Toubkal is a walk, not a climb — there is no rope work on the standard route — but it is a serious one: around 1,300 metres of ascent on day one and nearly 1,000 more before breakfast on day two, most of it on loose scree above 3,000 metres.
You walk with a licensed mountain guide from the Imlil valley, with a mule carrying the bags as far as the refuge. The night is spent in a stone mountain hut in shared dormitories, and the summit push starts around 04:00 so you reach the top for the first light over the Atlas.
From late December to March the upper mountain is under snow and the trek becomes a winter ascent with crampons and ice axes, which we supply. Outside those months, good walking shoes are enough.
A 90-minute drive to Imlil at 1,740 metres, where you meet your guide and muleteer. The path climbs past the shrine of Sidi Chamharouch and up the Mizane valley to the refuge at 3,207 metres, around five to six hours of steady walking with a picnic lunch on the way. Dinner and an early night.
Up at 04:00 for the three-hour climb to the summit, arriving for sunrise. Back down to the refuge for breakfast, then the long descent to Imlil for lunch before the drive back to Marrakech.
Exactly as described
Booked three things through Atlas Nomad in a week and every pickup was on time. The driver on the Agafay trip went out of his way to find us a quieter spot for the sunset.
Worth the early start
A long day but the guide paced it well and never rushed us. Being able to pay the balance on the day made booking from home much easier.
Très bien organisé
Organisation impeccable et guide passionnant. Le déjeuner n était pas inclus, ce qui est clairement indiqué, mais prévoyez des espèces.
Stony desert forty minutes from the medina: a camel ride along the ridge, mint tea as the light goes, then dinner under the stars.
Free cancellation
An hour from the city the air changes: walnut trees, a river, and a walk up to seven waterfalls stepped into the mountainside at Setti Fatma.
Free cancellation
Three hours west and twenty degrees calmer: a walled port town of blue shutters, gulls, grilled sardines and constant wind.
Free cancellation| Su | Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Select a date to see availability