Toubkal trek, the peak of Morocco!
Toubkal trek, the peak of Morocco!
The Toubkal trek is an adventure to learn about the highest peak in Morocco and North Africa. In fact, at 4167 meters, Toubkal is a sublime peak of the Atlas range: climbing to the top of this peak is sure to leave you satisfied!
To successfully complete the Toubkal trek, one must first hire local guides. There are two solutions: contact the shelters directly (Les Mouflons, or CAF).Or join an organized tour, such as the Civitatis tour.. You need to book well in advance: in fact, Toubkal is a popular destination for both Moroccans and international mountain lovers!
The Toubkal trek: from Aroumd to the CAF refuge.
The Toubkal trek begins from Aroumd, at an elevation of 1910 meters. This town lies just beyond Imlil and offers majestic views of the Toubkal. Aroumd is about an hour and a half drive from Marrakech: the road from Imlil to Aroumd is a real mountain road, definitely impressive!
In Aroumd there is passport control. The ascent to Toubkal begins! At first you walk across a rocky plateau, which does not make it easy to start walking. After about ten minutes, however, you take a typical mountain path that leads to Sidi Chamharouch. Here there is a pre-Islamic monastery that, because of its size, is visible from higher altitudes.
In addition, from Sidi Chamharouch it is possible to begin to see the Oued Rheraya River: this watercourse rises just above the refuges (thus at an elevation of 3,200 meters) and reaches Marrakech after a distance of about 60 kilometers.
The climb after Sidi Chamharouch becomes steeper, but never complicated. At an elevation of 3,000 meters the trail flattens out and you arrive like this,
After more than 1,200 meters of elevation gain, to the shelters (TRACK).
The Toubkal trek: conquering the summit and returning
At the CAF shelter we eat very early: by 6 p.m., dinner, consisting of chicken and soup, was already served! The lights go out around 9:30 p.m., but by that time everyone has already gone to sleep. The CAF Toubkal shelter can accommodate about 200 people, and in the fall months it is almost always full: the same goes for the les mouflons shelter.
At 6 a.m. Silvia and I, a mountaineer with whom we shared the cost of the trip, set off for the summit with our guide Hassan. The steepest part of the climb, with gradients at times exceeding 40 percent, leads to the Tizi n’ Toubkal pass, located at an elevation of 3,950 meters. As early as 3,500 meters, however, we had already put on crampons: despite the unusual heat in October, temperatures were below freezing and we found plenty of snow on the trail. We arrived at the pass just in time to see the first light of dawn: spectacular!
The last few meters leading up to the pass are very steep and, in my opinion, the most difficult of the entire route. After the pass, in fact, the slopes descend and very gradually you reach the summit of Toubkal, at an altitude of 4,167 meters! The summit is characterized by a kind of pyramid: it is possible to admire the surrounding high mountains (there are as many as seven 4,000 nearby) and it is possible to see, 2,400 meters below, the small town of Aroumd, the starting base.
On the return, the same route is followed as on the outward journey. We arrived at the CAF shelter at 11 a.m. and had lunch before returning to Aroumd. By 3 p.m. our ascent to Toubkal was officially over: we left Aroumd at 1 p.m., so the mission lasted exactly 26 hours!
USEFUL INFORMATION FOR TOUBKAL TREK
- The first section from Aroumd to the CAF hut is nearly 10 km long, with an elevation gain of more than 1,200 meters. The second section is a round trip from the CAF refuge,touching the summit of Toubkal: the total length is just over 8 km and touches nearly 1,000 meters of elevation gain. In total, therefore, it is 26 km of walking with 2,300 meters of elevation gain.
- The climb to Toubkal is never technically challenging. The most complicated part is the part leading to the Tizi n’Toubkal pass: the steep slopes and altitude can create problems!
- Climbing Toubkal in two days is recommended for those who are fit: almost 2,300 meters of elevation gain in two days is not easy! Some, therefore, prefer to climb in three days, staying overnight at the hut after conquering the summit.
- Some things can be left to the mules. The sleeping bag was offered by the guide, and of course loaded onto the mule.
- I slept in the CAF shelter, and I can safely say that it is a very good shelter. Located at an altitude of 3,200 meters, it has several dormitories. Because of the high altitude, it is not easy to sleep well, especially if any of the roommates start snoring deeply.
- I started the Toubkal trek from Aroumd dressed in shorts. The next morning, however, I left with three layers: long thermal jersey, sweatshirt and windproof jacket. I got along well with both the jacket and the long pants, North Face branded.
- I had to rent crampons, which were mandatory (as well as definitely necessary, already from 3,500 meters altitude).
- In the part from Aroumd to the hut there are many small stores where you can drink excellent mint tea, have something to eat and even buy souvenirs.
- The Toubkal is loved by everyone but the Italians-I have never heard anyone speak Italian in the 26 hours! In fact, Italians appreciate Toubkal especially in the winter season, when ski touring is possible.
- Toubkal reminded me of climbing Kilimanjaro. In fact, the first day completely matches (both in elevation gain and altitude), while the second day is reminiscent in small ways of the fifth day of Kilimanjaro. In fact, the second day at Toubkal consists of an ascent of almost 1,000 meters and a descent of 2,300 meters: in a small way, it is reminiscent of the 1,300-meter ascent and 2,900-meter descent of the fifth day of the Machame Route of Kilimanjaro!
- Both huts are open year-round: as mentioned above, the winter season is suitable for ski mountaineers!
4 November, 2022
