwest Africa, from Tunisia through Algeria to Morocco. The highest peaks are concentrated in the Moroccan Atlas. In Morocco, the mountain range is divided into three ranges: Middle Atlas, High Atlas and Anti Atlas. The Toubkal massif is in the western part of the High Atlas.

Jbel Toubkal

The ascent of Jbel Toubkal (4167m) offers, beyond the satisfaction of surpassing the 4,000m barrier, a wild territory, with deep valleys inhabited by Berber villages and mountains with sharp ridges where the snow remains for a large part of the year.

Although the ascent of Jbel Toubkal is usually done as a round trip from Imlil, the massif has many possibilities for crossings and climbing other easy four-thousanders such as Ras (4083m), Timesguida (4089m), Afella (4043m) or Akioud (4030m).

The ascent of Jbel Toubkal from Imlil is not a technically difficult route and is within the reach of anyone who is in decent shape and chooses a favourable time of year for the climb. Lack of acclimatisation to the altitude is not usually a problem, as the time spent at 4,000m is quite short. However, this should not be underestimated.

Routes of ascent to Toubkal:

From Imlil:

The busiest route is the one that climbs from the northern slope, starting in the village of Imlil (1740m). From here the route climbs up the Oued Rheraya valley to the Toubkal / Les Mouflons refuge (3,200m), in about 4 or 5 hours' walk. In Imlil it is common practice to hire a mule and muleteers to carry your backpacks. You will be offered one as soon as you arrive. Bear in mind that for many of them it is the only way to get by in a place like this.

*Sidi Chamarouch is a stopping place on the Imlil route.*

Depending on the time of year you may find snow, too much in winter, none at all in summer. Easter is one of the busiest times of the year for Spanish tourists. It is not yet warm enough to do some sightseeing in the area, the days are quite long and Toubkal has a white mantle that gives it a more alpine atmosphere.

If you come at a time when there is snow, you will probably need crampons from the Toubkal refuge onwards. The climb is not technically difficult but the slope is quite steep and at this altitude the air begins to feel thin.

Four-thousander collectors can turn right at an altitude of 3850m and climb Toubkal West (4030m) before reaching Jbel Toubkal (4167m). For the descent, one option for a circular route to the refuge is to descend towards Imouzzer Peak (PD; 4,010m) and then turn left towards the Toubkal refuge. This route passes through the wreckage of a plane crash.

*Between the refuge Les Mouflons and the Toubkal*

From Imlil via the Lepiney Refuge:

One route to get to know the massif better and to explore the valley that runs parallel to that of Oued Rheraya is to climb to the Lepiney refuge. This route adds an extra day to the ascent of Toubkal, but allows you to follow a circular route and get to know other valleys. This route joins the previous route from Imlil at the Toubkal refuge (3,207m), although to get there you will have to cross the mountain barrier that separates the two valleys. The most popular route makes a detour to the north, via the Aguelzim pass (3500m). The most direct route goes up to Tizi n'Tadat (3800m) and offers an unbeatable opportunity to climb Biiguinnoussene (4002m), although the descent to the Toubkal / Les Mouflons refuge has a 40º slope that should be kept in mind.

By Lake Ifni:

A much less travelled but very interesting route to discover the southern slopes of the massif. In this case, the starting point is the village of Imhilene, in the Imenane valley. From here begins a fairly steep ascent to Lake Ifni (2,319m), where we camp, to continue the next day via Toubkal West to Jbel Toubkal.

Practical information

How to get to Imlil

To get to Imlil (67km from Marrakech and an hour and a half by car), the cheapest way is to take a bus from Marrakech. The bus goes to the town of Asni and from there you can take a taxi or other vehicle to Imlil (10km). Other ways to get there are to take a private or collective taxi or hire a car.

Best time:

The ideal season is from spring to autumn. The Easter holidays are high season for Spaniards and a good time to travel here. At this time of year the snow can be found above 2600m-2800m and gives the mountains a certain alpine character. In summer the snow gives way to rock and it is too hot for sightseeing in Morocco, although not exactly in Toubkal. Winter is not the recommended option because of the enormous amount of snow and ice, unless that is precisely what you are looking for.

Other recommendations:

On the other hand, it is important to know that hiring a guide is neither compulsory nor particularly necessary. The ascent of Toubkal is the most frequented route at 4000 in the Atlas and you will not have any problems with orientation or route finding, if that is what you are worried about. This does not mean that you should neglect your preparation. On the contrary, preparing the route is an obligation and a duty for any self-respecting mountaineer.

In addition to all this, special attention should be paid to the necessary equipment (ice axe and crampons depending on the season), basic travel/mountaineering insurance and reservations at the refuges.